Davenant - Houston-Packer Collection BT810 .D38 1641

The flbfolttte decree queßioncd, 3 it is fuppofed) to purge theChurch of that calumny which force áll affected ones did ca(l upon it,namery, That it taught that God byhis Predefiination did'impofeupon men a neceJtÿofperifhing, did withdraw the word PREDESTINATJON from thepoint of Reprobates, andgave it onely to the Elea; andfogavegreat cc- cation offarther error and mi(lake. In this beech of his is clearly implied, that it was (D) the confiant do&rive of the Church then, that Reprobates lie under no neceflìtating de- cree of perdition. The truth of this charge may further appear by a few par- ticular inftances. Minutaus Felix bringeth in the Pagans ob- je.`fingto the Chrifians,That they held the events ofall things to be inevitable,and did feigne and'frame to themfelves an un- i Miai. Felix;' juft God, who did puni(h in men their unavoidable clef-links, pas. 23 Quic- not their ill diodes. This is the objec`}ion;'.7hatfoever wedo, qu"1 agimùs,' its others to Fate; o e a cribe to God: e make therefore to your ut alii f y f y itáves Deo felt/es an unjuft God, whopunifheth in men their lot, not their addicitis: 2Yill. To this he anfwereth, k Chriitians hold no other Fates quum igitur then Gods decrees; a whoforeknowingall men and.their «(lions, Dews fiiigi- didaccordingly deterníine their retributions. in hcminibu tis, qui forte y s S. Hierome an eager oppofer of the Pelagiars, in many puniat, non places of his writings faith the fame thing ; m From the fore- voluntatem. knowledge of God it corneth toHalle, that who he knoweth will ïti IdEm,pad, be righteous, himhe loveth b,e fre he cometh out of the wombe; r r6. Ilft, g forum e(, andwho he knoweth will be aginner, himhe hateth before hefin- quod de uno neth. in another place he fpeaketh to the fame purpofe , " The quoque Deus loveand hatred,of God arifeth eitherfrom the forefght offie- 1 odL turetping,,orfrom the Works; otherwife we know that God lo- dim univer- veth all things, nor Both he hate any thing that he bath made. fain præfcit And in his book againft Pelagius he faith, ° Eligit Deus quern materiam, bonum cernir, Godchoofeth whom hefeeth to be good. pro meritis The fumme ofall which fpeeches is but this, That (E)there b u q fi:gulo- is`no decree of damning or laving men, but what is built up- rum croon orì Gods Foreknowledge of the evil and good" actions of fata deter men. Fulgentius is plain for that too : P Thofe whom God mina, & it ore awwoulddie in pine, he deer eed ¡bould live in ertdle e u n non f f 1" JT genitors qle- nifhment. I may take-in S. Augutline and Profper alto, who aitur, fed ;ti . are judged to be the Patrones of the Abfolute decree, as it is genii, natura punirur. m Hieron:ad Galat. c.r.v.r S. Expræfcientia Dei evenit, út giiem jti{lum fitturum fc;t, priùs diligat quáinoriatur ex utero; & quem pcccatoxem, oderit antequam peccet., n ,11d c.r. Malac. DileEfio & odium Dei vel ex prafcientia nafcitur fnturorum, veI ex operibus;alioquin novimus quod omnia Deus diiigat,nec quicquan eorumoderit qux creavit. o Lib,3. contra Pelas. p Fulgent. lib.r. ad Monimun; Quos præfcivit Detss laazc vitain inpeccásó term. natures, prædeftinavit fupplicio interminaiiiii puniendos C let

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