“I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior.”
Isa. 43:11
“To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?”
Isa. 40:18
“And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty…”
Ex. 34:6,7
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Subsections
The Father
The Son
Holy Spirit
Autotheos
Pure Act
Simplicity
Affections of
Absolute & Relative Attributes
Wrath: Not Properly in God
Power
Justice
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Order of Contents
Freedom of 1
God Repenting 3
Historical 32+
Latin & French 12+
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Articles
See also ‘Commentaries on the Apostles’ Creed’ on ‘I believe in God’ and ‘Almighty’ and ‘Expositions of the Lord’s Prayer’ on the 1st Petition and the Conclusion.
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Anthology of the Post-Reformation
Heppe, Heinrich – Reformed Dogmatics ed. Ernst Bizer, tr. G.T. Thomson (1861; Wipf & Stock, 2007)
ch. 4, ‘The Existence & Notion of God’, pp. 47-57
Heppe (1820–1879) was a German reformed theologian.
ch. 5, ‘The Attributes of God’, pp. 57-105
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1500’s
Zwingli, Ulrich – ‘God’ in Commentary on True & False Religion eds. Jackson & Heller (1525; Labyrinth Press, 1981), pp. 58-75
Calvin, John
Instruction in Faith (1537) tr. Paul T. Fuhrman (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1949)
1. ‘All men are born in order to know God’ 17
3. ‘What we must know of God’ 19-21
ch. 1. ‘Of the Knowledge of God’ in Institutes of the Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition tr. Elsie A. McKee (1541; Eerdmans, 2009), pp. 23-47
Institutes of the Christian Religion tr. Beveridge (1559), bk. 1
1. ‘Connection between the Knowledge of God & the Knowledge of Ourselves. Nature of the Connection’ 47
2. ‘What it is to Know God. Tendency of this Knowledge’ 51
3. ‘The Human Mind naturally imbued with the Knowledge of God’ 55
4. ‘This Knowledge stifled or corrupted, ignorantly or maliciously’ 59
5. ‘This Knowledge of God displayed in the fabric & constant Government of the Universe’ 64
6. ‘The need of Scripture as a Guide & Teacher in coming to God as a Creator’ 83
Ch. 10 Attributes
Ch. 13.1 Essence
Ch. 17.2 Providence
Ch. 18.3-4 Will
“John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion… is the all-time classic on the Reformed doctrine of the knowledge of God. The entire structure of Institutes is organized around how God is to be known as Father, Son and Spirit.” – Joel Beeke, Reader’s Guide, p. 3
Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, trans. J. K. S. Reid (London: James Clarke and Company, 1961), pp. 105-09, 182-85
Bullinger, Henry – 3rd Sermon, ‘Of God; of the True Knowledge of God & of the Diverse Ways how to Know Him; that God is One in Substance & Three in Persons’ in The Decades ed. Thomas Harding (1549; Cambridge: Parker Society, 1850), vol. 3, 4th Decade, pp. 123-73
Melanchthon, Philip – 1. ‘Of God’ in Melanchthon on Christian Doctrine, Loci Communes, 1555 tr. Clyde L. Manschreck (1555; NY: Oxford Univ. Press, 1965), pp. 3-11
Musculus, Wolfgang – Common Places of the Christian Religion (1560; London, 1563)
‘God’ 1.a
1. ‘Whether there be a God’ 1.b
2. ‘Who is God’ 3.a
3. ‘What God is’ 3.b
4. ‘Of what quality God is’ 4.b
‘Of what manner sort God is in the consideration of his essence’ 5.a
5. ‘In what sort God is concerning his substance or person’ 5.b
‘In what sort God is in consideration of nature’ 8.a
‘How great God is’ 8.b
Name of God 367.a
What the name of God is 367.a
What it is to do anything in the name of God 367.b
To whom it belongs to do anything in the name of God, and to whom not 368.a
Nature of God 372.a
What nature is 372.a
Whether that nature have any place in God 372.b
How many sorts of natures there be 373.a
Whereby the nature of God may be known 373.a
Of what quality the nature of God is 374.a
Whether that God do communicate his nature unto his works 374.a
Sufficiency of God 377.a
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
Will of God 386.a
That the will of God towards us is to be considered two ways 386.b
That the will of God is the foundation of faith, godly life and of our salvation 387.b
Whereby the will of God may be known 388.a
What it is to do the will of God 389.a
Whether the will of God be the cause of all 389.a
Whether we may seek the cause of God’s Will 391.a
Whether the will of God may be hindered or letted 392.a
Truth of God 393.a
What is the difference of the truth of God and that of creatures 393.b
How many kinds of truth there be in God 394.a
That it is very hard for few to come unto the knowledge of God’s truth 394.b
How men may come unto the knowledge of God’s truth 395.a
What is the efficacy of the truth 396.b
What is the lot or hap of the truth of God in this world 397.b
That all things are to be suffered for the truth 398.a
Whether that the truth may be overcome 398.b
Goodness of God 399.a
That God is good 399.a
What it is to be good 399.b
Whether God only be good 399.b
That the goodness of God is immutable and everlasting 400.b
That there be two considerations of God’s goodness 401.a
How many ways we do offend against the goodness of God 401.b
Lovingness of God towards Man 402.b
Whether that love do agree unto God 402.b
Which be the kinds of God’s love 403.b
The first sort of God’s love 403.b
The second sort of God’s love 404.a
The third sort of God’s love 404.a
The fourth kind of God’s love 405.a
The fifth kind of God’s love 405.b
Of that which the schoolmen do say, that man knows not whether he be worthy of love or of hate 406.a
Of the causes of this doubt 408.b
Of the false persuasion of the love and grace of God which agrees not to the faithful of Christ 411.a
Mercy of God 411.b
What mercy is 411.b
That God is merciful 412.a
How mercy agrees unto God 412.b
Of whence mercy is in God 413.b
What is the operation of God’s mercy 414.b
Upon whom God has mercy 415.a
That the time of mercy is one and the time of judgment another 416.a
Power & Governance of God 417.a
Of the dominion of God 417.a
Of the power of God 418.b
Justice of God 420.b
That God is just 420.b
What it is to be just 421.a
How manifold the justice of God is 421.b
What difference is between the justice of God and of man 422.b
Sundry judgments of the providence of God 424.a
What providence is 425.b
Which be the kinds of providence 426.a
The providence of Creation 426.a
Of conservation 426.b
The providence of governance and rule 428.a
That we must not abuse the doctrine of God’s providence 430.a
How the providence of God does agree with hap and chance 432.b
Of the Presence of God 433.b
That God is present everywhere 433.b
How God is present everywhere 434.b
How it is said that God is specially anywhere, and to be in some men to be present to dwell in them and to be joined unto them 436.a
What is the use of this place 437.a
Anger of God 437.a
That God is angry 437.b
How anger is attributed unto God 438.a
That the anger of God is of three sorts 439.a
That God is slow unto anger 439.b
How grievous the anger of God is 441.a
By what sins God is most stirred to anger 441.b
What be the tokens of God’s anger 442.b
Whether the anger of God may be appeased, and how it may be appeased 444.a
‘Judgments of God’ 445.a
What judgment is 445.a
That the judgments of God be of two sorts 445.b
That the causes of God’s judgments ought not to be searched 446.b
What is the use of God’s judgment in this world 448.b
Of the extreme and Last Judgment 449.b
Of the tokens going before the latter judgment 450.a
‘Of the Knowledge of God’ 452.a
What things be requisite to the true knowledge of God 452.b
How men may come to the knowledge of God 455.a
What the knowledge of God works in man 455.a
That the knowledge of God is imperfect in this life 456.a
Vermigli, Peter Martyr – The Common Places… (d. 1562; London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 1
ch. 12, ‘Of Sundry Things Attributed unto God, & the Holy Trinity; where his Godhead is Proved to be in the Son & in the Holy Ghost’ 99-110
Beza, Theodore
A Brief & Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith made in Form of a Confession (London, 1562)
Ch. 1, 1. Of the Unity of God
Ch. 3
3. God is Perfectly Just & Merciful
4. God is Immutable
5. The Counsel of God does not Exclude the Second Causes
Ch. 7, 1. The Papists worship a false God which is neither righteous nor merciful
pp. 2-3 in A Book of Christian Questions & Answers… (London, 1574)
Becon, Thomas – 1. ‘Of God’ in Prayers & Other Pieces by Thomas Becon (d. 1567; Cambridge: Parker Society, 1844), The Common Places of Holy Scripture, pp. 297-304
Becon (c. 1511-1567) was an Anglican reformer, clergyman and a chaplain to Thomas Cranmer. He was initially significantly influenced by Luther, and then Zwingli.
Viret, Pierre – A Christian Instruction… (d. 1571; London: Veale, 1573)
The Sum of the Principal Points of the Christian Faith
4. Of the principal points whereupon the true Christian faith is builded: and first of the unity of God 5-6
The Summary of the Christian Doctrine, set forth in Form of Dialogue & of Catechism
Of the Unity and Trinity in the divine essence
A Familiar Exposition of the Principal Points of the Catechism
5th Dialogue
Of the Unity & Trinity that is in the Essence of God
Of the Difficulty that is in this Matter
12th Dialogue
Of the True Knowledge of God proper only to his Elect, and of the general which is common to all men
How that the True Knowledge of God comprehends both the understanding and the will
The Exposition of the Preface of the Law
Of the name ‘Eternal’ which is ‘Jehova’ in Hebrew, given to God
In what sort God is generally called the God of all men, and chiefly the God of his chosen people
Olevian, Caspar – An Exposition of the Apostle’s Creed (London, 1581), pt. 1
Testimonies out of the prophets and apostles of the nature of God and of the creation of all things
The description of God
The profit of this description of God
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).
