Influences of the Life of Grace, Part 3 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
The Law diſcovereth the diſeaſe, but heals it not. 2. How nature begins, and the ſpirit acts. 3. We, not God, in withdrawing his grace muſt be the culpable cauſe of non converſion. 4. Some truth we muſt firſt phyſically hear and conſider, before we believe.
KNowledge, or the commanding Law ſtrengthens the wicked deſire by forbidding it. A ſtrong ſtream runs with more ſtrength that a dike of ſtone and clay ſtands in its way: I know not (ſaith Auguſtine) epiſt. contra Hilarium 89, &c. de ſpir. & lit. 4. how that which is deſired becomes more pleaſant, becauſe it is forbidden: Neſcio quo enim modo hoc ipſum quod concupiſcitur, The Law teacheth but healeth not.fit jucundius, dum vetatur; the letter of the Law or bare knowledge meets with unrenewed nature, and then a ſevere maſter and a froward ſervant make no work betwixt them: the Law came in, that ſin might abound, Rom. 5. Jubet (Lex) magis quam juvat, docet morbum eſſe, non ſanat; imo ab eo quod non ſanatur, augetur, ut attentius & ſollicitius gratiae medicina quaeratur; The Law commands, but it helps not, it teacheth the diſeaſe to be there, but heals it not.
There are two extremities here we love on the one hand;Our formality in praying and in going about other means. the barbarous opus operatum, the literal deed done in praying; the charm of the external work is by hand, if God ſell not the bleſſing: yet I have blown words of praying up to Heaven, and told down the price: It's heavenly wiſedom to go about praying and other means not as acts of trading for our nigheſt ends, but as acts of ſerving and glorifying of God, though no thing ſhould redound to us: but we uſe praying, and hearing, as a man doth his horſe, or his ſhip, all for ſelf-uſe and ſelf-ends. Ah, can the man charm the bleſſing of the Holy Ghoſt with bare words, when ſcarce the literal attention goes along? and here our Idolatrry ſaith, I buy, and God will not ſell; I plow, and God binds up the clouds: the Lord pays not the reward of a rich harveſt, How nature begins, and the ſpirit acteth on, and with our literal acting.to the merit of plowing on the other hand: let ordinances, reading, praying, and hearing of the Bible ſleep until the ſpirit blow: and we forget it is not the Spirit of the Father, which works without the word and the teſtimonies, the tools of the Father; is this God's Spirit or a deluſion? plow not, ſow not until it be firſt harveſt; blow not at the fire until it firſt flame boldly: pray not until the Spirit breath ſtrongly, but firſt give words, I pray you, to be a lodging to the ſpirit to breath in: Let nature ſtir firſt in the uſing of means; Firſt bow the knee, ſtretch out the hands; ſhould the Spirit from above firſt bow the knee? and firſt phyſically act upon the hands to lift them up? nay, nature begins in its order before the heat and fire of the ſpirit come; flaming goes not before ſmoking, but contrarily ſmoking leads the way to flaming: the flaming of faith, of love, of paining deſires in their ſpiritual vigour, go not before ſtirring of the lips, and lifting of the eyes to Heaven to pray: that is no more true then refreſhing and cooling of the heart go before eating and drinking: will ye ſay, I will not pray, while firſt the ſpirit flame, I will not hear, while firſt I believe, and I will not lay up the promiſes in the heart, while firſt the heart burns in heat of love with the promiſes: You then ſay, I will not throw about the key until the door be firſt opened; I will not hear the word until the Lord give me faith; whereas the way of God is, that faith as the end, comes by hearing, as the means leading to the end; Rom. 10. and Gal. 3. Ye received the Spirit by the hearing of faith; then of neceſſity our hearing and lending attention to Chriſt, by the outer entry the ear, muſt go before faith as the mean before the end, whereas faith comes by hearing: as vital heat is ſtirred up by running, ſo it is true, ſome inward burnings and flamings of ſpirit begin like ſmoking before flaming, Pſal. 39. 1. Pſal. 45. 