1. In regard of God, that you may not pollute and stain his excellency, with impure and prejudicial thoughts: you will say, is God just, that only upon his will and pleasure ordaineth his creatures to condemnation; hath not the Reprobates cause to complain if he hath passed a Decree upon which their condemnation doth infallibly follow? I answer, 1. our understandings are not the measure of Gods Justice, but his own will, things may be just, though the reasons of them do not appear to us, humane reason groweth giddy, by peeping into the deep of Gods Decrees, our work is not to dispute, but wonder: Gods freedom is a riddle to reason, because though we will not be bound to Laws, yet we are willing God should be bound: Gods Actions must not be measured by any external rule, things are good because God willeth them, for his Will is Justice it self. 2. The Electing of some, and passing by of others, is not an Act of Justice, but dominion; for he doth not act here as a Judge, but as a Lord; 'tis a matter of favour not of right and wrong condemnation of a man for sin, or punishing a man for sin, is act of Justice; but to have mercy, or not to have mercy, that dependeth merely upon Gods will, otherwise it would follow, that God were a debtor unto man: Justice supposeth debt, or something due, no wrong is done them in not giving grace, the Elect can speak of undeserved grace, and the Reprobate of deserved punishment; when we are not bound to do good, if we act according to pleasure, there is no injury, as in invitations, preferments, and all acts of favour: we cannot endure ⟨p. 184⟩that a right should be challenged; the good man in the Parable pleaded, I may do with mine own as it pleaseth me, Mat. 20. 15. The Lord may justly challenge grace as his own, and therefore leave him to his pleasure in the distribution; for he is bound to none. 3. Gods not giving grace to the Reprobate, is not their sin, but their misery, Preterition made them miserable, but not sinful: it doth not infer a Coaction and compulsion to sin, sin followeth upon it not as an effect, but a consequent; as upon the absent of the Sun, darkness doth necessarily follow, and yet the Sun is not the cause of darkness: In grace God purposeth, God worketh, in sin God ordereth the sin, and maketh use of it to the glory of his Justice: but man sinneth freely:
1. In regard of God, that you may not pollute and stain his excellency, with impure and prejudicial thoughts: you will say, is God just, that onely upon his will and pleasure ordaineth his creatures to condemnation; hath not the Reprobates cause to complain if he hath passed a Decree upon which their condemnation doth infallibly follow? I answer, 1. our understandings are not the measure of Gods Justice, but his own will, things may be just, though the reasons of them do not appear to us, humane reason groweth giddy, by peeping into the deep of Gods Decrees, our worke is not to dispute, but wonder: Gods freedom is a riddle to reason, because though we will not be bound to Laws, yet we are willing God should be bound: Gods Actions must not be measured by any external rule, things are good because God willeth them, for his Will is Justice it self. 2. The Electing of some, and passing by of others, is not an Act of Justice, but dominion; for he doth not act here as a Judge, but as a Lord; 'tis a matter of favour not of right and wrong condemnation of a man for sin, or punishing a man for sin, is act of Justice; but to have mercy, or not to have mercy, that dependeth meerly upon Gods will, otherwise it would follow, that God were a debtor unto man: Justice supposeth debt, or something due, no wrong is done them in not giving grace, the Elect can speak of undeserved grace, and the Reprobate of deserved punishment; when we are not bound to do good, if we act according to pleasure, there is no injury, as in invitations, preferments, and all acts of favour: we cannot endure ⟨p. 184⟩that a right should be challenged; the good man in the Parable pleaded, I may do with mine own as it pleaseth me, Mat. 20. 15. The Lord may justly challenge grace as his own, and therefore leave him to his pleasure in the distribution; for he is bound to none. 3. Gods not giving grace to the Reprobate, is not their sin, but their misery, Preterition made them miserable, but not sinful: it doth not infer a Coaction and compulsion to sin, sin followeth upon it not as an effect, but a consequent; as upon the absent of the Sun, darkness doth necessarily follow, and yet the Sun is not the cause of darkness: In grace God purposeth, God worketh, in sin God ordereth the sin, and maketh use of it to the glory of his Justice: but man sinneth freely:
