A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

This Scripture opened, vindicated and improved against the Doctrine of Free-will.

This truth cannot be superstructed better, then upon this foundation in the Text, which is a noble ingredient into that famous portion of Scripture, wherein the Doctrine of those sublime mysteries about Election and Reprobation are professedly handled, and those Objections which the presumption of humane reason is ready to produce, are fully answered. So that whereas in other places that Doctrine is only occasionally or incidentally handled, here the Apostle doth industriously treat of the nature of it. Thus it hath of old been interpreted, and of late by the Orthodox. Only Arminius following Suecanus in part, and the Remonstrants after Arminius they have excogitated a new Analysis of this Chapter, full of absurdity and impertinences; for they would not have the Apostle at all to treat of Election and Reprobation of persons, they turn themselves and the Scripture into all shapes and forms to evade that, but they interpret it of a two-fold Purpose or Decree of God, The one whereof they say is, That whosoever doth believe shall obtain Justification, Adoption and Salvation: The other, That whosoever seek for righteousness by the works of the Law shall be rejected from all these. This (they say) is the scope of the Apostle: But who seeth not what forcing and wresting this is of Scripture? So that we may wonder, how such an interpretation could come into their mind; for the Apostle doth not speak of Conditions, but of Persons, his scope is not to show, that they are believers who are received, and workers who are rejected. The Apostle had abundantly confirmed this in the fourth Chapter, but he intends to show the Dominion and Sovereignty of God in the eternal disposing of mens persons, and that upon the occasion of Gods rejecting the Jews, and calling in the Gentiles. Therefore he saith, To whom he will, he showeth mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth: whom he will] He puts the discrimination upon Gods will, not upon any internal ⟨p. 290⟩qualification in the subject. Also he instanceth in Esau and Jacob before they had done good or evil, whereas if Jacob were considered as a believer, then God did look upon him as having good in him. Further, he bringeth in Pharaoh for an example, how that God did reject him, and whether the word [Greek or Hebrew], vers. 17.