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ning is before declared, Therefore shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they both shall be one flesh, to be the mystery of Christ and the church."

There is a passage cited from this father by Vossius*, and from him by Dr. Whitbyt, as asserting predestination upon the prescience of men's merits; where, explaining the text in Matt. xx. 23, To sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, he has this note ‡; "He does not say, it is not mine to give, but it is not mine to give to you; not asserting that he wanted power, but the creature's merit. Take it otherwise: It is not mine to give you; that is, it is not mine, who came to teach humility; it is not mine, who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; it is not mine, who keep righteousness, not grace. Moreover, referring to the Father, he adds, to whom it is prepared; that he might show, that the Father also does not use to pay regard to petitions, but to merits, for God is no accepter of persons. Hence the apostle said, whom he hath foreknown and predestinated; for he did not predestinate before he foreknew; sed quorum merita præscivit, eorum præmia prædestinavit, but whose merits he hath foreknown, their rewards he hath predestinated." But nothing is more evident than that Ambrose is speaking of predestination to glory, which glory he calls by the name of rewards; and we grant, that this follows upon prescience of merits; that is, good works done from a principle of grace; but then the prescience of these arises from God's predestination to grace to enable men to perform them, and not predestination to grace from a prescience of merits; for then grace must be given according to merits; a doctrine never known by the ancients before the times of Pelagius. In short, Ambrose's sense is this, and to which we agree, that those whose merits or good works God foreknew, because he had preordained that they should walk in them, and as arising from that grace he determined to give them; these he predestinated unto glory, or prepared rewards of grace for them, which he will certainly bestow on them.

SECTION XVIII.

JOANNES CHRYSOSTOMUS. A. D. 390.

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JOHN of Antioch, usually called Chrysostom, or Golden Mouth, from his uncommon eloquence, was bishop of Constantinople he died in exile at Comana, A. D. 407. Several§ volumes of his writings still remain. That he held the doctrine of eternal predestination, will appear from the sense he gives of several places of Scripture relating to this point. That famous passage in Acts xiii. 48, As many as were ordained unto eternal life believed; which some, of late, would have understood of the disposition of men's minds unto eternal life, Chrysostom || interprets of God's appointment, or determination of men unto Hist. Pelag. 1. 6, thes. 8, p. 543. † Discourse, &c. p. 101; ed. 2. 100. Ambros. de Fide, 1. 5, c. 2, p. 190. § Dallai Apolog. p. 808. || Chrysost. in Act. serm. 30, tom. iv. p. 780.

it; "As many as were ordained to eternal life, TOUTEσtiv, apwpioμevoL TOV Ocov, that is, says he, 'who were separated or appointed by God" unto it. And where the apostle Paul says, that he was SEPARATED unto the gospel of God, he has this note upon it; "To me here he seems not only to intimate τηv añоkλnpwσw, a choice by lot'" (such, I suppose, he means, as was Matthias's), αλλ' οτι παλαι και ανώθην προς τουτο ην TETауμevos, "but that he was of old, and from above, ordained to this; as Jeremy says, that God said concerning him, Before thou camest out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations;" and upon that well-known text in Ephes. i. 4, according as he hath chosen us in him, he has these wordst; "What is the meaning of this, he hath chosen us in him? Through faith in him, Christ, he says, has rightly ordered this, πριν η γενεσθαι ημας, μαλλον δε πριν η του KоσμоV KATаßλŋ0evai; 'before we were born, or rather before the world was founded." And on these words, Come, ye blessed of my Father, &c. he makes this observation; "What honour! what blessedness do these words contain! for he does not say, receive, but inherit, as your property, as your Father's, as yours, as due to you from above; πρw η γαρ υμας γενεσθαι, ταυτα υμιν ητοίμασων και προ ευτρεπίσω, ‘for before you were born, these things were prepared and made ready for you,' says he; for I knew you would be such."" On the account of the last clause, this passage, with some others, is cited by Vossius §, and, after him, by Dr. Whitby ||, to show that Chrysostom, with other fathers, held predestination according to prescience; which is not denied: the other passages are these; "This did not happen simply," says he¶, "but that the prediction of God might be fulfilled by facts, which says, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated; for as God foreknew things future, προανεφώνησε και τούτου την αρετήν, κακείνου της yon poxoniav, he also before declared the virtue of the one, and the evil mind of the other."" And in another place ** he observes, that "the apostle casts the whole matter upon the knowledge of God, which none dare militate against, was he never so mad, for, says he, the children not being yet born, &c. which shows that the nobility of the flesh profiteth nothing; but inquiry must be made into the virtue of the soul, ην και προ των εργων ο Θεος οι δε, which God knows, even before any works are done :' for, says he, the children not being yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand; it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. This is of foreknowledge to be chosen from the same birth; that it might appear, says he, the election of God is made according to purpose and foreknowledge;' for from the first day he knew and proclaimed him that was good, and him that was not." And a little aftertt, Thou knowest, says he, from the end; but he knows clearly before the end." And upon those words, the people, whom he foreknew, he thus paraphrases ++, τουτεστιν ον ηδει σαφως επιτήδειον οντα και την

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Chrysost. in Rom. serm. 1, tom. iii. p. 6. Ibid. in Matt. homil. 80, tom. ii. p. 494. Discourse, &c. p. 99, 101; ed. 2. 97, 100. ** Ibid, in Rom. serm. 16, tom. iii. p. 140.

