happinesse of the godly in the life to come both which wee cannot doubt but that God that hath spoken it will accomplish and make manifest vnto vs. Sect. 4. Gent. I Was alwaies I thanke God of that minde yet you haue resolued me of diuers poynts whereof before I doubted Now that you haue taken away these doubtes and scruples and weeded out these bitter rootes of vnbeleefe which make many depart away from the liuing God it is meete that you should sowe some new seeds of faith in the minde by setting downe some manifest proofes demonstrations and euidences of God by the which he may be certainly knowne yea in a manner seene and felt Sch. That is no hard mater to doo for somuch as there is nothing in the world which doth not affoord vs an euident testimonie of God who euen in the least things much more in those which are by nature excellent is most wonderfull and most apparant But to auoyde confusion as welin my speech as in your memorie we wil reduce the infinit testimonies of God to these fiue heads the first are the creatures the second is the light of nature the third is the word of God the fourth is his spirit and the last are his miracles or extraordinarie workes All these togither will be vnto vs a cloude of witnesses euen an infinit number compassing vs round about and so by their huge multitude in a manner darkening the sunne or rather so inlightning our mindes that there cannot any darke cloudes of doubting or distrust remaine First then to beginne with the creatures in the which God did first manifest himselfe who can either denie or doubt but that the heauens declare the glorie of God the firmament sheweth his handie worke and that if God made not them yet they made their maker whosoeuer he were to be most iustly and woorthily called and accounted God in that they most plainly witnesse his surpassing power wisedome and maiestie If the creatures themselues as namely the sunne moone and starres yea many earthly creatures which in respect of these are base and contemptible yet haue been taken and worshipped for gods are in theÌ„selues so glorious that they haue extorted from many nations the names titles and worshippe of God it cannot be but that they should euen lead vs by the hand to acknowledge the glorie and God head of him who was their deuiser and maker and doth still continue their preseruer Nowe if wee descend into this lower worlde wherein wee dwell and there beginne with our selues called by the Philosophers not without cause litle worlds we shall finde both without in our bodies in the most cunning and curious forme and frame of them and within in our mindes and soules in their manifold faculties and effects so plain and pregnant arguments of so great wisedome and power that wee shall cease to maruell how Alexander the great and Nabuchadnezar the proude came to that passe to suppose theÌ„selues to be not men but Gods and shall beginne to maruell why all the men in the world are not of their opinion vntill we be thinke our selues that men see plainely both in themselues and in others that they did not make themselues but were made by an other Yet may not man boast or brag that this prerogatiue of bringing in euidence for the deitie of his maker is peculiar to himself he must be faine to admit into the participation of this praise all the other creatures in the world not onely those which excel himselfe in greatnes strength swistnes sharpnes of sence and in many other respects but euen the basest silliest worme that scrawleth vppon the ground yea which may make him lay downe his peacocke taile and bee quite out of conceit with himselfe hee must in this respect giue place euen to sencelesse things as to hearbs trees and stones the vertues and operations whereof hidden in the causes to the sharpest wittes of the most subtile Philosophers yet manifest in the effects to the bluntest sences of the most simple ideots if they bee as duly considered as they are daily seene will in a manner turne men into stones so amazing them that they will bee constrained to renounce all naturall reasons and to acknowledge that it is the finger of GOD. And so for conclusion of this poynt not onely they that go downe into the deepe secrets of naturall Philosophie but euen such also as do onely swimme and floate aloft in the superficiall consideration of the frame of the whole world and of the particular creatures therein contained doo manifestly beholde and must of necessitie acknowledge the wonderfull power and wisedome of God And no maruell when as the very heathen who are purblinde if not stone-blinde in respect of God haue in this cleare Christall glasse of the creatures easily descried and plainely discerned the portrature and image of God Against whose testimonie which now in the second place is to bee produced although there might exception be takeÌ„ in respect of the particulars for that in matters of religion heathen men are of no credit or account both deceiuing others and beeing deceiued themselues by following lies and illusions yet in respect of the vniueâ—salitie of it it hath some waight and may well bee admitted I am sure you haue often heard and read that Vox populi much more then Vox mundi est vox Dei many may bee deceiued but that is taken for trueth wherein all generally do agree