Answer.
Ma. It is contrary to Iustice, that * any man should suffer punishment for those things, which he could by no means perform.
Mi. God doth all things with perfect Righ∣teousness and Equity.
Conel. Therefore God exacts not punishment for those things, which cannot be performed.
A Fallacy of the Accident is committed. For this want of * strength and impotency should have a just excuse, if Nature had been properly and simply so created. But when this weakness was not at first created with Nature it self, but crept in some other way against Na∣ture by Sin, we must therefore see not only what this corrupted Nature now can do, or cannot do, but also what it ought simply to do: Therefore I answer to the Ma∣jor, * and freely own that punishment is not unjustly inflicted for those things, which there is no cause but they might have been observed, either in regard of the Law∣giver himself, or in the nature of the things themselves, but only by reason of the impo∣tency of the Subjects themselves, an impotency contracted through their own default; as if a Page 177 Prince send forth an Ambassador any whither very sound and whole, to whom afterwards he had commanded some things which he could easily have performed, unless he had made him∣self Cripple & lame thro' his own default. Now if in performing the Commands the Ambas∣sador wants ability, is there cause why this impotency should be imputed to the Prince, and not rather to the Ambassador, who depri∣ved himself of his own soundness? And that is it which Augustine signifies, lib. de * Iustic. perfect. Yea therefore, saith he, it is man's fault, because it came to pass by the will of Man only; that he is come to that necessity, which the will of Man only cannot shake off. There∣fore that representation which is brought in by you of a Servant in Bonds, is nothing to the purpose, unless you likewise prove this, that this impediment was cast upon him, not thro' any fault or cause in himself; which seeing it cannot be denied by you, what cruelty should there be reckoned to be in it, if a Lord, re∣quire just punishment to be inflicted on a Ser∣vant that is corrupt and flagitious? Yea, be∣hold rather singular Clemency in the Lord, who is so far from inflicting upon the Servant the punishment which he deserved, that he re∣ceives him into favour without any merit; yea moreover, exposes his dearly beloved Son to undergo punishment for the Servant? Go now, Osorius, and when you have sufficiently consi∣dered with your self about this matter, then tell, who those are, that are enraged with so Page 178 great fury, that so impudently cast such a filthy blot of Injustice and Cruelty upon Eternal Goodness? What if you judge so of Luther and Calvin, of whom you speak so bitterly; what other thing do they but proclaim, ac∣cording to the Gospel, the free pardoning grace of God to all that by Faith embrace Christ, who was slain for us? They are so far from being guilty of this Calumny, which you most unjustly cast upon them, that you can no where find any, who with greater earnestness do de∣clare the infinite Riches of Divine Grace to Mortal Men.
