A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

Secondly, Divines distinguish temptation into external and internal. External are afflictions and troubles, called often so in Scripture, and these temptations are from God. 2. Internal, which do immediately incline to sin, and with these God doth not tempt. Now although the Apostle had in the former part spoken of external temptations, yet now he speaks of internal ones; though some think he continueth his discourse of externals, because these many times draw out hearts to sin; but this ariseth not from God.

Secondly, Divines distinguish temptation into external and internal. External are afflictions and troubles, called often so in Scripture, and these temptations are from God. 2. Internal, which do immediately incline to sinne, and with these God doth not tempt. Now although the Apostle had in the former part spoken of external temptations, yet now he speaks of internal ones; though some think he continueth his discourse of externals, because these many times draw out hearts to sinne; but this ariseth not from God.

The reason why God cannot tempt to sin, is from the infinite perfection of holiness, which is in God: he is [Greek or Hebrew], He cannot be tempted by evil. It is true, men are said to tempt God many times, and so ex parte hominu, there is done what man could do, even to make God deviate from his own holy nature and Law: but the Apostle meaneth ex parte Dei, that God is of such absolute purity and transcendent holiness, that there cannot arise any motion in his nature to make him sin. For so we expound the Greek word in a passive sense, Estius himself granting, that the use of it in an active signification, can hardly be found, though Popish Interpreters plead for the active sense; but then there would be no distinction of this from the following words, Neither tempteth he any man. The original word is used only here in the New Testament. The strength then of the Argument lieth in this, God doth not tempt any man to sin, because he hath no inward temptation, or motion in his own nature to sin: for that is the reason why the Devil is so impetuous and forward in tempting us to sin, because his nature is first carried out to all evil & so there is no man that doth draw on another to sin, but because he in his own heart, is drawn aside with it before. The Apostle having thus justified God, and removed all cause of evil from him; In my Text he directeth us to the true internal and proper cause of all the sin that we do commit; and therein doth most excellently show the several steps and degrees of sin, whereby of an Embryo (as it were) at first,