that πανlας τες αγαπητες αυls, all his beloved ones fhould partake of repentance, confirmed it by his almighty will." That is, God, not willing, as the Apoftle Peter fays, that any of his beloved ones fhould perish, but that all of them should come to repentance, fixed it by an unchangeable decree, that they should come to repentance; and therefore makes ufe of the above declarations and exhortations as means to bring them to it. f 5. As the fcriptures always afcribe the act of election to God, and not men, and reprefent it as made in Chrift, and by or through him, that he was first chosen as a head, and the elect as members in him: So Clement fpeaks of God as he, ο εκλεξαμενος τον κύριον Ιησεν Χριτον και ημας δι αυτ8, who bath chofen the Lord Jefus Chrift, and us by him; and of the elect as chofen, UT 78 8 δια Ιησε Χρισε το κυριό ημων, of God through Jefus Christ our Lord; and exhorts men to "come to God in holiness of foul, lifting up pure and undefiled hands unto him, loving our mild and merciful Father, ος ημας εκλογης μέρος εποίησεν εαυτω, who bath made us a part of the election for himself." t Ib. p. 130, 114. NUM B. that πανlας τες αγαπητες αυls, all his beloved ones fhould partake of repentance, confirmed it by his almighty will." That is, God, not willing, as the Apoftle Peter fays, that any of his beloved ones should perish, but that all of them should come to repentance, fixed it by an unchangeable decree, that they should come to repentance; and therefore makes ufe of the above declarations and exhortations as means to bring them to it. 5. As the fcriptures always afcribe the act of election to God, and not men, and reprefent it as made in Chrift, and by or through him, that he was first chofen as a head, and the elect as members in him: So Clement fpeaks of God as he, ο εκλεξάμενος τον κύριον Ιησεν Χριτον και ημας δε αυτέ, who bath chofen the Lord Jefus Chrift, and us by him; and of the elect as chofen, UTо т8 Des δια Ιησε Χρισε τα κυρις ημών, of God through Jefus Christ our Lord; and exhorts men to "come to God in holiness of foul, lifting up pure and undefiled hands unto him, loving our mild and merciful Father, ος ημας εκλογης μέρος εποίησεν εαυτω, who bath made us a part of the election for himself." t Ib. p. 130, 114. NUMB. NUM B. II. IGNATIUS, A. D. 110. Gnatius Gnatius was made bishop of Antioch A.D. 71. according to Alfted, and suffered martyrdom according to fome ", in the eleventh year of Trajan, and, according to others *, in the nineteenth year of that Emperor, A. D. 116. There are feveral epiftles written by him ftill extant; among which is an epiftle to the Ephefians, and is thus inscribed: " Ignatius, who is alfo Theophorus, To the bleffed in the greatness of God the Father and fulness; Tn wegeloμer weg accover, to the predeftinated before ages, i. e. before the world began, always to be a glory, abiding, immoveable, united and chofen in the true paflion, by the will of God the Father, and Jefus Chrift our God; to the church, worthily bleffed, which is in Ephefus of Afia, much joy in Chrift Je-. fus, and in the unblemished grace;" in which, befides the doctrines of Chrift's Deity, and the faints perfeverance, may be obferved that of eternal predeftination to grace and glory. In his epifile to the Magnefians, "Thefaur. Chronol. Chron. 43. P. 459. Hieron. Catalog. fcript. Eccl. §. 26. * Vid. Fabricii Bibl. Graec. 1. 5. c. 1. p. 39. Ignat. Epift. p. 16. z lb. p. 32. he |