But on the other side, if a man should argue, An Elect man received into the state of grace, may fall totally and finally, Therefore God is changed, would be a strong and undeniable inference. And indeed for this particular may the Arminians be challenged, as holding Gods mutability, because they hold, That notwithstanding Gods decree and purpose to save such a man, yet a man by his own corruption and default, shall frustrate God of this his intention. Otherwise all know, Adam was created in a state of Gods favour, and quickly apostatized into the contrary: so that we may truly say, Adam was one day, (yea hour, as some) a child of Gods favour; and in another of his wrath, yet the change was in Adam, not in God, both because God had not made an absolute Decree from all Eternity for his standing, as also because he had made no Promise to preserve him in that happy condition. In this sense 1 Pet. 2.10. it is said, Which in time past were not a people, but now are the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. And whereas the Opponent saith, God loved us before we did believe; it is true, with a love of purpose; but many effects of his love are not exhibited till we do believe. He loveth us▪ and so worketh one effect of love in us, that that effect may be a qualification for a new and further effect of love. He loveth us, to make us his friends, and when he hath done that, he loveth us with a love of friendship. God loved us before he gave Christ, for out of that love he gave us ⟨p. 194⟩Christ, that so when Christ is given us, he may bestow another love upon us. Now because it is ordinary with us to call the effect of love, love, as the fruit of grace is grace; Therefore we say, In such a time God loved not one, and afterwards we say, He doth love the same, not that herein is any change of God, but several effects of his love are exhibited. As we call the effects of Gods anger, his anger, Poena patientis, ira esse creditur decernentis, The punishment on the offender, is judged the anger of the inflicter: and by this means we say sometimes God is angry, and afterwards he ceaseth to be angry, when he removeth these effects of his anger:
But on the other side, if a man should argue, An Elect man received into the state of grace, may fall totally and finally, Therefore God is changed, would be a strong and undeniable inference. And indeed for this particular may the Arminians be challenged, as holding Gods mutability, because they hold, That notwithstanding Gods decree and purpose to save such a man, yet a man by his own corruption and default, shall frustrate God of this his intention. Otherwise all know, Adam was created in a state of Gods favour, and quickly apostatized into the contrary: so that we may truly say, Adam was one day, (yea hour, as some) a childe of Gods favour; and in another of his wrath, yet the change was in Adam, not in God, both because God had not made an absolute Decree from all Eternity for his standing, as also because he had made no Promise to preserve him in that happy condition. In this sense 1 Pet. 2.10. it is said, Which in time past were not a people, but now are the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. And whereas the Opponent saith, God loved us before we did believe; it is true, with a love of purpose; but many effects of his love are not exhibited till we do believe. He loveth us▪ and so worketh one effect of love in us, that that effect may be a qualification for a new and further effect of love. He loveth us, to make us his friends, and when he hath done that, he loveth us with a love of friendship. God loved us before he gave Christ, for out of that love he gave us ⟨p. 194⟩Christ, that so when Christ is given us, he may bestow another love upon us. Now because it is ordinary with us to call the effect of love, love, as the fruit of grace is grace; Therefore we say, In such a time God loved not one, and afterwards we say, He doth love the same, not that herein is any change of God, but several effects of his love are exhibited. As we call the effects of Gods anger, his anger, Poena patientis, ira esse creditur decernentis, The punishment on the offender, is judged the anger of the inflicter: and by this means we say sometimes God is angry, and afterwards he ceaseth to be angry, when he removeth these effects of his anger:
