CCXLVIII. Corollary XLIV

COROLLARY XLIV.

The endowments and ornaments of the consequent will correspond proportionately to its origin and nature, among which the following chiefly excel: 1) that the consequent will is rightly said and believed to be objective¹; 2) that it is hypothetical and circumscribed by a condition; 3) that the condition is contained in the forevision either of the consent by which men comply with the benefits of the antecedent will, or of the dissent by which they spurn and repudiate them; and consequently, 4) that the consequent will is rightly called second, since it is considered in God as though in a second place and degree; indeed, 5) that it is also rightly named bipartite, since, according to consent or dissent foreknown, it assumes the force and account of a will decreeing or permitting, rewarding or punishing; that, therefore, 6) its effect is the decree either of a good work and of the reward accompanying it, or of permitting sin and inflicting the punishment which is owed to sin; whence, finally, 7) the consequent will is indeed universal if it is considered conjointly, but is altogether particular if it is considered divisively in conjunction either with the decree of bestowing a good work and its reward or with that of permitting sin and punishing it.