Cap. IV Arg. 2 Sol: Apostle twisted — faith here actual, not foreseen; Enoch walked with God
Sol. First to the Apostle's words: they are twisted badly into a sense wholly alien to his purpose. Faith here is not the foreseen faith of a man not yet existing, but actual faith already at work. That is clear from εὐηρέστησεν, to please — which Paul takes from the LXX at Gen. 5:24, Enoch pleased God; the Hebrew is he walked continually with God — he did not imitate his age's wickedness but served God sincerely and worshiped him purely. So the Apostle means only that no one can lead a pious life pleasing to God without faith, confirmed by Enoch's example. Wondrous ingenuity in the Remonstrants, who carved from this their election hanging on foresight of faith.
Latin
Sol. Ad ipsa verba Apostoli primo respondemus, Ea pessime, et in sensum ab instituto Apostolico prorsus alienum, torqueri. Nam fides hoc in loco non praevisam fidem hominis nondum existentis, sed actualem, atque jam vires suas exercentem demonstrat. Hoc perspicuum est ex illo altero verbo εὐηρέστησεν, Placere, quod Apostolus ex Septuaginta Interpretum versione mutuatus est. Sic enim illi Genes. v. 24. εὐηρέστησεν Ἐνὼχ τῷ Θεῷ. At in Hebraeo habetur, continue ambulavit cum Deo: id est, Non est imitatus ejus saeculi nequitiam, sed corde sincero jugiter Deo servivit, Deumque caste coluit. Nihil igitur aliud dicere voluit Apostolus, quam neminem posse absque fide vitam piam Deoque placentem ducere; quod exemplo Enochi voluit confirmare. Miro igitur ingenio sunt Remonstrantes, qui potuerunt electionem suam ex fidei praevisione pendulam hinc exsculpere.