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…

A second testimony shall be taken out of Doctor Ames, an acute and learned Protestant. Coron. art. 5. c. 5. Juxta sententiam Arminii &c. nulla propria est oratio, quae non sit absoluta: quae etiam sententia non est temerè damnanda, cum inniti videatur rationibus non contemnendis; praesertim illà, quae deducitur ab orationis natura: Oratio enim est submissa repraesentatio voluntatis nostrae apud Deum ut ab ipso perficiatur. Explicatio velleitatis, quâ quid vellemus, si aliud non obsisteret, non est oratio proprie dicta. jam vero nihil volumus proprie, quod non absolute volumus; atque adeo nil petimus quod non absolute petimus, Quamvis in disposition precantium conditionis ratio virtualiter saepe contineatur. Petimus quidem nonnunquam, ut unum fiat si alterum contingat; cujus quidem consequentis rei futuritio ut conditionata sit rogamus: Sed ipsa tamen petitio est absoluta, quoniam absolute petimus, ut posito uno, ponatur & alterum.

A seond testimony shall be taken out of Doctor Ames, an acute and learned Protestant. Coron. art. 5. c. 5. Juxta sententiam Arminii &c. nulla propria est oratio, quae non sit absoluta: quae etiam sententia non est temerè damnanda, cum inniti videatur rationibus non contemnendis; praesertim illà, quae deducitur ab orationis natura: Oratio enim est submissa repraesentatio voluntatis nostrae apud Deum ut ab ipso perficiatur. Explicatio velleitatis, quâ quid vellemus, si aliud non obsisteret, non est oratio proprie dicta. jam vero nihil volumus proprie, quod non absolute volumus; atque adeo nil petimus quod non absolute petimus, Quamvis in dispositione precantium conditionis ratio virtualiter saepe contineatur. Petimus quidem nonnunquam, ut unum fiat si alterum contingat; cujus quidem consequentis rei futuritio ut conditionata sit rogamus: Sed ipsa tamen petitio est absoluta, quoniam absolute petimus, ut posito uno, ponatur & alterum.

According to the opinion of Arminius, there is no proper prayer, but what is absolute; which opinion is not rashly to be condemned; seeing it seems to be grounded upon considerable reasons, especially that which is drawn from the nature of prayer: for prayer is a submissive and lowly representation of our wills before God, to the end, it may be performed by him. The unfolding of a velleity, whereby we would will a thing if something did not hinder, is not prayer properly so called: But now we will nothing properly, which we do not absolutely will; and therefore we pray for nothing properly, which we do not absolutely petition for, although the nature of a condition be often virtually contained in the disposition of the parties praying, who may be ready to submit their wills unto Gods. Indeed we sometimes pray that one thing may be done, if another thing come to pass; and here we pray, that the futurition of the following thing be conditional, but the prayer it self is absolute, because we pray absolutely that one thing do exist upon the positure or existence of another. If this which these men say be true, then Christ prayed for the justification of all his crucifiers, as a private man, only improperly, and not in the proper and strict acception of Prayer; for which improper notion of the word, we have warrant from Scripture, when Christ said, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, Non oravit (saith Becanus) sed simplex naturae desiderium proposuit: He did not pray but propound the simple, bare, and naked