An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

§. 17. And when we say, that God's will may be denominated as divers, prior and posterior, and changeable as related to Objects that are such, this is to be understood only of those acts which are to be denominated by Connotation of what is divers and mutable, ex parte termini, still remembring that ex parte Dei there is really no diversity or mutation. And therefore such denominations are given of God's will chiefly as related to existent Objects, which are his Acts called Love and Hatred, or Complacency and Displacency: e. g. we may say that [God is displeased with Paul or Manasseh unconverted] and [he is pleased with them when converted] the change being only in them. Yet the same denomination may be used also of God's purposing Will. As, e. g. we may say, that [before Christ's Incarnation, God had this Decree; I will send my Son to be incarnate, and die for Man's redemption.] But now it is not fit to say that God hath yet such a Decree, when the thing decreed is past: nor a Decree that He will create Adam and the rest of the World, which is created.

§. 17. And when we say, that God's will may be denominated as divers, prior and posterior, and changeable as related to Objects that are such, this is to be understood only of those acts which are to be denominated by Connotation of what is divers and mutable, ex parte termini, still remembring that ex parte Dei there is really no diversity or mutation. And therefore such denominations are given of God's will chiefly as related to existent Objects, which are his Acts called Love and Hatred, or Complacency and Displacency: e. g. we may say that [God is displeased with Paul or Manasseth unconverted] and [he is pleased with them when converted] the change being only in them. Yet the same denomination may be used also of God's purposing Will. As, e. g. we may say, that [before Christ's Incarnation, God had this Decree; I will send my Son to be incarnate, and die for Man's redemption.] But now it is not fit to say that God hath yet such a Decree, when the thing decreed is past: nor a Decree that He will create Adam and the rest of the World, which is created.

§. 18. But whoever liketh or disliketh any of these modes of Speech, must still remember that Controversies about them are not about any real change in God, (which all deny) but only about the connotative and respective denomination of his Will from the changeable Creature. And while