Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIIII. Of ſinne in generall.
THE common place of ſin, as alſo the former before handled, is ſubalterne to the place or generall head of our calling. For calling is the tranſferring of a man out of the ſtate of ſin What our calling is.and miſerie, into the ſtate of righteouſneſſe and happineſſe. Therefore we ſhall ſpeake of ſinne firſt in generall; after we ſhall come vntounto his kindes or partes. The name of ſin ſignifies a certaine thing compounded of his owne matter and forme. The matter of ſinne, to ſpeake thereof in the firſt place, is a certaine being, or thing that is: and that being is not a ſubſtance, but an accident; and What ſin is.that is either a qualitie or action: and this quality or action belongs not to eueryevery creature, but only to the reaſonable creature, Angell or Man: for God gaue his law vntounto theſe only. Of this being, which we ſay is the matter of ſinne, God himſelfe is the author and principall efficient: for it is he alone that calleth thoſe things which are not, as if they were; and that createth all things, both ſubſtances and accidents: But the creature neither is, nor is called the principall efficient of any being. Therefore that being, which is the matter of ſinne, ſeeing God is the principall efficient thereof, neceſſarily in, and by it ſelfe, is good: for that whatſoeuer God createth or maketh, hath an ingrafted forme of goodneſſe in it. Gen. 1. 31. When God (ſaith he) ſaw whatſoeuer he had made, behold it was very good. This forme of goodneſſe is ſo naturall and eſſentiall to Being, whether quality or action, which God made, that there from it can neuer be ſeparated. But now I graunt that this ſame Being hath put on another forme, to wit, *foreign. The cauſe of ſin.Lawleſneſſe, the cauſe whereof is an euill inſtrument, as we ſhall ſhew hereafter: for this Lawleſnes is from another cauſe; neither doth it deſtroy that eſſentiall forme of the goodneſſe of being it ſelfe, which proceedeth from God the creator and maker thereof. For as for the being which God maketh, nothing can be put to it, or taken from it, that in it ſelfe it may be better or worſer. So much concerning the matter of ſin.
Now as touching the forme: The forme of ſinne is called Lawleſnes, that is, the want of conformitie with the will and law of God. 1. Ioh. 3. Sinne by his forme is thus The forme of ſin.defined. Sinne is the tranſgreſſion of the law. This Lawleſneſſe or tranſgreſſion, which wee call the forme and foreign.manner of ſinne, is not a beeing, or a thing poſitiue, but a thing meerely priuatiue, to wit, a priuation, and want of conformitie with the law of God. This trangreſſion happeneth through the cauſe and fault of an euil inſtrument, which God vſeth in that being, or in doing his owne worke: and this inſtrument is either the Deuill, or an euill man and vnbeleeuer. For when the Diuell or an euill man concurreth with God, to bring forth his work, he is not the principall efficient of the being it ſelfe, or of the worke done, but only an inſtrumentall or miniſteriall cauſe; but the Deuill or man is the principall efficient cauſe of the tranſgreſſion, or of the deformity or ſin of that action.
And this tranſgreſſion, the efficient whereof is an euill inſtrument, is euill either for that the action it ſelfe, or Cauſes of ſinne.worke is contrarie to the law of God: as when a man committeth murther; the action of murther is expreſly Cauſes of ſinne.condemned by the lawe; Thou ſhalt not murther: or for that the fountaine and beginning of the action or worke is againſt the law of God, although the action in it ſelfe be conformable to the law: for as the law of God commandeth the action or worke it ſelfe, ſo hath it regard of the fountaine and beginning of the action; commanding that the whole worke which is commanded by the law, proceed from a pure, holy, and beleeuing heart of that inſtrument, which God vſeth in doing his worke. An example of this kind of tranſgreſſion may be this: When any man giueth almes, which worke indeed is commanded of God, and yet not done of charitie, it is reiected: ſee 1. Cor. 13. Or laſtly, it falleth out to be a ſinne, for that the end, which the euill inſtrument in doing or working together with God propoſeth to it ſelfe, is againſt the lawe of God. For as the law of God commandeth the worke it ſelf, and the fountaine and beginning of the worke; euen ſo it commandeth the end, as the chiefe and principall, to wit, the glorie of God himſelfe: Whether yee eate or drinke, or whatſoeuer ye do, do all to the glorie of God, 1. Cor. 10. And in this reſpect a man ſinneth, when he doth ought, not for God, nor for his glory; but for himſelfe, his owne profit, and only for his owne glorie.