for such things are not deuised by this or that man but ingrauen in the minde of man by nature her selfe and therefore are to bee accounted true and certaine especially by Atheists who make Nature their God Yea besides the ordinarie meanes of the light of nature by the which all men naturally and generally attaine the vndoubted perswasion of this trueth it hath pleased God in all ages and places to maintaine it and put it out of all doubt by extraordinarie workes of the which all prophane stories affoord plentifull examples But wee haue a clearer light to direct vs in this and in all other cases of controuersie then is the dimme light of nature to wit the word of God contained in the bookes of holy scripture so full of diuine wisedome that wee cannot once imagine it to haue beene hatched by the braine of man angell or other creature whatsoeuer To let all other arguments passe which the scripture doth affoord vs for this purpose let vs but consider in it how God hath dealt with his Church from time to time alwaies preseruing it in some one corner or other yâ—t neuer suffering it to bee generally receiued throughout the world yet bringing it into euerie part of it at one time or other euen as he suffreth his sunne to shine vpon all the parts of the earth not at once but successiuely and by peece-meale one part beeing inlightned after another howe God hath trained vppe his Church from one estate to another from the
nimblenesse quicknesse of wit and in all other respects But what need we suppose this Angelicall man whom we haue truly existing for we know that in heauen the bodies of the Saints shall bee pure and spirituall free from all heauie lumpishnesse yet the faithfull being glorified shall not become Angels but still be men for neither in subtilitie of body nor yet in excellencie of inward gifts shall they bee made equall to the Angels Thus we haue with much ado make the humane and the Angelical nature meet togither and vsed the one as a Glasse to represent and make knowne the other vnto vs. Now then to apply all this to our purpose for the finding out of Gods nature wee must doo these three things first we must get an idea or conceit of it into our mindes by searching what manner of thing God is and so to what kinde his nature doth belong and is to bee referred in the second place we must get a patterne example or resemblance of it in some thing really existing and lastly we must by adding and detracting make them euen or equall For the first seeing that the nature of God cannot bee knowne eyther by any essentiall causes or by sensible qualities we must imagin it by the effects actions and workes whether they be ordinarie or extraordinarie Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his works For so it hath pleased God to the end he might make himselfe knowne to man and man happie by knowing him after a sort to take vnto this his inuisible and insensible nature this visible and sensible shape and to couer himselfe with the creatures as with a garment that so he might discouer and reueale his hidden nature to man as we know that both he himselfe as also his Angels haue shewed themselues to men by putting on the nature and shape of man Not that we imagine as some haue done that God is the soule or life of the world and the world the body of God for God is not in the creatures eyther as their matter or as their forme but onely is to them the efficient but because the creatures make Gods inuisible nature to be knowne therfore we call them the shape or forme of God For by this meanes it is broght to passe that althogh God Iehoua as he existeth in himselfe and as he did exist before the creation be inuisible yet God the Creator of heauen and earth is as visible as are the Starres by night or the Sunne at mid-day in the heauen and as palpable as is the grosse earth whereon we tread as it is Act. 17. 27. God hath made the world that in it men might seeke him yea grope after him and feele him Thus both the creatures and also the extraordinary workes of God done both within and also without the Church and recorded both in holy Scripture as also in other true Records and. Histories teach vs what God is yea thus they preach to the whole world as touching God their maker Author that he is a liuing and working yea a mightie and wise nature excellent yea infinit in all goodnesse to wit in knowledge and wisdome in truth and iustice in loue and mercie in power and strength in glorie and maiestie Thus hauing conceiued in our mindes an idea or imagination of Gods nature we are in the next place to bring it forth into the world by getting an example or resemblance of it in some thing not vnlike vnto it But against this patterne or resemblance it will bee obiected the which you touched before that both it is impossible to finde any thing in the world that is like to God or fit to be a resemblance and also that if there could any such thing be found yet it were Idolatrie to resemble God to any creature Whereunto we answere first to the former part of the obiection that although the vnlikenesse to God be farre greater in the creatures then the likenesse yet that there is no creature which is not more or lesse in one respect or other like vnto him for whatsoeuer is good commendable or excellent in any creature as all the creatures are good yea euery one of them endued with a proper and peculiar goodnesse that commeth from God who is the fountaine of all goodnesse and maketh the creature to bee like to God So then if the meanest and basest creatures haue some likenesse to God without doubt the excellent creatures cannot but haue a great likenesse and resemblance vnto him the which wee knowe that GOD himselfe in the Scripture doth graunt vnto them calling man his owne similitude God made man in the likenesse of GOD. Genes 5. 1. Yea although there were no manner of likenesse or resemblance betwixt GOD and the creatures but rather all contrarietie and flat repugnancie yet they might profitably bee vsed for the illustration of his nature as wee knowe that all contraries doo argue and illustrate each other The which way of teaching although it bee not the readiest to attaine the truth for that doctrine and knowledge are positiue not priuatiue consisting not in the negation of that which is not or is not true but in the affirmation of that which doth truly and really exist yet it is alwaies an helpe and sometimes the onely meanes To the other parte of the obiection wee aunswere confessing that it were flat Idolatry and vtterly vnlawfull to make or suppose God to be simply like or equall to any creature for that were to pul him downe from his Throne of maiestie and to place him among the creatures yet affirming it to be very lawfull to resemble him to any creature the difference which is betwixt them being obserued and mentioned Thus Act. 17. 29. the Apostle Paul resembleth the diuine nature to the humane proouing against the Idolatrons Athenians that God is not like to those stocks and stones wherin the heathen did worship him because hee is like vnto man who is of a cōtrary nature to sencelesse things We men saith he being the kind of God it cannot be that God being like vnto vs that he shuld be like to siluer gold or to any sencelesse thing where tho he make these two natures of God man like to each other yet he maketh them not equall but putteth the difference in that hee maketh man to come and flowe from God as a little arme or creeke of the sea from the great Ocean Yea thus God hath throughout the whole Scripture reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the forme and shape of a man ascribing to himselfe the parts of his body as his eyes and eares his hands and feete yea all the faculties affections and passions of his minde and will and that both seuerally sometimes one and sometimes an other and also al togither assuming to himselfe the whole shape and forme of a man as namely Ezech. 1. 26. vpon
counsell and acquaintance as men doo some speciall and approoued friends Thus wee reade that Enoch walked with GOD that Moses did ordinarely talke and conferre with him face to face as one friende doth with an other thus he did as it were in sporte familiarly wrastle with Iacob and continually both accompany and assist him thus he was to Dauid as a Counseller to direct him in all his affaires and thus hee tooke Paul vppe to heauen and shewed him things not to be vttered But of all other most notable in this respect was Abraham called often in Scripture by the name or rather by the most honourable and glorious title of Gods friend as 2 Chro. 20. 7. Es 41. 8. Iames 2. 23. And in trueth so might hee well bee called for God did both make and keepe with him very solemnely all the lawes of true friendship For first hee made a couenant of perpetualloue with him and with his seed for euer calling Abraham Gods friend and himselfe Abrahams God Secondly hee did bestowe vpon him all his blessings both temporall and spirituall yea the greatest honour that could bee namely to bee as it were the foundation of his Church and chosen people and the first of the progenitours of Christ And lastly hee did impart to him his purposes and counsels in all things that did any way concerne him or might make for his good Yea wee reade that God was so carefull in the performance of this dutie for so it pleaseth God to binde himselfe in duties to men of friendshippe that beeing about to destroy those wicked Citties of Sodome and Gomorra he thought it needfull to impart the matter to his friend Abraham yea to haue his assent for the doing of it Thus it pleaseth God of his mercie and goodnesse to exalt wretched men to this highest degree of honour which indeed is so high as that the Angels in heauen do seldome attaine vnto it So that in this respect and in many other heretofore mentioned wee may well burst forth with the Prophet Psal 8. 