A discourse of the saving grace of God

They decry the Doctrine of their Opposers, as that which straitens the Mercy of God, and confines it to a few; whereas indeed it makes Salvation sure to very many. But by their Principles, for any Mercy there is in God, all Men may be Damned; nay, which is more, no Man can be Saved. By all the Mercy they ascribe to God, no Man can escape Damnation; all being left to the arbitrement and indifferency of Mans corrupt and degenerate Will; which, without other help than Mercy in their way provides, will certainly ruin them Eternally. Mercy, they say, will Save all that Believe, and none else: But this Mercy intends not to work saving Faith in any; there is no Decree for that, it must be left to Mans Will; and ⟨p. 97⟩if that be not better to him herein than the Mercy of God, he must unavoidably perish. All must be Damned, unless Freewill help them by its own Power, without any effectual Assistance that Mercy prepared for them from Eternity.

They decry the Doctrine of their Opposers, as that which straitens the Mercy of God, and confines it to a few; whereas indeed it makes Salvation sure to very many. But by their Principles, for any Mercy there is in God, all Men may be Damned; nay, which is more, no Man can be Saved. By all the Mercy they ascribe to God, no Man can escape Damnation; all being left to the arbitrement and indifferency of Mans corrupt and degenerate Will; which, without other help than Mercy in their way provides, will certainly ruine them Eternally. Mercy, they say, will Save all that Believe, and none else: But this Mercy intends not to work saving Faith in any; there is no Decree for that, it must be left to Mans Will; and ⟨p. 97⟩if that be not better to him herein than the Mercy of God, he must unavoidably perish. All must be Damned, unless Freewill help them by its own Power, without any effectual Assistance that Mercy prepared for them from Eternity.

3. It is a Mercy without Grace: A Mercy which is not free and gracious, which will not express it self to any, but such as are Worthy, such as have some Merit, or some Motive to Oblige him to be merciful. And being a Mercy that is not free and gracious, whatever Mercy of this Nature they ascribe to him, we can never be saved by Grace.