76 Supraldpfarraris charge God burning pincers, or put them to any cruel tortures, that by thus torturing them he may Phew what his authoritie and paver is over them. Much leffe can we believe without great violence to reaCon, that the God of mercie can fo farre for- get hirufelf, as out ofhis abfolute pleafure to ordain filch in- finite multitudes of his children made after his own image to everlaffing fire, and ( F) create them one after another, that after the end of a fhort life here, he might torment them without end hereafter, to thew his power and fovereigntie over them. If to defiroy the righteous with the wicked temporally, be fuck a piece of injuflice, that Abraham re- Gen. 18-254 moveth is from God with an Anssr,wilt thou defiroy the righteous with the wicked? That be farre from thee , O Lord. Shall not the judgeof ail theworld do right?howdeep- ly (may we think ) would that good man have detefied one tingle thought, that God refolveth upon the defiruaion of many innocent fouis eternally in hell-fire? 0bjetri. But God ( fay fome) is fovereigne Lord of all creatures and men : they are truly and properly his own : Cannot he therefore difpofe of them as he pleafeth, and do with his own what he will ?, ./Infiv, The queftion is not, vvhat an Almighty Sovereigntie and .4ugu]. power can do topoore vafíáls;but,what apower that is Juff iih. 3. cont. and Good may do. By the power of a Lord, his abfoluteand naked power, he can caft away the whole maffe of mankind; for it is not repugnant to omnipotencie or fovereigntie : but by the power of a Judge, to wit, that aauall power of his which is alwayes clothedwith goodneffe and juf}ice, he can- not. For it is not compatible (G ) with thefe properties in God, roappoint men to hell of his mere will and pleafure, no fault at all oftheirs preexifiing in his eternall mind. r. It is not compatible with Jufiice : Which is a conffsnt will of rendriag to every one his proper due, and that is ven- geance to whom vengeance belongeth , namely to the ob- itinate and impenitent. fGod isgood (faith S. Augufiine ) and God is juf: he may without any defects free men from punifhment,becaufe he a good ; but he cannot without evil defervings condemn any man, becaufe he is ju.11. Inanother place allobe faith,t IfGodbe believed todamne any man that by finne deferveth it not, he is not believed to be free from ínjuflicr. a. Nor is it compatiblewith Goodneflè : Which is an ins 5u1:an.c.ie. pag. I64. Bonus eli Dens, jufius eít Deus: potei} ali- quem fine bonis me- eritis 1r' berare, quia bonus eft; non pore[I quenquam fine malìs mentis da- mnare, quia jufius eft. t ,Aup.epift. ,o6. ad so- nifac. Quen. quam Vero ammerirum & nulli ob- noxiurta peccato fi Deus damnare creditur,alietíus ab iniquitate non creditur. clination ®
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