2. God only is qualified for the universal government of the world. All
in the way of that excellency, that which is inferior. Every man hath a natural right to rule another in his own art and skill wherein he excels him. If it be the right of a chief magistrate to manage the concerns of his kingdom, with what reason can we deny that right to God?
2. God only is qualified for the universal government of the world. All creatures, as they were unable to create themselves, so are unable to manage themselves without the direction of a superior power, much more unable to manage the vast body of the world. God is only fit in regard of, (1.) Power. Conservation is continuata creatio; that power which is fit to create, is only fit to preserve. A continued creation belongs as much to omnipotency as the first creation.
The government of it requires no less power, both in regard of the numerousness of the objects, and the strange contrariety of passions in rational creatures, and qualities in irrational; conservation is but one continued act with creation, following on from an instant to duration, as a line from its mathematical point.*
(2.) Holiness and righteousness. If he that hates right is not fit to govern, Job 34:17, then he that is infinitely righteous, and hath an infinite love to righteousness, is the fittest to undertake that task; without righteousness there would be nothing but confusion in the whole creation. Disorder is the effect of unrighteousness, as order is the effect of justice. The justest man is fittest for subordinate government among men, and the infinite just God is fittest for the universal government of the world.
(3.) Knowledge. An infinite knowledge to decry all the contrivances and various labyrinths of the hearts of men, their secret intentions and aims, is necessary. The government of the world consists more in ordering the inward faculties of men, touching the hearts, and tuning them to play what note he pleases, than in external things. No
creature hath the skill or power to work immediately upon the will of man; neither angels nor devils can do it immediately, but by proposing objects, and working upon the fancy, which is not always successful. He that created the heart, knows all the wards of it, and hath only the skill to turn it and incline it as he pleases; he must needs know all the inclinations of the creatures and their proper activities, since he alone conferred all those several principles and qualities upon them. 'Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world,' Acts 15:8, viz., the particular natures, inclinations, inward motions, which no creature fully understands; he needs no deputy to inform him of what is done, he is everywhere, and sees all things. Worldly governors cannot be everywhere essentially present.
God is so perfect in his knowledge of all things, that he cannot be imposed upon by the evil suggestions and flatteries of men or angels.
In nature it is so: the eye guides the body, because that is the chief organ of sensitive knowledge; the mind, which is the seat of wisdom, guides the whole.
(4.) Patience. Infinite patience is requisite to the preservation and government of the world, in the circumstances wherein it hath stood ever since the fall. What angel, though the meekest, or can all the angels in heaven, be masters of so much patience as is needful for this work of governing the world, though for the space of one day?
Could they bear with all those evils which are committed in the world in the space of twenty-four hours? Might we not reasonably conceive, that they would be so tired with the obliquities, disorders, deformities which they would see in the acts of men (besides all the evil which is in the hearts of men, which lie without the verge of their knowledge), that they would rather call for fire from heaven to burn the world to ashes.
Averröes* thought that because of God's slowness to anger, he meddled not with sublunary concerns. This rather fits him for it,