31 .Book 11. 1lrolttngU}ltO ]Jcfu~. Chap. 1 .Sect6. eternal love, and then of his free love_ hefet_ them apart to life, and to (alvation: hence the 1\ om. 1 1. 5• Apollle calls it theelefiionof Grace, llgmfymg thot our Eledion fprings out of the womb oflove- free love,free grace is the caufe ofour Eledion. . 1 • SoU:e. object'. that we are preddlinared and e!eded according to fore-k_n01vlcd~e, (i..e.) f:iy they ,accordtng to tl1e fore-knowledge ofour fa~~h, and repe.ltance.and·perfel'eranceRom. 8-'9· ~ut if that were I'atlls fore·k_nowledge, w!1y then would ·he .fay, ·that th.ofe whomhe'did Jo>·c-kpo\V, he ~lfodtdpredejhnate tobnonfarmed toth<:>~age of; hts Son? Jf God did fore– know them firfl conformed, why dtd he th~n predefhnate ~hem to beconformed ?, And i£ that_were Peters f•re-kpowledge I wb_y then would he fay, ·~hat thry !l'"~-~Rfi' ~c~ordin@ >Pet. 1' to rh• frrre-k.nowltdge of'CP_d the Father----unto obedience? tf God d1d ,fore-know thetn firft obedtenr,_ how then dtd hefore-k.now them unto obedience? I know if is a quefoiort 1 1rhether Cod tn fore-Jis,ht of beluf, ~ndp~rfeverance in faith and holinifs; do choofe ;,., 1 , falv"tlon? for my;parr I am•for the negattve, uppn thefe we!l-knovvn groun.ds. •·; .: _I. Becaufe elechon on faith forefeen mak~s God to go ,out of ;l)imfelf, looking .to tillSor that m the creature, upon whiCh hts wtll may be determmed to elect. now this·is ag_ainlt the all.fufficiency_ of Gods knowledge, as.if.he lhould get knowledge from ~he th:ngs we _know, and agamit the ~.11-fuffictency ofGod~ wjll, asjfhe mull be beholding to fomethmg mus, before the fuuhnefs of our eledtotHan.be determined. ~. Becaufe Election on faith or love forefeen ; it. ma~es God to choofe us when we ha~e chofen him, and to love us wheo w~ have lov~d hi!n firfr; but this is contrary to 1 John 4· 1 9• ~cnpture, We love him becau[e he loved'" firft; - ·- a11d herein is love, not that we /pved V"fc 10 " Cod, but that he lovedm, and(ent hi! Son to be the propitiationfor our fins. · 3. Becaufe Eledion on faith forefeen, ltands.not with the freedomof Gods willwith– Rom. 9.1<. in him[df, but God ~ells us plainly, !wiJl.hav,e .1flercy qrl whom I will have mercy, and I •7,hn Good-. will have compa({ion on whom 1willha;vico1flp"J!ion.,· * I know fome would not have this "''"' <xpoliu- text underflood of Election from eternity, but of jufrification, adoption, falvatioh, and on ~n ~om. yet they grant the truth ofit to be alike, whether in reference to Eledion or Juflificati9"1" 1 • on: the words, !will have mercy qnwhomlwillhavemercy, are one and the fame with Exod. n. 19. thofe words fpoken by God to Mofes, I will begraciotU to whom I will be 'graciom; Now to begr~ciou<, as is confeffed, properly importS a propenfenefs of mind and will to do fome ligna! good without any motive or engagement thereunto from without, ffpecially from the perfon or perfons to whom this good is done, or intended; which is a plain argument that Iwillh.<vemercy, is not of that kind of mercy, the exercife whereof is drawn out, or procured by any thi~g wh<ttfoever in thofe to whom it is lllfwed, but be– raufe it pleafeth it felf, or him in whom it refide~;,h fo to do; and in thi~ ~efpecbpercy differs very little, qr nothing at all from grace: the Apoftleexchanging.M~; his words, was but his interpreter. , " 4- Becaufe Election on faith forefeen, is all one as to fay, we are ordained to ett(nal t.<h '3· ~8 life becaufe we b~lieve; but the ~cripture fpeaksconrrary,. m m"ny M were ordained to eternal life believed, and not as many as believed were ordained to (\[ernallife. 5. Becaufe a prime and eternal caufe cannot depend upon the feJf.fame temporal eff<Cls which are thereby caufep; Now, Election is the prime and eternaL caufe whence our faith, repentance, and perfeverance were derived, and therefore our faith, .repentance, and perfeverance cannot be imagined antecedent caufes, conditions, or mouves unto the divine Election. 6. Becaufe Election on faith forefeen, or Eledion of men believing and perfevering in faith and holinefs unto the lafl gafp, bring_s with it many abfurdities. As, I_- This is to £leer men not confidered as in the !late of10nocency, nor of mtfery, but as m!late of grace, contr;ry to their own tenets. 2. This is not t_o bring~ith, holinefs, perfeve– rance out of the gracious benefit of Eledion: but to brmg. Eledton ont of the forefeen acts ofbelieving, obeying, perfeveri,ng, qutte contrary to S:nptures; he hath chofen tu E~. '. 4· inhi, before the foundation ofrheworld, that we Jhouldbe holy and rmhout blame before h,m in love. , 3 . This were to fay that Ekction or predellmauon atf~rds no !I! an _any help ~t all, in the way ~nto eternal falvation; for how can that be the caufe !ea~10g tnfalhbly m the way umo eternal life, which comes not fo much as mto _confideratton~ unul ama~ have run out his race (at !call mGods fore-knowledge) m_ fatth? and god!mefs, andr~ arril·ed at heavens gates? .Such a falfely named ptedefhnatton mtght more truly and P .– perly lnve been Galled a Poll-de~ination. But I have too long flood on tlm conrro~~= lie; and indeed it is again!! my dcfign, which u not to mmifter qmjftons, but rather • 1 Tim. 1 • ~- "'l·i 11 ff whh·h is in ~'aith I remember what I have rea·l, and indeed I begm alreadr ' 1 ° ; : c' J I • L ,ee '
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