Ursinus, Zachary
The Sum of Christian Religion: Delivered… in his Lectures upon the Catechism… tr. Henrie Parrie (d. 1583; Oxford, 1587)
1st Part of the Creed, Of God the Father, Creator
Of God
1. Whether there be a God
2. Who and what God is
. An explication of the description of God delivered by the Church
3. Whence it may appear that there is but one God
4. What these words ‘Essence,’ ‘Person’ & ‘Trinity’ betoken & signify
5. What difference between Essence and Person
6. Whether these names are to be used in the Church
7. How many persons there be of the Divinity or Godhead
8. How the Three Persons of the Godhead are distinguished
9. Wherefore this doctrine is to be held and maintained in the Church
4. Of God & the True Knowledge of Him in Rules & Axions of Certain Chief Points of Christianity in A Collection of Certain Learned Discourses… (Oxford, 1600)
Zanchi, Girolamo – Confession of the Christian Religion… (1586; Cambridge, 1599)
ch. 2, ’Of God, & of the Divine Persons & Properties’ 10-14
. On Aphorism 1 276
. On Aphorism 3 277
ch. 3, ’Of the Foreknowledge & Predestination of God’ 14-18
‘Certain Positions’ ‘Of the Nature, Singularity & Immeasurableness of One True God [& Against Ubiquity]’ (1573) 371-76
Students of Geneva – chs. 1-9 of Propositions & Principles of Divinity… (God, Trinity, Father & Son, Holy Ghost, Attributes, Omnipotency, Knowledge, Will, Love & Mercy) (1591)
These were disputations held under the presiding of professors Theodore Beza and Anthony Faius.
Ursinus, Zacharias – ‘Concerning the One True God’ & ‘Of God the Father’ in Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, pp. 121-140 Buy (d. 1583; 1591) trans. George W. Williard
Zanchi, Jerome
‘Observations on the Divine Attributes; Necessary to be Premised in order to our Better Understanding the Doctrine of Predestination’ prefixed to The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination, pp. 1-37 trans. Augustus Toplady (1769)
Zanchi (1516-1590)
Of the Eternal Omnipotency of One True God, Year 1575 in H. Zanchius his Confession of Christian Religion… (1599), pp. 377-84
Beza, Theodore, Anthony Faius & Students – 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)
1. ‘God’ 1-3
5. ‘Of the Attributes of God in General’ 10
6. ‘Of the Omnipotence of God’ 12
7. ‘Of the Knowledge that is in God’ 13
8. ‘Of the Will of God’ 15
9. ‘Of the Goodness, Grace, Love & Mercy of God’ 16
Virel, Matthew – 1. Of the Knowledge of God, who being perfectly just, and perfectly merciful, does never exercise his mercy, but He does also exercise his justice in A Learned & Excellent Treatise Containing All the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion (London, 1594), bk. 1
Virel (1561-1595)
Polanus, Amandus – pp. 1-14 of Substance of Christian Religion Soundly set forth in Two Books, by Definitions & Partitions… (London, 1595)
Perkins, William
An Exposition of the Symbol, or Apostles’ Creed… (Cambridge, 1595)
‘God’, p. 19
‘God’s Omnipotency’, p. 43
‘God’s Counsel [Foreknowledge & Will]’, p. 54
Perkins (d. 1602) was an influential, puritan, Anglican clergyman and Cambridge theologian.
The Foundation of Christian Religion, Gathered into Six Principles an appendix to A Golden Chain (Cambridge: Legat, 1600)
1st Principle: God
1st Principle Expounded
A Golden Chain (Cambridge: Legat, 1600)
2. Of God & the Nature of God
3. Of the Life of God
4. Of God’s Glory & Blessedness
‘Of Theology’ in An Abridgement of the Whole Body of Divinity (1654) by Thomas Nicols, being extracts from Perkins’ writings (by Nicols) laid out in systematic form
.
1600’s
Bucanus, William – ‘Of God’ in Institutions of Christian Religion Framed out of God’s Word… (1602; London, 1606), pp. 1-13
Bucan (d. 1603) was a professor of divinity at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bucanus, William – 1. ‘Of God’ in Institutions of Christian Religion... (London: Snowdon, 1606), pp. 1-13
How do you prove that there is a God?
Show me the principal reasons to prove there is a God
Which is the book of Scripture?
How many ways has the Lord revealed Himself in the books of Scripture?
By what oracles?
By what testimonies?
What is that which is reported, Ps. 14.1, ‘The fool has said in his heart, there is no God?’
‘But no man has seen God at any time’
What things are we to know concerning God?
What is God?
Is there one God only, or whether there be more?
How is God said to be one?
Why does the Scripture make mention of Elohim, ‘gods’, joining that word with the plural as well as singular?
How many ways is the name of ‘God’ taken in the Scriptures?
Be there any parts or kinds of God?
Are there any causes of God?
Is there any accident in God?
Seeing the essence of God is most simple, in what respect do power, goodness, justice, wisdom and mercy differ in God?
How many sorts are there of God’s attributes?
Are there any effects of God?
How are the gentiles said to be without God (Eph. 2:12) seeing they adored so many gods?
Yet they acknowledged God the Creator of heaven and earth
Do you not by this make both Jews and Turks, atheists?
What use make you of the knowledge of God?
What things are repugnant to the doctrine of God?
Trelcatius, Jr., Lucas – bk. 1, ch. 3, ‘Of God & the Attributes of God’ of A Brief Institution of the Common Places of Sacred Divinity… (London, 1610), pp. 51-81
Trelcatius Jr. (1573-1607) was a professor of theology at Leiden. Robert Bellarmine was a prominent Roman Catholic apologist.
Rogers, Thomas – Article 1, ‘Of Faith in the Holy Trinity’ of An Exposition of the 39 Articles, pp. 35-46
Rogers (1553-1616) was an Anglican clergyman and, unfortunately, an early opponent of Nicholas Bownde in the Sabbatarian controversy. Augustus Toplady praised Rogers’ Exposition.
Ames, William – The Marrow of Theology tr. John D. Eusden (1623; Baker, 1997), bk. 1
ch. 4, ‘God & his Essence’, pp. 83-88
ch. 5, ‘The Subsistence of God’, pp. 88-91
ch. 6, ‘The Efficiency of God’, pp. 91-94
Ames (1576-1633) was an English, puritan, congregationalist, minister, philosopher and controversialist. He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the reformed and the Arminians. Voet highly commended Ames’s Marrow for learning theology.
Becanus, Martin – Summa Theologiae Scolasticae (d. 1624; Leiden, 1683), pp. 23-24 tr. Michael Lynch
First Tract on God & the Divine Attributes,
Ch. 1, Divine Attributes
Q. 1, ‘Whether the Divine Attributes are to be Distinguished from the Nature of the Thing Among Themselves & from the Divine Essence?’, pt. 1, 2, 3
Becanus (1563-1624) was a Romanist Jesuit and professor of theology.
Q. 4, ‘Whether God and the blessed in heaven are able to rationally distinguish the divine attributes as we do?’, pt. 1, 2
ch. 2, Divine Simplicity, pt. 1, 2
ch. 3, Divine Perfection
ch. 4, Goodness of God
ch. 5, Infinity of God, pt. 1, 2
ch. 6, Immensity of God, pt. 1, 2, 3
Downame, John – bk. 1, ch. 1, ‘Of God the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost’ in The Sum of Sacred Divinity Briefly & Methodically Propounded: More Largely & Clearly Handled & Explained (1625)
Polyander, Rivet, Walaeus, Thysius – Disputation 6, ‘About the Nature of God & his Divine Attributes’ in Synopsis of a Purer Theology Buy (1625)
Wolleb, Johannes – bk. 1, ch. 1, ‘Of the Essence of God’ in Abridgment of Christian Divinity Buy (1626)
This work is also in Reformed Dogmatics: Seventeenth-Century Reformed Theology, ed. John Beardslee.
Ball, John – pp. 60-82 of A Short Treatise containing All the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion, by Way of Questions & Answers… (1631)
Wendelin, Marcus Friedrich – Christian Theology 3rd ed. (1634)
God’s Nature & Properties Outline
Nature of God
Primary Attributes of God, pt. 1, 2
Secondary Attributes of, pt. 1, 2, 3, 4
Wendelin (1584-1652)
Maccovius, John – ch. 4, ‘On God’ in Scholastic Discourse: Johannes Maccovius (1588-1644) on Theological & Philosophical Distinctions & Rules (1644; Apeldoorn: Instituut voor Reformatieonderzoek, 2009), pp. 107-27
Maccovius (1588–1644) was a reformed, supralapsarian Polish theologian.
Ussher, James
A Body of Divinity, or the Sum & Substance of the Christian Religion Buy modified by Hastings Robinson (1645; London, 1841)
ch. 2, ‘Of God & his Attributes, Perfection, Wisdom & Omnipotence’
ch. 3, ‘Of God’s Goodness & Justice, & the Persons of the Trinity’
ch. 4, ‘Of the Unity of God, & the Persons of the Trinity’
Cheynell, Francis
The Divine Trinunity of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit (1650)
ch. 1, ‘The Godhead is Spiritual, Infinite, Incomprehensible’
ch. 2, ‘God is the First, Eternal & Independent Being, the Fountain of All Being & Well-Being, & therefore cannot but Be, Exist & Persist in Being’
Cheynell was a Westminster divine.
