Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 3
SECT. III. The ſeveral inadequate Conceptions which in order make up our Knowledge of God.
21. BY the Knowledge of our own Acts we know our Powers and the Nature of our own ſouls (though imperfectly); And by the Knowledge of our ſouls, we know the nature of other Intellectual Spirits; And by the Knowledge of our ſelves and them, and the Scripture expreſſions of his Attributes, we know ſo much of God as we can here know. And accordingly muſt ſpeak of Him, or be ſilent: For we have no higher notions, than ſuch as are thus Analogical; expreſſing that which is in God in an unconceivable eminency and tranſcendency, by words which firſt ſignifie that which is formally in the ſoul (as is ſaid).
22. And ſo we muſt conceive of God by all theſe following inadequate Conceptions, confeſſing the impropriety, but having no better. I. The Eſſence of God, who in Scripture is called in two words [An Infinite Spirit] is neceſſarily conceived of by theſe Three Conceptions: 1. foreign, 2. Vita, 3. Perfectio. The two firſt being the ſubſtantial Conceptus of a Spirit, and the third that which anſwereth to all perfective degrees, properties and accidents in Creatures, and comprehendeth a multitude of Perfective Attributes: which I expreſs in the Abſtract, being loth much to uſe Concretes or Adjectives of God. Of theſe as the firſt anſwereth to Matter in Materials, and to the Genus and ſubſtantia abſtractè ſumpta in Spirits, ſo doth the ſecond to the Form and Difference; when yet in God there is no Compoſition, or Matter.
23. II. And the Formal Conceptus [VITA] muſt it ſelf be conceived of in this Threefold inadequate Conception; 1. *It is a great diſpute with the Schoolmen, Whether Gods Power be any thing but his Intellect and Will: that is, a neceſſary diſtinct conceptus inadaequatus of God? (For he is one ſimple eſſence.) Durand. 1. d. 38. q. 1. juſtly affirmeth it: Vaſqu. in 1. Tho. q. 23. d. 102. c. 2. ſaith, Haec ſententia no…null is recentioribus mirum in modum probatur: yet he is againſt it; (though Suarez be for it). But it is partly by miſconceiving of the Potentia Vital is in man, as if it were only Executive ad extra, or in the inferior faculties; and partly on ſuch frivolous reaſons as tend alſo to a denyal of his Intellection and Volition. Methinks, they that acknowledge Gods Underſtanding and Will to be analogically ſo called (mans being the firſt which the word ſignifieth though Gods infinitely more excellent) ſhould on the ſame reaſon grant, that Vita & Potentia activa are terms as applicable to God: For which denomination many reaſons and cogent may be given: And I am ſure the language of the Scripture and our Creed will warrant this conception.Potentia-Actus, 2. Intellectus, 3. Voluntas. I call the firſt Potentia-Actus, to avoid Concretes, and to ſignifie, that as God hath no Potentia Paſſiva, ſo his Potentia-Activa is not an idle ceſſant Power, but in perpetual perfect Act; and that Act is a moſt Powerful-Act: ſo that neither Potentia alone, nor Actus alone, but both together, are our beſt Conception of this firſt Principle in the Deity. And I take it for granted, that even in Mans ſoul, the Potentia-Vitalis Activa, the Intellect and Will, are not as Thomas thought Accidents, but the formal eſſence of the ſoul, as the Scotiſts and Nominals better ſay; And I have largely elſewhere proved, and therefore ſtand not here upon it.
24. III. And the Exiſtence of this Divine Eſſence, muſt be known by us in this Gradual Threefold Conception: 1. As in Virtute (vel Potentia) 2. In Actu Immanente, 3. In Actione Tranſeunte: Of the firſt I ſhall ſay no more, but what is ſaid before. By the ſecond I mean Gods own moſt perfect Eſſence as Active in it ſelf, without extrinſick effect or object. By the third, I mean not the Creature or the Divine Action ut recipitur in paſſo, or the effect: But the Divine Eſſence it ſelf in the ſtate of Agency ad extra; which the Schools conclude to be Eternal, though the effect be but in Time. Yet if any will call this a free, and not a neceſſary ſtate of the Divine Eſſence, I contend not.
