overthroweth Gods 9ufiice: on. It hash alwayes been ordinary with falfe teachers to make Gods worda father to their talle opinions, that they may Rand the fatter and Winne the greater credit. The Pa- pif}s ground their Tranfubftantiation, and the Lutheranes their Confubftantiarion and Ubiquity upon the Scri pture, Hoc EST CORPUS MEUM, Thisismy bodie, Mattb. a6. And the defenders of abfolute Reprobationdo fo too: They make their cauce to be Gods, and entitle his word to it , becaufe they fee it is the furcft way to defend it ; being herein like to force contentious people, who being in law and having a bad caufe which they are like to lofe, they entitle the King to it, that they may the better uphold it. 3. Abfolute Reprobation can be no part ofGods revealed will. The reafon is, Becaufeit isodious to right reafon, and begetteth abfurdities. For nulla veritas parit abfurda, no truth begetteth abfurdities. Divers truths' are revealed in Scripture which are above but not contrary to right reafon , whether they be matters of faithor life. Faith and Reafon , Nature and Scripture are both Gods excellent gifts : and therefore though there may be a difproportion, yet there can be no repugnancy between them. The worfhip which God rcíluireth iscultus oy1 t ,a reafonable fervice Rom, t z. z. and the word ofGod is yh et Aoytrtóv f d.P i'ov, :Hill' rea- fonable and without guile, r.Pet. z. z. Thefe things there- fore being laid together, it will appear to be but a mere fhift and evafìon, whenaboluteReprobation is proved to be un- juff, and therefore unworthyof God, to fay,Gods will is the rule ofju(tìce : this ispart of Gods revealedwill; and there- fore nufijujl , what(oever reafon may cavil and ray to the contrary. III., Their thirdanfwer is, That (L) God is not bound to reflore men power to believe , becaufe they once had it and have loft it through their own fault; as a matter is not bound to renew his fervants flock , if he have wafted it by had husbandry. This anfvver cloth not fatiffie me. For I grant that God is limply and abfolutely bound to no man , becaufe he is agens liberrimum,a molt free difpenfer of his own favours, where, and what, and to whom he will; and no man is aforehand with God: guis prior illi dedit ut retribuatur? Who hath given unto him, and it fhall be recompenfed again? Rombi r. 3 q. But yet he isconditionally bound : For he harp deter, mined and tyed himfelf three wayes elpecially. ï s ,Utcet"- 317
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