204 / 772
§.Sea.2.
17 6
Of
Gods
elec
ion,the
cast
ttrukett,òbúEt,d's.
&ed
not
our faith
as
an
impulfiue
caufe
mowing
him to
eledt
vs,but
only
as
an
effe&
of
our
ele
&ion;
neither
was the Lord
mercifull
vnto
vs
in
making
choice
ofvs
to bee
partakers
of
euerlafling happines,becaufe we were
faithful],
but
that
we
might
be faithfull,as Paul
profeffeth
of
himfelfe
1.Cor.7.2
s.
And the holy
Gholi
afEtrmneth,A&.
i
3.46.that
as
many
ofthe
Gentiles
as were
ordained
vnto eternal!
lifebeleeued.
Laflly;al-
though the merit
ofChri
a
was the onelie meritorious caufe
of
our faluation,yet
it
was
not the
caufe
ofGods
ele
&ion,for
Gods
elc
&ion was
from
all
eternitie,and
the
caufe
cf
Chriits
.
merits,
which were
in
time and the
effe&s
ofGods
e1_e
&ion,
and
therefore
that
which
cane
after could
not
be
the
caufe
ofthat
which
was
from
all
eternitie, neither
can
the
effe&
produce
the
caufe,but
the
caufe
the
effe
&.
Moreouer,we
are
not
laid
in
the
fèriptures
to
be
chofen
for Chrifl:but
in
Chrif
},
Eph.i.4.
And the Apof
}1e
Iohn
affirmeth,that
Gods
eternal]
loue
was the
caufe
which moued the
Lord to
fend his
forme
to
redeeme
vs
by his
death,
and
not
that
his death was
the
caufe
of
his
loue,
Iob.3.16.
And
fo
much concerning
the
ef-
ficient
caufe
of
our
ele
&ton.The
material]
caufe
thereofwas
the
purpofe
or
counfaile
ofGod
himfelfe,
whereby
hee
de
termined
to
ele&
vs.
The
formal] caufe
was the feuering and
letting
apart
of
certaine
men
which
were
to
bee
faued,fele&ed from
the
reit
who
were reie
&e
The
end
ofGoffele
&ion was
two-
fold:the
firfl
and chiefe
end
was
the glorie
of
God,fet
forth
by manifefling
his
grace
and
mercie in
the faluation
ofthe
faithful]. And this the
A-
poitle
plainly exprefléth
Rom.9.23.namelie, that the
end
of
Gods
eleClion
is,
that
he
nakht
declare
the
riches
of
his
glorie
to
the ve
els
o
finercie,
which
he
loath
prepared
vnto
glorie.
And
Eph.t.4.5.6.he faith,that
he
bath
choIen
vs
in
Chrijt,and
prede-
f
inated
vs,to
thepraire
of
the
glorie
of
his
grace.
The
fecond end which
is
inferiour and fubordinate
to
the
other,
is
the laluation
ofthe
ele&,
and this
alfo
is
expreffcd
by
the
Apoftle
Rom.9.2
3.
where
hee faith,
that
the
ele&
are
prepared
unto
glorie.
And
A&.i
3.4e. the holie Ghofl
faith,as
many
as
were
ordained to
eterrallife
beleeued:
thereby
implying
that