Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 2
SECT. II. The Order of Divine Operations.
§. 1. GOD is the Immediate Cauſe of all things and actions, cauſed *Bradwardine ib. p. 172. ſeemeth to favour Averrois ſaying that God is Forma omnis formae, & forma maxime eſſentialis & principalis cujuſcunque formati: and ſo acteth all things: And indeed when we deny him to be the form of any creature, we mean that he is More and not Leſs. And that we have not a fitter Analogical conception of God, than that he is eminently more than the ſoul of the world. And c. 14. p. 210. he calleth [Neceſſarium] the moſt proper name of God. But when he ſaith c. 17. that Gods Eſſence, Omnipotence, Intellect Naturally precede Gods Knowledge, and cauſe it, and ſo putteth Cauſes and Effects in God, he is too bold.by him, as to the Proximity of God to the effect. For he is every where preſent in Eſſence, and as near to every Being and Action as it is to it ſelf. We muſt not conceive of Gods uſing means, as we do of mans, where the Pen, the Saw, the Knife, &c. is between the hand and the effect: God is as near and as total a Cauſe of what he doth, as if he uſed no ſecond cauſe.
§. 2. They that ſay God is thus Cauſa Immediata Immediatione & Suppoſiti ſeu Eſſentiae & Virtutis, ſpeak true, but not aptly, becauſe it ill inſinuateth as if Gods Virtus were not his Eſſence: when as in God they are all one: only as inadequate conceptions we may diſtinguiſh ſuppoſitum à virtute, but not otherwiſe; And it is not as quid creatum that we ſpeak of Virtus.
§. 3. Since the Creation, in the Motions of Providence, God who at firſt made the Univerſe to be One by conjunction and co-operation of parts (as truly as a Clock or Man is one) hath ſetled a courſe of ſecond Cauſes, that one thing may act upon and move another; and though he work upon the Higheſt of theſe Cauſes immediately without any other ſubordinate Cauſe, yet on all the reſt he ordinarily worketh by ſuperiour created Cauſes: which are ſome of them Neceſſary and operate in one conſtant courſe, and ſome of them Voluntary and Free, and operate more mutably and contingently.
§. 4. The courſe of Neceſſitating Cauſes is commonly called NATURE, and the Influence of Angels and other Voluntary Cauſes diſtinguiſhed from Natural: But they all operate as ſecond Cauſes under the Influx and Government of God, upon us that are here on earth.
§. 5. There is no Place where any Corporeal being is, where ſome Active created Nature is not with it: ſo that conſidering the proximity and the natures, we may well conclude, that we know of no corporal motion under the Sun, which God effecteth by himſelf alone, without any ſecond Cauſe.
§. 6. Joh. Sariſburienſis and ſome Schoolmen liken Gods preſence with the Creature in operation, to the fire in a red hot Iron, where you would think all were Fire and all Iron: But the ſimilitude is too low. The SUN is the moſt Notable Inſtrument in viſible Nature: And GOD operateth on all lower things by its virtue and influx; God and the Sun do what the Sun doth: and we know of nothing that God moveth here on earth (that's corporeal) without it.
§. 7. But the Sun moveth nothing (as the Carteſians dream) by a ſingle Motive Influx alone; but by emiſſion of its Threefold Influx (as every Active Nature doth;) that is, Motive, Illuminative and Calefactive; which are One-radically in Three-effectively.
§. 8. This Efflux of the Sun is univerſal and equal ex parte ſui: But cauſeth wonderful diverſity of effects, without diverſity in God the prime Cauſe, or in it ſelf. The ſame Influx cauſeth the Weed and Dunghill and Carrion to ſtink, and the Flowers of the ſweeter Plants to be ſweet; ſome things to live, and ſome to dye; ſome things to be ſoft, and ſome hard, &c. In a word, there are few changes or various actions below (in bodies) which the Sun is not the Cauſe of, without difference in it ſelf: But not the ſpecifying Cauſe.
§. 9. The reaſon why one equal Influx cauſeth ſuch wonderful diverſity of motions, is the DIVERSITY of RECEPTIVE DISPOSITIONS and natures. Recipitur ad modum recipientis. So one poiſe maketh various Motions in a Clock, &c.
§. 10. God operateth on ſecond Cauſes, as God, Omnipotently; but not ad ultimum potentiae, but Freely as he pleaſeth.
§. 11. God worketh by ſecond Cauſes, according to the ſaid Cauſes aptitude; ſo that the operation of Infinite power is limited according to the quality of the ſecond cauſe which God uſeth.
§. 12. There is a ſuperiority and inferiority among Spirits as well as Bodies; And whether God work on all our ſouls by ſuperiour Spirits as ſecond Cauſes, is unknown to us: It is not improbable, according to the order of his providence in other things: But we know little of it certainly.
§. 13. But certain we are that ſuperiour Voluntary Agents, Angels and Devils, have very much to do with our ſouls, and operate much upon them. It is a wonderful power, which wiſe obſervers perceive Satan hath upon the Imagination, or Thinking faculty; (of which I could give ſome inſtances enough to convince a rational Sadducee.) And it is not like that good Angels have leſs power, skill, or will.
§. 14. And we are ſure that God hath ordained One Great Univerſal ſecond Cauſe to convey his Spirit and Grace by; which is JESUS CHRIST. As the Sun is an Univerſal Cauſe of Motion, Light and Heat, to Inferiour creatures, and God operateth by the Sun; So is Chriſt ſet as a Sun of Righteouſneſs, by whom God will convey his ſpiritual Influx to mens ſouls: and there is now no other conveyance to be expected.
§. 15. Chriſts Humane Nature united perſonally to the Divine and Glorified, is by the Office of Mediator Authorized, and by Perſonal Union and the Fulneſs of the Holy Spirit enabled and fitted to this communication of Gods Spiritual Influx to mankind.
