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A69684 The doctrine of particular unconditionate election (before time) asserted and prov'd by God's word against the Quakers, papists, and Arminians : in answer to a challenge given the author (by the Quakers) to make good (by the Scriptures of truth) the abovesaid doctrine ... / by Ja. Barry. Barry, James, fl. 1650-1702. 1700 (1700) Wing B969A; ESTC R27208 49,035 128

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he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth In which Scriptures it is plain and conspicuous to every one savingly enlightened that there are two distinct or differing Parties intended or spoken of some whom Christ chose to himself known and distinguished by the Term Sheep and others whom Christ denys to be so These are those intended in Mat. 25.32 33. termed Goats opposed to the Sheep of Christ Some whose Understandings were savingly enlightened to know the glorions Mysteries of the Covenant of Grace in order to Salvation and others not at all enlghtened but left to abide in that spiritual Darkness and blindness of Mind which they brought into the World with them Some whom God's powerful Grace mollified and softened to saving Repentance in order to Mercy and others whom God sees fit to harden that is to leave them to that Sin of their own which hardens them Secondly God hath from Eternity rejected or refused these This is plain from the Scriptures following Jude 4. There are certain Men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this Condemnation Rev. 17.8 Whose Names were not Written in the Book of Life from the Foundation of the World 1 Pet. 2.8 And a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being Disobediem whereunto also they were appointed From all which it is manifest that God did as a just Judge purpose and decree to give up the Reprobates to the obstinacy of their own Mind and their wilful Disobedience against his Son Jesus Christ that so they might not only ripen themselves for but even pull down the Judgments of God upon themselves Thirdly God hath Decreed to Damn these Persons for Sin This is plain from the following Scriptures Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the Wicked for the day of Evil. 2 Pet. 2.12 But these as Natural brute Beasts made to be taken and Destroyed Fourthly Gods Reprobating some Persons from Eternity and that in order to Damn them for Sin is for the Praise of the Glory of his own Justice This is so plain and obvious that he who runs may Read it Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his Wrath and to make his power known endured with much long Suffering the Vessels of Wrath fitted to Destruction Against this Doctrine of Election and Reprobation of particular Persons the Quakers Papists Arminians Free-Willers and others who in this point are all one with them object several things out of which I will single out the chief and most material of their Objections which to Ignorant and Injudicious Minds seem to be of great force against the Doctrines now laid down to which I shall give plain and clear Answers from Gods Word to the end the Fallaciousness and Deceit of these Men might appear open fac'd to all Men. Object 1. They object that to hold and affirm that God hath from Eternity Elected and Chosen a particular number to himself out of the corrupted Mass of fallen Mankind on whom he decreed unchangeably to shew Mercy leaving the rest with a full purpose never to recover them to Life and Salvation reflects on God the highest Cruelty imaginable Answ To this seeming plausible Objection I shall reply in the particulars following First I have made it evident from Gods own Word that God hath undeniably Elected a certain particular number to himself out of the corrupted Mass of fallen Mankind on whom he unchangeably decreed to shew Mercy leaving the rest not so Elected in that state of Sin and Misery into which they voluntarily run themselves Secondly By way of Query I desire to know by what Scripture Divine the Quakers or any who are their Abettors in this point can justify their bringing in Lyes to plead for God or wherein doth it appear that his Truth stands in need of being upheld by the Figments of their vertiginous Brains Job puts such a like Question to his three Friends who all seemed to take part with God against himself Job 13.7 Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Vers 8. Will ye accept his Person Will ye contend for God Vers 9. Is it good that he should search you out Or as one Man mocketh another do ye so mock him What do these Heretical Pretenders to an infallible Spirit less than mock God who in pretence of making God more Merciful and Pitiful than he himself hath revealed in his Word he will be or than the Wicked in Hell will find him to be strike at and audaciously dispute against the Justice and Soveraignty of God These Pleaders for God they will forsooth have God to be so tender compassionate and kind as to love all his Creatures with an equal Love and consequently that to six his Love on a small and particular number to whom his Special Grace and Favour should be extended and to pass by the greatest number on whom to resolve never to shew Mercy is altogether inconsistent with the tender kind and merciful Nature of God Now whether these Men do not in pretence of Pleading for God cause as much as in them lyes both his Attributes his Counsels and his Word to clash and contradict each other I leave to the judicious and unprejudic'd Reader to judge I demand from John Burnyeats and the rest of the Quakers who joyned with him in challenging me to make out by the Scriptures of Truth that Doctrine which I am now defending against them why or wherefore God was so strict and severe as to confine those Angels which of their own accord fell from that state of Innocency and Blessedness wherein they were Created to those Chains of Darkness wherein they are to be kept to the judgment of the great day and that without extending the Benefit of a Redeemer to them was it because the Angels were not his Creatures certainly they will not say so for without Dispute the Angels were in their Nature far more Glorious and Excellent Creatures than was Adam and his Posterity in their State of Innocency Was it because Gods Arm could not reach to help and deliver them they dare not say so neither was it because God had no Bowels of Mercy and Compassion in him towards his Creatures This cannot be supposed to be the reason for alass this viz. the tender and merciful Nature of God to his Creatures in general is the Argument whereby they would overthrow the Doctrine of particular Election What is the reason then did the Angels fall by Sin and Apostacy Yes they cannot deny it unless they deny the Scriptures to be the Scriptures of Truth and were those Angels all of them sent forthwith to Hell for their Apostacy and Rebellion this they cannot deny Was not the least Dram of Mercy shewn to one of that numberless number which fell they dare not affirm there was or ever shall be if they do it lyes at their Door to prove
