The Thirty-Nine Articles (Article XVII) affirm the doctrine of predestination to life: 'Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind.' The Article then warns against presuming on election (leading to despair or licentiousness) and counsels keeping the focus on the promises of Christ received through Word and Sacrament.

Crucially, Article XVII is carefully worded to avoid committing the Church of England to the Calvinist doctrine of double predestination (the decree of reprobation). The Article addresses only predestination to life, not the fate of the non-elect. This deliberate ambiguity reflects the via media character of Anglican formulation: Calvinist-leaning evangelicals can affirm Article XVII as teaching unconditional election, while Arminian-leaning Anglicans can affirm it without conceding double predestination. This has allowed both streams to remain within Anglican churches.