5. And say what is man that thou that art the great God of heauen and earth shuldest remember him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest thus visit him Sect. 5. Gent. I Am thinking with my selfe what facultie there is in the soule of man not yet mentioned for if there bee any I doubt not considering the great likenesse betwixt the soule of man the nature of God in those faculties common to them both which you haue already handled but that it is ether truly belonging to God or at the least will giue occasion to consider something in his nature You know that men conceiue things by imagination and retaine them by memory are these faculties in God likewise conscience in man is a distinct facultie or rather an act of the mind and there are in him diuers affections as ioy and greefe and diuers vertues not as yet mentioned what are we to thinke of these things Sch. I hope you do not looke to heare at this time whatsoeuer might be said of the nature of God you are not now so desirous but if that were taken in hand you would bee as wearie of hearing ere it were halfe done if the cheefe matters be declared they will giue sufficient light whereby the rest may be perceiued and so by those which haue beene handled you may easely vnderstand the nature of the rest of those good affections and vertuous dispositions which are in scripture attributed to God So for the essentiall faculties of the soule you say very truly that they are most like to the diuine nature and euen a plaine and expresse Image of it yet this difference must be noted that whatsoeuer thing is in them that argueth weakenesse or suture possibilitie that hath not truly place in the diuine nature which is a perfect and complete act As in these particulars which you haue named imagination is but a possibilitie or meanes of knowledge but the knowledge of God hath beene said to bee eternall and actuall It is hard I confesse and euen impossible for vs to see or imagine how all the particulars in the world should exist actually in any vnderstanding from all eternitie but wee must not measure the infinitnesse of Gods vnderstanding by our shallow braines But as touching the question which you mooue of imagination and the meanes and manner of knowledge in God how the ideae or notions of things enter into his mind or rather how they exist eternally in it without any entering in or beginning first it must bee helde that although they exist eternally in GOD yet they are not essentiall to him that is so naturall and necessary as that without them he could nor exist as is the knowledge of himselfe and the idea of his owne nature yea all the rest of Gods essentiall attributes of all which if wee should detract but one from God wee shuld quite destroy and ouerthrow his whole nature and essence But the knowledge of the creatures is not of that kinde for God beeing in himselfe absolute and all sufficient might haue if it hadde so seemed good vnto him existed without euer eyther making or knowing any creature and therefore the knowledge of them in God must be thought to arise not from the absolute necessitie of his nature but from the free libertie of his will moouing yet eternally his vnderstanding to this actuall knowledge of the creatures Yea that as the knowledge oridea of his own nature is according to y â— order of nature not any difference of time first in the essentiall vnderstanding of God and then in his will so the knowledge or idea of the creatures hath his beginning not in the vnderstanding but in the will of God This difference we haue and see more plainely in our selues for as we haue some general notions engrauen in our mindes by nature it selfe and so in a maner both bred and borne with vs without any helpe of our wils so the knowledge of other things hath the beginning in the will disposing and inclining the minde to this or that knowledge as it seemeth best vnto it Secondly as touching this in a manner accidentall knowledge of God it must bee held that God hath it of himselfe and not by the means or from the creatures as we haue that by sence and imagination get the resemblances of things into our mindes the which way of knowledge if it were admitted to bee in God it would follow that his knowledge of the creature doth not go before but followeth after it and so is not the cause but rather an effect of it and not eternall but temporall whereas wee holde that the will and eternall foreknowledge of God are the cause of all things Gent. I haue heard it said that the diuine nature is as it were a Glasse wherein al things that do at any time exist in the world may be seene and knowne and that by the Saints and Angels in
heauen much more then by God himselfe who knoweth all things by his owne essence it being the similitude of all things Sch. Some haue thought as you say but it is a mere fable to say that eyther the Saints or the Angels do or can see the essence of God much lesse all things in it It is true that God knoweth all things and that by his essence if thereby we meane his essentiall vnderstanding and that by the similitude which his essentiall vnderstanding hath to the creatures if thereby wee meane the similitude which is betwixt the generall idea or notion and the particular instance For as it is essentiall and naturall to God to know himselfe so it is essentiall and natural to him to know the generall differences of things without the knowledge whereof he could not knowe himselfe As namely it is essentiall to God to know what is reasonable infinit knowledge wisedome good and eternall for otherwise hee could not know his owne nature which consistesh in these differences By the same meanes also hee knoweth what is vnreasonable finite errour folly euill and time which are contrary to the other for one contrary cannot bee knowne without the knowledge of the other This is the essentiall knowledge engrauen in the very nature of GOD and as wee saye of our naturall notions both borne and bred with him but