6r6 ~ treatife ofPredeflination. in it felfe. The fecond action uthat,whereby bee mlleth any thing by mlling it, as that which 01all neucrcomcto paiTe,becaufeGod doth vtterly nil! th.e becmg thereof. The third &!all action" remilfe,and in the mid– dell betwcene both,whereby he willeth Come thing by mllmg ir Rackcly or remilfcly, that is, when hee parrlywillerh 11, and partly nil– lerh ir, or elfefo farre forth wilsit,asrhat for iuil caufcs he mls it. And after this fort wee fay,rhar God willerh the eucnt of euill,as it is eudl inll felfe in rcfpect of men ; becaufe e· udl as it isemll alter this fort, is not abfolutc· ly euilJ: and God drawcrhgood out of enill, as It is cuill in the narurcrhereof;orinit fclfe: as he brought touh light our of darkenclfe, eucnas it was darkenetfe in 11fdfc. And if fo berhat cmllwere abfolurely euill, as God is abfolurely good,hce would in no wife will the cuent of euill, nwher 010uld therebeany e– uill cxi!lenr at all. Forthat which God vr– terly nillcth,hath notany being or exi!lence. But linneaSit isfinneto God,(rhat is tofay, God con!ideriog Onnc,which 1siuitfelfe !in, in hiS decree wherein al things are ordained, as linne) hee neither willerh it , nor approo· uerh it, nor worketl1 it, no in thisrefpect hce dorh notfo much as permit it. Idoenotde· nie,bur rhat God permitterh and fufferc<h C· uill, as it is euill in it fclfe, (othcrwife there fli<iuldnorbc cuill properly in narurt,) but I denie that hecpermi!terhit, becaufeit is cA asitiseuill,andwillethit tocometo palfeas 1t harh refpcct vnto good. HertuponAq•i· l mli.Far God neuer fuffereth euill fnr itfeJFe; Lib cent, c ,fie!.de pra:deU. Intl:it,lib.j. cap.lj. S•4• & ;.7· bur forthe good that isrherwirh conioyned. And thiS isrhe meaning of that faying of!J,, z..a~The Lordnmtr pirmmtlh [inna, IU tht] are, finnes, yea rathrr hee eturmore (orbiddtth and hindwh th""· And againe :Sinn'lfofarforth ar thryare permmedb] God, huing theretowi/. ling, are not finnu, lmt the puni{hmer.t ofJ&nu. : And rhus vfing this exp&fition isthe minde and iudgcmenr of Mal!er Caluinof ble!fed memory, to bee vndcraood, where as bee Caith,that allth< [onnts of Adam did faU awar b7 Goqswi/1:And againe,that it wau/urud li; God,that Adam foouldperifh bJ hiso.-ne falling away. Andagait'e, It"'"' the (ecrncoun(cllof Cjod, in which the fall of man"'"'ordained.And Opof. 68 f• againe : Adam dtd not fall away but accordmg s.6 , 6 _ to God•k._nowledge and ordina11a, In rhefc and fucb hke maner of fpeeches his purpofe was ro ouerrhrow theopmion ofti;Je Schoolmen, who would banc hts permillion feuered from his will : It were good thereFore for them better to con!idcr of rhe matter, who with– out either charity or humanity, doewith rhe . blafphemies of theManichees,llaunder and bclythis holy man. Secondly rhey vfc to obicct,that God wil· leth rhmgs conrrary,ifhe wil thatthatfhould cometo palfcwhich heforbiddethin his law. A•fr.er. Iris true indeede,if hecfhould will one and the famething tocorn~ topa!Te, and not tocome m palfe mone and the fame re– I fpe<'land manner: b"rGod forbiddetheuill nt:U faith, Th1d tNils Pe, ""dtb111 ruilsbtnot,are s cmtradiflorrly oppo(ed; bt.tthAt Godwilleth eui/s 19~;~9:· tobu, a,dthat God wstletheuilsnottobec,Rrl nOr cotraaiFJoril)•ppofed,ftting hotharenffirmatiue. Thirdly they obiect rhus : That thing whrch beeing graunted, another rhingnecef farily followerh,is the caufeofrhatfelfefame thing thatdorh follow;but this beinggraun· red,that God willed thefa! of Adam to come topa!fe, the fame came to pa!fenecelfarily and Infallibly. Therefore the will of God was in this refpecttheca11feof t;inne.Where· to I anfwer, that the fir(\ propofirion of this argument is not general!, for in admitting · B the creauon ofthe world,boththe place and rhcrimcor continuance thereof, arc infa!Jj .. bly and without doubtalfo to bee admilted, andyerrhc creation of the world isnor the caufeof the continuance thereof, and of t11e place, where it nowconfill~th. Andrhat (his propofirion may be true, it isthus tobeefra· m~d: That thing which buinggrauNted,anoth~r thmf. in(~/Ji/J!Jfolloweth ( ,.,ootbr:rcaufecomming 6etwune)is the CAH(t of tht'lJtrJfame thit~g ti!M foil•w"h, And the fecond propofition alfo fitted to this former is vnrrue.For this being graunred that God willerb finne ro come to p:ll'e, finne 01all not come ro palfc immcdi– arely,but by themeanesofman• free will; al– though ir come ro pa!fc infalhbly on Gods C part which decreerh it, yet ircomesto palfe tfeely on mans pan, for 11 had beene pollible for man not ro haue finned when heedid lin, if bee had would. A• may appeare by this fimiliwde: God forfakcrb man by norcon· fcrring and beOowing on him ncce!fary and fuflicient helpc for rhe auoiding of Onnes ; now man being fotfaken by him, !inncrh ne– celfarily; And yet the fault isnorto bee laid on God, bccaufe that in this his forfaking him thewill ofman commcth berwcene.For God forfakerhmanbceing willing tobe for– faken,and not again(\ his willand mi~de. Secondly,!anfwer to the aforefaid reproch ofour doctrine,that wee fay not,thar finne is from the decrce,or of thedecree of God, os D from the cf!iCicnr,rnatcriall,formall,or finall caufe. But we do teach and auerre,rhar finne commeth ro pa!Te according to the proui· dence or decree of God, as the foie confe– quent thereof. For weea!furedlyt~inkeand iudge, that the decree of God dorbfo goe before the finneof man,asthat itharh nore· fpe<'l of any caufe, vnlclfe it bee of fuch a one as is a faUingand deficicntcaufc.So fiuth Aug.j}ine : Thtr<{orttrt<t!Jihrgffdt wor/zysof Enchir.c. the Lwdare txquifir~ in11llhiswrls, fo thAt ;rfter toh a wondtrju!JAndVtiJPt~tk..a61emamur, ~ha~unot done befide his 'IJ!iU,which notwithfltmdmg ts doue contrary tohit wiU. . Anaineitisobieaed.Herhatfanh that die dec~eeo( God is the energericall operatiue beginning of all things, ncce!farily makerh tht!
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