Secondly. Christ being sent by God the Father, that "the world through him might be saved;" and to propound to them that ́ eternal life which was with the Father, and by him was manifested to us,' and to shew them the terms on which this life might be attained, as he doth throughout this chapter; that is said to be God's record, 'that he hath given us eternal life, and that life is in his Son.' (1 John v. 11.) And here it is said, that the Father had given them the true bread from heaven, that giveth life to the world: And they who were so convinced of the truth of this promise by our Saviour's miracles, as to expect to receive it by faith in him, and obedience to his doctrine, and were so affected with it as to esteem it above all other things, and so were willing to apply themselves to the performance of those duties by which this life might be acquired, and to reject and quit those things which might obstruct them in the prosecution of it, are said to be given to him of the Father, because he wrought those miracles which gave them this conviction, (thus is the Father said to have revealed to St. Peter that Jesus was the Christ,' because he revealed the doctrine which he taught, and confirmed it by the miracles he wrought, as hath been proved, note on Mat. xvi. 17;) and because he gave this promise of eternal life, and sent his Son to reveal it to the world; and therefore when he saith to his apostles whom the Father had given him, "Will ye also go away?" St Peter answers, "Lord, to whom should we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe, and know that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Now it is evident that they who have this strong conviction that our Saviour came from God, and this concernment for that eternal life he promised as their encouragement to come to him, will believe on him, because such persons can neither want assurance that they ought to do so, nor the most prevalent motives so to do, as having that eternal life before their eyes, which they more value than all worldly things, and for which they are willing and prepared to quit all their lower interests. For a conclusion of this answer, let it be noted from Chrysostome on the place, rétois émitndãoi Μανιχᾶιοι λέγοντες ὅτι ἐδὲν ἐφ' ἡμῖν κεῖται, “ the Manichees use these words to destroy man's free-will;' and therefore he, and St. g Tom. 2. Hom. 46. p. 744. Cyril, Euthymius, and Theophylact here note, that "Christ speaks these words, “ ἐκ αυτεξέσιον ἀναιρῶν, ἀπαγε, “ not taking away our free-will; far be it from us so to think! for Christ intends no more by the giving of the Father, but his revelation from above, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐυγνωμόνως δεχομένην τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν, το a soul well disposed to receive it;' that this is the gift of God, Tois dos, 'to persons fitted for it;' and that the Father draws τὰς κατὰ προαίρεσιν ἐπιτηδειότητα έχοντας, ' them who by their in elinations have a fitness to come to Christ';" with many things of a like nature. See also St. Austin there. VI. ARGUMENT SECOND. "If all that believe are ordained to eternal life, then do none believe but they who are thus ordained. But the first seems to be asserted in these words, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.' (Acts xiii. 48.) Ergo." ANSWER. I answer, that these words cannot signify that there is a fixed number of persons absolutely by God ordained to eternal life, so that they, and they only, shall obtain it, and all others be excluded from it, as upon this supposition they must be: as will be evident from these considerations: First. That if the reason why these men believed were only this, that they were men ordained to eternal life, the reason why the rest believed not, can be this only,--that they were not by God ordained to eternal life; and if so, what necessity could there be, that the word of God should be first preached to them? as we read, verse 46. Was it only that their damnation might be the the greater? This seems to charge the Lover of souls, whose tender mercies are over all his works,' with the greatest cruelty; seeing it makes him determine, not only that so many souls, as capable of salvation as any other, shall perish everlastingly, but also to determine that the dispensations of his providence shall be such towards them as necessarily tends to the aggravation of their condemnation. And what could even their most malicious and enraged enemy do more? What is it that the very devil aims at, by all his temptations, but this very end? viz. the aggravation of our future punishment. And therefore to assert that God had determined that his word should be spoken to these Jews for that very end, is to make God as instrumental to their ruin as the very devil. Secondly. The Apostle gives this reason why he turned from the Jews to the Gentiles,-because the Jews had thrust away the word of God from them, and judged themselves unworthy of eternal life;' (verse 46,) whereas, according to this supposition, that could be no sufficient reason of his going from them to the Gentiles. For it was only they among the Jews whom God had not ordained to eternal life, who thus refused to believe, and to obey the word of God: And as many among the Gentiles as were not thus ordained to eternal life, must necessarily do the same; and so there could be no sufficient cause why he should turn from the Jews to the Gentiles upon that account. And, Thirdly. Were this the reason why the Jews believed not,→ that they were not by God ordained to eternal life, why doth St. Paul, by God's commission, speak here to them thus, Be it known to you, brethren, that by this Jesus is declared to you remission of sins? Why doth he add, and by him every one that believeth is justified, &c.?' Why doth he vehemently exhort them to 'beware, lest that saying of the prophet Habakkuk should be verified of them, You will not believe though one declare