Anthony Gilby

A Brief Treatise of Election and Reprobation Anthony Gilby

Excerpt: The nature of sin being defined by the authority of scriptures, to be a thought, word, or deed, contrary to the will of God; for such things only defile the man, as Christ our Master saith, "are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man", and therefore are only to be reckoned sin. No such thought can be attributed or ascribed unto God, as can be against his will, therefore no sin can be his work. Neither can he be the author of evil, which therefore is called God, because he is the Author and Doer of all good, and so far from evil, that he turneth all our evil to some good, all our sin to the uttering forth of his grace, our lies to the declaration of his truth. This is the perfect Work Master which worketh all things without fault or trespass according to his eternal purpose.