sunt ipse Deus,The Decrees of God are God himself:'-and therefore to make a conditional decree, were to make a conditional God, and if Election and Reprobation should have respect to any qualifications in their objects, this would amount to a denial of God's independency." And having resolved justification to be "an immanent act of God, and consequently God himself, it follows," you say, "from the same topic or principle, that it must be from all eternity, and that men's sins are remitted before they be committed; and that it is as impossible for all the most horrid sins in the world, to cause any interruption of a man's justification, as for Almighty God to become mutable in his nature and being; that faith serves not as a condition to qualify us for our actual justification before God, but only for a mean to procure the sense and feeling thereof in ourselves." These opinions, with many others of like import, you say, do unavoidably follow from that one position, which you think as certain as if you found it (totidem verbis) in the Gospel. But that the very foundation, upon which you build so many gross errors, is itself unsound, you may learn from your own Gomarus, who was once of that opinion with you; but, being afterwards awakened to a more clear sight and mature judgment in this point, he hath left arguments enough upon record in his own writings to confute you: To which purpose I shall subjoin his own words presently:

XXVIII. Ex qua, efficientis decreti, explicatione, gravis illa et ad veri Dei notitiam ac cultum pertinens, controversia; AN DECRETUM DEI SIT DEUS, NEC NE? commodissimè dirimi potest. Siquidem spectata, cum rei, tum Dei, natura, negationis veritas perspicuè demonstratur.*

XXIX. Nam à natura rei hæc demonstratio est; Nulla actio, à consilio et voluntate Dei, liberè agente dependens, est Deus: Deus enim, à se, naturâ est: non vero, à consilio ac voluntate libere agente, dependet: Atqui decretum Dei, est actio, à consilio et

"XXVIII. From this explanation of the efficient decree, may be very exactly determined that weighty controversy relating to the knowledge and worship of the true God, which is thus stated, Is God's decree GOD HIMSELF, or not? For if regard be had to the nature of the thing itself and to the nature of God, the truth of the negative proposition is plaiuly demonstrated. "XXIX. The demonstration from the nature of the thing itself, is the following: No action dependent on the counsel and will of God when freely acting, is God himself. For God is naturally from himself; and he is not dependent on his counsel or will when it is freely acting: But the decree of God is an

voluntate Dei, liberè agente dependens: Ergo decretum Dei, non est Deus.

XXX. A natura verò Dei (ut causæ efficientis decreti,) altera etiam invicta demonstratio promanat; Deus est ens, absolutè necessarium: Decretum Dei non est ens absolutè necessarium: Ergo decretum Dei, non est Deus.

XXXI. Ex quibus etiam (ut alia omittamus,) clarissimum, æternitatis Dei et decreti discrimen, elucet. Nam ut Dei existentia sit æternitas ejusdem, absolutè necessaria est. Contra verò, et decreti existentia, à causa, liberrimè agente, dependet, sic ejusdem æternitas merè arbitraria est: ut quæ sic est, ut non esse potuerit:

action dependent on the divine counsel or will when freely acting; therefore the decree of God, is not GOD.

"XXX. But another invincible demonstration emanates from the nature of God, as the efficient cause of the decree: God is a being that is absolutely necessary. But God's decree is not an absolutely necessary being: Therefore the decree of God is not God himself.

"XXXI. From these premises, omitting other arguments, is most luminously traced the difference between God's eternity, and the eternity of the decree. For it is absolutely necessary, that God's existence be his eternity. But, on the contrary, as the existence of the decree depends on a cause that acts with the greatest freedom, so the eternity of the decree is merely arbitrary; it being such as it might have been possible for it not to be,which is evident from what has just been declared. The decree therefore is analogically called "eternal," not synonymously, or in the same respect as God is styled "eternal." Wherefore, from this argument the Deity of the decree is not established, but is completely overturned.

"XXXII. From the personal actions [of the Deity], that is, from the generation of the Son by the Father alone, and from the breathing forth [spiration] of the Holy Spirit from both Father and Son, it is proved, that, if every thing which is in God be not God himself, such a simplicity of the Divine Essence as the Sacred Writings attribute to it, is not on that account violated. "XXXIII. For it is clearer than the sun, that those personal actions are in God, in such a manner as not to be God himself, and this without any injury to his simplicity. For the Essence of God is, absolutely and simply, common to the three persons; but, on the contrary, a personal action, such as the generation of the Son, is not absolutely and simply common to the three persons, but is peculiar to an individual: Therefore a personal action is not the Essence of God.-Wherefore, God is predicated synonymously concerning each of the Divine Persons, but a personal action of God is not synonymously predicated of each of the Divine persons: Therefore, a personal action is not God.

