84 0/ the Nature, (non;ledge, Will Of too many fuch en- quirers it may be (aid withAnguftine, de Utilit. Credenti cap. r8. Dam nimio quarta uncle fit malum, níbil reperiunt nifi malnm. Obj. Omnis determinano divina eft immutabilis Omnia faun, Deo determi- nante : Ergo omniafiunt immutabiliter. Refpandet Melanth. Ad map. Eft immutabilisneceitate con- fequentia. Ad minor. Dimilis eft determinatio in boni< er malis.áliioni- bas : Malafiant, r.Deo prafciente dr non impeti- ente, non autem adjuvan- te vel impellente : Item, Deo fuftentante naturam e"flux opus : Item, Dea eventus cerros decernente : Strigel. inMelaneth. pag. 296. Carbo Compend. Thom. a.q. 19. a. 9. Matura ut malum nullo appetitu poteft appetì nifi per accidens. Deus nullo modo vult ma- lam culpe- -Dery neque neult -fieri malum,neque non vult, fedFermata. Bak de pradefin. Tr. 2. and theObjects and rem p tations neceffitate the Intelle&, and God cauf- difp. 13. 3. 3, 4. would prove a decreetopermit eth the Objects andLaws, andpermitteth theTempter. mortal fin in the unjust 529. 4. Others fay, that God only as the Caufe of Nature, I. BySup= and run deftirtAnd port and concur a neceffary to all agents, caufeth the Ad as an Ad in ér circumftantüs. And f g daó. g. 3, he telleth us gene fin aketh ral, z. Andgiveth Power alto to ad or not ad freely, 3. And as of wages the oc- y which Governour of theWorld doth that which he knewmen would make an God cafion ofhisGrace with- occafion of their fin, 4. Andalfo by his Providence caufeth manyeffeets, of out caning or willing which mens fins are alto acaufe, 5. And after bringeth good out of their tn, in fòrm or neared matter. evil : 6. But as to the fin it felf he is no caufe of it, either as fin or pn- nifhment, either of the form, or of the Alt as morally fpecifled, that is, as it is about this Forbidden objeft (or End) rather than another. And this opinion I taketo be the undoubted truth. 53o. Let it here be noted, 1. That the five things here grantedare all certain truths, z. And that they are as much as is neceffary on Gods part, in refpeói to the events whichwe fee - And unneceffaries are not to be affected; 3. That they fully Phew God to be the perfedi Governour of the World, and all therein ; 4. And yet to be no Author of fin : Let us con- Eider of the particulars. 5 31. I. It is certain that Godas Creator hath made mana vital Agent; and therefore a felf -actor ( under him) ; and an intellectual Agent, and therefore is not tyed to follow the perceptions of fenfe alone; And a Free-willing Agent, and therefore hath a Power to Alt or not Alt hic tr nine, or to choofe or refufe, or to choofe this rather than that as far as confifteth with his Neceffary Volitions (which I acknowledged and enu- merat ed SECT. XVII. ofGods Canting, and Decreeing Sin. 526. B Ut becaufe it is the avoiding of Gods ousting and willing fin which is a great reafonof thefe Controverfies, I than fay force what more particularly of that. About which there are various Opinions. 1. Some think (as Hobbs) that no alts of thewill are fo free as not to be neceffitated, as the motions in an Engine, though unobferved by our felves, who fee not the Concatenationof Cades. 527. 2. Some Dominicans,and our Dr. Tmiffe and Rutherford held, that no ad natural or free canbe done by any creature, without the predeter- mination of Gods Phyfical efficient immediate Premotion, as the firft total Caufe ofthat ad : But yet that this ftandeth with Liberty,becaufe Godcauf- th contingentia contingenter fieri. And that he focaufethevery Adof fin in all itscircumftances ; and the taunt materiale peccati ; and all that the fanner caufeth : But yet that he is not the Author of fin, nor caufeth the form ; Becaufe r. They fay, that fn hath no efficient caufe , but a defi- cient, whichGod is not, being not obliged to a8t: And fin is nothing,' but a privation. z. Becaufe God is under noLaw and therefore thougtr he do the fame things that man doth, it is fin in man, but not hi him And faith Holkot, he is the caufe offnbut not the Author, becaufe he commandeth it not by his Law. 3. Al t other times they fay , that fin is formally a Relationof difconformity to the Law of God, and God caufeth the wholeact as circumftanced , but not the relation , which re- fulteth from it. 4. AndGod caufeth not fin asfin, but as ameans to his Glory, or as a punifhment of former fin. 528. 3. Others fay, as camera, that the intellelá neceßtateth the will,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=