ARMINIANISM. 33 others? no,. inno wife... BothYews and Gentiles were all under fin, Rom. Hi. 9. There is no difference, for we have all finned, and come port of the glory of God, ter. 23, Be- ¿ g all dead in trefoffer. and fns, Ephef ii. r. Being by nature children of wrath as well as others, ver. 3. Afar off until we are made nigh'by theblood of Chrifi, ver. ri. We were enemies clan j God, Rom. v. t o. Titus. iii. 3. and lookwhat defertthere is in us with there qualifications, when our vocation, the firfi effe& of our predeftination, as St. Paul. lheweth, Rom. viii. 3o. and as I fhall prove hereafter, feparateth us from the worldof unbelievers, fo much there is in refpe£t of predeftination it felf; fo that if we have any:waydelèrved it, it is by being rimers, enemies, children of wrath, and dead in trefpaffes : there are our deferís, this is the glory whereof we ought to be afha- med. But [2.] When they are in the fame flare of a&ual alienation from God, yetthen in re- fpe£t ofhis purpnre to lave them by Chrift, lame are faid to be his : Thine they were, and thougate J themunto me, John xvii. 6. they were his before they came unto shrift by faith ; thePeep ofChrifi before they are called, Foe he calleth his Peep by name, John x. 30. before they come intothe flock or congregation, For otherJheep, faithhe, I Have which are not of thisfold r which muff elfe begathered, John X. 16. To be believed ofGod before they love him, Herein is love, not that me lovedGed, but that he laved ve, r John iv. ro. now all this molt he with reference to God's purpofe of bringing them únto . Chrifi, andby himunto glory whichme fee goeth before all their faith andobedience. (3.) Ele&ion is an eternal alt of God's trill, Hebathchafen usbefore the foundation of the world, Ephef. i. 4. confummeted antecedently to all duty of ours, Rom. ix. rr. Now every caufe muff in order of nature precedeits effeft; nothing bath an a&ivity incaníìng, before it hath a being ; operation in every kind is a fecund aft, flowing from :the effence of a thing, which is the firfi, but all our graces and works, our faith, obe- Hence, piety.and charity, are all temporal; ofyefierday, the fisme ftassding with our Lewes, andnolonger, therefore cannot be the caufe of; no nor fo much as a condi- tion necefiarily required for the accomplifhment of an eternal adofGod ; irrevocably 'efiablilhed before we are: - (,g.) If;predeftination be for faith. forefeen,,thefe three things, with divers filch atfurdities will necefusrily follow. [r.] That ele&ion is not of him thatalkth, asthe apofile fpeaks, Rom. ix. r r. that is, ofthegood pleafureof God, who calleth as with anholy calling, but ofhim-that is called ;. for depending-on faith it muff behis whole fait's it is, that dothbelieve. [2.] Godcannot havemercyon whom he will havemercy, for th every porpofofit is thustiedto thequalitiesof faith and obedience, fò' that he muff have mercy onlyoie believers, antecedently tohis decree. Which [3.] Hinders him frombeing an abfolute, free, agent, and doing ofwhat he will with his own : ofhaving fuch a powerover us, as theposter hash over his clay, for he finds us of different matter,. one clay, another gold, when he comes to appoint us to different ufesand ends: , (g.) God -fees so.faith, noobedience, perfeveranceq nothing ,but fin and wickednefs inany man, but what himfelf intendethgracioufly and freelyto bellow upon them, for faith isnot of ourfelves, t is the gift ofGod, it is theworkof-God that we do believe, John vi. a9. He blfeth us with all fpiritual ble¡fngs in Chri, Ephef. i. now all thefe gifts and graces God beftoweth wily upon thofe, whom he hash antecedently ordained toever- dafting'lifer for the iliGiat obtained it, and the fi were blinded, Rom. xi. 7. Gad addedto his Church daily chafe thee'Jhnuld be faced, A&s ii. 47. therefore furely God chofeth as pot, becaufe he forefeeththofe things in us, feeisig he beítoweth thole graces becaufe he hark chofen.us. (a) Wherefore, faith Anflin, Oath Chr f fay, You have -not chafen ene, but Ihavechofes your but becaufe they did not choofe him that he Jhould choofe theme but hechofeThem that they might choofe him.. We choofe Chrifi}by faith, God choofethWs by hisdecree of ele&ion, theque$iomis, whether we chofe him becaufe hehark chofen us, or he çhoofeth us, becaufewe have chafenhim, and fa indeed choofeour felves : we affirm tine former? and that becaufeour choice of him is a gifthe himfelf beftoweth only. on them'whomhebath chofesi, (6.) Anc pnintipally, "the effe&s ófele£tion:infällibly following it, cannot be the caufes ofele&ion, certainly preceding it. This is evident, for nothing can be the {a) Nola ob -alisad dint nonvos me-ei gßrr, ofd ego vos elegí, nili quia non,cleraerunt cum ut eligeret ses, fed ut eligerenteum alegit cos? Aug ds)one. pefe. rap. al. L caufe,
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