curb to bridle and order this liberty of will as he shall see cause and Gods prescience imposeth no necessity upon the action for as the Omnipotency of God creates all things out of nothing so the Omnisciency of God may foresee and foreknow all things out of nothing Gods power and Gods knowledge are of like extent and efficacy and when no cause is determinated and ordered yet God who seeth all things which are not as if they were so he may foresee things which shall be though the causes be free and not determinated for he sees things not onely in their causes but in the infinite light of his own Intellectuals so that in respect of the causes whereof alone we are to judge the effects may be free voluntary though in respect of Gods prescience whereof we are not to judge they may be necessary and infallibly succeed This I will illustrate by an example He that stands on a high Mountain and on either side sees passengers riding in the same rode-way some forward some backward some towards each other the passengers ride of themselves and it lies in their power to go or not to go but he that stands on the hill may know where and when they shall meet and yet notwithstanding his foreknowledge they meet very casually and voluntary and thus may Gods prescience stand with the freedom and liberty of mans actions Hitherto I have made a high flight and now me thinks I am like a man that is weary in holding up his head to look upon the Sun and the heavens and finding that his spirits are a little wasted with too much light he retires home and coming to his inner rooms he findes them so dark that he can see nothing yet rests himself there for a time to recover his strength whereby he might be the better enabled again to discern the Sun and the heavens So give me leave in stead of making further search into the Attributes of God wherein I finde my eyes dazled now to turn mine eyes inward and to make a diligent search what knowledge man hath of his own in such things as meerly concern himself and how far his natural knowledge may transport him in the knowledge of God and Religion and how far we may presume upon our natural light to discern a supernatural object and things of another world of a higher condition Our own reason informs us that there is nothing in man that hath not bounds of Circumscription Thus in our stature Datur maximum minimum we cannot adde to our own growth thus in our senses Excellens sensibile â—…orrumpit sensum we cannot fasten our eyes on the Sun thus in the strength of our limbs we finde in our selves a definite and determinate power that we cannot work beyond our ability so is there a measure and stint of knowledge that we cannot conceive beyond our limited capacity This will better appear if we consider the several degrees of understanding in man himself how one man doth far exceed another in wit capacity and apprehension Thus we finde that all wits are not fit for all studies and all Sciences he must have the light of great natural Intellectuals who is fit to wade through the midnight of the Metaphysicks or to spy out the curious subtilties of School-learning he must have engines in his brain who is fit for Mathematical studies or Architecture he must have a quick and nimble fancy who aims to excel in Poetry or Rhetorick he must have an exact memory to compute the Concordancy of Times to be a perfect Historian So then it pleaseth God so to order the states of men and the several gifts of nature that some should become Teachers others prove Scholars and Proficients as God shall give a blessing and prosper their endevours And while they are learning necessary it is that they should believe their Teachers And is there such a difference of men between themselves comparing one with another then much more is there a far greater difference between God and man Suppose I should compare God with man in other Attributes and see the infinite difference what is the strength of man but weakness in respect of Gods Omnipotency what is the length of mans age but less then a minute in respect of Gods eternity what is the wealth of man but beggery in respect of Gods treasures Then what is the wit and understanding of man but meer foolishness in respect of Gods wisdome But that we may lay a deeper foundation lest natural reason might presume too far she must first be taught to humble her self I would then first ask what is the object of natural reason surely I will extend the object as far as possibly I can I will give her the uttermost due and therefore I do acknowledge the object of natural reason to be the natural world for upon the same grounds and principles whereof the world doth subsist Reason doth likewise guide her self by way of direction but man sees the bounds of the natural world the material heavens which incompass and hedge in the world as a Circumference to the Centre or Circle Then surely he must see the bounds of his natural Reason beyond which he cannot extend his natural knowledge which is very fitly set forth by the form and fashion of mans head or scull which is somewhat circular and not unlike the Globe of the world all his brains are within the scull and what is without is no part of man So what is within the cavity of the Globe of the world may be partly involved and laid up in mans brain as it were written in Characters but what is without the convexity of this Globe it cannot enter into mans brain Thus every faculty hath his