55 / 808
V
E
R.4.
gods
EleEion.
fen
were
brought forth
in
eheirnaturall being,
holy,
bleffed, capable
of
life,if
their wilfull defection hindred
not.Thirdly5They
were permitted
to
fall into
time
and
mifery. Fourthly
;
They
are
by
Chrift
delivered
from
this
mifery,being called,
juftified,glorified.Fiftly;Chrift glorious,
as
a
mediator and
Saviour
of
Gods chofen,to the glory ofgrace or
mer-
cy.Sixtly; God
his
mercy
glorious,who
chofe and predeftinated
Chrift,
that
he fhould be
made every thing to
us.Inintention, then
this
order
is
ro
be kept.
s.
Himfelfe, or
his
glory,in
the manifeftation
of
his
mercy.
2.
The
glorifying
his
Chrift with
fupernaturall
glory.
3.
The
bringing
us
to
fupernaturall being
and
glory
with himfelfe,through
Chrift.
Now
becaufe he may
bring
us
to
fupernaturall
glory,to the
praife
of
his
grace
and
mercy,eirher by
keeping
us
from
mufery,or
permittieg
us
to
fall
into
finne and
mifery, and reftormg
us
out
of
it to
more
bleffed
effare
then
ever, it
is
plain,
that
he purpofed
fo
to work by
his 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,
muff
firft
bave naturali
life
and
being,
and
for
that,
man muff
`
c
°`'`f
=s.
firft
be naturall, then fpiriruali;
and
becaufe
that
which
hepurpofethto
permit to fall into
finne
and mifery,
muff
be holy
and
happy, Ergo, he
purpofeth to
make
man,
to
make him
holy, not knowing
any mifery.
Laftly
;
becaufe he
that
will
have man thus made, muff havefome
fit
place, fitly furnifhed,
in
which
fuch
a
creature
mightbe placed,
ergo,
he
decreeth
to
make this
world which
we
behold. Wherefore approving
the latter
arguments ; I will come
to
anfwere
the former,
and fo
paffe
from this queffion.
To
the firft Objection.
Such
.as
men
are
when God executeth
falvation,
fuch
he
eletied
or
de-
creed
to
fave.
If
this propofition be underftood
in
this
fenfe
:
Such men are fore
-
feene,when now
God
choofeth
them to
falvation,
it
isfalfe;
for it ma-
keth Gods
eleCtion
finde fuch
as
it
doth
take, fitted
to
falvation,
and
not
make
them fuch
as are
fit,by
means predeftinate.
For,his
reafon
proveth
a
man
not only fore
-feene in fin,
but fore-
feeneas perfevering
in
faith,
before
Gods
decree to elect him
to
falvation; for
in
time,
fuch
only
are
faved
who perfevere
:
It
maketh
Gods
decree choofing fome perfons
to
this
or that end,
prefuppofe
every thing which aftercommeth in, before
the
end be attained
:
But in
this
fenfe, fuch
whom God
faveth inexecu-
ting falvation, fuch be elected
to
falvation; In
this fenfe
I
fay,he elected
thofe,who
fhould
become
fuch and
fuch,by
his
predeftination,not thofe
who
were fore-
feene
fuch
before
his
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
they
Object,
either he
muff choofe
to
fave fuch
as
now
in
time objett.t.
he
faveth,or
this execution differeth
from
his
decree ;
but
it doth
nor.
I anfwer,
to the
firft
part
of
the
reafon,The
confequence
is
faulty, be-
caufe it reafoneth
fal fly
from
a
part
of
thedecree,
as
if
it
were the whole,
in
,