The riches of Gods love unto the vessels of mercy, consistent with his absolute…The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute…

First it is the most general opinion, that reprobation as it signifies a purpose to damn, and accordingly to exclude from heaven, presupposeth the prescience of sin: M. Perkins expressly professeth as much, and other Divines at the Synod of Dort; yet this hinders not the absoluteness of reprobation, which appears in the purpose of God to deny grace, and that absolutely to some, like as he bestows it upon others; I mean the grace of faith and regeneration; otherwise grace should be given according to works: Now let any passage be produced out of Prosper, or any other Orthodox writer amongst the Ancients to show, that God in distributing these graces unto some, and denying them unto others, did not proceed absolutely, but according unto works; and according to this doctrine, it is well known that Austin shaped his doctrine concerning predestination, as it hath been showed at large in the answer to M. Hord, in the first section; secondly that there may be a cause of predestination and reprobation, Aquinas doth not deny, but how? quoad res volitas, as touching things willed, or, predestination & reprobatione praepartas, by predestination and reprobation prepared, and in this sense Aquinas himself confesseth that, foresight of sin is the cause of reprobation, the nineth to the Romans; & see how he explicates himself, his words are these, Lect: 3. praescientia peccatorum potest esse aliqua ratio reprobationis ex parte poenae quae preparatur Reprobatis: in quantum scil: Deus proponit se puniturum malos propter peccata quae à se ipsis habent, non à Deo. The foresight of sins may be some reason of reprobation as touching the punishment, which is prepared for Reprobates, inasmuch as God decreeth to punish wicked men for their sins, which they have of themselves, not of God: But of reprobation, as touching the act of God reprobating, there can be no more cause thereof, then there can be a cause of God's will as touching the act of God willing. And upon this very ground it is, that Aquinas professeth that * never any man was so mad as to affirm that there may be a cause given of predestination, as touching the ¹act of God predestinating; Let us therefore forbear to impute any such opinion to Prosper or any other of the Ancients; which none ever was so mad as to maintain in the judgment of Aquinas.

First it is the most generall opinion, that reprobation as it signifies a purpose to damne, and accordingly to exclude from heaven, presupposeth the prescience of sinne: M. Perkins expresly professeth as much, and other Divines at the Synod of Dort; yet this hinders not the absolutenesse of reprobation, which appeares in the purpose of God to deny grace, and that absolutely to some, like as he bestowes it upon others; I meane the grace of faith and regeneration; otherwise grace should be given according to workes: Now let any passage be produced out of Prosper, or any other Orthodox writer among'st the Antients to shew, that God in distributing these graces unto some, and denying them unto others, did not proceed absolutely, but according unto workes; and according to this doctrine, it is well knowne that Austine shaped his doctrine concerning predestination, as it hath been shewed at large in the answer to M. Hord, in the first section; secondly that there may be a cause of predestination and reprobation, Aquinas doth not deny, but how? quoad res volitas, as touching things willed, or, praedestinatione & reprobatione praepartas, by predestination and reprobation prepared, and in this sense Aquinas himselfe confesseth that, foresight of sinne is the cause of reprobation, the nineth to the Romans; & see how he explicates himselfe, his wordes are these, Lect: 3. praescientia peccatorum potest esse aliqua ratio reprobationis ex parte poenae quae preparatur Reprobatis: in quantum scil: Deus proponit se puniturum malos propter peccata quae à se ipsis habent, non à Deo. The foresight of sinnes may be some reason of reprobation as touching the punishment, which is prepared for Reprobates, in asmuch as God decreeth to punish wicked men for their sinnes, which they have of themselves, not of God: But of reprobation, as touching the act of God reprobating, there can be noe more cause thereof, then there can be a cause of God's will as touching the act of God willing. And upon this very ground it is, that Aquinas professeth that * never any man was so mad as to affirme that there may be a cause given of predestination, as touching the