Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 1
SECT. I. The preſuppoſed Principles.
§. 1. THe way of Gods operation on ſouls, yea, or bodies, or any creature, is ſo unſearchable, that I had rather ſilence, than pretend to decide abundance of the Controverſies long agitated about it. And had not mens audacious deciſions, and furious contentions (not yet allowing the Churches peace) made it accidentally neceſſary to repreſs their preſumption and their error, I ſhould reverently have paſſed by much that I muſt now meddle with. But the cure muſt be ſuited to the diſeaſe.
§. 2. So much as is *See a notable diſcourſe of Bradwardint of mans little knowledge of God, li. 1. c. 1. cor. 32. contrae philoſ. which excellently rebuketh audacity in this caſe.intelligible herein, is divine, and honourable, and amiable; and the proſpect of Gods Providence is delectable to the wiſe. For his works are great, and wonderful, ſought out of them that have pleaſure therein.
§. 3. The nature or the order of them cannot be known by the ſingle conſideration of particular effects; but by beginning at the original, and proceeding orderly from the ſuperiour Cauſes to the inferiour, and ſeeing how every thing worketh in its proper capacity and place: which man can do but very defectively; and therefore knoweth but little or in part.
§. 4. It is neceſſary therefore that I briefly look back to the Principles of Providence and Action; which were partly mentioned before, where UNITY in TRINITY ſhineth to us in God and in his works.
§. 5. * GOD is ONE INFINITE SPIRIT, in THREE ESSENTIAL VIRTUES or PRINCIPLES, LIFE (or ACTIVE POWER) UNDERSTANDING and WILL, †Bradwardine li. 1. c. 1. cor. 8. p. 5. Deus eſt Subſtantia & Potentia rationalis, habens intellectum & liberam voluntatem, cognoſcens actualiter & …olens.which are wonderfully ONE in ESSENCE, yet THREE we know not perfectly how, but as the Scotiſts ſay, formaliter, or rather as the Nominals, by connotation of their objects and operations ad extra, and ſo by Relation, and extrinſtck Denomination. Not that Life, Intellect and Will, are formally the ſame in God as in the Creature, or can formally be conceived by us; But that while we muſt know God in a Glaſs, mans ſoul muſt be this Glaſs, and the Scriptures muſt be our Onomaſticon and Logick Books, and we muſt uſe ſuch Notions and Names of God, or none.
§. 6. *Bradwardines language is, Deum eſſe Omnipotentem active; nullipotentem paſſiv…. li. 1. cap. 1. corol. 1. n. 7. p. 5.Theſe Principles as Tranſcendent in PERFECTION, are called GREATNESS †Communit…r antiqui Scholaſtic… agunt de int…ll…ctu, Voluntat…, & Potentiae operativae D… quaſ… d… Potentiis ratione diſtinct is, inſt…t…ntque de …llis peculiares tractatus cum Magiſ. Thom. &c. Ruiz de Voh…. Dei diſp. 14. …. 4. pag. 158. And he contradicting it ſaith as much, Nihilomiminus intra …aſdem linea… & gradus intellectus & voluntatis diſtinguimus Potentiam executivam … partem …arundem Potentia▪ rum: But leſs aptly.(or OMNIPOTENCE) WISDOM and GOODNESS (or LOVE) by names borrowed from their effects upon the creatures.
§. 7. This ONE GOD, is revealed to us in THREE PERSONS, The FATHER, the foreign (Wiſdom, Word and Son) and the HOLY SPIRIT. One in Eſſence: incomprehenſibly Three, ad intus; but diſcernibly Three, in their Operations ad extra, and Relations thereto.
§. 8. As we muſt conceive of GODS ESSENCE by INADAEQUATE Conceptions, (as aforeſaid) or not at all, ſo muſt we of his EXISTENCE as in the Creature we call it Modally; viz. His ESSENCE being foreign (ſubſtance,) VIRTUS & PERFECTIO (which in the Creature, is MATTER (or ſubſtance) FORM and DEGREE): and his FORMAL VIRTUS being Potentia-Vitalis, Intellect and Will; ſo his Exiſtence is conſiderable, 1. In VIRTUE it ſelf, radically, (which is Potentia Activa Inclinata.) 2. As in Act, IMMANENT, objectively, (as Gods ſelf living, ſelf-knowing and ſelf-loving.) 3. And as in ACTION ad extra, either objectively or effectively TRANSIENT. And in this third reſpect Gods Eſſence is the Operator of all his works.
§. 9. The Three Divine Principles (Vital-active Power, Intellect and Will) and the Three Divine Perſons, (Father, Word and Spirit) do alwayes inſeparably co-operate; But ſo as that there is a Trinity alſo of their Impreſſions or Veſtigia, which are anſwerably to have a Trine attribution, each Principle being eminently apparent in his own impreſſion, though with the reſt.
§. 10. Gods WORKS are CREATION, GOVERNING and PERFECTING: And ſo he is 1. The firſt EFFICIENT OF ALL BEING Ex QUO (by creating and continuing, which are as one;) 2. The DISPOSING or GOVERNING Cauſe PER QUEM; 3. The END, AD QUEM, & IN QUO perficiuntur.
§. 11. God having given a BEING to the Creatures, and their various ſpecies of being, is after by PROVIDENCE to manage them as Active or Paſſive in their ſeveral Capacities: And the ACTIVE Natures are threefold which he hath made to operate on the threefold Paſſives; viz. INTELLECTUAL, SENSITIVE and IGNEOUS (or VEGETATIVE in its proper matter) upon AIR, WATER and EARTH.
§. 12. GOD is ſo Active as not to be at all PASSIVE. All the Active Creatures are firſt Paſſive as receiving the Influx of the firſt Cauſe, and Inferiours from the Superiour ſecond Cauſes: But they are Naturally Active in that dependence, and ſuppoſing that Influx.
§. 13. The works of Providence about the Exiſtent Creatures, are MOTION cauſing Motion: GUBERNATION cauſing ORDER: and ATTRACTION or meet objective Termination, ſatisfying their Appetites, and giving them their Ends.*Cyprianus ſie explicat Act. 17. In ipſo ſumus; movemur, vivimus. In Patre ſumus, in Filio vivimus, in Spiritu Sancto movemur: Pater eſt ſons omnis eſſentiae; Filius eſt Vita; Spiritus Sanctus eſt agitator ſeu motor: unde apud Hebr. nomen habet Ruah, quod ſignificat endelechiam, continuam & perennem agitationem: Vid. Strigel. in Melanct. Loc. com. pag. 294.
§. 14. MAN being endowed by his Creator with his Image, in Vital-Active-Power, Intellect, and Free-will, a Threefold Virtue in One, as the formal Eſſence of his ſoul, is peculiarly fitted for ſuch acts of Providence as he muſt be under.
§. 15. As the higher and Nobler Natures are under God the Immediate 1. Movers, 2. Governours of the Inferiour; ſo alſo are they, 3. Their Immediate or neareſt End; having a Goodneſs in them fitted to attract, terminate and ſatisfie the Appetites of the Inferiour: God is not the only end of Appetites.
§. 16. The Acts of Divine PROVIDENCE about MAN-exiſtent, are, 1. Action or Motion, 2. Special Government, 3. Love. From whence God is Related to Man (the fundamental Relation of CREATOR ſuppoſed,) †I hold with Bradwardine li. 1. c. 2. cor. 3. Quod neceſſe eſt Deum ſervare quamlibet creaturam immediatius quacunque canſa creata: Et c. 3. cor. 3. Quod nulla res poteſt aliquid facere, niſi Deus faciat illud idem immediatius quolibet alio faciente: Et c. 4. cor. 3. …adem de Deo Motore; …aking immediation for proximity, and facere & movere for the action as ſuch, and not for the meer moral ſpecification and comparability.1. As ACTOR vel MOTOR, 2. As RECTOR, 3. As AMICUS, vel FINIS, Lover, Benefactor and End. 1. ACTION as ſuch is from God in the firſt relation. 2. Action as ORDERED is by him in the ſecond. 3. Action as TERMINATED FINALLY and in perfection, is in him in the third.
§. 17. Creation inferreth Propriety; and making us Good and inter b… na and ad bonum inferreth that God is our Benefactor: So that ab origine he ſtanding in theſe three Relations to us, from what is paſt, he is to diſpoſe of us by Providence accordingly.
§. 18. Gods Omnipotence is moſt conſpicuous in Creation (propriety), and Motion: His Wiſdom in Governing and Order: and his Good will in our Benefits (efficiently) and our Perfection (finally) in mutual Love.
§. 19. MOTION is cauſed by Moving …ce impreſſed: ORDER (moral) by LAW or ſignification of Gods Will de debito: And PERFECTION by attingency and union with our END.
§. 20. From the firſt reſulteth NECESSITY properly ſo called: From the ſecond Moral RECTITUDE: In the third is FELICITY; as to ſingle perſons.
§. 21. From the firſt (viz. God as Actor) upon Many or the Univerſe, ariſeth CO-OPERATION or Concurſe; All things work together, as the Wheels in a Watch. From the ſecond (Divine ORDERING) ariſeth HARMONY: and from the third, UNIVERSAL PERFECTION and Melody of the whole Creation; and to man, perfect Love.
§. 22. Motion is unreſiſtible unleſs by a greater or unequal Contrary Motion, or paſſive impedition: and its effect as ſuch not free, but Neceſſary. Government by Law is reſiſtible, and obedience free. Final Goodneſs or Love, do perfect and felicitate, neceſſarily and freely, not effecting, (for ſo they are not now conſidered) but ſatisfying ſo far as they are enjoyed.
§. 23. The Creation being paſt, and Beings exiſtent (except what Generation and Compoſition make, unfearchably▪) and Gods fundamental RELATIONS ſetled, we ſhall confound and be confounded, if we diſtin-guiſh not Gods after-actions according to the Relations in which he worketh them, and their foreſaid differences in themſelves.