Chap.9. and the Covenant of Grace. bath made thee to differ ?, i Cor. 4.7. In which he intends to .flop all mouths from boafling, as appears in the next words; If any therefore (hall anfwer in Grevenchovius his words (as I have Peen them quoted, or in any words that hold out or inferre the fame thing,) 1 make my [(If to differ: The Apoille will not fit down by it, he expreffely tells us ; It is not ofhim that willeth, nor of him that runneth; but of Cod that fheweth mercy. Rom. 9. 16, If grace makes the difference, and not man ; then grace enables man to J go higher then his own power , and to go higher then any power that can be in any other. Seclude this differencing grace , and the praife will be wholly mans. That any have power and poffibi- lity for good, (according to thefe Divines) may be of God ; but that any is better then another , it is from felt that makes to differ. . Bradtvardine bath to this purpofe a notable fimilitude, a 1f fon (faith he) being a fouldi r, a Si filius miles acceptis à patre natu fhould receive from his father a cornrniffon , ra;' ralibus, ordine arque armis firenué armer, together with natura abilities for war tares, flatus forfitan iointp ipfo icare- star irrflatus; quomodo in eradisare- and fighting! loutly Jhould be puffed up and grow tur fuperbia, & plantaretur humilitaT proud: How may thti pride, faith he, be beaten Si ei ab aliquo diceretur , Nonglorietur doWn,and humility planted ? If any one fbould omnis miles in confpatu patris fui ; Ex fay to him, Let not any foulrlier for in the fight ipfo attire eft in militia , ut quigloriatur gl y fi in patre fun glorierur, quid babes quod of his father; for what be is in arm's, he is from non accepifti ? Si =cm accepifti , quid him : So that be that g'orieth, let him gloryin gloriaris quaff non acceperis? Poffet enim hie father ; for What haft thou that thou hall rationaliter refpondere dicendo, quare non not received? He might very well aid rationall ! deberem de mea militia gloriati ? aIcce- y pi guidon à parse men naturalist mea,quia anfwer (faith our learned Author,) why íhould nullvs generat femetipfum; accepi not Iglory ofmy atcheivements in armes? I have ordinem , quia nulli conceditur infagnire received natural abilities indeed from my father, femetipfum ; accepi & arma, quia fimili- for none does beget himfelf ; I have received a ter & cseteri militum non nafcebararma- cosrrmi on from him for none may ut tom, nec fum faber armorum: debitum ta- himfelf into any fuch power; I have re- non accepi b also qua omnibus red babeo Cx meip fa, ceived alto armes from him, for neither crebraeviltorias famá celebri divulgaras I , nor any other fouldier was borne armed; nei- uonaccepi ab alio , fed babeo ex meipfo. that am I any armourer. But the right u f g é ofall Pro bujufmodi igitur in meipfo merito thefe which is above ay, I had from none my quolibet lt tmilite e u Chri.t tl fÇ de Pelf, and not in any other ; and fo every f oul- dier of 7e,! s Chriff: Brad. de caufa Dei. lib'z. cal!23. ad finem. That is, he may vapour againft God , upon fuch fuppófal as this K 3 foul-
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