A20762:173
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. Sect. 5 Of Gods secondary attributes, and how they differ from those shadows of them which are in the creatures.
§. Sect. 5 Of Gods secondary attributes, and how they differ from those shadowes of them which are in the creatures.
The secondary attributes of God, are those which are spoken of God in a secondary relation, as he is the first and the chief Agent working in the creatures, especially man, some similitudes and resemblances of his own essential attributes, which are therefore (though improperly) called communicable, in respect of some analogy and likeness that they have with the properties which are in the creatures. For there is no perfection or good thing in them to be desired, of which the Idea and arch-type is not ⟨p. 32⟩in God most absolute, infinite and eternal. But as they are essential properties of Gods nature, they cannot be communicated to any creature, seeing they are most simple and indivisible, but only (as it were) some shows and shadows of them; which in many respects differ from those attributes which are in God; for in him they are his essence, and by it he liveth, understandeth, and is good, gracious and just: but in the creatures they are qualities, and bare properties. In him they are all most perfect, infinite, absolute, and most excellent, immutable and eternal; in which regard he may be said, not only to be wise, just, good and blessed, but wisdom, justice, goodness and blessedness it self. So that these secondary attributes in God, being his nature and essence, are to be understood by the primary, as by their rule and measure, and therefore are to be attributed unto him, most perfectly, simply, infinitely and absolutely: But in the creatures, the qualities which are some similitudes of these attributes, are mixed, imperfect, finite and mutable. In God all and every his attributes being his essence, they can be but one, as his essence is one, simple and indivisible, so that by the same essence whereby he is wise, he is also true, and that, by which he is good, he is also just, merciful, and blessed: But in the creatures their properties are divers, and differ from one another in their forms and operations. For by one faculty a man is wise, and willeth by another, and his qualities of justice, mercy, goodness, truth, are different properties one from another.