The Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated and Socinianism Examined, Commentary on text · Chapter 4
CAP. IV.
Of the Attribution of Passions, and Affections, Anger, Feare, Repentance unto God: in what sence it is done in the Scripture.
HIS next inquiry about the Nature of God, respects the §. 1.Attribution of severall Affections and Passions unto him in the Scripture, of whose sence and meaning he thus expresseth his apprehension.
Quest. Are there not according to the perpetuall tenor of the Scriptures, §, 2.affections and passions in God, as Anger, Fury, Zeale, Wrath, Love, Hatred, Mercy, Grace, Jealousy, Repentance, Grief, Ioy, Feare? Concerning which he labours to make the Scriptures determine in the affirmative.
The maine of M. B's designe in his Questions about the Nature §. 3.of God, being to deprive the Deity of its distinct Persons, its Omnipresence, Prescience, and therein all other infinite Perfections, he endeavours to make him some recompence for all that losse, by ascribing to him in the foregoing Query, a Humane visible shope, and in this, Humane, turbulent affections, and passions; commonly where men will not ascribe to the Lord that which is his due, aJer. 44. 15, 16.He gives them up to assigne that unto Him, which he doth abhorre. Neither is it easily determinable, whether be the greater abomination. By the first, the dependance of men upon the true God is taken off; by the latter, their hope fixed on a false. This on both sides at present is M. B's sad employment: The Lord lay it not to his charge, but deliver him from the snare of Sathan, wherein he is b2 Tim. 2. 26. §. 4. Crellius de Deo seu vera Relig. cap. 29. p. 295.taken alive at his pleasure.
2. The things here assigned to God are ill assotiated, if to be und…rstood after the same manner Mercy, and Grace, we acknowledge to be Attributes of God; the rest mentioned, are by none of M. B's c Companions, esteemed any other, then Acts of his will: and those Metaphorically assigned to him.
3. To the whole I aske. whither these things are in the §. 5.Scriptures ascribed properly unto God, denoting such affections & passion, in him as those in us are, which are so termed, or whither they are aisigned to Him, & spoken of him Metaphorically, only in reference to his outward workes and dispensations, correspondent and answering to the actings of men, in whom such affections are, and under the power whereof they are in those actings. If the latter be affirmed, then as such an attribution of them unto God, is eminently consistent with All his Infibite Perfections, and Blessednesse, so there can be no difference about this Question, and the answers given thereunto; all men readily acknowledging, that in this sence the Scripture doth ascribe all the affections mentioned unto God; of which we say as He of old, foreign foreign. But this I feare will not serve M. B's turne: the very Phraise and manner of expre…lion, used in this question; the plaine intimation that is in the forehead thereof, of its Authors going off frō the cōmon received interpretation of these Attributions unto God, do abundantly manifest, that it is their proper significancy which he cōtends to fasten on God, & that the affections mentioned are really and properly in Him, as they are in us. This being evident to be his mind and intendment, as we think his anthropopathisme in this Query, not to come short in folly and madnesse of his anthropomorphisme in that foregoing: so I shall proceed to the removall of this insinuation in the way and method formerly insisted on.
M. Biddle's Masters tell us, that dVoluntatis divinae Commotiones, praesertim vehe mentiores, seu actus ejusmodi, quibus voluntas vehementius vel in objectum suum fertur, vel ab eo refugit, at{que} abhorret &c. Crell. de Beo: seu Vera Relig. cap: 29. p: 295. vid: etiam cap: 30, 31.These affections are vehement §. 6.commotions of the will of God, whereby He is carryed out earnestly to the object of his desires, or earnestly declines, and abhors, what falls non out gratefully, or acceptably to him. I shall first speake of them in generall, and then to the particulars, (some or all) mentioned by M. Biddle.
