An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

1. They hold, That there is no man is damned, but for his sin; Their destruction is of themselves. Neither do they say, That God by any Decree compelled Adam to sin at first, but Adam sinned as voluntarily, and as freely, as if God had made no permissive Decree about his fall. It is true indeed we say, That God hath predetermining Decrees efficacious about what is good permissive, about what is evil; but yet we say, These Decrees do not alter the nature of second causes, but according to the nature of them, so is Gods providence attempered thereunto. Therefore we acknowledge that of Austin's, Malevola est illa misericordia, quae facit esse miserum, ut misereatur, That is cruel mercy, which makes miserable, that it may show mercy; Adam did voluntarily sin, so that God was not to be blamed.

1. They hold, That there is no man is damned, but for his sinne; Their destruction is of themselves. Neither do they say, That God by any Decree compelled Adam to sinne at first, but Adam sinned as voluntarily, and as freely, as if God had made no permissive Decree about his fall. It is true indeed we say, That God hath predetermining Decrees efficacious about what is good permissive, about what is evil; but yet we say, These Decrees do not alter the nature of second causes, but according to the nature of them, so is Gods providence attempered thereunto. Therefore we acknowledge that of Austin's, Malevola est illa misericordia, quae facit esse miserum, ut misereatur, That is cruel mercy, which makes miserable, that it may shew mercy; Adam did voluntarily sin, so that God was not to be blamed.

Neither do we call those Decrees of God Absolute and Irrespective, as if hereby all means were excluded from accomplishing the end we are elected to. When God elects a man to salvation, we say, in this Election is comprehended holiness, as the way to happiness. And therefore to impose such an Irrespective Decree upon the Calvinists, as if their meaning was, God had decreed to save some men, whether wicked, or not wicked: That it was all one, whether profane or godly. This is an horrible calumny. It is true, we say, it's Absolute, because God did not look to any thing in us, as a cause, or a merit, antecedently to his Election, yet we say, God elects to faith and holiness, as well as to salvation. Therefore we do not injure the merciful Nature of God; but they do his holy, just and wise Nature; yea they diminish his grace and mercy in our Election, and attributing too much to man. For whereas the Apostle saith