made And we also in this beleeue what we see not but we belecue God who cannot lye I say we beleeue that heauen and earth and all thinges that are therein were created by God without anyprecedent matter whereof they were made But how this could be done is a thing too deepe for vs to finde out Moreouer God did not onely make all thinges of nothing but also in nothing to wit without precedent space or place to containe them in which is hard to vnderstand especially in corporall things And therefore this depth also is not to be founded Take away saith St. Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus the distances of plaeces from bodies Epist 57 and they shall be no where and because they shall be no where they shall not be If therefore nothing was before God created heauen and earth where did he place heauen earth Truely not in Nothing And yet they are created placed in themselues because he so would and could who can do all thinges although we cannot conceaue how they are done This did God himselfe signifie when declaring his omnipotence to holy Iob he said Iob. 38 Where wast thou when I layd the foundations of the earth tell me if thou hast vnderstanding who set the measures thereof if thou knowe Or who stretched out the lyne vpon it Vpon what are the foundations thereof grounded Or who let downe the corner stone thereof And that we might vnderstand these workes of Gods omnipotence to be most worthy of all prayse our Lord himselfe presently addeth When the morning starrs praysed me together and all the sonnes of God mode inbilation To wit the Holy Angells which were created together with heauen and earth and are as it were spirituall starrs so bright that they may be called the sonnes of God when they sawe heauen and earth created of nothing and placed in nothing and yet to be most firmely founded vpon their owne stabilitie with wonderfull admiration and iubilation they praysed the omnipotency of their maker Neither is it lesse profound to vnderstand how God by the onely command of his will did erect such huge buildinges For we knowe that in edifices lesse without comparison how many instruments inginnes and workemen Architeckes want Who therfore can conceaue how by Will onely which neuer goeth out of the thing that willeth so great and manyfold workes could be made God sayd but to himselfe for the word of God is in God and is God He sayd I say commanding and expressing the commandement of his will Gen 1 Ioh. 1 Be Heauen made and heauen was made Be earth made and earth was made Be light made Be a Sunne made Be starrs made Be Trees made Be Beastes made Be Men made Be Angells made And all things were made Add also that the same God can if he will destroy all thinges with one becke as we read in the books of the Machahies 2 Mach 8 It is likewise a depth vnsoundable how God made all these great and manifold thinges consisting of so many partes and members in a moment Nature and Art with vs require a long time to perfect their workes We see hearbes are sowen long before they growe and oftentimes many yeares passe before trees take roote extend their boughes and bring forth fruite Beastes likewise carry their young ones long within them and after they seede them long also before they growe great I will say nothing of Art for experience sheweth that our Artizans can bring nothing to perfection but in a competent time How great therefore is the power of God which in a moment hath brought so great thinges to perfection But I dispute not whether God in a moment made heauen and earth and all thinges therein or whether he spent six whole dayes in the first Creation of thinges For I vndertake not to cleere doubts but to frame Ascentions vnto God from the consideration of thinges That then which I affirme and admâ—re is that euery particular thing was made in a moment by the Omnipotent Creator For of the earth water ayte and fire there is no doubt as also of the Angells but that they were created altogether in a moment Of the Firmament and diuision of waters it is likewise certaine that all was don by the powerfull word onely of the speaker saying Gen 1 Be a Firmament made amidst the waters that in a momeÌ„t For it followeth And it was so done Vpon which place St. Hom 4. in Gen. Iohn Chrysostome saith He onely sayd and the worke followed And the same Author vpon those wordes Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs And it was so done sayth Hom. 5 â—n Gen. Quis non obstupescat cogitans c. Who would not wonder to thinke how at the word of our Lord the earth should shoote forth sundry flowers and adorne her face as it were with an admirable embroyderie You might haue seene the earth which before was without forme on the sodaine to become almost as faire as the heauen And after vpon those wordes Be there Lights made thus he speaketh He onely saâ—d and this admirable element was made I meane the Sunne What if you add that in the same moment and with the same word the same Creator made the Moone and all the Starres Also vpon those wordes Let the waters bring forth thus he speaketh Hom. 7 What tongue can sufficiently prayse the maker For euen as when he sayd to the earth Let it shoot forth and presently there appeared great plenty of sundry hearâ—es and flowers So here he said let the waters bring forth and forthwith so many kindes of Fowles and creeping creatures were made as no tongue can rehearse Who therefore is like to thee among the strong O Lord Thou dost now plainely vnderstand O my soule Cap. 5 how great the power of thy maker is whose breadth is infinite whose length is eternall susteyning and gouerning all thinges without wearinesse whose higth doth thinges which seem vnpossible are so but to him onely whose depth maketh thinges in such sort that the maÌ„ner therof surpasseth the vnderstanding of any Creature For he maketh them of nothing in nothing without tooles without time onely hy his worde and commandement He said saith the Prophet and they were made Psal 148 hee commanded and they were created Whence thou maist gather if thou be wise how much it importeth thee to please and not offend him and to haue him thy friend and not thy enemy For being offended with thee hee can in a moment depriue thee of all Good fill thee with all Misery neither is there any that can deliuer thee from his hands If being â—aked and alone thou shouldest meete with thy mortall enemy who assayled thee with a sharpe Sword what wouldest thou doe how wouldest thou sweat looke pale tremble and casting thy selfe on thy knees begge for mercy and yet he is a man so that perhappes thou mightest
not made of any matter but created of nothing And none but God almightie can make something of nothing He therefore alone without compagnion without helpe with his owne handes which are his vnderstanding and will created thee when hee pleased But perhappes not God but creatures produced thy body that as thy soule must acknowledge God so thy body must acknowledge thy parents for authors It is not so For although God vse the means of parents to begette the flesh as inferiour workemen in the buylding of a house yet is he the cheife buylder Author and true father both of the soule and body and so would be said to be the beginning of mans whole essence For if the parēts of thy flesh were the true Authors and as it were the Cheife framers of thy body they would know how many muscelles vaines synnowes bones how many humors how many turnings and how many other things of like kinde there are in mans body all which they are ignorant of vnlesse perhaps they haue learned them by the art of Anatomie Moreouer when the body is sicke or a member withered or cut off they could certainely by the same art by which they made it againe repaire it if they were the true Authors euen as those which make clockes or build houses know how to order and repayre them But parents know not how to doe any of these thinges The coniunction also of the soule with the body which is a speciall part of the affection of mans nature can be done by none but by a workeman of infinite power For by what art but by diuine can a spirit be ioyned with flesh in so neere a bond as to be made one substance For the body hath no proportion or likenesse with the spirit Psal 135 He therefore did it who alone doth great wonders Truly therefore doth the holy ghost speake by Moyses in Deuteronomie Deut. 23 Nonne ipse est c. Is not hee thy father that hath possessed thee and made and created thee And by Iob Iob. 10 With Skinne and Flesh thou hast cloathed me with bones and Sinnowes thou hast compacted me And by the kingly Prophet Psal 118 Thy handes haue made me and formed me and againe Psal 138 Thou hast formed me and hast put thy hand vppon me And the most wise mother of the Machabaean children 2 Mac. 7 I knowe not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I giue you Spirit and Soule and life and the members of euery one I my selfe framed not but indeede the Creator of the world that hath formed the Natiuitie of man and that inuented the origine of all Hereupon surely the wisdome of God Christ our Lord said Math. 22 Call none father to your selues vppon earth For one is your father he that is in heauen By which admonition St. Augustine said to God of his sonne Adeodatus whome he had begot in fornication 9. Confes c. 6 Tu bene seceras c. Thou didst make him well but I beside sin had nothing in that childe Goe to now my soule if God be thy Author and thy bodyes also if he bee thy Father Supporter and Nursse if what thou art is of him if what thou hast thou receiuest from him and what thou bopest thou expectest from him why dost thou not glory in such a parent why dost thou not loue him with all thy hart why dost thou not for his sake contemne all earthly things why dost thou suffer vaine desires to ouerrule thee Lift vp thine eyes to him feare not thine enemies on earth since thou hast a father Almighty in heauen With what confidence and affection thinkest thou did Dauid say Psal 59. I am thine saue me O my soule if thou wouldest consider that the almightie and euerlasting God who wanteth none of thy goods and if thou perish hee loseth nothing turneth not his eies from thee but so loueth protecteth directeth and cherisheth thee as if thou were his greatest treasure surely thou wouldest onely hope in him thou wouldest feare him as thy Lord and loue him as thy Father neither should any temporall good or euill seperate thee from his loue Let vs come to the matter whereof man is made Cap. 3. Truely it is most base but it giueth vs thereby the greater occasion to humble our selues which is a vertue in this life very profitable and rare and therefore the more precious to be desired And surely of the matter of our soules there can be no doubt but that it is That Nothing then the which what can be imagined more vacant and vile The immediate matter of the body what is it but menstruous blood a thing so impure as our eyes refuse to see our hands to touch our mindes to thinke of The matter whereof the first man was made what was it but red and barren earth or dust slime Formauit Deus Gen. 2 c. God formed man saith the Scripture of the slime of the earth and againe God said to man Dust thou art Gen. 3 and into dust thou shalt returne Wherefore the Patriarch Abraham remembring his vnworthynesse 〈◊〉 vnto God Because I haue once begunne Gen. 18 I wil speak to my Lord whereas I am dust and ashes But yet here is not an end of the basenesse of this