Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Secondly, If the thing be revealed to a man, yet if it be revealed as a thing impossible, in this case also a man cannot will; it is against the order of nature for a man to will that which he conceiveth to be impossible to be attained, for he must look upon it as a thing possible to be had afore it can be said that he can will it. But Christ is revealed to men in the Church, and so propounded not as a thing impossible, but as a thing possible; now it cannot be said only that they cannot will, but that they will not will, and therefore when as men complain, that it is impossible to will, here is the glory of Gods justice made ⟨p. 425⟩manifest, because there is a freedom in the manner of refusing, they might have had Christ if they would.

Secondly, If the thing be revealed to a man, yet if it be revealed as a thing impossible, in this case also a man cannot will; it is against the order of nature for a man to will that which he conceiveth to be impossible to be attained, for he must look upon it as a thing possible to be had afore it can be said that he can will it. But Christ is revealed to men in the Church, and so propounded not as a thing impossible, but as a thing possible; now it cannot be said onely that they cannot will, but that they will not will, and therefore when as men complain, that it is impossible to will, here is the glory of Gods justice made ⟨p. 425⟩manifest, because there is a freedom in the manner of refusing, they might have had Christ if they would.

It is objected that the Covenant that is made by God, seemeth to be made with the elect only, and therefore ¹the condition belongeth only to them, how can Christ belong to all, seeing the exhortation and commandment must not exceed the Covenant, for the benefit is propounded to the Elect, and the condition to be required of none but of such as are within the covenant.