Binning, Hugh – Sermons 7-13 in The Common Principles of the Christian Religion in Works Buy (1653)
Lyford, William – ch. 2, ‘Errors Against the Nature & Essence of God, & Against the Trinity, Answered & Cleared’ in The Instructed Christian, or the Plain Man’s Senses Exercised to Discern Both Good & Evil, being a discovery of the Errors, Heresies & Blasphemies of these Times, & the Toleration of them… (†1653)
Leigh, Edward –A System or Body of Divinity… (London, A.M., 1654), bk. 2
2. What God is 132-36
3. That God is a Spirit, Simple, Living, Immortal 136-42
4. That God is Infinite, Omnipresent, Eternal 142-50
5. That God is Immutable 150-52
6. That God is Great in his Nature, Works, Authority, a Necessary Essence, Independent & Wholly One 152-60
7. Of God’s Understanding, that He is Omniscient, & of his Will 160-67
8. Of God’s Affections, his Love, Hatred 167-70
9. Of the Affections of Anger & Clemency, given to God Metaphorically 170-72
10. Of God’s Virtues, particularly of his Goodness 172-75
11. Of God’s Grace & Mercy 175-81
12. Of God’s Justice, Truth, Faithfulness 181-86
13. Of God’s Patience, Long-suffering, Holiness, Kindness 186-91
14. Of God’s Power 191-94
15. Of God’s Glory & Blessedness 194-204
Norton, John – chs. 1-5 (Essence, Trinity, Christ, Decree, Efficiency) of The Orthodox Evangelist, or a Treatise wherein Many Great Evangelical Truths are Briefly Discussed, Cleared & Confirmed (1654)
Norton (1606-1663) was a New England puritan who wrote the biography of John Cotton.
Lawson, George – chs. 3-9 of Theo-Politica, or, a Body of Divinity containing the Rules of the Special Government of God Buy (1659)
Arrowsmith, John – Aphorisms 3-5 in A Chain of Principles (1659)
Pearson, John – pp. 23-106 of ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven & Earth’ in An Exposition of the [Apostles’] Creed 1st ed. (1659) See also an analysis of this section by W.H. Mill.
Pearson (1613–1686). This exposition of the Apostle’s Creed was the most widely used Anglican body of divinity in the post-Restoration (1660) Church of England. Pearson was somewhat reformed.
Baxter, Richard – A Treatise of the Knowledge of God & the Impression which it must make upon the Heart; & its Necessary Effects upon our Lives (London, 1664) ToC being the first treatise in The Divine Life in Three Treatises (London, 1664)
Voet, Gisbert – Disputation on the Ways of Knowing God, pt. 1 tr. Michael Lynch (1665)
Rijssen, Leonard – ch. 3, ‘God’ in A Complete Summary of Elenctic Theology & of as Much Didactic Theology as is Necessary tr. J. Wesley White MTh thesis (Bern, 1676; GPTS, 2009), pp. 28-45
Rijssen (1636?-1700?) was a prominent Dutch reformed minister and theologian, active in theological controversies.
Owen, John
ch. 12, ‘Self-Abasement Before the Majesty of God’ in Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers in Works, 6.63-70
Vindiciae Evangelicae; Or the Mystery of the Gospel Vindicated & Socinianism Examined in Works, 12.108-40
ch. 4, ‘Of the Attribution of Passions & Affections, Anger, Fear, Repentance unto God’
ch. 5, ‘Of God’s Prescience or Foreknowledge’
ch. 5, ‘Whether the Will and Purpose of God may be Resisted, and He be Frustrate of his Intentions’ of A Display of Arminianism in Works, 10.43-52
A Dissertation On Divine Justice, pp. 482, 500-24, 541-69, 583-97, 618-24 in Works, vol. 10
‘The True Nature of Gospel Forgiveness–Its relation to the Goodness, Grace & Will of God…’ in A Practical Exposition Upon Psalm 130, on v. 4, pp. 398-404 in Works, vol. 6
Sermon II of The Strength of Faith in Works, vol. 9, pp. 37-45
Polhill, John – chs. 3-6 of A View of Some Divine Truths (1678)
Polhill (c.1622-c.1694) was a hypothetical universalist.
Leighton, Robert – Lecture 7, ‘Of the Being of God’ in Theological Lectures in Works, vol. 4 (d. 1684)
Leighton (1611-84) was a reformed, evangelical and pious Scottish bishop.
Watson, Thomas – pp. 30-76 of A Body of Practical Divinity Buy (d. 1686) Lectures on the Shorter Catechism
Turretin, Francis – Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr. (1679–1685; P&R, 1992), vol. 1, 3rd Topic
4. ‘Is his name so peculiar to God alone as to be incommunicable to creatures? We affirm against the Socinians.’ 183
5. ‘Can the divine attributes be really distinguished from the divine essence? We deny against the Socinians.’ 187
6. ‘Is the distinction of attributes into communicable and incommunicable a good one? We affirm.’ 189
7. ‘Is God most simple and free from all composition? We affirm against Socinus and Vorstius.’ 191
8. ‘Is God infinite in essence? We affirm against Socinus and Vortius.’ 194
9. ‘Is God immense and omnipresent as to essence? We affirm against Socinus and Vorstius.’ 196
10. ‘Does the eternity of God exclude succession according to priority and posteriority? We affirm against the Socinians.’ 202
11. ‘Is God immutable both in essence and will? We affirm.’ 204
12. ‘Do all things fall under the knowledge of God, both singulars and future contingencies? We affirm against Socinus.’ 206
19. ‘Is vindictive justice natural to God? We affirm against the Socinians.’ 234
20. ‘How does the goodness, love, grace and mercy of God differ from each other?’ 241
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
van Mastricht, Peter – Theoretical-Practical Theology ed. Joel Beeke, tr: Todd Rester (RHB, 2018), vol. 2, Faith in the Triune God, pt. 1, bk. 2
2. ‘The Existence & Knowledge of God’ 43
3. ‘The Essence & Independence of God’ 73
4. ‘The Names of God’ 95
5. ‘The Attributes of God in General’ 113
6. ‘The Spirituality & Simplicity of God’ 129
7. ‘The Immutability of God’ 153
8. ‘The Unity of God’ 165
9. ‘The Infinity & Greatness of God’ 181
10. ‘The Immensity & Omnipresence of God’ 193
11. ‘The Eternity of God’ 211
12. ‘The Life & Immortality of God’ 229
13. ‘The Intellect, Knowledge & Wisdom of God’ 251
14. ‘The Truthfulness & Faithfulness of God’ 279
15. ‘The Will & Affections of God’ 293
16. ‘The Goodness of God’ 325
17. ‘The Love, Grace, Mercy, Longsuffering & Clemency of God’
18. ‘The Righteousness of God’ 383
19. ‘The Holiness of God’ 407
20. ‘The Authority & Power of God’ 425
21. ‘The All-Sufficiency or Perfection of God’ 453
22. ‘The Majesty & Glory of God’ 469
23. ‘The Blessedness of God’ 482-97
Heidegger, Johann H. – 3. ‘On the Existence & Divinity of God’ in The Concise Marrow of Theology tr. Casey Carmichael in Classic Reformed Theology, vol. 4 (RHB, 2019), pp. 21-29
.
1700’s
à Brakel, Wilhelmus – Ch. 3, ‘The Essence of God’ in The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 1, pp. 83-138 Buy (1700) trans. Bartel Elshout
Howe, John
‘The Attributes & Perfections of the Divine Being in Nine Lectures on Mt. 5:48’ in The Principles of the Oracles of God in The Works of the Rev. John Howe, Complete in Two Volumes, vol. 2 (New York: John P. Haven, 1835), Lectures 17-25, pp. 1,103-1,132
Howe (1630-1705) was an English dissenting minister.
Christian Theology: Selected & Systematically Arranged ed. by Samuel Dunn (1836) This is an anthology of Howe’s writings put together as a systematic theology by Dunn.
ch. 2, ‘God’
ch. 3, ‘Attributes of God’
Witsius, Herman – Dissertations 4-7 of Sacred Dissertations on the Apostle’s Creed, vols. 1 Buy
Gastrell, Francis – Book 1, ‘Of the Existence & Attributes of God’ in The Christian Institutes: being a plain and impartial account of the whole faith and duty of a Christian (1709)
Gastrell was a reformed Anglican.
Edwards, John
Theologia Reformata: or, The Body & Substance of the Christian Religion, vol. 1 (1713)
On the First Article of the Creed
Discourse 1, ‘The Being of God’, Heb. 1:6
Discourse 2, ‘The Divine Attributes’, Ps. 8:9
Discourse 3, ‘Of God’s Providence’, Mt. 10:29-30; 1 Pet. 5:7
John Edwards (1637–1716) was a reformed Anglican, the son of Thomas Edwards, who wrote the famed book ‘Gangraena’ in the 1640’s.
Pictet, Benedict
Christian Theology d. 1724
bk. 1, chs. 1-3
bk. 2, chs. 1-8
Pictet was the Swiss professor of divinity in Geneva after Turretin. He was the last to hold the orthodox faith there before the rise of the Enlightenment.
Willard, Samuel – Sermons 12-30 in A Complete Body of Divinity in 250 Expository Lectures on the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism (d. 1707; 1726)
Willard was a New England puritan.
Boston, Thomas – pp. 79-154 in A Complete Body of Divinity upon the Shorter Catechism, vol. 1 Buy (1732)
Ridgley, Thomas – Questions 7-8 of A Body of Divinity, vol. 1 (d. 1734)
These were sermons preached through the Larger Catechism.