it is beyond all Controversy that those few who so Believe Repent c. are particular Persons whom free Grace elected to that state of Believing and Persevering and the rest who were by far the greater number were left to inward Blindness and hardness of Heart according to Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded According as it is written God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day Arg. 3. If God hath chosen Persons by Name to be Partakers of Life and Salvation by Christ his Son then hath he chosen particular Persons But God hath chosen Persons by Name to be Partakers of Life and Salvation by Christ his Son Therefore God hath chosen particular Persons c. The major Proposition is not questioned the Minor or Assumption is secured by the express Testimony of the Spirit Rev. 13.8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship the beast whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life Luke 10.20 Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Philip. 4.3 And I intreat thee also true yoke fellow help those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of Life Argu. 4. If Jeremiah and Jacob c. were particular Persons Chosen and Lov'd of God before they were Born then God did Elect and Choose particular Persons to Life and Salvation but Jeremiah and Jacob c. were particular Persons Chosen and Lov'd of God before they were Born Therefore God did Elect and Choose particular Persons to Life and Salvation That Jeremiah and Jacob c. were particular Persons no Man of Sense will deny that they were Beloved of God before the natural Birth the word of God is full and express Jer. 1.5 Jer. 31.3 Rom. 9.11 Argu. 5. If God knows his Elect from all others before he calls them in Conversion then hath God Elected particular Persons to Life and Salvation But God knows his Elect from all others before he calls them in Conversion Therefore God hath Elected and Chosen particular Persons to Life and Salvation That Gods Praecognition or foreknowledge joyned with his purpose of Grace to Save his Elect goes before his actually calling them in effectual Conversion is beyond Dispute Rom. 8.29 30. 2 Tim. 2.19 Jo. 13.18 Argu. 6. If they who believe in Time were before their Believing ordained to Eternal Life then did God Elect and Choose particular Persons unto Life and Salvation But they who believe in time were before their Believing ordained to Eternal Life Therefore God hath Elected and Chosen particular Persons unto Life and Salvation That Gods Praeordination of Persons to Life and Salvation doth preceed or go before Believing and Repentance is plain from Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal Life Believed Rom. 11. The Election hath obtained it Jo. 10.26 But ye Believe not because ye are not of my Sheep as I said unto you From which Scriptures it is most plain that none do or can in time Believe and reput to Salvation but such Persons as are theretofore appointed by Gods gracious purpose Argu. 7. If the Term Elect doth signifie and presuppose a Calling or Choosing some particular Persons or Things out from among other Persons or Things then hath God out of so many Elected some particular Persons unto Eternal Salvation But the Term Elect doth signifie and presuppose a Calling or Choosing some particular Persons or Things out from among other Persons or Things Therefore God hath out of many Called and Chosen some particular Persons unto Eternal Life Argu. 8. If the Lord Jesus did lay down his Life but for a certain particular number of Sinners then did God Elect and Choose a particular number to Life and Salvation But the Lord Jesus did lay down his Life for a certain particular number of Sinners Therefore God did Elect and Choose a particular number to Life and Salvation That the Lord Jesus did lay down his Life for a certain particular number is obvious and plain to him that can but Read Jo. 10.15 As the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father and I lay down my Life for the Sheep With this accords that of Paul to Titus Chap. ● 14 who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purchase to himself a peculiar People Zealous of good Works Ephes 5.25 〈◊〉 love your Wives even as Christ also Loved the Church and gave himself for it c. The Sheep of whom Christ speaks can be understood to be no other but Believers even such as Dy'd in the Faith before his Incarnation with the Believers of that present day and all who in time to come were to Believe in him And these are the Souls who were by the Father committed to the Pastoral care and charge of Christ the Great Shepherd of the Sheep as Sheep are committed to the care and charge of an under Shepherd For these Christ lays down his Life To these he by his Spirit actually applys the virtue of his Death Over these he Watches And to these only excluding all others he gives Eternal Life That these were given to Christ by the Father to be redeemed and brought to Glory appears from Jo. 6.39 And this is the Fathers Will which hath sent me That of all which he hath given me I should loose nothing but should raise it up at the Last Day Jo. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me c. And Verse 2. As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him ☞ Mark this Reader To as many as thou hast given him This plainly proves that God did commit to the care and faithfulness of Christ his Shepherd a certain particular number to be Justified and Saved by him and therefore not all the Race of fallen Mankind as Papists Arminians Quakers Free-Willers c. vainly teach and hold Another Consideration which is full of clearness to convince and satisfie any right in their Minds That not Adams Posterity in General as the Hereticks above named would fain have it but a certain particular and definite number were Elected and Chosen by God and by him given to Christ his Son to be Redeemed and Saved is Christ his refusing to concern himself for any others in the discharge of his Office of Intercessor as appears from Jo. 17.9 I Pray for them that is for the Elect for whom he had undertaken as Vedem●●y and Surety I Pray not for the World that is those of the World who were by God left in a Reprobate State and Condition as is evident from Jo. 17.14 I have given them thy Word