matter for that dust or slime proceeded not from an other matter but from nothing In the beginning God created heauen and earth and surely not of another heauen and earth but of Nothing so that whether we consider the soule or body it is reduced to Nothing from whence this proud creature Man proceeded Hee hath nothing therefore to boast of but what he receiued from God Truely the workes of Men which proceede either from witte or labour haue euer somewhat of themselues whereof if they had vnderstanding they might glory against their maker For a vessell of gold a chest of wood a house of Iuory or Marble if they could speake might say to him that made them to thee I owe my forme but not my matter and more pretious that is which from my selfe I haue then what I receiued from thee But man who hath nothing from himselfe nor is any thing of himselfe can not glory in any thing And most truely saith the Apostle Gal. 6 If any man esteeme himselfe something wheras he is nothing he seduceth himselfe And What hast thou that thou hast not receiued Cor. 4 and if thou hast receiued what dost thou glory as if thou hadst not receiued Whereunto St. Cyprian agreeth when he saith In nullo gloriandum quando nostrum nihil est Lib. 3 ad Quirinū 4. We must glory in nothing since nothing is ours But thou wilt say men do many worthy works for which they are deseruedly praised that vertue praised may increase It is so but let the glory be to God not to themselues as it is written 2 Cor. 10 He that
true breadth his Eternity is true length his Omnipotency is true height and his Incomprehensibility is true depth But for him that desireth to Ascend and to finde what he seeketh It is not enough to consider these thinges lightly but he must Comprehend That you may be able saith the Apostle to Comprehend with all the Saintes what is the Breadth and Length and Height and Depth Hee surely â—oâ—h comprehend who considereth attentiuely and is so fully perswaded by the Truth that selling all hee hath hee maketh hast to buy the Treasure he hath found And the Apostle added With all the Saintes because the Saintes onely comprehend these thinges or for that none comprehendeth them as he ought vnlesse hee become a Saint Neither doth St. Augustine contradict what wee haue said who in his Epistle to Honoratus writeth Epist 120 cap 26 That the Apostle describeth the Crosse of Christ by the breadth length height and depth thereof The breadth of the Crosse was where his handes were nayled the length to which his body cleaued the height where his tytle was written and the depth was fastned and hid in the earth I say St. Augustine doth not contradict our meaning but rather much confirme it For the Crosse of Christ is the way to obtaine true breadth length height and depth For although to the eyes of men the Crosse seeme small short base and of no depth Yet the armes thereof haue bin extended from East to West and from North to South that is the glory therof hath reached to the Highest Heauen which like a key it hath opened for the Elect and hath pierced to the lowest Hell which from the same Elect it hath shutt for euer Let vs begin from the essence Cap. 2 and then passe on to the Attributes The Essence of God may many wayes be said most Broad First in it selfe because it is truely Insinite and comprehendeth all the perfections of Creatures which are or may be without end For whatsoeuer is shall be Or may be is without doubt contained in God In a most eminent manner Creatures therefore are Good with an addition As a good Man a good Horse a good House a good Garment and the like but God is All good For when Moses said Shew me thy Glory God answered Exod. 3 I will shâ—w the all Good If one had a thing at home that contained all the Sences obiects in the highest perfection so that hee should neuer need to goe abroad because he had at home as many delightes in that one thing as any sensuall man could desire should not that thing be very precious And if moreouer that thing contained in it selfe such abundent wealth of all sortes as any couetous man could wish weare it not the more precious And againe if that thing should bring as much honour and dignity to the possessor thereof as any ambitious man could imagine would it not now seeme vnualewable And further if that thing sufficed to satisfie not onely the desires of men but also of Angells who exceed men in desires as they excell them in knowledge what wouldest thou say Yet notwithstanding should the goodnesse of that thing be farre inferiour to the goodnesse of God which is so great that it sufficeth to satisfie the Infinite desire or rather Infinite capacity of God For God neuer goeth out of himselfe because he hath All good thinges within himselfe and before the world was made he was as rich as happy as he was afterward for nothing was made by him but was from euerlasting after a most eminent manner in him Dost thou vnderstand my soule what happinesse thou shalt enioy in heauen if thou loue God on earth And what happinesse thou shalt loose if thou loue him not For then God will giue himselfe to wit All good to those that loue him Math. 25 when he shall say Good and faithfull seruants enter into the ioy of your Lord. Cap. 3 God also is immense because he filleth all creatures Hier 23 I fill heauen and earth saith our Lord And Psal 12. If I shall ascend into heauen saith Dauid thou art there Psal 128 if I descend into hell thou art present I add also if I shall goe aboue heauen or vnder heauen or out of heauen I shall not be aloue because thou art there neither can I be any where but in thee and by thee Which carriest all thinges by the word of thy power Heb 1 Moreouer God by his immensitie not onely filleth all bodies but also all spirits For how else could he search the hart vnlesse he were in it and how could he heare the Prayers of the hart vnlesse he gaue eare to them And how could the Prophet say Psal 84 I will heare what our Lord God will speake in me vnlesse God did put his mouth to the eares of the hart Happy therefore is that soule which loueth God there God dwelleth For he that abydeth in Charitie 1 Ioh. 4 abydeth in God and God in him Neither doth God fill all things with his presence onely but also with his glory For the Seraphins cry Isay 6 That the earth is ful of his glory And Dauid addeth O Lord Psal 8 our Lord how merueylous is thy name in the whole earth Because thy magnificence is eleuated aboue the heauens as if he should say Thy name fame and glory hath not onely filled all the earth with admiration but also hath ascended and is eleuated aboue the heauens Ecclesiasticus saith likewise Eccle 42 Full of the glory of our Lord is his worke For there is no creature in heauen or on earth but continually prayseth God Psal 148 For which cause Dauid in the Psalmes and the three Children in Daniel doe inuite all creatures to prayse and magnifie their maker Dan 3â— albeit they were not ignorant many creatures to be of such a nature that they could not heare what they sayd but because they knew that all Gods workes were good and with their beautie therefore praysed their maker they reioyced in them and exhorted them to doe as they did And truely whosoeuer hath inward eyes may see that all Gods workes are as Censcers sending vp an odour of the sweetnesse of his glory And who so hath inward eares may heare them as it were a consort of all kinde of Musicall instruments praysing God and saying He made vs psal 99 and not we our selues For although there are of the wicked which cursse and blaspheme the name of God yet they also are enforced euen against their wills to prayse God as the worke doth the Worke-man because in them likewise Gods power doth merueylously appeare whereby he made them his goodnesse whereby he preserueth them his mercy whereby he expecteth and inuiteth them to repentance And his iustice whereby he condemneth them to punishment There are many truely in the world which heare not these voyces of Creatures albeit they cry
and excellencie it selfe which thou art O my Lord God Thy seruant Dauid iudged right who esteemed thy commaundements To be desired aboue golde and much pretious stone Psal 18 and more sweete aboue hony and the hony Combe And he added And in keeping them is much reward What meaneth this O Lord dost thou promise reward to those that keepe thy commandements To be desired aboue golde and more sireete then the hony Combe Yes truely a most ample reward Iam. 4 for Iames thy Apostle saith Our Lord hath prepared a Crowne of life for those that loue him And what is a Crown of Life Truely a greater Happinesse then we are able to conceiue For so speaketh St. Paul out of Isay 1. Cor. 2 Isay 64 Eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of Man what things God hath prepared for them that loue him Surely therfore there is great reward for keeping thy commandements Neither is that first greatest cōmandement profitable onely to man obeying not to God commanding but also the rest of Gods commandements do perfect beautifie instruct and illuminate the obedient and finally make them good and happy Therefore my soule if thou be wise vnderstand that thou art created to Gods glorie and thy eternall happinesse that is thy end that is thy treasure and center if thou come to that end thou shalt be happy if thou declyne from it thou art vnhappy Therefore think that assuredly good for thee which directeth thee to that end and that assuredly euill which causeth thee to decline from it Prosperitie and aduersitie wealth and pouertie health and sicknesse honour and ignominy life and death of a wise man are neither to be desired nor auoyded but if they make to Gods glorie and thy eternall welfare they are good and to be desired if they hinder it they are euill and to be auoyded THE SECOND STEPP From the Consideration of the greater world WE haue framed the first Stepp of our Ladder of Ascention vnto God Cap. 1 from the Consideration of Man who is called the Lesser World Now we also purpose to frame the Second Stepp from the Consideration of this most great corporall quantitie commonly called the Greater world St. Gregory Nazianzen writeth in his second sermon of the Pasche That God placed Man as a great world in a lesser world which is true if we seperate Angels from the world For man is greater then the whole corporall world not in quantitie but in qualitie but if that Angels are comprehended in the world as we in this place comprehend them then is man a Lesser world placed in a Greater world In this greater world therefore which conteyneth all things many things are to be wondred at but especially quantitie multitude varietie efficacie and beauty All which if by Gods assistance they be duly considered are of great force to eleuate the minde and to make it become in a manner wrapt with admiration of an infinite greatnesse multitude varietie efficacie and beautie and being returned to it selfe whatsoeuer it beholdeth without God to dispise as vaine and of no moment Truely the earth is so great that Ecclesiasticus saith Eccles c. 1 The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured which may be vnderstood For that in so many thousand yeares as haue passed since the creation as yet the whole surface of the earth for that Ecclesiasticus calleth the breadth of the earth is not knowne vnto our men who daily haue sought after it And what I pray you is the greatnesse of the earth compared to the compasse of the highest heauen It is said by Astronomers