Tennent, Gilbert – Sermons 4-21 in Twenty-Three Sermons upon the Chief End of Man, the Divine Authority of the Sacred Scriptures, the Being & Attributes of God, & the Doctrine of the Trinity, pp. 86-419 (1744)
Brown of Haddington, John – bk. 2, ch. 1, ‘Of the Nature or Perfections of God’ in A Compendious View of Natural & Revealed Religion Buy (1782)
Venema, Herman – Translation of Hermann Venema’s inedited Institutes of Theology tr. Alexander W. Brown (d. 1787; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1850)
5. God (Names of, Names of Essence, Proper Names, Appellatives, Aleim, Jehovah, El-Shadai, Adonai, Jah, Nature of God, Perfect, Spiritual, Independent Cause of All, Attributes of, Essence & Life, Simplicity) 119
6. Attributes of God (Independence, Eternity, Immutability, Understanding, Knowledge, Object of, Extent, Manner, Will, Object of, Acts, Perfection) 138
7. God (Holiness proved by Reason, Conscience & Scripture, Goodness of, its Object, Acts, Foundation, Distinguished into Beneficence & Complacency, Veracity of, Justice of, its Objects, Acts & Foundation, Legislative & Remunerative, Socinian Objections) 161
8. God (Affections of, Socinian Interpretation, How Affections Ascribed, Division of, Hatred, Anger, Repentance, Scorn, Grace, Compassion, Longsuffering, Joy, Relation of to God & External Things) 180
Venema (1697-1787) was a professor at Franeker. Venema “maintained the fundamental line of confessional orthodoxy without drawing heavily on any of the newer philosophies… and maintained a fairly centrist Reformed position. Venema… evidence[s] the inroads of a rationalistic model…” – Richard Muller
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1800’s
Dwight, Timothy – Sermons 4-16 of Theology: Explained & Defended in a Series of Sermons, vol. 1 (d. 1817)
Dwight followed in the steps of the New England school after Jonathan Edwards. He denied the imputation of Adam’s guilt to his posterity, but other than that, he was pretty good. Joel Beeke has a very good introduction to his life and theology in the Solid Ground Christian Books reprint of this text.
Alexander, Archibald – 5. ‘Attributes’ in God, Creation & Human Rebellion: Lecture Notes of Archibald Alexander from the Hand of Charles Hodge (1818; RBO, 2023), pp. 75-96
Dick, John
Lectures on Theology Buy (1834)
Dick was an orthodox Scottish professor of theology in the Secession tradition.
Bogue, David – Lectures 4-23 in Theological Lectures, vol. 1 (1849)
Bogue was a Scot who became a congregationalist in England and wrote the 3 volume, History of the Dissenters.
Wardlaw, Ralph – Lectures 20-30 in Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (d. 1853)
Wardlaw (1779-1853)
Hodge, A.A.
Lecture 7, ‘The Attributes of God’ in Outlines of Theology (1860)
A.A. Hodge was the son of Charles Hodge and followed his father as a professor of systematic theology at Princeton.
Lecture 1, ‘God–His Nature and Relation to the Universe’ in Popular Lectures Buy
Breckinridge, Robert – bk. 3, ‘God’ in The Knowledge of God Objectively Considered (1869), pp. 197-315
Thornwell, James H.
Theological Lectures in Collected Writings, vol. 1 Buy (1871)
Lecture 2, ‘The Being of God’
Lecture 4, ‘The Nature & Limits of our Knowledge of God’
Lecture 5, ‘The Names of God’
Lecture 6, ‘The Nature & Attributes of God’
Lecture 7, ‘Spirituality of God’
Lecture 8, ‘The Incommunicable Attributes of God’
Dabney, Robert
Lectures 4-5 of Systematic Theology Buy (1878)
‘Vindicatory Justice Essential to God’ (1881) 17 pp. from Discussions, vol. 1: Theological & Evangelical, ed. C.R. Vaughan (Richmond, VA: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1890), pp. 466-481. Originally published in Southern Pulpit (April, 1881)
Hodge, Charles
ch. 1, ‘God & his Attributes’ in Conference Papers (1879)
Familiar Lord’s Day afternoon addresses to Princeton students, arranged in topical fashion
pt. 1, ch. 5, ‘The Nature & Attributes of God’ in Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (1871)
Shedd, W.G.T. – Dogmatic Theology (New York, 1888), vol. 1, ‘Theology’, pp. 151-94, 334-92
ch. 1, ‘Nature & Definition of God’
ch. 5, ‘Divine Attributes’
Vos, Geerhardus – Reformed Dogmatics tr: Richard Gaffin 1 vol. ed. Buy (1896; Lexham Press, 2020), vol. 1
ch. 1, ‘The Knowability of God’ 11
ch. 2, ‘Names, Being & Attributes of God’ 13-48
Bavinck, Herman – ‘The Knowledge of God’ in Our Reasonable Faith (1956), pp. 24-26
Macpherson, John – chs. 14-20 in Christian Dogmatics Buy (1898)
Macpherson was an eminent professor of Free Church of Scotland.
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1900’s
The Catholic Encyclopedia – ‘The Nature & Attributes of God’ (1907-1912) 42 paragraphs
Berkhof, Louis – pt. 1, The Doctrine of God: the Being of God, chs. 1-7 in Systematic Theology Buy
Helm, Paul
‘Eternal Creation’ Download
“The lecture provides a partial defence of the idea of the timelessly eternal creation of the universe, once commonplace among Christian theologians, but now widely disputed. On such a view God has ontological but not temporal priority over his creation. It is better to stress the negative aspects of divine timelessness than to think of it on analogy with temporal duration. Recent objections to the idea of causation being necessarily temporal are considered and rebutted. Some objections to the idea of God being in time are proposed. Finally, it is argued that the timeless eternity of God fits better with the Nicene doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son.” – Summary
‘The Impossibility of Divine Passibility’ in The Power & Weakness of God: Impassibility & Orthodoxy, ed. Nigel M. de S. Cameron Buy (Edinburgh: Rutherford House Books, 1990), pp. 119-40
Pelikan, Jaroslav – Christianity & Classical Culture: The Metamorphosis of Natural Theology in the Christian Encounter with Hellenism. Gifford Lectures Series Buy (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993), pp. 40-56, 200-14
ch. 3, ‘The Language of Negation’
ch. 13, ‘The Lexicon of Transcendence’
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2000’s
Davidson, Matthew – ‘God & Other Necessary Beings’ 60 paragraphs and a bibliography in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online
“There are various entities which, if they exist, would be candidates for necessary beings: God, propositions, relations, properties, states of affairs, possible worlds, and numbers, among others. Note that the first entity in this list is a concrete entity, while the rest are abstract entities. The main question we will address in this article is: Does God ground the existence of necessarily existing abstract objects?”
Samuel Rutherford’s answer to the question was ‘Yes’, and that abstract objects cannot exist without God. This was contrary to the position of many Romanists and Arminians of his day.
Adeyemi, Seni – ‘Ten Theses on the Essence & Attributes of God’ in ‘Sabbath School, WCF 2.1 (2): The Divine Essence & Attributes’ (2021)
Carter, Craig A. – ‘Denying Divine Eternity: Can Evangelical Theology Resist the Temptation?‘ in The Master’s Seminary Journal, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring, 2022), pp. 147-59
Johnson, Charles – ‘No, Roman Catholic authors are not better on the doctrine of God’ (2023) 10 reasons
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Books
Medieval Age
Anselm – Proslogium, or Discourse on the Existence of God
Anselm (1033-1109)
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1500’s
Morton, Thomas – A Treatise of the Nature of God (London, 1599) 239 pp. ToC
Morton (fl.1596-1599) of Berwick was reformed.
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1600’s
Preston, John – Life Eternal or, A Treatise of the Knowledge of the Divine Essence and Attributes, Delivered in 18 Sermons (1631)
Swinnock, George – The Incomparableness of God in his Being, Attributes, Works & Word in Works, vol. 4, p. 373 ff.
Stock, Richard – A Stock of Divine Knowledge, being a Lively Description of the Divine Nature, or, the Divine Essence, Attributes & Trinity Particularly Explained & Profitably Applied… (1641)
Stock (c.1568-1626) was reformed and a puritan.
Charnock, Stephen – Discourses upon the Existence & Attributes of God, vol. 1 (Existence, Atheism, Spirit, Worship, Eternity, Immutability, Omnipresence, Knowledge, Wisdom), 2 (Power, Holiness, Goodness, Dominion, Patience) (Robert Carter, 1853)
Bates, William d. 1699
Works, vol. 1
Puritan Sermons: The Morning Exercises at Cripplegate, vol. 5 Buy (1659-1689)
Sermon 2, ‘God Is’
Polhill, John – The Divine Will Considered in its Eternal Decrees, & Holy Execution of Them (London, 1673)
Polhill (c.1622-c.1694) was a hypothetical universalist.
Buchius, Paulus – The Divine Being & its Attributes Philosophically Demonstrated from the Holy Scriptures, & Original Nature of things according to the Principles of F.M.B. of Helmont (1693)
Buchius (c.1657-) is listed as reformed by PRDL.
Franciscus Mercurius (Baron) van Helmont (1614–1698) was a Flemish alchemist and writer, the son of Jan Baptist van Helmont. From his early work as a physician, he became a kabbalist and together with Henry More of the Cambridge Platonists he annotated translations of kabbalist texts. Leibniz writing in 1669 took the “Helmontians” seriously, as one of three contending groups in philosophy, the others being the traditionalist followers of Aristotle, and the Cartesians.
In a A Cabbalistical Dialogue (Latin version first, 1677, in English 1682) Mercurius launched a defence of kabbalist metaphysics. The Dialogue puts matter and spirit on a continuum, describing matter as a “coalition” of monads. Physicist and philosopher Max Bernhard Weinstein found this to be a kind of Pandeism.
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1700’s
Hopkins, Ezekiel – Of Glorifying God in his Attributes appended to The Doctrine of the Two Covenants (1712)
Hopkins (1634-1690) was reformed and was an Anglican divine in the Church of Ireland.
Beveridge, William – The Being, Love, and Other Attributes of God; as Our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier: Illustrated in Twelve Sermons (London, 1716)
Beveridge (1637-1708) was a reformed Anglican.
Wishart, William – Theologia: or Discourses of God, delivered in 120 Sermons, vol. 1 (ToC), 2 (ToC) d. 1729
Wishart (1660-1729) was an influential Church of Scotland minister, professor and principal of Edinburgh University. His work is similar to Charnock’s work.
Saurin, Jacques – Sermons, vol. 1, On the Attributes of God of the 8 vol., 1813, 2nd American edition, ed. Robinson
Saurin (1677-1730) was a famed, protestant French preacher.