Ibid. in Eph. serm. 1, tom. iii. p. 766. § Pelag. Hist. 1. 6, thes. 8, p. 541, 542. Chrysost. in Gen. serm. 51, tom. i. p. 401. †† Ibid. p. 141. + Ibid. 18, tom. iii. p. 157.

TiσTIV decoμevov; that is, "whom he clearly knew would be fit, and receive the faith." All which may be very well understood in consistence with the doctrine of absolute decrees; for, as Vossius* himself observes, "the fathers who lived before Austin, held, indeed, a decree according to foreknowledge; but then the foreknowledge is of acts performed by the strength of grace;" that is to say, that God knew that Jacob and others would be good, and do that which is good, through the grace he determined to give them, and so appointed them to everlasting happiness; and he also knew that Esau, and others, would be evil and do that which is evil, being left, as he determined to leave them, to their own wickedness, and so for it appointed them to everlasting punishment.

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SECTION XIX.

HIERONYMUS. A. D. 390.

HIERONYMUS, or Jerom, of Stridon, in Dalmatia, was a presbyter of the church; he was born, according to Monsieur Daillet, A. D. 340, and died A.D. 420. He lived much of his time in Palestine, at Jerusalem, and especially at Bethlehem he was a man of great learning, and wrote much, though there are many things ascribed to him which are none of his; and in his commentaries it is sometimes difficult to know when he speaks his own or the sense of others. He is allowed, on all hands, to be an eager opposer of the Pelagian principles. And with respect to the doctrines of election and predestination he held, 1. That election was not of whole nations but of particular persons; 'for," says het, the vessels of mercy are not only the people of the Gentiles, but likewise those among the Jews who would believe, and are made one people of believers; hence it appears, that non gentes eligi sed hominum voluntates, not nations are chosen, but the wills of men."" And in another place he observes §, "that for this cause all nations are moved, that from their motion might come electa gentium multitudo, 'the elect multitude of the nations,' which are every where famous;" for instance, electa de Corintho, "the elect out of Corinth," because there was much people of God there. Electa de Macedonia, "the elect out of Macedonia," because there was a large church of God in Thessalonica, who had no need to be taught concerning love. Electa de Epheso, "the elect out of Ephesus;" that they might know the secrets of God, and those mysteries which were before revealed to none. What shall I say more? All nations are moved to whom the Saviour sent the apostles, saying, Go, teach all nations; and of the many called, few being chosen, they built the church of the primitive saints; hence, says the apostle Peter, The church that is at Babylon, elected, and Marcus, my son, salute you. And, says John, The elder to the elect lady; and who also makes mention of the children of the elect lady.

Hieron.

Hist. Pelag. 1. 6, thes. 8, p. 546.
+ Apolog. par. 4, p. 821.
ep. ad Hedib. qu. 10, tom. iii. p. 49, B. § Comment. in Hagg. ii. 6, tom. vi. p. 103, B.

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2. He asserted, that those who are chosen of God in Christ, were chosen before the world began; or that election is from eternity; for in one place he says, "It must be affirmed, that according to the prescience and predestination of God, those things are already done which are future. Qui enim electi sunt in Christo ante constitutionem mundi, for they that are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,' have been already in former ages." And in interpreting those words in Isaiah xxv. 1, Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth; after he has mentioned the sense of the Jewish writers, observest, that "others better and more rightly understand them as spoken in the person of the prophet, giving thanks to the Father for the sufferings of the Lord the Saviour; because he had done wonderful things; et cogitationes antiquas veritate compleverit, and had faithfully fulfilled ancient thoughts;' when they that stand at his right hand shall hear these words, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Which also Paul

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understanding, spoke of, saying, As he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame." "Which last words of the apostle being elsewhere mentioned by him, he says, "This we so interpret that we say, that election is not, according to Origen, of them who had been before, but we refer it to the prescience of God: moreover, we say, that we are chosen that we may be holy and without blame before him, that is, God; ante fabricam mundi, 'before the world was made; which testifies, that it belongs to the prescience of God, to whom all things future are already done, and all things are known before they be; as Paul himself was predestinated in his mother's womb, and Jeremy in the belly, was sanctified, chosen, and, in the type of Christ, sent a prophet to the nations."

