Certain Questions and Answers Concerning the Knowledge of God, Part 26 – Part 36
How many wayes God is called truth.
Q. You hauehave declared howe many significations there are of the worde Truth, and howe many kinds of truth there are. Now shew how God is called Truth?
A. God is Truth in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words.
Q. What meane you when you say that he is Truth in himselfe?
A. I meane that he is most truly that, which he seeth and knoweth himselfe to be, that is a most perfect, pure and eternall essence, from whence all other things hauehave their being.
Q. Declare this by a contrarie?
A. That which seemeth to be, and is not that indeed which it seemeth to be, is not a true thing, nor a truth, but a false thing: as a face in a glasse is a false face, and those Idols which were called Gods, were false Gods, because they were not that, which they seemed to be: therefore God is truth it selfe, because he is by himselfe, and hath his being of himselfe, and is his owne essence.
And therfore because God is truth, whatsoeuer he doth say, concerning himselfe, that he doth truelye speake of himselfe: and he is indeed such a God, as the Scriptures doo shewe him to be: that is to say, he is truelye God, he is truely omnipotent, he is truelye wise, and truelye iust, and truly mercifull. &c.
Q. How is God truth in his workes.
A. God is truth in all his workes, aswell in his ordinarie workes of creating and gouerning the worlde; as in his extraordinary workes of miracles, &c. For first all his workes are true workes, wherein is no colouring nor counterfeiting.
Q. As how for example?
A. For example sake, the firmament, with the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres are indeede a true Firmament, a true Sunne, &c. Gold is truly Golde, men are men indeed: Againe, being iustified by Christ, we are truelye iust before God: being adopted to be his Sonnes, we hauehave more then the names of Sonnes, we are the true sonnes of God: faith being giuen of the holye Ghost, is true faith indeed, and so are all the rest of Gods workes and giftes.
Q. Can you make this more manifest by the contrarye?
A. Yea, for on the contrary, the works of Sathan hauehave a shew of faith, but hauehave not truth in them: as for example, he seemeth sometimes to be an Angell of light, but is not: and all his miracles which he wrought in poperie by the Monks and Friers, and in Turkey by Mahomet, were not true miracles, but illusions and counterfeite things, wherwith their Legendes, which set forth the liues of their Saintes, are fraught full: and therfore Paule calleth them lying wonders,2. Thes. 2.9. Apoc. 2.24. &c. Iohn calleth their doctrine & learning the deepnes of Sathan, but he addeth (as they say) not as it is indeed, but as it seemed to be.
Q. How els is God truth in his workes?
A. Whatsoeuer he workes in vsus, or performeth for vsus, it is in truth and not in hipocrisie, and he neuer repenteth him of these workes.
Q. How is God truth in all his wordes?
H. Two waies, First in the word incarnate, for he is indeed the true sonne of God, and the true God,1. Iohn. 5.20. Ioh. 14.6. a true Prophet, a true Priest, and a true King: whervpon he is called Aletheos Theos: that is, that verie and true God: and therefore Christ doth worthily call himselfe, the truth, not onlye because he was the accomplishment of all the promises, but also because he was the true God, and the true Sauiour.
Q. How els is God truth in his words?
A. God is also true and truth in his wordes, spoken and written by his Prophets and Apostles: Therfore Paule saith, that God is truth and iustified in all his sayings:Rom. 3.4. Psa. 19.7. and Dauid saith, that the testimony of the Lord is sure or faithfull: that is, true and certaine, and full of credit.
Q. What is the summe of all?
A. Therefore I conclude, that God is not onelyonly true, but truth it self in himself, in all his works, and in all his words.
Why God is called a God of truth.
Q. Declare breefely why God is called a God of truth?
A. He is called a God of truth in 5. respectes.
1 Because he hath a true and certaine knowledge of all things.Heb, 4.13.
2 Because he faineth nothing,Rom. 3.4. but it is indeed his truth and his will which he openeth vntounto vsus.
3 Because he neuer changeth his minde.Psa. 89.34.
4 Because that doth euer come to passe which he speaketh.Mat, 24.35.
5 Because he is the author and preseruer of truth,Pro. 12, 1… and an enemye to all lyes and dissembling.
Truth is but one, and yet many.
Q. Whether is there any more truth then one, or no?
A. To this question I answere, that there is but one truth, and yet there are many truths, but in diuers respects, and in diuers considerations.
Q. Shew how there is but one, and yet many.
A. For the better vnderstanding of this poynte, we are to consider that there is truth in Gods vnderstanding, truth in mans vnderstanding, and truth in the things themselues which are vnderstood and knowen.
In Gods vnderstanding is truth most properlye first of all and cheefelye, as the cause of all things.
In mans vnderstanding truth is also properly, but at the second hand, id est, it is conceiued by other things.
In the things themselues, truth is saide to be, but yet improperlye: that is, as they are agreeable with the knowledge & vnderstanding which is in God, or as they are referred to the vnderstanding which man hath of them.
Q. What doe you gather of all this?
A. If therfore your question be of truth as it is in God and is God himselfe; then there is but one onelyonly: but if your question be of truth as it is in mans vnderstanding, then there be many truthes, as there be many things which be vnderstood, and many waies and meanes, whereby we doe come to the vnderstanding of them: but if you consider truth as it is in the things themselues, then look how many things there be, so many truthes there be.
Q. But yet all these truthes are deriued from Gods truth, are they not?
A. Yes, all truthes are deriued from the firste truth which is God: and doe depend vponupon it euen as one face looking in manye glasses at once, doe cause many faces, or similitudes of faces to appeare: all which are deriued from that one first face,Simile. for take away that face and take away all the rest which did appeare before, although the glasses remaine still in their places.
Q. I would gladlye see the truth of this point made manyfest by an other propertye, which is in God.
A. That may easilye be done by that goodnes which is in God, for there is but one cheef & first goodnes which is God himselfe, & of this one are al other goodnesses whatsoeuer. And yet whē we consider the things created, we cannot say there is one goodnes common to all, and of all alike: but there is one goodnes of one man, another hath his goodnes which is better then the first. There is one goodnes of bread, and another of wine, one of fire, and another of water, for all thinges hauehave not alike goodnes, neither are all things good for one thing. And yet that goodnes which is in eueryevery one of thē, is deriued from Gods goodnes, which is the first, the cheefest, the highest, and one onelyonly. And so we say of the truth which is in God, and God himselfe, and of the truth▪ which is in thinges created, and is deriued from Gods truth, or from God himselfe.
Truth is eternall and not eternall.
Question.
Whether is truth eternall, or no?
Answere.
A. That trueth which is in God, and which is God, is eternall: but truth (as it is in men) is not eternall.
Q. What reason hauehave you for that?
A. That trueth, as it is in mans vnderstanding, is not eternall, I proue it by many reasons.
First, the things (whereof knowledge & trueth is bredde in mans minde) are created in time.
2 The minde it selfe (wherein trueth hath his proper place) is created in time.
3 Trueth it selfe is created and begotten in time.
4 Lastly, the minde of man doeth not perceiue all things, or the truth of all things at one time: Therfore truth which is in the minde and vnderstanding of man (as it is in the minde of man) cannot be eternall.
Q. Why doe you say (as it is in the minde of man) it cannot be eternall?
A. Because the same trueth which is now in the vnderstanding of man, was from all eternitie in the vnderstanding of God. As for example, that God is good, iust, almightie, &c, is a trueth, which is now in the mind and vnderstanding of a godly man, but it was not alwaies in his minde: but in the knowledge and vnderstanding of God, it hath beene alwaies, and for euer.
Ephes. 3.5.Hereupon Paul writing of the calling of the Gentiles, saith; that it was a mysterie, or a secrete hidden in God: but afterwards in time was reueled to men by his spirite: therefore trueth is in God eternall, but in men it is temporall, because it is reuealed in time.
Trueth spoken by contraries.
Q. And hath not God a time for to come by the trueth of things?
A. No. For God doeth know all things in one simple or single knowledge, in one act, and in eternitie it selfe, but so doe not wee: and besides that, one and the selfe same thing may be diuersly vnderstood of vsus, and in respect of times and seasons, either past, present, or to come, may be both true and false.
