Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

76 Of the skatuxe, knouledge, íll Leg. Gail, Camera?. difp. moral. li. t. I. 2 dr 3. pug. e g6. &c. & Phil. Fab. t. d. 3. gtt. 3. cap. 2. dr q. 4. C. 7. Scot. 5. d. q.4.ad4.erq.t.a.2. dr2.d.3. gm. to. d?d.6. q Jr. 6.. de Animaq. 19, to, 25. fay as Guil. Camerar. itid. p. t. q. a. pg. r; 8. that between Volition and Nolitions there is this order, that Volitions go firft, and we nill things only, becaufe they confft not with what we firft Wi,lcd. And Gods will need not to rife up with an adtual oppof::den efnecially again( its own as or fufpenfions, where a non- agency will do the fame thing. An Additional Explication of Divine Nolitions. JEft all this feeni not clear enough in fo myflerious a bufinefs, andbe caufe I have oft infifted on it, Iwill yet add this further explication of my thoughts in there following Thefes. t. Underflánding and Will in God beingnot thefame thing as in man, we mull not think that we have any other conceptions or expreffions of them than Metaphorical or Analogical. 2. Therefore wemuff not fay, Thus and Thus God underftandeth and willeth, but After themanner of men wemuff thus conceiveof it. 3. But there are feveral degrees of impropriety of fpeech : and in a greater degree repentings, wrath, hating, grief, be. are in Scripture fpoken ofGod ; but in ftriet dilputes the leffer degree mull be chofen, that is, fuels conceptions as have leaft of imperfedtion.. 4. Inman the will is an Appetite, and effentially connoteth the want of what we have an appetite to, or a felfinfufficiency : but fo it dotli not inGod. g. And Nolitions in yet fignifie greater imperfedlion,viz. that there is fome evil or hurtful thing which is at enmity to him, or againft his good, and which he would be delivered from, orovercome: andit is in the will the beginningof a war, or refiftance: But it is not fo in God. 6. That which is Good we will, and that which is Evil we Nill, and that which is neither, we neitherwill nor ;trill. Accordingly we muff after themanner ofmen afcribe to God, z. Volitions of Good, z. Nolitlons of Evil, 3. ANon-velle and Non-nolleof that which is neither. 7: Nothing is Good, but i. God himfelf limply and primitively, and a,. The works ofGod fecondarilyand derivatively as the glory or fplen- dour of his perfections is found in them, and as they are the produdts of his will: 3. And the Aar or works of his creatures in a third degree: 8. The Goodnefs of the creature being eflèntially relative tó Gods will, that is, Its conformity to it as its product, the creature is eonomine Goodbecaufe it is thatwhich God willeth. 9. Hence thegrand difficulty is refolved, Whether God could have made the World Better e No : not in the firft and propereft fence of created Goodnefs, becaufehe cannot make it any other than what he willeth it to be : But he mightmake it otherwife andmightdiverfifie it, and make par- ticular creatures Betterto themfelves and oneanother, which is a lower fçnfe of Goodnefs : But in alldiverfifications theywould be Rill perfedtly Agree- able to his will, and fo be frill equally Good or Bell. TO. The Goodnefs of the third rank of beings ( The.Alls of Free-, Agents ) is their Conformity to his Law or Governing Regulating Will. i t. God hath as creator and Motor become the Voluntary Root or Spring of Nature and natural motion, and accordingly ftablifhed all fe- cond caufes as natural agents under him, and dóth by them operate in a natural necefï'rtating and confiant way: And this is antecedent to his Laws to

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