A20187:76
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.
Sixthly, that God doth communicate with some fellow partners, as Satan, fortune, or man, in the government of those creatures, that be his own. 7. Seventhly, so far as I can perceive, we might from hence show presidents of authority that it is not unlawful for us to live careless of God altogether, for if God be careless of us, by what mean should he bind us to so much duty & a legiaunce, as he hath commandstd by his own word; nay it should seem that we might be careless of such a God as had in none other sort vouchsafed to provide for our safety: but we know, that all these are false, and therefore do find our selves most bound to serve our God in all thankfulness & dutiful obedience. Now Sir, if Master Adversary will1 cast about, and come upon me with this double blow, according to his custom, and say, God foreknew indeed from everlasting who were his, and according to y• same fore knowledge, determined of man all after his desert should require; & that answerable to y• proportion of his good or evil, God did foresee and purpose to shape out his rewards for him, like to ⟨p. 47⟩the Tailor, that for saving of cloth cuteth after the scantling of his measure: I leave the Apostle to do my message in his care which otherwise may seem to call him open liar, Saying: The purpose of God2 doth examine according to election, not of works, but of him that calleth: and again3 That election is of grace & not of works. On the other side, the over sitting of slat contraries doth require, that the reprobates or •seastes, should be rejected according to the judgement of God, whom he had prepared for his glory to destruction: for so doth the Apostle witness; besides this also, very reason doth instruct4 us, that as often as y• Scripture maketh mention of the predestination of the chosen sort, so o•t is the predestination of the reprobates confirmed: Now therefore to give free will his packing penny, we may boldly say, y if free will be, Gods providence is not: if Gods providence is, let these testimonies suffice. He is with every little bird y falletho the ground he feedeth the