64 / 808
5z
4. Anfwered.
;.
Anfweeod.
Ephefianr,Chap.
I.
VE
Il,
4
the
forbidden tree he
did
threaten,
ergo,he did
decree,
Arminius diftinc-
tion
of
peremptory decree,
and not
peremptory, would
not helpe
any
thing
;
indeed this
prefuppofeth,thatthe
fignifying will
of
God
may not
any
whit
differ
from
his
fecret will, which
he keepeth within himfelfe,
which
is
a
molt
palpable falfe-hood.
Such who
are
bound
to
beleeve
their falvation, when the
decree
of
God
is
not that they
should
be
faved, fuch
are
bound to
beleeve
a
lye.
I
deny
the
confequence
;
for the truth
of
my faith dependerh not on
a
conformity with Gods
fecretwill
within himfelfe, but with that which
he
hath revealed untome
:
While
I
beleeve according
to that
he
revea-
leth,
I
cannot beleeve
a
lye, though the thing
I
beleeve, agree not with
thatwhich God within
himfelfehath
purpofed.To
illuftrate
the
anfwer:
.
braham
did verily beleeve
that he
was to
offer up his
Sonne with-
out any exception
;
for
he did fu(taine his
faith in
thinking
that God
could
raite him
from the
dead
,
not
thinking
God
would
repeale
his
command
;
yet L4brabom beleeved not
alye,
.becaufe he beleeved
according to that which
was revealed unto him.
But
then you
will
fay,
God
may bid
us
beleeve this, or
that,
as
if
it were
his
will,
when
he
knoweth
it
not to
bee his will within himfelfe Doubtleffe,
he may
to prove
us,
as
he did
.4braharn,
whether we will
addreffe
our
felves
confcionably to obey him, or carelcfly
out
of
wilfulneffe
difobey
his
co
m
mandements.
As
the
goodneffe
of
the creature
is
not
in
doing what
God within
his fecret will
bath appointed
;
fo
the truth of
the creature ftandeth not
alwaies
in
beleeving
what
he within himfelfe
hath determined.
To
the
fecond
part
I anfwer, that God doth not binde
any direétly
and
immediatly
to
beleeve falvation, but
in a
certaine
order,
in
which
they cannot but beleeve them truely
:
for
he
bindeth men
firft
to
beleeve
on
Chrift
unto falvation ;
and
then being now
in
Chrift, to
beleevethat
he loved
them,
gave himfelfe
for them,
did
elee
them, will
fave
them;
and none can
truely beleeve on Chrift to
falvation, but infallibly
be-
leeveth
all
thefe
other.
I
deny
that Gods
love to life, and wrath executing death, may
not
(land
together
:
to
love
fo
as
a&ually
by
his influence
to
execute
life,
cannot
(land
with
wrath
executing death,
to
kill
and quicken aétually
God
cannot
at
once
:
but
to love to life, fo
as
to
choofe
Come
perlons
to
be
brought to
life,
through
certaine meanes, this ftandeth well with
wrath to death for the
prefent;
and
God
would never
have given
nor called
Chrift to
fuffer
death for
us
now
in
finne and
death,
had
he
notthus
loved
us.
Looke
as
God
may bodily
infliâ
death on
him
whom
he fo farre
loveth,
that
he
meaneth to give him
life
by
railing
him
from
the dead,
by
his
almighty
power;
fo
is
it
here
:
He
may
yeeld him dead
to
his
juftice,
whom
he
fo
loveth to
life,
that
he
will
by
meanes predeflinated
bring them from death
to
life.
The
confequence
of
the
firft
propofition
is
denied.
If
he mutt have
fome
generals
before he choofe particular perlons
:
Then
he
hath
thus ;
I
will
cheo
fc thefe, if'they
beleeve :
it
is
inough
that
wee conceive
fome