To The Knowledge Of God The Creator.
Though the light which presents itself to all eyes, both in heaven and in
earth, is more than sufficient to deprive the ingratitude of men of every
excuse, since God, in order to involve all mankind in the same guilt, sets
before them all, without exception, an exhibition of his majesty,
delineated in the creatures,—yet we need another and better assistance,
properly to direct us to the Creator of the world. Therefore he hath not
unnecessarily added the light of his word, to make himself known unto
salvation, and hath honoured with this privilege those whom he intended to
unite in a more close and familiar connection with himself. For, seeing
the minds of all men to be agitated with unstable dispositions, when he
had chosen the Jews as his peculiar flock, he enclosed them as in a fold,
that they might not wander after the vanities of other nations. And it is
not without cause that he preserves us in the pure knowledge of himself by
the same means; for, otherwise, they who seem comparatively to stand firm,
would soon fall. For, as persons who are old, or whose eyes are by any
means become dim, if you show them the most beautiful book, though they
perceive something written, but can scarcely read two words together, yet,
by the assistance of spectacles, will begin to read distinctly,—so the
Scripture, collecting in our minds the otherwise confused notions of
Deity, dispels the darkness, and gives us a clear view of the true God.
This, then, is a singular favour, that, in the instruction of the Church,
God not only uses mute teachers, but even opens his own sacred mouth; not
only proclaims that some god ought to be worshipped, but at the same time
pronounces himself to be the Being to whom this worship is due; and not
only teaches the elect to raise their view to a Deity, but also exhibits
himself as the object of their contemplation. This method he hath observed
toward his Church from the beginning; beside those common lessons of
instruction, to afford them also his word; which furnishes a more correct
and certain criterion to distinguish him from all fictitious deities. And
it was undoubtedly by this assistance that Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the
rest of the patriarchs, attained to that familiar knowledge which
distinguished them from unbelievers. I speak not yet of the peculiar
doctrine of faith which illuminated them into the hope of eternal life.
For, to pass from death to life, they must have known God, not only as the
Creator, but also as the Redeemer; as they certainly obtained both from
his word. For that species of knowledge, which related to him as the
Creator and Governor of the world, in order, preceded the other. To this
was afterwards added the other internal knowledge, which alone vivifies
dead souls, and apprehends God, not only as the Creator of the world, and
as the sole Author and Arbiter of all events, but also as the Redeemer in
the person of the Mediator. But, being not yet come to the fall of man and
the corruption of nature, I also forbear to treat of the remedy. Let the
reader remember, therefore, that I am not yet treating of that covenant by
which God adopted the children of Abraham, and of that point of doctrine
by which believers have always been particularly separated from the
profane nations, since that is founded on Christ; but am only showing how
we ought to learn from the Scripture, that God, who created the world, may
be certainly distinguished from the whole multitude of fictitious deities.
The series of subjects will, in due time, lead us to redemption. But,
though we shall adduce many testimonies from the New Testament, and some
also from the Law and the Prophets, in which Christ is expressly
mentioned, yet they will all tend to prove, that the Scripture discovers
God to us as the Creator of the world, and declares what sentiments we
should form of him, that we may not be seeking after a deity in a
labyrinth of uncertainty.
