and trouble of spirit stirring in him when there is no feare to commit sin nor care to prevent the evill that sin will bring then is the heart heardned This hardness of heart is either naturall or adventitiall and acquired the first of these we all bring with us into the world being either altogether insensible of our spirituall misery by reason of sin and suffering or not so sensible as we should be Hence the heart of man is said to be a heart of stone Acquired hardness is that whereby the natural is increased and augmented this may in some degree be not onely be in the worst but in the best of men which is brought to passe either by custom in sinning or by secret judgement or by both of this there are divers degrees as 1. When a man takes liberty voluntarily and frequently to do such things as he knows to be sinfull 2. When he doth these against the frequent perswasions admonitions and cals of the word to the contrary 3. Against such corrections punishments and judgements which God shall inflict upon himself or he shall see inflicted upon others for the same or for the like sins 4. When he shall do this against the stirrings and strivings the checks or rebukes of his own Conscience 5. When notwithstanding all these he shall take up strong resolutions and confirmed purposes to do as he hath done namely to maintain his own wil against Gods will Thus may wicked men harden their own hearts and thus i'ts often said of Pharaoh that he hardned his heart and would not let the peoplegoe when he once saw that the judgement was past 6. When he shall come to be past all sence and feeling of his sin thus the Apostle speaks of some that being past feeling gave themselves to commit all uncleannesse with greediness Eph. 4.10 2. There may be an acquired hardnesse by the secret judgement of God Thus it s said here that the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart and of Sihon that the Lord hardned his spirit and made it obstinate that he might give him into the bands of the Israelites Deut. 2.30 How this is done more shall be spoken in the due place CHAP. II. Shewing that God is not nor cannot be the author or proper cause of this or any other sinne BY another and proper cause I understand causa perse such a cause as is in it self and in i'ts own nature tends to produce such or such an effect as the Sun is the proper cause of light and heat the water of moisture and the like That God cannot thus be the cause of sin may appear upon these following grounds Argu. 1. God is the Author of all good and therefore he cannot be Author of evill for out of the same fountaine cannot proceed sweet water and bitter Jam. 3.11 As the Sun cannot be the proper cause of light and darkness no more can the Lord be of good and evill 2. Sin is a defect now God is all act yea he is actus purissimus perfectissimus the most pure and perfect act therefore he cannot be the Author that which is a defect for however sinne cleaves to mens actions as the accident to be subject yet it self is a meere defect in a privation of what should be 3. Sin is contrary to those excellent qualities and properties which immediately flow from the nature of God is light sin is darkness 1 Joh 1.5.6 God is purity and holiness Sin is pollution and filthiness Jam. 1.21 God is righteous yea righteousness it self all sin is unrighteousness 1 Joh 5.17 God is perfection in the highest degree all sin is imperfection now one contrary cannot be the proper cause of another 4. God is said to be such a God as loveth not wickednesse neither can evill dwell with him yea he hates all the workers of iniquity Psal 5.4.5 he hates them because of their sinne now he cannot hate that which himself is the Author and proper cause of 5. He threatens in his word that he will punish all sinne and iniquity that he wil not hold the wicked innocent Exod. 34.7 but he wil visit the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children even unto the third and fourth Generation that the wicked shall not goe unpunished Prov. 11.21 they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 Now it cannot stand with his justice to punish that which himself is the Author and proper cause of 6. Sin makes a reparation between God and the soul Esay 59.2 It is an aversion of the soul from God Now God cannot be the Author of that which is an aversion from him for then he should deny himself but he cannot lye or denye himselfe 1 Tim. 2.13 7. If God could be the Author of sin he himself might be said to be a sinner if he were the Author of unrighteousness he himself might be said to be unrighteous to which the Apostle gives an absit as a thing blasphemous to speak or think Is God unrighteous which punisheth saith he God forbid How then shall he judge the world Rom. 3.5,6 8. The Apostle saith that he who committeth sin is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 and that Christ came into the world to dissolve the workes of the Devil Now Christ came not into the world to dissolve the works of God therefore sin is none of his work 9. If God should be the Author of sin then the difference betwixt good and evil would be taken away both arising from the same cause in the same manner 10. If God should be the Author of sin then he should seem to dissemble and deale deceitfully with men because he so often cals off from this as a thing which he loathes and abhors and mean while is the parent and producer of it By all these grounds it appeares that God cannot be the Author and proper cause of sin though he hath some kind of hand in it CHAP. III. Shewing how God hath a hand in the sinful actions of men THe just and holy God may be said to have a hand in the unjust actions of sinful men divers wayes as 1. By way of permission when he suffers them to follow the sinful inclinations and dispositions of their own wicked natures and so produce actions accordingly without restraining or hindring them Thus it is said he suffered the Gentiles to walke in their own waies Act. 14.16 A man may be said to have a hand in that which he willingly and wittily suâ—…ers to be done when he hath power to hinder it This is granted on all hands for if God should not suffer sin to be it could not be committed God is able to restrain and hinder the committing of sin if he pleaseth if any thing should be done whether he would or not then were he not omnipotent 2. By suffering Satan to tempt and provoke mon to sinne and by his temptations to prevaile thus it is said that he did deliver all that Job had into the hans of Satan and then
