and an holy life. Out of thefe teftimonies layd together may be collated three things. i. That the Ancients did fife to call a nece ii- tie of humane aâions good and bad by the name of drf$inie, from what external! caufe foever this neceflitie did arife. z. That they did ufe thefe two words,Necefsitie and compul- fion, promifcuoufly : and therefore thought that neceflà'cie as vvell as compulfion did take away the wills libertie.3. (Which is for our prefent purpoCe ) That they believed and con- tended that the judgements of God on !inners could not be jut, ifthey were held by the adamantinechains of any abfo- lute neceffitie under the powerof their finnes. I will therefore conclude this argument with thewords of Epiphanius writing of the errour of the Pharifees, who be- lieved the immortalitie of the foul and the icfurreetionof the dead, and yet held that all things come to paffe by necefli- tie: t Itis, faith he, a point ofextreme ignorance or madreffe rather, for him that confeffeth the refurrel' lion ofthe dead, and thegreat day appointedfor the revelationof Gods righ- teous judgement,tofay that there is any de(tinie,any necellitie in mens a&t.ions. For bow can the righteous judgement of God andDeflinie comply andRand together ? And ( let me adde) how can the belief of this and true pietie Rand toge- ther) For where thisperfwafion,That mens finnes arc neceffa- rie, and that therefore there can be no righteous judgement, is rooted in, religion will quickly be rooted out. IV. Ir tendeth to religions overthrow, becauCe it maketh thewhole circle ofa mans life but a mere Defcinie. By it all our doings are Gods ordinances , all our imaginations branches of his Predeflination, and all events in Kingdomes andCommon-weals the neceffarie iffues ofthe Divine decree: All things whatfoever, though they Teem to do fomewhar, yet ( by this opinion) they do indeed jull nothing : The belt laws retrainnot one offender; the fvveetelt rewards promote not one virtue; the powerfullet fermons convert not one fin- ner; the humble!t devotions divert not one calamitie ; the firongeft endeavours in things ofany nature whatfoever, ef- felt no morethenwould be done without them : but the ne- ceffitating over- rulingdecree of God loth all. And if laws do nothing, whereforeare they made ? If rules of Religion do nothing, why are they prefcribed ? If the wills ofmen do nothing, why arc menencouraged to one thing, feared from another ? And if good endeavours and onfets do nothing ( being excited, continued , limited, controlled, and every N way 193. t Fpiph.lib tô adv.haer, x6. p.3 S num. 3 . Eft illud ve- xi) extreme cujufdam imperitie,né dtcam amen. tie, chin re- furrettïonetn mortuorum effe fateare9 ac jufiifíi- mum cujaf--. que faûi l udtcium conf}itittum, fatum nihi- lorninus effe ullum afi'ere- re. old enim duo ifia con- venire pof- fünt,JucCtci- um arque Fatum i
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