412 The sublapfa.rians elochrine Secondly , it is laid, that albeit this doctrine teach, That men are abfolutely elected or abfolutely reprobated , yet I. It telleth no manwho in particular is eleaed, who reje&ed. 2... It teacheth that men mutt get the knowledge of their Ele- &ion by goodworks, and fo by confequent Both rather encou- rage thenRifle holy and honeft endeavours. For anfwer to the firft of thefe ; The ignorance (0 ) of a mans particularRate (in my judgement) doth not alter the cafe a jote. For he that believeth in general], that many, and they the greateft company without comparifon, are inevitably ordained to deftru&ion, and a few others to fa!vation,,is able out of thefe two generali propofltions to make thefe particular ,conclu(ons, and to reafon (P) thus with himfelf; Either I am abfolutely chofen to grace and glory, or abfolutely cafi offfrom both. If I be chofen, I mug. of neceffitybelieve, and belaved If I be cart off, i meeft as neceffarily not believe,and be damned. TT'hat need I therefore take thought either way about means or end? My end as pitched inheaven, and the means too final] ferfeverance in faith, and my felvation ; or my con- tinuance in unbelief, and my damnation. If I lie tinder tbir nudity of believing and being Paved , or ofeying in cube- lief and being damned, in vain do I trouble my fell about means or end : I have my Superledeas ; I may take mine cafe, and fo I will: enough it is for me to fit down and wait what God Will do unto me. Thus (it is likely ) did Tiberius (. ) reafon with himfelf. For Suetonius reporteth of him, that he was t the morenegligent in religion, becatfe he was fullyperfwadedthat all things came to paffe by defliny. And in this manner (it is to be feared)Klo too many reafon in their hearts,and by this very ground ( though they will not perhaps acknowledge it)encourage themfel ves in profaneneffe.Though men cannot hide their wickedneffe, yet they will hide their grounds which flefri them in it, either through tnodeíty, or to avoid force further ignominy:. The fool bathPaid in h.s heart, There is no God, Pfal. z 4. To the fecond I anfwer,That roen ordinarily will not think the getting cf the knowledge of their Ele&ion (if that be all) worth all thole painful' dutiesof religion that are to be per- formed, and all thole fweet and pleating brines which arc to be relinquifhed:They will reft contented without it for a whdc,, rather then 'pay fo dearly for it:and the rathr,becaule a. When thy have gotten ir, it is in moft but a weak and conjectu- rrall knowledge, obfcured with many clouds and uncertain- ties, i Suet. de viz.Tib. cp. t59.p#g.; áo. Circa Deos & religioncs negligentior, quippe addi- etus Mathe- matie, per- fuaGonífque pleOus omnia fato agi.
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