Charles Buck's Theological Dictionary

25 Omniscience Of God

OMNISCIENCE OF GOD

Is that perfection by which he knows all things, and is, 1. Infinite knowledge, Ps. 146:5.—2. Eternal, generally called foreknowledge, Acts. 15:18. Is 46:10. Eph. 1:4. Acts 2:23.—3. Universal, extending to all persons, times, places, and things, Heb. 4:13. Psalm 50:10. &c.—4. perfect, relating to what is past, present, and to come. He knows all by his own essence, and not derived from any other; not successively, as we do, but independently, distinctly, infallibly, and perpetually, Jer. 10:6,7. Rom. 11:33.—5. This knowledge is peculiar to himself, Mark 13:32. Job 36:4. and not communicable to any creature.—6. It is incomprehensible to us how God knows all things, yet it is evident that he does; for to suppose otherwise is to suppose him an imperfect being, and directly contrary to the revelation he has given of himself, 1 John 3:20. Job 28:24. Job 21:22.

Charles Buck (1771-1815) was an English Independent minister, best known for the publication of his “Theological Dictionary”. According to the “Dictionary of National Biography”, a Particular Baptist minister named John C. Ryland (1723-1792) assisted Buck by writing many of the articles for the aforementioned publication. One may conclude, based not only Buck’s admiration for his friend Ryland, but also on the entries in his Theological Dictionary, that he stood head and shoulders with the High-Calvinists of his day.

Charles Buck on the Biblical Covenants (Complete)
Charles Buck's Theological Dictionary