Treatise of Divinity, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAPTER. 1.
OF GOD.
HAving handled the Scripture, which is principium Cognoscendi, in Divinity, I now proceed to Treate of God*Illum Graeci foreign vocant, Latini post eos, & abijs Deum dix…re: Galli, I…ali, Hispani, mut…to à Latini… nomine, Dieu, Dio, Dios, appellant. Germani, Angli, Belgae Go…t, vel God …um nuncupant, who is principium essendi. or thus, the Scripture is the rule of Divinity, God and his workes, are the matter or parts of Divinity.
This Doctrine is,
1. Necessary,
1. Because man was made for that end; that he might rightly acknowledge and worshipaAct. 17. 27. Rom. 1. 20. 21. God, love and honour him.
2. It is the end of all divine Revelation John 5. 39.
3. To be Ignorant of God is a great misery; being alienated from the life of God,*Ephes. 4. 18. through the Ignorance that is in them.
2. Profitable,
Our welfare and happinesse consists in the knowledge of God Jer. 9. 23. John 17. 3. the knowledge of God in the life to come, is called the Beatificall vision.
3. Difficult,There is no equall proportion, between the facultie, and the object.
God being infinite, and our understanding finite; betwixt which two there is no proportion; who knowes the things of God, save the spirit of God? A created understanding, can no more comprehend God;Deum dignè aestimamus dum inaessimabilem dicimus. Cyprian. De Deo etiam dicere vera periculosum est. Ruffin. in exposit. Symb. then a Viall-glasse can containe the waters of the Sea. His wisdome is unsearchable, Rom. 11. Job. 11. 7. and 26. 13. Euclide answered very fitly to one asking many things concerning the Gods: Coetera quidem nescio, illud scio, quod odêre curiosos. Simonides being injoyned by Hiero, to tell him what was God, required a dayes time to be given him, before he answered; and at the end of that, two; when they were expired, foure, still doubling his time for inquiry; till at the last being by Hiero, Things that excell in Scripture phrase usually are said to be things of God, Psal. 36. 6. and 80. 10. John. 3▪ 3.asked a reason of his delayes, he told him plainely that by how much the more he thought of God, by so much the more he apprehended the impossibility of declaring what he was. We know God per viam eminentiae, negationis, causationis.
1. All perfections which we apprehend, must be ascribed unto God, and that after a more excellent manner, then can be apprehended; as that he is in himselfe, by himselfe and of himselfe: that he is one, true, good, and holy.
2. We must remove from him all imperfections whatsoever; he is Simple, Eternall, Infinite, Unchangeable.
3. He is the Supream cause of all.
There is a threefold knowledge of God.
1. An implanted knowledge which is in every mans conscience, a naturall ingraffed principle about God, O anima naturaliter Christiana! said Tertullian.
2. An acquired knowledge by the Creatures, Psal. 19. 1. That is the great Booke, in evey page whereof we may behold the Diety. Praesentemque refert quaelibet herba Deum.
3. Revealed knowledge of faith, spoken of Heb. 11. 6. and this is onelyonly sufficient to Salvation.
The Heathens had the knowledge of God in a confused manner, Rom. 1. 19. 21. and 2. 14. a practicall knowledge 15. v. which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts, not the gracious writing promised in the Covenant; the light of nature is not sufficient to bring man*Some u…g… this, what Moses was to▪ the Jewes Christ in the new Testament, that was Philosophie to the Heathens; enough to save them. Erasmus had much adoe to forbeare saying, Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis, But omnis doctrina Philosophorum …ine Capite quia Deum ignorabant, Lactantius, & extra ecclesiam nulla salus. See Matth. 4. 16. 2 Cor. 4. 3. and Doctor Prideaux, in his eighth L…ure de Salute Ethnicorum. To beleeve there is a God is the foundation of all Religion▪ Caput est primum Divine legis, ipsum Deum n…sse. Loctamius. It is a question, whether …man by the light of nature may know that there is a God. Though this be denied by the Socinians, yet those Scriptures, Rom. 1. 19. and Psal. 19. heg. seeme to prove it. to Salvation; onelyonly in Judah is God known, 76. Psal. 1. 2. and 147. 19. See I…hn 14. 6. and 11. 27. Ephes. 2. 11. 12. The Heathen might know Gods nature and attributes, that he was the Creator of the world, that by his providence he did preserve and rule all things, but they could not by the most industrious use of all natures helpes, attaine unto any the least knowledge of God as he is mans Redeemer in Christ; they knew not the truth as it is Jesus Ephes. 4. 21.
