The Sacred Philosophy of the Holy Scripture, Article 1 · Chapter 4
That God is infinitely good. CHAP. IIII.
THings in their being are the object of our underſtanding, that we may know the truth of their being; and therein is the underſtanding perfected: But things, as farre as they are good are the ob…ect of our deſire; as farre as we finde the likeneſſe of our ſelves, or of ſomething in our ſelves therein. But good is of divers kindes; the firſt and loweſt kinde is conditionall or civill, as riches, honour, favour of great men, authority; which are good or ill, according as they are uſed. Secondly morall, as the vertues and abilities of the minde, and the fruits thereof. Thirdly naturall, which is in every thing: and that either eſſentially, in the perfection of the being whereto it is ordeined; which every thing deſires, as the proper good thereof: or ſpecifically, in reſpect of thoſe proper effects which proceed from the eſſentiall forme; inaſmuch as every good thing imparts the goodneſſe of it ſelfe as much as it may. But the goodneſſe of God comes not into accompt with theſe: for although for that loves ſake which he hath of goodneſſe, he were pleaſed to imprint certaine likeneſſes of himſelfe in the creature; yet this was not out of any need which he had of the creature, without which he was and is infinitely happy in himſelfe, Pſal. 16.2. Therefore the creation onelyonly manifeſted the goodneſſe of God, that the creature according to the meaſure thereof might be good, perfect, and bleſſed in him, who is infinitely good in himſelfe, as is manifeſt by theſe reaſons.
1. It is proved Chap 2. that the being of God is infinite. Hence it followes thus. Whatſoever is equall to an infinite being, muſt of neceſſity be infinite. The goodneſſe of God is equall to his infinite being: for otherwiſe his being ſhould be defective, and ill, if by his goodneſſe it ſhould not be wholly and infinitely good. And if in any thing his being were defective, then ſhould it not be infinitely diſtant from not being, and ſo his being ſhould not be infinite: but all theſe things are impoſſible. Therefore the goodneſſe of God is infinite.
2. Being and Goodneſſe are termes convertible, inaſmuch as every thing deſires the perfection of it owne being, as the proper goodneſſe thereof. But it is neceſſarie that ſome thing be chiefe and ſuperexcellent in being, as the cauſe of all other beings; therefore alſo in goodneſſe; and this is moſt eminently true in God, that his goodneſſe is his being; becauſe it cannot be in him as a property proceeding from any forme, he being utterly free from any compoſition; nor yet by any ſuperaddition, or putting to of any thing vntounto his being, he being the cauſe of all and utterlie free from ſuffering any thing from without. Therefore God is infinitely and eſſentially good.
3. In the order of things being, it is neceſſarie that ſomething be ſupereminent and chiefe, either good or ill, which muſt of neceſſity be that which is the firſt, and cauſe of all other things. Good is a poſitive being, and brings in perfection: Ill is onelyonly privative, and puts nothing in being. And ſeeing the excellencie of every effect is in the multitude of the likeneſſes thereof unto the cauſe, if the firſt cauſe thereof be not ſupereminently good, then that which is ill and privative, ſhall be more actuall, perfect, and excellent, than that which is good: and every thing the worſe it is, ſhall be more like unto it, and that which is worſt of all ſhall be moſt like unto it; and that which is moſt of all not being, to wit, that which is utterly impoſſible to be, moſt actuall and perfect: but theſe things are manifeſt contradictions and utterly impoſſible. Therefore God the firſt cauſe of all, is ſupereminently and infinitelie good.
4. Whatſoever hath all the perfections of being in it, muſt needs be infinitely good. But God hath all the perfections of being in himſelfe, as being the cauſe of all. Therefore God is infinitely good.
5. And this is that goodneſſe which our Lord would not ſuffer to be given unto any other. There is none good but one, even God. Marke 10.18. But the repreſentation of this infinite goodneſſe is diverſly imparted, firſt without meaſure, Iohn 3.34. To him that is the image of his being. Hebr. 1.3. Then to them who of his fulneſſe have received, even grace for grace, Iohn 1.16. Thirdly to every thing in the being thereof, as I ſpake before Gen. 1.31. And hereby you may ſee the force of that argument which our Saviour uſes, Matth. 7.11. If you then which are ill can give good gifts to your children; how much more ſhall your heavenly father give good things to them that aſke him? Seeing he is goodneſſe it ſelfe, and this goodneſſe of God is the argument of ſo many Pſalmes: Praiſe ye the Lord, becauſe he is good; for his merciemercy endureth for ever. Pſal. 118.136: &c.