The Riches of Gods Love, Part 1 · Section 1
ſect: 1.
They are drawen ab incommodo from the greater evils and inconveniences, which iſſue from it naturally: M. Maſon's Additions p. 14. 15. 16.which may be referred to two maine heads. 1 The diſhonour of God. 2 The overthrow of religion and government.
It diſhououreth God. For it chargeth him deeply with two things, (no wayes agreeable to his nature.) 1 Mens Eternall torments in Hell. 2 Their ſinnes on Earth.
Firſt It chargeth him with Mens eternall torments in Hell, and maketh him to be the prime, principall, 2nd invincible cauſe of the damnation of Millions of miſerable ſoules: The prime cauſe, becauſe it reporteth him to have appointed them to diſtruction of his owne voluntary diſpoſition, antecedent to all deſerts in them; and the Principall and invincible cauſe, becauſe it maketh the Damnation of Reprobates to be neceſſary and unavoydable thorough Gods abſolute and uncontroulable decree; and ſoe neceſſary that they can no more eſcape it then poore Aſtyanax could avoyd the breaking of his necke, when the Graecians tumbled him downe from the Tower of Troy.
Now this is an neavy charge, contrary to ſcripture, Gods nature, and ſound Reaſon. 1 To Scripture, which makes man the Principall, nay the only cauſe (in oppoſition to God) of his owne ruine. Thy deſtruction is of thy ſelfe ô Iſraell, but in me is thine help. As I live ſaith the Lord, I will not the death of the wicked &c. Turne yee, turne yee, why will yee dye He doth not afflict willingly, nor greive the Children of men. To which ſpeech for likeneile ſake I will joyne one of Proſpers. Gods predeſtination is to many the Hoſ: 13. 9. Ezec: 33. 11. Lamēt: 3. 33:cauſe of ſtanding, to none of falling. 2 It is contrary to Gods nature, who ſets forth himſelfe to be a God mercifull, gracious, long ſuffering, abundant in goodneſſe &c. And he is acknowledged to be ſoe by King David. Thou Lord art good and mercifull, and of great Kindneſſe to all them that call upon thee: And by the Prophets Joell, Jonah, and Michah. He is gracious and mercifull, ſlow to anger, and of great Kindneſſe. Reſp: ad 12. Object: Vincent: Exod: 34. 6.And who ſaith Micah, is a God like unto thee, that taketh away iniquity &c. He retaineth not his wrath for ever becauſe mercy pleaſeth him.
3 'Tis contrary alſo to ſound reaſon, which cannot but argue ſuch a Decree of extreame cruelty and conſequently remove it from the father of mercyes. We cannot in reaſon thinke that any man in the world can ſo farre put off humanity and nature, as to reſolve with himſelfe to marry and beget Children, that Pſ: 86. 5.after they be borne and have lived a while with him, he may hang them up by the tongues, teare thir fleſh with ſcourges, pull it from their bones, with burning pincers, or put them to any cruell tortures, that by Ioel: 2. 13. Ion: 4. 2. Micah. 7. 18.thus torturing them he may ſhew what his Authority and power is over them. Much leſſe can we believe without great violence to reaſon, that the God of mercy can ſo farre forget himſelfe as out of his abſolute pleaſure to ordaine ſuch infinite multitudes of his Children, made after his owne image, to everlaſting fire; and create them one after another, that after the end of a ſhort life here, he might torment them without end hereafter, to ſhew his power and ſoveraingty over them. If to deſtroy the righteous with the wicked, temporally, be ſuch a peece of injuſtice, that Abraham removeth it from God with an Abſit, wilt thou deſtroy the righteous with the wicked? that be farre from thee O Lord. ſhall not the judge of all the world doe right? How Gen: 18. 25.deepely (may we thinke) would that good man have deteſted one ſingle thought, that God reſolveth upon Anſwer.the deſtruction of many innocent ſoules eternally in hell fire.
