Certain Questions and Answers Concerning the Knowledge of God, Part 11 – Part 19
God is vnchangeable.
Q. VVhat else is the nature of God?
A. He is vnchangeable.
Q. VVhat meane you by that?
A. That is, hee will bee alwayes such as hee hath bene from all eternitie.
Q. Declare in particular how that is?
A. First his essence or substance cannot be augmented, nor deminished. Secondly, his nature and wil cannot be changed. Thirdly, he hath no need to transporte himselfe from place to place. This is witnessed by the Scriptures, and also confirmed by the light of reason.
Q. By what Scripture do you proue that God is vnchangeable?
A: It is proued in Num. 23.19. Iames. 1.17. Psal. 33.11. Esa. 46.10.
Q. What light doth reason giuegive to this matter?
A. Whatsoeuer is changed, must needes be changed either to the worse, or to the better: or into a state equall with the former. But God cannot be changed from the better to the worse, for so he should become of perfect, imperfect.
And to exchange from the worse to the better it is impossible also: for then he should hauehave bene imperfect before, which to affirme is high blasphemye.
Q. But how proue you that God doth not remoue himselfe from place to place?
A. Because he *Psa. 139.filleth heauen and earth, and al places, therfore he can neither departe from any place, nor be absent from any place,
1 Obiection. If God cannot change his minde, why is it said he repented that he had made man?
Answere. The Scripture speaketh after our manner, in that, that we may better vnderstand what is the nature of God against sinne.
Q. Declare how that is.
A. When we are greeued with any thing, we doo then repent vsus that euer we did that thing with which we are greeued: and so God is said to repent him that euer he made man, with whom he was angrie to shewe that he was vnfainedlye and highlye displeased with the euill waies of mankinde.
2 Obiection. It is said, Exod. 32.14.the Lord changed his minde from the euill which he threatned to do to his people.
Answere. That is still after the manner of men. For man because he is but man, cannot speake to God but as a man. And therefore God speakes againe to man like a man, because els man should not vnderstand what God is, nor what is his will.
Q Shew me one example hereof in the Scripture.
A. When Moyses praied for the Israelites, he vsed many reasons to perswade the Lord (but especially to confirme his owne hope) At the last he said thus. Turn from thy fierce wrath, and change thy minde from this euill toward thy people: Thus did Moses speake to God, and if he had spoken to a mortal man▪ he could hauehave said no more nor no lesse:Vltra posse non est esse. For mans speech is according to his capacitie, and both are limited, and beyond himselfe he cannot goe. Therefore when he sheweth what the Lord did, he saith, he changed his mind, which was as much as he could conceiue of God for that matter. Thus wee speake so well as wee can, yet in a broken & vnperfect speach to God, as litle childrē speak to their nurses. And almightie God speakes in a broken and vnperfect langguage againe to vsus, for our weaknes and vnderstandings sake, as the nurse doth to the child, for if the nurse should speake so perfectly to the child as she could to one of greater capacitie,Simile. the child woulde not vnderstand her; So if God shoulde speake vntounto vsus as he could and according to his owne nature, wee were neuer able to vnderstand him, nor conceaue his meaning.
Q. Did not God chaunge his minde, when he drowned the world?
A. No, but hee did then execute that, which from euerlasting he had decreed.
3. Obiection.
The promises and threatings of God, are not alwaies fulfilled, ergo, &c.
Answere.
His promises are made with a condition of faith and obedience,Deut. 28.12. and his threatninges with an exception of conuersion and repentance.Psal. 7.12.
Q. What vse may we make of this doctrine?
A. First it may make vsus feare to offend him, because all his threatninges are vnchangeable, except we repent.
Secondly, it is the foundation of our hope and comfort in this life, for he dooth not now louelove and now hare: but whom he loueth, to the end he loueth them.Joh. 13.1.
How God is omnipotent.
