that is, the terminus or effect of his operation. And in the other sense, He himself only is his own end; that is, the complacency of his own Will.
3. Therefore to undertake to delineate the Order of Gods Volitions or Decrees, according to the way of mental intention de fine & mediis, is a work unfit for us to meddle with, as being beyond our reach.
4. But those that will needs meddle that way, can go no further than to say, That God is his own end, (or the fulfilling or complacency of his Will) and therefore that God first willeth the complacency of his own Will, and then willeth all Creatures as the means thereto. And what is this to any of our Controversies? For the glorifying of his Justice, is but the means of the complacency of his Will. Or if you will say, that his Glory is his end, it is no created thing that you must mean by his Glory. For nothing created can be Gods Ultimate End. Or if you could prove that 1a created Glory were Gods Ultimate End; that is, the appearance or refulgence of his Image or Likeness on the Creature: yet you must confess, that it is the Glory of God in his Conjunct Perfections, Power, Wisdom, Goodness, and that the Glory of his Punitive Justice must be either taken as a means to that; or else that God hath his End continually in the Glory which is upon every Creature, and every man and act of man.
5. Though Dr. Twice so frequently inculcate, Quod prius est intentione, posterius est executione; he saith, that it is but de fine & med•is, and not de medii• inter se; and that no medium is properly Gods End (and then nothing but himself is his End); and he glorieth as the discoverer of this Truth, that all the means are one to God, and therefore have but one Decree; so that he reduceth all Gods Decrees to two, 1. Of his Glory as his End▪ 2. Of all the means thereto as one.
⟨p. 16⟩6. And other learned mens Writings I have seen, who come after him, and seek to prove that the Decree de fine & mediis are but one, and consequently that there is no such order to be feigned among them.
7. The plain truth is, Gods Will is the beginning and end of all: And all the World are the means of accomplishing and pleasing it: And it is always fulfilled and pleased, though not always by the same means: And God loveth no Creature finally for it self, but for Himself, as his Perfection shineth in it, and as it fulfilleth his Will.
that is, the terminus or effect of his operation. And in the other sense, He himself only is his own end; that is, the complacency of his own Will.
3. Therefore to undertake to delineate the Order of Gods Volitions or Decrees, according to the way of mental intention de fine & mediis, is a work unfit for us to meddle with, as being beyond our reach.
4. But those that will needs meddle that way, can go no further than to say, That God is his own end, (or the fulfilling or complacency of his Will) and therefore that God first willeth the complacency of his own Will, and then willeth all Creatures as the means thereto. And what is this to any of our Controversies? For the glorifying of his Justice, is but the means of the complacency of his Will. Or if you will say, that his Glory is his end, it is no created thing that you must mean by his Glory. For nothing created can be Gods Ultimate End. Or if you could prove that 1a created Glory were Gods Ultimate End; that is, the appearance or refulgence of his Image or Likeness on the Creature: yet you must confess, that it is the Glory of God in his Conjunct Perfections, Power, Wisdom, Goodness, and that the Glory of his Punitive Justice must be either taken as a means to that; or else that God hath his End continually in the Glory which is upon every Creature, and every man and act of man.
5. Though Dr. Twisse so frequently inculcate, Quod prius est intentione, posterius est executione; he saith, that it is but de fine & med•is, and not de medii• inter se; and that no medium is properly Gods End (and then nothing but himself is his End); and he glorieth as the discoverer of this Truth, that all the means are one to God, and therefore have but one Decree; so that he reduceth all Gods Decrees to two, 1. Of his Glory as his End▪ 2. Of all the means thereto as one.
⟨p. 16⟩6. And other learned mens Writings I have seen, who come after him, and seek to prove that the Decree de fine & mediis are but one, and consequently that there is no such order to be feigned among them.
7. The plain truth is, Gods Will is the beginning and end of all: And all the World are the means of accomplishing and pleasing it: And it is always fulfilled and pleased, though not always by the same means: And God loveth no Creature finally for it self, but for Himself, as his Perfection shineth in it, and as it fulfilleth his Will.
- 1Scholastici omnes uno •re fatentur nullam causam realem Divinae voluntatis posse assignari, non solum efficientem, materialem aut formalem (id enim satis compertum est) sed neque •in• lem non solum inter object• creat• sed ••c su•m bonitatem, Vasq. 1. Tho. q. 19. d. 82. c. 1. (But by his leave, that which hath no caus• formati• •• nothing.) But cap. 2. he maintaineth that Gods own goodness (only) is his Ratio volendi, sed non causa, which is held also by Al•ns. 1. p. q. 28. •. •. q. 3. Gabri. 1. d. 14. q. 1. a. 1. Henric. quod, l. 4. q. 19. Dried. de concord. 1. p. cap. 4. •d •.
