Gods Prescience of the Sins of Men Reconciled with the His Counsels, Table of contents
Contents.
Sect. I.
THe Proposal of the difficulty to be discus't. Disqisition concerning the words Prescience, or Foreknowledg waved. pag. 1.
Sect. II.
Great care to be taken lest we ascribe to God inconsistencies, under the pretence of ascribing all Perfections. Eqal care, lest we deny to him any Perfection, upon the first appearance of its not-agreeing with somewhat else, which we have found it necessary to ascribe. Our own Minds to be suspected. And endeavour'd with to the utmost, before we conclude what is, or is not to be ascribed to God; if we meet with a difficulty. p. 5.
Sect. III.
Such Divine Attributes as agree to the Deity by the Common Suffrage of all considering men, to be distinguisht from those that are only concluded to belong to him upon the subtile reasonings of but a few. Yet the danger to be carefully avoided, of mistaking any dictate of Corrupt affection, for a Common notion. p. 11.
Sect. IV.
His own Word, therefore, our surest measure, by which we are to judg what belongs to him, and what not. Which plainly asserts both his Wisdom, and Sincerity. As our own Minds do also naturally suggest to us. p. 16.
Sect. V.
It also seems plainly both to assert and prove his Universal Prescience. Particularly of such things from which he dehorts. Whence his dehorting is no proof of his not-foreknowing. p. 24.
Sect. VI.
These therefore to be reconcil'd. Which not so difficult as to reconcile his dehortations from sinful actions, with his predeterminative concurrence thereto. This undertaking waved as not manageable. p. 31.
Sect. VII.
Nor necessary. The principal Arguments that are brought for it, not concluding. That every thing of positive Being must be from God. That otherwise he could not foreknow such actions. The former considered. How we are to satisfie our selves about the latter. p. 34.
Sect. VIII.
The undertaken difficulty weighed. Nothing in it of contradiction. Nothing of indecorum. p. 50.
Sect. IX.
Gods supposed foreknowledg of contingent actions, alters not the natural goodnes or evil of them. p. 54.
Sect. X. & XI.
How God may be said to act for any end? His public declarations to men have a more principal end, than their obedience, and felicity. Which is attained, tho this fail. The difficulty, therefore, concerning the Divine Wisdom vanishes. p. 57. & 60.
Sect. XII.
That, concerning the Sinceritie of God considered. That other End, Man's obedient compliance, attained in great part. p. 64.
Sect. XIII.
God not obliged to procure his publisht Edicts should reach every Individual person. 'Tis owing to the wickednes of the World that they generally do not so. p. 67.
Sect. XIV.
He shewes special favour to some Nations herein without being injurious to others. Yea expresses much Clemency, and Mercy to all. p. 74.
Sect. XV.
Where his gracious Methods succeed not, To be considered he Only applies himself to them in Common with the rest. p. 78.
Sect. XVI.
Proposed to be Enqired; What can be alledg'd out of his Word, that seems less-consistent with sincerity, towards them with whom things do not finally issue well? What fit course could be thought of more consistent therewith? As to the former, What appearance such alledg'd Passages can be justly said to have? Propounded to be (afterwards) shewn; that the Truth of the thing corresponds to that appearance. p. 81.
Sect. XVII.
What his declarations to men amount unto? What they are, by them, encouraged to expect? p. 87.
Sect. XVIII.
Expressions of passionate earnestnes, how to be understood? p. 90
Sect. XIX.
The Ends to be brought about by God's own action only; And those which should be brought to pass by the intervenient action of Man, to be distinguished. God's Word represents him not as so willing the salvation of all men, as that it shall be effected whatsoever course they take. p. 99.
Sect. XX.
Such a Will as it represents him to have of man's welfare we ought to believe is in him. The distinction of his Will of Good Pleasure, and of the Sign. Of his secret Will, and revealed (as apply'd to this matter) animadverted on. p. 105.
Sect. XXI.
God truly wills the matter of his own Laws, and their welfare for whom he made them. p. 108.
Sect. XXII.
Is not made liable to disappointment hereby. Nor can hence an imperfect will be ascrib'd to him. pag. 112.
Sect. XXIII.
The 2d Head (proposed Sect. XVI.) discussed; That no other fit course could be taken, that can be pretended more agreeable to sincerity. Two only to be thought on. To have pnblisht no written Word. To have overpow'red all by strong hand into compliance therewith. The former not fit. p. 121.
Sect. XXIV.
The latter unfit also. The Congruity of things makes them necessary, with God. The incongruity, impossible. p. 123.
Sect. XXV.
Innumerable Congruities obvious to the Divine Understanding not perceivable by ours. Two things manifestly congruous, to our apprehension. That the Course of God's Government be, for the most part, steady, and uniform, That he sometimes vary. p. 128.
Sect. XXVI.
Both these many waies represented congruous, in reference to matters within the sphere of Nature, and Policy. p. 132.
Sect. XXVII.
Eqally congruous, that matters be in some degree correspondently manag'd, within the sphere of Grace. p. 138.
Sect. XXVIII.
The Congruity of both these in the matters of Grace more distinctly expressed. p. 141
Sect. XXIX.
The Conclusion. p. 147
FINIS.
End of the text · John Howe, Gods Prescience of the Sins of Men Reconciled with the His Counsels (1677)