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…

4. Still this Author harps upon the same string imputing unto us, that we make the whole Circle of a man's life a mere destiny; his meaning is that we take away all liberty, which is most untrue. As for destiny it is well known as before I have showed that this was the usual crimination, which the Pelagians cast upon the doctrine of St. Austin; and that, because he maintained that grace was not given according unto man's works. And what was Austin's answer hereunto, I have showed before: Si cui voluntatem omnipotentis Dei Fati nomine placet nuncupari, profanas verborum novitates evitamus, sed de verbis contendere non amamus, If men please to call the will of Almighty God by the name of destiny; we avoid profane novelties of words, but we do not ⟨p. 131⟩love to wrangle about words. For God to work us to faith, to repentance, to every good work; yea to the very will and the deed, and that according to his good pleasure (for which we have express Scripture, both in the old and new Testament, as erst I showed) & absolutely to decree this is to make the whole circle of man's like, as touching good courses, but a mere destiny, if we believe this Divine; whereas if this be decreed to be done conditionally, then grace must be conferred according to works, which is as true Pelagianism, as ever dropped from the mouth of Pelagius, & which himself was sometimes driven to renounce yet this Pelagianism is the only true divinity, if we believe this Author. Againe if non aliquid fit nisi omnipotens fieri velit, Not any thing cones to pass, unless God Almighty will have it come to pass; whether good or evil; which was sometimes delivered by Austin; and of late professed by the Church of Ireland in the days of King James, this is to make the whole Circle of man's life a mere Destiny; if this Author be of any credit so far as to make his words to be received as Oracles; yet God's word is express from the unanimous consent of the Apostles, that both Herod & Pontius-Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together against the holy Son of God to do what God's hand & God's counsel had before determined to be done: Yet were they gathered together to do such acts, as more facinorous were never known to be done since the world began: And if we believe this Author, all this came to pass by mere destiny:

4. Still this Author harpes upon the same string imputing unto us, that we make the whole Circle af a man's life a mere destiny; his meaning is that we take away all liberty, which is most untrue. As for destiny it is well knowne as before I have shewed that this was the usuall crimination, which the Pelagians cast upon the doctrine of St. Austin; and that, because he maintained that grace was not given according unto man's workes. And what was Austin's answer hereunto, I have shewed before: Si cui voluntatem omnipotentis Dei Fati nomine placet nuncupari, profanas verborum novitates evitamus, sed de verbis contendere non amamus, If men please to call the will of Almighty God by the name of destiny; we avoid profane novelties of words, but we doe not