to be as a Poynt and not without cause For we see the sunne beames so to illuminate the opposite starres of the Firmament although the earth be betweene as if the same were nothing at all And if euery starre in the Firmament be greater then the whole earth as the common opinion of wise men is and yet seeme to vs because of their almost infinite distance to be very small who then can conceiue the greatnesse of heauen in which so many millions of starres doe shine If therefore Ecclesiasticus said The breadth of the earth and profunditie of the depth who hath measured What would he haue said of the Compasse of the highest he euen and distance thereof vnto the lowest hell truely it is so great that it cannot be conceiued Goe too now my soule I aske thee if the world be so great how great is he that made the world Great is our Lord and there is no end of his greatnesse Heare Isay Isay 40 Who hath measured the waters with his fist and pondered the heauens with a spanne Who hath poysed with three fingers the huge greatnes of the earth Where St. Ierome saith that according to the translation of Aquila by a fist is vnderstood the little finger so that the sence is The whole element of water which is lesse then the earth is measured with one little finger of God the earth with three fingers the heauen which is greater then the earth and water together is pondered with a spanne But this is spoken metaphorically for God is a Spirit and hath no handes nor fingers properly and the scripture by these comparisons doth sufficiently shewe that God is much greater then his Creatures which Salomon signified more expressely when he said 2 Para. 6 The heauen and heauens of heauens doe not containe thee For if an other world or more worldes yea infinite worldes were made God would fill them all But thinke not my soule thy God doth so fill the world that a part of God is in a part of the world and all God in all the world for God hath no partes but is all in all the world and all in euery part of the world Therefore if thou be faithfull to him although Armies rise vp against thee thy heart shall not feare for what should he feare who hath an almightie Father and freind but if for thy sinnes thou hast God an angry judge and an almightie enemie then hast thou iust cause to dread with horrible feare and to giue thine eyes and feete no rest vntill God being pleased with thy true repentance thou take breath in the light of his mercies But now who can number the multitude of things created by one God maker of heauen and earth Cap. 2 Who saith Ecclesiasticus can number the Sandes of the sea and drops of rayne Eccles cap. 1 But how many mettalls of gold and siluer brasse lead pretious stones Iemmes margarites are there within the earth and Sea how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of hearebs fruites and plantes are there vpon the earth also how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of perfect and vnperfect liuing creatures foure footed beasts creeping Creatures foules how many kindes sortes and Indiuidualls of fishes in the Sea Who can number them
that made them By which words the infinite power of God is signified who did in a moment produce and cause to worke bodies so great and beautifull And to shine to him with cheerefulnesse that made them is with such readinesse to obey their maker as if in obeying him they were greatly pleased and delighted And surely it is a thing much to be meruayled that the starres moouing so speedily and continually and some performing their course so slowely and some so swiftly in their seuerall orbes yet they alwayes keepe such measure and proportion together that from it ariseth a most sweete and pleasing harmonie Wherof God speaketh in the booke of Iob when he saith Iob. 38 Who shall declare the manner of the heauens and the harmony of heauen who shall make to sleepe This is not the harmony of voyces or soundes heard with corporall eares but the harmony of proportion in the motions of the starres heard onely with the eare of the Hart. For all the starres of the firmament passe with the like speede about the whole compasse of heauen in foure and twenty houres And the seauen Planets or wandring starres are mooued some swifter some slower So that the starres of the Firmament seeme to beare the plaine song to speake after the vulgar manner and the Planets to modulate a sweet and continuall kinde of Descant But these thinges are aboue vs and this Harmony is heard onely by them that are in Heauen and vnderstand the reasons of these motions The starrs also keepe a iust measure alwayes in turning â—ound and therefore they seeme to daunce continually in â—eauen like honest virgins skilfull in that art But thou my soule ascend a little higher if thou canst and by the great brightnesse of the Sunne the beauty of the Moone the multitude and varietie of the other lightes the admirable harmony of heauen and delightfull dauncing of the starrs Thinke what it will be to beholde God aboue heaven to wit That Sunne that inhabiteth light 1 Tim. 6 not accessible to behold the virgin Queene of heauen who being faire as the Moone reioyceth the Cittie of God To behold the quires and orders of Angells which being more in number and brighter then the starres adorne the Emperiall heauen To behold the soules of Saintes among the companies of Angels as Planets among the starres of the Firmament And lastly to heare the songes of prayses and that eternall Alleluia with concording voyces most sweetly to resound in the streetes of that Cittie Then shall it come to passe that neither the beauty of heauen will seeme great vnto thee and the thinges belowe heauen which are small short and of no value will be reiected and contemned