may be inferred from these Truths XLV It must be observed that J. C. who alone is the meritorious cause of the good things which God gives us according to the order of Nature is sometimes the occasional cause of knowledge as well as of sentiment Nevertheless I believe that this is very rare because in truth it is not necessary J. C. as much as is possible makes Nature serve Grace For besides that Reason teaches us that order requires this as being the most simple way this sufficiently appears by his management upon Earth and by that order which he has founded and still preserves in his Church J. C. made use of preaching the Word for to enlighten the World and sent forth his Disciples two by two to prepare the people to receive him Luke X. 1. Eph. IV. 12. 12. He hath appointed Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctours Bishops Priests for the Edification of the Church Is not this to make Nature serviceable to Grace and to communicate the knowledge of Faith to the minds of Men by the most simple and natural ways In truth it did not become J. C. upon Earth to enlighten Men by particular wills since he might instruct them as inward Truth and eternal Wisdom by the most simple and most fruitful Laws of Nature XLVI That which seems most dark in the order which God hath observed in founding his Church is doubtless the times the place and other circumstances of the Incarnation of his Son and the preaching of the Gospel For why should J. C. for whom the world was created be made man 4000. years after its creation Why should he be born among the Jews who was to reprove this miserable Nation Why chosen to be the Son of David when the House of David was fall'n from its Glory and not the Son of any of the Emperours who commanded all the Earth since he came to convert and enlighten all the World Why did he chuse low mean and ignorant persons for his Apostles and Disciples Preach to the Inhabitants of Bethsaida and Corazin who were resolved to continue in their incredulity and pass by Tyre and Zidon who would have been converted if they had had the same favour Hinder St. Paul from Preaching the word of God in Asia and command him to pass into Macedonia These and a thousand other circumstances which attended the preaching of the Gospel doubtless are Mysteries whereof 't is not possible to give clear and evident reasons neither is this my design I would only lay down some principles which may give some light to these and such like difficulties or at least make it appear that from them nothing can be concluded against what I have hitherto said concerning the Order of Nature and of Grace XLVII It is certain that natural effects are combined and mixed after infinite ways with the effects of Grace And that the order of Nature encreases or lessens the efficacy of the effects of the order of Grace according to the different manners by which these two orders are mixed one with another The Death which according to the general Laws of Nature sometimes happens to a good or evil Prince to a good or an evil Bishop causes a great deal of good or evil to the Church because such like accidents make great change in the consequence of effects which depend upon the order of Grace Now God would save all men by the most simple ways Therefore it may and it ought to be said in general that he hath chosen the times the place the manners which in succession of time and according to the general Laws of Nature and Grace will caeteris paribus cause the greatest number of the Predestinated to enter into the Church God does all for his Glory Therefore amongst all the possible combinations of Nature with Grace he by the infinite extension of his knowledge has chosen that which must make the Church most perfect and most worthy of his Majesty and Wisdom XLVIII It seems to me this already suffices to answer all difficulties relating to the circumstances of our Mysteries For if it be said that J. C. ought to have been born of a Roman Emperour and have wrought Miracles in the Capital City of the World that so the Gospel might have been more easily spread in the farthest distant Countries to this it may be answered boldly that whatsoever men think thereof this combination of Nature with Grace would not have been so worthy of the Wisdom of God as that which he hath chosen I grant that Religion would thus at first have been spread with more ease but its establishment would not have been so divine and so extraordinary and consequently not such an invincible proof of its solidity and certainty Thus according to this combination Religion perhaps would have been at present either destroyed or less spread in the World Moreover when it is said that God acts by the most simple ways an equality is always supposed in all things else especially in the glory which must redound to God by his Work Now the Church would not have been so perfect nor so worthy of the greatness and holiness of God if it had been form'd with so much ease For the Beauty of the Heavenly Jerusalem consisting in the different rewards due to the different combate of Christians it was expedient that the Martyrs should shed their Blood as well as J. C. to enter into the glory which they possess In a word this principle that amongst all the infinite combinations of the orders of Nature and Grace God has chosen that which would produce an effect most worthy of his Majesty and Wisdom is sufficient in general to answer all the difficulties which may be made concerning the circumstances of our Mysteries In like manner to justify the orders of Nature and Grace in themselves it s enough to know that God being infinitely Wise he does not form his designs but upon the admirable relation of Wisdom and fruitfulness which he sees in the ways capable to execute them as I have already shewn in the first Discourse XLIX Since the generality of men judge of God by themselves they imagine that he first resolves upon a design and afterwards consults his Wisdom how to bring it to effect for our wills every moment go before our reason so that our designs are scarce ever perfectly reasonable For God does not act as Men do Behold how he acts if I have well consulted the idea of an infinitely perfect being God by the infinite knowledge of his wisdom and in the same wisdom sees all possible works and at the same time all ways of producing each of them He sees all the relation of the means to their ends he compares all things by an eternal immutable necessary foresight and by the comparison which he makes of relations of the wisdom and fruitfulness which he discovers betwixt his designs and the ways of executing them he freely forms the design But the
motions of the Soul of J. C. in their behalf since these same motions never fail of giving it Thus the desires of J. C. alone have infallibly their effect as occasional causes because God having made J. C. Head of the Church it is only by him that the Grace which sanctifies the Elect ought to be given XX. Now we may consider in the Soul of J. C. two sorts of desires actual transient and particular desires the efficacy of which continue but a little time constant and permanent desires which consist in a firm and lasting disposition of the soul of J. C. in relation to certain effects which tend to the execution of his design in general If our soul by its different motions did communicate to our bodies all that which is necessary to form and make it grow we might distinguish therein two kinds of desires for it would send into the Muscles of the Body the Spirits that give it certain dispositions in respect of the present Objects or actual thoughts of the mind by actual and transient desires But it would give to the Heart and the Lungs the natural motions which serve for respiration and circulation of the Blood by stable and permanent desires It would also by such like desires digest its nourishment and distribute it to all the parts which have need thereof because this sort of action is at all times necessary for the preservation of the body XXI By these actual transient and particular desires of the soul of J. C. Grace is given to persons who are not prepared and after a manner which hath something singular and extraordinary in it But it is given regularly by permanent desires to those who worthily receive the Sacraments For the Grace which we receive by the Sacraments is not given meerly by the Merit of our Action tho we receive with fit dispositions it is because of the merits of J.C. which are freely applyed to us in consequence of his permanent desires We receive by the Sacraments much more Grace than our preparation can deserve and it is even sufficient for the receiving some influence thereby that we do not put any impediment But it is also to abuse that which is most holy in Religion to receive them unworthily Additions Since J. C. as man does not act but by his desires and the Grace of the Sacraments is permanent it is evident that the Grace which he communicates to those who receives them worthily comes not from J. C. as the occasional cause If there be not in J. C. a permanent desire or a constant will to do good unto those who come unto the Sacraments there would be no great mistery in them XXII Among the actual and transient desires of the Soul of Jesus there are certainly some which are more lasting and frequent than others and the knowledge of the desires is of very great use in morality Doubtless J. C. thinks oftner upon them who observe his councels than on other men The motions of love which he has for the Faithful are more frequent and lasting than those which he hath for the Libertine and the Wicked And since all the Faithful are not equally disposed to enter into the Church of the predestinated the desires of the Soul of J. C. are not in respect of them all equally lively frequent abiding Man more earnestly desires those fruits which are more proper to nourish his Body he thinks oftner upon Bread and Wine than on those Meats which are difficultly digested J. C. having a design to form his Church ought therefore to concern himself more for those who may easily enter therein than for those who are very far from it Thus the H. Scripture teaches us that the humble the poor the penitent receive greater Graces than other men because they who dispise Honours Riches and Pleasures are much fitter for the Kingdom of God They who according to the example of J. C. have learnt to be meek and humble in heart shall find rest to their souls The yoak of J. C. which the Proud can't bear will become easie and light by the assistance of Grace For God hears the Prayers of the Humble he will comfort them he will justifie them he will save them he will heap Blessings upon them but he will bring down the Haughtiness of the Proud Blessed are the Poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven But Cursed are the Rich for they have received their Consolation in this World How hard is it says J C. for the Rich to enter into the Kingdom of GOD It is easier for a Camel to pass thro' the eye of a Needle Which cannot be without a Miracle As for them who like David humble their souls with Fasting put on Sack-cloath In a word