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Predeftination is a fecret hidden in God, and in this Life unknown to us.

Come we now to the end purposed by God to his chofen, viz. to bring them to everlasting Salvation this is the end which Predeftination intendeth, as that which decreeth a perfect work, and leaveth not the iffue uncertain, or contingent unto God.

To this is added in the Article, the ftate from whence Men are brought to Salvation, from curfe and damnation, from which they are delivered; And the means by which they are both delivered from Curfe, and brought to Salvation, and that is, by Chrift and laftly there is an illuftration, as Veffels made to Honour. Out of these words, to deliver from Curfe, is rightly collected by Robert late Bifhop of Salisbury, that the Church of England doth acknowledge them, whom God hath Chofen in Chrift, to be freed from Curfe and Destruction; and that it is only a private Opinion, not the publick Fudgment of the Church, whatsoever hath been otherwife, by fome, inconfiderately written; among thofe fome, are no meaner Men than Dr. Whitacre, and Mr. Perkins, who tho' they claim this Article, as fpeaking on their fide; yet, in the judgment of this learned Bishop, they have written inconfiderately and otherwife than the Church. The Article then hath not been understood, and fo it may not yet be fully apprehended by very great Men: for likewife out. of this, which our Article faith with the Apostle, that our Election is in Chrift; Dr. † Carleton, late Bishop of Chichester, well collecteth, that this counfel of God had respect unto the corrupt Mass of Mankind; for, faith he, the benefit we have by Christ ape. peareth not in the ftate of innocency. And the faid

*Abbot, de Perfever. Sanctor. in Præfat.

+ Against the Appealer, viz. Mr. Mountague, Pag. 10...

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2.

Reverend Bishop difputeth earneftly against them that teach Predeftination to be a feparation between Men and Men, as they were found in the Mafs of Mankind uncorrupt; which is the doctrine the Appealer fo much inveighed againft, as contrary to our Church in the feventeenth Article. It feems ftrange therefore that the Bishop fhould be so fevere against the Appealer, with whom himself concurreth in the condemning of the fame Novelty. But more strange it seems to me, that out of thofe words, Chofen in Chrift, he could collect the fall of Mankind to be prefuppofed by God, before the counfel proceded to Election; and could not as well collect, that Chrift himself was prefuppofed to be fent into the World, to be preached, to be believed on, or refufed, before God proceded to Elect or Reprobate Man. Sceing the firft is collected more remotely, viz. that the gift of Chrift fuppofeth Sin, and a Curfe from whence Men had need to be delivered by a Saviour: But the fecond is exprefly affirmed by the Apostle, he hath Chofen in Christ. And fo it may immediately be collected that we were Chofen, not to Chrift, as to be fent, but in Christ fuppofed as fent, and we found believers in him: feeing the foreknowledge of God did as well underftand the iffue and fuccefs of Chrift preached in the World, that he would be the occafion of the rifing of many, and of the fore fall of many others, as it underftood the iflue of the Creation of Man, of the Commandment given, of the Tempter permitted, that it would be to the fall and corruption of all Mankind.

It it very true which the Bp. of Salisbury faith, Sect. 1. p. that God looking upon the Mafs of Mankind defiled with Sin, and guilty of eternal Death and Damnation, • did there fee a convenient opportunity of unfolding and manifefting the depth and riches of his Wifdom, Fu• ftice, Mercy, Power and Providence, that the great

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eft Glory, and the Praife of the most illuftrious Vertues might redound to him. But how was he to manifeft all thele? The Scripture faith by fending his Son to dye for the World, for therein are all thefe riches opened. But that he faw a fit occafion to open all these by feparating some out of that univerfal Perdition, whereby all to a Man were doomed by like fentence to eternal Death, the Scripture no where faith; and he himself that faith it, dares not do it, without qualifying it by inferting, that the Son of God interpofed at the making of that feparation, and that God feparated fuch as he willed in him.

