$$ Ofgodsgracious Operations on Man's Soul: the fame kind, our fin it felf being our punifhment though it pleafeth us, (As fcratching is to him that hath the itch.) 17. Therefore theend of a mans life is the publick good and his natu- ral felicity; betides andabove which to make God our End, as he is holy and to be pleafedby Holinefs, isan errour; for all that cometh to pats whe- ther fin or holinefs, do equally pleafe and fulfil hiswill, as they are equally caufed by him, according to theirfeveral natures. IHavedelineated this hypothefis with its confectaries as truly as I can. If anyexpel that I fhould have given you their own words for all that I have fad. -t. Remember that I charge not all thefe words on them ; but mention their judgement with the confequents. a. That I charge not thefe confequents to be owned by the men, but upon their dQ trine. And let anymandifcharge or juftifie them that can. 3. But I defire no more to prove thatIwrong them not, than that theReader be acquainted with their own writings, and not to impofe toomany on him, particularly, with Brad- uvardine, Bannes, Holkot and Alvarez, and with Pifcator, Maccovine Dr.Twiffe, and Rutherford deprovid. And Idefire him firft but to read the words which I have before cited and confutedof theirs in this Treatife; and thewords of Alvarezand ThifTe which i have cited and anfwered in myDbut. cantr.Predeterm, in MethodsTheolog And I mutt profefs that theReligion here defcribed in the end, is,all that Ican prove confiftentwith theiropinion truly undedtood in it felf and its confeltaries ; and that if I held their dodlrine, I think I could have no other faith : Which I have annexed left the Hobbi/ls íhould think that their principle, were it proved, would juftifie all Immorality and Irreligion. For this much they might be obliged to notwithftanding it. But he that can fee fogreat evidence for the Dominican predeterminati- on, above the other threewayes, andwhat I have here farther added, as for the fakeof it, to admit fo great a change of his Religion, or fo great a de- greeof the forfakingof true Religion, he feeth not with my eyes, and I hope I flail never lee with his, though I am not a (hanger to the pretences for their way, that make it feemplaufible to them that do refpicere ad. panca. And if any think that I deal too haríhly in clogging their opinion with fuch odious confequents, Let them prove them inconl'equent, and I will recant it : But if they cannot, civility (hall not make me hide and fa- vour fo great Impiety ; and as little in Dodtrine as inmanners, (as Adul- tery, perjury, blafphemy, &c.) 'becaufe he that thinketh he doth well, will not Repent, and anerring mind will juftifie fin, and fight againft God and his truth inhisown name ; and it'smore toTeach men to break a com- mand, than to do it, and confeff the fin. They think it is for God that they erre AndI think it is for God thatI detet it. And who it is that erreth indeed, the Light mutt difcover, and the fludious impartial prepared Chil- dren of theLight mutt difcern ; and the Father ofLights mutt finally judge. Note that in the fluff part I fpeak as in thename of thePredeterminants ; till I come to the Queftions, and thence-forward I fpeak as in my own name, which the Readermay eafily perceive. VII.
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