Collection of Discourses, Part 11 · Subpart 19
OF THE FIRST COMMANDEMENT.
1 The firſt table giueth precepts of duties toward God; the ſecōd of duties toward our neighbor, but ſo that the former immediatly, the latter is mediatly referred to God.
2 Whereas the firſt cōmandement chargeth vsus to hauehave for god only the true god manifeſted in the church, it doth eſpecially cōpriſe the internal worſhip of God, which cōſiſteth in mind, will, & hart.
3 The principal parts or points of this worſhip are theſe: true knowledge of God, faith, hope, & louelove of God, feare of God, humility before God, & patience.
4 God may in ſome ſort bee knowne of the creatures, namely as far forth as it pleaſeth him to reveale himſelfe to every man.
5 There be two ſorts of knowledge of God, one ſimply & abſolutely perfect, whereby God onlie knoweth himſelfe, that is, the eternal father, ſon, & holy Ghoſt know themſelues, & one an other, & vnderſtād wholy & moſt perfectly their whole infinit eſſence & maner of being (for none but an infinit vnderſtādīg cā perfectly know that which is infinit) the other in the creaturs, wherby angels & men do indeed vnderſtād the whole & entire nature & maieſty of god as being moſt ſimple, but not wholy; that is, they vnderſtand it only ſo far as he revealeth it vntounto them.
6. That knowledge of God, which is in the creatures, if it be compared with that, wherby God vnderſtandeth and knoweth himſelfe, is to be accoumpted imperfect, but if we reſpect degrees therof, ſome of it is perfect, ſome imperfect, not ſimplie but in compariſon, that is, in reſpect of the inferior or ſuperior degree.
7. That is perfect, wherby the bleſſed angels & men in heauen know God by excellent viſion or beholding of minde, as much as is ſufficiēt for cō formitie of the reaſonable creature with God. Imperfect is that, whereby men knowe God in this life leſſe then they might, and therfore by Gods commaundement ought, by benefit of their creation.
8. Imperfect knowledge is of two ſorts, Chriſtian or theological, & philoſophical, Chriſtian knowledge is that which is learned out of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apoſtles: Philoſophical is that which is gathered from principles naturally knowne, and the beholding of Gods workes in nature.
9. Chriſtian knowledge is of two ſorts, Spiritual or true, liuely, powerfull and ſauing: and Literal. The spiritual is a knowledge of God and his will, kindled in our mindes by the holy Ghoſt according to the worde, and by the word, cauſinge in our will and heart an inclnation and ſtudie to knowe, beleeue & practize more and more thoſe thinges, which God in his …rd commandeth vsus to know, beleeue, and do. The … is a knowledge of God either reteined from the creation, or afterwardes wrought in our mindes by the holy Ghoſt through the worde of God, which is not accompanied with a mans deſire of conforming himſelfe therunto.
10. Both ſpirituall & literal knowledge is either immediate, wh…ch by inſtinct of the holy Ghoſt without ordinarie meanes, or mediate, which is wrought of the holy Ghoſt by hearinge, reading, and meditating on the ſcripture.
11. The ordinarie meanes of knowinge God, and that which is preſci…bed vntounto vsus by God, is by ſtudie and meditation of the ſcriptures, and therfore we muſt by this meanes labour to come to the knowledge of God, and therefore not deſire and expect from God ſome extraordinarie & immediate enlightning, except of his owne accord he offer it vntounto vsus, and confirme it by ſure & certeine teſtimonies.
12. But although God hath declared in his word how farre in this life he would be knowne of vsus, yet naturall teſtimonies of God are not ſuperfluous, becauſe they condemne the impiety of the reprobate, and confirme the ſaluatiō of the elect, and are therfore everie where alledged by God in ſcripture, and muſt be conſidered by vsus.
13. But withall, this we muſt be perſwaded of them, that they are indeede true, and agree…ble with Gods worde, but ye… they are not ſufficient to the true knowledge of God.
14. Beſides, although natural teſtimonies doe not teach any thinge falſe of God, yet men without the light of Gods word conceaue out of them nothing but falſe opinions cōcerning God, both becauſe thoſe teſtimonies do not ſhew ſo much as is deliuered in the worde, as alſo becauſe men by reaſon of their natiue blindeneſſe and corruption, doe miſtake, miſinterpret, and manie waies corrupt even theſe verie teſtimonies, which by natural iudgment might be vnderunder-ſtoode.
15. And therfore in the firſt commaundement is forbid de and condemned all ignorance of ſuch things as God hath propoſed vntounto vsus for to know of him, in his worde, and in his workes, as well of creation as redemption of the church: alſo all errors of ſuch as imagine either that there is no God, as the Epicures, or manie Gods, as the heathen, the Manichees, the worſhipers of angels, dead men, other creatures, the witches, the ſuperſtitious, thoſe that put confidence in creatures, or thoſe which imagine a God diverſe from him which hath manifeſted himſelfe in the church, as philoſophers, Iews, Mahometās, Sabelliās, Arriās, Samoſatēs, P…cumatomachians, and the like, which do not acknowledge that God which is the father eternal, with his ſonne and holie ſpirit coeternal.