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Subsection
God: Pure Act
Passive vs. Active Power
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Order of Contents
Articles 10+
Quotes 2
Historical 2
Latin 1
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Articles
See also ‘Commentaries on the Apostles’ Creed’ on ‘Almighty’ and See also ‘Expositions of the Lord’s Prayer’ on the Conclusion.
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1300’s
William of Ockham – 1. The Principle of Absolute Divine Power in The Principles of Theology in Julian Davies, A Compendium of Ockham’s Teachings: a Translation of the Tractatus de Principiis Theologiae (Franciscan Institute, 1998), pt. 1, pp. 7-82
Ockham (c. 1287 – 1347) was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, apologist, and theologian. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought and was at the centre of the major intellectual and political controversies of the 14th century.
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1500’s
Musculus, Wolfgang – Common Places of the Christian Religion (1560; London, 1563)
Omnipotency of God 380.a
Of the difference between might and might 380.b
What is the use of the omnipotency of God 381.a
In what works the omnipotency of God is to be considered 382.b
How necessary the belief of God’s omnipotency is 383.b
Questions of the omnipotency of God 384.b
Power & Governance of God 417.a
Of the dominion of God 417.a
Of the power of God 418.b
Olevian, Caspar – ‘Almighty’ in An Exposition of the Apostle’s Creed (London, 1581), pt. 1
Olevian (1536–1587) was a significant German reformed theologian, and has been said to be a co-author of the Heidelberg Catechism along with Zacharias Ursinus (though this has been questioned).
Zanchi, Girolamo – Confession of the Christian Religion… (1586; Cambridge, 1599)
ch. 4, ’Of the Omnipotence & Will of God’ 19-21
‘Certain Propositions’, ‘Of the Eternal Omnipotency of One True God [& of the Communication of Properties]’ (1575) 377-84
Beza, Theodore, Anthony Faius & Students – 6. ‘Of the Omnipotence of God’ in Propositions & Principles of Divinity Propounded & Disputed in the University of Geneva by Certain Students of Divinity there, under Mr. Theodore Beza & Mr. Anthony Faius… (Edinburgh: Waldegrave, 1591), pp. 12-15
Perkins, William – ‘God’s Omnipotency’ in An Exposition of the Symbol, or Apostles’ Creed… (Cambridge, 1595), p. 43
Perkins (d. 1602) was an influential, puritan, Anglican clergyman and Cambridge theologian.
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1600’s
Alsted, Johann H. – 23. ‘On the Power of God’ in chs. 21-24, pp. 8-9 in Scholastic-Didactic Theology: exhibiting Common Places by a Scholastic Method tr. by AI by Nosferatu Ref (Conrad Eifrid, 1618)
Voetius, Gisbert – Select Theological Disputations, vol. 1, pt. 1 tr. by AI by Onku (Utrecht: Johannes a Waesberg, 1648) Latin
On the Power of God & on the Possible & Impossible, pt. 1 361
. pt. 2 367
. pt. 3 375
. pt. 4 385-396
Leigh, Edward – ch. 14. ‘Of God’s Power’ in A System or Body of Divinity… (London, A.M., 1654), bk. 2, pp. 191-94
Baxter, Richard – sect. 4, ‘Of God’s Relations to the Creature & Denominations (thereupon) in his Power, Knowledge & Will’ in Catholic Theology (London: White, 1675), pp. 6-8
Turretin, Francis – Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr. (1679–1685; P&R, 1992), vol. 1, 3rd Topic
21. ‘What is the omnipotence of God, and does it extend to those things which imply a contradiction? We deny.’ 244
22. ‘What is the dominion of God, and of how many kinds? May an absolute and ordinate right be granted?’ 250
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1700’s
Wishart, William – Discourse 6, ‘Of the Power of God’ ToC in Theologia: or Discourses of God, delivered in 120 Sermons, vol. 1 (d. 1729), pp. 197-243
Wishart (1660-1729) was an influential Church of Scotland minister, professor and principal of Edinburgh University. His work is similar to Charnock’s work.
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Quotes
1600’s
Richard Baxter
Catholic Theology (London: White, 1675)
sect. 3, ‘The several inadequate conceptions which in order make up our knowledge of God’, p. 4, margin note Baxter is arguing that the life of God is more fundamental than his intellect and will.
“It is a great dispute with the Schoolmen: Whether God’s power be anything but his intellect and will, that is, a necessary, distinct, conceptus inadaequatus [inadequate concept] of God (for He is one simple essence). Durandus, bk. 1, dist. 38, quest. 1, justly affirms it. Vasquez, in I. Thom. quest. 23, dist. 102, c. 2, says, Haec sententia nonnullis recentioribus mirum in modum probatur [This opinion is approved in a remarkable manner by several more recent authors]; yet he is against it, though Suarez be for it.
But it is partly by misconceiving of the potentia vitalis in man, as if it were only executive ad extra [unto external things], or in the inferior faculties, and partly on such frivolous reasons as tend also to a denial of his intellection and volition. Methinks, they that acknowledge God’s understanding and will to be analogically so called (man’s being the first which the word signifies, though God’s infinitely more excellent) should on the same reason grant, that vita and potentia activa are terms as applicable to God: for which denomination many reasons and cogent may be given. And I am sure the language of the Scripture and our [Apostles’] Creed will warrant this conception.”
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sect. 4, ‘Of God’s relations to the creature…’
p. 6
“36. The three divine essential principles [Life of God, his intellect and will], related to the creature, ad extra, are denominated: 1. His Omnipotence, 2. His Omniscience or knowledge of them, 3. His Volition and love of them.
He who is Potentissimus [most powerful], perfectly powerful in act, in Himself, is denominated omnipotent, because He can do all things ad extra which belong to power. And he who is Intellectus se intelligens [the intellect understanding Himself] ad intra, is denominated omniscient or knowing all creatures, from the exterior objects. And he who is Voluntas se volens [the will willing itself], or Amor se amans [love loving itself] ad intra, is also denominated willing of exterior things.”
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p. 7, margin note
“That God’s power is infinite, quia est ipsa infinita essentia [because He Himself is an infinite essence], is past doubt: But whether it may be called infinite as respecting outward objects, is disputed:
And some prove the affirmative by asserting infinite objects, but Gregory of Rimini, n. 1, d. 43, q. 2. has reasons too subtle to be here recited: One of them Vasquez uses in 1. Tho. q. 25, d. 103, ch. 2 & disp. 104. See the opinions of Gabriel, Scotus and Thomas on the rule of the name of divine omnipotentce.”
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Historical Theology
On the 1300’s
Gelber, Hester G. – ch. 8, ‘God’s Absolute & Ordained Power’ in It Could Have Been Otherwise: Contingency & Necessity in Dominican Theology at Oxford, 1300-1350 Pre (Brill, 2004), pp. 309-50
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On the Post-Reformation
Muller, Richard – PRRD, vol. 3
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Latin
1600’s
Voet, Gisbert – Select Theological Disputations (Utrecht: Waesberg, 1648), vol. 1
22. ‘Of the Power [Potentia] of God’, pp. 402-9
23. pt. 2, pp. 410-409 irregular page numbering
24. pt. 3, pp. 410-22
25. pt. 4, pp. 422-34
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Related Pages