afflict themselves at the sight of their Sins and the Holiness of God will become fit objects for the compassion of J. C. for God never will dispise an humble and a contrite Heart We always disarm his wrath when we prefer the interests of God before our own and take vengeance upon our selves XXIII Since the will of J. C. is altogether agreeable to Order of which all men have naturally some Idea it may further be discern'd by Reason that the soul of J. C. has more thoughts and desires in respect of some Persons than others For Order requires that J. C. should bestow more Graces for example upon those who are called to H. Orders than those whose vocation necessarily engages them in the business of the World In a word upon those who make the principal parts of the body of the Church Militant than they who have not the oversight of any or are engaged in the Ecclesiastical Function and raise themselves above others by ambition or interest For if it be fit that J. C. give Graces unto these in respect of the Persons whom they govern yet they don't deserve such as may sanctify them in that state which they have chosen by self-love They may have the gift of Prophecy without having that of Charity as Scripture teaches us XXIV We have proved that the different desires of the soul of J. C. are the occasional causes of Grace and we have endeavoured to discover something of these desires Let us now see of what kind of Grace they are the occasional causes For tho J. C. be the Meritorious cause of all graces it is not necessary he should be the occasional cause of the graces of knowledge and certain outward Graces which prepare the heart for conversion but cannot effect it for J. C. is always the occasional or necessary cause according to the order established by God in respect of all Graces which conduce to men salvation XXV Distinctly to understand what is the grace which J. C. as Head of his Church bestows upon his Members we must know what is the concupiscence which the first man has communicated to all his Posterity For the second Adam came to cure the disorders which
which accompany certain effects that there is an occasional cause established to produce them it is sufficient to know that they are very common and relate to the principal design of the general cause to judge that they are not produced by a particular will For example the Rivers which water the Earth relate to the principle of Gods designs which is that men should not want necessaries for life This I suppose Moreover Rivers are very common therefore we ought to think that they are formed by some general Laws For as there is more wisdom required in executing designs by simple and general ways than by ways compounded and particular as I think I have sufficiently proved elsewhere we ought to give this Honour to God as to believe that his manner of acting is general uniform constant agreeable to the Idea which we have of his infinite wisdom These are the marks by which it may be judged whether an effect be or be not produced by a general will I shall now prove that God dispences Grace to Men by general Laws and that J. C. was the occasional cause of determining their efficacy I begin with the Proofs drawn from H. Scripture XI St. Paul teaches us Col. 2.19 that J. C. is the Head of the Church that he continually dispences to her the Spirit which quickens her that he forms the Members thereof and animates them as the Soul does the Body or to speak yet more clearly the H. Scriptures teaches us two things First That J. C. Prays continually for his Members Heb. 7.25 9.24 John 11.42 Second That his Prayers and Desires are always heard Whence I conclude that he is appointed by God the occasional cause of Grace and also that Grace is never given unto Sinners but by his means Occasional causes do always and very readily produce their Effect The Prayers or divers Desires of J. C. relating to the formation of his Body do always readily obtain their Effect God refuses nothing to his Son as J. C. himself has taught us The occasional causes don't produce their effect by their own efficacy but by the efficacy of the general cause It is also by the efficacy of the power of God that the soul of J. C. operates in us it is not by the efficacy of the humane will For this reason 't is that St. Paul represents J. C. as Praying continually to his Father for he is obliged to Pray that he may obtain The occasional causes are established by God to determine the efficacy of his general wills and J. C. according to the Scripture was appointed by God after his Resurrection to Govern the Church which he had purchased with his own blood For J. C. was the Meritorious cause of all Graces by his sacrifice but after his Resurrection he enter'd into the H. of Holies a Sovereign Priest of good things to come that he might appear in the presence of God and shed upon us the Graces which he had merited for us Thus he himself applyes and distributes his gifts as the occasional cause He disposes of all things in God's House as a well beloved Son in the House of his Father I think I have demonstrated in the Search after Truth that God only is the true cause or acts by his own proper efficacy and that he doth not communicate his Power unto Creatures but by making them the occasional causes of producing certain effects I have proved for example that Men have no power to produce any motion in their bodies but because God hath made their wills the occasional causes of these motions and that fire has no power to cause pain in me but because God hath made the striking of one body upon another the occasional cause of the communication of motions and the violent shaking of the nerves of my Flesh the occasional cause of my Pain I may here suppose a Truth which I have largely proved in Chap. III. Part 2. of Book IV. of the Search c. And in the Explication of the same Chapter and which they for whom I chiefly write do not deny Now 't is certain by Faith that Power is given to J. C. for forming his Church Mat. 28.18 Data est mihi omnis potestas in Coelo in terra This cannot be understood of J. C. according to his Divinity for in this respect he never received any thing 'T is certain therefore that J. C. according to his humanity is the occasional cause of Grace supposing it proved that God only can act upon Minds and that second causes have no efficacy of their own which they who would understand my Sentiments and judge of them ought first to examine XII I say moreover that no Person is sanctified but by the efficacy of the Power which God has communicated to J. C. by establishing him the occasional cause of Grace For if any sinner was Converted by Grace of which J. C. was not the occasional cause but only the meritorious the sinner having not received his new Life by the influence of J. C. he would not be a Member of the Body of which J. C. is the Head after that manner in which St. Paul expresses it Chap. 4.16 See Col. 11.19 in these words of the Epistle to the Ephesians That we may grow up into him in all things who is the Head Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh encrease of the body unto the edifying it self in love Which words do not meerly say that J. C. is the Meritorious cause of all Graces but do more distinctly express that Christians are the Members of the Body of which J. C. is the Head and that it is in him we encrease and live a life altogether new and that it is by his inward operation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that his Church is form'd that he was appointed by God the only occasional cause who by his divers desires and applications distributes those Graces which God as the true cause sends down upon men 'T is for this reason St. Coloss 2.7 Paul says that Christians are united to J. C. as to their root Radicati super aedificati in ipso 'T is for this reason likewise that J. C. compares himself to a Vine and his Disciples to the Branches who receive their life in him Ego sum vitis vos palmites 'T is for this reason that St. Paul assures that J. C. lives in us and we in him that we are risen in our Head that our Life is hid with God in J. C. In a word that we already have eternal life in J. C. These and several other Expressions clearly shew that J. C. is not only the meritorious but also the occasional physical or natural cause of Grace and that as the Soul informs animates and perfects the Body so J. C. as the occasional Cause
of J. C. John 1.17 abundant Graces because says he the Law was given by Moses but true Grace by Jesus Christ. For in truth the Graces which were before J. C. ought not to be compared to those which he distributed after his triumph If they were miraculous it must be thought they were very rare Even the Grace of the Apostles before the Holy Spirit was given to them was not to be compared with those which they received when the Soveraign Priest of good things to come being entred by his Blood into the Holy of Holies by the strength of his Prayers obtain'd and by the dignity of his Person sent the Holy Spirit to animate and sanctifie his Church The strange Blindness of the Jews their gross and carnal Sentiments their frequent relapses into Idolatry after so many Miracles do sufficiently shew they had scarce any love for true goods and the fearfulness of the Apostles before they received the Holy Spirit is a sensible mark of their weakness Thus Grace in this time was very rare because as yet our Nature was not made in J. C. the occasional cause of our Graces as yet J. C. was not fully consecrated a Priest according to the Order of Melchisedech and his Father had not yet given him that immortal and glorious Life Heb. 5.5 10. Heb. 7.16 17. which is the particular character of his Priesthood For it was necessary that J. C. should enter into the Heavens and receive the glory and power of being the occasional cause of all goods before he sent the Spirit according to the words of St. John John 7.39 John 16.7 The Spirit was not yet given because J. C. was not yet glorified And according to these words of Christ himself It is expedient for you that I go For if I go not the Comforter will not come But if I go I will send him unto you Now it is not to be imagined that J. C. considered as God is the Head of the Church He has obtain'd this honour as Man the Head and the Members ought to be of the same nature It is as Man that J. C. interceeds for Men it is as Man that he has received of God soveraign power over his Church For since God does not interceed at all he as God has not received that Name which is above every Name he is equal to the Father and absolute Master of all things by right of his birth These Truths are evident and J. C. himself assures us of them John 5.22 to 27. since he says that his Father gave him power to judge Men because he was the Son of Man Thus we must not think that those Expressions of Scripture which teach us that J. C. is the Author of Grace ought to be understood of J. C. considered according to his Divine Person For if this was so I confess I should not have demonstrated that he is the occasional cause of it he would have been only the true cause thereof But since it is certain that the three Persons of the Trinity are equally the true causes of Grace seeing all the outward Operations of God are common to the three Persons my Arguments cannot be denied since the Holy Scripture says of the Son and not of the Father nor of the Spirit that he is the Head of the Church and that under this character he communicates Life to all the Members which compose it Object II. XIV It is God who gives to the Soul of J. C. all Thoughts and Motions which it has in the formation of his Mystical Body So that if on one hand the Wills of J. C. as natural and occasional Causes determine the efficacy of God's general Will on the other hand it is God himself who determines the divers Wills of J. C. Thus it comes to the same thing for assuredly the Wills of J. C. are always conformable to those of his Father Answer I confess that the particular wills of J. C. are always conformable to those of the Father but this is not because the Father has particular wills which answer to those of the Son and determine them This is only because the wills of the Son are always conformable to Order in general which is necessarily the rule of the divine wills and of those which love God For to love Order is is to love God it is to will what God wills it is to be Just Wise Regular in his love The Soul of J. C. would form to the Glory of his Father the most Sacred Magnificent and Perfect Temple that can be Order requires this for nothing can be made too great for God All the divers desires of this Soul ever intent upon the Execution of its design come also to it from God or the Word to which it is united But the occasional causes of all these thoughts most certainly are its divers desires for it thinks on what it will Now these divers desires are sometimes altogether free probably the thoughts which excite these desires do not always invincibly determine the Soul of J. C. to form and resolve to execute them It is equally advantagious to the design of Jesus Christ whether it be Peter or John who does that which the regularity of his work requires It is true that the soul of Jesus Christ is not indifferent as to what respects the glory of his Father or that which Order necessarily requires but it is altogether free in every thing else nothing out of God invincibly determines its love Thus it ought not to be wonder'd if it have particular wills tho there are no such wills in God which determine those of the soul of Jesus Christ But I grant that the wills of Jesus Christ are not free I grant that his knowledge determines him to will and always to will after a certain manner in the construction of his Church But it must be Eternal Wisdom to which his soul is united which determines these wills if it is not necessary for this end to suppose particular wills in God It must be observ'd that the wills of the soul of J. C. are particular or have not any occasional cause which determines their efficacy no not the will of God For the soul of J. C. not having an infinite capacity of thinking his knowledge and consequently his wills are limited Thus 't is necessary that his wills be particular since they change according to his divers thoughts and applications For it seems to me that the soul of J. C. otherwise employ'd in contemplating the beauties and tasting the infinite sweetness of the true good ought not according to the rule of Order to think at the same time upon all the Ornaments which it designs to bestow upon his Church and the different means of executing each of his intentions J. C. desiting to render the Church worthy of the infinite Majesty of his Father he desires also to adorn it with infinite beauties and that by such means as are most
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figure of him who was to come These words who is the figure of him who was to come in the place where they are put it out of doubt that the first Adam represented the second even by Concupiscence it self and the Death which he communicated to all Men together with his Son Hence it is that St Paul makes so many Antitheses betwixt the Earthly Man and the Man from Heaven The first Man was made a living Soul 1 Cor. 15.45.47 the second Adam a quickning Spirit The first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven God by the first Man and Woman did not only represent J. C. and his Church but also by the place into which he put them by their posterity especially those of them whose actions the Scripture doth largely recite The Earthly Paradise represented the Church J. C. keeps and Cultivates it The River divided into Four Streams to water this very Delightful and Fruitful place is the Eternal wisdom which enlightens and animates the Church I also came out as a Brook from a River and as a Conduit * Vulg. Lat. de Paradiso â—ccl 24.30.31 into a Garden I said I will water my best Garden and will water abundantly my Garden-bed It is written of the true Solomon that his wisdom ran down abundantly as the Rivers at the beginning of Harvest Who filleth all things with wisdom Eccl 24.25 26 27 as Physon and as Tygris in the time of the new fruits He maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates He maketh the doctrine of Knowledge appear as the Light and as Geon in the time of Vintage The Tree planted in the middle of the Garden which brought forth a Fruit able to make Men Immortal is also the Eternal Wisdom according to the words of the Proverbs of Solomon She is a Tree of Life Prov. 3.18 to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her He who shall overcome the World shall be nourished with this Fruit for certainly these words of St. John To him that overcomes Apoc. 11.7 it shall be given to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God are to be understood of no other Trees but this As for the other Tree which teaches good and evil and whose Fruits Eve found so Beautiful to the Eye and Pleasant to the Taste it represents sensible objects which at present excite in us such a strong Concupiscence and give Death to those who suffer themselves to be surprized by their Charms 'T is plain that all these relations would not be so exact if they were no more than imaginary EVE had two Sons Cain and Abel Gen. 4. they both offered their Sacrifice God rejected that of Cain's and received that of Abel's Cain was troubled hereat and slew his Brother the blood of Abel which was spilt cryed for Vengeance God declared that Cain should be a Fugitive all his Life and that he would hinder him from being slain Doth not this sufficiently represent the Synagogue who being the Elder yet offered not unto God a Sacrifice acceptable unto him That the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ was only Worthy of GOD That Jesus Christ was slain in Abel by the Jews who were his Brethren according to the Flesh That for their Punishment the Jews should be Vagabonds and Fugitives upon the Earth as Cain was and that God will not quite Destroy them tho their Crime was such that they might say more truely than Cain All they who meet me will slay me If we examine after matters of Fact and those especially whose Circumstances the Scripture more particularly recites we shall see Jesus C. expected and figured every where Expected becanse of the promise which God had made that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents Head Gen. III. 15. And Figured because the Spirit of God takes pleasure in representing unto Men him who was to be their Mediator and render all the Work of God perfectly worthy of its Author I confess that in these things we may be easily deceived and that none but the Spirit of God can make us distinctly and without fear of error see the reality of these Figures But these Figures are so lively and so express that he must be strangely Stupid who is not Affected with them and very rash who looks upon those as Ridiculous Persons and Visionaries who according to the Example of the Apostles and Holy Doctors seek Jesus Christ in the Scriptures as he himself has Commanded us in these words Search the Scriptures for they are they John 5.39 which Testify of me For in short all that is in the Old Testament relates to Jesus Christ and his Church 1 Cor. 10 11. All these things happened to them in Figures The Third Explication Where 't is prov'd that the chief of Gods design is J. C. and his Church that God truely loves Men that he sincerely desires to save all that his Conduct is worthy of his Wisdom Goodness Immutability and other Attributes What is the order of the decrees which contain the Predestination of the Saints I. BY this Term GOD I understand a Being infinitely Perfect II. A Being infinitely Perfect Perfectly knows himself III. By the knowledge which he has of his Being he sees the Essences of all things he sees all possible Creatures or all that which he is able to Produce He is Wise by Himself alone IV. The Being infinitely Perfect necessarily loves Himself He can will nothing but by his will I mean the love which he bears to himself Therefore he can do nothing but for himself V. The Being infinitely Perfect is Almighty He can do all that he knows supposing he can will it with a practical will VI. By a practical will I mean a decree or will executive of a design concluded upon which supposes in God the knowledge and choice of the ways of acting which are most worthy of himself For there are Simple Fruitful General Uniform and Constant and there are Compounded Barren Particular Irregular and Unconstant Ways of Actions The first are to be preferred before the latter for they shew Wisdom Goodness Constancy Immutability in him that makes use of them The other denotes the want of Understanding Malignancy Inconstancy Lightness of Mind VII It is visible that there is something useless in his action who does that by compounded ways which may be brought to pass by simple and he wants knowledge who hath more Practical wills when one sufficeth VIII The Conduct of a Good Wise Constant and Immutable Being must carry in it Wisdom Goodness Constancy and immutability Order requires this IX The Wisdom of GOD renders him Impotent in this sence that it permits him not to will certain things nor to act after certain ways It permits him not to will certain things for if God had made but one animal he could not have made
bears to himself All the ways of executing his designs are equally easie to him but they are not equally wise equally simple equally divine A wise Man will never undertake a design which dishonours him how easily soever it may be executed And of two designs the execution of which will unequally honour him he will always chuse that which will honour him the most because his self-love is always inlightened by his Wisdom Thus tho God be Almighty he neither doth nor can act but by the love which he bears to himself and his own attributes he always chuses both the work and the ways which all together do most honour him But 't is said the ways of God are his wills It is enough for him to will that what he wills may be done I confess it The ways of God are nothing but his practical wills 'T is sufficient for him to will the doing of any thing to the end it may be done But