An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

§. 8. God is not an Efficient Cause of Himself, or any thing in Himself, and therefore not properly an End to Himself, because there is nothing in Him Caused. But if any will speak otherwise, as if there were in God himself Eternal Causation Efficient and final, and Eternal Effects, and thereby explain the Doctrine of the Trinity, let them remember that they venture on singular Expressions, and such as favour of Imperfection; but we hope that they differ from the Commoner way, but in a Logical Notion, rather than in a real Conception.

§. 8. God is not an Efficient Cause of Himself, or any thing in Himself, and therefore not properly an End to Himself, because there is nothing in Him Caused. But if any will speak otherwise, as if there were in God himself Eternal Causatio• Efficient and final, and Eternal Effects, and thereby explain the Doctrine of the Trinity, let them remember that they venture on singular Expressions, and such as favor of Imperfection; but we hope that they differ from the Commoner way, but in a Logical Notion, rather than in a real Conception.

§. 9. If we may not say that God is his ow• End (for every End hath a Means, and there is no Means to God's Beings or Perfections) then he is not properly said to have any End. For nothing but Himself can properly be his End.

§. 10. Yet when by an End we mean but improperly the ultimate Effect, and not any thing which to God is Causa agendi; and so declare that we take the words End and Intention equivocally as to God and Man, the phrase may be used: And in that sense we must say that God's will as Efficient being the Beginning of all things, God's will as fulfilled and pleased is the End of all; which yet signifieth not any diversity or change in God; for his Will is always fulfilled, though not always by