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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48584	A treatise of election and reprobation in vindication of the universal grace and love of God to mankind by B.L.	Lindley, Benjamin, d. 1723.	1700 (1700)	Wing L2312; ESTC R28788	51,533	66

Meat and Drink to do the Will of God it is holy pure and loved of God it lives in Obedience keeps the Commandments Sinneth not Whosoever is born of God 1 John 3.9 doth not commit sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God This is the Description of the Elect. Thus is opened in some measure the Mystery of Election and Reprobation the Loved and Hated Birth spoken of under the Types of Jacob and Esau And Christ is declared to be that Promised Seed not in a divided but in the most comprehensive Sense But to proceed in these Mysteries leads from the Matter before me to which I must now return Object 6 There are certain Men crept in unawares Jude 4. who were of old Ordained unto this Condemnation c. From whence they conclude some positively Ordain'd to Condemnation c. Answ The stress of this Argument lyeth upon the word Ordained and there is no such word in this Text the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scribo in Latin Prescripti in English fore-written and so it should be translated and not Ordained which alters the point mainly for right read it amounts to no more than that such were before of old prophesied of and those Prophecies committed to Writing or that there were written Prophecies of them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Prophecy comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 predico compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico that is to foretell or fore-speak of a thing so the one is a Written Prophecy the other Verbal that 's all the difference And what weakness is it from hence to conclude some under a necessity of Sinning This makes the Visions and Prophecies the cause of the things so happening then the fault would be upon the Prophets and Seers and upon their Prophecies and Visions and the Scriptures the cause of the Sins they foretell and reprehend But if the Prediction of things so to happen be not the cause of of their so happening then neither is the Prescription or putting what 's fore-told in Writing or Print any cause thereof and that 's as far as this Scripture mentions which though our Opponents put great Stress upon it yet being right read it supports no part of their Argument For 1st Here is their great word Ordain'd set aside which the Greek hath nothing of tho' it be put in the English Bibles 2dly The words Before of old are not old enough to serve this turn having reference unto the Writings of Enoch Paul Peter Jude 14. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Tim. 3.1 2 Pet. 3.3 c. but these have their Date in time and are Prophetical not Decretal so are no proof of an Eternal Decree or any Decree of Personal Reprobation 3dly The stile of these Prophecies is not particular of such and such Men that they should do so and be so wicked and fall under such Condemnation c. but it is in general as in the words of Enoch the Seventh from Adam Behold the Lord cometh with Ten Thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to reprove all that are Vngodly among them of all their ungodly Deeds which they have ungodly committed c. And so the words of the rest which shews that such wicked Men there should be but not that they were under a fatal necessity of being so or had never been in a capacity of Salvation or were condemn'd without any respect to their good or evil Deeds c. For the Apostle Jude admits these Men to have been sometime in a capacity of Salvation as appears by his comparing them 1. To the People whom God had saved out of Egypt and afterwards destroyed them that believed not 2. To the Angels which kept not their Principality but left their own Habitation c. The first were at least in a capacity of Salvation and Glory and the latter in the blessed Fruition on 't Then neither were these Men condemn'd without any respect to their good or Evil Deeds as appears from their being compared 1. To the Israelites that believed not 2. To the Angels that kept not their Principality 3. To Sodom and Gomorah 4. To Cain 5. to Balaam 6. to Core Now the first are charg'd with Unbelief The second with Apostacy The third with grievous Sin The fourth with the Murder of his own Brother The fifth with Covetousness and Iniquity The sixth with Gainsaying and Rebellion So allow but the Apostle Jude to explain the Apostle Jude and 't is plain these Men's Evil subjectd them to Condemnation to the which they were not Fore-ordain'd nor was it inflicted on them without any respect to their good or evil Deeds Object 7. They distinguish the Grace of God into Common and Special and allow that every one hath Common Grace but hold that only the Elect have Special Grace and that none are saved by Common Grace or can be but whosoever have Special Grace can in no wise miss of Salvation c. Answ There is no where mention in the Scripture that I can find of Special Grace which is my first Exception to the distinction as Unscriptural Next comes to my thought that saying A great Lyar ought to have a good Memory and indeed so ought any one that deals in false Doctrines and Errors For generally Ignorance and Error is incongruous it 's of the nature of a Lye there 's no Line of Coherence in 't to lead one along as we have Instance here One while they say God hated the greater part of Mankind and decreed their Reprobation c. Another while All Men have Common Grace and that implies the Favour and Love of God in some measure for Grace is Favour c. But how God should love and hate the same Persons and at the same time is a difficulty they have to Unridle Then the word Common is either to be understood according to them as vile importing a thing of mean or no value in which Sense to apply it to God's Grace is Blasphemy Or it must be understood to signifie General or Universal a Sense in which 't is commonly taken And according to this most common understanding of the word Common it appears the Apostles themselves were saved by Common Grace From their own Testimony That the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all Men Tit. 2.11 12. teaching us say they that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World c. So they ascribe the inward Work of their Salvation to God's Universal Grace that is to common Grace in such Sense in which the Grace of God can be said to be Common But these Ingrossers or Impropriators of Salvation are a very particular sort of Men and will not go to Heaven the common Way nor prize

