34 Of Predeffination. holdeth that he efficiently premoveth and predetermineth the Will to every forbidden aer, clothed with all its circumftances. That which God caufeth, hemuff needs will. But when he faith , Na}lri 7heologì aftrmant, he mutt mean but fome few, fuch as Maccovius, Spanhemiu., Rutherford, ( and perhaps Pifcator orBez.a,) òf his ownmind. But the generality of Proteftants either are again(( him, or meddlenot with it. He that will read Davenant, and fuchothers, (hall find the difference. I remember but few Englith Divines at all that own it, betides the fore- named and Mr. Norton. But having written both an anfwer to this Digreffion of Dr. Twiffe, and tohis and Alvarez, and other mens Do- étrine of phyfical predetermining premotion 5 I may pretermit that here. C.But by thisthey make God an idle Spellator of fin intheWorld,and fo " denyagreatpart of his Providenceor works. B. I. This belongeth not direly to the Point of Reprobation, but of GodsWorks. 2. Take heedoffuchunreverent wordsofGod : Who will nothold him guiltlefs that takethhis. Name in vain. Dare you re- proach God asIdle, if hedo not all that your (hallow thoughtswill cut out for him ? "C. The blafphemy is theirs that give thecaul by theirunfound Doffrine, "andnot minethat do but denominate their conicqueute. B. Let us try that. Doyou believe that God doth asmuch as he can do ? that he made the World asfoon as he wasable, and could have dons it no fooner ? or that he is able to make no one Man or Beaft, or Plant or Atome more than he hathmade ? nor to do any one affion more than he doth ? "C. No : IholdnoFisch thing : For God is Omnipotent andFree. B. I pray you then ftudy it, and tell me, if God be not to be blafphe- med as Idle, for fuch a total Non-agency or Freefufpenfionof his own Afts as toallInchpoffibles5 why fhouldyou call him Idle, if by the fame Wif- domand Free-will he only fufpend force degree of his co-operation with man inthe cafe of finning ? And if God freely decree that man (hall be madea free Agent, able (by Gods common generical concurfe as the caufe ofnature) todetermine or fisfpend his own Volitions, without any predetermining efficiency ofGod. If Godwill delight himfelf in making fuch a Creature, will you dare to fay that he is Idle, becaufe he movethhim not inanother manner ? you will not foreproach a Watch- maker, for not moving the Watch all daywith his finger. "C. Iconfefi Icannot anfwer that : Buthow then is God theGovernor of "theWorld, iffo muchfin be done without his Will and Operation. B. The Work of aGovernor, as fuch is only, r. By Legiflation, to make the SubjectsDuty. 2. And by judgment to try and decide the cafe ofeachSubjeCt, whether he do that Duty. 3. And to fee to the exe- cutionof that Judgment. But not tobe the determining caufeofall the SubjeCtsVolitionsand Actions. "C. It is fo with man, becaufe he can do no more: but not with "God. B. Indeed God governeth all sneer Naturalsand Bruits, by phyfical motion, asEngins are moved (as a Clock or Watch) by natural necef- fitation: And fo he doth themeer naturalsof man 5 (As his Concofii- on, Pulle, circulation of Blood, generation in the Womb, &c.) But God having made man an Intelleïfual free Agent , ruleth him as Inch, agreeably tohis nature 5 even by moral Agency, byLaws and judgment : And this is that Regency ofwhich we fpeak. Ifyou believe not that God
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