A post-script to the late letter of the reconcilableness of God's prescience, &cA post-script to the late letter of the reconcileableness of God's prescience, &c

And whereas I reckoned God's Prescience of all whatsoever futurities, and, consequently, of the sins of men, most certain, and demonstrable (tho it was not the business of this Discourse to demonstrate it, but, supposing it, to show its reconcilableness with what it seemed not so well to agree) if I had believed his ⟨p. 5⟩Predeterminative concurrence to the sins of men to be as certain; Perfect despair of being able to say any thing to purpose in this case, had made me resolve to say nothing in either.

And whereas I reckon'd God's Prescience of all whatsoever futurities, and, conseqently, of the sins of men, most certain, and demonstrable (tho it was not the business of this Discourse to demonstrate it, but, supposing it, to shew its reconcileableness with what it seemed not so well to agree) if I had believed his ⟨p. 5⟩Predeterminative concurrence to the sins of men to be as certain; Perfect despair of being able to say any thing to purpose in this case, had made me resolve to say nothing in either.

For, to show how it might stand with the Wisdom and Sincerity of the Blessed God, to counsel men not to sin, to profess his hatred and detestation of it, to remonstrate to men the great danger they should incur by it; with so great appearance of seriousness to exhort, warn, expostulate with them concerning it, express his great displeasure and grief for their sinning, and consequent miseries; and yet all the while act them on thereto, by a secret, but mighty and irresistible influence, seemed to me an utterly hopeless and impossible undertaking. ⟨p. 6⟩The other, without this (supposing, as to this, the case to have been as some have thought it) a very vain one.

For, to shew how it might stand with the Wisdom and Sincerity of the Blessed God, to counsel men not to sin, to profess his hatred and detestation of it, to remonstrare to men the great danger they should incur by it; with so great appearance of seriousness to exhort, warn, expostulate with them concerning it, express his great displeasure and grief for their sinning, and conseqent miseries; and yet all the while act them on thereto, by a secret, but mighty and irresistible influence, seem'd to me an utterly hopeless and impossible undertaking.