A defence of true liberty from ante-cedent and extrinsecall necessity being an answer to a late book of Mr. Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, intituled, A treatise of liberty and necessity. Written by the Right Reverend John Bramhall D.D. and Lord Bishop of Derry.

Numb. 10.

J. D. [argument 3] THirdly, if there be no true liberty, but all things come to pass by inevitable necessity, then what are all those interrogations, and ob∣jurgations, and reprehensions, and expostulations which we find so frequently in holy Scriptures, (be it spoken with all due respect) but feined and hypocriticall exaggerations? Hast thou ea∣ten of the tree whereof I commanded that thou shouldest not eat? Gen. 3.11. And ver. 13. he saith to Eve, Why hast thou done this? And to Cain, Why art thou wroth, and why is thy coun∣tenance cast down? And why will ye dy, O house of Israel? Doth God command openly not to

eat, and yet secretly by himself or by the second causes necessitate him to eat? Doth he repre∣hend him for doing that, which he hath antece∣dently determined that he must doe? Doth he propose things under impossible conditions? Or were not this plain mockery and derision? Doth a loving Master chide his servant, because he doth not come at his call, and yet knowes that the poor servant is chained and fettered, so as he cannot moove, by the Masters own order, with∣out the servants default or consent? They who talk here of a twofold will of God, secret and re∣vealed, and the one opposite to the other, un∣derstand not what they say. These two wills concerne severall persons. The secret will of God is what he will do himself; The revealed will of God is what he would have us to do; It may be the secret will of God to take away the life of the Father, yet it is Gods revealed will that his Son should wish his life, and pray for his life. Here is no contradiction where the Agents are distinct. But for the same person to com∣mand one thing, and yet to necessitate him that is commanded to do another thing; To chide a man for doing that, which he hath determined inevitably and irresistibly that he must do; This were (I am afraid to utter what they are not a∣fraid to assert) the highest dissimulation. Gods chiding prooves mans liberty.

T. H. TO the third and fift arguments, I shall make but one answer.

J. D. CErtainly distinct Arguments, as the third and fift are, the one drawn from the truth of God, the other drawn from the Justice of God, the one from his objurgations and re∣prehensions, the other from his Judgments after life, did require distinct answers. But the plain truth is, that neither here, nor in his answer to the fift Argument, nor in this whole Treatise, is there one word of solution or satisfaction to this Argument, or to any part of it. All that looks like an answer is contained, Numb. 12. That which he does, is made just by his doing, Just I say, in him, not alwayes just in us by the example; for a man that shall command a thing openly, and plot secretly the hinderance of the same, if he punish him whom he commanded so, for not doing it, is unjust: I dare no insist upon it, I hope his meaning is not so bad as the words intimate, and as I apprehend, That is to impute falshood to him that is Truth it self, and to ju∣stifie feining and dissimulation in God, as he doth tyranny, by the infiniteness of his power, and the absoluteness of his dominion. And there∣fort by his leave, I must once again tender him a new summons for a full and clear Answer to this Argument also. He tells us, that he was not surprised. Whether he were or not, is more than I know. But this I see plainly, that either he is not provided, or that his cause admits no choise

of answers. The Jews dealt ingenuously when they met with a difficult knot, which they could not untie, to put it upon Elias. Elias will answer it when he comes.