A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

In a word, the Angels had in themselves the proper cause and beginning of their •wne fall: which was a free and flexible will. They might will good, and perseverance in good: and that will being mutable, they might also will evil, and so fall ••om God. The same kind of will was in innocent Adam. But good trees cannot ••ing forth bad fruit: therefore the Angels being good, could not sin of themselves, Answ. Those words must be construed Sensu composito, non disjuncto. Indeed a good ••e remaining good, cannot produce evil fruit: but being changeable, it may. •ut God foresaw it, therefore the Angels could not escape it. Answ. Yet is not his prescience any cause of their fall, but only an antecedent. Because we sin, therefore was foreknown to God: not because it was foreknown to God, therefore we ••nne. God saw Judas his treason in the glass of his Prescience before Judas had member composed, or the world was formed: yet was not this the cause why Judas strayed CHRIST. Praescivit, non Praedestinavit, Aug. Vidit non coegit, scivit non ••xit, praedixit non praescripsit, Lip. He foresaw it, he did neither compel it, nor command it, nor allow it. Prescience is to God, as memory is to us: memory presents […] us things past, prescience to God things to come. Our memory is not the cause •hy things past were done: nor is Gods foreknowledge the cause why things to ••me shall be done. We remember some things we do, we do not all the things we ••member. So God foresees all he does, he does not all he foresees. We remember […] orchard such a time planted, that now yields good fruits, by nature, not by vio•••ce, so God foresaw it. We remember a murder done, by will, not compulsion; […] God foresaw it. Neither our memory, nor Gods prescience caused these: but •cy come to pass, natural by nature, voluntary by will, contingent by hap, necessary by necessity. But did God only foresee it? No, he also decreed it: why •en how could they avoid it? Answ. He decreed to leave them to themselves, that ey might fall if they will, and then to give them no grace of rising. But then as od hit me, as throw me: it is all one to thrust an old man down, as to take away […] staff that should keep him up. Nay, but the old man throws away his own ffe and God doth not reach it him: they did forsake their own grace, and fall by eir own folly.