§. 16. Object. A Creature cannot be a Cauſe of the Operation of the Holy Ghoſt, who is God the Creator; Sending is the Act of a Superiour: But Chriſts humanity is not ſuperiour to the Holy Ghoſt.
Anſw. 1. Chriſt as a Creature is no Cauſe of any Eſſential or purely Immanent Act of God (for that hath no Cauſe.) But 1. He is a Cauſe of the Spirits operation, as it ſignifieth the effect; 2. And ſo the cauſe why his Act is terminated on the ſoul; and 3. Of the ordering of theſe effects; why rather on this ſoul than on that, and at this time, meaſure, &c. And 2. This Chriſt doth not as a ſuperiour ſender of the Spirit, but a Miniſterial, and a ſecond cauſe: As a Maſter payeth his ſervants as his Steward determineth.
§. 17. It is certain that Chriſt is the Political Cauſe or Head of this ſpiritual Influx on ſouls: that is, As Mediator is Authorized to determine of the Perſons, meaſure, time, conditions, of the Communication of the Spirit: But whether he be a Phyſical Head of this Influx, by proper efficiency giving the Spirit from himſelf, as the Sun giveth us its Influx, is all that is diſputable. That is, Whether the Spirit be firſt given Inherently to Chriſt, and paſs from his perſon (as his) unto us, as the Spirits do from the Head to the Members?
§. 18. This queſtion may be put, either of all Natural Being and Motion, or only of Spiritual Motion in the ſoul of man. Whether Chriſt be ſo the Head of Nature, as that all Nature in Heaven and Earth, is ſuſtained and actuated by him as the phyſical efficient Cauſe? or whether this be true of this Lower World which was curſt for ſin? or whether it be true, at leaſt of Humane nature? or whether it be true only of Gracious operations?
§. 19. 1. That Chriſt hath the Political diſpoſe of the whole Univerſe (contained in the words Heaven and Earth) the Scripture ſeemeth to aſſert. 2. That he hath the Political diſpoſal of humane nature, and of all other creatures that belong to man, ſo far as they belong to him (Angels, Devils, Sun, Air, Earth, &c. is paſt diſpute. 3. That the real …hyſical effects (acts and habits) of the Spirit on mens ſouls, are cauſed by Chriſts Moral Cauſation by his Merit, and his Political Miſſion, is paſt diſpute. 4. That beſides all this, the Spirit it ſelf by Baptiſm is in Covenant with all the members of Chriſt, and that as they are ſuch, and is in a prior Covenant firſt Related to Chriſt himſelf, and ſo by this Covenant given us in relation as we are united to Chriſt, is paſt diſpute. 5. And that Chriſt himſelf doth make ſuch Phyſical changes on our ſouls by Means, and by the foreſaid Political Miſſion of the Spirit, by which we are made Receptive of more of the Spirits operations, is paſt diſpute. 6. But whether moreover, any Action of Chriſts own Humane ſoul glorified do phyſically reach our ſouls? or whether the Holy Ghoſt may in its own eſſential Virtue (which is every where) be ſaid to be more in Chriſt than elſewhere and communicated to us as from the root, or the Spirits effects on the ſoul to come by Reflection from the firſt effects on Chriſt, as Light and Heat from the Sun by a Speculum or Burning-glaſs, are queſtions not for me to determine.
§. 20. Chriſts ſpiritual Influx on ſouls is not ſingle, but is ever Three in One (as the Sun's aforeſaid,) which are according to the Threefold Divine Excellencies Communicated, and the Threefold humane Receptive faculties; viz. LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE: or ſpiritual Vivification, Activity and Power, ſpiritual Illumination of the Intellect, and ſpiritual Converſion or Sanctification of the Will by holy Love.
§. 21. It is certain that it is not only on believers that Chriſt operateth by the ſpirit: For he draweth men by it to believe: and many wicked men that are not his elect have common, even miraculous gifts of the ſpirit, *Mat. 7. 21, 22, 23. Gal. 3. 1, 2, 3. Heb. 6. 5, 6. 1 Cor. 14.which are all communicated by Chriſt.
§. 22. As Nature it ſelf is in his Political power, and is delivered to him, ſo far as it is reparable, and belongeth to the reparation of man; ſo all gifts and operations Received by any in the world, which are Mercies contrary to commerit, are the effects of Chriſt: Even as the Sun ſhineth in the night by the Moon, and in the dawning of the day by it ſelf unſeen, and after by it ſelf appearing; ſo Chriſt ſhineth to the Heathen world in abundance of natural and providential mercies, and by the help of many Creatures and experiences; and to ſome by nearer approaches, as well as to the Church by the manifeſtation of himſelf. All which is evident, 1. Becauſe the whole lapſed world in Adam and Noe were brought under his own Covenant of Grace, according to which he operateth. 2. In that ſo much mercy after ſin, will not ſtand with Gods regiment by the meer Law of Innocency, violated. 3. In that Chriſt is expreſly called the Saviour of the World; and the Saviour of all men, eſpecially of them that believe; who dyed for all, in that all were dead, that they that live ſhould live to him; who taſted death for every man, &c. And Joh. 1. 9, 10, 11, 12. That was the true light which lighteth every man coming into the world (or coming into the world, lighteth every man.) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. And v. 4, 5. In him was life, and the Life was the Light of man: and the Light ſhineth in darkneſs, and the darkneſs comprehended it not, &c.
§. 23. This threefold Influx of Chriſts Spirit (for LIFE, LIGHT and LOVE) is not equally effectual on all, nor equally effectual on the ſame perſon at ſeveral times, nor each part of the influx equally effectual on the ſame perſon at the ſame time. The Reaſons anon.