Summary of Chapter VI
I. A transition is made from God to His Works, which here are,
A. Negatively, not Things produced,
B. Positively, God’s Actions and Operations, which are
א. Either Transient,
ב. Or Immanent: these are
α. Personal, or ad Intra;
β. Essential, or ad Extra, which are the Decrees, § 1.
II. Of the DECREES here occur
A. A Nominal Treatment, to which have regard
א. The Term,
ב. Synonyms,
ג. Homonyms, § 2.
B. A Real Treatment, in which
א. The Existence of the Decrees is proven, § 3.
ב. A Definition of the same
α. Is set forth, § 4.
β. Is explained, with respect to
a. Genus: with respect to the Decrees,
a. Negatively, they are not
1. Contingencies, against the Socinians and Vorstius.
2. The Mere Ideas of things,
§. Whether outside the Essence of God,
§§. Or in God Himself.
3. The divine Will itself.
b. Positively they are the Acts of the divine Will, etc., § 5.
b. Difference in species, sought
a. From various Attributes or Properties:
1. From absolute Eternity, defended against the Socinians, etc., § 6.
2. From Liberty ἀνυπευθύνῳ, not accountable to any other, which, nevertheless, in all things a thing not equally Indifferent ought to be established, as it is distinctly taught, § 7.
3. From Wisdom, against those Pelagianizing, § 8.
4. From Independence from any antecedent Condition, which is defended against the Pelagians and all those Pelagianizing, § 9.
5. From Immutability, defended against the same Adversaries, § 10.
b. From the Object; which are
1. Future things,
§. Altogether All Things regarded in themselves; and among these specifically
̸ . Matters Free and Contingent, which is defended against the Pelagians, Papists, Socinians, and Arminians, § 11.
̸ ̸. The whole Life of Man, and in particular its End, which is proven and defended against the same, § 12.
̸ ̸ ̸. In addition to Good Things, Bad Things, Faults also, with respect to which the Decree is called Permissive, which is proven and defended against the same and the more recent Lutherans, § 13.
§§. All which things, since God determined them by one act of Will, concerning the Order of the Decrees the reckoning of the Objects and of our manner of conception is able to be discussed variously, § 14.
2. The Nexus of all Things, § 15.
3. Also Matters possible but not future, § 16.
c. From the End, which
1. As Supreme, is the Glory of God,
2. As Subordinate, the Salvation of the Elect, § 17.