Here this Authour carrieth himſelfe like another Ptolomeus Ceraunus; or as if he had ſome cheife place in the lightning legion, not by his prayers, but by his diſcourſe, he ſeemes to thunder and to lighten all along. When the Lord appeared to Elias, he was neither in the mighty wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the ſtill and ſoft voyce. I hope to prove all this to be but Ignis fatuus; Mountebancks uſe to make great oſtentation and crackes, but commonly they end in meere impoſtures, and it is no hing ſtrange, when men oppoſing the grace of God, looſe their owne witts, and pleaſe themſelves in the confuſion of their owne ſenſes. For when men are in love with their owne errours, they hate the light; yea the very light of nature in the diſtinct notice of it, would be an offence unto them. Can this Authour be ignorant of that which every meane Sophiſter knowes, that there be foure kinds of cauſes, Materiall, Formall, Efficient, Finall; that he ſhould expatiate thus in ſpeaking of a cauſe without all diſtinction? Is it ſtrange that God ſhould be a prime cauſe, and principall in execution Deut. 32. 35. Pſ: 94. 1. Rom: 13. 4.of vengeance? Doth he not profeſſe ſaying vengeance is mine, and I will repay? Is he not called the God to whom vengeance belongeth? And are not his magiſtrates his Miniſters to execute vengeance temporall here in this world? And can any ſober man dout whether God be invincible whom the Apoſtle pronounceth to be irreſiſtable? Againe an Rom: 9. 19.efficient cauſe admits farther diſtinction; for it is either Phyſicall or Morall: Phyſicall is that which really workes or executes any thing: as every tradeſman hath his worke, which his hands doe make; ſo God hath his worke, which he executes, and his worke is judgment Ier. 29.as well as mercy. I am the Lord which ſhew mercy and judgment and righteouſneſſe; for in theſe things I delight, ſaith the Lord; and he would have us when we doe glory, glory in this, that we doe underſtand and know him to be ſuch a God. A Morall efficient is twofold, being only of a moveing nature, to move others to doe ſomewhat; as namely either by perſwading, or by meriting or deſerving: He that perſwades moves an other to doe ſome what; he that meriteth, thereby moves another, either to reward him or puniſh him. Now to walke in the light of this diſtinction, and not to pleaſe our ſelves by walking in darkneſſe; though God be the prime, principall, and invincible cauſe of man's damnation in the kind of a cauſe efficient phyſicall (which ſhould not ſeeme ſtrange to an ordinary Chriſtian, who knowes full well that vengeance is God's peculiar worke, as the Iudge of all the world, and that he delights in the execution thereof) yet this hinders not but that Gen: 18. 25.man may be the cauſe of his own damnation in the way of a meritorious cauſe, juſtly deſerving it. Omnis poena Deum habet Authorem, All puniſhment hath God for the Authour of it: This is a principle acknowledged both by the Arminians and Vaſquez the Jeſuite; but never is puniſhment inflicted on any by the hands of God, ſave on thoſe who formerly have deſerved it. Conſider we farther, as touching the ſeverall kinds of cauſes formerly mentioned; if the queſtion be which is the principall, Ariſtotle anſwereth, that this is not confined to any one kind of them; ſomtimes the materiall cauſe, ſomtimes the formall cauſe, ſomtimes the efficient, ſomtimes the finall cauſe is the demonſtrative cauſe, the cauſe propter quam, the cauſe by vertue where of the effect hath its exiſtence; but this peculiar and ſpeciall cauſe is deſcribed thus, It is that whereby ſatisfactory anſwer is made to the queſtion demanding why ſuch a thing is. Now in execution of puniſhment or condigne vengeance, this ſatisfactory anſwer is made by repreſenting the meritorious cauſe, never by repreſenting the efficient cauſe: as for example, if it be demanded why ſuch a malefactor is executed upon the gallowes; no ſober man will anſwer, becauſe the Sheriffe cōmanded it to be ſo, or becauſe the Judge would have it ſo; but becauſe he robd upon the high way, or committed ſome criminall fact or other, which is capitall by the lawes of our land, and to be puniſhed with hanging upon the gallowes. In like ſort if queſtion be made why devills or wicked men are damned, is it our doctrine to referre the cauſe hereof to the mere pleaſure of God? Doe not all confeſſe that God inflicts damnation upon thē merely for their ſinnes and tranſgreſſions wherein they have continued unto death without repentance? Yet we acknowledge that God could have taken them off from their ſinnes while they lived if he would, by giving them repentance, as he hath dealt with us, and that merely of his free grace. For we willingly confes that our ſinnes are our owne, but our faith is not, our repentance is not. When I ſay our owne, I meane in reſpect that they are of our ſelves; otherwiſe we acknowledge both faith and repentance to be our owne accipiendo, in aſmuch as we receive them; but they are God's gifts, and ſo they are his dando, in aſmuch as he gives them as Remigius ſpeaketh. Now what is become of this Authours pompous diſcourſe? Is it not the like the cracking of thornes in the fire, making a great noiſe; but the light of diſtinction, like fire, ſets an end unto it, and makes it appeare in its owne likeneſſe, and proves nothing but a ſquib. For albeit God in his decree makes the damnation of reprobates to be neceſſary and unavoidable; yet ſeeing he makes it not to fall on any but for their ſinnes, what colour of diſhonour unto God, in ordaining that Iudas ſhall neceſſarily and unavoidably be damned for betraying the Sonne of God, and afterwards moſt deſperatly murthering himſelfe? If hereupon he could no more avoid his damnation, then Aſtionax could the breaking of his neck, when the Grecians tumbled him downe from the tower of Troy; will any man that is not bereaved of common ſenſe make ſtrange of this? It is true God did appoint both Iudas and all other wicked perſons, that never break off their ſinnes by repentance, unto deſtructiō, of his own voluntary diſpoſition. For God workes all things according to the counſaile of his will, and if Eph: 1. 