Now for any Creature knowingly to oppose the Will of its Creator, is
not only disingenuity in regard of what is owing from it to its
Sovereign Benefactor, and Folly in respect of that dependence which it
has on him for its Being, as it is commonly represented to us to be;
but is also in the Nature of Things (simply consider'd) so repugnant
to right Reason, that were such a Creature consistent with it self
herein, and could act pursuantly to That Will, it would operate to its
own destruction; since its Existence evidently depends upon That of
its Maker; whose Will, as reveal'd to us, being but a different
consideration of his Attributes, the knowledge whereof is all the
Knowledge we have of God, cannot be so much as conceiv'd by us
separable from the Being of God; unless the God, which we conceive, be
a Fiction of our own Imagination, and not the Creator of All Things;
who is an invisible Being only knowable to us in, and by, the
exemplifications of his Attributes: The infinite Perfection, and the
inseparable Correspondence, and Harmony of which (discernable in the
Frame and Government of the Universe) plainly tells us, That the
Divine Will cannot be (like ours) successive Determinations without
dependance, or connection one upon another; much less inconsistent,
contradictory, and mutable; but one steady, uniform, unchangeable
result of infinite Wisdom and Benevolence, extending to, and including
All his Works. So that Sin, or disobedience to our Maker is manifestly
the greatest Nonsense, Folly and contradiction conceivable, with
regard purely to the immutable perfection of the Divine Nature; and to
the Natural constitution of things, independently upon any positive
command of God to us, or his irresistible power over us.

But as without a capacity in The Creature to act contrary to the will
of the Creator there could be no defect, or self-excellency in any