4$ A profitable Expo fition O. petition forth,andcompel] thetas to come in,whcre(ocueryeefinde? Againe,in his so. E- pitlle,2oq, Epittle,and in divers other.places, bee gatbereth out of this Text this do& me. All other Interpreters doe the like, olde and newe, as occafion feruetla Ioho, 6, them. But Faith,you will fay cannot be forced : For it is the gift of Cod,and no man omrneth to Chri1 except the Father drawe bins. And what then? There- fore no man may be compelled to come to thepreachingof the wórd,and to fre- quent commauncied exercifes ? 'Let Schoilers make that argument to theyr Mai - fier,& fay learning. is the gift of God, and cannot be had,except he glue it,there. fore they may not-be bcaten,if they learr,e nor. Let feruants alledge, that abili- tie to doe their duties commeth from God,and therefore they may not be looked to. Let the Thicfc fay,to bea True-roan is a gift that God gineth, therefore hee may not be hanged it he fteale. Shall they efcape by rhefe reafons? I trow not. Therefore wee anfwere, it followeth not. For ahhoughFaithbe the gift of God, -yet doth the Lord vie meanes. And although the will cannotbe forced, yet may it be contained within dude, that it doe not any thing with offence contrarie to religion. And as wee fee in other things,that they that are giuento Theft, Drum. kenneffe,and other filthy pollutions of the body or loule,cannot be compelled by mans power to chaungethevrinward mindes and to efleeme of thofe things ae . cording to thcyr nature,and yet many by lawes be rearained from outward tactst So though bymans might,no minde can be indued with Faith, yet may open bet hauiour be rellrained, amended,,and reformed: and wicked contemners becom- pelled to bean:. fermons,to come to prayer s,& to fréqucnt the publike allemblics, at cimes appointed. Which outward forced obedience,mayif God pleafeiworke inward willing obedience in rime. For it bath done 'it often, as thoufands of ex_ Epifl,zo4. periences prooee. But if it doe not,. through the incurable obíbnacie of force, which lay as r4tr37en noteth : Sic volo errare , fie volo perire: yet may not fo lone- rain( a Salue be omitted , by them that ought to applie it,as the fame Father alto noteth. It was faideso`Peter, Whither I goe thou can§ not follow met. now,6utthouJllaáfol. Foif1.48, low wee afterward. And fomay itbe with others,by the Lords bie(lingof meanes, 100,13,36, that what could not bee in one time, maybe in other, to the good and comfort of manie. For as the light of do&rine auaileth to rid away error from judgement, fo doth (care of pumfhmcítt,in many, helpe to reforme thepraelife of lite againft good order. cí`14ea primate fententsa erat , r c. My (elfe was once of that minde, Flit49 P174 (faith'S. A'uFlen) that I thought' no man ought to be forced to Chri(tian vnitie,bue that wee (hould deale by perfwafion , (trove by difputing, conquer byreafoning, lea(t they proued diffemblingCatholtques,whomuwe know proieffedherctiques. But this opinion of mine was ouerthrowne,not withwords of gaine- Paying, but with examples of euident proofe. And fi,ft,mine ocvne Citie was obit&ed again(t me,which being wholly ouer- runne with the Herefie ofDonetti/me was reclaimed and brought againe to. the Trueth, with the feare of. good Imperial) laves, inthat cafe prouided, &c. Many others alto were layde before mec in like fort reformed by good lanes. So that I Paw it true,that by feare of that which bee would be loth to fuffer,a man may be brought to relinquilh that former that hindred him, or to acknow- ledge an vnknowoe Trueth. before, &c. Terror coil temporaiturn poteIlatum,quando verit stern oppugnat,isoi u fortibus grloriofa probatiorflin&m,, polenlo /atertatso: quanele moon verstatempradtcaterrantsb us( drf- cordantib us,cordatis vt tIC admnnstio eff, & inrenPatio inutilis afflitlio. The feare of Temporall power when it oppugneth Trueth,is to the iufl thatare flroeg a glorious tryall, and to the wcalce a dangerous Temptation: but when it preached, Truth to themthat are inerror and dodif race,to the wife itisaprofi- .tabk admonition,&to the fooli!1t an vnprofitable affh &ion.. Yet is there no pow- er but of God, and hee that rc(fieth thepower,refiftcth the ordinance of God. Whi- 4
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