for there is no Argument which more stongly proves a Man or Woman to be of the number of Reprobates than to expect or hope to go to Heaven in the continued and approved Neglect of Believing in the Son of God Repenting of Sin living a Holy Life and Persevering in the same to the end of Life Object 4. The Doctrine of Election before time doth not only encourage to Sin but it leads People to final Desparation for preventing of which all imaginable care ought to be taken to suppress and decry it Answ To this Horrid and Blasphemous Objection I shall in Christs strength Answer in four Particulars And First I do boldly affirm in the Name of the ever Blessed Trinity That this Blasphemous Objection did originally spring from that Spirit which charged the Son of God with casting out Devils by Beelzebub which if I mistake not is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost and such as peremptorily with allowance and approbation persist in making and liking the same against the Doctrine of Election so plainly revealed and so positively asserted by the Holy Ghost I am not afraid to declare and pronounce them the Children and Successors of those Pharisees now in Hell who vented that unpardonable Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Mat. 12 24.32 Let all Cavilling Adversaries who bring this Objection against the Doctrine of Gods absolute and free Election before time have a care they be not found Ranked among those mighty Sinners who in the height of their Wickedness run themselves most desperately upon the thick Bosses of the Almighties Buckler Job 15.26 Secondly If the Doctrine of Election be such a dangerous Doctrine as leads to Licentiousness and which in the end brings Men to Desparation I would fain know how it comes to pass that the Enemies of this Doctrine are such Slaves to their Brutish Lusts and why so many of them Die in Despair when under powerful Awakenings and common Convictions in their guilty Consciences Thirdly I do with greatest confidence and certain assurance grounded on the Word of God and backt with my own Personal experience affirm That as the right Knowledge and Believing of the Doctrine of Election before time with a particular application thereof to ones self is the only Doctrine that sets the Heart of a true Believer against all Sin and which secures and keeps the Believer from Desparation in the time of the deepest Desertion and most violent Temptation so the Doctrine of Free Will and general Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation Here two things are to be demonstrated First That the Doctrine of Election before time rightly understood and particularly applied by Faith is the only Doctrine which engages the Heart of a sound Believer against all known Sin and which fortifys and secures the Believer against Desparation in the time of the deepest Desertion and the most violent Temptation Secondly That the Doctrine of Free Will and general Redemption is a Doctrine which encourageth to Sin and which necessarily leads to Desparation The first of these will evidently appear to him that rightly considers and believes the Particulars following First the Purpose and Design of God the Father in Electing which was That his Elect and Chosen who were fallen into Sin and Misery in Adam their Natural and Faederal Head might be delivered and by strong hand rescued out of that state of Sin and Misery and made effectual Partakers of that Liberty and Redemption purchased by Christ his Son the Sponsor and Surety of his Elect. Secondly the design of Christ the Surety and Sponsor of the Elect in the whole Work of Mediation which he undertook to go through for the Elect which his Father had chosen in him which was to purchase for and in time to apply actually to the Elect the saving Benefit of that Freedom and Redemption purchased by himself Thirdly The design and office of the Holy Ghost which is to sanctify and renew the Souls of the Elect in effectual Calling and to carry on and maintain the Work of Grace begun in the Believer to the end Fourthly The design of the Gospel in revealing and discovering the Mistery of Gods Love and Grace to his Elect and Chosen which is that Believers might by virtue of Christs Death savingly applyed Dye unto all Sin and that they might by virtue of Christs Resurrection walk in newness of Life before God Fifthly The design of Divine Providence towards true Believers which is to purge them from the remains of indwelling Sin more and more and to make them more and more to abound in Holy Conformity to Christ their Mystical Head All these as so many Lines in a Center do meet in the Doctrine of particular Election the which when the Believer seriously considers and by Faith applys to himself he is so far from being drawn either to Sin or Desparation thereby as that he finds the quite contrary in himself viz. an admirable Aversion and Repugnancy to yield consent to the flattering Sollicitations of Sin and an Anchor hold which powerfully keeps him from descending into the Darksom Valley of Desparation which is as I may say the very entrance into Hell it self When the Believer is at any time attacked by Satan his enticing Instruments or by indwelling Corruption to yield to the motions of Sin he fetcheth Arguments against Sin from the Doctrine of