first relates to what God will doe himselfe the latter to what shall be done by the sinnefull will of others lib. 1. sect 10. p. 140. the place quoted by T. P. but just now We grant saith he there * Dr Twisse disputes against Jac. Armin. his text speaking of the latter even that will to be efficacious but the last consequence if by an efficacious will ergò by an efficient we totally denye as in consequent and then succeed the words mentioned by you p. 10. line 21. inde In both Gods will is efficacious but in the one it is only permissive but in the other effective 2. As for the prostitution unto sinne required which you speake of doubtlesse he speaks of some judiciary acts of God upon impenitent sinners as the Prophet Hosea 3. 13 14. when your daughters c. the Apostle 2 Thes 2. 3. You may as well denie God to put forth any providence in governing of the world as deny God to administer occasions of sinning unto wicked men (f) Bee content for once to learne something that is good from your beloved Jac. Armin. Disput 9. de â—ffic prob Dei in mullo Thes 20. propter incitamentorum occasionum oblationem directionem determinationem Dei permissioni peccati additam dicitur Deus quae ab hominibus malis Satana perpetrantur mala ipsa facere quod probat ex Gen. 45. 8. 37 25. 28. 4â— 12. 12. 41. 19. Job 1. 2. 2 Sam. 12. 13. 12. 2 Sa 15 16. Sic Deus fecisse dicitur quod Absolon fecit quia potissimae partes in actionibus isti apotelesmati producendo adhibitis Dei fuerunt Accedit huc quod cum sapientia Dei norit si per talem incitamentorum occasionuÌ„ oblationem directionem determinationem rem totam administret certo infallibiliter â—xisturum quod à creatura sine scelere perpetrari nequit cum voluntas ipsius decernat administrationem istam liquidius patet cur Deo factum hujusmodi tribuatur Fidei humanae potest subesse falsum and that those occasions not Gods sinning in offering them accursed be such a blasphemy do really affect the imaginations according to all those degrees whether that of profit or pleasure represented in them See this largely proved by our good and great Doctor past all feare of being confuted in his answer to Mr Hoard p. 26. inde And thus I hope I have in reference to the second thing proposed set Mr Calvin and Dr Twisse and all that hold with them into their proper honourable stations of sound and able Divines againe by wiping off the aspersion of modest or immodest blasphemy from their names But I shall bee forced to leave Mr T. P. amongst the accusers of the brethren and of his owne mothers sons Psa 50. 20. were he at least but a genuine son a member of any true Protestant Church In this I have been the longer not only to testifie my respects to two such great luminaries of the Church but because by so doing I have quite overturned one great rotten pillar upon which all this book doth rest which now as we shall see more briefly in what followes will bee Psal 62 3. as a bowing wall and a tottering fence And now thirdly in reference to the third thing proposed for the finishing of this Section I have but a few words to say to your quaking trembling oratoriall peroration with which you wind up this Section 1. I must professe it to be some part of my faith pray God I may be out in it to believe that you will rather turn Quaker and with them get into your trembling and shivering fits when you are big with no spirit of prophecy then you will not upon any or no occasion given take liberty by abusing such as Mr Calvin and Dr Twisse make the hearts of Gods people sad whom hee hath not made sad Ezek. 13. 22. make their very eares to tingle and hearts to tremble 2. Now I can upon certaine knowledge tell how little conscience you have used in reading or representing authors I may justly feare you do rather act the Tragaedian part of a Stage-plaier for the making your adversaries odious then that you greatly feare even reall blasphemies if you did so you would not upon suppositioÌ„ of the absolutenes of Gods decrees which cannot possibly be otherwise unless as I have elsewhere shewed we resolve to be madly Atheistical to call in Poets p. 13. if not Devils p. 24. to help you to blaspheme 3. But though since Mountebanck like you have thrust your selfe upon a stage and finde it necessary for the carrying on of your designe to have in readinesse the very pages and lines of those severall authors whom you designe if you can do it shall be offered up as victimes to the popular Jury of ignavo's or ill affected persons And that rather then this shall not be done you will rifâ—le the well furnisht Cabinet of the Batavian Remonstrant writings (g) Scripta Synodalia Remonstrantium Fur praedestinatus tied to the taile of the book quoted by Mr T. P. as to Andrewes his book or not sticke to be beholding to very thieves viz. such roguish pamphlets as fur praedestinatus and others are rather then you will want materials for invectives against Calvin Beza Twisse c. Yet pray Sir why should you expresse your sense of indignation against as you say too litterall expositions of some Texts of scripture of those vid. or the like enumerated by me p. 103 Know you not that bonus textuarius est bonus Theologus and that sensus scripturae est (h) Vide Dr Ames in Psalm secundum tantum unicus isque grammaticus where the letter is not plainly metaphoricall typicall or contrary to other more plain places and the cleare analogy of faith But belike when all your Socinio-Grotio-Percian glosses and Annotations shall be compiled together and be published for the clearing of the forequoted places and the putting of milkie mild Socino-Arminian glosses upon them the plumbeus cerebrofities of the now Protestant reformed world will be better indoctrinated and recede further from the words of those Scriptures but approach nearer to the genuine sense of them Credat Judaeus Apella non ego And thus have I done with this your seventh Section and I might say too with all this your first Chapter wherein I have and shal at every turn be forced to meet and scuffle with the Don Quixot you mention Epist 2. ante publicam edit and of which you may read in my last abused friend Dr Twisse upon the very like occasion writing against Jesuit Bellarmine (i) Dr Twisse lib 2. div gr 2. cap. 5. p. 53. quasi vero operosa demonstratione opus esset ad illud confirmandum de quo né libertini quidem dubitant nempe in hac palestra dominabâ—tur Bellarmin una cum socio suo T. P. egregiam laudem
peace of my Mother the Church the Mother of us all Gal. 4. 6. I never was of a Spanish temper of whom of old it hath been observed that they did Bella gerere solo pacis odio I hope my Motto shall ever be Nulla salus bello pacem te poscimus omnes Oblato placuit componi foedere bellum I will therefore 2. Attempt to make some composition Articles for you which if the next generall Assembly in Gods good time legallie to be convened in England for which I pray for which I doe long shall be pleased to ratifie in your behalfe I doubt not but they will doe you and the Church a better service then all the Bulls of License which under the hand of any Italian Sâ—ignior Con you may easily be able to procure for your whole Correct Copy as for the present it lies 3. I will vindicate the passage of Calvins against which p 50. you do so insolentlie insult like some Massilian Gaul Of the Gauls it was observed of old that primi impetus gallorum were plus quà m virorum secundi minus quà m mulierum And then as to the gawdy flowers of your Oratory with which you do as you think most triumphantlie conclude this Chapter you should pleasure your selfe and fine friends with them As to the first observations 1. They have a rare turne of it who chance to bee or do but seem to be on your side since your late conversion as you call it p. 48. viz. to Pelagianâ—sme and Arminianisme they shal not from you their Eloquent Tertullus want for baies of commendation Boethius shall be admirable p. 48. He shall be a most excellent Christian a profound Divine a terrour to heresie and a Martyr to boot p. 51. Though as yet I can but learn that he was a Christian but cannot learne what Christian books hee wrote to the terrour of Hereticks nor what he was banisht for which I think is the Martyrdome you speake of unlesse as it appeares by what I collect from the lib. 1. Consolat Philosophiae for some publike politick contests betwixt him and his fellow Consuls and that to mee makes him not a Martyr as John the Divine was Rev. 1. 9. who was relegated to the Isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimonie of Jesus Christ If you can in this better enlighten me you will doe me a reall courtesie for which I will remaine your Debtor My scant librarie in this for the present failes me I am no way able to divine why you should so much doat upon Boethius but that you abound with so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your selfe and those who be like you as indeed Boethius is in Oratoriall Musicall Poeticall Philosophicall transcendent straines 2. I cannot apprehend whilest you were on our side and for the absolute decree that there was any thing of a robustious sound theologicall stomack in you when a meer Philosophicall and in many things Chimaericall discourse see p. 95. 102. 99. 103. edit Lugdun Battavor in oct An. 1590. interlarded with the strongest Pelagianisme about the absolute and unpraejudiced freedome of mans will p. 98. 119. 131. 144. manebit voluntatis integra atque absoluta libertas besticked too which methinks you should not like with Stoicisme p. 55. about fate and necessity p. 109 110. Ordo fatalis ex providentiae simplicitate procedâ—t p. 144. with Platonisme throughout his five books which yet if it had pleased him he might about praescience and praedetermination have represented somewhat better then he did (y) Indeed it cannot be denied but the Platonists did so decipher their humane Ideas of divine decreeing as Mr T. P. and Dr Jackson had done before him Alcinous de doctr Platonis Sic fatum pronuntiat ex sententia Platonis Quaecunque animae talem vitam elâ—gerit hujusmodi quaedam commiserit consequenter talia patientur c. Libera ergo est anima in ejus arbitrio agere vel non agere ponitur quod autem sequitur actionem ab ipso fato praefinitur yet by fits Plato was of another mind See Marsil Ficin de Theolog. Plat. c. 13. Deus naturarum omnium temperator dum regit cuncta singulas pro singulis regit naturas c. with contradiction both to himselfe and you as any may perceive if they will but peruse that fifth book of his as I out of love to you have perused all the five and in which there is not a word directly nor indirectly which gives us any the least hint of his comforting of himselfe in his greatest distresse in his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in his love grace promises the only Christian cordials I say I stand amazed at it that this fifth booke of his should so enlighten you p. 48. work such an admirable conversion in you as you talk of very often In this same you will not imitate Austin whom you commend so highly for his retractations p. 51. and whom you use to imitate the clean contrary way by licking up againe what he had cast up as we have seen in your simple doings about Simplician p. 44. he when Pelagius at first set forth in a meer Ethnick Philosophick garb for nature against grace he then with all his might opposed it with as much of Christianity and Grace as in the daies of his minority hee was acquainted withall (z) Vide fusè Jansen per tot lib. 5. de haeres Pelag. in Augustino suo August serm 11 de verb. Apost c. 7. in lib. de grat lib. arb c. 13. hoc Pelagiani ausi sunt dicere gratiam esse naturam in qua sic creati sumus ut habeamus mentem rationalem qua intelligere valeamus c. Sed non est haec gâ—atia quam commendat Apostolus per fidem Jes Christi c. And when Pelagius grew more craftie and to decline Envy dressed up Nature in a Semi-Christian dresse as Austin grew stronger and stronger in grace and in some sort to be of a tall stature in Christianity so he opposed him more resolutely in the fulnesse of the might and grace of Christ But you on the contrary will not follow Austin so farre but your nè plus ultrà and terminus ad quem was what he made his terminus à quo Nay by your Boethius you would bring us back again to pure primitive Pelagianism alià s Paganism and this you would call the speciall grace of Christ p. 55. and dub your selfe a convert If your friend now might but be allowed to give you counsell your way to imitate Austin in his retractations would be against the next time of your drudgery as you p. 20. call it to turne most of your five Chapters into one poenitentiall Chapter of retractations My good brother be not ashamed to doe what incomparable Austin did 3. Your admirable Boethius though in the discourse he seems to have manifest streins of contradiction both