1. Acts 17. and then follows ſpiritual acting of praiſing, preaching, praying, in which caſe there is, as it were, in the ſoul a fever, and an inward boyling of a pot that muſt run over, or new wine that muſt break the veſſel, and force vent, ſo that ſilence or no acting muſt torment and pain the poor man: but that is not ordinary; for the ſet way is that we ſet to acting, and the ſpirit ſtrikes in as he thinks fit, and the believer is to blow and ſtir the fire under the aſhes, as if he were ſeeking the wind, and muſt ſtir and dig ſome fire and warmneſſe out of the letter, and let the ſpirit blow and flame as he will. If any ſay a preparing of the heart goes well before acting, that is true alſo; if any ſay God commands not ſimple hearing, but hearing mixt with faith, what ever truth were in that, as hearing without faith is ſinful formality, yet he commands in a divine order, that we ſhould hear to the end we may believe; and the Lord commands not that we may believe, that we may hear, as nature ordains not growing and nouriſhing, that the living creature may eat, and ſleep; but by the contrary, nature appointeth eating and ſleeping that we may grow, and be nouriſhed. If any ſay the Lord commands not hearing as to the ſubſtance of the act, but ſaving,Some truth we muſt firſt phyſically hear and conſider before we believe. ſpiritual, and humble trembling at the Word, and hearing in faith; and this he commands to be done in believing and trembling at the Word, in the ſame act, in which he commands hearing. It ſhall be denyed that in the order of begetting faith, this is neceſſary, that they ever be on and the ſame act: the Lord preached to Adam, Gen. 3. 15. the ſeed of the woman ſhall break the head of the ſerpent: Adam by the Law of God, of nature, was firſt to hear and conſider this firſt Goſpel-truth, and then to believe it, and receive it in faith: he was a rational and moral agent in believing, and was not obliged in one and the ſame to hear and believe, but as a rational agent he was firſt to hear, and then to believe, after conſideration of the Goſpel now heard and received in the ear and mind. And the like may be ſaid of Pagans at the firſt hearing of the Goſpel, they muſt hear and literally conſider the letter of the Goſpel before they believe. As for the Lord's commanding to believe, to pray, to read, to praiſe, ſure we are to begin our duty of natural ſtirring in theſe acts, though in another kind of cauſe, God muſt firſt act us thereunto: nor is the Lord's ſtir…ing of us by omnipotent grace, enjoyned to us, but we are commanded to doe our duty, and to pray for his drawing that we may run: but yet by order of nature, we are to doe our parts firſt in our phyſical way before we feel the ſtirring of divine influences.
Obj. He cannot pray, he cannot believe, and yet God commands him to believe.
Anſw. But his cannot (as Mr. Fenner ſaith) does not hinder. If a wicked mans cannot only did hinder him, he might excuſe himſelf before the tribunal of Chriſt; Lord, thou knoweſt, I did my beſt, I would have been ruled by thy Word, but I could not; I would have been humbled and reformed better then I was, but I could not:Though it be true, If God had given me efficacious grace, I ſhould have been converted; yet doth it not follow therefore, I am not the culpable cauſe of my non-converſion, or that the Lord is to be blamed for my non-converſion. For the culpable only hindering cauſe is, Prov. 1. 29. They hated knowledge, the fear of the Lord foreign they chuſed not. They would none of my counſel, they deſpiſed all my rebuke. Theſe four acts of wicked will are ſet down, as the only faulty cauſe of their non-converſion, and their not hearkning to wiſedoms cry. But if God had given efficacious grace, which he, out of his abſolute liberty denyed, certainly they would have been converted: true; and who denyes that? All that have heard, and learned of the Father come to me, John 6. 45. If all ſuch come and none miſcarry, then thou would have come alſo to Chriſt. Surely after I was turned, I repented, Jer. 31. 19. but that is the cauſe of non-converſion phyſical, and leaves not the blame on the holy Lord; for the wicked (will not) yet remains, and the conſcience lays not the blame there, Our ſinfull will not, not the Lord's refuſal of a power, is the culpable cauſe of our non-converſion.but loves to have a phyſical bar of non-converſion, to block up the way of moral non-converſion, and four times ſubſcribeth and conſenteth to the abſence and want of the Lord's ſaving influence; therefore except the unbeliever could ſay, I had a deſire, hic & nunc, to abandon my luſts and to believe, only this hinders; God ref…ſed the ſowing of a gracious power in me, to believe, pray, repent; and as an auſtere maſter, he reaps and exacts believing and praying from a man who doth his beſt, and all that in reaſon and juſtice can be craved of a man; lays upon me, threatnings, commandments, puniſhments, who am only fettered againſt my will from obeying.
Hence faithful Mr. Fenner pag. 8. the (moral and faulty) reaſon why the wicked do not repent, and come out of their ſins, is not becauſe they cannot (though they cannot) but becauſe they will not. His reaſons are,
1. The wicked think they have power, and yet they will not doe according to their thoughts; what is the reaſon they hope to repent on their dead beds, but becauſe they think they have power? or at leaſt they are able to beg power of Jeſus Chriſt. Now by their own thoughts, God will convince them that they do not give over their ſins.
