A27004:217
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural evidence the being of God ... : the second part, of Christianity, proving by evidence supernatural and natural, the certain truth of the Christian belief ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; also an appendix defending the soul's immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other pseudo-philosophers.
London: printed by R. White for Fran. Titon, 1667
Part 1 › Chapter 5: What this Cause is, in it self. That it is God.
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.
§. 20. The HAPPINESS of the first Being consisteth, 1. In his BEING HIMSELF. 2. In his KNOWING HIMSELF. 3. In his LOVING and ENJOYING HIMSELF.
The most perfect Being must needs be the most Happy, and that in Being what he is; his own Perfection being his Happiness. And as Knowledge in the Creature is both his Perfection and Delight, so the transcendent Omniscience of the Creator must needs be both part of his Perfection, (as distinguished by our narrow minds) and such felicity as may be called Eminently ⟨p. 25⟩his Delight, 1though what God's Delight is we know not formally. And as Love or Complacency is the perfective operation of the Will, and so of the Humane Nature in Man, and is his highest, final, and enjoying acts, of which all Goodness is the object; so there must be something in the Perfection of the first Cause, though not formally the same with Love in Man, yet eminently so called, as knowable to us by no other name. And this complacency must needs be principally in Himself, because He himself is the Infinite and only Primitive Good; and as there was primitively no Good but Himself to Love, so now there is no Good but derived from Him, and dependent on Him. And as his Creature (of which anon) is obliged to love Him most, so he must needs be most amiable to Himself. Self-love and self-esteem in the Creature may be inordinate, and therefore called Pride: but it is impossible that infinite Goodness it self can be over-valued or over-loved by Himself or by any creature.
The most perfect Being must needs be the most Happy, and that in Being what he is; his own Perfection being his Happiness. And as Knowledge in the Creature is both his Perfection and Delight, so the transcendent Omniscience of the Creator must needs be both part of his Perfection, (as distinguished by our narrow minds) and such felicity as may be called Eminently ⟨p. 25⟩his Delight,