might be damned to eternity; if Paul had not known this, moЯlegitty.wo aid foibs100 yleens he would never have wished himself accursed from Christ for their sakes, but that he knew himself elected and chosen of God, and that God could not alter his decree, and curse him now he had chosen him and blessed him; also he knew God had reprobated his brethren and kinsfolk in the flesh, that they should not believe the truth declared by him, but should perish in unbelief to eternity. Therefore it is said in Scripture, that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, this Paul was sensible of, and could not altar his decree in reprobation, no more than he could in election. This is the true interpretation and meaning of Paul's words in this place.

THIRDLY, Penn quotes 2 Pet. iii. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Penn's argument drawn from these words; saith he, The long-suffering of God either related to the elect or reprobate, or neither, and saith, not to the elect, because there is no need of fearing their perishing: and saith, not to the reprobate, for there is no possibility of their repentance; and saith, therefore to neither; and saith, consequently, either the place is spurious or deceitful, or else those kind of elections and reprobations are mere phantasms; and saith, let these few instances serve of those hundred that might be mentioned most expressly to confirm the same.

This is the whole strength Penn hath, and Scripture he hath brought, to prove that this principle of election and reprobation is accursed by Scripture. Also, Penn hath given eight reasons against God's prerogative power in election and reprobation, but they are the very absolute reasonings of a reprobate, and he hath discovered himself plainly to be one of the seed of the serpent, a reprobate that will be damned to eternity, in that he hath oppssed, denied, and blasphemed in

a high nature, the prerogative power and will of God, in charging the Creator with being unrighteous, unjust, and more cruel than men or devils, for electing some men te salvation, and reprobating some men to damnation for his own glory. First, saith he, it renders God most unwise. Secondly, he saith, it greatly disparageth his justice. Thirdly, he saith, it quite destroys his mercy, and renders him the most cruel of all beings. Fourthly, he saith, but above all things it strikes at the very root of God's rectitude and faithfulness, and makes him worse than the worst of men or devils. Fifthly, he saith, this principle would defile his eternal inherent holiness, by making him as well the father of sin as of destruction. Sixthly, he saith, but this would stain the glory of the Almighty, unless it be completed in the eternal destruction of far the greatest part of mankind, Seventhly, he saith, this destroys all God's works in reference to God's unalterable decree, because man cannot, by his good works, nor his evil works, alter God's decree, saith he, therefore will I give myself unto the liberty of the flesh, and enjoy the pleasures of this life whilst I can have them.q Eighthly, he saith, it destroys all government, since who cares, how desparate he is, or what injury he does, who conceiteth to hims self his post is pitched, his estate set, and that unchangeably but breaketh all laws, takes his revenge on what will bring him to condign punishment for his exorbitancies. estadoqer ; 910m on ed Iladą omit nodw (noitoorweer edt mi dt169 aidt i Auswen That these reasonings proceeded out of the ima ginations of your own heart, which is the devil, that replies against God's prerogative power, Do you know that a prerogative power is above all law; and there is no, disputing against that power, except you be able to wage war with him, there is no way to deal with a prerogative power which is above all law, but by submitting unto it, for what a prera gative power doth, it is for his own will and pleasure to set forth his glory; and there can be no glory to that power i all were happy, and none miserable; therefore if God should not pre-ordain some men to be saved to set forth the glory of his mercy, and pre-ordain some men to be damned, to set forth the glory of his justice, what ground should any man

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have to praise God for his mercy towards him, seeing all men may obtain the same if he will, then if I have obtained it by my righteousness, I received no mercy from God, it was a reward due for my righteousness; but seeing the case is so, that all men by nature are the children of wrath; that is, all men are concluded under sin and death, as well as the seed of Adam, the elect seed, as well as the seed of the serpent, the reprobate seed; so that these two seeds have replenished the earth with millions of men and women, more than can be numbered; now these two seeds being sown in the field of this world, and they are both fallen from that excellent state that God created them in, viz. the serpent's seed is fallen from that angelical state wherein he was created, and the seed of Adam is fallen from that paradisical and innocent state he was created in oso that God hath sowed the field of Adam fallen, as wheat in the field of this world; and he hath sowed the seed of the serpent fallen from his state, as tares in the field of this world, and they both grow together.

