ARMINIA.NISM, 27 Predeftination in the ufual fenfe it is taken, is a part of God's providence, concerning his creatures, diftinguiihed from itby adouble reflri&ion. T. In refpe& oftheir objets, for whereas the decreeof providence comprehendeth his intentions towards all the works ofhis hands, predeßination refpeð only rational creatures. z. in regard oftheirends ; for whereashisprovidence diredls all creatures in general to tholefeveral ends, towhich at length they arebrought, whether they are propor. tionated unto their natures, or exceeding thefphere of their natural a&ivity : predeßi- nation is exercilèd only in dire&ing rational creaturesCo fupernatural ends: fo that in general it is the counfel, decree, or purpofe of almighty God, concerningthe loft and fupernatural endofhis rational creatures, to beaccomplilhed for thepraifeofhis glory. But this alto mail receive a double reflri&non, before we come precifely to what we in this placeaim at : an i thefeagain in regardof theobje&s, or theends thereof. The objr& of predeßination is all rationalcreatures ; now thele are, Ell, either angels or men, of angels I fhall not treat. Secondly The end by it provided for them is either eternal happiuefs, or, eternal mifery : Ifpeak only of the former, the a& ofGod's predeßination tranfmitting men to everlaßing happinefs: and in this reflrained fenfe, it differsnot at all from ele&'on, and we may ufethem as fynonymous terms ofthe fame i importance ; though by fume affirming that God predeftivateth. them to faith whom he hach chofen, they feem tobe diftinguifhed asthedecrees of theend, and the means conducing thereunto ; whereof the firß is ele&ion, intending the end, and then takes place predeßination providing the means; but this eta& dißin&ion appeareth not direly in the fcripture. Thisele&ion the wordof God propofeth untous, as the gracious immutable decree of almighty God, whereby, before thefoundationof theworld, out of his own good pleafure, he chofe certain men, determining to free them from fin and mifery, to be- flow upon them grace andfaith, to give them unto Chrifl, to bring them to everlaßing bleffednefs for the praife ofhis glorious grace : or as it is expreffed in our Church articles, predeftination to life is the everlafling purpofe of God, whereby before the foundations if the world were laid, he bath coniantlydecreed by his counfel ferret tous, to deliverfrom surfe and damnation theft whom he loath chafen in. Chrifl out of mankind, and to bring them by Chrifl unto everlafiingfalvation, as veffels made unto honour: wherefore they who are endued with fàexcellent abenefit of God, be called according toGod's purpofe, &c. Now to avoidprolixity, I will annex only filch annotations, as may clear the fenfe, and confirm the truth of thearticleby the fcriptures : and Phew briefly how it is over- thrown by the arminians in every particular thereof (t.) The article conlbnantiyto the fcripture affirmeth, that it is an eternal decree, made before the foundations of the world were laid, fo that by it we mull needs be chofen before we are born, before.wehave done either good or evil : thewordsof the articleare clear; and fo alto is the fcripture, he loath chofen tee in him before the foundation of theworld, Ephef. i. 4. the children beingnot yet born, before they had doneeither goodor evil, itwas Paid, &c. Rom. ix. a t. we are called with anholy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given us in ;£file Chrifl before the world began, zTim.i.9. now. from hence itwould undoubtedlyfollow, that no good thing in us can be the taufe of our ele&ion, for everycaufe mull in order precede its effe&; but all thingswhereof we by any means are partakers, in as much as they are ours, are temporary, and fo cannot be the caufe of that which iseternal ; things with that qua, lification mull have reference to the foie will and goodpleafure of God, which inference wouldbreak theneckof the arminian ele &ion. Wherefore to preventfach a fatal ruin, they deny theprinciple, towit, that ele&ion is eternal : (a) lo the remanflrants in their apology ; (b) Compleat eleEiion regardethnone but him that is dying, for this peremptory eleflinn decreeth the wholeaccomplifhmentand confummationof falvatien, and therefore requireth in the objett the fined ceurfe of faith and obedience, faithGrevinchevias : which is to make God's ele&ion nothing but an a&ofhis jußiet, approving our obedience, and filch an a& as is incident toany weak man, who knows not what will happen inthe next hour that isyet for to come. And is this poll-deßinationthat which is propofedto us in the fcripture, (a) Eleftionon eft ab uterno, Rem. apol. rb) Eleftio aliacompieta eh, qua neminear fpeftat nJ lmmorientem. Eleftio peremptormComm faluris complement= S confommationemdecerni; 'deoque in oblefto requirit totam confummatam fides obedientiam, Grevin. ad Ant: fol. a;6. paf. fm&f. RS
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