11.it pleaſed him he could annihilate them upon the freſh foot of any ſin; or after they have ſuffered the vengeance of hell fire, as many yeares in hell as they lived here in ſinne; yea and the devills in hell; as Origen was of opinion; and the Jewes at this day are of the ſame by Sir Edwin Sandes his relation; whether this Author be of the ſame or not, I know not. And laſtly we willingly confeſſe that the decree of God was antecedent to the deſerts Eph: 1. 4.of men; for reprobation is as antient as election; and election was made before the foundation of the world, if we believe Saint Paul rather then any other, who either by word or deed doth manifeſt himſelfe to be of a contrary opinion. Still damnation is inflicted by God only for ſinne, and in degree anſwerable unto their ſinnes; and only becauſe of their ſinnes as a meritorious cauſe thereof; though God makes uſe of it to his owne ends and the manifeſtation of his owne glory as Solomon profeſſeth namely, that God made all things for himſelfe, even the wicked againſt the day of evill. And Saint Paul tells, that as the Lord ſuffereth with long patience the veſſells of wrath prepared to deſtruction that Prov: 16. 4.he might ſhew his wrath and make his power known. So likewiſe another reaſon hereof he ſpecifies to be this. That he might declare the riches of his glory upon the veſſells of mercy which he Rom: 9.hath prepared unto glory. For when we ſhall behold the unſpeakable miſery brought upon others by reaſon of their ſinnes; how rich will God's glory appeare unto us, when we conſider 23.that had it not been for his free grace delivering us from ſinne, we had been ſwallowed up of the ſame ſorrowes. And thus Alvarez writeth, diſput. III. The glory of God's mercy in his elect, and in like manner the manifeſtation of divine juſtice on Reprobates; is truely and properly the finall cauſe why God did permit ſinnes both in Reprobates and Angells. And he proves it out of this paſſage of Saint Paul. So Aquin: 1 p. pag. 23. art. 5. This is the reaſon ſaith he why God hath choſen ſome and Reprobated others, that repreſentation might be made of Gods goodneſſe towards the Elect in the way of mercy pardoning them, and on the Reprobates in Rom: 22. 23.the way of juſtice puniſhing them. And Alphonſus Mendoza a Scotiſt concurres with them in this; and we ſee they make Saint Pauls doctrine their foundation. And indeed albeit at the day of judgment there will be found a vaſt difference between the Elect and Reprobates, the one having departed this life in the ſtate of faith repentance, the other in infidelitie and impenitency, in ſuch ſort as God will beſtow on his elect eternall life by way of reward, and inflict eternall death on the other by way of puniſhment; yet in conferring the grace of regeneration, of faith and repentance upon the one, and denying the ſame graces unto the other, the Lord carrieth himſelfe not according to mens workes, but merely according to the pleaſure of his owne will, ſhewing mercy on whom he will and hardning whom he will; in which reſpect he is ſaid to make men in what condition he will; as Rom: Rom: 9. 18.9. 20. Shall the thing formed ſay to it that formed it, why haſt thou made me thus? Though indeed he makes but one ſort of them after a new faſhion, leaving the other in the ſtate of naturall corruption wherein he findeth them: And likewiſe is compared by the ſame Apoſtle to a Potter, who out of the ſame lump makes one veſſell unto honour, and an other unto diſhonour. But to returne, I have, I truſt, ſufficiently ſhewed that in all this which he hath delivered, when things are rightly underſtood, and duely conſidered, ther's nothing found alien from the holy nature of God, no more then it is repugnant to his holy nature to decree and execute vengeance, condigne vengeance, even the vengeance of damnation on men for their ſinnes; in ſuch ſort that it ſhall unavoidably overtake all thoſe that breake not off their ſinnes by repentance before their death. Nothing more agreeable to Scripture, nor to the nature of God revealed unto us in holy Scripture then this, and conſequently nothing more agreeable to Chriſtian reaſon. But as for naturall reaſon; God forbid we ſhould make that the rule of our faith, as concerning the reſurrection of the dead and the powers of the world to come, the rewards of heaven, and the torments of hell, where the worme never dieth, and the fire never goeth out. And may it not ſeeme very ſtrange, that a Chriſtian and a Divine, and one magnified by the Arminian party for great abilities ſhould undertake to prove this doctrine to be contrary to Scripture, to the nature of God and to ſound reaſon.
