Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

2. God is immutable in regard of Knowledge. God hath known from all Eternity all that which he can know, so that nothing is hid from him; He knows not at present any more than he hath known from Eternity, and that which he knows now, he always knows; All things are open and naked before him, Heb. 4.13. A man is said to be changed in regard of knowledge, when he knows that now which he did not know before, or knows that to be false now which he thought true before, or hath something for the Object of his Understanding now, which he had not before: But

1. This would be repugnant to the Wisdom and Omniscience which belongs to the Notion of a Deity. That cannot be God, that is not infinitely wise; that cannot be infinitely wise, that is either ignorant of, or mistaken in his apprehension of any one thing. If God be changed in knowledge, it must be for want of wisdom; all change of this nature in Creatures, implies this defect preceding or accompanying it: Such a thought of God, would have been unworthy of him that is only wise; that hath no Mate for Wisdom^*; none wise besides himself: If he knew that thing this day which^* he knew not before, he would not be an only wise Being; for a Being that did know every thing at once, might be conceived, and so a wiser Being be apprehended by the ⟨p. 212⟩mind of man. If God understood a thing at one time, which he did not at another, he would be changed from Ignorance to Knowledge; As if he could not do that this day which he could do to morrow, he would be changed from Impotence to Power: He could not be always Omniscient, because there might be yet something still to come which he yet knows not, though he may know all things that are past. What way soever you suppose a change, you must suppose a present or a past Ignorance; If he be changed in his knowledge for the perfection of his understanding, he was ignorant before; If his understanding be impaired by the change, he is ignorant after it.