is often taken for a suffering of the one of two euils that a greater euill should not ensue After this manner do Princes oftentimes in wisdome suffer a traitour to rest in his conspiracy that it may be the more euidently proued against him and that other his complices may more apparently be knowne As also when they suffer the wickednesse of some to goe vnpunished lest by cutting them off the land should bee weakened or by some sinister meanes the countrey brought to ruine In which cases Princes do not approue of the wickednes of their subiects but in great wisdome do suffer them a while that by apparēt iustice they might suppresse them or by vertuous lenitie at length conforme them The third way of suffering is when we do not preuent the euill which we could hinder but do at our pleasure suffer the same As when by our skill in aduising we could free a ship from being swallowed vp of the seas by our strength we could pluck our neighbour or his cattell forth of the ditch by our abundance we could relieue the distressed cloath the naked feed the hungrie and such like yet in these cases it is our purpose to yeeld no helpe at all and therefore do willingly suffer them to perish After this manner doth God permit sinne and is excellent good in him because he is aboue the law yet doth it to an excellent end mixed with no maner of ataxie or disorder at al but is euill in vs in regard we are vnder a law which commāds we should do vnto others as we would others should do vnto vs. God seeth that man being naturally euill cannot but sinne vnlesse he be preuented with the special assistance of his holy Spirit he cannot but fall Psalm 23 vnlesse the staffe of his Spirit doth hold him vp God knoweth this and can by his al-sufficient grace stay him vp yet it pleaseth him sometimes to suffer him to sinne and to permit him being of himselfe not able to stand sometimes to fall but this is vpō great cōsideration and in wonderfull wisdome namely A threefold cause of Gods suffering of sin 1. The declaration of his iust iudgement either for the declaration of his iust iudgement by punishing his sinnes or for the manifestation of the riches of his grace 2. The manifestation of his exceeding mercie by pardoning his iniquities Rom. 9.22 Neither doth God permit sinnes as certaine men imagine vnwillingly or at least no way willing them for this doth not agree with his omnipotencie 3. That we might know our ovvne weaknesse and wholly relie on his grace but he doth so suffer them as that he doth will the suffering of them the which is added lest men should thinke that God suffered any thing the which he did not will which is impossible because omnipotent Neither doth God willingly permit sinne in such sort as that he doth like of it in that respect that it is simplie sinne for his lawes are to preuent it and his iustice takes hold vpon it much lesse then doth he put it into their minds or is in the least measure Author of the same so that it followes that his permission is voluntarie and we sole effecters of our owne miserie Psalm 81.13 I gaue them ouer saith the Lord vnto the lusts of their hearts and they walked in their owne waies Act. 14.16 God suffered the Gentiles saith the text to walke in their owne waies That this permission was in al respects voluntary Matth. 10.29 it is plaine in that a sparrow shall not fall on the top of the house without the will of our heauenly father much lesse then shall greater matters be effected without his voluntarie permission as that Tyrants should persecute his chosen of which kind offsinnes Christ in that place speaketh Therefore since no one hath resisted the will of God at any time Rom. 9.19 Tom. 3. de Trinit lib. 3. cap. 4. wee may safelie conclude with Augustine that the same is the principall cause of euery thing as well of the substance as of the seuerall motions nothing being done which hath not either his commandement or permission forth of the court of the great Emperour of heauen and earth from the riches of his grace and mercie in bestowing of rewards or from the rule of his iustice in inflicting punishment to which opinion of Saint Augustines the learned of this age doe easilie agree That there is a difference betweene Gods willing of that which is good Position 7 and that which is euill GOd is properlie said to will those things which are good because he doth both approoue and also loue them in that respect that they are good and so doth effect them immediatelie himselfe or mediatelie by others But he doth condemne hate those which are euill much lesse doth hee approoue nad loue them yet he doth willinglie suffer them and that in wonderfull wisdome and for excellent ends So that the difference betweene the one and the other is in that the good is powerfully effected the euill willinglie permitted The first thus wrought because of it selfe it tends to the end or dained and secondly is the sole things whereunto Gods will is carried The second thus permitted because the exceeding riches of his grace may the more redound to some and the strictnesse of his iust iudgement more declared vpon others both iointlie tending to his owne glory and good of his Church Note three wonderfull things in Gods effecting of this 1. His infinite vvisdome 2. Povver 3. Goodnesse in that his power knowledge and will concurre to make sinnne being simplie euil to tend vnto another end then the nature therof will admit or was in the purposes of such as did commit it once imagined And thus much briefely for the difference betweene Gods willing of that which is good and that which is euill Thus hauing touched these seuerall positions wherein is especially shewed first the proper obiect of Gods wil and secondly in what sense hee willeth sin now it remaines to prooue the consequence of all namelie that God is principall Efficient of all goodnesse but neuer Author of sinne as it is simplie considered That God can by no meanes be the Author of sinne as it is simplie a transgression of his law THe truth of this position appeares Two waies of prouing that God cannot be Author of sin 1. By his Word 2. By meere reason first from Gods word secondlie from meere reason From his word afthis manner Psalm 5.4 Thou art not a God saith Dauid that louest wickednesse neither shall any euill dwell with thee As though he should say Thou God shall free mee from Saul and his conspirators because thou art a God which neither willest nor any way approuest of wicked dealing Habac. 1.15 Thou art of pure eies and canst not see euill Thou canst not behold wickednesse In which place the Prophet doth teach that the nature of God is such that hee
Thus a good Iudge giues his charge to preuent stealing at one Sessions Simile and punisheth those which haue broke it at the next Sessions Secondly if you respect Gods reuealed will that is the meanes he vseth for our cōuersion keeping of his lawes in this sense he willeth the death of none but if you respect his secret will that is his decree of reprobation Esay 1.24 Matth. 11. Luke 10. then God may be said to will the death of infinite many and that therein he reioyceth and taketh pleasure in as much as his power and iustice is thereby exalted His iustice in that hee punisheth sinne his mercie in that of his grace through his sonne hee saueth some his power in that he can ordaine for his owne seruice both vessels of wrath and vessels of glorie Thirdlie 1. Tim. 4.2 whereas God is said to will the saluation of all we must vnderstand by All some of euerie nation and degree whatsoeuer Thus Paul noteth when he saith Pray for kings and all in Authoritie because it pleaseth God that some of euerie countrie nation and degree should be saued Thus the generall vsed by Esay 43.9 is expounded in the sixt verse to be ment of the sons and daughters of God But some replie Replie 1. Tim. 4.10 that this cannot bee thus because it is said that although God is especially a Sauiour of the faithfull yet that he is a Sauiour of all as wel as of them Ans Sauiour hath relation to this life not to the life to come so that the meaning is that although God especiallie preserueth and deliuereth the godly yet that he giueth food raiment and other things necessarie for this life euen vnto the wicked also In this sense speaketh Dauid Psalm 33.6 Thou Lord sauest both man and beast Where saue must needs be vnderstood for preserue and maintaine and so in the place before alleaged Obiection The will of man agreeing with Gods will is good But whensoeuer one man doth kill another False conclusions inserred there is mans will agreeing with Gods will because it was his pleasure that such a thing should fall out In regard of the right of punishing And therefore man for killing man is not to be punished though it lies in God to punish him for it Where mans will agreeth with Gods will in all respects Solution the argument doth hold but in this and all other there is infinit contrarietie God wils a voluntarie permission man a wilfull effecting God often willes the death of a man if hee bee holie as a blessing to giue him the life of the soule for the death of the bodie and for momentarie troubles eternall ioies if he be wicked as a punishment for his sinne and to cut him off from infecting his Church but the murtherer in killing of a man respects none of these ends but the satissying of his malitious mind the occasion being as often vniustly taken as of weaknesse giuen So that in this and al other such like God willes his owne glorie in the execution of iustice and in shewing mercie to his children Rom. 12.9 but the manslaier regards neither but whollie the satisfying of his bloudie desire whereby he multiplies his sinnes in approching to the seate of iudgement 1. Thes 4.6 for vengeance is the Lords and to him only it belongs to repay Obiection Our vnrighteousnes commends the righteousnesse of God therfore though God hath the right of punishing yet he cannot in iustice punish vs because our sinne sets forth his glorie Our vnrighteousnesse doth not commend Gods righteousnesse Solution as it is simplie sinne but by accident namely because when we doe sinne God doth punish vs for the same which punishment being the execution of iustice his righteousnesse is thereby commended therfore let vs not sinne nor sinning without repentance thinke to goe vnpunished for it is for the honor of the Iudge of the world to execute iudgement Gen. 25. Obiections alleaged to prooue God the Author of sinne with the Answers vnto them Obiect IF God created the wicked man against the euill day or day of wrath Thus taught the Seleutians Aug. de haeres Thus taught Floring and Blastus at Rome Euscb lib. 5. cap 13. 