were able were bound not to do this so that we see God may do many things which his Law binds men not to do the other side may not do many things which by his Law men are obliged to do and therefore he is not subject to it as men are he is Dominus legis non subditus True it is that God is so a Law to himselfe that he can do nothing which is contrary to his one nature as he cannot lye he cannot deny himselfe but there are some things forbidden in the Law which are not contrary to the nature of God Thus we see how God may worke in the same actions with the sinfull creature and yet himselfe be altogether blamelesse for look as when God gets himselfe glory by the actions of wicked men as by the Jewes crucifying of Christ it is no thanke to them because they never intended it so on the other side when they abuse his power and providence supporting the strength of nature euen in sinfull actions it is no blame to him because he being the good of nature must sustaine nature in all her actions and motions and because that as the evill which wicked men doe is onely an accidentall cause of his glory so the good which he affords them and the helpe which he administers in upholding their naturall strength is onely an accidentall cause of the evill which they commit CHAP. VIII Shewing how those Scriptures are to he understood which by the sound of words seeme to make God the author and proper cause of sinne THose Scriptures wherein the same sinfull actions are attributed both to God and men and set forth by the same expressions as when God said that what David had done he would doe 2 Sam. 12.12 seem to sound so as if both were alike causes of these actions therefore it will be needfull to speake something that may be helpfull to weaker apprehensions for the right understanding of these Scriptures and for clearing of Gods holinesse and justice I shall instance onely in some of the principall of them and what shall be held forth for the clearing of these may likewise be helpfull for giving satisfaction to other places wherein the like expressions are used Object In that place Exodus 9.12 which was propounded for the subject of this discourse it is said that God hardned Pharaohs heart afterward it is said that Pharaoh hardned his owne heart verse 34. Now it may be asked since the same action is attributed to both how both were not causes alike in producing of it Answ The Lord did this in another way then Pharaoh did it he did it onely by administring occasion he sent Moses with a peremptory emptory command to Pharaoh to let his people go this did irritate the natural pride and rebellion of Pharaohs heart and stir up in him a stronger and more stubborn resolution not to let them go As the command was holy just and good so it was good that it should be applyed to Pharaoh by propounding it and urging it upon him but the more this was done the worse he grew for the command being holy and his heart altogether unholy these two being contrary the nearer they were brought together the more they did strive and fight one against another this being the nature of contraries as before was shewed But here was no fault at all in the command for the proper end of the command was to informe Pharaoh of his duty and to stir him up to the performance of it But Pharaoh takes a contrary course for whereas the end of the command was to make him willing to let the people goe he takes occasion from it to grow more refractory either because it put him in mind of the damage he should receive by their departure they being so serviceable in making brick for his buildings or that it might appear that he thought not any no not the great God greater then himself and therefore he scorned to stoope and submit himself to any of his commands By all which it appeares that the command was onely an occasion or accidentall cause of Pharaohs hardning but no faulty cause at all Now as the command did it God did that being his agent and he working by it Neither God nor his command put any evill into Pharaohs heart but by propounding good to him and not imparting grace to perform it he takes occasion to become more evill Augustine Epist 105. ad Sixtum Deus obdurat non impartiendo malitiam sed non impatiendo gratiam saith S. Austine God hardneth not by infusing any evil but by not bestowing grace To this purpose Doctor Twiss saith well In his answer to Mr. Cotten that when a man is moved to courses contrary to his corrupt humours whether by the word of God or his works these motions being onely by way of perswasion and he doth not by grace remove or correct those corrupt humours in this case to move and to deny grace is to harden It is a good thing to move to good actions by outward perswasions neither is God bound to confer grace inwardly upon all those whom he doth thus perswade outwardly Object 2 It is said that God did that which Absolon did when he defiled his Fathers Concubines Answ 1. As God did it it was an Act of justice in punishing Davids sin with Vriahs wife by suffering Absolon to commit the like sin with his wives 2. God administred occasion of this action by causing David to leave his Concubins to keep his house There was no evill in this but hence Ahitophel takes occasion to give that wicked counsell and Absolon takes occasion to follow it in defiling his Fathers Concubines Object 3. David saith that God bad Shimei go and curse him 2 Sam. 16.10 Answ This is not to be taken properly as if Shimei had received a command from God to do this but onely it sheweth the efficacy of the divine administration of things even in such things whereof God is onely a cause by accident 2. God did administer occasion to Shimei for his heart being full of rancor against David he seeing now David to be brought into distresse thought this a fit time to vent bis malice because now he might do it with hope of impunity as before was shewed 3. He did it as an Act of justice David had caused the name of God to be blasphemed by the sins which he had committed and the Lord suffers this wretch to curse and blaspheme him Object 4. It is said that God turned the heart of the Egyptians to hate his people Psal 105.25 Answ He is said to doe this not that he infused any hatred into their hearts but in that he administred occasion for he caused his people to grow and increase exceedingly both in number and in wealth Now this gave occasion to the Egyptians to envy and to hate them here the goodnes of God to his people stirred up evill affections in them
