I2 I Sueral4fariassscharge God of it. God is the authour of theaftion it felf, but not of the obliquitie and evil that cleaveth to it : as he thát caufeth a lame hone to go, is the caufe ofhis going, but not of his lame going. And therefore it followeth not from their opinion, That God is the authour of ,finne. I. All finnes receivenot this dif}in&ion : becaufe of many finnes the aas themfelves are finfull, as of the eating of the forbidden fruit, and Sauls fparing of Agag and the fat beáfts of the Arnalekites. z. It is (V) not true, that they make the decree of God onelyof anions and not of their aberrations : for theymake it to be the caufe of all thofe means that lead to damnation, and therefore of finfull aaions as finfull,and not as bare aai- ons. For anions delerve damnation not as a tions,but as tranfgreflions of Gods law. 3. To the Simile I fay, That the rider or mailer that fhali refólve firft to flay his horte or knock himon the head, and then tomake him lame that for his halting he may kill him, is undoubtedly the caufeof his halting: and fo if God deter- mine to cafe men into hell, and then to bring them into a flare of finne, that for their finnes he may bring them to ruine, we cannot conceive him to be leffe then, the authour as well of their finnes as of thofe aaions towhich they do infepa- rably adhere, and that out of Gods intention to deflroy them. iißïnc ,3 I I I. Thew ill (X) is determined to an obje& twowayes: z. By compulfzon, againft thebent and inclination of it; z. By neceffity, according to the naturali defire and liking of it. Gods Predeftination (fay they) determineth the will to finne this laft way, but not the firft. It forceth noman todo that which he would not, but carrieth him towards that which he would : When men finne, it is true they cannot choofe; and it is as true they will not choofe. It followed: not therefore from the grounds of their doarine, That Gods decree is thecaufe 'of mens finnes, but their own wicked wills. is The Ancients made no diflinftion between thefe two Words neceffity and compulfion, but ufed them in this argument promifcuoufly; and did deny that God did necefìïtate men to finne, left they fhould grant him hereby to be the authour of finne, as I have touched before, and flail intimate again af- terward. Nor did the School-men put any difference be- r_ev./Oit- tween them, as may appear by the teftimonie . Calvine, ì.z.GZ.je .j. who fpeakingof the School-di linaionof the Wills, . threefold filberty,
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