In God we will consider.
1. His Nature.
2. His workes.
In his nature, two things are considerable.
1. That he is.
2. What he is?
That God is, is the most manifest, cleare, evident, ungainsayable truth in the world. It is the first verity, and the principall verity; from which all other truth hath its originall; and it is the foundation of all true goodnesse and religion truly to beleeve it; so saith the Author to the Hebrewes, He that cometh to God, to doe him any Service, or to receive any benefit from him, must beleeve, that is, be firmely and undoubtedly perswaded, that God is.
By a God we meane an essence bett… …hen all other things, & before all other things; & of whom another things are, such a first essence is God, and such an essence there must needs be; neither is any thing of absolute necessity but this one thing; even the divine essence.
Reasons to confirme this, that there is a God are taken from authority or Testimony and reason.
The Testimonies are,
1. Of God himselfe.
2. The Creature.
1. Generall of all men.
2. Particular of each mans conscience.
Reasons may be drawne from two chiefe places, viz. the efffects and the contrary.
The effects are either,There are two kinds of Demonstrations or proofes.
1. Ordinary,1. A demonstrating of the effects by their causes, which is a proof … priori. Principles cannot be demonstrated à causa and … priori, because they have no superiour cause. and those. 1 Naturall, both Generall, the making and preserving of the world; and Speciall, the framing, or maintaining of each man, or other like creature in the world.
2. Civill the upholding and altering the States of Kingdomes,A demonstrating of causes by their effects: which is a proofe drawne à posteriori. So principles may be demonstrated. All principles being Prima, and Notissima of themselves are thereby made indemonstrable. and particular Countryes.
2. Extraordinary, miracles.
Arguments from the contrary are two,
1. The Being of the Devils.
2. The slightnesse of the reasons brought to disprove this truth or to shew the Contrary.
Though no man can prove à causa, why there should be a God, yet every man may Collect ab effectu, that there is a God: by that wisdome, which we see to have been in the making; that Order, in the Governing; and that Goodnesse, in the preserving and maintaining of the world. All which prove as effectually, that there needs must be a God, as either warming or burning, that the fire must needs be hot.
That there is a God is proved.Quad sit D…us
1. By Testimony.
2. By R…on.
1. By the Testimony of God*The weightiest Testimony that can be brought to prove there is a God, is to produce the Testimony of God speaking in his own word. None other in the world can have equall authority, John 8. 13. 14. Yet this Testimony is not allowed by the Atheists. For as they deny that there is a God, so they deny likewise that the Scripture is his word. Atheomastix l. 1. c. 2. Nulla gens tam effera ac barbara qvae non cognoscat esse Deum. Cicero de natura Deorum. Epicurum ipsum, quem nihil pudendum pudet, tamen Deum negare pudet. Mornaeus. himselfe; he that testifieth of himselfe, either by word or writing, is. God hath written a Booke to us, in which he affirmes of himselfe that he is; every page almost, and line of Scripture point to God. He begins his Booke with himselfe, saying, In the beginning God made heaven and earth. He concludes this Book with himself, saying, if any man shall take ought from this prophesie, God shall take away his part out of the Booke of life. In every particular prophesie, he testifieth the same thing, saying, thus saith the Lord.
2. By the generall Testimony of all men, by the universall and constant consent of all Nations in the world, Rom. 2. 15. It is called a Law written in their hearts; all publikely confesse and professe their beleef of God; we never read nor heard of any so barbarous & uncivill which acknowledged not a deitie. There is no History which sheweth the manners of any people, but sheweth also their Religion. All Common-wealths had alwayes some thing, which they worshipt, and called in their Language God; this principle is written by God himselfe in the Table of every mans soule. That which is written in the hearts of all men, which with one mouth all acknowledge, must needs be a truth, seing it is the voice of reason it selfe.
Munster in his Cosmographie, and Ortelius in his Theatrum Orbis, have delivered unto us not onelyonly a Cosmographicall description of all Countries, but also a Tropographicall description of their manners, yet neither of them hath noted any Nation to be without all Religion,*Inveniuntur qui si…e rege, sine lege vivunt, qui sub diò degunt, qui nudi serarum instar sylvas oberrant, avia querunt & obvia depascuntur. Qui religion… specie, qui sacris, qui numinis sensu planè carerent, nulli inventi sunt, nulli et…amnum inveniuntur. Morneus de veritate Christianae relig. C. 1. A Iove principium musae. none to be profest in Atheisme. Idolatry it selfe (as Calvin observes in his Institutions) is a sufficient Testimony of a Dietie; men will rather have false God then none, and worship any thing then nothing.
Porrum & Caepe nefâs violare ac frangere morsu.
O sanctas gentes, quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina— Invenal, Satyr. 15. Pythagoras, Plato, and all the Poets began their workes with Gods name.
3. By the particular Testimony of each mans conscience. Conscience*The most pregnant and undeniable p…oofe of the God-head with the Heathen, was the voyce of conscience. The Scripture sheweth, that the wicked were much terrified in their consciences, after the committing of hainous sinnes, R…m. 2. 15. Is…y. 57. 20. 21. Marke 6. 14. 16. So doth common experie…ce teach, in Murtherers, Theeves, and the like. Marke 9. 44. Act. 16. 25. Act. 12. 6. Psal. 3. 6. and 46. 1. 2. Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum ferient ruinae. Horat. proclaimes a Law in every heart, and denounceth a punishment for the breach of Gods Law. Conscience is a naturall ability of discerning the condition and State of our Actions, whether good or bad; and that not alone in respect of men; but of some other thing above men; for when one hath done things unlawfull, though such as no man can accuse us of, because no man doth know; yet then he is accused and tormented, then he hath some thing in him, threatning, arraigning, accusing, and terrifying; a Deputy of God, sitting within him, and controlling him; a man must therefore confesse, there is a higher power to whom that conscience of his is an Office, and a Supreame Judge. That which the conscience of every man beareth witnesse unto, is sure a truth; for that is a thousand witnesses. The feares of an ill conscience, the joy and security of a good conscience, prove this, that there is a God, a revenger of sinnes, and a rewarder of vertues. Nero having killed his Mother Agrippin…, confessed that he was often troubled with her Ghost. Caligula at the least thunder and lightening would cover his head, and hide himselfe under his bed; whence Statius saith—Primus in orbe Deos fecit Timor. On the contrary, Paul and Sylas could sing; and Peter could sleepe securely in Prison; David could triumphantly rejoyce in God in the greatest dangers, 1 Sam. 30. 6. Austin cals peace of conscience the Soules Paradise; and Salomon a continuall Feast, Prov. 15. 15.—Hic murus abeneus esto Nil conscire sibi, nulla pallescere culpa.
2. Divers reasons may be brought to prove that there is a God, from the effects and the contrary.
1. From his effects,
Ordinary.
Extraordinary.
1. Ordinary,
Naturall,
Civill,
1. Naturall,
1. Generall, the Creation and preservation of the world
1. Creation,Every effect hath its cause, whatsoever is wrought or done, is wrought or done by some thing, which hath ability and fitnesse to produce such an effect; seeing nothing can doe nothing, and what hath not sufficiency to produce such and such effects, cannot produce them. or making all things,
The world must needs be eternall, or must be made by it selfe, or by some thing which was before it selfe, and therefore also was farre better then it selfe. But it could not make it selfe; for what maketh▪ worketh; what worketh, is; but what is made, is not till it be made: Now nothing can be, and not be at the same time; for both the parts of a contradiction can never be true together. Neither could it be eternall; for a thing compounded of parts, must needs have those parts united together by some other thing beside it selfe, and above it selfe; and if they be compounded wisely, artif…cially, strongly, and excellently, by some wise, strong, and excellent worker, seeing it is inimaginable how each of these parts being not reasonable, should come together of themselves; therefore sure there was some worker, which did so handsomely dispose and order them; and this worker must needs have a being,Of whom there be workes and effects, he is; of God there be workes and effects; therefore there is a God. before he could so worke; and therefore also before the conjunction of them; and so things in such sort made by composition of parts, could not be eternall; for that neither hath, nor can have any thing before it; therefore it must needs be made by some thing which was capable of being from Eternity. What is Eternall, is of it selfe; what is of it selfe is God; the world is not God; because the parts of it are corruptible, therefore it is not eternall;As God is to be felt sensibly, in every mans conscience, so is he to be seene visibly in the Creation of the world, and of all things therein contained▪ Man the best of the creatures here below was not able to raise up such a Roofe as the Heavens, nor such a floore as the earth. D…cter Preston, Job. 12. 9. Serviunt omnia omnibus, uni omnia. Mundi Creatio est Dei Scriptura, cuius …ria sunt f…lia Caelum, terra, mare. and what is Finite in quantity, cannot be infinite in continuance. It could not be made by any creature in it; for the part cannot possibly make the whole; because it is of farre lesse vertue then the whole, and because it hath its being in and of the whole; wherefore it must needs be made by some thing better then it selfe, which is no part of it selfe; and that is no other then God; so the making of the world proves a God. What Created the world, is, and is better then the world; and before the world, and above all creatures in the world. God Created the world. When we see the glorious frame of Heaven and earth; the excellency, magnitude, and multitude of naturall things; the beautifull order and harmony; so great variety; we cannot but conclude that there is a God, who made and ordereth all these things.
2. The Preservation and continuance of the world in that Order which we see,The preserving and ordering of the world, and humane societies in it; the planting, and defending of the Church. A number of wheeles in a Clocke, doe worke together, to strike at set times, not any one of them, knowing the intention of the other; therefore they are ordered and kept in order by the care of some wise person; which knowes the distance and frame of each and of the whole. An Army of men could not meet together at one time, and in one place, to fight for, or against one City, if the wisdome of one Generall did not Command over all. A number of Letters cannot all fall orderly together, to make perfect sence without some Composer. Protogenes by the smallnesse of a line, drawn in a Table, knew Apelles, the chiefest Artificer. He that sees but the shape and …ffigies of a man, presently thinkes of a Painter. maketh it manifest, that there is a God which preserveth and ordereth it. For either it must be preserved, ruled, and ordered by it selfe, or by some more excellent thing then it selfe; not by it selfe; for what could not make it selfe, cannot of it selfe keepe and uphold it selfe, seeing no lesse power is required to its continuation then to its constitution; for it could not continue, if each of the parts did not so worke as to helpe and uphold the other in some respect or other. Now these severall parts could not so worke for one Common end, if they were not guided thereto by some common and understanding guide which were acquainted with, and had power over each of them; therefore it hath one ruler and upholder. That which is effected by the constant, orderly, and subordinate working of innumerable particulars for one common end, whereof no one of them hath any knowledge or acquaintance, must needs be wrought by some common Ruler, and Governour which knowes the motion and working of each, and rules all, and each to that end in their severall motions. What upholds the world; is; but God upholds the world; therefore he is.
1. This is Aquinas his reason, naturall bodies which want knowledge, worke for a certaine end, because they frequently worke after the same manner; therefore there must be a minde understanding, and governing all things, and directing them to that speciall and chiefe end. The whole world doth aptly conspire together for the attaining of one end, the good and benefit of man. All creatures incline to their proper operations, the stone downe-ward, the fire upward; the seasons of the yeare constantly follow each other.
2. Particular, the framing and maintaining of each creature in the world; the Heavens and Man especially; these two were most artificially made, as the Scripture shewes. The Psalmist cals the heavens, the worke of Gods Fingers, Psal.. 8. 4. because they were made with greatest ease, and with exquisite Art, Heb. 11. 10. whose builder (foreign Artifex) is God, speaking of the Heavens.
Psal. 139. 14, I am fearefully and wonderfully made, 15. v. curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth. The Hebrew word is very Emphaticall; it signifieth Embroydered, or wrought with a needle, that is cunningly wrought with Nerves, Veines, Arteries. Galen upon the contemplation of the admirable workmanship in the body of man, breaketh out into an Hymne, in the praise of him that made*Hic compono canticum, in Creatoris nostri laudem. Si Humani corporla admirabilem constructionem intus extraque conspicimus, & ut omnia ibi etiam minima suos usus habeant, nullo studio nulla industria parentum, arte vero tanta, ut philosophorum ac medicorum praestantissimi nunquam eam satis possint admirari. Grotius. The Sunne is moved by another, by whom he is tyed unto such a str…ct and unalterable motion, that Astronomers can surely tell (unto the very minute) all the Ecclipses▪ that shall ever fall out, so long as the world it selfe shall last. him.
1. The Creation of the Heavens proves, that there is a God.
The largenesse, roundnesse, purenesse, solidnesse, the continuall and constant motion of the heavens; doth excellently declare the glory of God. The very name of Astronomy (whose object is the motion of the heavenly Orbes and Stars) in exact signification importeth that the Starres observe a Law in their motion:Psal. 148. 6. which Law is given unto them onelyonly by God himselfe, who is their true Law-giver.
Suidas affirmeth, that even Abraham himselfe was first occasioned, to seek after God by considering the motion of the Stars; for he being by nation a Chaldean (who, as Aristotle observeth, are naturally given to that kinde of contemplation) and observing in their motion, a wonderfull order and variety, and yet no lesse a constancie, he presently collected that these strange revolutions were directed and guided by some God.
2 The Creation of man proves this truth, that there is a God.
1. A man may reason from his owne framing in the wombe, and preserving in the world. Man is framed in the wombe, by some most noble, wise, and excellent workman. The Parents frame him not there, for they know nothing of his framing, neither when, nor how, he was so formed; therefore some more excellent thing then a man did frame him there, and doth daily, and hourely, frame other men; and that is a wise worker, which is a like wise, and potent in all places of the world at all times, seeing there is something more excellent then man which hath set downe this Order for producing of men, and so a God.
2. The Nobility and Excellency of the soule, sheweth plainely, that it is of Divine Originall;*The Heathens called the Soule of man divinae particulam aurae, a parcell of the Divine essence; but that speech must be taken …um grano satis. it being Spirituall and Incorporeall, could not but proceed from that which is Incorporeall. The effect cannot be toto genere better then the cause. Divers workes are done by man, arts invented, Zach. 12. 1.
3. The being and preservation of each particular man. Each particular man in the world, may reason from his owne being thus; either there must be an infinite number of men, or else there must be a first man, which was the beginning of all men; but an infinite number of particular men is not possible; seeing there can be no infinite number at all; for every number begins with an unity, and is capable of being made greater by the addition of an unity: therefore there cannot be an infinite number of particular men. Therefore we must come to some first man; and that first man could not make himselfe, nor be made by any inferiour thing to it selfe; therefore it must be made by some thing more excellent then it selfe. viz. One infinite thing, from which all particulars had their Originall.
4. God is manifested in the consciences of men, as was touched before.
1. By the Ministery of the word, by which he powerfully worketh on their consciences.
2. By the inward Checks of conscience after finne committed.
1. In the godly, 1 Sam. 24. 5. and 2. Sam. 24. 10.
2. In the wicked, Matth. 27. 3. 4. 5.
2. Civill.Civill Eff…cts. Politiae & Leges probant mentemesse divinam intelligentem, illas hominibus tum m…nstratem tum conervantem, ne Diaboli & impiorumodio & machinationibus dissolutae corruant; Deus enim est Deus ordinis
States and Kingdomes consist, and the Governed by a few Magistrates and Rulers. There are innumerable more men, that wish and desire the overthrow, and ruine of the State, then that would live under Government, and be subject to Order.
This effect must have some cause, either the wisedome, and goodnesse of the governed, or of the Governours, or of some higher cause then they both. Now it cannot be attributed to the wisedome of the Governours; as being often times foolish, and men of meane understanding, at the best such as cannot prevent the conspiracies of those under them. Nor yet doth it arise from the goodnesse of the persons governed, most of which most times are wicked, and unwilling to come under government, therefore it must be of God; that is, a common Superiour which holds all in awe.
2. Extraordinary, Miracles.
There is a work of Miracles,Miraculous Effects. for all stories both of Scripture, and other Countries, doe agree in relating divers Miracles. Now the worker of a Miracle, is he that can lift Nature off the Hinges as it were, and set it on againe as seemeth best to himselfe; and therefore is above the course of nature, and the Commander of the course of nature,Exodus 15. 11. 72. Psal. 18. and 136. 4. and so is the Author of all things under himselfe, under nothing; and that is none but God.Isay 41. 23. The certaine and plaine predictions of things future long afore, whose events could by no wit of man, be either gathered from their causes,A Miracle is a worke of infinite strength, or omnipotency; surpassing the whole power of created nature, as to turne water into wine, to multiplie seven loaves, to the feeding and satisfying of 4000 men, to give the use of sight to one borne blind, to arise up a man indeed dead, to cure a leprosie with the word. or conjectured from their signes. Miracles are wrought beyond, and above the course of nature; therefore some supreame Power must work them.