the Grace God is pleased to vouchsafe to them in common with other Men but are for a Special Grace peculiar to themselves tho' the Scripture be silent as to any such thing They agree exact to the Pattern of the old corrupt hypocritical Pharisees Mat. 9.11 Luke 19.17 who would not eat or drink with Publicans but said I am not as this Publican c. They will have none of the common Grace common Faith common Salvation c. but will have Grace Faith and Salvation all Special and peculiar to themselves excluding the rest of Mankind as Creatures of no worth or value they must not share in this Special Grace must have no Portion in David or Inheritance in the Son of Jesse their Trumpet sounds like that of Sheba their Language like his which cost him his Head However Common Grace Faith and Salvation is Gospel Grace Faith and Salvation propounded in Scripture So herein they differ from true Religion from the Scripture and from the Gospel that bringeth good Tidings of great Joy which shall be unto All People and set up a particular special way of their own which hath no footing in Scripture a new and another Gospel of Christ and of another and quite contrary Tenure for it brings Good Tidings of great Joy but to a few and bad Tidings of great Misery to many But let us a little consider let 's try before we trust and examine well the Matter before we leave the good old Way and the ancient Paths for these by-Ways As to the Common Salvation we have instance of some that have been saved in that way of a Cloud of Witnesses that have pass'd that way that the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in that way c. Then as to their way and manner of Salvation by some special particular Priviledge peculiar to themselves and exclusive of the rest of Mankind as having no share or interest therein 1. Can they give us Instance of any one Man saved in that way 2. Are there any Witnesses of Fame gone on it and who are they 3. Is there any Testimony to it in all the Scripture and where Till they shew us this we will rather be Schollars with Paul and Titus of the Common Grace and Sons with Timothy Titus 1.4 1 Tim. 1.2 after the Common Faith and with Jude diligent concerning the Common Salvation than trust to such imaginary Conceits of a company of Self-lovers and Brain-sick bigotted People Object 8. That the Apostle in the afore-cited Scripture hath respect to the Elect for he saith Teaching us c. but doth not say It taught all Answ The Reason is plain why all were not taught of this Grace some would not learn thereof It was ever so some would none of his Counsel would none of his Instruction but cast his Reproof behind their backs c. And the Lord compels not Men to be happy he forceth Discipline upon none so all are not taught But tho' the Apostle doth not say The Grace taught all he saith It appear'd to all it brings Salvation c. And to what other end does it appear but for Salvation unto all and to be a Teacher of good things c. Mankind is One the Divine Grace One the Giver of it One and the End for which it is given One and the same So if it should not do the same for all that receive it it should cease to be Grace which can never be Object 9. We read of Paul 's Preaching at Antioch and the People were glad and as many as were Ordained to Eternal Life believed Acts 13.48 Whence they infer Some were not Ordain'd to Eternal Life Rom. 11.7 because some believed not And also the same Apostle writing to the Romans saith The Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded c. Answ This mentions the Apostle's coming to Antioch and the two Sermons he preach'd there and their Service c. All which are Particulars and to draw a General Conclusion from Particular Premises is false Reasoning And as to the Sentence which seems most General That as many as were Ordain'd to Eternal Life believed even this is to be understood Restrictively or in a Particular Sense for understand it in General and its Consequences are such as renders the Preaching of the Gospel wholly void in all other places than at Antioch In all other places wholly void because none should be found in them Ordain'd unto Eternal Life And void there with respect to the begetting any more into the Faith because as many as were Ordain'd unto Eternal Life believed already And this makes void all the other Travels of the Apostles their Preaching and Planting other Churches and the Conversion and Holiness of those c. But how extravagant would it be thus to think or that there was not before or after in that place any one Ordain'd to Eternal Life only the Proselytes of that day Though there be a time to all in which they have the Tenders of Salvation yet time is not the same to all some come in at the third some at the ninth and some at the eleventh hour So that this is to be understood of such only to whom it was then the season of Life who were ripe for the Birth fitted or set in order for it and so is the proper Signification of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word used in this place in the Greek and is in our English Bibles translated Ordain'd the which it doth not properly signifie but to set in Order or in a fit Posture of Mind c. And so is this Scripture explain'd which is not exclusive of any such whether there at Antioch or elsewhere who should afterwards receive the like precious Faith with those And as to the other the Election is said of the Spiritual who have the true Spiritual Sight and Discerning by which Christ is known and born Testimony to that is such who have made their Election sure by adding to their Faith Vertue c. For all Israel were God's Elect People as the Scripture doth abundantly shew but of them some gave not diligence to make their Election sure by adding to their Faith Vertue c. and such became Blind could discern the Face of the Sky but not the Signs of the Times nor the Coming of the Just One and so obtained not what they sought for but became forgetful of their Cleansing and Reprobate forfeiting as well the End as Name of their Election as is further shewn hereafter Object 10. That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that Calleth Answ 'T is own'd the purpose of God according to Election is such That he loved us while we were yet Enemies it hath been unto us according to what the Apostle expresseth As touching the Election Beloved while as concerning the Gospel Enemies Rom. 11.28 Rom. 5.10 For if when we were