Of the Election of Grace (Large print)

It shows how the Texts of Scripture are to be understood which treat of Fallen lost Adam, and of the New Birth from Christ: BEING A short Declaration and Introduction concerning the highest Ground, showing how Man may attain Divine Skill and Knowledge.

WHEN Reason hears any thing said concerning God intimating what he is according to his Being, Essence, Substance and Will, it imagines in itself as if God were some strange thing afar off, dwelling without and beyond the Place of this World, aloft above the Stars, and governed only by his Spirit with an omnipotent Power in the Place of this World.

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Excerpt:
1. WHEN Reason hears any thing said concerning God intimating what he is according to his Being, Essence, Substance and Will, it imagines in itself as if God were some strange thing afar off, dwelling without and beyond the Place of this World, aloft above the Stars, and governed only by his Spirit with an omnipotent Power in the Place of this World.

2. But it supposes that his Majesty in Trinity, wherein God is especially manifest dwells in Heaven, without and beyond the Place of this World.

3. And thereupon Reason falls into a creaturely Opinion, as if God were some strange thing, and that he did before the Time of the Creation of the Creatures and of this World hold a Consultation in himself in his Trinity, by his Wisdom, to contrive what he would make, and to what End every thing should serve, and so has framed a predestinate Purpose in himself, what he would ordain every thing to be.

4. Whence the contentious Opinion is risen, of God's Determination concerning Man, as if God had in his Purpose or Predestination chosen one Part of Men for Heaven, to be in his holy Habitation, and appointed the other Part to eternal Damnation, in whom he will manifest his Wrath; and that contrariwise in the other which are his chosen and elect he will manifest his Grace.

5. And so it is thought he has in his Predestination made a Separation, that be might show his Power both in Love and Anger: And therefore every thing must of Necessity be as it is.

6. That Part ordained to Wrath it is conceived are so reprobated and hardened by God's Purpose and Predestination, that there is no Possibility left for them to attain the Salvation of God, and on the contrary in the other there is no Possibility of Damnation.

7. And though the Holy Scripture speaks almost the very same Words, to which creaturely Reason assents, which understands not at all what God is; yet Scripture, on the other Side, speaks much more to the contrary , that God wills not Evil, nor has purposely by way of Predestination made any thing that is evil.

8. Both those Contraries, how they are to be understood each of them in its own Ground, we will give to the Christian impartial Readers, the Seekers and Lovers of the Ground and of the Truth, to unite and reconcile them, and establish the true Understanding: I say, we will give them a short Explanation to consider of, and present our Gift or Talents (as it is apprehended and laid hold on in the Grace of the highest Good) for them to examine with a good Intention.

9. Not meaning thereby to contend against, or despise any for their conceived Opinion, but for a Christian and brotherly conjoining and uniting of our Gifts which we have, bestowed upon any of us from the Divine Grace.

10. The Branches and Twigs of a Tree appear not in all things like in Form, and yet stand in one and the same Stock, and one gives and introduces Entity and Virtue into the other, and all flourish and rejoice, blossom and bear Fruit in one Stock, there being no Grudging and Dislike of their Strength and Dissimilitude; but each Branch labours to bring forth its Fruit and Harvest.

11. So it may also well be with our unlike differing Gifts, if we introduce our Desire into the right true Mother, as into our Stock, and each Branch of the Tree afford, the other its Virtue in good Will. 12. We must not bring ourselves into Selfishness, and into our own Lust of Self-Love, as going forth in Pride, willing to be above our Mother in whom we stand, and above all her Children, and be a Tree of our own.

13. Neither are we to receive into us the Devil's Poison and Venom or Infection of Self, and false or wicked magnetic Impression, whence Strife and Opposition, also Rents and Schisms and Divisions arise, so that one Twig of the human Tree rends and separates itself from the other, and affords them not his Ens or Being and Virtue, and exclaims against them for schismatical, sectarian, apostate, false and wicked. 14. It sets itself, and is known as a broken separated Twig before its Brother in a false Lustre or Shew: Whence the Multitude of Contentions among Men have risen.

15. Of all which we will signify what the Original of Contention is, and from whence Opinions and Divisions naturally arise, we will also signify what the true Ground of the only Religion is.