Secondly, Arguments may be drawn from the contrary, to prove that there is a God.
Reasons,
From the contrary are two.
1. From the being of Devils.
There is a Devill, an Enemy to God, which sets himselfe against God; and desires, and strives, and prevailes in many places, to be worshiped as God; therefore it must needs be, there is a God, to whom the Service and honour is due, of being confessed, and adored as God; which these doe unduly affect and seeke.The Brideling of wicked Spirits and men. Againe the Devill is a Creature for strength, wisdome, nimblenesse, able to destroy all man-kinde quickly; and out of his Malice and Fury, very willing to doe it. Yet he cannot doe it, it is not done; of this restraint there is some cause, therefore there must be something, which over-commands, and over-rules him, and that can be no other then a God; that is, something of Higher Power, and in wisedom farre beyond him. Now there are Devils, it is apparent by the horrible temptations, which are cast into the hearts of men; quite against and beyond their naturall inclinations, as Blasphemous Suggestions, and as appeareth by the practises of conjurers and witches, who practise with the Devill; and of those Countreys, which worship him instead of God, and as a God, being beguiled by him.
2. From the sleightnesse of the reasons brought to disprove this truth, or to shew the Contrary.
The reasons produced to shew there is no God are fond and weake; and what is opposed alone by weake and false reasons is a truth.
1. If there were a God, some man should see him, and sensibly converse with him.
This is a brutish reason, what cannot be seene is not, then man hath no soule; God is above sense; more excellent then to be discerned by so poor, weak, and low a thing as sense is.
2. God daily makes himselfe, after a sort visible to men by his workes.
2 If there were a God, he would not suffer wicked men to prosper, and oppose better men then themselves; nor himselfe to be so blasphemed as he is.
Those things that to us seeme most unjust and unfit; if we could see the whole tenour of things from the beginning to the ending, would appeare just and wise.
3 All Divine Religion (say the Atheists) is nothing else but an humane invention,The Atheists third objection, that Religion is but an humane invention. artificially excogitated to keep men in awe; and the Scriptures are but the device of mans braine, to give assistance to Magistrates in Civill government.
This objection strikes at the root and heart of all Religion, & opposeth two many Principles at once; 1. that there is a God. 2. That the Scripture is the word of God, which, though it be but a meer idle fiction; yet it prevailed too much with some learned men; Tullie, and Seneca, were the chiefest Patrons of that conceit, that Religion is no better then an humane invention.
1. Religion is almost as Ancient as man;Gen. 4. 3. 4. when there were but three men in the universall world, we read that two of them offered up their sacrifices unto God.
2. The universality of Religion declareth that it is not a humane invention,Gen. 3. 3. but a Divine impression; yea, and a Divinity-Lesson, of Gods own heavenly teaching. Lactantius accompteth Religion to be the most proper and essentiall difference between a man and a Beast.
3. The perpetuity of Religion proveth also that it was planted by God.Matth. 15. 13.
For the second part of the objection about the Scriptures, I answer.
Nothing is more repugnant to Prudence and Policy.
What Policy was it in the old Testament, to appoint circumcision, to cut a poor Child, as soon as he comes into the world?2 Chron. 7. 5. two and twenty thousand Oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand Sheep were spent by Salomon, at the dedication of one Altar. To slaughter so many Oxen and Sheep (such usefull creatures) was enough to bring a Famine.
They were to give away the seventh part of their time to God.
Christ was not the Sonne of the Emperour Augustus, to commend him to the Grandees of the world; but the supposed Son of a poor Carpenter; a Starre leads the Wise Men to a Stable, though that shined gloriously without, yet there was nothing within, but what was base, and contemptible.
