Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 24
They maintain, XXIV. That God by his Will and inevitable Decree, hath ordained from all Eternity, who ſhall be damned, and who ſaved.
Anſwer.
AND who is he that dares maintain the contrary? When our Lord hath ſaid in expreſs terms, XVI. Mark 15, 16. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Goſpel to every creature: He that believeth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved; but he that believeth not, ſhall be damned. This is the eternal purpoſe of God in Chriſt, which the Apoſtles were commanded to publiſh every where, as his inevitable Decree concerning mankind, which cannot be avoided: That if they do not believe the Goſpel which is preached to them, they ſhall periſh; but if they ſincerely believe it, and be baptized, they ſhall be ſaved.
This Babbler, I doubt not, would have ſaid ſomething elſe, but he had not the wit, viz. That we maintain, God hath for his own mere Will and Pleaſure, without any reſpect to mens Faith or Unbelief, reſolved to damn ſome, and to ſave others. But this is not the Doctrine of our Church, as he might have ſeen in our XVIIth. Article. If any among us teach ſuch Doctrine, it is no more than ſome of their own Doctors have taught. And it is a moſt ſenſeleſs thing to accuſe us of that, which if it be a fault, they are as chargeable with it themſelves.
His Scriptures prove nothing contrary to us; but we expreſly teach according to the firſt of them,1 Tim. II. 3. 1. Tim. II. 3. That we ought to receive God's promiſes in ſuch wiſe, as they be generally ſet forth to us in Holy Scripture. And therefore we muſt believe, That God would have all men to be ſaved; notwithſtanding which, ſuch Triflers as this man is, muſt be told, that God will have ſome men to be damn'd, (as I ſhow'd before) and theſe two Propoſitions do not contradict one the other.
The next is of the ſame import, 2 Pet. III. 9.2 Pet. III. 9. God is not willing any ſhould periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance. And yet he is willing, nay reſolved, that all thoſe ſhall periſh, who will not repent.
For want of other Scriptures, he runs to thoſe that are Apochryphal, and quotes a paſſage out of the Book of Wiſdom; which we believe to be Canonical enough in this point: And then he returns to Scripture; a great many Texts of which he jumbles together with ſome Apocrypha; but if any one will take the pains to conſult them, he will find they do not contradict any thing that We or other Proteſtants affirm. Even they who believe the abſolute and irreſpective Decree, conſent to what the Prophet Hoſea ſaith, (XIII. 9. which is his firſt place), That every man's deſtruction is of himſelf. He beats the air therefore in alledging thoſe places, and the ſayings of the Fathers; to which we ſubſcribe, and ſo do all other Proteſtants; whoſe true opinion this poor Ignoramus did not underſtand, and therefore could not oppoſe. For thoſe that ſay, the cauſe why ſome are reprobated, is God's Will and Pleaſure, yet maintain the cauſe of their Damnation and Deſtruction, is their own ſins. This, if he had queſtioned, and ask'd them, Why God reprobates this man rather than another? they would have had St. Auſtin as ready at hand, as he hath, to anſwer for them. You ſeek to know the Cauſes of God's Will, when the Will of God is the very cauſe of all things that are For if the Will of God have a Cauſe, there is ſomething which antecedes his Will, which it is impious to believe. If any man therefore ask, Why God made this? The Anſwer is, Becauſe he would. If he go on to ask, Why would he? He ſearches for ſomething greater than God's Will, when nothing greater can be found. Let human temerity therefore bridle it ſelf, and not ſeek for that which is not, leſt he do not find that which is, L. de Gen. contra Manich. C. 2.