object and this must be adaequatum every way answerable and proportionable to the faculty and what exceeds this object comes not within the sphere of that faculty as the eye cannot hear the ear cannot smell the hand cannot taste for every faculty hath as her own proper organs and instruments so her own proper bounds And lest Reason should be presumptuous and being onely natural should rashly adventure to leap into the supernatural world or out of infidelity should utterly deny what is above her reach and apprehension I must lay open her weakness and see how far she is wounded even in her own naturals that she may be well asham'd of her self if being so ignorant at home and in things which concern her yet she must presume to comprehend mysteries of another world which so far exceed her reach and apprehension See then our defects in natural knowledge not onely in the motion of the heavens the insensible Influences the miraculous Meteors but come we to the meanest Creatures and to speak of them in general The Philosophers will tell you that the forms of things are utterly unknown whence the Logicians conclude That we cannot
woâ—…d and the begotten word The word of God is imperfect without Christ. Man expostulates with God Blasphemers suppressed Whole man is made capable of God The division of the Text. The method Saint John ex ceeds Moses The comparison between both They both agree in particulars Moses Iohn Baptist. Christ. Saint John transcends Moses The heavy judgements accompanying the law The Gospell accompanyed with works of mercy The great difference between the beginning and ending of Scripture Of the name of John how imposed upon Saint John Baptist. A comparison of Saint John Baptist with Saint John the Evangelist The parents of Saint John and how he was recommended to be an Apostle How his mothers desire was accomplished Saint Johns prerogatives above other Apostles After Christ he did adhere to Saint Peter Saint John was the Evangelist of the Gentiles The occasion of writing his Gospell How he might come to the knowledge of this mysterie Saint John might be instructed by the blessed virgin At the annuntiation there was implyed the Trinity Saint John an Eagle As he was the beloved Apostle for he did ever Preach love Saint John was Boanerges Christs eternall generation A distinct Person The same Godhead The difference between God and man The three persons outwardly concurre The manner of the generation of the Word The mauner of the procession of the holy Ghost A prerogative of the understanding and will of God above his other attributes How the three persons agree in actions and attributes The Jews question answered God is known by degrees All mans knowledge is gotten by degrees Moses had some knowledge of this mystery The Trinity appears in the creation of the world The Messias must needs be a Person in the Deity God doth sacrifice to himself there are Persons in the Deity The seed of Abraham is more then man Isaac's sacrifice Jacobs expectation The faith of Moses The whole Law directed to Christ. The Jews had a tradition of our Baptisme And severall types of our Baptisme They knew the form of our Baptisme as well as the matter What Prayers were uâ—…ed at their sacrifices The câ—…ssation of the Law The Temple destroyed How the Jews fell by degrees Gods judgement upon the Jewes The Jewes no longer a Nation The method how to deal with the heathen The Atheist is the greatest impostor The infinite proofs of a Godhead The Metaphysicks acknowledge God and Angâ—…ls Influences The effect of influences The transcendentia discover God Every thing points out both an efficient and a final cause The leaâ—… inconveniâ—…nce must evâ—…r be admitted The first is ever excepted from the ordinary rank The Sun is a kind of corpoâ—…eall God The Mathematicks shew the wonders of God The wonders in Astrologie In Loâ—…ick all the preâ—…icaments predicate the Deity Substance 〈◊〉 Qualitâ—… Relation Action Passion 〈◊〉 Ubi Situâ—… Habitus The infinite proofes of a Godhead A particular instance for proof of the Deity God is iusiuite We acknowledge an Infinite yet we cannot conceive aâ—… Infinite God must be Infinite Without imperfection God is of himself Eternity Ubiqui y. Omnisâ—…iency Omnipotency Providence Constancy Immutability Gods Justice Mercy As every thing was made so it must depend upon God How causes may be free yet the effects necessary Mans weakness Every thing in man is bounded The difference of men n their intellectuals No comparison between God and man Mans natural Reason is bounded within the natural world The object faculty must be proportionable Our natural ignorance in natural things The same method in naturals as in supernaturals Mans natural knowledge discerns a supernatural world A supernatural light must fully discover a supernatural world Man 〈◊〉 naturally an ambition above nâ—…e Admiâ—…ation is a kind of natural faith The understanding must obey in believing as the will in performing A repeâ—…ition what hath been proved It is a greater wonder that Accidences should become Substances in God then that one Substance should become Persons It is a greater wonder that all Gods Attributes should be but one Attribute then that one Substance should be three Persons That Gods Justice should be his Meâ—…cy is as strange as the Godhead should be three Persons Gods Attributes as wonderfull as the Persons A brief of what hath been proved A digression upon