men." And in another place he observes, "That for this caufe 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 inftance, 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 Theffalonica, who had no need to be taught concerning love. Electa de Ephefo, The elect out of Ephefus, that they might know the fecrets of God, and those myfteries which were before revealed to none; what fhall I fay more? All nations are moved to whom the Saviour fent the Apostles, faying, Go, teach all nations; and of the many called few being chofen, they built the church of the primitive faints; hence fays the Apostle Peter, the church that is at Babylon, elected, and Marcus my son, falute you. And fays John, The elder to the elect lady; and who alfo makes mention of the children of the elect lady." 2. He afferted, that thofe who are chofen of God in Chrift were chofen before the world began; or that election is from eternity; for in one place he fays, “.It must Comment. in Hagg. ii. 6. Tom. 6. p. 123. B. be be affirmed, that according to the prescience and predeftination of God thofe things are already done which are future. Qui enim electi funt in Chrifto ante conftitutionem mundi, for they that are chofen in Chrift before the foundation of the world, have been already in former ages." And interpreting those words in Ifa.xxv. 1. Thy counfels of old are faithfulness and truth, after he has mentioned the fenfe of the Jewish writers, obferves, that "others better and more rightly underftand them as spoken in the perfon of the prophet, giving thanks to the Father for the fufferings of the Lord the Saviour; because he had done wonderful things, & cogitationes antiquas veritate compleverit, and had faithfully fulfilled antient thoughts; when they that ftand at his right hand fhall hear thefe words, Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the world. Which alfo Paul understanding fpoke of, faying, As he hath chofen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame." Which laft words of the Apoftle being elsewhere mentioned by him, he fays, "This we fo interpret, that we fay, that election is not, according to Origen, of them who had been before, but we refer In Ifa. xxv. 1. Tom. 5. p. 48. F. f Apolog, adv. Ruffin. 1. Tom. 2. p. 68. M. & Comment. in Eph. i. 4. Tom. 9. p. 99. C. ic it to the prescience of God; moreover, we fay, that we are chofen that we may be holy, and without blame, before him, that is, God; ante fabricam mundi, before the world was made; which teftifies, that it belongs to the prefcience of God, to whom all things future are already done, and all things are known before they be; as Paul himself was predeftinated in his mother's womb, and Jeremy in the belly, was fanctified, chofen, and in the type of Chrift fent a prophet to the nations." 3. He also held that election was irrefpective of holiness, as a motive or cause of it, but that it arifes from the love, grace, and mercy of God; for in one part of his works, he has these words, "The Apoftle does not fay, he chofe us before the foundation of the world, cum effemus fancti & immaculati, when we were holy and without blame; but he chofe us, that we might be holy and without blame; that is, qui fancti & immaculati ante non fuimus, ut poftea effemus, that we who before were not holy and without blame might afterwards be fo." And a little after he adds, "Paul, and they that are like him, are not chofen, quia erant fancti & immaculati, because they were holy and without blame; but they are chofen and predeftinated, that Apolog. ad Ruffin. 1. 1. Tom. 2, p. 69. B. & Comment. in Ephef. i. 11. T. 9. p. 90. E. in in their lives following they might become holy and without blame by their works and virtues." And in another place he plainly intimates, that predeftination springs from the mercy and love of God; for fpeaking of Jacob he fays, "Whilft he was yet in Rebecca's womb, he fupplanted his brother Efau, not truly by his own ftrength, but by the mercy of God, qui cognofcit & diligit quos praedeftinavit, who knows and loves those whom he bath predeftinated." "Tis true indeed, in the firft citation I have made from this author, he fays, that not nations are chofen, fed voluntates hominum, but the wills of men, tho' what he means by it is not very easy to understand: His meaning cannot be, that God chofe fuch persons who he knew would of their own free will, by the mere ftrength of nature, do that which was good, for this is pure Pelagianifm, to which Ferom was an enemy, and is contrary to thofe principles of grace he was a strenuous defender of. But if his meaning was, that God chofe fuch to happiness who he knew would be made willing to obey him in the day of his power, because he had determiSned to make them fo. This entirely agrees with our fentiments. There is another paffage cited by Grotius from this writer, h Comment. in Hof. Tom. 6. p. 21. B. where where he says, that God, eligat eum quem interim bonum cernit, choofes him, whom for the prefent be knows to be good; but it is eafy to obferve, that Jerom is there speaking not of God's choice of men to eternal happiness, but of Chrift's choofing Judas to Apostleship, who appeared for a while to be good, tho' he knew he would be wicked. To which may be added another paffage produced by Dr. Whitby, after Grotius, and Voffius, to prove that election is from a forefight of good works, in which this writer fays, that, dilectio & odium Dei vel ex praefcientia nafcitur futurorum vel ex operibus, the love and batred of God arifes either from the foreknowledge of things future, or from works. But what he means by this disjunctive propofition is not very evident; 'tis very probable, that by the love and hatred of God he means the effects of them, falvation and damnation, which according to him proceed either according to the prefcience of God, or the works of men. As for the citation out of the Commentary on the Epifle to the Romans made by Voffius and Dr. Whitby, I take no notice of, be k Adv. Pelag. 1. 3. Tom. 2. p. 100. Difcourfe on the Five Points, p. 99. Ed. 2. fcript, p. 557. Ed. 2. 534. Ubi fupra, p. 10. n Hift. Pelag. 1. 6. Thef. 8. p. 544. • Hieron. in Mal. Tom. 6. P 128. H. P P. 102. Ed. 2. 100. 97. & Poft cause |