overthroweth Gods lufijce. &ions and cuftomes , hath in all ages , places and perfons judged to be unjuft. The reafon is, Becaufe God bath bÿ the light of nature, and thofe generali impreffions of goodand evil, honeft anddifhoneft, juit and unjuft, made in the hearts of men , fufficiently infiruEted and enabled them to judge what is juft and what is not. When a thing is done, reafon fo qualified is able to fay, This is juft, or, This is unjuft, whe- ther it be done by God or man. For (virtues in men being but the image of thofe perfections that dwell in God) Juftice inmen and God are for fubftance but one and the fame thing, though infinitely differing in degree, as the greater and leffer light. That this power is ingraffed in men, God himfelf (whobell knoweth with what endowments he hathbeautified his creature) hath fufficiently fignified in thofe Scriptures where he calleth on men to be judges of the equitie ofhis wayes: judge, t pray you, betweenme andmy vineyard,Efay S. Judge, 0ye boufe of ifrael; arenot my wayestrail, andyour wayes unequall ? Ezek. ii;. 25. God would never put them upon the triall ofreafon, if he had not made it able toexa- mine them. The incarnation of the Sonne of God, his birth ofa virgin, his dying, the refurreaion of the bodie, and filch myfteries as are peculiar to the Gofpel and the proper obje&s of the Chi'iftian 'faith , God hath not offered to the triall of our underftandinis , but rather derideth thole that prefume to judge of them by reafon: i. Cor. I. o.Where is the fcvibe? wherers the wife ? where is the difputer of this world ? And the reafon is, Becaufe there things being fupernaturall, and therefore not difcernable by naturali power, man is no com- petent judge of them by his naturallunderftanding, nor may adventure upon the triall and judgement of them with lcfl'e danger then Uziah looked into the ark : for fcrutater maje- fr?atis opprimetur ttgloria, He that prieth into Gods majeftie, Will be overwhelmed of his glorie. But of the Office of his decrees andwayes he maketh him a judge, becaufe the com- mon notions of juft andunjuft being imprinted in nature, he is able by naturali reafon to apprehend what is juft in Divine á&s as well as in his own. I I. It is anfwered , That thefe decrees are let down in Scripture to be thewill ofGod ; and therefore they muff needs be jut} : For Gods will is the rule (t) of all righteoufneQe, To this anfwer I have there things to replie. r. This rule in Divinitie is much abufed by the maintein- ers of abfolute I..eprobation, and may not be admitted in their 315
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