V E R.4. gods EleEion. fenwere brought forth in eheirnaturall being, holy, bleffed, capable of life,if their wilfull defection hindred not.Thirdly5Theywere permitted to fall into time and mifery. Fourthly ; They areby Chrift delivered from this mifery,being called,juftified,glorified.Fiftly;Chrift glorious, as a mediator and Saviour ofGods chofen,to the glory ofgrace or mer- cy.Sixtly; Godhis mercy glorious,whochofe and predeftinatedChrift, that he fhould be made every thing to us.Inintention, then this order is robe kept. s. Himfelfe, or his glory,in the manifeftationofhis mercy. 2. Theglorifying his Chrift with fupernaturall glory. 3. Thebringing us to fupernaturall being and glorywith himfelfe,through Chrift. Now becaufe he may bringus to fupernaturall glory,to thepraife ofhis grace and mercy,eirher bykeepingus frommufery,or permittieg us to fall into finne and mifery, and reftormg us out of it tomore bleffed effare then ever, it is plain, that he purpofed foto work byhis permifïion, that we fhould wilfully, through our owne default, runne our felves into finne and mifery.Now becaufe fuch whom he will bring to fupernaturall life and being, mufffirft bave naturali life andbeing, and for that, man muff ` c°`'`f =s. firft be naturall, then fpiriruali; and becaufe that whichhepurpofethto permit to fall into finne and mifery, muff be holyand happy, Ergo, he purpofeth to make man, to make himholy, not knowingany mifery. Laftly ; becaufe he that will have man thus made, muff havefome fit place, fitly furnifhed, inwhich fucha creature mightbe placed, ergo, he decreeth to make this world whichwebehold. Wherefore approving the latterarguments ; I will come toanfwere the former, and fo paffe from this queffion. To the firft Objection. Such .as men are when God executethfalvation, fuchhe eletied orde- creed tofave. If this propofition be underftood in this fenfe : Such men are fore - feene,when now Godchoofeth them to falvation, it isfalfe; for it ma- keth Gods eleCtion finde fuch as itdoth take, fitted to falvation, and not make them fuch as are fit,by means predeftinate. For,his reafonproveth aman not only fore-feene in fin, but fore-feeneas perfevering in faith, before Godsdecree to elect him to falvation; for in time, fuch onlyare faved who perfevere : It maketh Godsdecree choofing fome perfons to this or that end, prefuppofeevery thing which aftercommeth in, before the end be attained : But in this fenfe, fuchwhom God faveth inexecu- ting falvation, fuch be elected tofalvation; In this fenfeI fay,he elected thofe,who fhouldbecome fuch and fuch,byhis predeftination,not thofe whowere fore-feene fuch beforehis election ; in this fenfe it is true, and inferreth nothing againft our affertion.The reafon why this latter is true, being this ; becaufe God choofing any to the end, doth choofe him to the meanes alfo, But theyObject, either hemuff choofe to fave fuch asnow in time objett.t. hefaveth,or this execution differeth fromhis decree ; butit doth nor. I anfwer, to the firftpart ofthe reafon,Theconfequence is faulty, be- caufe it reafoneth fal flyfroma part ofthedecree, asif it were the whole, in ,
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