141 / 808
VER.II.
Epherians,Chap.t,
finners; for
if
finne in
one, now
a
wilful] finner, Both
by
refpeds it
hach
and
ufes
,
become
a fit
object for Gods
will
to
will
and
ordaine
;
then the
finne
of
a
creature
defeCtible
may be ordained
alto.
rz.
That
in
wich
is
Gods
counfell,
in
that
is
his will and
worke
;
But
Gods counfell reacheth
to the being
of
fin,
otherwife
fin
fhould fall
out
God unadvifed.Thepropofition
is
in
the Text;
His
counfell
is
ac-
cepted
by
his
will,
and he
doth worke
effectually after fome
manner,
that
which
his
will
alloweth,and
counfell advifeth.
13.
That
which
is
a
truth,muft
needes have fome
former truth,
a
caufe
why
it
is
true;&
fo
there
is
no flay till we
come to the
firfi
truth,caufe
of
all
truth
:
But
that
finne
is
a
truth,
Ergo.
14.
If
there were
but
one fountain
of
water,there could
not
be any water
which were not thence derived:So there whereis but one fountain
of
b Bing,
what
ever
is
found
to be,muft
needs
thence
take
the
original],
fo
far
forth
as
it
is
exiftent.
Having heard
what
chiefly
is
brought
in
one judgement and
other, we
will lay
downe
thefe conclufions
for way
ofanfwer,to
thole
Arguments which were
firft laid
down,
oppofingthe
truth
in this
Queftion,as I
take
it.
Canclufion
r.
God cannot
poffibly finne
:
He may
worke betide
his rule
who
may
finne,Gods
rule
is
his
moll
juft
and wife
will, which
he
cannot
but
worke after,no more
then
he
can
deny his owne
nature; Erre,he
cannot
finne.
z.
God cannotbe author
of
finne,in and
with
his
creature,
as
he
is
of
every good word
and
work
;
for that
which the creature
doth, God
be-
ing the author
and principal]
worker
of
it,
God
muff
informe
the
man-
ner
of
it
by
his
commandment,andworke
it
in
him by
his fpirit: But
it
is
impolible
for the creature
to
finne
in
working after
that which
is
com-
manded
him
of
God;Ergo.
3.
God
cannot
fo far wil
Gn,as
to
approve
it
for
good
in
it
felf;it hath
no
proportion
to
his
nature, fuch
as
he
cannot
be
author
of
in
the
crea-
ture, nor yet the
creature
worke while it
keep:th
communion with him.
Wherefore God
cannot allow
it as
good
in
it
felf,though
he
bath liberty
whether
he
will
punifh
it thus
or thus
;
according
as
he
doth with
free-
dome
toward
fuch
things which
he cannot
but approve asgood,fuch o.
bedience
to
his
Law
had his creature
obeyed.
ç.
Though
God cannot
will it
as
good
in it
felfe, nor
approve it
as
good, yet
he may
will
itfo
farre
forth that
it fhall
be,
as
being able to
worke good out
of
it
;
God
might have willed that none
of
thefe things
íhould have
beone,
which
had
agreement with
his
nature,
and Ergo,
by
proportion
may will
that
loch things
fhall
be, which difagree
in
fome
fort
from
his
nature
:
For though thefethings are not good, the
being
of
them
is
good to him who
can
ufeit
to
his
glory. Gods
efficacy,
Ergo,
reacheth
not to the
Effence,
but to the being
and beginning
of
fin
:
For
though the
will
of
man
doth
make finne exifl
immediately, yet the will
ofi
J