An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Lastly, Not to enlarge on this, God is merciful in this Absolute Election, duly explained, because hereby a very great number are sure to be saved. God by this Decree of his, will so work in time, that they shall be called, justified, and at last glorified; for Election will obtain. Now doth not this Doctrine more commend the mercy of God, than the Arminians Conditional Decrees? Notwithstanding which, no man in the world may be saved. For notwithstanding Gods Decrees and Will, to save all men, notwithstanding Christs dying for all men, yet they acknowledge it possible, not any one man be saved. For God (they say) leaveth a man to the good use of his Free-will, he doth not alter or change by his efficacious and wonderful grace any mans heart; and if God do no more, who then can be saved? They cannot instance in one Heathen, that ever yet used his naturals well, thereby to partake of supernaturals. So that if all be left to man, and God should not show mercy, no one man would be saved. Therefore our Doctrine is a merciful one, and theirs is cruel.

Lastly, Not to enlarge on this, God is mercifull in this Absolute Election, duly explained, because hereby a very great number are sure to be saved. God by this Decree of his, will so work in time, that they shall be called, justified, and at last glorified; for Election will obtain. Now doth not this Doctrine more commend the mercy of God, than the Arminians Conditional Decrees? Notwithstanding which, no man in the world may be saved. For notwithstanding Gods Decrees and Will, to save all men, notwithstanding Christs dying for all men, yet they acknowledge it possible, not any one man be saved. For God (they say) leaveth a man to the good use of his Free-will, he doth not alter or change by his efficacious and wonderfull grace any mans heart; and if God do no more, who then can be saved? They cannot instance in one Heathen, that ever yet used his naturals well, thereby to partake of supernaturals. So that if all be left to man, and God should not shew mercy, no one man would be saved. Therefore our Doctrine is a mercifull one, and theirs is cruel.

In the third general place, The Socinians, they blame all the Orthodox, as evacuating the mercy of God, because, we say, that the Justice of God being satisfied through the blood of Christ as a ransom, we thereby obtain remission of sins. Now (they say) how absurd and contradictory is this, God is satisfied by a just payment to pardon sin, and yet it's the mere mercy of God to forgive it?