Body of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Of GODS Power.
SO much be spoken concerning Gods Will, Affections, and Vertues: thereGod is Omninipotent. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Revel. 1. 8. Luke 18▪ 28. Matth. 19▪ 26. Ephes. …. 19. followeth Power in God, by which God by the bare beck of his Will, effecteth all things which he will, and howsoever he will, perfectly without labour and difficulty, and can do perfectly all things which he wills; this is called Absolute *Matth. 3. 9. Phil. 23. 1.Power, by which he can do more things then either he doth or will. Actual aPsalm 135. 6. & 115. 3.Power is when God causeth those things to exist which he will have exist.
Both Gods Absolute and Actual Power is Active bEphes. 3. 20. 1. In se & per se quia idem est cum essentia divina. Wendel.onelyonly, and no way Passive.
This Power of God is Infinite,
First, In respect of the Divine Essence, since it slows from the Infinite Nature of God; for it is a most certain Rule, that the faculties and powers of the Subject slow from the form, and agree with the form.
Secondly, In respect of the Object cPotentia …ei infinita est respectu objectorum, quia innumera sunt, quae produci ab eo possint. Respectu actionis infinita est: quia nunquam effectum producit tam praestantem, quin praestantiorem possit producere. Wendelinus. Culices & muscas ipsas per omnipotentem voluntatem producit, aeque ac elephantum & cetum, quamvis non aeque illa nobis in utrisque forte manifesta fiat. Omnipotens est Deus (ait August. de Temp. serm. 119) ad facienda majora & minora: magnus est in Magnis, nec parvus in Minimis. Rescript. Ames. ad responsum. Grevinchov. c. 8.and Effects, for God doth never so many and so great works, but he can do more and greater; although we must hold that God cannot make a creature of infinite Perfection simply, or creatures indeed infinite in number, for so they should be Gods; for the Divine Power is so farre exercised on the object, as the passive Power of the object extends it self, but Infinite Perfection imports a pure Act.
Thirdly, In respect of Duration, which is perpetual as his Essence is, therefore this force and power of God is deservedly stiled Omnipotency, Iob 42. 2. GodsLuke 1. 37. Power is not only Potentia, or Multipotentia, but omnipotentia, for degree infinite; Shall any matter be hard for the Lord?
The Scripture confirms the Omnipotency of God,Revel. 15. 3. Omnipotent is often put for God. Ruth. 1. 20, 21. Iob 21. 15. & 27, 10. & 31. 2. God is called Almighty One and thirty times in Iob.
1. Affirmatively, when it cals God Abbir, Job 34. 20. Shaddai Alsufficient, Gen. 35. 11. Deut. 10. 17. Psal. 89. 13. Gibbor Powerful, Deut. 10. 17.
2. Effectively, when it witnesseth, that God can do all things, Mat. 3. 9. & 19. 16. Mark 14. 36. Luk. 18. 26. Eph 3. 20. Hitherto belong all the works of the Divine Power and supernatural Miracles.
3. Negatively, when it denies any thing to be difficult to him, muchlesse impossible, Gen. 18. 14. Ier. 32. 17, 27. Luke 1. 37. Matth. 19. 36.
4. Symbolically, when it gives him a strong right hand, a stretched out arm, 1 Chron. 29. 12. Ier. 32. 17. Ephes. 1. 19.
Reason proves it also:
1. His essence (as was said) is infinite, therefore his power.
2. He is most perfect, therefore most powerful.
3. Whatsoever good thing is to be found in any creature, the same is perfectly andThere is strength in Angels, Men, Beasts, and all creatures in their kinde, therefore it is much more perfectly and eminently in God from whom they have it. infinitely in God.
Some observe that this is expressed seventy times in Scripture, that God is Almighty. He is the onelyonly Potentate, 1 Tim. 6. 15. The Psalmist saith, Power belongs to God. The first Article of our faith teacheth us to believe that God is Omnipotent.
God can work by weak means, without means, contrary to means.
It shews one to be a skilful Artist, when he can effect that by an unfit instrument, which another can scarce do with a most fit one: As it is reported of Apelles, that with a coal taken from the fire he so exprest him by whom he was invited to Ptol…mies dinner, that all at the first sight of it knew the man: But it is no wonder for God to perform what he will with unfit instruments, since he needs no instruments at all to effect what he pleaseth.
Gods power is,
Essential and Independent, it is the cause of all power, Iohn 19. 8. it reacheth beyond his will, Mat. 26. 35.
2. It extends to things that are not, nor never will be, as to raise up childrenPower is Gods originally and primarily, all power of all creatures is derived from him, and continued and ordered by him. of stones to Abraham, Matth. 3. 9. to give Christ more then ten Legions of Angels.
The object of Divine power are all things simply and in their own nature possible, which neither contradict the nature of God, nor the essence of the creatures; those which are contrary to these are absolutely impossible; such things God cannot do, because he cannot will them, nor can he will and do contrary things, as good and evil, or contradictory, as to be, and not to be,God can do all things, quae habent rationem factibilitatis, quae contradictionem non implicant. Titus 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 13. There are impossibilia naturae which exceed natures sphere, as to make a thing of nothing, to raise the dead to life, these God can do; and impossibilia natura, those things which are by themselves simply impossible. God cannot will the same thing at the same time to be and not to be, nor cause that which hath been not to be, this would argue inconstancy. Propterea quaedam non potest, quia omnipotens est. There is impossibility ex parte Dei, & ex parte rei. See Dr. Willet on Gen. 18. 12. Asylum haereticorum est omnipotentia Dei. Chrysost. Vide Vedel. Rationale Theologicum, l. 3. c. 8. that a true thing be false, that any thing while it is should not be; God cannot sinne, lie, deny, change or destroy himself, suffer, for all these things do ex diametro, oppose the Divine, Immutable, Simple, most true and perfect essence. God cannot create another God, nor cause a man to be unreasonable, nor a body to be infinite and every where, for these things contradict the essential definitions of a creature, of a man, and a body; not to be able to do all these things is not impotency, but power, for to be able to do opposite things, is a sign of infirmity, being not able to remain altogether in one and the same state.
God is therefore omnipotent, because he cannot do these things which argue impotency, as if I should say The Sun is full of light, it cannot be dark. Yet it is not so proper a speech to say God cannot do these things, as to say, these are acts too mean, base, and worthlesse to be effects of Divine power, Haec non possunt fieri, rather then, Deus non potest facere, saith Aquinas.
Gods omnipotence lies in this, * that he is able to do whatsoever is absolutely,Matth. 3. 9. In Scholis Aristotelicis percrebuit illud, Deum, & naturam nihil …acere frustra, Deum fine suo frustrari nihil aliud est, quam Deum praestare non posse ut fiat, quod fieri vult, quod quid aliud est, quam divinam omnipotentiam convellere. Nam & nos quecunque & vol…mus & possumus, praestamus. Twiss. contra Corvinum c. 12. Sect. 3. simply and generally possible. A possible thing is that, the doing of which may be an effect of Gods wisdom and power, and which being done, would argue power and perfection; an impossible, that which cannot be an effect of wisdom and power, but if it should be done, would argue weaknesse and imperfection in God, The Arminians say, That God is often frustrated of his end, which derogates from his power. 2. In respect of manner, he doth it with a Word, Let there be light, saith he, and there was light. 3. He can do all things of himself, without any creatures help. Gods power is stiled, Might of power, Ephes. 1. 19. and it is seen in his works of creation, making all things of nothing, therefore that follows the other in the Crred. 2. In his works of providence. Christ is a mighty God and Saviour to his people, Isa. 7▪ 6. Psal. 89. 19. Isa. 63. 1. Heb. 7. 25. Rev. 18. 8. He is strong in himself.
He was mighty:
1. In suffering, he bore the revenging justice of God, he suffered the wrath of God upon the Crosse.
2. In doing: 1. Made all, Iohn 1. 5. Col. 1. 16. 2. Preserves all, Col. 1. 17. 3. As he is the head of the Church.
2. He is strong in his Saints:
1. In the gathering of his Church.
2. In upholding it.
3. In raising all people out of their afflictions.
4. In his Ordinances, Prayer, Sacraments, Word, Rom. 1. 16.
5. In his Graces, Faith, Heb. …1. Love, 1 Cor. 13.
Gods power is limited and restrained:
1. By his nature, he cannot contradict himself.
2. Regulated by his wil, he cannot do evil.
3. By his glory, he cannot lye, he is truth it self, nor be tempted of evil, Iames 1. 13.
There is a difference between foreign and foreign, potentia and potestas: foreign or potestas is properly authority, right to do a thing, as a King hath over his Subjects, a father over his children, a husband over his wife, a master over his servants, of which Christ speaks, Iohn 17. 2. Mat. 28. 18. foreign or potentia is properly strength to do something, as some great King may have power to overcome his enemies over which he hath no authority. A Lay-man hath power to give Bread and Wine, but he hath not potestatem, a calling or right to do it.
It serves both for a spur to do well, since God is able to save, Gen. 17. 1. and aConsectaries from Gods power or omnipotency. Whatsoever God hath promised or uttered, we may be sure shall be fulfilled, Acts 26. 8. Mat. 22. 29. bridle to restrain from evil, seeing he hath power to destroy, we should therefore humble our selves under his mighty hand, 1 Pet. 5. 6. Luke 12. 5.
It reproves the wicked, which care not for Gods power, but provoke the Almighty God, Matth. 10. 28. and so contend with power it self, none shall deliver them out of his hand, 1 Cor. 10. 22. and it condemns the godly, which distrust theEphes. 3. 20. Prov. 18. 10. power of God, Num. 11. 21. Iohn 21. 32. Remembring not that he hath unlimited power. The Lords Prayer ends thus, For thine is the power.
This ministers comfort to those which have God on their side, they need not fear what man or Devil can do against them. He can strengthen them in spiritualJohn 10. 39. Rom. 8. 38. 2 Tim. 1. 12. This power of God is not idle, but creates, sustains, and governs all things. weaknesses against sin, and unto duty, all the Devils in hell are not able to pluck them out of his hands. Mat. 16. 18. Iohn 10. 28, 29. if a people fall from him, he is able to graff them in again, Isa, 44. 22. Rom. 11. 23. they are kept by his power through faith to salvation, 1 Pet. 1. 5. he can protect them against their enemies, though they be never so many, Dan. 3. 17. Psalm 3. 6. he can and will make you strong in his power to bear patiently all afflictions. God is able to raise them up again, when they are rotten in the grave, at the general resurrection, Heb. 11. 19.
We should not despise a weak Christian, God is able to make him strong; we should by this strengthen our faith in Gods promises, as Abraham, Rom. 4. 22. it isOf all the Attributes of God, this onelyonly is mentioned in the Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty, and …itteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, because our faith is especially to be fixed on the power of God and Christ. prefixed in the Creed, as the prop of our belief in the Articles of our Christian faith. That Commandment, Be strong in Christ and in his power, includes a promise, that he will give us his power, if we seek to him, and rest on him; for it were a very mocking to bid us be strong in him, if he would not communicate his strong power to us; if we have any strength either of body or minde to do any thing, we must return to him the glory of it, and be ruled by him in the use of it, because we have it from him, and hold it at his meer pleasure. Oh saith God to Iob, Can you do this and that? and then Who made the clouds? by which qustion he would cause Iob to see his own impotency, and Gods Omnipotent power.