Collectanea. Out of St. Gregory the Great, and St. Bernard the devout, against the Papists who adhere to the doctrine of the present Church of Rome, in the most fundamentall points betweene them and vs.

§. 15. How farre God suffereth Sin, and guideth the wicked actions of wicked men.

OMnipotens Deus quod fieri prohibet,* 1.1 iust um est ut fieri sinat. Inulium abire non sinit iniustum, quod iustè fieri permisit. It is iust, that the Almighty God suffer that to be done, which notwithstanding he forbiddeth to be done, neither suffe∣reth he that vniustice to go vnrevenged, which he iustly suffered to be done.

Miro modo fit, ut quod sine volūtate Dei agitur eius voluntati contrarium non sit, quia dū in bonū usum malafacta vertūtur, eius consilio militant, etiam quae eius consilio repugnant. It commeth strangely to passe, that that which is done without the will of God, yet is not against his wil, because whilest evill deedes are turned to good

vse, those things shew the Counsell and Will of God, which notwithstanding are repugnant vnto it.

Ab iniquis facta ne inordinatè eveniant ipse disponens. God disposeth the doings of wicked men, that they may not befall vnorderly.

Ʋnus idem{que} Spiritus & Domini appel∣latur & malus; Domini per licentiam po∣testatis iustae, malus per desiderium volun∣tatis iniustae. It was the spirit of the Lord (that vexed Saul) by leaue and licence of iust power; but an evill spirit by desire of vniust will.

Omnis Diaboli * 1.2 potestas * iniusta est, & tamen permittente Deo, omnis potestas iu∣sta. The will of the divell is altogether vniust, but his power which of Gods per∣mission only he hath, is altogether iust.

Deo ad usum iusti indicij & iniusta Dia∣boli voluntas servit. The vniust will of the divell serveth GOD for the vse of iust iudgment.

Inde coacti sunt Dei voluntatem pera∣gere,* 1.3 unde hanc moliti sunt astutè commu∣tare. Cum se aestimant cius miracula per∣sequendo abscindere haec nimirum compulsi

sunt nesciendo dilatare. Hoc ad pietatis suae obsequium redigit, quod contra illum hu∣mana crudelitas exarsit. Cüi cognitae debet nostra actio devotè famulari, ne ei etiam no∣cens serviat, si hanc superbiens declinat. Thereby Iosephs brethren were compel∣led to doe the will of God, whereby they subtilly thought to defeate the same. The Iewes by persecuting, thought to cut off the miracles of Christ, but were compel∣led vnwittingly to spread the same fur∣ther. God forceth that to the service of his piety, wherein humane cruelty burneth or rageth against him. Our acti∣on even against our will serveth the hea∣uenly will of God, when in our pride it shunneth the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mor. l. 11. c. 2. & lib. 16. c. 23. There is much good wrought out of evill, which could not be without evil. Hereupon the malicious Pa∣pists say, that we make God the author of sin. Ibid. lib. 6. c. 12 To God we at∣tribute no more but that he vo∣luntarily per∣mitteth, & wise∣ly ordereth, and iustly vseth to his purposes the sin of man: and so much their owne Pope Gre∣gory saith. Consider the act of sin in it selfe, it is properly and only the worke of man: but if we consider it in the circum∣stances and or∣der, it is rightly called the worke of God. Moral. lib. 18. cap. 17. Mor. lib. 2. c. 6. It was the Spirit of the Lord, that vexed Saul. Ibid. l. 18. c. 3. Ibid. l. 2. cap. 6.
• * 1.2

  For potestas, reade volun∣tas.
• * 1.3

  Moral. lib. 6. c. 22. Albeit God by his wisedome & power doe turne the evill of wic∣ked men to his good purpose & vse; yet they do it not as with any purpose therein to serve God, but to fol∣low the sinfull lusts of their owne wicked hearts, & ther∣fore are iustly punished for the doing of it. As is seene mani∣festly in these examples. Wickednes issu∣eth wholly out of mans heart: but God by his secret hand guideth it to go one way rather then an other.