2 Of mrede.lination. Thus Femrborniut in Faldoul. Differ.de termino vita ufeth 17 Argu- ments, contra fententiam calvinianam de fatali & fimpliciter neeeffario ter- mino vita, (qua / ;Deus ex abfoluto &Jrspltci de- creto dr ab /e alto àd extras fecund-as phyficas, & voluntarias refpeas, caiq, hominem genus & boron mortis prafixerat.) And all upon the en- couragement of fome ill and unfound words of Pi[cator, who is moth extream inthis : where- as this is none of the Calvini/ts fenfe com- monly, who hold that fin is only fore-feen,and not decreed : but all true means are decreed with the end in one Decree;, therefore re- fpe ted as decreed. under Gods fapíential Government of the World. ( As Campanella makethNudity, Fate, andHarmony, tobe the refult of Power, Wifdom; andLove; but not accurately enough.) And fome fay, ( but how truly I knownot ) That thestoicks took Fate for Tome primaryneceffìtating Caufe, which did neceffitate all Ads of the Gods andMen. It is a word that we have no need of; they that will play them with it may. 3. But as to Necety again, I fay, I. Ele&ion maketh no mans fin or mifery neceffary, nor tendeth to' it. 2. It maketh no mans Salvation neceffary againft hiswill infenfu compofito. 3. The more it maketh our Salvationneeeffary , that is, certain and infuperable, the greater is Gods mercy, thegreater our happinefs, and caufe of gratitudeand Joy. The Saints in Heaven are notoffendedat the certainty of their perfevering bleffednefs. Ifyou shallObjett, That itneceffetateth the perifhing of all others, be. caufe none can be favedwho are not Elefi. Remember that this was your third Crimination, and is anfwered before. I fay again , r. Necefty and ImpoJbility are either Logical in ordine probandi 5 or Phyftcal in ordine caufandi. The firft fort followeth upon your own Dottrine: He that God fore- knoweth (hall fin and perifh, it neceffarily followeth Necefsitate confequentice ; and it is impofsible but it fhould follow, that he will fin and perifh, but notby Gods fore- knowledge. Caufal neceffitating either takethaway the true power of efcaping, or deprivethof fuch power by prevention : But fo doth not the Elettion or Decree of God. a. Thoughwe hold fuch abfolute Ele&ion as bath been opened to you, and that Goddecreeth to caufe men tobelieve, before he fore-feeth that they will believe, (in order of Nature, according to humaneCon- ception;) yet we hold as you do, that Reprobation dothnot fopro- ceed, but that God decreeth men to Hell only on fore-fight of final mickednefi, which he never caufed or willed. And i in this we agree with you, youmuff accufeyour felvesas muchas us. 3. GodBoth bothDecreeto give, and attually give menpower to do more than they do; And his decreeing that another man (hall well ufe that power which he hath, Both fure take away no power from you. 4. Yea, Gods not decreeing to caufe you to ufe your own power well, doth take none of it from you But includeth that fuck power you have : much leis hisDecree todomore for others. 5. All the World acknowledgeth, that a Benefa&or as fuch is free to give his own benefits as he pleafes, unequally. And giving more to one taketh nothing from another. Suppofe that God had for 4000 years, till Chrift's Incarnation, but milled and given hismercy equally to all the World, even fo much asmight leavethe matter meerly to their wills ; and afterthat had givengreater mercy to the Chriftian Churches, takingnothing from the reft : Had this been any injury or diminution to the reft ? Suppofe nowGod fhould fetch half thedamned out ofHell, is this any more hurt or wrong tothe reft than ifhe had delivered none. But all theft things are here anticipated, and cannot be fully anfwered till we come to the Article of Grace; where we mutt Chew how God doth differ hisOperations onmens Souls : For nonecandeny, but as he diffirenceththem, fohe decreed to difference them, and no otherwife. The
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