fourthly that the Reprobate may bee conuerted and saued 〈◊〉 ly that Christ dyed for the reprobates and that it is the purpose and will of God simply that all men without exception should be saued Some do subiect Election vnto Gods eternall decree but not Reprobation Others putting no difference betweene Reprobation and Damnation do thinke as God doth passe by some men of his meere pleasure that he doth in like sort damne them of his meere will and pleasure whereas indeed sinne is the cause why men are damned Many of the Romish synagogue do teach that men are elected for their foreseene faith and meritorious works And it is the common opinion of all Papists that the Elect cannot be certaine and sure of their election vnlesse it be extraordinarily by some speciall reuelation and singular priuiledge Many also there are which would not haue this doctrine publickly taught by the Minister but without good reason For first as the Minister must not search the secrets of God which are not reuealed so he must not suppresse or hide that which is reuealed For things Reuealed belong to Deu. 29. 29. vs and to our children for euer as Moses teacheth Therefore as we may not search into those things which God will haue kept secret so we may in no wise be wholly ignorant of those things which he hath reuealed vnto vs. But this doctrine of Predestination is very plentifully and perspicuously reuealed and deliuered vnto vs in the Scriptures Secondly as the word of God omitteth nothing which is needefull to be knowne touching the saluation of our soules so wee must know that it teacheth nothing but that which is profitable and worthy to be learned of all For that speach of Paul to the Romanes is true of all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles also VVhatsoeuer things were written were written for Rom. 15. 4 our learning But the word of God doth teach this doctrine of Election and Reiection as is euident by many places therein therefore it is necessary and fit to be taught of the Minister and to be learned of the people Thirdly it is the duetie of all faithfull Ministers to teach all the counsell of God as Paul sayth Act. 20. 27. hee did but Predestination is a part of Gods counsell therefore it ought to bee deliuered of vs vnto the people of God alwayes remembring that wee applie our selues to your capacities and teach it orderly as occasion serueth keeping our selues in all sobrietie within the limits of the Word Fourthly Christ commaundeth the Gospell to be preached Mark 10. 15. to euery creature but this Doctrine belongeth to the Gospell and therefore is to bee preached vnto the vnlearned as to the learned Lastly all Ministers are bound to keepe back nothing which is profitable but to shew Act. 20 20. it as Paul did But the doctrine of Predestination is very profitable For first it letteth vs see the omnisciencie the omnipotencie the soueraignetie and immutable nature of God Secondly it serueth to increase and confirme our faith and hope concerning the eternall felicitie of our soules and bodyes seeing it is not founded vpon our selues or vpon any sandie foundation but vpon the constant and vnchangeable good pleasure of God Thirdly it teacheth vs not to wonder at the small number of beleeuers and at the hardnesse and blindnesse of many mens hearts and minds For it sheweth that God hath elected but a fewe and hath Math. 20. 16. passed by many leauing them vnto themselues and deliuering them vp into the hands of the Diuell Fourthly it serueth to strengthen and comfort vs in all afflictions and to arme vs against all the fiery darts of the Diuell and the fury of his lims For it sheweth that nothing can separate vs froÌ„ the loue of God and that all things Rom. 8. 28 39. worke for the best vnto them that loue God euen vnto them that are called of his purpose All stormes and waues of woe shall passe ouer and in the end we shall rest in the quiet hauen of euerlasting happinesse Fiftly this doctrine stayeth vs from taking offence at the Apostacy of many professors for it sheweth vs that all is not gold which glisters and that some stand for a time and some stand fast for euer If they had been of vs sayth Iohn they should haue continued with vs. Sixtly it teacheth 〈◊〉 Iohn 2. 