Serra..` NCH. The Goodnefs ofGod. 689 aims which may í;;em to contradict and bring in queftion theGoodnefs of God ; and they are many, and have (forne ofthem efpecially) great difficulty in them, and therefore it will require great confederation and care, to givea clear and fa- tisfa&ory anfwer to them, which undoubtedly they are capable òf ; the Good- nefs of God being one of the moft certain and unqueftionable Truths in the World. I (hall mention thofe which are moft coniderable and obvious, and do almoft of themfelves fpring up in every Man's Mind; and they are thefe Four, the ftrfl of them moregeneral, the other three more particular. Firfl, If God" be fo exceeding good, whence comes it to pats, that there is fo much Evil in the World, of feveral kinds ; Evil cf Imperfection, Evil of Affli- ¿tion or Suffering, and (which is the greateft of all others, and indeed the caufe of them) Evil of Sin ? Secondly, The Doctrine of Abfolute Reprobation ; by which is meant, the de- creeing of the greateft part of Mankind ro Eternal Mifery and Torment, with- out any confederation or refpeét to their Sin or Fault this feems notorioufly to contradidf, not only the Notion of Infinite Goodnefs; but any competent Mea- fure and Degree of Goodnefs. Thirdly, The Eternal Mifery and Punifhment of Men for Temporal Faults, Teems hard to be reconciled with that excef of Goodnefs, which we fuppofe to be in God. Fourthly, The Inítances of God's great feverity to Mankind upon occafion, thofe great Calamities, which by the Providence of God have in feveral Ages either befall'n Mankind in general, or particular Nations ; and here I (hall confine my felf to Scripture Inflances, as being the moft certainand remarkable, or at leaft equal to any that are to be met with in Hiftory ; as the early and univerfal degeneracy of Mankind, by the Sin and Tranfgreflion of our firft Parents .; the Deftrudion of the World by a general Deluge ; the fudden and terrible Deft.ru- ¿lion of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities about them, byFire and Brimftone from Heaven ; the cruel Extirpation of the Canaanites, by the exprefs Command of God ; and laftly, the great Calamities whichbefel the yecvi/b Nation, and the final Ruin and Perdition of them at the Deffruétion of Jerufalem. Thefe are the Objections againft the Goodnefs of God, which I Ihall feverally confider, and with all the brevity and clearnefs I can, endeavour to return a par- ticular anfwer to them. TheFirfi Objellion, which I told you is more general, is this, ifGod be fo ex- ceeding good,whence then comes it to pats, that there is fo much Evil in theWorld of feveral kinds? 'Tis evident beyond denyál, that, Evil abounds in the World. The whole world lies in Evil, fays St. Sohn, do am uróvnpç ;:Tc/, lies in wickednef (fo our Tranflation renders it) is involved in Sin; but by the Article and Oppo- fition St john Items to intend the Devil. We know, fays he, that we are ofGod, andthe whole World, do onr mcvnp , xe+omy itfubjeii to the evil one, and under his Power and Dominion. Whichway foever we render it, it liignifies, that Evil of one kind or other reigns in the World. Now can Evil come from a good God x Out of thefame Mouth proceedeth hieing and curling. Doth a Fountain fend forth at the fameplacefweet Water and bitter ? This cannot be, as St. lames fpeaks in ano- ther cafe. But all Evils that are in the World, muff eitherbe directly procuredby the Divine Providence, or permitted to happen ; and next to the taufrng and pro- curing of Evil, it feems to be contrary to the Goodnefs of God, to permit that there fhöuld be any fuch thing, when it is in his power to help and hinder it. Anfwer. To give an account of this it was an ancient Doctrine of fame of the moil: ancient Nations, that there were two firft Caufes or Principles ofall things, theone of good things, the other ofbad ; which among the Perfians were called Oromafdes and Arimanius; among the Egyptians ()pis and ?Typhon ; among the Chaldean good or bad Planets; among the Greeks Zks add 'Aati, ; Plu torch exprefly fays, That the good Principle was calledGod, and the bad, Demon or the Devil; in conformity to which ancient Traditions, the Mani- cheer (a fad Sett of Chriftians) fet up two Principles, the one infinitely good, which they fuppofed to be the original caufe of all goad that is in the T t t t World: k
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