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

Obj. But you confound the final Object and the final Act: God's complacency of love is his final Act, but our enquiry is of the final Object.

Answ. The finis cui, or personal end is most properly the ultimate, he for whose sake, or for whom the thing is done: But this is God only, and therein he is both the act and object. He that did veil creaturas, did velle eas ad complacentiam propriae voluntatis. The question is not of the actus complacentiae, but of the actus creandi vel volendi creaturarum existentiam: ⟨p. 85⟩which he doth propter voluntatis impletionem, & inde complacentiam; which is the final act, and the final object of the creating act; But for the actus complacentiae it is not actus intentionis but fruitionis; and therefore hath no end, above it self: And the final object of that Complacency, is not the Creature it self, but the Impletion of the Divine will in the Creature; yea, the Image of his Omnipotency, Wisdom and Goodness shining in the Creation, is not loved propter se, ultimately; but for the sake of that Divine Essence and Perfection of which it is the Image: (as we love the Image of our friend for his sake;) so that when all is done, God himself is his own end in all his works, so far as (very improperly) he may be said to intend an end.

Answ. The finis cui, or personal end is most properly the ultimate, he for whose sake, or for whom the thing is done: But this is God only, and therein he is both the act and object. He that did velle creaturas, did velle eas ad complacentiam propriae voluntatis. The question is not of the actus complacentiae, but of the actus creandi vel volendi creaturarum existentiam: ⟨p. 85⟩which he doth propter voluntatis impletionem, & inde complacentiam; which is the final act, and the final object of the creating act; But for the actus complacentiae it is not actus intentionis but fruitionis; and therefore hath no end, above it self: And the final object of that Complacency, is not the Creature it self, but the Impletion of the Divine will in the Creature; yea, the Image of his Omnipotency, Wisdom and Goodness shining in the Creation, is not loved propter se, ultimately; but for the sake of that Divine Essence and Perfection of which it is the Image: (as we love the Image of our friend for his sake;) so that when all is done, God himself is his own end in all his works, so farr as (very improperly) he may be said to intend an end.