God cannot have two practical wills when one is enough God cannot will when 't is not wise to will And upon this account it is that the practical wills of God are not ordinarily any other than general wills whose efficacy is determined by the action of occasional causes God loves Men. He would save them all He desires that all should know and love him For order requires this and order is his law This will is agreeable to his attributes But God will not do all that is necessary to the end that all may infallibly be brought to know and love him because order permits him not to have such practical wills as are proper to this end It is because he ought not to disturb the simplicity of his ways 't is because he must fit his ways to the work and chuse the work and the ways which honour him the most Altho God need only to will that the Church should be formed to the end it might be so tho he needed only to will that Men should receive grace to the end they might receive it yet nothing is more certain than that 't is by J. C. he sanctifies Men and forms his Church as it is also that he governs the Nations by Angels and produces Animals and Plants by other second Causes At present God acts no more as he did at the Creation immediately by himself This is undeniable He acts by Creatures in consequence of that power which he has communicated unto them by the establishment of his general Laws Thus his Laws or his general practical Wills are his Ways and his Ways are simple uniform and constant they are perfectly worthy of him because they are perfectly agreeable with his Attributes as I have often repeated When God created the World Men Animals Plants organized Bodies which contain in their Seeds wherewithal to furnish all Ages with their kind he did this by particular wills This was convenient for several reasons and indeed this could not be otherwise For particular wills were necessary to begin the determination of motions But seeing this way of acting was as I may say mean and servile because in one sense it resembled that of a limited understanding God quitted it as soon as he could dispense with himself from following it as soon as he could pitch upon another more simple and Divine way for the goverment of the World At present he rests not that he ceases to act but because he doth no more act after a servile manner something like unto that of his Ministers Because he acts most agreeably to his Divine attributes Thus tho God be Almighty and all his wills efficacious it doth not follow that he ought not to compare the simplicity of the ways with the perfection of the works for 't is not to Honour his Power but to Honour his Wisdom and his other Attributes that he doth all things immediately by himself In truth what wisdom wou'd it be even to save all Men and to make a World infinitely more Beautiful than that which we inhabit if he had made and govern'd it by particular wills What should we think of his Goodness and other Attributes there being in it so many Miserable Persons so many Sinners so many Monsters so many Disorders so many Damned In a word things being as we see they are he saith that he has no need of the Wicked and yet the World is full of them He hath not made Death and yet all Men are subject thereunto 'T is the sin it may be said of the first Man by which it entred into the World Very well But why did not he hinder his Fall Why did he not prevent it Why did he establish those natural relations betwixt Eve and her Children which communicate sin unto them Why did he make all descend from corrupted Parents In a word why did he not form our bodies by particular wills or by such wills did not suspend the general Laws by which the brain of the Mother acts upon that of her Child and thereby * See the Explicat of Original Sin in the Search after Truth corrupts its mind and makes its heart irregular Why I say did he not do this if it be indifferent to God to act or not to act by particular wills This is that which the Libertines demand and this is what Christian Philosophers should explain to them to stop their Mouths Reason as much as may be should be reconciled with Religion Hence it is that I Maintain it to be more worthy not of the Power but of the Wisdom and other Divine Attributes that the World should be governed and the future Church formed by the general Laws which God hath established for this end than by an infinite number of particular wills Hence it is that I assert that God has not made the World absolutely as perfect as it might have been but as perfect as he could with relation to the ways most worthy of his Attributes but has chosen the work and the ways which do most Honour him For God cannot and ought not to act but to Honour his Perfections both by the simplicity of his ways and the excellency of his work Object III. Whence is it then that a thing so evident was never perceived by any of the Fathers or the most subtil Divines Whence is it that St. Augustine who has written so much against the Manichees made no use of this Reason that God acts not by particular wills that thereby he might have proved that there is no necessity of attributing the destruction of his works one by another the generation of Monsters or other effects which are thought to disfigure his Work to an evil principle On the contrary it is certain that never any person did more than this Father own that nothing was done in all this but by Gods particular orders c. Answer 'T is not just to urge the Fathers and the Divines against me when neither the one nor the other are against me If St. Augustine