二、认识神性秩序，方知上帝全能、全知与全在
52# 人若不认知秩序的本质，便无从认识上帝的全能、全知与全在；亦不能知晓：上帝即是秩序本身，祂于创世之际，将秩序引入宇宙万有，遍及其整体与一切细节。
世人因未能领会上帝创造宇宙、并造作万物及每一细微分殊所依循的神性秩序，心中滋生诸多虚妄谬见；此类观念更借由教会改革者的认知偏差，流入教会之中。其谬论之多、悖理之状，待后文逐条陈列，自可分明。
今先立总括定义，阐明秩序之本义：
秩序，乃是构成完整形式的一切分殊、实体与存有，其排布、界定与运行所遵循的内在理则；由这般理则生成相应生命境况。境况之完满，是智慧依托内在之爱所造就；境况之残缺败坏，则是放纵私欲、理性昏昧所致。
定义之中提及实体、形式与境况三端。凡言实体，必兼涵其形式；一切实体本皆自有形相，形相的内在特质即是其境况，而境况或完满、或残缺，全然由秩序所定。
以上所述多涉形上思辨，文意不免略显幽微；然此种晦暗将在后文借助具象实例全然消散，藉例证层层剖明，使此理昭然可见。
52# （2）除非知道秩序是什么，也除非知道神就是秩序，祂在创造时，就把秩序既引入宇宙，也引入宇宙的一切部分，或每一个和一切事物，否则就无法清楚理解神的全能、全知和全在。大量的重大谬论悄悄潜入人们的心智，从而通过改革者的头脑溜进教会，因为他们不明白神创造宇宙及其一切部分，或每一个和一切事物的秩序。这些谬论的数量和性质仅从下文（TCR 56-58节）对它们的列举中就明显看出来。但我们现在先通过对秩序的一般定义来解释何为秩序，对秩序的定义如下：秩序就是构成一个形式的各个部分、实质，或元素、实体的排列、界定或边界，和活动或互动的品质；这种品质产生它的状态，状态的完美是由出于它自己的爱的智慧产生的，或状态的不完美是由出于欲望的疯狂推理导致的。这个定义提到了实质、形式和状态；实质也是指形式，因为一切实质都是形式，形式的品质就是它们的状态，而状态的完美或不完美取决于秩序，或说是秩序的结果。这些事必显得模糊，因为它们属于形而上学的范畴；但下文会通过举一些说明这个主题的具体例子来驱散这种模糊。
52. 2. We cannot comprehend God's omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence unless we know what the divine design is, and unless we learn that God is the divine design and that he imposed that design on the universe as a whole and on everything in it as he created it. Astounding quantities and varieties of folly have crept into human minds and slithered into the church through the heads of its founders as a result of their not understanding the design that God built into the universe and everything in it. A mere list of these foolish notions, which appears below [56-58], will make this clear.
For now let me open a discussion of the divine design with a general definition: A "design" is the quality of arrangement, boundaries, and interaction among parts, substances, or entities that together make up a form. This quality results in a state - a state that is perfect when produced by wisdom acting on the basis of love, and imperfect when spawned by unsound reasoning acting on the basis of mere desire.
This definition uses the terms substance, form, and state. By substance we mean form as well, because every substance is a form, and the quality of that form is its state. The perfection or imperfection of that state is a result of the design it has.
Because these points are metaphysical, though, they are unavoidably cloaked in thick darkness; but in the ensuing discussion, application of these terms in illustrative examples will dispel this darkness.
52. (ii) THE OMNIPOTENCE, OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD CANNOT BE RECOGNISED EXCEPT THROUGH A KNOWLEDGE OF ORDER, AND THESE FACTS ABOUT ORDER: THAT GOD IS ORDER, AND THAT HE INTRODUCED ORDER INTO THE UNIVERSE AND ALL ITS PARTS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH ITS CREATION.
To grasp the number and nature of the absurdities which have crept into human minds and thus into the church through the heads of its founders as the result of their failure to understand the order with which God on its creation endowed the universe and everyone of its parts, it will not be necessary to do more than to list them in the following pages. But first of all I shall here set forth a general definition of what I mean by order, namely: order is the quality of arrangement, direction and activation of the parts, substances and entities composing a form; this is the origin of its state, and perfection of state is the product of wisdom from its love, and its imperfection is hammered out by insanity of reason from lust. This definition uses the terms substance, form and state; and by substance I understand at the same time form, because all substance is a form, and the quality of a form is its state; the perfection or imperfection of its state is the result of order. These, being metaphysical terms, must inevitably be very obscure; but in the following pages this obscurity will be dispelled by the application of illustrative examples.
52. (2) The omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of God can be clearly understood only when it is known what order is, and when it is known that God is order, and that He introduced order both into the universe and into each and all things of it at the time of their creation. How many and how great absurdities have crept into the minds of men, and thus into the church, through the heads of reformers, from their not understanding the order in which God created the universe and each and all things in it, will be seen from the mere recital of them in the following pages. But we will now begin an explanation of order with a general definition of it, as follows: Order is the quality of the arrangement, determination, and activity, of the parts, substances, or elements, which constitute a form; from which is its state; and its perfection is produced by wisdom from its love, or its imperfection is the outcome of unsoundness of reason from cupidity. In this definition substance, form, and state are mentioned, and by substance form also is meant, because every substance is a form, and the quality of the form is the state of it, while perfection or imperfection of state is a result of the order. All this must needs be obscure because it is metaphysical; but the obscurity will be dispelled in what follows by the use of examples which will illustrate the subject.
52. (2) THE OMNIPOTENCE, OMNISCIENCE, AND OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD UNLESS IT IS KNOWN WHAT ORDER IS; AND UNLESS IT IS KNOWN THAT GOD IS ORDER, AND THAT AT CREATION HE INTRODUCED ORDER INTO THE UNIVERSE, AND INTO ALL ITS PARTS.
Many grave absurdities have crept into the minds of men, and thence into the Church by the introduction of innovations, because men have not understood the order in which God created the universe, and every part of it. The number and nature of these views will be evident from the mere record of them in the following pages. In the first place what order is may be explained by this general definition of the term: Order is the quality of disposition, determination, and activity of the parts, substances, or entities which constitute form, giving rise to state, whose perfection is produced by wisdom from its own love, or whose imperfection is brought about by insane reasoning from lust. In this definition mention is made of substance, form and state; and by substance is at the same time meant form, because all substance is form, and the quality of form is its state, the perfection or imperfection of which results from order. However, since these things are metaphysical, they will necessarily appear obscure until they are illustrated by references to particular examples, which will be done in what follows.
52. II. QUOD DEI OMNIPOTENTIA, OMNISCIENTIA, ET OMNIPRAESENTIA NON POSSINT COGNOSCI, NISI SCIATUR QUID ORDO, ET NISI SCIANTUR HAEC EJUS, QUOD DEUS SIT ORDO, ET QUOD UNA CUM CREATIONE INTRODUXERIT ORDINEM TAM IN UNIVERSUM, QUAM IN OMNIA ET SINGULA EJUS. Quot et quales fatuitates 1 in mentes humanas, 2 et inde per Capita instauratorum in Ecclesiam irrepserunt, per quod non intellexerint Ordinem, in quem Deus Universum, ac omnia et singula ejus creavit, ex sola recensione illarum in sequentibus constare poterit. Sed hic primum aperiemus Ordinem per quandam 3 generalem definitionem ejus, quae haec est; Quod Ordo sit qualitas dispositionis, determinationis et activitatis partium, substantiarum aut entium, quae faciunt formam, unde status, cujus perfectionem sapientia ex suo amore producit, aut cujus imperfectionem insania rationis ex cupiditate excudit. In hac definitione nominantur Substantia, Forma, et Status, et per Substantiam simul intelligimus formam, quia omnis substantia est forma, ac qualitas formae est status ejus, cujus perfectio aut imperfectio ex ordine resultat. Sed haec, quia Methaphysica sunt, non possunt nisi in caligine esse, at haec discutietur in sequentibus per applicationes ad exempla, quae illustrabunt.
Footnotes: