The Bibles abstract and epitome the capitall heads, examples, sentences, and precepts of all the principall matters in theologie : collected together for the most part alphabetically, with the doctrine and uses compendiously explained of all the chiefe points therein contayned : taken out of the best moderne divines, both reverend and learned / pro Richardo Barnardo.

Gods Justice Evill how permitted by God.

GOd permitteth evill by a certain voluntary permission, in that he forsaketh the* 1.1 second cause in working evill, and his Creature, either by detracting the grace it had, or not best owing that it wants. Now that which is evill hath some re∣spect of goodnesse with God for three causes:

1. First, in that it is the punishment of sinne.

2. Secondly, As it is a new Action or Act.

3. Thirdly, As it is a Chastisement, a triall of ones faith, a Martyrdome, and pro∣pitiation for sinne, as the death and passion of Christ (as the Apostle saith;) Him, I say, being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God, ye have* 1.2 taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

1. If we observe these Caveats, God is not only a bare permissive Agent in an evill work, but a powerfull effectour of the same, yet so as he neither instilleth an* 1.3 aberration into the action, nor yet supporteth or intendeth the same; but that he most freely suffereth evill, and best disposeth of it to his owne glory. As for Ex∣ample let a man spurre forward a lame horse; in that he moveth forward, the Rider is the cause, but that he halteth, the horse himself is the cause. The like may be said of Gods action in an evill subject.

2. Observe that there is Malum poenae, & malum culpae: The evill of punishment,* 1.4 and the evill of sinne: Now the Lord is the Authour of the evill of punishment for sinne, but not of the evill of sinne, &c.* 1.5

The Lord is said

• To bring evill upon Jerusalem, upon Iob, and upon the wicked; and to de∣termine* 1.6 evill against the house of Judah, to set his face for evill, not for good against Jerusalem. To raise evill against David, to bring evill upon Icroboam, Ahab, and their posteritie, on the house of the wicked, and on those that served other gods: so that there should not be evill in a citie, but it should come from him.
• To create light and darknesse, the destroyer to destroy, &c.
• To deceive the people and prophet, and to destroy Abithophels counsell, that he might bring evill on Absalom.
• To lay a stumbling block before the people that commit iniquitie.
• To mingle the spirit of errour among the heathen, to send a lying spirit in∣to the mouth of Ahabs prophets, with an evill spirit on the men of She∣chem, and king Saul, and evill Angels on wicked men with strong de∣lusions.
• To move David to number the people, to will Shimei to curse, to stirre up Pharaoh to shew his power in him, and to turne man to destruction.

Use.* 1.7

• Pray with David that thy heart be not inclined to evil, to commit wicked actions.* 1.8

Gods Tempting and How God is said to tempt.

• TEmptation is nothing else but the inticement of the soule or heart, either by the corruption of Mans Nature, the allurements of the world, or the devill, to any sinne. In this manner God tempteth not, for he cannot be tempted to evill, neither tempteth he any man to evill: for out of the mouth of the most High* 1.9 proceedeth not good and evill, but we are drawne on to the same divers wayes, but especially three wayes:
• 1. By the devill who waiteth to work out overthrow and damnation.
• 2. By our concupiscence in consenting to Satans suggestion, and
• 3. By vitious companie, being seduced by ill persuasion.
• Now God may be said to leade into Temptation of Probation.
• 1. By universall probatory precepts; such was Abrahams to kill his sonne.* 1.10
• 2. By sending extraordinary measure of prosperitie, or adversitie.
• 3. By letting Io••se of Satan (his B••n-dogge) to buffet and molest the Godly, as Paul was; or to seduce the wicked, as Ahabs prophets were.
• 4. By offering occasions and objects, to trie whether a man will sinne or not; like a master suspecting his servant, which in word professeth sidelitie, layes a purse of money in his wayes, to try if he will steale it, now the trying of him is no sinne, though his servant sinne in stealing. In the same manner God tempteth his owne* 1.11 servants, to prove and trie them, to know whether they love him or not.
• 5. By withdrawing his grace: yet this can be no sinne in God, because he is bound to no man to give him grace, and here is a difference between the tempting* 1.12 of God and Satan: God holds back Grace when he tempts: the devill suggests evill motions in his tempting.
• 6. In every action, so farre forth as it is an action, the same is good, and of God, for in him we live, move, and have our being: As for Example, one man kils an∣other,* 1.13 the very moving of the body in doing of the villanie is of God, but the wic∣kednesse of the action is from man, and the devill who thrust him forward to doe the same.
• 7. By correcting and humbling his servants for their sinnes, to try how they will abide the crosse: so he afflicted the Israelites and king Hezekiah, to see what was* 1.14 in his heart: whereas the devils end in tempting is only to bring the partie unto destruction.

