Pare with the aforefaid Firft Paragraph: and by

fuch

erant, & ex fubfequente gratia perfeveraturi; quive vero etiam non erant credituri & perfeveraturi. Declaratio Senten. p. 119. inter illius opera, Lugd. Bat. 1629.

I. Decretum hoc Prædeftinationem vocamus ; Græce педoeμov à verbo Tegeler, quod fignificat, determinare, conftituere, difcernere aliquid anteaquam illud agas. Secundum hanc generalem notionem Prædeftinatio Deo tributa erit Decretum ejus de omnium rerum Gubernatione, quam Providentiam appellare folent Theologi. Minus generali notione confiderari folet, quatenus in genere circa creaturas rationales fervandas vel damnandas fpectatur, puta Angelos & homines. Strictius de hominum Prædeftinatione fumitur, & tunc etiam dupliciter ufurpari confuevit alias enim ad utrofque tum electos, tum reprobos accommodatur ; alias ad folos Electos reftringitur, & tunc oppofitam habet Reprobationem. Nos hoc poftremo fignificatu, quo illam ubique fere Scriptura ufurpat, de Prædeftinatione agemus.

II. Prædeftinatio itaque, ad rem quod attinet ipfam, eft Decretum Beneplaciti Dei in Chrifto, quo apud fe ab æterno ftatuit fideles, quos fide donare decrevit, juftificare, adoptare, & vita æterna donare ad laudem gloriofæ gratiæ fuæ.

III. Genus Prædeftinationis Decretum ponimus, quod e oy & Bournv To DeλnμAT 8 Scriptura appellat; & Decretum non Legale, fecundum quod dicitur, qui fecerit ea homo vivet in illis fed Evangelicum, cujus Hic eft Sermo; Hæc eft voluntas Dei, ut omnis qui videt Filium, & credit in illum, habeat vitam æternam ; & propterea Decretum hoc eft pereme ptorium & irrevocabile, quia Evangelio continetur totius confilii Dei de falute noftra extrema perefactio.

IV. Caufa eft Deus fecundum beneplacitum feu benevolum affe Cru oluntatis fuæ, quo motus in fe & apud fe decretum illud fecit. Hoc Beneplacitum non modo excludit omnem caufam, quam ab homine fumere potuit, aut fumere fingi potuit : verum etiam amolitur quicquid in homine vel ab homine erat, quod Deum jufte permovere poterat, ne Decretum illud gratiofum faceret.

V. Decreti illius fundamentum ponimus Jefum Chriftum, Mediatorem Dei & hominum, in quo Patri bene eft complacitum, in quo Deus mundum fibi reconciliavit, non imputans ipfis peccata illorum, quem Deus peccatum fecit, ut nos effemus juftitia Dei in illo; per hunc debuit juftitia fæculorum adduci,

adoptio

fuch Comparison he cannot but obferve an exact

Har

adoptio acquiri, Spiritus gratiæ & fidei impetrari, vita æterna comparari, omnifque benedictionum fpiritualium plenitudo præparari: quorum communicatio prædeftinatione erat decernenda. Hic etiam caput conftitutus eft à Deo omnium illorum, qui iftorum bonorum communionem funt divina Prædestinatione accepturi.

VI. Decreto ifti æternitatem tribuimus, quia Deus nihil in tempore facit, quod ab æterno facere non decreverit. Nota enim funt Domino Deo noftro omnia opera fua ab ævo, & elegit nos in Chrifto antequam jacerentur fundamenta mundi : fecus Deo mutatio impingitur.

VII. Objectum feu materiam Prædeftinationis duplicem ponimus: cum res divinas, tum perfonas, quibus illarum communicatio eft hoc decreto prædeftinata. Res illæ ab Apoftolo generali vocabulo Benedictionum Spiritualium appellantur : quales funt in hac vita Juftificatio, Adoptio in filios, Spiritus gratiæ & Adoptionis ; denique poft hanc vitam, vita æterna: quæ omnia gratiæ & gloriæ nominibus comprehendi folent & enunciari in Scholis Theologorum. Perfonas circumfcribimus voce fidelium, quæ peccatum præfupponit: nam in Chriftum non credit nifi peccator, & qui fe peccatorem agnofcit. Inde benedi&tionum illarum plenitudo, earumque facta in Chrifto præparatio, non nifi peccatoribus neceffaria erat. Fideles autem dicimus non qui tales propriis meritis aut viribus erant futuri, fed qui Dei beneficio gratuito & peculiari in Chriftum erant

credituri.

VIII. Forma eft ipfa bonorum iftorum fidelibus decreta communicatio, fideliumque in mente Dei præexiftens & præordinata ad Chriftum caput iftorum relatio & ordinatio: cujus fru&tum percipiunt ex reali & actuali cum Chrifto capite fuo unione hic gratiofam per unionis inchoationem & provectionem, in futura vita gloriofum per unionis perfectam confummationem.

IX. Finis Prædeftinationis eft laus gloriofæ gratiæ Dei; quum enim gratia feu gratuitus Dei amor in Chrifto Prædeftinationis caufa fit, æquum eft ut illi eidem omnis istius actus gloria cedat.

X. Hoc autem Prædeftinationis Decretum eft fecundum eleЯtionem, ut inquit Apoftolus, quæ Electio cum neceffario inferat Reprobationem, hinc Prædeftinationi contraria opponitur

Repro

Harmony between our Church and the Author above mention'd.

In

Reprobatio, quæ etiam Abjectio dicitur, defcriptio ad damnationem, & conftitutio ad iram.

XI. Illam autem ex lege contrariorum definimus Decretum iræ feu feveræ voluntatis Dei, qua ab æterno ftatuit infideles, qui culpa fua & jufto Dei judicio credituri non funt, ut extra unionem Chrifti pofitos, condemnare ad mortem æternam, ad declarandam iram & potentiam fuam.

XII. Quanquam fide in Jefum Chriftum peccatorum omnium remiffio impetretur, & peccata non imputentur credentibus: tamen Reprobi non tantum infidelitatis, per cujus contrarium poterant evadere pœnam reliquis peccatis commeritam, fed etiam peccatorum adverfus legem perpetratorum pœnam pendent exitii æterni à facie Domini & potente gloria ipfius.

XIII. Utrique huic Decreto, tum Prædeftinationis, tum Reprobationis, fua fubjungitur exequutio, cujus a&tus eo ordine peraguntur, quo in decreto ipfo & à decreto funt ordinati: objectaque tum decreti tum exequutionis funt eadem prorfus uniformia, five eadem ratione formali veftita.

XIV. Hujus doctrine ita ex Scripturis traditæ magnus eft ufus. Servit enim gloriæ gratiæ Dei adftruendæ, afflictis confcientiis folandis, impiis percellendis, & fecuritati illorum excutienda. Adftruit autem gratiam Dei, cum totam laudem Vocationis, Juftificationis, Adoptionis & Glorificationis noftræ folius Dei mifericordiæ tranfcribit, ademptam viribus, operibus & meritis noftris. Confolatur confcientias cum tentatione lu&tantes, quando illas de gratiofa Dei in Chrifto ab æterno ipfis decreta, & in tempore præftita, æternumque duratura benevolentia, certiores reddit, eamque non ex operibus, fed ex vocante firmam oftendit. Valet ad terrendos impios, quia docet irrevocabile effe Decretum Dei de infidelibus, & qui veritati non obtemperant, obediunt autem mendacio, æterno exitio adjudicandis.

XV. Et propterea non modo intra privatos parietes & in fcholis, fed etiam in cœtibus San&torum in Ecclefia Dei fonare debet hæc doctrina: hac tamen cautione obfervata, ut extra Scripturas nihil de illa doceatur, modo Scripturis ufitato proponatur, & ad eundem finem, quem Scriptura illam tradens propofitum habet, referatur; quod nos feciffe cum bono Deo

arbitra.

In fhort, the Cafe ftands thus. The Patrons of abfolute Predeftination, and the Patrons of conditionate Predeftination, do jointly affert, that there is a Predeftination to Life, and that the faid Predeftination to Life is the everlasting Purpose of God, whereby (before the Foundations of the World were laid) he has conftantly decreed by his Counfel, fecret to us, to deliver from Curfe and Damnation those whom he has chofen in Christ out of Mankind, and to bring them by Chrift to everlasting Salvation, as Veffels made to Honor. They are alfo agreed, that they who be endued with fo excellent a Benefit of God (that is, they who are predeftinated) be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due feafon: they thro' grace obey the calling: they be juftified freely they be made fons of God by adoption: they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jefus Chrift: they walk religiously in good works, and at length by God's mercy they attain to everlasting felicity. Thus far, I fay, both Parties are agreed. But wherein then do they differ? Why, 1. Concerning the Ground of this Predeftination, viz. Whether those Perfons whom God has chofen in Christ out of Mankind, and whom by his everlasting Purpofe, before the Foundations of the World were laid, he has conftantly decreed by his Counfel, fecret to us, to deliver from Curfe and Damnation, and bring them by Chrift to everlasting Salvation, as Veffels made to Honor; were therefore fo elected and predeftinated, because God forefaw

their

arbitramur, cui fit gloria in Ecclefia per Chriftum Jefum in omnes ætates feculi feculorum, Amen. Difp. 15. p. 283, 284, 285.

See alfo Difp. 40, 41, 42, 43. P. 389 394. which are too long to be inferted: nor could I have prevail'd upon my Self to infert fo much as I have done already, were it not to convince the most obftinate by producing fuch full and plain Teftimonies.

their Obedience, that is (as we ufually fpeak) propter fidem prævifam, or no; 2. (as the Confequence of the former) Whether none be called according to God's Purpose by his Spirit working in due feason, but fuch as through Grace obey the Calling, are juftified freely, &c. and whether all that did for a while obey the Calling, and were juftified freely, and made God's Sons by Adoption, and made like the Image of Chrift, and walked religiously in good Works; whether all thefe, I fay, muft neceffarily perfevere, so as at length by God's Mercy to attain to everlafting Felicity. These are the Points, about which the Patrons of abfolute Predeftination, and the Patrons of conditionate Predeftination, do conftantly and widely differ.

Now with respect to the first Point in difpute, the Patrons of conditionate Predeftination affirm, that the Elect were predeftinated, becaufe God forefaw their Obedience, that is, propter fidem prævifam: whereas the Patrons of abfolute Predeftination utterly deny this, and affirm, that the Elect were Predeftinated (whether in the Supralapfarian or Sublapfarian Way, it matters not at prefent) by virtue of anabfolute Decree, whithout any regard to that foreseen Faith and Practice, which the others affirm to be the only Ground of Difference between those that are predeftinated to Life, and those that are reprobated or predeftinated to eternal Death or Damnation. And with refpect to the fecond Point in difpute, the Patrons of abfolute Predeftination maintain, that none are called according to God's Purpofe by his Spirit working in due feason, but fuch as thro' Grace obey the Calling, and are juftified freely, and are made Sons of God by Adoption, and are made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jefus Chrift, and walk religiously