28 1Q DISPLAY of as the urfearchable fòuntain of all God's love towardsus inChrift ? (a) Tea, fay they we acknowledge no other pred f ination to be revealed in the Gofpel, bfides that whereby God decreed, to fave them whoßmuld perfevere in faith, that is, God'sdetermination concerning their titivation is pendulous, until he find by experience, that theywill perfevere hoobe- dience. But I wonder why, feeing ele&ion is confèffedly one of the greeted expref- fio:.s of God's infinite goodnefs, love, and mercy towardsus, if it follow our obedience, we have it not like all other b'.effings and mercies promifcd unto us ; is it becaufe filch propofitioos as thefe, 13elieve,'Pteet, and continue in the faith unto the end, midi will chofe thee before the foundatidnof the world, are fitter for the writings of the stoni- oniosthan the wardof Gad ? Neither will we be their rivals in fuch an elation, as () from whence no fruit, no effe&, no confolation can be derived to any mortal man, whilfi he lives in this world. (2.) The article affarmeth that it is conflant, that is, one immutable decree, agreeably alto to the fcriptures, teaching but one purpofe., but one fore knowledge, one good pleafure, one decree of God, concerningthe infallible ordination of his ele& unto glory : although of this decree there may be faid to be two obis, one concerning the means, the other concerning the end, but both knit up in the immutabilityofGods will, Heb. vi. 17. the f iodation ofGod fandeth fire : having this feel, Gcd kracwrth who are bis, z Tim. ii. his g ifts and calling are without recalling, a:ot to be repented cf, Rom. xi. 29. now what fay our arminians to this, why awhole multitude ofnew notions, and terms have they invented, toobfcure the do&rine? Elehion fry they (c) is eitherlegal or evangelical, generalor particular, complete, or incomplete, revocableor irrevocable, peremptory or not peremptory, with I know not how many more difiin&ions of one bogie eternal a& of almighty God : whereof there is neither vola necv ftigi fßn or um, token in thewhole bible, or any approved author. And to thefe quavering divmons they accommodate their do&rine, orrather they purpofely invented them to maketheir errours unintelligible : yet fomerhing agreeably thus they dì &ate; there (d) is a complete, elehlion belonging to none but theft that are dying, and there is another incomplete, common to all that believe, as thegood things offalvation are incomplete which are continued mhilft faith iscon tinted, and revokedwhen that is denied, fa eleilion is incomplete in this life,and revocable: again. thereare,fay they in their confeflìon, (e) three orders ofbelievers,and repenters in the foripture, whereofume are beginners, others having continuedfor atime, andfeme perfevnaats : the teto fief orders are chfen, vere truly, but not abfolute prorfus, abfolurely; but onlyfor a time, f longas theywill remain as they are ; the third arechofen finally and peremptorily ; for this act of God it either continued or interrupted accordingas we fulfil the condition : but whence learned the arminians this doSrine? Not onewordof it from the word of truth, no mention there. ofany fuchdefultory ele&ion, no fpeech of faith, but fuch as is confequert to the one eternal irrevocabledecreeof predeftination, They believedwho were ordained to eternal life, A&sxiii. 48. no diftinfion of men half, and whollyelated, where it is affirmed that it isimpoffible the cieíl fhould be feduced, Matth. xxiv. 24. that none (hallfratch Chrift's fleecy our of his father's hand, John. xi. 28, 29. what would they have more? God's purpofe of election is fealed up, 2 Tim. in 19. and therefore cannot be revoked : it mug and firm,. Rom. ix. r r. to fpight ofall oppofrtion : neither will reafon allow us to thinkany immanent a&of God tobe incomplete or revocable, becaufe ofthe near alliance it bath with hisvery nature: but reafon, fcripture, God himfelf; all molt give place to any abfurdities, if they fiend in the arminian way, bringing in their idol with Moats, and preparing his throne by claiming the caufe of theirpredefl3nation to be in themfelves. (3.) The article is clear, that the obje& of this predefsination is fome particular men chofen outof mankind, that is fuch an a& ofGod, as concerneth Tome inert in par- ticular : taking them as it were afide From themidit of their brethren, end defignmg them for fame fpecial end and purpofe : the fcriptureaifo aboundeth inalierting this verity, calling them that are fo ehofen afro, Mat. xx. 16. which muff, needs denote (a) Non agnofcimgs aliam prædeftinationem in evangelio patefaann, Deus decrevtcre- dentes & qui in eadem fide perfererarent, faivos keener Rem. roll. Hag. (b) Ere lt n s Irnftum out fenfum in hoc vita nullum agnofcq Gavin. (c) EVikap. Tbe p. 35. p'.' ad Walaab.p 30. Grevinab. ad Amef. d. 133. (d) Elefiio alla complete It, gun nemmem fpettat sift morientem, alia incomplete, gun omnibus fidelibus commrnis eft, -ut Salútis bona font incomplete, gun contimpantur, fide continuata, & abnegate revocantur, fie elettro eft incomplete in ,hac vita, non pe emprocia, revocabilis, Gres. ad Amef. (e) Tres fnnt oreli:nt di ntium & ueGnifcentium in Scripturis, novitii, credentes aliquandiu; perfeverantes, duopr' ora s reden- tìme elignnter vere guide., at non antra abfolute, necniaad tempos, puts quendìu & quatenus tales funt, &a. Rem. eonfef: age. r8. fa. r. y. knows
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=