Certain Questions and Answers Concerning the Knowledge of God, Part 20 – Part 25
How God knoweth all things.
Q. Declare then in a worde howe God doth knowe all things?
A. God doth most perfectly know and vnderstand all things at one instant, without any conceit of minde, altering this way or that way.
Q. Al our knowledge is a thing distinguished from our minde and vnderstanding, is it so in God?
A. No: For the knowledge or wisdome of God is a most simple and perfect essence▪ yea it is his very essence and substance, and God is all knowledge, all wisdome, and al vnderstanding, infinitely more then all men and Angels can conceiue.
Q. Doth God know and vnderstand eueryevery thing particularly?
A. Yea, he knoweth the natures and properties of eueryevery particular thing.
Q. How proue you that?
A. By the Scripture and by reason, for the scripture saith,Gen. 1. that God sawe euerye thing that he made, that it was good: this is not spoken generally of all, but specially of euerye one creature. Againe, reason makes it manifest by three examples in the Scriptures.
Gen. 2.20.First, Adam gaue to eueryevery liuing thing a proper name, according to his proper nature, wherby it appeareth that Adam had a distinct and a particular knowledge of eueryevery thing. How much more then had God this especiall knowledge of eueryevery particular thing, who gaue to Adam whatsoeuer wisdome and knowledge he had!
Secondly, Salomons wisedome was so great, that he was able to dispute, and did thereby dispute of the nature of all trees, plants, fishes, foules,Kings. 4.33. wormes, beastes, and all naturall thinges, as one that was most skilfull in them. How much more then doth God know all things and their natures particularly, who gaue such wisedome to Salomon.
Thirdly, our Sauiour Christ saith of the Father, that all our haires be numbred by by him, and that a Sparrow falleth not vponupon the ground without the will of our heauenly Father,Mat. 10.29.30. if not without his will, then not without his knowledge.
Q. Whether doth God know all the motions of our willes, and our thoughts?
A. Yea, God doth certainly know the motions of the wil, & the thoughts of the hart in all men and the issue of them all, which is manifest by these places of Scripture following. Gen. 6.5. Psa. 94.11. Pro. 21.1. Ier. 17.9.10. Hereof it is that we cite him to be a witnes of our harts, when wee sweare by him.
Q. Whether hath God the knowledge of all euils or no?
A. God knoweth all euils and sinnes, which lye lurking in all mens harts, and this is manifest by these places of Scripture following. Gen. 6.5. Psa. 69.6. Iob. 11.11. Psa. 90.8.9.
Q. What if he did not know all these euils?
A. It is not possible but he must know them, for two causes.
1 First, if he did not, his knowledge were imperfect.
2 Secondly, if he did not know them, he could not be a iust iudge, neither could he reward euerye one according to his workes and thoughts: which two to affirme were vngodly and blasphemous.
Obiection.
That which is nothing, cannot be knowen: but sinne and euill is nothing (for it is nothing els, but a taking away or failing of the good, and it is a meere corruption) therfore sinne and euill cannot be knowen of God.
Answere.
We know what is euill, and we know euill thinges, and we doe discerne them from good thinges, but wee knowe euill onelyonly by his contrarie that is, good: as we know nothing by some thing, darkenes by light, death by life, sicknes by health, vice by vertue. Thus by the knowledge of good, euill is knowen euen to vsus: and therefore seeing as God (who is the cheefe good) doth by himself know all good things, he must of necessitie, also know and vnderstand all the euill that is in all good things.
God knoweth those things which are not.
Q. Whether may God know those thinges which are not?
Rom. 4.17. …er. 1.5.A. God knoweth the things which are not, and he doth also truelye knowe the thinges which shall neuer come to passe.
Q. What reason can you yeeld for this?
A. The reason is, because he knoweth al things by his essence, therfore he knoweth all thinges which are subiect to his diuine essence and power, and therfore also are possible, but shall neuer come to passe.
Q. But doth hee knowe them eternallye, or in time?
A. He knoweth them all eternally, that is, for euer and for euer he knew them, and doth know them,Eph. 1.4. as the Scripture doth testifie.
2. Tim. 2.19.Q. Can you make this manifest by any earthly comparison?
A. Yea, a builder by vertue of his arte doth conceiue in his minde the forme of a house, which house he wil neuer builde: how much more can God doo the same? for God can make more worldes, and he knoweth that he can, and yet he doth it not.
Againe, although there were neuer an Eagle in the Cittie, yet we can conceiue in our mindes what an Eagle is, much more doth God know all thinges which are not in act, and which neuer shalbe.
Obiection.
This is something which you say, but your last similitude of the Eagle doth not holde: for therefore we keep the knowledge of an Eagle in our mindes, though all be gone, because the similitude of the Eagle, which was sometime in the Cittie, doth remaine still in our mindes and vnderstandings. But what similitude can there be in the minde of God of those thinges which are not, which neuer were, and which neuer shalbe.
Answere.
Yes, the very essence and being of God, is a similitude of all those things which may be, if he will: which hee must needes knowe, for he doth most perfectlye know him selfe. And thus if wee consider his power or almighty essence, al things should be done which he can doo, and doth know.
Q. Then whether is his knowledge and power the cause of all thinges which are, which hauehave beene, and which shalbe?
A. The onelye foreknowledge of God alone, which the Grecians call Theoretica Scientia, that is a knowledge beholding all things, is not the cause of things: But his foreknowledge with his will, which the Grecians call Practica Scientia, that is a working knowledge, that is the cause of thinges.
Q. Whether may the knowledge or wisdom of God faile or be deceiued at any time, or no?
A. The knowledge of God is most certaine, and cannot any way be deceiued, for all thinges are knowen of God as they are, and all thinges are as they are known of God:Heb. 4.13. and therfore his knowledge cannot any way be deceiued.
Obiection.
But thinges doo often change and alter, and therefore they are not alwaies as they are knowen.
Answere.
A. Although thinges be changed and altered, yet God doth know thereof, and although they change and alter, yet his knowledge doth neuer alter nor change, neither is it vncertaine.
The knowledge of God is alwaies the same.
Q. Whether may the knowledge which God hath, be encreased, diminished or altered?
A. No, it cannot, it is alwaies the same, firme and constant, and can by no means be encreased, deminished nor altered, for he neither forgetteth any thing,Heb. 4.13. nor is ignorant of any thing, neither is any thing new vntounto him: for the Scripture saith, that all thinges are alwaies manifest in his sight. Saint Iames saith,Iam. 1.17. With God is no change nor shadowe of change, therfore his knowledge is alwaies one and the same.Pro. 19.12. And Salomon saith, Many deuises are in a mans hart, but the counsell of the Lord shall stand.
Q. But if his knowledge be alwaies one and the same, why doth the scripture say that the Lord will forget our sinnes, and blot them out of his remembrance, and remember them no more?
A. These and such like phrases of speech are not to be vnderstood of the simple knowledge of God, as though he should know them no more, but of his iudiciall knowledge vntounto punishment. For although he doth know and remember our sins alwaies most perfectly, yet hee wil not know them nor remember them to bring them into iudgement, and so to punish vsus for them, when we do truly repent: that is, they shalbe no more iudged or punished, or laide to our charge, if we be in Christ, then if he had quite and cleane forgotten them, & neuer did remember them. And these speeches serue to arme vsus against dispaire & doubting of our saluatiō, being truly in christ.
Q. Where is the wisedome of God specially of vsus to be considered?
A. The wisedome of God shineth vntounto vsus most clearely in his workes of creation and preseruation in the world,Eccles. 3.11. Psal. 104.24. and not onelyonly in his workes, but also in his Gospell, whereby he calleth and gathereth his Church out of the world, to be saued by his Sonne our mediator,1. Cor. 1.21. Iesus Christ.
Q. Was this sauing wisedome of God knowne to the philosophers and naturall wise men of the world?
A. No it was not, but only to the elect children of God.
Q. Is the wisdom of God to be perfectly cōceiued of vsus?Matth. 11.2….
A. No. Neither is it communicated to any creature, neither can be. For it is vncōceiuable as the very essence of God himself is vncōceiuable, and vnspeakeable as it is: and his wisdom (as we hauehave heard before) is his verie essence, that is his verie Godhead or God himselfe,Psal. 14.7.5. Rom. 11.33. and that it is vnconceiuable, the scriptures doe testifie.
The vse of Gods wisedome.
Q. What vse may we make of this doctrine?
A. First, by this doctrine of Gods vnspeakeable knowledge and wisedome, the true God is discerned from all false gods, & from all things made. For that is no God which hath not this diuine knowledge and wisedome, which the scriptures do attribute to God.
2 Secondly, seeing our God is such a God as knoweth all thinges that are done, saide, or thought, and seeth into the most hidden corners and thoughts of our hearts: We must studie and learne hereby to driue all hypocrisie and dissembling from vsus, and to open our hearts to God of our own accord, and to beseech him in his sons name to cleanse vsus from our secret faults.
3 Thirdly, it must make vsus to walke alwaies before the Lord according to his will reuealed in his word, with great feare and reuerence, as men alwaies in his sight and knowledge.
4 Fourthly, It serueth to cōfirm our faith & trust in the prouidence of God. For although we know not what to do, nor how to do, nor what shift to make in dangers and necessities▪ yet God doth, and hee hath knowledge inough for vsus though wee be ignorant, and his wisedome shall succour our foolishnesse,Psal. 103.13.14. if we do truly and faithfully serue him.
5 Fiftly, this should be our cōsolation against the feare of hell & dispaire, and should vphold in vsus the certaintie of our saluation, because this knowledge and wisedome of God, ioyned with his will to saue vsus, is firme and constant, and hee knowing all his elect,2. Tim. 2.19. Ioh. 10.27.28..29. wil not loose one of them that are in Christ his sonne. Ioh. 17.12.
God is Truth.
Q. What is attributed to God after his wisedome?
A. As God is wisedome, and knowledge, So is he true, and Truth it selfe.
Q. What is the Truth of God?
A. For the better finding out of this matter, we must first consider the diuers significations of this word, Truth.
Q. Declare then what you meane by Truth?
A. It cannot better appeare then by his contraries. For
1 True is contrarie to false, and truth is contrarie to a lie.
2 It is put for sinceritie and simplicitie, the cōtrarie wherof is counterfeiting & dissembling.
3 It is vsed sometime for iust and equall dealing, and is contrarie to wrongfull & vniust dealing, as in Deut. 32.4.
4 Truth is taken for faithfulnesse and constancie in keeping promises, and then it is opposed to wauering and double dealing.
Q. But how is it taken when we speake of it as it is in God?
A Which way so euer it be taken, and whatsoeuer it signifieth it doth most properly agree with the nature of God. For
1 In God is no falshood nor lying.
2 In God is no counterfeiting nor dissembling, so pure is he.
Deut. 32.4.3 In God is no iniust dealing, for he is most iust and righteous.
4 In God is no inconstancie, for hee is most faithfull in his promises.
And yet these are not vertues which differ from his essence and nature, but they are his verie essence and nature, and therefore he is rightly called not onelyonly true, but Truth it selfe.
Truth diuersly considered.
Q. Well: you hauehave satisfied mee for the diuers meanings of the word, now shewe mee how many waies the thing it selfe (that is truth it selfe) may be considered.
A. Truth it selfe is two fold, or may be confidered two waies.
The first kinde of truth is that, which is set downe by the morall Philosophers, and is reckoned by them amongst morall vertues.
The second kinde of truth is that, which is described by the naturall philosophers & deuines.
Q. Declare first what vertue Truth is, as it is considered by the morall philosophers?
A. It is a vertue, which is a meane between arrogancie and dissembling.
Q. Shew what difference there is amongst them all three?
A. Arrogancie doth boast of more & challenge more to himselfe then he hath indeed, dissimulation or faining doth make men beleeue that hee hath lesse of euerie thing, or any thing, then hee knoweth that hee hath: but truth doth not faine more nor lesse then he knoweth in himselfe. So that this morall truth is a vertue which makes men readie to heare and speake true things, and will not suffer men to speake either more or lesse (when they do speak) of themselues or of others then they know.
Q. And is God such a Truth?
A. Yea, such a kinde of truth doth most properly agree with the nature of God. For he neuer reported more of himselfe then he hath in himselfe, and he neuer promised more then he is able to performe.
Q. What way, or after what sort do the natural philosophers and deuines consider of truth?
A. Three waies. First, as it is in the minde or vnderstanding, whether it be of God, or men, or Angels. 2. As it is in things themselues. 3. As it is in wordes, whether deuine or humane, whether they be spoken or written.
Q. What call you Truth as it is in the mind of God?
A. It is nothing els, but a perfect and an eternall knowledge, which God hath of all thing, according to which all things are made and done, and in God it doth not proceede from things, but is the cause of things.
Q. What is that truth which is in things?
A. All things are called true things so far forth as they agree with the forme and patterne set downe in the minde, which forme and patterne in God is nothing els, but his diuine foreknowledge and eternall decree.
Q. Make it plaine by some familiar example.
A. The Carpenter which buildeth a house, first conceiueth the plot & forme therof in his mind, and hee calleth that a true house which is built according to the forme first conceiued in his minde: So, those things are true thinges, which agree with the minde and will of God.
Q. What is truth as it is in wordes spoken or written?
A. We say that words are true, or there is truth in wordes, so farre forth as they are conformable or agreeable to the knowledge which went before in the minde: that is when wee speake as we knowe and thinke, or when the minde and the tongue agree together. For to speake otherwise then we thinke, is to lie. Wherevpon Saint Augustine sayth: Mentiri, est contra mentem ire: that is, to lie, is to go against our owne knowledge, as Ananias did.Acts 5.3.