and Decrees of Cod, &c. 39 do, all pofibles .which are not exigent orfuture, do tell us plainly that God Both freely fufpend the ation or operation of his Power, totally as to them : which is much more than to fufpend it but inpart with free agents, and to give them a Natural felf-determining power, without fur- ther pre,moving predetermination of them. If ail the World tell us, that he bath the far greater fufpenfion , why fhould we think the lefs abfurd 562. 6, And Reafon telleth us (what the Schoolmen oft fay ) that God who iheweth us that hedelighteth in wonderful variety of his crea- tures , doth very fitly thus beautife the Univerfe by a middle rank of creatures, that fland between Confirmed Angels, and the Brutes, viz. tellecluálfree-agents, left to a naturalPower of free choofing or refufing, without neceffitation, in the mida of various objets, to prepare them by tryal for a better £late. 563. 7. And note too, that we fay not that Gods predetermination of mans will detroyeth its heft Liberty : God can predetermine the will to Good as he doth the Angels, as a great bleffing and felicity To prede- termine the will phyfically, is to end that Liberty to that particular ail, which confifled partly in being undetermined: But that Liberty which conftlleth in deliverance from all true evil, is increafed by . fuchaGrad- bus predetermination: And therefore 7anfeniuspleadeihonly for the ne ceffity of predetermination toGood by medicinal Grace , and not toEvil, or meer Natural actions. Yetwe fay, that even troGood, God can pro- cure the will to determine it fell, by moral means, which infiniteWif- dom can fufficiently improve. But it is only a. A natural power to ad without predetermination from God or Others, 2. And a Liberty of Condition , from all predetermination ab. extra, to evil (from God or Creatures) which I here alfert and plead for in this caufe. 564. 8. Much lefs do we take the will from underthe Power and Govern- ment of God : For, E. It could have no felf-determining Power but of God, one moment. 2. He giveth it this power, to make us capable tub- jells ofMoral Sapiential Government. 3. He giveth us Governing Laws accordingly. 4. And he attaineth all his Ends and fulfilleth all his will, as perfetly in confiffencywith our power and freedomas if we had none fuch at all : fo that God bath his proper Will, whether men will or not. 565. But the turning point of difficulty here is, Whether God is ever Canfa partialis ? and iE we fo make him, is it not injurious to his perfelt operations t All our Còntroverfies turn upon the decifion ofthis one que- see the End. Ilion. For if we may conceive ofGod, as Scotus fpeaketh, like one that draweth at the fame Ship with another ; and thealt ofboth mullconcurr to the effet; then all is eafie, and we may fay when men Love notGod, repent not, believe not, bc. thatGod did his part, but the finner did not his, and fo the effet failed: As if a Father did refolve that he will help 3edinohnGoodmtnd for his little Child to lift up a weight , and will put to nine hundred ninety this tmihcude or the nine parts of the ftrength that is neceffary, but no more, becaufe the Child like, (Mr. Roborongh. ¡hall do fomething ( one part) to thew his willingneJs and obedience; Here if the thing be done, it is the Father that deferves nine hundred nine- ty nine partsof the praife : If it be undone, the Child only doth deferve the blame. But we have more to fay. 566. Note therefore, E. That here the Child hath in himfelf a Power independent on his Father, and therefore the whole effet is not to be afcribed to the Father. But man hathno Power but of God, andwhat he holdeth, yea, and ufeth in dependence on him. And therefore the praife N . _ of
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