motions but guides these with the several adjuncts and accidents belonging to them to such ends as seem best to his wisdom and in none of these doth he appeare in any sort culpable CHAP. IV. Shewing that God hath a hand in the evill actions of men more then by way of bare permission THat permission is excised by God in the sinful actions of men is by none denyed for if he did not suffer them they could not be but whether this permission be accompanied with action whether he hath any kind of efficiency or working in the evill that is done by men is the great question the affirmative part whereof may thus be proved Argu. 1. The Scripture expressions whereby God is said to have a hand in sin are almost alway such as denote action and not a bare permission onely It doth not say that God suffered Pharaoh to harden his own heart but that God hardned Pharaohs heart Exod. 9.12 It is not said that he suffered the Cananites to hearden their hearts against Joshua but that it was of the Lord that they should harden their hearts to come against Israel that they might destroy them and they might have no favour Josh 11.20 It is not said that he suffered Absolon to commit wickednesse with his Fathers Concubins but he tels David What thou hast done in secret I will doe in the sight of the Sun 2 Sam. 12.12 It is not said that he suffered the Egyptians to hate his people but that he turned their hearts to hate them Psal 105.25 that he suffered the false Prophet to be deceived but I the Lord have deceived him Ezek. 14 9. that he suffered the Gentiles to follow their vile affections but he gave them up to vile affections Rom 2.26 that he suffered those who received not the love of the truth to be led away with delusions but he should send them strong delusions to beleeve a Lye 2 Thes 2.11 When our Saviour directs us to pray against temptation he doth not bid us pray that God would not suffer us to be led into temptation but that he would not lead us into temptation By these and many other places where Gods working in sin is held forth to us by way of action it plainly appeares that in the sinfull actions of men God doth exercise more then a bare permission else why should the Scripture so constantly use such expressions as denote action The Scripture doth never so frequently and constantly speake improperly in any subject where it might as easily have spoken properly Argu. 2. When God is said to harden Pharaohs heart and Pharaoh is said to harden his own heart if one of these may be taken by way of permission only why not the other also and so Pharaoh should have no action in the hardning of his own heart for though God doth act and worke in another manner then Pharaoh himselfe doth as shall more largely be showne afterwards yet the same expression being applyed to both it plainly argues that action belongs to both in this hardning though the manner of their acting be far different Argu. 3. It is granted by all that God doth permit sin to be otherwise it could not be Now if he doth permit then he doth volens permittere he doth willingly permit it for if he should not willingly permit it thâ—n it should come to passe against his will but it cannot stand with his omnipotency that any thing should come to passe whether he will or no It is the true rule of Austin August in enchirid cap. 95. Nihil fit nisi quod omnipotens fieri velit vel ipse faciendo vel permittendo ut fiat There is nothing done but the omnipotent God will have it to be done either by doing it himselfe or by permitting it to be done by others If he willingly permits it then he wils it for an act of his will passeth upon it if he wills it look how far he wils it he works it For he is in Heaven and doth whatsoever he will Psal 115.3 so far as he wils any thing shall be or come to passe so far he acts in bringing it to passe for his will is an active and operative-will The acts of his will are actus ad intra acts within himself and all immanent acts are of the same nature with himselfe who is totus actus all act how then can it be conceived that such acts as these should be without action All these immanent acts namely the acts of his will counsell and purpose touching things which shall be as they are in him from all eternity so in time he puts them forth in some outward action and working Hence it is said That he workes all things according to the counsell of his will Ephes 5.11 Bella mine saith Bellar. de amiss grat statu pcti lib. 2. c. 14. Deus est causa indurationis non positivè sed negativè seilicet permissive God is the cause of hardning not positively but negatively namely by way of permission so that he makes permission to be such a thing wherein God denies and withholds all action and thus he saith God hardens But to harden is an act and how can an act be without action so that this is nothing else but to bring in a clear contradiction for the blinding of the truth yea he saith further Deus praesidet ipsis malis voluntatibvs eas regit gubernat terquet flectit in iis invisibiliter operando God doth as it were sit President over the evill wils of men and doth rule governe wrest and bend them by working invisibly in them Is not here a manifest contradiction to his negative permission for are not all these actions and can there be action without action Far more agreeable to truth is the assertion of Dr. Twisse speaking of this subject Dr. Twisse vindict l. 2 p. 27. Non tantum voluisse Deum ab aeterno dicimus sed conformiter ita operatum esse in tempore totum negotium ita administrasse ut revera peccaret Adamus We affirme that God did not only will from all eternity but did answerably so worke in time and so order the businesse that Adam should certainly fall Argum. 4. The Scripture saith that Herod Pontius Pilate and the people of Israel were gathered together against Christ to do whatsoever the hand and counsell of God had determined before to be done Acts 4.27,28 what these did to Christ in his suffering was sinfull in a high degree yet it was done by the determinate counsel of God and as it is in this so it is in all other actions of the like nature whatever is done in time is determined and decreed before all time Now the decrees of God are oneâ—geticall decrees whatever he hath decreed shall be he some way or other procures the being of it so that though he be not the Author of it if it be evill yet he hath some kind of efficiency and working
tooke an occasion to grow stubborne and rebellious and more to harden his heart in a resolution not to let them goe Exod. 5.2 I know not the Lord saith he neither will I let them go yea the ofner Moses came to him with command from God for doing it the more he still hardned his heart against it looke as a strong streame the more it is stopt the higher it riseth though no new water be added to it so it is in this case Thus the Jewes the more they were warned by the Prophet of their Idolatry and that they should not goe downe into Egypt Jer. 42.17 the more obstinate and wilfull they waxed both these wayes Chap. 44.16 so when Christs hearers heard that which they thought touched themselves it is said they were filled with with wrath and thrusting him out of the City they led him to the edge of an hill with purpose to have throwen him downe headlong Luk. 18.27 When Stephen preached so excellently to the Jews they hurst with anger and gnashed upon him with their teeth running violently upon him Act 7.54.57 So that Christs and Stephens preaching was an accidentall cause of the wrath of these wicked men as the stopping of a streame is the cause of the rising of it Hence the Apostle speaking of the Law saith where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 that sin took occasion by the command and wrought in him all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sin is dead but when the Law came sin revived Rom. 7.8,9 that sin took occasion by the command and deceived him verse 11. so that the Law quickned sin put life into it and set it on worke it lying as it were dead before and not stirring so strongly as it did after the comming of the Law by all which it appeares that the Law is an accidentall cause of sin Now so far as the Law workes it God workes it the Law being his agent and instrument Quest But here it may be asked how can it be that the Law which in it selfe is holy just and good should any way be the cause of evill Answ This ariseth from the contrariety that is betwixt the good and holy law of God and mans corrupt and wicked heart there is nothing more pure and holy then the Law of God it being the perfect rule of righteousnesse and an exact idaea of all purity and holinesse there is nothing more corrupt and and impure then the wicked heart of man it being the fountaine of all pollution and filthinesse Mat. 15.19 Jer. 17.9 Now it is a true rule in Logick Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt when contraries are placed neer together the contrarieties of their natures doth more appeare and put forth it selfe keep fire and water at a distance and the contrarieties of their natures doth not much shew it selfe but bring them together cast water upon the fire or put coales of fire into the water then they fight one with the other and the stronger overcomes the weaker so the more neer and close the most pure and holy word of God be brought and applyed to the corrupt and rebellious will of man the more is the innate corruption and rebellion of it irritated and stirred up and the more strongly doth it put forth it selfe The more strongly the command was pressed upon Pharaoh touching letting the Israelites goe the more strongly did his rebellious will rise up against it This we may see true in the ordinary carriage of wicked men Let a proud swearer or filthy speaker be rebuked for their ill language and they will the more breake forth into abusive speech Thus we see how the Law and Word of God that in its owne nature tends to restraine and represse sin may accidentally provoke and put men forward to greater eagernesse and violence in sinning yea not onely the Law but the Gospel may by accident be an occasion of greater evil Thus our Saviour tels the Pharisees that if they had been blind they had had no sinne but because they said they did see therefore their sin remained Joh. 9. last if they had had no meanes of knowledge their sin had not been so great but now the light shined upon them thereby their sin was increased because they shut their eyes against it Hence likewise the Apostle saith that the Gospel was to some the savour of death 2 Cor. 2.16 In it owne nature it did tend to life but by accident it came to be an occasion of death to such as rejected it Thus we see how God may be accidentally a cause of sin namely by administring occasion and that both inwardly and outwardly both by his workes and by his word and Bellarmine himselfe is forced in a manner to acknowledge thus much for he saith Bellar. de amiss grat statu pcti l. 2. c. 14. Patientia Dei aliquo modo indurat Caeterum non dicitur excecare vel indurare nisi per accidens sed ipsis homines abutentes rebus bonis seipsos obdurat The patience of God doth after a sort harden men but yet he is not said to blind or to harden but onely by accident for when they doe abuse good things they harden themselves Here Bellarmine grants that God may bee said to blind and harden men by accident when they abusing his Patience and long suffering take occasion from thence to harden themselves in sinne CHAP. VI. Shewing that such causes as worke by accident may have a true efficiency and yet not be altogether blameless in blame-worthy actions THat accidental causes may have a true efficiency and yet not be faulty when the effect is faulty may appear both by Reason and Scripture 1. The rule of reason tels us that whatsoever hath a vis any power or vertue to bring forth an effect is so far a cause of that effect For causa est cujus vi res est Now there be many things which have an efficiency in bringing forth such or such an effect which yet cannot justly be blamed though the effect be evill When a man stands so neare the fire that he scorcheth his legges the fire hath a true efficiency in this scorching yet not the fire but the man onely is to be blamed for though it be the natural property of the fire to burne yet the end why the fire was made was to warme not to burn those that stand before it and that it scorcheth the mans leggs it is his owne fault because he did not stand further off when he might have done it and the fire was onely an accidental cause of scorching When a man weares a sword for his defence and he in a Melancholike or mad humour shall run the Sword into his own body here not the Sword but the man is to be blamed because the end of wearing a Sword is the safety not the hurt of the owner and though it hath a true efficiency in hurting wounding
A TREATISE TENDING To shew that the Just and Holy God may have a Hand in the unjust actions of Sinfull Men And that in such a way as shall be without any impeachment of his Justnesse and Holinesse or Diminution of his Power and PROVIDENCE By Thomas Whitfield Minister of the Gospel The Lord is just in all his wayes and holy in all his workes Psal 145.17 How unsearchable are his Judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 LONDON Printed for John Wright at the Kings Head in the Old-Bayley 1653. To the Right Honorable Edward Lord Mountague of Boughton a fruitfull increase of piety prosperity and all true happinesse both here and hereafter My Noble Lord IT would not a little conduce to the happinesse of our lives if our thoughts which are the immediate and to oft abortive issue of our minds were rightly employed and improved then are they well imployed when they are conversant about the most excellent object when they are taken up with the contemplation of the wisedome power providence justice holines and other excellent attributes of him who is excellency it selfe in the fruition of whom is our highest felicity this made the sweet Singer of Israel to say How precious are thy thoughts to me O God how great is the summe of them Psa 139. As if he had said the thoughts of thy wisdome and wonderfull workings of thy providence things which before he had mentioned are of great price and worth being things of incomprehensible excellency yea they are as rare as precious the minds of most men being so seldom taken up with them I am bold to present to your Lordship this small Treatise that it might give you occasion to entertain such thoughts as these as also that it might be a testimony of my thankefull acknowledgement of all that honorable respect I have received from you Thus humbly imploring the Father of mercies that he would farther enrich you with the true treasure inable you inwardly with the graces of his spirit proportionably to those outward endowments wherewith he hath been pleased to dignifie you I resign you to his mercy rest Your Honors in all due observance and Christian service Tho. Whitfield The Preface IT hath been a question much controverted in all ages how the good and holy God can have a hand in the great evils that are done in the world Quomodo id non fieret praeter Dei voluntate quod fit contra voluntatem as Austin speaks this is done miro ineffabili modo as he saith this one of the mysteries and depths of divinity worthy our searching into Scripture expressions for the most part hold this forth by way of action As when it is said that God hardned Pharaohs heart that he sent Joseph into Egypt that he took away Jobs Cattle which were taken away by the Chaldaeans and Subaeans and the like Papists and Arminians confine this onely to a way of permission without action and calumniate our Orthodox divines as if they made God the Author of sin because they bring it within the compasse of his will and decree and make him to have a kind of action in it Thus Bellarmine chargeth Zunighlius Calvin Peter Martyr Beza The like impuration also Arminius seeks to fasten on Mr. Perkins I know well that it is far beyond my ability to untie this knot as may give satisfaction to all but if I may contribute any beame of light towards the clearer discovery of Gods manner of proceeding in the production of fin If I may helpe to vindicate the innocency and Orthodoxie of our worthy Writers from the unjust aspersion of their adversaries especially if I may in any sort vindicate the All wise and All-working providence and power of God from that overmuch streightning and diminution which hath been put upon them for the maintaining of his justice If I say I may by this discourse be helpefull any of these wayes I shall attaine the end which I aime at Whereunto I shall onely promise these things briefly 1. That this discourse is not so much intended for those of the learned sort who are better able to informe these lines as for such ingenuous Christians who when they meet with those Scriptures wherein by the sound of the words God seems to be made the proper cause of sin they stumble at them and not being able to satisfie themselves desire help this way 2. I shall desire the indifferent Reader that if in this discourse he shall meet with that which may seem to go higher then many of our Divines have done in making God to have an active hand in the actions of sinfull men he would forbeare either to reject or censure till he hath weighed the strength of the arguments brought to prove the thing propounded 3. If I shall let fall any thing in this Treatise which shall not be agreeable to cleare evidence of Scripture and this be made appear to be so I shall not refuse to unsay any thing which I have said and readily to imbrace any truth though not agreeing with my former apprehensions The good Spirit of truth make us all lovers of truth and lead us into all those wayes of truth which may bring us at length to the enjoying of him who is the author of truth Amen Exodus 9.12 And the Lord hardned Pharaohs heart c. IT is a principall priviledge belonging to the Covenant of Grace and a speciall promise which God hath made unto his people that he would take away their stony heart from them and give unto them hearts of flesh Ezek. 36.26 that is that he would take away the hardness of their hearts How God should take away the hardness of heart in some and yet harden the hearts of others is not easie to apprehend The scope of this Treatise is to shew how the just and holy God may have a hand in the sinfull actions of men and that not onely by way of permission but also by some kind of operation and working and yet this be done without any diminution of his justice or violation of his holinesse but still he remaine to be most just in all his waies and holy in all his works CHAP. I. Shewing what hardness of heart is HArdness of heart may be said to be an evill quality of the soul which makes it in a man insensible of the evill which he doth or the evill which he shall suffer when either he hath no feeling of it or feels it not in that measure which he should do then is his heart affected with hardness It is mans duty to be sensible of the sin which he commits and of the suffering which will most certainly follow after God hath placed in his soul that faculty of Conscience for this very end and purpose to give him warning and make him take notice of both these that he might be affected accordingly Now when after the comitting of sin there are no affections of grief sorrow
in it for if he should leave it to others and have no hand at all in the effecting of it then the thing might never be and so God might be disappointed of the thing which he decreed It is a true rule being rightly understood Qua decrevit fecit If God should decree to permit sin and that this permission should be without action without doing any thing in it then he should decree to do nothing which cannot stand with the nature of a decree Argum. 5. So far as sin makes for the glory of God so far he hath a hand in effecting it for he both decrees and workes all things which make for his glory so far as they make for his glory but sin by accident makes much for the glory of God The Jews crucifying and killing of Christ made way for the glorious worke of our redemption The Apostle saith that mans unrighteousnesse commends the righteousnesse of God and that the truth of God abounds through our lye unto his glory Rom. 3.5.7 so far as sin is for God so far it is from God Of him through him and by him are all things to him be honour and glory Rom. 11. last Argum. 6. The Substratum or subject of sin namely the naturall motion or action whereto sin cleaves is such a thing without which sin could not be for an accident could not be without a subject men could not use their tongus to deceit if they could not speak at all neither could their feet be swift to shed blood if they could not go at all But of this natural motion and action God is the author and proper cause as hath been shewed if God wils to yield his concurrence to the substance of any act it is plain that he wils that act should be done now without this act the sin that cleaves to the act could not be therefore he must needs likewise some way both will and-work in the sin of the act especially because in many evill actions not onely the action it self simply considered but the pravity and deformity of it makes way and is an occasion whereby God gets himself glory Argu. 7. If Gods permission of sin should be a bare permission without action then he should be a meere spectator of men in their sinfull actions himself not doing any thing And this would much diminish and strengthen the work of his providence in ruling and governing the world by excluding and shutting him out from having any working hand in the greatest part of those actions that are done in the world for the number of wicked men in the world being farre greater then the number of good men the number of evill actions must needs farre exceed the number of good actions yea thus the actions of greatest consequence as the mutation or over-throw of Kingdoms States Common-wealths which for the most part are done in a sinful way should be exempted and excluded from the working of his providence Arminius saith Quae deus neque fiers vult neque non vult ea permittit Those things which God neither wils nor wils not to be done those he permits But is not this to make God an idle spectator of the greatest part of actions that are done in the world If a man stands and sees a thing to be done which he neither would have to be done nor would not have to be done wherein he will neither helpe nor hinder doth he not here stand as in idle spectator as one not at all caring whether the thing be done or not and yet such a kind of carriage do they attribute to God in regard of the greatest part of things done who make his permission to be without action yea herein they do after a sort contradict themselves For Arminius makes permission to be Armin. in Perk. 134. efficacis impedimenti suspensio the with-holding of an efficacious impediment of such a thing as would certainly hinder the doing of a thing Bellarmine saith Permittere est gratiam efficacem qua peccatum vitetur negare To permit is to deny such effectual grace as whereby sin may be avoided But can this with-holding of an impediment and this denyal of effectual grace be without any action at least without the action of Gods will and doth he not work answerably to his will Argu. 8. It is granted by the adversary that God doth punish one sin with an other Now is it not a ridiculous thing to say that the judge permits onely punishment to be inflicted upon a Malefactor doth he not appoint it and if it be not just he ought not to permit it There can be neither appointing nor executing of judgment and punishment without action By all these aguments it plainly appeares that God doth exercise more then a bare permission in the sin which man commits This may further be confirmed by the testimony of the most Orthodox Writers Excellent Calvin saith thus Instit lib. 1. cap. 18. Sect. 2. Deus indurat corda hominum non tantum permittendo sed etiam agendo God hardneth the hearts of men not onely by permitting but by acting Lib. 2. cap. 4. Sect. 3. Deus dicitur indurare reprobos corum corda vertere inclinare impellere Id quale sit nequaquam explicatur si confugitur ad praescientiam permissionem God is said to harden reprobates to turn their hearts to incline and move them How this is done is not sufficiently explicated if we fly to praescience and permission onely Peter Martyr saith Locj Com. loc 13. Sect. 16. Est permissio quidem sed aliquid amplius efficacibus illis loquutionibus ostenditur There is indeed a permission but something more is held forth in these strong expressions namely such as before were mentioned Locj com loc 13. Sect. 7. Si minus propriè loqui velineus Deus poterit aliquo modo dici aut initium aut causa peccati non propria quidem sed ea quae removens prohibens appellatur If we will speak improperly God may be said some way to be either the beginning or the cause of sin no proper cause indeed but that which is called the removing of what hinders Piscator saith Ad Amic coll vorstij Sect. 17. An vero negari potefl illum procurare negotium cujus consilio decreto negotium geritur Can he be denyed to procure a business to be done by whose counsell and determination the thing is done Mr. Bayne saith Bayne on the Lords Prayer p 129. Gods sufferance is not to be understood without his action he is a voluntary agent in the things he suffereth we must not think his permission to be a pure permission without action Yea not onely our modern Divines but that famous ancient Angustin himself gives a large suffrage to this truth August in Enchirid. ad laurent cap. 100. Deus permittit saith he aut volens aut invitus non certè invitus quia id esset cum tristitia
according to the divers qualitie and tempers of their affections yea Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Bellar. de amiss grariae sta pcti l. 2. c. 14. Deum immutare cor principum immittendo aliquam bonam cogitationem aut saltem indifferentem ex qua tamen impediuntur a proposito suo ita decipiuntur That God doth change the mind of Princes by putting some thought that is good or at least indifferent whereby they are hindred from their purpose and so are deceived Thus God may administer occasions of sinning either inwardly or outwardly Inwardly by stirring up and suggesting such thoughts to their minds as are in themselves lawfull and good or at least not evill and yet they take occasion by them to be led to evill It was no ill thought for Josephs brethren to thinke that their Father loved him better then he did them yet this was the occasion of their envy and hatred against him Gen. 37.4 It was no ill thought for Pharaoh to think that if the Israelites should continue to multiply and increase as they began they might in time grow too strong for him and so depart out of his country whether he would or no yet hence he takes occasion to oppresse them with heavie burthens and to give command for murthering their male children Exod. 2.10.13,14 Shimei whose heart was full of rancor and bitternesse against David because the Kingdom was translated from his tribe to the Tribe of Judah when he saw that David was in distresse being driven from Jerusalem by the conspiracy of his son Absolon and thinking it may be that this came upon David as a just judgement of God for his unjust dealing with Vriah the Hittite hence takes occasion to vent his splene by cursing of David the the hope of impunity likewise helping him forward Jeroboam thought if the people should goe up yearly to worship at Jerusalem this might be a means to make them returne again to the house of David this was no evill thought yet hence he takes occasion to set up the Calves at Dan and Bethel whereby he made Israel to sin 1 Kin. 12.26,28 If the Jews thought that to morrow they should dye that is that destruction would shortly come the Prophet having denounced it this was no ill thought yet hence they take occasion instead of fasting to fall to feasting Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shal dye say they Isai 22.13 The Jewes thought if they should let Christ alone all men would follow after him this thought was not evill but hence they take occasion of taking counsell to kill him Joh. 11.48 Vind. lib. 2. p. 83. Deus non modo occasiones ministrat sed ad consilia ex occasionibus nata formanda concurrit saith Dr. Twisse i. e. God may administer occasions outwardly and that both by his workes and by his word By his workes divers wayes as 1. By his works of mercy Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily saith Solomon therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to doe evill Eccles 8.11 These things hast thou don saith God and I was silent and thou thoughtest that I was such an one as thy selfe Psal 50.21 When God holds his peace at wicked men when he doth not speake to them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure then they are ready to thinke that he likes of them well enough and of their wayes and and courses so that we see Gods patience and long suffering is an accidentall cause of mans security of his presumption and boldnesse in evill wayes Magna peccandi illecebra impunitatis spes saith the Orators hope of impunity is a great allurement to iniquity And as his patience is an occasion of presumption so is bounty of forgetfulnesse yea of rebellion against God When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe beware thou forget not the Lord thy God Deu. 8.10,11 saith Moses to the people Give me not riches least I be ful and deny thee Pro. 30.9 When Jeshurun waxed fat then be kicked then he waxed wanton and rebellious Deut. 13.15 and it followes Psal 18. Thou hast forgotten God that formed thee 2. By workes of justice Thus men men oftimes take occasion by the judgements and punishments which God inflicts upon them for sin to breake out further into sin The Lord led his people through the wildernesse and caused them sometimes to meet with want of water other whiles want of bread sometimes to be assailed by enemies to humble and to prove them that he might do them good in their latter end Deut. 8.2 But the bad ones amongst them hence tooke occasion to murmur and rebell against him When the Lord powres the vials of his wrath upon the followers of the Beast and the adherents of Ante-Christ hence they take occasion to blaspheme God of Heaven for their paines and sores and repented not of their workes Rev. 16.10 when the King of Moab was brought to great streights by the Armies of Judab and Israel to whom the Lord had promised successe in their expedition against him 2 Kings 2.17 he takes his eldest son and sacrifices him upon the wall ver 27. 3. By his works of providence It was the worke of a favourable providence which caused the Israelites so exceedingly to multiply in Egypt yet hence Pharaob takes occasion to oppresse them and to murther their male-children It was a worke of providence that brought David in his slight from Saul to Abimelech the Priest for relief at such a time when Doeg the Edomite was with him 1 Sam. 22.7 now hence he takes occasion by his false slaunders to stirre up Saul to kill all the Lords Priests at Nob and to make him the instrument 1 Sam. 23.18 It was a worke of providence that brought David to the sight of a woman washing her selfe in her garden when he was walking upon the roof of his house in an evening this was an occasion to him of entertaining thoughts of uncleannesse and of putting them forth into action 2 Sam. 11.2,4 there was no fault at all in offering the occasion but all the evil arose from David for Joseph had as strong an occasion offered to allure him to the like sin yet was not at all hurt by it Gen. 39.9 It was a work of providence that brought the wise men that came from the East to Jerusalem to enquire after the King of the Jewes who was then borne it was the speciall command of God to direct their going home another way and not to returne againe to Jerusalem yet Herod hence takes occasion to murther all the male children in Bethlem and the bordering coasts that were two yeares old and under Mat. 2.16 2. As God by his works administers occasion to men to breake forth into sinne so he doth the like by his word Thus he sent his word and command to Pharaoh charging him to let the people of Israel goe but hence Pharaoh
operis operantis the intention of worke and the workeman Sin is besides the scope of the worke which God doth but not besides his owne intent who is the agent and workeman When he decrees sin shall be he intends it shall be by such wayes and meanes by which acts and workes so far as he works in it as in themselues and their own nature tend onely to good and are meer accidentall causes of the evill which man does The Law and word of God his mercies judgements and all his dealing with men in their owne nature tend to this end namely to make men better nor worse and if they be made worse by them it is propter scopum besides the scope and intent whereto these things in their owne nature tend The Gospel in it selfe tends to life when therefore it is the savour of death it is besides the proper scope intent and of the Gospel but though it besides the intent of the Gospel to be the savour of death it is not besides Gods intent for he both knows and intends in what effect the Gospell shall have otherwise he should be defective in his wisedome and providence besides what power the Gospel hath to produce an effect either way it receives from him Hence it is aid to be the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 the powerfull instrument which God useth to bring men salvation which power he puts into it and so likewise when he workes the other way it is power also The Lord bids the Prophet Go make the hearts of this people fat and make their â—ares heavie and shut their eyes c Isa 6.10 and how should he do this namely by preaching the word unto them by which it appeares that sometimes the word doth harden mens hearts close their ears and shut their eyes and that God intends it should do so and sends it for this very purpose yet the word in owne nature tends to soften their hearts to open their eares and eyes to make them see and heare better so that the word here is onely an accidentall cause it being beside the scope and intent of the word to harden yet this is not besides Gods intent who in all his actions and in the use of such instruments as are imployed in them propounds to himselfe a most sure and certaine end By all which appeares as the secret and just judgement of God so his infinite wisedome and skill who can worke out his owne ends by such meanes as in their owne nature do tend a contrary way CHAP. X. Shewing some usefull conclusions which do necessarily follow from what hath been spoken of this Subject Conclu 1. IF God so ordereth things that in all the sins which are committed by men though he hath a secret working hand yet he workes in a most just and holy manner and doth nothing but what is right and good Hence it followes that in all the sin which is committed in all the evill which is done either by our selves or others we lay all the blame on our selves or them not imputing the least miscarriage on God not so much as in our thoughts He is just in al his wayes and holy in all his workes what ever he doth is well done be the instruments never so bad by whom it is done In all the evill that befals us we have no just reason at all to repine and murmur to be impatient or discontent for all his dealings with us whether by his word or his workes his mercies or his judgements do in themselves tend to good when therefore any evill comes we must take heed we do not charge God foolishly Iob. 1.22 but remember that we have procured these things to our selves as the Prophet tels the people Jer. 2.17 Sin is the seed of sorrow all the evill of suffering ariseth from the evill of sinning and this ariseth onely from our selves yea though sometimes we suffer many evils altogether unjustly as they proceed from men yet as they come from God who guides all the actions of men they are done most holily wisely and justly Thus Daniel acknowledgeth in regard of himselfe and his people O Lord righteousnesse belongs to thee open shame to us Dan. 9.6 Thou art just in all that is â—one upon us saith Nehemiah for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly cap. 9. last Let God be true and every man a lyar saith the Apostle Rom. 3.4 So let God be just and holy and every man sinfull wicked and wretched abundantly worthy of all the evill which comes upon him Conclu 2. Hence it follows that we ought with all reverence to admire and to adore the infinite wisedome justice and power of God that is able to worke in the most blame worthie actions of sinfull men and yet himselfe remaine altogether blamelesse that is able to bring about the best ends by the worst meanes that in many great works which have been done in the world hath wrought out such ends as have been altogether different yea sometimes contrary to the scope and intent of those who have been the principall actors and agents in them Little did Josephs brethren thinke that when they sold their brother for a slave this should be the meanes of making him the greatest mam in all the Land of Egypt next to Pharaoh Little did Haman thinke that when out of his hate and indignation against Mordecai he gate a decree of destroying all the Jewes in the Kings Dominion in one day that this should be a meanes and occasion of making them have a hand against their adversaries and of procuring liberty to destroy them yea of bringing himselfe to the Gallowes Hest 8.11.7.10 Little did the Jewes thinke that their envie and hatred against Christ should be an occasion of redemption of mankind that when they spit upon him buffeted him beat him with rods crowned him with thornes caused him to suffer the shamefull and accursed death of the Crosse that this should be a meanes of his greater advancement and exaltation yet the Scripture saith that because he made himselfe of no reputation and humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a name above every man Phil. 2.8 what reason therefore have we in way of admiration to cry out with the Apostle Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and ounsell of God unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 Conclu 3. Thirdly hence it follows that we ought to acknowledge with all thankefulnesse that infinite goodnesse of God which doth not suffer us to goe on in a course of sinning especially in such a sort as would ruine our soules and drive us to destruction for if he should it would be in vaine for us to complaine against him he would easily acquit himselfe and justifie his owne proceedings he would be justified in his words and overcome when he is judged as the Apostle speakes Ro. 3.4 he would easily convince us that in all the evill which we have done or shall suffer the just blame lyes upon our owne heads and our destruction is of our selves he would cause our mouthes to be stopped and make us as all the world to be found culpable before him Rom. 3.10 If he should enter into judgement with us we should not be able to answer one of a thousand what a mercy is it that he doth not suffer us to fall into sin so frequently and in so fowle a manner as we are ready to doe especially that he doth not charge our sins upon us What reason have we to say with the Psalmist Praise thou the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thine infirmities who doth not deale with us after our sins nor reward us after our iniquities but as high as the heaven is above the earth such is his mercy towards us as far as the East is from the West so far he doth remove our sins from us Psalm 103.1,3,10,11,12 to him alone be all glory now and ever FINIS