For the clearer handling of the matter under consideration, the terms wherein it is proposed are a little to be explained : —
1. That p7^escience or foreknowledge is attributed to God, the Scripture testifieth. Acts ii. 23, Eom. viii. 29, xi. 2, 1 Pet. i. 2, are
^ TlVi /z'iXXu 0fiva iTxv
Ka^opav, o-^iv aSuffiTiv, — J^SChjl. Supp. 1071, 2. iiOK'lii oi fioi 0 Ka\iof/,iv B-spiUoi/, d.l}a.va,Tov Tt nvai xeci voiiv Tta^ra,, x,ai opav, xee) dxovtiv, xa) illivai, TO. otra, Kcci ra fiixXovra. 'ifftrSat. — Hippoc. de Princip. To the same pur- pose is that of Epicharmus, Ollh ix<pivyu to 9s~av, auTOi iirf af/.uv WoTTas, etc. And the anonymous author in Stobseus (vid. Excei-pta ytobaei, p. 117), speaking of God, adds, "Ov oioi £/; XiXn^iv oioi tv croicuv, oio' ccv voiriaui^ ovSi 'TriToinx.u; "praXaf o iX 'rrapuv avavrx^od, va.i'T i\ dvtt.yy.n; «TSs, ctc. In short, the Pagans' generally received custom of consult- ing oracles, of using their c'luv/xncovla, their auguria and auspicia, etc., by which they expected answers from their gods, and significations of their Avill concerning future things, are evident demonstrations that they believed their gods knew future contingents.
' OuKodv ai; f/.\v xai "EXXsjvsj koc) jidiSafoi roh; ^ioi; yiyouvrai ^dvTx iiBivai, rd Tt ovra xa) Ta fj-iXXovra, iSinXov. Tlairai yovv a'l ToXus xa) wavTas <ra 'i^vn oia //.avTixrig ivifwrZiri tou; Biou;, Ti <Ti XP'^ ""-' '''' "^ Xf'^ •n'citTv. KaJ fihv oTi i/o//,i^o/yi,iv yi ovvairfcci /tbrolis xu) lu xai xaxui Toiuv, xa) rmro trails- Havrt; yovv alroZvnrai tovs 9'iivs, rd filv 0avXa dTOTpiTSiv, <rdyaSd o\ aiicvcci. OCitoi toivuv oi Tdvrcc /niv tioori;, x. t. X. Aid at to <rpouoitiai, xa) o ti eJ ixdirrov «wob»'a-£Ta/, x. t- X. — Xcnoph. 2TMn02. Cap. iv. 47.
3 " Cum ergo Deus omnia prout reipsa se habent cognoscat, io-6/u.ivx seu certo futura cognoscit ut talia, similiter et yAxxovra ut /aixxovra., seu verisimiliter eventura, pro ratioue causarum unde pendent." — Crell. de Vera Pielig. lib. i. cap. xxiv. p. 201.
OF god's prescience or foreknowledge. 127
proofs hereof. The term, indeed (foreknowing), rather relates to the things known, and the order wherein they stand one to another and among themselves, than is properly expressive of God's knowledge. God knows all things as they are, and in that order wherein they stand. Things that are past, as to the order of the creatures which he hath appointed to them, and the works of providence which out- wardly are of him, he knows as past ; not by remembrance, as we do, but by the same act of knowledge wherewith he knew them from all eternity, even before they were.^ Their existence in time and being, cast by the successive motion of things into the number of the things that are past, denotes an alteration in them, but not at all in the knowledge of God. So it is also in respect of things future. God knows them in that esse intelligihile which they have, as they may be known and understood ; and how that is shall afterward be declaimed. He sees and knows them as they are, when they have that respect upon them of being future ; when they lose this respect, by their actual existence, he knows them still as before. They are altered ; his knowledge, his understanding is infinite, and changeth not.
2. God's knowledge of things is either of simjjle intelligence (as usually it is phrased) or of vision.^ The first is his knowledge of all possible things ; that is, of all that he himself can do. That God knows himself I suppose will not be denied. An infinite understand- ing knows throughly all infinite perfections. God, then, knows his own power or omnipotency, and thereby knows all that he can do. Infinite science must know, as I said, what infinite poiuer can extend unto. Now, whatever God can do is possible to be done ; that is, whatever hath not in itself a repugnancy to being. Now, that many things may be done by the power of God that yet are not, nor ever shall be done, I suppose is not denied. Might he not make a new world ? Hence ariseth the attribution of the knowledge of simple intelligence before mentioned unto God. In his own infinite understanding he sees and knows all things that are possible to be done by his power, would his good pleasure concur to their production.
Of the world of things possible which God can do, some things,
' " Sciendum, quod omnino aliter se habet antiqua vel Dsterna scientia ad ea qutc fiunt et facta sunt, et aliter recens scientia : esse namque i"ei entis est causa scientine nostroe, scientia vero seterna est causa ut ipsa res sit. Si vero quando res est iiostquain non crat, contingeret noviter in ipsa scientia antiqua, scientia superaddita, queniadniodum contingit hoc in scientia nova, sequoretur utique quod ipsa scientia antiqua esset causata ab ipso ente : et non esset causa ipsius, oportet ergo quod non contingat ibi mutatio, scilicet in antiqua scientia, queuiadmodum contingit in nova : sciendum autein, quod hie error idcirco accidit, quia scientia antiqua meusnratur ab imperitis cum scientia nova, cujus mensui-ationis modus vitiosissimus est : projicit quippe qnando(iuo liominem in barathrum, undo nunquam est egressurus." — Rab. Aben. Rost. Interpret. Raymund. Martin. Pugi. Fidei. P. P., cap. xxv. sect. 4, 5, p. 201.
- " In Deo simplex est intuitus, quo simpliciter videntur qua3 composita sunt, inva- riabilitcr qute variabilia sunt, ct simul quae successiva."