Here it is to be noted, that whoſoeuer ſinneth, as touching the fountaine and originall of the action, the ſame man alwaies ſinneth touching the end; and ſo contrarily. Wherefore theſe two laſt wayes of tranſgreſſion are alwayes ioyned together. Againe, it is to be noted, that he who ſinneth touching the original and the end, doth not alwayes ſin in the action it ſelf: For the action or work of any inſtrument, how euil ſoeuer in it ſelf, may be good & The perſon muſt pleaſe God, otherwiſe the worke ſhall diſpleaſe.conformable to the law. Wherfore the firſt way of tranſgreſſion, & the two laſt are not alwaies conioined. Now then this tranſgreſſion (which we cal the maner & forme of ſinne, comming, or put to that Being, the author wherof is God, and which in it ſelfe is good, whether it be a qualitie or an action) maketh vp that which we call ſinne, and which is ſo called of the forme thereof, and not of the matter, ſeeing all things hauehave their denominations from their formes.
Theſe things thus declared, it ſhall bee eaſie to gather ſome definition of ſinne: That ſinne is a quality or action of a reaſonable creature, lawleſſe, or contrarie to the law of God. The generall proprietie of ſinne, or the conſequent thereof, is guiltineſſe; and guiltineſſe is that which meriteth or deſerueth puniſhment: as therefore guiltineſſe followeth after ſin, ſo after guilt followeth puniſhment, both temporall and eternall.
Let this ſuffice concerning ſinne in generall; which being knowne, it is eaſie to anſwer thoſe queſtions, which are wont to be made touching ſin; and namely to this Three queſtions concerning the cauſes of ſin.which they aske, If Sinne be of God? or if God be the author of ſin? Anſw. In ſin there are two things; a Being and a tranſgreſſion. God is the Author and principall efficient of that Being; but of that tranſgreſſion God is not the author; but the euill inſtrument is. Againe, it is aſked, whether this tranſgreſſion be any way from God? Anſw. It is from God, not effecting, but permitting it: for he ſuffers it to be done by an euill imſtrument. Thirdly, it is demanded, if God permit ſin, in as much as it is tranſgreſſion of his law? Anſw. Not ſo, which euen by this one reaſon may be ſhewed: He permitteth it vntounto his glory: and all the meanes of Gods glory, ſo farre as they hauehave ſuch reſpect, are good; and darknes it ſelfe, as it is permitted of God vntounto the glory of his name, becōmeth light.
Againe, if here it be asked: If therfore the tranſgreſſion of Gods lawe, in ſo farre as a tranſgreſſion, bee not permitted of God, doth it not of neceſſity follow, that ſin in reſpect, or as it is a tranſgreſſion, is done againſt *Deo inuito, whether he will or no.Gods will? Anſ. It followeth not: for that which is done againſt Gods will, is ſaid properly to be done againſt Gods decree, and not againſt his reuealed wil, or expreſſe law: but ſinne, as it is a tranſgreſſion of the law, is not done againſt any decree: therefore ſinne, as it is a tranſgreſſion of the lawe, is not done againſt Gods will. The Aſſumption is ſhewed, becauſe God decreed not from euerlaſting, that ſinne as it is a tranſgreſſion of his law, ſhould not be done of an euill inſtrument. Therefore thou ſaiſt, hee decreed that it ſhould be done? Anſwer. It followeth not. 1For both theſe are true concerning God: God hath neither decreed that tranſgreſſion, as it is tranſgreſſion, 2ſhould not be done; neither hath he decreed that tranſgreſſion, in ſo farre as it is tranſgreſſion, ſhould be done. For there is no decree of God extant, either in this or that reſpect touching ſinne, as it is a tranſgreſſion, or breach of the law of God.