"XXXIV. It is not therefore a matter of wonder, if the most free act of the will of God, in determining future things at his pleasure, may be in God, and yet not be God himself.-That the celebrated URSINUS was not entirely ignorant of this truth, is apparent from his Explanation of the Catechism, on the 58th question concerning life eternal; though he does not seem to have expounded it with any great accuracy."-Gomar. Disput.

quemadmodum ex superioribus constat. Ideoque decretum, non synonymws, seu eadem prorsus ratione, qua Deus; sed analogws, æternum appellatur. Ac propterea ex eo, decreti deitas, non firmatur; sed evertitur.

XXXII. Neque tamen, essentiæ divinæ simplicitatem (qualem Sacræ literæ ei attribuunt) ideo violari, si non omne quod in Deo est, sit Deus, ex actionibus personalibus (generatione Filii à solo Patre, et spiratione Spiritus sancti, ab utroque) evincitur.

XXXIII. Eas enim, sic in Deo esse, ut tamen, illæsa illius simplicitate, non sint Deus, sole clarius apparet. Essentia enim Dei, absolute ac simpliciter, communis est tribus personis: contra verò actio personalis, ut generatio filii, non est absolutè et simpliciter communis tribus personis; sed propria certa : Ergo actio personalis, non est essentia Dei. Deinde, Deus synonymws prædicatur, de singulis personis divinis: actio personalis Dei, non prædicatur synonymas de singulis personis divinis: Ergo ea non est Deus.

XXXIV. Ideoque mirandum non est, si liberrima voluntatis Dei, in rebus futuris, pro arbitrio, determinandis, actio, in Deo sit, nec tamen sit Deus. Idque sanè non ignorasse, Clar. Ursinum, apparet ex Catechesis explicatione, ad quæst. 58, de vita æterna quæst. 1, etsi minus accuratè exponere videatur.-GOMAR. TOM. 3, DISPUT. 9, THES. 28, ET SEQQ.

In the mean time, if there be in any one word of this address, more asperity, than I ought to use, or yourself can well digest, I desire you to pardon it, for God's honour's sake, which I am zealous to vindicate from that foul impeachment, which something more than a mere jealousy prompts me to believe your opinion guilty of. "Nevertheless, (to conclude with the words of the great Apostle,) whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." *—I have two things which I must yet beg of you upon the score of our old friendship, viz. the continuance of your affection and your prayers; which, I will assure you, how freely soever you lay them out, shall not be cast away upon,

DR. ABSOLUTE. THE great prudence and piety of the governors of this Commonwealth, (considering how apt the people are to be influenced by the principles and examples of their constant teachers,) have been pleased, (out of an ardent zeal to God's glory, and a tender care of men's precious souls,) to think upon a course how their dominions may be made happy in the settlement of an able and godly Ministry amongst them; for which purpose they have appointed Commissioners to examine the gifts of all such as shall be employed in the office of public preaching. And seeing you have addressed yourself to us for our approbation in order to your establishment in that office, we hope you understand the nature and weight thereof.

You are to be a pastor, not of beasts, but of reasonable creatures, framed after God's own image, and purchased with his blood. Having undertaken this charge, it is incumbent upon you to watch for those souls under your inspection, as one that must give an account; and what shall perish through your default, will be required at your hands. And that we may not be found betrayers of the great trust reposed in us, we must receive some satisfaction, how you stand qualified for the carrying on so great a work as you pretend to be now called unto.

And because it is to be suspected that he who hath been so regardless of his own soul, that he is not sensible of the work of grace in himself, will not be very zealous in his endeavours to procure it to be wrought in others; therefore let us be informed, in the first place, what assurance you have that you are in the state of grace.

TILENUS. Sir, I trust, you shall find, that I am no Repro

bate.

DR. CONFIDENCE.-Methinks you speak very doubtfully?

TIL.-Sir, I humbly conceive, it becomes me not to be too confident, when the modesty of the great Apostle was content (upon occasion) with the very same expression which I used. (2 Cor. xiii, 6.)

EFFICAX. But can you remember the time and place, when and where, that work of grace was wrought in you? By what means, and upon what occasion ?

TIL.-I suppose they are violent and sudden changes only, (from one extreme to another,) that fall under such a punctual observation.-Had I, with Mary Magdalene, been so notoriously lewd as to make the city ring of my crimes :-Or had I travelled with a design of blood, as Paul did, and procured a commission to execute it upon the Church of Christ, my conversion, if sincere, in that case must needs have been very remarkable:Or had I committed adultery, and then tempted the injured party with so much artifice to cloak it, and because I could not with all the wicked charms of intemperance prevail to induce him to it, [had I deliberately contrived and commanded his murder-Or had I (though upon a surprise,) so passionately denied and foresworn my Lord and Master, (as you very well remember who did,)-the solemnity requisite to attend repentance for such offences, would have made as deep an impression in my memory, as the frequent inundation of tears did in those