and Decrees of Cod, &c. .ionsof Gods fmmpie effence beyond true neceffity : and whether then to contend about the priority of fuch conceptions be more holy or pro-, phane 5. For all the reafons before given, If they will fay thatGod Decreeth penally todeny or not to give Graceor Glory or any good thingto them that forfeit it there is reafon for the expreflion according to Scripture, af- ter the manner of man : But if theywill fly higher and fay that Gods Simple effential will, is to be called Apofitive Decree or Volition that lit-, dàs, e. . (hall not be named john, Thomas, &c. that there (hall be milli- ons of diftind non-entities, &c. or that any pofitive Volition is of ne- celfty to non-futurities ornon-exiftences in meet phyfrcal refpeds, whereno pofitive aétion is neceffary, ( fave only that by confequence he that de- creeth and willeth to make filchand fuch finite creatures, may confequen -, tially and improperly be faid to willthat there fhall in general be no more, in that he willeth not that there (bd be more,and they cannot be with- out his will, ) I fear fuch are over-boldwith God. And fo are they that fay that he hath a Pofitive Decree or Will, non dareehriftuni ante lapfum &lanai, non dare fidem, non impedire peccatem, in fuch inftances or cafes wherein the [dare] is no Al é of a Rector, nor the [negare ] the pofi- tive Law, judgement or penal denyalof a Judge, but only the dare belong- eth to a freeDominus-benefit-tor. Penalpermion or non-impedition offin, and denying or notgiving grace, may be laid tobe decreedor willed, becaufeGod threatned thein an- tecedently by a Pofitive Law, which fhouldmake them due, and that Law was theproduct of Gods will. Though Rri&ly it is buc thePofitive Law and the Debitumpang here that God willeth, which the non-impedire & non-dare gratiam follow. But Gods not making men Angels, or Stars, or Suns, and his making its men, free and defe&ible, and his permitting the firfl fin, and his giving men no more grace antecedently (before forfeiture) as free benefactor dominos fuoram, none of there have the fame reafon on which to found inch denominations of Gods will and effence. And Peeing Nolitions in man are the refults of his Infusficiencyand war against noxious evils, we mutt not afcribe fuch Imperfe&ions to God ; but only inch Nolitions as his Altionsas Pefter. per Loges & judicia have made to fignifie no imperfe&ion, as being not contra nocumenta, but only contra injelri&& as against himfelf, 6, contra nocumentaas against his crea- tures, i. e. contra peccatum. And now I may anfwer the folitary argument of vafquez, mention- ed in the Margin (that nonentia, nondaregratiam, non impedire pecca- tum, &c. may have aliquamrationem boni & amabilitatis, and fo may beWilled, Lovedor Decreed.) Anfw. I. Inmeer Naturali, Negationsare `not properly anyway gòod or evil; but Privationsare Natural .vi/s, andnot good. 2. To be occafao fine qua non of good, (as ficknefs is of the Phyfi- cions honour, and finof Gods,) is not any true ratio boni vel amabilrss: The bonuris & amabile is only the good that on that occafion is done : The occafion is neither efficient, conflitutive or final cauee of any good, hor any canal proper medium. 3, In Morals, meer Negations areneither good nor eill, nor hatre any Morality, but onlyPofatives andPrivations. 4. In morals God judicially cloth that whence Penal privationsfollow, andhe may penally non apere, nod dare gratiam, to executehis Law, and áfemenJirate his truth ant' Justice on (inners, and occafion the perception of .tannei aibt Cup. p.sjs: argueth [ Onene ordinal bile in bourn finem quoi invenitur exiftens, eft voli- bum á Dea': feet Permiffo peccatieft, &c.] Anf. Per- miffo ilia qua nihil eft, neq; exieftens eft neque or- dinabile : De permiffone, auteur attiva verane eft. So Rust de Predef. Tract. 2. diffe,r2. c0p1ouf1pro véth a plume well or decree of Permitting fin: Belt then he defineth Permi(fwn fo as to in- clude both Próduttion of circumfances and gene= ralconcurfe ; And who denyeth that fuck poli-_ tive beings mull have politice Càufes ? But whaesthat to meér non- impedetion ? (Thus Ril! words are the matter of ourquarrels.) Yetfea.q. he confelfeth that he findeth none of the an. oient Schoolmeti that exprefly fay that the Per-, . millionof finis fore-de- 'creed, nor that the Lai-. er deliver it fob iifdeea verbis. Adriian in q.de Clay.for. gß2. Botinero nihil poli- tivi kit, fed foison non folvere : & ergo non o- portez Claves elfe, float nee Deam curare; effePivam. edé. See Allidco befdre cited 'hewing that Lombard tookPertnilliion offin to benoAit, either Villeor Nulle, but a non-celle dr non-effecere, whichhehim± felfcontradi(teth not.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=