Common Places, Part 1 · Chapter 17 · Section 3
An other diſcourſe of the ſame argument.
I Affirme the cauſe of mans ſinne to be the will or the frée will of our firſt parents, who fell of their owne accord, and obeied rather the ſuggeſtion of the diuell than the commandement of God; from whom afterward was deriued originall ſinne vntounto all the poſteritie: wherevpon we hauehave vice and corruption inough in our owne ſelues. Wherefore God inſtilleth not in vsus a new naughtines vntounto ſinning, neither dooth he bring in corruption; and therefore I doo affirme our wils to be the cauſes of ſinne, and not God.
But the ſcripture ſaith in the epiſtle to the Romans, Rom. 1, 26, and 28.that God deliuered vp the Ethnikes vntounto a reprobate mind, and vntounto vile affections. And in the ſecond of Samuel it is ſaid, that God ſtirred vp Dauid to number the people. 2. Sam. 24, 1And in the ſame hiſtorie Dauid ſaid, that God commanded Semei to curſe Dauid. 2. Sam. 16, verſe. 11.In the ſame booke the twelfe chapter, God ſaid vntounto Dauid by the prophet; verſe. 11.I will take thy wiues, and giuegive them to thy neighbour, and he ſhall ſleepe with them: for thou didſt it ſecretlie, but I will doo this thing before all Iſrael, and in the open ſunne light. It is ſaid by others, that theſe ſpéeches muſt be referred vntounto the permiſſion; which thing I doo not abſolutelie denie: for God, if he would, might hauehave let theſe miſchéefs, but hée would not hinder them. Howbeit I adde, that ſuch a permiſſion muſt not be granted, whereby ſome may affirme, that God dealeth ſo idlelie, and ſo leaueth the gouernement of things, as hée dooth nothing about ſinnes themſelues.
Firſt, he taketh his gifts and his grace from certeine men, bicauſe they abuſed the ſame; which grace being remooued, and that iuſtlie, for a puniſhment of their former ſinnes, men being deſtitute of that helpe, doo fall into more gréeuous crimes. And that God dooth ſometime withdrawe his grace, Dauid knew well enough, when he ſomtime ſaid; Pſal. 51, 9.Turne not thy face from me, nor take awaie thine holie ſpirit from me.
Secondlie, God dooth puniſh ſinnes with ſinnes; as it appéereth in the epiſtle to the Romans, Rom. 1, 24.and in the places now alledged. And ſinnes, ſo far foorth as they be puniſhments, doo belong vntounto iuſtice, and in that reſpect are good. Wherefore it is not vnfit for God, thus by ſinnes to puniſh former ſinnes.
Thirdlie, hée ruleth and gouerneth ſinnes themſelues; for he ſuffereth them not to rage ſo far out of meaſure, as the euill will of man deſireth: he reſtreineth them, he kéepeth them backe, neither dooth he ſuffer them to rage againſt euerie man, and at all times: alſo, hée directeth them to the performance of his counſels; namelie, to the triall of iuſt men, and to the ſcourge of the wicked, & ſuch like purpoſes. Wherfore the ſcripture ſaith, Eſaie. 10, 5.that féerce and cruell tyrants are in the hand of God, as ſtaues, hammers, and ſawes.
Fourthlie, God ſendeth in other occaſions, which if they ſhould light vponupon good men, they would prouoke them vntounto good things: but bicauſe they light vponupon euill men, they are by thoſe mens fault, ſoone taken in euill part, and are made occaſions of ſinne. So Paule ſaith, Rom. 7, 8.that By the lawe ſinne was increaſed. And the words of God, ſpoken vntounto Pharao by Moſes, were an occaſion to expreſſe out of him blaſphemies and hardnes of his hart. Which thing God ſawe would come to paſſe, yet did he not reſtreine his owne word, when he knew that Pharao would become the woorſe thereby; who neuertheles had the naughtines in his owne ſelfe, and tooke not the ſame of God.
Fiftlie, ſince that the defect of ſinne is onelie in humane actions, the which are depriued of right gouernement; the verie action of man cannot be ſuſteined, preſerued, and ſtirred vp, without the common influence of GOD, by which all things are gouerned and preſerued: for trulie is it ſaid; Acts. 17, 28.In God we be, we liue, and are mooued. Therefore the defect, which properlie is ſinne, procéedeth not of God: but the action, which is a naturall thing, wherein the defect ſticketh, cannot be drawne foorth, but by the common influence of God.
Theſe be the things, which I ſaid that God dooth by his prouidence and gouernement about ſinnes; although he be not the true and proper cauſe of ſinnes. By which interpretation we may rightlie vnderſtand, what thoſe ſpéeches of the holie ſcriptures, and ſaiengs of the fathers doo meane, wherein God ſéemes to bée made the cauſe or author of ſinne.