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tion at least, not exactly correfponding with the original; fome, from their not being compared with other paffages on fimilar topics, efpecially with fuch as are more plain and explicit; others, again, from their not being confidered with reference to the temporary and local circumftances under which they were written, or to the main fcope and defign of the compofition, in which they are contained. In particular, as to the epiftle to the Romans, which is perverfely reprefented as the great ftorehouse of abfolute predeftination, it may be expedient to repeat in this place, what has been already partially stated; that the Apostle's object was to convince the Jews of the Gentiles being entitled to participate in the Gospel covenant, because the fame God, who had formerly chofen to call the Jews alone to be his people, now chofe to call the Gentiles alfo : and that accordingly the election, of which the Apoftle speaks, is not God's election of individuals to a state of happinefs; but his election of nations and focieties of men, generally to accomplish the schemes of his providence, and more especially of fuch, as he then chofe to be the repofitories of the Chriftian faith.

To enumerate the paffages ia Scripture, which tend to confirm this fenfe of the expreffion in the Apostle, would carry us too much into detail. I fhall therefore content

myself with remarking, that Whitby has fhown, beyond all reafonable queftion, by tracing the phrafe through the Old Teftament, that the whole nation of the Jews, the bad as well as the good, were the elect of God; and that in the New Teftament, when it is applied to Chriftians, it plainly includes as many as were converted to the Chriftian faith. In conformity to this language of Scripture, Chriftians of the early ages (as Bingham has remarked') were commonly denominated the Elect; "He hath made us a part of his election," faith St. Clement in his epiftle to the Corinthians, whom he admonishes to "take "heed, left the many kindneffes of God turn "to the condemnation of them all, if they live "not worthy of him, and do those things that "are good and well pleafing in his fight." And conformable to the fame language is that of our Church, when in one of her Homilies fhe fays, that " it profited not the Jews, which were God's elect people, to hear much of

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Whitby on the Five Points, p. 36-48.

• Bingham's Ecclefiaftical Antiquities, book i. chap. 1. • Προσέλθωμεν εν αυτῷ εν οσιότητι ψυχης, άγνας και αμιαντές

χειρας αίροντες προς αυτόν, αγαπώντες τον επιεική και ευσπλαγχνον πατερα ἡμῶν, ὃς (μας) εκγολης μερος εποιησεν ἑαυτῷ. S. Clem. Cor. ep. i. cap. xxxix.

Όρατε, αγαπητοι, μη αἱ ευεργεσίαι αυτου αἱ πολλαι γενωνται εις κριμα πασιν ἡμιν, εαν μη άξιως αυτου πολιτευομενοι, τα καλα και ευαρεστα ενωπιον αυτό ποιωμεν μεθ' ὁμόνοιας. Ibid. sxi.

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"God, feeing that he was not received in their "hearts by faith, nor thanked for his benefits bestowed upon them; their unthankfulness

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was the caufe of their deftruction":" when in her baptismal fervices and her Catechifm she fpeaks of all baptized perfons, as compofing *the number of the faithful and elect children

of God;" and when in another of her Homilies, namely, on the Danger of Falling from God, the warns us, that if we, which “are the chofen vineyard of God, bring not "forth good grapes, God will at length let us "alone, and fuffer us to bring forth even fuch "fruit as we will, to bring forth brambles, ← briers, and thorns, all naughtiness, all vice, “and that fo abundantly, that they shall clean overgrow us, choke, ftrangle, and utterly de"ftroy us"." froy_us.

It may however be further allowed, that the election, mentioned in Scripture, is not always of nations or focieties, but fometimes of perfons alfo, whether Jews or Gentiles, to a profeffion of the Gospel; as, where St. John speaks of "the elect

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lady" and "the elect fifter"," that is, the Christian lady and her fifter; agreeably to which our Church describes every individual that the baptizes as "an elect child of God:" but no

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thing will be gained to the Calvinist by this conceffion, unlefs it can alfo be made appear, that every individual, who was elected to a profeffion of the Gospel, was thereby elected likewife to eternal life: a cafe, which it were difficult to fhow how the Apoftles could have known; and which, it is an undeniable fact, that they certainly did not believe.

Still further, however, it may be allowed, that the election, mentioned in Scripture, is fometimes thee lection of individuals to eternal life; but then, as Waterland has remarked on "the fweet and comfortable doctrine of pre"deftination fet forth in our feventeenth

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Article," it is an election, "confidered (not IRRESPECTIVELY, not ABSOLUTELY) but "with respect to faith in Christ, faith working "by love, and perfevering." "For whom he "did foreknow, he did alfo predeftinate to be "conformed to the image of his Son." And let it be observed, that of such only as God foreknew would be conformed to the image of his Son, is it predicated, that their election would be effectual to falvation: for, as the Apoftle adds, " Moreover whom he did pre"deftinate," (doubtlefs in the fenfe, which it

z See Winchester on the Seventeenth Article, chap. 2. Churchman's Remembrancer, No. II. p. 26.

a Rom. viii. 29.

bore in the preceding fentence,)" them he "alfo called; and whom he called, them he “ also justified; and whom he justified, them "he alfo glorified." No paffage can be adduced, which fo clearly indicates the whole procefs of the fcriptural, as diftinguished from the Calviniftic, election of individuals to eternal life looking forward to the conformity of the elect to the image of Chrift; commencing in the foreknowledge of God; ratified by his purpofe; and fo carried into execution, and paffing through the intermediate fteps to their being finally received into glory. And at the fame time no paffage perhaps can be adduced, which more fatisfactorily fhows how much at variance with the fcriptural notion, and confequently how little worthy of credit, is the irrespective predeftination of Calvin. "Re"member ever," faid a judicious Divine in his appeal to the Gospel on this important fubject,

Remember ever, that whom he did foreknow «is as much before he did predeftinate, as "whom he did predeftinate is before he call"s ed."

Such was the view of predeftination taken by thofe, who were beft qualified to underftand the true fignification of the facred writ

Plaifere's Appello Evangelium, p. 195. Churchman's Remembrancer, N°. V. p. 94.

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