Chapter 39
Wherein answer is given to an objection which some make against our Faith; by saying, that God teacheth things, which are too high.
SOME man may say, being moved either by these, or other reasons; That it is fit for a man to believe, that which he understandeth not, because God saith it. But that, since this may be performed by believing diverse other things, there is no cause why yet we should believe that, which is believed by Christians. But tell me, O you blind men; what is the fault you find, in that which we Christians do believe. And if yourselves know not how to say what you think, I will tell you what it is. The1 articles which of the height of God are to be believed, do seem so high things to you, that even because they are so very high, you believe them not: And the low or mean things which we believe of the humility of God, are so very low; that even for that very reason, you hold them not to be worthy of God, and so neither do you believe them. For tell me, in that highest mystery of the most holy Trinity, what other thing doth offend you; but that it is so incomprehensible; and that the sight of your understanding, being beaten back again upon yourselves (by the A bysse of that infinite light, and the height of such a mystery) you shut your eyes, and with saying, How can this be? you forbear to believe it; whereas it were agreeable to all reason, that we should think most highly of the most high, and that we should ascribe to him the most high being, and the most excellent being, to which our understanding could arrive. And when we shall have arrived to things very high, we must y●● believe, that in him there are st●l things higher; & which do wholly exceed our capacity.
This is to honour God, and to hold him for God, and for a great one. For if our Understanding could reach to all the height of God, God would be little; and consequently he could not be God. For he could not be, unless he were infinite; and the infinite is incomprehensible by any thing that is finite. And since it is better, that there be in God, a supreme Communication, (since supreme Communication, is due to a supreme goodness) and if this must also be, it must be, by communicating the very, true, and total essence of itself; and so there will be in God, supreme fecundity, as it is fit for God; and not sterility, which is a thing very far from him; as he saith,2 by Isaias; I who give power to others that they may engender, shall I perhaps remain barren?
And although by making of Angels, and men, and the whole world, he communicateth many favours to it, yet neither is this any such fecundity, nor a Communication of an infinite Goo●●, because he giveth not his essence. But he only giveth them, the being and virtue which they hau●● nor shall God leave to be a solitary God, notwithstanding the many creatures that accompany him, since between him and them, there is an infinite distance. Just so, as Adam would not have failed to be solitary, notwithstanding the many beasts, and other creatures which were in the world, how near soever they had been to him. And, that man might not remain alone, God gave him a companion; which might hold resemblance and equality, with him. So God is not solitary; but in the unity of Essence, there are three persons. Nor is he covetous, or barren, since there is a communication of an infinite Deity. Neither must thou forbear to believe that so it is, although thou know not how it cometh to be so; since even because it is so high, it carrieth a kind of trace, or sent, to be a thing of God. And because it is better to be so, than not; even for this very reason, it is a thing which it is fit for God to have; and that so we should believe it, since of God, we are to think, according to the greatness of God; that is, the highest that possibly we can imagine.
Footnotes
Chapter 41 of 115