A Golden Chain

Evil is the destruction of nature: and it is taken for sin, or for the punishment of sin. Now sin is governed of God by two actions: the first is an operative permission. I so call it, because God partly permitteth sin, and partly worketh in it. For sin as it is commonly taken hath two parts; the subject or matter, and the form of sin: the subject of sin is a certain quality or action; the form is the anomie or transgression of Gods law. The first is good in it self, and every quality or action so far forth as it is a quality or action is existing in nature, and hath God to be the author of it. Therefore sin though it be sufficiently evil to eternal damnation yet can it not be said to be absolutely evil as God is absolutely good, because the subject of it is good, & therefore it hath in it respects & regards of goodness. In respect of the second, that is, the breach of the law it self, God neither willeth, nor appointeth, nor commandeth, nor causeth, nor helpeth sin; but forbiddeth, condemneth, and punisheth it: yet so, as withal he willingly permitteth it to be done by others, as men and wicked angels, they being the sole authors and causes of it. And this permission by God is upon a good end: because thereby he• ⟨p. 245⟩manifesteth his justice and mercy. Thus it appears that in original sin, the natural inclination of the mind, will, and affections in it self considered, is from God, and the ataxy or corruption of the inclination in no wise from him, but only permitted: again that in actual sin the motion of the body or mind is from God, but the evilness and disorder of the motion is not from him, but freely permitted to be done by others. As for example in the act of murder, the actions of moving the whole body, of stirring the several joints, and the fetching of the blow whereby the man is slain, is from God;¹ for in him we live, move, and have our being: but the disposing and applying of all these actions to this end, that our neighbours life may be taken away, and we thereby take revenge upon him, is not from God, but from the wicked will of man and the devil.

Euill is the destruction of nature: and it is taken for sinne, or for the punishment of sinne. Nowe sinne is gouerned of God by two actions: the first is an operatiue permission. I so call it, because God partly permitteth sinne, and partly worketh in it. For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts; the subiect or matter, and the forme of sinne: the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action; the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods lawe. The first is good in it selfe, and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature, and hath God to be the author of it. Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euil to eternall damnation yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good, because the subiect of it is good, & therfore it hath in it respects & regards of goodnes. In respect of the second, that is, the breach of the lawe it selfe, God neither willeth, nor appointeth, nor commandeth, nor causeth, nor helpeth sin; but forbiddeth, condemneth, and punisheth it: yet so, as withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others, as men and wicked angells, they beeing the sole authors and causes of it. And this permission by God is vpon a good ende: because thereby he