A09376:1127
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon the 11 chapter to the Hebrews preached in Cambridge by that godly, and judicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executors, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This confuteth the conceit and error of many men broached abroad in this age, that God doth equally love all men as they are men, and hath chosen all men to salvation as they are men, and hath rejected none: for (say they) it standeth with equity and good reason, that the Creator should love all his creatures equally: and this opinion they would build upon the general promise made to Abraham: because that in him God said all the nations of the earth should be blessed, Gen. 22.18. But we must understand that (All) is not always taken generally, but sometime indefinitely for many: and so Paul speaking of this covenant of grace in Christ, saith; The Lord made Abraham a father of many nations, Rom. 4.17: where repeating the covenant recorded by Moses, he putteth many for all. Again, grant that Abraham were the father of all nations, and that in him All the kindreds of the earth were blessed: Yet it followeth not, that therefore God should love all men equally & alike; for he may love the faithful of all nations, & yet not love all men in all nations: for, in his bountiful mercy in Christ, he preferreth some before others. And this answer seems the better, because we may have some reason to think that God will save of every nation some, but no ground to imagine he will save all of any nation: much less all of every nation.
This confuteth the conceite and errour of many men broached abroad in this age, that God doth equally loue all men as they are men, and hath chosen all men to saluation as they are men, and hath reiected none: for (say they) it standeth with equity and good reason, that the Creator should loue all his creatures equally: and this opinion they would build vpon the generall promise made to Abraham: because that in him God said all the nations of the earth should be blessed, Gen. 22.18. But we must vnderstand that (All) is not alwaies taken generally, but sometime indefinitely for many: and so Paul speaking of this couenant of grace in Christ, saith; The Lord made Abraham a father of many nations, Rom. 4.17: where repeating the couenant recorded by Moses, he putteth many for all. Againe, graunt that Abraham were the father of all nations, and that in him All the kindreds of the earth were blessed: Yet it followeth not, that therefore God should loue all men equally & alike; for he may loue the faithfull of all nations, & yet not loue all men in all nations: for, in his bountifull mercy in Christ, he preferreth some before others. And this answer seems the better, because we may haue some reason to thinke that God will saue of euery nation some, but no ground to imagine he wil saue all of any nation: much lesse all of euery nation.