Well let us proceed to obſerve how well he performes what he undertakes. And here he ſaith. 1. That the Scripture makes man the principall, nay the only cauſe (in oppoſition to God) of his owne ruine. We anſwer, the Scripture makes man the only cauſe of his owne ruine in the meritorious cauſe; thus man's deſtruction is of himſelfe; But this nothing hinders God from being the cauſe why vengeance, deſtruction and damnation are executed upon man; for he is the God to whom vengeance belongeth, & he delights as well in ſhewing judgment, as in ſhewing mercy. Indeed did we maintaine that God damnes the Reprobate whether man or Angells of his mere pleaſure, this Argument of his were ſeaſonable. We know full well that God of his free grace ſhewes mercy; but judgment only upon provocation, and herein he proceeds ſlowly too; for he is ſlow to wrath, and eaſie to be intreated. Yet God's afflicting is not alwaies for ſinne; neither doth it alwaies proceed in the way of puniſhment: when we ſuffer for Chriſt we have cauſe to rejoyce that he counts us worthy to ſuffer for his name; neither were the afflictions of Iob brought upon him for his ſinnes, but for the tryall of his faith, and to make him an example of patience to all ſucceeding generations; and as for that of Ezech: I will not the death of the wicked; It is the uſuall courſe of men of this Authours ſpirit thus to render the wordes, whereas our laſt Engliſh tranſlation renders them thus, I have noe pleaſure in the death of the wicked. Now as a man may will that wherein he takes noe pleaſure; as a ſick-man takes a bitter potion ſometimes for the recovery of his health; ſo God may will that wherein he takes noe delight. And whether it be meant of firſt or ſecond death it cannot be denied but God wills it; for he workes all things according to the councell of his owne will. Then againe Eph: 1. 11.if we conſider the infliction of death as an execution of judgment, God not only willeth this, but delights therein alſo, as it is expreſſed. That of Proſper is nothing to the Ier. 9. 24.preſent purpoſe, we treating here of the cauſe of damnation, not of ſinning; we ſay God is the God to whom vengeance belongeth, not to whom ſinne belongeth. Beſides ſinne, as ſinne, hath noe efficient cauſe at all, but defficient, as Auſtine hath delivered many hundered yeares agoe. It is true, it is in Gods power to preſerve any man from any ſinne; it is in his power to take any man off from any ſinfull courſe by repentance, if he will; but he is bound to none, he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth; and in all this he is not culpable.
