A Cure for the Cankering Error of the New Eutychians, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the Divine Eſſence.
Exod. 3.14.
And God ſaid unto Moſes, I am that I am: and he ſaid, Thus ſhalt thou ſay unto the Children of Iſrael, I am hath ſent me unto you.
I AM] viz. I am the only true God, truly ſubſiſting, and not only through the opinion of men, as Idols are; I am he that have an everlaſting being, unchangeable, ſubſiſting of it ſelf, not depending from others, infinite, moſt ſimple, the Author and Cauſe of the being of all things: not a borrowed, changeable, finite, dependent, and compound being, &c. as all the Creatures have. Of this mine Eſſence will I give thee the higheſt, moſt expreſs, and general name of all; [He that is] Which hath remained in uſe amongſt the Hebrews, and was then firſt revealed by God: Exod. 6.3. The French Annot. He that is; which is the Name that we tranſlate, (for want of another more proper) the Lord God; which Name God then newly revealed to Moſes, Exod. 6.3. See Diodat's Annotations upon the Text. The Eſſence of God abſolutely conſidered, is that one pure and meer act, by which God is God. Becauſe through the weakneſs of our underſtanding we cannot apprehend it in any meaſure by one act, it hath pleaſed God to give unto himſelf many Names and Attributes, by the help of which we may the better conceive thereof. The Divine Attributes are certain eſſential Properties, which God is pleaſed in Scripture to aſcribe or attribute unto himſelf; they are alſo called the Perfections of God, or divine Predications, or Titles. They are not diſtinguiſhed from the Eſſence really, but notionally; that is, They are not diſtinguiſhed at all in God, but only to us-ward, according to our manner of conceiving. The Perfection of his Nature, is either ſimpleneſs, or the infiniteneſs thereof. The ſimpleneſs of his Nature, is that by which he is void of all Logical Relation. He hath not in him, ſubject or adjunct. Joh. 5.26. As the Father hath life in himſelf, ſo hath he given to the Son to have life in himſelf: compared with Joh. 14.6. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 1 Joh. 1.7. But if we walk in his light, as he is light; compared with verſ. 5. God is light, and in him is no darkneſs. Hence, it is manifeſted, that to have life, and to be life: to be in light, and to be light, in God are all one. Neither is God ſubject to generality, or ſpeciality: whole, or parts: matter, or that which is made of matter: for ſo there ſhould be in God divers things, and one more perfect than another. Therefore, whatſoever is in God, is his Eſſence, and all that he is, he is by Eſſence. The ſaying of Auguſtine in his 6th Book and 4th Chap. of the Trinity, is fit to prove this; In God (ſaith he) to be, and to be juſt, or mighty, are all one: but in the mind of man, it is not all one to be, and to be mighty, or juſt: for the mind may be deſtitute of theſe vertues, and yet a mind.
Hence it is manifeſt, That the Nature of God is Immutable, and Spiritual. God's immutability of Nature, is that by which he is void of all compoſition, diviſion, and change. Jam. 1.17. With God there is no variableneſs, nor ſhadow of changing. Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, and am not changed. Where it is ſaid,Gen. 6.6. That God repenteth, &c. the meaning is, That God changeth the action, as men do that repent: therefore repentance, it ſignifieth not any mutation in God, but in his actions, and ſuch things as are made and changed by him. God's Nature is Spiritual, in that it is incorporeal, and therefore inviſible. Joh. 4.24. God is a Spirit. 1 Tim. 1.17. To the King Eternal, Immortal, Inviſible, the only Wiſe God, be glory and honour for ever and ever. Col. 1.15. Who is the image of the inviſible God. The infiniteneſs of God, is twofold; his Eternity and exceeding Greatneſs. God's Eternity is that by which he is without beginning and ending. Pſal. 90.2. Before the Mountains were made, and before thou hadſt formed the Earth and the World, even from everlaſting to everlaſting, thou art our God. Rev. 1.8. I am Alpha and Omega, that is, The beginning and ending, ſaith thé Lord; which is, which was, and which is to come. God's exceeding Greatneſs, is that by which his incomprehenſible Nature is every where preſent, both within and without the World, Pſal. 145.3. Great is the Lord, and worthy to be praiſed, and his greatneſs is incomprehenſible. 1 King. 8.27. Is it true indeed that God will dwell on the Earth? Behold, the Heavens, and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to contain thee: how much leſs is this Houſe that I have built? Jer. 23.24. Do not I fill the Heaven and Earth, ſaith the Lord? Hence it is plain,
Firſt, That He is only One, and that indiviſible, not many. Eph. 4.5. One Lord, one Faith, one Baptiſm, one God and Father of all. Deut. 4.35. Ʋnto thee it was ſhewed, that thou mighteſt know that the Lord he is God, and that there is none but [He alone.] 1 Cor. 8.4. We know that an Idol is nothing in the World, and that there is none other God but [Oxe.] And there can be but one thing infinite in Nature.
