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 within the Church only (for there only are found such as fear God) his mercy extends to thousands of them that fear him, when but to the third and fourth generation he punisheth the sins of the Father upon the Children, (which is all the proof this Author brings to this purpose) it followeth not herehence, that his mercy extendeth any whit to more then doth his justice, considering the small proportion of those within the Church, and therein of them that fear him, in comparison to those without the Church. And like as visiting the sin of Fathers, which is commonly understood of temporal punishments, so in proportion the mercy is to be understood of temporal mercy. And we well know that it is nothing necessary, that a man that fears God, should have children. And like as God doth not always thus visit the sins of Fathers upon the Children; in like sort it is not always necessary, that God should show mercy to thousands of every one of them that fear him. He dealt so with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; they to whom the Law was delivered, knew this full well; then again, must not they who look to have an interest in this gracious promise, look unto it, that they walk in the steps of their Forefathers that feared God? By all which may appear, the superficiary nature of this Disputants argumentation, even then, when the zeal of his cause makes him, as most confident, so also most luxuriant. Lastly, do we say that God damns any man out of his only will and pleasure? Do we not profess that he damns no man but for sin? And as he damns no man but for sin, so likewise that he decreed to damn no man but for sin, though there could be no cause of this his decree, but of his mere will and pleasure he made this decree, namely, to damn many thousands for their sins. But let him come to an end of this his roving discourse, when he thinks good and not before. Or doth his love pass knowledge, when we see daily greater love then this in men, and other creatures. What Father or Mother, would determine their children to certain death, or to cruel torments worse then death, for one only offence, and that committed too, not by them in their own persons, but by some other, and only imputed unto them?

And if within the Church only (for there only are found such as feare God) his mercy extends to thousands of them that feare him, when but to the third and fourth generation he punisheth the sinnes of the Father upon the Children, (which is all the proofe this Author brings to this purpose) it followeth not herehence, that his mercy extendeth any whit to more then doth his justice, considering the small proportion of those within the Church, and therein of them that feare him, in comparison to those without the Church. And like as visiting the sinne of Fathers, which is commonly understood of temporall punishments, so in proportion the mercy is to be understood of temporall mercy. And we well know that it is nothing necessary, that a man that fears God, should have children. And like as God doth not alwaies thus visit the sinnes of Fathers upon the Children; in like sort it is not alwaies necessary, that God should shew mercy to thousands of every one of them that feare him. He dealt so with Abraham, Isaack, and Iacob; they to whom the Law was delivered, knew this full well; then again, must not they who look to have an interest in this gracious promise, look unto it, that they walk in the steps of their Forefathers that feared God? By all which may appeare, the superficiary nature of this Disputants argumentation, even then, when the zeale of his cause makes him, as most confident, so also most luxuriant. Lastly, doe we say that God damnes any man out of his only will and pleasure? Doe we not professe that he damnes no man but for sinne? And as he damnes no man but for sinne, so likewise that he decreed to damne no man but for sinne, though there could be no cause of this his decree, but of his meere will and pleasure he made this decree, namely, to damne many thousands for their sinnes. But let him come to an end of this his roaving discourse, when he thinks good and not before. Or doth his love passe knowledge, when we see daily greater love then this in men, and other creatures. What Father or Mother, would determine their children to certain death, or to cruell torments worse then death, for one only offence, and that committed too, not by them in their own persons, but by some other, and only imputed unto them?