An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

§. 13. Yet I assert not that the Ratio prima of all these Diversities of the Divine Acts is ex terminis seu recipientibus: For the first Reason is in and of God himself: For it is God that maketh all diversities of Effects and Changes; and so it is from those divers Effects of his own Will, that his Will is relatively ex connotatione termini diversly denominated. But that in God which is the Ratio prima diversitatis, is not divers, but his one simple essential Will; so that it is the diversity of Objects which is the immediate Reason of distinguishing God's acts, (of which before).

§. 14. These things premised, I come nearer to the Question, if that which existeth not do truly cause, it must be either efficiently, constitutively, or finally. The two first are denied by the common Reason of Mankind. That which is not, cannot effect: Nothing can do nothing. And to say it is not, is to say, it constituteth not. And as it is certain, that causa finalis non efficit, yea, is but causa metaphorice operans, so it is certain, that no Creature causeth any thing in God, no not finally.

§. 15. Those that say, That Christ and his death and merits did not cause before Existence, in esse existenti, but in esse cognito, as constituting the Divine Idea's, 1. Must remember that the esse cognitum, as they call it, is no esse rei cognita at all; Therefore if only the esse cognitum do cause, then ⟨p. 94⟩it was not Christ and his Merits that caused. 2. In Man for an esse cognitum, to cause his further acts, is but for one Thought to cause another Thought, or a Volition or Nolition. And these Thoughts and Volitions are really divers, and constituted by reception of intromitted Objects: But God is no Recipient, nor knoweth any Object as we do by intromission; Nor hath he any such Thoughts or Idea's of Creatures as are really divers ex parte Dei, but only by extrinsic denomination.