unto him the verier miscreant he that did rebell against him So God made Adam indeed able to sin but he never intended that he should sin with that ability God then is the cause of all those things in which we sin and yet whatsoever he doth is exceeding good he is not the cause that we intend any sin but the cause that we are able to commit those sins we intend and yet he intended not our abilities for sin but for his Service Of all our good actions he is the first cause we are the second of all our sins we are the proper cause he is onely the Conditio sine qua non But here some man may say That choice or election of an unlawful object upon which we misplace our actions is that which maketh us sinners now this being an act of our will it must suppose also the concourse of God how then doth our opinion clear the point The same Answer abundantly sufficeth God made Adam able to be willing to sin but he made him not to will sin God set before him life and death that he did choose death it was by the strength of will given him of God but God did not bind him to choose death for that were a contradiction a necessitated choice Object ult Briefly whatsoever we choose we do it by the power by which we are voluntary Agents yet if we choose death God is not to be blamed for he made us voluntary and therefore it was as possible for us to have chosen life If the nature of a voluntary Agent be well observed this point will be most evident The last objection is this Gods fore-knowledge of all futures is most infallible and necessary Ergo All futures in respect of him fall out necessarily otherwise it is possible God may be deceived yea if many things fall out contingently Gods fore-knowledge of them can be but contingent depending after a sort on mans free-will This Argument is plausible at the first view but if it be touched it falls to shatters It is one thing to know that a thing will necessarily be done and another to know necessarily that a thing will be done God doth necessarily and certainly foreknow all that will be done but he doth not know that those things which shall be done voluntarily will be done necessarily he knoweth that they will be done but he knoweth withall that they might have fallen out otherwise for ought he had ordered to the contrary So God necessarily knew that Adam would fall and yet he knew that he would not fall necessarily for it was as possible for him not to have fallen It was the antient and is still the true opinion That Gods Praescience is not the cause of Events he fore-knoweth all things because they will be done things are not done because he fore-knoweth them The infallibility of his knowledge consisteth not in the immutability of his decreee but in the prerogative of his Deity it is impossible therefore that any man by his voluntary manner of working should delude Gods fore-sight not because God doth necessitate his will to certain effects for this were indeed to take it away but because his fore-knowledge is infinite Let our hearts therefore be never so full of Mazes and Meanders turning and winding yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use the Poets language the al-seeing Eye of God cannot but espy them long before not because he himself contrived them for then it were no wonder if he were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because to Him who is every way infinite all things cannot be but present and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the significant word of the Author to the Hebrews signifying open by a metaphor or similitude drawn from a word that signifies having the faces laid upwards because such as lye so have their face exposed to the sight of all men FINIS Books Printed or sold by William Leake at the sign of the Crown in Fleetstreet between the two Temple-gates YOrks Heraldry fol. A bible of a very fair largo Roman Letter 4. Orlando Furioso fol. Callis learned readings on the Statute 21 H. 8. Cap. 5. of Sewers Perkins on the Laws of England Wilkinsons Office of Sheriffs 8. The book of Fees Parsons Law 8. Mirror of Justice 8. Topicks in the Laws of England 8. Skene de significatione verbarum 4. Delamans use of the Horizontal Quadrant Mathematical Recreations Wilbey second Set of Musick 3 4 5 and 6 parts 4. Corderius in English 8. Dr. Pulk's Meteors Malthus Artificial Fireworks Nyes Gunnery and Fireworks Cato Major with Annotations by William Austin Esquire Mel Heliconium by Alex. Ross 8. Nosce te ipsum by Sir John Davis 8. Animadversions on Lillies Grammer 8. The History of Vienna and Paris The History of Lazarillo de Tormes Hero and Leander by George Chapman and Christopher Marlow Mayer's Catechism 8. Exercitatio Scholastica Bishop Andrews Sermons Adams on Peter Posing of the Accidence Amadis de Gaule Guillims Heraldry fol. Herberts Travels fol. Boccas Tables Man become guilty by John Francis Senalt and Englished by Henry Earl of Monmoth The Idiot in four books first and second of Wisdom third of the mind fourth of the experience of the ballance The Life and Raign of Hen. 8. by the Lord Herbert fol. Aula Lucis or the house of Light The Fort-Royal of holy Scriptures or a new Concordance of the chief heads of