The court of the Gentiles: or A discourse touching the original of human literature, both philologie and philosophie, from the Scriptures, and Jewish church in order to a demonstration, of 1. The perfection of Gods vvord, and church light. 2: The imperfection of natures light, and mischief of vain pholosophie. 3. The right use of human learning, and especially sound philosophie. / By T.G.

Chap. I. The Original of all Arts and Sciences from God.

That there is one first Being God. His infinite perfections and in∣comprehensibility. His Understanding, and eternal Ideas, which are the great Exemplar of all his Creatures. The Divine Wis∣dom impresseth some created Ideas on the creature, conteined in the Law of Nature, whereby all things are governed and dire∣cted to their respective ends. This Light of Nature, is the ob∣jective Idea or matter of all Arts and Sciences; which are but reflexe Images of those natural Ideas which God has imprest on things. The Light of Nature being darkened, God gave a Di∣vine revealed Light, whence Arts sprung.

§. 1. THat there is one, first, eternal, simple, and ab∣solutely necessary Being, whom we call God, is evidently manifest both by sensible and ra∣tional Demonstration. For were there not a first Being, nothing else could be. We may as well, or better doubt of our own beings than of Gods. In things

Subordinate, take away the first, and you take away all the rest: as in motions &c. Neither is it possible to conceive, that a finite, subordinate Being should be independent, or eternal: infinite Contradictions would attend such a position. Therefore this Proposition, God is, is the first truth; whence all other truths flow: & were not this true, nothing else could be true or false, affirmed or denyed. So that Speculative Atheisme is not only unnatural, and monstrous; but very difficult, if not impossi∣ble, to be imprest on a human spirit. For though some have been sufficiently willing, yet have they not been able to raze out those connate, and essential Ideas of a Deity so deeply stampt on their natures. See Derodon L'Atheisme convaincu.

§. 2. God is the most pure, independent, and perfect Act, comprehending all Divine perfection, in his nature, without the least composition of matter, or power, to receive farther degrees of perfection. This Grandeur and sovereign Perfection of God consists principally in his being the first principle and last end of all things: from whom all things at first flow as from the Plenitude of Being: to whom they again have their refluxe, as rivers to the Ocean. So that ev'ry thing is more or lesse per∣fect, as it draws near to God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the first beauty and light; the great Archetype and original Idea of all good; as Pla∣to stiles him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Those Glorious Eminences, and sin∣gular excellences of God, are all comprized in, and drawn from that essential name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Exod. 6.3. as being of himself, and giving being to all things else out of nothing; and able, when he pleases, to reduce all things to nothing: which bespeaks him also infinite, eternal, and immutable in all his perfections. For to make something out of nothing, requires an active power infi∣nitely high, because the passive power is infinitely low, or rather none at all. Again, where there are no bounds to the essence, there can be no bounds to the duration: whence result eternity and immutability.

§: 3. God Being one, pure Act, a simple, infinite Being, can∣not be comprehended by a finite compound capacity; neither can he be truly apprehended but in his own light and workes. Indeed, the knowledge of causes by their effects does comprehend the best, and most certain part of our Philosophy: how much lesse then may we presume to contemplate the first cause; the Father of lights save in his own light, shining in the book of Nature or Divine Revelation? That our natural understanding sufficeth not to penetrate the Divine essence, is evident: because all knowledge supposeth some proportion betwixt the faculty and the object, in order to the reception of its Idea, and image: but the disproportion 'twixt our natural apprehensions and the Divine perfection, is infinite. Yet are we not left destitute of all means for the apprehending the Divine perfections, by way of causali∣ty, negation, and eminence; as he is the first cause of all things, and infinitely distant from all things caused by him: besides his own immediate revelation by his word.

§. 4. God being the first, living, moving, Being and Act, void of all matter, or passive power, he must of necessity also be the first Intelligent. For every thing is by so much the more perfect in Knowledge, by how much the more it partakes of immateriality. In God (who is a pure Act) the intelligent, in∣tellect, intelligible species, the act of understanding, and the thing understood are but one and the same. For God understandeth himself, and all things without himself, which were, or are, or shall be, or may be, under any hypothesis; as also the several 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, modes, orders, and respects of all things among themselves; and that not by species or abstract images received from the ob∣jects, but in the glasse of his own Divine Essence; not successive∣ly, but by one intuition, without discourse: and lastly not in time but in his own eternity. God contemplating himself be∣holds in his Divine Essence or sufficience, by an act of simple in∣telligence, the eternal Archetype and Ideas of all things possible: as also by an act of vision he contemplates all things future in

his will, their efficient cause: as if we could suppose a body full of eyes, it should see all things about it in a moment.

§. 5. God being the first intelligent, and his Divine Essence the universal idea of all things intelligible; it necessarily follows, that the Divine understanding and Decrees be the first, great Exemplar or original idea of all things made. For look, as in every Artificer, who works judiciously, there is an idea preex∣isting in his mind, according to which he frames and formes his work: so with much greater reason must we conceive in God (who produceth all things in the most perfect measure, weight, order, and wisdom) some preexistent Idea, as the Archetype or o∣riginal pattern of all things made. This is that which Plato (re∣ceiving it by Tradition from the Jews) understood by his Uni∣versal Ideas, which he makes to be the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the great Exemplar and image of all singulars. These eternal increated ideas, Plato, in his Parmenides, and else where, termes the Intelli∣gible, ideal world &c. whence it is apparent that these original i∣deas of Divine wisdom are the platforme and measure of all that beauty, light, truth, and wisdom which is lodged in the crea∣ture.

§ 6. Neither are the Divine Decrees, and wisdom only the i∣deal cause or exemplar, but also the effective, productive princi∣ple of all that wisdom, and truth which is impressed on the crea∣tures. God being an increated, infinite Sun of light and wisdom, has shed some raies thereof on all the works of his creation. This whole Machine has some prints and footsteps of the wis∣dom and skill of this great Architect. There is not the most inconsiderable part of this great Universe, but has some beams of Divine Wisdom shining in it. The world is an universal Temple, wherein man may contemplate natural images and pi∣ctures of Divine Wisdom and goodnes. The Sun, Moon and Stars, yea this dul element of the earth, furnisheth us with some Divine Characters, ideas, and representations of eternal Wisdom. Notwithstanding the many monstrous defects of Nature, which

sin has brought upon it, there are a great quantity of productions, which give us almost infinite Marques of that increated wisdom, whereby they were produced. But nothing affords more spark∣ling ideas and images of the Divine Sapience; than the human soul; especially when 'tis clothed with those Divine glorious raies of saving light and wisdom.

§. 7. As the Wisdom of God discovers it self in the fra∣ming and composing all things, so likewise in the ordering and governing of all. This is greatly manifest from the order, har∣mony, beauty and subordination of things. You see how the more imperfect subserve the perfect; the inanimate the animate; as the earth the plant: the animate serves the animal; as the plant is fruitful for the beast: and the animal the rational crea∣ture. Now where there are many things void of understanding, and yet keeping a regular motion and due subordination, there must needs be an infinite wisdom that frames, orders, and dispo∣seth these things. The ordering variety of things to one com∣mon end, cannot proceed but from a Divine Disposition. An established order, and harmony among multiplicity of things void of understanding, cannot flow from any, but infinite understand∣ing. The ordering the world is a work of Intelligence: for or∣der being nothing else but an agreeable disposition of things, ac∣cording to their dignity and usages; it is necessary fot the right disposing of them, to compare them together, and understand their natures, dignity and uses; and then to order them accor∣dingly: which presupposeth a most sovereign intelligence and infinite wisdom.

§. 8. This Divine wisdom which beams forth it self thus in the composing and ordering all things, leaves some created e∣manations of wisdom and order upon the things themselves, whereby they are directed and disposed to those ends and usages, for which they were appointed. This we usually terme the Law of Nature which is (as a statute law) that Ordinance of God, whereby every creature is governed and guided to its respective

end. This Law of Nature, which is deeply engraven on the natures of things, is but the counterpart, or transcript of that E∣ternal Law lodged in the bosom of Divine Wisdom. 'Tis a cre∣ated Idea, objective light, and order stampt on the beings of things, whereby they resemble and answer unto their Arche∣type, that increated idea, and are directed to their several ends answerably thereto. For as God, at his first creation, produced all things by his fiat, or command, so he continues to governe his Creatures to their appointed ends by this Ordinance, Rule or Law of Nature imprest upon their Beings.

§. 9. As this Light of Nature or created Wisdom, which the Father of Lights has imprest upon the natures of things, is but the reflexe irradiation or shine of his eternal increated Wis∣dom; so all human Arts and Sciences, as gathered up into systems, or inherent in mens minds, are but the reflexe ideas or images of that objective light, or internal law engraven upon the beings of things. For all Arts and Sciences (whether active or contem∣plative) are but general ideas or notions: and all notions are but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, pictures and imitations of things: whence the regular use of all Arts, is to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, images, manifestations, or notices of things to the glasse of our understandings. So that look as those created ideas of light and wisdom which lie hid in the creature, are but the parelius or reflexe image of Divine wisdom, that eternal law, and original i∣dea of all truth: So all Arts and Sciences are but the image or likenes of the things they relate unto.

§. 10. Whence it follows, that all human Arts and Scien∣ces are but beams and derivations from the Fountain of Lights, created ideas flowing from, and answering unto that one simple increated eternal idea of Divine wisdom; which shining forth in things, created, receive several forms, shapes, & denominations ac∣cording to their respective natures & Operations: & thence being gathered up, by the inquisitive mind of man, under certain gene∣ral rules and order, they become universal ideas or notions; and

passe under the denomination of Arts and Sciences. So that an Art may be well defined to be an universal idea or image of that statute Law or order, which the Divine eternal Wisdom has stampt upon things; whereby he governs them unto those ends, for which they were appointed.

§. 11. But now man by reason of his fall being greatly wounded in his Intellectuals; and thereby disenabled to contem∣plate that natural Wisdom or objective light, which shines in the book of Nature; it pleased Divine Wisdom to send forth a book of Grace, a more resplendent and bright beam of Scripture Di∣vine Revelation; which as the greater light, irradiates and en∣lightens the world, not only in the more sublime mysteries of Salvation, but also in many natural, historical, moral and civil Truths; which the faint glimmerings of Natures light, burning so dimly in human understanding, could not discover, without the assistant raies of this glorious heavenly Revelation.

§. 12. Hence the scope and tendence of this Discourse, is to Demonstrate, that most of those Arts and Sciences which shone a∣mong the Gentile Philologers and Philosophers, were indeed but Traditional beams o•• Scripture-Revelation. The wisest of the Heathens were fain to light their candles at the fire of the San∣ctuary; to derive their Knowledge from the Oracles of God, seated in the Jewish Church; as it will evidently appear by what ensues.

Notes

• That there is a God.
• The Infinite per∣fection of God.
• St Cyran lettres chrestiennes.
• Exod. 6.3.
• The incompre∣hensibility of God.
• Derodon L'A∣theisme con∣vaincu pag. 4.
• God the first in∣telligent and his Divine es∣sence the first intelligible or original idea of all things.
• Divine wisdom end Decrees the universal idea or exemplar of all things made.
• Plato in Timaeo.
• Divine Wisdom and Will the ef∣fective cause of all that Wisdom and truth which is brancht forth in the Creation.
• Divine Wisdom shining in the ordering and go∣verning things.
• Derodon L'A∣theism con∣vaincu.
• Habitual ideas of Divine wis∣dom stampt on the creature, which we call the Light of Na∣ture.
• Human Arts & Sciences are re∣flexe ideas of those objective ideas and ima∣ges of Divine Wisdom that lye hid in the Crea∣ture.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Human Arts originally beams of Divine Wis∣dom.
• The book of Na∣ture being defa∣ced by sin God sends forth a book of Grace.
• Whence Arts & Sciences sprung.