how can unity bee Being or Being bee one but by that power which is in both And this Trinity is the excellency of all understanding unity power Being the one bringing forth the other brought forth and power proceeding from unity ioyned with being And this is the first Trinitie that can bee understood or conceived to bee unity being and the power of them both by which divinity is the Father of being being is of unity The Father is the father of wisdome and wisdome the Son of the Father and between these a most high power hidden in the one of producing in the other of being produced as Plato hath shewed it wonderfully Thus Proclus The argument of Pythagoras is not of lesse weight That which is unchangeable must needs be eternal and alwayes one And as al change in every body is by reason of inequality of the parts so that which is absolutely and ever one must be ever in equality so verity and equalitie must be eternall and multiplicity and inequality must necessarily bee after unity and equalitie And as unity is the cause of connexion or being one so inequality is of division And the effect of the first cause must have priority before the effects of the second cause Therefore connexion also must be before division and change and if before change then also eternall And because there can bee but one eternall therefore unity equality and connexion must bee one thing And this is that threefold unity which Pythagoras taught was to bee adored Pet. Blondus de Trenario pag. 106.107 And Cusa de Docta ignorantia lib. 1. cap. 7. Neither is that reason which Cusa Exereroit lib. 7. pag. 134. brings from Aristotle to bee slighted especially by Thomas that great Aristotelian Aristotle saith that the first cause of all must needs be both efficient formall and the end And three firsts there cannot be because before all plurality there must needs be unity Therefore it being one first it must bee a threefold cause efficient formall and finall The efficient cause is neither Formall nor Finall and the formall is neither finall nor efficient Therefore they are three distinct causes considered in their severall subsistences but considered in their firstnesse they are in being one alone many such reasons and authorities to this purpose you may reade in Struchus Deperenni Phi. lib. 1. 2. But how much yet more fitly and more fully hath the illuminated Raimund shewed both this point and all those other which Tho. Aqu. hath given over as past all proofe For Raimund taking all those conditions of the divine being which the holy Scripture gives to God and without which that being could not be perfect and supposing and proving them to be infinite with all the conditions of infinity both in being and working hath taught the way to shew the Trinity of Persons in unity of being by every one of those conditions see Art mag Part. 9. And though his words seeme borrel and rude as bonificans bonificabile Bonificare in una bonitatis essentia Possificans possificabile and possificare in the being of power yet they are full of excellent meaning The learned and witty Cusa de visione Dei cap. 17. gives instance in the unity which is either unity uniting unity united or the union or knot of them both yet all these in the most simple being of unity And againe in love which is either in the Person loving or in the Person loved or in the knot of the Love betweene them all according in the nature of Love and without any of these Love cannot be perfect and compleate yet may every one of these be understood apart inasmuch as a man may love and not be loved loved and not love againe But where that which is Lovely is also loving there the bond of love is firmely tyed and love in every part entire yet is this love but in shadowes among us but perfect in the endlesse and perfect being of love 1 Ioh. 4.8.16 And thus in other conditions of the divine nature have other learned and devout men endevoured to shew their understanding and firme consent unto this high article of the christian Faith one in the power of God another in his wisdome c. according to the proofes you read before And therefore not to goe about to overthrow the reasons brought by Thomas because the authority of so great a Doctor may cut deeper than his reasons and so cut off if not the strength of the reasons in the articles following yet that comfort which the faithfull soule might have thereby I say that all the reasons which are brought to this article and so for the most part in all the rest are onely of two kindes First and chiefely from the impossibilities which would follow upon the contradiction of the thing in question which kinde of discourse I have taught as I can log cap. 8. n. 7. and chap. 26. more at large Secondly by that kinde of demonstration which I call by conversion of termes as I shewed log cap. 18. n. 3. in the syllogisticall handling of such arguments as in effect are all one with them which log cap. 13. n. 5. I shewed to bee by rule in the second kinde of equivalence Now both these kindes of argument prove the question onely that it is that is to say shew onely that the proposition is true and neither prove nor enquire how or for what superiour cause which in this and in many of the other questions here handled cannot be given And there is no proposition how true how universall or manifest soever but it may be proved by these meanes both in the affirmative For in things of the same nature and being whatsoever agrees to one must needs agree to the other and in the negative the ground of impossibilities and all negative discourse whatsoever is denied to the predicate must also bee denyed to the subject Now I thinke it is no more derogation from the truth to bee thus confirmed than it is simplie to bee affirmed as it is in the article of the Creed As if I say there is an eternall being the cause of all Beings there is an infinite wisdome the disposer of all an infinite power that governes all and thereupon conclude that there is a God What dishonour is here offered to God or his truth are not all these termes an eternall Being the cause of all beings An infinite Wisdome c. convertible one with another and all of them meaning one being which wee call God have they not all authority in the Holy Scripture And shall not that which is truely affirmed of one bee as truely affirmed of the other And so on the otherside by impossibilities If there bee not an eternall being the beginner and cause of all other beings then that which is begun must bee a beginning to it selfe But this is impossible for so it should bee a cause and yet not bee Therefore there is a God
propagation and preservation of kinde in the like which it cannot uphold in it selfe by reason of corruption neither is the generation of natural things but with imperfection and their multiplication by decision of naturall things but with imperfection and their multiplication by decision of the seed into divers parts Neither doth any father communicate his whole being to that which is begotten by him neither can the species or common nature so farre forth as it is multiplicable even by one alone be saved whole and entire any one individuall But nothing of all this is in the most glorious spirituall and divine generation for that power of generation is not received but essentiall so that which is begotten is eternall and incorruptible The generation also is in the uttermost perfection because the whole infinite being is communicate thereby but that not for any abasement in the principle but because of the infinite perfection thereof Neither is matier for multiplication either possible or needfull here because all the fulnesse of Fatherhood Sonneship and procession are herein perfectly substantially infinitely and eternally because the procession is not such as tends to any thing without for so that which proceedeth should not bee coequall to the principle from whence it doth proceed But this procession is in the Divine being onely in every Person according to his peculiar subsistence answerable whereto no generation can be found in all the creatures 2. Another objection there is to the like purpose out of Heb. 1.3 where it is said of the second Person that hee susteineth all things by the Word of his power So that if hee being the Word of his Father have also a Word whereby he susteineth all things which therefore is another Word and not the things that are susteined thereby it may seeme that there is a multiplication of Persons and that the former objection is not fully answered I have said Log. Chap. 29. n. 5. That the appointment of all naturall causes to the bringing forth of their effects is the rule or law of Nature Now this law is that necessitie fate or destinie which is ordained by his eternall decree that made Nature and all things therein and blessed all the living creature with power to bring forth according to kinde as it appeares Gen. 1. And this is that Word of which S. Paul speakes No other divine Person but that Word whereby he melteth the yce and Snow Psal 147.18 that ordinance which the creature cannot passe Psal 148.6 Of which you may reade every where in the Holy text and especially in that admirable booke of naturall and Divine Philosophie the booke of Iob in comparison of which all Aristotles naturalls are not worth the while For seeing all naturall causes have their strength from him hath not hee bound nature within those limits beyond which hee gave it no further power to worke And within which hee is trulie said to worke by his word or by his power in the strength of which alone Nature her selfe doth worke Maker of Heaven and Earth CHAP. XIII That the World is not Eternall Section I. THe puritie or uttermost simplicitie of the Divine being is the fountaine from whence all the perfections which are therein doe flowe for neither can any thing be living powerfull wise continuall glorious c. except it bee neither can any thing be such infinitely if it have not an infinite being but an infinite of being cannot be but with the uttermost simplicitie of being For whatsoever is put to being takes away the simplicitie thereof and must needs be a limitation thereto and so take away the infinitie also The manifold perfections therefore in the Divine being are not additions of other beings to make composition therein or to take away the simplicitie thereof seeing they all signifie one and the same being but because the most simple being must needs bee the first of beings as being altogether in act or perfection and no way in possibilitie of being for then were it not a most simple being if it were both in act of being that which it is and in possibilitie of being that which it is not therefore must all other beings depend hereon nay bee herein because all things are virtually contained in their principles And this is that eternitie of the creature which it had in the infinite wisdome and power of God before it was Gen. 2.5 For seeing that in God is infinite perfection and that nothing can bee wanting to that which is perfect neither yet can any thing be perfect but in him therefore the first and highest being of all things must bee in his perfection But because absolute perfection must needs bee with the uttermost simplicitie without othernesse or change therefore must all things in God bee one and he though one alone yet virtually all things But because all things were in him eternally one that they might in time bee different in themselves for otherwise they could never at all either have beene or have beene different It is necessarie to grant that in that one absolute being which the creature had in God there must be first a possibilitie for it to be in it selfe for as things utterlie impossible can never be so can there bee no possibilitie of being but by him Secondly a possibilitie for the things being to be different among themselves and that not onely in their severall kindes but also in their particular existences and this for the manifestation of that manifold wisdome of the Maker And from hence thirdly succeeds that actuall being which things that are being have by that Holy pleasure or will by which they are and continue in their severall beings which Will must needs bee partaker both of the infinite power and infinite wisdome that it might effect that which was possible and foreseene And thus is there in the Unitie of the creature a Trinitie also in possibilitie in difference and actuall being that wee should never forget to adore the eternall Trinitie in the Unitie But the question of the worlds eternitie is onely about this last manner of actuall being for it is not denyed that it is eternall in respect of that being which it had in God as the cause or in it selfe as possible to bee because that while it was not being it had not any power to resist that Almightinesse which called it out of not being into being though to speake more properlie that eternity which it had in pure possibilitie was not in it selfe because it was not and seeing that which any thing hath of it selfe is first therein and more proper thereto than that which it hath of another therefore the world of it selfe having not being it could not possible bee eternall but onely in his eternall purpose which had appointed it unto this being The World therefore in God the principle is not begun but eternall and one but whatsoever is severed from this Principle can neither bee one nor yet eternall but comes
left slime the heavenly warmth doth feele Men sundry shapes beneath the sod reveile Some new begun and some to halfe doe grow That halfe alive the rest but earth below But Moses Gen. 1. delivers it unto us in the parts active and passive heaven and earth which yet before their division were both of water as it is manifest in that place and 2. Pet. 3.5 According hereunto Homer Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after him Thales affirmes the first matier of all things to be water But the opinions of the lesse reckoning are those that are found amongst the heretickes of the Christians For all the Philosophers and Poets of the heathen which held not the eternity of the world acknowledged God the authour of the world under one name or other but Simon Magus and with him Menander said that the Angels were the makers of the world Saturnius gives the honour unto seven Angels alone whom he makes the Creators of the world without the consent or knowledge of God Carpocrates and the Priscillianists affirmed that the world was made by certaine inferiour Angels among whom the devill was chiefe workemaster Valentinus gave it out that a devil which was begotten of the thirtieth Aion begot other devils and these Sonnes of Aveugles made the world and mischiefe and sinne are in the world not through the wickednesse and free will of man but even by the very creation of the world it selfe The Nicholaitanes tel us of Angels the makers of the world and that Barbelo who was ruler of the eight Sphere was overseer of the works His mothers name was Yaldaboth But I have not read so farre in heraldry as to tell you who was his Dad nor of what house his mother came nor yet whether his follow workemen were good or bad Angels The Gnosticks of the two Gods which they make as you have heard before make the ill God the creator of the world which though it appeare not either by Irenaeus Clement Tertullian Epiphanius or by S. Augustine yet it is plaine by Plotinus Aenead 2. lib. 9. who writes against their opinions and this in particular Marcion made three creators one good another bad and another betweene them whom they called Iust So you see how all these hereticks had madded themselves and their followers in their opinions concerning the Creator of all things Others erred concerning some parts of the creature onely as the Seleucians and Hermians or Hermogenians beside their errour of the worlds matier coeternall with God denyed that God created the soules of men but would have them created by the Angels of fyer and Spirit contrary to that which is In Gen. 2.7 Esay 57.16 1 Pet. 4.9 That God is the faithfull Creator of the soule The Priscillianists said that the soules of men were of the same substance and nature with God and being by him sent downe from heaven the devill met with them by the way and sowed them as seed in the flesh whereupon it must follow either that the being of God is divisible into infinite partes or that there is but one onely soule of all men and both wayes unavoydably that God at least in part of Himselfe must be subject to Sinne and so that either He must need a Saviour or by His owne law bee subject to eternall death This is the fruite of heresie The Patricians denyed God to be the Creator of the body of man and gave that honour to the devill contrary to that which is in Gen. 2. v. 7. and v. 21.22 yea and so detested the flesh as that to be out of the body some of them killed themselves The Paternians said that the lower parts of the body it seemes onely those that are affixed thereto for generations sake that flesh which the law so often commands to be washed were made by the devil and thereupon tooke occasion to live in filthinesse and Iust contrary to the Commandement of God The Marcionites and Manichees said that wickednesse and ill was partly from God and partly from the matier of the world Florinus and his followers said that things were created ill according to their substances contrary to the Scripture Gen. 1.31 But contrarily the Coluthians would not have God the Author of ill no not that of punishment which neverthelesse the Scripture teaches Esay 45.7 and 54.16 Amos. 3.6 Some also of the heretickes followed the opinions of the ancient Philosophers as they that were called Aquei that of Thales and said that water was the matier of the would but yet eternall and not created The Audian and Manichean hereticks instead of Aristotles eternals brought in darkenesse fire and water you might bring hither their foolish thoughts concerning the transplantation of soules and such like questions but there will bee fitter place thereto in the article of everlasting life And because these upstart weenings are so witlesse as they are false I will not vouchsafe to inquire into their reasons the onely authority of the holy Scripture is sufficient to grinde them all to dust and to bring that dust to nought at all But least any man contrary to the truth of God be overswayed with the reasons of the Philosophers it will not be unfit to examine and answer them 1. And first concerning the reasons of the Platonicks that the matier of the world should therefore be eternall because it is simple and uncompounded I answer That it is but petitio principii or a taking of that which is not granted for it is utterlie denied that there was ever such matier as they suppose utterly informed I say according to the Sacred Philosophie that when water the first matier of all things was created darknesse or confusion was upon the face of the deepe but yet with that water under that confusion was concreated all manner of formes which afterward were all brought forth out of the possibilitie of the matier so that matier was impregnate or great with all kinde of formes which afterward were made to appeare for otherwise could not the effect bee answerable to the cause if hee being in himselfe the Jdeas or formes of all beings had not brought forth the first matier full fraught with all materiall formes by which afterwards according to the disposition of their naturall causes the different kindes of things were informed And therefore here also are all things said by him to have beene made at once And although in the workes of the fifth day the whales with other things which had a life with the power of moving are said to bee created yet is that spoken onely in regard of that more manifest life than the vegetable had in the workes of the third day but that life neverthelesse was brought out of the power of the matier by more powerfull causes his blessing comming thereto even as it was afterward upon them to bring forth after their kinde Onely in the sixth day because it was not in the power of all nature to bring forth a
thine iniquities for Mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe Esay 44.22 I will put away thy transgressions as a Cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Turne thee unto mee for I have redeemed thee Read further Esay 53. from vers 4. to the end Mic. 7.18.19 He retaineth not wrath for ever because mercy pleaseth Him He will turne againe and have compassion upon us Hee will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the hottome of the Sea Col. 1.13 God hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of His deare Sonne in whom wee have redemption through His blood that is the forgivenesse of our sinnes Hebr. 1.3 Christ by Himselfe hath purged our sinnes See the text cited out of Ieremiah Heb. 8.10 11 12. and Hebr. 9.26 and 28. 1. Pet. 2.24 Who His owne selfe bare our sinnes in His body on the tree that by His stripes wee might be healed 1. Iohn 1.7 The Blood of Iesus Christ purgeth us from all our sinnes Reve. 1.5 Hee hath loved us and washed us from all our sinnes in His blood Rev. 5.9 Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof For Thou wast killed and hast redeemed us unto God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation ARTICLE XII ⧠The resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting CHAP. XXXVIII § 1. IT may seeme that the Christian mans hopes are more glorious then all other hopes because he is so well content with patience to expect the promises and to deferre his hopes to be enjoyed in a better life then this yea for those hopes sake to deny himselfe many pleasures and contents in this present life an argument doubtlesse as of a constant hope so of an inuincible courage that for this hopes sake because he judgeth Him faithfull that hath promised he beareth patiently all oppositions persecutions and all things else whatsoever may seeme to stand against this hope of happinesse in the life to come which constancy is so much the more to bee praised because it is of a hope above hope seeing all reason and causes in nature are against it insomuch as with them that beleeved it not it was scoffed at as you reade Act. 17.32 or else accounted madnesse as Act. 26.24 yea and where the great teacher of the Gentiles takes upon him to ascertaine this doctrine of the resurrection as 1 Cor. 15. he brings his maine proofe especially to this purpose That it is to be held a Gospel which we are to receive as a matier of faith which of it selfe is the substance and proofe of things hoped for We shall consider the validity of Saint Pauls arguments in their due place in the meane time what hope we may have from them who undertake to give proofe of this Article by naturall reason you may see by that which Thomas Aquinas hath brought contra Gentiles lib. 4. cap. 79. The soule quoth he is immortall and naturally united to the body as the forme thereof Therefore it is against the nature of the soule to be out of the body and nothing that is contrary to nature can bee perpetuall Therefore it is necessary that it be againe united to the body that the body may rise againe To this reason it may be replied nothing is or can be put in nature whereby the soule being once departed is againe reunited to the body but that is a thing transcending nature and onely in the will and power of God For although the resurrection be indeed a naturall thing in respect of the termes that is the body and the soule because neither the body nor yet the soule is any perfect species in nature seeing they are made one for the other and the soules desire of being with the body is never satisfied but in the body yet in respect of the principle or cause which should joyne them together being separated the resurrection is above nature and therefore cannot be enforced by any naturall reason For the soule by any disease or other cause contrary to nature being driven out of the body there is no naturall cause left either in the one or in the other which is able to reunite them for if so then that cause would have beene of force to have retained the soule still in the body that it should not have departed therefrom And therefore that axiome That nothing which is against nature can be perpetuall hath no force to inferre the resurrection which depends onely on the will the mercy and justice of Almighty God and not on any thing that is in nature The second reason is this 2. That which is imperfect in the being thereof cannot be capable of perfect happinesse The soule separate from the body is in the being thereof imperfect in as much as being a part of man it is not perfect but in the whole man soule and body together Therefore it is necessary that the soule be againe united to the body that both may be perfectly happy together Answer The perfect happinesse of the soule and body together is a promise of grace and utterly beyond the state of nature and so no naturall argument of the resurrection But the perfection of being is either naturall or connaturall The perfection which I call naturall shall be onely in the state of glory when the naturall parts of man soule and body shall be joyned together according to the perfection of their severall being after the resurrection The connaturall perfection of the reasonable soule is that which is in knowledge and contemplation of things that are divine The soule being separate because it is freed from that variable and fraile companion of the fantasie which followes the appetite and dieth with the body Psalm 146.4 is better fitted to that perfection which is in contemplation then while it dwelt with the body and because it sees that there is no possibility in nature of any returne to the body it is with all patience and joy content to expect till Gods appointment be that it shall returne as it was said to the soules of the Saints That they should rest for a little season untill their fellow Martyrs time were fulfilled Revel 6.11 So that although for the perfect happinesse of both the soule is to be joyned to the body yet that joyning followes not for the desires sake of the soule but for His wills sake who hath promised such happinesse unto both soule and body Thus you see that the glorious hopes which the holy Christian faith brings with it are above all the reasons and possibilities of nature Therefore let us not seeke naturall proofes for the resurrection but from the light of grace and the vertues of the divine dignities which the holy Scriptures have made us to know let us see what arguments we can finde of more strength and solidity And because the reasons that are to bee brought for proofe of this Article
which all that are in the graves shall come foorth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done ill unto the resurrection of condemnation Object 3. Obiect 3 If the same body shall rise againe of the same shape and lineaments some shall be whole men some maimed some halting blind c. Answer The qualities of the bodies shall be changed the substance shall not be lost For as it is against the justice of God that one substance should doe that which is pleasing to Him and another be rewarded therefore So if all teares shall be wiped away then also all cause of teares all hurts wants and deformity both of body and soule So that as the same body shall be returned to the same soule so shall it returne intire and whole Object But if the use of the members cease why are the members needfull Ans Though the naturall body shall be made spirituall and thereby be delivered from the necessities of those things to the use of which wee are now tyed as of foode clothes c. and so the members freed from their offices yet are they not therefore unnecessary For the tribunall of Christ requires a perfect man that he may receive in his body according to that which he hath done in his body Moreover for the perfection of beauty and glory the body must be intire the integrity of which stands not in the offices of the members but in their substance Neither yet shall all the offices of every member cease for the instruments of the voyce shall still serve for praise to God as this Father thinketh The objections which Thomas Aquinas brings from naturall doubts are of no force against the reasons which we have brought from the light of grace and knowledge of the Scriptures For it is yeelded that the resurrection of the body is beyond all the power of naturall causes to effect but that it is onely of the will and power of God as to make man at the first so to restore him againe out of his former principles into which he was resolved But that you may see how weake naturall reason is compared with the trueth of God and on what wretched hopes the Atheist depends which trusts that his sinnes shall never be brought to judgement I will propose the reasons and answeres as they stand Object 4. Object 4 That which is corrupted cannot be made the same againe as a naturall habit of the body or mind being deprived cannot be restored Answer The impossibilities of nature cannot limit that power which created nature especially in the resurrection of the body wherein the Author of nature hath professed that He can and hath promised that He will raise it up againe as you read before Object 5. Object 5 But the essentiall principles being lost it is impossible that the same thing in number should be restored Answer The essentiall principles in man are soule and body which being restored each to other in the perfection of them both nothing which is concomitant whether it be property or necessary accident can be wanting and that both these remaine in the state of being and consequently in the possibility of being brought together againe you may see Chap. 17. § 4. N. 5. Object 6. Corruption is a change from being unto not being Object 6 Therefore it is impossible that the being of man being corrupted the same being in number should be restored Answer This is in effect one with the former And it is true that the totall is destroyed in man by the separation of the parts But neither of the parts doe come to nothing but are in the hand of that power to bee conjoyned againe by which they were conjoyned at first Object 7. Object 7 If whatsoever hath beene essentiall to the body of man must in the resurrection be restored unto him then this bodily proportion shall be very uncomely in as much as the haire the nailes and whatsoever else is wasted away by the force of naturall heat were once as essentially of the body as that was which he carryed with him to the grave See the first supply to Logicke question 66. Answer As it was said before that whatsoever was wanting in the body should be made up So understand on the contrary that superfluities and deformities shall be taken away and that every one shall rise againe in that perfection which is peculiar to man-kind Object 8. That which is common to all of any kind Object 8 seemes naturall to the species But there is not any common virtue of any naturall agent to worke this Therefore it seemes that all men shall not rise againe Answer The resurrection of the dead is not by any naturall cause but it depends onely on the power of God to whose justice every man must give an account of his owne workes Object 9. Death is the effect of sinne Object 9 from both which wee are freed onely by the death of Christ Therefore it seemes that all shall not rise againe but they onely that are partakers of the merit of His death Answer It is true that such onely shall rise to eternall life the rest for justice unto judgement And because death is the wracke of nature in all men and the worke of the devill and that our Lord came to repaire nature and utterly to destroy the workes of the devill Therefore that it may appeare that Hee hath perfectly finished that for which He came all men must rise againe Object 10. Object 10 The last objection seemes a mighty one above the rest That if all men must rise againe perfect what shall become of the Canibals who have eaten one another nay if any of these Canibals eate onely mans flesh and beget children seeing their seed as their wisedome affirmes is onely the superfluity of the nourishment before it be conuerted into the substance of the fathers body here is the knot of Gordius who hath most right to this seed whether the sonne whose body was made of it or the father or he from whose body it was devoured by the father But this Philosophy of the superfluity of the seed hath been hist out in the 17. Chapter The maine doubt is answered by Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15.44 Thy body is sowen a naturall body but it is raised a spirituall body So then though Beares or dogs or Canibals or wormes devoure the flesh yet seeing onely flesh is nourished thereby a materiall body with a materiall a naturall body with a naturall the spirituall body is free from any naturall change For even now the soule dwells not in the body but by those meane spirits which are raised from the bodily parts as I shewed before Therefore though this materiall individuall body shall be raised up yet because it is raised up a in spiritual estate it will be free from naturall corruption because it is fitted to be an eternall habitation for the soule being wholly spirituall and then there will