Christ fell on the Pharisees, the great Doctors, 23. of Matthew, called them fooles, and blind, and threatened them with Hell; he cryed down the Ceremoniall Law, the Ministry which had beene practised di…rs hundred years; the Jewes were naturally tenacious of their Customes Christ chose silly unlearned men to propagate the Gospell.
Nothing crosseth humane wisdome more then the whole Scripture from the beginning to the end.
Martin Fotherby *He sp…nds his whole second Booke about this reason. The Greekes insinuate, that all Arts come from God; in making Minerva, the daughter of Jupiter: and to have had her generation in his Divine braine. As God the Son is called foreign; so Grammer, Logicke, Rhetoricke, carry upon them the same name. There is foreign verbam, that is Grammer▪ foreign Ratio, that is Logick; foreign oratio, and that is Rhetoricke.Bishop of Salisbury (who wrote Atheomastix) addes another reason, to prove that there is a God, and it is taken from the grounds of Arts: There is no Art (saith he) neither liberall nor illiberall, but it cometh from God, and leadeth to God.
1. From Metaphysicks he urgeth, that the bounding of all naturall bodies, is the work of God; to be unlimited and boundlesse, is onelyonly the Prerogative of the Maker of all things. Every finite body being thus limited, must needs have those bounds prescribed unto it, by some other thing, and not by it selfe. For every thing by nature, seeking to inlarge it selfe, as far as it is able, if it had the setting of its owne bounds it, would set none at all; but would be as infinite, as God himselfe is, who hath the setting of limits unto all things; who could circumscribe all things within their limits, but onelyonly God Himselfe: who is both the Maker and Ruler of all things? Psal. 33. 7. Job 38. 11.
2. From Philosophy;All second causes, depend on the first, and we cannot proceed in Infinitū ▪ every thing that is, must needs have a cause, and nothing can be the cause of it selfe, and among all the causes, there can be but one first, and principall cause; which is the true cause of all the rest, and of all those effects which proceede from all of them: then the first cause can be nothing else but God: for what can that be, which giveth being unto all things, but only God?
All motion depends on some mover,Quicquid movetur, ab alio movetur. Some derive Deus from foreign feare, because the feare of him is planted in the very natures, and consciences of all reasonable Creatures, others a dando; in English God, quasi Good; his daily mercies and blessings shew that there is a God, Act. 14 17, the motion of sublunary things depends on the motion of the Heavens, and their motion must needs be caused by some supreame first mover. Therefore we must necessarily come at last to some first mover, which is moved of no other, and that is God.
Others adde these reasons to prove that there is a God.The Heathens lift up their eyes and hands to Heaven in any suddaine distresse. Psal. 9. 16.
1. The heroick motions and prosperous successe of some famous men in undertaking and acting those things which exceede the common capacity of humane nature; the gifts of minde in Aristotle, Achilles, Alexander.
2. The hainous punishments inflicted on particular men, Familes and Kingdomes for great offences, some of which were wonderfully brought to execution, when by their power and subtilty they thought they could escape the Magistrates Sword.
If we speake of Atheists strictly and properly,The pure Atheist (according to the propriety of that name) is hee, which generally and constantly denyeth all Deity, and beleeveth as he saith. The stou…est Atheist that ever lived, can not resolutely and constantly believe there is no God. meaning such as have simply denied all Deity and denied it constantly, Tullies sentence is most true, that there was never any such Creature in the World as simply and constantly to deny God. The name of an Atheist in this sense, is nomen …ciosunt; a name without a thing. It wee speake of Atheists in a larger sense, for such as have openly (though not constantly) denied the Divinity, of such professed Atheists, there have not beene past two or three. If wee speake of Atheists in the largest sense, meaning such as denied Gods providence, justice, goodnesse, though they have done it but weakely, rather upon some sodaine passion, then any setled resolution, their number hath scarcely amounted to a score, I meane of such open Atheists, as have made any publike profession of their Atheisme, though but even in these secondary points.
Those Atheists that denied a God, spake what they wished rather then what they thought; or else they opposed the Heathenish Gods, or to shew theiraDiagorus made a very eloquent Oration, that there was no God; but the people comming to him applauded him, saying that in his Oration he had almost perswaded them, but he did so …l…quently that they thought hee was the God, wit; Diagoras (the chiefest of them) didbMorn…eus cap. 1. de verit. Relig. p. 16. Potius Gentilium Deos ridere, quam Deum negare: Hee rather derided false Gods, then denied the true; that hee was not a meere Atheist, appeareth, in that hee thus began his Poeme, Quod a numine summ… reguntur omnia.