2. Thou doſt not ſo much as try whether thou canſt doe or not: when a Maſter bids a Servant carry a ſack of corn to the Mill, I cannot, ſays he; but cannot you try, ſays his maſter, cannot you go about it? no, he will not try; why, then he is wilfull: if his maſter ſhould ſee him ſweating and ſtriving to carry it, it were ſomething, then he will ſay he ſtuck at a cannot; but when he will not be at the pains to try, he ſticks at a will not; pag. 10. God offers the good motions of power, I will help thee, and I will enable thee, and thou wilt not be helped. Jer. 6. 17. Hearken to the ſound of the trumpet, but they ſaid, they will not hearken.—O, ſaiſt thou, I do hear the word, and I cannot hear it better; I do pray dayly, and I cannot pray better; thus thou retorteſt upon God, as the unprofitable ſervant, Lo, here thou haſt what is thine; lo, here is the beſt faith thy ſpirit helps me to, here is the beſt obedience, that thy power enabled me to doe, &c. lo, there thou hast that is thine, thou helpeſt me with no more.
3. God gives thee a talent, a new power: hath God given thee eyes, thou haſt more power to glorifie him, then he that hath none—give account for thy wit; Lord I have contrived buſineſſes and bargains with it, I have jeſted, quirped, been merry with it; but why wouldſt thou not be witty for God, and for the good of thy ſoul?
4. The more power thou haſt to repent, the more thy will is againſt it;—the more your righteouſneſs ſhould encreaſe, it goes the more away:The ſinful cannot. like the dew, the more the Sun riſeth, the more it vaniſheth away: like many, the more preaching the farther off.
5. Thy cannot is a voluntary cannot. I cannot give to the poor, ſaiſt thou; yea, thou hadſt once Lands, and Means, and comings in, but thou haſt ſpent all at the Ale-houſe.
6. Thou art contented with thy cannot; thou canſt not be holy, and thou art contented not to be; thou canſt not crucifie thy luſt, and thou art contented with this cannot; nay, thou wouldſt not be able—my people love to have it ſo, Jer. 5. 31, &c. A man can doe more good then then he does, though not in a gracious manner; yea, and there be degrees more or leſſe in both matter and manner: yea, and this cannot is the natural cannot of a broken will; Lot preached to Sodome, and they repent not; Jonas preached to Nineveh, and they repent, though not ſoundly; Chriſt a greater then Jonah preacheth to the Phariſees, and they repent neither ſoundly, nor any other way. Sure more might be done in uſing of means, though not without ſome common grace: but ſo long as wicked will hath a neareſt influence in all ſinful omiſſions and tranſgreſſions, there is no place left to this; O God give me no power, nor habits, nor influences; but would ye have done all required to be done with power, habits, and influences, by your poor wicked wills? Nay, there is a wicked will not which is a pull-back, and a ſinful obſtruction to gracious actings. But to ſay nothing of this more; may not believers ſo far command influences of grace, as that they have in their power far off or near hand, in potentiâ proximâ vel remotâ, ſufficient grace to believe and be ſaved? See Cornelius Janſenius, tom. 3. de grat. Chr. Salv. lib. 3. c. who citeth Vaſquez. 1 part diſp. 97. Suarez, lib. 4. de praedeſt. c. 3. num. 19, 20. But it is required that the party, non ponat obicem, lay not a block in the way of the Lord calling him: and if he doe not, God ſhall undoubtedly convert him, ſay theſe men; For if God ſhould deny ſufficient help of grace, eſpecially to Infants upon an intention to damn them, (ſaith Theo. Smizing. tom. 2. tract. 3. diſp. 6. de provid. num. 179.) ſuch a denyal ſhould be againſt the Covenant, that the Father hath made with the Son, that he hath accepted the death of the Son for the reconciliation of all mankind,School-men make converſion to Chriſt the purchaſe of free will, the abſurdity thereof. and their redemption, none excepted; And therefore he ſhould
1. Doe a wrong to Chriſt. And 2. to all mankind, and ſin againſt the juſtice of his fidelity, if he ſhould deny ſufficient help of grace upon an intention of damning them for original ſin.