In the next place he tels us; It is contrary to God's nature but what? To damne men for their ſinnes neverbroken offby repentance? for all our divines maintaine that God is Authour of damnation to none but ſuch; and to ſuch God is not mercyfull nor gratious, nor ſuffers them any longer, nor ſhewes any goodneſſe towards them; while they lived he did; yea much long ſuffering and patience, inviting them thereby to repentance; yea and by his; word alſo inviting many; but after they dye in ſinne, therewithall an end is ſett to the diſpenſation of Gods gracious proceedings with them. Much leſſe doe we deny him to be good and mercifull and of great kindneſſe to all that call upon him. For Gods mercy doth not exerciſe it ſelfe by neceſſity of nature, but by freedome of will; yet he heareth the cry of Ravens and not a Sparrow falleth to the ground without the providence of our heavenly father, and the very Lyons roaring after thir prey, doe ſeeke their meat at the hands of God: Theſe mercyes are temporall; but as for ſpirituall mercyes, for the working and cheriſhing of Sanctification theſe are not extended unto all, but to ſome only, even to whom he will. And accordingly the elect of God are called veſſels of mercy. Yet to the Rom: 9. 18. Rom: 9. 23.execution of damnation on any he proceeds not till after death, and ſtayes no longer; ſo ſlow to wrath he is towards the worſt, and no more ſlow to the beſt of them. Who is a God like unto thee, ſaith Micah, that taketh away iniquity? here this Authour out of wiſdome maketh a ſtoppe, leaving out that which followeth and paſſing by the tranſgreſſions of the remnant of his heretage: That reſtriction belike he did not ſo well brooke; but having leapt over that; he is content to take in that which followeth, he retaineth not his wrath for ever, becauſe mercy pleaſeth him: to witt, towards the remnant of his heritage, of his people. But I hope nought of this can hinder God from being the Authour of damnation to all that dye in ſinne without repentance without any prejudice to his holineſſe, though he retaineth wrath for ever againſt them.
We come to his reaſon which he calls ſoūd, ſaying that it cannot but argue ſuch a decree of extreame cruelty. But what decree? of that wherby he hath decreed to damne all that continue in ſinne without repentance? For to none other hath God decreed dānation in the opinion of any of our divines. But that which he cōmends as ſound let us examine. We cannot in reaſon think, ſayth he, that any man in the world can ſo far put off humanity and nature as to reſolve with himſelfe to marry & beget Children, that after they are borne and have lived a while with him, he may hang them up by the tongues, teare their fleſh with ſcourges, pull it from their bones with burning pincers, or put them to any cruell tortures, that by thus torturing them, he may ſhew what his autority and power is over thē. Much leſſe can we beleive that God ſhould ordaine infinite multitudes of his Children to everlaſting fire. Is it credible that this Authour himſelfe doth not believe that very doctrine which here he impugneth Doth he not believe that God hath ordained infinite multitudes of thoſe whō he calls Gods Childrē to everlaſting fire? doth he not I ſay believe this as well as we? Doth he not believe that whoſoever dyeth in ſinne without repentance ſhall be damned? doth he not believe that God of his mere pleaſure hath made ſuch a decree? It is increedible he ſhould not be of the ſame faith in this. Are not all Gods ordinances made of his mere pleaſure? could he not both ordaine and execute the annihilation of ſinners if it pleaſed him? and that either immediatly upon the committing of ſinne, or after ſome certaine yeares enduring the puniſhment of hell fire. And as for hell fire it ſelfe, could not he qualifie or increaſe the tormenting nature thereof as he ſhould thinke good? All this I nothing doubt but he believes, unleſſe with Origen and the Jewes, he be of opinion that the fire provided for the devill and his angells is not everlaſting: what madneſſe then, what phrenſy poſſeſſeth him ſo to diſpute againſt us, as to diſpute againſt himſefe? Vndoubtedly this Authour would have his Reader ſo propitious unto him, as to underſtand and interpret him beyond that which his owne words doe import; as namely thus, That God hath not only of his abſolute pleaſure made ſuch an ordinance, that all who dye in ſinne without repentance ſhall be damned; but rather thus; That God hath ordained that Infinite multitudes of his children ſhall be damned, not for their owne ſinnes, but only out of his abſolute pleaſure. For this is generally the unſhamefaſt carriage of men of this Authours ſpirit. Now what one divine of ours can he ſhew to have maintain'd this? Yet this is the imputation he chargeth upon us, that by our doctrine God reſolveth upon the deſtruction of many innocent ſoule, eternally in hell fire. Yet this is a very