The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 2 · Subpart 8 · Section 2
2 Who and what God is.
WHen it is demanded, who is the tru god, Wee muſt acknowledge God to bee ſuch, as himſelfe hath manifeſted himſelfe to bee.we are to hold moſt firmly and ſurely, that he alone is the tru god, who euen from the beginning of mankinde did not onelyonly manifeſt himſelfe in the nature of thinges by the ſteppes and prints of his diuinity ſhining therein, but eſpecially in the Church, by his woord deliuered, and other famous teſtimonies of miracles, deliueries, and conſolations, wherby he plainly teacheth whom & what he will be acknowleged and publiſhed by vsus to be, and that he is not acknowleged or woorſhiped of any, but of them, who thinke according to this word both of him and his will, neither is the true knowledge of him founde elſe-where than in this worde. The certaintie of this poſition, is hereof moſt manifeſt, for that all thoſe who imagine GOD to bee other in eſſence, or nature, or will, than hee hath teſtified himſelfe to bee in his owne manifeſtations and reueilings, doe not embrace and woorſhip at all the true GOD, but an other thing of their owne framing, in ſteede of the true GOD, according to theſe ſayings, Iohn. 4.22. Ye woorſhip that which ye knowe not: we woorſhip that which wee knowe: for ſaluation is of the Iewes. And cap. 5. verſ. 23. He that honoreth not the ſonne, the ſame honoreth not the father which hath ſent him. Gal. 4.8. But then when ye knewe not GOD, yee did ſeruice vntounto them which by nature are not Gods. Eph. 2.12. Ye were at that time without Chriſt, & were aliants from the common-wealth of Iſraell, and were ſtraungers from the Couenaunt of promiſe, and had no hope, and were without GOD in the world. Act. 17.23. Whom yee then ignorantly worſhip, him ſhew I vntounto you. 1. Iohn. 2.23. Whoſoeuer denieth the ſonne, the ſame hath not the father.
But againſt theſe thinges ſeemeth that to bee, which Paul ſaith to the Rom. 1.19. That that which may bee knowen of GOD is manifeſt alſo in men eſtranged from chriſtian Religion: for that GOD hath ſhewed it vntounto them. For the inuiſible thinges of him, The glimſe of nature not ſufficient to ſhew who is the true God.that is, his eternall power and Godhead, are ſeene by the creation of the world beeing conſidered in his woorkes; to the intent that they ſhoulde be without excuſe. And Act. 17. That GOD in former ages did not leaue himſelfe without witneſſe: and that out of the whole nature of thinges, but chieflie by the minde of man, and the difference of thinges honeſt and diſhoneſt, and by the puniſhments the of wicked, it may in ſome meaſure bee gathered, not onelyonly that there is a GOD, but alſo what hee is: and therefore manie thinges are found to hauehave beene ſpoken truely by the heathen and others concerning the vnitie and nature of GOD. But to theſe obiections wee aunſwere: that there are indeede ſome true thinges, concerning GOD manifeſted otherwiſe alſo than by the worde deliuered to the Church: but by them notwithſtanding, who is the true GOD, cannot bee ſhewed; and that for two cauſes. For firſt, thoſe thinges by themſelues are not ſufficient: For, to the knowing of the true God, it is requiſite that wee knowe and profeſſe, not ſome thinges onelyonly, but all thinges which hee openeth of himſelfe, and woulde hauehave knowen. Moreouer, theſe ſelfe ſame true teſtimonies of God alſo, which remaine in mens minds and in nature, all they by reaſon of a naturall blindneſſe in them and prauitie doe manie waies corrupt, who in weighing of them followe not the light and interpretation thereof drawen from the worde of God deliuered to the Church, when as euen of theſe thinges which might bee knowen by the helpe of nature, manie thinges they doe not knowe, manie they faine of their owne, which hauehave nothing agreeing with the nature and wil of God: and thoſe thinges which they do retaine, & in ſhewe of wordes profeſſe, they farre otherwiſe vnderſtand than they are propoſed of God, and declared in his word, and in the Church vnderſtoode: and ſo beholding and ſounding in their mouth true ſentences and ſayinges concerning God, conceiue neuertheleſſe and foſter falſe opinions of him in their mind. This anſwere S. Paul himſelfe expreſſeth Rom. 1. when he addeth; That they are inexcuſable; becauſe that when they knewe god, they glorified him not as god.
Now albeit Philoſophicall wiſedome cannot therefore ſhew, who is the true god, for that concerning the eſſence, nature, wil, and workes of god,The voice of nature concerning god, neither to bee reiected nor contemned, either in reſpect of inſufficiencie, or of mens miſconſtring it. ſo much as is neceſſary to bee knowen it doth not teach, & is diuerſly depraued by men, ſo that out of the Church remaineth no true knowledge of god, yet neuertheles that voice of the nature of things concerning god ought not for theſe cauſes to bee reiected as falſe, or contemned as fruitles. For neither is that ſtraight waies falſe in it ſelfe, which is peruerſlie conſtred of men; neither fruitles for al things, nor to al men, which auaileth the reprobate nothing at all to euerlaſting ſaluation. For god will alſo out of the Church bridle the lewd & diſſolute, by the teſtimonies which their conſcience & puniſhments giuegive of his will, anger, and iudgement, and according to them will hee hauehave the life and manners of men ruled. Hee will hauehave mans corruption and his iuſtice made more conſpicuous and cleare in puniſhing them, who ſtubburnely withſtand the knowen truth. He wil by natural teſtimonies, mens conſcience ſhewing the imperfection thereof, hauehave men ſtirred vp to ſeeke the true God in the Church, as it is ſaid, Act. 17. That men were therefore placed in the theater of the worlde, that they ſhould ſeeke the Lord, if ſo be they might hauehave groaped after him, and found him. Hee will alſo hauehave them, who are conuerted to him, to be more confirmed by the conſent of nature and the worde, as the often alleadging of naturall teſtimonies in the Scriptures declareth. Laſtly he will, the imperfection of naturall knowledge being conſidered, hauehave mens ignorance concerning God acknowledged, & his mercy magnified, who diſcouereth and openeth himſelfe in his woorde.
God cannot bee defined, 1. Becauſe he is immenſe. 2. Becauſe his eſſence is vnknown vntounto vsus: Yet ſome way hee may be deſcribed: which deſcription comprehendeth his attributes or properties, the perſons & principal woorks and by theſe three is the true God diſcerned from all falſe Gods.
The deſcription of God according to the rules of Diuinitie.After this ſort then is God Theologically deſcribed, God is a ſpiritual eſſence, intelligent, eternall, infinite, other from all the creatures, incomprehenſible, moſt perfect in it ſelfe, vnmutable, and of an immenſe power, wiſedome & goodneſſe, true, iuſt, chaſt, mercifull, bountifull, most free, angry and wrath with ſinne: which eſſence is the eternal father who frō euerlaſting begot the Sonne according to his Image, and the Sonne, who is the coeternall Image of the father: & the holie ghoſt, proceeding from the Father and the Sonne: Euen as it hath bin manifeſted from aboue, certain worde thereof beeing deliuered by the Prophets, Chriſt and the Apostles, and by diuine teſtimonies, t…at the eternall Father together with the Sonne, and the holy ghost, hath created heauen and earth, and all creatures, and worketh all good things in all: & that in mankind he hath choſen vntounto himſelfe and gathered a Church, by, and for the Sonne, that by his Church this one and true Deitie may be according to the word deliuered from aboue, acknowledged, celebrated, and adored in this life, and in the life to come: & laſtly that he is the iudge of the iust and vniust.
The deſcription of God according to philoſophie.Philoſophically he is deſcribed on this wiſe: God is an eternall minde or intelligence ſufficient in himſelfe to all felicitie, most good, and the cauſe of good in nature. So is hee defined by Plato in his book of Definitions; likewiſe in his Timaeus. And by Ariſtotle Lib. 12. Metaph. Cap. 7. and Lib. de Mundo, &c.
The Theological deſcription of god,In what the former deſcriptions differ. which the church deliuereth, differeth from this Philoſophical deſcription, becauſe that is pefecter than this. 1 In the number of parts, whereof it addeth manie by nature vnknown vntounto men; as of the Trinity, of the Redēption of man, &c. 2. In the vnderſtanding & declaration of thoſe parts, which are common to both▪ for the Theological deſcription declareth them more certainlie and fullie. 3. In the effect or fruite. By Philoſophie or the light of nature men are not able to bee brought to the true knowledge of God, both becauſe it is maimed, and falſe by mens corruption: as alſo becauſe it doth not ſtirre vp in vsus Godlines, that is, the louelove and feare of God: ſeeing it teacheth not thoſe things, whereby this is effectuated and brought to paſſe.