II. But, whether God revealed himself to the patriarchs by oracles and
visions, or suggested, by means of the ministry of men, what should be
handed down by tradition to their posterity, it is beyond a doubt that
their minds were impressed with a firm assurance of the doctrine, so that
they were persuaded and convinced that the information they had received
came from God. For God always secured to his word an undoubted credit,
superior to all human opinion. At length, that the truth might remain in
the world in a continual course of instruction to all ages, he determined
that the same oracles which he had deposited with the patriarchs should be
committed to public records. With this design the Law was promulgated, to
which the Prophets were afterwards annexed, as its interpreters.—For,
though the uses of the law were many, as will be better seen in the proper
place; and particularly the intention of Moses, and of all the prophets,
was to teach the mode of reconciliation between God and man, (whence also
Paul calls Christ “the end of the law,”)(117)—yet I repeat again, that,
beside the peculiar doctrine of faith and repentance, which proposes
Christ as the Mediator, the Scripture distinguishes the only true God by
certain characters and titles, as the Creator and Governor of the world,
that he may not be confounded with the multitude of false gods. Therefore,
though every man should seriously apply himself to a consideration of the
works of God, being placed in this very splendid theatre to be a spectator
of them, yet he ought principally to attend to the word, that he may
attain superior advantages. And, therefore, it is not surprising, that
they who are born in darkness grow more and more hardened in their
stupidity; since very few attend to the word of God with teachable
dispositions, to restrain themselves within the limits which it
prescribes, but rather exult in their own vanity. This, then, must be
considered as a fixed principle, that, in order to enjoy the light of true
religion, we ought to begin with the doctrine of heaven; and that no man
can have the least knowledge of true and sound doctrine, without having
been a disciple of the Scripture. Hence originates all true wisdom, when
we embrace with reverence the testimony which God hath been pleased
therein to deliver concerning himself. For obedience is the source, not
only of an absolutely perfect and complete faith, but of all right
knowledge of God. And truly in this instance God hath, in his providence,
particularly consulted the true interests of mankind in all ages.
III. For, if we consider the mutability of the human mind,—how easy its
lapse into forgetfulness of God; how great its propensity to errors of
every kind; how violent its rage for the perpetual fabrication of new and
false religions,—it will be easy to perceive the necessity of the heavenly
doctrine being thus committed to writing, that it might not be lost in
oblivion, or evaporate in error, or be corrupted by the presumption of
men. Since it is evident, therefore, that God, foreseeing the inefficacy
of his manifestation of himself in the exquisite structure of the world,
hath afforded the assistance of his word to all those to whom he
determined to make his instructions effectual,—if we seriously aspire to a
sincere contemplation of God, it is necessary for us to pursue this right
way. We must come, I say, to the word, which contains a just and lively
description of God as he appears in his works, when those works are
estimated, not according to our depraved judgment, but by the rule of
eternal truth. If we deviate from it, as I have just observed, though we
run with the utmost celerity, yet, being out of the course, we shall never
reach the goal. For it must be concluded, that the light of the Divine
countenance, which even the Apostle says “no man can approach unto,”(118)
is like an inexplicable labyrinth to us, unless we are directed by the
line of the word; so that it were better to halt in this way, than to run
with the greatest rapidity out of it. Therefore David, inculcating the
necessity of the removal of superstitions out of the world, that pure
religion may flourish, frequently introduces God as “reigning;”(119) by
the word “reigning,” intending, not the power which he possesses, and
which he exercises in the universal government of nature, but the doctrine
in which he asserts his legitimate sovereignty; because errors can never
be eradicated from the human heart, till the true knowledge of God is
implanted in it.
IV. Therefore the same Psalmist, having said, that “the heavens declare
the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy‐work; day unto day
uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge,”(120) afterwards
proceeds to the mention of the word: “The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the
simple: the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” For, though he
also comprehends other uses of the law, yet he suggests, in general, that,
since God’s invitation of all nations to him by the view of heaven and
earth is ineffectual, this is the peculiar school of the children of God.
The same is adverted to in the twenty‐ninth Psalm, where the Psalmist,
having preached the terrors of the Divine voice, which in thunders, in
winds, in showers, in whirlwinds, and in tempests, shakes the earth, makes
the mountains tremble, and breaks the cedars, adds, at length, towards the
close, “in his temple doth every one speak of his glory;” because
unbelievers are deaf to all the voices of God, which resound in the air.
So, in another Psalm, after describing the terrible waves of the sea, he
concludes thus: “Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine
house, O Lord, for ever.”(121) Hence also proceeds the observation of
Christ to the Samaritan woman, that her nation and all others worshipped
they knew not what; and that the Jews were the only worshippers of the
true God.(122) For, since the human mind is unable, through its
imbecility, to attain any knowledge of God without the assistance of his
sacred word, all mankind, except the Jews, as they sought God without the
word, must necessarily have been wandering in vanity and error.