19. vs to acknowledge Gods singular goodnesse towards vs who of his meere good will toward vs hath elected vs vnto eternall life and the fruition of immortall glory in the heauens Seuenthly it serueth to teach vs humility and to beate downe the pride of our harts For it sheweth that Gods grace and not our goodnesse is the originary cause of our welfare and saluation The cause which mooued God to choose vs rather then many others was not our foreseene preparations or meritoriouâ— works but his owne loue and free good will toward vs. Lastly to 〈◊〉 sundry vses which might be made of this one doctrine it teacheth vs to ascribe the glory of our saluation to God alone and to walke thankefully before him manifesting the gratitude of our hearts by our religious righteous and sober liues To conclude some are so far out of loue with this doctrine that they can scarce with patience indure to heare it spoken of And many licencious and prophane persons do very wickedly abuse it to take vnto themselues liberty of lasci 〈◊〉 us and loose 〈◊〉 For say they if I be ordeyned to 〈◊〉 ed I cannot be damned 〈◊〉 if damnation be my destiny I can neuer be saued And therefore it skilleth not how I liue for if God haue appointed me to be saued I shall be saued though I do iust nothing and it he haue determined that I shall be damned I shall neuer escape it though I liue neuer so well For Gods decree is constant his appointment shall stand whosoeuer sayth nay to it But these men forget that God doth predestinate men as well to vse the meanes as to atteine vnto the end As he hath appointed a man to liue so he hath appoynted the same man to vse those meanes which preserue life as meate drinke rest recreation labour phisicke Euen so as hee hath appoynted a man to be saued hee hath appoynted him to vse the meanes and to walke in the way of saluation as to beleâ—ue and therefore the scripture saith So many as were ordeined to euerlasting life beleeued Act. 13 48. And Paul shew 〈◊〉 that those God doth call 〈◊〉 bee hath predestinated and iustifieth those 〈◊〉 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth effectually call before he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them And in his Epistle to the Ephesians he teacheth that as God hath chosen vs vnto life eternall so he hath Ephes. 1. 4. also chosen vs in Christ that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue and that as hee hath ordeyned vs vnto saluation so hee hath created vs
sanctifie Any but Those who are cleansed and dead to sinne Redemption washing away and sanctification are partakers together The Application is when as Christ is giuen vnto vs of God the Father by the Spirit in the lawfull vse of the Word and Sacraments and is receiued of vs by the instrument of a true faith And Christ being giuen is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. The accomplishment of the application is Glorification whereby God shal be all in all by Christ in all the elect By this which hath been said it is apparent that the decree of election is the cause and foundation of all good giftes and workes in men From hence is true faith Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained vnto eternall life beleeued And calling Rom. 8. whom he predestinated them he called And who are called of his purpose Hence Adoption Eph. 1. predestinated to Adoption And sanctification Eph. 1. He hath chosen vs that we should be holie and blamelesse Hence good workes Ephes. 2. Which he hath prepared that we should walke in them And perseuerance Ioh. 6. All that the Father giueth me shall come vnto me and 〈◊〉 6. 37. 39 him that commeth to me I cast not away Againe And this is the Fathers will that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knowâ—te who are his Excellent is that saying of Augustine He did choose no man worthie but by chusing he made him worthie Againe Cont. Iul. Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 3. In Psal. 41. It is the grace of God whereby he doth elect me not because any worthines is in me but because it doth vouchsafe to make me worthie Againe And did not they also afterwaâ—ds chuse him and preferre him before all the good things of this life but they did chuse him because they were chosen they were not chosen because they chused him And thus much of the decree of election The decree of reprobation is a worke of Gods prouidence whereby he hath decreed to passe by certaine men in regard of supernaturall grace for the manifestation of his iustice and wrath in their due destruction or it is his will whereby he suffreth some man to fall into sinne and inflicteth the punishment of condemnation for sinne It hath in like manner two actes The first is the purpose to forsake some men and to make knowen his iustice in them This act hath a finall cause but no impulsiue cause out of God For it ariseth of Gods meere good pleasure no respect had of good or euill in the creature For the will of God is the cause of causes therfore we must make our stand in it and out of or beyond it no reason must be sought for yea indeed there is nothing beyond it Moreouer euery man as Paul Rom. 9. 21. auerreth is vnto God as a lumpe of clay in the potters hand and therefore God according to his supreme authoritie doth make vessels of wrath he doth not find them made But hee should not make them but find them made if we say that God willed in his eternall counsell to passe by men only as they are sinners and not as they are men for causes most iust though vnknowen to vs. Thirdly if God did reiect men because he foresaw that they would reiect him reprobatioÌ„ should not depend vpon God but vpon men themselues And this is all one as if a man should say that God foresaw that some would chuse him and others refuse him And the contempt of the Gospell doth not befall infants which die out of the couenant of the Gospell Fourthly Paul who was a most skilful defender of Gods iustice doth exclude all workes in the first place out of this wonderfull election of one from another made in the counsell of God Not by workeâ— saith he and therefore excludeth all respect of sinne then Rom. 9. 11. afterwards being rauished with admiration he quieteth himselfe in the alone will of God Who hath resisted his will But O man who art thou which pleadest against Rom. 9. 19. 20. Rom. 11. 33 God Againe O the deepenes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgments and his waies past finding out To conclude if it be demaunded why God created this world and no more we must haue recourse 〈◊〉 â—he meere will of God and why must we not doe so if it be demaunded why God electeth this man and forsaketh that man or another Author de vec gent. A part of mankinde is redeemed a part perisheth But who can tell why God doth not pity them and pitieth these the reason of the distinction is vnknowen but the distinction or separation it selfe is not knowen The second act is the ordaining of them to punishment or due destruction This ordination in respect of the diuerse consideration thereof may be distinguished and so it is either simple or comparatiue The simple ordination is that wherby this man suppose Peter or Iohn is ordained to punishment And this ordination is of the most iust will of God yet not without respect of originall and actuall sinnes For as men are actually damned for sin so God hath decreed to damne them for the same sinne Yet notwithstanding sin is not the cause of the decree of reprobation but in regard of order it goeth before in Gods fore-knowledge not that former but this latter act The ordination which stands in comparison is that whereby one man and not another and this man rather then that being in the like condition is ordeined to punishment This serueth to shew the libertie of Gods will in the dispensation of supernaturall benefits For in that God chuseth this man and not that it declareth the libertie and very great perfection of God and therefore vnder the name of an housholder he challengeth the same vnto himselfe when he saith May I not doâ— Maâ— 20. 15. with my own what I list And verely though God destroy and condemne all those whom he doth forsake yet should he not be iniust For we our selues in the daily killing and slaughtering of beasts will not be counted vniust neither indeed are we and yet in comparison of God we are not so much worth as a flie is in respect of vs. If it be lawfull for thee to receine in or to thrust out any out of thine house because thou wilt it were a point of desperate boldnes to take the same right from God in his house The cause of this comparatiue ordination is the sole wil of God yea euen without respect of any sinne at all So Augustine God deliuereth no man but of his free mercy and condemneth no man but mâ—st righteously Now why he deliuereth this man rather then that let him search who can diue into the great depth of his iudgements Againe why is
A C 〈◊〉 N AND 〈◊〉 E TREATISE OF THE manner and order of Predestination and of the largenes of Gods grace FIRST WRITTEN IN LATINE by that Reuerend and faithfull seruant of God Master William Perkins late Preacher of the Word in Cambridge AND CAREFVLLY TRANSLATED into English by FRANCIS CACOT and THOMAS TVKE Romanes 8. vers 29. 30. For those which he knew before he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne that he might be â—he first borne among many brethren Moreouer whom he predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them be also glorified AT LONDON Printed for WILLIAM WELEY and Martin Clarke 1606. To the Right VVorshipfull Sir Peter Buck Knight And to the vertuous Lady his Wife Grace and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. RIght Worshipfull amongst the manifold points of Christian Religion the trueth of the Doctrine coÌ„cerning Predestination is worthy serious and sober study for the sound vnderstanding thereof For first it is something difficult obscure Secondly because it is by some eagerly impugned as a friuolous and forged inuention of mans braine Thirdly diuers opinions haue passed from diuers meÌ„ diuersly about this one point whereas notwithstanding there is but one truth and one definite and constant sentence to be found in holy writ concerning it Fourthly this one doctrine doth giue very good euidence and an ample demonstration of Gods infinite mercie and exact iustice Fiftly it affordeth some taste of his profound and impenetrable counsell Sixtly it doth notably manifest his admirable wisdome and policie and the incorruptible purity of his nature who wisely disposeth all things and vseth euen euils without iniustice and the least receipt or infusion of corruption and all for the manifestation of the glory of his Name and of the splendour of his renowmed properties Seuenthly it confoundeth the common cauill of many desperate and infatuated Atheists who would make Gods predestination the pillar of their sensuall security and secure sensualitie Lastly it ministreth exceeding comfort vnto those who renouncing the kingdome of Sinne do liue like Saints in the kingdome of Grace First because it is not possible for any such to sinne with full consent of heart Secondly because no personall merits are required of them Thirdly because the Spirit of God abideth in them who is busy within the hiue of their hearts as a Bee and worketh them like waxe Fourthly because God hath eternally predestinated them to eternall ioyes and those also incomprehensible and ineffable Fiftly because God hath in abundance vouchsafed that to them being but an handfull which hee hath denyed to whole heapes besides Sixtly for that they being elected can in no wise perish for the counsell of the Lord shall stand for euer Psal. 33. 11. And hee loueth them with an euerlasting loue Ieremy 3. 4. Though a Mother should forget her Child yet he will not forget them for he hath grauen them vpon the palme of his hand Isay 49. 15 16. therefore hee will confirme them vnto the end 1. Cor. 1. 8. and by his power keepe them vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. He will loue them coÌ„stantly though he visit their transgressions with rods Psal. 89. 32 33. He will neuer turne away from them though he Iere. 32. 40. Ioh. 16. 12. take them by the neck as Iob speaketh and beat them though he cut their reines and breake them and though he powreth their gall vpon the ground and runneth vpon them like a Gyant Ioseph did affect his brethren entirely though hee spake roughly to them Hee may also sometimes let them fall as a louing Nurse may her child but he will lift them vp againe therefore howsoeuer they may fall yet they shall not fall away Indeed Piptein they may leaue their first loue as the Ecpiptein Church of Ephesus did but they shall neuer leaue to loue at all if euer they loued Reu. 2. 4. truly For as Paul sayth Loue doth neuer fall away it may be lessened but it cannot 1. Cor. 13 8. be lost In like manner their faith may be couered as the Sunne with a duskie cloud in a gloomy day or as the trees are with snow sometimes in winter but yet it continueth firmely fixed though now and then eclipsed in the sphaere of the heart and keepeth sap in the roote For the righteous man is as a tree planted by the riuers of waters Psal. 1. 3. and is built by that great builder of heauen and earth vpon a rock Math. 16. 18. These comforts will this one doctrine affoord being throughly pondered and vnderstood And no doubt these and the like considerations mooued that holy and learned man of blessed memory to publish this present treatise for the benefit of the Church and the same haue also incited vs to turne it out of the toong wherein he wrote it into the English for their profit who are ignorant in the other and the rather because it is contriued and penned very plainely soundly and succinctly as the subiect will permit The which Right Worshipfull assuring our selues of your vnfeigned loue vnto the truth we do present and dedicate to you in token of deserued gratitude for vndeserued kindnesse not doubting of your courteous and kinde acceptance And thus we humbly take our leaues recommending you and all yours to the protection of Iehoua Rochester this 19. of February 1605. Your Worships in all dutie Francis Cacott and Thomas Tuke ¶ To the Right VVorshipfull Master Iohn Hayward Maior And the Worshipfull Iurates his Brethren And the whole Communaltiâ— of the Towne and Libertie of Fauersham RIght Worshipfull as many other wholsome and heauenly doctrines grounded vpoÌ„ the word of God haue beene and are to this day contradicted and impugned euen so it fareth with the diuine and deepe doctrine of Gods Predestination a doctrine