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A01881 The creatures praysing God: or, The religion of dumbe creatures An example and argument for the stirring vp of our deuotion and for the confusion of atheisme. Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino; laudate & superexaltate eum in secula. G.G. Goodman, Godfrey, 1583-1656. 1622 (1622) STC 12021; ESTC S118284 27,928 40

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THE CREATVRES PRAYSING GOD OR THE RELIGION OF dumbe Creatures An Example and Argument For the stirring vp of our deuotion and For the confusion of Atheisme Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino laudate superexaltate eum in secula G. G. LONDON Printed by FELIK KINGSTON 1622. To the Reader GOod Reader The Authour himselfe not vouchsafing his name title or preface to this his worke and very vnwilling that it should be publisht I thought fit to let thee vnderstand that the booke it selfe containes no paradox notwithstanding the title for the naturall seruice of God in dumbe Creatures when they obey God in their owne kinde and follow their owne naturall course this is it which he calls The Religion of dumbe Creatures and as it is frequent and vsuall to make comparisons in particular instances so here in generall their seruice is compared to our Religion To commend the worke seeing I am so farre ingaged as that against the Authors will it was my importunity to publish it were in effect to commend mine owne iudgement I will here onely acquaint you with the reasons that moued me First to take away grose Atheisme which denies any God he vseth no Sophistry no perswasion not the testimonies either of God or of men but herein craues aide of the dumbe Creatures and in effect desires them to beare witnesse who instantly acknowledge a God and discouer many excellent and admirable attributes in God and this he calls their confession or the naturall implicite faith of the Creatures pag. 9. Secondly that this knowledge of God which we learne from nature is an imperfect knowledge though otherwise it was the sole knowledge of the ancient heathen Philosophers he brands it with this imputation that it is no more in effect then the religion of dumbe beasts but as reason is aboue sence so faith aboue reason reason points out mysteries faith discouers them by vertue of which faith we ioyne with the Angels in their seruice as the dumbe beasts doe ioyne with vs in nature and here he takes away all naturall obiections against the mysteries of religion beating downe mans curiosity pag. 16. Thirdly how the Creatures praise God in their voices and sounds which in effect are their prayers in their naturall law which is their decalogue in all their qualities and affections both naturall and as they are sometimes meanes and conduit-pipes of grace whereby nature is sanctified pag. 23. Fourthly how all naturall Sciences may be reduced to Theology suppose the Metaphysicks naturall Philosophy morall Philosophy which are indeed the branches of naturall Theology and are incorporated into the body of our diuinity And hence you may as well exclude the morall law the decalogue and the whole state of nature as to exclude humane learning which showing the perfections and excellencies of nature doth therein show the praise and commendations of the Maker pag. 31. Fifthly this naturall religion not only comprehends in it selfe all naturall sciences but it is further a supposed ground and foundation in all religions Thus Iudaisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as Christianity acknowledge God in nature though the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall law began with Moyses the Gospell with Christ yet the naturall law together with the state of nature began with Adam not by any reuelation but by ingrafted and inbred principles and therefore is common to all nations to all religions Hence he gathers these two notes first that different and opposite religions may notwithstanding ioyne together in such things as are good and alike approueable in both for so we ioyne with dumbe Creatures in their naturall seruice and that the bounds of the Church are not to be hedged in according to mens priuate phansies and imaginations or according to the Prouinces and iurisdiction of Prelats but according to the vnity and concent of faith Secondly that be the religions neuer so opposite and contrary yet all agree in the naturall law and therefore are bound to performe to each other all naturall rights suppose the discharging of trust where it is reposed to vse morall honesty in our actions obedience to our superiours allegiance to the Prince and the like thus may different religions liue quietly and peaceably vnder one iust gouernment If this were obserued surely it would cause much peace in the Christian world so much distracted and disquieted at this day with infinit and innumerable sects and religions pag. 34. To conclude What can be more glorious to God then that his praise should be set forth by all his Creatures what greater charity then to comprehend them not within the walls of our Christian Church though once they were contained in the Arke yet within the compasse and circuit of religion what greater deuotion then by their example to stirre vp thy selfe though the Angels be out of sight and thou canst not heare their hymnes yet the beasts may awaken thy dulnesse what greater humility then to stoope to the basest wormes and together with them to associate thy selfe in Gods seruice These reasons I confesse did moue me to publish it and as I had no other intent but Gods glory so I beseech him to giue a blessing to thy reading hereof that it may tend to the increase of thy deuotion THE CREATVRES PRAYSING GOD OR THE RELIGION OF dumbe Creatures PSAL. 148. 7 8 9 and 10 Verses 7. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee dragons and all deepes 8. Fire and haile snow and vapours stormy winds fulfilling his word 9. Mountaines and all hilles fruitfull trees and all Cedars 10. Beasts and all cattell wormes and feathered fowles TWo absurdities may here seeme to be committed at once with one breath either that man should speake and exhort such Auditors who are without sence and therefore not capeable of exhortation or that Creatures dumbe in themselues should be exhorted to praise God which seemes to be a thing proper to Angels and men Both these are easily satisfied if we rightly consider that the praises of God doe not necessarily imply the most exact and magnificent order and forme such as might well beseeme the Maiestie of a Deitie both men and Angels come short in that excellent seruice but the praises of God require no more in effect then the power and ability wherewith God hath first inabled the Creature for he accepts our imperfect prayers and descends to our weakenesse Thus the stocks and the stones in their silence and in their naturall properties the beasts in their sounds and their cries in their sence and in their motions all serue to praise him for God requires no more then he hath first giuen the right imployment of his gifts is indeed to praise him Now man exhorting them to this their bounden duty ioynes with them in their seruice and as it were seemes to congratulate their praises of God notwithstanding his owne disobedience and sinne yet he reioyceth in their seruice and exhorts them still to continue their praises of God And though they seeme
