Owen - BS2775 O8 1668

Trornifed of Ólde nation and Vindication, efpecially in thefe dayes, wherein as on the one.hand, there are various thoughts of heart, about the Jews, their prefent condition and expec`ìation, fe, on the other, there are many who areready with a prçfumptuous boldnefs äaívnea xiveïv, and to call in queftion the fundamentals of all Religion , may not be unacceptable! Now the firdof theta Principles, is at this day by feveral vain imaginations obfctiredby the Jews, to their utter lofs of all benefit by it, andbath been fo for nanny Generati- ons, although it were the 'Life and Soulof the Religion of their fore-fathers, as (hall be demonffrated ; and the two latter are by them expretly denyed, and maliciouflycontended agairift, Here then weGall, fix ; and confirm thefePrinciples in the order wherein we have laid them down; declaring on every one of them, the Conceptions and Perfma flow oftheJews conççrning the promifedMcOah, removing in the Clofe their Obje- ¿bons againft the Faith of Chriftians in this matter, ina peculiar Exercitation to that Purpofc. And the Confirmation, and Vindicationof the firft of theft Principles, is that which our prefent Difcourfe is defìgned unto. Befides,the Teft Tony of God himfeif in his Word, we-have a concurrent fuffrage from the whole Creation, that man in the Beginning was formed , as in the Image, fo in the Favour ofGod, and unto his Glory. And as he was not liable unto any evil which is theeffeét of Gods difpleafure, not deft ive in any Good, neceffary topreferve him in the condition wherein he was made, fo he was deftitute of nothing that was any way requilite to carry him on unto that farther enjoyment of God whereunto he was defigued. Gen. t.V. z6, 31. Ecclefiáft.7. V. 29. For God being infinitely Good, Wife', Righteous, and Pomerfull, creating man to know, love, honour, and enjoy him, and thereby to glorifie thofe Holy Properties of his nature, whichexerted themfelves in his creation, (which that he did, the nature of thofe intelle tual Perfections wherewith He endowed him, doth undeniably evince) it was utterly impoflible that either He Gould not delightin the work of his own hands, the died of his own Wifdom and Power, or not furnifh himwith thofe Faculties andAbilities brwhich he might an- fwer the Ends ofhis Creation. To fuppofe a Failure in any of theft, is contrary to the prime Didates ofReafon. For Infinite Wifdomcan do nothing in vain , nothing not perfdtly faked unto the End whereunto it is defigned ; Neither can Infinite Goodnefs allow of- any defe& in ought that proceedeth from it. Gen. r. r. 3 r. God fain every thing that he hadmade, and behold it was very Good. Hence many Philofphers faw and granted, that the Ilirlt Cauf in the Produchion of all things, did óßw" Ra.rgrw proceed by fuch a certain Reapnand Way, as that every thing might both in its felt and with reference unto its owsefpecial End, and alto in Relation unto the Vniverfe, have its proper Reftitude and Goodnefs, fufficient unto its Station and Condition. This Me the Scripture calls, ßorsìv sa eiTIíPtx'le o"v Oav, Ephefa. o. t I. The Counfél of the Will of God; exprefling a contemporation of abfolute Sovereignty, and Infinite Wifdom. And thefe uncontroulable Notions of Nature or Reafon, call men of old into their entanglements about the Original ofEvil. For this they plainly faw, that it muff be accidental ,and occafonal, but where to fix that Oecafionthey knew not. Thofe who to extricate themfelves out ofthis difficulty, fancied two Supream Principles, or Caufes, the one Author of all Good, the other of allEvil, wereever exploded as Perfonsbid.. ding defiance into all Principles of Reafon whereby we arediftiuguifhed from the Beafts that perifh. This I fay men generally difcerned, that Evil, wherein' it now lyes, could not have entred into the world, without a difturbance of that Harmony, wherein all things at the beginningwere conftituted by Infinite Wifdom and Gonduelo, and force interruption of that dependançe on.God, from whence it did proceed. The very firtt Apprehenfions of the Nature of God, and the Condition oftheVni- verfe declare, that man-was formed free from fin, which is his voluntary fubduétion of himfèlf from under the Government of his Maker, and free from Trouble, which is the effeE of hisdifpleafitae on that Subdufiion or Deviation, in which two, the whole na- ture of Evil coufifteth ; fo that it mutt have Tome other Original. Furthermore,In this firftEffort ofimmenfe Power did God glorifie himfelf, as in the Wifdom and Goodnefswherewith it was accompanied, fo alto in that Righteoufneß whereby as the SupreamReïtor andGovernour of All, he allotted unto his Rational Creatures, the Lawof their Obedience, annexing a Reward thereunto in a mixture of lull-ice and Bounty. For, that- Obedience Gould be rewarded is of Juftice, but that fuch a Reward Gould be propofed unto the temporary Obedience of a creature, as is the eternal enjoyment of God, wasof meer Grace and Bounty. And that things thould havecontinued in the Bate and condition wherein they were created, I mean as g. a.

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