Io Queftions and Anfwe'rs I. Command, neither followeth, that becaufe all things are done by his prouidence, therefore hee fhouldbec author ofeuill, Forone ma be author of anaEtion, and yet noof the cull' in the a .uion,asin this fimilitudewefe r : If a man cut with aneutllknife, hçc is the caufe of cutting, but not of euill cutting or hackling of the knife, but the badneffe of the knife is the caufc of that. Againe, ifa man flrike the [hinges ofaninfirument that is out oftunc,hec is the caufe that the firings found,but that they found iarringly and cut oftune, that is in themfelues, and theman that flriketh, is not to bee blamed for it. Therefore feting one may bee the caufe of an a&tion, andyet ifGod bee the caufe ofthe aetion, by and by the culllin the thingmuff needesalío proceed ofhum: Nay contrarily this Doélrine is a feal.ed meth, That no cuill commcth of God in any worke, but though in euctything that is done,the Lord bee fome worker, yet as hee tab.!, doeth ir,is it cute good. Marke but an example or two. leb,his great aducrfity pro.. (ceded of God, arid by God infornerefpeét, it proceedeth of Satan allo, and ofthe Chaldean, that robbed him. Yet fee, that which Satan did malicioefly,and the Chat- dram( couetoufly, that did the Lord well and to goòd purpof-_, to the dory of his name,to the infiru&ion At comfortofvs all,& to Iobs great benefit alto. lofephi aflli- dcn 31. Eiion againc, it cameby God, by his brethren, by his lightMiflreffe, and euer credo- . loutMaifler,but yet fo much asGoddid was well done , to thegreat bencfite of his Father and friends after,and what the other did,was mill, and wrongfully donc to lo- feph. The Bice againe may bee faid touching the death ofChrifl. Had not God his worke in it, when his determinate Counfell appointed it,and deliuered him vp ? Had háa ! 2$ not Ada/ his worke in betraying him ? Had not the Imes their workewhore wicked hands crucified and flew him ? Yet that which they did molt horribly,theLord hiin- felfe did invnfpcakeablc mercy to all ourendlcffecomfortes. Therefore whatfo- euer procecdeth ofGoel,as it cornmeal from him, k is moll good, although the fame thing as it commcth ofman and byman, bee wicked and cull!, and no author oféuill is hee, though guider and gouetnour ofall thinges. Queft. d y fcconddoubtthouosthis, ifGodgoxereeallthingesbyhùprovidence ,then loobe how hee lrf to home ehmges, andfofhallthey bee, xiien cannotchange hit will, and there fore it sbilleth not what wee dot. Anfw. Surely the conclufion is very wicked, and no way followeth vponGods prouidence. For albeit hee direet all thinges, yet wee muff euer vfe the meanes that GOD bath appointed notwithflanding, for fo wee fee Gods Children euer did and tempted not the Lord by any fuck wicked fpcech as this. Rebecca heard Gods Gtn.2 . owne mouth fpeake it, that he would of her two formes Efau and laceb make two Nations,and the elder fhduld fettle the younger,whercby fhee well knew Efau could not kill Jacob, whatfoeuer bec thrcatned : yet did fhe not prcfume careiefly thereon, and faid to herfclfe it skilled not what fhe did, but fhe vied the ordinary meanes to faut Jacobs life, and fent him out ofthe Country fora time. Numbers of thefe ex- amples are in the Scripture. Let this onewoe ofChriff himfelfe ruff ce, who prayed Zohn.ty. to his Father co glorifie him, and yet was he moll fire ofit before, all to teach vs to vfe ordinarymcanes. Therefore Gods prouidence neuer ought to preiudicefuch encanes as he bath appointed to obtaine any thing by, neither in deede doth in the godly, .Quell. Mythird obis ¿F ion isthic, If God ritledall byhicprovidence ,then fhouldthere bee no mil rder at all in theworld as there is ? .4nfw. No more there is in deedeand truth, I tneanein refpelì of God. Qucfl. No ? isnot this euill in the world, and in regard of GoÁC wrong, that twill men f hould thrive and f our fh at they doe, and ¿begodlyy not ? Anfw. No indeed. For good Men and Women arc afflied in this world for their good, namely that they may not becondemned withrhe world. Andcuill men receiue Gods bleflïngs to make them without all excufe, and to increafe their damnation ifthey ferue notGod. Quell. why, but did not lofeplis brethren ill, and they that kifedCbrifl'? of Yea indeed they did horribly as I haue faid btfore,but yet God diteacd all to
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