Those that deny that there is in God a passive permission separate from his decretive and actual will in his providence are accused by others, thereby to infer the absurdity, that God is the author or efficient cause of sin; which pretended absurdity, in truth and reason cannot be any, because it is a simple and absolute impossibility, that God should be the author of sin as these arguments do sufficiently testifie.
Argum. 1.
James 1. 13.
Psal. 5. 4.
Deut. 32. 3.
1. That of necessity must be false, which the Scriptures do declare to be so, in open and plain terms. But that God should be the author of sin or evil, the Scriptures do deny in open and plain terms, as where the Text saith: God cannot be tempted with evil: where both the act, and the possibility of it is absolutely denied. Again: For thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. Therefore it is false that God is, or can be the author of sin; and so by consequence the supposed absurdity is a meer impossibility; and an absurdity urged that is impossible, is most of all absurd.
Argum. 2.
2. He is ens summè perfectum, & quicquid est in Deo, est Deus; but sin howsoever understood, or accepted, is an imperfection, defect and an aberration from a just and perfect rule, and therefore it is simply impossible that God can be the cause of any thing that is imperfect, sinful or evil, if sin be considered as malum culpæ.
Argum. 3.
Rom. 4. 15.