tend to the places we have mentioned.

Besides, I could wish the very learned gentleman would shew me, where, in the sacred writings, the first promise of grace is called election; which, I imagine, he will never be able to do. We are not to forge significations. Moreover, though in that promise there is some general indication of a difference made between the elect and reprobate; yet it is not credible, the apostle in this place had that in his mind, who gives thanks to God, not because he chose some men, but most especially, because he chose the Thessalonians. Now, the election of the Thessalonians cannot be inferred from that general declaration of God, the truth of which might have remained, though none of those who then dwelt at Thessalonica, had been chosen. We therefore conclude, that the received explication of divines is perfectly well-grounded.

XXIII. There is another learned person, who says, that this place of Paul is to be understood" of that beginning, in which God began to bring the Gentiles to the inheritance of salvation, among whom seeing the Thessalonians were as it were the first, they are said to be chosen, separated from the beginning. Or also the beginning of the gospel may be understood, of which Mark i. 1. Phil. iv. 15. or of the salvation, which was preached by Jesus, Heb. ii. 3. He hath chosen you from the beginning; that is, from the beginning of preaching the gospel, and of salvation manifested and proclaimed." But even these things are not satisfactory. For, 1. We have shewn, that Paul treats here of election in intention, and not in execution. 2. It is indeed true, that the term beginning ought to be explained in a way suitable to the subject to which it is attributed; but I do not think, that from the beginning, absolutely taken, does any where signify the beginning

of the gospel preached, much less the beginning of the inheritance of the Gentiles. Nor do the places alledged prove it. 3. Nor does it agree with history, that the Thessalonians were the first-fruits of the Gentiles brought to the inheritance of salvation: for the people of Antioch, both in Syria and Pisidia, and those of Lystra and Derbe, and the Philippians, had already received the gospel, and the apostles had acquainted the brethren at Jerusalem with the conversion of the Gentiles,* before ever Paul preached the gospel at Thessalonica, as appears from the Acts of the Apostles. Nor do I think, the learned person was unacquainted with this; and therefore he said, the Thessalonians were as it were the first; which diminutive particle does not a little weaken the force of the expression from the beginning. 4. Much less can it be said, that the Thessalonians were separated from the beginning of the salvation published by Jesus; which beginning Paul makes prior to the confirmation of the gospel made by those who had heard it from the mouth of Jesus himself, that is, to the preaching of the apostles. For it is plain that the Lord Jesus was the minister of circumcision, and did not preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Nothing therefore appears more easy and solid, than that explication which we have above given.

XXIV. Having said enough concerning the eternity of election, let us now consider its freeness; which consists in this, that God, as the absolute Lord of all his creatures, has chosen, out of all mankind, whom and as many as he pleased; and indeed, in such a manner, as that he foresaw no good in any man, to be the foundation of that choice, as the reason, why he + Heb. ii. 3.

* Acts xv. 3.

chose one rather than another. This appears, 1. Because the scripture assigns this most free will of God as the supreme reason of election: Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.* It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Above all, the apostle is full in vindicating this absolute power of God, Rom. ix. where among other things he says, ver. 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 2. At the same time also the scripture refuses the consideration of any good foreseen in man, and opposes to it this most free and gracious good pleasure of God: For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, &c. Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose.§ 3. Neither faith, nor holiness, nor any thing truly good, can be considered in man, unless bestowed out of divine grace: Unto you it is given to believe on Christ | Faith not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. But the bestowing of this favor can proceed from no other cause than the election of grace, and the benevolent good pleasure of his will. And consequently these benefits cannot be laid as the foundation of divine election. 4. The scripture expressly teaches, that we are chosen to faith, holiness, and to persevereness in both; which being the consequents and fruits of election, cannot be the antecedent conditions of it: He hath chosen us, that we should be holy and without blame,** begun on earth, and consummated in heaven; I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should bring forth fruit. I have chosen you from eternity, called and ordained you in the appointed † Luke xii. 32. Rom. ix. 11. § 2 Tim. Eph. ii. S. ** Eph. i. 4. tt John xv. 16.

* Matth. xi. 26. i. 9. Phil. i. 29.

time: God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.* Election is as well to the means, as to the end. All these passages, and many others of a like nature, have been so fully and solidly defended by our divines against the objections of the Remonstrants, that I have scarce any thing to add.

Who

XXV. This counsel of God, as it is free, so it is also immutable from eternity. 1. Immutability belongs to all the decrees of God in general: The Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.‡ hath resisted his will ? To say with Crellius, that these things are to be understood of the absolute decrees of God, not of his conditional, is begging the question. For we deny, that any decrees of God depend on a condition. If the thing decreed be suspended on a condition, the condition itself is at the same time decreed. These texts speak nothing of Crellius's distinction, nor lay any foundation for it: and even reason is against it. For if any decree of God could be changed, it would arise from hence, that God either would not, or could not effect the thing decreed, or that his latter thoughts were wiser and better than his first all which are injurious to God. You will answer, God indeed wills what he has decreed to be done, but on condition the creature also wills it, whose liberty he would nowise infringe. I answer, is God so destitute either of power or of wisdom, that he cannot so concur with the liberty of second causes, which he himself gave and formed, as to do what he wills, without prejudice to, and consistently with their liberty? God is far more glorious, in our opinion, and more to

:

* 2 Thess. ii. 13. Is. xiv. 27. Is. xlv. 10. § Rom. ix. 19.

be had in reverence, than for us to believe any such thing of his power and wisdom. And hence the very Heathen poets and philosophers themselves, who at times have spoken more devoutly of their gods, may put the heretics to the blush: for thus Jupiter speaks in Homer:

'OU GAR EMON PALINAGRETON OUD' APATELON, OUD' ATELEUTETON HOTE K'EN KEPHALE KATANEUSO.

-Nec enim mutabitur unquam

Quod capite annuero, nec falsum fine carebit.

"Nor is it mine to recal, nor to be false in, nor leave unfinished, whatever I shall have signified by my awful nod." And Maximus Tyrius, who quotes these words of Homer, Dissert. 29. adds of his own in the following dissertation, "To be changeable, and to repent, is unworthy not only of God, but even of an honest man." And he argues much in the same manner as we. 2. More especially the scripture ascribes immutability to the divine election: That the purpose of God according to election might stand.* The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord · knoweth them who are his.t Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of my hands. I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem. Our adversaries have scarce any thing to oppose to such express passages, but their stale musty distinctions, of election peremptory, and not

per

* Rom. ix. 11. † 2 Tim. ii. 19. Is. xlix. 15, 16. § Rev. iii. 5. Is. iv. 3.