The divine life in three treatises

I answer 1. We are agreed that he Causeth it not. 2. And that he doth not so much as Will the Event of sin as sin. 3. And that he willingly permitteth what is by him permitted. 4. And that sin is such a thing as may Evenire, be brought forth by a bare permission, if there be no Positive Decree for the Event. As a Negative in the effects, requireth not a Positive Cause, so neither a Positive Will for its production. There are millions of millions of worlds, and individual creatures, and species Possible, that shall never be: And it is audaciousness to assert, that there must be millions of millions of Positive Decrees, that such worlds or creatures shall not be.▪ 5. Nor is it any dishonour to God, if he have not a Positive Decree or Will about every Negation (as that all the men in the world shall not be called by a thousand possible names rather then their own, &c.)

These things being all certain, I add 1. Let them dispute that dare, that yet de facto God doth Positively Will the Events of all Privations, or Negations of acts. 2. But when men are once habitually wicked, and bent to evil, it is just with him, if he permit them to follow their own lusts, and if he leave before them such Mercies as he foreknoweth they will wilfully make occasions of their sin; and if he resolve to make use of the sin which he knoweth they will commit, for his Churches Good, and for his Glory.

These things being all certain, I add 1. Let them dispute that dare, that yet de facto God doth Positively Will the Events of all Privations, or Negations of acts. 2. But when men are once habitually wicked, and bent to evil, it is just with him, if he permit them to follow their own lusts, and if he leave before them such Mercies as he foreknoweth they will wilfulfully make occasions of their sin; and if he resolve to make use of the sin which he knoweth they will commit, for his Churches Good, and for his Glory.