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…

And if this be to come to pass by mere destiny, why should we not believe it? Have we better or more complete testimony for ought throughout the whole book of God, then for this? All things that come to pass must needs be the issues of the divine decree; not only such things as come to pass necessarily, by necessary Agents working necessarily; but even such things also as come to pass freely, by free agents working contingently, and freely, as Aquinas hath proved and Austin and the Church of Ireland acknowledged, and the word of God hath justified, and clear reason demonstrated, for as much as otherwise no future thing could be foreknown by God from everlasting. For nothing can be from everlasting known by God as future, unless from everlasting it were future. But without the decree of God passing upon it, no contingent thing can pass out of the condition of a thing merely possible (such as it is in it's own nature) into the condition of a thing future. So that whosoever denies God's decree to pass upon every thing that comes to pass throughout the world, must therewithal deny the foreknowledge thereof in the mind of God; Let but this Author avoid this one argument if he can; but he will never answer it while his head is hot•• conceive I have had sufficient experience of his strength already this way, and of the shameful issue of his adventure therein. He that sayd, Non aliquid fit nisi omnipotens fieri velit, Not any thing comes to pass, unless the Almighty will have it come to pass, said also that God so works in every creature, as without all prejudice to their own motions. And when the Apostle said, that In God we move, his meaning was not, that the creature did nothing, or moved not at all. All that followeth is of the same stamp a fardel of unshamefast untruths. Belike when God saith, I will cause them to walk in my statutes and to do them, God caused them to do just nothing. In like manner when the holy Prophet expostulates with God in the person of the Church after this manner, Lord why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts against thy fear, the meaning is, why hast thou caused us to do just nothing. In like manner when God restrains offences, he doth it not by his laws, When he promotes virtue he doth it not by rewards; when he converts sinners he doth it not by sermons:

And if this be to come to passe by meere destiny, why should we not believe it? Have we better or more compleate testimony for ought throughout the whole booke of God, then for this? All things that come to passe must needs be the issues of the divine decree; not only such things as come to passe necessarily, by necessary Agents working necessarily; but even such things also as come to passe freely, by free agents working contingently, and freely, as Aquinas hath proved and Austin and the Church of Ireland acknowledged, and the word of God hath justified, and cleare reason demonstrated, for as much as otherwise no future thing could be foreknowne by God from everlasting. For nothing can be from everlasting knowne by God as future, unlesse from everlasting it were future. But without the decree of God passing upon it, no contingent thing can passe out of the condition of a thing merely possible (such as it is in it's own nature) into the conditiō of a thing future. So that whosoever denies God's decree to passe upon every thing that comes to passe throughout the world, must therewithall deny the foreknowledge thereof in the mind of God; Let but this Authour avoid this one argument if he can; but he will never answer it while his head is hot conceive I have had sufficient experience of his strength already this way, and of the shamefull issue of his adventure therein. He that sayd, Non aliquid fit nisi omnipotens fieri velit, Not any thing comes to passe, unlesse the Almighty will have it come to passe, sayd also that God so workes in every creature, as without all prejudice to their own motions. And when the Apostle said, that In God we move, his meaning was not, that the creature did nothing, or moved not at all. All that followeth is of the same stampe a fardell of unshamefast untruthes. Belike when God saith, I will cause them to walke in my statutes and to doe them, God caused them to doe just nothing. In like manner when the holy Prophet expostulates with God in the person of the Church after this manner, Lord why hast thou caused us to erre from thy waies, and hardened our hearts against thy feare, the meaning is, why hast thou caused us to doe just nothing. In like manner when God restraines offences, he doth it not by his lawes, When he promotes vertue he doth it not by rewards; when he converts sinners he doth it not by sermons: