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nition of Predestination, that it is, the preparation of God's Benefits, whereby all are delivered, that are deliLib. 2. ad vered; and Fulgentius his definition, Predestination is Monimum nothing else, but the preparation of God's Works, which in his Eternal Providence he foreknew he would do, either Mercifully, or Justly.

CHAP. VI.

AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE FIFTH
ΟΡΙΝΙΟΝ.

T
HIS Opinion observeth, in the Decree of Pre-
destination, an act of God's 'Understanding, and

an act of his Will.

1. The act of his Understanding is his Know1. Pet. 1, ledge, in respect of things not yet in being; call'd Fore knowledge; which foreknowledge is put by this Rom. 8. Opinion before the act of Predeftinating, according to the Scriptures, whom he foreknew, he Predestinated.

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2. It taketh Knowledge here properly, and without any Trope, for (that which by the Schoolmen is called) the knowledge of fimple Understanding; and that extended even to things future, contingent, and sub Hypothefi: God knowing by his infinite Understaning infallibly, what things will follow, if this or that be done, by himself, or by a creature.

3. This knowledge is the highest, that we can conceive in an intelligent Nature, and necessary to any one that worketh with Wisdom; and therefore most worthy to be attributed to the first, highest and most wise Agent, especially in the first contriving, disposing, and ordering of all things.

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4. A knowledge most necessary for him, that must Govern contingent events, and acts of a free Creature; if he will have any such, to be under his Government.

5. A knowledge confessed and supposed by the defenders of the second, third and fourth Opinions, who teach that by his knowledge, God did foreknow the fall of Adam, before he Decreed to create him, and before he Decreed to fend his Son to redeem him; for according to their Opinions, and according to Truth, God did not first Decree to create Man, and to permit him to Fall, and then was to feek a remedy how to relieve him; but foreknew the remedy that he could use, if he should Fall, before he Decreed to permit him to Fall, or to Create him; and so infallibly did God foreknow the finful Fall of Man, that upon this foreknowledge, he contrived the whole mystery of Christ, and of our Redemption; notwithstanding which, the fall was not God's act, but Man's, a con. tingent act of a free Creature.

Now if this knowledge was used in one contingent thing, it might have been used in a Million; if in one free act of the first Man, then in all the free acts of all Men; and if in that which was the occafion of God's Mercy in our redemption, then in all occafions of God's acts, that are confequent acts, even of the general Judgment, which shall be at the last day; for God's knowledge is infinite.

6. This knowledge of God, being previous to his Predestinating, did not look therefore to the Mass of Mankind as created and uncorrupted, nor to the Mass fallen and corrupted, nor to Christ believed on only; but to these, and beyond all these, to the first, middle and final state of every particular Man, and the universal State of all Men.

Thus

Thus much shall suffice at present, for the act of God's Understanding, of which more hereafter; let us now speak to the act of his Will.

1. To Predeftinate is the proper act of the Will of God; his Knowledge is his Counsellour, but his Will is King, and they are both himself, who Ephef. 1. worketh all things according to the counsel of his Will; and to Predeftinate is the part and office of the most absolute and perfect Knowledge and Power, which most properly is God's, who supremely orders all things, Choosing and Allowing what shall be, in what manner, and to what end.

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Rom. 9.

18. 19.

Thus St. Paul speaks of the Will of God, as of the prime, and highest, and most univerfal cause of things, approving or permitting all other inferiour Causes, which because they might have been restrained, or changed by the supreme Cause, and were not, they are said all at last, to be resolved into the Will of God, as the prime Cause.

2. This will of God is absolute, independent, having no other Cause but his own good Pleasure: for whereas, until God makes his Decrees, all things are known but as poffible, and are yet under the pleasure of God, whether they shall be or no, how can they possibly be the Causes of his Will? He understandeth them indeed, as he hath contrived them, fit to be willed, because they are fit to shew forth all his Glory, and therefore in the end he willeth them: but he could contrive other things than these, or fet these some other way as fit to show forth his Glory, if he would; therefore that he

willeth these, it is his own most free Pleasure. Hence Spec. it plainly appears there can be no cause of Predestination in Schol.cap. him that is Predestinated; for feeing that the Man who is to be Predestinated, can be thought no manner of way properly to be, but only conditionally, there can be nothing in him, which may move God to Predesti nate him:

P. Ferrius

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Further

Furthermore this Opinion avoideth all the inconveniences, that any of the former four do fall into; for

1. It exalteth and magnifyeth all the attributes of God, and not fome only, as his Wisdom and Knowledge, in foreknowing not only his own Works, but also all the Works of every free Creature, and that to every circumstance of every particular in this numberless number, and how to govern them to his Glory; and in ufing the reasonable Creature according to its Nature, in the permission of Sin, in the obedience or disobedience to Grace, that he may Judge the World in righteousness. His Pow er, in Creating and Governing all things, bringing Light out of Darkness, and Happiness out of Misery. His Goodness, in making all Good at the first, and overcoming Evil with Goodness. His univerfal Grace and Mercy, in preparing Redemption for all Men, that had made themselves Bond-flaves to Satan; and in providing means to apply, and to communicate this Redemption. * His Truth, in that his Promifes are meant to all to whom they are communicated, and performed to all that come up to the conditions required. His Justice, in Punishing all fuch as use not either the rectitude of their Nature, or the benefit of the Redemption offered, fincerely and constantly. His special Grace and fingular Love, in them whom he foreknew would use his Benefits, if they were granted unto them, in whose Salvation and Glory he was so well pleased, that he confirmed to them, by his Decree, that course and calling which he saw would infallibly bring them unto it. Less Grace being thewed unto them, who, God fore-knew, would, through their own infidelity, ingratitude or security, fail of Salvation in the Good way wherein they were set, or under the fufficient calling which they had; in as much as he could have prevented that failure of theirs, if he would, by bettering his benefits; but he ra. ther Decreed to make them Vessels of his Wrath, and Subjects for his Justice. His Dominion and Sovereign Lordship, in that he being the Highest and Supreme Cause of all things, ordered them after his own Pleasure, making Happy whom he will, and Forsaking whom he will, finding in them cause

* Ideò veracem Deum credens, scio illum non aliter quàm difpofuisse pronunciasse, nec aliter disposuisse quam pronunciavit. Tert, in Praxeam.

worthy to be Forsaken, after they have so often Lib. 3. forsaken him. Hence Ireneus, in Wisdom the Father cap. 25. excelleth all Human and Angelical Wisdom, because he Pag. 224. is Lord, and a fudge, and fust, and Ruler over all: for

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he is both Good, and Merciful, and Patient, and saves whom he ought; neither is their wanting to him the Good effect of a just Judge, nor is his Wisdom diminished: for he faves whom he ought to save, and Judges those who are worthy of Judgment. Neither is his Justice to be counted cruelty, confidering his foregoing, and preventing Goodness.

2. This Opinion avoideth the imputation of Stoical Fate, which the defenders of the three first cannot possibly do, tho' they put it from them; for they make Man's Salvation or Damnation ne ceffary, by an External and Antecedent necessity of a Decree of God. But this Opinion, placing God's Decree after his Fore-knowledge, makes Man's Salvation or Damnation infallibly certain to God's Knowledge, but Free and contingent to Man; God's Knowledge, as Knowledge, caufing nothing, and his Decree not altering or crossing, but ratifying that which he knew would be the work of Man, working out his own Salvation, by co-working with the Grace of God, or working his own Damnation, by forsaking his Mercy.

3. It avoideth the accusations laid against the fourth Opinion; for it maketh the Election of God Abfolute,

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