not more heauenly then wholsome nor more commodious then comfortable yet as heauenly as commodions as any doctrine whatsoeuer which the Scriptures do affoord The Pelagians held that God predestinated men to life or death as he did foresee that they would by their naturall free will receiue or reiect grace offered They taught that it was in mans power to beleeue or not to beleeue they placed the causes of saluation in men themselues out of God and held that the Elect might fall from grace and perish Others hold that albeit the Lord electeth some of his meere mercy without respect of any thing in them that yet he reiecteth those which are reiected because he did foresee that they would reiect his grace offered vnto them in the Gospell Some Vbiquitaries hold that Adams fall came to passe without Gods decree or any ordination of 〈◊〉 secondly that no decree of God dependeth vpon his sample will concerning the saluation of the godly or the reiection of the Reprobate thirdly that God doth vtterly nill the reprobation of 〈◊〉 y
it thus to this man and otherwise Lib. 1. ad Simpl. q. 2. to this O man who art thou that thou darest dispute with God And Gregorie Let Expos. in Ioan. ca. 37. no man desire to search wherefore one should bee elected when another is reiected because his iudgements are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out In this second act of reprobation there be two degrees a iust desertion or forsaking damnation for sinne So Fulgentius In such saith he Lib. aâ— Moâ— God begins his iudgement by forsaking and ends it in â—ormenting Diuine desertion is twofold The first is that whereby God doth forsake man only in regard of his assistance and strengthning by omitting the confirmation of the creature and by not conferring the second grace wherby the first might be made effectuall to resist temptations and to perseuere in goodnesse Desertio exploraâ—iâ—nis This is the desertion of triall and may happen to them who haue not theÌ„selues as yet forsaken God For it was in the first man Adam who receiued of God power to do that which he would but not will to do that which be could So Augustine He receiued saith he power if he willed De correp grat cap. 11. but he had not will answerable to his power for if he had had he should haue perseuered Againe He was able also to perseuere if he would and in that he would not it proceeded offree will which then was so free that he was able to will well and ill The cause of this desertion was that Adam and his posterity might know that they could fall by themselues but that they could not stand much lesse rise againe and therefore that they should wholly depend on Gods mercy Heere also it must be remembred that betweene this desertion and Adams sin there came also Adams will whereby he being left to his owne strength did by and by perceiue the very same his conscience telling and yet for all that he willed his owne fall by the free motion of his will The second desertion is a priuation and leesing of the gifts wherwith the mind is adorned and a deliuering into the power of Sathan that he may seduce men and more and more lead them into sinne This is a desertion of punishment and therefore Desertio poenae it followeth sinne And of this desertion and not of the former is the rule to be vnderstood A Deo deserti Deum priores deserunt those which are forsaken of God do themselues first forsake God And this is our doctrine of Predestination which sauoreth neither of the errors of the Manichees Stoickes Pelagians nor of Epicurisme but is as I am perswaded agreeable to the truth and orthodoxall but yet it is oppugned by sundrie criminations or false accusations which I will striue with all my strength to ouerthrow and that briefely The first Crimination is That we teach that certaine men and those but few are elected Answere Certaine men we say For all the elect are knowne vnto God and their number can neither be increased nor diminished Few we do not say but after a prescript and certaine manner For to omit the Angels if you consider the elect by themselues they are many Matth. 8. 11. I say vnto you that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Reuel 7. 9. I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations kindreds people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lambe clâ—athed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Yea there is as it were a world of elect Augustine The Church which is De doctr Chr. lib. 3. cap. 34. without spot and wrinkle and gaethered together out of all nations and which shall reigne with Christ for euer euen she is the land of the blessed and the land of the liuing Againe The reconciling world shal be deliuered out Tract in Joâ—n 111. Hist. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 15. of the maligning world Eusebius Christ suffred for the saluation of the world of those which are to be saued The Author of the booke de vocat gen lib. 1. In those which are elected foreknowne and seuered from the multitude of men there is a certaine speciall vniuersalitie counted that the whole world may seeme to be deliuered out of the whole world and that all men may seeme to be taken out of all men Beda calleth those a world to 〈◊〉 Tobiam be enlightned and healed who were predestinated to eternall life Thomas The crue light enlighteneth those who come into the world of In Catena in 1. Ioan. ex Orig. vertues not those which come into the world of vices Neuerthelesse if those same elect be compared with them that are iustly damned wee say according to the Scriptures that they are few Matth. 7. 13. 14. The gate is narrow and the way streight which leadeth vnto life and few there be which find it Againe Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 20. 16. The second Crimination is That we teach that God ordained men to hell fire and created them to the end that he might destroy them Answere Here the distinction of the double act in reprobation must bee repeated and retained First therefore I answere that reprobation in regard of the former act is absolute that is in regard of the purpose to forsake the creature and to manifest Iustice in it so we teach and beleeue For we cannot so much as imagine a cause in the creature why it was Gods wil to passe by it and to suffer some to fall finally from their blessed estate Yea sinne is it selfe after the desertion and iust permission of God and therefore it can by no meanes be the cause of the permission and desertion Whence it is that Lumbard the Lib. 1. dist 41. Master of all the Schoolemen saith that God hath reiected whom he would not for any future merits which he did foresee but yet most righteously though we cannot conceiue the reason thereof And Ierome long before him dothd thus expound y â— place of Paul Ad Hebid. quaest 10. Rom. 9. 11. Ere the children were borne and wheÌ„ they had neither done good nor euill If Esau saith hee and Iacob were not yet borne neither had done good or euill whereby they might winâ—â— Gods fauour or offend him and if their election and reiection doth not shew their seuerall deserts but the will of the Elector and Reiector what shal we say Afterwards If we grant this that God doth what soeuer hee will and that he either chuseth or condemneth a man without desert and workes it is not therefore in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie Againe Therefore it is in vaine asked seeing that it is in his power and will either to chuse or to refuse a man without good and euill workes
to worse maketh a necessitie to sinne and yet the necessitie although it be voluntarie is not able to excuse the will nor the will although it bee enticed to exclude necessitie If any man shall say that by this our platforme many are tied by an ineuitable necessitie to bee damned I would haue him giue care to Augustine who saith Hold this most stedfastly and doubt not in De fide ad Pet. cap. 35. any wise that any can perish whom God before the creation of the world hath of his free goodnesse made vessels of mercie or that any of them whom he hath not predestinated to eternall life can by any meanes be saued And yet I say that the decree of reprobation doth not cause a necessitie of damnation in any man For the first act thereof which is a purpose not to shew mercie causeth not this necessitie in men but goeth before it as an antecedent and man himselfe verily hath brought vpon himselfe this necessitie with his owne most free yet rebelling will Now the second act of Reprobation which is a purpose of condemning causeth not any necessitie of damnation but by the sinne of man comming betweene Moreouer the necessitie of damnation followeth after the same manner by the foreknowledge of God and yet this neuer seemed a thing strange vnto any one But some will say that the foreknowledge of God doth neuer cause in men any necessitie of damnation although it doe assuredly foresee the same And I say also that Reprobation doth either not at all cause damnation in man or that it doth not cause it but for sinne But it may be obiected They that are predestinated vnto damnation cannot be freed by repentance although they would Whereto I answere with Augustine As they did fall by their will so by their will they are content to lie and he that turneth himselfe Arâ— 15. away from God hath both depriued himselfe of will to doe that which is good and also of power It doth not therefore follow as they imagine