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3. He also held that election was irrespective of holiness, as a motive or cause of it, but that it arises from the love, grace, and mercy of God; for in one part of his works, he has these words §, "The apostle does not say, he chose us, before the foundation of the world; cum essemus sancti et immaculati, when we were holy and without blame ;? but, he chose us, that we might be holy and without blame; that is, qui sancti et immaculati ante non fuimus, ut postea essemus; that we, who before were not holy and without blame, might afterwards be so." And a little after he adds, " Paul, and they that are like him, are not chosen, quia erant sancti & immaculati, because they were holy and without blame; but they are chosen and predestinated, that in their lives following they might become holy and without blame by their works and virtues." And in another place he plainly intimates ||, that predestination springs from the mercy and love of God; for speaking of Jacob he says, "Whiles he was yet in Rebecca's womb, he supplanted his brother Esau, not truly by his own strength, but by the mercy of God, qui cognoscit & diligit quos prædestinavit, who knows and loves

In Isa. xxv. 1, tom. v. p. 48, F.

* In Eccl. tom. vii. p. 38, I. Apolog. adv. Ruffin. 1, tom. ii. p. 68, M; et Comment. in Eph. i. 4, tom. ix. p. 90, C. § Ibid. p. 69, B; et Comment. in Eph. i. 11, tom. ix. p. 90, E. Comment. in Hos. tom. vi. p. 21, B.

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those whom he hath predestinated." It is true indeed, in the first citation I have made from this author, he says, that not nations are chosen, sed voluntates hominum, "but the wills of men;" though what he means by it is not very easy to understand: his meaning cannot be, that God chose such persons whom he knew would of their own free will, by the mere strength of nature, do that which was good; for this is pure Pelagianism, to which Jerom was an enemy; and is contrary to those principles of grace he was a strenuous defender of. But, if his meaning was, that God chose such to happiness, who he knew would be made willing to obey him in the day of his power, because he had determined to make them so; this entirely agrees with our sentiments. There is another passage cited by Grotius* from this writer, where he says, that God eligat eum quem interim bonum cernit, "chooses him whom for the present he knows to be good;" but it is easy to observe, that Jerom is there speaking, not of God's choice of men to eternal happiness, but of Christ's choosing Judas to the apostleship, who appeared for a while to be good, though he knew he would be wicked. To which may be added another passage produced by Dr. Whitby, after Grotius §, and Vossius ||, to prove that election is from a foresight of good works, in which this writer says ¶, that, dilectio et odium Dei vel ex præscientia nascitur futurorum vel ex operibus, "the love and hatred of God arises either from the foreknowledge of things future, or from works." But what he means by this disjunctive pro-> position, is not very evident; it is very probable, that by the love and hatred of God, he means the effects of them, salvation and damnation, which according to him proceed either according to the prescience of God, or the works of men. As for the citation out of the Commentary on the epistle to the Romans made by Vossius and Dr. Whitby **, I take no notice of, because it is judged by learned men not to be his, but either the work of Pelagius himself, or of some Pelagian writer. I deny not, but that Jerom held election to be according to the prescience of God, to which he refers it in the passages cited by the above writers, out of his commentaries on the epistles to the Galatians and Ephesians; and so do we, in a sense agreeable to the Scriptures; and it is evident that Jerom had the same sentiments of the foreknowledge of God as we have; for, says he ‡‡, Non enim ex eo quod Deus scit futurum aliquid, idcirco futurum est, sed quia futurum est, Deus novit; "not because God knows something to be future, therefore it is future, but because it is future, God knows it, as having a foreknowledge of things to come." And though in the same place, and elsewhere §§, he observes, that the prescience of God does not necessitate or force men to do this, or not to do that, but notwithstanding it, the will of man is preserved free in all his actions; the same we also say, and to this we readily assent.

*Disquisit. de Dogm. Pelagian. p. 11.

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† Adv. Pelag. 1. 3, tom. ii. p. 100.
§ Ubi supra, p. 10.
** P. 102; ed. 2. 100.

Discourse, &c. p. 99; ed. 2. 97 and Postscript, p. 557; ed. 2. 534.
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Hist. Pelag. 1. 6, thes.'8, p. 544. Hieron. in Mal. tom. vi. p. 128, H.
+ Vide Rivet. Critic. Sacr. 1. 4, c. 5, p. 374; et Voss. Hist. Pelag. 1. 1, c. 9, p. 12.

Comment. in Jer. tom. v. p. 162, C.

§§ Ibid. in Ezek. tom. v. p. 177, E; et in Eccl. tom. vii. p. 35, F.

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