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…

Neque Augustinus affirmare veritus est, eos Apostoli verbum evacuare qui judicium divinae discretionis ad opera reducunt praevisa aut praeterita; and so concludes the main point he insists on, thus, Non est igitur peccatum originale causa aeternae reprobationis, nedum actual. So that both Austin and Dr Whitaker, and all our Divines, knew full well in how harsh an accent this truth sounds in the ears of men; yet because the word of God doth testify this truth unto us, it becomes all Christian hearts to submit, and to acknowledge the equity of it, though we are not able to comprehend the reason of it: Though I know full well, some are so violently carried with the zeal of their own way, that they spare not to profess, that they will sooner deny that there is a God, then yield to that which the Contra-Remonstrants teach; which for ought I know, is no other then this which Dr Whitaker taught and Preached publicly in the University of Cambridge, being at that time Professor Regius. And seeing we acknowledge the seeming harshness of it, as well as our Adversaries, yet because we find it revealed in Gods word, we hold it our duty to embrace it, and therehence conclude that it is aequissimum. Doth it become any one to take the course this Author takes, and by a Parallel between this course of God, and the courses of Tiberius, as also by a saying of Zeno's servant, to cry it down as iniquissimum, and thence to conclude hand over head, that the word of God doth not teach it? Is this a Christian course? is this Theological? is this Scholastical? Yet in my judgement the harshness lieth not here, to wit, in the point of Gods purpose to inflict damnation; considering that not one of our divines, that I know, doth maintain that God did ever purpose to inflict damnation, but for sin. Or if there be any harshness therein, that is to be found in the kind and degree of punishment and everlastingness thereof, God holding them everlastingly as it were upon the rack and in quick sense of torment. And yet we maintain without contradiction amongst Christians, that it is just with God to do so for one act of drunkenness or adultery, or the like unrepented of; which kind of punishment, never any Tyrant in the world was known to take, or could take.

Neque Augustinus affirmare veritus est, eos Apostoli verbum evacuare qui judicium divinae discretionis ad opera reducunt praevisa aut praeterita; and so concludes the main point he insists on, thus, Non est igitur peccatum originale causa aeternae reprobationis, nedum actuale. So that both Austin and Dr Whitaker, and all our Divines, knew full well in how harsh an accent this truth sounds in the eares of men; yet because the word of God doth testify this truth unto us, it becomes all Christian hearts to submit, and to acknowledge the equity of it, though we are not able to comprehend the reason of it: Though I know full well, some are so violently carried with the zeale of their own way, that they spare not to professe, that they will sooner deny that there is a God, then yeeld to that which the Contra-Remonstrants teach; which for ought I know, is no other then this which Dr Whitaker taught and Preached publiquely in the University of Cambridge, being at that time Professor Regius. And seeing we acknowledge the seeming harshnes of it, as well as our Adversaries, yet because we find it revealed in Gods word, we hold it our duty to embrace it, and therehence conclude that it is aequissimum. Doth it become any one to take the course this Author takes, and by a Parallel between this course of God, and the courses of Tiberius, as also by a saying of Zeno's servant, to cry it down as iniquissimum, and thence to conclude hand over head, that the word of God doth not teach it? Is this a Christian course? is this Theologicall? is this Scholasticall? Yet in my judgement the harshnes lyeth not here, to wit, in the point of Gods purpose to inflict damnation; considering that not one of our divines, that I know, doth maintaine that God did ever purpose to inflict damnation, but for sin. Or if there be any harshnes therein, that is to be found in the kind and degree of punishment and everlastingnesse thereof, God holding them everlastingly as it were upon the rack and in quick sence of torment. And yet we maintaine without contradiction amongst Christians, that it is just with God to doe so for one act of drunkennes or adultery, or the like unrepented of; which kind of punishment, never any Tyrant in the world was known to take, or could take.