The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · covenant · Question 25 · Commentary · Subsection 3
3. Whence it may appear that there is but one God.
Whence firſt ſprang the multitude of gods.ALbeit God in the beginning did as certainly declare unto mankind, that he is but one only, as what he is: yet the world, by the guile and deceit of the divell (going about to ſpoile God of his honour, and to bear and vaunt himſelf for God, and to deſtroy mankind for the hatred hee beareth unto God) and through their own blindneſſe and malice revolting from Gods divine manifeſtations, and from the doctrine of our firſt fathers, have in horrible madneſſe forged a multitude of gods, yeelding divine honours partly to creatures, partly to imaginary gods, and forgetting the true God, or deſiring to joyn and couple other gods with him. And whereas there is no greater bond then whereby the creature is bound to honour the Creatour; and therefore no more grievous ſin then to obſcure the glory due unto God, or to conveigh it over to any other: God, that he might meet with this ſacriledge, hath often teſtified and witneſſed in his word, That there is but one God, not many; that is, that there is but one divine Eſſence, eternall, of infinite power, wiſdome and goodneſſe, Creatour, Preſerver, and Ruler of all things. And this is proved,1. By teſtimonies of Scripture-Deut. 6.4. & 32.39 Iſa. 44.6. 1 Cor. 8.4. Epheſ. 4.5. 1 Tim. 2.5. firſt, by expreſſe teſtimonies of Scripture: Hear, O Iſrael, the Lord our God is Lord only. Behold now, for I am he, and there is no god with me. I am the first, and I am the last, and without me there is no God. Wee know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. One Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all. One God, one Mediatour between God and man, which is the man Chriſt Jeſus. The like proofes hereof may be read, Deut. 4.35. Pſalm 18.31. Iſa. 37.16. & 45.21. Hoſ. 13.4. Mal. 2.10. Mat. 12.32. Rom. 3.30. Gal. 3.20.
2. By arguments.Secondly, it is confirmed by reaſon and argument: 1. There is but one only God, whom the Church alſo worſhippeth, who is manifeſted unto the world by infallible and undoubted reſtimoniesFrom the manner of revealing himſelfe. Iſa. 44.7. Pſal. 86.8. namely, ſuch miracles, propheſies, and other works as cannot be done but by an omnipotent nature. Who is like mee, that ſhall call that which is paſt, and ſhall declare it, and ſet it in order? &c. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord: there is not one that can do as thou doſt. 2 . He who alone reigneth over all, and alone governeth all things; and therefore hath ſole ſupreme ſoveraignty and majeſty, can be but one: But the majeſty of God only is ſupreme,From the natur and kinde of his majeſtie. Iſa. 42.8. 1 Tim. 1.17. Revel. 4.11. and ſo great, that no greater can either be, or be imagined: I am the Lord, this is my name, and my glory will I not give to another. Unto God only wiſe be honour, &c. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, & honour, and power; for thou haſt created all things. 3. That which hath greateſt perfection can be but one; for he who hath the whole,From his degree of perfection. and all alone, is abſolutely perfect: Now God is moſt perfect, ſeeing he is the cauſe of all that is good in nature: Therefore nothing is more abſurd, then to imagine any thing to be God which is not moſt great, and moſt perfect: Lord, who is like unto thee? Pſal. 89.7.4. There is but one thing omnipotent; for were there many, they ſhould have power to hinder one the other, and for this cauſe ſhould become not omnipotent.From his omnipotency. By this argument the Monarchy of the world is in Daniel reſtrained unto one God, when it is ſaid,Dan. 4.35. None can ſtay his hand, or reſiſt his will. 5. If we ſuppoſe and put moe gods, either each of them wil be too weak to rule all, and ſo imperfect, and not worthy the name and title of divinity;More gods would be either unperfect, or ſuperfluous. or one will ſuffice for the guiding of the whole world, and ſo the reſt ſhall be idle, ſuperfluous, and needleſſe: But it is abſurd to imagine God to be ſuch a one as ſufficeth not for the wielding and managing of all things; or ſuch a one as is ſuperfluous and idle: Wherefore there muſt needs be but one God, that he alone may ſuffice for all. 6. There can be but one infinite; for if there were moe infinites, none ſhould be preſent every where, and rule all:There can be but one infinite. Wherefore there cannot be more, but one only God, which is infinite. 7. There is but one firſt cauſe of all things: God is that firſt cauſe: Therefore he is but one.But one firſt cauſe. 8. There can be but one only chief good: For if beſides that there were another chief good alſo, that ſhould be either greater, or leſſer, or equall to the former chief good: if greater, the former ſhould not be chief, yet ſhould it be God, which were contumelious againſt God: if leſſer, it ſhould not be chief, and ſo no God: if equall, then neither the one nor the other ſhould be chief, or be God.