the Mercy of God A conference with an Angel The Angels wonder at naturall things A conference with an infant in the wombe The wonders in nature The creatures are nothing in comparison with God Gods understanding and will produce Persons The authors private opâ—…nion The determinations or traditions of the Church are more then human The Church in effect doth translate The personality in the Godhead How the Persons are dâ—…stinct The Godhead being spirituall and infinite is imparted without loss Proofes of the Trinity in nature The Authors private opinion Footsteps ' of the Trinity Reasons in nature to prove the Trinity Gods prerogative may be examined A resemblance of the blessed Trinity must appear in every creature The knowledg and love of man what events it works The longing of women Two persons become one The understanding and love are causes as of union so of distraction How 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 extends The anâ—…pathy between the Author and the Socinians The excellent use of reason in Religion Dumb creatures catechise the Socinians God is mans Schoolemaster Man is the end of nature and therefore cannot end in nature How man stands naturally affecteâ—… in religion Faith presupposing nature A supernaturall knowledge must conduct us to a supeâ—…naturall end Gods perfection consists not in variety as the Creatures doth The effects of Gods power c. do not alwayes appear The excellency of Gods understanding â—…nd will What kinde of Persons there are in the Deity God only must reveale the Trinity What God did before the Creation Mans salva ion hath more reference to the Persons then to his other attributes The exceâ—…lency of Gods understanding and will Not Philosophers but Poets were the Priests of the Heathen The 〈◊〉 borrowed from the Jewes Reason may serve to direct Morall actions but noâ—… our faith This mysterie hath nothing contrary to Philosophy The great assurance or security which we have for our â—…aith Actions confirm words The miracles and manner of working them confirm mysteries Works above nature confirm words above nature In the notes which are plundered and lost Forain Authors recommended No writings extant which contradict Scripture The Law ordained to Chrâ—…st Saint John Baptist his Testimonies of Christ. The prerogatives of Saint John Baptist. Severall miraculous acts of Chriâ—…t Mirâ—…cles of all severâ—…ll kinds Raising the dead the greatest of miracâ—…es The rashness and haste used in Christ's condemnation The wonders in Christs resurrection How the Text of S John may be understood The great use of Reason in Religion Reason an handmaid to Religion Reason and sense must join in Gods service Mysteries are to be adored not curiously to be searched into What God requires of the Creatures God gave some creatures liberty of wiâ—…l The fall of the Angels Man is a middle Creature between Angels and Beasts The Angels sin was greater then Mans. The flesh prevailed in man God used means What sins could not be in the infancy of the world The Devill tempts man The punishment of mans sin was small My book of he fall of man God doth ever use meanes The treasures of Nature Vegetatives Man alone not sufficient to satisfie for sin God and man must joyn in satisfying for sin All Gods Mercies are by Christ. A Person in the Deity redeems us No dishonor to God to be incarnate Gods infinite love Gods omnipotency Gods experience Gods Paâ—…lion The Mediator A new honor of God in his Title The dignity of the creatures by the incarnation The Incarnation is a settlement to the creatures S. John's testimony of the incarnation The incarnation proceeds from Gods mercy Gods Justice and Mercy reconciled in Christ. The occasion of the sin of Angels Christ was not to take the nature of Angels Why the second Person rather then any other should be incarnate How Gods words are verified The incarnation intimated in mans creation The first Adam and the second Adam The great mystery in Gods name The name of Abraham changed Several presages of Christs coming Christs God head prophesied A temporal Messias how improbable Christs coming to Judgment Two several Natures Similitudes to set forth the hypostatical Union The possibility of the Incarnation The consequences of the Incarnation How the natures were united No sickness could befall Christ. The circumstances of Christs Birth The preparatives to his coming The Gentiles Jacobs expectation The prophesies of Christ. The coming of of Eltah Herodians Christ no temporall Messias as he Jewes expected The time of his comming The manner of Christs comming Prophesies and preparatives among the Gentiles for the comming of Christ. A miracle to confirm the prophesie The fulâ—…lling of the prophesie The prophesies of the Sibylls The Sibylls speak very punctually of Christ. The Religion of the heathen a preparation to Christianity The Mother of Christ an espoused Virgin The generall taxing at the Birth of Christ. The effects which foâ—…lowed the Emperors Edict Why Christ was born in a common Inn. Christ was born in a stable Christ was born in the sixt age Christ was born at midnight What followed the birth of Christ. The martyrdome of the Innocents The keeping of the feast an argument of the truth A comparison between Christ and Moses Signs amongst the Gentiles for the coming of Christ. The Oracles having first acknowledged Christ after became dumb The Miracles which haâ—…e hapned in the Church S. Peters miracles Where Scripture leaves the Church A commendation of the ancient Romans The dignity of the Church The dignity of Christian Religion All other religions vanity A distribution of times The first ages after Christ. The age of miracles and Martyrs The age of Confessors The age of Monasteries The age of Laicks God will govern the world The contempt of the Church The devills policie Preaching should not exclude other acts of Religion The keeping of the Sabbath None should preach without much study Take heed of Apocalyptical Doctors The pulling down of Churches The Author ends abruptly
