[3]. God
What God is is perhaps above human understanding, but not that God is. For many of the wise have got so far as to have no doubt of the existence of God, though there have been some who attributed divinity to many beings—through their limited understanding, no doubt, which did not venture to attribute to one and only one being the great power and majesty that they saw must belong to divinity. There were, however, men who perceived the μικρολογία [“mean conception”] these philosophers had of God, and saw that the existence of God was less certain if divinity were attributed to many than if to one only. “Therefore (whether through divine or human agency I will not now consider, as I will discuss that point presently), they arrived at the opinion that there is one and only one God, though such is the sluggishness and carelessness of the human intellect that they did not think it of any great importance to hold fast to this recognition of God, but, content to have recognized the fact and satisfied with themCf. Zwingli’s On the providence of God, in vol. 2 of this series, pp. 128-234.
selves for this, they scorned to live according to His will. And this we see the general body of Christian scholars doing even now, zealously disputing about the word and the true worship of God, but in fact not becoming one whit better men. The foundation on which they all build is what Paul wrote in Rom. 1, 19: “That which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.” Here I will treat in passing what I held back above. We here see plainly that that knowledge of God which we credit to some natural agency is really from God. “For God,” Paul says, “manifested it.” And what else is natural agency than the constant and uninterrupted operation of God, His disposition of all things? And whence, pray, comes our intellect but from Him, who “worketh all things in all” [I Cor. 12: 6]? Now Paul in this passage conformed somewhat to the usage of the Gentiles in speaking of God, not because he holds the view that our knowledge of God proceeds from human reason, but because this was the view of the Gentiles, between whom and the Jews he is here acting as mediator. Hence he carefully adds, “God manifested it unto them.” Following his example, I have begun with the questions of God’s existence and nature, in order that I may be more easily understood by those who have derived their knowledge of God from man rather than from God. Now I come back to Paul’s words, that “the knowledge of God was manifest even in the Gentiles, for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him,” he says, “are clearly seen, being understood by the things that were made from the foundation of the world, even his power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse, because they indeed knew God, but Blagified him not as God, neither were thankful; nay rather me vain in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened. And though in their own judgment they were wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God for the likeness of an image not merely of mortal man, but even of birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things, ete.” Therefore, that God exists was generally acknowledged among all the heathen, but in widely different ways. Some came to the recognition of one God but did not worship Him as they ought; though of these there were very few. Others, see-
ing clearly a might and power grander than that of man, recognized that this was God. They did not, however, regard it as the one only Power, but turned to themselves for a conception of what kind of being God was. So they, first of all, divided Him into many, because they were incapable of comprehending His infinite power; and presently they clothed these many with different forms according to their own imaginations. Hence the worship of idols and spirits, who cunningly made themselves such as poor mortals in their poor wisdom had installed as gods and distinguished with various forms. Thus I think it is clearly apparent that nearly all the heathen have agreed in acknowledging that God exists, though some have made Him many, others have made Him fewer, and a very few have made Him one. Yet from slowness of mind and confidence in their own wisdom they have disregarded Him, have held such views of Him as pleased them, and likewise have worshipped Him as they chose. On this subject not only our people but also the philosophers have written lengthy volumes.
Now the faithful (for this is the generally accepted term for believers or pious persons, or worshippers of the true God) are by virtue of this one thing faithful, because they believe in one only true and omnipotent God and have faith in Him only. Furthermore, how it comes about that the pious hold this view of God, and do not, after the fashion of the heathen, make just any unknown power God, is easy for a pious man to explain: It comes about through the power and grace of Him in whom we believe; for as far as the nature and endowment of man are concerned, there is no difference between the pious man and the impious. Accordingly, in the realm of error in regard to gods, anything that could happen to one man could happen to any other, unless there were some higher power to call and attach to itself the human heart, which has no natural aversion to those who are most completely in error. Here, then, the first traces of faith and piety disclose themselves. It is not the fact, as most men have thought, that the faithful become faithful because they hear Moses say [Gen. 1:1], “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”; for those are numberless who hear this but do not believe the