The Athenians also condemned Protagoras for an Atheist: yet not for denying God, but for seeming to doubt of him: Because in the beginning of his Booke hee propounded this Probleme: De diis quidem statuere nequeo; neque an sint, nec ne: For this the Athenians banished him, and decreed, that his Bookes should be publikely burned. Theodoras (who for his notable prophanesse was surnamed Atheos) though at the first he was noted ofcWhen he wanted fire he tooke one of Hercules wooden Images and made a fire of it, saying, go to Hercules, thou shalt now go through thy thirteenth labour. Atheisme, yet at the last hee fell into Autotheisme, professing himselfe a God, as Laertius reporteth; though carrying God in the name, hee was an Atheist in his opinion saith Fuller in his prophane state of this Theodorus. A Pope dying said, now I shall bee resolved of three things, 1. Whether there be a God, 2. Whether the soule be immortall, 3. Whether there be an Heaven and Hell.
Some indirectly deny God by denying his providence as Epicurus, Psal. 14. 1. & 53. 15.who denied not Gods Essence, but onelyonly his Providence. He granted that there was a God,So Genebrard and Muis expound that, 14. Ps. of indirect Atheists, who deny Gods Providence. Heb. 11. 6. though he thought him to be such an one as did neither evill nor good. But God sitteth not idle in Heaven, regarding nothing that is done upon the Earth (as the Epicure conceiteth). He is a most observing God, and will reward or punish men according to their actions.
1. This serves to blame and condemne the miserable corruption of our evill hearts,It is not only innatum, sed etiam in animo insculptum esse Deos Cic l. 2. de natura Deorum: which are so farre overrun with Atheisme; though this be the very first Truth which God hath ingraven into the soule of a man, that there is a God, yet we weakely hold this conclusion; for all sinne may and must be resolved into the ignorance of God and Atheisme; wee should be humbled for our thoughts of Atheisme, for saying in our hearts that there is no God;No Atheists almost can be named, neither in the holy Scriptures, nor in Ecclesi…stical Histori…s, nor in Heathen writings, which came not unto some fearfull end, See Atheomastix. l. 1. chap. 15. the Devill in judgement never was an Atheist, we should take notice of and bewaile this foule vice. Though the Atheist did never so carefully, or cunningly dissemble it, yet he could not but inwardly know, that there was a God.
2. We should oppose this Atheisme and labour to grow more and more in the knowledge of God, and to strengthen our Faith in this principle that God is; meditate and ponder of his Works, and be perfect in those Lessons which the common Booke of nature teacheth, pray to God to cleare the eye of our minde, and to imprint a right knowledge of himselfe in us; The Papist is a make-God, and the Atheist is a mock-God, The Papist deludeth his conscience, and the Atheist derideth his …onscience; Popery comforteth the flesh, and Atheisme suppresseth the spirit.
As the Heathen Emperours tooke upon them the TitledSo Domitian, Dominus Deus noster, sic fieri jubet. Suetonius. edictam Domini Deique nostri. Martiall More Caligula, Dominum se, Deumque vocarit coegit. Aurelius Victor. of God, so doth the Pope Dominus Deus noster Papa. His Decrees and Canons are called Oracles; Oracle signifieth the answer of God, Rom. 3 2. & 11. 4. And his decretall Epistles are equalled to the Canonicall Epistles.
Deale with thy heart as Junius his Father dealt with him: he seeing his sonne was Atheisticall, he laid a Bible in every Rome, that his son could looke in no Rome, but behold a Bible haunted him, upbraiding him, wilt thou not reade me Atheist? wilt thou not reade me? And so at last he read it, and was converted from his Atheisme. The often meditating in the Scriptures will (through Gods blessing) settle us in these two great Principles, 1. That there is a God. 2. the Scripture is the Word of God; That God which made Heaven and earth is the onelyonly true God; we must believe that this God which we reade of in Scripture is the onelyonly true ePsal. 48. 14.God; so it is not enough to believe there is a Scripture, but thatfEsay 40. 5. 8. the Scripture of the old and new Testament is the Word of God.