3. Such a ſufficient grace is due to us, not of our ſelves, but in Chriſt; yea, but by this Chriſt hath merited ſufficient grace to all; and why not pardon of original ſin to all? and life eternal to all? ſhould it not be a wrong to all, and a wrong to Jeſus Chriſt, and a wrong to free will, if ſuch a meritorious purchaſe of grace be made to all? why are they called by nature the heirs of wrath? for by this, all the Pagans, and Heathens by grace, are alſo the reconciled heirs of glory, the ranſomed of the Lord.
2. Why doe not the Apoſtles firſt reveal the drawing and heart-breaking motive of obedience? Chriſt hath dyed for you all, and reconciled you to God from the womb.
3. What news are theſe? you all are in that bleſſed Covenant, paſſed betwixt the Father and the Son, and Chriſt hath given a dear ranſome of blood to purchaſe grace to carry you either to Heaven or Hell: but he hath purchaſed for you no glory, except by the ſweating of free will you make it your actual purchaſe.
4. The Scripture tells us no where that Jeſus Chriſt dyed to break the Decrees of Election and Reprobation; and that Chriſt hath obtained that no man ſhould be damned for Original ſin, as many as die in Adam, Rom. 5. as many are juſtified and live in Chriſt, both the life of grace and of glory.
5. This is the far more wide and broad covenant of grace, that the Goſpel if men uſe the light of nature well, (who are, and ever hath been in all ages ſince the creation the greateſt part of mankind) ſhall be ſent to them, and all ſhall be put in ſuch a capacity to be ſaved by Chriſt and juſtified in him, as Adam was in, to be juſtified and ſaved by the works of the Law.
6. Why doth ſin original brook the name of ſin, of iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and a ſin for which all die, as Pſal. 51. 5. Rom. 5. Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Heb. 12. &c. which indeed its no ſin, but pardoned, taken away in all mankind, and which brings damnation to no man; for in juſtice, none can be condemned to death temporal more then to death eternal, for that which is no ſin at all? and ſuch is ſin original, ſay they.
7.Sin original muſt be pardoned to Pagans in Chriſts blood, of which they never heard, ſay Dominicans. It is without all authority of Scripture, that the natural actings of Pagans are ſo waſhed in the blood of Chriſt that they never heard of, that they are in their actings meriting the Goſpel either of congruity or decency, or of common juſtice, or of free promiſe, or by ſome infallible connexion betwixt the one and the other, or by Chriſt's merits: True it is, the Goſpel, and effectual calling in the Goſpel and faith,Dominicans groſs as Jeſuits in the matter of grace and free will. and all ſpiritual bleſſings are beſtowed on the Elect in Chriſt Jeſus Epheſ. 1. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 3.
2. God works in us what is well-pleaſing in his ſight through Jeſus Chriſt, Heb. 13. 2.
3.Cumel. dico quinto, Deus quantum in ſe paratus eſt a… dandum omnibus gratiam ſuam, & ad vocandum omnes adultos juxta illud, Deus vult omnes ſalf…eri: ac proinde dicitur communiter, quod in poteſtate cujuſvis hominis eſt ſalvari, quia poteſt habere per divinum auxilium, non quidem ex merito aut diſpoſitione ſua, aut quia ex innatis viribus aut naturae conatibus ex lege obligetur Deus ad danda auxilia gratiae & primam vocationem ſeu gratiam proveni…tem, ſed ex liberali & magniſica largitione dei providentis, Mat. 11. venite ad me omnes. Ib. Qua-propter, ſi homo peccator ita ſe gereret & vitamtra duceret, ut nullum novum impedimentum gratiae adhiberet, aut obicem, nullumque obſtaculum, tunc auxilium gratiae verè reciperet, …on quidem ex debito, ſed ex dei largitione, qua ipſe eſt ad omnium oſtium & pulſat; unde non ponenti obicem cernimus Deum dare gratiam. Conc. trid. ſeſſ. 6. 11. & 13. Deus neminem deſerit niſi prius deſeratur ab ipſo; ſed per hoc nihil tribuitur homini, ſed tantum quod poſſit illam gratiam impedire per peccatum, vel quod poſſit vitare peccatum contra legem naturae, quo poſſit illum impedire. Grace and peace come from God the Father and from the Lord Jeſus as the meritorious cauſe, 1 Cor. 1. Gal. 1. Franſ. Cumel. diſp. 2. ar. in primam 2. concl. 5. pag. 244. teſtifies that the beſt of them is like a ſharp briar; for he with others holds, that grace is given to them who lay no impediment in the way of God's effectual calling, and he hath it in his power to lay no impediment, becauſe he can eſchew all ſins againſt the Law of nature, and ſuch ſins are the only impediments that hinder the effectual calling of God.