• The Lord trieth Abraham, by commanding him to offer up Isaac his sonne.* 1.15
• The Lord trieth The Israelites By causing bread to rain from Heaven. By thunder and lightning at the giving of the law unto them.
• The Lord trieth The Israelites By suffering idolaters among them.
• The Lord trieth David, by his knowing of him in his down-sitting, and up▪ rising.* 1.16
• The Lord trieth Iob, by affl••cting him, even as gold is tried by men.* 1.17
• The Lord trieth Christ, as he was man, by suffering Satan to tempt him.* 1.18
• [Ʋse.] Christ trieth Peter, by willing him to come on the waters unto him.* 1.19
• Christ trieth Philip, by asking him where he should have bread enough to feed all the* 1.20 mu••ti••ude that followed him.
• Christ trieth Saint Paul, and other Godly persons, by mockings and scourgings, and* 1.21 by bonds and imprisonment, that they might obtain by him the first Resurrection.
• God Trieth the Godly as silver is tried, but delivereth them again.* 1.22
• God He prov••th men to see if they love him entirely.* 1.23
• Thinke it not strange (saith Saint Peter) concerning the fierie trials that are among* 1.24 you, as though s••me strange thing were come unto you.
• There is no temptation hath taken you, (saith Saint Paul) but such as is common* 1.25 to men: But God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able: but w••ll with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to beare it.
• God will trie the righteous, (saith David:) and knoweth how to deliver* 1.26 them out of temptation, (saith Saint Peter.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 1. 26. 2 Tim. 2. 23.
• * 1.2

  Act. 2. 23.
• * 1.3

  Note.
• * 1.4

  Ier. 39. 16.
• * 1.5

  Chap. 49. 37.
• * 1.6

  Jer. 44. 2. Job 42. 21. Ier. 6. 3. Micah 1. 12. I••r. 39. 16. 2 Sant. 12. 1 Ap••. 14. Ch. 21. 22. Deut. 29. 28. Iosh. 23. 25. Amo•• 3. 6. Isai. 31. 1. Chap. 45. 7. Chap. 4••. Ier. 4. 10. Ezek. 14. 9. 2 Sant. 17. Ier. 6. 21. Izek. 3. 26. Is••t. 19. 14. 1 Chron. 21. Iudg. 9. 23. 2 Sam. 16. & 18. Psal. 78. 49. 2 ••las. 2. 11. 2 Sam. 24. Chap. 16. 10. Rom. 9. 17. Psal. 90. 3.
• * 1.7

  Amos 3. 6. Isai. 45. 7.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 14. 4.
• * 1.9

  Iames 1. 13.
• * 1.10

  Gen. 22. 2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, &c. 1 Kin. 22.
• * 1.11

  Deut. 13. 3.
• * 1.12

  Hos. 5. 15. Rom. 1. 26. Act. 5. 3.
• * 1.13

  Act. 17. 28.
• * 1.14

  Deut. 8 2. 2 Chron. 31.
• * 1.15

  Gen. 22. Exo••. 16. 4 2 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 32. 31. Exod. 20. 2••. Iudg. 2. 22. Chap. 2. 1. Psal. 81. 7.
• * 1.16

  Psal. 130. 1.
• * 1.17

  Job 23. 10. Gē. 39. 7.
• * 1.18

  Matth. 4.
• * 1.19

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 33. 1. Psal. 3 2.
• * 1.20

  Matth. 4. Ioh. 6. 5.
• * 1.21

  2 Cor. 11. Heb. 1. 36, 37.
• * 1.22

  Psal. 66. 10.
• * 1.23

  Deut. 1••. 3.
• * 1.24

  1 Pet. 4. 12.
• * 1.25

  1 Cor. 10. 13.
• * 1.26

  Psal. 1••. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 9.