Gods Election thus Hath God from all Eternity fixt his gracious purpose of Delivering and Rescuing me out of that state of Sin and Misery into which the Apostacy of Adam my Natural and Faederal Head plunged me and that by choosing out and fixing on his own Son to be a Surety and Saviour to purchase a liberty and to work out a perfect and compleat Redemption for me and shall I can I with approbation yield my full consent to grieve and offend this freely and this dearly Loving God I cannot do it neither can all the Craft and Pollicy of my Spiritual Enemies ever work me to a willingness to go back into that state of Spiritual Captivity under Sin and Satan from which the Grace of God in Election and effectual Calling hath set me free Secondly Hath Christ the Son of God pursuant to his Fathers Holy Decree and Gracious Purpose and in compliance with so noble and glorious a Design as Redeeming Captive Sinners and reconciling them to his Father consented to become a Mediator for me to work ou a work of perfect Redemption for me that I might be set at liberty from the Laws Curse from the dominion of Sin and the Usurpation and Tyranny of the Devil and shall I consent to commit Sin against such Bowels of Mercy and Love I cannot do it Thirdly Hath the Holy Ghost who in conjunction with the Father and the Son had a Hand in my Election to Eternal Life vouchsafed to take on him the Office of a Sanctifier to Sanctifie and Renew the Elect in effectual Calling
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. â— 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 Vedemâ—â—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
Hell in my own Apprehensions while I bordered so near the Confines of final Desparation finding in my self how vastly short my Personal Qualifications came of answering the Laws demand as a Condition of Life and Salvation I found that nothing could possibly quiet or satisfy my wounded despairing Conscience but what doth effectually appease and satisfy that Holy God against whom I have so many thousands of times offended which can be nothing short of an infinite Righteousness which Righteousness can be had no where but in Christ God Man and no way to be had but in a way of Believing of which Mystery my blind and perverted Reason was as ignorant as a Beast And not only so but my Heart and Soul were Zealously set against looking for Life and Salvation in any other way than that of Free-will and general Redemption This Principle so every way Quadrating with my Legal Frame of Heart which was acted by no other Principle But do and Live Here it might not be amiss or unseasonable for the relief and encouragement of a poor tempted Soul who as touching this very point of Election may be walking in Darkness having no light of Comfort in his own Spirit to answer or resolve this needful Question How shall a poor bewildred tempted Soul come to know that it self in particular was elected of God before time To this Question about which many of God's called ones are not a little distressed in their own Spirits I shall answer in three Particulars First The way to know thou art elected before time is to go about it in a right way or manner By this I mean thou art not to attempt to pry into the Secret Counsels of the most High concerning this Matter knowing that secret things belong to God and to none else until he pleaseth to reveal them Deut. 29.29 Therefore in order to know this Mystery to thy comfort do as thou wouldst do if thou wert to bring both ends of a Bottom of Thread or Yarn to meet together the way is not to begin at that end which is hid in the very centre of the Bottom but to take the end which is outmost and next to thee and by thus doing thou wilt soon bring both ends to meet whereas if thou go about it in any other way as by cutting or ravelling the Bottom to hasten the work thou wilt but fret and vex thy self and which is worse thou wilt marr and spoil the work Do not then attempt as the Devil and Carnal Reason would have thee to climb up to Heaven to inform thy self of this Matter God's Work must be done in the way of his own Appointment which is that thou begin first with thy own Heart See examine and search thy own Soul to find out whether his Holy Spirit hath ever been at work there The Cause must be known by its proper Effects not the Effects by the Cause 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 2 Pet. 1.10 Election the thing thou wouldst fain be resolv'd about is the cause this is a Secret in God's Breast which can be known by thee no other way ordinarily but by its Effects which are Faith in thy Heart and Obedience to Christ's Commands in thy Life and Conversation If the Spirit of God hath called thee to embrace and close with Christ held forth in the Gospel and if the Fruits of that thy closing with Christ do discover themselves in thy Life and Conversation thou hast no Ground or Reason to question thy Election but what the Devil and thy Carnal Reason suggest Acts 13.48 And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Jo. 10.26 But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you In the Scriptures now quoted Election to eternal Life is held forth as the Cause of Faith and Faith or believing in Jesus as the undoubted Fruit or Effect of Election Secondly Art thou frequently tempted to doubt of and question thine Election to eternal Life This is an undoubted Argument that the Devil discerns in thee the Fruits and Effects of God's electing Love to thy Person which puts him upon tempting thee to question and doubt of God's Love to thee Where the Devil knows he hath the full and quiet Possession of a Sinner there he suggests that the Man is a good Christian His Faith is a good Faith and God is his Father and that he is elected and shall be Saved notwithstanding he lives after the Flesh On the contrary where the Devil sees and discovers the Fruits and Effects of God's Grace and Love appear there he pesters the Soul with Infernal Suggestions and Temptations to put the Soul on mis-believing and questioning the Truth of God's Grace bestowed on the Sinner Thou art but a painted Hypocrite thou art none of God's Elect it is in vain for thee to hope or expect to go to Heaven Thus he dealt with the Believers Redeemer Mat. 4.3 6. If thou be the Son of God c. And if the Adversary hath done this to the green Tree what will he not attempt to do to the dry Luke 23.31 Thirdly Dost thou find thine Heart fixedly resolved come Life come Death to cast thy Soul at the foot of Divine Soveraignty in the way of Duty shunning all known Sin and pressing after Holiness resting entirely on the Grace and Merit of Christ after Life and Salvation Thou art to know for thine everlasting Comfort and Encouragement that no Reprobate ever was or ever shall be able to do this Time will discover that thou art one of God's Elect go on in the strength of thy God Fear not CHAP. II. Of Reprobation BY what hath been discoursed out of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Act of God's Election of some to Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ to the praise of the Glory of his own Grace it unavoidably and by necessary consequence follows that the same Soveraign God hath Reprobated or Rejected the rest not so elected and that from all Eternity having decreed never to recover them by converting Grace but hath fixedly purposed for Sin to Damn them and that for the Praise of the Glory of his own Justice Nothing can be more plain than that if God hath elected and chosen a certain number out of the whole corrupted Mass or Lump of fallen Mankind in whose Salvation he hath purposed to Glorify his Mercy and free Grace by Jesus Christ then hath he refused or passed by the rest as will most evidently appear in all the parts of it The Decree of Reprobation hath in it four parts to each of which I will speak as plainly and as briefly as I can First God hath refused or rejected some particular Persons on whom he purposed never to have Mercy this is most evident from the Scriptures following Jo. 10.26 But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you Rom. 11.7 But the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Rom. 9.18 Therefore hath
it If then the reason why the Apostate Angels are eternally lost is not because they stood not related to God as Creatures nor because the Hand of God was not strong enough to prevent their sinking into Hell nor yet because God wanted Bowels of Mercy and Compassion The reason then must be because the Glorious God did before time decree and purpose with himself not to recover those Creatures whom he foreknew would causelesly Rebel and Apostatize from that state of Holiness and Happiness in which he decreed to make them If then the Adversaries I now contend with will acknowledge God to be Just and Righteous in leaving the Angels which by Transgression fell so as never to shew them Favour more I desire to be informed by what Law the Soveraign Majesty of Heaven can be justly charged with Cruelty for Saving but a small Remnant of Apostate Adams Offspring seeing that Adam was every way as voluntary and free in Sinning against God as were the Angels which fell Surely had it pleased God he might have cast both Adam and his Children into the same Lodging with Beelzebub and his Apostate Train there to endure to endless Eternity the Torments due to their Rebellion and Disobedience And in that God hath been pleased to extend Mercy to any of Adams Posterity it is meer Grace and Mercy every way undeserved the which he was no way bound to shew to Adam and his Children any more than he was obliged or bound to help or commiserate the fallen Angels If John Burnyeat or any of his Friends who oppose the Doctrine of particular Election can prove by the Scriptures that God hath given or is by any Law bound to give Special Saving Grace to Rebels who have fallen by their causelesly abufing and loosing the Grace given them in Adam their Natural and Faederal Head any other than what he bestows on his Elect and that in the right of Election I will readily submit and yield the Cause Object 2. The Scriptures of Truth are express and positive in affirming that the Salvation discovered and held forth in the Gospel is designed by God and offered by the Apostle to all Men in general without any distinction or limitation of Persons and therefore to restrain that Salvation to a stinted number is most injurious and wicked Answ These Cavilling Objectors do at a very easie rate wrest and pervert the sense of the Holy Spirit not knowing what they say nor whereof they so rashly affirm