which obiect such things that God hath taken repentance from those to whom he gaue it not and hath throwne downe those whom he hath not taken vp Moreouer the selfe same necessitie followeth of their hypothesis who affirme a bare permission For that which God permitteth the selfe same thing will hee not hinder and euill if God hinder not cannot bee auoyded and that which cannot be auoyded shall come to passe infallibly And therfore euill permission being once graunted of necessitie coÌ„meth to passe although most freely on mans part Whereupon it is plaine that the decree of God is not more ineuitable than is the very permission separated from the decree I doe wish that they would well weigh and coÌ„sider this who obiect vnto vs either the Stoicall fate or the doâ—ages of the Manichees For we differ from them as much in certaine iudgement opinion as whosoeuer doe differ most For first the Stoickes doe tie God vnto the second causes so that he cannot doe otherwise then the nature of them will suffer wee on the other side doe hold that all second causes do depend vpon and are ordered by God Secondly the Stoickes say that neither God nor second causes can doe otherwise by their nature than they doe wee say that some second causes are by Gods ordinance mutable othersome immutable and that God himselfe can either not doe that which hee doth or else doe it otherwise But now to come to the Manichees who make two coeternall gods we but one They of their two Gods make one good and another euill we say that there is one absolutely good iust God Thirdly they wil haue one of their Gods to bee the cause and worker of good things and the other of euil we make one true God the creatour and ruler of all things and working nothing but that which is most good and most iust Fourthly they say that they which are created by their good God cannot sinne we say that God doth most freely conuert whom hee will and when they are conuerted they can neuer in this life perfectly be free froÌ„ sinnes but doe sometimes run into such sinnes as doe grieuously wound the conscience Fiftly they say that they that are created by the euil God simply cannot be conuerted wee say that vncleane spirites and men were created both good and holy but yet they fell by their owne will and fault and not by any fault but the iust permission of the Creatour and brought vpon themselues a necessitie of sinning And although it be true that man cannot withhold himselfe from sinning vnlesse God giue him that grace yet doth he not sin of necessitie that is of compulsioÌ„ but willingly And the will hath sufficient libertie if by it selfe or the nature therof it be inclinable to the coÌ„trary of that which it chooseth and doth of the owne accord choose that which it chooseth although the same liberty bee gouerned and one way limited by God Wherefore I am flat of Anselmus opinion who saith Although Lib. de concor grat lib. arbitr it bee of necessity that those things do come to passe which are foreknowne and predestinated yet some things foreknowne and predestinated doe not come to passe by that necessitie which goeth before a thing and causeth is but by the same necessitie which followeth a thing For God doth not cause although he doth praedestinate them by forcing the will as by resisting it but by leauing them in the power thereof And I am also of Gaudentius his opinion who saith The Iewes Ser. 3. ad Neophy were willing to doe that euill which they did And verily if they had bin vnwilling to doe it they had not done it And it is a grosse sinne but to thinke that God who is not onely good and righteous but also goodnesse and righteousnesse it selfe doth either command or compel any thing to be done which he condemneth when it is done But that I may in a word fully deliuer my opinion if it bee demanded how the will of God carrieth it selfe to good or euill I answere that in a good act God carrieth himselfe positiuely For first he determineth the euent of good by willing effectually to worke it and secondly hee inwardly inclineth the will of the creature to doe that good which it doth Thirdly he sometimes laieth a necessitie of immutabilitie on him that doth well but yet it is ioyned with an exceeding freedome After this sort the elect Angels doe necessarily obey God yet not by constraint but greatly coueting and with all the strength of their will desiring it not being thereunto compelled In an euill act I say that God carrieth himselfe priuatiuely not by a logical but a natural priuation foregoing the habit For first he willeth that euill come to passe not by doing it himselfe but by willing not to hinder it to be done by others Secondly he doth not inwardly incline the will to doe euill but