44 ephefians,Chap.i. VE R. 4. in thisfink : God confidered not there, fuchand fuch, whenhe eleéted them to falvation, as they are, when now they are faved, ergo, his Exe- cution differenh from hisDecree : Whereas they lhould reafon ; Thofe whom God neither fore-faw fuch when ele ied them,nor predeftinated to make fuch as now they are when they are faved thofe are faved otherwife thenGod decreed, for the decreeof God is as well of the means, asof the end. 1 To the fecond, I anfwer ; The firft part is falle, and thereafonofit is, viZ; thatmercyand juftice can doe nothingwhere it feethnot finand mifery ; for mercy may work where there is poffibilityof mifery, cy- ther by preventing the entrance, or by decreeing to fave and deliver from that mifery, which by permiffion !hall befall the creature; and though revenging juftice cannot byway of execution; yet I fee not, why Godmay not outoflove, to the glory of his juftice,pafle by forre, intendingto glorifie himfelfin theirjuft punifhment; for what lhowof injufticeis in this actofGod moftjuft, I intend tobe glorious in the juft punifhment of fuch and fuch r It is one thing tomake a juft intendment, another thing tomake an unjuft execution. It is anfwered to the fecond part; that Election is out ofgrace,z Tim. r.Paal faithbyonefrpborue,The Lord/hery himmercy in thatday. In divers refpeâs the fame thing called by different names. And whereas itis Paid, that rejectionor reprobati- on, is an adofjuftice ; it is denied, feting it is an at ofGods dominion, liberty, or holy felf-love, whereby he loveth the glory of his Office inthemanifeftation ofit, rather thena formall actofjufticeher fell; as likewife, the permitting the fall, was not an aetformally frommercy or juftice, but bywifdomeand providence, making way, that both mercy and jufticemight exercife their proper works about the creature. 3. The firft part is not true, lookas God maycall the things thatare not, and love Tome thingspoffible before other, fo farre asto give them be- ing,not other: So he may elector reject, even a creature, as it is but poffible in his fight. 4 I anfwer ; It is as much abfurdity, as to fet down the end with my felfe, before I confider the meane which leadeth unto it ; or to ap- point the end whyhe maketh his creature, before he go about tomake. Thefecond part ofthe fifr argument is denied ; that which is free in the firft rife,is free,though it be now neceffarilyperformed : Godgiveth atrue perfevering beleever life, and that neceffarily, for he cannot de- ny himfelfe, andyet he doth it freely, in regard hepaffed his promife freely. 6. The firft partis falle, viz. That he who cannotexecute worfe on the creature then annihilation, cannot fo difpofe of ir, that worfe will at length befall the creature then annihilation ; For Gods making the creature doth give him right, not only to annihilate it,but to ufe itto the utmoft, that lawfullymay beto his glory. Now to paffe by a creature in regardofgrace no wayes due to ir, and todecree the glory of his ju- 4ice, in the juft deferved punifhment of it, hath no appearance of injufice. The
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