48 Of Prèdeftination: we confound poor Scholars with the games ofEntia Intentionalia, Species, ÓEntiarationis, Vniverfalia. And with riftotle, Themifij_ us, &c. fay that the Intellect is all things that it knoweth, &c. O what workhave vain notions, and be- fooling Philofòphymade not only in the World, but in the Church, and among thofe that call. themfelves Orthodox, and cry up the fufliciency oftheholy Scriptures ! ( The no- tion of Privations, I need not here apply. ) C. " But things future are future, whether any one think of them or " not. B. And fome men will trouble and deceive themfelves and others, what-ever is faid to them. Itis certain, that polfibile and futurum are termini diminuentes6, negantes quoadexiflentiam. That whichonlywill be is not. Thereforethe name fignifiethnothing, but that the thing will be without any connotation of any caufe of its but it implyeth that there is fome fundamentum velratio, whichmight warrantany perfes ex- iftentIntelleót to fay, It will be. And thereneeds no more to that, but the eternalperfet`tion ofGods own Intelle&. But I have Paid more of this lib. r. and thefore here will add no more. C. " But how is it poble for God to fore-know that finwill be, unlefs " hefirft Will or Decree that it(hallbe (by hispermition) ? B. I abhor the queftionand fuppofition. That fuch worms as we, who know not what Gods Intellect or Will is, fhould prefume to con- clude that he cannot fore-know fin, tiniers we can underftand how he fore-knoweth it g yea, unlefs it be by away that a man could fore-know it. When it is a wirer wayof arguing, to fay, [ This it the way that man knoweth by, andthat man can comprehend: Ergo it is notlike to be theway ofGodsfore-knowledge., But rememberone thing, that here youplain- lymakeGodtowill theformofsin as well as thematter ? For is not the form future ? C. "Tes. B. And isnot Gods Will his Love ? C. "res. B. And do you not make God then to love the very form ofSin, whichyet you fay that no wicked man loveth ? C. "No : It is but the exience ofthe form that hewilleth or loneth. B. O excellent diftinguifhing! He willeth not the form of Sin, but onlywilleth that it be, or exift. The form is the Effence: He willeth that the Effenceexift g but willethnot the Effence, which is nothing, but as exifting ! But dowicked men will any more, or fo much, as that the form exift ? C. " Dr. Twiffe faith, No. B. And if it were but theAû that exifted, lothnot Gods Law make it fin, by forbidding it,and fo caufethe Effence ?' C. "Tes. B. And if you fay that God willeth the exiftenceof the form ofSin, why fayyou thathedoth notcaufe it ? Is not his Will effetkive ? or is it any more contrary to his Holinefs tocaufe it, than towill or love it ? C. " He caufeth theexiftence, but not theform or exiffence. B. What jugling is thisin fuch tremendous matters? r. What is it tocaufe the form, but tocaufe that itexift. Tocaufe it to be, is all the canting that it canhave. s. And you confers that Gods Law, by forbid- ding it, maketh it fin inJpecie when it exifteth. Remember that you fay that it is not only the matter, but theformof fin, which God willeth and caufeth to exift. And is it not a contradiction to call it evil, and yet ,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=