But 1. he makes no mention of Chriſt, his death and merit, which is the only meritorious cauſe of effectual calling of the choſen. A ſpiritual ſoul loves the ſtrongly prevailing power of Chriſt's calling, the more ſtrongly that it is a work of ſaving grace, and of the grace of Chriſt, Rom. 3. 14.
2. The man is equally Lord of heaven and hell who hath ſalvation in his power by this way, as men have by the Jeſuits way; but all men by this way have in their power this prevening grace: for if they do what in them is, and eſchew ſins, againſt the law of nature, which Cumel ſaith they may do, (for ſuch ſins are the only impediment of grace) they may be ſaved; not by merit, as the Jeſuits ſay, but by free-grace, as Dominicans ſay: but as to the matter Cumel conſpires with the Jeſuits; call it merit, or give it another name, it's againſt the Scriptures to teach that all the Americans, Braſilians and Heathen have the prevening grace of God and ſalvation in their power.
And 2. That though all men may lay an impediment to the prevening grace of God, yet they may fulfil the law of nature, and eſchew all mortal ſin, which if they do, infallibly the Lord beſtows prevening grace upon the Americans; for the Scripture ſaith, We are dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, Eph. 2. that we cannot come to Chriſt except the Father draw us, Joh. 6. 44. that the wiſedom of the fleſh is neither ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. 8. 7. and that we by nature cannot underſtand the things of God, 1 Cor. 2. 13, 14. Matth. 16. 16, 17. nor think a good thought, 2 Cor. 3. as of our ſelves; nor ſpeak a good word, 1 Cor. 12. nor bring forth good fruit, do any good, more then a branch can bring forth fruit being cut off the tree, John 15. 4, 5. or thn men can gather wine-grapes of thorns, or figs of thiſtles, Matth. 7. 16, 17, 18. Luke 6. 43, 44. and therefore far leſs can Heathens earn by their ſweating and labouring effectual calling and ſalvation: Sure then ſalvation and prevening grace of God ſhould be in him that wills and runs, and not in God that ſhews mercy; and it is but an oyling of Arminians and Pelagians to tell that ſalvation is not in him that runs by way of merit, yet it is in him, and ſhall infallibly be given to the runner and willer, who by free-will may purchaſe both; and all Americans have in them to run and will. Dominicans therefore in this darken free-grace as much as Jeſuits, when they tell us, men are ſaved not by the merit of free-will, yet it is in the power of the free-will of Heathens to purchaſe influences of ſaving grace; to put Heathens and Indians, and all men ſafe at heavens gates, what is this but to ſay, The King hath made no covenant that all his Courtiers ſhall be made Kings, yet he hath paſſed his royal word that if they bring him a flowr in May (which they may eaſily do) they ſhall, vere, truly receive a Kingdom? this is as great an advancing of free will, and an abuſing of free grace, as Pelagians ever dreamed of. For Proſper ſaid the ſame of the Maſſilienſes, Ʋniverſis hominibus propitiationem, quae eſt in ſanguine Chriſti, eſſe propoſitam, ut quicunque ad fidem & ad Baptiſmum accedere voluerint, ſalvi eſſe poſſunt. 16. Pro univerſo autem (dictitant Maſſilienſes) humano genere mortuum eſſe, Proſper epiſt. ad Aug. de Maſſilienſibus, vide Janſenium cap. 18. ib. lib. 12. juſt. c. 13. ad capeſſenda tam magnifica tamque praecelſa paritatis & integritatis praemia, quantuſlibet jejuniorum, vigiliarum, lectionis, ſolitudinis ac remotionis labor fuerit impenſus, condignus eſſe non poterit, qui hoc induſtriae ſuae merito vel laboris obtineat.Dom. Noſtrum Jeſum Chriſtum, & neminem prorſus à Redemptione ſanguinis ipſius exceptum, etiamſi omnem hanc vitam alieniſſimâ ab eo mente pertranſeat; quia ad homines pertineat divinae miſericordiae ſacramentum (Baptiſmus nempe) ut recte Cornelius Janſenius, Tom. 1. de haereſ. pelag. lib. 8. c. 3. &c.) itaque quantum ad Deum pertinet omnibus paratam vitam aeternam. Et Fauſtus, lib. 1. de