1. In Generall, that God is perfect and perfectly Blessed, eDeut. 32. 4. Job. 37. 16. Rom. 1. 25. 9. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 11. 6. 15.I suppose will not be denyed; it cannot be, but by denying that he is God. He that is not perfect in himselfe, and perfectly Blessed, is not God. To that which is perfect in any kind, nothing is wanting in that kind. To that which is absolutely perfect, nothing is wanting at all. He who is blessed, is perfectly satisfied, & filled, & hath no farther desire for supply. he who is blessed in himself, is Alsufficient for himself. If God want, or desire any thing for himselfe, he is neither perfect nor blessed. To ascribe then affections to God properly, (such as before mentioned) is to deprive him of his perfection and blessednesse. The Consideration of the nature of these, and the like Affections, will make this evident.
1. Affections considered in themselves, have alwayes an incompleat, imperfect act of the will, or volition joyned with §. 7.them. They are fCrellius de Deo ubi suprasomething that lyes between the firme purpose of the soule, and the execution of that purpose: The proper actings of affections lye between these two; that is, in an incōpleat, tumultuary volition. That God is not obnoxions to such volitions, & incompleat actings of the will, besides the generall consideration of his perfections, & blessednes premised, is evident frō that manner of procedure which is ascribed to him. His purposes and his workes comprise all his actings. As the Lord hath gIsa. 14. 24. Eph. 1. 11. Ro. 11. 33, 34, 35. Isa. 40. 13.purposed so hath he done. He worketh all things according to the Counsell of his will. Who hath known his mind, and who hath been his Councellour. Of him, and from him are all things.
2. They have their dependance on that, wherewith he, in whom §. 8.they are, is affected; that is, they owe their rise & continuance to some thing without him, in whom they are. A mans feare ariseth from that, or them, of whom he is afraid; by them it is occasioned, on them it depends; what ever affects any man, (that is the stirring of a suitable Affection) in all that frame of mind, and soule, in all the volitions and commotions of will, which so arise from thence, he depends on something without him. Yea our being affected with something without, lyes at the bottome of most of our purposes and resolves; Is it thus with God? With Him, who is hExod. 3. 14.I Am? is he in dependance upon any thing without him? Is it not a most eminent contradiction, to speake of God, in dependance on any other thing? Must not that thing either be God, or reduced to some other, without, and besides him, who is God? As the causes of all our affections are. God is of one mind, and who can turne him: whatever he pleaseth that he Job. 23. 13.doth.
3. Affections are necessarily accompanied with change and §. 9.mutability. Yea he who is affected properly, is really changed: yea there is no more unworthy change or alteration, then that which is accompanied with passion, as is the change, that is wrought by the affections, ascribed to God. A iforeign Philo.sedate, quiet, considerate alteration, is farre lesse inglorious, and unworthy, then that which is done in and with passion: Hitherto we have taken God upon his Testimony, That He is the kMal. 3. 6.Lord, and he changeth not: that with him there is neither change nor shaddow of turning: it seemes like the wormes of the earth, He varieth every Day.
4. Many of the affections here ascribed to God, do eminently §. 10.denote impotence, which indeed on this account, both by Socinians and Arminians is directly ascribed to the Almighty. They make him affectionately, and with Com…notion of will, to desire many things, in their own Nature not impossible, which yet the cannot accomplish nor bring about; of which I have elsewhere spoken. Yea it will appeare, that the most of the Affections ascribed to God by M. Biddle, taken in a proper fence, are such as are actually ineffectuall, or commotions through disappointments, upon the account of impotency, or defect of power.
Corol. To ascribe affections properly to God, is to make him weake, imperfect, dependant, changeable, and impotent.
2. Let a short view be taken of the particulars, some or all of them, that M. Biddle choseth to instance in; Anger, Fury, wrath, §. 11.Zeale, (the same in kind, only differing in degree and circumstances,) are the first he instances in; and the places produced to make good this Attribution to God, are, Numb. 25. 3, 4. Ezek. 5. 13. Exod. 32. 11, 12. Rom. 1. 18.
