The divine life in three treatises

Object. But doth not God Will that sin Eventually shall not be?

Answ. Even as I before said, he willeth that obedience eventually shall be. If sin come to pass, it is certain that God did not simply Will that it should not come to pass: For then he must be conquered and unhappy by every sin: But he willeth simply that it shall be the Duty of man to avoid it; And he may be said to Nill the Event in tantum, so far as that he will forbid it, and threaten and dissuade the sinner, and give him the helps, that shall leave him unexcusable if he sin, and so leave it to his Will. Thus far he may be said to Will that sin Eventually shall not be; but not simply.

Answ. Even as I before said, he willeth that obedience eventually shall be. If sin come to pass, it is certain that God did not simply Will that it should not come to pass: For then he must be conquered and unhappy by every sin: But he willeth simply that it shall be the Duty of man to avoid it; And he may be said to Nill the Event in tantum, so far as that he will forbid it, and threaten and disswade the sinner, and give him the helps, that shall leave him unexcusable if he sin, and so leave it to his Will. Thus far he may be said to Will that sin Eventually shall not be; but not simply.

Though these things are not obvious to vulgar capacities, yet they are such, as the subject in hand, viz. Gods first causation and Creation, together with the weight of them, and the contentions of the world about them, have made needful.

Though these things are not obvious to vulgar capacities, yet they are such, as the subject in hand, viz. Gods first causation and Creation, together with the weight of them, and the contentions of the world about them, have made needfull.