assign the proper differences and consequently both of them fail in their definitions and content themselves onely with bare descriptions and outward properties And therein we are so far from attaining any perfection that every day new qualities are discovered And thus far I tax the greatest Philosophers in the world Hippocrates who knew as much as any man did living in his time begins his book with excusing his ignorance Ars longa est vita brevis Alas what shall we say of the ordinary sort of men when great Clerks after much study night-watchings and labours think it a great perfection if they can but discern their own ignorance I remember when I was a young Scholar in Cambridge sometimes for our own health and recreation taking the fresh air in the fields we would look for Herbs and Simples but for the virtues and operations of them alas alas ouâ—… Her alists were wonderfully defective At the same time to try conclusions we would finde out a Birds nest and when the Hen had laid her full number of eggs and began to sit every third day we would open an egge to see the manner and degrees of Conception it was the white of the egge which made the skin the bones the feathers the beak while the yolk was reserved for the more inward and vital parts and truly we could but admire Gods workmanship and wonders in the course of nature and thence we did conclude that if there were such ignorance in natural things it could not seem strange if we proved stark blinde in supernaturals Thus far we have taught the natural man his ignorance in natural things and until he can acquit himself therein it were a strange presumption to trust to his own skill in supernaturals Now God observes the same method and rule for our learning and instruction both in things natural and supernatural and that is that first we must begin with belief thus it is necessary that the scholar should first believe his Schoolmaster and he that is simplest and weakest in apprehension out of a trust reposed in others doth naturally submit his own opinion to the better judgement of others Thus the poor silly childe who understands not the reason of his fathers counsel yet he believes him and follows his counsel Thus the poor Countrey Husbandman or Plowman though he knows not the reasons of State nor the secret Counsels of his governors yet he believes them and yields his obedience accordingly and if this course be taken in temporal things why not much more in spiritual wherein first God requires faith which by degrees is more and more inlightned until at length it comes to the beatifical vision and then no longer faith of things unseen but an actual vision and a real possession And herein see the goodness of God that man finding the miseries of this world should at length by experience dislike his own estate and loathing the fond carnal pleasures should be ambitious to attain a better condition and to this end God hath added to his natural reason some spark or thirst of knowledge more then natural for seeing the heavens which are the bounds of nature he conceives that above these heavens there must needs be some more excellent and supernatural world Regio superior incognita a place not yet discovered wherein notwithstanding he desires to make a plantation for he concludes in Reason and by the rule of Architecture that the Roof is the fairest and beautifullest thing in building as being most in sight the pavement and groundsel is the meanest and basest as being to be troden on therefore the material heavens which are the roof of this inferior world they are the fairest thing in nature beset and imbroydered with most rich and costly Jewels the Sun the Moon and the Stars yet are these heavens nothing but the pavement and groundsel of the superior world where the inhabitants do tread and trample them under their feet and over our heads and therefore are the meanest things in that superior world And as in dignity and worth so likewise in quantity for the whole earth is in effect an indivisible point and carries no sensible quantity in respect of the heavens which plainly appears by many Astronomical demonstrations Then what inconvenience is it that there should be such a disproportion in the knowledge of these two worlds for the supernatural world must needs have a supernatural light for nothing can be known or acted without means and the means must be of like condition and nature with the end as here below we see the Sun and the Stars onely by their own light so is it much more necessary that we should know nothing above the heavens but by a revealed light answerable and agreeable and of the same nature and condition with that superior world Thus natural Reason by the force and strength of natural Reason is brought to acknowledge the use and necessity of grace to sanctisie and inlighten our natural blindness and ignorance And if the difference be such for the beauty and quantity between the two worlds natural and supernatural then surely there must be as great a disproportion in the knowledge of these two several worlds for to understand the supernatural world needs there must be some supernatural light for nothing can be known without means and the means must ever be of like condition and nature with the end as here below we see the Sun and the Stars not by Candle-light or Torch light but by their own light and the natural eye is not capable of that supernatural light neither yet can reason for want of means to discourse come to any supernatural knowledge yet God for the satisfaction of reason