LETTERS FROM THE BACONIANA. 211 



turning his countenance towards his creatures, (though not 

 in equal light and degree) made way unto the dispensation 

 of his most holy and secret will, whereby some of his crea 

 tures might stand and keep their state ; others might, pos 

 sibly, fall and be restored ; and others might fall, and not 

 be restored in their estate, but yet remain in being, though 

 under wrath and corruption, all with respect to the Media 

 tor ; which is the great mystery, and perfect centre of all 

 God s ways with his creatures, and unto which all his other 

 works and wonders do but serve and refer. 7 



Here absolute reprobation seems to be defended, in 

 that the will of God is made the reason of the non-restitutioif 

 of some ; at leastwise his lordship seems to say, that twas 

 God s will that some should fall ; unless that may be meant 

 of voluntas permissiva [his will of permission]. 



In page the second, at the end,* where he saith 

 &quot; Amongst the generations of men, he elected a small 

 flock,&quot; if that were added, &quot; of fallen men,&quot; it would not be 

 amiss ; lest any should conceive that his lordship had meant, 

 the decree had passed on massa incorrupta, [on mankind 

 considered before the fall.] 



In page the 4th, lines the 13th and 14th,f are these 

 words : 



&quot; Man made a total defection from God, presuming to 

 imagine, that the commandments and prohibitions of God 

 were not the rules of good and evil, but that good and evil 

 had their own principles and beginnings.&quot; 



Consider whether this be a rule universal, that the com 

 mands and prohibitions of God are the rules of good and 

 evil : for, as St. Austin saith, many things are prohibita 

 quia mala, [for that reason forbidden because they are evil,] 

 as those sins which the schools call specifical. 



* That is, in Resuscitatio, p. 118, 1. 24, &c. 

 f That is, ibid, p. 119, 1. 36, &c. 



