From Reformation to Reformation

THESIS XXVII: Hitherto the commanding principium: the executing principium follows, which is the power of God, whereby God is able to...

THESIS XIX: In the Scripture there are various names for the divine will, which nevertheless indicate concepts, diverse to us, of...

THESIS XVIII: The principium commanding action is the will, whereby God wills Himself of Himself, and beyond Himself all things because...

THESIS XIV: Hitherto the divine properties of the first class: Of the second class are those that are applicable to God in such a way...

THESIS XI: Immutability is a property of God, which excludes from God all possibility of mutation: 1. with respect to existence; 2. ...

THESIS VI: The Properties of the divine nature, or essence, are GOD’S essential attributes, whereby the truth and majesty of the divine...

THESIS I: Hitherto the προλεγόμενα/Prolegomena of Christian Theology: now follows the explication of the body of Theology itself by...

Thesis I: The knowledge of God is defined. Thesis II: God is described. Explanation: 1. The description of God is confirmed. 2. The...

Not only by mouth, but also by action, did the Gentiles bear witness to this Righteousness of God in the offering of Sacrifices; of which how great the mass was, how religiously they engaged in them, what great labor and expenses they laid out upon them, everyone is abundantly aware. But whence that religion? to what end did all these have regard? Indeed, I would readily concede that the greatest part of this worship ought to be considered as received by tradition; if only it

But the testimonies of the Ancients are now to be esteemed so much the greater, since Divine authority agrees: thus Paul bears witness concerning the very Gentiles, whom God did not deem worthy of the revelation of His own Oracles, Romans 2:14, 15, ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῇ, οὗτοι, νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες, ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος· οἵτινες ἐνδείκνυνται τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου γραπτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως, καὶ μεταξὺ ἀλλήλων

Nemesis Now, this voice of Conscience, seated deeply within all mortals, compelled the Gentiles firmly to establish that the Vengeance of the Divine Nature sooner or later pursues shameful acts, and that the impious certainly pay the penalty for them; whence they often introduce the very God as foretelling vengeance, and they invented Nemesis as the Goddess divinely punishing the wicked (the Goddess Nemesis, says AMMIANUS,[1] is an avenger of impious deeds, and a rewarder of

So stands the second Argument: the Third follows close behind, which will be no less suitable for the confirmation of our assertion. Namely, that our thesis is confirmed by the Testimony of the Conscience of all men and the unanimous Consent of Nations. More specifically, as the mind rightly delights in deeds, and, when one has properly performed his duty, the soul is imbued with a pleasing tranquility, with whatever more pleasant pleasure; so, contrariwise, after the perpetr

Johannes a Marck Let me add one passage that exhibits a luminous description of this Holiness, namely, Habakkuk 1:13, where it is not only said that God is not able to look upon evil/trouble, but even more, טְה֤וֹר עֵינַ֙יִם֙ מֵרְא֣וֹת רָ֔ע, He is of purer eyes than to behold evil; that is, He is not able to regard the evil of sin with pleasure, and, lest He be compelled to look upon it permanently, He is at length going to punish it; He is at least not going to admit the sin

Herman Witsius God Himself is introduced as speaking of His Holiness as requiring punishments in Psalm 50:21, Because I was acting as one deaf with thee doing these things, thou thoughtest that I was altogether as thyself, הֱֽיוֹת־אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה כָמ֑וֹךָ, I reprove thee and set in order before thine eyes; or I will reprove, etc. God here sets forth the reasoning of which the impious make use from the delay of the infliction of punishment: since punishment does not always immediate

We proceed to the Second Argument, which I promised was going to be taken from the Foundation of this Vindicatory Righteousness, which is God’s Divine Righteousness, or His Natural Holiness, which implies that His aversion to sin is to be demonstrated in act. This holiness, with the punishment of sin flowing from it necessarily, Joshua sets before the Israelites, Joshua 24:19, saying: Ye cannot serve Jehovah; that is, in the retaining of your Idols: or he thus indicates in a

Finally, Vindicatory Righteousness is expressly asserted to be Essential to God in passages that speak of God’s Hatred, Anger, Vengeance, out of which to this Righteousness belongs the title of Avenging and Vindicatory. But, as from the things said above it is clearly evident that in a Judicial matter, and so with respect punishments inflicted, Righteousness is also attributed to God, which from Psalm 119:137; Revelation 19:11; Daniel 9:7; Acts 17:31; Romans 3:25, etc., is ab

Thirdly, we add passages in which God is considered as Judge, and hence Judiciary Righteousness is assigned to Him, no less with respect to exacting punishments, than with respect to distributing rewards: such is in Psalm 9:4, in which God is called שׁוֹפֵ֥ט צֶֽדֶק׃, the Judge of Righteousness, or the Just Judge, as the Targum translates it דינא זכאה, the Just Judge; in Psalm 11:5-7, the wicked and him that loveth violence His (that is, the Lord’s) soul hateth. He shall rain

No less accommodated solidly to prove this matter is the passage in Psalm 5:4-6; while it has regard partly to the Vindicatory Righteousness of God, partly to the Holiness of God, the Foundation of the former, when we set it forth here, the same will be able to be omitted in the following Argument. In this place, there are three negative predicates, and likewise three positive, each of which appears to contend with the others for the greater ἐνεργείᾳ, rhetorical vigor. Thou a

That Vindicatory Righteousness is expressly attributed to God in Sacred Scripture, we prove from ἐμφατικωτάτοις/forceful Passages; among which is Exodus 34:7, where God, proclaiming His own Name before Moses, among other things inserts, וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה, and He will by no means acquit. The opinion of the most illustrious DE DIEU, referring these words to the description of Divine Goodness, through which even in anger He is mindful of compassion, and so translating the

But, lest we should appear to contend by number, more than by weight, of Arguments, we will bring into the arena only four or five, and those the weightiest, sought, 1. from the Testimonies of Scripture, whereby this very Punishing Righteousness is expressly claimed for God; 2. from the Foundation of this Vindicatory Righteousness in God’s Divine Righteousness, or Natural Sanctity; 3. from the Conscience of men and the Consent of all Nations to this opinion; 4. from the Effec