hath ingraffed in man wonder astonishment admiration whereby man may see his own blindness and not oppose the truth of things which are above his reach and apprehension Thus for the knowledge and attaining of the supernatural world there must be a supernatural light and in man there are some aspiring thoughts some ambitious desires that naturally he aims at things higher then nature wherein appears the great mercy of God that as the tasting of the Tâ—…ee of Knowledge was the first sin which proceeded from curiosity so God in his mercy is pleased to sanctisie mans curiosity that being kept within due bounds and limits it proves to be the first step or degree to bring man unto God for now he is curious to know things of a better world and takes this world but for a transitory passage tending and ending in death and destruction Thus far we have brought the natural man to believe that seeing the bounds of the natural world he is apt to confess that above the heavens there is a supernatural world for knowledge whereof there must be a supernatural light for procuring whereof he findes naturally in himself wonder astonishment and admiration and needs there must be some proper object answerable thereunto And here
God like an excellent workman or planter doth ingraff and inoculate a Sciens giving man grace and faith to believe and together revealing a knowledge which could not be collected by any natural inquisition then God for his greater honor that it might appear he had made an absolute conquest of man according to the military fashion he sets up his Standard in the principal part of man even in the Understanding of man that as in his Law he requires obedience contrary to the natural lusts of flesh and blood and mans own violent passions So he requires submission of his understanding to believe what is above the reach and comprehension of reason and therein together he gives him this assurance that as for the instant he gives him an earnest or taste of things so in due time he shall impart the full and real possession And thus whereas I did compare the Circumference of the heavens to bounds and limits to hedge in this natural world 〈◊〉 thinks I have opened a gap to let down the mysteries of the superior world And whereas I compared mans Head or Skull to the Globe of the world me thinks I have opened the futures or seams to let in the gracious influence of Gods spirit to sanctifie and illuminate mans natural reason to cleanse and defecate all his carnal corruptions And now give me leave to return to my former subject wherein I did use one argument to prove the Deity and that was the whole Universe and the argument is yet of a larger extent then the whole Universe for that things seen and unseen do point out the Deity things past present future all joyn in the same testimony I did likewise prove that this God can be but one because he is infinite and there cannot be two Infinites for then they would bound and limit each other and then neither of them should be infinite I shewed likewise that what is Infinite must be incomprehensible because having no limits or bounds it is therefore incomprehensible as in it self so to mans knowledge I did then make a digression to view mans natural knowledge how mean it was in natural things and wholly defective in supernaturals and what degrees were observed in his preparation to grace and by a dislike of his present state what hopes and ambition he had to aspire to a better condition I did likewise insist in many Attributes of God and I proved that they were all incomprehensible Now seeing those Attrâ—…butes are somewhat better known unto us then the Persons in the Deity I will therefore use those Attributes as arguments and proofs to introduce the blessed Trinity I have formerly proved that Reason doth acknowledge in God many Attributes as Providence Power Justice Mercy c. for these do all demonstratively appear in their several effects and from these Attributes I will draw some arguments to prove the Persons in the Deity Though there are Attributes which to us may seem Accidences for so they are in man as Power Justice Mercy c. yet Reason assureth us that there is no Accident in God there is nothing in God but God to admit a composition in God were to detract from his Integrity and from his Eternity for every thing must first subsist in it self before it can come to composition Thus then the Attributes of God are Substances and what is more they are God himself and thus God is not so properly Good and Just as Goodness and Justice it self Goodness in abstract for God is the Fountain of his own beeing and therefore must have the best beeing and cannot admit Accidences which are inferior to Substances So that what is in God must be a Substance yet Reason cannot possibly conceive how that which is a quality in man should be a Substance in God and I pray is there so great a difficulty in acknowledging persons in the Deity seems it not a far greater inconveniency that Accidences contrary to their own nature should be made Substances then that a Substance agreeable to nature should become Persons In the first there is an opposition and difference of nature in the second there is onely a difference of number Now as is the opposition and difference less so is the inconvenience less in beeing and in our understanding give me leave to speak according to the weakness and capacity of man Secondly how the Attributes do agree in the Godhead though many and several Attributes which I have already proved yet being all Infinite