Abernethy, John – Discourses concerning the Being & Natural Perfections of God, in which that First Principle of Religion, the Existence of the Deity, is proved from the frame of the material world, from the animal and rational life, and from human intelligence and morality. And the divine attributes of spirituality, unity, eternity, immensity, omnipotence, omniscience, and infinite wisdom, are explained, vol. 1, 2
Abernethy (1680-1740) was reformed and was an Irish, presbyterian minister.
De Moor, Bernard – Continuous Commentary
ch. 1, ‘Concerning the Word & Definition of Theology’
15. Idea & Existence of God (in Natural Theology)
ch. 4, ‘On God’
Outline
Reverence in Handling
1. Names of God, pt. 1, 2
2. Is “God” a Name of Essence? or of Office?
3. Categorization of the Divine Names
3. Greek Names for God: Theos
3. Lord
4. Ten Names of God
4. Names of God, Failed Proposals
4. Tidiness of the Ten Names Disrupted
4. Is Sabbaoth properly a Name of God?
5. Hebrew Names for God: El
5. Eloah
5. Shaddai
5. Elyon
5. Adonai
5. Jah
5. Eheyeh [I am that I am]
6. Jehovah
6. Use of Jehovah among the Patriarchs
6. Jehovah, Pronounceable
6. Plausibility of Pronouncing יְהוָֹה as “Jehovah”
6. Defense of the Masoretic Pointing and Pronunciation of Jehovah
6. Vriemoet’s Mediating Position concerning the Pointing of Jehovah
6. Jewish Traditions concerning the Writing of the Divine Name
7. Significance of the Name Jehovah
7. Name Jehovah Proper to God Alone
8. Jewish Misuse of the Divine Name
8. Gentile Misuse of the Divine Name
9. Threefold Communication of the Divine Names
10. Arguments for the Existence of God: Conscience
10. Arguments for the Existence of God: Nature, pt. 1, 2, 3, 4
10. Arguments for the Existence of God: Scripture
10. Spanheim’s Arguments for the Existence of God
10. Buddeus on the Insanity of Atheism
11. Definition of God?
11. Incomprehensibility of God
12. Definition of God? (revisited)
13. Spiritual Nature of God
14. “God is a Spirit” Jn. 4:24
14. God’s Spirituality Argued from His Perfection
14. Ancient Anthropomorphites
14. More Modern Anthropomorphites
14. Spinoza’s Problematic Definition of God, pt. 1, 2
14. Answering the Anthropomorphites
15. Against Images of God
15. God as Substance/Essence
15. God as Living
15. God as Intelligent Substance
16. God as Willing Substance
16. God as Omnipotent Substance
17. Rabbis on the Attributes of God
18. Infinity & Perfection of the Divine Being, pt. 1, 2
19. Classification of God’s Attributes: Proper & Metaphorical
19. Negative & Positive
19. Absolute & Relative
19. Internal & External
19. Communicable & Incommunicable
20. Independence of God
21. God’s Independence in Existence & Essence
21. God’s Independence in His Faculties & Operations
21. God’s Power, Actual & Absolute
21. God’s Absolute Power & Mt. 3:9
22. Limitations on God’s Absolute Power?
22. Calvin & the Scholastic Definition of Absolute Power
23. Arguments for the Simplicity of God: A Priori
23. A Posteriori
23. Against Gentile Polytheism
23. Against Tritheism
23. Against Manichean Dualism
24. Against Socinian Unitarianism
24. Against Composition in God
24. Divine Simplicity Defended against Socinians & Vorstius
24. Divine Simplicity Defended against Remonstrants
25. Against Pantheism
25. Not Composition of God with the Creature
26. Immutability of God
26. Immutability Applied to God’s Existence & Essence
26. Impassibility of God
27. God’s Immensity & Omnipresence Proven from Scripture
27. God’s Immensity & Omnipresence Confirmed by Reason
27. God’s Immensity & Omnipresence Defended against the Socinians
28. Divine Omnipresence in the Hand of the Philosophers
28. Omnipresence not Diffusion
29. God Alone Omnipresent
30. Immensity of God
30. Controversy over Immensity between the Lutherans & the Reformed
31. Eternity of God
31. God’s Eternity Harmonized with His Other Most Glorious Attributes
31. Defining God’s Eternity
32. Divine Eternity without Succession (against Socinians), pt. 1, 2, 3
32. Answering Objections to God’s Successionless Eternity
33. Eternity Proper to God Alone
34. Divine Knowledge
35. God’s Knowledge, a Most Pure Act
35. God’s Knowledge Eternal & Self-Sufficient
35. Perfection of God’s Knowledge
35. Perfection of God’s Knowledge Asserted from Hebrews 4:13
35. Perfection of God’s Knowledge Asserted from Romans 11 (by Voetius)
36. God’s Knowledge of All Things
36. God’s Knowledge of Himself
36. God’s Knowledge of All Things Possible, & of All Universals & Particulars
36. God’s Knowledge of Thing Great & Small, Good & Evil
36. God’s Knowledge of the Hidden Things of the Heart
36. God’s Knowledge of Free & Contingent Futures
36. The Socinian Denial of God’s Knowledge of Free & Contingent Futures
36. Remonstrant Hesitation concerning God’s Knowledge of Free and Contingent Futures
36. Answering Objections to God’s Knowledge of Free & Contingent Futures, pt. 1, 2, 3
37. God’s Knowledge of Vision, & of Simple Intelligence
37. Defense of God’s Knowledge of Vision, & of Simple Intelligence
38. Advocates of the Doctrine of Middle Knowledge
38. Verbal Dispute among the Reformed over Middle Knowledge
38. Middle Knowledge: Definitions & Clarification of the Question
38. Refutation of the Doctrine of Middle Knowledge
39. Answering the Molinists, pt. 1, 2
40. God’s Knowledge not properly the Cause of Things
41. Intrinsic & Essential Goodness of God
41. Benignity of God toward the Creature
41. God’s Love of Benevolence & Complacency
42. Grace of God
42. Classes & Categories of Grace (featuring Sufficient & Efficacious)
43. Mercy of God
44. Patience of God
45. God’s Essential Righteousness
45. God’s Dominical Righteousness
45. God’s Unfailing Truth & Faithfulness
46. God’s Remunerative Justice
46. Answering Objections to God’s Remunerative Justice
47. God’s Vindictive Righteousness, Natural rather than Volitional
47. God’s Vindictive Righteousness & the Three Forms of Unity
47. Controversy among the Reformed over God’s Vindicatory Righteousness, pt. 1, 2, 3
48. God’s Absolute Right & Authority over All His Creatures
Theological Disputation on Vindicatory Righteousness as Essential to God
Justification for Writing
Universal & Particular Righteousness
Socinian Position
Controversy among the Reformed
Array of Arguments
Argument from Ex. 34:7
Argument from Ps. 5:4-6
Argument from Ps. 9:4; 11:5-7; etc.
Argument from Various Passages
Vindicatory Acts & Essential Righteousness
Vindicatory Acts & Essence, Ps. 50:21
Hab. 1:13
Testimony of Conscience, pt. 1, 2, 3, 4
Satisfaction of Christ, pt. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Summary of Arguments
Additional Arguments
Against the Socinians, pt. 1, 2, 3
Against Twisse
Conclusion
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1800’s
Carson, Alexander – The Knowledge of Jesus, the Most Excellent of the Sciences (New York, 1855)
“Carson’s volume is misnamed; it contains a classic presentation of God’s attributes with little focus on Christ until the last chapter.” – Joel Beeke, Reader’s Guide, p. 1
Phillip, Robert – The Eternal, or ‘The God of our Fathers’ as Revealed in his Word & Works (1874)
Bavinck, Herman – The Doctrine of God Buy 407 pp.
“A scholarly exposition from the Reformed standpoint.” – Cyril J. Barber
Candlish, James S. – The Christian Doctrine of God in ed. Dods & Whyte, Handbooks for Bible Classes & Private Students (1888) 155 pp.
Candlish (1835–1892) was a minister in the Free Church of Scotland, the son of the leader, Robert S. Candlish.
Jukes, Andrew – The Names of God in Holy Scripture: a Revelation of his Nature & Relationships; Notes of a Course of Lectures (1889)
Jukes (1815-1901) was initially a curate in the Church of England who became a baptist and then joined the Plymouth Brethren, though he would eventually leave them as well in founding an independent chapel. He was an influence upon Hudson Taylor.
“…these devotional studies center in the Old Testament, are less complete than Stone’s Names of God [below], and are very pedantic.” – Cyril J. Barber
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1900’s
Pink, A.W. – The Attributes of God (1930)
Baillie, John
Our Knowledge of God (Oxford, 1939)
“A moderately evangelical treatment which focuses upon religious experience and epistemology.”- Cyril J. Barber
The Sense of the Presence of God (1961)
Baillie (1886-1960) was the son of Free Church minister John Baillie (1829-1891) and was born in the Free Church manse in Gairloch, Wester Ross. Baillie became a minister in the Church of Scotland and a professor of divinity in the University of Edinburgh.
Stone, Nathan – Names of God (Moody Press, 1944)
“This work by a Hebrew Christian focuses upon the names of God in the OT and shows them to be rich in meaning and of great significance.” – Cyril J. Barber
Hoeksema, Herman – Reformed Dogmatics Buy This is now being published in a 2 vol. edition.
Hoeksema (1886-1965) was one of the founding ‘fathers’ of the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC), a Dutch denomination in America.
“Standard Reformed dogmatics often have valuable sections on the doctrine of God. Herman Hoeksema, Reformed Dogmatics… is particularly moving on God’s attributes.” – Joel Beeke, Reader’s Guide, p. 1
Due to Hoeksema’s tendency towards hyper-calvinism, his significant errors regarding covenant theology and his adamant denial of common grace, this systematic is not entirely recommended.