25. IV. The Eſſential Immanent Acts of God are Three: 1. SIBI VIVERE, or to be Eſſential Active Life in Himſelf, 2. SE INTELLIGERE, to know Himſelf; 3. SE AMARE, or to be Amor ſui.
26. V. The Trinity of Divine Subſiſtences or Perſons alſo muſt be here acknowledged; 1. The FATHER; 2. The WORD or SON; 3. The HOLY SPIRIT: Of which the School-men have ſaid ſo much, (if not far too much) as that I may turn the Reader to them.
27. I have elſewhere ſhewed that many of them, and other Divines, do take the Three laſt named Immanent Acts in God, to be the ſame with the Three Perſons or Subſiſtences; Even the Three Divine Principles (Potentia-Actus, Intellectus & Volunt as) as in Act thus Immanently; But of theſe great Myſteries elſewhere. All that I ſay here is, that ſeeing the Trinity of Divine Principles (or formal Eſſentialities) and the Threefold Act, are ſo certainly evident to Natural Reaſon it ſelf, that no underſtanding perſon can deny them, we have no Reaſon to think the Trinity of Eternal Subſiſtences incredible, and a thing that the Chriſtian faith is to be ſuſpected for, but the quite contrary; though they are myſteries above our reach, (as all of God is, as to a full or formal apprehenſion).
28. Though God have no Real Accidents, we are fain to conceive of Him with ſome Analogie to Accidents: where, 1. The Univerſal Conception is PERFECTION, which comprehendeth all. 2. The Divine Principles conſidered in PERFECTION denominate God, 1. Potentiſſimus, 2. Sapientiſſimus, 3. Optimus.
29. The Attributes of the Divine Perſons are, 1. Diſtinguiſhing; viz. 1. GENERANS, Patris: 2. GENITUS, Filii: 3. PROCEDENS, Spiritus Sancti. 2. Common to all, ſuch as foreign, &c.
30. The particular Attributes, analogical as to Creatures, Comparate, Relative and Negative, are very many: But yet in Order to be conceived of, and not confuſedly; which elſewhere I offer to the Readers view.
31. VI. Gods Cauſal Relations to his Creatures, are in General thoſe named by S. Paul, Rom. 11. 36. OF HIM and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM are all things. And he is, 1. The firſt EFFICIENT, 2. The ſupream DIRIGENT, 3. The Ultimate FINAL Cauſe of all things.
32. Gods EFFICIENCY is terminated, 1. On the Things in their Being, 2. In their Action and Operation. 1. And in the firſt reſpect he is the Cauſe, 1. Of their Exiſting Eſſence, 2. Of their Order, 3. Of their Goodneſs or Perfection: And ſo he is, 1. The CREATOR, and Conſerver, 2. The ORDINATOR, 3. The BENEFACTOR of all the world.
And in the ſecond reſpect, (as to Action) he is, 1. The Actor or Motor of all things (by his Active Power) 2. The Governor of all (according to their ſeveral Natures) (by his wiſdom) 3. The Perfecter of all things in their attingency or fruition of their proper End, (by his Goodneſs.)
33. VII. As to MAN in ſpecial God is now Fundamentally Related to him as his CREATOR, his REDEEMER and his REGENERATER or SANCTIFIER; eminently aſcribed diſtinctly to the FATHER, SON and HOLYSPIRIT: From whence floweth, NATURA, MEDELA, SALUS, or NATURE, REDEEMING GRACE, and RENEWING GRACE (HOLINESS and GLORY) (that is, LOVE begun here and perfected in Heaven.)
34. VIII. From CREATION there reſulteth a Threefold Moral Right and Relation of God to Man: 1. He is our Abſolute OWNER or LORD to diſpoſe of us, and Act us by his Power. 2. He is our Supream RECTOR, Morally to Rule us as Intellectual free-agents, eminently by his Wiſdom. 3. He is our LOVER and Ultimate END; as he is Goodneſs and Love it ſelf; To Love Him and be Loved by him perfectly for ever, being Amantiſſimus & Amabiliſſimus in his Goodneſs.
35. He that leaveth out any one of theſe Relations of God to man, (to be Our Owner, Ruler and Lover and End) leaveth out that which is Eſſential to Our God, as the word is Relatively uſed in the Precepts and Promiſes of the Holy Scripture.