But thou maiſt aske, is not ſinne effected as it is tranſgreſſion, ſome way by the permiſſion of God? Anſw. A thing is ſaid to be done two wayes by Gods permiſſion; either by it ſelfe, or by accident. That, which by Gods permiſſion commeth to paſſe by it ſelfe, muſt of neceſſitie reſpect, and put on the nature of good; ſeeing God propoſeth and directeth the ſame vntounto a good end: but that, which by an accident is done, God permitting it, or forſaking the creature, nothing hindreth, but that, as it is ſuch, it is euill: for God leauing the creature, and euill inſtrument to it ſelfe, the creature doth that which is euil, as it is euil: neither can it otherwiſe do, being left of him, who is the Author of al good. But now, in reſpect of God permitting and leauing, that euill, as it is euill, is done by accident, not by it ſelfe, becauſe God in forſaking, purpoſed not euill, as it is euill; but on the contrarie, ſo farre forth as it reſpecteth good, and is a meane of his glorie, of that eſpecially which is the conſequent of his merciemercy: for all meanes, whether wrought by God himſelfe, or ſuffered to be done of euill inſtruments, in the firſt place are both ordained of God himſelfe, and directed to the glorie of his merciemercy, ariſing from the ſaluation of the creature: God hath ſhut vp all vnderunder ſinne, that he might hauehave merciemercy on all. And in the ſecond place, for the hardneſſe of man, and becauſe of the heart that cannot repent, ſinnes and euils which are done by an euill inſtrument, ſerue to that glory, which God getteth vntounto himſelfe, by his iuſtice and iuſt puniſhments.
If on the contrarie thou obiect: God ſuffereth ſinne, that he may puniſh the ſame: but he puniſheth ſinne, in Or, I would anſwer the maior, That God ſuffereth not ſin to puniſh it (for that he reſpecteth not) but for that be hath a purpoſe to manifeſt his owne glorie in the puniſhment of ſinne.that it is ſinne, or tranſgreſſion: therefore he permitteth ſinne, as it is ſinne. I anſwer vntounto the Aſſumption: Sinne, as puniſhment followes thereupon (which in it ſelfe is good, and turnes to the glorie of God) in this, ſin (I ſay) hath not reſpect vntounto euill, but vntounto good, producing a good effect; for an euill cauſe, as it is euill, cannot bring forth a good effect: But if that cauſe, which in it ſelfe is euill, be alſo conſidered as the cauſe of a good effect, it muſt needes in ſome ſort, take vntounto it the nature of good. I confeſſe indeed, that ſinne, as it is ſinne, is the cauſe of puniſhment: and the puniſhment, as it is the effect of an euill cauſe, muſt needs it ſelfe be euill. And indeed puniſh ment, Puniſhment in it ſelfe is euill.which is inflicted, is conſidered two wayes: firſt, as a thing in it ſelfe euill: for there is ſome tranſgreſſion How puniſhmēt is euill.in euerie puniſhment, and eueryevery puniſhment after a ſort, is alſo a ſinne. Againe, it is conſidered as a thing that is good, to wit, as a meane of Gods glorie. This I ſay in a word: that all meanes (which in, and by themſelues are euill) in reſpect of God propounding, and of the end, which is the glorie of God, in ſome ſort are good. And that whole chaine of meanes (which is betweene God propounding, as the head and beginning, and the glorie of God as the end) is the order of things, which either by themſelues are good, or at the leaſt in ſome ſort, may be ſo accounted. For thoſe two extremes chaunge all darkneſſe after a ſort into light.