A humble endeavour of some plain and brief explication of the decrees and operations of God, about the free actions of men, more especially of the operations of divine grace written by Mr. John Corbet ...

8. A Decree to permit Sin is not necessary.

TO Permit, is not to Act, and not to Act is nothing; and of nothing there is no Decree, at least there is no need of a Decree. No more is needful to a Not-being, than Gods not Willing and not Effecting. Consequently, there is no Decree of the Permission of Sin, at least, there is no ne∣cessity of holding such a Decree.

It may be Objected, That a Non-esse is the Object of Gods Will, when he wills that some Evil Action shall not come to pass. The answer is, That in such a case the thing that God properly wills, is his restraining and limiting of mens evil In∣clinations and Actions, and the Non-esse of those Actions is said to be willed by him, but improperly and reductively, as being the Consequent of that which he properly Wills. And his Will is further terminated on the good Consequence of his preventing the said Evil Actions.

It may be likewise objected, If a man may rightly say, I will or Purpose to permit, why may not God rightly say so? The answer is, that when a man makes such a Determi∣nation, it commonly means a Purpose of restraining the

Inclination or Will, that is or may be in him, to hinder the thing; and the said Purpose is further terminated on the Consequents of the Permission, and the ordering of them. So God may be said to Will, or Purpose a Permission, as he wills or purposeth the limiting of his restraining Agency, and as this Will and purpose is also terminated on the Con∣sequents of the thing permitted, and the disposal thereof by his Providence.