1. That mention is made of the Anger, Wrath, and Fury of God, in the Scripture, is not questioned, Numb. 25. 4. Deut. 13. 11. Josh. 1. 26. Psal. 18. 29. Isa. 13. 9. Deut. 29. 24. Judg. 2. 14. Psal. 14. 1. Psal. 69. 24. Isa. 30. 30. Lament. 2. 6. Ezek. 5. 15. Psal. 18. 49. Isa. 34. 2. 2 Chron. 28. 11. Ezra. 10. 14. Hab. 3. 8. 12. are farther Testimonies thereof. The words also in the Originall, in all the places mentioned, expresse or intimate perturbation of mind, Commotion of Spirit, corporall mutation of the parts of the body, & the like distempers of men, acting under the power of that passion. The whole difference is about the intendment, of the Holy Ghost in these Attributions, and whether they are properly spoken of God, assertting this passion to be in him, in the proper significancy of the words, or whether these things be not taken foreign, and to be understood foreign, in such a sence, as may answer the meaning of the figurative expression, assigning them their truth to the utmost, and yet be interpreted in a suitablenesse to divine perfection and blessednesse.
2. The Anger then which in the Scripture is a signed to §. 12.God, we say denotes two things.
1. His Vindictive Justice, or constant and immutable will of rendering vengeance for sinne: so Gods purpose of the Vid. Andr. Riverum in Psal. 2. p. 11. & in Exod. 4. p. 1…. & Aquinat. 1. part. Q. 3. Art. 2. ad secundum. Ira dicitur de Deo Secundū similitudinem effectus, quia proprium est Irati punire, ejus ira punitio Metaphorice vocatur.demonstration of his Justice, is called his being willing to shew his wrath or anger Rom. 9. 22. so Gods Anger and his Judgments are placed together Psal. 1. 6. and in that anger he judgeth, v. 8. and in this sence is the wrath of God said to be revealed from Heaven, Rom. 1. 18. that is, The Vindictive Justice of God against sinne, to be manifested in the effects of it, or the Judgments sent, and punishments inflicted on, & throughout the world.
2. By Anger Wrath, Zeale, Fury, the effects of Anger are denoted. Rom. 3. 5. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? The words are foreign, who inflicteth, or bringeth anger on man: that is, sore punishments, such as proceed from Anger, that is, Gods Vindictive Justice. And Eph. 5. 6. For this cause cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience: Is it the passion or affection of Anger in God, that M. Biddle talkes of, that comes upon the Children of Disobedience? Or is it indeed the aforeign Divina ultio Rom. 1. 8. Col. 3. 6. Gr…tius in Lecum.effect of his Justice for this sin? Thus the day of Judgment is called the day of wrath, and of anger, because it is the day of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2. 5. After thy hardnesse &c. In the place of Ezekiel, chap. 5. 13. mentioned by M. B. The Lord tells them, he will cause his fury to rest upon men; and accomplish it upon them. I aske whether he intends this of any passion in him, (and if so, how a passion in God can rest upon a man) or the Judgments which for their iniquities he did inflict? We say then, Anger is not properly ascribed to God, but metaphorically, denoting partly his vindictive Justice whence all punishments flow, partly the effects of it in the punishments themselves, either threatned, or inflicted, in their terrour and bitternesse, upon the account of what is Analogous therein to our proceeding, under the power of that passion; and so is to be taken in all the places mentioned by M. Biddle. For
3. Properly, in the sence by him pointed to, anger, wrath, &c. are not in God. Anger is defined by the Philosopher to be, foreign, Desire joyned with griefe of that which appeares to be revenge, for an appearing neglect, or contempt. To this lforeign. Aristot. lib. 2. cap. 2.griefe he tells you there is a kind of pleasure annexed, arising frō the vehement fancy, which an angry person hath of the revenge he apprehends as future; which saith he, is mforeign, id. ubi sup.like the fancy of them that dreame: and ascribes this passion mostly to weake impotent Persons; Ascribe this to God, and you leave him nothing else; There is not one Property of his nature wherewith it is confistent. If he be Properly, and litterally angry, and Furious, and wrathfull, he is moved, troubled, perplexed, desires revenge, and is neither blessed, nor perfect; but of these things in our generall Reasons against the property of these Attributions afterwards.
