Hieron - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.H54 S4 1624

The BackepartsofIehouáh. $3 was not pleated todoe. And in another place,when Chrift was apprehended,and Peter began to makerefiftance, Pot vp (faid lee) thy /word into Isisplace, thinkefp thou,t{eat l cannot nowpray tomy Fether,dnd be evil1gine me morethen:welue Legions erAngels e?Bywhich words our Saviour fheweth, that bothhe could haue asked eMai.:Co'. his Father, and that his Fatherwas able thus to hale fupplied him , butyet nei- 43 ther of them for the time would dothat,which they wereableto hone done. The like mightbe (hewed in other fpecialties,but their mayfuffice. Andthusyou e. derftand the reafons, for which God is called fbrang. Firth, what he will he effc- &eth,andcroff_th thecontrary. Secondly,that which he willeth , heeeafily ac- co nplilheth. Thirdly , his power is not limited tothatwhich he doth;btithe is able to doemuchmore, ifit foCreme good vistohis Maiefty. Before 1 come to make of ofthìsdo&rine, I muff thewwith what excepti- ons it mull bee vnderftood : for notwithfianding this infinite ftrength and powerofGod, Come thingsthere are whichGod cannotdoe, ssnamely, hecan- not finne , he cannet lie faith the ApoftleF,, and in anotherplace be cannot denie f hintfelfe e. It is as vnpofsible that there things fhouldcome from the nature of ga.Tim,a.aa God, as it is,that thelight oftheSenne fhodldbringdarkeneffe, or that a white colour (Mould make that thingblacke, to which it is applyed. Ifyouaakenice now, howcan God then bee faid to beeofrei great ftrength, fetingyouhaue na- med Come thingswhich hecannot doe ; I aofwere, that his being not able todoe theft things, doth argil:: the inffniteneff of his power. Ids weakeneffeinvs that wefinne, it is fulineffe ofpower in himthat he cannot finne. It is thee great power' of God, that heecannot lieh; Ifbee couldlie, deceine, or beedeceiued, bMagnaeli he were not omnipotent i. Againe, God cannot doe thofü things which imply Die poirmia a contradi&ion, as namely, to make athing tobee and nottobee both at an in- non poffé mennn: Aug. Rant; or to make that whichbath beenenot tohaue beene. It is a good faying de Trin.l,zy. to this purpofe of alearned mank: Whofoeuet (faith her) faith thus ; If God . c is, beeomnipotent, let him makethole thingsnot tobee done,whichbane already i Ang.de!yni. beenedone; that man doch notconfider, that it is all one,ns ifhe Iboald fay ; If FAug.mn. be be omnipotent, let himbringto paffe that tholethings which aretrue, maybe na Fautìum fa*, cven in the fame refpe& forwhich they aretrue. Andagainel, This fen- Mani tence(faith he) by whichwe fay,that thisor that hath beene,is therefore true,be- I idem ibi. ode coat whereofwee fpeake , now isnot: Thisfentence God cannot maketo dem,puto be fare, becaute he is not contrary to the truth. And this is to be obferued againit poll, tilde of theChinch ofRome, who for that groffäopinionoftheirs , .touching Chrift his bodily pretence in theSacrament, pleadeGods ómnipotencie m. Hee m So doth (lay they) isalmighty andßrang, able to doe any thing, and therefore able to do Andradius- this alfo, albeit we cannot conceive it. Nowwemuttobferue,that though God andotkéis, be(treng(as thaneIhewed)yec this is none ofthe things for which he is focalled, bcaufe it doth neceffarily imply a cootradietion, Forieis in the nature ofabo- dy, tobe within the compaffeofoneplaceontlyat one time. Now, forChrills body at one and the fame inftant oftime, toretain the nature ofa true body, and yet withall tobe in diners places, and not fubie& tofenfe, it is as vnpofsible, as it is for him to havea body, and tòbane no body, tobe Chrift, and nottobe Chrift allat one moment. Belides, it is a good rule, that, whenwe fpeake ofthat power of God which the learnedcall his a&uáll or workingpower, we muff not feuer it fto n hisreuealed will. It is a worthy fperchofourSnuiesrto theSadu- ces",Te aredeeeiued,not knowing the Scripture ,nor rivepaver ofGed.Whatfoeueriv; talat.äa.ig perceive to be his will,there we mull make nodoubt ofaccon plifhmeut twhere there isno ruidence ofhis will, therewee maynot preformofhisordinary pow. er. The Pipifts therefore who in thispoint ofrranfuhllantiation,fo much urge Godspower, let then (iftheycan) prooue ittobee Gods will, to makefilch a fupernaturall alteration , otherwife their argument fetched from the Powerof God, cannot helpe them. Thus much touching thedóRriue ofthe Strength of

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=