Temptations to Evil, not from Gods 19 fions in their minds, which have a very bad S ER M. tendency ; and on the other hand, the great L advantage to the ends of religion which will "m`. arife from an inviolable adherence, and a careful attention to it. Some, indeed, to fhun the dangerous miftake of imputing fin and temptation to God as in any refpeét its caufe, have run into the oppofite equally abfurd extreme of withdrawing moral evil altogether from under God's government of the world, and deriving it from an original independent evil principle ; which fcheme, as it deftroyeth the true notion of vice (con - fequently of virtue) reprefenting it not as the voluntary ad of imperfect intelligent beings, but as flowing from an independent necef- fity of nature ; fo, under a pretence of re- fped to the goodnefs of God; which at the fame time it rendereth infufficient, it deni -. eth his fupreme power and univerfal domi- nion. The generality of chrif tians, owning the unity of God, do alfo acknowledge his perfeEt purity and goodnefs, and in words, at leaft, deny him to be the author of fin ; but I am afraid the opinions received among fome of them, are not perfeftly confìftent with thefe true principles, and that in their confequences, at leaft, they tend to the errors againft which the apoftle here warneth us. C 2 For
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