Christmas day to give a Testimony to Religion that it might flourish in persecution as the Thorn did blossom in the coldest time of Winter though the Sun in so great a distance might seem to want heat to bring forth the sap so Religion should stand or rather rise up though Religious houses were pull'd down I never heard nor read that any Ancient Author did mention this Thorn which certainly they had not omitted if there had been any such thing and by the growth of the Thorn truly I did judge the age thereof to be much about the time of the dissolution of that Abbey I do accuse no man but if I may judge of the inward faith by the outward tokens and signes then I must needs say that it is high time the Church being now undermined to set up props and to raise up Buttresses for the support of Christian Religion and I bethought my self to whose office this did properly belong Christ being the head-corner-stone laid the foundation of his Church the Apostles did finish the building they were very carefull in the choyce of their successors the first thing they did after the Ascension of Christ was the Election and choyce of Saint Matthias and generally they had the Authority Posuit vos regere Ecclesiam Dei So then I did conceive that the generall care of the Church did belong unto them and where things were not setled and that there was no superiour amongst them that then it did belong to every one of them in particular but especially to the Eldest for so in the state of Nature the primogenitus had ever the care of Gods service and in the Law Aaron was the eldest brother to Moses and the High-priest hood was setled on him and his Sons and here I bethought my self that having been these ten yeers the ancientest Bishop in the Province I was bound in conscience to do my uttermost indeavour to strengthen and support Religion or at least to enter a Protestation and to make a Publick confession of mine own Faith that such as would might follow my example this I took as part of my duty and office to which I was bound and obliged in conscience and to have neglected this I thought I should have greatly sinned then I did think my self bound to do the uttermost of my endeavours and when I considered that the custom of the Church in such like cases hath ever been to implore Brachium seculare to whom should I address my self but to your Lordship and humbly crave your assistance and furtherance herein and whereas formerly there was a course of Law for the punishment of open and scandalous blasphemers and that there were severall writs de Excommunicato capiendi de haretico comburendo c. There being now no Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction that your Lordship would be pleased to be a means to the Honourable and Reverend Judges to supply those wants and to settle a course whereby there may be a legall proceeding against these publick and scandalous blasphemers according to the true intent of the Law Thus both in composing this Treatise and for the Dedication thereof to your Lordship I have done no more then what I thought my self bound in conscience to perform and the rather to express my joy in some things which have lately hapned for living here in the Church-yard of Saint Margarets in Westminster which was the Church proper to the Parliament for here they kept their thanksgivings their humiliations and all other their solemnities when as in their time the Font was pulled down and so continued demolished and in ruines it is now set up again in a most decent and comely manner and I hope it will be an example for other Churches to follow so likewise they had a very solemn perambulation in Rogation week according to the old manner which had been omitted during the sitting of Parliament and Holydayes begin to be kept thus with joy and alacrity not without hopes of good times to suceed I thought fit to publish this Treatise as containing the grounds of Christian Religion for these are the two great and principall Mysteries which all others presuppose and herein if we should waver in the least kinde then Christian Religion would faile and come to nothing and by the publishing of these it will appear what satisfaction I gave in all the rest of the mysteries for these are the hardest and most difficult and as I have performed in these so let men judge of the rest and if God shall inable me and that I may have any competency of meanes to subsist together with the use of a library I shall then proceed in the rest God willing Thus much in generall though I am a stranger utterly unknown and never deserving the least favour from your Lordship yet I make bold to become a Petitioner When I undertook to write the History of the Church of England especially in the time of Henry the eight wherein there was the greatest Alteration and Change knowing that the Lord Cromwell your Lordships great Unckle was then in great favour for I have seen the Archbishops and the Lord Chancellor Audley their Letters unto him to desire his help in furthering their suits to the King and that he was then the only man imployed especially in spirituall causes for he did exercise the whole Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction under the King and by virtue thereof he took place of the Arch bishop of Canterbury which never any subject did and sat on the Bishops side in Parliament I thought it very necessary and fit to hearken after his writings and by the meanes of Sir Robert Cotton the great Antiquary now with God I had the perusall of his study where I read all his Letters Notes and Papers and where I found that it was the Lord Cromwell who made that Order in the Church that every one should learn in the English Tongue the Apostles Creed which may be some example and encouragement to your Lordship to defend these mysteries of our Faith and Religion which hath hitherto been my whole suit Amongst other Letters to the then Lord Cromwell I found one from John Fisher Bishop of Rochester a man famous for his devotion learning and courage when he was in far greater distress then ever I was I thank God for it the effect of the Letter was To desire his help for his relief the Letter is yet extant and may be produced What effect it took I cannot say but I do not finde that it was ever seconded with any other Letter which is usual in cases of distress nor did the Bishop complain at the time of his execution when he was beheaded and therefore I conceive he found some relief This hath encouraged me to become a Suitor to Your Lordship I shall not here acquaint you with any particulars for this were to be over-troublesome but I call God to witness that I know no man nor have I heard of any man that hath
my self lest I might lose my self in these dark mists of Divine Mysteries I have proved a God and but one God and that this one God is every way Infinite and therefore Incomprehensible I have proved all the several Attributes of God as Wisdom Power c. that they are all Substances which notwithstanding in the Creatures are but Accidences I have proved that all the several Attributes they are but one and the same for there cannot be several Infinites for then they would bound and limit each other I have proved that some Attributes according to mans apprehension seem to oppose each other as Mercy detracts from Justice yet that they are but one and the same Attribute in God And now I conclude That all these being duly considered they do as farre exceed mans natural Reason as doth the great and ineffable Mystery of the most holy blessed and undivided Trinity I never name Gods Mercy but my heart danceth for joy and then I begin to lay hold on it and to fasten on it and I cannot so cursorily pass over it I would here by way of objection ask How can all the Attributes of God be infinite when as Scripture seems to enlarge Gods Mercy for every thing must do and consequently hath knowledge according to his own nature whether spirituall or corporeall and certainly the inhabitants of one World cannot conceive the state and condition of another World the Angels would be as ignorant of this corporeall World as we are of their spirituall unless it be revealed alike to both Suppose then that I should elevate my reason above the course of this our present nature and that I had conference with an Angell upon my relation certainly the Angell not having any other knowledge of the inferiour World infused from God but judging of things according to his own spirituall condition he would say it were more impossible that one individuum or Person should subsist of different natures matter and form then that one nature should subsist of different Persons The Angell would think it a far greater inconvenience that one nature not able to preserve it self yet should be able to communicate her nature to another that is to be generative in her own kind for so the Angels are not as that one eternall nature should be alike and equally communicated to three Persons or if I should inform the Angels that one grain of Corn when it is dissolved and seems to be rotted in the Earth yet then it should send down a Root send up a Blade and so come with an increase and happily bring twenty graines for one this would seem more strange to an Angel then that one infinite nature should be alike and equally imparted to three Persons This I write only by way of supposition for I doubt not but the Angels by their spirituall condition and by their daily assistance and Beatificall Vision have a far greater knowledge revealed unto them both of the state of the naturall world as likewise of the most blessed Trinity then we have being only in Statu viae having now but an earnest of what we shall hereafter receive in greater measure From conferring with an Angel which many others have done I will now descend to a conference which may seem much stranger then that of the Angel for it is with an infant in the wombe who hath a reasonable Soul and wants only â—…it Organs and a right disposition for the practise and exercise thereof as Saint John Baptist did spring in the wombe upon the approach of our Saviour wherein he did express both reason and Religion yet this is not ordinary but suppose an infant had the right use of understanding I would tell him that he should no longer lye crouching