_MADAM,_
Since I spake of Religion in my last, I cannot but acquaint you, that I
was the other day in the company of Sir _P. H._ and Sir _R. L._ where
amongst other discourses they talk'd of Predestination and Free-will.
Sir _P. H._ accounted the opinion of Predestination not onely absurd,
but blasphemous; for, said he, Predestination makes God appear Cruel,
as first to create Angels and Man, and then to make them fall from
their Glory, and damn them eternally: For God, said he, knew before
he made them, they would fall; Neither could he imagine, from whence
that Pride and Presumption did proceed, which was the cause of the
Angels fall, for it could not proceed from God, God being infinitely
Good. Sir _R. L._ answer'd, That this Pride and Presumption did not
come from God, but from their own Nature. But, replyed Sir _P. H._
God gave them that Nature, for they had it not of themselves, but all
what they were, their Essence and Nature, came from God the Creator
of all things, and to suffer that, which was in his power to hinder,
was as much as to act. Sir _R. L._ said, God gave both Angels and Man
a Free-will at their Creation. Sir _P. H._ answered, that a Free-will
was a part of a divine attribute, which surely God would not give away
to any Creature: Next, said he, he could not conceive why God should
make Creatures to cross and oppose him; for it were neither an act of
Wisdom to make Rebels, nor an act of Justice to make Devils; so that
neither in his Wisdom, Justice, nor Mercy, God could give leave, that
Angels and Man should fall through sin; neither was God ignorant that
Angels and Man would fall; for surely, said he, God knew all things,
past, present, and to come; wherefore, said he, Free-will doth weaken
the Power of God, and Predestination doth weaken the power of man, and
both do hinder each other: Besides, said he, since God did confirm
the rest of the Angels in the same state they were before, so as they
could not fall afterwards, he might as well have created them all so
at first. But Sir _R. L._ replied, That God suffered Angels and Man to
fall for his Glory, to shew his Justice in Devils, and his Mercy in
Man; and that the Devils express'd God's Omnipotency as much as the
Blessed. To which Sir _P. H._ answered, That they expressed more God's
severity in those horrid torments they suffer through their Natural
Imperfections, then his power in making and suffering them to sin.
Thus they discoursed: And to tell you truly, _Madam_, my mind was more
troubled, then delighted with their discourse; for it seemed rather to
detract from the honour of the great God, then to increase his Glory;
and no Creature ought either to think or to speak any thing that is
detracting from the Glory of the Creator: Wherefore I am neither for
Predestination, nor for an absolute Free-will, neither in Angels,
Devils, nor Man; for an absolute Free-will is not competent to any
Creature: and though Nature be Infinite, and the Eternal Servant to
the Eternal and Infinite God, and can produce Infinite Creatures, yet
her Power and Will is not absolute, but limited; that is, she has a
natural free-will, but not a supernatural, for she cannot work beyond
the power God has given her. But those mystical discourses belong to
Divines, and not to any Lay-person, and I confess my self very ignorant
in them. Wherefore I will nor dare not dispute God's actions, being all
infinitely wise, but leave that to Divines, who are to inform us what
we ought to believe, and how we ought to live. And thus taking my leave
of you for the present, I rest,
Madam,
_Your faithful Friend_
_and Servant._