Rom. 9. t T. § .SeU.3 . Itacod. 33%.33. 692 O6iec ions takenfrom tef#ponies ofScripture,anfvered. fble Church, and made partaker of the word and facra- ments. Now he is faid toblot men outofthe booke of life, in this lait reípe&, whenas he manifef+ly declareth and ma- keth it knowne, both to the partie himfelfe and others that he is no true member of theChurch, nor within the coue- nant ofgrace,and confequently not in the flare offaluation. For as for thofe that are enrolled in his decree andbookeof eleerion,andalfo in the catalogue ofhis Saints in the Church inuifible,they can neuer be racedout ; for his purpofe remai- neth inhis eternal! counfell; and thefoundation ofGod conti- nueth Pure, and hath this twofold feale, Gods knowledge whereby heacknowledgeth that they are his ; and their re, generationwrought byhis holy fpirit.Moreouer,ifany thing couldblot out them whoare thus inrolled,it muff be the fil- thineffe andpolluted fpots oftheir finnes and vnworthines: but our finnes and vnworthineffe cannot moue the Lord to racevs out of thisbooke; for then the forefight andknow- ledgeofthem in his eternal! counfel wouldmuch more haue hindred him from chufing and inrolling vs in thebooke of his ele6tion,feeing euery oneknoweth that a leffe caufewill hinder the choiceofany,then mooue them to reie6t the per- fon chofen.Nay rather becaufe ' Lord bath chofen vs, they- fore he will giue vs his holy fpirit, wherebyhe will preferue vs from falling into fnnewith full content ofwill, and from giuing our felues thereunto withmalitious greedinelfe. And as hehath freely chofen vs to eternal! faluation without any refpec`r ofour worthineffe,fo alto hee will freely execute this decreeby giuing vs 'all the good meanes whereby wee may be faued. But let vs fit this general! anfwere to theparticular places which are obie&ied : firfi, thofe words of the Lord, Exod. 3 2.3 3 .are a threatning not denounced againfi the true mem- bers ofthe Church,who are enrolled in the booke oflife,but thofewho are the members ofthevifible Churchonely; and in profeilion alone,and not inpraaife ; in íhew,and not in truth;in their,owne or others opinion,and not in Gods eliï- mati_on, ofthe;;ords family, and in the number of his fer- uants. Secoilctlie,it is not to be ynderfiood of all that com- mit
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