A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…

ARG. III. On the Supposition of God's Ignorance of the future Volitions of free Agents, it will follow, that God must in many Cases truly repent what He has done, so as properly to wish He had done otherwise: by Reason that the Event of Things, in those Affairs which are most important, viz. the Affairs of his moral Kingdom, being uncertain and contingent, often happens quite otherwise than he was aware beforehand. And there would be Reason to understand That, in the most literal Sense, in Gen. vi.6. It repented the Lord, that he had made Man on the Earth, and it grieved him at his Heart. And that, 1 Sam. xv.11. contrary to that, Numb. xxiii.19. God is not the Son of Man, that he should repent. And, 1 Sam. xv.15, 29. Also the Strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent: for he is not a Man that he should repent. Yea, from this Notion it would follow, that God is liable to repent and be grieved at his Heart, in a literal Sense, continually; and is always exposed to an infinite Number of real Disappointments, in his governing the World; and to manifold, constant, great Perplexity and Vexation: But this is not very consistent with his Title of God over all, blessed for evermore; which represents Him as possessed of perfect, constant and uninterrupted Tranquillity and Felicity, as God over the Universe, and in his Management of the Affairs of the World, as supreme and universal Ruler. See Rom. i.25. ix.5. 2 Cor. xi.31. 1 Tim. vi.15.

ARG. IV. It will also follow▪ from this Notion, that as God is liable to be continually repenting what He has done; so He must be exposed to be constantly changing his Mind and Intentions, as to his future Conduct; altering his Measures, relinquishing his old Designs, and forming new Schemes & Projections. For his Purposes, even as to the main Parts of his Scheme, namely, such as belong to the State of his moral Kingdom, must be always liable to be broken, thro' want of Foresight; and He must be continually putting his System to rights, as it gets out of Order, through the Contingence of the Actions of moral Agents: He must be a Being, who, instead of being absolutely immutable, must necessarily be the Subject of infinitely the most numerous Acts of Repentance, and Changes of Intention, of any Being whatsoever; for this plain Reason, that his vastly extensive Charge comprehends an infinitely greater Number of those Things which are to Him contingent and uncertain. In such a Situation, He must have little else to do, but to mend broken Links as well as he can, and be rectifying his disjointed Frame and disordered Movements, in the best Manner the Case will allow. The supreme Lord of all Things must needs be under great and miserable Disadvantages, in governing the World which He has made, and has the Care of, through his being utterly unable to find out Things of chief Importance, which hereafter shall befall his System; which if He did but know, He might make seasonable Provision for. In many Cases, there may be very great Necessity that He should make Provision, in the Manner of his ordering and disposing Things, for some great Events which are to happen, of vast and extensive Influence, and endless Consequence to the Universe; which He may see afterwards, when it is too late, and may wish in vain that He had known beforehand, that He might have ordered his Affairs accordingly. And it is in the Power of Man, on these Principles, by his Devices, Purposes and Actions, thus to disappoint God, break his Measures, make Him continually to change his Mind, subject Him to Vexation, and bring Him into Confusion.