and many School-men to liken God (with some acknowledged difference) in his Operations to the Sun, which by one invaried efflux of motive, illuminative and calefactive power, causeth innumerable varieties of effects, as all the particular Creatures have various Natures and receptive Dispositions. 9. But all good disposition or preparation is of God; But by such ways of operation as we are searching after. But all ill disposition is from our selves. 10. To conclude, God giveth men sometimes as much power to Will or Act, when they do not, as they have when they do. But (usually) not an equal predisposition, some having more indisposed themselves; which is to be changed by contrary acts. But whether de facto men equally enabled, predisposed, helped and hindered, do yet without any cause but their own free-will it self act or will variously, is a question that these Controversies need not come to: That such (were there such in the World) could do it, I take for granted, what-ever they do.
The Controversy is well known which Hobbes hath raised in the World, who saith, That to be free and to be willing is all one; and that every act of the Will is as truly necessitated by physical premotion, as the motions of any Engine are; And that we talk of liberty and contingency ⟨p. 152⟩in the dark, not that there is any such thing indeed, but when we know not the train of Causes, we use those names, which signify but our ignorance: And that the first Cause and other superior Causes do by premotion as much necessitate each Volition, as the Archer doth the motion of his Arrow. And the Dominicans predetermination, and Camero's necessitation by a train of second Causes is the same I think. But I think God hath made a very good use (by his over-ruling ordination) of the Doctrine of Hobbes, (learnedly and timerously, or cautiously seconded by Gassendus, and improved by Benedictus Spinosa, an Apostate Jew in his Tractatus Politico-theologicus.) For the goodness and learning of such worthy men as were Alvarez, Twice, Camero, (in all other points moderate and admirably judicious) hath been the grand temptation to the Church to receive that Doctrine, which Hobbes and Spinosa having plainly and nakedly propounded, is now detested by almost all good men.
and many School-men to liken God (with some acknowledged difference) in his Operations to the Sun, which by one invaried efflux of motive, illuminative and calefactive power, causeth innumerable varieties of effects, as all the particular Creatures have various Natures and receptive Dispositions. 9. But all good disposition or preparation is of God; But by such ways of operation as we are searching after. But all ill disposition is from our selves. 10. To conclude, God giveth men sometimes as much power to Will or Act, when they do not, as they have when they do. But (usually) not an equal predisposition, some having more indisposed themselves; which is to be changed by contrary acts. But whether de facto men equally enabled, predisposed, helped and hindered, do yet without any cause but their own free-will it self act or will variously, is a question that these Controversies need not come to: That such (were there such in the World) could do it, I take for granted, what-ever they do.
The Controversie is well known which Hobbes hath raised in the World, who saith, That to be free and to be willing is all one; and that every act of the Will is as truly necessitated by physical premotion, as the motions of any Engine are; And that we talk of liberty and contingency ⟨p. 152⟩in the dark, not that there is any such thing indeed, but when we know not the train of Causes, we use those names, which signifie but our ignorance: And that the first Cause and other superior Causes do by premotion as much necessitate each Volition, as the Archer doth the motion of his Arrow. And the Dominicans predetermination, and Camero's necessitation by a train of second Causes is the same I think. But I think God hath made a very good use (by his over-ruling ordination) of the Doctrine of Hobbes, (learnedly and timerously, or cautelously seconded by Gassendus, and improved by Benedictus Spinosa, an Apostate Jew in his Tractatus Politico-theologicus.) For the goodness and learning of such worthy men as were Alvarez, Twisse, Camero, (in all other points moderate and admirably judicious) hath been the grand temptation to the Church to receive that Doctrine, which Hobbes and Spinosa having plainly and nakedly propounded, is now detested by almost all good men.
