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…

In the fourth chapter I propose mine own judgment concerning the true benefit of this way in making the corrupt mass of mankind the object of election and reprobation; not the judgment of others, as this Author carrieth the matter; but mine own judgment. For thus I beginne. Ad extremum, vis liberè pronuntiem, quid unicè proficiatur ex hac nostrá praedestinationis Objecti sententiae temperatione. Dicàm igitur quid sentiam. Hinc nimirum efficitur ut à lapsu primorum parentum, decreto praedestinationis subjiciendo & subordinando liberemur huic unicè provisum esse, ab istius quasi mediae & temperatioris opinionis assertioribus mihi plusquam probabile, aut verisimile videtur, ne scililicet alias peccatum fieri statueretur, decernente Deo, tanquam medium ad fines à Deo, in praedestinatione sibi praestitutos accommodatum; unde etiam quàm author peccati constituendus sit, nullâ solidâ ratione explicari posse videtur. In the last place, will you give me leave freely to profess, what we profit by thus tempering our opinion touching the object of predestination? I will therefore deliver what I think. So that herein I purpose mine own opinion only, not the opinion of others. Herehence thus we gain that we are freed from subjecting and subordinating man's fall unto God's decree of predestination. It seems to me more then probable or likely, that the maintainers of this middle and temperate opinion do provide only against this inconvenience; (that is their way doth indeed provide against this, and against no other inconvenience in my opinion) to wit, least otherwise the sin of Adam should be said to come to pass God willing it, as a means conducing to those ends which God intended in predestination; from whence it follows as it seems, that it cannot be explicated by any solid reason that God is not made the Author of sin. All which is delivered by me as my opinion, conceiving that others think so too; namely not that God is hereby made the Author and principal cause of sin; but that the contrary cannot be explicated by any solid reason. Now Cajetan confesseth as much, namely that in these mysteries, all the distinctions that are used, do not quietare intellectum, satisfy the understanding; ⟨p. 135⟩and therefore he doth captivate his own into the obedience of faith.

In the fourth chapter I propose mine own judgment concerning the true benefit of this way in making the corrupt masse of mankind the object of election and reprobation; not the judgment of others, as this Authour carrieth the matter; but mine own judgment. For thus I beginne. Ad extremum, vis liberè pronuntiem, quid unicè proficiatur ex hac nostrá praedestinationis Objecti sententiae temperatione. Dicàm igitur quid sentiam. Hinc nimirum efficitur ut à lapsu primorum parentum, decreto praedestinationis subjiciendo & subordinando liberemur huic unicè provisum esse, ab istius quasi mediae & temperatioris opinionis assertioribus mihi plusquam probabile, aut verisimile videtur, ne scililicet alias peccatum fieri statueretur, decernente Deo, tanquam medium ad fines à Deo, in praedestinatione sibi praestitutos accommodatum; unde etiam quàm author peccati constituendus sit, nullâ solidâ ratione explicari posse videtur. In the last place, will you give me leave freely to professe, what we profic by thus tempering our opinion touching the object of predestination? I will therefore deliver what I thinke. So that herein I purpose mine own opinion only, not the opinion of others. Herehence thus we gaine that we are freed from subjecting and subordinating man's fall unto God's decree of predestination. It seemes to me more then probable or likely, that the maintainers of this middle and temperate openion doe provide only against this inconvenience; (that is their way doth indeed provide against this, and against no other inconvenience in my opinion) to wit, least otherwise the sinne of Adam should be said to come to passe God willing it, as a meanes conducing to those ends which God intended in predestination; from whence it followes as it seemes, that it cannot be explicated by any solid reason that God is not made the Authour of sinne. All which is delivered by me as my opinion, conceiving that others thinke so too; namely not that God is hereby made the Authour and principall cause of sinne; but that the contrary cannot be explicated by any solid reason. Now Cajetan confesseth as much, namely that in these mysteries, all the distinctions that are used, doe not quietare intellectum, satisfie the understanding;