86 Ofgod's gracious Operations on Man's Soul : fil'ibly tempted to fin, than unrefiflibly made to fin, by predetermining efficient ?remotion:. XLV. Is notthe objeltive ReafoninDevils of mans implantedEnmity againft them, Gen. 3. I 5. becaufe theyare EnemiestoGod and us,as being themfelves Lovers of fin, and Tempters ofus tofin andmifery ? XLVI. Doth not he take thedirecleft courfeto root out the Love of God and all Religion from theWorld, and to tempt men to hate -God, and fo to begin a Hell on Earth, who defcribeth God in Satans likenefs and much worfe; as muchas being the principal caufe of allfin in men. and Devils, is worfe than finning when predetermined, and tempting others to it? XLVII. I think that the Dominican Predetermination, direlyand ne eeffarily overthrowethall certaintyof Divine Revelation, by man, or An- gel, and confequentlyall certainty of the Chriftian faith : even by over- throwing the veryformal objeft, the Divine Veracity. For if God effi- ciently premoveand predetermineall wills and tongues and pens to all the lies that ever are made in the world, then a. To dofo, is not inconfiflent with hisperfections or his will; z. And thenwe can never know when he Both not fo, unlefs by the event. This is grounded on thefe fuppofr Lions, r. That Gods revelations tous are not Immediate only by himfelf, but by fame Creature, .Angel or Man, or a created voice or fign. z. That the Ratio certitudinisof fuch Revelations by a Creature, is becaufe it is God that is the chief author of them. 3. That it is not conceiveable how God can by any way of Revelation be more the author of ir, than byphyficalefficient immediate adequate predetermining both will;and tongue to the ad with all its circtlmftances. Call it by what name you pleafe, Infpiration, Vifron, Illumination, Impulfe, &c. it can fpeaknothing more of Gods Agent efficient Inter& than this predetermination doth. 4. If it did do more, yet it would overthrow all certainty of our faith : Becaufe if God can efficiently caufe, and that as the total principal caufe by predetermination, all the lies that everwere told in the world; we can never be fare thatthe other mode of his operation fo far differeth from this, as thathe cannot bethe chief caufeof a lie in this way as well as of all lies bypredetermination. I have driven many to fay their utmoft, and could never yet hear any fiich difference affigned, as could prove any Infpiration whatfoever,to have more of Divine amplify in it, thanphy- fical predetermination doth fignifie and import : nor how this principle leaveth us any certainty that the tongues of all the Prophets and 4poflles were not predetermined to fpeak falfly, (ab antecedente; and fo their pens. ) XLVIII. Tofay that God is not able to make a Creature withpower to determineany one Volition of its own, even as modified, comparare or circumftantiate, without his efficient phyfical predetermination aforefaid, fayeth more againft Gods Omnipotent.), ( though on pretence of a con- tradillion) than Idare fayor think. XLIX. Yet after all this I grant that ifall proper free willand con- tingency be denyed, and every ad in the world (ascomparate and cir- cumftantrate) made as neceffary by predetermination as the motions in a Clock, yet a certain Religion is confiftent with it, and the Atheift that :hence would nullifie.all Religion abfolutely, would raife falfe inferences from this principle. Much more perfwaded am I, that many that hold it are very worthy holy perlons, muchbetter thanI am or can hope here to
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