ARMINIANISMa t I..° P4.A.*$s.$3.!m.,.,ti.ß. .I,A,z.*.st*Z.3°ea:i*4 v-6\i-tx!, RFlffiw11s3E90:,,,. s s.`'aV aäiï'à g 's;f `r M'''' ï','ä' '"ra"'ä' sa' a GH AP.- IV. Of the Providence of God in governing the World diverfly, thrufl from this Preheminence by the Arminian Idol of Freewill. Come now to treat of that, betwixt which and the pelagian idol, there is bellum ` apda, implacable war and immortal hatred,. abfolutely deftrufl:ive to the one fide; to wit, the providence of God. For this, in that notion Chriftianity hath hitherto embraced it, and that, in fach a fenfe as the arminians maintain it, no more con&ft together, than fire andwater, light anddarknefs, Chrift and Belial ; and he that ?hall go to conjoin them, ploughs withan OX and an afs, they mull be tied together with the fame ligament quo ille manna jungebat corpora vivis, wherewith the tyrant tied dead bodies to living men. This ßrarge advancement of the clay againft the potter, not by the way of repining, and to fay, why haft thou made me thus? but by the way of emulation, I will not be fò, I will advance my felt to the sky, to the fides of thy throne, was heretofore unknown to the more refined (a) .paganifm ; as there of contingency, fo they with a better error made a goddefsof providence; be- caufe, as they feigned, the helped Ltvena to bring forth in the ifle of Delos: inti- mating that Loma or nature, tho' big and great with fundry forts of effefts, could yet produce nothing, without the interceding helpof divine providence. Which my- thology of theirs, feems to contain a fweeter gull of divine truth, than anywe can expe£t from their towritag fancies, (b) who are inclinable to believe, that Godfor no other rearm, is ¡aid to fuflain all things, but becaufe he doth not deffroy them: now that their proud godoppofiug errors may the better appear,, according to my formerme- thod, I will plainly Phew what the fcripture teacheth us concerning this providence, . with what is agreeable to right, and chriftian reafon, notwhat is diftated by tumul- tuating affefiions. Providence, is a word, which in its proper fignification, may feem to comprehend all the aftions of God that outwardly are of him, that have any refpeft unto his creatures i all his works that are not ad infra effentially belonging unto the dei- ty.: now becaufe God worketh all thing according to his decree, or the coun- fel of his mill, Ephef. i. I I. For whatfaever he cloth nom, it pleated him from the be- ginning, Pfal. cxv. Seeing alfa that known unto God are all his works from eternity, therefore three th_in_g, concerning his providence are confiderables pat (c) His decree or púrhirewtiereby he hash difpofed of all things in order, and appointed them for certain ends, which he bath foreordained. Secondly His prefcience, whereby he cer- tainly forekuoweth all things that fhall come to ppais. Thirdly, His temporal opera- tion, or working in time, My Father marked, hitherto, John v. 17. whereby he aftually executeth all his good pleafure : the firß and fecond of thefe have been the fub- jeft of the formerChapters, the latter only now requireth ourconfideration. This then we may conceive, as an ineffable aft or work of almightyGod, where- by he cheritheth, fußaineth, and governeth the world, or all things by him created, moving them agreeably to thofe natures, which he endowed them withal in the be- ginning, unto thofe ends which he hath propofed: to confirm this, I will Pr(a) 0,4a mina, dpyd Fe ñs éaaatame) in xal Munita, Theopbrflan apad Pitam: vid. Somme, de v;d. ff Plotinem. (b) An atlas divine providentiæomnium rerum confervatris, fit affirmatives potentia, antantum negatives voluntatis,quo nolit res creatas perdere, Rem. Apo!. top. 6. (a) Presi- dentia feu ratio ordinis ad finem duo prscipue cóntineb principium decerntes feu ipfam rationem or dins in mente divina, ipti deo coeternum, Zc principium esequens, quo fuo modo, per debita media, tpfa in ordine Se numero difponit, Thom. F s. Prove
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