The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

1. Deserendo, or by way of Negation. Dicitur Deus (saith St Austin) excaecare quando non illuminat, indurare quando non emollit. Every Reprobate is born with a Veil upon his Eyes, and a Stone in his heart; and in that condition God leaves him, not imparting to him such enlightening and mollifying Grace as he doth unto the Elect. Not such enlightening Grace; and hence Reprobates ⟨p. 101⟩are called blinded ones, Rom. 11. 7. nor such mollifying Grace, and hence they are called hardened ones, Rom. 9. 18. In this Negative blinding and hardening, doth properly and formally consist the Permission of final sin. For as God doth impede Final sin in the Elect, by irradiating and softening them by his Grace; so he doth permit Final sin in the Reprobate by not irradiating and softening them thereby.

1. Deserendo, or by way of Negation. Dicitur Deus (saith St Austin) excaecare quando non illuminat, indurare quando non emollit. Every Reprobate is born with a Veil upon his Eyes, and a Stone in his heart; and in that condition God leaves him, not imparting to him such enlightning and mollifying Grace as he doth unto the Elect. Not such enlightning Grace; and hence Reprobates ⟨p. 101⟩are called blinded ones, Rom. 11. 7. nor such mollifying Grace, and hence they are called hardened ones, Rom. 9. 18. In this Negative blinding and hardening, doth properly and formally consist the Permission of final sin. For as God doth impede Final sin in the Elect, by irradiating and softning them by his Grace; so he doth permit Final sin in the Reprobate by not irradiating and softning them thereby.