The Sacred Philosophy of the Holy Scripture, Article 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. That God is Almightie.
MIght or power is of divers kindes, as you may reade log. appendix of Sect. 3. introduct. I will not ſtand repeating, nor in this queſtion make any mention of that power which they call paſſive, becauſe it meanes a power onelyonly to ſuffer in things that are weake and imperfect. The might which I meane here is abſolute, perfect, infinite, which belongs to God, and to him alone, as it appeares by theſe reaſons.
1. What power ſoever it is, which is equally powerfull over all being, either in acte, or in poſſibilitie of being, muſt needs bee infinite or almightie: but ſuch is the power of God; therefore God is Almightie. It was manifeſt before Chap. 2. that God was everlaſting, and ſo not by any other; but that all things either being, or poſſible to be, are from him above, as it will further appeare Chap. 13. and upon this conſequence it will further follow neceſſarily, that God is Almighty, a in reſpect of the creature.
2. b If God bee not Almightie, then either that which is, or that which is not muſt bee able to reſiſt him: but neither that which is, nor that which is not, is able to withſtand him; therefore God is Almightie. The propoſition is plaine, that hee may doe what he will doe, who can finde no hinderance or let in his doing. The aſſumption alſo is as true: for the things that are, are all from him, as the fountaine of all being, as it is confeſſed by the voice of heaven, Reve. Cap. 4.11. Thou art worthie O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou haſt created all things; and for thy wills ſake, they are, and have beene created. And that the things that are not, ſhould be able to withſtand him is utterly impoſſible; for ſo, not being ſhould be more powerfull than being, and being more powerfull muſt of neceſſitie be; and ſo ſhould both be and not be, which is an abſolute contradiction, and utterlie impoſſible. Therefore the firſt, that God is Almightie, is true of neceſſitie.
3. If God be not Almighty, ſo that his power may be anſwerable to his other dignities in infinitie; then either his power muſt bee accidentall to him, or elſe his being muſt differ eſſentiallie from it ſelfe; but both theſe things are impoſſible: for in him is no accident, nor ſhadow of change, Ia 1.17. as it ſhall appeare more at large Chap. 9. And for the ſecond conſequence, it is as plaine: for that which is infinite, and that which is finite muſt needs differ eſſentially, ſo that if his goodneſſe, his eternitie, wiſdome, &c. being eſſentially himſelfe, as is ſhewed Chap. 8. be infinite, and his power likewiſe eſſentiall to him, and yet finite, then his being muſt needs differ eſſentially from his being. Therefore it is neceſſarie that God be Almighty.
4. Nothing can either be or worke; but by that power which it hath, both to be that which it is, and to doe that which it doth; ſo that if the power of God were not infinite or almightie, neither could his being be everlaſting by his eternitie, neither could his inward action in himſelfe be infinite and eternall, neither could his goodneſſe, his greatneſſe, his truth, glory, &c. be that which they are neither by his wiſdome could he know himſelfe infinite and eternall, nor yet able to doe any thing anſwerable to his goodneſſe, truth, and glory, Reade Pſal. 111. Neither could he delight himſelfe and be ſo happy infinitely in his owne goodneſſe, greatneſſe and glory; and ſo he ſhould not be God. But all theſe things are impoſſible: therefore God is Almighty. And this the holy Scripture every where proclaimeth, firſt by the voice of God himſelfe, Gen. 17.1. & 35.11. I am God Almighty, and Exod. 6.3. I appeared unto Abraham, Iſaac, aad Iacob, by the name of the Almighty God. Then by his Prophets, Iob 27.3. This is the portion of Tyrants from the Almightie. This is alſo the voice of heaven Revel. 4.8. Holy holy Lord God Almighty, & Revel. 15.3. Great and marvellous are thy workes, Lord God Almighty.
Notes.
(a) IN reſpect of the Creature, Re…: 1.] The firſt argument is the effect of thoſe which Tho. Aquin. hath brought to this queſtion, in his ſecond booke, Cont. Gent. cap. 22. And although this infinite power bee one of the inward perfections of the being of God; no leſſe than His goodneſſe, eternity, infinity, &c. which the Doctor ſaw well enough; yet becauſe hee could manifeſt it beſt by the effects in the Creation, therefore hee deferred it to that place. Yet by this meanes He left the queſtion proved but in the ſmalleſt part, becauſe the infinity of Gods power, though manifeſted in the Creation of a Million of worlds, of which every one ſhould be greater and better than this; yet could they no way be an object anſwerable to his power, to which nothing can bee equall but only Himſelfe. Wherefore the Doctor was compelled to adde hereto two chapters, 23. & 24. as certaine ſupplies. That God wrought not the Creature by any neceſſity, but according to the purpoſe of his owne will and wiſdome: yet would I not be thought to blame theſe or the like arguments, though in effect only inductive. For the Holy Scripture, in infinite places uſes the like. And to this purpoſe principally (is concerning the literall interpretation) are all thoſe reaſons and inſtances which are brought in Iob, from the beginning of the 37. chap. to the end of the 41.
(b) If God be not Almighty, then either that which is, or that which is not, R. 2.] Many queſtions have beene moved, and ſtill are by idle and preſuming wits, concerning the knowledge, will, and power of God. In the will and fore knowledge of God is that great doubt, which is about predeſtination, and reprobation, wherein I have ſaid ſo much, note a in the 5. chap. as may direct the honeſt minded, who enquires thereinto, not for controverſies and diſputations, wherein the practice of godlineſſe doth not at all conſiſt. Concerning the power of God, ſome queſtions are moved, meerely captious and idle; ſome, though unneceſſarily, yet more pardonablie: but becauſe that in every thing which wee know truely of God, there is exceeding comfort; it is not unfit to heare ſome of them, and to give an anſwer. Firſt it is demanded; If God be Almightie and all knowing, whether he bee able to doe that, which he knowes to be impoſſible to be done. I anſwer, That onelyonly ſuch things are utterlie impoſſible to be done, whereof there is neither power nor knowledge; neither doe they come into the account of things. But poſſibilitie and impoſſibilitie are not to be meaſured by us: for though to man many things ſeeme impoſſible; yet to God all things are poſſible. Mar. 10.17. And this difference we our ſelves either out of our owne wits, or in our beſt wits acknowledge, when in ſuddaine or great dangers, out of which we ſee no poſſible avoydance, wee call upon God, as acknowledging our eſcape poſſible to him.
2. Whether God can call backe or undoe the things that have beene. Salomon Eccleſ. 1.9, 10. ſaith, That which hath beene, is that which ſhall bee, and there is no new thing under the Sunne. Is there any thing new? it hath beene already in the time that was before us. But whereas Salomon ſpeakes by way of compariſon or likeneſſe; or that things paſt may bee figures and prophecies of things to come: I thinke you meane the ſame in number, and that in reſpect of their being onelyonly; then I anſwer, No. For that which hath beene, is as neceſſarie to have beene, as it is neceſſarie for that to be, which is. Now to be, and not to be, implies a contradiction, or a ſaying and gaineſaying of the ſame thing. And that any thing be, infolds neceſſarily the will and power of God thereto; ſo that any thing ſhould have beene, and not have beene, it muſt of neceſſitie enforce that God ſhould both will, and not will the ſame thing: but to will, and not to will proceeds from extreme weakeneſſe of foreſight, and want of judgement in the difference of things that are good and bad. But nothing of weakeneſſe can belong to God; as to be leſſe then hee is, in any of his dignities, to ceaſe to be, or will that which is ill, to be inglorious, to forget, to ſuffer violence, to be weary, ſorrie, angrie, to denie himſelfe 2. Tim. 2.13. as it is ſaid, Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things, a promiſe and an oath, wherein it is impoſſible that God ſhould lie, we may have ſtrong conſolation; which lay holde on the hope which is ſet before us. Neither yet can that belong to God, which is againſt the neceſſitie of being: as becauſe the being of God muſt of neceſſitie be independent, therefore God cannot make another God beſides himſelfe, which ſhall bee equall to himſelfe, and independent. Neither yet in things being, becauſe all his works are done in truth and judgement, Pſal. 111.7. is it poſſible to change them, as that 2. and 3 ſhould not bee 5. that a tryangle ſhould not have three corners: and therefore thirdly, if it be queſtioned;
3. Whether the ſame things which God hath wrought, were poſſible to be done otherwiſe than they are done? I anſwer, The power of God in the creature is conformable to his will; his will to his goodneſſe; his goodneſſe to his wiſdome. So as God in his wiſdome ſeeing what was good in the creature, according to the pleaſure of His will, ſo framed the creature, as it is ſaid, Pſal. 134.6. Whatſoever pleaſed the Lord, that did he in heaven, and in earth; in the ſea, and in all deepe places. Therefore ſuppoſing that it was His will, ſo to worke in the creature as he hath framed it, it was not poſſible to be done otherwiſe than it is. For ſo his will ſhould not be abſolute, and unchangeable: nor yet his will and power ſhould be convertible. But yet ſeeing the creature is no way a proportionable object to his wiſdome, and his power; if it had ſeemed good unto him, Hee might have done the ſame things otherwiſe then hee hath, in reſpect of any limitation which he found in the creature; And may create other worlds and beings, different from this, according as it ſhall ſeeme good to His infinite wiſdome. Therefore all the poſſibilities mentioned befor… are in reſpect of the creature o…ly; not in reſpect of the infinite power of the Creator, who by that which H…e hath wrought in the creature, hath put an impoſſibility to change or undoe that which He hath done.