An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

So that the Work of our Salvation is one entire frame, composed by Divine Wisdom and Love; where one part is the Reason of another, though none be the Cause of any thing in God: And Christ's Mediation, though coming after 4000 years, yet was then to do that which should make it meet and right and just for God to pardon Sin before: Even as in a Building the several parts may be the reason of each other, because they must be all compaginated and fitted to their relative places and uses: And though the Foundation make not the Superstructure, it upholdeth •it• And as Aquinas briefly faith, Deus non propter hoc vult hoc, sed vult hoc esse propter hoc; nothing is the Cause of God's Will, but it is God's Will that one thing shall be for another: And when all his Work must be one Frame, the part last made may be a reason of the former. And so Christ's merits and sacrifice, though after 4000 years, perform that for which it became just and meet before for God to pardon Sinners. For though it was not then existent, yet (besides the Decree) the Promise, Prediction and Publication made it useful to its ends, in respect to GOD and Man.

§. 18. So then, though the Cause be not truly a Cause till it exist, and though all the Pardon and Salvation given for 4000 years, was before the ⟨p. 96⟩existence of the merits and sacrifice of Christ, yet the Promise and Notification of the Mediator and his merits and sacrifice, as the reason of this Pardon, did then exist, and was the cause of that Pardon, which Christ was afterward to merit.

§. 19. It is therefore no absurdity, that the existence of Man's Faith and Repentance should be necessary, when the Mediator's Existence and his Merits was not necessary: For it was not then an existent Mediator (and Sacrifice, &c.) that was the Object of Faith, but only a Promised Mediator.