An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

and if the Event may be good as to God, because of the Order of just penalty, why may it not be such because of the Order of wise Conducibility? God by his holy Ordination [Greek or Hebrew],¹ as far as that Ordination is: Hence the Apostle puts a [Greek or Hebrew] upon the ⟨p. 70⟩Event of Heresies;² and Anselm puts a Debet esse upon the Event of Sin; and St. Austin lays it down clearly,³ Ut sent & mala bonum est, aliter nullo modo esse sinerentur ab omnipotente bono; every thing is good so far as ordinated by him: In this sense the Medes are God's sanctified ones without sanctity in themselves, and Events are good without goodness in themselves; that which is evil in Specie, may be good in Ordine, and so far as it is good, it is a fit Object for his Will; especially seeing it is ordained to come to pass, Deo permittente on the one hand, and Creaturâ liberè agent on the other. On such Terms as these, I may say, Deo ordinante, pulchra sunt omnia. But, saith the Author, The Creature cannot act freely, for nothing can withstand the Decrees of God. To which I answer, Gods Providence is ever salvative of the Creatures Liberty, inferring not a necessity of Coaction, but Immutability: Instances in Scripture are abundant; Antiochus blasphemes according to his own will, yet it was determined, Dan. 11.36. The Chaldees march in violence and in the pomp of freedom, insomuch that the Text saith, That their judgment and dignity proceeded of themselves, ⟨p. 71⟩yet God had ordained them for judgment, Hab. 1. The Kings in Revel. 17. gave their Kingdom to the Beast, and what freer than gift? yet God put in their hearts to do so: The Jews freely crucified Christ, yet God's hand and counsel was in it. After such pregnant Scriptures, ought we not to acquiesce in this Truth, That God's Decree and Man's Liberty may consist together. Cajetan is an excellent Pattern for us, who, laying down the Common Opinion, That Humane Acts are evitable as to us, but inevitable as to Providence; and then mentioning some distinctions to reconcile the matter, piously concluded, that he would captivate his Uunderstanding in obsequium fidei; and so we should all. Having so prolixly spoken of the Ordination of such Events, a very little may serve as to the End; when God preordains such Events, to be sure he doth it in great Wisdom and Reason, some End there is in it: