The riches of Gods love unto the vessels of mercy, consistent with his absolute…The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute…

And that the end of this Divine administration is to make trial whether the creature will abstain from sin, even then, when it is provoked thereunto. As, for the trial of David, was Bathsheba going •o•th to wash her self objected to David, whereupon he was inflamed with lusts Joseph was not, though far more strongly solicited by the temptations of his wanton Mistress. Secondly, to necessitate the will or determine the will are no phrases of our Divines. The first is used only by Bradwardine (as at present I remember) sometimes Arch-Bishop elect of Canterbury; The other is that phrase of the Dominicans. Now they are of age and able to answer for themselves. Why doth not this Author answer a chapter or two in Bradwardine, a chapter or two in Alvarez, where they dispute this and resolve the question affirmatively. Surely hereby he should perform a work more worthy of a Scholastical Divine, then by so hungry a discourse as this. Secondly, consider neither Bradwardine maintains that God necessitates; nor Alvarez that God determines the will to sin, but to every natural act, in which kind of acts sin is to be found: Why then should this Author carry himself thus in his crimination? We know sin is merely privative in the formal notion thereof; an obliquity such as concerning which, Austin hath long ago delivered, that it hath no efficient cause, but deficient only. And divers ways Divines have showed how God may be the author of the act, yet not the Author o• the sin, and illustrated it by various similitudes. As of a man riding upon a lame horse, he makes him go, but doth not make him halt. The sun shining upon a dung-mixton, makes it evaporate, but doth not make it stink. The sun makes flowers to evaporate and send forth their favours as well as a dung-mixton; but that the one evaporates a sweet odour the other an unsavoury, is from the nature of things themselves on which the sun beats. In like sort the Sun by the heat thereof provokes all things to engender according to their kinds, even frogs and toads & snakes, as well as other creatures profitable for the use of man in the way of food; yea of vipers flesh good use is made in the way of physic. And God knows how to make good use even of the sins of men. and of the rage and malice of Satan.

And that the end of this Divine administration is to make tryall whether the creature will abstaine from sinne, even then, when it is provoked thereunto. As, for the triall of David, was Bathsheba going oth to wash her selfe objected to David, whereupon he was inflamed with lusts Ioseph was not, though farre more strongly sollicited by the temptations of his wanton Mistris. Secondly, to necessitate the will or determine the will are noe phrases of our Divines. The first is used only by Bradwardine (as at present I remember) sometimes Arch-Bishop elect of Canterbury; The other is that phrase of the Dominicans. Now they are of age and able to answer for themselves. Why doth not this Authour answer a chapter or two in Bradwardine, a chapter or two in Alvarez, where they dispute this and resolve the question affirmatively. Surely hereby he should performe a worke more worthy of a Scholasticall Divine, then by so hungry a discourse as this. Secondly, consider neither Bradwardine maintaines that God necessitates; nor Alvarez that God determines the will to sinne, but to every naturall act, in which kind of acts sinne is to be found: Why then should this Auhour carry himselfe thus in his crimination? We know sin is meerly privative in the formall notion thereof; an obliquitie such as concerning which, Austine hath long agoe deliverd, that it hath noe efficient cause, but deficient only. And divers waies Divines have shewed how God may be the authour of the act, yet not the Authour o the sin, and illustrated it by various similitudes. As of a man riding upon a lame horse, he makes him goe, but doth not make him halt. The sun shining upon a dung-mixton, makes it evaporate, but doth not make it stinke. The sun makes flowers to evaporate and send forth their favours as well as a dung-mixton; but that the one evaporates a sweet odour the other an unsavory, is frō the nature of things themselves on which the sun beates. In like sort the Sun by the heat thereof provokes all things to engender according to their kinds, even frogs and toades & snakes, as well as other creatures profitable for the use of man in the way of food; yea of vipers flesh good use is made in the way of physicke. And God knowes how to make good use even of the sinnes of men. and of the rage and malice of Satan.