“Hoeksema’s variance with the Westminster standards may be seen on many points of doctrine. But more that disagreement on a number of individual points, there is a systemic contrast. His opposition to the free offer is not incidental to his theology, but is integral to his wide-ranging reconstruction of covenant theology.” – Sherman Isbell, ‘Samuel Rutherford and the Preached Covenant’ in ed. Vogan, Samuel Rutherford – An Introduction to his Theology (Scottish Reformation Society, 2012)
Tozer, A.W.
The Knowledge of the Holy (1961)
Tozer (1897-1963) was not reformed. He was an American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor. He received two honorary doctoral degrees.
Henry, Carl – God, Revelation & Authority, 6 vols. Buy (1976-1983) vols. 2, 5 & 6 are especially relevant.
Henry was an influential evangelical of the mid-1900’s and professor of theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. His work is massive, philosophical and something of a bedrock in its field.
Muller, Richard – Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 3: The Divine Essence & Attributes Buy (1987) 605 pp. ToC
Muller is one of the world’s leading reformed historians. This set is why. Muller analyzes and summarizes both the reformation and later puritan theology of the 1500-1600’s in the layout of the first part of a systematic theology.
Packer, J.I. – Knowing God Buy (1993)
“If you have never read a book (other than the Bible) about God and His attributes, begin with Packer’s. It’s already a classic. Part 1 deals with the blessings and benefits of knowing God; Part 2 with who God is in His attributes; Part 3 with the effect God’s being and attributes should have on our lives.” – Joel Beeke, Reader’s Guide, p. 2
Storms, C. Samuel – The Grandeur of God: a Theological & Devotional Study of the Divine Attributes Buy (1984)
“Tozer is the most inspiring; Pink, the most experimental; Packer, the most practical; Storms, the most theological.” – Joel Beeke, Reader’s Guide, p. 2
Frame, John M. – The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God in A Theology of Lordship (Presbyterian & Reformed, 1987) 455 pp. ToC
Bray, Gerald
The Attributes of God: an Introduction Pre (Crossway)
The Doctrine of God Buy (1992) 285 pp. ToC
God is Love: a Biblical & Systematic Theology Buy (2012) 768 pp.
‘The Trinity: Where do we go from here?’ in ed. McGowan, A.T., Always Reforming: Explorations in Systematic Theology Buy (2007) 365 pp.
editor, We Believe in One God (Ancient Christian Doctrine) Buy (2009) 201 pp.
Bryant, Al – Sermon Outlines on the Attributes of God Pre (Kregel, 1993)
van den Brink, Gijsbert – Almighty God: a Study of the Doctrine of Divine Omnipotence in Studies in Philosophical Theology Pre Buy (Pharos, 1993)
Ch. 2 is a historical survey from the early Church to the 1600’s. The book also includes a conceptional analysis and a systematic evaluation of the doctrine in chs. 3-4.
Helm, Paul – Eternal God: A Study of God Without Time Buy (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997) 225 pp. ToC
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2000’s
Olsson, Philip R. – Timelessly Present, Compassionately Impassible: a Defense of Two Classical Divine Attributes PhD diss. (Claremont Graduate University, 2021) 380 pp.
Beeke, Joel & Paul Smalley – Reformed Systematic Theology, vol. 1: Revelation & God Buy 2019
Barrett, Matthew – None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God Buy (Baker, 2019) 304 pp.
This work has been commended by reformed authors such as, Carl Trueman, Scott Swain and J.V. Fesko, as well as Tim Challies.
White, Thomas Joseph – The Trinity: On the Nature & Mystery of the One God in Thomistic Resourcement Series Ref (Catholic University of America Press, 2022) 734 pp.
White is a Romanist of the Dominican Order.
“…there are some stellar Roman Catholic theologians today, despite being critically wrong on some key doctrines. What Reformed theologian today can hold a candle to Thomas Joseph White on the doctrine of God?” – Mark Jones
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On the Freedom of God
Aquinas, Thomas – Contra Gentiles, Bk. 2
23. ‘That God does not Act by Natural Necessity’
24. ‘That God acts conformably to His wisdom’
25. ‘How the omnipotent God is said to be incapable of certain things’
26. ‘That the divine intellect is not confined to limited effects’
27. ‘That the divine will is not restricted to certain effects’
28-29. ‘How dueness is entailed in the production of things’
30. ‘How absolute necessity can exist in created things’
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On God Repenting
See also, ‘What Anthropopathisms Positively Teach about God’.
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Articles
1500’s
Vermigli, Peter Martyr – The Common Places… (London: Henrie Denham et al., 1583), pt. 1
‘How much the remembrance of wrath, and the affect of repentance is attributed unto God’ in 12. ‘Of the Name of Jehovah, & of Sundry Attributes of God’ 109-10
18. ‘How it may be said that God does repent, and does tempt’ 206
.
Latin Article
Burman, Francis – ‘Of the Acquiescence & Repentance of God’ in A Synopsis of Theology, and especially of the Economy of the Covenant of God, from the beginning of ages to the consummation of all things (Utrecht, 1671), vol. 1, bk. 1, locus 2, ‘Of God’, ch. 23, ‘Of the Attributes of the Divine Will, which are called Affections’, pp. 133-34
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Historical Theology
Ancient to Modern
Gwatkin, Henry Melville – The Knowlege of God & its Historical Development, vol. 1 & 2 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1906) ToC
“…is a rather sketchy series of lectures notable for its bias against scholastic developments, whether medieval or post-Reformation, for its rather shallow philosophizing, and for its frequent neglect of the sources.” – Richard Muller, PRRD (2003), 3.24
Kirk, Kenneth E. – The Vision of God: the Christian Doctrine of the Summum Bonum; the Bapton Lectures for 1928 (Longmans Green, 1934) ToC
This is mainly, in 8 lectures, a survey of the doctrine from the Old Testament to the early 1900’s.
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Ancient to Medieval
Sweeney, Leo – Divine Infinity in Greek & Medieval Thought Ref Buy (P. Lang, 1998) 576 pp.
“This volume was inspired by Etienne Gilson’s query, made in the early 1950s, as to why medieval authors spoke of God’s being as infinite, a statement found neither in Judaeo-Christian scriptures nor in Greek philosophy… It concludes that infinity is predicated of God not only extrinsically, but also intrinsically: His very being is infinite – a predication resting on an Aristotelian theory of act/potency or on a Platonic version of participation.”
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Early Church to 1600’s
van den Brink, Gijsbert – ch. 2, ‘Historical Location’ in Almighty God: a Study of the Doctrine of Divine Omnipotence in Studies in Philosophical Theology Pre Buy (Pharos, 1993), pp. 43-115
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The Early Church
Tolley, William Pearson – The Idea of God in the Philosophy of St. Augustine PhD diss. (NY: Richard R. Smith, 1930) 220 pp. ToC
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Medieval Church to the Post-Reformation Era
Pesch, Otto Hermann – The God Question in Thomas Aquinas & Martin Luther Buy Ref (Fortress Press, 1972) 38 pp.
Muller, Richard – Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics: the Rise & Development of Reformed Theology, ca. 1520 – ca. 1725, vol. 3 (The Divine Essence & Attributes) 2nd ed. Buy (Baker Books, 2003) 600 pp.
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Medieval Church
Articles
Sweeney, Leo – ‘Bonaventure & Aquinas on the Divine Being as Infinite’ The Southwestern Journal of Philosophy, vol. 5, no. 2, Aquinas & Bonaventure (d. 1274) (Summer, 1974), pp. 71-91
Balas, David L. – ‘A Thomist View on Divine Infinity’ Pre in Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, vol. 55 (1981)
Goff, J. Isaac – ch. 8, ‘Divine Infinity in Bonaventure’s Disputed Questions on the Mystery of the Trinity’ Pre in Ordo et Sanctitas: The Franciscan Spiritual Journey in Theology & Hagiography (Brill, 2017), pp. 165-85
Maurer, Armand – ch. 16, ‘The Role of Infinity in the Thought of Francis Meyronnes’ in Being & Knowing: Studies in Thomas Aquinas & Later Medieval Philosophers (Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 1990), pp. 333-61
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Books
Hankey, W.J. – God in Himself: Aquinas’ Doctrine of God as Expounded in the Summa Theologiae Ref Buy in Oxford Theology & Religion Monographs (Oxford Univ. Press, 1987) 196 pp. See the Introduction.
“…Roman Catholic scholars have tended, however, to isolate his [Aquinas’s] philosophical theology from its neo-Platonism, while others have treated the various parts of his Summa Theologiae without regard to their historical context. Dr Hankey’s main contention is that Aquinas was less of an Aristotelian than is commonly supposed, and that a proper appreciation of his work requires us to take fuller notice of his reliance on neo-Platonism… The author supports his position by making a careful analysis of the first 45 questions of the Summa Theologiae.”
Wass, Meldon C. – The Infinite God & the Summa Fratris Alexandri [the Summa of Brother Alexander] (Chicago, 1964) 101 pp. ToC
Alexander’s Summa was published in 1245. According to Leo Sweeny, it contains “a rather highly advanced theory of divine infinity”.
Hoenen, M.J.F.M. – Marsilius of Inghen: Divine Knowledge in Late Medieval Thought in Studies in the History of Christian Thought, vol. 50 Buy Ref (Brill, 1992) 287 pp.
Wippel, John F. – The Metaphysical Thought of Thomas Aquinas: From Finite Being to Uncreated Being Pre in Monographs of the Society for Medieval & Renaissance Philosophy, no. 1 (Catholic Univ. of America Press, 2000)
Vater, Carl A. – Divine Ideas: 1225–1325 PhD diss. (Catholic University of America, 2017) 595 pp.
