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…

Now on this point this Author keeps himself close, and ⟨p. 49⟩earths himself within his own concealments, lest he should betray the bitter Leaven of Pelagianism, in maintaining that grace is conferred according unto works, which cannot be avoided by him, if once he comes to deal on this Argument. He thinks he hath great advantage in the point of Reprobation, and very free he is here, but declines the point of election, and point of conferring grace, which argueth a naughty disposition, practising by indirect courses to circumvent and suppress the truth, rather then confer any thing for the clearing of it: yet see his confused carriage in the very point. For when he speaks of damnation avoidable and unavoidable, he takes no pains to manifest in what sense he takes it to be avoidable; as whether by power of nature, or power of grace. Is it his meaning that any man's damnation is avoidable by grace? We deny it not. Or is it his meaning that it is avoidable by nature? we utterly deny this. But this man counts it his wisdom not to speak distinctly, but work his advantage upon confusion of things that differ; but let all such take heed, least utter confusion be their end. But if it be his meaning that all men have power to avoid damnation if they will, to wit, in as much as they have power to believe if they will, to repent if they will: I would he would deal fairly once, and come to this. The Scripture is express, That they that are in the flesh cannot please God, that the natural man discerneth not the things of God, that they are foolishness unto him, ¹neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. That, they cannot believe, cannot repent. Of the Children of Israel in the wilderness that, God had not given them eyes to see, ears to hear, nor hearts to perceive forty years. And truly we take faith and repentance to be the gift of God. And the habits of them not to be a power to believe and repent if a man would, but an habitual and moral inclination of them to believe, to repent. And habits (as it was wont to be said) Agunt ad modum naturae, do work after the manner of nature. And it is very strange that supernatural grace should not. And long ago I have learnt in Austin, that to do good, and obey God if a man will, is rather nature then grace. For the will alone is all in all as touching acts moral, good or evil;

Now on this point this Authour keeps himselfe close, and