it doth not extend it selfe any further or descend into particulars for it is not essentiall to GOD to know Peter Paule or any other man nor yet to know the nature of man nor yet to knowe this worlde wherein wee liue for GOD might haue existed though none of these hadde euer beene But the knowledge of these particulars is by the free will of GOD deducted from those generall notions which are essentiall to God who hath thought good to make by the creation a particular instance example and as it were an experiment of his essentiall and vniuersall knowledge Gent. You seeme to bee of their opinion that thinke that God knoweth no particulars because there is no medium no means or way by the which the similitudes of them should bee carried from the things to the nature of God for that there must be a conuenience betwixt the things knowne and the minde which is not betwixt the creatures and the vnderstanding of God Sch. I am far from that absurd error and I hope from any such I do not doubt but that God knoweth euery particular thing in the world seuerally and distinctly from all other yea that hee hath in his eternall counsell distinguished them as namely men of whom he hath appointed some to glory and others to confusion yea that he knoweth euery particular thing farre more distinctly and truly then we do that see and feele them for hee knoweth them in their causes and essentiall formes the which only is the true knowledge whereas we do but gesse at their natures by their qualities and effects Gent. Yet perhaps you doo thinke that God knoweth the particulars of this world which now existeth more then he doth a 1000. other worlds which neuer did nor shal exist indeed altho they exist in the vniuersal notions of Gods vnderstanding and so may be as wel knowne to God as this particular world which is brought forth into act Sch. We cannot say if we speake properly that God knoweth any particulars but those which do sometime exist He knoweth himselfe able to make such particulars if it were his will but they are not particulars vntill his will do bring them into act for as vniuersall notions are in Gods vnderstanstanding as in their first fountaine or rather in their proper place so particulars come from the will of God And therefore wee must needs thinke that God knoweth those particulars which do or shal exist or haue existed otherwise then those which doo neuer exist for hee knoweth the one and not the other Gent. Let me trouble you once more and no more for this is a poynt that I could neuer vnderstand to wit how God getteth the knowledge of these things doo you thinke that he knoweth those things which hee hath decreed to exist no otherwise when and while they doo exist then he doth before and after or that the existance of them maketh some kinde of impression or alteration in his minde which was not before Sch. No surely the existence of things doth no way alter or affect God obiects do worke vpon our sences and minde but Gods vnderstanding is merely actiue not passiue yet wee cannot doubt but that as God maketh vs to perceiue things by sence and the Angels by some other meanes so hee is able by meanes to make himselfe capable of the qualities of particular obiects but of himselfe and in his owne nature hee is altogither vncapable of them or of any knowledge by them Gent. You haue no list to answere me directly to the question I do not thinke that God doth suffer from the obiects but that is all one I would know whether that hee doth not know and see vs as we go here otherwise then he did when we were in the loines of our first father Adam and whether that he doo not plainely see vs two particularly and distinctly whether he do it intromittendo as we doo or which is more agreeable to his nature being impassible extramittendo that is not the question but I cannot be perswaded but that although hee knoweth vs fully and certainely before we exist yet when once we do exist in nature he then doth see behold vs after an other manner Sch. You say true I haue no minde to wade farre into this matter for it is very hard yea impossible for vs to know the manner of the actual knowledge of God and therfore I did passe it ouer in the proper place neither wold I haue mentioned it but that you vrge mee so hard for I thinke it sufficient for vs to know that God knoweth all things euen the most secret thoughts of our mindes although wee be ignorant how he commeth to that knowledge But for your question I haue told you my opinion that howsoeuer you seeme to thinke that God knoweth things not existing and seeth thē as it were with eyes when they do exist yet it seemeth more consonant to the truth to say y ◠the creatures whither existing or desisting are all alike knowne to God and I pray you rest in this answere for this time Now as touching memorie as God hath no vse of imagination because he hath nothing to learne so he hath no need of memorie for that he cannot loose any thing by forgetfulnesse all things being present vnto him both past future Likewise for conscience which is the testimonie giuen by the minde in the presence of God of the innocencie and integritie or of the guiltinesse of this or that reasonable creature and so eyther of the want or of the desert of blame it may in some sort bee attributed to God