The Sacred Philosophy of the Holy Scripture, Article 1 · Chapter 1
That GOD is. CHAP. I.
IN the Grammaticall interpretation of the words, I follow onelyonly that ſence which the Church of England holds; my purpoſe is not to dwell therein, but onelyonly to aſcertaine theſe doubts where about queſtion may ariſe.
Therefore let the Atheiſt heare, and the foole that ſaith in his heart, There is no God: for certainely, There is a God. And although no word or ſpeech can bee uttered, of which it is confeſſed that it is true or falſe, but that it doth from thence follow neceſſarily That God is: yet I will take onelyonly thoſe neereſt attributes, which we know to belong eſſentially unto him, and ſo affirme that by this name God is meant a being eternall, and infinite in all perfection of goodnes, wiſdome, power, will, truth, virtue, glory, and all thoſe excellencies which may be in ſo glorious and infinite a being. And againe convertibly, that this being moſt perfect in infinitie, eternitie, goodneſſe, wiſdome, glorie, &c. is God. The firſt reaſon is from the eternity.
If there bee not a being which had no beginning, then that which was firſt exiſtent or begun, muſt bee a beginning unto it ſelfe, by cauſing it ſelfe to be when it was not. But it is impoſſible that any thing ſhould be a cauſe, and not be: for ſo ſhould it both be, and not bee. Therefore there is an eternall being, the beginning of all things, himſelfe without beginning. And that eternall being is God.
2. Seing there is being which could not poſſiblie raiſe it ſelfe out of not being; it followes, that being was before not being, and therfore of neceſſitie muſt be eternall: for otherwiſe there was a(a) time wherein it might be ſaid, that being is not being, and ſo not being ſhould have been eternall, and(b) contradictories might have ſtood together; that is; not being in eternitie, and yet eternitie is moſt of all being. But theſe things are impoſſible: therefore there is an eternall being, and this eternall being we call God.
3. Eternitie is. For neither can Nature which in continuance tooke her beginning together with time: …or yet can mans underſtanding put any point of beginning in continuance, before which ſome other continuance may not be underſtood to be. Therefore all Nature and Reaſon muſt needs yeeld, that there is Eternitie. Therefore there is an eternall being: for if in eternitie you put privation, or not being, it would be impoſſible that any thing ſhould be brought out thereby. Therefore God is.
4. Whatſoever enforces the privation, or taking away of a being infinitely and eternally good, brings in an infinite and eternall ill: But to deny that God is, enforces the privation or taking away of a being infinitely and eternally good: Therefore to denie that God is, brings in an infinite and eternall ill. Heare Atheiſt and conſider, how thou doeſt put ill to have the prioritie before good, both in being and in action: For that which is firſt, muſt needs be a cauſe to all things that follow; ſo that the cauſe of all things being ill (every effect neceſſarily anſwering the cauſe) every thing ſhould in the very being have beene ill: whereas ill is onelyonly morall in the wickedneſſe of the qualities, or action, not of the being. [Gen. 1.31.]
The greateſt excellencie or perfection of every thing, is in the likeneſſe thereof unto the firſt cauſe: but every thing is more excellent in the being thereof, than in the not being: therefore in the being it is moſt like the firſt cauſe; whereupon it followes that the firſt cauſe of all, is moſt of all being: therefore before not being, and ſo eternall. And that is God.
All truths inferior and created, depend neceſſarily upon a ſuperior and increated truth: for nothing can be in the effect, which is not firſt in the power of the cauſe. Wherefore ſeeing no ſpace can bee given ſo great, but that it is poſſible for the underſtanding, a created being, truly to conceive a ſpace yet more large: nor any number ſo multiplied, but that ſtill a greater number than it may be given; the underſtanding muſt needs yeeld, that there is a being infinite in extenſion, that fils all ſpace, and yet is infinitely greater than it: and a wiſdome or mind numbring, which is alſo infinite, which no number can either exceed or equall, but only that moſt ſimple unity of his owne moſt pure and abſolute perfection.(c) Therefore there is a God.
Notes.
IF any man deſire to ſee other reaſons to this purpoſe, let him reade thoſe arguments that are brought by Tho. Aquinas lib. 1. cap. 13. contra Gentiles; & Sum. Theol. part. 1. cap. 2. out of Ariſtotle, and out of Thom. in Savanarola in his booke called Triumphus Crucis, cap. 6. The arguments alſo, that are here brought in the chapters following to prove the Eternity, Infinity, Omnipotency, &c. of God; doe prove that there is a God: for becauſe theſe termes are conuertible eſſentially, they are ſo many ſeverall demonſtrations of the ſame thing, as was ſhewed log. chap. 18. n. 3. And ſo no leſſe are all thoſe arguments for proofe of this queſtion, which follow in cap. 13. againſt the Eternity of the World. The inductive arguments of Cleanthes you ſhall finde in Tullie de Nat. Deorum lib. 2. and out of him in Philip Mornay, Of the trueneſſe of Chriſtian Religion. cap. 1. and in Peter Moulin de Cognitione Dei, and others.
(a) There was a time] Time is commonly taken for a certain continuance meaſured by the motion of the heavens. But here it ſignifies at large and improperlie as much as any laſting continuance, or duration which may be thought diſtinguiſhable in Eternity.
(b) Contradictories, Reaſon 2.] The ſecond part of Logonomia, which I call Logicke, written by mee, among other reaſons there mentioned, was eſpecially meant to be an helpe to them that needed helpe for the underſtanding of this booke. And therefore for this, and all ſuch dark words, you that need helpe muſt ſeeke it there; and having read that booke diligently firſt, and ſomewhat underſtood it; you ſhall come better furniſhed to this booke, or the like; and let this note be ſufficient for all ſuch words of art as this.
(c) Therefore there is a God.] All theſe reaſons conclude directly the being of that one onelyonly true God whom we adore. And as there was never any nation ſo barbarous, which did not confeſſe ſome God; one thing or other, which their imaginations leade them unto: So have few men been found ſo ſhameleſſe as to deny it. Yet if any ſuch there be, as Diagorat of Melos, and Theodorus of Cyrene were ſaid to be: they ſhall be reckoned the principall hereticks againſt this concluſion. Protagoras alſo ſhall goe in that number, becauſe he made it doubtfull whether there were Gods or no; whom the Athenians did therefore baniſh, and burnt his bookes. The ſecond ſort is of Paynims and Idolaters; who in ſtead of the true God worſhip falſe gods, Idoles and devils Epheſ. 2.12. The third ſort of Atheiſts are they, who although they denie not God in their words, and being overcome in their conſciences cannot denie him: yet in their actions and affections have no remembrance and regard of him. Theſe have the ſentence of their judgement already pronounced upon them Pſal. 9.17. For whoſoever prefers any thing before God and his feare; either honour, riches, pleaſure, the favour of men, or whatſoever elſe; they ſet vp other gods, and ſo forſake the true God, and his Religion, which had not power over their conſciences to bind them to his feare. For he, that comes to God muſt beleeve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that ſeeke him Heb. 11.6. A fourth errour is of them, who make the idoles of the heathens to be the ſame with the true God, knowne and worſhipped among the Hebrewes, bleſſed therein above all people, becauſe foreign was their God. Pſal. 144.15. & 147.20. You ſhall have their opinion delivered by Hermeſianax, tranſlated by Mr. G. Sandys. lib. 2. of his Relation.
Pluto, Perſephone, Ceres, Ʋenus, Love,
Triton, Nereus, Thetis, Neptune, and Iove.
Pan, Iuno, Vulcan, He with th'awfull rod,
Phaebe, and Archer Phaebus, all one God.
And ſo all the Panim Idolaters, in ſpight of their noſes, ſhall be worſhippers of the true God. But how agrees this with the truth of the Scripture Deut. 32.16.17. where ſtrange Gods are called devils. Pſal. 106.36.37. They ſerved idols and offered unto devils. 1 Cor. 10.20. The Gentiles ſacrifice to devils, and not to God. But hath not this opinion gotten ſtrength of late, when we are taught to beleeve by S…nf. & Park de deſcenſu ſect. 6.7. &c. that theſe Heatheniſh devils had their names alſo from the glorious names of the true God? And for this purpoſe we muſt of Elohim have H l on. But if I ſhould not be …cceſſary to this folly, I would aske why not rather of foreign Eliou? eſpecially, ſeeing the interpretation foreign, and foreign Pag. 11. bind vsus thereto, from the ſignification of foreign which ſignifies Strong and yet the fiction of the Sunnes horſes proved out of Chryſoſt. ſect. 7. would have fetcht it better and with leſſe diſhonour to God, from Helias. Will you have any more? then of foreign ſhaddai take Di…: So this rare Cabaliſt takes the Epithete of the bleſſed God, Gen. 17.1. to the prince of their devils, of foreign, which we read Jehova; you ſhall have I…o, Euios, Phaebos, Bacchos, I, and the Peruvian Hi…h: and of Adonai, the lovely boy Adonis: horreſco referens. And Anion the B…aſilian devill, and Kiwaſſa the idol of Virginia, if they had thought on't, with as much likelihood. But it is proved by the authority of the devill of Claros himſelfe,
Cunctorum dicas ſupremum numen Iao;
Hic tibi vere novo ſit Iupiter, Helius aeſtu;
Dis, eum ſaevit hyems; Autumno mollis Iao.
And againe, the Rhodian devill ſaid aſmuch,
Magnum Atton placate deum, qui caſtus Adonis,
Euios eſt largitor opum, pulcher Dionyſus.
The devill is a Lyar from the beginning; And I eaſily thinke, that hee would and did helpe the Heathen to beleeve all Heſiods genealogy of the gods: And that hee would as willingly ſuffer them to prophane the holy titles of the onelyonly true God for their greater condemnation, that would attribute them unto him. But if the Heathens would falſely give theſe names to their*Deuils See Aug. de …v. D. lib. 9. cap. 23. Gods, a Chriſtian ſhould avenge that unjuſt claime, and not with ſuch hard ſtrayning thruſt them upon them. And how ſticks this with their owne learning, that Moſes, who was never called Iehova, ſhould bee Bacchus, and the hill Sina, the citty Niſa? and Arabia, the India to which Bacchus went? Did any Geographer ſo deſcribe the earth, as to bring India into Arabia? Father Ptolomie tels us, that no part of India is neare to Sina by forty five degrees, which of the Aequators longitude is two thouſand ſeven hundred miles. And the hiſtory of Alexander refutes this fancy Iuſt. hiſt. lib. 12. So Ioſhua is ſometimes Hercules, ſometime Apollo: And Deos and Deus were uſed for any God indifferently; but foreign began to be reſtrained to the true God. When? where? by whom? in proſe, or in verſe? he lookt on foreign, and did but thinke ſo. Is not this that foreign that ſhreeves himſelfe to his wife Iuno for all his ſlipperie prancks with Danae, Sem…le, Latona, and the reſt? Ili…d. ξ. that threatens to clapper claw her Iliad. …. that gaue her the ſtrappado with two Anvils at her heeles? Iliad. …. yet ſee how we are bound to beleeve it. Ante haec tempora repertum non putamus, qui hanc ex literarum hypertheſi theologiam vulgarit. —felicia tempora quae te! But if you take away (hanc) the reſt is the praiſe of the Cabaliſts. Read Iohannes Picus de Mirandula, Archangel. Reuchlin, and in ſpeciall his books de Verbo mirifico. But to what purpoſe is all this grammar learning, which he preſumes to know alone? did ever any man brag ſo loud for two ſheets of paper? forſooth, to prove that Hades is derived of Adamah, it proves it not. But I will rather give it, than I will trouble you further with it.