(217) s. The molt learned deny that Gods fecret eftimation is any ju.- ftification or pardon, nor fo to be called. 2. If it were, it muff be the, eftimation of dod as ReCtor of mankinde : but he is not Redor from eternity. 3. God efteetneth not that to be true which is falfe nor men to be what they are not : therefore he efteemeth not men to be guilty before they are guilty,nor juft be- fore they are just : Ob. God efteemeth us juft in time : there- fore he foefteemed us from eternity, becaufe efteeming is an im- manent aa in God. Anfrp. According to the commonly appro- ved Doctrine in thefe high points, we mutt fay, that as it is but Denominatione ex trinfeca,or Relatione Rationie,at moft:That Gods Acts ofApproving and Difapproving, efteeming juft,andefteem- ing unjuft, are diverfified and diftinguifhed;fo in the fame refpects they may and muff be faid to begin and end according to their objects, without any change in God. And therefore we mutt fay that God efteemeth men juft, when they are Pt, and not be- fore ; For the fame Act or Effence of God, which before was only denominated, A foreknowing that we would be juft, was not to be denominated , An efteemingus to be juft, till we are fo in- deed. So much for that Argument. tArgument 2. If we are juftified from eternity then we are juftfied without Chrifts fatisfaction as the caufe ofit. But we are not Juftified without Chrifts fatisfaction as the caufe there- fore. TheMajor is evident, in that Chrifts fatisfactionwas not from eternity, and thereforecould not caufe from eternity. Nor was there any effect from eternity tobe caufed by it ; Gods imma- nent acts are commonly faid to be God himfelf ; and Chrifts Merits did not caufe God himfelf. Theywhom I oppofe, fay,that Chrifts death caufethonly the RemVolitam, at non Adamvolen- tit: They cannot fay, therefore, as in the foregoing cafe , that it caufeth in efe Cognito : or if they did, the fame anfwer will feem fitting to this cafe , befides what is now faid. But I need not con- tendwhere I have no adverfary. The Minor I fhould think molt Chriftians fhould confefs. Without Blood there is no Remifsion : It is Chrift that is the Lamb of God that taketh away the fins of the world. What need his blood be flied for theRemifsion of fins, that were re- mitted from eternity ? todo that whichwas done before. That F f Doctrine
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