and sleeping in the wombe but he should come abroad and prove a day-labourer and get his living in the sweat of his browes that there should be no further use of the Navill but his mouth should be his taster and his Teeth should be grinders that he should be no longer silent but should go to School and learn a language these things would seem as strange and as incredible to the infant for want of experience and due information as now they seem frequent usuall and ordinary to us for every thing hath knowledge according to his present condition and therefore no marvell if the naturall man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God Thus it plainly appears by the Angels by the Infant that there is a great difficulty in conceiving things of an other nature but to instance in our own nature Suppose I should ask of the greatest Doctors and Philosophers the reason and cause why the Adamant should draw up Iron and turn it self to the North or how should the Moon which is not able to turn a little stick yet should be able to turn the whole Ocean oâ—… take the late invention The unguentum Armarium by anoâ—…nting the weapon to cure the wound who can imagine the cause thereof Thus how many things are we bound to believe whereof we cannot understand the manner and means And therefore if in very naturall things it is very necessary there should be a faith and belief some reposing trust in others in regard that all are not of a like apprehension much moâ—…e in things which are not within the compass of this naturall world and therefore fall not within the compass of mans naturall reason But there is as great a distance between them as is between Heaven and Earth And all Creatures even Angels themselves in respect of God there is as great a difference between them in knowledge as is in beeing or if you will have me to express it further there is as much difference between them as is between finite and infinite between the most excellent being and no being between something and nothing for so all creatures are both in themselves for what they have of themselves and in comparison with God Here then at length I come to the greatest difficulty Why should there not be the like operations upon the Godhead from his other attributes as there is from the understanding and from the will for the understanding begets verbum a word and from both proceeds Amor which is the action of the Will and here are three distinct Persons which cannot be said of the rest of Gods attributes Surely the answer is very plain because the understanding and the will of God they look ad intra they reflect upon the Deity it self for thus God is the object of his own understanding he understanding himself doth thereby enjoy most infinite happiness he is likewise the object of his own will or his love for knowing himself to be infinitely good he must therefore love himself infinitely and is therefore necessarily the finall end of all So that all are refer'd unto God but for the other attributes of God they look ad extra upon
is this That as there is not any creature wherein at this time the footstep and impression of the blessed Trinity doth not appear as I have already proved so I doubt whether God can make any creature wherein the stamp or mark of the blessed Trinity shall not be imprinted My reason is that God alone is Actus purus simplicissimus nothing but pure form a light without shadow or an absolute perfection without blemish or spot but whatsoever is besides God is was created by God of nothing and therefore in respect of this nothing from whence it arose it must have in it self quiddam potentiale something defective and imperfect that being made of nothing it is apt of it self being left to it self to return again to nothing So then it must consist ex actu potentia and there must be vinculum or ligamen to knit or unite together this Actum and Potentiam So here is some resemblance of the blessed Trinity in effect those three first Principles whereof every thing doth subsist and which are so much insisted upon in Philosophy And here you see that the blessed Trinity doth necessarily appear in the works of God as well as the rest of his Attributes More particularly if it be lawfull to make comparison between small things and great wherein I do the rather presume because I know my intention to be harmless and innocent and I serve a merciful God who is apt to forgive sins especially such as proceed out of ignorance I would take notice how farre forth this Mystery of the Trinity is shadowed forth in the knowledg affections of man himself It is the counsel of the wisest Philosopher Nosce teipsum Know thy self thou mayest make better use of the knowledge of thy self for the direction of thy self to thine own happiness then of any other forain or outward knowledge so for the love of thy self it is imprinted in thy heart that man should love himself above all others Proximus ipse mihi and all his actions tend and are directed accordingly which may a little if not point out yet resemble the operations which the knowledge and love of God do cause in the blessed Deity and therefore if we were to prefer some of Gods Attributes above others natural Reason would say that his Understanding and his Will did excel all the rest of his Attributes as they the most active and eminent qualities in every spirit for first our Understanding must direct us and then our Will must execute so in God