Now it would make a man admire, and think it impossible for God to separate these two seeds again, even the tares from the wheat; that is, the seed of Adam from the seed of the serpent again, and that the seed of Adam, the wheat, the elect of God, shall be gathered into God's barn in the kingdom of glory; and the tares, the seed of the serpent, the reprobates, shall be burnt with unquenchable fire here upon this earth in the resurrection, when time shall be no more; but faith, doth comprehend how God can do this, therefore it is said by Paul, that all that died in Adam shall be made alive in Christ: but those that died in the serpent-angel shall never be made alive in Christ: why? Because all that died in Adam are the elect of God, and shall be saved in the resurs rection, and all that died in the serpent are reprobated, and shall be damned in the resurrection; and this God will do for his own glory, neither could his glory be so exceeding splendent if he did not do thus. 99l bus ; quals and dish.

Again, how is it possible that any man should know hims self a reprobate, and that God hath pre-ordained him unto eternal damnation for to set forth his glory? Or how shall any reprobate know his post is pitched, his state set în God's

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tainly know that he should be damned, let big the caust

do well or ill, then would he be more righteous than than before for the cause, why men do such wickednesses and exorbitances, it is bemodo cause they do not know that they are reprobated, and shall be damned to eternity; if they did, they would avoid the doing those things seven times more than they do mes

For the not knowing a man is pre-ordained to be damned, is one main cause that makes him act such wickedness as he doth, because he not knowing he shall be damned, he hopes for mercy, notwithstanding his wicked actions, which, if he knew he were a reprobate, he would act better things than he doth now he doth not know it; as for example, if you, Penn the Quaker, had known yourself to be a reprobate as well as I do, you would never have blasphemed against the living God in the form of a man as you have done, now you do not know yourself to be a reprobate, and pre-ordained to be damned. Ge

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For this I say, a man may, by faith, know his own salvation and election, and the salvation of others, therefore it is that Peter saith, Make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you shall never fall; so that a man may be sure he is elected, and shall be saved; but man, by sober reason, can never know that he is reprobated, and shall certainly be damned, though he may fear he shall, yet he hopes he shall not.

salvation and not. Again, a man being sure of his own

salvation and election, he knoweth perfectly that another man is a reprobate; as for example, I do perfectly know, that you William Penn, George Whitehead, George Fox and several others of you Quakers, that they are reprobates, and pre-ordained to be damned to eternity, to set forth God's glory as vessels of wrath, this I do perfectly know, but you know it not, and which way will you deliver yourselves from God's

bayne decreeing you in the seed to be da damned to dorady oraph to eternity, for God's glory, and my knowing it will be so unto you in the resurrection, for as I know myself to be of the seed of Adam, the seed of faith, and shall be saved; so I do perfectly know that you are the seed of the serpent, the seed of reason, and must be damned, and you no ways can avoid what I have, said. b 94 bluoda od tedt word pluist In the next place, that the reader may be thoroughly con vinced of God's prerogative power, and submit unto it as have done, in his electing and reprobating men and women, some to be saved and some to be damned, the Scripture is as full for this very thing, as for any one point whatsoever, as may be seen by these Scriptures following.

podeu tutil gay diem ego ai od dob ISAIAH xlii. 1. Behold hast diviem vorem 101 xlii. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. So. Mat. xxiv. 21. But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened; ver. 24. Insomuch, that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. So Mark xiii. 20. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved, but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. So Luke xviii, 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them. So. Rom ix. 11. F For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. Ver. 12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger Ver. 13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. Ver. 14. What shall we say then, is there unrigh teousness with God? God forbid. Ver. 15. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Ver 16. So it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy, Ver. er. 17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he

agod ad beams od CHAP. XXX Jono