where they meet with universal Terms from them they infer universal Principles witness the Scriptures following 2 Cor. 5.14.1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 2.9 Where the Apostle saith that Christ Died for all and that he gave himself a Ransom for all Men and that he tasted Death for every Man They from hence infer and strongly conclude as they think that beyond all Peradventure the end and design of Gods sending his Son into the World and the Sons laying down his Life was on full purpose that general Redemption might be procured for and granted to all and singular the Sons and Daughters of lapsed Adam and where the Apostle Peter shews that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 They would fain perswade themselves and all others that without any restriction or limitation the Sense must be that God wills not that any Sinner should be Damned And so foolishly fond are they of the General Redemption which from the fore Cited Scriptures they highly conceit themselves able to demonstrate and prove against all Gain-Sayers that they with great care set down the Terms All Every and Any in great Capital Letters that the Reader might observe and take notice of them That those Universal Terms All Every and Any are to be restrained and limited to a particular and select number only which can be no other than that number which the Scriptures positively affirm God Elected and Chose to himself out of the corrupted Mass as hath been above observed is beyond contradiction The Objection consists of two Members or Branches First the design of God in preparing and intending Redemption and Salvation for all Men in General Secondly Gods commanding to Preach or offer it to all in general without exception On these two mistaken grounds the Quakers and the other Hereticks who in this point join with them against the Word and Churches of Christ do ignorantly and falsely infer that the Benefit of the second Adams Obedience and Righteousness is in Gods imputing and applying it as extensive as was the Disobedience and Rebellion of the first which say they was to all the Posterity of Adam The places of Scripture from which they draw this their Unscriptural Inference are those of Paul Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the Free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Heb. 2.9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour that he by the Grace of God should taste Death for every Man The ground of these Mens loosing themselves in this Controversie is their using Scripture without Reason and Reason without Scripture the which whoever doth will be sure to run himself and his followers into a Labyrinth of dark and uncertain Interpretations of the most plain Text of Scripture whence comes most commonly Chymerical and Enthusiastical Notions which are attended as really with a Satanical Energie to deceive Earthly Minded People as the true Word of God is attended with a Divine Energie and Power to teach and guide Gods Elect to the saving knowledge of God in Christ Here they seem to the ignorant and unwary Reader to have Scripture on their side when opposing those who assert and defend the Doctrine of paâ—â—â—â—lar Election against these Univerâ—◠〈◊〉 viz. those Scriptures above 〈◊〉 in which God seems to have intended the Redemption purchased by his Son for every individual Son and Daughter of Adam and that because the Term set down is Universal But now these Men inhering in the bare Letter of the Scriptures and laying aside the use of Reason the which they should make use of in distinguishing Terms they themselves and their poor deluded Proselytes loose the true Sense of the Scriptures never looking farther than the bare Letter never regarding whether they take the Sense of the Spirit with them yea or not And hence it is that with such unbridled Licentiousness some Men do with highest confidence positively affirm that the Salvation of the Gospel is purchased and intended for all and singular the Posterity of the first Adam and that an universal offer thereof is accordingly made to each Man and Woman Whereas indeed when the judicious and unprejudiced Reader joins Scripture and sanctified reason together accompanied with Self denial and sincere and hearty Prayer to Gods Throne of Grace for
on directing and sending the poor sin-sick wounded Sinner to the Son of God with his Wounds and Plague-sores to be healed pressing him to believe in the Son of God out of whom no Salvation is to be found Hereto I add the peremptory Command of God himself that the poor despairing Soul believe on the Son of God 1 Jo. 2.23 Mark 16.16 By these Methods and Ways of God's own appointment God is pleased to work saving Conversion and effectual Faith in the Souls of elect Sinners To what hath been offered out of God's own Word to prove the Doctrine of Particular Election before time I here set down the Judgment of the most Orthodox Protestant Churches concerning the same Not that I think the Word of God stands in any need of Humane Testimony to help it out but rather to shew forth the sweet Harmony which is between the Holy Scriptures and the Saints of God in their Holy and Orthodox Confessions of their Faith concerning the present so much controverted and impugned Doctrine of Election and Reprobation before time As also to shame those nominal Protestants both Non. and Conformists who have so apparently turn'd the back upon their own Articles of Faith whereby both the one and the other Party hath not a little strengthened the Foundation of the Jesuits hope of bringing England's Neck once more under the Papal Yoke From which I heartily wish and sincerely pray that God will ever keep us I begin with the Church of England Predestination to Life is the everlasting Purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's Purpose by his Spirit working in due season They through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity See 39 Articles of the Church of England Article 17th of Predestination and Election Secondly The Confession of Faith agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster By the Decree of God for the Manifestation of his Glory some Men and Angels are predestinated to everlasting Life and others to everlasting Death 1 Tim. 5.21 Mat. 25.41 Rom. 9.22 These Angels and Men thus Predestinated and fore Ordained are particularly and unchangeably design'd and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either encreased or diminshed Those of Mankind that are Predestinated unto Life God before the Foundation of the World was laid according to his eternal and immutable Purpose and the secret Counsel and good Pleasure of his Will hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting Glory out of his meer free Grace and Love without any foresight of Faith or good Works or Perseverance in either of them or any other thing in the Creature as Conditions or Causes moving him thereunto and all to the praise of the Glory of his Grace As God hath appointed the Elect unto Glory so hath he by the eternal and most free Purpose of his Will fore-ordain'd all the means thereunto 1 Pet. 1.2 Ephes 1.4 5. Ephes 2.10 2 Thes 2.13 Wherefore they who are Elected being fallen in Adam are Redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto Faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due Season are Justified Adopted Sanctified and kept by his Power through Faith unto Salvation 1 Thes 5.9 10. Tit. 2.14 Rom. 8.10 Ephes 1.5 1 Pet. 1.5 Neither are any other Redeemed by Christ effectually Called Justified Adopted Sanctified and Saved but the Elect only Jo. 17.9 Rom. 8.28 Jo. 10.26 The rest of Mankind God was pleased according to the unsearchable Counsel of his own Will whereby he extendeth or withholdeth Mercy as he pleaseth for the Glory of his Soveraign Power over his Creatures to pass by and to ordain them to Dishonour and Wrath for their Sin to the praise of his glorious Justice Mat. 11.25 26. Rom. 2.12 2 Tim. 2.19 1 Pet. 2.8 See The Assemblys Confession of Faith Chap. 3. of the eternal Decree of God To this the Church of Scotland hath fully agreed With this also agrees the Articles of Faith of the Church of Ireland in Bishop Vsher's time See those Articles And Vsher's Body of Divinity Quest What are the parts of Predestination Answ Election and Reprobation 1 Thes 5.9 Rom. 9.13 22 23. Quest What is Election Answ It is the everlasting Predestination or Fore-appointing of certain Angels and Men unto everlasting Life and Blessedness for the praise of his Grace and Goodness 1 Tim. 5.21 Jo. 15.16 Rom. 9.22 23. Ephes 1.4 5 6 9. Quest What is Reprobation Answ It is the eternal Predestination or Fore-appointment of certain Angels and Men unto everlasting Dishonour and Destruction God of his own freewill determining to pass them by refuse or cast them off and for Sin to Condemn and Punish them with eternal Death Prov. 16.4 Exod. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 22. 2 Tim. 2.20 Mat. 25.41 See Vsher's Body of Divinity pag. 91 92. The Church of France in the 12th Article of the Confession of her Faith hath these words viz. We believe that God out of that Corruption and general Curse into which all Men were plung'd doth free those whom in his eternal and immutable Counsel he elected of his meer Goodness and Mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ without the Consideration of Works leaving the rest in the same Corruption and Damnation to shew forth in these his Justice and in them the Riches of his Mercy for none of them are better than others because God hath separated them c. The Synod of Dort in the 7th Canon doth lay down this plain and clear Definition of Election thus viz. Election is the unchangeable Purpose of God by which before the Foundation of the World according to the free good pleasure of his Will of his meer Grace he hath chosen out of all Mankind to Salvation in Christ a certain and set number of Men neither better nor more worthy than others but lying in the common Misery with others and fallen from original Righteousness into Sin and Destruction by their own fault c. And in the 15th Canon of Reprobation they say thus viz. The Holy Scripture doth manifest and commend unto us this eternal and free Grace especially when it doth farther witness That not all Men are elected but that some are not elected or are passed by in the eternal Election of God viz. Those whom God according to his free just unreproveable and immutable good Pleasure decreed to leave in the common Misery into which they had cast themselves by their own fault and not to