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It clearly appears that the feparation of Man was not made upon the view of Mankind corrupted, no more than upon the view of the fame uncorrupted, but upon Chrift interpofing himself; God feparating fuch as he willed in him, and he willed fuch as believed in him. This is well expreffed by Alefius; when the Son of God forefaw that Mankind would by Sin plunge themselves into In. Joh. endless ruin, he became a fupplicant for them to the 17. 1. eternal Father, and prevailed with him to give all thofe to him, who would believe on him; that he might refcue them from the Tyranny of the Devil, and everlasting Death. Here we fee the Son interpofing; nor did the Father then, or ever, deny him what he asked, but made good what he afterwards declared by the Pfalmift, Ask of me, and I fhall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance. Chrift then by his interceffion hath obtained all that believe in him to be given to him, that he might deliver them from Curfe and Damnation, and bring them to eternal Life. They are not then delivered by their Faith or Works, but thro' Chrift's favour with his Father.

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The last thing in the Definition is an Illuftration; the Predeftinated to Life are accounted

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Píal. 2 8.

Rom. 9. as Veffels made to Honour.

21.

v. 23.

V. 22.

V. 22.

7.

20.

This is taken out of St. Paul, where you fhall find the Veffels made to Honour, to be allo called Veffels of Mercy; and the Veffels made to Difhonour, called Veffels of Wrath; but Mercy and Wrath do both prefuppofe Sin. So far wide both from the Apoftle, and our Article, are the defenders of the first Opinion. The Queftion then is, what Sin it is which is prefuppofed? whether Original Sin, or Sin against Christ. It feems by the Apoftle, that Veffels of Wrath were fuch as God endured with much Long-fuffering, which being defpifed, he then fhewed his Wrath and his Power over them, which argued their Sin to be Impeni. Eph. 1. 6. tency. And Veffels of Mercy to be fuch, in whom he maketh known the riches of his Glory; but this is done in Chrift above all; the vifible Church of 2. Tim. 2. Chrift is the great houfe wherein are Veffels, fome to Honour, and fome to Difhonour. But the whole ninth Chapter to the Romans deferveth an efpecial elaboration, that together with the whole, the fimilitude of the Potter and his Lump, and his Veffels might be fully cleared. The fum of it is, that whereas the Salvation of all thofe that are faved, and the Perdition of all thofe that perish, is and ought to be referred to the will of God, to his Mercy and Love to whom he will enlarged, and from whom he will reftrained; and there is no refifting nor complaining against this will. That therefore God and his will is to be confidered, as it is by the Apostle, as the univerfal and fupreme Cause of all things, and as the general Mover, Governor and Difpofer of them, thro' whofe understanding, judgment and allowance they have all paffed, and might have been otherwife difpofed, and other events have proceded out of them, if God had fo willed.

And again; the fupreme Caufe, as fuch, muft not only be confidered as the chief and prime Agent

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of things, or as alone doing all, but as permitting Other Created natures to ule their properties, facul ties and freedoms, and governing and applying them to fuch ends and ufes, as his Wifdom, Juftice, Mercy, and Dominion judge fit, Holily, Righteously, and as becomes his Nature. God therefore in contemplation of thofe works, which he himself would do, and of what his Creatures of free nature, would do if he permitted, conceiving the iffues would be diverfe, fome Good, fome Evil, out of his own fovereign Pleasure and Power, confirmed and ratified by an immutable Decree thofe iffues, and their free caufes, whereby he prepared fome Men to Glory, fome Men to Deftruction, as unto ends; their own acts intervening as well as his. And tho' God could have mended or altered any of his own works, fo that any of his Creatures fhould have had other Iffues, and knew that letting things go thus, the greatest part of the mafs or multitude of Mankind would fall into Perdition, and but a few in comparison would be tranfmitted to Life and Glory, yet he would not, but refted in this purpose with as much blameless liberty, as the Potter hath, who makes of the fame Lump of Clay Veffels for honourable Ufes, and Veffels for viler and bafer Ufes. And altho' the Potter, as a Man, and the Owner of the Clay, appears to have a very immediate influence on it, and there come but little between his Will and Power, and the ufes and ends to which they determine the Clay, perhaps only the inaptnefs of it to an end, which he could mend if he lift, by coft and labour. Whence the Potter's power feems very great, and abfolute; and tho' many more things come between the will of God and the end of his Creature; yet it is most true that fuch is the infinite Knowledge, Wisdom and Power of God, that his Will more certainly determines the end of Creatures, than the Potter's Will that of his Clay.

Thofe

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