ARMINIANISM. 5 they are much troubled that it Mould be Paid, that (a) every one of us brings along with us into the world, an unchangeable preordination of life and death eter- nal ; for finch a fupppf.lwould quite overthrow the main foundation of their he-' refy, viz. That men can maketheir ele&ion void and frufirate, as they jointly lay it down in their (b) apology ; nay, it is a dream, faith (e) Dr. yackfon, to think of God's decreesconcerning things to come, is of alts irrevocably finifhed, which would hinder that which Welfiag:ur lays down for a truth, to wit, (d) That the cieli may become reprobates, and the reprobates ele& Now to there particular fayings, is their whole dohrine concerning the decrees of God, inafnuch as they have any. reference to the aitlons of men, molt exaGly conformable. As (r.) (e) Their diftinGion of them into peremptory, and, oot peremptory' (terms rather ufed in the citations of litigious courts, than as expreflìons of God's purpofe in fatted feripture) is not, as by them applied, compatible with the unchangeable vefs of God's eternal purpofes i v esntdar, Ey they, or temporary believersare cle£t- ed, tho' not peremptorily, with filch an ail of God's will as bath a coexiftence. every may commeufurate, both in its original, continuance, and end, with their fa- ding faith; which fometimes, like: yonai's gourd, is but filia,uniu.r notiir, in themorn- ing it fiourilheth, in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and wièhereth t a man in Chrifl by faith, or aGanlly believing (which to do, is as they fay,. in every one's Own power) (f) is in their opinion the proper objet of eleaion ; of elellior, I fay, not peremptory, which is an aft pendent, expelling final perfeverance, andcon- firmmation of his faith and therefore immutable, becaufe man having fulfilled his courfe, God hath no caufe to change his purpofe of crowning him with reward ; thus afro (as they teach) a man according to his infidelity, whether prefent and re-. moveable, or obdurate and filial, is the only objeof reprobation ; which in the lat- ter caufe, is peremptory and abfolute, in the former conditional and áutalterable; it is the qualities of faith and unbelief, on which their ele&ion and reprobation do at- tend. (g) Now let a faithful man, elefied ofGod, according tohis prefent righteouf- nefs, apoftatize totallyFrom grace (as to affirm that there isany promilè ofGod,implying' his perfeverance is with them to overthrow all religion) and let the unbelieving re-i probate depofe his incredulity and turn himfelf unto the Lord; anfiverable to this. Mutationof their conditions, are the changings of the purpofe of the almighty con- cerning their everlafting efdate : aeon fuppofe there twoby alternate courfes, as the dofrine of apollacy maintaineth they' may, Should return etch to their former diate, . the decrees of God concerning them muff again be changed ; for it is unjuti with him, either not to elelt him that believes, tho' it be but for an hour, or not to reprobate unbelievers. Now what unchangcablenefs oils we affix to there decrees, which it lies in the power of man to maim as hint:Mla it as Eurlpus ; making it betiide, to be poffible, that all the members of Chrift's Church, whole names are written In` heaven,. /hould be rolled in the black book of damnation. (a.) As thefe not peremptory decrees are mutable, fo they make the peremptory. decrees Of-God to be temporal. Final impeniteucy, fay they, is the only caufè, and the finally unrepented fiúner is the only obje& of reprobation, peremptory and irre-' vocable; as the poet thought none happy (h), 'la they think no man to be melted, or a reprobate before his death. Now that denomination ha dot]] receive from the decree of God concerning his eternal efface, which muff Sitceffitríly then be lira enatted; the relation that is between the a& of reprobation, and the person repro..:' bated, importeth a coexiftence of denomination when God reprobates a man, he then becomes a reprobate ; which, if itbe not before he baths a£tually fulfilled the mea fire of his iniquity, and fealed it up with the talent of final impeuitency in his death, the decree of God muff needs be temporal, the juf judge of all the world (a) (parent) anumquenrque invariabilem_vite, ac mortis aanicyúv nna cam info ortn, in locum have nobifcum adferre, Hid Armin. in epili. dud. ad Examen. lib. Per. (6) Pafftet homines ele. Colrainfarm irritam& ferltraneam reddere, Rem. apol. cap. q. p. soi. !r) Dr. Jaen n of the di- vine £dnee. (d) Non minim vidèri debutquo& aligaando ex tirills reprobi & ex reprnbis eleeti fi- ant, Wellin. deg of. Ch. ham. (e) OmuiaDei decreta non font peremptoria, fed goedam conditio- eau ac matabilia, Condo ad Cler. Oxon. ann. róyr. Rein. dada. f_n fa nod. OH puffiin. Eleéiio i. cut& juliificatir, eft incerta & irercocabilis, urranrquevero conditionatamqupnegaverit, ipfmn quoque angeliam ne^abit: Grego. ad Ames. p.136, x37. (f) Ad gloriara participandam pro ilto tent. pore quo credunteletii fiat, Rem. apnl. foi. cqo. (g) Decreta hypothetica poifuut mutati, gain conditio refpellu hominiseel præfratur eel nonprnitaur, atgne its exigit eel non exiiiit i & quoin extitit aliquandiu, exiliere demnis, & rarhrs poltquara aliquandin defit, exiliere incipit. Co,. ad Mol. 451 5. fee. ro. (h) Dieique beatus intoobitnm nema. havin4
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