4. M. Biddle hath given us a rule in his preface, that when any thing is ascribed to God in one place, which is denyed of him in another, then it is not properly ascribed to him: Now God sayes expressly, that fury, or anger is not in him, Isa. 27. 4. and therefore it is not properly ascribed to him.
5. Of all the places where mention is made of Gods repentings or his Repentance, there is the same Reason. Exod. 32. 14. §. 14.Gen. 6. 6, 7. Judges 10. 16. Deut. 30. 9. are produced by M. B. That one place of the 1 Sam. 15. 29. where God affirmes, that he knoweth no Repentance, casts all the rest under a necessity of an interpretation suitable unto it. Of all the affections or passions, which we are obnoxious to, there is none that more eminently proclaimes imperfection, weakenesse, and want in sundry kinds, then this of Repentance. If not sinnes, mistakes, and miscarriages, (as for the most part they are,) yet disapointment, griefe, & trouble are alwayes included in it. So is it in that expression Gen. 6. 6. It aTheodoret upon on this place tells us foreign, &c. Non autem ut fuerunt quidom, (so that M. B. is not the first that held this opinion) I…â quadam & paenitentiâ ductue Deus haec egit: foreign. And then he adds, foreign &c. Quomodo ergo paenitentia cadat in Deum? His answer is, foreign, &c. Quare paenitentia Dei nihil aliud est, quam mutatio Dispensationis ejus. Paenitet me (inquit) quod constituerim Saul Regem, pro eo quodest, statui illum deponcre. Sic in hoc loco, (Gen. 6. 6.) paenitet fecisse me homine…; hoc est, decrevi perdere humanum genus, Theod. in Gen. Quaest. 50. Tom. opil 1. p. 41, 42.Earth, and it grieved him at the heart. What but his mistake, and great disappointment, by a failing of wisdome, foresight, and power, can give propriety to these Attributions unto God? The Change God was going then to worke in his Providence on the earth, was such, or like that, which men do, when they repent of a thing, being grieved at the heart for what they had formerly done. So are these things spokē of God, to denote the kind of the things which he doth, not the nature of God himselfe; otherwise such expressions as these would suit him, whose frame of spirit & heart is so described: Had I seen what would have bin the Issue of making man, I would never have done it. Would I had never been so overseen, as to have engaged in such a businesse. What have I now got by my rashnesse? nothing but sorrow and griefe of heart redounds to me. And do these become the Infinitely blessed God?
6. Feare is added, from Deut. 32. 26, 27. Feare, saith the §. 15.Wise man, is a betraying of those succours which reason offereth: natures avoidance of an impedent evill. nforeign. Arist. Rhetor. l. 2. c. 6.Its contrivance to fly and prevent what it abhors, being in a probabillity of coming upon it: a turbulent weakenesse. This God forbids in us, upon the account of his being our God, Isa. 35. 4. Feare not O worme Jacob &c. Every where he asserts feare to be unfit for them, who depend on him, and his helpe, who is able, in a moment to dissipate, scatter, and reduce to nothing, all the causes of their feare. And if there ought to be no feare, where such succour is ready at hand, sure there is none in him who gives it. Doubtlesse it were much better to exclude the Providence of God out of the world, then to assert him afraid properly, & directly of future events. The Schooles say truly Quod res sunt futurae, a voluntate Dei est, (effectiva vel permissiva) How then can God be affraid of what he knowes will, and purposeth shall come to passe? He doth, he will do things in some likenesse to what we do, for the prevention of what we are afraid of. He will not scatter his people, that their Adversaries may not have advantage to trample over them. When we so act as to prevent any thing, that (unlesse we did so act) would befall us, it is because we are afraid of the coming of that thing upon us: Hence is the reason of that attribution unto God; That properly he should be afraid of what comes to passe, who oAct. 15. 18. 2 Sam. 22. 16. Job. 4. 9. Psal. 18. 15. Rom. 1. 21. Gen. 17. 1. Rom. 9. 16, 17, 18, &c. & 11. 34, 35, 36. Is. 40. 15. Heb. 1. 3. Ps. 33. 9. Act. 17. 25, 28. Ps. 50. 8. Dan. 6. 23. Ps. 90 3. Job. 34. 19.knowes frō eternity what will so do, who can with the breath of his mouth destroy all the objects of his dislike, who is infinitely wise, blessed, alsufficient, and the soveraigne disposer of the lives, breath, and wayes, of all the sons of men, is fit for M. B. and no man else to affirme. All the Nations are before him, as the drop of the bucket, and the dust of the ballance, as vanity, as nothing; he upholds them by the word of his power, in him all men live, & move, & have their being, & can neither live, nor act, nor be without him: their life, & breath, and all their wayes, are in his hands, he brings them to destruction, and sayes returne yee children of men; and must he needs be properly afraid of what they will doe to him, and against him?