The uſe of this Queſtion is to teach us, that whereas God is but one;The uſe of this Queſtion. therfore no other beſides this one God is to be adored or worſhipped: neither is any good to be expected from any other ſave only from him, and to him alone all thanks for all bleſſings are to be rendred. Obj. Many are called gods in Scripture: Pſal. 82.6. 1 Cor. 8.5. Exod 4.16. & 7.1. 2 Cor. 4.4.I have ſaid ye are gods. Many are, and are called gods in heaven and in earth: Moſes is called the god of Aaron and Pharaoh: yea, the divell is ſaid to be The god of this world. Anſ. Two ſignifications of the word God.There is an ambiguity and double ſignification of this word God, which ſometimes ſignifieth him who is by nature God, and hath his being not from any thing, but from himſelf, and by himſelf, and all other things are from him: ſuch a God is but one only. Sometimes it betokeneth not the very divine, eternall, and immenſe eſſence, but a God, either ſo entituled for ſome ſimilitude of the divine properties, dignity, and divine office and function:Gods in the latter ſignification: or an imaginary and fained god; ſuch gods are many: Magiſtrates.Judges and magiſtrates are entituled and called gods, not that they have the divine eſſence communicated unto them, and are by nature God, but becauſe of their dignity and divine office which they bear in Gods ſtead; as it is ſaid, By me Kings reigne: that is,Prov. 18.15. becauſe they are the Deputies and Vicegerents of God, by whom, as by his inſtruments and ſervants, hee exerciſeth his power and judgements here on earth: hee therefore doth furniſh and arme them with wiſdome, fortitude, power, authority, and majeſty, as much as is neceſſary and ſufficient to bridle the mindes of the multitude, being deſirous of licentiouſneſſe, and to hold and keep them in fear and obedience: hee doth alſo vouchſafe them the honour of his name, by calling them gods, that the ſubjects may thereby know, that they have to deale not with men, but with God himſelfe (whoſe Vicegerents they are) whether they obey their magiſtrate, or repine againſt him: according to the Scripture; Whoſoever reſiſteth the power, Rom. 13.2.reſiſteth the ordinance of God. Angels.The Angels alſo are called gods, both for the dignity and excellency of their nature and gifts, power and wiſdome, wherein they far ſurpaſſe men: as alſo for the divine office and function which God exerciſeth by them in this world, in defending the godly, and puniſhing the wicked:Pſalm 8.6. Thou madest him little lower then the gods; that is, then the Angels: The Angels are miniſtring ſpirits. Heb. 1.14.The divell.The divell is called the god of this world, for his great potency and power which he hath over men and other creatures by the juſt judgment of God. Idols.Laſtly, Many things are accounted gods in mens fancies and opinion, 2. Cor. 4.4. Eph. 2.2. & 6.12.and are ſo called by men, who worſhip the creatures as gods. So idols are termed gods by a figurative ſpeech of imitation.Jer. 10.11. Phil. 3.19. Exod. 20.3. The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, ſhall periſh from the earth, and under theſe heavens. Whoſe god is their belly. Thou ſhalt have no other gods before me. But here the queſtion is touching the true God, who is by nature God, and hath his being and his power not from any thing, but from himſelfe, and by himſelf, and all other things are from him. Such a God is but one only.