An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

it is no more but only to subscribe to that of the Apostle, He will have mercy, on whom he will have mercy; and whom he will he hardeneth, Rom. 9.8. Theodorus Cornhertus, though in his life he had writ against Calvin and Beza, in the point of Predestination, yet at his death professed to God, See animam suam à Deo possidere, quam Deo integrum sit, pro suo beneplacito, servare vellet an reprobare, sibi nil esse quod conqueratur: Either we have power in our ⟨p. 497⟩hands to work true Faith in our selves, to regenerate our own hearts, or not 5 if we say, we have such a power in our selves, how shall those Scriptures be salved, which tell us, That God begets us of his own will, James 1.18. That he worketh the will of his own good pleasure, Phil. 2.13. That the regenerating spirit bloweth where it listeth, Joh. 3.8. That faith is not of our selves, but the gift of God, Eph. 2.8. How shall Gods Royal Prerogative, which is to make a new heart, to take away the stone of it, to sprinkle the clean water, to put his Spirit into men, as we have it, Ezeck. 36. ever be preserved inviolate? It cannot be, but if, as becomes us, we fail, that God is the great Worker of regenerating Graces in us; how can we do less than lye prostrate at his feet and pleasure for it? The case is very short, either Gods will must depend on Mans, or Mans will must depend on Gods; and one would think it very reasonable, that Man, a Creature, a mere Receiver should depend on him who is a God and great Donor of all. The Fathers in the second Arausican Council, Can. 4. determine thus: Si quis, ut à peccato purgemur, voluntatem nostram Deum expectare contendit, non autem, ut etiam ⟨p. 498⟩purgari velimus, per Sancti Spiritus infusionem & operationem, in nos fieri confitetur, resistit ipsi Spiritûi Sancto: You see they make Mans will hang upon Gods, and not è contrà: This submission to Gods will is not, as if we might be indifferent whether we were saved or damned; but that we must lye at Gods feet, humbly confessing our desert of eternal damnation on the one hand, and the Sovereignty of Gods free Grace on the other: And that such a man is in his wits, hear the judgement of learned Bishop Reynolds,