all our knowledge proceeds from meere ignorance first knowing words by their meaning then things by fence and experiments from whence the reason ascending by enquirie into the causes comes at last into the knowledge thereof and so unto the chiefest and first cause wherein alone it findes rest And seeing man alone of all the visible creatures is framed and formed of God unto this search by the outward sence and reason to finde the wisdome and power of God in the creature that so honouring him therefore as he ought he might be made happie thereby if it bee no way possible by reason and discourse to come to this end then should God want of his honour by some of those meanes by which it might be given unto him then should the creature bee failing to man in the speciall use which he should make thereof to God then should reason the chiefe facultie of our soule and principall meanes of our knowledge have beene given unto man in value that is as sence is to the beasts onely for this life if it were either no helpe at all or an unfit or an insufficient meane to know that which is most necessary and worthy to bee knowne and yet obscure to stirre up our industrie that as faithfull servants we may improve those gifts wherewith God hath intrusted us See Luke 19.1 And so the purpose of God should be frustrate both in the inferiour creature and in man and that in their chiefest and uttermost end See Prov. 16.4 But these things are impossible and therefore wee are commanded Deut. 6.5 to love and serve the Lord our God with all our heart the seat of reason 1 King 3.12 with all our soule the seat of the will and understanding in heavenly things and all our affections there stiled by a word of vehemencie or excesse And thus doe we fulfill the counsell of the wise Pro. 3.9 to honour the Lord with all our substance that is whatsoever is ours without or within as sence reason understanding affections and will But still you say that reason is an unsufficient meane and unable to bring us to the knowledge of those things which we are bound to beleeve for else the Heathen which know not the Scriptures might have known the truth of Religion as well as we Ans There be divers kinds of questions about every subject as I shewed Log Chap. 3. Now the conclusion or Article of our faith by the Atheist or Infidell or weake Beleever being made a question the reasons brought are to prove onely that the conclusion is true not alwayes why it is true for there be many conclusions in our faith which cannot be knowne and proved prioristicè as they speake that is by their immediate and necessarie causes seene and understood in the effects necessarily following thereon for then that humilitie which ought to be joyned with our faith should bee without reward but yet the foundation of our faith is sure because the Spirit of God which understands the things which are of God hath revealed in the Scriptures whatsoever is necessary for us to know or beleeve concerning God thus posterioristicè or by way of induction are all the Articles of our faith approved by reason so that our faith and hope are not of things impossible but such as are true and necessarie to be Moreover if there bee but one God one Lord of all one faith the onelie way to come unto God Ephes 4.6 as it is plaine there is but one Mediatour 1. Tim. 2.5 without whom none can come to the Father Iohn 14.6 It cannot be denied but that the same glorious faith which we are taught in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament excepting onely the historicall circumstances thereof as names and times as that the Mediatour Iesus was to bee borne of a Virgine Mary and to suffer death under Pontius Pilate c. must be that very same faith by which all the Saints of God were saved for above two hundred and fifty yeers before there were any Scriptures written And therefore that although this faith was delivered and reverently embraced by the faithfull before the Law of Moses who also so delivered it as that they could not looke unto the end of the law 2 Cor. 3.13 Yet they who either received it not by tradition as most of the Gentiles or understood it not in the Law as few among the Iewes did beside the Prophets must of necessity through the light of reason alone hold with us some maine and fundamentall points according to which if they lived in obedience they might finde mercy for that whereof they were ignorant as it is said Act. 17.30 that God oversaw or neglected the ignorance of the time before Christ For if the representative Priest by forein bloud found forgivenesse for himselfe and the ignorances of the people concerning all punishment in this life how much more might the everlasting high-priest by his owne offering of himselfe finde eternall redemption for their ignorances who sought mercy of God although they knew him not by whom they did obtaine it yet might they therefore assure themselves to obtaine it because they could not seek forgivenesse but by his Spirit who framed their hearts to seeke it and therby gave them an earnest or pledge that they should finde it Compare herewith Rom. 10.18.20 Ioh. 14.6 Now those maine points of which I spake which by the light of reason they might know are these First that there is a God infinite in goodnesse in glory in wisdome in power as it is manifest Psal 19. Rom. 1.19 20. and elsewhere Secondly that this God the maker of all things according to that goodnes made every thing to an end infinitly good as farre as the creature could bee capable thereof And that therefore the happinesse of man could not bee in this life short and miserable but that his hope must bee for hereafter And therefore thirdly that hee must needs perswade himselfe that hee was immortall and that there was an immortall life at least as appertaining to his soule Fourthly because a mans wretchednesse is for the most part from himselfe in the unlawfulnesse of his owne ill deeds which proceed from the bitter fountaine of his affections and ill desires tormenting himselfe therefore hee must needes confesse his sinne against himselfe and know that hee that finds himselfe so displeasing to himselfe can no way hope that for his owne worthinesse hee can any way bee acceptable unto God and that therefore he hath no succour nor hope but only in his mercy that hath made him thereunto if he will desire and trust in his mercy And thus far the reasons of the heathens and the Religion of the Turkes doe drive them But here that foolish Religion of the Turkes is content to stay not holding it necessary to beleeve a Mediator because say they God infinite in mercy made his Creature onely because heloved it Thus while they truely magnifie the mercy
poysonous herbs that they may be avoyded so are these heresies here set out Moreover in this triumph of the truth of Christ a great part of the captive traine should have beene wanting if they had not been driven before the triumphant Coach Whereas now the Christian may have comfort to see how the truth hath been fought against but yet hath overcome hath beene besieged not taken battered not shaken so that hereafter he may contemne the force of any adversarie And for feare of danger I thinke there is none when both by Scripture and reason these heresies mentioned are so utterly overthrowne But if any contrary to both these will yet bee licking of that foule vomit Let him that is filthie bee filthie still and let him that is holy be holy still The heresies I mention under the most usuall and knowne name not reckoning up for ostentation all those that were followers of that opinion The word Heresie I use at large for any opinion which a man doth chuse to maintaine against the truth knowne or unknowne And herein I put not onely the perverse opinions of them that have beene called Christians but also those false positions of the Heathens who profest Philosophie of whose traditions and false principles we are admonished to beware Col. 2.8 And these things being thus remembred let us now with due reverence and regard first be assured That God is that we may know what that glorious truth is which is the ground and rule of all truth and the foundation of our most holy and Christian religion because that this foundation being once laid the spirituall building of our most glorious faith may on that firme Rocke be raised up in all the parts thereof perfect and entyre And as we know that the author of all truth hath no need of our Lye whereby to be justified so where the truth is manifest let us not shut our eyes against it because we know that it is the shine of his being upon our understanding and that for this end that our understanding and will being enlightned thereby we may find the way to everlasting happinesse ARTICLE I. J beleeve in God That GOD is CHAP. I. IN the Grammaticall interpretation of the words I follow onely that sence which the Church of England holds my purpose is not to dwell therein but onely to ascertaine these doubts whereabout question may arise Therefore let the Atheist heare and the foole that saith in his heart There is no God for certainely There is a God And although no word or speech can bee uttered of which it is confessed that it is true or false but that it doth from thence follow necessarily That God is yet I will take onely those neerest attributes which we know to belong essentially unto him and so affirme that by this name God is meant a being eternall and infinite in all perfection of goodnes wisdome power will truth virtue glory and all those excellencies which may be in so glorious and infinite a being And againe convertibly that this being most perfect in infinitie eternitie goodnesse wisdome glorie c. is God The first reason is from the eternity If there bee not a being which had no beginning then that which was first existent or begun must bee a beginning unto it selfe by causing it selfe to be when it was not But it is impossible that any thing should be a cause and not be for so should it both be and not bee Therefore there is an eternall being the beginning of all things himselfe without beginning And that eternall being is God 2. Seing there is being which could not possiblie raise it selfe out of not being it followes that being was before not being and therfore of necessitie must be eternall for otherwise there was a a time wherein it might be said that being is not being and so not being should have been eternall and b contradictories might have stood together that is not being in eternitie and yet eternitie is most of all being But these things are impossible therefore there is an eternall being and this eternall being we call God 3. Eternitie is For neither can Nature which in continuance tooke her beginning together with time nor yet can mans understanding put any point of beginning in continuance before which some other continuance may not be understood to be Therefore all Nature and Reason must needs yeeld that there is Eternitie Therefore there is an eternall being for if in eternitie you put privation or not being it would be impossible that any thing should be brought out thereby Therefore God is 4. Whatsoever enforces the privation or taking away of a being infinitely and eternally good brings in an infinite and eternall ill But to deny that God is enforces the privation or taking away of a being infinitely and eternally good Therefore to denie that God is brings in an infinite and eternall ill Heare Atheist and consider how thou doest put ill to have the prioritie before good both in being and in action For that which is first must needs be a cause to all things that follow so that the cause of all things being ill every effect necessarily answering the cause every thing should in the very being have beene ill whereas ill is onely morall in the wickednesse of the qualities or action not of the being Gen. 1.31 The greatest excellencie or perfection of every thing is in the likenesse thereof unto the first cause but every thing is more excellent in the being thereof than in the not being therefore in the being it is most like the first cause whereupon it followes that the first cause of all is most of all being therefore before not being and so eternall And that is God All truths inferior and created depend necessarily upon a superior and increated truth for nothing can be in the effect which is not first in the power of the cause Wherefore seeing no space can bee given so great but that it is possible for the understanding a created being truly to conceive a space yet more large nor any number so multiplied but that still a greater number than it may be given the understanding must needs yeeld that there is a being infinite in extension that fils all space and yet is infinitely greater than it and a wisdome or mind numbring which is also infinite which no number can-either exceed or equall but only that most simple unity of his owne most pure and absolute perfection c Therefore there is a God Notes IF any man desire to see other reasons to this purpose let him reade those arguments that are brought by Tho. Aquinas lib. 1. cap. 13. contra Gentiles Sum. Theol. part 1. cap. 2. out of Aristotle and out of Thom. in Savanarola in his booke called Triumphus Crucis cap. 6. The arguments also that are here brought in the chapters following to prove the Eternity Infinity Omnipotency c. of God doe prove that there is a God
hanc ex literarum hyperthesi theologiam vulgârit felicia tempora quae te But if you take away hanc the rest is the praise of the Cabalists Read Iohannes Picus de Mirandulâ Archangel Reuchlin and in speciall his books de Verbo mirifico But to what purpose is all this grammar learning which he presumes to know alone did ever any man brag so loud for two sheets of paper forsooth to prove that Hades is derived of Adamah it proves it not But I will rather give it than I will trouble you further with it CHAP. II. What God is And that He is Everlasting HOw is it possible to define or bound an infinite Being If we looke upon the Creature to find a name for him thereby though Hee bee the cause of all though all things speake his praise yet Hee for ever dwelt in Eternity before any thing in the Creature was If wee looke upon the excellencies of the Creature the goodnesse or wisdome or power or glory or virtue or whatsoever else our words or thoughts can reach unto yet all these excellencies are from him the footsteps onely of his passage by them The whole Creature therefore with all the excellencies thereof cannot afford him a name whereby to know what his Being is So wonderfull is He so superexcellent above all names Yet such is his mercy as that in his holy word he hath been pleased to lisp with us as a mother with her infant and to give us names as certaine remembrances whereby our hearts may be lifted up unto him Of these some are given onely by way of comparison of which you may reade more in the 8. Chap. Some are onely negative by which we may better understand what he is not than what he is as S. Paul speakes 1. Tim. 1.17 Vnto the King Everlasting Immortall Invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Other attributes we give unto God which signifie perfections supereminently as that he is the Chiefest good the first beginning the prime and principall perfection and such like which although by the force of reason we are compelled to give vnto God yet because these generall expressions are too farre from our experimentall knowledge we attribute unto Him better and more fitly those perfections for which we have example in his word wherof there be certain likenesses and experiments in the visible creature which because it is his workemanship we know there can be nothing therein which is not supereminently in him that is the cause as goodnesse wisdome vertue and such like wherein after a sort we are his image Now among these there can be none like that description which God doth make of himselfe Exo. 34.6 7. where of fifteene attributes which God doth take to himselfe the first three shew to us his eternitie his infinitie and his omnipotencie one his truth eight according to the number of the blessings Matth 5. are all of mercy three onely concerne his justice And all these things follow necessarily one upon another For if God be without beginning as was shewed before Cap. 1. Re. 1.2 c. it must needs be that he be also without ending because He can have nothing before him and so can have no superiour which might bring him to nothing Therefore God is eternall both before and after as they speake à parte ante à parte post Now eternitie is an infinite continuance therefore whatsoever is eternall is also infinite Moreover whatsoever hath infinite continuance hath an infinite a power to continue infinitely Therefore God is Almighty and of endlesse power By this therefore that God is everlasting infinite and almighty we may very well conclude that this glorious Being is most worthy to be God seeing nothing can be before or after him being eternall nothing greater than he nor yet equall unto him seeing he is infinite neither all things nor nothing able to resist him because he is Almightie If God then be most worthy to be God it is necessarie that he be most wise most good most true most mercifull most just and most glorious For otherwise he were neither worthy nor yet possibly could he be God if any thing might be more wise good true mercifull just or glorious than He. Therefore God is wise and wisdome it selfe good and goodnesse it selfe true mercifull just and glorious truth mercie justice and glorie it selfe Neither can he move or be moved from place to place who fills all and is infinite beyond all places Neither can he be subject to any accident whose being is most simple and pure perfection And this is our God thus described as farre as the dimme sight of our understanding is able to descry him But that the truth of all these things may better appeare seeing we now lay the ground of those proofes which must follow hereafter you shall for every one of these or as many as is needfull have a reason or two and first That God is Eternall or Everlasting 1 IF God be not eternall then it followes that he was brought forth from not being into being but it is impossible that God should be brought forth from not being into being for not being cannot be a cause or if he were brought forth from not being by another that was before him then should that other bee more worthy to be God But this is confessed that nothing can either be or yet be conceived to be more worthy than God Therefore God is and was for ever that which he is and whatsoever hath been for ever hath power to continue for ever for otherwise the act of being should be without the power of being that is to say a thing might be when it were not possible to be but that is impossible Therefore God is everlasting and can neither have beginning nor ending 2. Whatsoever is being and once was not must of necessitie bring on the being of some cause which brought it to that being which it hath for nothing which onely may be can come into perfect and actuall being but by such a powerfull being as is already actuall Therefore there is either one first and chiefe being the cause of all things which is of it selfe actually perfect and powerfull eternally or else nothing at all is or else there is a subordination of causes infinitely The former of these two is false and against sence for I am and thou art the latter is impossible therefore the first is b necessarily true Now the falshood of this later appeares in this for if there be a subordination of causes infinitely then seeing every effect is brought to perfection in a finite time it must follow that c infinite causes may worke in a time finite and so infinite may be in that which is limited and finite But this is impossible therefore there cannot be a subordination of causes infinitely Moreover seeing every effect doth naturally answer the cause thereof and seeing the effects are of
so different kinds it must follow that there is not onely an infinite subordination of causes but also that there be infinite subordinations of causes of kinds infinitely different according to the different effects brought forth But this is impossible for the causes being ordained for the effect and the effect being the end of those causes that which is finite should be more noble and excellent than that which is infinite Thirdly if there be a subordination of causes infinitely of which one is moved orderly by another it must needs follow that there is no moving and consequently no causing at all for every cause being moued by that which is before or above it if there be no first cause given there can be no moving But it is apparent that in infinitie of causes there can be no first nor last and so there should be no moving nor no immediate cause of the effect Therefore there is one cause of all whith is infinite and eternall 3 If God be not eternall then either the world was a beginning unto it selfe or else it was eternally and so shall continue eternally But neither was the world a beginning unto it selfe as is proved Cap. 1 Re. 1. neither is the world eternall as shall be proved Cap. 13. Therefore God is eternall 4. And this truth of Gods everlasting being the holy Scripture teacheth every where as Gen. 21.33 And Abraham called on the name of the everlasting God Exod. 15.18 The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Deut. 32.40 I live for ever Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made thou art God from everlasting to everlasting So Psal 41.13 106.48 and Rev. 11.17 We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty which art which wast and which art to come Psal 145.13 Thy kingdome is of all eternity and thy dominion in every generation Notes a HAth power to continue infinitely the Schoolemen say Thom. contra Gentes lib. 1. cap 16. and often elsewhere Quod potest esse potest etiam non esse which you may construe That which hath power to be hath also power not to be or that which may be may also not be which seemes directly to crosse this argument But you must understand the Doctor there to speake of a thing which is in the power of being whereto it hath not yet attayned as a kernell is in power to become a tree in which the power of being is passive importing a privation of the being to come But in this place power to be meanes an actuall power not privative but positive whereby the thing which hath the power shewes by the actions the power which it hath as of the understanding to applie it selfe to this or that The passive power can no way be in God The second is a power of absolute perfection without which he could not be God b Impossible necessarily See the rule of this consequence Logono Cap. 18. n. 7. Cap. 26. n. 1. c Infinite causes Re. 2. That which is infinite in power may worke in a time finite not that which is infinite in number onely which is here meant That God is Infinite CHAP. III. INfinitie cannot here be meant of multitude for the more that multitude is increased in any kind the more the dignities of one are abated Neither yet can this infinitie be of quantitie for infinity cannot be in quantity no more than eternity can be in time a Neither is God a body which onely is capable of quantity yet is not infinity of extension denyed in as much as he fils all places infinitely beyond all place as the Prophet Esay speaks Chap. 40.12 That he measures the waters in his fist and the heavens in his span Neither is God infinite privatively in regard of any defect or want of being because he hath the complement of all perfections in himselfe But he is infinite negatively because there is no limit or bound to be set to his being to his perfection or superabundance in goodnesse wisdome power truth and glorie The reasons are these 1. Whatsoever is supersupreme or highest in all degrees of perfection must needs be infinite because there is nothing above it which may limit or restraine it But such is the being of God above which it is confessed that nothing can be thought more excellent Therefore God is infinite 2. Being taken absolutely that is simply by it selfe without any limitation must needs be infinite because infinite things by infinite meanes may be partakers thereof But such is the being of God that is absolute and simple for neither is his being from another as the cause thereof seeing he is eternall neither yet in another as a forme in the matter for so something should be more excellent than he as every totall is more excellent than any part thereof or as the accident in the subject for so something should be before him and also be more worthy than he as every subject in regard of the accidents Neither yet is he for any other as the end thereof for as all things are from him and by him as the first cause so are they for him as for their first and chiefest end and secondly for themselves to finde themselves happy in him as farre as they are capable as the Apostle concludes Rom. 11.36 Of him through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Therefore God is infinite 3. If the being of God be not actually infinite then should it be inferiour to the possibilities of the creature for mans understanding though actually finite yet admits the possibility of an infinite actuall being as was shewed in space and in numbers Chap. 1. Re. 6. But it is impossible that the being of God should be inferiour to those possibilities which the creature can reasonably give unto him for so the activitie of the understanding should be created in vaine if there were no being actually infinite to be apprehended thereby So also the effect that is the understanding should be extended beyond the being of the cause that is God if it could conceiue any excellency of being goodnesse wisdome c. greater than his Therefore it is necessarie that God be infinite You may see more Reasons Chap. 10. and there also the ground of this discourse 4. The authorities of Scripture are these Psal 143.3 Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible Psal 93.3 The Lord is a great God a great king above all Gods Psal 104.1 O Lord my God thou art exceeding great thou art clothed with majestie and honour Note a God is not a body pref The proofe of this see in the ninth chapter That God is infinitely good CHAP. IIII. THings in their being are the object of our understanding that we may know the truth of their being and therein is the understanding perfected But things as farre as they are good are the object of our
understanding is his being chap. 8. if Hee did understand by any other meanes than by the sight of his owne Being then Hee should have in himselfe a Being and a Being then there should be a cause of understanding to him without himselfe So his understanding should be in possibilitie only actuated or brought to worke by an outward understandable object So his understanding should be accidentall to Him as ours to us and so it should not be infinite For nothing can be infinite which is in possibility of being because it hath not all those perfections of being which it may possibly have So then God by the fight of his owne being knowes all things being * See chap. 9. num 6. or not being And to know all things in their cause and by their cause is the excellencie or perfection of knowledge For although the effect be not necessary to the being of the cause yet is the first cause more essentiall to the effect than all other succeeding causes whatsoever they are And therefore it is said Act. 17.28 In him we live move and have our being Seeing then that all effects are in the power of the cause and that every thing which is in another must be therein according to the manner of that being wherein it is If God be understanding and wisdome it selfe they must be in Him understandably and therefore be perfectly knowne by Him But you say If the creature bee knowne and seene by the infinite wisdome and if nothing can be in God beside His very being chap. 9. then that knowledge of the Creature must bee in the very being of God because it is in Him Then it is necessary that in the divine being there bee a manifold or divers being because a different knowledge one that whereby Hee knowes himselfe which will easily be yeelded to be essentiall and his very being see chap. 8. and another of the creature which is it be essentiall His essence must be divers Because the essence and being of the Creator and of the creature are most different If not essentiall it must be accidentall to Him and so His being should not bee infinite and in absolute perfection of being if capable of accidents I say that if the divine wisdome should view the being of the creature in any other being beside himselfe then the divine understanding for as much as concernes the creature should be dependent on that which must be inferiour and after Him Therefore all this quarrell is because that which was first deluded was either not understood or not remembred It was said that the knowledge of all things is in God most certainely most particularly and that not according to the being of things as they are but according to all possibilities whereto they are subject But as the being of the creature comes not unto it but by Him so this knowledge of the creature in God comes not to Him as raised or gathered from the things in their owne being for so it should be chancefull as they had hapned to be But by that being which they have in Him as in their cause For God knowing his power answerable to all possibilities of being and Himselfe able thereby to worke according to the pleasure of his owne will according to that pleasure appointed of all causes to the bringing forth of things in their being Therefore as the power of all causes is from Him the first of causes so that knowledge of His is a creating knowledge and essentiall to Him For because He is the first of beings it is necessary and essentiall to him not onely to be the best most wise powerfull infinite c. and yet the most simple and pure of all beings but also the cause of all beings that can come after Him Therefore as the being so the knowledge of the creature also is in God that is in the object of his understanding which is his word seene by one infinite action of understanding For by his owne absolute perfection doth Hee measure all the distances of imperfection as by one simple unity all the proportions in numbers are both made and measured Neither doth it any way follow that because the beings of God and the creature are divers therefore his knowledge of Himselfe and the creature should bee also different so farre as to make a different essence or being in Him For the understanding of man though one in it selfe yet sees and knowes the things that are most different and contrary As a looking glasse may represent all bodily shewes without any change in the being of it either essentiall or accidentall Beside that being of the creature which He beholdes is no other than that being which it hath in Him increated eternally intellectually and caufally And if our imagination or thought which takes hold of nothing but by the outward sence doth yet turne it selfe from the sence to view the same likenesse though absent though long agoe beheld and the understanding much more taking that likenesse from the imagination and utterly withdrawing it from matter doth frame to it selfe a patterne or likenesse of the common or universall being under which all things of the same kinde are contayned expressed in the definition how much more shall the divine wisdome know the being and possibilities of all things not by that being which is in them derived and dependant whereby the Angels know but most perfectly by that being which all things have in Him which is in dependent Of which being of the Creature you shall have further occasion to consider in the 13. chap. when wee shall speake of the eternity of the world and the originall being of the creature 2. This may seeme an answer you say for things that are being if good if worthy His knowledge But seeing that every thing that is knowne is after some sort in Him that doth know it may seeme that the excellency of his being and understanding cannot suffer that the knowledge of things that are vile and base or especially that are ill should be in Him For seeing those things that are base and ill seeme altogether to bee in want and defect of perfection if the knowledge of them be in God and consequently his essence then his being should be of things which are in defect which cannot agree to Him that is the most perfect of all being Moreover if the things that are knowne by Him be in Him as in their cause then must it follow necessarily that if He know things that are ill He should also be the cause of ill which can no way stand with the infinity of his goodnesse I answer Base or vile and excellent are onely words of Comparison And if all things created were excellent alike then could nothing at all bee excellent But because it is necessary for the beauty of the whole frame of the creature that there bee difference of degrees in greater or lesse excellencie therefore are these things which have fewer degrees of
perfection in them called meane or vile though not truly and indeed such For there is nothing so meane or base but as it is being it is a proofe and image of His being who created it and so though not of it selfe yet in it selfe is exceeding good Gen. 1.31 And if the order of Nature be well marked as we know that the whole Creature was brought out of not being into the meanest and first degree of being which was water Gen. 1.2 2 Pet. 3.5 so all the excellency that is in the creature is but by addition of one degree of perfection unto another which perfections taken together with their cause and originall are in their many differences first being then life after sence fourthly Reason as in a man Fifthly understanding by the onely sight of the being as in the Angels the sixth is of the received power of the Mediatour Ioh. 17.2 Eph. 1.20.21.22 Heb. 1.2 that runnes into infinity the seventh is Infinity it selfe in the simplicity of selfe being beyond which is nothing But whether these perfections of the creature come into it by addition as I have spoken or that it be so raised from nothing immediately into those perfections which it hath it is necessary that these differences of degrees be therein that that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.10 that manifold wisdome of God may be manifest in the Creature In which creature how perfect soever in it selfe no degree can bee found so excellent but that it must differ infinitely on the one side from the perfection of the Creator not none so meane but that on the other side it must differ infinitely from not being I meane that not being which it had of it selfe and in it selfe for in him it had an eternall being being eternally foreseene and appointed in him § 3. But in things that are ill you thinke this answer will not serve For though you can bee content to thinke that the glory of the divine wisdome is nothing abated in the beholding of things no not in their present being how differing soever in their degrees of perfection as it is said Psal 113.5 Who is like unto Iehova our God that lifteth up Himselfe high to sit that abaseth Himselfe low to see in the heavens and in the earth no more then the lustre and shine of the Sunne is more or lesse cleere whether it light upon the beautifull hill of Libanus or Carmell or the dirty land of Cabul yet if he know also things that are ill and that his knowledge be a causing or creating knowledge it cannot bee avoyded but that he must also be the cause of ill I answer Ill is of three kindes one naturall whereby every thing is subjected to some other thing contrary thereto whereby it may be corrupted for the destruction of that particular being that some other thing may be raised thereout according to the possibilitie of the matter and the manner of the corrupting Hitherto we may bring poysons and all those things that we call hurtfull and ill because if they be not rightly used they are harmefull to our kind which are not simply ill but onely accidentally seeing that if they be rightly used they may be helpefull to our nature as it appeares in the trocisks of the vipers flesh and other medicines as Physicke teaches So these things of themselves naturally good may be ill that is good causes of ill effects as riches and authority things civilly indifferent may bee ill if abused to pride idlenesse and the oppression of others The second kinde of ill is that of punishment which cannot justly be termed ill if you consider the use and benefit thereof as S. Paul hath taught Heb. 12. from ver 5. to ver 12. For neither can wisdome be in things civill or morall but with the judgement of good and bad neither is that judgement in the discerning of good and ill ought worth if the good be not praised and rewarded and the ill punished So that without justice and mercie in reward and punishment neither wisdome nor goodnesse can be either perfect or praised Therefore this kinde of ill because it is just that the ill-doer should beare the burden of his owne desert is no way ill but onely in the smart of the guilty sufferer deserving it So these two kindes of ill onely so called for some respects though in themselves necessary and therefore good will easily bee acknowledged to be from God The maine question therefore is onely about that ill of ills which is sinne for sinne both in regard of the effect which is punishment and in it selfe the deserving cause thereof and much more taking occasion by the Law holy and good to worke death in the sinner must needs be exceedingly sinfull as it is concluded Rom. 7.11.13 And because it is as certainely and necessarily true that finne is finne and ill is ill as it is that good is good and that the knowledge of the truth in every thing is in the perfection of the understanding it cannot bee but that all ill and finne is perfectly knowne unto the infinite wisedome Moreover whether ill be onely a privation or taking away of that good which ought to bee in the creature or whether it bee any thing of very being therein it is necessarie that the infinite wisdome know all manner of beings both according to their perfections and all their possibilities and defects But concerning the manner of this knowledge the Doctors say That because the very being of ill you remember what ill I speake of is nothing else but the privation of that goodnesse which ought to be in the creature it is knowne of God onely by the contrary goodnesse as by the definition that is to say to be a defect or privation of goodnesse Neither is it any defect in the divine knowledge to know that which is onely a defect by the contrarie perfection seeing nothing can be knowne further then according to that being which it hath And therefore they say further See Thom. Aquin. and his Comment lib. 1. Cap. 71. and lib. 3. Cap. 4 5 6 c. contra Gentes That ill inasmuch as it is such is in the number of things not being and that of things not being there can be no cause efficient but deficient and privative onely For every agent workes as farre forth as it is in actuall being to bring forth something into acte or perfection and that to a good end so that ill comes into effect by accident beside the purpose and intent of the doer Ah blessed Origen hath thy too much charity been blamed so long who art said though unjustly see the defence of Pamphilus for Origen and Ioh. Picus Mirandula de Salute Origenis to have taught that all sinners yea even the devill himselfe shall be saved at the last now thou art justified Sinne is not being it hath no cause of being but comes in by chance beside the good intent of the worker he answeres
more directly elsewhere as you shall heare by and by It is strange that this Doctor who sticks every where so close to Aristotle should here depart so farre from him as to make privation in the number of things not being whereas Aristotle rancks it in the order of beginnings with matier and forme In the meane while understand things not being are either utterly not being or not being such In the first kinde you may account the second terme of contradiction See Log. Chap. 9. nu 15 16. as not a stone not wise By the affirming of which no being at all is put to the subject as to say Thomas is not a stone The not being such which they call Non ens tale may hold all those termes which we call privative But privation may meane at large either the absence onely of any forme not due to the subject and thus it is in the number of things simply not being for seeing the presence of one forme shuts out all other formes unfit for that subject although all matier in the root of nature be subject indifferently to all formes successively the privation of other formes follow thereon necessarily As the forme of iron in the matier of iron is a privation of the matter of gold so a horse naturally covered with haire is thereby deprived of a covering of feathers like a bird But this privation is not in the number of things that are ill seeing it is the law of nature that every thing be upright in that proper kinde in which it is Secondly privation may signifie the taking away of that forme which was in the subject as blindnesse in the eye which as it may be said to be not being in respect of the taking away of the sight yet in respect of the causes whence it may proceed it is in the number of things being yet ill in both respects that is of the want of that which ought to be in nature and the cause being such as ought not to be and so of all other sicknesses Thirdly privation may be in a subject in respect of the forme to which it hath not yet attained as Tartar or dreggs in the wine by the spirit of salt may be hardned into a hard stone and so the dispositions to other diseases before they shew themselves And this privation or want of forme is in the number of causes as drought is in a thirstie man to make him drinke Now sinne must be one or both of these two last orders of privation and not in any order of things not being absolutely for so first it should not be ill for that which is not at all is neither good nor ill Secondly it would bring upon God the greatest injustice that might be to punish the creature for sinne if sinne were utterly not being And thirdly if sinne were not being then our Lord should have died without cause but it is plaine that sinne was the cause of his death that thereby he might destroy death and the power of the devill over vs to which we were subject because of sinne but that which is utterly not being cannot be a cause Fourthly if sinne bee not being where is then the way which God doth weigh out to his anger Psal 78.50 when he doth balance the punishment with the sinne Are all the punishments of sinne all the sorrowes of this life and death at last both bodily and eternall nothing for if they be any thing they cannot be an answerable punishment to that which is nothing So many commandements of God so many threatnings by his Prophets and Apostles so many woes denounced by our Lord so many sacrifices and clensings from all the temporary punishments and at last the death of the Sonne of God himselfe for the eternall remission of sinnes and is sinne not being How much more true is it to say that our righteousnesse as farre forth as it is of our selves is nothing and to confesse with the Prophet that it is like a soiled ragge as S. Paul knew that in himselfe as a naturall man dwelt nothing that was good that hee had not power no not to thinke a good thought as our Saviour hath taught us that without him we can doe nothing And he that hath had experience of the combat that hath so often been foyled in the bickering must needs confesse the strength of sin and cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I say not as some hereticks heretofore that sinne is a substance either materiall or formall or as the author of that booke which is intituled Ratio Rationum that it came into mankinde by that poysonous slaver which the Serpent put upon that apple which hee reached unto Eve but yet I say that sinne is something but the worst of beings It is that pestilentiall contagion wherewith the devill hath infected the masse of all mankind it is that sicknesse of the whole man of which he languisheth unto death but principally the sicknesse of the soule whereto neverthelesse the body is also subject in fulfilling the unorderly lusts both of it selfe and of the minde for one of these works upon another both for good and bad Therefore to answer how God doth will that which is ill it is not nor can be denyed but that Gods punishments of all sorts being weighed with the sinne are just so one sinne as it is the punishment of another may stand with justice and both sinnes together in justice may bee punished When David was in plenty and ease at Ierusalem and had forgotten him that had delivered him out of all his troubles O treason of prosperity his eies wandered in the beauty of Bathsheba and led his heart to lust so sin conceived brought forth adultery that murder thus one sinne was the punishment of another which were altogether at last punished to every degree in the treason and death of his sonne Absalom So if you compare the sinnes and degrees thereof in the Aegyptians you shall finde one sinne the punishment of another and all together at last balanced in their plagues so that it is most truely observed by the Wise Sap. 11.13 that wherein a man sinneth thereby he shall be punished Now it is a cleere case that all the sinne of mankinde proceeds from the corruption of his owne nature after which wee are most justly suffered to wander because that knowing both the rottennesse of our owne hearts and the punishment due to sinne yet we doe not strive and and fight against our selves to subdue those wicked thoughts from whence is the streame of all our sinne Heere you will question what strength wee have to fight and universall grace and free will but they are beside this present purpose whereby it is cleere that all our fins being but issues of our owne corruption against which we strive not it is just with God both to punish our carelesnesse and neglect of his commandement and our owne
that in which he was created Thus out of the eater comes meat and out of the strong comes sweethes Iud. 14.14 Thus the head of Leviathan is broken in pieces and given to be meat to us in the wildernesse of this world Psal 74.14 Therefore seeing it was the good will and pleasure of Almighty God to mankinde to make him partaker of these unspeakable mercies which his goodnesse hath wrought unto us out of the ill of our sin and because he that wills the end wills also those meanes that leade unto the end we may with reverence to his wisdome and truth affirme that although God by his revealed will forbad the tree of knowledge unto Adam and so made his eating sin yet in his secret counsell he did foresee that sin in Adam not as an enforcing or a working cause but leaving him to himselfe But here a doubt must be answered first if we be indeed redeemed from the thraldome of sin why doth God suffer sin still to remaine in us yea so far forth as that we cannot cease to sin yea so farre forth as that it makes our best actions even our prayers abhominable while our tongue utters one thing and our heart wanders after another Answer It was possible and easie to God so to have renewed the heart of man so as that he should not sin but yet God would let sin to dwell in us for divers advantages to us but especially for two first that at the fight of our sin we might cast down our selves before him and utterly renouncing our owne worthinesse we might seek that righteousnes which is of him and in him alone the second that by the perpetuall remembrance of our sin the punishment due unto us for the same we might be thankfull unto our most mercifull Redeemer by faith the anker of our souls holding out our hope that although we fal we shal not be cast away and hereupon depends our repentance our patience and our endeavour to the masterdome of our owne wickednes Thus as the wise Physician for long continuing and deepe rooted maladies gives strong purging medicines of Seamony or Colocynthis and after applies his cordialls so our most gracious Healer to let us know what we are of ourselves lest through pride the sinne of the rebellious Angels we should be lost for ever doth not only suffer us to taste the bitter fruits of our owne corruption but suffers sinne also as the flesh of the venomons tyre to be still in us that by it the vertues of the precious spices of his graces may be conveyed to our hearts to preserve us from eternall death that balefull infection of the devill unto everlasting life b Necessary truth in actuall being R. 3 Necessary truth is not here meant that truth which depends upon the necessary being of the thing in respect of the cause thereof but that necessity which bindes the understanding or words to be agreeable to the present being And thus this proposition Peter sits is as necessarily true while he doth sit as to say Peter is a man CHAP. VI. That God is Almightie MIght or power is of divers kindes as you may reade log appendix of Sect. 3. introduct I will not stand repeating nor in this question make any mention of that power which they call passive because it meanes a power onely to suffer in things that are weake and imperfect The might which I meane here is absolute perfect infinite which belongs to God and to him alone as it appeares by these reasons 1. What power soever it is which is equally powerfull over all being either in acte or in possibilitie of being must needs bee infinite or almightie but such is the power of God therefore God is Almightie It was manifest before Chap. 2. that God was everlasting and so not by any other but that all things either being or possible to be are from him above as it will further appeare Chap. 13. and upon this consequence it will further follow necessarily that God is Almighty a in respect of the creature 2. b If God bee not Almightie then either that which is or that which is not must bee able to resist him but neither that which is nor that which is not is able to withstand him therefore God is Almightie The proposition is plaine that hee may doe what he will doe who can finde no hinderance or let in his doing The assumption also is as true for the things that are are all from him as the fountaine of all being as it is confessed by the voice of heaven Reve. Cap. 4.11 Thou art worthie O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and have beene created And that the things that are not should be able to withstand him is utterly impossible for so not being should be more powerfull than being and being more powerfull must of necessitie be and so should both be and not be which is an absolute contradition and utterlie impossible Therefore the first that God is Almightie is true of necessitie 3. If God be not Almighty so that his power may be answerable to his other dignities in infinitie then either his power must bee accidentall to him or else his being must differ essentiallie from it selfe but both these things are impossible for in him is no accident nor shadow of change Ia. 1.17 as it shall appeare more at large Chap. 9. And for the second consequence it is as plaine for that which is infinite and that which is finite must needs differ essentially so that if his goodnesse his eternitie wisdome c. being essentially himselfe as is shewed Chap. 8. be infinite and his power likewise essentiall to him and yet finite then his being must needs differ essentially from his being Therefore it is necessarie that God be Almighty 4. Nothing can either be or worke but by that power which it hath both to be that which it is and to doe that which it doth so that if the power of God were not infinite or almightie neither could his being be everlasting by his eternitie neither could his inward action in himselfe be infinite and eternall neither could his goodnesse his greatnesse his truth glory c. be that which they are neither by his wisdome could he know himselfe infinite and eternall nor yet able to doe any thing answerable to his goodnesse truth and glory Reade Psal 111. Neither could he delight himselfe and be so happy infinitely in his owne goodnesse greatnesse and glory and so he should not be God But all these things are impossible therefore God is Almighty And this the holy Scripture every where proclaimeth first by the voice of God himselfe Gen. 17.1 35.11 I am God Almighty and Exod. 6.3 I appeared unto Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the name of the Almighty God Then by his Prophets Iob 27.3 This is the portion of Tyrants from the Almightie This
hither divers of the reasons following in 2.3.4 Section 2. That God is not the forme of other things being 1. Every naturall compound is a third thing arising from the matier and the forme in which b the parts that were before understood separate had power to be joyned and to become that which they were not before But God can neither be a part of another nor be joyned with another nor be in possibilitie to another nor yet become that which he was not before Therefore He is neither matier nor forme 2. No forme is totally and onely for the being of it selfe c but is destinate unto another totall as a thing more excellent than it selfe But God is wholly his owne being onely not for another for all things are for him neither can any thing be more excellent than He. Therefore d God is not the forme of any other being 3. No forme of any thing begun can be e ternall But God is eternall therefore God is not the forme of any thing begun And so yu may conclude likewise of matier 4. The matier and forme are the essentiall being of al bodilie things and being is affirmable of that whose being it is If God then were the being of other things it were as truely said This man is God as this man is a living creature indued with reason but this is most false and would justifie the Idolatrie of all the heathen yea even of the Aegyptians Therfore God is neither matier nor form And if God be neither matier nor forme it must needs follow 3. Section 3. That God is no Compound 1. FOr in every compound the parts being actually ioyned must needs be such as were possible to be ioyned together so that there must be therein both actor perfection in respect of the totall wherin the parts are actually ioyned and possibilitie or imperfection in regard of the parts that may be both ioyned and consequently disloyned againe so that the totall in possibility not to be as it was not before the parts were ioyned together But nothing of all this is possible to bee in God neither parts nor imperfection nor possibilitie to be and not to be e Therefore God is no Compound 2. Every Compound is a second thing in Nature whose being followes upon the uniting of the parts compounded But God is the prime or first being as was shewed Therefore no compound 3. Every compound supposeth necessarily a cause efficient which brought the parts together which cause efficient must needs be before the effect or compound But nothing of this belongs to God Therefore He is no compound Every compound is liable to division and so to destruction But this is against the eternity of God and therefore God is no compound or made of divers things And if no compound then necessarily it follows Section 4. 4. That God is not a Body 1. FOr every body whether it be Physicall or Mathematicall hath parts divideable into parts It is also finite and may be measured But nothing of all this belongs to God one infinite being f Therefore God is not a Body 3. No bodily being can bee the first of Beings and the cause of all other For if it be a body onely it cannot possibly move it selfe And if it bee a bodie enlived and quickned by another then it cannot bee the first of beings because it is compounded But God is the first and cause of all beings as hath beene proved Therefore no Body 3. No bodily being is abundantly sufficient for it selfe For if it bee a whole and entire body it needs the parts without which it could not be whole and if it bee a part it needs the other parts as helpers and the whole as the sustayner And yet the outward being or causer which brought altogether But God is abundantly sufficient for himselfe of whom alone all other things have their sufficiencie Therefore God is no body And if God in himselfe be abundantly sufficient for himselfe it followes necessarily that hee needs not any thing from without And therefore Section 5. 5. That no Accident can be in God 1. FOr every Accident whether it bee of Inherence or circumstance comes to the subject beside the being thereof The accidents of circumstance come to the subject for the better being thereof as to bee clothed to have a wife c. But all these come from without And as they are needlesse to him that hath all sufficiency without And as they are needlesse to him that hath all sufficiency in Himselfe so are they impossible to belong unto God The accidents of inherence proceede either form the matier forme or composition of the subject In God is neither matier forme or composition as hath bin proved g Therefore in God is no accident 2 Nothing can be in any thing most excellently and perfectly but only the being thereof Whatsoever is in God is in Him most excellently and perfectly Therefore whatsoever is in God is only his being And then no accident 3. If no addition can be unto God to make him any thing other than He is then can no accident be in him which ever makes the subject somewhat that it was not before But no addition taking away or change can come to Him who is eternally infinitely and actually whatsoever Hee may bee Therefore no accident can bee in God 4. Every Accident is neere unto not being as having no being but in that subject wherein it is But the being of God is infinitely distant from not being And therefore God is no way subject to Accidents 5. If any thing can come to God as an Accident it must come to Him either from Himselfe or from another Not from himselfe as having neither matier forme composition or bodily being from which all accidents doe proceed Neither can it suffer any thing from another for all such accidents as proceed from without proceed from the possibilitie or weaknesse of the subject unable to resist as heat is in water But his being is infinitely perfect and such as cannot suffer For so should be cease to be happy and to be God and therefore nothing can be in him but essentially 6. And moreover seeing Hee is the first of all beings and the onely thing being of himselfe eternally it is impossible that hee should either suffer violence or have any thing added to him by another or be moved by another seeing he is the first cause mover of all things If then no accident can be in God neither from himselfe nor yet from without it is manifest that in him can be no accident at all And seeing nothing of all these things before spoken matter forme composition body or accident can bee in God it followes necessarily Section 6. 6. That the Being of God is most simple and pure 1. VVHich is further manifest by this That He is the first of beings and so must needs be simple And againe that which is simple must needs bee the first For
and ill should be convertible in him but these things are impossible Therefore God doth either worke infinitely or else he cannot worke at all but so should he not be worthy to be God so should not his power be infinite and if his power be infinite and yet he cannot worke at all then should his power bee altogether in vaine But all these things are impossible therefore God doth worke and that infinitely 3. The wisdome of God is infinite as was proved and by the infinitie of his wisdome hee doth understand the infinitie of his owne being but that cannot be but by an infinite action of understanding therefore the working of Gods wisdome is infinite And as these reasons against Epicurus that God doth worke and that infinitely so also these that follow prove the question fullie for if the being of God be one and that most simple and that nothing can be in him but essentially as was proved Chap. 9. § 5. 6. if hee worke as is shewed then his working or action must be his very being which because it is proved to be infinite it must follow that his action is also infinite 4. The working of infinite goodnesse wisdome power life truth c. in eternitie is the most destreable thing that may be and wherein the greatest glorie can consist which action of God if by his will He would not then must be will a ceasing of the action of goodnesse wisdome power c. and that in eternitie So shoudl these dignities be infinite invaine so his will were not answerable to the rest of his dignities so should hee not will the infinitie of his owne glorie nor being But all these things are impossible therefore the working of his dignities are answerable to their being and therefore infinite 5. The power of God is infinite as was proved by which infinitie of power all the other dignities of God may both be and worke infinitely And if the goodnesse and other dignities of God did not worke infinitely when by his power they might there should be an inequalitie or want in his goodnesse which should not be answerable to his power and the deprivation of the working of an infinite goodnesse would enforce an infinite ill so God should cease to be infinitely good But all these things are impossible Therefore the action of Gods goodnesse is of necessitie infinite 6. The power of God is such as that hee is thereby enabled to worke and if by his infinity he were not able to worke infinitelie then his infinitie should be of lesse force to withstand littlenesse and not being than his power is to withstand weakenesse so defect and want should be in his infinitie which of all his other dignities is set most against it and so his power should be infinite onelie in the possibilitie of working but finite in the action But these things are impossible therefore the power of God is as infinite in the working as it is in the being 7. If the working of God were not infinite he could not know it to be infinite but finite onely and in defect but a God cannot know any defect in himselfe in whom no defect is possible to be Therefore his working is infinite 8. If infinite working and being be not all one in God then there must of necessitie be in him either a multiplicitie of being or of accidents or of being and accidents But all these things have been shewed to be impossible chap 8. 9. therefore infinite being and working are in God all one So then his working is infinite 9. An infinite glory cannot be without the conditions of infinitie and eternitie nor yet without the being of goodnesse but neither can it be said to have the being of goodnesse if it spread not it selfe in the action of goodnesse neither yet of infinite and eternall goodnesse if it worke not infinitely and eternally but the glory of God is infinite with all the conditions of infinitie eternitie and goodnesse Therefore it workes infinitely and eternally according to the being of infinite and eternall goodnesse 10 The truth of God was proved to be infinite and one but if in the divine dignities there be a greatnesse in being and a lesnesse in working the truth in God must likewise be divers and not one so neither simple nor infinite But this is impossible therefore the working of his dignities is infinite as his being 11. The infinitie of God is such that b no abatement want or lesnesse may be understood or found therein but littlenesse or abatement might bee found therein if it were not as great in the action thereof as in the being for every abatement or want whether it bee of the being or of the working in goodnesse power wisdome c. is not onely a lessening but even an utter taking away of the infinitie thereof So that to denie the infinite working of God is to denie his infinitie and so his being 12. If all the dignities of God be infinite both in being and working it will follow that their equalitie and concord one with another is also infinite so that they be essentially one God and the same convertibly one with another the respects onely different as hath beene shewed Chap. 9. note h ob 1. But if these dignities bee not infinite in working as they are in being the disagreement will bee infinite because betweene no working or a finite working and a being every way infinite there is an infinite distance and to put this distance in God whose being is most simple and one would be utterlie impossible therefore God is altogether infinite in being and working If further proofe seeme yet needfull you may take hereto an inducement or two 13. The understanding of man is the image of God in him and as the understanding will not rest so is it much more meet to thinke of an endlesse wisdome Nay the very fantasie or thought though bodily though tyed to the five outward wits alone yet will it not rest and when it cannot worke upon the reason as in sleepe because reason will see that the fantasie was not deceiued in the outward sences then will it presse upon the remembrance as it appeares in dreames 14. If Hee which is cause of all working should cease to worke then all things at once should cease also both to worke and to be because c the first mover ceasing to move all the ensuing motion must be at a stand And if his power and the working thereof upon the creature did cease as the creature by his power was raised from nothing so would it returne to nothing if by the same it were not continually upheld Therfore God doth worke continually and as the worker is infinite d so is his working infinitely Notes a GOd cannot know any defect in himselfe R. 6. See the reason of this speech Chap. 6. note b n. 2. 3. b No abatement may bee understood therein R. 10. You have need to know that
and goodnesse are one being doth bring forth eternally an infinite good that is the Sonne betwixt whom and himselfe results an infinite Communion of goodnesse viz. the holy Ghost If there must needs bee a distinction of termes in the actions of the Godhead then there must needs bee a difference of Persons otherwise the difference of the termes were idle and vaine if the being understood thereby were not answerable But there must needs bee a distinction of termes in the working of the Godhead For an infinite working already proved must needs be from an infinite worker about an infinite worke Therefore there is a difference of Persons in the unity of the deity 6. If there were not an infinite and eternall production in the Persons of the Godhead then the being of a beginning could not cleerely and evidently bee therein because though the beginner were yet the working of the beginner and the being begun were yet wanting and so these two comming after should bee inferiour or lesse both in continuance and infinitie And so the first and highest cause should bee an infinite beginner without any effect or thing begun by him which must bring on that the first and chiefest cause of all should be infinitely defective and ceasing to worke and of lesse force than other causes subordinate which all worke incessantlie to the bringing forth of their effects unlesse they bee hindered by lets more powerfull Therefore there bee moe Persons than one in the unitie of the Godhead 7. Being and the power of Being working and the power of working are all one in God as was shewed chap. 8. 9. n. 6. But God by his infinite and eternall power can bring forth an infinite and eternall being like Himselfe by the infinite and eternall working of his power Therefore He doth bring forth or if he can and will not that power were in vaine and so his power and will were not equall and infinite So there should bee divers beings in God finite and infinite But all these things are impossible Therefore God doth bring forth an infinite being his Sonne by his infinite working the holy Ghost 8. If the inward working of the deity bee infinite with all the conditions of Infinitie then the understanding of God for example must bee infinite both in the act or perfection of it selfe and in the object which it doth understand and in the worke or action of the understanding about that object So that God understanding his owne being must needs behold himselfe by an infinite action of understanding But the working of God is infinite with all the conditions of infinitie as hath beene proved for otherwise there should bee a greaternesse in being and a lessenesse in working and so the being of God should not bee simple and one Therefore in the unity of the infinite deity there is an infinite understanding which we call the Father an infinite object or image of that understanding in the sight of which that infinite understanding is most delighted because nothing can be more excellent than it and this is God understood that glorious Sonne and an infinite working of the understanding and that is the Holy Ghost which you see cannot be conceived to be if either the infinite understanding or the object were supposed not to be and therefore he is said to proceed from them both And thus is it in all the other dignities of God his goodnesse his infinitie his eternity power will truth glory c. 9. Now the texts whereby this doctrine is taught more darkely in the old Testament lest the true Church with the Heathen might have fallen into the opinion of many Gods are these among many other Gen. 1. v. 26. Let us make man in our owne image Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of us Gen. 11.7 Let us goe downe and let us confound their language Gen. 11.7 which manner of speech is not borrowed for manners sake from the custome of Princes and great men who for modestie speake not in their owne name alone Wee but as having determined with their great men and counsellors men like themselves But God doth not so consult nor determine by advice of his Creature Neither yet doth that language admit such forme of speech but as the Easterne languages even to this day speake to one particular person in the number of one as you may reade 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man and 2 Sam. 18 3. Thou shalt not goe forth Thou art worth ten thousand of us Esth 7.3 If I have found favour in thy sight O King But to returne to the holy Trinity You have a like proofe in Numb 6.24.5.6 where the word Iehovah is three times repeated in the blessing and every time with a severall accent So that although his name be one Zach. 14.9 and his being one Deut. 6.4 yet in that one being is a Trinitie of Persons which you shall better understand if you consider the blessings in the new Testament all taken from hence as that 2 Cor. 13.14 Rev. 1.4.5 c. So likewise in Iob. 35.10 Where is God my makers and Psal 149. Let Israel rejoyce in his makers Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creators and againe Psal 11.7 His faces or their faces will view the righteous In which places though for some reason translated singularly Maker Creator Face yet according to the precisenesse of the Hebrew it is as I have told you And yet a more evident proofe is that in Gen. 20.13 where the word Elohim God is ioyned with a verbe of the plurall number And in Ioshuah 24.19 The Trinity of Persons in unity of the being is most cleare For with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim is ioyned an adiective of the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kadoshim and a personall of the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hu as if you would say God He the holy ones or as Esay explaneth it Ch. 6.3 Holy Holy Holy art thou O Lord. And againe in the same Chapter ver 8. whom shall I send there is the unity of the Godhead and who shall goe for us there is the Trinity of the Persons And againe in Esay chap. 48.16 Christ speaketh thus There am 1. I. and now the. 2. Lord God and 3. His Spirit hath sent me So you read in Psal 33.6 By the 1. Word of 2. Ichovah were the heavens made and all the host of them by the 3. Spirit of his mouth And in Hag. 2.5.6 From the beginning I was and now I am with you saith the 1. Lord of hostes the 2. word which covenanted with you when you came out of Aegypt my 3. Spirit shall dwell among you And if you desire moe proofes out of the old Testament you may reade Ficinus de Christ Relig. Cap. 31. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ichovah that great and fearefull name of God Deut. 28.58 one name of his owne being containes the mysterie of the Trinity For in the forming
left haud that which they deliver with the right 2. Now for the opinion of Sabellius it is said That if every one of the Persons be the divine Being then shall they all bee but one Person But every Person in the Deity is the whole divine Being or if the Sonne and the Holy Ghost be not the whole divine being then can they not be God as Arrius affirmed Answer Although nothing of the Divine being bee without or beside the Persons but that every Person is perfectly God yet the manner of being cannot be the absolute Being of a thing so the assumption is false And although every Person in respect of his absolute Being be very God yet is it not said that any Person according to his personall properties is the whole divine being no more than the Son-ship of Isaack is his humanity so the consequence for Arrius will not hold 3. What two things soever agree in a third must needes agree betweene themselves The Father and the Sonne agree in the unity of essence therefore they are one betweene themselves Answer The argument is fallacions from specialty as I shewed log chap. 22. n. 2. For the rule holds onely in equality of quantities except you restreine it to that wherein the agreement is so the Father and the Son agree in the unity of their essence but differ in their personall properties 4. The essence of God is most simply and substantially one and therefore first not differing from it selfe Secondly incommunicable to three Answer First the difference is not betweene it selfe and it selfe but in the properties which are essentially in it selfe as the individuall being of Isaack differs not from it selfe but his Fatherhood toward Iacob and his Sonship toward Abraham are as really different that is as diverse properties as Fatherhood and Sonship can bee Secondly The three Persons are not severall essences but all one essence incommunicable to any other but they are diverse relations in that one absolute being 5. A Person in the deity is either finite or infinite if finite he cannot bee God if infinite then if there be three Persons there must also bee three infinites or if these three infinites bee but one infinite then is there but one infinite Person called by diverse names Answer Infinity in the Deity is the condition of the absolute being not of the propriety or manner of being as to be reasonable is in Isaack the property or condition not of his Fatherhood nor of his Sonship but of his humanity only 6. If there bee moe Persons than one in the one onely absolute being of the Godhead then it is necessary that there bee something in them whereby they must be distinguished and so every Person must bee compounded or if to avoid composition you say that this distinction is onely in relation which brings not any new being but onely respect to another yet relation cannot bee without some absolute being whereon it is grounded As in a servant there is a being besides that reference which he hath to his master Nay if this absolute being bee the individuall and most simple essence of the Deitie yet that cannot be the foundation of diverse relations because of the uttermost unity and simplicity thereof And if these relations have any other foundation it is not possible to avoid composition therefore there is not any plurality or difference of Persons Answer You were told before That whatsoever is in God is in Him essentially that it is not more essentiall to Him to bee one God then to be three in the differences of Persons because perfection both of being and manner of being are in him according to his most simple being For the diverse perfections of the creature came thereto by the manifold formes therein over and above the essentiall formes and must of force bee Accidents But the superexcellency of the simplicity of the divine being being the cause of all perfection therein suffers neither composition nor accident as hath beene shewed chap. 9. therefore as in the divine being neither goodnesse wisdome nor power adde any thing of new being so in the working the diverse termes of agent action object or any other words whereby we expressed the difference of relations or Persons doe not adde any thing to the simplicity either of being or working though they bee therein essentially No nor yet are they properly said to be founded therein as any other things different therefrom though we in our weake understanding can neither conceive nor expresse them but as different termes of relation properly so called Neither yet shall it follow from hence that the persons are not really and truly distinguished for the very being of the Father as he is a Father is in this Hee doth eternally bring forth his Sonne And likewise the Being of the Sonne that he is brought forth of the Father by the infinite and eternall action of the Father in himselfe but rather because this production is infinite and eternall as was shewed therefore the Persons also as concerning their personall proprieties must be different eternally though in their absolute and individuall being they bee one essentially so that as in relations properly so called there is the substance the attribute and the relation which followes thereon so likewise here is first the absolute Being of the Deity then the working thereof and lastly the termes of that action or the relations ensuing which we call Persons yet with this difference that in the relations of the creature the attribute and the relation succeeding are both accounted accidents But here in the deity all things are essentially so that although the simple or absolute Being of the deitie bee not the foundation of divers relations yet the action thereof must needs admit these different termes which we call relations or persons and that without composition either to make distinction of the persons or to avoid confusion in them 7. That relation whereby the Persons are distinguished either is something of very being or else it is in the understanding onely If it be in our understanding onely then can it not make any personall distinction if it bee any thing of very being yet can it not be that absolute Being common to all and if it be anything different therefrom then must something be in the Persons beside their absolute essence which because it is impossible it followes that there is no distinction of Persons Answer This argument is in effect all one with the former And you ought to have remembred that it hath of ten beene said that the distinction of the persons is reall and therefore not in our understanding onely The Persons taken together in their absolute essence admit to distinction but are all essenrially one God And so every person by himselfe in his essence is likewise God But the persons understood apart according to the propriety of their personall beings are really distinguished and that reall distinction is their Personality and that personality
Accident see log chap. 21. n. 3. To this hee brings the reasons of Anselme The least inconveience is not possible to be in the Godhead but if the Son could beget another Son and He againe another Sonne c. the processe might be infinite But this is impossible Therefore the Sonne cannot beget no more than He can cease to bee a Sonne and to be begotten Againe He that cannot bee the Father cannot beget But the Sonne cannot bee the Father for so all difference and propriety of the Persons should bee taken away Therefore the Sonne begets not nor yet the Father begets any other Sonne Iohn 1.14 18. For as nothing of the Fatherhood can bee out of the Father so nothing of the Sonship can be out of the Son for so the production of the Sonne should not be perfect neither is the dignity of their essence anything abated hereby for that in every Person is onely one but in the Father it is called Fatherhood in the Sonne it is called Sonship and in the Holy Ghost it is called Procession And againe in his Sum. Theol. part 1. cap. 42. he proves there can be but one Father one Sonne and one Holy Ghost for such reasons as you may reade there and iudge of their force Moreover in the 4. booke cont Gent. cap. 13. he proposes this very objection almost in so many words and answers it thus The Sonne of God is also God yet not another God distering onely in this that Hee proceeds from the Father And if he be not any other God then also must there be one Power one understanding of them both So that the Sonne differs from the Father onely in this that hee proceeds from Him and this is the propriety of the Father that the Word proceeds from Him and of the Sonne that hee proceeds from the Father Neither is this any weakenesse in the Sonne that he begets not another Sonne because both the Father and the Sonne are as the same Deny so the same power one of begetting the other of being begotten which difference is onely in the relations And againe in the 26. chap. of the same booke he answers That hee that makes this objection ought to have considered that the Sonne of God is God not as begetting but onely as being begotten For the essence being one the difference betweene them must bee onely by that relation which is in their originall or procession Relation I say not that which is founded in quality for so there would bee unlikenesse nor that which is in quantity for so there would bee inequality in their being but that which is in action onely action I meane not transient wherein the Agent hath a prerogative of power on an outward subject to cause passion therein but immanent onely wherein that which is produced is coessentiall and coequall with the producer So that the difference is onely in the order of procession onely But I suppose such a learned Master as Osiander whos 's petits dare so boldly censure and set at nought whom they please could not bee ignorant what so great a Doctor as Thomas had so often answered It may be he held the answers insufficient yet he should have shewed the weakenesse thereof He held it not worth his paynes a carelesse answer But let us once more be bold to looke on this mighty Goliah a little nearer and try what cunning he hath at his weapon If the Father by the understanding of himselfe doth bring forth a Person like himselfe then the Sonne also and Holy Ghost by understanding themselves shall bring forth persons like themselves for otherwise they cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or consubstantiall I denie the consequence and why because the reason thereof bindes mee to denie it for if the Persons bee consubstantiall that is of one and the same most simple being it is necessary first that the whole being be in everie Person for if the being bee divideable as Hierarcha and the Triformians thought then can it not be most simplie one Secondly that that one most simple being be likewise no other thing than the three Persons for if that infinite being might by the manifold actions of the understanding bee imparted by every one of those Persons to multiplie moe Persons then should they not bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Arius granted that is not of one and the same but onelie of like being as Peter Iames and Iohn of which everie one hath the common abilitie of kinde to propagate his like But thus the being in the three Persons could not be individuall and one but the Father communicates his whole being to the Sonne so that there remaines no difference of being but of principall originall or begetting onely Moreover the consequence cannot follow but upon this most false supposition that there be divers intellections or severall workings of the Divine understanding in every Person whereas the understanding of God being his most simple being and that most individually one the action likewise of his understanding must bee but one most simple act of understanding infinitely and eternally for as hee cannot cease to bee so can hee not cease to understand at one action infinitely and eternally whatsoever is understandable in himselfe or his creature so that the Persons cannot have severall acts of understanding as accidents or proprieties nor yet can they bee any other thing than the severall termes properties or subsistences in that one infinite understanding as our Lord teacheth us John 5.19 The Sonne can doe nothing of himselfe save what he seeth the Father doe for whatsoever things he doth the same things also doth the Sonne like wise Thirdly this consequence doth not onely utterlie take away the distinction of persons as was shewed but would also thrust into the Divine understanding that which is utterly false and utterly impossible that contrary to the evidence of the Holie text for our Lord saith Iohn 10.15 As the Father knoweth me so know J the Father But it is certaine that the Father knoweth not any thing but as it is therefore not the Sonne but as the Sonne neither doth the Sonne know the Father but as the Father nor yet himselfe but as the Sonne therefore it being impossible for the Persons to understand themselves otherwise than they are it is not possible for the Sonne or the Holy Ghost by understanding themselves to become the Father and so to bring out other Persons as this lewd consequence would enforce But the ground of this mistaking which I tell you of for avoiding of the like cavils is this that they consider not the superexcellency of the Divine being but measure it by the short and scanty rules whereby they measure the creature It is true in things here below that according to those naturall causes wherby everie thing is brought forth so may it likewise bring forth the like because that strength or power is given thereto for the
into the reckoning of othernesse and change and so of necessitie must bee subject to time wherein alone all change is wrought §2 1. But here it will be asked whether God who before the creation of the world rested eternallie in his owne glorie and happinesse suffered not some alteration in this that he wrought without himselfe that which hee had not wrought before and how hee can be said both to worke and to rest Gen. 2.2 and yet to bee without all shadow of change Iam. 1.17 2. Then how He infinite in goodnesse and truth and ever one in himselfe subjected the creature to wretchednesse continuall corruption and change 3. Thirdly seeing that to an infinite and eternall power all things are alwayes possible why the world was not brought forth many ages heretofore that seeing it must be subject to vanity it might before this have beene freed from corruption and brought to that libertie whereto it doth yeare Rom. 8.22 1. To the first I answer that although the creature doth of necessitie suppose a Creator without which it could not be yet on Gods part there was no necessitie to enforce him to create but he created onely according to the pleasure of his owne will as it is confessed Revel 4.11 For nothing was able to impose necessitie but onelie that which was superiour in dignitie and power which the superexcellencie of the Divine being suffers not neither can the freedome of an infinite will such as the will of God is bee guided either by chance by destinie or by necessitie But because hee is infinite in goodnesse he envied not to any thing the being thereof but out of not being brought it into being by his Word our Lord Iesus Christ Athanasius de Incarnat Verbi But in this creation he suffered no alteration who had eternally wil'd the creature to be in the time appointed and in the time appointed brought it out only by the motion of his will for his will his wisdome his power being infinite and one being no other motion labour or alteration needed but onely to will that the creature should then bee created when hee had from all eternitie willed that it should bee created So then it was in him both to create that it might appeare that hee had no necessitie of the creature who was absolutely perfect without it and yet at his pleasure to create lest that which was not might seeme to be exempted from his power and againe that the creature might be blessed in his goodnesse and yet he himselfe without all shadow of change As the minde of a man which hath plotted a convenient house and given or described the model to the builder suffers no alteration by the house being builded Therefore after the commandement of water the first matier of all things to bee the labour of the Creator mentioned in the sixe dayes was onely the appointment of secondarie causes to worke in their times to those ends which hee had determined for the bringing forth of their severall effects for as the first agent moves all secondarie agents so it is necessarie that all their ends bee ordered to the ends of their first mover So then the sixe Evenings of the being of things first potentially in their immediate or next causes and in the fieri or way to perfection and the Mornings of their actuall and perfect being are the times * See Esay 66.8 ages or dayes wherein they were brought forth by their naturall causes all moving in the power of the first cause unto their perfection appointed by his eternall decree And this ordering of causes and giving strength thereto was his first worke as his continuall blessing and upholding the creature by his word is his continuall worke wherein hee takes delight Heb. 1.3 Psal 104.31 But his rest in the seventh day was his ceasing to bring forth new creatures which day is therefore said not to have any evening because his rest delight or glorie is eternall and is therefore commanded to bee sanctified by us with a Memento because it is a pledge unto us that after the sixe ages of this worlds travell and wearinesse in vaine we shall at last be made partakers of his rest Compare herewith Gen. 1. 2. to ver 4. Esay 46.10 and 2. Pet. 3.8 But this is beside my purpose and therefore I leave it 2. To the second question of that ill which is in the creature though I have answered sufficiently note a on Chap. 6. yet I say further that contraries are best knowne one by another light by darknesse health by sicknesse And therefore that we may not onelie desire but also better know and enjoy our future happinesse it is fit that wee should taste the momentary wretchednesse and miseries of this life yea drinke at last the gar-ans of death it selfe that wee may truly enjoy the happinesse of everlasting life O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath rest with his possessions But how acceptable is thy doome to him that is vexed in all things Eccles. 41.1 And questionlesse if the elect Angels never had any experience of sorrow neither did at any time sinne for he found no stedfastnesse in his servants and laid folly vpon his Angels Iob. 4.18 And in his beloved Sonne alone is hee well pleased Matth. 3.17 Then doe they wonderfully by our afflictions enjoy their owne happinesse while they dayly behold our manifold miseries and yet know us to be heires of equall glorie Luke 20.36 for therfore are the sons of David dayly scourged with the rods of men corrected every morning and die at last that they may be like unto their Lord be made conformable unto his death for if the Prince of our salvation was consecrated in afflictions how should we hope for any portion in his glorie if we should not with joy be partakers of his sufferings For therefore by his owne example did he teach us obedience because in obedience onely we must walke the way to everlasting life A second reason is that wee may be humbled before him when we consider whereto we are come of our selves that is into miserie but not out and consequently that wee may bee thankefull for that abundant grace by which wee are delivered when our sufferings shall bee recompensed with an exceeding weight of glorie 3. The third doubt concerning the time of the worlds creation hath heretofore so troubled some mens braines that they thought there had beene infinite worlds yet so that after everie ten thousand yeers all things returne againe to the same state wherein they had been before for whether through the weakenes or strength of the imagination in some fore-catchings of the shadowes of things to come for it may bee argued both wayes a man oftentimes perswades himselfe that hee hath beene in the same place with the same persons seene or done the same things heard or spoken the same words before upon which ground it seemes this
that is in continuance to make it infinite then it can be in it owne proper subject that is in measure to make it unlimited so also infinitie shall bee powerfull in the contrarietie of good and ill to make them eternall and weake in the littlenesse of extension So also the world being eternall must be for this end that it may bee that which it is as God Whereby it would follow that the end of the worlds being could not bee one but contrarie to it selfe in generation and corruption in good and ill and all other contrarieties that are now therein But all these things are impossible therefore the contrary is necessary See Log. Cap. 26. n. 1. 6. Eternitie cannot admit before and after so that one eternall should be before another eternall But if the world be eternall this must follow necessarilie for every generation is with the corruption or taking away of that forme which was in the matier before and every corruption is of something that was generate before So each of these eternals must bee each before another and so neither of them eternall and yet the eternity of the world brings in these contradictions inasmuch as generation and corruption have beene ever since the world was Therefore the worlds eternity is impossible 7. If the world be eternall that eternity shall be rather ill than good because the longer the continuance of the world is the greater is the encrease of wickednesse and ill more than of that which is good at least because of the continuance of good and ill the worlds eternitie shall be both good and ill And yet because every worldly good hath a beginning and an end in time and that every privation or taking away of any good eternally must needs be an eternall ill that eternity of the world shall bee neerer to ill than to good both because of the positive ills and the deprivations of the goodnesses that are therein Moreover seeing nothing which is corrupted returnes to be the same in number which it was before generation shall bee good and availeable to the maintenance of the species onely not to the restoring of the actuall or individuall Beings But Corruption shall bee powerfull both against the individuall and therein against the species also And so the worlds eternity shall bee much nearer to ill than to good and a bringing in of all these inconveniences Therefore it is not eternall 8. If the world be eternall then neither was there any first man neither can there be any last without which lastnesse there cannot be any generall resurrection of men nor place to containe them So this eternity of the world must be the greatest ill as being that which brings in an impossibility of the greatest good that is the hope of the resurrection and everlasting life the end of all our hopes But it is impossible that this hope of man should bee frustrate as it will appeare further in the 38. chap. Therefore the world is not eternall 9. And if you looke backe on the things that have beene already spoken concerning the dignities of the Godhead in the nine first chapters you may from thence make a great supply of arguments to this purpose thus God is chap. 1. And He is being essentially with all the perfection of being infinitely eternally actually not in possibility of being any thing that hee is not and therefore God is the perfection of being and convertible the perfection of being is God Now termes convertible cannot possibly belong to forrein beings as to guide a shippe at Sea cannot belong to any but to man alone Therefore being cannot belong to any thing but to God alone primarily and of it selfe but onely Analogically as it hath received the Being from Him Therefore if the world be not God which the foole cannot say in his heart the world is not eternall 10. God is eternall chap. 2. and eternity belongs essentially to God alone chap. 8. If then the world be not God then can it not be coeternall with Him For as it is not possible that there should bee more Gods chap. 8. n. 7. so it is not possible that there should bee more eternals than one Therefore the world is not eternall So you may reason from the simplicity of His being proved chap. 9. n. 6.7 and from the other dignities of God which are proved to belong to Him in the chapter before no lesse from those things which are denyed to belong to Him as to bee matier bodily compounded c. chap. 9. But in this plenty and plainnesse of the matier I take onely that one which followeth 11. If God bee almighty and one then it is not possible that any thing can be but by his power alone But it hath beene proved that God is almighty chap. 6. and one chap. 8. n. 7. Therefore the world is by his power alone But if it be obiected that by his eternall power hee brought out the world eternally yet must it needs bee that hee created it either of nothing or of some matier that was not eternall or else that hee made it of a matier that was eternall To say that God from all eternity had created the world either of nothing or of a matier not eternall would imply a manifest contradiction To say that hee made it of a matier which was coeternall to himselfe would enforce that the world were consubstantiall with God or rather that it were God For seeing his being is most simple and one entyre being without parts and is not communicated but whole and all and that eternity as all his other attributes was proved to be God essentially it cannot bee but that the world must be God if it be eternall Or if that impossibility could be avoyded yet to say that God had eternally made the world of eternall matier would necessitate him to an action without himselfe which would take away the infinite freedome of his will his glory and perfection which hee hath in himselfe Or if it bee said that the world is eternall without or beside any action of God upon it but of it selfe alone beside the endlesse absurdities contradictions and impossibilities that would follow thereby It would directly enforce that there is no God For if the power by which the world is and workes if the wisdome manifest in the ordering causes therein if the truth goodnesse continuance and other attributes of worldly things had any other originall than God then must it of necessity follow that God is not infinite in these dignities of power wisdome truth eternity goodnesse c. when so great effects of these things are altogether without Him And to deny unto God the infinity or perfection of these dignities were utterly to deny his Being and to make him unworthy to bee that which Hee is contrary to all that hath heretofore beene proved 12. The holy Scriptures every where teach this truth Gen. 1. 2. chap. Iob. 38. and many places in that
reasonable and an immortall soule hee breathed into man a Spirit of new life and man became a living soule the epitome or modell of all the creature earthly and heavenly bodily and spirituall This truth is so plaine that Ovid the prince of all the heathen Poets for wit judgement and manifold learning read it in the booke of nature Metam lib. 1. Before the Sea the earth and heaven all hiding There was one face on all the world abiding Which men name Chaos an unordered load Wherein the seeds of things contrarie aboade But though it be granted that the first matier was meerely and purely simple yet can it not follow that therefore it was eternall except it may withall appeare that it had power to bee of it selfe without the power of the Creator But that would utterlie take away the infinite power of God if beside his power any power could bee supposed to another thing which could uphold an eternall being And seeing in all corruption everie thing returnes to those principles of which it was as in man his body to the earth and his Spirit unto God that gave it and that nothing materiall returnes to a simple and pure being but that it is still found under some forme or other it is manifest first that that first matier was not created simple but by his decree ever subject to composition and therefore secondly impossible to be eternall Concerning that eternall Spirit or life of the world in respect of which they thought it should bee eternall both before and after you shall understand more in the 24. Chap. note g § 10. yet in the meane time I answer that if that Spirit whereby the world both is and is ordered worke according to that paterne which hee sees in another it cannot follow that the world shall thereby bee for ever except it appeare to stand with that will according to which hee workes Now what that will is we understand better by his owne Revelation in his owne word than Plato and all his followers could see in all the subtilty of their understanding By which word also wee know that the last end and hope of the creature is more excellent and glorious by the change than by the continuance of the world for ever in that state wherein it is And thus the speciall reasons of that Sect are answered See more to this question if you will in Tertullian against Hermogenes 2. But it is further objected that whatsoever begins to worke which did not worke before must be moved thereto either by it selfe or by another But God is not moved that is changed from that which he was before either by himselfe nor by any other for neither can his action bee new or begun seeing his action is his being neither can hee be affected otherwise than hee was before And therefore is hee an eternall cause of the world an eternall effect as Aristotle affirmed I answer That no new motion or purpose can come unto God concerning the creature for all his workes are knowne to him from eternitie Acts 15.18 But seeing that these workes of which we speake are of his will alone they must be according to the limitation or appointment of that will so that although hee had eternally willed to create the world yet had he eternally willed when by whom and after what fashion the world and all the things therein should be created And this by one onely will and one onely action of the same will eternally The newnesse then of the world is in the actuall being of the world not in the will or power whereby it was wrought But for the better understanding of this thing you may observe a difference of actions of which some are immanent or in-dwelling in the doer and are accompted among the perfections of the thing such are the workes of the will or understanding some againe are transeunt or passing from the doer upon that which is done as the worke of the Smith upon the steele in making a sword The workes of God in himselfe are immanent neither doe these of necessitie put the outward object into actuall being as a man may conceive of a house which is not yet built or the Smith by his art or skill hath power to make a locke which hee hath not yet made So God though hee foresaw and willed eternally that the world should bee yet the effect followed not but according to the determination of that will when by whom and how the world should receive an actuall being 3. But it may againe bee said that God is an Eternall and an Almighty agent and that not in possibilitie onely but in act also for whatsoever is brought from the possibilitie of doing unto the act of doing must bee enforced thereto by a former and more powerfull agent and that actually which in God is utterlie impossible and if hee be an eternall and a powerfull agent and that actually the effect must necessarily follow and that actually for otherwise neither could the effect be answerable to the cause nor yet the cause bee said to bee sufficient and Almightie if the cause were in act and the effect in possibilitie onely therefore it seemes the world must of necessitie be eternall Answer Although God bee actually and eternally whatsoever hee may bee in himselfe yet seeing hee workes in outward things not according to any necessitie but onely according to the pleasure of his owne will the outward effect of his power must bee limited according to the circumstances of his will which I declared before Therefore this reason doth no more enforce the eternitie of the world than it doth that all the possibilities of the creature should be actually at once and that every thing created should bee eternall because the cause is eternall actuall and allsufficient But these things as they can no way stand with the possibilitie of the creature so would they utterly take away the working of all naturall causes by which the glory of his manifold wisdome is declared neither doth the all-sufficiencie of the cause bring any sufficiencie to the reason to prove the world eternall For although the creature bee an effect of the infinite power of God yet because it is not an adequate or proportionable object thereto that is wherein that power may bee wholly and onely exercised therefore is it but a forrein effect wherein that power workes onely according to the will of the worker Therefore observe here secondly a difference of agents of which some worke naturally and these worke alwayes necessarily according to their uttermost power in the diversity of things whereon they worke as the Sunne by his heat melts that which hath thin parts as butter or waxe and hardens that which hath parts more stiffe as clay Some agents againe are voluntarie and these worke not necessarily but according to the choice and freedome of their owne will as the Physician gives not to his patient all that hee can give but
of the infinitie of the power goodnesse and will of God would build up the infinite of the world at lest concerning the extension or space thereof And although the answers heretofore made to the arguments above may seeme to answer his reasons sufficiently yet I suppose you may better understand whatsoever is to bee said hereto if you have well perused that which is said in the second and eighth Chapter In the meane time you may doe well to remember who measured the water in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with his span Esay 40.12 And if all these things were made in number weight and measure Sap. 11.17 It may well follow that the world cannot be infinite in any of these 7. But the infinitie or uncertaintie of number hath most doubt because it is said Heb. 1.2 11.3 That God hath appointed Christ to bee heire of all things because that by him he made the Worlds But the word World answers to two words in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first signifies oftentimes the frame of the whole creature as in Matth. 25.34 but not alwayes for sometimes it signifies the world of the wicked onely as Iohn 14.17 sometimes of the elect onely as Iohn 3.17 sometime an age or time of the world and the people of that age as S. Peter 2. Epist 2.5 saith that God spared not the old world and againe 2. Pet. 3.6 The world that then was perished by waters to which meaning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in that text of Heb. 1.2 doth most directly answer So that the ages there spoken of may well receive interpretation by the dayes of the creation by which God foretold what should afterward come to passe as it is said Esay 46.10 and elsewhere * See Brocard◠Mystica in Gen. So then the first day of nature when darkenesse was upon the deepe signified that time when the wickednesse of man was great on the earth and the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually And although they had the light of reason in them yet because they did not walke according to that light therefore God brought the floud upon the world of the ungodly The second day wherein was the division of the waters by the firmament of heaven meant that time when God separated his Church from the people of the world and parted them by the firmament of his Covenants first of circumcision given to Abraham afterward of the ceremoniall Law by Moses which worke of the second day is therefore not praised as good because the Law workes wrath Rom. 4.15 And because these ceremonies were not able to give life to the doers of the same for Moses might not bring Israel into the land of promise Deut. 34.4 Esay 66.3 Gal. 2.16 19. 30.10 The third day signifies the third age or state of the Church when the earth that is these worldly rites by the lively interpretation of the Prophets who unfolded their meaning and taught the people of their times to have hope in him that was to come brought forth the herbe and fruit tree yeelding seed unto everlasting life The fourth age of the Church was that time wherein the Sun or righteousnesse did shine and brought in that new light that true light which lightens every man that come into the world of his Church that Sun which gave shine unto the Moone the Apostolike Church and to the Stars those Doctors whose knowledge zeale and constancie gave light in that darke night of persecutions and heresie which did ensue And these and such other are the ages even untill the great Iubile of which the Apostle speakes in that place Heb. 1.2 which is brought for the proofe of many worlds So this Democritan fancie may vanish 8. Concerning the infinitie of multitude in the different species or kindes of things the Cabalists have an opinion that although they rise to an excessive number yet they must needs be definite and that according to the difference of words in all the possible change and joyning of the letters for if either the things were not different according to the signification of words or that the words had not their meaning according to the difference of things that wisdome who both made the things and gave words to expresse their differences should seeme disproportionable and wanting on one side or on the other neither could that word be verefied Gen. 2.19 which saith And whatsoever Adam called every living creature so was the name thereof The opinion is delivered in the booke which they call Iezirah the author of the tradition they make Abraham the Patriarch the description of Iuda an ancient Rabbine the collection of the number is of Fr. Georgius in his 244 Probl. tit 67. and this * You may see also the comment of Postellus on that booke and Archangels apologie of the Cabala pag. 548 c. is the number 1124002590827719680000. that is one thousand one hundred twentie foure millions of great millions two thousand five hundred and ninetie great millions eight hundred twenty seven thousand seven hundred and nineteene millions fixe hundred and fourescore thousand But although the possible combination of letters be so different as they make it yet the reason holds not for the actions and passions as well as the proprieties of things must be expressible with all the differences of times past present and to come and that either alone or with others Besides wordes expresse the defects of things the vices also and imaginations of the minde which are neither created beings nor alwayes true Moreover although Adam had power over all words yet it appeares not that hee had knowledge also of the nature and differences of the heavenly and spirituall creatures so that the words may perhaps fall short of the number of different beings But because they will not be out bidden they six this number to the combination of consonants it seemes for the different species to which if you adde the different vowels above or below as the manner of that writing is you shall have a number so great as may equall all the individuals of all the specialls that ever have beene or shall bee hereafter which by Patricius must needs be infinite for thus he reasons Panarch lib. 19. from three infinities essentiall potentiall and actuall a fourth infinite must needs proceed at least of number for otherwise the effect should not bee answerable to the cause The infinite essence hee supposes the Father the infinite power the Sonne and the infinite worker the Holy Ghost And by these three are three Trinities brought out of spirituall creatures or Angels as he by Psellus understands the Chaldaean wisdome whether well or ill it skils not much For we are taught Ioh. 1.3 That By the word all things were made and without him was nothing made that was made But to his reason Can an infinite Being bring forth an effect without
for the perfection of the whole and that the soule out of the body hath no power of growth of sence of imagination and because it would not be destitute of the native abilities and powers of it selfe it parts so unwillingly from the body cannot possibly forsake it for ever as it will appeare hereafter therefore the excellency of that image appeares not onely in the parts as I have shewed but much more in the compound of the body and soule together wherein are all things both bodily and spirituall so represented as that the shape of a man cannot bee more lively seene in a looking glasse than the whole creature is represented in man the epitome or summe of all Moreover what is there in all nature which hee makes not art to imitate yea and beyond any patterne in nature adventures in a frame of wood to compasse both land and Sea what arts doth not he finde out and because hee knowes hee cannot come to nought what dares he not to undertake in peace or warre And if every effect doe represent the cause with the power vertues thereof as it is said Psal 19. Rom. 1.29 then much more that which is the summe and principle effect of all And this is that threefold image in which Adam was created and which remaines unblotted out yet wonderfully stayned in every man Gen. 9.6 1 Cor. 11.7 But because it is spoken of the whole man that hee was created in the image of God you are to understand that Image first in the naturall composition of his body and soule as I have shewed Secondly in regard of his Lordship over all this visible creature and thirdly and most of all in those supernaturall endowments of righteousnesse and holinesse wherein he was created Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Wisd 2.23 With the ability to continue in that state if hee had not sinned and a freedome also of will to sin or not to sinne And thus was Adam the Image of Elohim supernaturally and for the renewing of his Image being now lost are all those benefits which God in Christ hath vouchsafed to his Church Object 1. But if man were created in the image of God what preheminence is that which is given unto Christ Col. 1.15 That he is the Image of the invisible God An Image is twofold homageneous which is in the perfection of the same being as Adam Gen. 5.3 begat a Sonne in his owne likenesse after his owne Image and so Christ the Sonne of God is the image of the Father as was shewed chap. 11. or heterogeneous that is of a different being which is either in the understanding only as the Ideas or formes of things conceived in the minde or else materiall wherein is the representation of some property belonging to another as the image of Alexander may expresse that shape which was proper to his person And thus man was created in the image of God as I shewed And if this representation be more darke and further off in some one particular thing it is rather called a signe a proofe a footstep or marke than an Image As the pricking of an hare in the snow is a marke or signe that she hath beene there And thus every thing created is a signe or marke of the power of the Creator as the matier forme or proprietie in one being is a step signe or argument of the Trinity in the Vnity that is a proofe thereof as every effect is a proofe or witnesse of the cause CHAP. XVI That man continued not in his Innocency but that hee sinned and thereby became subject to eternall death BVt Man being made upright in the beginning and left to the hand of his owne Counsel Eccles. 15.14 they sought out many inventions Eccles 7.29 For as hee had power both in body and soule to performe all the dutie of man if hee would so had hee received power to will or not to wil all that hee could that his sinne and punishment might bee of himselfe But that man might know that neither his power nor yet his will could bee well directed without the guidance of his Creator Ioh. 15.5 therefore being left unto Himselfe he quickly found what he was able to doe of himselfe that he should never after that seeke himselfe in himselfe but in Him alone who of his good pleasure workes in man both to will and to doe Phil. 2.13 Thus man being left to himselfe sinned willingly the woman being deceived by the craft of the devill the enemy of mankinde but the man with lesse sinne if ignorantly But ignorance is of three sorts simple willing and wilfull Simple ignorance may be in the state of innocency and is without sinne as in the Angels of heaven Math. 24.36 as in children Luc. 2.52 And in them to whom it is not given to know what they would Act. 1.7 Willing ignorance is in them that care not to know what they ought to know this is a sinne with carelesnesse and excuses not from the fewer stripes Luk. 12.48 But wilfull ignorance is in them that stubbornely refuse to know what they both may and ought to know This is a sinne with scorne and excuses not from many stripes because it is with wilfull disobedience as of them that know and doe not If Adams eating had beene with ignorance of the first kinde hee had not sinned in eating But this ignorance as concerning that wherin he sinned was not in Adam But if he did eat ignorantly in the second kinde his sin was in this that he did eat unadvisedly that which he ought to have knowne and for which he ought to have given thanks to his Creator The third kinde of ignorance could not be in him For then he had sinned before he did eate But if no degree of ignorance were in him but that he did eat knowing yet presuming on his mercy whom hee did offend though his sinne were greater yet was it pardonable because hee trusted in his mercy against whom hee sinned But this sinne was not in him But the woman being deceived through her errour was the cause of his transgression 1 Tim. 2.14 And if he had eaten presumptuously then had his sinne beene greater than that of Eve whereas his lesser punishment argues his lesse offence So then it seemes that the man alone having received the commandement did faithfully deliver it to the woman after her creation So that her first sinne though it were not imputed because there was yet no law whereby shee was subjected to her husband was that shee gave not firme credit to the word of her husband delivering the commandement of God but that shee suffered her selfe to bee withdrawne by the craft of the devill speaking in the serpent but that his sinne was in this that hee did unaduisedly eat that which the woman gave him not minding what it was as he pleads for himselfe before Him with whom he could not lye The woman gave me of the tree and I did eate
wise Lawmaker and just judge ought to stand sure and inviolable But the sentence of death was decreed and pronounced against man if hee sinned Gen. 2.17 Therefore by man is the expiation and satisfaction to bee made for sinne 4. Every restoring of any want or corruption in nature must be by that which is of the same kinde as if any flesh in man be rotten the member is not made whole againe but by the supply of sound flesh in stead thereof If a bone be broken the breach is not made up with a sticke nor a cut sinew by a catlin so the nature of man being corrupted by the disobedience of one could not be restored againe but by the obedience of one in whom the nature of man being restored all that are partakers of his incorruption may also be partakers of his immortalitie because mans nature doth not now stand absolutely condemned in Gods justice as before 5. This argument the Apostle urgeth 1. Cor. 15.21 For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead And againe Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many bee made righteous You may yet see more reasons for this conclusion in the Chapter next following CHAP. XXI That the Mediatour for the sinne of man must bee God THat the Angels in glorie with such perfections as they had should sinne malitiously when there was no tempter makes their sinne without excuse and them in justice unpardonable and although the sinne of man in comparison of theirs may seeme much lesse and more pardonable in respect of that low estate of mens creation in comparison of the Angels that his sinne was not malitious nor without a Tempter yet when it is well thought on how hatefull a thing to God sinne is how His pure eyes cannot behold ungodlinesse and wrong how his infinite iustice is violate thereby and what iealousie so glorious and infinite a being ought to have of his owne honour so set at nought by so base and unworthie a thing as man who also by that sinne of his disordered the whole creature so farre forth as it was for his use and made it subject to vanitie and corruption it may well appeare of what an infinite difficultie it was to restore man to that favour and grace from which hee had fallen For in beings of which one is finite the other infinite there must bee an infinite difference and if they bee of contrarie conditions the one pure and righteous the other sinnefull and impure that contrarietie must needs likewise be infinite and an infinite contrarietie can no way be accorded or reconciled but by an infinite concord which cannot be but in Him which is partaker both of the finite and infinite being And because it hath before appeared chap. 18. That man was to be restored to the favour of God and to be reconciled againe unto him it must follow necessarily that this peacemaker must be both God and man For infinitie is with the greatest greatnesse of being and containes all the extremities thereof and such is the Being of God but the Creature being finite is set at an infinite distance from that which is infinite and therefore in a lessenesse of being as having no being at all of it selfe but only imparted by that infinite being from which degree of participation if it fall as man did by his sinne it still falls unto a further lessenesse or badnesse of estate and so becomes utterly desperate except it be upheld as man was by that hope The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head And seeing the greatest greatnesse of being and the least littlenesse of being cannot bee accorded but by an equalitie of being which cannot bee but in that which doth equally participate both of that greatnesse and that littlenesse that is essentially therefore it is most necessarie that our gracious Mediatour bee essentially both God and man which will yet further appeare by these reasons that follow 1. That all mankinde by the sinne of Adam is deprived of the favour and glorie of God hath beene proved in the 17. Chapter and that there is a restoring of mankinde was shewed in the 18. Chap. Now if it bee not in the power of man or of any other finite being to restore man being fallen into the favour of God it followes of necessitie that the Mediatour or restorer must bee God But the first was abundantly proved in the 19. Chapter Ergo the second followes of necessitie 2. For every infinite offence an infinite amends must needs bee made or else there is no satisfaction The sinne of man was an infinite offence See Chap. 19. Answ to the 1. Object But an infinite amends could not be made by a finite creature Ergo the Mediatour for the sinne of man must bee God And although God cannot suffer at all yet because the punishment due to man for sinne was more than any man was able to beare it was necessarie that the manhood in that conflict should bee upheld by the Godhead that the sinne being balanced by the punishment the worthinesse of the person might make the suffering of infinite merit for the sinnes of of the whole world 3. No effect can bee eternall but by a cause that is eternall for whatsoever is this or that by accident must of necessitie be made such by that which is such of it selfe But the restoring of man is to an estate of life and happinesse which is to bee eternall as it will further appeare in the Article of Everlasting life therefore it is necessarie that it bee wrought by a cause which is also eternall But it is proved that nothing can bee eternall but God alone therefore the restorer of mankinde must be God 4. The enemie of mans everlasting salvation is the devill a most powerfull enemie whose power is yet greater against man because he pleades the justice of God against sinners therefore it was necessarie that the authour and finisher of our salvation should bee God and man that he might be able both to satisfie the infinite justice and by a greater power of his owne to withstand the great power of the devill 5. Contrarie causes must have contrarie effects and so contrarie effects must have contrarie causes and one of these is ever knowne and discerned by the other so that man by his sinne being subject to death when it appeares what mans disease or sinne was the remedie likewise will be manifest but it is plaine that man being not content with his estate would bee God as it appeares first by the temptation of the devill Gen. 3.5 In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall be as God knowing good and ill Then by the consent verse 6. And the woman seeing that the tree was to bee desired to make one wise shee tooke of the tree and did eate If then the sickenesse were this that man would bee God the
be except you will say that hee created himselfe and so was when He was nor or that hee had his creation from some other originall than God which must likewise bee infinite in being able to create so excellent a being and yet finite that hee might move or not move himselfe thereto when he would But first this progresse would be infinite and beside that impossible For if neither God could move because Hee is infinite nor much lesse the creature when it was not how was it possible that any thing at all should be created Secondly Moreover it would follow hereupon that that were possible to the second cause which was not possible to the first but it is manifest that all second causes worke onely by the activity of the first so that if the first cause cease to worke much more the second Thirdly beside this the power of God should not be infinite if it could not worke according to his pleasure in things without But you say as Himselfe so His action is infinite and it is impossible that a finite being should be the subject of an infinite action I say though Sampson were able to breake a Cable yet might he straine one haire of Dalilah to straightnes not to lengthen it to lengthen it not to breake it This is true say you because he was as every creature partaker of being and not being of act or perfection and of possibilities or imperfection whereby he might move or not move at his pleasure But God is not so but alwaies actually whatsoever Hee may be But say I it is one thing to speake of the infinite action of God in himselfe and another of his action in the creature limited according to his Wisdome and His Will in respect of the outward object as I have shewed at large in answer to the objections for the worlds eternity chap. 13. note b ob 2.3.4 Neither is the will of God without an infinite Wisedome to dispose of all things in their times nor yet without an infinite power to cause every thing to bee actually according to His Wisdome and His will and the application of his will wisdome and power is sufficient to move all inferiour causes to give all manner of beeing to the Creature 2. But seeing the matier and forme of all things are after a sort contrary and that the bodily composition likewise of things below is of elements contrary in their qualities it is impossible that these repugnances should be brought together into one nat Med. pag. 21. Answ The Philosophers tell us of a certaine quintessence in which the different qualities of all the elements are brought to agreement and give us reason to beleeve it by which quintessence dwelling in every thing the contrarieties of the elements are accorded in every compound Raim Lulli and Ioh. de Ruposc de 5. essentia lib. 1. cap. 2. But seeing they keepe the experiment with themselves neither their reason nor their authority shall bee of any force with us But this is without all doubt that hee that had power to create all things had likewise power out of that created masse fruitfull with the seed of all things to bring out every thing in due time according to the kindes that were by him foreseene and determined And because wee have hitherto maintayned that God alone by his eternall wisdome Our Lord Iesus Christ was the Creator it must follow of necessity that the creature was also ordered and guided by Him For that infinite power which could doe the more and cause that to bee which was not might also doe the lesse and order it at his will So that for this objection wee are not compelled to acknowledge any such created being the Creator and disposer of all the rest And concerning that supposed repugnancy betweene the matier and forme of every thing it is but the begging of the question for all formes are produced out of possibilities of their matier excepting onely the soule of man and the divine endowments thereof as I shewed at large chap. 17. § 4. n. 2. 3. The third argument of Postellus pag. 28. as not much unlike the former drawne from the perpetuall change of things subject to generation and corruption For nature brings out nothing violently or in an instant therefore as the things that are began by little and little to bee by the power of the Spirit of God which moved upon the waters so by the power of the same Spirit are they still preserved in their order of being and by it they are changed from state to state And this spirit of God is that first created being that Mediator betweene God and the creature the spirit of the Vniverse actually moveable and applying it selfe to every thing and working in every thing by the power of the Trinity which dwelleth in Him For nothing which proceedes from the power of the matier is able to move it selfe no more than the matier was no not the soule of man but onely by His strength and activity by whose power it is Answer Concerning the progresse of things naturall from the evening of their beginning to the morning of their perfection I have spoken before But for answer to this I say that it is not necessary to put any such spirit of the universe such an applyable divinity as the Platonicks call Animam Mundi because things are changed from one state of being to another seeing the Holy Scripture tels us Psal 148.5 that all the armies of the creature were made because God commanded And for their changes in corruption and generation it is plaine it must be according to that degree which they cannot passe vers 6. which is the law of nature And moreover concerning the providence of God on every particular thing our Lord hath taught us Math. 10.29 that not a Sparrow fals to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father except Postellus will here except that that heavenly Father must signifie that first begotten of the creature which he doth meane Which interpretation would directly crosse that text Act. 15.18 That all the workes of God were knowne to Him from everlasting And nothing can bee in the second cause which was not in the first Therefore seeing the infinite power of God is that by which every thing is powerfull to worke unto that end whereto it was destinate we must needs confesse that Hee by His power workes what He will both in Heaven and in earth and yet because all the orders of causes are appointed by him wee may safely say as our Lord hath taught us Mark 4.28 That the earth of her owne accord bringeth forth fruit and as the Prophet Hos 1.21.22 I will heare the heavens and the heavens shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the corne and the wine shall heare Israel Which order of causes being put we shall not need to apply the immediate power of that applyable divinity of the
her and consequently His originall or discent from her Fathers David Abraham c. And being then first conceived according to his humane nature of which the Holy Ghost was not partaker therefore hee was not propagate of the substance of the Holy-Ghost as Isaac of Abraham according to kind to which conception onely the name of Father and Son doth properlie belong Now see the reasons That our Lord was conceived by the Holy-Ghost You may remember how it was said in the Chapter before § 10. Answere to the fourth objection that the Holy-Ghost is that infinite activitie in whose strength every thing doth worke Which if it have truth in every naturall action as I shewed much more is it true in things above nature such as is this conception of our Lord. 1. For if the fountaine bee corrupt then also the water must bee unwholsome And if original sin doe follow every one that is conceived according to the flesh as it is said Psal 51. In sin hath my mother conceived mee then as it was necessarie that Hee which should bee a propitiation for the sinne of others should bee himselfe holy and vtterly separate from sinners so was it also necessary that his conception should be onely by the Holy Ghost that Hee might be free from all taint of sinne both originall and actuall 2. And as the generation according to the course of nature had beene in sinne as was shewed at large Chap. 17. so also was it vtterly impossible that God thereby should bee incarnate For b no agent can worke beyond the power of its owne nature But the Incarnation whereby God and Man became one Person was beyond the power of all naturall generation For man as all other naturall agents is finite the divine being infinite and so impossible to bee begotten by man Beside this the divine being in this case of being conceived must have beene in the state of a sufferer by a being finite But these things are impossible And therefore it was c necessary that the conception should bee by the Holy-Ghost 3. If the conception of our Saviour had beene according to the course of naturall generation then had there beene two fathers of one Person and so the humanitie taken into the Deitie of hrist had beene the cause of confusion in respect of the Father-hood which had beene in God the Father and in respect of man the Father of the same Son So the perfection of Father-hood had not beene wholly and perfectly in God the Father So defect should be in the first principle But these things are inconvenient Therefore d the conception was not by man 4. And why this conception was the peculiar worke of the Holy-Ghost it may yet further appeare thus In all the workes of God in the creature the whole Trinity works either according to one manner common to all the Persons or else according to their personall properties Now in this incarnation of the Son as the Father had begotten Him by eternall generation so in the fulnesse of time did Hee send His Sonne into the world and this sending is that second generation or begetting For as the thought or intent in the minde of a man is that inward word of his understanding which being spoken is made understandable by others So the Word of God remaining eternally in the bosome of the Father being sent into the world became manifest in the flesh And thus the whole being of Father-hood was in the Father and of Sonship in the Sonne And besides these two termes of begetting belonging to the Father and being begotten belonging to the Sonne there is onely that of conception necessary to this most wonderfull Incarnation which must belong to the Holy-Ghost least two offices being given to one Person the third Person should cease to worke So there should bee inequalitie in their actions and their workes without should not bee conformable to their inward beings shewed Chap. 11. and 12. But this is not to bee affirmed Therefore hee was conceived by the Holy-Ghost 5. And seeing it was necessary that the Redeemer of the world should be borne of a Virgin as it will appeare in the Chapter following it was also necessary that the conception should be by the Holy-Ghost For as in the ordinary way of all generation the female seed is not of strength to become man except it receive motion life and strength from the masculine seed conveyed into the place of conception which cannot be done but with the breach of Virginitie so where the Virginitie was not impaired it was necessary that the disposing of the seed and enabling it unto conception should bee by the power of the Holy-Ghost who was able to supplie all defects in nature and to cause the Virgin to conceive and consequently to bring forth without the feeling either of pleasure or paine 6. Every supernaturall worke which proceeds from the perfection of Love must bee performed by him who is the perfection of Love But the Incarnation of God in man was a supernaturall worke which proceeded from the superabundant Love of God to Man-kind See Chap. 22. Reasons 4 5.10 11 12. And therefore wrought by Him who is the perfit Love betweene the Father and the Sonne that the perfection of the band vnion or knot of Love might bee in the Holy-Ghost as betweene the Persons of the God-head so betweene the God-head and the humanity Notes a HEe was not subject to originall sinne A Iew or Atheist may object Object 1 that if Hee were subject to the punishments of originall sinne that is the sicknesses of minde ignorance forgetfulnesse the passions of anger sorrow and the like and so of the body to bee weary hungry faint sleepie c. Then must it also follow that Hee was subject to the sinne for no effect can bee but by the precedence of the cause But it is manifest that hee was subject unto most of these Therefore it may seeme that Hee was also subject to sinne though not actuall yet originall which was the cause of these Answere Though the rule bee most true that no effect can bee without the precedent cause yet in this businesse where grace and mercy is above nature the cause in one wrought the effect in another The sinne was of Adam and his sonnes the punishment of CHRIST the Sonne of GOD. But the supposition that these defects if they may bee so called are the effects of originall sinne is false For man being that creature in whom GOD would shew the superexcellencie of His goodnesse wisedome glory c. Ephe. 3.10 It was expedient that he being to be brought to that height of happinesse and perfection whereto no other creature can attaine should have experience of all infirmitie or weaknes first from not being to the meanest degree of being and so from state to state till he have at last arrived vnto that state of perfection when God shall be All in all And because it was necessary that our Lord
a new life in another must also die I know that some both of the Fathers and Schoole-men are cited of a contrary opinion but our learned King Damenob lib. 3. cap. 3. vpon reasons in nature unanswereable hath shewed the impossibilitie of this generation to which I will adde one reason out of the Holy Scripture Wee are commanded by God Exod. 20. Ephe. 6. to honour our Fathers and Mothers Now if Merlin for instance or the Nation of the Hungars were begotten by devills then by that commandement were they also charged to honour the devill which as no man under paine of Hell-fire may doe so were it a damnable sinne for any man to thinke that God hath commanded it And yet this fancy would take strength from Genes 6.2 4. where the sonnes of God which Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 70. will have to bee Angels accompanied with women and so by that transgression of kynds Gyants were bred See hereto Tertull de virg velandis But those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephelim Gyants or man-quellers who prized themselves by their violence and cruelty were not so called in respect of their stature for they are after called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibborim men of courage or strength as every valiant or strong man is titled But the sonnes of God or as our Lord calls them The sonnes of the kingdome that is which held the hope of Christ to come yet not living according to that hope but following their owne lust and joyning in marriage with Infidells and Atheists neglecting the bringing up of their children in obedience and vertue it must needs bee that they must become gracelesse and fierce and so for their crueltie brought the flood vpon themselves And this is that wretched and wicked state whereto the world especially this little world of ours is againe returned and cries to heaven for that second baptisme of the fire c Necessary that the conception should be by the Holy-Ghost You see by these two reasons one taken from the humanity of Christ the other from His Divinitie that it was necessary that our Mediator in both respects should bee conceived of the Holy-Ghost They that have little time to thinke on naturall Philosophies need some helpe to vnderstand the difference of generation and conception And let us not bee afraid to speake of the workes of God to His honour according to trueth and modestie Generation or begetting is actively in the Parents for the female is also an agent in respect of the feminine seed which shee affords generation passively is in that which is begotten Conception is an action or passion concurrent or necessary to generation For although the seed on both sides bee afforded yet if it bee weake and vnfit for generation as in lustfull persons or if it bee not retained and duely nourished in the wombe there can bee no conception Therefore in this wonderfull generation of our Saviour whereby he was made a naturall man by naturall causes as farre as they were incorrupted there was also a conception necessary The conception actively was in the Holy-Ghost who prepared and fitted first the minde of the Virgin for if her actions or sufferings herein had not beene voluntary they had no way beene availeable unto her selfe for eternall life then her body with all the powers and parts thereof that shee might conceive that is both afford retaine and nourish that blessed tabernacle of Him that would dwell in us The conception passively was either dispositive whereby the body of the Virgin was so fitted to conceive or finall whereby that which was conceived was perfected in every degree according to all the naturall causes necessary thereto And because the Goly-Ghost was the chiefe agent or worker in all this therefore is the conception properly attributed unto Him d The conception was not by man That poore and base conceit of Ebion Cerinthus and their followers unworthy of that soule which should presume to thinke on God or His glorious workes you reade before Chap. 24. § 4 5 6 7. where it is sufficiently refuted and their reasons answered and before that you might see it strangled by all the reasons of the 22. Chapter CHAP. XXVI Borne of the Virgin Mary SO the Infinite Wisedome and Love of God delighted in man that there is no kind of perfection possible to the creature which hee hath not either manifested or promised unto him To frame and fashion the body of Adam out of the earth with His owne hands to breath into him an immortall soule was a wonderfull work and one alone Out of that virgin man to take a rib and thereof to make a woman was a worke no lesse wonderfull and one alone The ordinary propagation of man-kind is the third way for increase because Hee that was the Lord of all kindes here below should not be inferiour unto them in the possibility of bringing foorth his like But that fourth and last way of mans generation was that which out of the side of the virgin woman brought out that man which should restore and give perfection to all the rest More excellent than the third which from corrupted and sinfull parents multiplies more corrupted and sinfull children more powerfull then the second which out of the more perfect sex brought out that which was lesse perfect more glorious and availeable to us then the first which raised Adam out of dust For by this God himselfe to become one of us tooke that which was ours that he might give unto us that which was His. And for the cleere proofe of this Article a That our Lord Christ was borne of a Virgin 1. Let this be one ground which the holy Virgin her selfe did stand upon Luke 1.34 That without the society of man it is a thing in nature utterly impossible that any generation of mankind can be Secondly That which is impossible to nature because the power whereby nature doth worke is a limited power and in the perfect kinds of things according to one rule is yet possible to God Luke 1.37 Thirdly That the workes of God Himselfe the author of Nature are more noble excellent and perfect then those of nature Whereupon it will follow reasonably that sith our Saviour could be borne of a virgin if He would it was covenient so to be but He could as it appeares by that which is said and also would for so He declared it by His Prophet Esay 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne Therefore our Lord was borne of a virgin 2. All the fulnes of perfection ought to be in Him who was to restore man to that perfection which he had lost Therefore as Christ our Saviour had a Father in heaven without a mother being begotten of the substance of His father by an unconceiveable and most glorious generation So ought He in earth without a father to have a mother without any taint or spot a Virgin 3. And seeing the Incarnation or Conception and Birth of the GOD
of glory was a grace and honour to mankind above all the creature and a speciall exaltation of her of whom Hee would be borne above all other women Luke 1.28 if our Lord had not been conceived and borne of a most pure Virgin then had He exalted the corrupted flesh of mankind and tainted with lust before that which was vncorrupt which as in it selfe it had been inconvenient so had it brought chastity and purenesse of life into contempt But these things are inconvenient Therefore it was necessary that the Saviour of the world should be borne of a Virgin 4. Neither was it beseeming neither was it possible that the Creator of all things should become a creature but after a peculiar and speciall maner the most honourable and beseeming that could be But neither could any conception be more honourable than by the Holy-Ghost nor any birth be more beseeming than of a Virgin Therefore so was He conceived so borne 5. Adam was not deceived but the woman yet a virgin being deceived was vnto him the cause of transgression And lest womankind should ever be subject to the rebuke of man for this therefore was it necessary that the Saviour should bee borne of a virgin For if man had had any thing to doe in this generation of the Saviour the woman had not so been quit from blame in as much as man might have said That a woman could bring all mankind into sinne but without man shee could afford no helpe which inequality had not been meet betweene them that are equall heires of the same glorious hopes Therefore that the healing might bee so made as was the wound it was requisite that Hee that takes away our sinne should be borne of a virgin And thus is that fulfilled which is spoken Ierem. 30.17 From thy wounds I will heale thee that is as thy wound was made so shall thy health be procured 6. The virgin Eve was given to man for a helpe before him yet she brought him into sinne and the snares of the devill but the purpose of God could not thereby be made void Therefore that other virgine was she that was especially meant who should bring foorth that helpe of helpes in mans greatest need Therefore that face might answere to face it was expedient that the Saviour of the world should be borne of a virgin 7 And seeing he was conceived by the Holy-Ghost that no taint or lust of sinne might be in the conception and that the subject of the action of the Holy-Ghost should be the most fit subject for such a worke-master and such an action and that a pure and uncorrupted body was most fit for such a conception Therefore it was also necessary that he should be borne of a virgin For it cannot be supposed that God who came into that harbour of His mothers body that he might sanctifie it would at his going out leave it in worse estate than He had found it 8. One contrary cannot be an efficient cause of the other contrary As to say That that which is pure and holy should be the cause of any impurity or corruption But the conception which was the cause of this Birth was most pure as having the Holy-Ghost the author thereof Therefore could not the conception be any cause to take away the virginity of Christs mother For so that divine worke of the Holy-Ghost should have been ordained to an end more vnnoble then the worke whereas the end is euer more excellent than those things that are ordained for the end So also He that commanded parents to be honoured should have brought a spot upon His owne mother if by His birth her virginity had been impaired which was not impaired by his conception But these things are impossible Therefore He was borne of a virgin 9. The birth of that child which is supernaturall as being both God and man must needs be most noble and supernaturall But it could not be most noble if it were with the dispoyling of the mothers virginity nor yet in the highest kind supernaturall if it were not of a virgin And this is that mystery which all the Churches stiled in Cant. 3.11 by the name of the daughters of Sion are called to take knowledge of Goe forth ô ye daughters of Sion behold King Solomon with the Crowne wherewith His mother crowned Him in the day of His espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of His heart And that because all the mysteries of our salvation were accomplished in His humanity 10. Thus as God both by Himselfe and by His Prophets hath shewed that these things should thus be fulfilled So in the time appointed was Christ our Lord borne of a virgin The holy authorities are First that which is Genes 3.15 The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head and if of the woman onely as the promise stands without any ayde or mention of man then must the conception of necessity be by the Holy Ghost who should give activity and working unto the female seed and the birth being as it beseemed answerable to the conception must of necessity be of a virgin Neither yet doth this abate any thing of the true and perfect humanity of Christ that He was made man onely of the female seed For seeing every second cause workes onely in the strength of the first and chiefe cause it is plaine that whatsoever the second cause is able to doe by the vertue of the first that first is able to doe by it selfe And therefore God who made man of the dust of the earth could also without any action of the manly seed produce a perfect man of the seed of the Virgin in which seed the whole humanity was although it was not able to moove it selfe to the perfection of kind Another text is that of Esay cited before Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and such a birth could never be but that the conception must be by the Holy-Ghost And therefore it is said The Lord himselfe shall give you a signe because He was the onely worker That text of Ieremiah 31.22 The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A woman shall compasse a man doth inforce as much as the former But what new thing is this Is any thing more usuall then a woman with child But this is the newnesse That a woman who never knew man should compasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaber that mighty One even God and man in one person For seeing it was a new thing it must be such as never was before a miracle in the birth of a man which could onely bee in this That He should be conceived without a father among men and borne of a mother that was a maid as it is said Matth. 1.25 That Ioseph knew her not till shee had brought foorth The text of Ezech. 44. you shall heare by and by And beside these texts that are plaine and manifest others may seeme to import as much as that
the just indignation of God against sinne and to manifest the trueth of that word Cursed is the earth for thy sake Yet to the soule being separate and so without the helpe of the sences and imagination by the light which God hath given to it able by it selfe to see what the possibilities of the whole creature are every place is a Paradse while it considers the infinite goodnesse and power of God in the creature as well in that which is deprived of the effects thereof as in that wherein His goodnesse is still effectuall For as there be three estates of mans being This of the Warriour in this life That after death of the Conquerour And the third after the resurrection of the Triumpher So likewise are there three meanes and degrees of His knowledge One in this life wherein wee know nothing but by our sences from whence the imagination or fantasie that Hevah the mother of all living carries unto reason her Adam all the species or formes of things which shee gathers from the sences For nothing lives in the understanding but by the power of the fantasie which because it is false fickle and will of it selfe without reason be working upon every object as the appetite is mooved thereby therefore the reason following the fantasie is deceived and not constant and so it comes to passe that wee know few things according to the trueth which is in them But in that second estate of man when the body returnes to the earth and his sences and consequently his fantasie doth utterly perish Psalm 146.4 Then the soule looking on the creature with its owne eyes sees the wonderfull blessing and goodnesse whereof man had beene made partaker in the right use of the creature if he had not lost the knowledge thereof by his sinne and returnes to the Author thereof that praise that is due to Him therefore and acknowledges that state wherein hee lives out of the proper habitation to bee the reward of sinne yet because it doth evermore enjoy the comforts of God in a certaine knowledge and some present feeling of those joyes whereof it shall be fully partaker hereafter in the perfection of the whole man and sees that this separation is but a preparation for a further perfection in that immortall being which is to come it hath thereby as it were a seisure and delivery of those heavenly joyes which it had here onely in assurance of hope though till the third state it hath not the full possession And although the soule of the wicked man views indeed the creature and knowes now the losse of that blessing which it might have had in the right use thereof yet because it hath no hope in the life to come all that knowledge which it hath is but to see further the wretchednesse of it selfe and for a foretaste of that bitter cup of wrath which it must drinke even to the dregs And this foretaste is able to make all the creature hell unto the miserable soule as the joyes and assurance of heaven make all places Paradise to the faithfull For the devill was not therefore happy because hee was in heaven Iob 1.6 and 1 Kings 22.22 nor therefore miserable because hee was thrust out Reuel 12.9 for not the place but the holy Spirit of comfort onely which never leaves the faithfull soule Iohn 14.16 gives heauenly happinesse as that soule which is destitute thereof hath hell in it selfe and must needs be in hell wheresoever it is Now as it is most certaine that there is such a meane state betweene this of mortality and that of glory so is it most reasonable to thinke that this is the imployment of the soule at least for a time before it bee raised up with the body in glory For seeing man was therefore set in the creature and therefore indued with a reasonable soule that he might in the creature behold the Wisedome and goodnesse of God and to His praise bee happy in the right use thereof It was necessary that He should know the creature and the possibilities thereof which knowledge having by his sinne debarred himselfe of he could not use the creature aright and so became mortall Yet seeing it is impossible that the sinne of man should frustrate theend of God but that He should be glorified by man whom He hath purposed so exceedingly to glorifie therefore in that second estate wherein the soule is better fitted to know as the Angels by intuition or view of the creature onely shall that be effected Moreover seeing our Lord ascended not to heaven before His soule was joyned againe to the body and that it may not reasonably bee thought that the seruant in his greatest basenesse and lowest estate should have preeminence before his Lord nor yet that the soule that most active part of man should be idle what can the soule and understanding bee busied about but onely in the enquirie of that trueth and wisedome which God hath manifested in the creature But whether this inquest shall be immediately after the soules departure from the body or at the time of restitution of which Saint Peter speakes Act. 3.20 I cannot define But although for the trueth and quietnesse sake with them that would instantly be in heaven I denied not an immediate passage into heaven for the faithfull since Christ yet seeing most of the sonnes of Adam must come into this middle state I see not why any man should withdraw himselfe from that taske whereby he ought to give honour unto his Creator Objection 1. Obiect 1 But by this you put a possibilitie of those illusisions of the devill appearing as the ghosts of the dead and justifie that poeticall fiction of Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. that they of the golden-age became all Angels and in ayrie bodies lived every where on the earth seeing all the good and ill deedes of men I answere All things are not therefore false because A Poet affirms them but that which he speakes out of the light of nature is certainely true and this what waight soever it hath swayes on my side But for the upholding of those old-wives fables of the walking of the spirits of the dead there is no feare For being dead they must keep the law of the dead and not live to us that are dead to them for when they are gone from hence they are no more seene Psal 39.13 Thus much it was necessary to speake concerning the meanes of the soules knowledge while it is in the state of separation from the body The third manner and degree of the soules knowledge by comprehension in the morning vision is when the whole man glorified shall see the true being of all things in Him that is the cause of all For then shall it know as it is knowne as you may see 1. Cor. 13.12 But this kind of knowledge belongs nothing to the question that is in hand 4. The other kind of descent which is in state or
manner of being is when any thing is changed from any estate either proper thereto or else appropriate to an estate or condition that is or seemes to be lower or worse Thus our Lord was said to descend or come downe from heaven when He clouded His Deitie in our humanitie as I have shewed heretofore Thus also He and all man-kind may be said to descend to be abased or brought low when the soule is parted from the body For seeing both the parts are for the perfection of the whole the whole must needs be more excellent than either of the parts so that the whole being dissolved both the parts doe suffer hurt or losse thereby especially the soule which sees the losse and findes it selfe in a state of being beside the end of the creation of it selfe which was to give life unto the body and this is the cause why the soule would not bee unclothed but rather that this mortalitie might bee swallowed up of life And this is the lowest state of humiliation whereto the soule of our Lord could come naturally and by this state some will interpret the descent into hell as I shewed in the beginning Nu. 2. But if this humiliation must meane also the separation of the soule from the body while the body was laid in the dust it reaches no further than to his death For a man is not said to bee dead till his soule be departed from his body But if this state of humiliation be taken in that sence as some doe very fitly interpret it by that phrase used often in the Scripture of a mans being gathered unto his people or cōming unto that congregation of the saints which had died in the faith of Him that was to come then taking also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or hell according to the interpretation of the word Vnseen it will easily be admitted of all that when our Saviour was dead His body was buryed and his soule went unto the assembly of them that were unseene And because this is true safe and unquestionable it may on all parts be agreed unto as I said before and yet the word of descending or going downe reserved to the right meaning by the abatement or losse of that estate which the soule had with the body in the being of the whole and perfect man So also the question about the place of hell and Paradise which hath moved most doubt herein by this interpretation is avoyded But because all this will reach no further than to be perfectly dead and because the Latine interpretation Descendit ad inferos rendered by our Church Hee went downe into hell suffers us not to stay here and because the most voices amongst the Fathers have swayed the meaning to a locall descent and that as it seemes in the third sence spoken of before and most of all because the holy Scripture binds us thereto let us follow our best and surest guides and confesse with the Prophets and Apostles that the soule of our Lord after His death on the Crosse went downe into hell or the place of the dead and there continued three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth as it was prophesied in the signe of Ionas the Prophet Matth. 12.40 And let us beleeve that the flesh of Christ did therefore rest in hope because His soule was not left in hell nor His body was suffered to see corruption Psal 16.9 10. Actes 2.31 Objection 1. Obiect 1 They object that the soule may signifie the whole man as in Gen. 46.27 All the soules of the house of Iacob were 70. But how doth that helpe to prove that this Article must bee interpreted onely of the torments of Christs soule while Hee was yet alive For it is manifest that Saint Peter bringing that text to prove His resurrection speakes not of Christs soule while it was yet in his body when He was not subject to a state of resurrection but of His soule after His death But if they will hope by that text of Gen. or the like to interpret it as Al. Hume loc cit Thou shalt not leave mee in the grave let them answere mee what they meane by this word Mee whether the body or the soule or both together If they say the soule it was not in the graue they will bee ashamed to say both together for so they should make Him not yet to be dead as the word Mee doth truely signifie the whole Person yet alive jf they say the body let them see what an unfit tautologie it will make with that which followeth Nor suffer thy Holy one that is the body of Thy Holy one to see corruption But in this place the soule and the body are made direct disparates so hell and the place of corruption so that we may argue the body was in the place of corruption Ergo not in hell the soule was in hell Ergo not in the grave or place of corruption Object 2. Obiect 2 The purpose of Saint Peter was to prove the resurrection of Christ and that belonged to the body which had died not to the soule which died not Answere If this be given what will you conclude thereon But I say the resurrection is of the whole man returned againe to life after the parting of the soule and the body So it is neither of the body onely nor of the soule onely but of the whole man which Saint Peter prooves heere to have beene done in Christ because His soule was not left in hell where it was but was againe joyned to the body to cause it to live that it might not see corruption And because all the glorious doings and sufferings of our Saviour were for our uttermost benefit and comfort therefore is this going downe of His into hell also to give us assurance of our full and perfect deliverance from all the powers of death and hell and restoring of all His beleevers unto an immortall life and glory And because the doctrine of our Church into which I was baptized bindes me to beleeve that our Lord Iesus after His death went downe into hell-locally and that by the authorities of the Scripture and because I have before shewed that the soule of Christ did not ascend to heaven before His resurrection and have denied also that I thinke with them that say that He went downe to suffer for our sinne And having as I thinke said enough to all contrary opinions the trueth by the Holy Scripture and the reasons grounded thereon must be made to appeare But first of all it is plaine that the meaning of our Church is such for in the 8. Article it is said that the Creed of Athanasius ought thorowly to bee received and beleeved and that because it may be prooved by most certaine warrants of Holy Scripture And in the 7. Article the Church of Ireland agreeth hereto in these words All and every the Articles conteined in the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which
is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought firmly to be observed and beleeved For they may bee prooved by most certaine warrant of Holy Scripture And because it may not bee supposed that our Church cites the authority of Athanasius but according to his owne meaning as he himselfe hath explained it if it were the meaning of Athanasius that Christ after His suffering descended locally into the hell of the damned it must needes bee that our Church accorded to his meaning And what the meaning of this Article in the Creed of Athanasius is we need not to doubt who have Athanasius himselfe to declare it in his Epistle of the incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ against Apollinarius where hee prooves against his Heresie that there bee onely two parts of the humane nature in Christ a body which the grave received and a soule which went downe into hell the grave received that which was bodily hell that which was not bodily And by his reason you may yet understand his meaning better When the Creator saith he call'd man into question for his disobedience Hee decreed against him a double punishment For to the body He said Thou art earth and unto earth thou shalt returne But to the soule He said Thou shalt die the death And for this cause man being dead is condemned to depart to two places And therefore it was also necessary that the Iudge Himselfe that made this decree should also undergoe it that in the estate of man condemned shewing Himselfe free from sin uncondemned He might reconcile man unto God and restore him to perfect libertie In the same Epistle hee had said a little before that in hell He condemned death that Hee might every way perfect the salvation of man in our image which He had put on and in his fourth oration against the Arians hee saith that the powers of hell withdrew themselues being afraid at the sight of Christ. So the meaning of Athanasius is plaine that the soule of Christ did locally goe downe to hell and withall the meaning of our Church Now among these texts of Scripture by which this doctrine of Athanasius may bee warranted that text of the 1. Pet. 3.18.19 is most plaine especially as it stands in the Greeke Christ suffered for our sinnes that He might bring us unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put to death in the flesh but quickened in the Spirit by which He went and preached to the Spirits in prison Which Scripture must be applied onely to the manly being of Christ who Himselfe had set an example to His followers to suffer ill patiently which could be onely in His manly being For as God He could not suffer ill Beside His God-head mooves not by any locall motion as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth signifie And moreover His divine spirit was no way quickned nor could be but He went and preached in that Spirit in which He was quickned which could bee onely in His humane spirit or soule in which having once suffered death He manifested His power to the disobedient spirits by taking to Himselfe the keyes or power over hell and death to shut in and keepe out whom Hee will Reuel 1.18 And although I deny not that the sence is true and good He was quickned by the Spirit that holy Spirit which Hee received not by measure yet I hold that this is not the native meaning of this place and the best printed copies of Stephan Plantin and others are with me Neither will the words naturally beare that change of In and By Neither did the reverend Noel Deane of Pauls and other like Him accord with them Neither is this the onely place of Scripture that prooves the locall descent of Christs soule into hell For that argument of Saint Peter Act. 2.31 whereby hee prooves the resurrection of Christ out of Psalm 16. because His soule was not left in Hell strangles these interpreters harder then Achelous was strangled in the hand of Hercules So that which Ionah the figure said of himselfe being by Christ the substance applied to Himselfe To be three dayes in the heart of the earth must bee as true in the substance as it was figuratively true in Ionah This is the confession of him that was holy as no man was Psalm 68.2 Thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest hell vers 13. as the Apostle speakes Ephes 4.9 10. He descended first into the lower parts of the earth and ascended above all heavens that Hee might fill all things So then the Scriptures not being of any private interpretation that is to set out the stories of private men 2. Peter 1.20 must have their highest and uttermost interpretation in Christ Now that this is the native interpretation of this Article and consequently the right meaning of the Composer or Composers of the Creed beside the texts of Scripture on which the Article is grounded it will bee further manifest by the Reasons 1. In a Catechisme the use of Tropes or borrowed speeches are not fit for the use of children and novices and such is the Creed or forme of the confession of our Faith as it is manifest Hebr. 6.1 And the suffering of Christ His Death Buriall c. is taken properly therefore His going downe also into hell Object If Christ went to the faithfull that were dead Object whose soules were in Paradise why doe you say to hell whereby is specially meant the place of the damned Answer Hee first went to the dead in Paradise as His promise was That the Thiefe should there bee with Him in Paradise Then to hell to take to Himselfe all rule all authority and power For God had put all things in subjection under His feet 2. If this Article He went downe to hell be not to bee referred to the soule of Christ after His death then have we no direction by the Creed to know what became of His soule neither are wee taught hereby whether He had a humane and immortall soule or no. So we are still left in doubt whether this Christ be the Saviour of the world But if this Article be referred to the state of Christs soule after His death then are we truely taught and informed against these doubts But that adulterate interpretation of His sufferings is excluded 3. And seeing our Lord Christ is appointed of God to bee the Iudge of the world and that as He is the Sonne of man it was necessary that our Lord should goe downe to hell both in regard of the justice and of the mercy which ought to appeare in His judgement of His justice that the enemies of mankind the devills may not torment them according to their cruelty and hatred of man but onely in justice afflict them according to the sentence passed on them according to the measure of their sinne and not beyond as it is said Luk. 12.47 and 48. The servant which knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe shall be beaten with
must needs be concurrent causes of their condemnation But the faithfull are therefore called to possesse the kingdome 1. Because they are blessed of the Father 2. Because they are predestinate thereto and the kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world So their workes come not as causes of their happinesse but onely as the fruits of their faith But because workes onely and not faith in the heart are manifest to the world therefore is the comparison made onely of the workes both of the godly and of the wicked that the justice of God may be manifested in rewarding the workes that are manifest to man But you will say if men for their ill deeds doe merit hell why should they not by their good workes merit heaven See the answere Chap. 19. Object 2. and 3. 3. A third question may arise concerning that which is said Luke 21.32 This generation shall not passe till all be fulfilled why then was not the judgement long agoe Answer The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a generation in the narrow signification doth signifie that multitude of men which are alive at once and withall that time in which it is supposed they shall all be dead which in common reckoning is 100. yeeres And in this sence the saying of our Lord must be referred only to that which He had spoken concerning the overthrow of Ierusalem which followed about fourty yeeres after and the signes which should goe before that As the preaching of the Gospel in all the world See Col. 1.6 False Christs See Note g on Chapter 24. Warres Pestilence c. But because our Lord after the answeres to the three questions made by the disciples Matth. 24.3 1 Of the destruction of Ierusalem 2. Of the signe of His comming 3. Of the end of the world addes these same words This generation shall not passe c. vers 34. a generation cannot bee so narrowly taken in this place but rather it must signifie as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Saeculum and so taking the infancy of the world in the time of nature for one generation that middle age under the Law for another and then this old age of the word under the Gospel there is no other generation or change of state in the Church to be looked for but in this very generation all things shall be fulfilled And therefore Saint Iohn saith 1 Epist 2.18 This is the last time And although Saint Peter say 1 Epist 4.7 That the end of all things is at hand and that therefore we should be sober and watch unto prayer because we know not when our Lord shall call us to a particular account of our stewardship when all things of this world are ended with us Yet Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. directly affirmeth in his time that that great day of God should not come till the Apostasie was revealed which could not be till he that withheld that is the Imperiall power that then ruled was taken out of the way 4. But seeing that day of God is so terrible to the wicked as that they put it farre from them and agame so much desired of the godly as that they cry Come Lord Iesus Come it may seeme not altogether unfit to see some reasons of their different desires Concerning the wicked it is manifest that they being condemned already in their owne consciences have great cause to wish that there were no day of judgement no judge no tormentors But the faithfull in Christ who have the testimony of God in their hearts that their sinnes are covered have great reason to desire that day First and above all that the glory of God His mercy and justice may be manifest Secondly that the merit of Christs sufferings may appeare to the glory of His grace in them that they may have the actuall possession of that happinesse which they have here onely in the assurance of hope And no lesse doe they desire that comming that the body of sinne may be truely abolished For which desires sake even death it selfe is here in life oftentimes desired and when it comes is most willingly embraced because that thereby they are justified from their sin Rom. 6.7 And among other causes for which they pray that the Kingdome of God may come this is one that although euen because they refraine from ill therefore doe they make themselues as a prey Esay 59.15 yet in that day the trueth of their innocency shall be knowne And although here the more innocent and harmelesse a man is the more is hee subject to injuries slanders and surmises and that because men have for saken the feare of the Almightie and having forgotten that he that taketh up not onely hee that raiseth a slander which every base varlet may doe but hee that beleeveth it and and much more he that furthereth it hath no part in that King-dome Psal 15.3 Yet they use their tongues as if they were their owne and remember not that they must give an account of every idle much more of every lying and hurtfull word And heere there be some which doubt not to say that the godly may desire the comming of that day that they may see the reward of the wicked perhaps upon that text where it is said The Righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengeance Psal 58.10 But I suppose it necessary to answere with this difference That so farre foorth as a wicked man or men are declared the enemies of God of Christ of His Church a Christian may say Doe not I hate them ô Lord that hate thee yea I hate them with perfect hatred as if they were mine enemies Psal 139. ver 21.22 the hatred must be of their sinnes not of their persons but concerning those offences that are towards a mans owne selfe let the same mind be in us which was in Christ Iesus who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow His steps who being reviled reviled not againe who being mocked and wounded yet made intercession for the transgressors Therefore though thine enemies despight thee dayly without a cause though he that eates thy bread lift up his heele against thee though the drunkards make songs upon thee yet remember that there is a reward for the righteous that thy innocency shall breake forth as the light and thy patience shall shine as the noone day And remember that unthankefull wretches are no new thing in the world for the Orator said long agoe and I have often found it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But if that Punke could say Men ' moveat cimex Pantilius Shall he that hath experience of such monsters of ingratitude put it in the power of a sonne of Belial to disquiet his peace Therefore let the Rymer read what others judge of him Feltham Resolu Cent. 2. Ch. 56. Let him write a booke against me I will bind it as a Crowne upon my head And if for my love and for my best
And therefore the Holy-Ghost is God And His witnesse in our hearts that wee are the sonnes of God is an eternall trueth and such as hath neither falshood nor doubt nor double meaning § 2.1 But you will say Sect. 2 if the word Spirit belong essentially to all the Persons of the God-head and that they bee all holinesse it selfe as it is said Es 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hostes how is it here appropriated to the third Person Is not the difference of Persons taken away hereby seeing every one is a Holy Spirit I answere That in this place as in many other texts of Holy Scripture the words Holy Spirit are taken relatively or Personally as they meane that third Person of the Holy Trinity with that relation of procession which He hath from the Father and the Son as it was shewed Chap. 11. Re. 8. 2. But it is said Iohn 7.39 That the Holy-Ghost was not yet which takes away His eternity and so His God-head Answere Tropes and figures are usuall in every language though not minded by the vulgar sort So here is a Metonymia or taking of the author for the gifts of divers tongues miracles prophecie and such like and these gifts were not yet given as it followes in the text because that Iesus was not yet glorified that it might appeare to all that these were His gifts who was before crucified Compare herewith Iohn 16.7 Ephe. 4.8 and 11.1 Cor. 12.8 c. 3. a If the procession of the Holy-Ghost bee perfect from the Father then doth Hee not proceed from the Sonne or if it be necessary that He proceede from the Sonne also then must there bee in Him something of composition of superaddition or the like whereby his being should not be most simple which were to denie Him to be God So also the procession from the first principle not being perfect would argue a defect therein Answere This is as if you should reason thus If the way betweene Thebes and Athens be the ready way from Thebes to Athens then can it not be the way from Athens to Thebes But I say that the procession emanation or out-flowing of the Holy-Ghost from the Father is most perfect infinite and eternall as from that being from which the procession is actively as the action of understanding is in and yet from the mind which doth understand as from the active principle But the procession or emanation of the Holy-Ghost from the Sonne is likewise infinite and eternall as from the passive principle as the understanding is from that object which is understood And so the procession of the Holy-Ghost is perfect infinite and eternall both from the Father and the Sonne And because all this is in the God-head onely for I speake not now of those graces and mercies which are from God upon the creature therefore it is necessary that the Holy-Ghost be God blessed above all infinitely and eternally one being with the Father and the Sonne You will heere aske me what the difference is betweene generation whereby the Sonne is from the Father and procession whereby the Holy-Ghost is from the Father and the Son If I confesse that I can neither speake nor conceive it you must hold me excused For in those things that are not lawfull nor possible for the creature to know it is not fit to enquire But you may remember that heretofore although we concluded according to the rule of trueth the Holy Scripture that all the Persons in the Holy Trinitie were in their absolute being one yet by the same rule and the enforcement of reason we were compelled to yeeld unto the Father as concerning His Personal being the precedence of originall as being that fountaine of life and glory from which the other Persons doe proceede And because our Lord Iesus is the expresse Image of the Father Heb. 1.3 whose procession or going forth is from eternity Mich. 5.2 and He by the stile of the Holy Scripture called the Sonne of God Psal 2.7 therefore doe wee attribute unto Him as concerning His Personall being the word of generation or being begotten yet in respect of His absolute essence wherein He is one with the Father He is also called the everlasting Father Esay 9.6 But because all things in the Godhead are in the infinitie of perfection and that the being of the Holy-Ghost is alike both from the Father and the Son and that no perfect being hath two Fathers therefore is His personall being said to be rather by procession then by generation § 3. And because this Article is the last in our Creed Sect. 3 whereby we confesse our faith in the holy Trinity it will not be unfit to take up in briefe that which we have spoken hereunto at large It is manifest unto all reason that nothing can be a cause and yet not be for that would bring a contradiction which the understanding of the foole of fooles I meane the Atheist could not endure that a thing that hath no manner of being should bee of such powerfull being as that it should cause either it selfe or another thing to be And because we see that divers things are which could not cause themselues to be when they were not it followes necessarily that there were causes of their being and that all their causes did worke as they were ordered and mooved by their first cause which seeing it is the cause of all beings must of it selfe not onely be but also have power both to be of it selfe and also to moove all other causes to worke to their determinate ends And this most excellent and first being the cause of all other is that which we call God in whom you see the first thing which we can understand is to be but that eternally because there is nothing before Him which might give Him His being and infinitely because there was nothing which could put any bounds to His being The next thing that we can understand of God is that He hath power both to be and to worke but no worke or action can be but in that which hath both actuall being and also power to worke And if from hence I should conclude a Trinity of Persons in the unity of that one powerfull and active being the whole creature would say Amen For as every effect is answerable to the cause and by that voyce which it hath shewes what the cause was so you shall finde that every created being hath in it matier or that which is proportionable thereto which is as the simple being thereof then forme whereby it hath power to worke and lastly working according to that property which ariseth from the matier and the forme For as Saint Paul saith of mankind so is it true in every thing That In Him or By Him we moove that is our action and Live that is the power from whence our action ariseth and Are that is the foundation of both the other But because this argument would be
