The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

And whereas some say, that there is an eternal truth in such Axioms as these [Thou shalt love God above all, and ⟨p. 70⟩do as thou wouldst be done by, and the good should be encouraged, and the bad punished, &c.] I answer, God formeth not Propositions; And therefore there were no such Propositions from Eternity: Nor was there any Creature to love God,¹ or to do Good or Evil, and be the subject of such Propositions: That Proposition therefore which was not from Eternity, was neither true nor false from Eternity; for non entis non sunt accidentia vel modi. But this is true, that from Eternity there were the grounds of the verity of such Propositions when they should after be: And that if there had been subjects from Eternity for such Propositions, and Intellects to frame them, they would have been of Eternal truth.

And whereas some say, that there is an eternall truth in such Axiomes as these [Thou shalt love God above all, and ⟨p. 70⟩do as thou would'st be done by, and the good should be incouraged, and the bad punished, &c.] I answer, God formeth not Propositions; And therefore there were no such Propositions from Eternity: Nor was there any Creature to love God,¹ or to do Good or Evil, and be the subject of such Propositions: That Proposition therefore which was not from Eternity, was neither true nor false from Eternity; for non entis non sunt accidentia vel modi. But this is true, that from Eternity there were the grounds of the verity of such Propositions when they should after be: And that if there had been subjects from Eternity for such Propositions, and Intellects to frame them, they would have been of Eternal truth.

1. 1Quod (de magistratu loquitur) cum dico legem, a me dici nihil aliud intelligi volo quàm imperium, sine quo nec domus ulla, nec civitas, &c. Id. de leg. 3. init.