Secondly, That God is the knower of the Heart. For nothing is hidden from that Nature, which is within all things, and without all things, which is included in nothing, nor excluded from any thing. Becauſe, (1 King. 8.39.) the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth every work of the mind. Pſal. 139.1, 2. Thou knoweſt my ſitting down, and my riſing up, thou underſtandeſt my cogitation afar off. All the Attributes in God are one and the ſame perfection. It is better ſaid of God that he is his Attributes, than that he hath Attributes: the Attributes are not diſtinguiſhed in God, but in our manner of underſtanding, who being unable to comprehend that meer act at once, do conceive thereof after the manner of many acts. The Sun when he is perpendicular, had it an Eye, would behold all that at once, which we, by reaſon of the inadequateneſs and and unproportionableneſs of our ſight, are neceſſiated to view by parts. In God all things are one and the ſame, according to the nature of God; though out of God many and divers, according to their own proper and created nature. The ſame heat in the Sun produceth divers effects, according to the various diſpoſition of the objects: hardneſs in Clay, ſoftneſs in Wax, &c. The Divine Attributes, though they can neither exactly be numbred or diſtributed, yet for our better underſtanding we may conſider of them, as
Negative,
Relative,
Poſitive.
Negative Attributes are ſuch as remove from God all imperfection:Negative. by theſe we help our underſtanding in our meditation of God by way of Negation. The more principal of them are in number five, viz. Simplicity, Eternity, Immenſity, Immutability, Infiniteneſs: to which, or ſome of which, any other of like nature may conveniently be referred. Simplicity is God's one meer and perfect act without all compoſitions. God calleth his Name, I am, Exod. 3.14. as I ſaid before, &c. that is, his meer Eſſence, wherein theſe five Properties or Attributes, as aforeſaid, are eminently included, called by ſome Incommunicable properties.
The more principal Relative Attributes are in number,Relative. ſeven. 1. Creation. 2. Providence. 3 Lordſhip. 4. Benignity. 5. Mercy. 6. Redemption. 7. Juſtice. To which, or ſome of which, the reſt of like nature may conveniently be referred. But of theſe I ſhall ſay more hereafter.
Poſitive Attributes,Poſitive. are ſuch which ſo aſcribe ſome perfection to God, as not inferring any reſpect unto the Creatures exiſting, or in preſent being; by theſe, our underſtanding is helped in our meditation of God, by way of eminency; the more principal of them, are in number ſix: 1. Holineſs, 2. Wiſdom, 3. Will, 4. Liberty, 5. Omnipotency. 6. Perfection. To which, or ſome of which, the reſt of like nature may conveniently be referred. But I ſhall ſpeak but to one of theſe in this place, viz. Perfection, which I think comprehendeth all the reſt, &c.
