The sum of sacred divinity briefly & methodically propoundedThe summe of sacred diuinitie briefly & methodically propounded

Fifthly, Heaven and Earth, the Sea and all that therein is, are at his beck; the ^eWinds, the Showers, the Storms, Fire and Hail, Ice and Snow are as his Arrows, to scatter and consume his foes: yea, Hell and destruction ⟨p. 108⟩are naked in his sight, and give up their dead, when he calleth for them. But albeit whatsoever God willeth must most certainly and necessarily come to pass, because he willeth it, yet that taketh not away the freedom of will in the reasonable Creature, nor the nature and property of the second causes, but only bends them to run that way that he hath fore-determined; they, notwithstanding this necessity, not being compelled to do that which God determineth, but freely willing that which is done by them: So that if we refer the action to GODS will, which is the supreme cause of all, it may be said necessary; if to mans will, it may be said contingent and voluntary. And thereupon effects and events of things are termed such as the second causes are necessary: If they be necessary, contingent; if they be contingent, voluntary; if the second causes be voluntary, although in respect of Gods Decree all be necessary. When Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel stood in ^fthe head or mother of ways, where one way parting into two made him doubtful which to take, either that unto Jerusalem, or the other that led unto Rabath, a City of the Ammonites, it was a more uncertain and contingent matter whether he would come against Jerusalem or not: for whithersoever the divination did conduct him, thither was he bent: and what more uncertain then divinations? The vanity whereof Philosophers themselves have worthily derided. But for all that, it could not be otherwise chosen, but that he should take the way that led unto Jerusalem, to come, and to besiege it, the Lord having so ordained and fore-spoken by his Prophet. Our Saviour Christ, according to his Fathers will, dyed necessarily, as ^gPaul disputeth to the Jews, That it was of necessity for him to suffer, and to rise from the dead. And he himself: O ye ^hfools and slow of heart, was it not of necessity that Christ should suffer these things, and enter into his glory? Yet he dyed willingly: for so he professeth,