Scripture by J. H. A Tragoedy written by the most learned Hugo Grotius called CHRISTUS PATIENS and translated into English by George Sandys The Mount of Olives or Solitary Devotions by Henry Vanghan Sylurist with an excellent Discourse of the blessed estate of Man in Glory written by the most Reverend and holy Father Anselm Arch bishop of Canterbury The description and use of the double Horizontal Dyall by W.O. whereunto is added the description of the General Horological Ring The Rights of the People concerning Impositions stated in a learned Argument by a late eminent Judge of this Nation France painted out to the life the second Edition The Garden of Eden both parts or an accurate description of Flowers and Fruits now growing in England by Sir Hugh Plat Knight Exercitatio Scholastica Book of Martyrs fol. Willet on Genesis and Exodus PLAYES The Wedding Philaster The Hollander The Merchant of Venice The strange discovery Maids Tragedy King and no King Othello the Moor of Venice The grateful servant These Books are lately come forth and sold by Will. Leak at the Crown in Fleet-street The Solemne League and Covenant Arraigned and Condemned by the sentence of the Divines of London and Cheshire c. by Lawrence Womack now D.D. and Arch-deacon of Suffolk Amorea the Lost Lover or the Idea o Love and Misfortune being never before printed written by Patherick Jenlyn Gent. An exact Abridgment of the Records in the Tower of London from the Raign of K. Edward the second to K. Richard the third of all the Parliaments holden in each Kings raign and the several Acts in every Parliament by Sir Robert Cotton Kt. and Baronet An Apology for the Discipline of the antient Church intendep especally for that of our Mother the Church of England in answer to the Admonitory Letter lately published by William Nicolson Arch-Deacon of Brecon and now Lord Bishop of Glocestet Le Prince d' Amour or the Prince of Love Wa collection of several Ingenious Poems and Songs by the Wits of the Age. 8. A learned Exposition of the Apostles Creed delivered in several Sermons by William Nicholson Archdeacon of Brecon and now Lord Bishop of Glocester
of sins questionless they make God according to their own Argumentation the cause of sins But they have a limitation for this Rule and say that it holdeth in causis essentialiter subordinatis as they say that God is the cause of all those things which are essentially and districtly done by our wills but sins proceeding from the depravation of our wills are effects of a cause not directly subordinate to God The limitation is sound but not applicable to their instance yea the limitation it self quite spoileth them For 1. While Adam's will was yet sound they teach that God decreed that Adam should eat the forbidden fruit now at that time they cannot say but that Adam was a cause essentially subordinate to God 2. They teach that God is a cause not onely of our actions but also of our volitions as I may say then these being the causes of our sins are directly subordinate to him 3. Let us consider not onely the subordination between God and our wills but also between our actions and their moralities and we shall perceive that according to the abuse of these Rules they make God the cause of our sins For that Rule Causa causae est causa causati is infillibly true expounded thus The cause of any effect is the cause of all such events as necessarily follow that effect Now then if as they say God be a necessary cause of all our particular actions seeing our actions in reference to such and such objects must needs be sinful it is manifest what followeth For example Though to take money in general be no sin yet to take this or that money being none of our own is a sin Now then if God be a cause of this action in reference to this object as he is if he be the cause of this particular action it is impossible their Doctrine should excuse God from sin Eating in reference to the forbidden fruit was a sin but according to them God was a principal cause of eating the forbidden fruit Ergo. Minor prob They say he was the necessitating cause of this particular action Eating was a natural action the individuation of this eating by an unlawful object was a moral obliquity But God was the cause of this individual Ergo. The like may be said of all our sinful actions When I have drunk sufficiently both for the necessity and comfort of nature to drink a cup more is sin But our Opposites teach that I cannot take up this superfluous cup without Gods speciall determination Ergo. This Doctrine is enough to make ones hair stand an end making God whatsoever they say the cause not onely of our actions but also of our obliquities for what are the obliquities of our actions but the placing of them upon wrong objects If therefore they make God the principal cause of all our particular actions most of which are particularized by bad objects what do these men make of God But Recrimination is no answer Hitherto I have shewed though perhaps without method yet I hope not without profit how our Opposites are wounded with their own weapons Now I will take their weapons out of their hands and teach them the right use of them shewing how God is the