The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 2 · Subpart 8 · Section 3 – Section 4
3 Whence it may appeare, that there is but one god.
Whence firſt ſprang the multitude of Gods.ALbeit god in the beginning did as certainely declare vntounto mankinde that he is but one onelyonly, as what he is: yet the world by the guile and deceit of the Diuel (going about to ſpoile god of his honour, and to beare and vaunt himſelfe for god, and to deſtroy mankinde for the hatred hee beareth vntounto god) and through their owne blindnes & malice reuolting frō gods diuine manifeſtations, & frō the doctrine of our firſt fathers, hath in horrible madneſſe forged a multitude of gods, yeelding diuine honours partly to creatures, partly to imaginarie gods, and forgetting the true god, or deſiring to ioine and couple other gods with him. And whereas there is no greater bond, than whereby the creature is bound to honour his Creator, and therefore no more griuous ſinne, than to obſcure the glorie due vntounto god, or to conuey it ouer to any other: god, that he might meete with this ſacrilege, hath often teſtified and witneſſed in his word, that there is but one god, not manie, That is, that there is but one diuine eſſence eternal, of infinite power, wiſedome, and goodnes, Creator, preſeruer, and ruler of all thinges. As Deut. 6.4. Heare O Iſrael, the Lord our god is Lord onelyonly. And cap. 32.39. Behold now, for I, I am he, and there is no gods with me. Iſai. 44.6. I am the firſt, and I am the laſt, and without me is there no god. And cap. 45.5. I am the Lord, and there is none other: there is no god beſides me. 1. Cor. 8.4. Wee knowe that an Idole is nothing in the world, and that there is no other god but one. Eph. 4.5. One Lord, one faith, one baptiſme, one god and father of all, which is aboue all, and in vsus all. See alſo Deut. 4.35. 2. Kings. 22.32. Pſalm. 18.32. Iſai. 36.5.Reaſons to ſhew that there is but one God. 1. But one onelyonly manifeſted by ſufficient teſtimonies of miracles and prophecies, and other workes. & 45.21. & 47.8.10. Hoſe. 13.4. Mat. 2.10. Marc. 12.32. Rom. 3.30. Galat. 3.20. 1. Tim. 2.10. &c.
There are not wanting reaſons and arguments alſo, vntounto which the iudgement of reaſon aſſenteth and yeeldeth, that there are no more true gods but one.
1 We are to hold ſo manie for gods, as hauehave manifeſted their diuinitie by certaine and vndoubted teſtimonies. But there is but one onlie manifeſted by miracles, prophecies, & other works, which cannot be done but by an omnipotent nature. Iſai. 44. Pſalm. 86. Therfore but one is to be held for god, euen he whō the Church adoreth. Obiect. Other gods hauehave wrought miracles, & vttered prophecies. Anſ. 1. Thoſe miracles were no other thā might be done by creatures, not proper to an omnipotent nature. 2. They confirmed ſome manifeſt impietie or turpitude, and therefore were not true miracles.
2 His authoritie and Maieſtie is greater, 2 The maieſtie of God admitteth no fellowes,who alone raigneth ouer all, and alone gouerneth all thinges, than his, who hath a fellow partaker of the rule and gouernement with him, that is, it is a point of the greateſt maieſtie, to raigne alone: but the Maieſtie of god is ſo great, that no greater can either bee, or bee imagined: Therefore there is but one God. The Maior is prooued. Becauſe hee who is not Lord alone, vntounto him greater Maieſtie may bee added: but the greateſt and higheſt Maieſtie, is that, whereunto nothing can be added. And the Minor is prooued by the perfectnes, omnipotencie, bleſſednes, and ſurpaſſing goodnes of god, & by natural iudgement. Exod. 34.14. Thou ſhalt bowe downe to none other god. Iſai. 42.8. I am the Lord, this is my name, & my glorie wil I not giuegive to another. 1. Tim. 1.17. VntoUnto god onelie wiſe, be honor. Apoc. 4.11. Thou art worthie, O Lord, to receiue glorie, and honor, & power: for thou haſt created all thinges.