Q. Declare how that can be by one example▪
A. I put for example the comming of Christ, after this sort: To say that Christ shall come and take flesh vponupon him, was a true saying in the time of our fathers, before the comming of Christ: but to say so now, is not a trueth, but a lie.
On the contrarie, to say that Christ is come in the flesh, is now a trueth, which before his comming, had been false.
Q. But what conclude you by this example.
A. By this we may see, that as men hauehave the trueth of thinges in time, and but for a time: So this trueth of things amongst men, doth alter according to circumstances of times: But in God these differences of times cannot be: for hee hath the true and certaine knowledge of all thinges at one instant, and from euerlasting.
Obiection.
If God be an enemie to all falshoode & dissembling, Ezec. 14.9. 1. Kings 22.why doeth he say, if a Prophet be deceiued, I hauehave deceiued him. And that he put a lying spirite into the mouth of Achabs Prophets.
Aunswere.
God did not deceiue them by putting lies into them: but in his iust iudgement he gaue the ouer to be seduced by the deuill.
Q. But his will was that they should tell a false tale.
A. Yea. But he willed it to diuers ends, and not to deceaue.
Q. Shew vsus how.
A. God fortold victorie to Achab by the contrarie, thereby to punish him for not obeying the Lord, by deliuering to be seduced by the deuill. The false Prophets foretolde victorie to Achab to flatter him: the deuill to destroy him.
Q. Yet God spake by contraries, and is that truth?
A. EueryEvery contrarie speech is not sinne. For sometime there is a figure vsed therein, which is called amongst the learned Ironia, and as Zanchius saith; Omnis Ironia non est vitiosa: that is, eueryevery ironicall, or contrarie speeche, is not vnlawfull.
Q. When is it lawfull and good?
A. If it tende to instruction, and not to seduce & deceaue men, then it is good and may be vsed. Examples whereof wee hauehave in Gen. 3.22God himselfe, and in Elias 1. King. 18.27mocking the Priestes of Baal, and in the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.10. 2. Cor. 12.6.Paul, who when he would reproue the follie of such as did boast of such thinges as they had not, he did greatly abase himselfe, and aduance the Corinthians by such a kind of speaking.
Of Gods will.
Q. After God his truth, what doe you consider next in God?
A. As there is truth in God, so he hath a will, which is also his very essence and being.
Q. Is there anie profite in the knowledge of God his will.
A. Yea, great profite. For to know what God will hauehave vsus to doe, and what he wil doe with vsus, and for vsus, is a thing wherein standeth our saluation. Therefore we are willed by the Apostle,Rom. 12.2. to enquire diligently after the same.
Q. But the same Apostle in the Chapter before, saith; Who hath knowen the minde of the Lord? or who was his counseller? That is to say, none. Therfore it seemeth that the will of God cannot be knowen, and consequently, that it may not be sought after.
A. Indeede by that we learne not to search into the secrete counsels of God, which hee neuer reuealed in his worde, neither hath promised to reueale in this world: but after the reuealed will of God,Deu. 29.29 which he hath vouchsafed to make knowen in his word, we may and ought to enquire of God.Rom. 11.33 Psal. 36.7 As for the will and councell which hee hath kept to himselfe, we may admire and adore it with Paul and Dauid: but that wee may not search after it, is manifestly prooued by these places following. Acts 1.7. Exo. 33.18.19. Iob. 21.23
Q. Whether can Gods secrete will be knowen, or no?
A. If he doth reueale it, it may.
Q. How doth God reueale his secrete will?
A. Two waies. Sometimes by his Spirite: as when he shewed his prophets many of his iudgements that were to come.
Sometime by the thing it selfe which hee willeth, or by the effects of his will: as when a thing doth fall out which was before vnknowen. As for example: a man doth not know (before it come) whether he shalbe sicke or not, or of what disease, or when, or how long: but when all these things are come to passe, then it is manifest what was Gods will before concerning that matter.
Q. Shew me what is our duetie in respect of this secret will of God.
A. Our duetie is two-folde. First, we must not curiouslie search after the knowledge of it, but worship & reuerence it. Secondly, before it be made manifest by the effectes, wee must generallie rest quietly in the same.
Q. Shew me how by an example.
A. Thus, A Christian must resolue with himselfe, whatsoeuer the Lord will doe with me, whether I liue or die, whether he make me rich or poor, &c. I rest content with his good will and pleasure.
Q. What must we do when his wil is reuealed vntounto vsus?
A. Then much more we must rest in it, and bee thankfull for it, as Iob was, who saide; The Lorde hath geuen, & taken, euen as it pleased the Lord. and so foorth.
Q. What call you the reuealed will of God?
A. The reuealed will of God is twofolde. The one is that which is properly reuealed in the law: that is, what God requireth to be done of vsus, and therefore it is called the lawe. And after this we must enquire.
The other is in the Gospell, which sheweth Gods will towards vsus, and what he hath decreed of vsus in his eternall councell, as touching our saluation.
How God his wil is reuealed.
Q. God indeede by his Lawe hath made it knowen what his will is, that of vsus must bee done and fulfilled. But hath he reuealed in his word, what is his will and pleasure towards vsus?
A. Yea, he hath so, and that is proued by these places of scripture following. Ioh. 6.40. Ephe. 1.5. Matth. 3.17. Ioh. 5.39. And after the knowledge of this will of God, we must diligently enquire.
Q. But whether may this will of God be knowne of vsus, or no?
A. Yes it may: For as it is reuealed in the scriptures, so it is also confirmed, & sealed before our eyes in the Sacraments, and the daily benefites which we receiue from the Lord.
Q. And is this sufficient to perswade vsus to beleeue his will?
A. No, for except the lord doth persuade vsus by his holy spirit; we shal neither belieue it, nor know it, as appeareth by these places of scripture. 1. Cor. 2.16. Matth. 11.25. But if we hauehave the spirit of God, there is no need to go vp into heauen, or to go beyond the sea to know it: because the word is near vntounto vsus in our hearts, as Paul saith. Rom. 10.16. For touching the matter of our saluation, the wil of God is so clearly laid open, in the preaching of the gospel, that it needes not to be more cleare.
Q. If at any time wee cannot know nor vnderstand this will of God as touching our saluation, in whom is the fault?
A. The fault is in our selues, and the reason is, because we are carnall and naturall, and destitute of the spirit of Christ.1. Cor. 2.14, For Paul saith, The carnall and naturall man cannot perceiue the things of God, but if the spirit of Christ doth come, & open our vnderstanding, and correct our affections, we can no longer doubt of his will. And therfore the Apostle immediatly after addeth and saith, But we hauehave the minde of Christ.
Gods will reuealed to the Elect.
Q. Whether is this will of God made knowne to euerie one of Gods children particularly, or no?
A. Yes it is, For Paul hauing the spirit of Christ, saith,Galat. 2.20. that this will of God was manifested vntounto him, when hee saith, Christ loued mee and gaue himself for me. And to the Corinthians he saith, But God hath reuealed therein (id est, the ioyes of heauen) to vsus by his spirite.
Q. How doth this proue that wee can hauehave this knowledge?
A. Verie well, For if all the elect are led by the same spirit that Paul had, it will also perswade them of this will of God, aswell as Paul.
Q. But how prooue you that they hauehave the same spirite?
A. That the same spirit is giuen to all the elect, I proue it out of the Prophet Esay, who saith thus, My word & my spirit shall not depart from thy mouth,Isay 59.21. nor from thy seede for euer: which is such a blessing, as no blessing can bee desired in this world greaters, more excellēt, nor more heauenly. For when wee are once armed with the knowledge of this will of God, wee shall passe through fire and water without anie danger, wee ouercome the world & death, and triumph ouer our enemies,Rom. 8.38.39. as Paul did.
How the will of God is but one.
Q. Whether are there more willes in God then one, or no?
A. The will of God in some respects is but one, and in some respects it is manifold.
Q. How is it but one?
A. For the better determining of this point, we must first consider how many significations there be of this word, Will, in God.
1 It signifieth the facultie or abilitie of willing: and this facultie or abilitie of willing in God, is God himselfe, and the very essence of God, and so his will is but one.
2 It signifieth the act it selfe of willing, and if it be so taken, it is also but one. For God doth in one, and that eternall act will whatsoeuer hee will.
3 It signifieth the free decree of his wil concerning either the doing, or the suffering of anie thing to be done, if we take it in this sence, the will of God is still but one, and that eternall and immutable.
Q. May we call the decree of Gods will, the will of God?
A. Yea very well, as the Testament of one (that is deceased) is called the last will of the Testator, because it is the firme and last decree of the Testators will and minde, concerning the disposing of his goods. And the scriptures do make the wil of God and the counsell or decree of his wil, to be all one: as appeareth in these places following. Esay 46.10. Act. 4.27.28. Ioh. 6.40.
How the will of God is manifold.
Q. How is the will of God manifolde?
A. There be two respects cheeflie, for which respectes the will of God is said to be manifolde or more then one.
First, for the diuers kindes of thinges which God doth wil, & hereof it is that it is called some time the will of God, concerning vsus; and sometime the will of God done by vsus. The first is his fauour and louelove towards vsus in Christ Iesus, in which he willeth and decreeth, that we shalbe saued through his Sonne: of this Christ speaketh Ioh. 6.40.
The other will which he will hauehave done of vsus, is that which is expressed in his worde, and that is to beleeue in Christ,Psa. 143.10. and to walke in his lawes: of which Dauid saith thus; Teach me to doo thy will,Rom. 2.18. because thou art my God. And Paul saith, Thou knowest his will, that is his lawe.
Q. Which is the other respect, for which God is saide to hauehave many willes?
A. Secondly, the will of God is said to be manifolde and diuers, for that those thinges which he doth will, he doth seeme to will them after diuers sortes, and not after one, and the same manner.
First, after one manner he doth will good things, and after another manner he doth will euill things.
Q. Shew how that is?
A. He willeth good thinges properlye and absolutely by themselues, and for themselues: he willeth euill things for another end,Rom. 12.2. and that is for good too, and the first is called the good will of God, and acceptable to himselfe: the latter is called the permissiue will of God, or a voluntarie permission in God, because he is not constrained or compelled against his will, to will them.
Againe, some thinges he willeth simplye and absolutely, some things he seemeth to will conditionally, and some thinges he reuealeth at one time, some at another, and some thinges he doth for which he giueth a reason, for some of his doinges hee giueth no reason: and some things are secret to himselfe, onelye and for euer.
Q. Why then belike you graunt that there are in God many willes?
A. No, I deny that, for although in those aforesaid respects the wil of God is said to be manifold for our vnderstanding: yet for all that, in deed and in truth the will of God is but one only, and that most constant, eternall, and perpetuall.
As for example, he willed some thinges in the olde Testament, he hath willed other thinges in the new Testament: yet one and the same will in God decreed both. Againe his will was that some things in the old Testament should last for a time: that is, to the comming of Christ, or as th'apostle saith, to the time of correction: he willeth that the thinges of the new Testament shall last to the end of the worlde, and yet one will in God decreede both these, from euerlasting.
Againe, although God seemeth to vsus to will some thinges absolutelye and simplye, and some things conditionally: yet in truth to speake properly, al things whatsoeuer God willeth, he willeth absolutely and simply.
And whereas hee is said to wil some things conditionally, that is to be referred to the manifestation of his will, for there is not in God any conditional wil, but only in his law, which openeth his will in this and that sort, vponupon this and that condition, for a conditional wil in God is against the nature of his eternall wisedome and knowledge.
God his precepts are of two sortes.
Obiection. God commaundeth many thinges to be done, which are not done: so that there is one will declared in his worde, and there is another in himselfe, forbidding or hindering that, which hee commaunded in his lawe: and therefore there are in God many willes.
Answere. The things which God commandeth are of two sorts: Some are absolutelie commanded, without any condition expressed or concealed: as, that Moses should cause all thinges about the Tabernacle to be made according to the paterne geuen him in the mount. Other some thinges are commaunded and set down with condition, as when Christ said: If thou wilt inherite eternall life, keepe the commaundements. And the law saith, doe this and this, if thou wilt liue: and these are propounded conditionally to all, aswel the elect as reprobate.