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every body its own foul as its proper form. Hence πληρωθέντος τε αριθμό 8 αυτος παρ' αυτω προωρίσει, παντες οι εγγραφέντες εις ζωήν avagnoortal, having compleated the number which he before determined with himself, all thofe who are written, or ordained unto life, Shall rise again, having their own bodies, fouls and fpirits, in which they pleased God; but those who are deferving of punishment shall go into it, having also their own fouls and bodies in which they departed from the grace of God." And in another place, having cited feveral paffages of fcripture which refpect the blinding and hardening of the heart of Pharaoh, and others, fuch as Ifa. vi. 9, 10. 2 Cor. iv. 4. Rom. i. 28. 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12. which are commonly made use of in handling the doctrine of reprobation, he thus descants upon them, “If therefore now, as many as God knows, will not believe, fince he foreknows all things, tradidit eos infidilitati eorum, he hath given them up to their infidelity, and turns his face from 'em, relinquens eos in tenebris, leaving them in the darkness, which they have chole for themselves; is it to be wonder'd at, that he then gave up Pharaoh who would never believe, with them that were with him, to their own infidelity?" And elsewhere & having mentioned the words in Rom. ix. 10, 11, 12.

L. 4. c. 48. p. 389.

8 L. 4. c. 38. p. 376.

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fo frequently urged in this controverfy, he has this obfervation upon them,

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hence it is manifeft, that not only the prophecies of the patriarchs, but the birth of Rebecca was a prophecy of two people, one greater, the other lefs; one in bondage, the other free, of one and the fame father; one and the fame God is ours and theirs, who understands things hidden, Qui fcit omnia antequam fiant, who knows all things before they come to pass, and therefore hath faid, Jacob have I loved, and Efau bave I bated."

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4. Eternal predeftination, or predeftination before time, before men have a being, was not unknown to this antient writer; for in one place he fays ", "Being predeftinated indeed according to the foreknowledge of the Father, ut effemus qui nondum eramus, that we might be, who as yet were not, made, or were the beginning of his creation." And not to take any further notice than barely to mention his reading the text in Rom. i. 1. Predeftinated to the gospel of God; and which after him is fo render'd by Origen, Chryfoftom, and Theophylact, who understand it not of the vocation of Paul to the Apostleship, but of his eternal election, and the pre-ordination of him of old, before he was born.

h L. 5. c. 1. p. 432. i L. 3. c. 18. p. 276.

5. He plainly hints at the ftability and immoveableness of the decree of election, when he calls it turris electionis, the tower of election; for why should he call it a tower, but because it is impregnable and immoveable, because the purpofe of God, according to election, is that foundation which fands fure, not of works, but of him that calleth? For having taken notice of fome paffages of the prophets, he thus fays, "Thefe things the prophets declaring required the fruit of righteousness, but the people not believing, at laft he fent his own Son, our Lord Jefus Chrift, whom, when the wicked husbandmen killed, they caft out of the vineyard; wherefore the Lord God hath delivered it to other husbandmen, who render him the fruits in their feafons, not now walled about, but fpread throughout the whole world; turre electionis exaltata ubique & fpeciofa, the tower of election being every where exalted and glorious." That is, if I understand him right, the election obtained every where, or electing grace took place, not in Judea only, as heretofore, but in all the nations of the world; for it follows, Every where the church is famous, every where a wineprefs is dug, and every where there are fome that receive the fpirit."

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L. 4. c. 70. p. 412.

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There are two paffages cited from Irenaeus by Dr. Whitby, as militating against the doctrines of abfolute election and reprobation, but both of them refpect the doctrine of free will; and it must be owned, that there are some things dropp'd by this writer, which upon first reading, feem to favour that doctrine, and will be confidered in their proper place.

NUM B. VI.

CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS.

CL

A. D. 190.

Lement of Alexandria, of an Heathen philofopher became a Chriftian, was a prefbyter of the church at Alexandria, and after Pantaenus, was mafter of the school in that place. Several of his works are still extant, fome of which were written a little after the death of Commodus the emperor, which according to Clement himself, was A. D. 194. but according to the vulgar Era, A. D. 192.° in which,

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1. He clearly afferts the doctrine of eletion in many places, for he not only speaks

1 Difcourfe on the Five Points, p. 96. Ed. 2. 95.

m Hieron. catal. fcript. Eccl. § 48.

n Stromat. 1. 1. p. 340.

• Vid. Dallaci Apolog. par. 4. p. 760.

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of the people of God, under the character of elect, as when from a book called Paftor, the author of which was Hermas, and thought to be the fame the Apostle Paul makes mention of Rom. xvi. 14. he fays", "That virtue which holds the church together is faith, by which or exλexTOI TO DEs, the elect of God are faved." And in another place, "The generation of them that feek him is το γενος το εκλεκτον the elett nation” And elsewhere", "Not the place, but 70 αθροισμα των εκλεκίων, the congregation of the elect I call the church." I fay, he not only speaks often after this manner, but of them as a special, diftinct number, predeftinated and chosen of God, whom it is his will to fave; accordingly he fays, "As his will is his work, and this is called the world, fo his will is the falvation of men, т870 ExnAnoia XENANTUI, and this is called the church." And again," If they also had known the truth they would have all leaped into the Way, εκλογη δε εκ αν ην, and there would have been no election." And in another place ", "It is not convenient that all should underftand, i. e. the meaning of the fcriptures, left taking the things which are wholesomely faid by the Holy Spirit otherwise, they

Stromat. 1. 2. p. 384. Ib. p. 715. t Stromat. 1. 4. p. 505.

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9 Ib. 1. 7. P. 733. Paedagog. 1. 1. c. 6. p. 93. Ib. 1. 6. p. 677.

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