Chonoyterion he Sion. The refinement of Zion: or, The old orthodox Protestant doctrine justified, and defended against several exceptions of the Antinomians, methodically digested into questions, wherein many weighty and important cases of conscience are handled, concerning the nature of faith and repentance, or conversion to God: of his eternal love, and beholding of sin in his dearest children: of justification from eternity, of of [sic] preparations to the acceptance of Christ, of prayer for pardon of sin, and turning to God: of the gospel covenant, aud [sic] tenders of salvation, on the termes of faith and repentance. For the establishment of the scrupulous, conviction of the erroneous, and consolation of distressed consciences. By Anthony Warton, minister of the word at Breamore in Hampshire.

SECT. II. How Gods love is ever the same without any alteration.

THe former whereof is, That if the Love of God be taken properly, as it is in it self pro actu divini amoris, for the internal Act of Gods Love, so it is immutable, eternal, and ever the same, accidens enim in Deo nullum est, and hereupon it is that St. John saith,* 1.1 God is Love; his Love therefore must needs be immutable, and eternal, as he himself is. Wherefore if we shall speak of Gods Love properly, so it must be granted, that he loved his people from all eternity, even before they did believe in Christ, and forsake their sins. This is that which the Lord ma∣keth profession of by his Prophet when he saith,* 1.2 I loved thee with an everlasting love. And our blessed Saviour saith,* 1.3 that whom the Lord loveth, he loveth unto the end. When any of the children of God therefore, are at any time or other supplanted by the Devil, and do fall into sin, as David did, the Lord ceaseth not to love them; for it is his love that upholdeth them, that they do not fall totally and finally, and that recovereth, and raiseth them up again. Thus Gods Love is eternal in it self, and hath neither beginning nor end, as our love hath.

[Objection.] But how then are we to understand those words of David, Psalm 5.5. where he saith, Thou hatest all workers of iniquity: for hatred is contrary to love. Wherefore seeing the elect of God, as well as others, before their calling and conversion, were workers of iniquity, How can it be said, that God loved them eternally.

* 1.4This Objection Mr. D. encountreth. And first he bringeth three answers of Others.

The first whereof is, That God hates the works, but not the persons of his elect.

The second, That God loveth his elect before their conversion, amore benevolentiae, sed non complacentiae, with a love of benevolence, not of complacencie.

The third, that God loveth them with the love of election, but not of justification: all which he scorn∣fully rejecteth. And then taketh upon him to unty the knot thus. The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity, is the voice of the Law; The other, the Lord loves sinners* 1.5, is the voice of the Gospel. Now the Law and the Go∣spel speak divers things; the one being the manifestati∣on of Gods justice, tells us what we are by nature: the other being the manifestation of Gods mercy, tells us what we are by grace in Jesus Christ. Thus he: Now I do acknowledge indeed, that the Law doth reveal Gods wrath against sin, and passeth sentence of condemnati∣on, not only on those that are workers of iniquity; but on every one that commiteth the least sin that is: for so it saith,* 1.6 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them. But where doth the Gospel reveal Gods Love, or offer any mercy to those that are workers of iniquity? Not any where; but on the contrary saith, that he that committeth sin that is, that sinneth, dedi•• â operâ, of set purpose, or pleno voluntatis consusu, with full consent of will, as Zanchius saith, or as Polanus fitly expresseth it, qui facit artem pec∣candi, he rhat maketh a Trade of sin, which is to be a worker of iniquity, he is of the Devil.* 1.7 Again it is not the Law, but the Gospel also that saith, Except ye Repent,* 1.8 ye shall all perish, And, he that believeth in the Son, hath eternal life; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Thus, not on∣ly the Law, but the Gospel also revealeth the wrath and hatred of God against all that are workers of iniquity. It is true, the Gospel offereth pardon, and revealeth Gods love to repentant sinners; but I believe Mr. D. will not call such, workers of iniquity. Whereas then Dav••d

saith, [Question.] The Lord hateth all workers of iniquity. First it may be said, that if we shall speak of the elect themselves, not as they are elect, but being considered as they before their calling and conversion were workers of iniquity, as well as others, so God hated them, though not odio, redun∣dante in personas illorum, or odio inimicitiae, that is, so as to reprobate, or to reject and cast them off, yet odio abomina∣t onis, that is, so that he was offended and displeased with them while they took such courses, and did not love them (amore complacentiae, with a love of complacencie) but loath them while they were polluted, and defiled with their sins. Thus afterwards in the very next verse, the Prophet saith, Virum sanguinum et doli abhominabitur Jehovah. The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. I find that Estius in tert. Sent. et in D st. 32. and others, do say, That God doth hate the elect, quoad statum presentem suum, while they live in sin, and are unconver∣ted; alleadging for confirmation hereof, this very saying of David, The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity, and that in the 14th Chapter of the Book of Wisdom, Similiter odio sunt Deo, impius et impietas ejus, The ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God. Thus do they speak of the elect being considered, as they were sinners before their conversion. But otherwise if we shall consider the elect, as God in his eternal Counsel and Decree saw them justified and sanctified, so he loved them, not only amore benevolentiae, that is, with such a love whereby he did will their good, sed complacentiae, but of complacencie, or delight. For thus all things are present with God, ab aeterno, from all eternity, and there is nothing neither past, nor future unto him. And the the reason hereof is,* 1.9 because he seeth all things that ei∣ther are, were or ever shall be in the world, non extra se in creaturis not without himself, in the creatures, as we do; but in se, in himself, that is, in his eternal Counsel and Decree, or, in se, non solum tanquam in causa efficiente, sed exemplari rerum omnium. Wherefore although being considered, as we were in our selves before our calling

and conversion, that is, full of sin, and void of all good∣ness, we may in some sense, be said to be objects of Gods hatred; yet, as we were vessels of Election, so we were alwaies beloved. For as St. Augustine saith, Tract. in Johan. 112. Deus omnes sanctos suos ante mundi constituti∣onem dilexit, sicut praedestinav••t, God loved all his Saints before the foundation of the world, as they were of him predestinated. For we must not say, that God absolutely and simply, first hateth, and then loveth the same things, as men do; for then we shall make him variable & muta∣ble as we our selves are, whereas there is neither Variable∣ness nor turning,* 1.10 nor so much as any shaddow of turning with God.

If this answer do not give full satisfaction, [Answer.] then I say further That when Dav••d saith, The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity, he speaketh of those that do work ini∣quity perseverantly, that is, who do continue in sin with∣out Repentance, as the next words may seem to declare, when he addeth, thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing. For it is certain, God will destroy none eternally, but ob∣stinate and impenitent sinners.

This answer I do prefer before the former. For if we shall speak of hatred, as the word is commonly used, then I cannot but subscribe to Zanchius, whose thesis, or posi∣tion is this, Electos nunquam odit Deus, trascitur quidem il∣lis, ut illos duriter castiget saepe;* 1.11 sed hoc facit ex amore ad illorum salutem, odit tamen nunquam. In English thus, God never hateth the elect, indeed he is angry with them, so that he doth oftentimes chasten them sharply: but this, he doth out of love to their salvation; notwith∣standing he doth never hate them. For saith he, odisse di∣citur Deus, quibus male vult, God is said, to hate those whom he beareth ill will unto. And thus also doth Cicero speak of hatred, when he saith, Quem quis odit periisse expe∣tit, whom a man hateth, he desireth his destruction. In which words, he letteth us see, what is commonly meant by hatred.

Thus I hope I have cleared this matter. And now I

would know of Mr. D. why he doth say, that Faith doth justifie declaratively, if the Gospel which preacheth Faith in Christ, doth declare the love of God, either to all, or to any, that are workers of iniquity? For Faith cannot be without a reformed conversation, as he him∣self acknowledgeth? All the workers of iniquity there∣fore are destiture of true justifying Faith,* 1.12 whereby to be assured of Gods love & of their salvation by Christ. Mr. D. therefore, will he nill he, must needs acknowledge, that if Faith do justifie declaratively, then the Gospel doth no where declare the Love of God towards the workers of iniquity, and consequently, That it is not only the voice of the Law, but of the Gospel also, that saith, The Lord hateth all the workers of iniquity.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Iohn 4.11.
• * 1.2

  Ier. 31.1.
• * 1.3

  Iohn 13.1.
• * 1.4

  Reconcil. of man to God, pag. 19, 20, 21, 22.
• * 1.5

  He should say, workers of iniquity.
• * 1.6

  Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10.
• * 1.7

  1 John 3.8.
• * 1.8

  Luke 13.3. John 3.38.
• * 1.9

  God knew all things most perfectly be∣fore any of them were.
• * 1.10

  Jam. 1.17.
• * 1.11

  De natura Dei lib. 4. c. 7. Quest. 2.
• * 1.12

  Reconcil. of God to man. pag. 44.