The Wonderful Workmanship of the World, Discourse · Chapter 32 – Chapter 33
The xxxii. Chapter. What knowledge of God may bee had, by the beeholdinge of this worlde.
S.
BUT that knowledge of God which maye bee hadde by beeholding the worlde, and the viſible creatures, is it ſufficient of it ſelfe to get the perfect vnderſtanding of him, or rather doeth it conteine and deliuer vntounto vsus certeine principles thereof which wee muſt more perfectly and at full afterward ſeeke and learne by ſome other meanes, to wit, out of the woorde of God which is written and reuealed vntounto vsus? For by the framinge and creation of the world wee cannot knowe that Chriſt is our Sauiour, and mediatour vntounto God for vsus.
M.
You ſaye well. For Sainct Paule aunſwereth in the Epiſtle to the Romanes, the 1. chapter, and 20. verſe, that although the knowledge which is had by the worlde, bee trewe, yet is it not fully ſufficient, that thereby wee may vnderſtande anye thing concerning our ſaluation through Chriſt: but that it is in this reſpecte profitable, that therby wee are made vnaccuſable. For it teacheth vsus that God is our Creatour, but it is not able to enfourme vsus y• he is alſo our redeemer thorow Chriſte: For wee are not able to atteine to that knowledge without the preachinge of the Goſpell. Wherefore, wee muſt not begin with that knowledge of God, whereby wee vnderſtande that hee is our ſauiour, but rather that hee is our creatour, whereat wee muſt indeede beeginne, and conſequently proceed vntounto better and higher things. For the Heathen people & Philoſophers, who chiefly folowed this knowledge of Naturall thinges, neyther perceiued they the reaſon of mans ſaluation which is in Chriſt onelyonly: neither were thei thēſelues ſaued, bicauſe they lacked faith. It profiteth notwithſtanding, and it mutch profiteth too, that wee ſeeke the true God, that hath created all theſe thinges: and when wee hauehave founde hym, that wee woorſhip hym and praye vntounto hym, as farre as hee ſhall giuegive vsus grace ſo to doe. This much at the leaſtwiſe hee wringeth from vsus whether wee will or no: that he ought both to bee ſought and worſhipped, who hath firſt created, and now gouerneth al this world. Wherfore, if we neither ſeeke him, neither woorſhip hym, hee maketh vsus vnexcuſable.
S.
But there bee many, that either hauehave not ſeene at all that way of finding out God: or when they were entred, hauehave not perceiued that glorie of God, whereof you ſpake: or elſe by how muche the more they hauehave profited in the knowledge of this world and naturall thinges, ſo muche the more ſecurely and boldly hauehave they diſpiſed God, like as in times paſt did the Epicurian Philoſophers, and at this day alſo to many doe.
M.
Theſe are the greate imperfections and vices of men, whiche you ſpeake of, and a ſharpe accuſation of the wonderfull frowardnes of mans nature, not the woorkmans fault, or want of the light of Gods glorie, whiche ſhineth moſt brightly in his woorkes. For that light ſhineth clearely enough in this world, and in ſutch ſorte as it cannot bee put out, and alſo is eaſily ſeene whoſo will lift vp his eyes vntounto it, and looke vponupon it. For God hath engrauen in the world greate and wonderfull tokens of his goodnes, power, and wiſedome: hee layeth alſo beefore our eyes moſt manifeſt teſtimonies, and documentes that may bee vnderſtoode, yea by the moſt ignorant perſons. Whiche, whoſo doeth not ſee, let hym accuſe hym ſelfe, or his owne ſluggiſhnes, and not the hardnes of the booke which God hath ſayd before our eyes: or the difficultie of the ſtyle thereof: or the dimneſſe of the lookingglaſſe, whiche indeede wee hauehave a moſt bright one in the contemplation of this worlde. For the 19. Pſalme doth ſufficiently remooue this ſlaunder from God and his woorkmanſhip, ſaiyng, that hee hath founded his trueth in the heauens. Pſalme 89. and 3. verſe. Who hath diſtinguiſhed and depainted with liuely colours, the other argumentes and tokens of his praiſe in them, as it were, by a certein ingrauyng. Therefore, in that men of olde times hauehave not ſeene ſo manifeſt ſignes of God, neither ſee at this day, neither doe profit by them towardes the atteining of the knowledge of God, it commeth by meanes of their owne fault, who by reaſon of their ſinne hauehave loſt the true light of their myndes: whiche if it had continued in the firſte ſtate of it owne creation, truely then ſhould they hauehave ſeen theſe ſignes not obſcurely and fayntly, but acknowledged them plainly and perfectly, and confeſſed them too bee great and wonderfull.
S.
How then commeth it to paſſe, that if this world bee the lookinglaſſe of ſo great vertues in God, and that ſo bright and ſo cleare, why in another place is man, and why alſo is Chriſt called the image of God, wherin hee ſetteth himſelf downe beefore vsus to bee ſeen, and knowne? It is in vaine that you tell vsus of another lookinglaſſe, if this world bee ſo faire an one as you make it C…l…ſ…. the 1. chapter, and 15. verſe.
M.
If wee ſaye, that one thing may hauehave many images, and that in ſundrie reſpectes, wee ſhall not graunt any abſurditie. So that, although theſe three bee called looking glaſſes, wherin God repreſenteth himfelf, yet thei be ſo called, in diuerſe reſpects, & with a large difference. The worlde is not called the image of God, which notwithſtanding, is verified of man, & Chriſte, for the world is onelyonly the looking glaſſe of Gods vertues, as it is their ſubiect, that is to ſay, that wherein they do expreſſe and ſhew themſelues by ſundry meanes and effectes. And man is the image of God, and not onelyonly the lookinge glaſſe of his power, but alſo of his nature after a manner, for man of all other creatures of the worlde commeth neereſt to the nature of God, and caried the very fourme of him in the light of his minde and the vprightnes of his will, which was in him at his firſt creation. But Chriſt who is God manifeſted in the fleſhe, who was without ſinne, in whome the Godhead remained, who in his whole life and by al meanes ſhewed foorth the nature, ſimilitude & fygure of God through his great power, wiſedome, and clemencie, is in a farre more excellent reſpect the image of God than was the firſt man, althoughe hee were ſounde and perfect. Wherefore, the world hath no ſuch ſimilitude and likelineſſe with Chriſt, who is vntounto vsus not onelyonly the ymage, and as it were the ſhadow of the goodneſſe, Wiſedome, and Power of God, but alſo the moſt bright, and ſelfeſame repreſentation of the fathers ſubſtance: Hebrues the 1. chapter and 3. verſe. And therefore hee is not called onelyonly the image, but alſo the liuely brightneſſe of the Fathers glorye. And yet farther to the intent it may bee the better vnderſtoode, what, and how great the difference is wee muſt note, that the world and man are a notable, but yet a ſhadowed repreſentation of thoſe things which they do teach vsus, cōcerning god. And Chriſt ye expreſſe and liuely fourme, in whoſe inward, natural, and ſubſtanciall brightneſſe, wee may moſt euidently behold the infinite power of God, and incomprehenſible louelove towardes vsus men. Thus therefore, when wee thincke vppon God and beholde him in all other thinges, ſuche is our vanitie, that immediatly wee decay and come to naught: but when wee looke vppon him in Chriſt, wee are quieted and ſtayed moſt firmely and ſubſtantially. Wherefore there ought no compariſon bee made betweene theſe, which differ in kinde, and manner of repreſentation.
The xxxiii. Chapter. Two endes of the worlde, not chiefe.
S.
BUT bee ther not alſo other finall cauſes of the worlde?
M.
Yeas, there bee two but not chiefe.
S.
What bee they.
M.
The firſt is this, to wit, the vſe of al men. For this worlde was created for mans ſake, and man for GOD. The ſeconde is, for the Church or congregation. For the worlde was created to the entent it ſhould bee an houſe and dwelling place prepared for the Church and congregation that ſhould bee hereafter where in it might remaine of it owne right, which congregation God woulde eſtabliſhe there, and afterward bring to heauen.
S.
Howe prooue you this?
M.
Firſt, out of the 8. Pſalme. And ſecondly, by that which S. Paule writeth to the Romanes the 4. Chapter, and 13. verſe.