it to you? For could God have determined that these very persons should not believe to life eternal, and yet commissionate his apostles to tell them, that remission of sins and justification to life,' was proposed to them? Could it be revealed to St. Paul, that they could not believe to life eternal, as being not by God ordained to it, and yet would he so passionately exhort them to that faith in Jesus, which, he well knew by virtue of this revelation, belonged not to them, nor could they possibly exert? These things seem clearly to evince, this cannot be the proper import of the words. But they will well admit of these two senses: very (1.) As many as were disposed for eternal life, believed; for the word Tetayμévos, which we here render' ordained,' is used in this very book to signify a man, not outwardly ordained, but inwardly disposed, or one determined, not by God, but by his own inclinations, to do such a thing; as when it is said, St. Paul went on foot from Assos τω γὰρ ἦν διατεταγμένος, for so he was disposed, the son of Sirach says, that the conduct or government of a wise man is tetayμévos, not ordained by God, but well-ordered or dispo k n sed by himself. Thus Philo saith to Cain, "Thou needest not fear being killed by them who are, ἐν σῇ τεταγμένοι συμμαχία, ‘ranked on thy side'," or of the same dispositions and inclinations with thee; and he saith to those children who having had vicious parents, were themselves virtuously inclined, that they are maμeive Tɛtayμévoi Tážɛi, 'placed in a better rank;' and speaking of Esau and Jacob, he represents Esau as fierce, subject to anger and other passions, and governed by his brutish part, but Jacob as a lover of virtue and truth, and so * ἐν βελτίονί τεταγμένον τάξει, 'placed in a better rank,' or of a better temper and disposition; and adds, that Samuel was τεταγμένος τῷ θεῷ, well disposed towards God.' So Simplicius interprets this word; for when Epictetus had said, "If thou desirest to be a philosopher, so retain the things that seem best to thee, ὡς ὑπὸ Θεᾶ τεταγμένος εἰς ταύτην Tv Tv, 'as being by God placed in that rank,' that is," saith he, 4 ὡς ὑπὸ θεῖ προτρεπομένος ἐπὶ ταῦτα, “ as being by God incited to these things'." And to this sense the context leads, the persons opposite to those 'disposed for eternal life,' being those who, through their indisposition to embrace the offer of it, were 'unworthy of eternal life.' 6 (2.) The second sense of which these words are capable is this, That as many as were 'well disposed, believed to eternal life? Accordingly we are said to believe in Christ 'to eternal life," and 'to the saving of the soul;" because we, by believing, do obtain a full right to that life of which we cannot fail, but by departing from the faith, or suffering it to become unfruitful in those works of righteousness which make us meet to be partakers of eternal life. VII. ARGUMENT THIRD. "If all that love God are called according to his purpose, then hath he no purpose of calling them that do not love him. If they who are 'foreknown are predestinated to be conformed to this image of his Son,' they who are not conformed to it are not foreknown. If they who are called (effectually) are justified and glorified,' then all that are not justified, and will not be glorified, are not called according to his purpose, or effectually." L.quod deter. p. 144. m De Nobilit. p. 702. C. p Enchir. C. 29. s Heb. x. 39. n De præmiis et poenis. p. 712. B. r1 Tim. i. 16. q Simp. p. 139. ANSWER FIRST. This text expressly speaks of those who actually love God, not of those whom God hath loved with this supposed discriminating love. And to love God, and to be called according to his purpose, are words put by way of apposition, to shew they are both of the same import; that which God purposed in calling us by Christ, being that we might be holy, and unblamable before him in love.' (Eph. i. 4, 9.) So that the whole of this argument may be granted; they who by God are permanently justified, and who will be glorified, being such only who do love God, and are conformed to the image of his Son, and who are called according to his purpose of making them holy before him in love,' and called effectually, that is, so as that God's calling hath its designed effect upon them. And let it farther be observed, that when the apostle saith, or as polyva, 'for whom he foreknew,' the particle or is connective; and this verse giving the reason or confirmation of what was spoken in the former, it seems necessary to interpret these words thus, "Whom he foreknew to be persons called according to his purpose, and therefore qualified for this adoption, (Rom. viii. verse 23.) them he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son." And it deserves to be considered, that all antiquity, till the time of St. Austin, do with one consent concur in the interpretation of the Pseud. Ambrosius on the place, quos præscivit sibi fore devotos, ipsos elegit ad promissa præmia, those whom he foreknew would be devoted to his service, he chose to the reward promised to them;'"those whom he foreknew to be ras aiss Tñs xλnoews,' worthy to be called,'" so Theodoret and Theophylact. Some of them in their descants on these words, Tois natà aρóðeσw nλntoïs 'called according to purpose,' expound them of the purpose or free-will of man, declaring that a man is called by God, κατὰ γνώμην ήτοι προαίρεσιν, ‘according to his counsel, or election;” ὅτι ἐκ ἡ κλῆσις μονον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ πρόθεσις τῶν καλυμένων cwтnρíav čipyάoaтo,” for it is not the calling only, but the purpose of those that are called, which works salvation.' "For who," saith Origen, "should be called to justification, but those God loves? And that τὴν τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν αιτίαν παρίςησί τῆς προθέσεως καί τῆς goyvwows, the apostle shews, that the free-will of man was the t * In Ep. ad Rom. Ed. Huet. Tom. 2. p. 424. y In Locum. H |