The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of Gods Kingdom, and Government of Man, and Providence.
Q. 1. I Perceive that nothing more concerneth us, than to know GOD and our Relation and Duty to him, and what hope we have from him; Therefore I pray you open it to me more fully: And first tell me Where God is?
A. GOD being Infinite is not confined in any Place, but all Place and things are in GOD; and he is absent from none, but as near to every thing, as it is to it self.
Q. 2. Why then do you say that he is in Heaven; if he be as much on Earth, and every where?
A. GOD is not more or less in one place than another in his Being, but he is apparent and known to us by his Working, and so we say He is in Heaven, as he there Worketh and Shineth forth to the most blessed Creatures in Heavenly Glory. As we say the Sun is where it shineth; Or, to use a more apt Comparison, the Soul of Man is indivisibly in the whole Body, but it doth not Work in all parts alike; it understandeth not in the Foot, but in the Head; it Seeth not, Heareth not, Tasteth not, and smelleth not in the Fingers or lower parts, but in the Eye, the Ear, and other Senses in the Head; and therefore when we talk to a man, it is his Soul that we talk to, and not his Flesh, and yet we look him in the Face; not as if the Soul were no where but in the Face or Head, but because it only worketh and appeareth there by those Senses and that Understanding which we Converse with: Even so we look up to Heaven when we speak to God; not as if he were no where else, but because Heaven is the place of his glorious Appearing and Operation, and as the Head and Face of the World where all true Glory and Felicity is, and from whence it descendeth to this Earth, as the Beams of the Sun do from its glorious Center.
Q. 3. You begin to make me think that GOD is the SOUL of the WORLD, and that we must conceive of him in the World, as we do of the Soul of Man in his Body.
A. You cannot better Conceive of GOD, so you will but take in the points of Difference, which are very great; for no Creature known to us, doth resemble God without vast Difference.
The Differences are such as these. First, The Soul is part of the Man, but God is not a part of the World, or of Being: For to be a part, is to be less than the whole, and so to be Imperfect. Secondly, We cannot say that the Soul is any where out of the Body, but the World is Finite, and God is Infinite, and therefore God is not Confined to the World. 3. The Soul ruleth not a Body that hath a distinct Understanding and Free Will of its own to receive its Laws, and therefore ruleth it not by proper Law, but by despotical Motion: But God ruleth men that have Understanding and Free Will of their own to know and receive his Laws, and therefore he ruleth them partly by a Law. 4. The Soul doth not use another Soul under it to rule the Body, but GOD maketh use of Superiour Spirits to move and rule things and Persons below them, so that there is great difference between Gods ruling the World, and the Souls ruling the Body.
But yet there is great likeness also. 1. God is as near every part of the World, as the Soul is near the Body. 2. God is as truely and fully the Cause of all the Actions and Changes of the World, (except sin which Free Will left to it self committeth) as the Soul is the Cause of the Actions and Changes of the Body. 3. The Body is no more lifeless without the Soul, than the World would be without God. Yea, God giveth all its Being to the World, and without him it would be nothing, and in this he further differeth from the Soul, which giveth not material being to the Body.
So that you may well conceive of GOD as the SOUL of the World, so you will but put in that he is far more.
Q. 4. Is it not below God to concern himself with these lower things? Doth he not leave them to those that are under him?
A. It is below God to be unconcerned about any part, even the least of his own works. Men are narrow Creatures, and can be but in one place at once, and therefore must do that by others which they cannot do themselves, at least without trouble: But God is infinite, and present with all Creatures; and as nothing is in being without him, so nothing can move without him.
Q. 5. By this you make God to do all things Immediately, whereas we see he works by means and second causes: He giveth us light and heat by the Sun; he upholdeth us by the Earth, &c.
A. The word Immediate sometime signifieth, A cause that hath no other cause under it: So the Sun is the immediate cause of the emanation of its beams of Light. And so God is not alwaies an Immediate Cause; that is, He hath other causes under him: But sometime, Immediate signifieth that which is next a thing, having nothing between them. And so God doth all things Immediately: For he is, and he acteth as near us as we to our selves, and nothing is between him and us: He is as near the person and the Effect, when he useth Second Causes as when he useth none.
Q. 6. But is it not a debasing GOD to make his Providence the cause of every motion of a Worm, a Bird, a Fly, and to mind and move such contemptible things: and so to mind the thoughts of man?
A. It is a debasing God to think that he is like a finite Creature, absent, or insufficient for any of his Creatures. That there is not the least thing or motion so small, as to be done without him, is most certain to him that will consider, 1. That Gods very Essence is every where: And wherever he is, he is himself, that is, most Powerful, Wise and Good: And if such a God be as near to every Action as the most immediate Actor is, so that in him they all Live, and Move, and Be, how can he be thought to have no hand in it, as to Providence or causality?
2. And it's certain that God upholds continually the very Being of every thing that moveth, and all the Power by which they move: For that which had no Being but from him, …an have none continued but by him: That which could not make it self, cannot continue it self: Should not God by his causality continue their being, every Creature would turn to nothing. For there can be nothing without a Cause, but the first Cause which is GOD.
3. And it is all one to Infiniteness to mind every Creature and motion in the World, and to cause and rule the least, as it is to cause and rule but one. God is as sufficient for all the World, even every Fly and Worm, as if he had but One to mind. Seeing then that he is as present with every Creature as it is with it self, and it hath not the least power but what he continually giveth it, and cannot move at all but by him, and he is as sufficient for All as for One, it's unreasonable to think that the least thing is done without him. Is it a dishonour to the Sun that every Eye, even of Flies, and Ants, and Toads, and Snakes, as well as Men, do see by the light of it? or that it shineth at once upon every p…le of Grass and Atome? This is but the certain Effect of Gods Infinitene…s and Perfection.
Q. 7. How doth God Govern all things?
A. He Governeth several things according to their several Natures which he hath made: Lifeless things by their natural Inclinations, and by moving force; Things that have sense by their sensitive Inclinations, and by their objects, and by constraint; And Reasonable Creatures by their Principles, and by Laws and Moral Rules: And all things by his Infinite Power, Wisdom and Will, as being every one parts of one World, which is his Kingdom: Especially Man.
Q. 8. What is Gods Kingdom? and why do you call him our King?
A. I call him our King, because, 1. He only hath absolute Right, Power and Fitness to be our Supream Ruler: 2. And he doth actually Rule us as our Soveraign. And in this KINGDOM, 1. GOD is the Only Supream King and Head. 2. Angels or Glorified Spirits and Men are the Subjects: 3. All the Bruits and lifeless Creatures are the Furniture, and goods and utensils. 4. Devils and Rebellious Wicked men, are the Enemies, to be opposed and overcome.
Q. 9. How doth GOD govern Man on Earth?
A. 1. The Power of God, our Lord, Owner and Mover, moveth us, and disposeth of us, as he doth of all things, to the fullfilling of his Will. 2. The Wisdom of God our King, doth give us sound Doctrine, and holy and just Laws, with Reward… and Penalties, and he will Judge men and execute accordingly. 3. And the Love of our Heavenly Father doth furnish us with all necessary blessings, help us, accept us, and prepare us for the Heavenly Kingdom.
Q. 10. Why is man Ruled by Laws rather than Beasts and other things?
A. Because man hath Reason, and Free-will, which maketh them Subjects capable of Laws, which Beasts are not.
Q. 11. What is that Free-will which fits us to be Subjects?
A. It is a Will made by God able to determine it self, by Gods necessary help, to choose Good and refuse Evil, understood to be such, without any necessitating Predetermination by any other.