nothing where it is said Who quickneth the dead and calleth those things that be not as tho' they were The word in Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly is calling the things which are not as things that are and is not That God calleth the things that are not as if they to wit the things that are not were and so he speaketh here of two sorts of things of things that are and of things that are not and these he sets in opposition to each other as in the issue shall appear And when we joyn divers places together where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that are not occur we shall find that this manner of speaking does not intimate things that are not in Being but things that are not present or which are not in esteem as is most evident from 1 Cor. 1.28 where we find the same manner of Speech to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath Chosen things that are not to bring to nought things that are In this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that are not cannot signify things that exist not Because the whole Reasoning of the Apostle shews that he aims at the quite contrary For the intent of the Apostle is to exhort the Corinthians not to make Sects and Divisions supposing Wisdom to consist in a fine quaint Gingle of Words as may be seen verse 10. compared with verse 17. But that the true Wisdom is simple and plain not gaudy and therefore seems foolishness to the Wise ones of the Word v. 15. But these wise Men are says he become Vain and on the contrary the Wisdom of God which the wise Men of the World judged foolishness is Salvation to them that believe v. 19.20 21. But in this wisdom of the World both Jews and Greeks went astray but to them that were called both Jews and Greeks was given the Wisdom of God v. 24. and these called ones are not wise Men according to the Flesh but were esteemed as foolish and weak v. 25.26 27. Yet these Base and Despised ones it was that God chose to confound and bring to nought the wise ones yea the base and these which are not that is them which have neither the Wisdom Honour nor Riches of the World as may be seen from v. 26. hath God chosen and on the contrary the wise Men of the World Which are that is who are esteemed Wise Noble Mighty c. he bringeth to nought From which concatenation is as plain as the Sun that the Apostle in this place does not mean the things which are not in Being but such things as are despised by the World For the Apostle speaks here of two sorts which are both in Being to wit the wise Men of the World and the foolish of the World and of these he says that they are chosen and the other confounded and brought to nought From hence then the Apostle concludes v. 29.30 31. and shews that no flesh that is neither Worldly wise which are nor foolish which are not may boast but in God alone and not in the World And if we will thus Examine the Argument of the Apostle Rom. 4. we shall find that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have the like signification as in 1 Cor. 1. For as the Apostle had there said that both Greeks and Jews without distinction were called of God viz. Those of them that sought not after the Wisdom of the World the scope of the Apostles is to shew Rom. 4. that the Gentiles as well as the Jews are justified by Faith and not by the Works of the Law or carnal Wisdom as may be seen Chap. 3.28 29 30 31. whereupon the Apostle then Chap. 4.1 proves by a Question that they viz. the Jews were not justified by their Works nor have any more priviledge thereby than the Gentiles the reason is because their Father Abraham obtained nothing after the flesh to wit by which he acquired his own Salvation that Abraham ganied nothing after the Flesh the Apostle shews from the 2. to the 9. verses For if Abraham be justified by works saith he then is God obliged to reward him and then is Abrahams righteousness not of Grace But this O ye Jews is most certain according to the Testimony of Holy Writ that Abraham is justifyed by Faith and not by Works and that those only do obtain Salvation to whom God gives it of Grace and not according to their own Merits wherefore ye Jews by being the Children of Abraham after the Flesh have no Prerogative above the Gentiles that you can be justified by the works of the Law And to shew you that the Works of the Law can give you no more Salvation then the Gentiles let us see when it was that God justified Abraham viz. before he received the Law of Circumcision or after v. 9. God pronounced him happy before his Circumcision that is while he was yet a Gentile v. 10. And the Law of Circumcision was unto him but a Sign that he was justified by Faith while he was yet a Gentile v. 11. Wherefore ye Jews go astray from the way and your boasting is vain that ye are Circumcised and the Gentiles Uncircumcised and that ye can attain unto Salvation by that for your Father Abraham was not justified by Circumcision but before it and consequently altho' the Gentiles be Uncircumcised they are not therefore a whit below you but as well Children of Abraham as you if they walk in Father Abrahams Faith because they being Uncircumcised believe as he being Uncircumcised believed For the promise that he should in his Seed possess the World was not given him by the Law of Works or of Circumcision but by Faith and therefore all that Believe are Children of Abraham v. 11.12 13. Let us moreover see whether ye Jews have any more Prerogative then the Gentiles from the Nature of the Law it self to obtain thereby Salvation But if you be Heirs by the Law of Works you have then no need of Faith and you know that you cannot fulfil the Law perfectly but that you do transgress it and consequently cannot thereby receive any reward but punishment and wrath and the Gentiles are not punishable because the Law was not given to them so that the Law is your Burthen and not that you should thereby be justified so your Boasting in the works of the Law in vain because the Law cannot give Salvation and therefore both Jews and Gentiles must receive Salvation of Grace and thus all Believers are Children of the believing Abraham as the Argument runs v. 14.15 16. But it may be said How can the Gentiles possibly become the Children of Abraham The Apostle Answers this Objection v. 17. and shews that that God that set Abraham for a Father of many Nations is able even to cause the dead to live and how does he this thus Only by calling the things which are not as the things which are that is he commands and it
Works the same thing with respect to his own Being that is that he can never change his own Perfection yet it follows not from hence that God does always work the same thing as to his works which he has made As for Example before the World was Created Good produced not any thing that was not his own Being but was Operative in himself i. e. All-suficient For we can conceive or think upon the most perfect being tho' we think not upon his Creatures so that if flows not from the nature of his Being that he must needs always Create As to this distinction betwixt Gods Working with respect to the Working which is in God and his Working with respect to the Works that he makes tho' it seems to say something yet in the ground it says nothing For when we say that God always works the same thing with respect to his Being does not that necessarily imply that God does always work the same thing and always doth that which follows from his perfect Being if therefore it follows from the nature of this Being that he can Create and that he is withal unchangeable both with respect to his Being and to his Working according to § 10. can any thing else follow from hence without destroying the essential immutability of God but that God always Creates It is so impossible to separate these two from each other that if we will assert that God does not always work the same thing we shall in very deed deny the immutability of God which in Words we do confess Besides when we distinguish betwixt Gods Working with respect to his own Being and the Works which he makes and do thence conclude that God can work in himself without bringing forth any thing but his own Being we must consider whence we have this distinction This is certain that we are conscious to our selves that we can think upon a thing without presently executing what we think yea that we can according to our own Will do or omit divers things without considering whether it be regular or no. This forbearing to put in Execution what we have once thought proceeds not so much from our own Will or Choice many times as from a want of Power to do it for the Nature of all men is such that as soon as they have considered that a thing is good or profitable to them they do immediately wish and desire to put it in Execution and because they do many times want power so to do or that long time is thereunto required they do forbear to accomplish their Designs or else if they wanted not for power they would immediatly put them in Execution If any man shall pretend that a Man sometimes considers of things that he can immediatly do and yet forbears the Question is whether those things be good or evil If Good the omission of them is a neglect and a defect in him because it is always necessary that he should do good that is that which the order of things does require for Evil is that which is contrary to the appointed Order and for him to forbear it is wrong We must not feign then from our own deficiency such things in God as are inconsistent with his Perfection and are a clear Proof of a defect in our selves So I leave it to every man to consider whether such a distinction can possibly be admitted in the Working of God without the diminution of his Perfection And when it is said that God was all-sufficient and Operative in himself before the Creation of the World if we consider the thing aright we shall find that they that use this manner of Speech do neither say any thing that is intelligible to others nor in any wise do understand themselves what they say For when they say that God worketh in himself or is all-sufficient do they not signify thereby that God stands in need of nothing neither wanteth any thing from any one but is independant of any Creature I take this to be the proper sence of these words which those that use this manner of Speech would signify thereby But tho'this be the true meaning of these Words yet it is nothing to the purpose in this case For I pray observe to what Question this Answer is given to wit When any one asks what did God do before he Created the Worlds The common answer is God wrought in himself or God was all-sufficient Verily an answer for Children but not for Men of Sense for this is not the Question whether God had the same perfections before the Creation as after Neither do we here speak of the Being of God but of his Works so that it is just as if the one inquired after the East and the other directed him to the West Again if we sift this Answer a little more narrowly we shall find a lessening of Gods Perfections for to say that God was all-sufficient or wrought in himself before the Creation is as if they would signify that since the Creation God was not so For what else can it signify in this place Or if this be not their meaning but that they also assert God to be alwayes unchangeable it is not to the purpose and they shew thereby that they are not able to answer that Question What God did before the Creation they ought to say that God either Created something or nothing If they say that God Created nothing before this World they ought to prove that that follows from the Nature of God himself as on the contrary they ought to require of us that we should prove our assertion that God is always a Creator and Creating from the nature of that Divine Being But against this position that God is always Working the same thing and therefore is always Creating there is one shift more viz. That we can conceive the most perfect Being without conceiving that God is alwayes Creating Ergo it flows not from the Nature of God that he is always Creating First we must here consider that Man cannot at once conceive all Gods Prefections for reasons rendred in § 2. So that it is no wonder that we speaking of the Being of God do not think upon his continual Creating just as when a man is treating of the Wisdom of God he then thinks not upon his Ominipotency c. But if by the Word conceive they do not mean to think upon such an Attribute of God but that they cannot see from the Attributes of God that he must needs be always Creating and Working the same thing they have not narrowly enough considered what is necessarily required in the most perfect Being and we pray them seriously to weigh what we have said § 8.19 20. concerning Gods Working in which the Work of Creating is included Furthermore if any one says that he can contemplate the Being of God although he does not conceive in that thought that God is always Creating I ask such an one whether he
not any thing separate from Adam but belongs to him and makes up one Creature with him § 117. But altho' God according to § 115. Created Man to Replenish the Earth and to subdue it yet withal God so Created man that he could do the same of his Free Will without compulsion as was shewed § 33.34 and sad experience sufficiently convinceth that Adam could transgress this Command of God But of this we shall Treat hereafter when we come to speak of Mans Fall and by what and how it happened A PREFACE OF THE AVTHOR of the APPENDIX To the READER I Heartily Wish that all Persons to whom it shall happen to have and Read the small foregoing Treatise of Dr. Paulus Buchius would please to receive the same with as kind and good Intentions as the Aged Author of this Appendix Presents it to them He having taken the pains to cause it to be Translated out of the Dutch Manuscript into English It was the Request of his Friends after that they had read the said Translation that he would be willing to add thereunto an Appendix which should yet more Illustrate the Doctrine of the Revolution of Humane Souls To which desire of theirs he yielded and as you here see he hath caused it to be done in haste which therefore falls short of that clearness of Stile which his Friend who first wrote in Dutch the foregoing Book could have given it to have made it more intelligible then it is at present Also for that very reason he cannot at present satisfie the Desires of some that he would Write a Commentary on the first four Chapters of Genesis which perhaps he may do hereafter Farewell F. M. Van Helmont AN APPENDIX OF Several Questions with their Answers Concerning the Hypothesis of the Revolution of Humane Souls Quest 1. THe Hypothesis being this viz. That every individual of Mankind must several times die and be Born again in Order to the working out of their Salvation here in this Word It is Queried first Whether any Books of this Author treating of such a Revolution of Humane Souls have been Printed and Published in divers Languages and in different Countries Answer 1. Yes Diverse Books of this Authors Treating of such a Revolution of Humane Souls have been Printed in different Languages and that in several Countries Quest 2. What do some of the Learned judge concerning this Hypothesis Answ 2. They are somewhat reserved and shy openly to declare their Thoughts concerning this Matter because it seems as yet to be very novel and but little known to the most But when reminded they may then remember that both the Books which Treat thereof as also many clear Texts of Holy Scripture evincing the same are not unknown to them and then they must own that it is impossible to understand many places of the Holy Scripture without this Hypothesis Quest 3. What does the unlearned say of it Answ Some of the Unlearned having little or no judgement of their own and being prepossessed with a prejudice from others do suppose it to be a vain Opinion which the Jews received from the Heathen Quest 4. What is the reason that not any of the Learned have indeavoured to confute as yet these Books nor manifestly to prove that there can be no such Revolution of Humane Souls Answ Because when some write great Books it may for the most part be concluded that they endeavour rather to drown a Doctrine then to find out a Truth So that it 's not to be wondred at that the Learned hitherto for any thing I know have not written against it nor demonstrated in short that the return of Souls is impossible in as much as it is impossible for them to perform this as it is for them to demonstrate that the propagation of Mankind depends not on any precedent Generation it having continued immortal from Adam Quest 5. What is the reason why this Doctrine hath for these many Ages been as it were lost amongst men in Europe Answ The Reason why this Doctrine hath been so much hid is because Men are become for the most part Corporeal and Carnal so that they cannot see nor apprehend any thing but what is suitable to and as we may say tastes of this present Body of Flesh and Blood though that also continually is changing and remains not constantly the same Quest 6. Whence did the wise Heathens derive their knowledge in some part of this Doctrine Answ The wise Heathens as Socrates c. have by continual Searching been able to find out this Truth in part forasmuch as the Mysteries of Holy Scripture were not made known to them they could not arrive at the full Discovery thereof but as it is manifest in Nature But the wise Jews have drawn it fully from that Sacred Fountain Quest 7. How comes it to pass that the Jews of old better understood this Doctrine as appears by their Writings concerning the same then modern Jews and the wise Heathens Answ The Jews being at that time Gods peculiar chosen People were consequently to abound more with Love then the Heathens did wherefore also a clearer knowledge of this Doctrine was imparted to them which the Modern Jews have much lost In as much as the knowledge of this Truth and true Love go hand in hand together and are inseparable Quest 8. What then is true Love Answ Love is a perfect Emanation or beaming forth of the Life and is Spiritual without which no perfect work can be wrought or brought forth either in Naturals or Supernaturals Quest 9. What is the chiefest most perfect and wise Efficiency energy or out-working of the true Love and how may we have experience of the same in our selves and in the Creation Answ The true Spiritual loving emanation of the Life every one especially the Married Person may rightly and fully have the experience of in himself if so be he Generates his Child in true Love and this is the beginning of the first Efficiency of love The second is that wherewith the Child when it is Born is continually regarded and beheld and wisely lookt after and Educated the Parent still preserving and continuing the same love for his Child in himself without prodigally lavishing out the same So that they who thus give out prudently their Love they will find by experience that when their Children come to Discretion and understanding that this inward reserved quiet and prudent Working-love will increase in the Parents and descend to the Children and from them reflect back in true Obedience to the Parent Moreover this reflection of the Childrens love to the Parents cannot but produce a fresh increase of love in the Parents which prolongs the Life of Children according to Deut. 5.16 Honour thy Father and thy Mother as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that thy Life may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Whence it appears that the true Efficiency of Love must be an