The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

I think there may be something in this; the Text doth not say, Blot me out of the book of life, but out of the book thou hast written; which to me hints a difference between the book of Divine Predestination, and that book of which Moses speaks.

As to Paul's Anathema, I think Mr. Caryl saith well, That Moses and Paul were moved with the same spirit of zeal for the glory of God in both their wishes: and as Moses ⟨p. 23⟩so Paul wished himself to be an Anathema from Christ, that is, a person separated or excommunicated from the society or communion of the faithful, and so no more to be remembered amongst the Saints; or to have his name blotted out of the Church Records, though he had been so great a planter and propagator of Churches; thus Mr. Caryl. Certainly Paul, whose heart was so inflamed with love to Christ, Could not wish himself accursed from Christ, and so an enemy to him, as anathematized persons are, 1 Cor. 16.22. besides the impossibility of the wish, in Moses and Paul as men, there were great sin in the wish: First, with that sense which Mr. Caryl gives, agreeth Grotius upon the Text; accursed from Christ, that is, From the Church of Christ, which is called Christ, 1 Cor. 12.12. Gal. 3.27. As it was the manner among the Hebrews, for the Wives to be called by the name of the Husband, Isai. 4.1. This he saith, I would not only want the honour of Apostleship, but also to be the most contemptible amongst the Christians, as those who are excommunicated: thus Grotius. ¹Nor much different is Gomarus, who distinguisheth between a temporal and eternal Anathema; between Anathema simply so, and for ever: And secundum quid, or after a sort; so shows it is a temporal Anathema, and after a sort, which Paul wished, not the eternal: as Christ was an Anathema for us, but not for ever: He quotes a passage in Nazianzen,