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126 u chapter 13 u The Light of Reason Discovers Present, Not Future Things [111] ’Tis lumen explicans praesentia, non aperiens futura, for did you ever hear of such a Lamp as would discover an object, not yet born nor yet in being? Would you not smile at him that should light up a Candle to search for a futurity? ’Tis the glorious prerogative of the Divine understanding, to have such a fair, and open, and unlimited prospect, as that in one glorious twinkling of an intellectual eye, he can see the whole compasse and extent, and latitude of being; and the whole duration of being: for Eternity at one draught doth swallow up the whole fluency of time, and is infinitely above those temporal conditions of past, present, and to come; Nullum tempus occurrit Regi1 [royal prerogative is not subject to time], (say the Lawyers) Nullum tempus occurrit Deo [God is not subject to time], say the Philosophers. An intellectual Sun, doth not occidere, & redire [set and rise again], but makes one bright and perpetual day, and by its pure and uninterrupted irradiations, doth paraphrase, and comment upon all objects, so as to uncloud and reveale the most obscure contingency, and to make it present, and naked, and visible. For as the Schoolmen tell us, Scientia Dei ad omnia praesentialiter se habet2 [the knowledge of God comprehends all things as present], His knowledge being all one with his essence, without the least shadow of change. Insomuch as that which with men is a futurity and contingency, with him is alwayes present and extant; which speaks for the certainty and infallibility of his prescience, though it be conversant about such things, as seeme to us most casual and fortuitous. For even we our selves know these things certainly, when they are in act, and in being, because that then they lose their volubility and contingency, and the light of reason discovers present things 127 put on reality and necessity: according to that unquestionable rule, Omne quod est quando est necesse est esse3 [whatever is, necessarily is, when it is], a contingency when ’tis extra suas causas [beyond its causes], when ’tis actualy produc’d having a determinatum esse [determinate essence], it may then also have a determinate cognoscibility.4 Now God always thus sees a contingency in termino, in eventu, in periodo [in its issue]; whereas created understandings look upon it, in medio, in motu, in itinere5 [in its process]. Nay such is the poverty & imperfection of mans knowledge, that many things which are in their own nature necessary and demonstrable; yet perhaps they [112] know them, per modum probabilitatis & non per modum necessitatis [only as probable, and not as necessary]. But such is the height & transcendency of the Divine understanding, as that such things as are in their own natures most dubious and hovering between esse and non esse [being and non-being]; yet God knows even these per modum infallibilem [infallibly], and plainly perceives which way they will encline, when men see only an equipoise and neutrality. So that the whole rise of contingency flows from the wavering of second causes. And though scientia Dei be causa rerum [God’s knowledge be the cause of things]; yet being but causa remota [a remote cause], it doth not take away contingency; But God himself sees that some things will evenire contingenter [occur contingently]:For he doth not only cognoscere res [know the thing itself], but ordinem & modum rerum [the order and measure of things]. And knows that there are some causae intermediae [intermediate causes], which are impedibiles and defectibiles [liable to weakness and defect] (as the Schoolmen speak somewhat rudely) and by vertue of these, there arises a contingency.6 Thus in a Syllogisme, though the major be necessary, yet if the minor be contingent, the conclusion will be so also, and will sequi deteriorem partem [follow the weaker premise]; though the first cause be certain, yet if there be obstructions in the second, you cannot promise your self what the effect will be. Though the spring of motion cannot fail, yet if the wheels may possibly break, the progresse will be very uncertain to all but to God himself. For other understandings only know that the wheels may break, but God he sees whether they will break or no, so that which in respect of creatures is periculosae plenum opus aleae7 [a work of hazardous risk], in respect of God is fixum & tetrágwnon, determined and immoveable in his everlasting [3...

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