and Semi-Pelagians were to prove Manichaisme against St Austin (t) Prosp Epist ad Ruffin Adjâ—ciunt ètiam accusatores duas humanl generis massas duas crâ—di velle naturas ut scil tantae piâ—â—atis vâ—o Paganorum Manichaeorum adscribatur impâ—etas and yet they had nothing more frequent at their tongues ends and pens ends against him 2. You your selfe look a thousand times more like a Manichee then we doe who up and downe doe mainteine especially p. 41. in opposition to us that the Devill is becâ—me master of most part of the world the very black Prince of the world and yet by not so much as a full voluntary just permission of the Almighty p 14. who now is the Manichee in making God not only a coordinate power in a different kinde with the Devill but a superiour to him 3. As to that of Turcisme it hath been so farre answered before as that I can assure you 1. That if Pope Innocent the tenth's late Bull did not promise that your doctrine should bee more welcome at Rome then the grand Turke hath ever done that ours shall be at Constantinople you would never set forth pray God you may not and I pray it seriouslie for Rome the first nor were we ever to be like to saile to Rome the second alias Constantinople 2. It s easie to tell who were your praedecessor in objecting Turcisme to our doctrine vâ—z your beloved S. Castalio (u) Turp Apol prâ—dâ—fens Theol. Castal praef Mahumetanis ac plane perditis hominib relâ—nquenda est ea doctrina praedestinationis quaÌ„ Diabolus ad Christiani populi perniciem induxit c. and the Belgick Remonstrants who as Learned J. Bogermanus observes well would have done the like against King James but that then they were affraid of his Triple Crown (x) Bogerman Annot. 104 cont H Grot. Vel hoc solo nomine plerique odium alicui conflant quod Calvini Bezae sit studiosus in eo toti sunt ut hos Dei servos velut Turcis Marianis crudeliores plebi reddant exosos c. apud mulâ—os hoc dedere effâ—ctum ut quotidiana experientia testatur Nec mitius hoc genus hominum tractaret ipsum Britanniae Regem nisi fastigium formidaret regium Thus as to the wiping off of aspersions from us which stick nothing so fast to us as raine to the most slippery oiled coat But as for the second it is not all the water of Noah's or Deucalion's flood can wash you without a recantation cleane from the charge of Pelagianâ—sme and Massilianisme now to be proved against you 1. For both I think it hath been sufficientlie well done already up and downe in the margins of this book so that he that runs may read them 2. As for the charge of direct Pelagianisme I doe not say learned out of Pelagius his book but out of your Pelagian nature for nature inclines us all to Pelagianisme it is the most naturall heresy that is in the world I had thought to have proved it at large by making good this assertion That Pelagius when pursued by Adversaries gives as good words to grace nay ascribes more to it in the matter of habituall grace in the matter of the remission of sins and divers other matters then as yet you have in this or in your former papers discovered your selfe according to your way of reasoning to allow of (x) Compare but what you say with what Jansen in his Augustin l. 5 6. de haeres Pelag. doth quote as Pelagian Concessions out of their writings and no body will doubt of the truth of this 3. By what you have in these papers within the compasse of these 4. and 5. Chapters as well as in your former as genuine papers about the three capitall points of Pelagian Heresie viz. 1. Originall sinne (y) As for originall sinne the very first root and basis of all Pelagianisme as every body knowes who sees not that in these your corrected papers you do most warily decline all expresse mention of it when p. 6 65 67. you had reason and occasion enough for so doing the strongest expression looking that way is that which you have p. 6. of the Serpents and the Protoplasts promoting of your guilt which who sees not You may as well interpret of a promoting it by way of perswasion in the Serpent of example in Adam and of imitation in you others the very phrase of the Pelagians And as for the guilt you speake of may you not also interpret it only of reatus poenae and that only as to temporal punishment death temporal then of any guilt of sin And why may not I more then suspect this of you when as I find in two Copies of your first genuine papers where indeed for fashion sake you own the terme originall sin but then 1. You define it only thus It is the want of originall innocency together with naturall concupiscence in the posterity of Adam p. 10. 2. You quarrell with the definition of absolute praedestinarians p. 11. 3. You oppose p. 10. originall sinne to a mans owne and quote Ezek. 18. for it 4. You maintein it never killed never damned any Your expresse Thesis there is p. 10. That none in the world dying infants are damned 5. Ibid. You mainteine the state of all infants to be a harmlesse state and that it cannot be utterly lost in our riper yeares without our will All which what doe they speake but that of Pelagius August de nat gra Naturam humanam neque in parvulis indigere medico quia sana est in majoribus sibi ipsam ad justitiam posse sufficere si velit 2. Free will 3. Universall grace p. 71. This will be put past all dispute against all frontlesse denyals as the more learned sort of Readers whom this most concerns will easilie discern by viewing what I bring for proofe of it in the margent By which it is very cleare that out of courtesie and craft rather then kindnesse and love you doe complement with grace giving her 1. The higher title shee is with you p. 55. the nominall mistrisse 2. And bestowing upon her an encomiastick declamation of just 24 lines long p. 46. in a book of 74. pages wherein now and then you bedawb her with some fine words yet nothing so full nor significant as any body may see as those of the Remonstrants in their third and fourth Articles whose method as well as matter you own really though not verbally throughout your book which I think too was the rather distinguished by you into five Chapters that you might some way discover to your friends how well you liked their five Articles For these great services over the left shoulder done to grace Oh that in case of your obstinacy there were but in England a Synod or Councill like to that of Orange as Civill to use your own phrase p. 55. to
the Church of God and in our memory so much danger and distemper to the Belgick Nation whereof King James was so sensible that in a Letter to the States King James his Declarat against Vorstius in his works in Englâ—sh p. 350. 355. he calleth Arminius an enemy of God and chargeth Bertius with grossely lying against the Church of England in avowing that the Heresies contained in his blasphemous book of the Apostacie of the Saints they are the Kings own words were agreeable with the Religion and profession of this Church And he did solemnlie desire the Embassadors of that State to forewarn them from him to beware of the disciples of Arminius of whom though himselfe lately dead he had left too many behind him When you first acquainted me with your purpose to answer that tract which was before I had seen it it being then but manuscript and had onely heard from you the drift of it you well remember what my judgement was that in polemicall writings it was best to forbeare the persons of men and to hold close to the Argument I learned it of Tertullian a grave writer Tertul. advers Hermog c. 1. viderit persona cum doctrina mihi quaestio est And it was the speech of an aged holy divine of this Country now with God that in disputes soft words and hard arguments were best Yet I deny not but the case may so be that in writings of this nature there may be a necessitie as well of sharp rebukes as of strong refutations Tit. 1. 13. And truly it was matter of much trouble to me to finde in that Treatise a distinction of Modest Blasphemers and others who are for Ligonem Ligonem And to finde so eminent servants of Christ as Calvin Dr Twisse and others to bee ranged under one of those members as men that tell the world though such words are no where found in them but the quite contrary that the evill of sinne in man proceedeth from God onely as the author and from man onely as the instrument yea to be worse then the Manichees and Marcionites of old as to this particular blasphemie Vide Aug. cont Julian lib. 1. cap. 2. For though the names of the authors are not as is said in civilitie cited yet the references in the margin of the book which surely were not set there to beare no signification make me think of Tacitus his observation Tacit. Annal. lib. 3. verbis ultimâ—is touching the Effigies of Brutus and Cassius in the funerall of Junia praefulgebant Brutus Cassius eo ipso quod effigies eorum non visebantur It had been much to be wished that imputations of such a straine had been left by men professing modestie and ingenuitie unto Bolsec and others of his complexion But by whomsoever used they are but as the Confectioners beating of his spices which doth not at all hinder but strengthen the fragrancie of them I do not jurare in verba either of Calvin or any other man But I cannot but with griefe bee sensible of so high a charge as blasphemie to bee laid upon persons so deeplie acquainted with the mind of God in his word as they were The vindicating of them I leave to you and shall onely say that their Lord and their Brethren before them have met with the same measure Mar. 2. 7. Mat. 26 65. Acts 6. 13. And that there have been men of great learning and not wholly devoted to the judgement B. Andrewes opuscul p. 115 of Calvin who have taught even dissenters thus to speak of him Calvino illustri viro nec unquam sine summi honoris praefatione nominando non assentior But it is no new thing to draw invidious consequents from such opinions as we have a minde to render odious unto the world A fate which hath ever Vide etiam contra Julian 6. 2. cap. 1. l. 3. cap. 24 lib. 4. cap. 3. followed these controversies from the beginning of them Nine or ten Pelagian calumnies Austin that renowned Champion of grace is put to remove in his second and third books contra duas Epistolas Pelagianorum In the Epistles of Prosper and Hilary unto him we finde many heavy consequents charged by the Massilienses upon his doctrine de vocatione secundum propositum de praedestionatione that it giveth occasion of sinning makes men carelesse of standing carelesse after lapses of rising againe taketh away all industry and regard of vertue induceth a fatall necessitie weakneth vigour of preaching is contrary to the edification of hearers rendreth fruitlesse all Christian correption and driveth men unto despaire Yea that holy man or Prosper his follower for the worke goes under both In respons ad Articulos si bi falso impositos in edit Basil Prosper ad capitula object Vicentian Histor Gotschalc cap. 2 3. Amica Collatio p. 294. names was faine to conflict with these very objections of Gods making men to destroy them and of his being the author of sinne And after that the same objections were made against the same doctrine of Austin under the odious name of Haeresis praedestinatiana as the renowned Bp Usher and learned Camero have observed And the same wee finde revived in handling the same controversies in our daies rendring those opinions which please us not as fore impedidiments unto true piety by the Author of the book called Gods love to mankinde and others From which charge they have been sufficiently vindicated Prosper ad capitul Gallor Histor Gotschalc cap. 5. as of old by Prosper Aquitanicus Rhemigius Lugdunensis and others so of late by those learned men who have answered the forenamed book But this being a taking medium I finde used also by the Socinians Jonas Schlingius hath written a disputation against Meisner a Lutheran divine in defence of Socinus to this very effect But how ill it beseemeth sonnes of the reformed Church of England to take up that charge * Bolsec in vita Calvini cap. 23. Bellarmin de Amiss grat statu peccat lib. 2. cap. 4 5 6 Becan opuscul to 1. opusc 3. 11. Kellisous Survay lib. 5. cap. 1 2 3. Fitz Simon Britannomach lib. 1. cap. 12. Stapleton de justific lib. 11. Fevardent dialog to 2. p. 155-195 Maldonat in Mat. 26. 14. 24. Pineda in Job 1. 21. Horontius loc catholic lib. 3. cap. 2 3 4. Possevin select biblioth l. 8. cap. 32. which Bolsec Bellarmine Becanus Kellison Fitz Simon Stapleton Fevardentius and others of that party have unjustly cast upon the worthy instruments of God in the reformation of the Church and which have been so expressely disavowed and so fully wiped off by a whole cloud of learned Writers some †Calvin instit lib. 1. cap. 17 §. 3. cap. 18. Sect. 4 lib 2. cap. 4. Sect. 1 2. in Psal 105. 25. in Hos 13. 11. cont Libertinos cont calumnias adversus doctrinam ejus de occulta Dei providentia opusc
own will therefore he did ab aeterno decree to permit it for otherwise he could by confirming grace have hindered and prevented the committing of it as well in all Angels as in some as well in Adam as in Angels and that without any violence offered to their nature at all Gen. 20. 5. Gen. 31. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 13. neither can there be given any cause out of God himselfe and the counsell of his owne will leading and inducing him rather to permit then hinder it He did decree to permit it in order to his own glory which is the supreme end and therefore by him absolutely willed because the being thereof by his unsearchable wisdome and power was ordinable thereunto He may out of that common and equall masse wherein he did decree to permit it decree in some in whom he did permit it to pardon it and on them to shew free mercy in others to punish it and in them to shew due and deserved justice the one having nothing to boast of because the grace which saves them was Gods the other nothing to complaine of because the sinne which ruines them is their owne He may by this huge discrimination of persons who were in their lump and mass equall and in themselves indiscriminated shew the absolute soveraignty which he hath over them as the Potter over his clay He may by his most sweet and yet most powerfull efficacie work the graces of faith repentance new obedience and perseverance in the wils and hearts of those on whom he will shew mercy giving them efficaciously both to will and to doe of his own good pleasure and leave others to their own pride and stubburnness his grace being his own to do what he will withall And I say once againe in all this there is neither modest nor immodest blasphemy 1. Gods glory is dearer to him then all the things in the world besides are or can be 2. Every attribute of God is infinitely and absolutely glorious and the glory of every one of them infinitely deare unto him 3. Whatever is infinitely and absolutely glorious in God he may by an absolute will and purpose decree to shew forth the glory thereof in his works without fetching an antecedent Reason ab extra from without himselfe leading and inducing him to make such a decree 4. The subject on which God is absolutely pleased to manifest the glory of his mercy and justice as to mankinde is massa perdita 5. Out of this mass of lost or lapsed mankinde he hath ex mero beneplacito chosen some unto glory and salvation for the manifestation of his free and undeserved mercy and passed by others leaving them under deserved wrath for the manifestation of his justice 6. That such and such particular persons out of the same equally corrupted mass are chosen and others are rejected belongeth unto the deep and hidden counsell of God whose judgements are unsearchable and his waies past finding out to whose soveraignty it appertaineth to forme out of the same lump one vessell unto honour and another unto dishonour to shew mercy on whom hee will shew mercy and to pass by whom he will pass by 7. God doth so absolutely will and decree ab aeterno the manifestation of the glory of his attributes in his works as that withall he purposeth that the temporary execution of those eternall and absolute decrees shall finally be in materia apta disposita for such a manifestation 8. All those intermediate dispositions between the decree and the execution thereof whereby the subject is fitted for such manifestation of Gods glory if they be gracious they are by Gods eternall will decreed to be wrought and accordingly are in time effectually wrought by himselfe and his grace in and with the will of the creature If they be evill and sinfull they are in his eternall purpose permitted to bee wrought and are in time actually wrought by the deficient and corrupt will of the creature and being so wrought are powerfully ordered by the wise and holy will of the Creator to his glory 1. So then God did ab aeterno most absolutely wil and decree his owne glory as the supreme end of all consulting therein the counsell of his owne will and not the wils of any of his creatures 2. In order unto that supreme end he did freely elect some Angels and some lapsed men unto blessednesse for he might do with his own gifts what hee would himselfe 3. In order to the same supreme end he did leave some Angels and some lapsed men to themselves to their own mutability and corruption not being a debtor unto any of them 4. But he did not ordaine any creature to absolute damnation but to damniaton for sin into which they fal as they themselves know by their own wils whereof they are themselves the alone causes and authors Gods work about sinne being only a willing permission and a wise powerfull and holy Gubernation but no actuall efficiency unto the formall being and obliquity thereof I am sorry I am led on by mine own thoughts thus farre into your proper work But here I stop I was glad to see two Orthodox and sound Axioms stand before the book of your Author as the basis of his superstructure Two men of quite different judgements in these very arguments I finde to have done so Prosper cont Collat. c. 14. before The one Cassianus the Collator of whom Prosper hath these words Catholicarum tibi aurium judicia conciliare voluisti quibus de praemissae professionis fronte securis facile sequentia irreperent si prima Liv. decad 3. lib. 8. placuissent Which words of his bring into my mind a saying of the Historian fraus fidem in parvis sibi praestruit Ang de grat Chrâ—sti cap. 39. ut cum operae pretium sit cum magna mercede fallat and the censure of Austin upon Pelagius Gratiae Vid. Savilii praefat ad lectorem Andr. Rivet Grotian discuss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 8. Sect. 11. Voss Hist Pelag lib. 1. cap. 26. vocabulo frangit invidiam offensionem declinat The other the famous Arch-Bishop Bradwardine whom learned and good men will honour notwithstanding the hard censure passed by Hugo Grotius upon him who premiseth two Hypotheses as the ground of that profound work of his de causa Dei I will have so faire and just an opinion of your Author as to beleeve that he did this in candor and integrity following therein rather the learned example of Bradwardin then if Prospers censure may be taken the artifice and cunning of Cassianus yet because this is a course which may by the credit of true principles draw the lesse cautelous and circumspect Readers to consent to deductions not naturally consequent upon them It is requisite as for writers as Pliny adviseth saepius respicere titulum so for Readers to follow the Apostles counsell to prove all things and hold fast that which is
