Of Prede. ination. B. A true modus entis is quid abfolutum& reale, and the fame that we call anAccident: And Gaffendus choofeth to call Accidents, Modes or Qualities : And they are not really diftin&from the ens cujus modi font, if they be intrinfical Modes orAccidents, ( as quantity, quality, action, &c.) But they are (mall inadequate conceptionsof the thing modified not conceptions of its conttitutive chief denominating part , but yet conceptions of quid entis , fo that an entire perfe& conception of the thing, would comprehend or include the conception of the Mode or Accident. So that theythat deride the nameof Pars accidentalis as pit for Accidens, fpeaknotalways fo good fenfe as they think they do. But fuch Accidents or Modesas are extrinfical to the thing, (as Cloaths to theBody, Servants, Lands, Riches, Honours,) are not properlyModes and Accidents at all, but Adjunïís. C. " Apply this to thepoint in queflion, (of Futurity.) B. If Futurity, as is Paid, bean eternal Being, it is God : If nothing it hath nocaufe. If it be calledJuidmedium, the veryquid is a contra- di&ion to it. Tobegin backward, t. If it be Modus Entis, from eter- nity, it mutt be Modus Dei : For there was no ens ab aternobut God : If it beModus Dei, it is Deus : For all in God is God. 2. If it be Relatio, it is abfoluti alicujus relatio. If fo, either of fame real Being, or of nothing. If of a Being from eternity, it mutt be a Relation of God to the thing future, in that heeither willedor fore-knew it. For nothing was eternal but God. And if fo, that Relationof God to the thing future isfomething ornothing. Iffomenting, it is God himfelf, and fohath nocaufe. If nothing, it is no effea, and fo bathno caufe. But if it be the Relation of nothing, viz. of the thing future, (to an Intelle& poflible or real that could know it future) than it is no- thing it felt: For theRelation of nothing cannot be fomething, a real ac- cident without a real Subje&. 3. Iffuturity was from eternity ens Rationis, it was Rationis Divina ; for therewas no created Reafonab <eterno : And if fo, either Aptitudinal or Anual. If Anual, it was God : For all his Idea's and entia rationis (for I fuppofe youone of the boldmenthat affirm entia rationis tobe in God,) mull needs be Godhimfelf, and fo have no caufe. If Aptitudi- nal, and not yet in mente divina, butobjena poffibilia; either they were fomething or nothing. Iffomething, then there was fomething eternal befides God, which is not faid by anyof us. If nothing, to call them future, fignifieth no more, but that Gods infinite knowledge extendeth to things that are not as ifthey were, which is true : Butfuturity it felt being nothing, bathno caufe. 4. Ifyou fay that they areextrinfcal Denominations, it isfomethingor nothing that is denominatedfuture. I knowyou will fay, Its nothing. If fo quatenus extrinfical to God, it was from eternity nothing, which you call a Denomination. But ifyou mean the A&of Goddenomina- ting, it was quid reale, that isGod himfelf; who hath no caufe. But yet this is the true foundationof the notion. Becaufe Gods Knowledge of all things, and hisWill of all good things, extendeth toall intelligible and amiableObje&s to all eternity; therefore we firft juftly denominateGod to bean Intelle& that knoweth what will be, anda Will which willeth all that he will do ; And thence we fay that the thingwasfuture from eter-. nity. And fo froman extrinfickDenomination of GodsMind and Will we runon to givenames tonumberlefs nothings,and then talk,and write, and make Sciences and Difputesof them in our dreams, asif theywere fomethings. And this is the work of the fantaftical World. And then WC 47 "..
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=