28. Solution then it seemes he is the cause of sinne But God hath done so Prou. 16. And therefore seemes to be cause of sinne God created not the euill man to sin and therefore cannot be a cause of it but sinning to punish him for the same In which case none can complaine Psalm 6. because God will giue to euery one according to his worke Obiect If there be no euill in the citie which the Lord hath not done then it seemes he is the cause of sinne But God is the cause of all euill in the citie Amos 3.6 Esay 4. and therefore of sinne There is a double cuill Solution the morall and the naturall the morall euill is the sinne the naturall euill is the punishment for the sinne God is the Author of this but not of the other And therfore the Prophet Amos theacheth in this place that afflictions come from God and not by chance and fortune as some were perswaded Obiect God commanded Abraham to kill his innocent son Shemeus to curse Dauid Gen. 32.2 Sam. 15. But these are sinnes Therefore God seemes to be a cause of sinnes God commanded not Abraham to sacrifice his sonne of superstition Solution as they that offered their sons and daughters to the idoll Moloch nor yet to satisfie any malice or wicked thought in Abraham toward his sonne for this was farre from so holie a father but onlie as it was a point of Gods deuine seruice to trie the faith of Abraham who therby was to be made a father of al beleeuers And therefore God did well in commanding and Abraham well in obeying Secondly though the commandement was giuen to trie Abraham yet the secret purpose of God was to deliuer Isaac as the sequeale did manifest But on the contrarie Shemeus his railing on Dauid was from a malitious minde and to satisfie his furie against him the which was not commanded by God but only willingly permitted and in the permission so ordered as that it turned vnto Dauid to be a correction for his sinne in which sense Dauid saith the Lord bad him doe it And therefore by neither of these can God seeme to be the author of sinne Obiection God caused the Israelites to spoyle the Aegyptians of their iewels Exod. 12.25 chap. 3.22 contrarie to his owne Law Exod. 20. and therefore seemes a cause of sinne What God commaunds to be done Solution the performance of that can be no sin because sinne is a transgression of Gods lawe Secondly the Israelites being Gods people and hauing liued in great seruitude in Egypt and by their labours encreased the treasures of Pharaoh very exceedingly there was good reason why they
wicked which labour to haue it exercised in as much as the inticer and setter of a robberie is as ill and as punishable as he that commits it Fourthly before a Witch will or can doe any thing for you you must beleeue and make confession that he is able to help you and so the faith which ought wholly to bee placed on God and encrease to himward must be placed vpon Satan and his instruments and encrease to themward Fiftly as wee neuer knew the godlie hauing due recourse vnto God to returne destitute of aide and comfort so did wee neuer know the wicked seeking vnto witches to returne at any time profited Nero caused Tyridates King of Armenia to send into the East for men to instruct him in Magick Nero and Iulian the Apostata were verie mightie and exceeding rich but becomming studious that way fell from their great abundance to exceeding want Satan was most beholding to these of all other and therefore if hee would helpe any then vndoubtedly them and if they could not profit thēselues then much lesse others that should seeke vnto them If we finde not the experience of this in some things yet in othersome and if not at first yet certainly afterwards Sixtly witcherie is a meere delusion of Satan her remedies and reuelations are both obsure and vncertaine deceiuing others and her selfe also for those which can do wonders before they are called into question can doe iust nothing for themselues when they come into prison and to be arraigned for their villanie Lastly the diuels are enemies to mankinde and will willingly profit none neither by themselues nor their instruments secondly where they would they cannot if God doth curse thirdly when they would hurt they can doe nothing except God doth giue leaue and therefore before Satan can touch Iob he must aske leaue and after he had obtained it cannot goe beyond his commission yea all the witches and diuels in hell are subiect to the prayers of the faithfull for though Simon Magus flie aloft yet he falles suddenly at the prayers of Peter Since then their workes tend to destruction and that they are tied as the beare at the stake that cannot exceede his chaine except hee be loosed nor hurt but when hee is vnmuzzelled yea he is subiect to be whipt himselfe at the pleasure of his keeper what extreame madnesse is it for people to giue themselues vnto witchcraft what wonderfull follie to seek vnto Belzebub the god of Acaron whereas there is an Al-omnipotent most wise most gratious and mercifull God in Israel 2. King 1.3 Sure I know no reason except they hold thēselues better acquainted with Satan then with God and therefore will haue recourse soonest vnto him But howsoeuer this I am sure that because they receiue not the loue of the truth therfore God sends them strong delusions 1. Cor. 5.5 But it may be obiected Obiect The former ages had their Empusae Lamiae Marmolyciae Satyri Incubi and Succubi as Augustine noteth De ciuit Dei lib. 8. Eleazar made demonstrations before Vespasian and his sonnes Titus and Domitian and Salomon himselfe De Antiquit. lib. 8. as Iosephus writeth made a booke of Exorcismes and therfore why may they not bee vsed at this time That which was lawfull then Solution may be vnlawfull now in regard of the circumstance of time then was the Law now the Gospell then were diuinations but they ceased at the comming of Christ thē were many things suffered in much darknesse but at the comming of the light they were quite expeld Much lesse reason is it thē that things which were vnlawfully vsed in times past should be continued now Touching the latter part of the obiection take the answere of Peter Martyr I dare not saith he denie the truth of the storie neither will I affirme it to be true only I think that it pleased God to grant such a thing to the Iewes for that time or else that Salomon writ that book when he fell from the worship of the true God vnto the adoring of the gods of the Gentiles for that there were such Exorcismes vsed vnto the Apostles time it appeares by the historie of Sheua Act. 19.13 but that such abominations should be detected men allured to hate them and to loue the truth it appeares plainly by that historie recited Therefore howsoeuer the wicked put their trust in witches and seeke to Soothsayers Psalm 20. ◠yet let the righteous trust in God and call vpon his name for hee is the sole tower of defence and they which runne vnto him shall bee sure to bee exalted Prou. 18.10 And thus much for the vses arising from this doctrine God by his heauenly prouidence directeth gouerneth and disposeth all things I proceede vnto an vse or two from his meanes of gouerning and secondly from this that he is the inflicter of all punishment Uses from Gods manner of gouerning In that God in his gouernment of the world doth commonly vse meanes himselfe and hath also ordained that we should vse them we learne that in al humilitie wee obey his precept with all diligence follow his practise Dauid knew hee should be deliuered from his enemies and setled by God in his kingdome yet vseth meanes for his deliuerance Paul knew he should come safe to the shore The reiecting of lavvfull meanes is a tempting of God yet aduiseth the mariners to stand to their tacklings Ezechias that hee should be restored yet vseth a plaister of figges Deut. 6.16 Matth. 4.7 and yet it is strange to see how many men will foolishly omit and presumptuouslie reiect the meanes of their maintenance and daily preseruation which they are commanded to vse and wherein there is not a speciall reuelation of Gods will purpose not remembring that hee which labours not for his family is worse then an Infidell and denieth the saith The error of Alcibiades teaching the contrarie Euseb lib. 5. ca. 3. most vile and vvicked But men doe more naturally sauour of the flesh then of the spirit and therefore in things that concerne the bodie they wil be very prouident and in this case they least offend but in the meanes that concerne the sauing of the soule they are too too remisse if not wholly negligent Witnesse the lamentation of the waies to Sion their negligent hearing of Gods word in the Church their seldome reading and meditating of it at home their not calling vpon God with the omitting of receiuing the holy Cōmunion all which doe testifie that they are either worse then beasts in not respecting their soules or that they are fooles in relying on Gods secret will and purpose and in meane while reiect that which is reuealed vnto them These men must know that these things being meanes ordained by God to beget faith to worke repentance to mortifie sinne to liue holily without which wee cannot bee saued that the neglect of these is the neglect