very genuine sonne you would in this very page have us to take you to be Know you not that by the then Learned Supreme Politicall Governour of the Church of England Brittish Divines were sent thither with Orders from him to suppresse Arminiâ—nisme that they had the first vote and suffrage given them in that almost oecumenicall Protestant Synod Cui nunquam similem vel secundam vidit Protestantium orbis Christianus Have you the forehead which yet I know to be sometimes sufficiently steeled to maintaine that your opinions do not diametrically clash with the determinations of that Synod and our owne Divines there were they not the visible lawful Representers of our Mother English Church there or must we bee so wickedly uncharitable against them as to looke upon them as upon so many Ignaroes of what the doctrine of their own Mother Church was or so wretchedly pharisaicall as that when a motion did but seem to be made somewhat prejudiciall to the Hierarchick flaunt of the English Church they would unanimously enter their Joint Attestation against it and See the Joint Attestation published by them Anno 1646. that yet those very venerable Fathers of our Church would vote downe concur in anathematizing the very doctrine of our Mother the Church of England Pardon me Sir for not beleeving them to have been such unnaturall execrable Chams Gen. 9. 21. I am cordially troubled for to heare you say that you are a very orthodox Protestant of the Church of England whilst you doe openly appeare for Arminius his opinions against those of Mr Perkins for Bellarmines against those of Twisse for a forreiners and at last a fugitive Baro's and recanting praevaricating Barrets opinions against those of learned Whitakers and at the same time of the whole Universities of Cambridge as well as of Dr Estius Dr Somes Tindals Chattertons Willets and a number more nay against those of both the then Archbishops John Whitegift Cantuâ—riensis Matth. Eborac the Compilers of the 9. Lambeth Articles of all which things Vide A. Thysi qui horum opera latinè transtulit edidit Amstelodami 1613. Ioh. Vogerman Nota 107. 107. in Grotium I rejoice even forreiners with much content and honour to our Church to have taken notice and grieve to see you to be so great a stranger in your own Israel as not to have seen yea to oppose Quis talia fando c. For my owne part in what you set downe here I cannot tell what most to admire whether 1. In so great a Polititian as I take you to be your improvident mentioning of Contra-Remonstrants Dort Whitaker Perkins c. towards the rowsing up of my memorie and that of other mens unto the consideration of the grand Heroes of the Protestant Church opposed by you you discover who you side withall somewhat of the soonest 2. Or else your disingenuity if you have but read any of the Remonstrants writings in that here you mention them so slightingly who have as you must needs think if you have but seen them deserved so well of you Ingenuum est agnoscere per quos profeceris 3. Or else whether or not that supercilious scornfulnesse upon the confidence which you have of your own great naturall wit in adventuring to maintaine Remonstrant opinions and yet not vouchsafe to looke so much as upon any Remonstrant author But perhaps I commit an errour against the aptnesse of your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Euphues of the pia mater of your braines which doth Bishop Carleton against Montague teach you Arminianisme without book as fast as once Bishop Montague learned it and as fast as Bidle of late learned Arrianisme without a Raccovian Catechisme 4. Or if not at any of these yet then at what is worse pardon sweet Sir a bugs-bugs-word from me Your bold impudence in making a shew of being no Arminian Remonstrant when as your book à Capite ad Calcem abounds with it as much as any ulcerous body doth with botches In tanto corpore non est mica salis 4. Much may be excused from such prelates as Out all and Davenant c. 1. Diminutively spoken of Praelates by such an admirer of Praelates and that Qua tales as your selfe Is excuse instead of Lawrels of commendation all that you will allow them especially Davenant for their great pains in clearing the controverted points Perchance it 's as much as they doe deserve for their over-masculine opposing of Arminianisme and so of your great Diana 2. But how do you prove that either of these Prelates did onlie moderate betwixt the contending parties the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants and their Complices and that they did not both adhere to the latter and stoutlie oppose the former It is well known what side Doctor Davenant took in the Synod and after it (p) Bishop Hall and Bâ—shop Davenant in their Letters annexed to Bâ—shop Hâ—ls Reconciler p. 75. 84 85. averre that the Arminian errors condâ—mned at Dort are contâ—â—ry to the English Church Animadversions agâ—inst Mr Hâ—rd his Gods love to mankind p. 10. And 3. As for Bishop Outall I shall in as fitting a place tell you more of him in the meane while content your selfe with what his fellow Bishop Davenant saith of him that he did together with the Church of England Conjoine the particular absolute decree of God not depending upon the praeicience of humane faith or will but upon the purpose of Gods will and grace towards those whom God in Christ hath chosen to deliver with the generall and conditionarie will or generall promise which every body now may know is none of the way which you take 5. Amongst the Clergy and amongst the Laity (q) This contemning of the Clergy too yoâ— have learned from Pelagius or at least tooke out the lesson without booke Aug. l. 2. cont Iul. c. ver Quos inquit Clericos urbana exagitatos dicaâ—itate vel potius vanitate contemnis quia non possunt secun dum Categories Aristotelis de dogmatibusjudicare quasi tu qui maximè quâ—reris examen vobis Ep scopate judicium denegari peripateticorum possis invenire concilium ubi de subjecto de his quae sunt in subjecto contra originale peccatum dialectica sententia proseratur Aug. l. 2. operis imperfecti hoc dixerim ut ostenderem quam sis acutus qui me obtusiore dicis esse pistillo Indeed if our Countrie as to the clerical or ministeriall part of it did yet abound with such Ministers as were only fit to supplere locum idiotae with such poor rats such lasie Hierarchick non residentiall non preaching Lubbers as it hath by the report of honest knowing people abounded with in former times you might speake thus after your wonted manner scornfully and diminutively of your neighbour Clergy men 2. You sure take your selfe as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be one of those hundreds fit to speake of these mysteries when at Daintrey
depths of Satan Rev 2. 24. great pity it is that by so fine and elegant a tongue it should have been communicated to any one Poysons sometimes go down glib Å¿ Ruffinus predecessor to Pelagius did propone his fiâ—st poison in a book composed by Sixtus a Pythagorean Philosopher under the name of Siatus a Mâ—rtyr and Bishop of Rome vide Hieron Epist ad Ctesiph in c. 23. Hierem. l. 4. Comment Hoc enim saith my author Jansenius for it ideireo eum sâ—cisse existimandum est ut venenum aureo martyris poculo biberetur when presented in a golden cup and commended by noted Physitians 13. Which belonged only to the fire 1. Sure you may be thought to suspect your papers to be guilty of some heresie because you would thus with your owne secular arme have cast them into the fire 2. And yet in so doing you would neither have dealt worse with with them then they deserved K. James at the first sight of P. Bertii his book entituled Apostasia sanctorum professed that ob solum Titulum it was liber dignus igne 3. Nor worse then as the report goes your admired G. Vossius to whom you are much beholding did to a basket full of his writings for feare of the approaching Synod of Dort and that he might stand firm in his Praesidentship in Collegio Belgico D. D. ordinum Hollandiae It 's well for you that his Historia Pelagiana did escape his fierce fingers for else what would you have done for a Warehouse to fetch quotations out of 14. So much as a Massilian That sure you are as the minimum quod sic for the opinions of the Molinists It 's plaine that our own Brittish Divines in their suffrage given in at the Synod of Dort (t) Synod Dordrac p. 2. p. 256. in 410. Inter Massiliensium errores refertur quod nâ—gaverint dari cuiquam talem perseverantiam à qua non permittitur praevaricari Quem erroreÌ„ refellit August de bono perseverant c. 6 relate it out of a letter of Hilaries to Austin that it was reckoned amongst the Massilian tenents that they did deny there was given unto any such a perseverance from which they were not permitted to prevaricate And 't is as plaine that you maintaine many to fall off and to praevaricate totally and finally from Grace even the grace of Regeneration and Justification p. 67. 15. A very orthodox Protestant of the Church of England So indeed you would be reputed to be yea even so very a genuine sonne to the Protestant Church of England as if for many miles about you our good mother had never such another And all this in despight of many Articles of the Church in King Edward the 6. his Reign Of the 17. Article in Queen Elizabeths Reigne Of the 9. Lambeth Articles towards the latter end of her Reigne Of the explanatorie Articles of the Church of Ireland in King James his Reigne Nor so much as to dare to mention the Confession of faith Catechismes c. of the late Westmonasterian Assembly though highly commended by the Reverend and incomparable Primate of Armagh For my own part I have in fidelity though with much weaknesse served my mother the Church of England now above these twentie yeares in the work of the Ministry and if I bee not able to prove that the Doctrines which I have taught all along contrary to what you deliver in this booke are most agreeable to her faith and that yours are as opposite to it as heaven and hell light and darknesse the Articke is from the Antarticke pole I shall be content to be cursed by my mother even with Anathema Maranatha But of this more if need bee when I shall come to what you say p. 16. Onlie let all the true Christian sonnes and daughters of the Church of England tell me what true sons to her at any time she hath found Arminian clericall ceremonialists to bee The rod and reproofe give wisedome but a child left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame Prov. 29. 15 16. Managed discourse c. not from the hidden mysteries of Gods secret will but from the clearest expressions c This trim flim-flam will then Apologize for your methodus procedendi when as you shall have proved that Rom. 9. 11 13 16 18 21 22. Eph. 1. 4 11. Act. 15. Rom. 8. 25 29. 1 Tim. 2. 19. Rev. 13. 8. 20. 15. and other Scriptures more which do professedly handle the matter of Predestination and accquaint us with what God hath fully determined shall be and how he doth if I may so say make up his decree to be no part of his revealed will or word concerning his secret will conceived in himselfe (u) Of which will manifested in the word Dr Whitaker in his Cygnea Cantio writes excellently well conformable to Scriptures And Austin Rom. 11. O altitudo ultima illa Apostoli exclamatio hanc sententiam confirmat Neque enim tantae allitudinis est ut penetrari inequeat Deum odâ—sse homines propter peccatum etiam antequam nati sunt immò rationi convenientissimum est ut Deus serre nequeat quod est naturae suae contrarium Ibi demum infinitum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abyssus est divinae discretiâ—nis quando sine peccati ratione quidam reprobantur alii qui nihilo erant amore digniores ad vitam foecilitatem praedestâ—nantur Iâ—iquum videtur ait Augustinus ut sine ullis bonorum malorumque operum meritis unum Deus diligat odiatque alterum Deus igitur hunc dilâ—git illumque odit sine meriâ—is â—llis operum aut bâ—norum aut malorum Hoc videri pâ—ssit alâ—cui iniquum sed est aequâ—ssimum quia sic Deo visum est neque Augustinus affirmare veritus est eos Apostoli verbum evacuare qui judicium divinae discretionis ad opera reducunt praevisa aut praeterita c. or that those Scriptures are placed in Gods booke as a Doctor once openly did deliver it in my hearing in a sermon at Christs Church which had been better delive'rd extraaedem Christi as the forbidden tree was in the Garden of Eden not to be medled with or that as Adolphus Venator once had it The Apostle might have found him some other worke then to have wrote those Scriptures Till you shall have made some attempts towards the proving of some of these matters you must pardon us though we continue beleeving the forementioned Scriptures to be as true and cleare Scriptures for what we prove out of them for absolute praedestination as any promises commands threats c. frequently quoted by you do signifie what God likes or dislikes will reward or punish when believed done or left undone The former signifie whom why how he doth praedestinate the main things disputed The latter tell after what fashion and upon whom that praedestination is to be executed of whom there is no question or difficulty And would God