Absract: “A theory of divine ideas was the standard Scholastic solution to the question ‘How does God know and produce creatures?’ Such a theory was only held to be successful if it upheld the nobility of God’s perfect knowledge without violating his supreme simplicity and unity. The theories of divine knowledge coming from philosophers like Aristotle, Avicenna, and Averroes, which posit no divine ideas, uphold divine simplicity, but seem to compromise the nobility of divine cognition because they are forced to say either that God does not know creatures at all, or that he only knows them in a universal (and therefore imperfect) or indeterminate way. They also seem to compromise divine causality because they have to posit either necessary (as opposed to voluntary) or mediated (as opposed to immediate) creation. Yet, positing multiple ideas in God as Augustine does seems contrary to divine simplicity.
Faced with these difficulties, the medieval Schoolmen were forced to articulate very precisely how God can know and create a multiplicity of creatures without jeopardizing the divine simplicity. A complete explanation of how God knows and produces creatures requires the Schoolmen to answer a number of questions… These questions cause Scholastics to articulate clearly, among other things, their positions on the nature of knowledge, relation, exemplar causality, participation, infinity, and possibility.”
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From the Reformation to the Modern Era
te Velde, Dolf – The Doctrine of God in Reformed Orthodoxy, Karl Barth & the Utrecht School: a Study in Method & Content Pre Pre 2 (Eburon, 2010; Brill, 2013)
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On the Reformation
On Calvin
On God
Warfield, B.B. – ‘Calvin’s Doctrine of God’ in Calvin & Augustine ed. Samuel Craig (P&R, 1971)
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On the Knowledge of God
Articles
Warfield, B.B. – ‘Calvin’s Doctrine of the Knowledge of God’ in Calvin & Augustine, ed. Samuel Craig (reprint, Philadelphia: P&R, 1956)
Muller, Richard – ”Duplex cognitio dei’ in the Theology of Early Reformed Orthodoxy’ (1979) 12 pp.
The Latin means ‘the two-fold knowledge of God’, referring to Calvin’s phrase and idea that:
“…in the fashioning of the universe as in the general teaching of Scripture the Lord shows himself to be simply the creator. Then in the face of Christ he shows himself the Redeemer.”
Steinmetz, David – ch. 2, ‘Calvin & the Natural Knowledge of God’ in Calvin in Context (Oxford, 1995), pp. 23-40
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Books
Kantzer, Kenneth S. – John Calvin’s Theory of the Knowledge of God & the Word of God Ref a Ph.D. diss. (Harverd Univ. Press, 1952)
Kantzer (1917-2002) was a professor of biblical and systematic theology and academic dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) from 1960-1978.
Dowey, Jr., E.A. – The Knowledge of God in Calvin’s Theology (1952; reprint, NY: Columbia Univ. Press, 1965) 275 pp. ToC Tinged with Neo-Orthodoxy
Parker, T.H.L. – The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God: a Study in the Theology of John Calvin (Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1952) 130 pp. ToC Tinged with Neo-Orthodoxy
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On the Power of God
Steinmetz, David – ch. 3, ‘Calvin & the Absolute Power of God’ in Calvin in Context (Oxford, 1995), pp. 40-53
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On Justice
Schreiner, Susan – ‘Exegesis & Double Justice in Calvin’s Sermons on Job’ in Church History, 58, no. 3 (Sep., 1989), pp. 322-38
“Briefly, the concept of double justice posits a higher hidden justice in God which transcends the Law and could condemn even the angels. This idea appears in Calvin’s works before the sermons on Job but always grows out of his fascination with Job 4:18, namely that even the angels are not clean in God’s sight… which proved that creaturely justice cannot satisfy the justice of God… But when he tried to develop double justice as a hermeneutical key to the book of Job as a whole, the text led him in a direction he did not want to go.” – p. 322
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On Knox
Kyle, Richard – ‘The Divine Attributes in John Knox’s Concept of God’ Ref in WTJ 48:1 (Spring 1986), pp. 161-72
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On Arminianism
Muller, Richard – God, Creation & Providence in the Thought of Jacob Arminius: Sources & Directions of Scholastic Protestantism in the Era of Early Orthodoxy Buy Ref (1991) 309 pp.
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On the 1600’s
Articles
Truman, Carl – ‘John Owen’s Dissertation on Divine Justice: An Exercise in Christocentric Scholasticism’ in Calvin Theological Journal 33 (1998), pp. 87-103
Shimko, Timofey – ‘John Owen’s Dissertation on Divine Justice: Scholasticism in Subservience to Theology’ a seminary paper (2018) 10 pp.
On pp. 1-3 Shimko surveys scholars on the apparent shift in Owen to more Thomistic metaphysical conceptions of God, which may have led to his change of opinion on whether God must punish sinners, and whether a substitutionary atonement is consequently necessary for the forgiveness of sins.
Beck, Andreas J.
‘Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676): Basic Features of His Doctrine of God’ in eds. Willem J. van Asselt & Eef Dekker, Reformation & Scholasticism: An Ecumenical Enterprise Ref (Baker Academic, 2001), pp. 205-26
‘God, Creation & Providence in Post-Reformation Reformed Theology’ in eds. Lehner, Muller, Roeber, The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Theology, 1600-1800 (Oxford, 2016), pp. 195-213
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Books
Van Ruler, Han – The Crisis of Causality. Voetius & Descartes on God, Nature & Change (Leiden: Brill, 1995) 340 pp. ToC
Beck, Andreas J. – Gisbertus Voetius (1589–1676) on God, Freedom, & Contingency Pre (Brill, 2022) 600 pp. ToC
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On the 1800’s
Article
Eitel, Adam – 3. ’Trinity & History: Bavinck, Hegel & Nineteenth Century Doctrines of God’ in ed. John Bolt, Five Studies in the Thought of Herman Bavinck, A Creator of Modern Dutch Theology (Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press, 2011), pp. 101-28
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Latin
Articles
1600’s
Lubbertus, Sibrandus – Second of the Theological Disputations, On God & his Attributes (Franeker, 1609)
Lubbertus (c.1556-1625) was a Dutch, reformed theologian and was a professor of theology at the University of Franeker for forty years from the institute’s foundation in 1585. He was a prominent participant in the Synod of Dort (1618–1619).
Thysius, Sr., Antoine – Sixth of the Theological Disputations, on the Nature of God & the Divine Attributes (Leiden, 1620)
Thysius (1565–1640) was a Dutch, reformed theologian and professor at the University of Harderwijk and the University of Leiden.
Diodati, Giovanni – A Theological Disputation On God (Geneva, 1625)
Diodati (1576-1649) was a Genevan-born Italian, reformed theologian and translator. He was the first translator of the Bible into Italian from Hebrew and Greek sources.
Alsted, Henry
ch. 3, ‘God’ in Distinctions through Universal Theology, taken out of the Canon of the Sacred Letters & Classical Theologians (Frankfurt: 1626), pp. 15-29
Theological Common Places Illustrated by Perpetual Similitudes (Frankfurt, 1630)
ch. 1, ‘On the Knowledge of God’, pp. 3-7
ch. 3, ‘On God’, pp. 16-27
Voet, Gisbert
I. ‘Of God’ in Syllabus of Theological Problems (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 1, tract 2 Abbr.
1, Whether there may be a God?
. What is God?
2. Names of God in General & Specific
3. Attributes of God in General
4. Attributes of God in Specific
1st Kind
(1) Unity of God
(2) Primacy
(3) Simplicity
(4) Perfection
(5) Infinity
(6) Immensity
(7) Eternity
(8) Invisibility & Incomprehensibility
(9) Immutability
2nd Kind
(1) Intellect or Knowledge [Scientia] of God
. Appendix: Of Ideas in God
(2) Will of God
(3) Grace of God
(4) Mercy of God
(5) Righteousness of God
. Appendix: On the Right of God
(6) Veracity of God
. Appendix: Of Falsity
(7) Power of God
(8) Goodness of God
(9) Love of God
Appendix: Hatred & Wrath of God
(10) Patience of God
(11) Majesty of God
(12) Glory of God
(13) Life of God
(14) Blessedness of God
Select Theological Disputations (Utrecht: Waesberg, 1648-1669)
vol. 1
13. ‘Of the One & Most Simple Essence of God’, pp. 226-46
14. ‘Of the Knowledge [Scientia] of God’, pp. 246-64
vol. 4
p. 749 of 49. ‘A Disputation: Some Miscellaneous Positions’
‘Of the knowledge of God & its opposites’ in 50. ‘A Syllabus of Questions on the Decalogue’, ‘On the 1st Commandment’, p. 773
vol. 5
Problems on God, pt. 1 48
. pt. 2 57
. pt. 3 66
. pt. 4 76
. pt. 5 84
. pt. 6 92
. pt. 7 99
. pt. 8 113
. pt. 9 123-36
On the Ways of Knowing God, pt. 1 455
. pt. 2 462
. pt. 3 470
. pt. 4 477
. pt. 5 484
. pt. 6 491
Wendelin, Marcus Friedrich – ch. 1, ‘Of the Nature & Properties of God’ in Christian Theology (Hanau, 1634; 2nd ed., Amsterdam, 1657), bk. 1, ‘Knowledge of God’, pp. 40-91
Forbes, John – bk. 1, ‘On God’ ToC in Historical & Theological Instructions on Christian Doctrine, the Varied State of Things, on the Errors & Controversies that have Arisen… (Amsterdam, 1645), pp. 1-76 This work was commended by Polyander, Trigland, Spanheim, Voet, Maets, Hoornbeeck, Cloppenburg, Coccejus and Maresius, as well as Gerhard Vossi, an Arminian.
Forbes (1593-1648) was one of the Aberdeen doctors. He held to episcopacy, defended the Five Articles of Perth (which introduced five innovations in worship) and argued that the Scottish National Covenant (1638) was unlawful.
This work of his gained him the reputation of being one of the greatest theologians of the reformed Church. The covenanters ‘acknowledged his orthodoxy and high Christian character’, according to the DNB. Rutherford critiques him in Divine Right of Church Government (1646) on pp. 652-53 and in the Appendix on kneeling for the Lord’s Supper, the nature of indifferent matters and Church authority.
Wettstein, Gernler & Buxtorf – A Syllabus of Controversies in Religion which come between the Orthodox Churches & whatever other Adversaries, for material for the regular disputations… customarily held in the theological school of the academy at Basil (Basil, 1662)
3. God
The One Essence 9
The Three Persons 11
Luthardt, Christoph – A Theological Disputation on the Attributes of God in General, and Those which are Incommunicable in Specific (Bern, 1662)
Luthardt (1590-1663) was a reformed professor of philosophy and theology at Bern, Switzerland.
Wyss, David – A Theological Disputation on the Divine Attributes, in General & in Specific (1676)
Wyss (1632-1700) was a reformed professor of philosophy, Hebrew, theology and catechetical theology at Bern, Switzerland.
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1700’s
Roy, Albert (1663-1733)
Of the Existence of God, or Against Atheism (1723)
Of the Unity of God & of Polytheism (1718)
Of the Intelligent & Spiritual Nature of God (Bern, 1717)
Of the Eternity, Existence from Himself & Immutability of God (Bern, 1717)
Of the Omnipotence of God
Of the Omnipresence & Immensity of God
Of the Truthfulness of God
Of the Knowledge of God
Of the Will of God (Bern, 1717)
Roy (1663-1733) was a reformed, professor of Hebrew, Catechesis and theology at Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Books
1500’s
Zanchi, Jerome – Of the Nature of God, or of the Divine Attributes, in 5 Books (Heidelberg, 1577) 719 pp.
Zanchi (1516-1590) was an Italian, protestant Reformation clergyman and educator who influenced the development of Reformed theology during the years following John Calvin’s death.
Table of Contents
Book 1
1. Of the Necessity of the Knowledge of the Attributes of God
2. Of the Layout of the Whole First Book
3. Of the Term, Distinction and Difference of the Divine Names
4. Of the Ten Divisions of the Divine Names
5. Of the General Use of All the Divine Names
6. Whether any name may be conjoined to God which from created things may be discerned and may become known to us
7. Whether any name that may be fitting to God, that [Greek], of Him may be predicated?
8. Whether some names may be properly declared of God?
8. Whether so many various names which are spoken of God, may so far conflict with his unity & simplicity?
8. Whether all names which are predicated of God are synonyms?
8. Whether it be becoming to call God by the names of the most vile creatures?
9. Whether that which is predicated of the creatures, all the same may even be able to be predicated of the Creator, & vice-versa?
10. Whether that which is predicated of God, & yet at the same time of the creatures, may be predicated univocally, equivocally, or truly analogically?
11. Of the True Signification of the Principal Names of God & of the use of the varied sentiment of the Doctors
12. Of the name Elohim
13. Of the name YHWH
14. Of the name I Am
15. Of the name Shaddai
16. Of the name Theos & Deus
17. Of the name Kurios, or Dominus
18. Of the names by which God is described in Ex. 34
Book 2
1. Of the Nature of God in General
2. Of the Simplicity of God
3. Of the Eternity of God
4. Of the Immutability of God
5. Of the Life of God
6. Of the Immensity & Infinity of God
7. Of the Perfection of God
8. Of the Blessedness of God
Book 3
1. Of the Omnipotence of God
2. Of the Knowledge [Scientia] or Wisodm, & Foreknowledge of God
3. Of the Truth of God
4. Of the Will of God 297
I. Whether a Will is Truly & Properly Attributed to God in the Scriptures? 298
II. Whether the Will of God Ought to be Sought into by us & in what way it may able to be known by us? 302
III. Whether it is only one will or whether it may truly be multifold? And if multifold, in what way multifold? And further, whether there are many wills? 307
IV. Further, of what is the will of God? Of good only, or truly also of evils? And hence whether it is the cause of all things? 317
V. Further, what difference is there between the will by which it wills good things and by which it wills evil things? We are not able, in fact, to simply exclude the will of God from evil, unless we deny his foreknowledge and omnipotence, and by that his providence and deity. 332
VI. In what way He wills: whether out of necessity or truly in all liberty? 332
VII. Whether those things which He wills, He may establish by necessity so that they may be and may come about? 335
VIII. Whether God may will some new thing, or whether whatever He wills, He may have willed from eternity? 336
IX. Whether the will of God may be impeditively changed, or whether it may be wholly immutable, and hence whether it may always come about? 338
X. Whether the will of God ever conflicts with itself , when He commands something which yet He does not will to come to be, or whether the same may always abide in consistency to Him? 345
XI. Whether a cause to the divine will ought to be inquired into & whether such is able to be? 348
XII. Whether God’s will may always be just & the rule of all justice? 370
XIII. Whether our wills hold in conformity to the divine will, & by what way that may be? 369
XIV. What is it to do the will of God? 371
XV. Whether the will of God may be able to be a will of any created substance, so that the will in Christ, by which God so willed, may have been one and the same with that by which the man so willed? 375
Book 4
1. Of the Goodness of God
2. Of the Grace of God
3. Of the Love of God
4. Of the Mercy of God
5. Of the Righteousness [or Justice] of God
6. Of the Wrath of God
7. Of the Hatred of God
8. Of the Lordship of God
Book 5
1. Of the Providence of God
2. Of the Predestination of God
3. Of the Book of Life
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1600’s
Broecker, Frederik – An Antidote to Principal Errors, Comprehending a Tract on God, or of the Nature & Attributes of God… (Amsterdam, 1612) 102 pp.
Broecker (-1627) was reformed.
Sachse, Karl – A Disquisition on the Essential Attributes of God, Infinite & Uncreated, None of a Finite & Created Nature by a Participative Communication, Against Balthasar Meisner (Frankfurt, 1616)
Sachse (1558-1616) is listed as reformed by PRDL, though it is also noted there that this is uncertain. Meisner (1587-1626) was Lutheran.
Maresius, Samuel – bk. 1, ‘Of God & his Attributes’ in The Hydra of Socinianism Expunged, vol. 1 (Groningen, 1651)
1. An addition to the Tract on God 1
2. That God is demonstrated to be from the universal nature of things 3
3. That God is demonstrated to be by the working of his world 8
4. It is Demonstrated in Proceeding in the working of the world that it is understood that God is 21
5. It is displayed that God is out of things proper to Man 49
6. It is displayed by things that God is out of those things which are, or come, before nature 59
7. Of the Names of God 73
8. Of the Name El 75
9. Of the Name Eloah 77
10. Of the Name Adon & Adonai 84
11. Of the Name the Tetragram, vulgarly Jehovah, & something also of the name Jah 89
12. Of the Name Shaddai 113
13. Of the Name Theos 115
14. Of the Name Kurios & Despotes
15. Some Description is given of Deus 147
16. The Distinguishing of the Divine Attributes 152
17. Of the Unity of God 154
18. Of the Eternity of God 171
19. Of the Life of God 195
20. Of the Intellect of God 201
21. Of the Will of God 203
22. Of the Ability of God 220
23. Of the Power of God 242
24. Of the Wisdom of God 320
25. Of the Holiness of God 393
26. Of the Blessedness of God 473
27. Of the Magnitude, Immensity & Omnipresence of God 477
28. Of the Goodness & Gentleness [Clementia] of God, & of its opposite, Severity 500
29. Of those which are Affections in God by likeness (Of the Quasi-Affections of God) 533
30. Of the Love, Grace & Mercy of God, & of their Contraries, of Hate & Wrath 545
31. Of Desire, Hope & Joy, & the contraries of them which are attributed to God in the Sacred Scripture 578
32. Of the Decrees of God 604
Wittich, Christoph – Anti-Spinoza, or an Examination of the Ethics and Commentary of Benedict Spinoza on God & his Attributes (Amsterdam, 1690)
Wittich (1625-1687) was a German-born Dutch theologian. He is known for attempting to reconcile Descartes’ philosophy with the Scriptures.
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1700’s
Holtzfus, Barthold – A Theological Tract on God, Attributes & the Divine Decrees, Three Academic Dissertations (1707) 210 pp.
Holtzfus (1659-1717) was a reformed professor of philosophy and theology at Frankfurt.
Table of Contents
1. Of the Existence of God & of the Engrafted & Acquired Conceptions, & so of Atheism 1
2. Of the Essence, Definition & Perfection of God 15
3. Of the Divine Attributes in General 24
4. Of the Unity, Simplicity, Spirituality, Invisibility & Ineffigability of God 30
5. Of the Truth, Goodness, Primacy & Independency, Infinity, Incomprehensibleness, Eternity, Immensity, & Immutability of God 40
6. Of the Life, Intellect & Knowledge [Scientia] of God 55
7. Of the Distinctions in Divine Knowledge [Scientiae], in Theory & in Practice, Natural & Free, of the Knowledge of Simple Intelligence & Vision, & so of Conditional, Middle Knowledge & of the Wisdom of God 71
8. Of the Will of God & of the Distinctions of the Divine Will 106
9. Of the Affections Attributed to God in Scripture 127
10. Of the Virtues of God 152
11. Of the Power, Glory & Blessedness of God 176
12. Of the Actions & Decrees of God 181
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French
Naude, Philippe – La Souveraine perfection de Dieu dans ses divins attributs et la parfaite intégrité de l’Écriture… défendue… contre toutes les objections du manichéisme répandues dans les livres de M. Bayle (Amsterdam, 1708)
Naudé (1654-1729).
“But the divines… have endeavored to answer all difficulties alledged by him [Mr. Bayle]… Mr. Naude, a learned mathematician of Berlin, and Mr. Placette of Copenhagen, eminent for his learning and piety [in his Response a deux Objections de Mr. B. 8 vo. 1707], have answered on the principles of the Calvinists…” – Anonymous, Vindication of the Divine Attributes, p. 7
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Related Pages