Amphibologious expreſſion. For when were they innocent in his meaning? when they were damned? If this be in his meaning, can he name any divine of ours that affirmes this? Or doth he meane they were innocent when God entertaind this reſolution? And doth not he as well as we maintaine that there was a time, when Angels were innocent though afterwards they became devils; yet both then and from all eternity God had entertained ſuch a reſolution; For his decrees were everlaſting as we ſay; neither hath he hitherto manifeſted his opinion to the contrary; whether he maintaineth ſuch an opinion ſecretly in his breſt, I know not; If he doth, and ſhames to declare it let him pull himſelfe by the noſe; in the paſſages he produceth out of Cicero concerning Epicurus, and out of Virus concerning ſuch like pag: 9. Yet we doe not ſay they were innocent when God made his decree of Reprobation. I ſhould ſhew my ſelfe an Ignoramus to ſay ſo, We ſay they were neither innocent nor nocent then, foraſmuch as till the Creation no Creature had any beeing but God's decree of Election (and conſequently Eph: 1. 4,of Reprobation alſo) had its beeing before the foundation of the world. 2 This manner of reaſoning which this Authour calleth ſound, I have found long a goe in Caſtalio, as ſuperficiary a Divine as ever put pen to paper. And by the way obſerve, all the Devills and Damned men he calls Gods Children: this is the language of their Court. Now what Gal: 3. 26. Gal: 4. 6. Rom: 8. 14. verſ. 17.one Divine of ours maintaines that any of Gods children are deſtinated to eternall fires? S. Paul tells us We are all the ſons of God by faith in Chriſt Ieſus: and becauſe we are ſons, God hath ſent the ſpirit of his ſonne into our hearts crying Abba Father; And that as many as are led by the ſpirit of God. And if we are children we are alſo heires, even the heires of God. and heires annext with Chriſt. And this diſtinction to witt the children of God, and 1 Io: 3. 10.children of the Devill, hath beene ever ſince the fall of man, as S. Iohn ſignifieth where he ſayth. In this are the children of God knowne, and the children of the Devill, whoſoever doth not righteouſneſſe is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. And anon after Io: 8. 49. Gen: 4. 26.he giveth inſtance in Cain and Abell. Yea & our Saviour gives us to underſtand the ſame, where he ſaith to the Jewes, Ye are of your father, the Devill, and the luſts of the father ye will doe. And whereas we read that in the dayes of Enoſh men began to call upon the name of the Lord; forthwith we read c. 6. 2. (For the 5. chap. comeing in betweene containes only the Genealogy of the world from Adam) of the diſtinction between the ſonnes of God Ioh. 37. 7. Mat: 2. 10.and daughters of men, thus, the ſonnes of God ſaw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they tooke, them wives of that they liked. It it is true, Adam is called the ſonne of God in reference to creation; And noe marvaile; For he was created in the ſtate of grace: ſo likwiſe the Angells for the ſame reaſon. When the ſtarres of the morning prayſed them, and all the Children of God rejoyced. It is true we thus read, Have we not all one father? hath not one God made us? Piſcator interprets theſe two interrogatories into one: As if God in the firſt place were repreſented as a common father unto all; but our Geneva Divines doe not, but the name of father in this place they referre to Abraham. And in not referring it unto God they have the conſent of the Jewiſh Rabbines Aben Ezra and David Kimhi; who yet more hanſomly doe referre it to their common father Iacob, then to Abraham, the Covenant of God including all the Sonnes of Jacob; not ſo all the Sonnes of Abraham, no nor the Sonnes of Iſaak but Iacob only. 3. Conſider is it decent to conforme the courſes of God with the courſes of men? May not we conſider in like manner againſt the Lord's foreknowledge, as well as againſt his decree, & reaſon thus: what man of common humanity would reſolve with himſelfe to marry and beget children, did he foreſee their wicked courſes, and what will become of them for it, namely, to be condemned to everlaſting fire with the Divell and his Angells? what ſhall we therefore conclude that God did not foreſee the wicked waies and ungodly courſes of all Reprobates, that they would continue in them and die in their ſinnes without all faith in Chriſt and true repentance towards God? And if he did foreſee what would be the ends of them in caſe he did create them and bring them forth into the world, yet ſeeing he would nevertheleſſe create them and bring them forth into the world, one after another in their ſeverall times and ages, ſhall we brand the holy name of God, and reproach him for unnaturallneſſe, and barbarous crueltie? Rather I will ſay what meanes this Auhour ſo unconſcionably to corrupt the ſtate of the queſtion, by mentioning only the ſhortneſſe of their life, and