not for over-glutting my Reader that you are no better friend in the points under debate to the Articles of the Church of England then once your great but unsuccessfull friends Barnaveld your admirable Grotius were to the Articles of their Belgicke Confession who being the politique Leaders of their true followers the Remonstrant faction they put them fiercelie upon stickling for a Revision of their Confession and Catechisme c. (b) Vide praefationem ad Synod Dordrac I say I must needs beseech you how troublesome soever it might prove to you to crave your proofs of this your veneratioÌ„ of the doctrine of our own English mother Church Whether hope you to prove this as certaine it is you may easilie doe it the clean contrary way by your consent to the Articles of the Church published in King Edward the 6. daies An. 1551 2. Or by your Approbation of a writing in the fierie bloody daies of Queen Mary signed by the blessed Martyrs Bradford Cranmer Ridley and Latimer in opposition to one Henry Heart who with opinions the very same with yours now troubled the consciences of poor imprisoned Martyrs 3. Or not helping your selfe with any Francisco-Clarian gloss by giving the true sense of the 39. Articles published by the Convocation in 1562. Art 9 10 13. Art 17. c 4. Or by demonstrating of your allowance of the 9. Articles of Lambeth agreed on November 20. 1595 5. Your concurrence with the Articles of the Church of Ireland 1615. especially with their 11 12 13 14 15 16. Articles 6. Or by gliding along with the stream of the Authors of the greatest note and renowne in our Church opposing Barret and Baro and since with all the eminent Authors Bishops (c) Bp Carletons examination of the Appeale p. 8 9. When our Church was disquieted by Barret and Baro as now by T. P. the Bishops that then were in our Church examined the new Doctrine of these men and utterly disliked and rejected it And in the point of Predestination confirmed that which they understood to be the Doctrine of the Church of England against Barret Baro who oppugned that Doctrine This was fully declared by both the Archbishops Whitgift of Canterbury and Hutton of Yorke with the other Bishops and Learned men of both Provinces who repressed Barret and Baro refuted their Doctrine and justified the contrary as appeareth by that booke which boâ—h the Archbishops then coÌ„piled Good Mr T. P. read on to the end of that Bishops Chapter upon my honest word it may bâ—e much for your edification and others in our Church appearing against the late Arminian Montacutian faction Truly Sir if your book can be by you maintained to agree with all these who certeinelie very well understood the doctrine of their owne Church and bore as great a reverence to it as your selfe or any of your party then eris tu mihi magnus Apollo I will lay downe the bucklers with a profession too that when the Commons assembled in Parliament Jan. 29 An. Dom 1628. entred this following Remonstrance into their journall booke they meant to testifie their agreement with you and your party We the Commons now in Parliament assembled doe claime professe and avow for true that sense of the Articles of Religion which were established by Parliament in the 13. yeare of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth which by the publique Acts of the Church of England and by the generall and current exposition of the Writers of our Church hath been delivered to us and doe reject the sense of the Jesuites and Arminians and all others wherein they differ from us But all this will bee done by you as soon as an Eagle will swim or a Dolphin flie Virg. A me leves ergo volitabunt in aethere Cervi Well may you be able to shew your front in the undertaking (d) Aug. centra Jul. lib. 1. Mirum si in facie hominâ—s tantum intervallum sit inter frontem linguam 〈◊〉 hac causâ sâ—â—ns non comprâ—maâ— linguaâ— but you will shew no force in the Conquest 3. I even skip for joy at your referring your Reader to the citations which follow your first inference Sect. 18. whereby you sufficientlie intimate that they are but brought in there as fresh Auxiliaries coming in towards another fierce Battalio which you wage with your once conquered enemie Sir N. N. in this Chapter from thence all along though you doe foulie asperse your reall enemies but the Churches and my reall friends I may safely conclude I may forbeare all over-anxious paines about those authors which the necessitie of the cause by me defended against you will not require however something may bee said to stop the mouth of your importunity You your selfe give me a supersedeas when here you tell me to what purpose you produce them from troubling of my selfe much about them who with them from my sould detest your hatred against Sir N. N. assertion but have no mind to bee imploied in the resolving of the Question An chimaera bombinans in vacuo comedat secundas intentiones To chap. 2. and especiallie to the front and reare of the chapt sect 14. and 20. p. 17. and 31. with chap. 3. sect 35. p. 46. YOU had so valiantlie with Scripture Reason and Authority beaten Sir N. N. out of the field for maintaining God to be the Author of sinne in your first chapt as that in this and up and downe in your third taking spirits to your selfe after your victorious atchievements you adventure against God against the Antients against Reason against Arminius against your very selfe to start up another proposition viz. That man himselfe is the sole â—fficient cause of his eternall punishment This it seems you resolve in the two next following Chapters to defend contraomnes gentes sive Ethnicas sive Christianas that by Scripture Reason Authority In this certainly Hortensius noster sufflaminandus est And ergò that your courage may bee a little cooled I crave leave before I cleare it that in this undertaking you fight against God good men and even your selfe 1. To â—uâ— up your memorie with the old observation that Qui bene distinguit bene docet Hee who distinguisheth well teacheth well which had you minded you would not all alongin these two Chapters have confounded the Efficient or as I may say the making cause of all punishment cujus vi res est with the meritorious or procuring cause ob quam res est of all punishment whether temporall or eternall The first is the Almightie himselfe for that must needs hold true Amos the 3. 6. shall there be evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it 2. The second is onelie the sinfull will of man and Devils for that in another Prophet will hold as firmelie Hos 13. 5. O Israel thou hast destroied thy selfe but in me is thy help 2. I beg leave to tell you that p 46. sect 35. even there
vobis pro multis effunditur in remissionem peccatorum c. Quae porrò confirmantur ex Luc. 22. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Heb. 9. 28. Rom. 5. 18 19. from Mat. 20. 28. 26. 28. Heb. 9. 28. Rom. 5. 18. with 19. From Rom. 2. 4 5. produced p. 18. you can infer nothing but that the works of Gods common goodnesse and long-suffering have in their nature a tendency to provoke men to repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that God will take it well if they bee made use of to this end But they say not that God hath peremptorily decreed that all men shall make use of them to that end You know alius est finis operis alius operantis Here to help you out if you will make some kinde of use of the Antecedent and consequent will which you talke of often neither will I hinder nor force wiser men then I (Å¿) A. Rivet disp 7. de grat universali Thes 26. Nec tamen distinctionem illam rejicimus si verè explicetur vel ut Deus dicatur id velle voluntate antecedente quod apparet per se bonum expetendum secundum suam naruram absolutè consideratam consequente autem quod non per se secundum suam naturam tantum sed secundum omnes adjunctas circumstantias objectum bonum expeâ—endum appareat atque ita omnibus consideratis simpli citer proprie in divinam voluntatem cadit vel ut dicatur voluntas Dei antecedens ordinatio causae ad effectum aliquem licet effectus seu finis non sequatur consequens autem cum non solum Deus vult id est ordinat probat talia media ad finem consequendum sed ea etiam vult efficere It is prettie that in the drawing up of these first testimonies by which you thinke to have proved Gods equall and universall love to all men you someway slurre and disparage your owne evidences and yet in the gathering of them together though you used no concordance yet that eloquent learned man Vossius a man not very stable in the Arminian faith as I shall shew when I come to your p. 25. who 26. yeares agoe tied my eares to his most fluent oratoriall tongue was your concordance or as you say Expositor from the authoritie of the Ancients but where I cannot tell sure I am not as your margent directs whether by your owne or Printers mistake I will not dispute lib. 6. Thes 2. where I finde no such matter but in lib. 6. Thes 10. I find he starts up a Thesis out of Austin about absolute praedestination and preferring one by his grace above another which quite undoes all your chapt 5. (t) Vossius lib. 6. thes 10. Caeterùm Augustinus ut fortins premeret Pelagium communi patrum à se jam Episcopo defensae sententiae appendicem hanc annexuit quod gratia uni prae alio offeratur inque uno magis quam alio efficax sit id ab absoluto Dei decreto provenire Hoc enim cum deficere non possit eos omnes ac solos salvari quibus Deus gratiam conversionis perseverantiam absolutâ salvandi voluntate destinavit By 1 Tim. 4. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Rom. 11. 32. 2 Pet. 2. 1. you seeme to be upon confuting of the haeresie as you are pleased to call it p. 38. of Christs dying onely for the elect yet you never declare whether you beleeve that Christ dyed equally for the elect and reprobate nor doe you any where enucleate what kind of benefits Christ by his death hath procured for reprobates as well as for the elect and yet you should know that the hinge of the controversie turnes upon these matters nor can you without monstrous wronging your owne conscience and abominable slandring of your brethren put Helvidianisme upon them as p. 19. for giving the lie to the very words of the Text as you have a good mind to asperse them with who honest men and true as they be would only have you and others interpret them aright and not play with the word All where ever you meet with it in Scripture as hee did who as some where I long since read of standing on the port booked down in his Table book all the ships as his though not one of them belonged to him Your first out of 1 Tim. 4. 10. in which note that there is not one word of Christs death belongs not to you 1. Unlesse you can prove that the former part of your text which hath the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it will not as well as the Greek verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint or the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew be understood as it is Psal 56. 6. of a common providentiall salvation by vertue of Christs meer divine power as God blessed for ever In which sence if you please you may be allowed to call him a generall Saviour even of those who are unbeleevers and for this you may cite Heb. 1. 3. and many more places rather than of a mediatory salvation as a daies-man or propitiator Job 9. 33. procured onely for the elect and his mysticall bodie Acts 20. 28. 2. Unlesse you can evince contrary to the streine of other places Gal. 6. 10. Phil. 4. 11. 1 Tim. 5. 17. and 4. 13. that the Adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter part of the Text implies not such a distribution as carries away all that which is proprii nominis salvation purchased by Christ to another sort of people even beleevers when as those mentioned before are to content themselves with a common temporall salvation common both to men and beasts the evill and the good Psal 36. 6 7. Mat. 5. 45. 3. Untill you shall have taken into your Creed with your Copartners the Remonstrants (u) Corvin cont Molin c. 27 pronuntiat ad sect 4. Se omninò credere futuruÌ„ fuisse ut finis mortis Christi constaret etiamsi nemo cred disset Exam. censur p. 59. objecerant Professores Letdenses si hoc tantum meritus â—st Christus tum nobis non est meritus fidâ—m nec regenerationem respondent Remonstrantes sanè ita â—st nihil ineptius nihil vanius est quam hoc Christi merito tribuere Sin dicatur meritus nobis fideÌ„ regenerationem tum fides condiâ—io esse non poterat quam à peccatoribus Deus sub comminatione mortis aeternae exigeret imò tum patet ex vi meriti istius obligatus fuisse dicatur necesse ad conferendum nobis fidem and have proved it too That it was no part of Christs purchase by dying for to procure as well for his people faith and repentance from dead workes by which they are made good or gracious Tit. 2. 13. as to procure a place for them in heaven when they shall cease to bee obstinate unbeleevers or upon condition they will repent beleeve as
Hoard p 56. where hee quotes a saying out of Isidore de viris illustribus Would you but compare Vossii Hist Pelag. with the collections of Reverend Jac. Armach in his primord Eccles Britan or with those of that stupendious Jansen in his August or of Lâ—tii commâ—nâ—â—â— l. 2. de Pâ—lâ—g c. you would be lesse enamoured with Vossius or with your admirable Grotius among Catholiques 4. He hath utterlie spoiled your market whilst from him you learned it and I wish hee had never taught you a worse lesson to apply the distincton of voluntas antecedens consequens not to actum volendi in Deo but to res volitas p. 51. which application alone overthrowes all what you say about Gods conditionall or respective decrees and declares that with your Scriptures Reasons and Fathers you still fight against Sir N. N. or your selfe but against no other wise body 5. You have not yet perswaded me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas without any other necessitie save what you have created of bespattering of Mr Calvin Twisse c. you have made your former lesse than three sheets of paper to swell up into eleven almost in this your Correct Copy yet have not retracted any one errour but rather committed more 2. As for what need to bee said to the particular Authors brought in your Muster-role from p. 25. to 32. besides what hath been said alreadie give me leave to vent my selfe in some few generall propositions And here first Because I affect to bee somewhat Classicall I shall tanke all the Authors quoted by you into three Clastes 1. Of the Ancients before any Pelagian questions were started up 2. If you will but give me leave to coine a word the Augustinian Classis during Pelagius his time or anon after 3. The Modern Classis either of Pontificians or of Protestants forraine or of our own Church I say first in generall in reference to Position 1. all those unlesse it were Origen p. 26. I finde they speak nothing if they be candidlie interpreted which makes for Gods equall universall love to all mankinde the onely end for which you bring them or else they are brought in for no end and are disquieted in vain 2. More particularly all those of the first Position 2. Classis whether Greek or Latine which you bring might all very well have been spared 1. because they cannot bee presumed to bee fit determiners of those controverses which did arise in the Church after they were dead and gone (a) You have surely heard that Ante exortum Pelagium securius loquebantur patres August de praedest sanct c. 14. cont Jul. l. 1. c. 2. Disputantes in Catholica Ecclesia non se aliter inrelligi arbitrabantur tali quaestione nullus pulsabatur c. 2. We cannot but allow such especially in Sermons Epistles popular Catechismes discourses against known hereticks of another straine then the Pelagians a greater neglect of their stile and phrase then it were any way fit should be yielded them when known hereticks risen watch the advantages of all unwary expressions 3. Most of the Graecians especiallie those who came from the Philosophick schools to bee Doctors in the Christian brought so much of their Philosophy with them into the Church as that Divinitie was farre the worse for them (b) Corn. Jan. in Aug. â— 2. proem Inter graecos c. Theologicae doctrinae princeps olim Origenes post illum Chrysostomus fuit unde sua derivarunt Theodoretus Oecumenius Theophylactus ac Damascenus sed ita c. 4. Yet none of them all was such an Erra pater in Divinitie as Origen who abounds almost with as many errors as lines and who as our reverend Bishop Hall said of him wittilie desinebat esse vir for he would need understand that place Mat. 19. 12. about castration literallie sed non malus interpres This very man who also hath learnedly been proved many yeares before Pelagius was born to have laid the grossest foundations of Pelagianisme (c) Jansen August Tom. ult p. 1136. Origenes in Epistolam ad Rom. in libris pâ—riarch errorem dâ— praedestinatione secundum praescientiam omnesque caeteros Pelagianorum Massiliensium tanta copiâ accuratione praecudit ut post Pelagii aetatem vixisse videatur vid. lib. 6. c. 13 14 15 c. He I say and he alone is brought by you contrary to scripture Rom. 9. 22. Jude 4. and some of that very antiquitie appearing in your Catalogue as any body may see who will but overlook it for to father a notion for you which also you had the boldnesse to communicate to your auditors in a Lecture at Daintrey viz. That God made hell onely for wicked Devils but not for wicked men full out as bad as Devils 5. Not only learned orthodox Protestants (d) See at large for this Dr Whitaker de peccato origin l. 2. c. 2. D. Morton Apolog. 1. part p. 267. Bogerman cont Annotat H. Grotii but even the learneder sort of Papists (e) Cont. Discuss H. Grotii have warned us against the overlavish expressions of Theophylact Euthimius Chrysost Oecumenius Macarius c. which yet are in very great state produced by you as in this your list so up and down your booke without taking notice of any such Advisoes given in But it will not be amisse to remember that abundans cautela non nocet 6. Most if not all these Authors were before ever Vossius booked them downe collected to his hand by your admirable H. Grotius in his ordinum Hollandiae c. Westfrisiae pietas who also had borrowed them out of severall parts of Bellarmines writings (f) Bogerm ubi supra parte secunda and that same unconquerable Grotius of yours hath from Joh. Bogermans received a particular answer to most of them where you shall doe well to fetch yours also 7. Damascene though of much later standing than the former of the first Classis yet he as a Graecian may be ranked among them as living in the Graecian Churches nothing neer so much pestered with Pelagianisme as the Latine As for the distinction of Gods Antecedent and Consequent will alledged by you and others sometimes out of him and out of Chrysost as indeed as yet sub judice lis est who was the father of that invention I have already in this writing of mine shewed that possibly there may bee some good use of it if wise men may but have the management of it and I have elsewhere in my first writing made it evident that ever since the first minting of it it hath been a very apple of contention in the Church especially among the Schoolmen none of all which if we may beleeve a great Schoolman Dr Twisse one only excepted (g) That is Gregor Ariminens D. Twisse vindic l. 2. digr 8. p. 455. Sciendum quod quaecunque Deus vult nobis aut
facit in nobis vel habent in nobis causam meritoriam talia dicit Damasc Deum velle consequenter sicut poenam quamlibet quam propterea vulâ— nobis quia peccamus ita quod peccatum est causa meritoria poenae quam nobis infligit Aut non habent in nobis talem causam meritoriam saltem primam sed ex sua gratia sua voluntate illa nobis concedit talia sunt omnia bona quae habemus hoc dicit ip sum Deum velle nobis voluntate antecedente quoniam nulla in nobis causa antecedit nec propter aliud in nobis vel ex nobis vult primâ— aliqua bona nob is sed ex sua bonitate primo unde merita nostra dona sunt ejus ut August 13. de Trin. Non ergo talis-voluntas consequitur causaliter vel meritoriè aliquid in nobis ideo non excausa nostra sicut voluntas punitionis sed ex seipso Et ideo vocat illam consequentem hanc antecedentem hanc manifestè patet intuenti diligenter esse intentionem ejus c. had ever the happinesse to explaine it any thing handsomely 3. Damascene the great pretended Author of it 1. Seems not to be constant to himselfe for here as you quote him p. 27. out of lib. 2. c. 29. orthod fidei whilst he distinguisheth in God his antecedent from his consequent will hee must needs at least as the words sound ascribe deliberation properly so called in counsell and mutations of counsell also to God which else where he doth deny for saith he ib. c. 22. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To advise or to take counsell is an argument of ignorance 2. In this his device he seems but to jump with much such another as before him was taken up by the Massilians for the same end and purpose (h) Quia non omnes salvos fieri certum est hinc illud propositum generale non absolutum sed ineffieax quasi conditionatum statuunt viz. Si homines ipsi velint consentiant Dilucidis verbis eorum sensum Prosp ad Aug. promit Itaque quantum ad Deum pertinet omnib paratam vitam aeternam quantum autem ad arbitrii libertatem ab his eam apprehendi qui Deo sponte crediderunt quxilium gratiae merito credulitatis acceperint And this to be your meaning the same with theirs and their Leaders Faust Rheg l. 1. de grat lib. arb is plaine throughout your book but especially by what you have out of Dr Andrews p. 20. and out of Hilar. p. 260. and Anselme p. 27. And yet you would make us beleeve you are much for Prosper 4. The Arminians and yet it seems to be most proper Lettice for their lips the very Helena they are enamoured withall could never yet by it commend or divend any of their Arminian wares any thing the better for that at no hand they agree in opening the mysticall meaning of it And you amongst all the rest of that generation are the most unhappy in the management of it for that you are not only as your great Vossius and your domestique Dr Jackson to whom you are much beholden for abusing the world with your two first principles p. 6. which you took from him and which you understand full out as equivocally as he driven to confesse p. 51. that you understand this distinction not in respect of Gods will simply in which there can be neither prius nor posterius but in respect of the things which are the objects of his will but also because p. 40. you doe it seems even in proprietie of speech ascribe such velleities would bees yea such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Almighty as is most contrary to his nature In the first way of explaining the distinction you are unhappy however it be foelix infortunium to the Church in that with your own hands you overthrow most part of your book to be sure all your third Chapter as I shall shew when I come to it In the latter if you doe but stand to it you will become Atheisticall (m) And say with Vorstiuâ— de Deo p. 195. Non satis circumspectè loquuntur qui Deum ut essentia sic voluntate prorsus immutabilem esse affirmant Voluntas Dei ad extra non minus in Deo quam in Angelis hominib ad opposita vertibilis Id p. 371. Nihil absurdi inde sequitur quod Deus in tempore quaedam praecise velle vel nolle dicatur quae fortasse non antea it a praecise voluit vel noluit p. 486. poenitentia Deo rectè convenit quatenus ipse opera sua propter supervenientem aliquam causam insperatam verè improbat deseriâ— aut mutat And this for the Authors of the first Classis 2. As for the Authors of the second Classis Austin and his genuine followers I make not the least doubt of it but you would as gladly have them all unclassed as you could wish that Calvin and Beza had never at Geneva appeared for Classes Synodi a thing which I am sure you are as angry at as the fellow that wrote the Clerico-classicum of late And this I gather 1. In that in the matters debated bordering upon Pelagianisme against which if in any thing he was his crafts-master you would have Austin turn'd off from the Bench of your Jury p. 28. and that upon some shadow of reason which one and but one Grotius delivers in in a book of his wherein beyond Cassander the Text which he was to defend he carrries on his cruell Popish designe against all Protestants (n) Riv. Dyalis in Discuss Grotâ—i p. 595 c. The discussor being the last book that ever Grotius wrote Grotium nobis benè volu isse nec suisse quantum potuâ—t in nostrus persecutionum incentorem incendiarium nemo credet sanus qui postrema ejus scripta legerit in qu bus omnibus pacem offert ut nobis solis bellum indicatur c. And what the goodly designe was which Grotius before his death travelled with he thus tels us himselfe in the last leafe save one of that his last book p. 255. as if hee were making of his last Will and Testament Restitutionem christianorum in unum idemque corpus semper optatum à Grotio sciunt qui ipsum nôrunt Existimavit autem aliquando incipi posse à protestantium inter se conjunctione Postea vidit id plane fieri nequire quia praeterquam Calvinistarum ingenia fermè omnium ab omni pace sunt alienissima Protestantes nullo inter se communi Ecclesiastico Regimine sociantur Quae causa est cur partes aliae aliae sint exsurrecturae Quare nunc planè ita sentit Grotius multi cum eo non posse protestantes inter se jungi nisi simul jungantur cum iis qui sedi Romanae N. B. cohaerent sine qua nullum
any such thing as imputativa justitia imputed righteousnesse 2. You should know that God enters not into an everlasting covenant with his people for the electing of them but because he hath elected them to the obteinment of faith and obedience Gen. 15. 1. Deut. 15. 11. 2 Thes 2. 13. 3. That the covenant of grace is first and chiefly made with Christ as the Head and Mediatour of the Church Isa 53. 10 11. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Gal. 3. 16. before it is made with Christs people and in him it is more absolute then conditionall or belike as Austin observed of old against the Pelagians (g) Aug. l. de praedest Sanct. c. 10. Promiserat quod ipse facturus est non quod homines quia et si faciunt homines bona quae pertinent ad colendum Deum ipse facit ut illi faciant quae praecepit non illi faciunt ut ipse faciat quod promisit Alioquin ut Dei promissa compleantur non in Dei sed in hominum est potestate quod à Domino promissum est ab ipsis redditur c. Idem lib. de gra lib. arb c. 16 Magnum alâ—quid Pelagiani se scire putant quando dicunt non juberet Deus quod sciret ab homine fieri non posse Quis hoc nesciat Certum est nos velle cum volumus sed ille facit ut velimus de quo dictum est quod praeparatur voluntas à Domino it depends more upon men then God that the Lords promises are fulfilled or that Christ hath any flock at all 4. If all covenants divine as well as humane are conditionall you nullifie all the absolute promises which in scriptures are made to the elect of giving them Christ of giving them vocation the circumcision of the heart faith illumination repentance c. which sure are absolute promises or else assign you us the condition of them without falling into absolute Pelagianisme and stumbling upon the first stone of the most hatefull point of it That the grace of Christ is given according to the works of nature 5. If the Covenant of grace be as inindifferently made with all mankinde in the second Adam Jesus Christ the great thing which for the introducing of universall grace the Pelagians did most stoutly plead for (h) Aug. lib. de gest Pelag. Gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari Prosp epist ad Aug. Quantum ad Deum pertinet omnib paratum esse vitam aetarnaÌ„ c. Armin. Resp ad Art 31. Art 13. 19. Deus universum genus humanum in reconciliationis gratiam assumpsit cum Adamo omnibusque ejus posteris in eo foedus gratiae inivit c. as the first covenant of works was in the first Adam before his fall then 1. All the Rakehels in the earth nay in hell are as truly Christs confederates and members of his body as any of the elect of God given to him of the father or any of the Saints in Heaven 2. Then if God in Christ hath made a covenant of grace promiscuously with all hee would not certainely divulge it to so few in all ages Psal 147. 19. 6. If the covenant of grace bee still as conditional as that of works made with Adam was which runs thus Doe this and thou shalt live and that still this is all the covenant which God under the Gospell hath made with his people Beleeve and obey and thou shalt be saved then under the Gospell mans yoke is not made lighter but heavier Christ is not as one that takes off the yoke Hos 11. 4. but as one who ties it on faster 1. By how much two conditions are harder then one 2. By how much lesse any light of nature suggests any thing tending towards the beliefe of that great mystery of Godlinesse recommended to us in the Gospell 1 Tim. 3. 16. then it doth towards the beleeving that God as our chiefe good is to be loved with all our hearts c. Mat. 22. 37. and that we are to be justified by an inherent righteousnesse of our owne rather then an imputed one of a crucified Saviour 7. As for your criticisme about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Title of our Gospel al know that there it only signifies the books of the New Testament but if we attend the Apostles explication of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9. 15 16 17. we must take the Gospell covenant of grace to bee rather a Testament then a covenant strictly so called which on both sides is conditionall By vertue of the former our Testator procures grace for us for the fulfilling of the conditions of the covenant which therefore is said to be established upon better promises Heb. 8. 6. and 9 10 11. By vertue of the latter both parties are left to their liberty upon non-performance of conditions As for your third taken from the unlimited generality of promises and threats c. 1. None of them all are proposed that we might obteine election or avoid reprobation but that by them our salvation might be promoted and our condemnation avoided 2. Even these are not so much as divulged at least not ordinarily unto all but onely to such as some way or other are in the Church 3. According to this Divinity election unto life is made as common as the proposall of promises exhortations c. 4. The sequell of it is all along but this preaching would be vaine exhortations deceitfull c. Vaine towards the elect 1. Though by them as by externall meanes God intends to bring such to salvation Rom. 1. 16. 2. Though he intend to work with them and in them what he exhorts them to (i) Aug. l. de gra lib. arb cap. 15. Facite vobis cor novum c. Qui dicit dabo vobis cor novum Quomodo ergo dicit facite vobis â—ur jubet si ipse est daturus Quare dat si homo facturus est nisi quia dat quod jubet adjuvat ut faciat cui jubet Vid. plura l. de persev 2. c. 14. Dominus ipse hominibus praecepit ut crederent nec tamen ideo falsa est sententia nec vana definitio ubi ait nemo venit ad me nisi datum fuerit à patre meo 3. Though they as well as any stand in need to bee acquainted with their duties and to be excited to the performance of them Deceitfull words to the reprobate 1. Though by them they come to be acquainted with their duties which though without speciall grace they cannot perform yet they doe not cease to owe to God 2. All fig-leaves of excuse are taken away from them because it is their course to brag as Austin observed of old that if they might but have known Gods will they would have done it 3. They are oftentimes by heeding of them made much better by attaining to some common graces shunning some