THE EIGHT STEPP From the Consideration of the reasonable Soule WE haue hetherto passed onely through corporall things Cap. 1 whiles we intended from the contemplation of creatures to ascend vnto the Creator And now we finde the soule of Man surpassing the dignitie of all bodies to be in the lowest ranke of spirituall substances betweene whom and God there are no other but the Hierarchies and Orders of Angells The soule of man carrieth such a resemblance with God the maker thereof that truely I knowe no way more easie for a man to ascend vnto the knowledge of God then from the consideration of his owne soule And therefore he is vnexcusable before God if he knewe not God since from the knowledge of his owne soule he may by Gods assistance without difficultie attaine thereunto First therefore the soule of Man is a spirit for so the holy Fathers expound those wordes of Genesis Gen 2 Our Lord God formed Man of the slâ—me of the earth and breathed into his face the breath of life And that of Tobias Command my spirit to be receaued â—ob 3 And Ecclesiastes Let thedust returne into his earth Eccl 12 and the spirit returne to God who gaue it For albeit the word spirit agree also to the winde whereof it is said in the psalme The spirit of stormes Psal 148 Ioh. 3 And in the Gospell The spirit breatheth where he will and thou hearest his voyce Yet there is no doubt but that the Spirit of stormes is a body which by reason of the exceeding raritie thereof doth neerer immitate a Naturall spirit then any other body whatsoeuer but the soule of man is a true spirit not a body neither is it produced out of matter but created of God Whereof among Catholiques there is no controuersie Heere then beginneth the excellencie of the soule and her resemblance with God For God is a spirit saith our Sauiour and they that adore him Ioh. 4 must adore in spirit and veritie But although God is a spirit and the soule of man is also a spirit yet God is a spirit vncreated the soule a spirit created whereupon it followeth that there is an infinite difference between that spirit which is the soule and that spirit which is God As therefore the soule may reioyce for being a spirituall substance excelling thereby the heauens and starres in nobilitie of Nature so ought she also to be humbled vnto God her Maker because she is made of nothing and without him of her selfe is nothing Secondly Cap. 2 the soule of Man is a simple spirit and therefore immortall for it hath nothing within it selfe that can dissolue it or cause it to dye but as it hath this priuiledge aboue the soules of brute beastes which dye with the bodie so it ought likewise to admire and reuerence the excellencye of the Creator who is not onely immortall but also eternall For there was a time when the soule of man was not and by the will of God onely it tooke beginning and may likewise if God so please be reduced to nothing although in it selfe it hath no cause of corruption Therefore the Apostle said of God â— Tim. 6 Who onely hath immortalitie for he onely can by no power chance or reason be dissolued because he is the Fountaiâ—e of life Thirdly Cap. 3 the soule of Man hath the light of vnderstanding for it not onely decerneth colours senttes tastes soundes hot cold hard soft and other such like thinges which lye open to the senses of the body But also iudgeth of substances and of generall and vniversall Notions as well as of particular Neither knoweth it onely thinges present but also coniectureth of thinges to come and mounteth by discourse aboue the Heauens penetrateth the depth searcheth out causes by effectes and from causes runneth backe to effectes Lastly by the light of reason it ascendeth vnto God who Inhabiteth Light vnaccessible And of this Light St. 1 Tim. 6 Iohn saith in the Gospell Ioh. 1 It was the true Light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the World Psal 4 And Dauid in the Psalmes The Light of thy countenance O Lord is signed vpon vs. And Psal 31 Doe not become as Horse and Male which haue
Christ suffered for vs 1 Pet. 2 leauing vs an example that we may follow his stepps saith St. Peter the Apostle And what are his Stepps Who saith he did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth Who when howâ—s reuyled did not reuyle when he suffered be threatned not There are two Stepps of Christ which if thou tread not thoâ— shalt loose thy way to heauen First doe not but suffer euil Secondly Doe good and here expect no good Or which is the summe of all Loue thy neighbour for Gods sake not for reward of man and for friendship not for lust Let vs now come to the dignitie of Angells according to Grace Cap. 5 Truely in this also Man is lessened more then a little lesse then Angels For God so created Angels in the beginning that at the same instant he made their Nature and infused in them grace as St. De Cin lib 12 c 9 Augustine witnesseth in his bookes of the Cittie of God And then so soone as by the first conuersion of their mindes to God they adhered to him by loue the reprobate Angels falling they were crowned with beatitude and glory Therefore their Pilgrimage was very short but their Mansion in heauen eternall If yet that short space which passed betweene their creation and beatitude may be called a Pilgrimage But we in our creation receaued grace with our nature in our first parent and not in our selues therefore by his fall we al fell In whom as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. all sinned For although by the Mediator of God and men Christ Iesus we are reconciled to God yet we are condemned to continual banishment and whiles we are in body we are Pilgrims from our Lord For we walke by saith and not by sight 2 Cor 5 And it much afflicteth pious men and such as sighafter heauen that we are heere conuersant among our cruell eneâ—â—ies where there is danger lest being circumuented and taken by them we be at leugth excluded from the possâ—ssion of our most sweete country Hence proceeded these wordes Psal 119 Woe is me that my soiourning is prole ged I haue dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar my soule hath beene long a soâ—ourner But although â—n this we are lesse then Angels yet Gods mercy doth greatly comfort vs for that it hath pleased him of our kinde to exalt Christ aboue all the Angels of heauen as also his Blessed Mother Many men likewise being inferior to Anâ—els in the guists of Nature haue surmounted some of them in the guiftes of grace and equalled the Highest Truely St. Iohn Chrysistome expounding the Epistle to the Romans Hom 32 doubteth not to place the chiefe Apostles Peter and Paul whereas the Seraphins doe flye and gloryfie God Which also is pious to beleeue of St. Iohn baptist and others Adde moreouer that as the good Angels after their first merit entred into glory so the euill Angels after their first sinne were condemned to perpetuall punishment Men ought not therefore to complaine of a longer space since they may therein often â—mend and by repentance â—rocure pardon for their offence It now remaineth that we speake somewhat of the offices of Angels Cap. 6 Angels haue fiue Offices The first is alwayes with Hymnes and songes to prayse their maker And that we may vnderstand how much God esteemeth this ministerie we must consider that the highest Angels are appointed for this Office who being as it were the first singers in that Quire all the other Orders of Angels follow with incredible exultation Heare what the Prophet Isay saith Isay 6 I sâ—we our Lord sitting vpor a high thrâ—ne eâ—uated those things that were vnder hâ—m filled the Temple Seraphins stood vpon the same six wings to one six winges to the other with two they couered his face and with two they couered his feete and with two they flâ—we Aâ—d they cryed one to in other and said Holy hâ—ly holy the Lord God of hostes all the earth is full of his glory Heere thou hearest the name Seraphin which are the Chiefe of the Heighest Order Thou seest them couer his face and feete in signe of reuerence as if they durst not behold his face or touch his bare feete â—hou seest they flye continually whiles they sing which signifieth their desire to approach still nearer vnto God which two things are needfull for those who desire to please God that while they sing his prayses they loue him with reuerence and reuerence him with loue This the Prophet Dauid declareth saying Psal 2 Serue our Lord in feare and reioyce to him with trembling From hence thou mayst learne my soule with what veneration God is to be serued since the chiefe Angels in heauen which alwayes beholde his face dare not notwithstanding their highe estate and long familiaritie but reuerently feare him whiles they prayse him And what wilt thou Dust and Ashes answere at the day of iudgement when thou shalt be reprehended for thy drowsinesse and distractions in a worke so diuine that thou wast not worthy to be imployed therein Learne therfore from henceforth being taught by such a President to prayse thy God with feare reuerence atention vigilancye and loue An other Office of Angels is to offer vp the prayers of men to God And to commend them also by their suffrage For so speaketh the Angel Raphael in the booke of Tobyas When thou didst pray with teares Tob 12 and didst bury the dead and left thy dinner I offered thy prayer to our Lord. And in the Apocalips Iohn sawe an Angel standing before the Altar with a golden Censer Apoc 8 And there were saith he giuen to him many incenses that he should giue of the prayers of all saintes vpon the Altar of golde which is before the throne of God And in this truely the great mercy of God doth also appeare For he was not content first by his Prophets and after by his sonne and his Apostles to exhort vs to pray but also promised to giue whatsoeuer we should aske Aske saith he and it shall be giuen you Luk. 11 And in an other place Ioh 15 Yf you shall aske my Father any thing in my name he will giue it you And beside this promise he also added A reward to those that aske Math. 9 But thou saith he when thou shalt pray enter into thy Chamber and hauing shut the dore pray to thy Father in secret â—and thy father which seeth thee in secret will repay thee to wit areward beside the thinges which thou didst aske For so our Lord speaketh in that place of prayer and Aâ—mesdeedes saying Thy Father which seeth in secret will repay thee Neither is God content with this demonstration of fahterly loue But hath appointed the Angels as masters of Requestes to take charge of the prayers and petitions of the poore and to present and reade them in his sight that no one of their Petitions
which none can sufficiently admire vnlesse he could number all the Creatures which God hath made shall make or can make And who is able so to doe but hee whose knowledge is Infinite This Power also may seeme the greater when wee imagine how great a thing it is to destroy thinges made so many ages in one moment or as Iudas Machabaeus saith To destroy with one becke Mach 8 Let vs therefore say with Mases Exod. 15 Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord The length of Gods Power is seene by continuall cooperation with all thinges made Cap. 2 yet neither is nor euer shall be wearied For it cannot be lessened weakened or decayed by any meanes because it is truely eternall or rather the true eternity of the Diuinity Some wonder how the Sunne Moone and Starres can mooue so long time with such speed from East to West and returne again to their courses without any intermission And surely it were much to be wondred at but that we know they are carried by God Almighty Who carrieth all thinges by the worde of his Power Heb 1 Others wonder how it can be that in Hell the fire is not consumed which burneth euerlastingly nor the bodyes of those wretches dissolued which are for euer scorched in those flames And this may be thought not onely admirable but also vnpossble were it not that God who is Almighty and Euerlasting causeth that fire so to burne that it is neuer quenched and so preserueth the bodyes of those wretches in that fire that they are alwayes tormented and neuer consumed Others wonder moreouer how God Carrieth and sustaineth all thinges and yet is not wearied with so huge a burthen For a strong Man Horse Oxe or Elephant can carry a great weight a little while or a very great weight a very short while But to carry a most great burthen an euerlasting time without wearinesse surpasseth the strength of any Creature But indeed they had cause to wonder if the Power of God were in Weight and Measure as the power of Creatures is But since his power is Infinite it is no meruaile if it can beare a great burthen an infinite time without wearinesse Let vs say therefore with the holy Prophet Moses Exod. 15. Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord. The Height of Gods power consisteth chiefly in two thinges Cap. 3 First in that it onely hath made Most high things Sublunary thinges God made in the first Creation yet may they by Action of Creatures be ingendred altred or corrupted For the Elementes are in part mutually changed Hearbes and Plantes spring from the Earth Beastes are bred of Beastes Fishes are ingendred in the Water cloudes and rayne in the Ayer and Cometts in the Fire But the Heauens Starres which are the highest bodyes God onely created and he alone doth so preserue that no creature hath power to make change alter or corrupt them I shall see saith the Prophet thy Heauens Psal 8 the workes of thy Fingers the Moone and Starres which thou hast founded For he that is most High hath kept the highest workes for himselfe onely he began to frame them from their foundation and hath brought them to their perfection Hee also by his Infinite power created preserueth and for euer will preserue thinges Spirituall as Angells and the soules of men which are his noblest and highest workes from death For Creatures haue no part in doing these thinges neither can they all ioyned together Create or destroy one Angell or one soule Secondly the height of Gods power is seene in Miracles which as St. Tract 24 in Ioh. Augustine teacheth Are workes beside the vsuall course and order of Nature whereat the very Angells and Nature her selfe doth wonder Which of the Angells did not wonder to see the Sunne and Moone which runne their course so speedily stand still at the commandment of Iosue Ios 10 And that wee may not thinke it fell out casually for none can imagine how a thing so vnusuall could be donne by a mortall man the holy Ghost saith Our Lord obeying the voyce of a Man â—â—dem For Iosue did not properly speake vnto the Sunne and Moone which he knew could not heare his commandement but he prayed to God as if he should say Thou Sunne by the commandement of God against Gabaon moue not And thou Mâ—one against the valley of Aâ—alon And our Lord obeyed the voyce of a Man That is Caused those Lights to obey the voyce of a Man For often times in holy Scripture God is said to do those things whereof be is the Cause that they are done As in Genesis when our Lord said to Abraham Now haue I knowen that thou fearest God Gen. 22 the meaning of those wordes is Now haue I caused that both thy selfe and others know that thou truely fearest God The like also was that worke signifying the height of Gods power at the Passion of our Lord When the Moone which was very farre distant from the Sunne approached with vncredible speed vnto the Sun Ecclipsing it three houres Math. 27 caused darknesse vpon the whole earth after with like speed returned to the place from whence she came All which St. Denis in his Epistle to St. Policarpe doth witnes that he saw and obserued And this truely is a wonder coÌ„trary to the former though no lesse strange For it is as vnusuall and as much aboue the whole power of Nature to make the Moone runne her course more speedily then she is accustomed as it is to make her stand still I omit the giuing sight to the blinde the raysing of the dead and many such like miracles which God hath done and doth by his Prophets Apostles and other his faithfull seruantes All which doe crye Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord But I cannot omitt that cheife and greatest Miracle which God shall shew at the day of Iudgement when all the dead shall rise together albeit the bodyes of many of them haue beene burned to ashes and scattered in the Windes or deuoured by beastes and changed into other bodies or buried in fieldes and Orchards and altred into sundry hearbes Which of the Angells but will wonder to behold in the twinckling of an eye so many Millions of Millions of Millions of men at the commandement of the Almightie to take againe their bodies albeit they haue lyen hidd for many ages and after diners manners haue bene dispersed and consumed This therefore is the higth of Gods power in regard whereof it may likewise be said Who is like to thee among the strong O Lord. There remaineth the depth Cap. 4 of his power which seemeth to me to consist in the manner which God vseth in making thinges For who can conceaue how somthing is made of nothing They could not sound this depth who held it for a certaine and approued Principle That of nothing nothing is