7. Of Gods Jealousy, and hatred, mentioned, from Psal. 5. 4, 5. Exod. 20. 5. Deut. 32. 21. There is the same reason. Such effects as these things in us produce, shall they meet withall, who provoke him by their blasphemies and abominations. Of Love, Mercy, and Grace, the condition is something otherwise, principally they denote Gods Essentiall goodnesse & kindnesse, which is eminent amongst his Infinite perfections: and secundarily, the effects thereof, in, and through Jesus Christ, are denoted by these expressions. To manifest, that neither they nor any thing else, as they properly intend any affections or passions of the mind, any commotions of will, are properly attributed to God, unto what hath been spoken allready, these ensuing Considerations may be subjoyned.
1. Where no cause of stirring up affections or passions can §. 17.have place, or be admitted, there no affections are to be admitted: For to what end should we suppose that, whereof there can be no use to eternity. If it be impossible any affection in God should be stirred up, or acted, is it not impossible any such should be in him? The causes stirring up all affections, are the accesse of some good desired, whence Joy, Hope, Desire, &c. have their spring; or the approach of some evill to be avoided, which occasions Feare, Sorrow, Angen, Repentance, and the like. Now if no good can be added to God, whence should joy, and desire be stirred up in him: If no evill can befall him, in himselfe, or any of his concernments, whence should he have Feare, Sorrow, or Repentance. pPsal. 16. 2. 50. 8, 9, 10. Job 35. 6, 7, 8 Job 22. 2, 3.Our goodnesse extends not to him; He hath no need of us, or our Sacrifices. Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himselfe. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art Righteous, or is it gaine to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect?
2. The Apostle tells us, that God is blessed for ever, Ro. 9. 5. He is §. 18.the blessed & only potentate, 1 Tim. 6. 15. God Alsufficient, Gen. 17. 1. That which is inconsistent with absolute Blessednes, & Alsufficiency is not to be ascribed to God; to do so, casts him down frō his excellency. But can he be blessed, is he Alsufficient, who is tossed up and down with Hope, Joy, Feare, Sorrow, Repentance, Anger, and the like? doth not Feare take off from absolute Blessednesse? Grant that Gods feare doth not long abide, yet whilst it doth so, He is lesse blessed then he was before, and then he is, after his feare ceaseth. When He Hopes, is He not short in happinesse of that condition, which he attaines in the enjoyment of what he hoped for? And is He not lower, when He is disappointed, and falls short of his expectation? Did ever the Heathens speak with more contempt of what they worshipped? Formerly the pride of some men heightned them to fancy thēselves to be like God, without passions or affections; being not able to abide in their attempt against their own sence and experience; it is now endeavoured to make God like to us, in Psal. 50. 21.having such passions & affections. My ayme is brevity, having many heads to speake unto; Those who have written on the Attributes of God, his Selfe-sufficiency, & Blessednesse, Simplicity, Immutability, &c. are ready to tender farther satisfaction, to them who shall desire it.