Chap. II.—Of the Truth and Its Steps, and of God.

For since there are many steps by which the ascent is made to the abode of truth, it is not easy for any one to reach the summit. For when the eyes are darkened by the brightness of the truth, they who are unable to maintain a firm step fall back to the level ground.3    Revolvuntur in planum.   Now the first step is to understand false religions, and to throw aside the impious worship of gods which are made by the hand of man. But the second step is to perceive with the mind that there is but one Supreme God, whose power and providence made the world from the beginning, and afterwards continues to govern it. The third step is to know His Servant and Messenger,4    Thus our Lord Himself speaks, John xvii. 3: “This is life eternal, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” [The Jehovah-Angel, vol. i. pp. 223–226, this series, and sparsim.]  whom He sent as His ambassador to the earth, by whose teaching being freed from the error in which we were held entangled, and formed to the worship of the true God, we might learn righteousness. From all of these steps, as I have said, there is a rapid and easy gliding to a downfall,5    Ad ruinam.   unless the feet are firmly planted with unshaken stedfastness.  

We see those shaken off from the first step, who, though they understand things which are false, do not, however, discover that which is true; and though they despised earthly and frail images, do not betake themselves to the worship of God, of whom they are ignorant. But viewing with admiration the elements of the universe, they worship the heaven, the earth, the sea, the sun, the moon, and the other heavenly bodies.  

But we have already reproved their ignorance in the second book of the Divine Institutes.6    Ch. v. and vi. pp. 47, 48.   But we say that those fall from the second step, who, though they understand that there is but one Supreme God, nevertheless, ensnared by the philosophers, and captivated by false arguments, entertain opinions concerning that excellent majesty far removed from the truth; who either deny that God has any figure, or think that He is moved by no affection, because every affection is a sign of weakness, which has no existence in God. But they are precipitated from the third step, who, though they know the Ambassador of God, who is also the Builder of the divine and immortal temple,7    The temple built of living stones, 1 Pet. ii. 5.   either do not receive Him, or receive Him otherwise than faith demands; whom we have partly refuted in the fourth book of the above-named work.8    Ch. x., etc., p. 108.   And we will hereafter refute more carefully, when we shall begin to reply to all the sects, which, while they dispute,9    Dum disputant; other editions read, “dum dissipant.”   have destroyed the truth.  

But now we will argue against those who, falling from the second step, entertain wrong sentiments respecting the Supreme God. For some say that He neither does a kindness to any one, nor becomes angry, but in security and quietness enjoys the advantages of His own immortality. Others, indeed, take away anger, but leave to God kindness; for they think that a nature excelling in the greatest virtue, while it ought not to be malevolent, ought also to be benevolent. Thus all the philosophers are agreed on the subject of anger, but are at variance respecting kindness. But, that my speech may descend in order to the proposed subject, a division of this kind must be made and followed by me, since anger and kindness are different, and opposed to one another. Either anger must be attributed to God, and kindness taken from Him; or both alike must be taken from Him; or anger must be taken away, and kindness attributed to Him; or neither must be taken away. The nature of the case admits of nothing else besides these; so that the truth, which is sought for, must necessarily be found in some one of these. Let us consider them separately, that reason and arrangement may conduct us to the hiding-place of truth.  

CAPUT II. De veritate, deque ejus gradibus, atque de Deo.

Nam cum sint gradus multi, per quos ad domicilium 0082A veritatis ascenditur, non est facile cuilibet evehi ad summum. Caligantibus enim veritatis fulgore luminibus, qui stabilem gressum tenere non possunt, revolvuntur in planum. Primus autem gradus est, intelligere falsas religiones, et abjicere impios cultus deorum humana manu fabricatorum. Secundus vero, perspicere animo, quod unus sit Deus summus, cujus potestas ac providentia effecerit a principio mundum, et gubernet in posterum. Tertius, cognoscere ministrum ejus ac nuntium, quem legavit in terram; quo docente, liberati ab errore, quo implicati tenebamur, formatique ad veri Dei cultum, justitiam disceremus. Ex quibus omnibus gradibus, ut dixi, pronus est lapsus et facilis ad ruinam, nisi pedes inconcussa stabilitate figantur.

0082B De primo gradu eos excuti videmus, qui, cum falsa intelligant, tamen verum non inveniunt, contemptisque terrenis fragilibusque simulacris, non ad colendum se Deum conferunt, quem ignorant: sed mundi elementa mirantes, coelum, terram, mare, solem, lunam, caeteraque astra venerantur. Sed horum imperitiam jam coarguimus in secundo Divinarum Institutionum libro. De secundo vero gradu eos dicimus cadere, qui cum sentiant, unum esse summum Deum, iidem tamen a philosophis irretiti, et falsis argumentationibus capti, aliter de unica illa majestate sentiunt, quam veritas habet; qui aut figuram negant 0083A habere ullam Deum, aut nullo affectu commoveri putant, quia sit omnis affectus imbecillitatis, quae in Deo nulla est. De tertio vero ii praecipitantur, qui cum sciant legatum Dei, eumdemque divini et immortalis templi conditorem, tamen aut non accipiunt eum, aut aliter accipiunt, quam fides poscit: quos ex parte jam refutavimus in quarto supradicti operis libro, et refutabimus postea diligentius, cum respondere ad omnes sectas coeperimus, quae veritatem, dum disputant, perdiderunt.

Nunc vero contra eos disseremus, qui de secundo gradu lapsi, prava de summo Deo sentiunt. Aiunt enim quidam, nec gratificari eum cuiquam, nec irasci; sed securum, et quietum, immortalitatis suae bonis perfrui. Alii vero iram tollunt, gratiam relinquunt 0083B Deo; naturam enim summa virtute praestantem ut non maleficam, sic beneficam esse debere. Ita omnes philosophi de ira consentiunt; de gratia discrepant. Sed ut ad propositam materiam per ordinem descendat oratio, hujusmodi facienda nobis, et sequenda 0084A partitio est, cum diversa et repugnantia sint, ira, et gratia. Aut ira tribuenda est Deo, et gratia detrahenda; aut utrumque pariter detrahendum. Aut ira demenda est, et gratia tribuenda, aut utrumque tribuendum. Aliud amplius, praeter haec, nihil potest capere natura, ut necesse sit in uno istorum aliquo verum, quod quaeritur, inveniri. Consideremus singula, ut nos ad latebras veritatis, et ratio et ordo deducat.