Epbefians,Chap.r. VE R,Iq, in thisfenfe,accidentally, contingency,necefhty,thefe arc modalities a- greeingto effects, as effets are inorder to their fecond caufes, not to Godwhomoft certainly, neceftarily,andwifely hath willedthem, Fire burneth not neceffarily to Gods power, whocan at pleafurechange it, or reftraine the fecond act of it ; nothing falleth out accidentally, as referred to him whofewife intention reacheth toevery thing : So for contingency alfo,and liberty in thefenfe before named.Butitfhal not be amiffc to fhew fomereafons why this is to be rejected. z. That which exempteth a creature from being as an inftrument under the power of God, isabfurd ; but this doth fo.It is proved thus, That which giveth the creatureapower to doeas he will, when God bathdone all he may unto him, that doth makehim no inftrument fub. jet to Godspower : But this opinion.doth fay, that when God bath doneall he may, the creature is free to doeas he will. Some are nota- fhamed to faythat God dothnot worke out of his omnipotency in the free will ofthe creature ; otherfomearenot afhamed to fay, that even in workes ofgrace, the will isnot properly rearmed an inftrumentall caufeunder God:fomedeny the affainption andproof ofit,becaufethis power came fromGod,and is fuftained byhim, and hecan doe what he will in man.But to this I fay, a thing communicated &maintained totne byanother, is that it is: So thispower though givenandmaintained by God, yetis a power exemptfofar, that he may not by anypower over- rule it5&though God candoe what he will, yet itis onethingtobeable todoea thing by perfwafion,whichI may refufe, another thing todoe it bypower which I cannotrefufe : This latter bythis opinion is denyed. That which taketh away Gods infallible prefcience, is not tobe granted; but to fay the will ofman is free no way determined doth fo:, fqr knowledge ismeafured by the thing to be knowne, and therefore . when the thing to be knowne is every way uncertain, everywhere indetermined, knowledge cannot be certain. The fecond part of the reafon isdenyed ;for they fay, that God by akind ofknowledgeBoth fee what a freecreature nowmade will doe, ifhebe fet in fuch and fuch circumftances. IAnfwer, he doth indeed, becaufe he doth feehow his power would determine him in fuch and fuch occafions; but to make himfee determination, whenneither himfelfehath any waydetermined him,when thecircumftances doe itnot,whennothing in the free Crea- ture dothdetermine him, is to makehim fee that which neither is in the Creature,nor in himfelfe to be feen.But let us aske this queftion; How doth God fee his Creature would worke thusor thus, fet in fuchand fuchcircumftances,becaufe it is the natureofit to doe for whencedoth he fee it is the nature ofitfo to becarried ! Herenothing canbe anfwe- red,butbecaufe hiswifdom & power theonebathadvifed,the otherhath effetuallywrought that he fhoulddo fo,or that towhichheconcurreth. a. Inaword,God cannot know this or that mans converfion certain - lyfrom eternity, but he muft feeit certaine in himfelfe, willing it,or in the caufes of it, or hemuftfeeit from all eternity, as being prefent to himfelfe out of the caufes; the formerwaies, this opinion denyeth; the
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