before or after other in the Generation of man See Magirus his Comment in Physicam suam lib. 6. cap. 3. By this Philosophical Verity of the Unity of the soul in the Trinity of faculties maist thou more readily assent O my soul to that Christian and Catholick article of that sacred Mystery of the Unity of the God-head in the Trinity of persons thou art an Embleme of the trine-une-God of one God in essence and three persons in operation one simple essence in three distinct persons Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art one Soul a simple and undivided essence in three divided and distinct powers Vegetative Sensitive and Intellectual and these are three not confounded but so distinct powers that one may not be predicated of another the Vegetative is not the Sensitive or Rational nor the Sensitive the Vegetative or Intellectual faculties nor the Intellectual either Vegetative or Sensual so in the Trinity of persons in one God-head they are all distinct not confounded persons we must not confound the persons nor yet divide the substance so saith Catholick faith the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Ghost St. Athanasius his Creed Licet namque in hac ineffabili incomprehensibili deitatis essentia alter alter id quidem requirentibus proprietatibus personarum sobrie Catholiceque dicatur non tamen ibi est alterum alterum sed sim◠〈…〉 â—um ut nec prejudicium faciat unitati trinitatis confessio nec propri◠〈…〉 â—it exclusioâ— vera assertio veritatis Bernardus Epist 190. fol. 1581. K. paulâ— infra Alius procul dubio pater alius filius quamvis non aliud pater quam filius nam per aliud aliud novit pietas fidei caute inter personarum proprietates individuam essentiae unitatem discernere medium iter tenens regiâ incedere via ut nec declinat ad dextram confundendo personas nec respiciat ad sini tram substantiam dividendo It s truly said saith Ursinus in his Catechism the Father is alius another from the Son and Holy Ghost the Son is alius another from the Father and the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost is alius from the Father and the Son but not truly said the Father is aliud the Son aliud the Holy Ghost aliud for alium esse denotes the diversity of persons but aliud esse the diversity of essence now though the persons in the Trinity be dictinct and the names of Father Son and Holy Ghost are proper names and may not be predicated one of another yet God is a common name because the essence of the deity is common to them all and may be predicated of any of them therefore doth holy Church acknowledge the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God not as a part of God or the Divine essence for God is indivisible and hath no parts and there is no person in this Trinity but is perfect God and whole God Even so the Soul is a Common name and may be predicated of any of the faculties not as a whole to its parts for the soul is indivisible and hath no parts and there is none of the faculties but is the full and whole soul For as the essence of the soul is indivisible and is whole in the whole and whole in every part of the body so are the powers and faculties of the soul of the same nature for since the powers and faculties of the soul are or at least flow from the very substance of the soul and the substance of the soul is in all and every part of the body it must needs follow that the faculties of the soul are also there intire It is true Anima quae est in toto corpore eadem eisdem quidem est ubique instructa facultatibus in omnibus membris omnia quae sibi propria sunt agendi potentiam habet per certa tamen organa certas actiones perficit videt per oculum audit per aures olfacit per nares Sennartus lib. 6. cap. 1. Tom. 1. the Operations of the soul are not in every part and place of the body because in every part there are not requisite Organs and therefore it s said The faculties of the soul are in every part of the body as to their essence though not as to their Operations See Fab. Favent theor 82. in sine primi capitis Again in this Trinity of persons none is before or after other none is greater or less than the other but the whole three persons are Coeternal together and Coequal so saith Athanasius And thus far may the Soul of man with its faculties in a sort though in a weak and imperfect manner hold the resemblance of God and the blessed Trinity yet maist thou not O my soul but conceive that this sacred Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity in a far more eminent manner excells that of thine nor maist thou with safety too curiously search into this mystery but what in Reason thou canst not apprehend with the Catholick Church adore and believe and the Catholick Faith is this That we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance for there is one perperson of the Father another of the Son and another of the Holy Ghost But the God-head of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all one the glory equal the Majesty Coeternal Such as the Father is such is the Son and such is the Holy Ghost The Father Uncreate the Son Uncreate and the Holy Ghost Uncreate The Father Incomprehensible the Son Incomprehensible and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible The Father Eternal the Son Eternal and the Holy Ghost Eternal and yet they are not three Eternals but one Eternal as also there are not three Incomprehensibles nor three Uncreated but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible so likewise the Father is Almighty the Son Almighty and the Holy Ghost Almighty and yet they are not three Almighties but one Almighty so the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet they are not three Gods but one God so likewise the Father is Lord the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost Lord and yet not three Lords but one Lord for like as we be compelled by Christian Verity to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord so we are forbidden by the Catholick Religion to say there be three Gods or three Lords the Father is made of none neither created nor begotten the Son is of the Father alone not made nor created but Begotten the Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son neither made nor created nor begotten but Proceeding so there is one Father not three Fathers one Son not three Sonnes one Holy Ghost not three Holy Ghosts And in this Trinity none is before or after other none is greater or less than another But the whole
capacity neither know we him hereby as he is in himself but as he is represented unto us in the Glass of his Creatures as in his Effects which representation is very imperfect not able to set forth the Divine Perfection It is therefore a quidditative knowledge improperly so called to wit a confused knowledge of some but not of all Essentiall Predicates and Attributes proper to him And hence may we learn another of Gods Attributes viz. that he is Incomprehensible understanding this in reference to Created substances no created intelligence is able to comprehend him otherwise of himself he is Comprehensible as an adaequate Object of himself for as God is said to behold himself or to see himself in himself so may he most properly be said Adaequately to see himself for so we say the Soul of Man reflecting upon it self sees it self in its self and not only the Soul of Man but all other intellectuall spirits are actually Intelligible of themselves and a proportionate Object to their own understanding and therefore do know themselves with an Intuitive Quidditative and Comprehensive Knowledge and shall we deny this Knowledge to God cujus intellectio reflectiturin seipsam seu in ipsum intelligentem qui non minus intellectivus quam intelligibilis saith Suarez so Comprehensive of himself but Incomprehensible unto us that he is and must be granted and under that notion known to us which is Negative Knowledge no Quidditative or Positive Knowledge of him Our Knowledge of God and his Attributes is threefold Negative Relative or Positive our Negative conceptions of God are under these Attributes or Predicates of Infinite Incomprehensible Immortal Increate Immutable Independent and the like our Relative notions are under the Predicates of Creator Governor Maker and Pattern c. The Positive are under the Predicates of Being Act Substance Eternal Just Wise c. Now our best Knowledge of God in this life is by Negation and is preferred before our Positive notion of God both by Dionysius and St. Augustine as Suarez hath observed and he gives the Reason Because saith he if we desire to know any proper and absolute Attribute of God and not that which is common Analogical or Relative we understand it easilier and more distinctly by what God is not than by what he is and that is by these Negations of Infinite Immortal Incomprehensible Immutable Immense and the like that is to say God is not Finite not Comprehensible not Mutable not Circumscriptive c. For to know what God is not sufficeth any one Negative Attribute which is proper to him as for example God is Independent that is to say not depending on any by which very Attribute all created Substances whatsoever are excluded and God is known by this as Proper to him alone and thus wee come to God easily by knowing first what he is not whereas if we go about to know what God is by Positive and Absolute Attributes we must then run over all the Attributes of God which are both infinite in number and perfection upon which consideration Cicero in his first Book of the Nature of the Gods hath these words Dost thou ask me saith he what God is I will answer with Symonides who being demanded the self same question by Hieron a Tyrant desired a day to consider of it and being demanded the next day he craved two dayes longer and still as the question was pressed he doubled the time for his answer Hieron wondring asked for what intent he did so because saith he the longer I consider on it the obscurer it is to me rectè autem dixit obscurior saith Fonseca for suppose you should know some Attributes of God there remains an infinite number more to be known nor is there any one at all which may be understood as it is proper to God but as it is Analogically common to God and the creatures Wherein Nature hath been lame and Reason blind the Scriptures have afforded us both staff and prospective by which as it were setting us upon the Pinacle of the Temple we may walk and view the Almighty not only in his works his back parts but even in his face to wit in his Nature and Essential being O how hath it pleased God O my Soul to manifest himself unto thee in the sacred Scriptures that by knowing of him thou mighst learn to fear him to love him to obey him and to believe and trust in him for thy own healths sake and Eternal felicity 1. God reveals himself to be causa prima the first of all Causes and himself without all causes having both being beginning from himself I am Alpha and Omega saith God of himself the first and the last even so to the creatures as these two Letters are to the Greek Alphabet Alpha is the first Omega the last of the Greek Letters God is both to every creature Alpha the first Omega the last of every Entity Blasphemously impious then were those of the Classical Consistory who demanded why there was a God since no cause can be given neither indeed can there be any for could there be any Cause of him it must be before him and better than he and consequently God which is impossible 2. God reveales himself to be Infinite in Power not limited not bounded he is an Almighty and omnipotent God Genes 2. Psal 132. so Isaack in his blessing of his Son Jacob stiles him saying God Almighty bless thee so David calls him the Almighty God of Jacob again most high and Almighty Psal 91. the Scriptures are full of this Attribute of God being seaventy times therein expressed as some have observed and being further evidenced unto us both by his Internal and External Actions in his Operations ad intra before all time and his Operations ad extra in time In holy Scriptures is set forth unto us a Theological Science of Gods omnipotency even in his Operations ad intra which are those of Begeting Breathing and Proceeding and this is a Science purely Theological not acquired by Humane Invention not Investigable by Natural Reason not Attainable by any rules of Philosophy onely delivered us in a Mystery which we must look into with the eye of Faith not with an eye of Reason it is a Science Supernatural non ratione probanda sed fide tenenda we must not go to prove it by Mathematical demonstrations but by Theological principles and rules of Faith a curious search is not so safe as humble ignorance we may not pry into the manner of the Eternal Generation of the Son by the Father or Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son thus much onely is necessary to be believed that there is a person begetting a person begotten and a person proceeding a Trini of Persons in the Unity of a God-head distinct according to the several relations of Father Son and Holy Ghost which in a sense are included and may be gathered from this power and Internal
