Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

'3o& of the will of God, and how it is done on earth, we may truly fay that voluntas Dei eft omnium re- rum necef itas, the will of God is the necefïìty of all things; and that in refpet hereof all things come to paffee neceffarily, howfoever in refpeif of fecondary caufes fome things are necef try and fome contin- gent. And this will is fo effetuall and invincib!e that whatfoever happeneth cometh to paffe accord- ing to the will of God, who worketh all things accord- ing to the counfelof his will, Ephef. i. Ir. yea, the very enemies of God when they do moll oppofe themfelves againff the will of God, do unwittingly perform it, Ads 4. z8. But hence arife two ob- jedions; Howcanthe f j. If that which the wicked do happen accord . wicked fi en, y b ing to the will of God, how can the y be faid to th do Gods finne:" will? Sinne is not the tranfgreffion of the fecrer and hidden will of God, which cannot be hindred, but of the revealed will of God, which he bath pro- pounded as a rule to fquare our adions by: and therefore finne is called dpwlx, the tranfgrefsion ofthe law: Ad legem & teftimoni.um, To the law and tefti- mony. Howfinne 2. Hall things come to patine as God bath willed is by Gods and decreed, then finne alío: and how then is not decree. God the authour of finne:' vinfw. Some things God bath decreed to do; force things he bath decreed to fuffer to be done:Ofthofe things which he bath decreed to do, his will is the efficient caufe ; as of his creatures , and all good things:O f thofe things which he bath onely decreed should be effeCed by filch and fuch caufes, his w ill