A20187:63
The opening of heaven gatesThe opening of heauen gates
The opening of heaven gates, or The ready way to everlasting life Delivered in a most familiar dialogue, between reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word, and mans free-will, to the understanding of the weakest capacity, and the confirming of the more strong. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God, at South-Shoobery in Essex.The opening of heauen gates, or The ready way to euerlasting life Deliuered in a most familier dialogue, betweene reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word, and mans free-will, to the vnderstanding of the weakest capacitie, and the confirming of the more strong. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God, at South-Shoobery in Essex.
London: printed by G. Eld for John Wright, 1610London: printed by G. Eld for Iohn Wright, 1610
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
for I know defendants more than to many, y• are ready to snatch up y• glove before it come at y• ground. Let us yet again therefore return to Adam, & with one blow or twain this fray shall be ended. This man y• Lord said was created according to his own likeness whom y• Papists doth affirm, to have received freewill to those evil, by y• prerogative of his first estate: but God therein is slandered & that Innocency of Adam belied, for yet again I1 say, evil was not then in y• world, & therefore I perceive not, how God did set before him fire & water, & commit the acceptance of either to his choice; but I find y• he said unto him, thou shalt not taste of the tree, if thou dost, thou shalt die the death: go to2 them: the will of God was always righteous, ⟨p. 31⟩e•en so was Adams freeness, freely righteous, according to y• righteousness of God, save that it was changeable: but if the defendant will not for shame say, that sinful appetite is righteousness, either let him confess that Adam had the same appetite, y• did carry him from hi• pure estate somewhere else, than immediately from y• hand of God by creation: or else, let him conclude against God, that that uncleanness of Adam, came from an unclean workmaster: or at the least that Adam was never the image of the righteous God, & so consequently prove God a liar, in that he did so call him. If all this be to no purpose, I desire to be resolved, how the Papist hath not done open wrong to God, and wherein my assertion is false, they say (perhaps that which they would not) that only the nature of God, I mean his righteousness according to which he created Adam hath some respect of evil, as