(269 ing to Merit it. If a man that was Decreed to have two or three, wives fucceffively were husband to them all at once ; Whether the Lawwill reach him for his life ? Yet fo it muff be, if all his Relations are from eternity, becaufe Decreed from eter- nity, or from Chrifts dying, becaufe then Merited, Was Edward the 6th Kingof England, or Elizabeth Qeen from the time of. Chrifts death ? Was Mr. 0. Mr. E. Mr. C. or any now living, a Paftor of a Church when Chrift dyed ? I hope none will fay that God Decreed not thefe , or that ChriftMerited them not. The Confequence is plain from the parity of Reafon. If it bei eo namine,becaufe Decreed or Merited that one is eternal orfrom Chrifts death,then other Relations that are Decreed andMerited, snuff be fo too. I put both together, becaufe I deal with men that fomewhat differ. Some do not fo openly or plainly own the Eternity of. Abfolution as others do. The forementioned learnedman faith ; For thefoundation of this Right, feting that before the Confider,. tion of thedeath of ChrO, it is not, from thence it muff needs be t But whether this Confederation of Chrifts-death be not from eter- nity, and fo our Merit and Right from eternity, in his judgement, I am uncertain : By fome paffages I should hope better but thefe words make me doubtful ; 7hat the Decree of God gives to no mina Right, to tke thingconcerning 'hick the Decree is is fofar from being a fufficient proof of the Major , that it is in itftlfvery queflionable,ifnot unquellionably falfe. That the Deeree gives not being and exiflence to the things concerning which it is,,is an old Rule. That no Rightfhouldfrom it arife unto that thing by vertue thereof, is notfo clear. Right is but jus ; Jus eft, quad Juftum eft if it be full or Right that any one (hould have Poch a thing, he is fide' to have a Right thereunto. Now fuppofing the Decree of god s that a manfhall byfuch means have Inch ea thing', is it not jug, equi- tableandcondecent unto righteoufnefs that he Amidhave it ? Reply. I. It feems then we had our 7us ad rem from eternity : And then Chrift dictnot Purchafe or Merit it : for he is not the caufe as Mediator ofeternal effels (.4parte ante.) And ifwehad Right fromEternity to Juffification and Salvation, and that Ab- folutelyfidb Termino,as you fpeak, to be ours, then when the term comes,,we shall have it, as having Right to it before. And what dohChtiftSdeathcaufe.by interpofing If you fay that it is not,
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