ditori, that every one gives occafion to his Maker to render him a veffel of honor or dishonor: Et pro meritis fuis unufquifque à Deo vel honoris vas efficitur, vel contumelia, God having given man power to make himself a veffel of election or of wrath; that we are vellels of wrath of of mercy, ἀπὸ προαιρέσεως δικες las, from our own choice, every one, xaтαonevalav ExuтÒY GHEVOS ὀργής, καθάπερ καὶ σκεύος φιλανθρωπίας, preparing himfelf to be a vefel of wrath, οίκοθεν καὶ ἐξ ἑαυτῶ, from his own wicked incli nation, or to be a veel of divine love, διὰ πίςεως, by faith, δίοτι αξίας ἑαυτὸς ἔλεις ἐποίησαν, becaufe they have rendered them felves fit for mercy. So (r) Origen, "Macarius, (f) Chryfoftom, Oecumenius and Theophylact And this faith Origen, is, jufta fententia, et cum omni pietate concordans, ut ex præcedentibus caufis unumquodque vas vel ad honorem vel ad contumeliam præparetur, a just fentence, and in all things agreeable to piety, that every one fhould from preceding caufes be made veffel of honor or difhonor. Peri Arch. L. 3. F. 141, And fure thefe things must be fufficient to convince us, that these fathers believed nothing of the doctrine of abfolute election or reprobation; which will be further evident, SECTION II.-2dly. From the expofition they all, before St. Auftin, give of the 8th and 9th Chapters to the Romans. Thus I have fhewed that all the (t) Fathers interpret these words of the apostle, thofe that are called according to his purpose, whom he foreknew, of thole whom he foreknew to have good purpofes. Et quos præfcivit fibi fore devotos, and whom he foreknew to be devoted to his fervice, them he predeftinated. So Origen, and all the Ancient Fathers in their commentaries on this place; which expofition is as ancient as (u) Clemens of Alexandria, who faith exprefsly that s προώρισεν ὁ θεὸς δικαίως ἐσομένες πρὺ καταβολῆς τῷ κόσμῳ ἐγνωκώς, he foreappointed them, knowing before the foundation of the world they would be righteous. 1 2dly. Upon thofe words, Chap. ix. 13. Facob have I loved, and Efau, have I hated; they defcant thus, I have hated Efau because he was evil, and loved Jacob because he was good. He made him, faith Origen, a veffel of mercy, pro puritate, et fimplicitate animæ for the purity and fincerity of his foul; but feeing this, wanting in the foul of Efau, him ex eadem maffa fecit vas contumelia, out of the fame mafs he made a reffel of difhanor; for God, faith (v) Chryfoftom, doth not wait as a man doth, to the end, to fee who will be good, or not; ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τάτων οἶδε τὶς μεν ὁ πονηρὸς, τις δε ὁ μὴ τοῦτος, but (r) wgs Apxur. l. 3. c. 6. ——— (ƒ) Ho. 15. p. 95. and in Rom. ix. v. 22, 23(1) Ch. 3. Arg. 3.--(u) Siro. 7. p. 765. B.(v) Hom. $1 in Gen.' fees before, who will be bad, and who will not; and feeing things future as God, προανεφώνησε καὶ τότε τὴν ἀρετὴν, κακείνε τῆς γνώμης τὴν μοχθηρίαν ; He foretold before his virtue, and the evil mind of the other. And St. Jerom on the fame words in Malachi, faith, Dilectio et Odium Dei ex Præfcientia nafcitur futurorum, this love and hatred of God arifeth from his prefcience of things future. Hilary the Deacon faith that, Sciendo quid unufquifque illorum futurus effet, knowing what each of them would be, that he would be worthy who was the lefs, and the elder would be unworthy: Unum elegit Præfcientia, et alterum fprevit, he chofe one and rejected the oth er by his prefcience. He did this, faith Theodoret, forefeeing their purpoles ; & γὰρ ἀδίκος ἡ ἐκλογὴ ἀλλὰ τῇ προθέσει τῶν avý pánar ovμlaivnoa, for God's election is not unjust, but ac cords with the purpose of the that differ or excel. And "only Tav therefore to the queftion; why doth he fay, he chofe one before the other, when they had done neither good or evil? He anfwers, that θείᾳ προγνώσει τῶν μελλόντων πολλὰ διαφέρει, επι the divine foreknowledge they differed very much. 3dly. On Ver. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; they all truly note, that this was laid of the fews after they had all committed the capital fin of idolatry in worshipping the golden calf, and that fome of them were punhed for it, and fome not; this was done, faith Hilary, Quia Deus fcit cujus debeat mifereri, becaufe God knew who were fit objects of his mercy ; becaufe he knew, τίνες άξιοι σωτηρίας nai in azio, who were worthy of prefervation, and who were not. So Chryfoftom and Oecumenius. 4thly. On Ver. 16. They defcant thus, It is not of him that wills, or runs only, but of God that fheweth mercy, and crowns the work by his affiftance; for other wife, fay they, it cannot be our duty, either to will or run. So Origen, Chryfoftom, Oecumenius and Theophylact; fee this, and their anfwer to the objection of St. Auftin against this expofition, in the note upon that verse. 5thly. On thefe words, Ver. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, Origen defcants thus; that which he Jays is this, that we are good or evil, depends upon our will; but what ftripes the wicked man fhall fuffer, and what glory the good man is defigned for, de pends upon the will of God ; τὸν ἄξιον ἐλεεῖσθαι ἐλεεῖ, He hath mercy on him who is fit for mercy, τὸν δὲ ἀπειθῆ σκλερὸν εἶναι JUYXWPET, but he permits the difobedient to be hardened. Moreover they all note, that the apoftle here fpeaks of Pharaoh, and that him God hardened, not by laying on him any neceflity fo to be, but only by his patience and lenity, in withdrawing his plagues which fhould have led him to repentance; as a kind mafter makes his fervant worfe by his lenity; and it is obferved by Votus, that before St. Auflin wrote against Pelagius, he agreed with them in most of these expofitions. Vide Hiftor. Pelag. 1. 5. Theff. viii. p. 545. 6thly. On Ver. 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, &c. Theophylact notes, that as it is not the mass itself that makes one veffel to honor, and another to difhonor, but the ufe i of it, εχ ἡ φύσις τας μεν ποιεῖ κολάσεως αξίας, τὰς δὲ ςεφάνων, aλ'n пpoaipεois, fo it is not the nature, but the choice of men that makes fome worthy of punishment, and others of reward. God makes fome veffels of honor, others of dishonor, faith Chryfoftom, becaufe he knows, τις μεν ἄξιος, τὶς δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτος, who is worthy fo to be, and who is not. He justly punisheth Finners, faith Theodoret, ὡς γνώμη τοῦτο ποιεῖν τολμώντας, ως daring wittingly to do thus; and his philanthropy confers mercy, receiving πρόφασιν παρ ἡμῶν, an occafion from us to do fo. Laftly, I have fhewed, that in their notes on Ver. 22, 23; they fay that man is made a veffel of wrath or mercy, from his own choice. SECTION III.-3dly. (w) Voffius declares, that all the Fathers before St. Auftin's time, think that God predeftinated men to life from a prefcience that they would live pioufly, or would believe and perfevere to the end; and this, from what hath been discoursed, appeareth to have been the doctrine of all the commentators upon the 8th and 9th chapters to the Romans, till St. Auftin's time, and of the Greek commentators after his time; to whom you may add from him the teftimony of (x) Irenæus, that fome coming to the light, and others refufing fo to do, Deus omnia præfciens utrifque aptas præparavit habitationes, God who forefeeth all things, prepared fit habitations for them both Of (y) Chryfoftom introducing Chrift faying, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before you were born, ἐπειδὴ ἤδειν τοιέτες ὑμᾶς ἐσομένες, bea caufe I knew you would be fuch: Of (2) Hilary faying, many are called but few chofen, Quia in invitatis de judicii merito probitatis electio eft, becaufe among thofe that are called. God of his just judgment choofeth those that are honeft Of(a) St. Ambrofe, faying, God who is no respecter of perJons, gives not to our petitions but our merits, according to that of the apostle, whom he foreknew, he also did predeftinate, Non enim ante prædeftinaret, quam præfciret, fed quorum merita præfcivit eorum præmia prædeftinavit, for God di (w) Hift. L. 5. Th. 8. ·(x) L. 4. C. 76.- -(y) Hom. 80. in Mat. To. 2.(z) In. Mat. 21.--(a) L 5. De Fide, C. 2. Abbot Demmm. Antich. not predeftinate first, and then foreknow, but predeftinated them to rewards, whom he foreknew to be worthy of them: Of (b) St. Jerom, faying, Non gentes eliguntur, fed hominum voluntates men are not chofen for their nations, but for their wills, (c) he purpofing to fave by faith alone, quos præfcivit credituros, thofe whom he foreknew would believe: And lastly of (d) Theophylact, saying, many are called, but few are faced. becaufe few are ἄξιοι τῇ ἐκλογῆναι, worthy to be chofen by God ; ἔει μέν θεῖ τὸ καλεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἐκλεκτοὺς γίνεσθαι ἢ μὴ ἡμέτερον ἐςὶ, for it is of God that we are called, but of ourselves that we are chofen, or not. And SECTION IV-4thly. Profper confeffes, that even they who condemned Pelagius, rejected St. Auftin's doctrine of an abfolute decree of falvation, as a mere novelty; for, faith he, (e) many of the fervants of Chrift in the city of Marfeilles, contrarium putant Patrum Opinioni, et Ecclefiaftico Senfui quicquid de Vocatione Electorum fecundum propofitum difputafti, judge that which you difpute of the calling of the elect according to purpose, to be contrary to the opinion of the Fathers, and the fenfe of the church. (f) They defend their obftinacy, faith he, Vetuitate, by antiquity; affirming that the things you gather from St. Paul's Epifle to the Romans, à nullo unquam Ecclefiafticorum ita effe intellecta, were never Lo understood by any of the Ecclefiaftical men. And he prays him to inftruct him, how he may answer this objection. He adds, that, (g) Retractatis priorum de hac Opinionibus, pene omnium par invenitur et una Sententia, quæ Propofitum et Prædeftinationem Dei fecundum Præfcientiam receperunt, ut ob hoc Deus alios vafá honoris, alios contumelia fe f7cerit, quia finem uniufcujufque præviderit;having revifed the opinions of thofe that writ before of this matter, he found almost all of them to be of one and the fame judgment; that the purpofe and predeflination of God was according to his prefcience, and that he therefore made fome veffels of honor, others of difhonor, because he forefaw the end of every one, and what would be their will and actions under the divine affiftance. So truly did h) Melanthon say, Scriptores veteres omnes, præter unum Auguftinum, ponunt aliquam caufam Electionis in nobis effe, all the ancients, except St. Austin, afferted, that there was fome cause of our election in ourselves. (B) In Hedib. Auguft. p. 879. (c) In Rom. viii. 28. (d) In Mat.--(e)Ep. ad (ƒ) P.. 881. — (g) P. 886. — (b) In Rom. ix. quotation is forond, p. 398 (miste h.) The State of the Question. Oftate this matter aright, I hall endeavor to fhew, 1. What limitations or reftrictions of our Lord's general redemption I cannot admit of.. 2dly. In what fenfe they who maintain that Doctrine do affert it. And 1ft. I reject that diftinétion as abfurd, which faith Chrift died fufficiently for all: but intentionally only for the elect: This being to delude men with vain words,and in effect to fay he died no more for those who are not the elect, z.e. who will not actually be faved by him, than for the very Devils, feeing he died for them fufficiently; that is, his death, had it been defigned for that end, would have been of fufficient virtue to procure the pardon of their. fins. adly. It leaves all men, the elect only excepted, under an impoffibility of pardon and falvation; that pardon and falvation being to be obtained only by them to whom the M |