three persons be Coeternal together and Coequal So that in all things as is aforesaid the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity CHAP. V. Of the Vegetative faculty with its operations and effects THE Vegetative is the meanest but the most common of all the other faculties for this is the Nature of them that the Inferior may subsist without the Superior but the Superior cannot be without the Inferior faculties therefore where the Intellectual facultie is there must needs be the Vegetative Sensitive but where the Vegetative or Sensitive is it doth not necessarily follow the Intellectual faculty should be therefore is the Vegetative more common than the Sensitive and the Sensitive more common than the Rational faculty Vegetation is to Plants Beasts and Men common Sense to Beasts and Men but not to Plants Reason is onely proper to Man not to Plants and Beasts We will begin with the lowest and most common so in order upwards to the highest and most special The Vegetative faculty is the begining of life so hath it been defined principium quo primo vivimus but here it s also principium motus and hath three Operations peculiar to it self of Nourishment Growth Of Nourishment Augmentation and Generation which are the several kinds of Motion Mutation Nutrition and Augmentation are indeed one and the same Operation though diversly considered for that food which by Concoction is turned into blood and that blood into flesh is both Nutrition and Augmentation onely is called Nutrition as it preserves the Animal who hath a continual wast and consumption upon him and needs a new restauration and recovery by this nutriment and new converson of food into blood and blood into flesh and in as much as the Body or compositum hath regained by this operation of the Vegetative Faculty what it had lost it is called Nutrition but in as much as more is gained than was lost it is called Augmentation as they are one in operation so they are in the end for which they operate they both tend to one and the same end viz. the perfecting of the creature so nourished and augmented which when it is consummated those operations cease the other motions of diminution and alteration come in their room and herein they differ from the Generative operation which looks not to the conservation of the Individual in which it is resident so much as the begetting of another like Individual by which Propagation and continued series of succeeding Individuals the Species and forms of them may be preserved Of Generation or Precreation The Generative operation is more noble and divine than either of the other because thereby living creatures come nearest to Immortality and Eternity for thereby though the Individuals perish for quic quid oritur moritur and quic quid generatur corrumpitur yet are they in their forms preserved from corruption the Species remain and abide as it were in a surviving kind of Immortality amidst the divers mortal and succeeding Individuals for there is an innate desire and appetite in every living creature to Eternity a Deity they all aym at and since they cannot attain thereto in the singularity of Individuals for they are all subject to corruption every Individual hath in it this faculty to procreate and beget another like it self whereby the Species is the same and continued as it were unto Eternity the end then of this faculty is to beget an Individual like to it self as the Generative faculty in Man is to beget a Man and one Horse begets another Hence may be noted three things Note 1 First that these various motions and mutations before mentioned viz. of Generation and Corruption of Augmentation and Diminution of Altricion and Alteration are not in respect of the Soul but the Body or compositum 't is true the Soul is the cause and beginning of motion and so may be said to nourish to increase to diminish to alter or the like but it is the Body is nourished augmented and diminished for that is onely capable of dimensions the Soul not so for that 's a simple and incorporeal Essence and falls not within the predicament of Quantity I speak of the Soul of man as hath been elswhere sayd Every thing procreated is by nature Note 2 corruptible and what may be augmented may also be diminished Every like begets its like this is a Note 3 property in the Generative Faculty of all perfect Animals a Man begets not a Beast nor a Beast a Man in the course of nature but Man begets a Man like to himself and a Beast one like to it and so every creature is preserved in their form and likeness though not in the same Numerical body There is a twofold Vegetative faculty in man the one Temporal and caduce because in a body sinful mortal and corrupt the other Spiritual and Eternal because in a body sanctified and tending to a state of Glory and Immortality the one thou hast O my Soul by Nature that Philosophy teacheth the other thou hast by Grace that Divinity Yea and this faculty of the Soul in a Spiritual estate hath all the operations of Nourishment Augmentation and Generation which are in the natural and carnal condition and that in a more eminent manner In what stature and age Adam was created whether in full age in a perfect natural condition needing no accrescion being created in that full augmentation of parts which God and Nature hath prefixed unto man and in which whether he had continued without diminution or declination to old age but should have been supported by those supernatural abilities in which he was created had he continued in his integrity I shall not here determine But certain it is and Christian Religion so teacheth that since the Fall death hath passed upon all men death natural as an effect of sin and man cometh into this world as by the course of nature he is to goe out of the world in a weak and feeble estate tender infancy brings us into the world decrepid old age leads us out and during the time of our abode here we labour under those various changes and counter-marched of Generation Corruption of Augmentation and Diminution of Altrition and Alteration from our womb to our tomb from the day af our birth to the day of our death toiling and spending our selves in a circular motion till we are reduced to our first matter Sir Walter Raleigh his History of the World lib. 1. c. 2. sect 5 we pass over our Generation from Infancie to Youth from Youth to Manhood in those purer motions of Nutrition and Augmentation whose ends are to bring the Body to that determinate perfection of Magnitude which Nature hath allotted it From our vigorous estate of Manhood we decline to Old age then to Dotage this closeth our eyes and layes us asleep in death and