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

And the generated part of the World, which is not formally eternal, but doth oriri & interire, is it that our dispute doth most concern which the Objection doth no whit invalidate.

§. 5. The same Will of God which was the free efficient, ¹is the End of all his Works ad extra.

1. 1Goodness signifieth more than utility or Pleasure to our selves: As when we call a Man, a good Man, a good Scholar, a good Judge, &c. And so doth evil signify on the contrary. Bonum est quod sui ipsius gratiâ expetendum est. Aristot. Rhet. 1. Bonum omnis originis & ortûs finis est. Id. Metaph. l. ae. c. 3.Goodness signifieth more than utility or Pleasure to our selves: As when we call a Man, a good Man, a good Scholar, a good Judge, &c. And so doth evil signifie on the contrary. Bonum est quod sui ipsius gratiâ expetendum est. Aristot. Rhet. 1. Bonum omnis originis & ortûs finis est. Id. Metaph. l. ae. c. 3.

Gods Essence hath no Efficient or final Cause, but is the efficient and final cause of all things else: They proceeded from his Power, his Wisdom and his good-will; and they bear the Image of his Power, Wisdom, and Good-will; and he loveth his own Image in them, and loveth them as they bear his Image; and loveth his Image for Himself. So that the act of his Love to Himself is necessary, though voluntary; and so is the act of his Love to his Image, and to all the Goodness of the Creature, while it is such: But he freely and not necessarily made and continueth the Creature in his Image; and needeth not the Glass or Image, (being self-sufficient) so that his Creature is the mediate Object, ¹