3 That which hath greateſt perfection, can bee but one, 3. That which is moſt perfect, is but one.for the whole is greater and perfecter than anie part thereof. Therefore he is perfect, who hath the whole alone: and they imperfect, who hauehave anie thing diuided and diſtributed amongſt them. Furthermore, the verie euidence of the thing it ſelfe doth ſo inforce vsus to confeſſe the greateſt perfection of goodnes, wiſedome and power to be in god, ſeeing he is the cauſe of al, that good is in nature; that nothing is more abſurd, than to imagine anie thing to be god which is not moſt great, and moſt perfect. Wherefore there is but one only diuine eſſence, for that the diuinitie beeing diſperſed into more gods, would be al and whole in none: and ſo none of them would bee perfect, & therefore none the true god. And herehence appeareth the vanity of that deuiſe and imagination, whereby it fained that there is but one ſupreme god: but to this are added, other minor & demy gods, Whatſoeuer i… God, is Soueraigne, and Supreme.as ſubiect and vnderunder-powers to the higheſt. For ſeeing it is impious to conceiue of the diuinitie, otherwiſe than as being moſt great & moſt perfect, and ſuch wherto nothing may be added, & which is ſubiect to none; therfore neither that which is diſtributed into more gods, neither any thing, which commeth ſhort neuer ſo little of the greateſt perfection and ſurpaſſing al mans cogitation, can be the true god, as it is often ſaide: Lord, who is like vntounto thee? Whether therefore the others bee equall, or inferiour, yet would there be in none the whole diuinitie. For in him that is ſupreme or ſoueraigne, & the reſt iointly together is more of the diuinitie, than in that one ſupreme onelyonly. Therefore neither in the ſupreme & ſoueraign god, ſhould the whole deitie be. And further thoſe inferiour powers can not bee gods, becauſe they are not moſt perfect, nor ſupreme.
4 But one chief good.4 God is of infinite goodnes, and the verie chief good. But there ought to be one onelie chief good For if beſides that there were another chief good alſo, that ſhould be either greater, or leſſer, or equal. If greater, then ſhould it alſo be god: which were contumelious againſt god: if leſſer, it ſhould not be god: if equall, then neither the one nor the other ſhould be god.
5 But one Omnipotent.5 There is but one Omnipotent. God is Omnipotent. Therefore he is but one. The Maior is proued thus. He againſt whoſe will any thing may be done, or whom another can hinder from doing that he would, cannot be truely omnipotent: but if there be more, at one & the ſame time put to be omnipotent, then ſhall they be able to do anie thing, though the others bee againſt it; and one ſhall neceſſarilie hauehave the power to hinder another, and to let his action, and to doe any thing contrarie to the others wil; for otherwiſe hee ſhould not be able to doe all thinges (for it is proper to him that is omnipotent, that no man be able to reſiſt him) but ſhould hauehave his power bounded and limited within a certaine compaſſe. None of them therefore would be indeed omnipotent, but in word onelyonly and by intreatie each of other: and therefore there cannot bee imagined more gods, except omnipotencie be withall taken from them. Obiection. But they may agree all. Wherefore omnipotencie hindereth not, why there ſhoulde not bee moe omnipotent. Aunſwere. Omnipotencie is, not onelyonly not to be hindered, but, not to be able to be hindered.
6 More Gods would be either vnperfect, or ſuperfluous.6 It is not lawfull to imagine god to be ſuch a one, as ſufficeth not for the wielding and menaging of all things, neither ſuch a one as is ſuperfluous or idle, without manifeſt impietie and abſurditie; ſeing there is nothing ſuperfluous or idle in god. But if there be put more gods, either each of them will be too weake to rule all, and ſo imperfect, and not worthie of the title and name of diuinitie: or one will ſuffice for the guiding of the whole world, and ſo the rest ſhall bee idle, ſuperfluous and needeleſſe. Wherefore there muſt needes bee but one god, that hee alone may ſuffice for all.
7 There can bee but one infinite: 7 There can be but one infinite.for if there were more infinites; none ſhoulde bee preſent euerie where, and rule all. Wherefore there cannot be more, but one onelie god which is infinite.
8 There is but one firſt cauſe of al things. God is that firſt cauſe. 8 But one firſt cauſe. How many are called Gods in ſcripture.Therefore he is but one. Obiect. Manie are called Gods. Pſal. 82.6. I hauehave ſaid, yee are gods. 1. Cor. 8.5. Manie are, and are called gods in heauen and in earth. Exod. 7.1. Moſes is called Pharaos god. Likewiſe the gods of the heathen. Therefore there is not one god onelyonly. Anſ. There is an ambiguity & double ſignification of this word, God, which ſometimes ſignifieth him, who is by nature god, and hath his being not frō anie thing but from himſelf and by himſelfe, and all other thinges are from him. Such a God is but one onelyonly. Sometimes it betokeneth not the verie Diuine, Eternall, and immenſe Eſſence, but a god either ſo entitled, for ſome ſimilitude of the Diuine properties, dignitie, and diuine office, and function: Or an imaginarie, and faigned god. Such Gods are manie. Firſt, Iudges, and Magiſtrates are entitled and called gods, not that they hauehave the Diuine Eſſence communicated vntounto them, and are by nature GOD; but becauſe they beare a Diuine office and function, that is, becauſe they are the Deputies and Vicegerents of GOD, by whom, as by his inſtrumentes and ſeruaunts, hee exerciſeth his power and iudgementes here on earth: and therefore dooth furniſh and arme them with Wiſedome, Fortitude, Power, Authoritie, and Maieſtie, as much as is neceſſarie and ſufficient to bridle the mindes of the multitude, beeing deſirous of licenciouſnes, and to holde and keepe them in feare and obedience: hee dooth alſo vouchſafe them the honour of his name, that the Subiectes may thereby know, that they hauehave to deale not with men, but with GOD himſelfe, (whoſe Vicegerents they are) whether they obeie their Magiſtrate, or repine againſt him. Rom. 13.2 Whoſoeuer reſiſteth the power, reſiſteth the ordinance of God. Secondly, The Angels alſo are called Gods, both for the excellencie of their nature and giftes, power and wiſedome, as alſo for the diuine office and function, which God exerciſeth by them in this world, in defending the godly and puniſhing the wicked. Thirdly, The Diuel is called the God of the world, for his great potencie and power, which hee hath ouer men and other creatures by the iuſt iudgement of God. 2. Cor. Epheſ. 6. Nowe Idols are called Gods by a figuratiue ſp…che of imitation, imitating and following therein the opinion of men who ſaigne a diuinitie in creatures, feare them, truſt in them, and reſt on them. Exod. 20.3. Thou ſhalt hauehave none other Gods before me. Philip. 3.9. whoſe God is their bellie.
4 What theſe words, Eſſence, Perſon, & Trinitie, betoken & ſignifie.
The explication of theſe wordes ſerue much for the vnderſtanding of the vnconceiueable myſtery of the Trinitie: and therefore is it not to bee read with a running eye.ESſence, as it is vſed in this doctrine, for ſubſtaunce, is a thing ſubſiſting by it ſelfe (that, is a thing hauing a proper beeing, not ſuſtained in another) although it bee communicated to moe. That is ſaide to be communicable or communicated, which is common, or may bee made common to moe. That is ſaide to bee incommunicable, which is not in moe, neither can bee affirmed of moe. Mans eſſence is communicable and common to manie men, but this eſſence is in generall common, not in particular, and in number: that is, the nature and eſſence of all men is in generall one, but not one in number: for euerie man hath his Eſſence diſtinct from others, neither are all one man, but manie men. But the Eſſence of God is communicable in particular; becauſe the ſelfeſame Deitie in number, and that whole and entire is common to the three perſons, & is the ſubſtance of the three perſons: and therefore the three perſons are that one God, who created all thinges; not three gods.
A perſon, is a thing ſubſiſting, indiuiduall, liuing, vnderſtanding, incommunicable, not ſuſteined in another, neither part of another.
Subſiſting] By which word is ſignified, that it is not an accident, cogitation, decree, vaniſhing ſound, or any created qualitie, or motion.
Indiuiduall] Not any generall; but a particular one in number, and therefore vndiuidable, and called indiuiduall. Liuing] No inanimat thing, which hath no life, as a ſtone.
Vnderſtanding] A thing which hath ſenſe onelyonly, as are brute beaſtes, who are thinges liuing and ſenſible, but not vnderſtanding, and therefore are no perſons.
Incommunicable] Not the diuine Eſſence, which is common to three: not the ſubſtaunce of mans nature or any other thing created: which is communicated to the thing begotten thereof or thence deriued.
Not ſuſteined in another] Not the human nature of Chriſt: becauſe this is perſonallie ſuſteined of the word, that is, ſo, that it together with the word is the ſubſtāce of one Chriſt, & except it were ſubſiſting in the word, ſhould not at al be.
Neither part of another] Not the ſoule of man, which as long as it is conteined in the bodie, is part of man.