cause of all things onely not the cause of sin a cause of all good things yet so as that many good things are contingent also We have shewed in the third Argument how God hath ordained that all sorts of Inferior or second causes should work according to their proper kinds that voluntary Agents should work voluntarily c. God then is the first cause that all things do work and that they do work in certain kinds If so then God is the cause that many things are done contingently one of the chiefest sorts of second causes by this appointment working voluntarily and therefore contingently which connexion we have formerly justified This being well understood will instruct us not onely that it may be so but also that it must be so That God being the necessary cause of all good things yet all such things are not necessary effects of Him For example It is impossible that man should do any thing without God therefore God is a cause necessary to the being of all things effected by him yet because many things done by the free choice of man might as well have been omitted God no ways constraining him to them these are not necessary effects of God The Reason of this is because God hath decreed that man should work voluntarily having liberty to do as well one thing as another yet so that God giveth him the strength to do whatsoever he chooseth to do and ability to choose what he will without limitation of his choice ☜ for this were else to take it away and to make man an involuntary Agent For example God hath given thee strength of body he hath given thee also ability to choose in what exercise thou wilt employ it thou choosest to Ring or Dance God then the Author of thy strength is the chief cause of these exercises yet so as they are contingent in respect of Him because thou mightest have omitted them hadst thou pleased By this we may plainly see how God is the principal cause of all things of which he is capable to be a cause and yet many things are contingent in respect of him This being cleared we may with more facility conceive how and in what sense God is the cause of all we do and yet we onely the cause of sin God sustains us when we are about our sins even then in Him we live and move and have our being as well as when we are better busied God giveth that strength by which we commit any sin yet because he doth not necessitate or incline unto it but we of our selves abuse it to wickedness God hath still the part of a Creator we onely are sinful An example will make this clear Suppose a King delivereth to his Subject Men Weapons Mony and Warlike provision that he may fight for his Honor against his enemies his Subject proves a Traitor and useth all his Soveraigns strength against himself His Soveraign here is a cause that he hath the command and doth the Office of a Captain but he is no cause of his Treachery the offence is onely the Captains and the wrong is onely the Soveraigns This is just the case between God and us God hath given us many excellent faculties both of body and soul which he intended we should use to his Glory in obedience to his commandements and resist His and our enemy the Devil we most traiterously siding with Satan have abused His gifts to His Dishonor God did the part of a Creator we of Rebels A man lives intemperately God gave him not strength to this purpose he necessitated not the man to this intemperancy Man therefore onely sinned God is dishonoured The King made his Subject able to rebel against him by delivering his military furniture
sensible onely in the Event manifesteth His Mercy or Justice to His own Glory or good of His Church This is properly termed special providence and in this sense it is taken by La Vosino the Italian in his Tract De particulari Providentiâ and by those who have wrote of that subject Well then I will now specifie my faith concerning Gods Providence First it is very probable that petty trivial matters such as are indifferent not onely in respect of themselves but also of their consequences fall out altogether contingently without any necessitating decree These matters of lesser moment are of three sorts 1. The toys and trifling vanities of voluntary Agents such as the Italians term Badalucii or Ballocametti What a company of idle gestures and sporting tricks use we every day which doubtless for ought God hath decreed we might have as easily omitted 2. The petty consequences of the main actions of natural Agents for example though the main drift and scope of the operations of the Elements and Meteors be according to the method eternally prescribed them by God yet some particular events accompanying their operations some circumstances questionless were not prefixed by a particular decree as now and then it hapneth to rain when the Sun shineth I cannot believe that there 's any special decree concerning this Hear I would have the Reader observe how these events are not so properly called contingent as those other are for they were swayed by no decree either general or special from the middle point between necessity and impossibility of being But these though they are contingent in respect of a particular decree and may as well not be as be for ought God hath precisely determined concerning them yet in respect of the general method prefixed to natural Agents they do necessarily come to pass because their main office cannot be performed without these circumstances and consequences The last sort are mixed of the two former and include all such events as result from the contingent concourse of natural and voluntary Agents as when the wind bloweth off ones hat c. to say that God particularly decreed such trifles I think it injurious to the Majesty of His Determinations But here by trifles I mean such matters as I said before which are indifferent not onely in respect of themselves but also of their consequences 2ly I believe that things of greatest moment are done necessarily by the immediate power of God either by swaying men from their own proper inclinations or by supernatural means quite crossing their enterprises So we read in the Scripture and Church-stories how God hath sometimes quite changed the hearts of men for some great purpose concerning his Church and glory 3ly I believe that the middle sort of events in the world such as are neither trivial nor yet extraordinary the ordinary serious matters which concern Religion Common-wealths the temporal and spiritual good of private men the preservation from confusion c. Of these I say my belief is that though ordinarily men and unreasonable Agents do things contingently yet God doth so manage this contingency daily and hourly interposing His power according to His Mercy or Justice that very few matters of consequence are meerly contingent For example Because I see Marriage for the most part to be either a great curse or a great blessing * This may so happen upon the post-fact I am so far perswaded of the truth of the common saying that I think that Marriages for the most part are made in heaven * Sure Davids was nor a Sam. 11.17 before they are on earth Let a man diligently peruse any story and he shall find many things done ordinarily according to the natural bent of particular persons and so contingently in respect of God and yet let him joyn all things done by all the Actors in the story together let him accurately observe how one thing followeth upon another he shall find that still at the last there will be something from the finger of God manifesting the glory either of His Mercy or Justice If we read the History of the Reformation begun by Luther and other Divines of Germany we shall perceive many things done by the natural humors of men by the guidance of Divine wisdom made admirable furtherances of the Reformation The like may be said of Henry the 8th his Marriage which set most Universities in Christendom a Disputing and the dissolution of Abbeys The like indeed may be observed in any History especially if it concern Religion or a Christian Common-wealth for I conceive that Gods Providence is more or less remarkable in a place proportionable to the profession of Religion Let a man but diligently observe the prime passages of his own times let him mark how the chief Actors in them do all things according to their particular bents and private humors yet let him more the upshot he shall perceive that there was some secret guide which directed all to God's glory though men do what they list according to their own pleasure The best Demonstration of this most usefull and delightfull truth every man might best make to himself if he would but seriously and circumspectly consider the whole course of his own life and mark how whatsoever he hath done out of the absolute freedom of his choice his actions have been turned and winded now and then contrary to his intent now and then beyond it now and then beside it sometimes to his grief sometimes to his comfort always to be examples of Gods Mercy or His Justice he will easily perceive how excellently the Divine Providence worketh upon Contingencies If men would be busied upon such contemplations they would not shuffle away so many good hours with those waking dreams of fantastick solitary discoursings which Charron and others have wisely taxed Here the Reader may see how I suppose some things necessary some things contingent some things mixt by reason of divers circumstances of both kinds by no means undertaking precisely to determine how many things are done contingently or how many necessarily c. Now as we have formerly shewed how our opinion doth most exactly Blazon the Divinity of Gods infinite knowledge by which He simply knoweth all things so also it doth most clearly set forth the honor of His active wisdom by which he governeth all things for to order all things in an harmonious concord to good whatsoever the confused distracted discord of choices in inferior causes produce is a more glorious and superlative act of wisdom than first to decree how all things shall be done according to certain platforms and to see them effected according to them Yea this conceit though it be Stoicism in it self yet it openeth a greater overture to Epicurism than ours for Ep curus and his fellows believed there were gods but they imagin'd that they incumbred not themselves with the ordering of sublunary matters but suffered matters here below to go for the most part