A23636:150
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession…
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pennsylvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pensilvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Introduction › Reflections on Chapt. 5. Of God, His Decrees &c.
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.
He tells us that the Apostles design is to show that God had chosen the line of Jacob before the line of Esau, and that only to be His Church in the peculiar dispensation of the Mosaical law. That Paul is here treating of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation, hath been fully evinced by many learned Orthodox. That he makes way to this by asserting the Sovereignty of God, is clear in the Chapter: That his Instance of Jacob and Esau, did historically intend what G. K. allegeth we deny not: But here it is to be noted, that there was a Typical Representation of greater things in these instances: & it is the Apostles manner to argue from the Type to the thing signified, see Gal. 4.24. &c. but what further needs? G. K. (p. 79.) acknowledgeth that this was a figure of another thing to be spiritually fulfilled, and this is it that the Apostle useth it for; so that we may safely argue the thing Typified from the Allegation, it therefore hurts not our case, that he saith (ibid.) that this doth not infer Esau's personal Reprobation as to his eternal state; it is enough that there was a Reprobation in the same sense that there was an Election. If therefore he grants an eternal Election to be typified in it, (as he seems to do) the Reprobation must ⟨p. 78⟩be of the same kind, else there is no parallel. It therefore concerns not us to dispute whether Esau himself were saved or not: though his Text cited, Heb. 11.20. proves it not, for there were temporal, as well as spiritual & eternal blessings: but this whole discourse is alien, and makes nothing to the purpose, and whereas (p. 84.) he asserts that, the whole passage of Jacob and Esau, is a figure of two seeds, none of which were reprobated, but the other preferred is a contradiction, for there can be no Election without Reprobation, choosing it out of diverse, and necessarily argues a Leaving.
He tells us that the Apostles design is to shew that God had chosen the line of Jacob before the line of Esau, and that only to be His Church in the peculiar dispensation of the Mosaical law. That Paul is here treating of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation, hath been fully evinced by many learned Orthodox. That he makes way to this by asserting the Soveraignty of God, is cleer in the Chapter: That his Instance of Jacob and Esau, did historically intend what G. K. alledgeth we deny not: But here it is to be noted, that there was a Typical Representation of greater things in these instances: & it is the Apostles manner to argue from the Type to the thing signified, see