utterly concealing the wickedneſſe of their life, the only meritorious cauſe of their torments which they ſuffer, and accordingly to ſhape the ends intended by God, to be only the demonſtration of his power and Soveraingtie over them, without all mention of his juſtice; whereas we ſay that in the inflicting of damnation, the cheife glory which, God manifeſts is only the glory of his juſtice proceeding herein according to a law which himſelfe hath made (as moſt fit it is the Creatour ſhould give lawes to his creature) and the law is this, whoſoever believeth and repenteth ſhall be ſaved, whoſoever dyeth in ſinne without repentance ſhall be damned. Not one of our Divines (that I know) maintaines, that inflicting damnation, the Lord proceedes merely according to the good pleaſure of his will, in the communicating of faith and repentance, we willingly confeſſe the Lord proceedes merely according to the good pleaſure of his will; and it is expreſſe Pelagianiſme to affirme that grace is given according unto workes. And herein this Authour is very well content to walke in the darke and conceale his moſt corrupt opinion moſt oppoſite to the grace of God. But that damnation ſhould be inflicted without reſpect to ſinne as the meritorious cauſe thereof what one of our Divines can he produce that affirmeth? Yet thus he is pleaſed to diſguiſe our opinion (when he findes the poverty of his ſtrength to wage faire warre) and ſo expoſe it to the hatred of me; as if God ordained to damne men not for their ſinnes, but of his owne mere pleaſure. Thus of old the enemies of the Goſpell dealt with Chriſtians: for firſt they would cloath them with beare skinnes, and then ſet doggs upon them. All that he hath to ſay to excuſe his ſhameleſſe crimination (though ſo much he doth not expreſſe here) is only this, that our Divines maintaine the decree of damnation to preceed the foreſight of ſinne. Yet this is untrue of the moſt part of them, who premit both the foreſight of ſinne originall before reprobation from grace, and of ſinne actuall before the decree of damnation; I willingly confeſſe for my part, that I concurre with neither; and if I ſhould, I ſhould withall make the decree of permitting of ſinne to preceed the decree of damnation, for which I ſee no reaſon; but yet I doe not make the decree of permitting ſinne to follow the decree of damnation. I hold theſe decrees to beſimultaneous, thus, that God at once decrees both to create men, and ſuffer them all to fall in Adam, and to bring them forth in their ſeverall generations into the world, and to beſtowe the grace of faith and repentance upon the one, and ſo to ſave them, and to deny the ſame grace unto others, finally permitting them in their ſinfull courſes, and ſo to damne them for ſinne; and all to manifeſt the glory of his mercy to the one, and the glory of his juſtice on the other, yea and his ſoveraingty too, but wherein? not in rewarding the one with Salvation and inflicting damnation on the other; but only in giving grace to the one, and not to the other. And all the difference between our Divines is merely in apice Logico, a point of Logick To wit, as touching the right ordering of decrees, concerning ends, and meanes tending to the ends; all concurring in this, that, God hath mercy on whom he will, in beſtowing faith and repentance upon them, and whom he will he hardeneth, in denying the ſame graces unto others. Now when this Authour ſhall fairly prove that according to our opinion, God deſtroyeth the righteous with the wicked; then and not till then, ſhall he prove that our faith differeth from the faith of Abraham. What Divine of ours was ever knowne to affirme that God damneth any one that dyeth in repentance? Yet it cannot be denied but that temporall judgments befall the righteous, as well as the wicked. When the Lord ſwept away 70 thouſand with a three dayes peſtilence in the land of Iſrael; was it not poſſible thinks this Authour, that any of God's deare children ſhould periſh by that peſtilence? To be caried away into captivity by an heatheniſh nation, I ſhould thinke is a greater calamity then to dye of the peſtilence; yet thoſe who were carried away into Babylon with King Iechoniah, the Lord repreſents by Ier. 24.the basket of good figgs; and thoſe the Lord profeſſeth that he had ſent them away into Babylon for their good. Were all damned will this Authour ſay, that periſhed in the flood? Saint Peter ſeemes to be of an other opinion, where he ſaith, To this purpoſe was the Goſpell preached, alſo to the end that they might be condemned alſo to men in the fleſh, but might 1 P. t. 4. 6.live according to God in the ſpirit. Truly I doe not ſay ſo much of them that periſhed in the conſpiracy of Corah, when the earth opened her mouth and ſwallowed up the conſpirators, nor them only but their wives and children alſo, eſpecially conſidering that inter pontem & fontem, mercy may be ſought and mercy may be found.