is bound to bestow upon any and as much as your Arminian principles will allow God to bestow upon any at all of the elect of God towards their conversion I say how are such jeered by Christ or any of his Ministers 6. Are not you the onely sarcastick merry blade who would faine make the world and Church beleeve in this very page that you at no hand like it that any should shelter themselves under the haere sie of Pelagius by denying originall sinne and mans naturall impotency and in that sense impossibility to any saving good without Gods grace and yet in this very place flout at it under the notion of a naturall and fatall infirmity with which God made him as really as he makes a stammerer or a blind man Whereas I think you cannot but know that 1. Both against the Jesuites and you too as I conceive we all maintaine that man at first was created in true righteousnesse and holinesse Eccl. 7. 29. Eph. 4. 24. 2. That then he needed not so much as the golden bridle of originall righteousnesse which your Camerades the Jesuites so much speak of for the repressing of his naturall concupiscence 3. That it may be lawfull to upbraid those with their impotencies who have lamed or blinded themselves or bound their owne feet to such we may say out of our just indignation come hither to me and I will lift thee up as well as the Lord did play upon Adam presently after his fall Gen. 3. 22. or as hee did long after upon the Israelites when they had forsaken him Judg. 10. 14. Will you say that God cannot be in good earnest with such unlesse he set their feet at liberty though he never did tie them nor is bound to loose them nor they in the case they are in doe care to have them loosed yea would think it the only bondage to be freed from their sinnes If we do this doe you think your selfe able to avoid that Pelagianisme (u) Let any wise man tell me how much your opinion about free wils conjunction with grace set down c. 4. differs from that of Pelagius in his Epist ad Innocent Quum liberi arbitrii potestatem dioimus in omnibus esse generaliter c. in omnibus est liberum arb aequaliter per naturam sed in solis Christianis adjuvatur gratia c. illi ideo judicandi damnandi sunt quia cum habeant liber arb per quod ad fidem venire possent c. male utuntur libertate concessa c. which you would faine fasten upon Calvin p. 37. and which will stick upon him as a dart in a rock but cleaves as fast to your opinions as your skinne to your selfe To shew what great affections you have to protestantisme you do once more enter your protest against a great Leader of Protestants The first you take out of lib. 3. institut c. 23. 7. You have been told divers times how these expressions of his and others must be taken viz. of a will of efficacious permission or ordering of the fall and say you if you dare that when Adam fell and all mankind in him God stood by as a meer speculator or gazer on not of reall effection or working of it by any force or violence 2. How harsh soever in this place his words may sound in your delicate tender eares yet 1. When on the place he quotes Austin for what he saies out of his Enchirid. ad Laurent 2. When as elsewhere he declaimes most strenuously against those who are for Gods absolute power or will as it is separated from his justice (o) Calvin de divin praedest p. 7. 28. Sorbonicum illud dâ—gma in quo sibi plaudunt papales theolegastâ—i detestor quod potentiam absolutam Deo affingit c. and makes lapsed man only the object of reprobation (p) Inde constanter exordiendum esse semper docui aâ—que hodie doceo jure in morle relinqui omnes reprobos qui in Adamo mortui sunt aâ—que damnati de aeter Dei praedest when as he saith nothing but what the Schoolmen of old were wont to say without any controle (q) Vid D Dav. animadver p. 245. c. All these things might have abated your rage against poor Calvin 3. You belike have a world of other just reasons besides the just will of God for if it be once proved to be Gods will it must needs be just he can neither doe nor will any unrighteous thing (r,) Carthus in 4 dis 46. aâ— 1. Totus ordo justuiae oâ—igâ—nallter ad divâ—nam voluntatem reducitur c. to bring in why God would permit the fall of Adam Yet Arminius himselfe a wiser and warier man then you would ever confess this point too hot for his fingers (Å¿) Vid. Cameron cap. dâ—fens sent 2. The next place against Calvin you take out of Ezek. 18. 23. with which text you say he was pinched but how â—aâ—d he was pinched I will not now determine because I have not the book by me onely let me say 1. As to the glosse which you make upon his words That God wils wicked mens conversion so as to command it but he does not will it so as to leave it possible that is hee wils it in shew but not in reality You have been often told that wicked mens conversion would bee possible enough if their own wicked wils did not make it impossible (t) Austin de Gen. ad lit 11 12. Posset Deus horum voluntates conviâ—câ—re quoniam omnipotens est Cur ergo non secit quia noluit Cur noluerit pâ—nes ipsum est And yet that no mans conversion shall ever bee actuall without Gods speciall grace giving him repentance Acts 15. Yea that God really would like or approve the conversion of any sinner though he neither here nor any where else say that he will effect or work all men to repentance 2. As to the inference which you make of the impossibility of Calvins avoiding ugly sequels I suppose you meane the ugly sequels of jeering or opposing the secret will (u) These two may well stand together Ruiz dâ— volunt Disp 20. p. 215. c. Deus vult ut omnes credant salvi siant Deus vult dâ—crevit permittere ut qui dam increduli maneant pertant volunt are absoluâ—a to the revealea or else I cannot tell what you meane by sequels unlesse he will fall upon the haeresie of Pelagius in maintaining that a sinner may repent by the strength and force of nature I suppose not any the least child but can see how to cleare Calvin from the accusation of Pelagianisme by saying that it is in God by his speciall grace to remove any mans impenitencie when he pleaseth as was said afore but I fear the most Epidaurian Lyncian eies of the (x) Aust Epist ad Sixtum 105. Cum à b istis quaeritur quam
can thinke any other prayers would be well pleasing to God then such as are agreeable to his word then such as are put up in faith by the spirit c. If you think otherwise you will as soon prove it from their writings as Dr Jackson shall from any true Philosophie prove his vigorous rest or Dr Hammond the great that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or superstition in scripture is taken in a good sense 3. Whether if according to our principles any individuall person here in this life could be certaine that hee were an absolute reprobate by Gods praedeterminatiâ—n or according to you absolutely foreknowne by God to be a reprobate unlesse you maintein Gods pâ—aescience to be as well conditionall as his praedetermination he were bound to say the Lords praier or no I will not dispute but I may say that Austin some where hath it that if the Church were but as certaine who are reprobate as it is certeine that Judas is gone to his owne place Act. tam pro illis non oraret quam non pro Juda vel damnat is ipsis 4. You tell me newes that when reprobates say their Pater noster they pray vehemently I would hope that those whom you do commend unto me for the power of Godlinesse without any affected forme say their Pater noster (u) I believe indeed in them it iâ— a formless thing even rudis indigestaque moles Jam 5. 16. after another guess-fashion Sure I know that true vehemency or zeale of spirit is a fruit of faith and of the Spirit and so not belonging to reprobates Tit. 1. 1. 5. How falsely and wickedly soever you object the Devils Pater noster whereby a man is bound to pray for his owne damnation I am sure that Austin of old against the Pelagians who denied the speciall grace of God by which it is given the elect to doe and to will according to Gods own will and pleasure tels them that they doe but flout God in their praiers when they pray to God to bestow that upon them which is in their own power to bestow upon themselves (x) Augustinum de natura grat cap. 18. Quid stultius quam orare ut facias quod in potestate habeas Idem ad Vitalem Epist 17. 107. Pâ—orsus non oramus Deum sed orare nos fingimus si nos ipsos non illum credimus facere quod oramus Rursus Labia dolosa si in hominum quibuscunque sermoâ—ibus sunt saltem in orationibus non sunt Absit ut quod facere Deum rogamus oribus vocibus nostris eum facere negamus cordibus nostris quod est gravius ad al vs etiam decipiendos non laceamus disputationibus nostris dum volumus apud homines defendere liberum arbitrium apud Deum perdamus orationis auxilium And the like may be said of your praiers though as one of your first Uncorrected Copies tels me you say them in a Chappell p. 11. And I doubt not but you judge too the prayers to be the holier for the Chappels sake or else you hold not with your St Andrewes commended for such by your p. 41. (y) A man so deeply in love with templâ—ry Relative holinesse of materiall Churches even in the dâ—ies of the Gospell as that Reverend Mr Meed told me above 20. yeares since that the sight of the Chappels of Bp Andrewes â—nd his devotion about them put him first upon the study of the holinesse of Churches which afterwards little to the credâ—t of his other opinions he wrote so much for for there is nothing so manifest as that by what you there say p. 11. about mans concurrence in his first conversion for about that you should know that the dispute lies betwixt you and your adversaries the Anti-arminians and by the bright simile by which in this Correct Copy taken from the eâ—elid p. 63. where with you illustrate your assertion that you must hold that it is more from man then God that any is illuminated or converted this then forceth me to conclude with that excellent Poet Buchanan Psal 36. 1. Vt extra flammis mille sacrificiis cremes Oscula des saxis ingemicesque prâ—ces Arasque donis largus aceumules tuis Non facies tamen ut te rear esse pium As for what you close up this wordy Section withall that Prosper in behalfe of himselfe and Master cals the sequels of that opinion which hee disowns most sottish blasphemies and not onely prodigious but divelish lies you have very finely passed a censure upon most of your Pamphlet to be sure upon all the ugly sequels which you would fasten upon Calvins doctrine or those who follow him For he and they do as strenuously as ever Austin or Prosper disallow all such sequels as you would fasten upon them any way to follow from absolute praedestination as they state it in their owne writings and not as you to make them odious have all along represented them in this your Pamphlet wherein you deale as disingenuouslie with them as the worst of Papists your good friends in the doctrines vented in this your book did with John Huss at Constance when they set upon him an hatfull of painted Devils to signifie how diabolicall his opinions were For although in the diabolicall Index which you draw up p. 11. there be some of their words snatched from their meaning as the Massilian Vincentius did snatch many from the very text of Austin as is most plaine Your Index may justly be stiled the Devils Inventory Qui colit Deos ille facit Meus est quem recitas O fidentine libellus Ast male dum recitas incipit esse tuus They no more maintain God to be author of sinne nor to damn men without any intuition of sin as you lay to their charge most petulantlie and slanderouslie then Austin did the most of things objected by Vincentius Sect. 32. p. 43 44. c. IF that be true which you say that these latter citations are but to the same purpose with your former for the proofe of that second inference which is p. 46. That sinne is properly the cause of its punishment or as You have it p. 32. That every reprobate is praedeterminated to eternall punishment not by Gods irrespective but condâ—tionall decree If you will cast upon this latter some graines of salt I think I have sufficiently cleared it that you will bring them in to no purpose unlesse it were to flourish with them against Sir N. N. whom you prosecute with a Vatinian or Anticalvinisticall hatred But 2. Because at first dash of this Section where you say you will first marke that this first hath never a second to be his second set down the confession of Mr Calvin you would faine make the world beleeve that Mr Calvin who as I (z) Calv. de Aetern praedest Si ex Augustino integrum volumen contexere libeat lectoribus ostendere promptum esset