Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 14
SECT. XIV. Whether the giving of faith be an Act of Omnipotency? and a proper Creation? and a Miracle?
§. 1. THe Reader muſt pardon me for troubling him with ſuch frivolous queſtions about names, ſeeing unhappy Theologues have made it neceſſary. An Act of Omnipotency hath ſeveral ſenſes Creation is an ambiguous word: Pet. de Alliaeo in 4. q. 1. G. telleth us of four Ordinary ſenſes of the word, 1. Facere aliquod eſſe poſt non eſſe: 2. Facere aliquid eſſe poſt non eſſe ab illo agente quod poteſt hoc ſine cauſali influxu materiae vel ſubjecti. 3. Facere aliquid eſſe poſt non eſſe, ſire concurſu cauſali ſeu influru materiae vel ſubjecti ſine ſubjecto praeſuppoſito ex quo illud fiat. 4. Facere aliquid eſſe poſt no… eſſe abſ que agente ſe ſolo cauſante, & ſine concurſu alterius cauſae efficient…. Malderus 1. 2. qu. 113. a. 9. p. 578. ex Tho. & Auguſt. Juſtificatio impii eſt maximum opus Dei. Secundum quantitatem tam magnum eſt Angelos juſtos c…eare: ſed ſecundum quantitatem proportionis majus eſt impios juſtificare—quia major eſt di…properti impii ad gratiam quam juſti ad gloriam; ſicut ex plebeio creare ducem quam ex duce regem. Aug. Tr. 72. in Joh. Juſtis create & impios juſtificare, aequalis potentiae, hoc autem major is miſericordiae eſt.:
1. If the meaning be Whether Omnipotency be the Agent Principle, it is paſt diſpute. For it's all one as to ask Whether it be an Act of God? God hath no Power but Omnipotency, that is, perfect power.
2. If the meaning be, Whether the Giving of faith be an Adequate effect of Omnipotency, it is alſo negatively paſt doubt. Though thoſe that take God to be but Anima Mundi, ſay that Either the World is Infinite or that God is not Infinite, as thinking the World to be his adequate effect; yet Chriſtians are commonly agreed, that God hath no adequate effect. Even the making of the univerſe, the Giving of Chriſt, and the Glorifying of the Church, which are the higheſt effects of his Power, Wiſdom and Love, are not adequate effects; For nothing but another God can be an adequate effect of God: And another God, is a contradiction.
§. 2. 3. But if the ſenſe of the queſtion be only comparative; As, 1. Whether Omnipotency be more eminent in the giving of faith than Wiſdom and Love (or Goodneſs)? 2. Or whether Omnipotency be more eminent in giving faith, than other works of God? they are both needleſs queſtions. And to the firſt I ſay, No: To the ſecond, thoſe other works of God muſt be named, and compared, by the preſumptuous that have no ſafer work to do.
§. 3. 4. If the queſtion be, Whether the giving of faith be ſo great a work that no Power below Omnipotency could ſuffice to do it? I anſwer, it is a preſumptuous paltry queſtion of raſh men. But yet if it muſt be anſwered, it muſt be negatively: Becauſe as Omnipotence is more illuſtrious in the making of the world, than in cauſing a man to believe; ſo Chriſtians agree that the world it ſelf (as I ſaid) is not an adequate effect of Omnipotency: Which maketh ſo many of the ſubtileſt Schoolmen conclude that God could not be proved to be Omnipotent by the whole Creation …as ſuch, were it not further to be gathered from the notices of his perfection. Which were falſe if by Omnipotence they meant only a Power that can do all that is done: But they mean An Infinite Power; which they ſay muſt be ſo ſeen in an Infinite effect. But the world is not Infinite.
§. 4. As to the ſecond queſtion, it is either de nomine or de re. If the former, let every man ſpeak as he liſt for me, rather than I will contend with him, whether Creation of faith be a fit name. As to the matter, 1. It is agreed on, that faith is not a ſubſtance; 2. Nor an Accident con-created with a ſubſtance; 3. Nor a compoſition of ſubſtances into one, done by ſecondary Creation, Generation or Art. 4. But that it is the right ordered Act of a ſubſtance, whoſe natural power which performeth it, was pre-exiſtent, though without that act and the moral diſpoſition. Therefore it being a Modus entis or modus modi that we talk of, the common name is Alteration and ſuſcitation, actuating and ordering: But if men ſober ſometime call it a New Creation (as indeed the whole frame of holineſs together is called the New Creature in the Scriptures) and ſometimes the Divine nature, ſometimes Regeneration, ſometimes a Divine Artifice, Alteration, Converſion, Sanctification, &c. it is the ſame thing that is meant by all their ſeveral names.
§. 5. As to the third Queſtion, Whether it be a Miracle *Juſtificationem non eſſe proprie Miraculum, Vid. Malder. ib. p. 578. Et Br…anſon. in 4. q. 8. Cor. 2. fol. 144. confeſſing it above the power of a Creature to juſtifie us, but not properly a miracle.p 1. As a Miracle ſignifieth a wonder, a thing is wonderful either for the Rarity or for the Great appearance of Gods power in it. In the firſt reſpect, faith is not ſo Rare as to be a miracle: In the ſecond, the Sun and Heavens are a greater wonder than faith.
2. But as a Miracle ſignifieth that which is done by ſecond Cauſes, but unknown to us, and out of Gods ordinary way of working; ſo it is no miracle.
3. And as ſome men call that a Miracle which exceedeth the power of the ſecond cauſes, ſo all things would be Miracles that God doth: For they are effects of his power as exceeding the power of ſecond cauſes.
4. As a Miracle is that which is done by God without any ſecond cauſes, †Many good people would never be ſo much againſt the acknowledgement of ſecond Cauſes if they underſtood the matter: But they ignorantly think it derogateth from God the firſt cauſe.ſo ſome think that the propagation of ſouls is a miracle: But of ſouls and faith it is much unknown to us, how far God uſeth ſecond cauſes; But that Generation as to one, and Preaching and all other means to the other, are ſome ſort of ſecond cauſes, *We have no reaſon to think that God uſeth no ſecond cauſe in working faith. It is much to be noted which Pet. de Alllaco ſaith in 4. q. 1. E. Plus facit Deut faciendo aliquem effectum mediante cauſa ſecunda, quam ſi faceret eu…dem effectum ſe ſolo: Quia in prima factione ſunt plures termini divina actionis quam in ſecunda. For as he ſaid before, Quandocun que Deus facit aliquem effectum mediante cauſa ſceunda, ipſe non ſolum facit illum effectum, ſed etlam facit cauſam ſecundam eſſe cauſam illius effecti. Mar… this well.is ſure.
5. And laſtly, if by a Miracle be meant that effect, which God produceth both above the power of ſecond cauſes, and by a more glorious exertion of his own power than in his Courſe of Nature and Government he uſeth by and with ſecond cauſes, ſo it is not a Miracle, becauſe in the way of his ordinate co-operation with his Goſpel, he ordinarily produceth it.
§. 6. So that as all Chriſtians muſt confeſs that we had never believed if God had not wrought it in us by that ſpirit of Wiſdom and Love which is Omnipotent; ſo to contend any further whether it be a Miracle, and a proper Creation, or an effect of Omnipotency as ſuch, &c. are ſuch queſtions as preſumptuous Schoolmen heretofore, and hot-headed Sectaries in our times, have uſed to afflict the Church of Chriſt with, and to tempt their ignorant zealous followers into ſuch employments, as moſt effectually deſtroy their charity, and injure others, and ſcandalize the world.