God, not the Author of Sin. [ 1752]
AS a Man that cutteth with a dull knife is the cause of cutting, but not of the ill cutting and hackling of the knife,* 1.1 the knife is the cause of that; Or if a Man strike upon an Instrument that is out of tune, he is the cause of the sound, but not of the jarring sound, that's the fault of the untuned strings: Or as a Man riding upon a lame horse,* 1.2 stirres him; the Man is the cause of the motion, but the horse himself of the halting motion: Thus God is the Author of every action, but not of the evill of that action, that's from Man: He that makes Instruments and tools of Iron or other metal, he maketh not the rust and canker which cor∣rupteth them, that's from another cause; nor doth that Heavenly Workman God Almighty bring in sin and iniquity, nor can he be justly blamed, if his Crea∣tures do soyl and besmear themselves with the foulnesse of sin, for he made them good, Gen. 1. 10. I••h 34. 11. Psalm 5. 4.