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…

5. An effectual restraint from sin, I know none but the fear of God; yet this he withdraws not from the wicked; for they never had it; nor from the children of God; only he doth not stir it in them at all times, so often as he suffers them to sin, which yet may be to gracious ends. As I for the confirmation of their faith, that nothing, no not sin shall separate them from the love of God; when they shall find the goodness of God minding them of their errors, and bringing them to repentance. 2 As also to make them smart for their former security and wantonness in beholding the uncomfortable issue of it. 3 To provoke them to walk more carefully and circumspectly for the time to come, standing upon their guard, and keeping the watch of the Lord. 4. To cure their pride, according to that of Austin. Audeo dicere, Utile est superbis in aliquod apertum manifestumque cadere peccatum. I am bold to speak it, It is good for a proud man to to fall into some open and manifest sin. I come to the second stay, whereby he objects to our Divines that they maintain that God procures the sins of men, and that is by his moving and inclining them by his irresistible and secret workings on their hearts, to sinful actions. To which I answer first that not any of the passages alleged by him out of Calvin (who alone makes totam paginam in this of his) makes mention of Gods irresistible working; or of moving or inclining unto sinful actions. And let every sober man judge whether a bridle is fit to urge men to action, and not rather to restrain from action, and this is the force of the first Quotation. But this Author through heat corrupting his imagination took a bridle for a spur. His second testifies only this, that man doth nothing but what God decreed, and by his direction appointeth; and this also upon pregnant testimonies of scripture; never undertaking to show Calvins interpretation to be false, or his accommodation of them to be incongruous. In the third he grants that God works in the mind of men. In the 4. he saith that God stirs up the wills, and confirms the purposes of wicked men for the execution of his judgment by Satan the minister of his wrath. Where consider he doth this by Satan, that is he gives them over to Satan for this;

5. An effectuall restraint from sin, I know none but the feare of God; yet this he withdrawes not from the wicked; for they never had it; nor from the children of God; only he doth not stirrre it in them at all times, so often as he suffers them to sin, which yet may be to gracious ends. As I for the confirmation of their faith, that nothing, no not sin shall separate them from the love of God; when they shall find the goodnesse of God minding them of their errours, and bringing them to repentance. 2 As also to make them smart for their former security and wantonnesse in beholding the uncomfortable issue of it. 3 To provoke them to walke more carefully and circumspectly for the time to come, standing upon their guard, and keeping the watch of the Lord. 4. To cure their pride, according to that of Austin. Audeo dicere, Utile est superbis in aliquod apertum manifestumque cadere peccatum. I am bold to speake it, It is good for a proud man to to fall into some open and manifest sin. I come to the second stay, whereby he objects to our Divines that they maintaine that God procures the sinnes of men, and that is by his moving and inclining them by his irresistable and secret workings on their hearts, to sinfull actions. To which I answer first that not any of the passages alleadged by him out of Calvin (who alone makes totam paginam in this of his) makes mention of Gods irresistable working; or of moving or inclining unto sinfull actions. And let every sober man judge whether a bridle is fit to urge men to action, and not rather to restraine from action, and this is the force of the first Quotation. But this Authour through heat corrupting his imagination tooke a bridle for a spurre. His second testifies only this, that man doth nothing but what God decreed, and by his direction appointeth; and this also upon pregnant testimonies of scripture; never undertaking to shew Calvins interpretation to be false, or his accommodation of them to be incongruous. In the third he grants that God workes in the mind of men. In the 4. he saith that God stirrs up the wills, and confirmes the purposes of wicked men for the execution of his judgment by Satan the minister of his wrath. Where consider he doth this by Satan, that is he gives them over to Satan for this;