partake with vs in our future intended renouation Thus then we will say with Ioshuah 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord we and whatsoeuer is ours either inwardly in our selues or outwardly in our substance we are all at his seruice euery one according to his power and ability doth praise God and hath his religion if a defectiue religion Then looke to the power and you shall finde it likewise defectiue for both are fitted and proportioned to each other in nature there is a faith of nature there is a law of nature and where the naturall creature is capeable of grace there are the mysteries of grace the precepts and counsels of grace And thus without any figure or metaphore the Creatures may truly be said to praise God in a kinde of religious worship and seruice for whatsoeuer proceeds from God tends to his glory heere is the end Now the way must be agreeable to this end and therefore what tends to his glory must needs runne in the course of his seruice whether nature or grace If ye say that religion be properly tied to a state of grace Non est litigandum de verbis vbi in re conuenimus yet I am not of that opinion for I thinke it no absurdity to say a natural religion Thus all nations are said to haue their religion and yet we know that most of them haue no more then sence reason and nature and yet notwithstanding they haue a religion then surely they haue onely a naturall religion which in effect is no more then the religion of dumbe beasts for nature appeares alike in them as in vs that which giues mans religion a speciall dignity and prerogatiue aboue the religion of dumbe beasts is onely this that mans religion is not meerely naturall and onely naturall but there is an earnest of grace to sanctifie the corruption of nature mysteries of grace beyond the apprehension of nature and a certainty of hope beyond the expectation of nature And thus in generall as there is a seruice of nature so in generall we may well say that there is a kinde of naturall religion which notwithstanding proceeding onely from nature it cannot be raysed aboue nature but must againe returne and end in nature and being by the necessity of their nature it is therefore a seruice which requires no further reward but onely serues as a motiue and example to vs. And thus far of the naturall seruice of God in dumbe Creatures which I call the Religion of dumbe Creatures now briefely to conclude three things there are wherein I doe much desire to giue you contentment First whether this meditation may be thought vaine and needlesse Secondly how farre it may seeme strange or a Paradoxe Thirdly what good vse may be made of it for the first whether this be a vaine meditation I pray trace it by degrees the faith of the Creatures I did suppose to be that knowledge of God which is gathered from the Creatures as much in effect as the naturall or reasonable man can know of God Now whereas of all sciences the Metaphysicks haue euer beene held the most excellent this very subiect is the principall part of the Metaphysicks by consideration hereof the heathen Philosophers haue beene strangely transported and rauished and haue burst foorth into these or the like exclamations and inuocations of God Eus ●●tium primus motor prima intelligentia naturans natura immensa infinitas principium sine principio c. Secondly after their faith how the dumbe Creatures doe praise God in their owne nature in their passions in their affections or if these be secret and hidden from man then according to the imitation of man how they praise God in their voyces in their sounds which are the outward signes and symptoms of their owne inward nature This belongs to the Physickes and is in effect the whole scope and intent of all naturall Philosophy Thirdly for their law which serues as a guide to direct them which law is written in their hearts practised in their actions in so much that in them we may easily read the characters of this law the very pure text of the law of nature without any corrupt glosse this is in effect the whole ground and foundation of all morall Philosophy Fourthly for the sacrifice and Sacraments of Creatures when we consider how the dumbe Creatures are sanctified and prooue to be Sacramentalia fit to enter into the Holiest of Holies to be vnto vs as meanes and conduit-pipes of grace which seeme to imply that nature and grace being now incorporated there was surely some Deity incarnate by vertue wherof the whole materiall nature is combined to the Spirituall nature not by consanguinity but by alliance by the nuptials of those two natures in his one person who was both perfect God and perfect Man this is a most deepe and profound mysterie in Theology and thus you cannot condemne this Meditation as vaine and needlesse Neither can it seeme so strange or a paradox for take the bookes of Philosophers and such as haue written of the Creatures in generall and suffer me to prefixe these words in the frontispice A Ioue principium or In Dei nomine which are the same in effect Then giue me leaue to turne ouer the leaues and to the last lines in stead of Finis or Explicit to adioyne these words as a labell or codicill to the worke Ad Dei gloriā both these nature implies for first there must be a workeman then the worke must be directed to some end Now besides the worke it selfe no other end appeares but the workeman things must then runne in a circle from God to God God in the forefront God in the vpshot And thus if you consider the Creatures betweene God and God in stead of a naturall discourse here you haue a religion of nature Thus in Christian Religion if our ceremonies were first inuented by Pagans if our prayers were first composed by Heathen yet still we may lawfully vse them for when we prefixe In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti or when we shut vp our prayers with Per Christum Dominum nostrum then wee giue them the tincture of Christianity Thus with Dauids Psalmes which are indeed the Psalmes of the Iewes when we cloze them vp with this period Gloria patri Filio Spiritui sancto then we make them ours and properly ours in effect we Christen them And thus to consider the Creatures barely in themselues without reference to God were a most imperfect knowledge but shew them their discent and originall from whence they proceed shew them their right vse and the end of their progresse and here in effect you haue composed a naturall religion Thirdly for the vse which we may make vnto our selues of this Religion of dumbe Creatures in a word it is this First it serues to make vs ashamed of