A discourse of the saving grace of God

1. They Charge us with making God the Author of Sin: (Tilenus says this was the Reason that turned him off to the Remonstrants.) We disclaim and abhor it, and Condemn those who assert any such thing. They say, it is the Consequence of our Doctrine, which will have things so ordered by the Decrees and Providence of God, that Sin is thereby unavoidable. We say, if God be made the Author of Sin on this account, their own ⟨p. 113⟩Doctrine is to be charged with making him so, by as good Consequence. And so they must acknowledge that they wrong us, or else condemn themselves and their own Principles.

1. They Charge us with making God the Author of Sin: (Tilenus says this was the Reason that turned him off to the Remonstrants.) We disclaim and abhorr it, and Condemn those who assert any such thing. They say, it is the Consequence of our Doctrine, which will have things so ordered by the Decrees and Providence of God, that Sin is thereby unavoidable. We say, if God be made the Author of Sin on this account, their own ⟨p. 113⟩Doctrine is to be charged with making him so, by as good Consequence. And so they must acknowledge that they wrong us, or else condemn themselves and their own Principles.

That they are as liable to this Charge, if it be just, does thus appear. He that puts Men in those Circumstances, wherein he foresees that they will certainly sin, orders things so, that Sin becomes unavoidable: But by their Doctrine, the Lord decrees to place Men, and by his Providence disposes them in those Circumstances, wherein he foresees they will certainly sin; e. g. The Lord foresaw, that if Adam was Created so and so, and set in such Circumstances, he would certainly Sin and Fall by it: Yet foreseeing this, the Lord decreed to Create him so, and dispose of him in such Circumstances, and actually did it. He foresees, that if Peter be put in those Circumstances wherein he was found in the High-Priest's Hall, he would certainly deny his Master: But he Decreed thus to dispose of him, and by his Providence actually did it. This is the plain Import of their Doctrine concerning a Conditional Foreknowledge in God, as will be evident to any that understand