3. Why God would make this law, seeing he fore-knew his fall, and 1abuse of it. For such is the profane boldness of many men, that would have a reason of all Gods actions, whereas this is as *if the Owl would look into the Sun, or the Pigmee measure the Pyramids. Although this may be answered without that of Pauls, Who art thou, O man, &c. for God did not give him this law to make him fall; Adam had power to stand. Therefore the proper essential end of this commandment was to exercise Adams obedience. Hence there was no iniquity or unrighteousness in God. Bellarmine doth confess, that God may do that, which if man should do, he sinned: as, for instance, Man is bound to hinder him from sin that he knoweth would do it, if it lay in his power; but God is not so tied, both because he hath the chief providence, it's fit he should let causes work according to their nature; and therefore Adam, being created free, he might sin, as well as not sin; as also because God can work evil things out of good; and lastly, because God, if he should hinder all evil things, there would many good things be wanting to the world, for there is nothing which some do not abuse. The English Divines in the Synod of Dort held, that God had a serious will of saving all men, but not an efficacious will of ⟨p. 105⟩saving all: Thus differing from the Arminians on one side, and from some Protestant Authors on the other side; and their great instance of the possibility of a serious will and not efficacious, is this of Gods to Adam, seriously willing him to stand, and withal giving him ability to stand: yet it was not such an efficacious will, as de facto did make him stand; for, no question, God could have confirmed the will of Adam in good, as well as that of the Angels and the glorified Saints in heaven. But concerning the truth of this their assertion, we are to enquire in its time: For that error much spreads, and the Antinomian cannot by his principles avoid, that Christ intentionally died, and so offereth his grace to all. But for the matter in hand, if by a serious will be meant a will of approbation and complacency, yea and efficiency in some sense, no question but God did seriously will his standing, when he gave that commandment.
3. Why God would make this law, seeing he fore-knew his fall, and 1abuse of it. For such is the profane boldnesse of many men, that would have a reason of all Gods actions, whereas this is as *if the Owle would look into the Sun, or the Pigmee measure the Pyramides. Although this may be answered without that of Pauls, Who art thou, O man, &c. for God did not give him this law to make him fall; Adam had power to stand. Therefore the proper essentiall end of this commandement was to exercise Adams obedience. Hence there was no iniquity or unrighteousnesse in God. Bellarmine doth confesse, that God may doe that, which if man should doe, he sinned: as, for instance, Man is bound to hinder him from sin that he knoweth would doe it, if it lay in his power; but God is not so tyed, both because he hath the chiefe providence, it's fit he should let causes work according to their nature; and therefore Adam, being created free, he might sin, as well as not sin; as also because God can work evill things out of good; and lastly, because God, if he should hinder all evill things, there would many good things be wanting to the world, for there is nothing which some doe not abuse. The English Divines in the Synod of Dort held, that God had a serious will of saving all men, but not an efficacious will of ⟨p. 105⟩saving all: Thus differing from the Arminians on one side, and from some Protestant Authours on the other side; and their great instance of the possibility of a serious will and not efficacious, is this of Gods to Adam, seriously willing him to stand, and withall giving him ability to stand: yet it was not such an efficacious will, as de facto did make him stand; for, no question, God could have confirmed the will of Adam in good, as well as that of the Angels and the glorified Saints in heaven. But concerning the truth of this their assertion, we are to enquire in its time: For that errour much spreads, and the Antinomian cannot by his principles avoid, that Christ intentionally died, and so offereth his grace to all. But for the matter in hand, if by a serious will be meant a will of approbation and complacency, yea and efficiency in some sense, no question but God did seriously will his standing, when he gave that commandement.
- 1The proper essential end of the positive law was to exercise Adams obedience.The proper essentiall end of the positive law was to exercise Adams obedience.
- *Altitudinem consilii ejus penetrare non possum, & longè supra vires meas esse confiteor, August.