they are the most eminent of all his Attributes for God himself is the object of his own Understanding and his own Will and so he is not of the rest of his Attributes for he is not the object of his own Power nor of his Justice nor of his Mercy but onely of his Understanding and of his Will and these being operative and producing some fruits as all the rest of Gods Attributes have their proper effects needs they must produce wonders in the Godhead to the astonishment and admiration of Reason Consider how the strong apprehension and longing of a woman in the time of her childe-bearing makes an impression sometimes in the mother but most commonly in the infant to the astonishment of Philosophy when the Physicians with their Dissections and Anatomies can neither shew the means nor the manner but profess their own ignorance And as the Understanding works such effects so in the next place consider the nature of our humane love which of all other passions is the strongest and doth most firmly and inseparably unite and therefore makes two persons man and wife in the eye of the Law to be reputed but as one person and this is much more strange that two persons having two natures and differing in Sex should be but one person then that one nature should be in several persons yet so the wisdom of the Law esteems them and it were high presumption in any man to question their wisdom Mans understanding and mans love have such operations in mankinde and no other faculties in man have the like Thus in the Schools it is said Intellectus fit quod intelligit The understanding doth work upon it self and for our love Amor unionem Love hath ever that property and appetite as to desire an union how the poor mother hugs the childe in her arms takes it into her bosom and with all her might and power would fain incorporate the childe into her self and if such be the effects of our understanding and our love then what may we conceive of the understanding and love of God But contraries do sometimes best appear by contraries and therefore to know the strength and efficacy of the understanding and love in man consider them in their defects and abuse and in the heavy judgements which sometimes befall them for all fits of Madness when men are distracted and out of their wits most commonly they arise either from the understanding when with night-watchings and studies they distemper themselves and so with strong impressions of melancholy have not the right use of their wits or otherwise when with outragious lusts in the strength and vehemency of their love-passions they do impart themselves and then rest in their rage and their fury besides themselves God grant that I do not offend in making any Comparison to that which is incomparable the Mystery of all mysteries the Secret of all secrets and is ineffable not to be understood by Men or Angels yet seeing God hath in part revealed it I thought fit with all humility and submission prostrating my self at the footstool of Gods Throne to express it according to the Tenents of Gods Catholick Church for the inlightning strengthning and confirmation of our faith I will now at length give this admonition to the Socinian who professeth to believe no more of God then his own Reason shall teach him and Reason we know depends upon the information of sense and he might as well say that what he hath not seen he will not believe so that his infidelity might as well extend it self to the sensible world Thus he should not believe all those delicious and beautiful fruits which the Eastern Countrey affords nor should he believe those great Whales and Monsters of the Sea whereof he hath not been an eye-witness nor should he believe the former Ages of the world nor take any thing upon the relation of others much less should he believe a spiritual world which is of another nature and condition nor should he believe the Influences of the heavens which exceed his Reason for they are not sensible nor should he believe the working of Gods Spirit and that his prayers should be of any efficacy or power And thus he utterly overthrows all Faith and Religion and so in effect is a profest Atheist onely he would cover it with a cloak and pretence of natural Reason pretending some great skill and knowledge in
in all naturall works God useth meanes and why not in supernaturals it is most credible that the same wise God observes the same wise course for the effecting of his own will nor can this disparage God for the means are none other but such as God himself doth appoint thus is God the beginning the end and the meanes that God may be all in all Thus it appears that meanes must be used to purchase our redemption i. e. that a price or ransome must be paid for our sin but where should we procure this ransom if we have it not of our own where shall we borrow it who will be bound for us or become our surety it is true that God hath locked up in the bowels of the earth as it were in Natures coffers great treasures of Gold Silver precious Stones Minerals and these serve to make our Coyn which carries the price of all things whereby these worldly commodities are bought and sold in the Market and these will serve to pay for the ransom of Princes or to corrupt Magistrates and to buy their consciences or for any other worldly or finister imployment and answerable hereunto God hath his coyn in the materiall heavens his Golden Sun his Silver Moon and as the Chimists observe there is not a Planet which hath not a speciall influence upon some Metalls Thus do Gods treasures in the heavens cause the generation of ours in the bowels of the earth but alas all these are temporary the rust doth consume them and therefore they are not currant mony to purchase eternity neither yet do they serve in the exchange and remission of sins After the Metals we will consider the Vegetatives the beauty and sweetness of fair and delicious flowers the odoriferous and aromaticall fruits the pretious drugs and all whatsoever else the earth doth afford these may very well be Natures incense or sacrifice to God but alass their odours do vanish like vapours and cannot wash away the spots and cleanse the uncleanness of sin After the Vegetatives we come to the Beasts such as have motion and sense and in them by their slaughter and sacrifice in the Mosaicall Law we finde the just deserts and rewards of our sin that death is the wages of sin so that God in the Law did institute sacrifices to betoken the truth of things to succeed for it appears that the spots and staines of sin have so far defiled and made such a deep impression in man that they cannot be washed away but by the effusion of bloud it is bloud and bloud only that must serve to scoure them From beasts come we to Man for whom the whole world was created and in whom the whole world did transgress and having now found out the principall party we must lay hold on him he is our Prisoner and untill we proceed first against him we cannot touch upon the accessaries death being the wages of sin therefore man must dye but seeing the sin was of infinite malignity as being committed against an infinite Majesty it requires either an infinite price and ransom or an infinite punishment and satisfaction therefore the death of poor silly man alone cannot suffice though we must take it in part of payment yet it cannot discharge the whole debt We must then ascend higher and if meanes be used in the redemption of man as it is a work of the highest nature so needs it must have the most excellent meanes This whole world is sublunary and serves for our inferiour uses to cloth the back and to fill the belly it cannot reach so high as the heavens or the work of our redemption the Angels are only our gardians they attend and assist us and being so meanly ministeriall it were high presumption to make them our redeemers for they cannot be sufficiently thankfull for their own beeing much less are they able to satisfie for the sin of others which sin being infinite requires an infinite satisfaction and therefore none but God alone can suffice for in justice there must be a proportion between the offence and the punishment but if the punishment should be infinite either in the torments or in the continuance then there were no place for Mercy but it should be wholly excluded which being one of Gods attributes it must ever subsist therefore it was necessary that some infinite Person should suffer and seeing that the work of Redemption is far greater then the work of Creation and therefore we call the time Hebdomada major for in the Creation there was no resistance of Gods Power for there was nothing but in the work of redemption our sins stand in opposition and thereby hinder Gods action and therefore God is pleased not to use any of those generall attributes which performed the work of the Creation as the omnipotency in making the providence in preserving the justice in punishing but a Person in the Deity must be ingaged and the more to interest him in the cause and the more for the satisfaction of justice there must be an Hypostaticall union of the Godhead and Manhood in one Person whereby the weakness and guiltiness of man supported by the power and al-sufficiency of the Godhead might make a full satisfaction for sin and though it be not agreeable to justice that an innocent should dye for the nocent yet by the free oblation of himself it seems very reasonable and just and thereby he becomes a true reall propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and as man using means under God repentance and sorrow for sin laying hold on Gods Mercies in Christ shall receive the full benefit so I doubt not but the cursed Angels the very Devils themselves may finde some mitigation of punishment even by Christ's Passion for God could infinitely increase their Torments as their sins have justly deserved and it is the mercy of God to binde them up in chaines that they might not be permitted to do more mischief whereby they might further provoke and incurre Gods heavy wrath and vengeance against them and that they are capable of some mercy or at least of some mitigation of punishment they are Gods creatures they partake of a spirituall nature and are in the compass of Gods generall mercy which may abundantly suffice all and I do ascribe all the mercies of God to Christ. Thus then for our redemption no less then a Person in the Deity can suffice and as this is necessary in respect of justice which requires a due recompence so in regard of the purchase which is no less then the Kingdom of heaven and a Crown of Glory and therefore could be of no less undertaking and performance then of a Person in the Deity and that it should be the second Person because he is the word or the wisdom of God and the sin was committed against the wisdom of God by tasting the Tree of knowledge and though God be life in himself imparts