dignitie which it had naturally over the body and follow the lusts and appetites thereof and for that treason against God lost the power and strength which it had to support the body and moreover must seeke sustenance for the body out of the creature now accursed and deprived of her first strength it was impossible but that according to the curse corruption diseases and death should follow thereupon Yet seeing the merit of Christ is so ful of satisfactiō to the justice of God and He so powerfull to restore all the decay of nature and to destroy all the wrack and mischiefe which the devill hath brought thereinto wee may firmely beleeve as we professe in this Article that wee shall at last be brought to the enjoying of everlasting life better than that to which wee were at first created 1. For although by the craft of the devill sinne entered into the world and death by sinne passed over all man-kind yet seeing man was made immortall and that neither the end which God purposed nor yet the infinite merit of the death of Christ can bee in vaine it is impossible but that man-kind at last should be brought to eternall life 2. The infinite goodnesse of God is the reason and the cause that he is good to all and that His mercy is over all His workes Psal 145.9 Therefore there is an eternall life reserved for man the most excellent of the visible creature and the will of man above all other things desires an eternall life in glory and happinesse according to His promises But if no such eternall life shall bee then the action of God toward His creature shall be in litlenesse and defect neither shall he fulfill the desire of them that feare Him So also the will of man should more desire the accomplishment of the divine goodnes upon the creature than the will of God should desire the accomplishment of it selfe But these things are impossible therefore there shall bee an eternall life in glory and happinesse 3. Virtue and the ready service of man unto God is that thing wherewith God in man is most delighted and which He hath commanded as it is said Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 11.44 and the desire of this holinesse is found in them especially that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and hate their sinnes whereby they displease Him But this seruice of man to God hath not hitherto beene duely performed by any living among the sonnes of men neither can be performed both in body and soule by the dead Therefore it shall be performed in the life that is to come wherein both Gods will and the desires of His shall bee fulfilled See Matth. 5.6 4. If there shal be an eternal life for man then man shall receive of the divine goodnesse and power a power whereby he may both bee and doe those things whereto the divine goodnesse and wisedome hath appointed him But if there be no life eternall then the end of mans creation should be onely to privation and not being But it were better never to have beene than after all the miseries of this life in the end to returne to an everlasting not being For so the effect that is man-kind should no way be answerable to the cause nor yet be any proofe or manifestation of that goodnesse infinity eternitie and power by which it was made But this is impossible and against the conditions both of the prime cause and the infinitie of the dignities thereof Object But you will say that this reason doth no more prove that there is an eternall life for man than for beasts and other of the creatures which also ought to continue for the proofe of that wisedome and almightynesse of their cause Answere There is a difference betweene the end and those things which are for the end Man is the end of all the visible creature and therefore it followes that all those things are to bee in man as in the end so far forth as they can be worke or be glorified in Him And from hence also it followeth that man must bee for ever lest all these things which were for him should returne to nothing with him and the image of that infinite goodnesse and wisedome by which they were made should come to nothing eternally Therefore though they shall be in man as the idéa of them all yet not in their severall or distinct beings beside man 5. No naturall desire of the creature which is implanted in every individuall of every kind can bee in vaine because it is implanted therein by a superiour power which cannot bee frustrate But it is implanted in all men naturally both to desire and to hope for eternall life Therefore there shal be an eternall life For if after the resurrection man should not live for ever then there should be in God a will to raise him to life contrary to his will that hee should live for ever So His being should not be simple and one but this is impossible as it was proved Chap. 9. § 6. 6. The more powerfull that any cause is the more manifestly doth the likenesse thereof appeare in the effect And sith God is the first and chiefe cause of all and that the likenesse of man His worke shall be greater in his perpetuall well-being than in not being at all therefore there shall bee an eternall life wherein the greatest likenesse of the effect to the cause shall be perfected that man may live in eternall Righteousnesse Wisedome and Glory Otherwise the infinite justice might seeme defective in reward and punishment if both good and bad should perish alike Moreover the word whereby the punishment was inflicted was neither so generall nor so without exception but that there was grace reserved And now lest he take of the tree of life and live for ever in his sin therefore the Lord God sent him forth of the garden of Eden the type of eternall happinesse till he had tasted of death the punishment of his sinne then should hee live for ever in joy 7. And these reasons for the assurance of everlasting life you may adde to them that are in the Chapter before And above all reason the holy promises of God which cannot faile as Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that He gave His onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life Titus 3.7 Wee are made heires according to the hope of everlasting life Matth. 19.29 Every one that hath forsaken houses c. or lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Psal 37.18 The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright that their inheritance shall be for ever Psalm 23. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And that the ioyes of heaven are eternall it may appeare by the torments of the wicked that are in hell of both which see Matth. 25. from vers 31. to 46. And therefore the Apostle
of any virtue or of any religion is it not better to follow the pleasures of sinne with greedinesse 1. But Atheist I answere That if God should so neglect them that honour Him as that He would not reward them neither in this life nor yet in that which is to come then were He unjust if He knew not their devotion then were He not wise But these things are impossible for thee to suppose that God should be either unjust or unwise For perfect justice such as the infinite justice of God is doth ever bring foorth a judgement in which it must appeare that in Him that is infinitely just there was neither ignorance of the service done unto him nor any disability to reward it which because it appeares not in this life certainely it must be manifested hereafter Therefore the soule is immortall 2. Seeing all the world cannot affoord that which may give a full content unto the soule that judges rightly of every thing Seeing we are taught 1 Iohn 2.15 not to love this world neither the things of this world it is manifest that the true happinesse of the soule ought not to be sought here among those things that are inferiour and below the dignity and state of the soule which can be blessed onely in the sight of God as our Lord hath taught us Mat. 5.8 Therefore the elect of God which according to His counsell and command seeke true happinesse in another life shall in another life be sure to find it 1 Iohn 2.17 3. The working of the soule cannot be hindered by the body not onely the spirituall actions of the understanding and motion of the will but even the actions of the soule upon the body as I have somewhere given instance in the beating of the pulse and whatsoever hath motion of it owne nature cannot be hindred to attaine that end whereto nature drives it and the thing it selfe desires to come as the continuance and perfection of it selfe because nature doth not worke in vaine and the soule doth naturally desire true happinesse that is spirituall eternall and beseeming the nature of it selfe Therefore the soule is immortall 4. No substance which is intellectuall is corruptible For corruption in substances comes onely by the separation of the matier and essentiall forme And because beings intellectuall that is such as have power of an active understanding doe not consist of matier but are of themselues pure formes therefore they are not subject to corruption and death properly so called And although the soule beside the power of understanding have also the power of growth and sences as the naturall faculties thereof by which it doth enlive mans body to move to digest to see heare feele c. and that when it goes away from the body these faculties of the soule forsake the body yet they die not in the soule but shall enlive the body in the resurrection as they did before so that the soule is no way mortall 5. Common consent of all Nations both Christians and Barbarians hold and ever have held the immortality of the soule and the soule it selfe beares witnes thereunto which at the sight of grievous sinnes committed findes such terrours and affrightings in it selfe as are sometimes more fearefull than death But if the soules of men did not live after the body what cause had guilty minded men either to feare death or any torments that could follow after it 6. The excellent endowments of the soule the engines and curious artes that are invented the search of the heavens motions and the inuention of trueth in things removed from our sences yea even concerning the truth of God are arguments sufficient of the soules immortality 7. And beside these reasons the infallible authority of the Holy Scriptures ought towring this confession even from the very Atheist For the soule being breathed into man by an immortall principle by the breath of God Himselfe may not bee supposed to bee corruptible for so how could a thing mortall or corruptible be the image of the immortall God Gen. 1.26 27. yet say I not as the Gnosticks or Priscillianists that the soule is of the same being or substance with God but that being so created by Him and His image it cannot be mortall Mat. 10.28 Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare Him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell The parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus in Luk. 16. shew the immortality and state of the soule both of the good and bad Read also 1. Pet. 3.18 19.20 Phil. 1.23 Revel 6.9 That there is not one common Soule of all men §. 2. 1. BY some of the reasons before and by all the authorities brought out of the holy Writ it is manifest that this fantasie of one common soule in all Men was but a dreame of Averroes For if the humane soule be the proper forme of the body and the specifick difference of every subject be by the forme thereof If there be one common soule of all men then the essential difference of men is taken away so that they bee not now this man and that man but all men must be one man as concerning their internall forms the difference of men must be in their heccieties or numerall diversitie of their bodies onely 2. But so the understanding and knowledge of all men should bee one and the same and one man should not bee wise and another foolish but all men wise or foolish alike if there were onely one soule or understanding of all men 3. So also the vice of one man should multiplie it selfe over all men 4. And all men should have equall joy in the end or happines of any one man But these things are not so And as these inconveniences proove the differences of soules while they are in the bodies of men So likewise doe they withstand that confusion which would bee of the soules of men being departed out of their bodies which are not supposed to fall into the Chaos of life and there to be confused as a drop of water falling into a River For the soules being separate from the bodies have their severall degrees of perfections whereby they are distinguished as 2. from 3. so as they cannot be the same as 2. cannot bee 3. 5. Moreover both that unitie and this confusion of soules would utterly take away all justice in reward and punishment of their deeds which they have done well or ill in this life 6. The uttermost happinesse of man is the adequation of all his faculties in that which is the perfection of goodnesse that is that he love that which hee understands and that he have power to performe it for otherwise his understanding would bee the originall of paine and sorrow unto him if he should know that which were good to be done and should not have power to effect it But if there were a confusion of all soules or
understanding and light of Nature given us withall His Word as a greater light whereby our lesser lights might become more shining That He hath given unto us not onely an inward Word to wit our naturall understanding but also an outward word as a most illustrious Commentary both of declaration and amplification of that text whereby we may the better understand whatsoever wee ought to understand without it But how then cometh it to passe that all men have not Faith And how is Faith said to bee the gift of God The first answered Rom. 1.21 and Ephe. 4.18 For hardnesse of their heart who when they knew God did not glorifie him as they ought therefore their imaginations became vaine and their foolish heart was full of darknesse And for this cause is Faith also said to bee the gift of God First in respect of that knowledge whence it doth proceed which knowledge is His gift Secondly because it is the onely worke of God to make that knowledge to become fruitfull by laying it so unto mans heart that the hardnesse thereof may be removed that when wee know God to bee good and just wee also beleeve and worship Him as wee ought Thirdly and most especially because that God oftentimes pardoning the ignorance which men have of Himselfe and the creature doth so enlighten the heart with His Holy Spirit that it is suddenly framed without any previant knowledge to faith and obedience The trueth whereof neverthelesse doth not any whit impugne that which I say That God hath given unto every man so much understanding as to know what he ought to beleeve and to be satisfied for the reasons of his Faith if he could open his eyes to see in the middest of what wondrous light he were placed This point is manifest both by many Scripture-authorities and by many reasons which I omitt But taking this as either granted or sufficiently prooved that God hath given us light of understanding whereby to yeeld a reason of the Hope that is in us a reason I say even of every Article of our Faith let us with holy reverence come unto the thing in question and see what reason wee have for our defence I will therefore a while forbeare to use the authoritie of holy Scripture not that I esteeme the waight or evidence of any reason comparable thereto but onely perceiving by that talk I had with you that you had read the Scripture as one of those whom Peter noteth 2. Epist 3.16 Not intending to wrangle about your wrested interpretations I will first propose the evidence of reasonable proofe and afterwards bring in the assent of holy Scripture that you may perceive in what wondrous cleare light you strive to bee blinde And because I know not what your opinion is concerning God for he that denieth the God-head of Christ may as well denie the God-head absolutely that being one step toward the question I will proceed orderly and give you also a reason of our faith concerning that matier taking this onely as granted which is rife in every mans knowledge that both the termes of Contradiction cannot bee affirmed of the same subject that is that one and the same thing cannot be both affirmed and denied of the same subject at one time and in the same respect But first by the name of God know that I meane an Eternall Being infinite in goodnesse in power in wisedome in glorie in vertue and onely worthy of endlesse love and honour My reason is thus If there be not a Being which had no beginning then of necessitie that which was first existent or begun must be a beginning unto it selfe by causing of it selfe to be when it was not But this is impossible that any thing should be a cause and not be for so should it both be and not be therefore there is an eternall Being which is the beginning middle and end of all things and Himselfe without beginning and this eternall Being wee call God My reason is plaine to bee understood and remember what I have said that I may goe on Whatsoever is without beginning is also without ending because it hath no Superiour which might bring it to nothing therefore God is eternall Againe whatsoever comes to nothing is corrupted by his contrarie but nothing can be opposite to God therefore He is Eternall Or else I might thus reason 2. Being and Not-being are such contraries as one of them cannot spring out of another for every thing for the preservations sake of it selfe doth represse and corrupt the contrarie Seeing then that there is Being which could not possibly raise it selfe out of Not-Being it followes that Being had a primacy or priority before Not-Being and therefore of necessitie must be eternall for otherwise there was a time wherein it might be said that Being is not Being and so Not-Being should have beene first and contradictories might have stood together but both these are impossible therefore there is an eternall Being and this eternall Being wee call God Furthermore wee know that the greatest excellency or perfection of every thing is in the nearenesse or likenesse thereof unto the first cause But every thing is more excellent in the Being therof then in the Not-Being Therefore Being was before Not-Being and for that cause Eternall Now Eternitie is an infinite Continuance Therfore whatsoever is Eternall must of necessitie be Infinite and this Infinite being we call God Moreover whatsoever hath Infinite continuance hath Infinite Power to continue infinitely and this omnipotent or endlesse power we call God I might reason likewise of His Goodnesse of His Wisedome Truth Glory c. But one shall serue in stead of the rest and I will take His Wisedome for my example and prove unto you that likewise to be Infinite and that not onely in existence but in action also And first that hee is wise God is most worthy to be such as He is but if He were not wise He were not worthy to bee God Ergo he is wise Now marke how these depend one on another In God is Wisedome which by reason of His Infinitie is also Infinite and by His Eternitie is also Eternall so that there is no time wherein it may be said that this infinite Wisedome is not infinitely exercised for then were it not eternally infinite Therefore His wisedome is infinite not in existence onely but also in action Againe the Wisedome of God is such as hath no defect or imbecillitie therein But if it were not infinite both in action and in existence a man might finde defect therein and imagine a more Infinite wisdome then that is but this is impossible So might I conclude of all the other dignities of God But I haste to the purpose and I thinke that you will not unwillingly grant what I have said but understand the rest All the Dignities of God being actuated or brought into working require of necessitie an Infinite Object whereon they work because they themselues are
Article then I have shewed yet doe not I therefore hold him of another Church or faith so long as he doth hold fast the foundation one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ For the Kingdome of God is not in the excellency of knowledge much lesse in wilfulnesse of opinion in matier of doubt but in joy and peace and comfort of the Holy-Ghost while a man doth those things which he knowes in himselfe he is bound to performe ARTICLE V. ⧠The third day Hee rose againe from the dead CHAP. XXIX THe sufferings of Christ were fulfilled as wee have seene now it followes that wee see the glories that should follow after of which the first is His triumph over death by His resurrection from the dead set against that in the Article before Hee was dead and buried And although by His death He is said to have triumphed over the principalities and powers of death and hell in His Crosse Col. 2.15 that is by the power and vertue of His merit as a champion by His valour and courage in the field overcame His enemie yet the actuall manifestation of His triumph was not solemnized till by His resurrection the power and glory of His victory did appeare But it may here be asked How Christ our Lord is said to have risen againe seeing Saint Paul saith Rom. 6.4 That Hee was raysed againe by the glory of the Father To which the answere is easily returned that Christ our Lord by His owne active power as He was God raised Himselfe from the dead and as man by a passive or received power was raised againe as He said of Himselfe Iohn 10.18 I have power to lay downe my life of my selfe and I have power to take it up againe This commandement have I received from my Father For for this end was it necessary that our Mediatour should be both God and man in one Person that that which was not fit nor possible for the God-head might bee endured in the humanity as those things which concerned His death and suffering and that which was impossible to His pure humanity might yet therein be perfected by His divinitie as Saint Paul saith Rom. 1.3.4 that He was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to bee the Sonne of God by His resurrection from the dead But there is a great difference betweene the state or manner of His being before His death and after His resurrection For although the unitie of the humanitie with the God-head were alwayes before in and after His death the same yet was not that unitie alwayes manifested in the same glory and excellency For in the first state while He bare our infirmities His body was subiect to hunger cold wearinesse death and other accidents of a naturall body His soule also though according to the principall or first acts endued with the excellencie of reason and knowledge yet according to the second acts or practise not knowing the grave of Lazarus the day of Iudgement c. In the second state also His body was deprived of sence and life His soule of the proper habitation But in His resurrection His body was raysed immortall spirituall 1. Cor. 15.44.45 glorious and as in al the perfection of grace and compassion on us so with the fulnesse of Wisedome and Knowledge to see our miseries and to make intercesSion for us according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. Now concerning the trueth of this Article that our Lord Iesus rose againe from the dead though it be most powerfully witnessed by God Himselfe by Angels and men as you may read yet because the authoritie of the Scriptures wherin those things are recorded is set at nought by Iewes Turkes Infidels Hereticks and such God lesse people let not us endeavour to leade them like sheepe that follow their shepherd but drive them like asses with the cudgell of reason And as Saint Peter Actes 2.24 takes his first argument from the impossibility of not performing those things which are contained in the Scripture so our arguments shall be from the impossibilities in reason 1. It hath been prooved before that man was created innocent Chapter 15. That by his sinne he became subiect to death Chapter 16. That there is a restoring to a better estate Chapter 18. And that the restorer of mankind must be both God and man Chapter 20. and 21. Then that this restorer was Iesus our Lord the Sonne of the Virgin Mary Chapter 24. who by His sufferings and death made satisfaction for the sinnes of the world Whence I argue thus For the greatest good that can be done for mankind the greatest ill may not be rewarded for that were unjust with God The greatest good that could come to mankind was the ransoming of man from eternall death both of the body and soule The greatest ill and basenesse is to be left continually in the state of death wherein if Christ had still continued then had He suffered the greatest ill for the greatest good which could bee performed But this was impossible Therefore our Lord did rise againe from the dead 2. If Christ who sinned not should have borne the punishment of sinne that is to be subject to the power of death yea when the satisfaction was fully ended then should His obedience to God the Father have beene not onely without reward but also for the satisfaction of the justice God had He suffered from God I speake after the manner of men extreame injustice who had neither sinne of His owne for which He should suffer and had fully satisfied for their sinnes whose surety He was But this was utterly impossible For he that fulfilleth the Law shall live therein Levit. 18.5 ergo It was necessary that Christ having fulfilled the Law Iohn 19.30 Luk. 24.44 should rise againe 3. If Christ after His suffering and death had not risen againe then had He not prooved Himselfe to be the Saviour of the world seeing none would have beleeved Him to be able to give life unto others that was not able to quicken Himselfe So His suffering had beene in vaine and His satisfaction if not beleeved should have beene to no purpose So His greatest and best worke had effected no good to us but a perpetuall ill unto Himselfe But all these things were impossible Therefore Christ our Lord did rise againe 4. It is impossible but that where the greatest union is there should be the greatest love and consent The greatest union that may be is in our Mediator seeing the humane nature is sustained in the Person of the Deity But the soule of Christ being separate did naturally desire to bee united to the body for otherwayes should it not have desired the perfection of it selfe that is to give life and sence and to be one with that body which was peculiar to it selfe as the desire of all humane soules is and therefore depart so unwillingly from the body But if this were
the naturall desire of the soule no way sinfull the Deity infinite in power and in regard of the unity consenting thereto it must follow of necessity that our Lord was raised againe from the dead 5. Contrary causes must have contrary effects The devill by the sinne which he wrought in Adam had caused death to prevaile over life in all mankind Therefore Christ who came to destroy the workes of the deuill must cause life to prevaile over death But this could not be done in the members before it was perfected in the head Therefore Christ being dead must of necessity bee the first fruits of them that are raised from the dead And if it were necessary that Christ should first rise Ergo it was impossible that He should not rise See Log chap. 26.11.1 6. If Christ our Lord had not beene raised from death a then had it beene impossible that any of His beleevers should bee raised againe by the power and merit of His resurrection 1. And so the naturall desire of the soule to dwell with the body should be created in vaine 2. So the debt being paid the prisoner should ever be detained 3. So the afflictions of the Saints which they have suffered in body should be in vaine as cold hunger nakednesse reproach and shame imprisonment stripes yea and death it selfe willingly sustained for the love of God should be without reward But it were against the justice of God to cause the body and soule to suffer together and not to glorifie them both together 4. So also the death of Christ should not be meritorious and effectuall for the procuring of all that good which might and ought to come thereby both to Himselfe and all His beleevers For although the soules of the faithfull for the merit and full satisfactions sake of His death being separate might enjoy an eternall though not a full happinesse without the body yet the body should be left eternally to the power of death and so the workes of the devill should not be destroyed by Christ 5. So also the body should be created in vaine if to sorrow onely without the hope of happinesse 6. So God should lose His right in His creature if Hee were not Lord both of the living and of the dead both of the soule and of the body 7. So the one sinne and disobedience of Adam should be more powerfull to condemne mankind then the everlasting and most perfect obedience of the Sonne of God should be to save it But all these things are impossible And therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 4.25 That Christ was delivered to death for our sinne and raised againe for our Iustification For if Christ be not raised againe then are we yet in our sinnes 1. Cor. 15.17 not that any addition was made by His resurrection to that satisfaction which He made by His death but because the resurrection of Christ is a sure and manifest proofe of His conquest over sinne death hell and all the power of the devill and that His suffering and death was a full and sufficient sacrifice whereby the wrath of God against sinne was fully satisfied so that we are now justified in His sight whereas if in the conflict of our Redeemer with death and hell He had been overcome then could we have had no faith nor hope that our sinne by His death had beene done away But now knowing that He hath overcome death and is returned to life againe in all the troubles and sorrowes of this life and in the agonies of death wee may be secure as the feet or toes that are lowest under the water may hope at last to come to land because they know that their head being above the water the body cannot be drowned 7. Now concerning that impossibility of Saint Peter it stands thus It is impossible that the Scripture being the declaration of Gods trueth made by Himselfe 2. Pet. 1.21 2. Tim. 3.16 should faile But it hath beene declared by the Scripture that Christ should be raised againe from the dead Therefore it was impossible that He should still be held under the power of death The text cited by Saint Peter is found Psal 16.10 to which you may adde the types of the old Testament whereby the death and resurrection of our Lord was signified as that of Noah Gen. 9. ver 20. c. When our Saviour being as it were drunken with the love of His Church and desire of mans salvation tooke our state upon Him and for us became subject to the death of the Crosse when being seene by the Iewes those Chumits in the nakednesse or infirmity of our estate He was set at nought by them that thought that their Messiah could not die Iohn 14.34 But when Noah our Rest and Comforter awaked out of His grave He brought on them that destruction which was foretold as the punishment of their hardnesse of heart and unbeliefe See Psalm 41.10 Dan. 9.26 So the Ram taken by his hornes in the bush Gen. 22. was the type of His death and Isaac taken alive from the Altar the figure of His resurrection Ioseph also taken out of the dungeon to be ruler over all the land of Egypt To the same purpose was the law of the two goates Levit. 6. the one slaine for a sinne offering the other sent alive into a land of separation to make an atonement for all iniquity transgressions and sinne of the people So by the two Sparrowes Levit. 14. He that was like to the solitary sparrow on the house top Psalm 102.7 shed His blood for the cleansing of our leprosie yet by the other that was sent alive into the open ayre His resurrection was figured Sampson the Nazarite asleepe in Gaza signified our Lord in the sleepe of death for the love of His Church yet waking and having opened the gates of death He carryed them away and ascended in triumph to the top of the mount Iudg. 16.3 And because the strong gates of death are carryed away we are assured that all they that sleepe in the dust of death shall rise to give an account of their workes Beside these types you have also the prophecies of the old Testament as Psalm 68.20 That to Him belonged the issues of death both to passE out of death Himselfe and also to bring out His from thence Esay also Chap. 53. after He had declared His sufferings and death proves His resurrection by His dividing the spoile with the strong Our Lord also foretold His resurrection Himselfe in Mat. 12.49 and Luk. 18.33 and the b infidelity of Thomas made it certaine unto all Vpon all which texts we may firmely conclude with Saint Peter that it was impossible that our Lord should be held in the bands of death 8. And why the third day was appointed for His resurrection a reason or two are rendered Hee rose not before that none might doubt but that He was certainely dead See the 27. chap. for His death and buriall Neither was it