The Sacred Philosophy of the Holy Scripture, Article 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. 1. That the Will. 2. the Truth. 3. the Glory. 4. And all the other dignities of God, are Infinite.
1. WHatſoever is equall to an infinite being, muſt of neceſſity be infinite. But the Will, the Truth, the Glory of God, and all his other dignities, are equall to his infinite being. Therefore they are infinite. Concerning his Will, it is apparent, for every thing being (in this repreſentation of God) doth naturally will or deſire the being of it ſelfe in all the perfections thereof. So a God wils his owne being, becauſe his being is infinitely good, powerfull, glorious, &c. And if hee did not will his owne being; He ſhould be againſt his will; and in that caſe be moſt miſerable, as being the chiefeſt of beings. And ſeeing He is the greateſt good that can be, if his will ſhould not Will ſuch a being, then were it defective and ill, if any way oppoſite to the chiefeſt good. But all theſe things are utterly impoſſible. Therefore his Will is infinite. And as theſe reaſons confirme the infinity of His Will in his owne being: So the Holy Scripture witneſſes the abſolute freedome of his will in the creature, as Pſal. 115.3. Hee doth whatſoever Hee will, Iob. 23.13. He is one and who can turne him? whatſoever His minde deſires, He doth.
2. And concerning his Truth, it is alſo manifeſt. Truth is either reall, that is, in the being of the thing, which elſewhere, log. ſect. 3.9. I call metaphyſicall, or intellectuall; that is, where the underſtanding apprehends the thing according to the truth of the being: and if it conceive it otherwiſe than it is, then deceit or falſhood is in the underſtanding onelyonly, or in the words the expreſſion of the underſtanding, but not in the thing as Agrippa makes it. Comment, in Artem brevem Lulli. The reall truth is that, whereby the thing is truly that which it is, in what ſort of being ſoever it is. So that if the being of God bee infinite, as was proved cap 3. then it is neceſſary, that his truth alſo bee infinite. And this is that which God ſaid of himſelfe, Exod. 3.14. I am that I am. ſpeaking of the truth of his infinite being. Or you may take it thus: Seeing every thing is that which it is, by the truth of the being, if the truth of God were not infinite, then could neither His being nor His goodneſſe, not any of thoſe dignities which wee have before proved to bee infinite, be ſuch as they are proved to be, and ſo all the impoſſibilities ſhould of neceſſity follow. But theſe things cannot be ſo. Therefore it is moſt neceſſary that his truth be infinite. Secondly, ſeeing the truth of all underſtanding and of all ſpeech is founded in the truth of the being of things. If the truth of God were not infinite, and anſwerable to his being, but that his being were infinite, and his truth finite, the underſtanding could not be aſſured what to conceive truly of God, neither could we know what we might truly affirme or deny concerning him, and ſo our faith and hope in him ſhould never bee ſetled, neither could we bee aſſured of any truth, either in Religion or any thing elſe. For if certaine truth be not in Him, much leſſe in the things that are by Him; ſo that all truth ſhould ſtand onelyonly in opinion, and according to that idle fancie of the Scepticks. But this, as it is againſt all reverence we owe to God, ſo is it againſt all reaſon and ſenſe: and thoſe certaine truths that have hitherto beene proved. Therefore the Prophet Pſal. 31.6. calles him the God of Truth, in as much as all truth, which can be in any underſtanding, or uttered by any ſpeech, muſt be grounded in the being of things, and all being is onelyonly in Him, and from Him. And therefore he ſaith, Pſal. 119.160. Truth is the beginning of his word. So Pſal. 100.5. His mercy is everlaſting, and his Truth from generation to generation. And Pſal. 107.2. The truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
3. Happineſſe is imputed to every proſperous ſucceſſe in any mans undertaking, and that not onelyonly in the laſt end of his Aymes, but likewiſe in all his meanes thereunto. Bleſſedneſſe is only in the laſt end which a man propoſeth, as the Covetous bleſſeth himſelfe in the multitude of his riches, the proud in his honour, and every Malitious man, when hee can make his miſchievous imagination to proſper. But the Glory whereof I ſpeake, holds all that holy bleſſedneſſe or delight, which is in God by the ſuperexcellencie of his owne being; which if it bee not infinite, then muſt it be, either becauſe there is a greaterneſſe in his being, and a leſſenes of His enioying of himſelfe; which cannot ſtand with the action of His Infinitie, ſhewed, chap. 10. or becauſe he knows not his owne worthines, which ſtands not within his wiſdome, or for ſome defect or other which cannot ſtand with the poſſibility of his perfection, who hath in Himſelfe all things that hee can deſire. Therefore his glory is infinite.
Moreover if no perfection can come to Him from without, it muſt follow neceſſarily that he hath all poſſible perfections in Himſelfe. But it is plaine, that no perfection can come to him from without, who gave to all things their being and welfare. Therefore his bleſſedneſſe or Glory is infinite; As it is ſaid Pſal. 104.1. O Lord my God, thou art exceeding glorious; thou art clothed with glory and honour. And Apoc. 4.10. Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glo…y and honour and power. And Reu. 5.13 I heard all the Creatures ſaying: Praiſe and honour, and glory, and power be to him that ſitteth upon the throne. And Reu. 7.12. Praiſe, and glory and wiſdome, and thinke, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God forevermore, Amen.
4. And …ecauſe God is one infinite being, as ſhall by and by be more fully proved; therefore the propoſition of the firſt Syllogiſme, N. 1. may ſerve either for any one of all the dignities of God before ſpoken; or for any other attribute properly given unto God, as you ſhall find them in the holy Scripture, as 1. Holineſſe. 2. Righteouſneſſe or Iuſtice. 3. Mercy. 4. Grace. 5. Life. 6. Light. 7. Love, or the like. And becauſe unto the propoſition you may take which of theſe you will, and I haſten forward; therefore I will only bring ſome few authorities of the holy Scripture, for every one of theſe. And firſt Holineſſe.
1. Levit. 11.44. 1 Pet. 1.15. Be ye holy, for I am holy. Pſal. 99.9. Exalt the Lord our God, for the Lord our God is Holy. And for this hee is called The Holy one of Iſrael. Pſal. 71.22. & 74.41.
2. Righteouſneſſe, Pſal. 71.15. My mouth ſhall daily rehearſe thy righteouſneſſe, for I know no end thereof.
3. Mercy Pſal. 103.17. His mercy is from eternity to eternity on them that feare him, and his Righteouſneſſe on childrens children. Exod. 20. Shewing mercy to thouſands. 2 Cor. 1.3. He is the Father of mercies. This Mercy is the ground of many Pſalmes, and in eſpeciall of the 136.
4. Grace Gen. 6.8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And Saint Paul in every Epiſtle wiſheth Grace from God to the Churches; ſo Saint Iohn. Reu. 1 4.
5. 6. Life an… Light, Pſal. 36.9. For with thee is the well of life, and in thy Light we ſhall ſee light.
7. Love, 1 Ioh. 4.6. God is Love. And whatſoever is anſwerable to an infinite being, muſt of neceſſity be infinite. Therefore the Love of God is infinite. And ſo of the reſt.
Notes.
(a) GOd wils his own infinite being. Therefore his will is infinite.] And we alſo will his being; that is, not only deſire that he be; but alſo love him, and deſire our ſelves in him, as being the cauſe and upholder of our preſent Being, and much more the hope of our happy Being hereafter: yet is not our will therefore infinite. It may ſeeme therefore that the firſt reaſon holds not. I anſwer. We will as farre as we know: For of that which is unknowne there is no deſire nor will; And wee know that He is; not what He is. For our moſt certaine knowledge of Him (beſide that revelation which he hath made of himſelfe in his owne word) is rather by denying what he is not, than by affirming what he is. For although we follow by certaine ſteps of his imprinted in the Creature, and moſt of all in our owne underſtanding, that He is eternall, almighty, &c. yet for all this we cannot apprehend in any degree what His infinite being, what his eternity, power, and goodneſſe is. But his knowledge of Himſelfe, equals His owne being. And becauſe his being is good, and deſireable, and a good knowne moves the will, and an infinite Good apprehended by an infinite knowledge moves an infinite Will; Therefore becauſe His infinite being is knowne to himſelfe to be infinitely Good, doth hee alſo infinitely will and delight Himſelfe in His owne being and Goodneſſe. But our will or deſire of his being cannot ſtretch beyond our knowledge, which is alſo in the loweſt degree, as was declared in the entrance of the 5. chap. So God wils and loves His owne infinite Being, and is bleſſed, and glorious therein infinitely, and neceſſarily: but wee will and love Him, as farre as wee know, and are drawne neere to him by his Spirit, and promiſes.