gra. & lib. ar. cap. 16. Dominum Noſtrum Jeſum Chriſtum aiunt (diceret ſi vixiſſet noſtris temporibus Calviniſtae, ſed contrarium Jeſuitae & Dominicani, Arminiani, Pelagiani, Sociniani) humanam carnem non pro omnibus ſumpſiſſe, nec pro omnibus mortuum eſſe. See Cornelius Janſenius, ib. to whoſe writings Jeſuits and Dominicans ſhall never anſwer. The Maſſilienſes cared not (as Corn. Janſe. tom. 1. de haereſ. pelag. l. 8. c. 17.) for the word of merit, if mans will went before God's grace. Epiſt. Proſper & Hilar. Ʋt ideo quis adjuvetur, quia voluit, non ideo quia adjuvatur, velit. And Caſſianus denied all merit of condignity, and ſaid, that the labour of our faſting, watching, &c. was not worthy of the grace of converſion and of ſalvation,Hilarius Epiſt. dicunt hominem ad hanc gratiam, qua in Chriſto renaſcimur, pervenire poſſe, per naturalem ſcilicet facultatem petendo, quaerndo, pulſando, ut ideo accipiat, ideo inveniat, ideo introeat, quia bono naturae bene uſus ad iſtā ſalvantē gratiam, initialis gratiae ope meruerit per venire. and yet he held the merit of congruity to be as needful to go before our converſion. So Hilarius ſaith, that Caſſianus taught, that by ſeeking or praying, and ſearching and knocking, we came to the grace of converſion; ſo that the Maſſilienſes and Auguſtine, while he followed their error, thought faith not to be the gift of God, but that a merit of impetration, and of knocking & praying went before converſion, and that men obtained converſion & juſtification by prayer and faith, ſo that faith is not a gift of God, as Auguſtine thought, when he did yet ſtick in the errors of the Maſſilienſes, hence under the name of an occaſion or colour they hide merit; for as Janſenius ſaith, God hath by the good works and holy diſpoſitions that go before grace, aliquam occaſionem ſive colorem, cur non irrationabiliter, ſome occaſion or colour by which, not without reaſon, and in no blind way, by a fatal decree without conſulting mans will, he gives grace to one rather then to another;Corn. Janſ. de haereſ. pela. l. 8. c. 18. Item poſſe hominem exterrita & ſupplici voluntate velle ſanari; ſupplex enim illa voluntas nihil eſt aliud, quam voluntas ex fide ſupplicans deo pro ſanitate—et ſiquid fides (non juſtificatorum) petendo mereatur, impetrationis quam meriti potius rationem habet, unde cum in errore Maſſilienſium haereret Auguſtinus, frequenter meriti rationem, quam in fide & oratione collocabat, per impetrationem exponit, putans (inquit Auguſtinus lib. de praed. 5. 5. c 3.) fidem non eſſe donum dei ſed à nobis eſſe, in nobis, & per illam nos impetrare dei dona; item ut per illam daretur quod poſceremus utiliter. Janſen. in Aug. tom. 1. lib. 8. c. 18. Ʋnde poſſit ratio reddi electorum & rejectorum, ſive cur unus prae alio aſſumatur, deo viz. ſic habente occaſionem ſive colorem, cur non irrationabiliter, ut Caſſilianus (Coll. 13.) loquitur; ſive caeco quaſi modo, irrefragabili aliqua conſtitutione, inconſulta hominis voluntate gratiam ſalvantem uni prae aliis largiretur. Hilarius in Epiſt. ad Auguſt. Proſp. Epiſt. ad Auguſt. Qui autem credituri ſunt, quive in ea fide quae deinceps per dei gratiam ſit juvanda, manſuri ſunt, praeſtitiſſe ante mundi conſtitutionem. and this is the Jeſuits and Arminians way. God ſhall not be a wiſe and rational agent, but act blindly (ſaith Caſſianus) and unjuſtly (ſay our Arminians) if he give not ſaving grace, and influences of grace upon the dominion and diſpoſing of mans free-will; now add to this, that the Maſſilienſes ſaid, as Hilarius and Proſper witneſs, God did predeſtinate to glory ſuch only as he fore ſaw before the world was, ſhould believe and perſevere to the end; and that God will have all and every one to be ſaved; and that God beſtows grace upon all and every man; and Pelagians and Jeſuits ſhall find a market for merits; and men ſhall be Lords and carvers of heaven and hell, and ſtewards abſolute, and ſoveraign of their own ſalvation and damnation. What more can be ſaid to blow up and make proud ſilly free-will?