Perfection is God all-ſufficient, and all-excellent: not having need of any thing, giving ſufficient unto, and having in him the perfection of all things, Gen. 17.1, 2. Exod. 6.3. This Attribute renders God as that infinite Sea of all Happineſs. Perfection is increated Glory: that is, all the Attributes in one word; as happineſs is the ſum of man's good, ſo glory is the ſum of all God's Attributes. The Perfection of God is eſſential, independent, unlimited, without increaſe, or decreaſe: as the power of ſubordinate cauſes is contained in the firſt cauſe virtually; And as the Authority of under Officers is in the Prince after a more excellent manner; ſo the virtue of all ſecond cauſes is contained in the firſt cauſe eminently. The word eminently taken in its ſtrict and proper ſenſe, ſeemeth to intend the effect to be in the cauſe, not only in a more excellent manner than in it ſelf, but alſo in a ſuper created manner. Things are in God agreeable to the nature of God: in themſelves according to their proper natures. Eminential continency, and virtual continency, (that is; for one thing to be contained in another eminently, as the excellency of the Creature is in the Creator: or virtually, as all things ſaleable are in money, Eccleſ. 10.9.) are not the ſame: the firſt is proper to the Creator, the ſecond is found in the Creature. The Eſſential perfection of God is increated Glory, Eternal, alwayes the ſame, from which nothing can be taken, to which nothing can be added. The acknowledgment of the manifeſted perfections of God, is Glorification: viz. The act of the Creature done in time, admitting more or leſs according as God is known, or acknowledged.
Secondly, If God in his Nature, or Eſſence, be ſimply, abſolutely, and infinitely perfect, then muſt he needs be a moſt pure and ſimple act, without any Potentiality at all: i. e. he muſt needs be actually, and ſo have been from Eternity, whatſoever he is capable of being, or whatſoever it is poſſible for him ever to be. The reaſon of this, is, becauſe all Potentiality; of Poſſibility of being any thing more, or any thing beſides, what a perſon, or thing is, for the preſent, argueth imperfection; which is clearly proved thus: Whatſoever it is poſſible for a perſon (or thing) to be, which at preſent he is not, muſt needs be ſomething, which will either add unto his being, and make it better; or elſe take away from his being, and ſo make it worſe: or elſe be a thing meerly indifferent, and ſo of no concernment unto him at all. So then, if a man be capable of being any thing, which yet he is not, for the bettering of his condition, it is a cleer caſe that his preſent condition, or being, is imperfect: for he is as yet deſtitute of that, which ſhould add perfection unto him. If he be capable of any thing, or of being any thing, which yet he is not, to the making of his preſent condition worſe, here the caſe is yet more cleer, that ſuch a man's condition is not perfect. For to be obnoxious to the deprivation or loſing of any good, which a man enjoyeth for the preſent, manifeſtly argueth weakneſs and imperfection.
Thirdly and laſtly, If a man be capable of being any thing which yet he is not, ſuppoſe it be without any relation at all to his condition either for the better or the worſe, yet this alſo plainly argueth imperfection. For it ſuppoſeth, that a man hath ſomething, hath a capacity, which is a meer ſuperfluity to him, and doth him no good, yea which he knoweth not how to improve for his good; and this, as apparently as either of the former, argueth imperfection. So that certain it is, that if the nature and being of God be abſolutely, and infinitely perfect, he muſt needs be a pure and meer act, all in preſent and actual being, whatſoever it is poſſible for him ever to be. This moſt intire and compleat actuality of the Divine Nature and being is (I preſume, ſaith Mr. John Goodwyn in his Book entituled, Redemption Redeemed, pag. 48.) generally ſubſcribed by all Reformed Divines. God (ſaith Zanchy) is a moſt pure, and moſt ſimple act, and no wayes capable, or in any poſſibility, of being any thing more or leſs than what he is. And from this actuality of God, he infers both his abſolute immutability, and infinity of his perfection. It is affirmed (ſaith Peter Martyr) as with one mouth, of all that are godly, that God is not changed; in as much as this would be a certain ſign as well of imperfection, as inconſtancy, in him. The reaſon why God is not changed, nor capable of any change whatſoever, is, becauſe he is a moſt pure, abſolute and compleat act, i. e. he is for the preſent whatſoever it is poſſible in any reſpect for him to be: So that, notwithſtanding his ownipotency it ſelf, he hath no power to make the leaſt alteration or change in himſelf, either in nature, will, or action. Upon the account of this Authors credit, who intereſteth all the godly in the aſſertion and belief of God's unchangeableneſs, (and conſequently of that perfect actuality, which we aſſert) I judge it needleſs to make any further levy of teſtimonies in this behalf.