The fourth Chapter. Of Visions; and how, and how much God may bee knowne of men. Out of the booke of Iudges the 6. chapter, vers. 22.
1 NOw the place it selfe putteth vs in remembrance to speake some thing of visions, and in what sort and how much God may be séen of men. But least that this place should be passed ouer without either method or order, I will set foorth certeine distinctions, which I thinke to be néedfull. And first it is supposed, 2 that the knowledge of God is offered vnto the senses or vnderstanding: or else we thinke that it is granted by nature, either else by some prerogatiue and reuelation, beyond the course of nature. And besides this, the knowledge of the substance, nature, and (as I may saie) the verie essence or being of God, differeth from that which consisteth of tokens, arguments, testimonies, & signes of the presence of God. Lastlie, we are to speake either of that knowledge of God, which is expedient for this life; or else of that onlie, which is looked for in the world to come. Wherfore I will begin with the outward senses: & as touching the knowledge of them, thus I affirme: that the nature, substance, 3 and essence of God cannot be reached vnto by the senses. Forsomuch as those things which be perceiuable by the senses, haue no affinitie with God, but are a maruellous distance from him; and to saie the verie truth, the qualities which be of a certeine kind, and are numbered among things accidentall, doo stir vp the knowledge of the senses: wherevnto since that God, who is most pure, is not subiect, it is not possible that he should be knowne by the senses. And that this is true, it is vnderstood by the certeine experience, that euerie man taketh of his owne mind. For it is most certeinlie true, 4 that no man hitherto hath by his senses perceiued him, and yet the Anthropomorphites persuaded themselues, that God might be knowne by the senses; for they attributed vnto God a terrestriall bodie: but their opinion is vtterlie reiected. For the scripture beareth record, 5 that God is a spirit; and it maketh a manifest difference betwéene a spirit and a bodie, when our Sauiour saith; Feele and see, for a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones. 6 And there is no man but knoweth, that a mans bodie, and the parts thereof cannot consist, or be without flesh and bones. Further, the foolishnes of these men herby appéereth, in that there is not a bodie to be found that is absolutelie pure, simple, and vncompounded. For be it of as equal a temperature as may be, yet it hath parts whereof it is co~pounded: & that euerie composition is contrarie to the nature of God, the verie Ethnicke philosophers haue perceiued.
2 But let vs leaue these Anthropomorphites and speake of others, whom Augustine maketh mention of, in his epistle De videndo Deo, 7 to Paulinus. These men (as the scriptures beare record, and the true catholike faith confesseth) beléeue that GOD is altogither most pure, simple, and without bodie; but yet denie not, but that in that blessed state, which we hope for, the saints departed doo behold him with their eies: and therefore they saie, that we are deceiued, in that we wholie measure the state of the life to come, by those things that we sée commonlie doone and exercised here. Wherefore (saie they) although the dull eies of our bodie cannot discerne God, nor the angels, nor spirits; yet being once strengthened with that felicitie, they shall sée them, not by their owne proper nature or power; but they shall haue the brightnes of their sight so lightened, that they shall be able to reach to the verie essence of God. These men perhaps are lesse deceiued than the Anthropomorphites, but yet deceiued. For howsoeuer our eies are to be confirmed, when we shall be in our owne countrie in heauen, yet they shall euen there remaine eies, yea & bodilie eies shall they be, and therfore shall not go beyond the kind & largenes of their owne obiects. Indéed they shall then easilie indure a more persing and greater light, than now they are able to abide with their eies, 8 neither shall the sight of those colours hurt them, which now offend them, yet shall they not reach vnto the essence of God. For none of our bodies shall in that blessed resurrection be so disguised, that they shall either become spirits, or else surcease to be bodies anie longer.