Q. Hath God any more attributes giuen him in the Scriptures?
A. Yea,Iob. 8.3. Iob. 11.7. the Scriptures doo call him omnipotent or almightie.
Q. What meane you when you say, that God is almightie?
A. I meane this,Psal. 135.6. Esay. 40.28. First, whatsoeuer he will he is able to performe.
2. Secondly,Psal. 33.9. Psa. 148.5. he can perfourme it without any labour or meanes.
3. I meane that all power is so in God onelyonly,Act. 17.28. that no creature is able to doe any thing, but as he dooth continuallye receiue power from God to doo it. Esay. 40.29.
Q. What meane you when you say, all power is in God: It should seem by that speech, that there are more powers in God then one.
A. That we may rightly vnderstand what power is in God, it were very requisite that we did first consider how many waies this word Power is taken in the Scriptures,
Q. Declare then how or in what sence it is taken in the Scriptures.
A. In the Scriptures this worde Power is taken two waies, or in two sences, sometime for authoritie, which is grounded vponupon lawe, by which authoritie one may doo this or that, if he be able to doo it.
Sometime it is taken for might and strength, or abilitie to doo a thing, if one hath authoritie to do it, and these are distinguished by two words amongst the Grecians and the Latines. For when the Grecians speake of power, as it signifieth authoritie and right,Math. 28.18. Ph. 17.2. then it is called Exousia. When they take power for strength, then it is tearmed by them Dunamis: among the Latines being takē the first way, it is called potestas: being taken the second way, that is, for might or strength, it is called potentia, and in English wee call them both Power.
Q. It seemeth by your speech, that they are not onelyonly distinguished, but that they may be also separated the-one from the other.
A. It is true, for so they are, as for example. A King may hauehave great force and strength, and by his great power he may be able to ouerthrow and destroye a whole Countrey or kingdome, ouer which he hath no authoritie: Againe, some king hath power, that is, authoritie ouer his rebels, and yet hath not power, that is strength enough to subdue them: So some perhaps hauehave might and strength enough to gouern & rule another mans wife, another mans Children, or another mans seruants: ouer which he hath no power, that is authoritie. And againe, Fathers hauehave authoritie ouer their owne Children, all Husbands ouer their own wiues, and all maisters ouer their own seruants: and yet all hauehave not power, that strength and abilitie to rule them.
Q I perceiue by this which you hauehave saide, that in Creatures these two may be separated one from the other, and many times are: but what are they in God?
A. In God they are not deuided, but distinguished: for he hath all power, that is, all authority ouer all things: and he hath all power, that is, all strength, force, might, and abilitie, to doo all thinges with all thinges, at his good pleasure. And this power is not giuen him, but he hath it in himselfe, and of himselfe most perfectly, absolutely, and eternally.
Q. But of what power doe wee speake, when we saie that God is almightie, whether doe you meane his right & authoritie, or his strength and abilitie, or both?
A. Both are in God essentially: but when the scripture speaketh of Gods omnipotencie, it meaneth (& so do we,) his strength and abilitie, whereby he is able to do whatsoeuer he will, not excluding his right.
Gods power many waies considered.
Q. If all power or might be in God, tell me how manifold is this power, which is attributed to God in the scriptures?
A. To speake simply, the power of God, is but only one and a most simple & single thing, which is his essence & substance, yet for diuers respects it is said to be manifold, & it may be considered two waies. First, as it worketh alwaies, and can worke in God himselfe, for God in himselfe doth alwaies vnderstand, wil, louelove, &c.
Seondly, as it worketh out of God himselfe, in the creatures, as when he created all things, & doth now worke in gouerning all things, and can worke if it please him infinite things. And of this working of Gods power, doe the scriptures properly speake when they call God Almightie.
Q. How many waies may Gods power be considered as it worketh in himselfe?
A. 1 Two waies. First, as it is common to all the 3. persons in Trinitie, that is a power wherby God the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Ghost doth vnderstand himselfe, louelove himselfe, and worke in himselfe, And these actions doe not differ from the essence of God, for that in God there is nothing which is not his substance.
2 The other working in God himselfe, is that by which the Father doth beget eternally a Son of his owne nature and substance, equal to himselfe. And this power of begetting the Sonne of God, is proper onelie to the Father, and not to the Sonne, and holie Ghost.
Q How many waies do you consider the power of God working out of himselfe?
A. That power which hath relation or respect to things created, is two fold. The first is a power absolute,Absolute. whereby he is able to do whatsoeuer he will. The other is a power actuall,Actuall. whereby hee doth indeed whatsoeuer he will.
Q. Where doth the scripture speake of the absolute power of God, by which he can do more then hee doth if he would?
A. Yes. Of such a power speaketh our Sauiour Christ, when he saith, I could pray to my father, and he could giuegive me more then twelue legions of Angels,Matth. 26.53. but he would not aske it, and his father would not giuegive it.
Q. How doth the scripture speake of Gods actuall power?
A. Of this power the Prophets and Apostles make mention, when they ioyne his power and his promises togither, that is when they say, hee is not onelyonly able to performe, but doth and will performe indeed whatsoeuer he hath promised.
And of this power Paul doth speake, when hee saith, That God will hauehave mercy vponupon whom he will. And euerie where in the scriptures, we read that God hath done what hee would, giuen to whom he would, and all as he would, whereby we may see, that God could and can do more then he would or will.
Gods power is infinite.
Q. How great is this working or mighty power of God▪
A. It must needes be huge and verie great, for it is infinite and hath no ende.
Q. Declare how it is infinite?
A. It is infinite two waies: or in two respectes. First in it selfe, & of it selfe it is infinite. Secondly as it is extended to the creatures (which may be called the obiect of Gods power) it is also infinite,
Q. Why do you say it is infinite in it selfe, or of the owne nature?
A. Because the power of God is nothing els but his diuine essence, and the essence of God is of his owne nature, by it selfe, & of it self infinite.
Q. Shew how Gods power is infinite, as it is extended to the creatures?
A. Because the power of God doth extende it selfe to infinite things, therefore we say also that it is infinite.
Q. Declare how that is.
A. I meane the thinges which God can performe or bring to passe by his Power are infinit, and therefore his power is infinite: for God neuer made so many, nor so great things, but hee could hauehave made more and greater if hee would. As for example, hee adorned the firmament with an innumerable company of starres, and yet hee could hauehave decked it with moe, and to speake in a word: God can alwaies performe infinit things more then he doth, if he will: and therefore both in it selfe, and out of it selfe it is infinite.
Q. Whether can this Omnipotencie of God bee communicated to any creature?
A. No, it cannot. For to bee truly and essentially omnipotent, is proper to God onelyonly, & omnipotencie is Gods essence. And therefore whosoeuer is God, is omnipotent, and whosoeuer is omnipotent, must needes bee God, whose power is a chiefe power & infinit. And the power of any creature is not infinite, but finite, & so cōsequently no creature can be omnipotēt, except we wold say that a creature or a thing created, can be both a creature and a God, or a Creator too: which is both absurd and blasphemous.
What God cannot do.
Obiection. If God can do all things, whether can he sin or no, as to lie or to be vnfaithfull in his promises, &c.
What God cannot do.A. God cannot sin, and yet for all that, hee is stil omnipotent. For to sin is no part or point of Omnipotencie, but of impotencie. For to sin is nothing els, but to leaue the right & perfect way, or to fall from a right and perfect action, which sheweth want of power to vphold himselfe that doth so, which power is not wanting in God, for he is omnipotent, & being omnipotent hee cannot goe from strength to weakenesse, and from perfection to imperfection, &c. And therefore he cannot sin.
Q. By what scripture can you proue this that you say?
A. The Apostle Paul is of that minde, that God cannot do all things,2. Tim. 2.13. his words be these. If we beleeue not, yet abideth he faithfull, he cannot deny himselfe: hee doth not say, He will not deny himselfe, but, he cannot deny himselfe. And his reason is because (as hee saith himselfe) God is faithfull, not onelyonly in his will, but also by his nature. And therefore sith God is faithfull by nature, he cannot but stand to his promises, which hee made according to his good pleasure of his will. And by nature he is omnipotent, therefore he cannot be impotent. By nature he is good, and the chiefe good therfore he cānot become euil, nor do euil.
Q. But whether can God be moued, or bee subiect to passions or sufferings, or no?
A. He cannot. For the power wherof we speake (when we say that God is omipotent) is altogither actiue & not passiue, neither can any passiue power be in God. And to this effect speaketh S. Augustine when hee saith,August. de ciuit. dei, lib. 5. cap. 10. Dicitur deus omnipotens faciendo quod vult, nō patiendo quod non vult: that is, God is called Omnipotent, in doing what hee will, not in suffering what he will not.
Q. Some say that God can sin but he wil not, and that he can be subiect to passions, but he will not. And that he can do whatsoeuer can be imagined or thought, but he will not, what say you to those?
A. Of them I say nothing, but their opinion is both foolish and vngodlie. For God cannot doe anie thyng, whiche disagreeth from his nature, and therefore hee can not sinne, &c. not because his will is against it,1. Ioh. 1.5. Deut. 32.4. Heb. 1.13. Rom. 9.14. Aug. de spiritu & litera. but because it is against his nature and natural goodnes, therfore do the Scriptures deny any iniquitie to be in God, and Saint Augustine saith to that effect, Deus iniusta facere non potest, quia ipse est summa iustitia, that is, God cannot be vniust, because he is most iust, and righteousnes it selfe.
Obiection.
But yet for all this, God doth in some sort will sinnes for he doth not permit it against his will. And besides that hee commaunded some things which were sinnes, Gen. 22.2. 2. Sam. 15.5.as Abraham to kil his innocent sonne, and Shimei to curse Dauid, did he not?
Answere. To farre forth as God doth command, or will, or worke anie thing, that thing is not sinne in God. For he both willeth & worketh in great wisdome▪ and according to his most holy will. And therfore no action can bee sinne in God, but euerie action of God is most holy and good, and so sayeth the Scripture.Psal. 145.17.
The vse of Gods omnipotencie.
Q. To what vse serueth the doctrine of Gods omnipotencie?
A. The vses of this doctrine are many. It serueth,
1 To sustaine and strengthen our faith in Gods promises, that we should not doubt of our saluation, because God can do and hee will do what he hath promised. And hee hath promised eternall life to the faithfull. This did strengthen Abraham his faith greatly. For Paul saith thus of him, hee did not doubt of the promise of God, through vnbeleefe, but was strengthned in the faith, and gaue glorie to God.Rom. 4.20.21. Being fully assured that he which had promised was also able to do it.
2 To stirre vsus vp to pray, and to call for those things which God hath promised without anie doubting. For in our praiers we ought alwayes to hauehave before our eyes the promises of God, & the almightinesse of God.Matt. 8.2. The leper was perswaded onelyonly of Christs power, he knew not his will; and therfore he said: Lord, if thou wilt, thou cāst make me cleane, and he was made cleane: how much more shal we obtaine those things which we aske if we be perswaded of his power, and doubt not of his promises.
3 To make vsus vndergo the crosse with pacience and cheerfulnes, & to hope for helpe in the midst of death, because he which hath promised to hear and helpe vsus,Psal. 50. Iohn 10.29. is able also to do it, though wee see not how: For he is omnipotent.
4 To keepe vsus from dispairing of any mans saluation, although he seeme to be reiected of God, & to make vsus walke in faith & feare, because god is able to raise him vp that is down, and to cast vsus downe that stand.Rom. 11.23.25. And so Paul doth reason from Gods omnipotencie about the reiection and election of the Iewes and Gentiles.
5 It serueth to confirme all the articles of our Christian faith, the summe wherof are conteined in the Apostles Creede.
Of God his wisdome or knowledge.
Q What is the next thing that is attributed to God after his omnipotencie.
A. That is knowledge or wisdome.
Q. Why is this next?
A. In verie good order it followeth. For if God can do all things, then he must needes knowe all things most perfecty, wherupon it commeth that such knowledge is called wisedome.
Q. What is that knowledge which is in God?
A. For the better vnderstanding of this attribute, we must consider that the wisdome of God is two fold.Heb. 4.13. Psal. 94.11. First it is absolute, and we doe so tearme it, because by it God can and doth simply and absolutely know all things from all eternitie.
Secondly, it is speciall, wherby he doth not only know his elect childrē, as he knoweth al things else,2. Tim. 2.19. Rom. 11.2. Matt. 7.23. but also doth acknowledge them for his owne, and doth discerne them from others, and louelove them before others.
Q. Of which do the Scriptures properly speake, when they attribute wisedome to God?
A. They speake then of his absolute knowledge, whereby hee doth not onelyonly knowe alwayes and most perfectly himselfe, and the whole order of his mind: but also vnderstandeth and knoweth all his workes, and the workes of all his creatures, past, present, and to come, with all the causes and circumstances of all.
Q. Howe doe the Scriptures speake of this absolute knowledge?
A. The Scriptures speak of it two wayes, either of the knowledge it selfe, or else of the thinges knowne. And so they shewe 1 What, and what maner of thing it is: and 2 What thinges are knowne of God.
Q. Now tell me what knowledge is in God, and what wisedome doth best agree to his diuine nature?
A. The best way to find out that is first to cōsider what wisedome and knowledge doth not agree with his nature and essence: for his knowledge and wisedome are infinitely greater then any we can affirme to be in God.
Q. How shall wee finde what knowledge is not agreeing with his diuine nature?
A. This is the best way, we must consider and set before vsus all the kindes of knowledge, and all the wayes and meanes whereby any knowledge is to be attained vntounto amongst men and angels. Then shall we see that the wisedome and knowledge of God are farre more excellent euerie way, then the most excellent that can bee found or thought vponupon, amongst men and angels.
Q. Declare then by what wayes and meanes [wee] know a thing?
A. By two wayes or meanes, wee doe knowe all that wee doe knowe. One way is, by our sences, videlicet, by hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. An other way is by our vnderstanding.
Gods knowledge is not like mans knowledge.
Q. Whether doth God know any thing by sences, or no?
A. No. He can not, because he is not as a man, but is a spirite, and bodilesse, and therefore hath no sences.
Q. Why then doe the Scriptures speake of the eyes and eares, &c. of God.
A. Although the Scriptures do attribute eyes to God, whereby he beholdeth all things, and eares whereby he heareth all things, &c. yet indeed he hath none of all these, but these bee figuratiue speaches vsed for our capacitie, and vnderstanding, signifying that nothing is hidden from the Lorde.
Q. Whether then doth God knowe things by vnderstanding, or no?
A. Yea, but not as we do.
Q. Why? what maner of knowledge is that which we hauehave by our vnderstanding?
A. It is either an opinion, ora beleefe: or a skill and learning.
Q. What is an opinion?
A. An opinion is no certaine and euident knowledge of a thing, but is still doubtfull what to affirme or denie, and therefore such a knowledge is not in God: for he knoweth certainly.
Q. What maner of thing is beleefe or faith?
A. It is a certaine, but not an euident knowledge; for looke what we beleeue onelyonly, that we do not see nor knowe by the light of naturall vnderstanding, therefore it is no euident knowledge, but it is a certaine and true knowledge, because hee is most true which reuealed it vntounto vsus. For faith or beleefe is a most certain knowledge grounded vponupon the report of another.
Q. Whether doth this kinde of knowing things, agree with the nature of God, or no?
A. No. For God knoweth all things in himselfe, and of himselfe, but not by the report of an other.
Q What say you to skill and learning, that is both a certaine and an euident knowledge of things, doth not that agree with the nature of God?
A. Such knowledge doth not agree with his nature.
Q. VVhy so?
A. Because it commeth by knowledge that went before, and it is gotten by reasoning and debating of things, by defining and deuiding and searching out the causes of things. But in God is neither before nor after, first nor last, and God hath no knowledge after such a sort.
Mans knowledge is imperfect.
Againe our knowledge which way soeuer it be considered, whether it be a habite in vsus, or an action in vsus,1. Cor. 8.2. 1. Cor. 13.9. is imperfect. For we know not al things, and those things which we do knowe, we knowe not all at once, but one thing after another, and yet still but in part.