and there being but one Infinite for if we should admit two Infinites they would bound and limit each other and so neither of them should be Infinite therefore all these several Attributes of God can be and are indeed but one and the same infinite Attribute Thus the Wisdom of God is his Power the Power of God is his Eternity the Eternity of God is his Ubiquity These and all other his Attributes are indeed but one and the same Attribute Deus est actus purus he consists of no Heterogeneal parts This Reason acknowledgeth and the same Reason acknowledgeth this to be Incomprehensible and I pray is there any greater difficulty in believing the Three Persons in one Deity and the Deity to be equally competent to the Three Persons Thirdly there are some Attributes in God which seem to detract from each other as the Justice and Mercy of God for Justice implies rigour and severity Mercy abates the rigour of Justice and addes compassion and pity so they seem to stand in opposition to each other and not to be reconciled without a contradiction and surely the truth of Gods nature cannot admit a contradiction yet notwithstanding we must say and believe there is in God an infinite Justice and an infinite Mercy yea more that they are but one and the same faculty for his Mercy is his Justice and his Justice is his Mercy and I pray is there any greater dâ—…fficulty in believing the Three Persons in one Deity between whom there is no seeming Contrariety as there is between Justice and Mercy then to believe so many Attributes and those to have several objects and to appear in their various and several forms yet all these Attributes to be but one and the same this we must yield by necessary demonstrations in Philosophy and if those very Attributes of God whereof the light of Reason informs us we cannot apprehend Can it seem strange if in those mysteries which we onely receive by revelation such as are of like condition with the Attributes of the Deity and do equally or rather more inwardly touch the nature and essence of the Deity we be found alike purblinde and cannot discern them In a word I do here challenge the whole world all the Philosophers and all the Socinians let any man undertake to discover any one Attribute of God and I will with as great ease and facility discover the Trinity Give me leave sometimes to recall
the creatures and therefore it is only proper to the understanding and the will of God that only from them there should be a generation of the Son and a procession of the Spirit and so a difference of Peâ—…sons Some do here object against some termes which as they say are not to be found in Scripture but are only imposed by the Church and that is the word Trinity and the word Persons and that in a mysterie of this infinite high nature there should be no addition of mans wit and invention but we should tye our selves most strictly to the terms of Scripture seeing this mysterie so infinitly exceeds mans understanding To whom I return this answer Do ye think that what the Church shall determin in this and other mysteries that it proceeds from the wit and invention of man do you ascribe no more to the cloven tongues that fell upon the Apostles whereby they were replenished with Gods Spirit and which Spirit they did conferre upon others by imposition of hands by election or succession and do you stile all this by the wit and invention of man when I consider the determinations of the Church their form of divine Service their Canons their Discipline their religious Orders God knows I do verily believe that I do see more in them then the wit and invention of man and I think them to be the immediate dictates and directions of Gods Spirit But call them what you will for these words of Persons and Trinity truly I conceive them to be nothing but the translation of Scripture and I hope you will think translations very necessary for the Evangelists and the Apostles use the translations of the Septuagints in their quotations of the old Testament if then Christ shall prescribe the form of our Baptism to be in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and that we know there are no Accidences in God but all are Substances and distinct Substances surely I know not by what other term I should call Substances and distinct Substances but by the name of Persons and if these three Persons be one God and so the Scripture stiles them The word was with God and God was the word surely I know not with what other words to express it but by the name of Trinity or triunity So likewise those words of Schoolmen Deus intelligendo seipsum genuit verbum are not these words taken out of Scripture hodie genui te and thence they infer verbum in intellectu Thus without the determinations of the Church and unless due respect and reverence be given to the Church no Religion can subsist but will instantly fall to confusion Thus as our understanding begets a word and there is a mutuall love and correspondency between this understanding and this word so if God be said to beget a Son or a Word in a spirituall manner in his understanding and that from both proceeds the holy Ghost the Church must then necessarily conclude that they are severall and distinct Persons not that we should conceive them to be like the Persons of men with circumscription of time and of place in various and different formes but to be divine Persons all alike partaking of one infinite nature and what God hath revealed what the Church hath explicated that we believe desiring the same God by the inlightning of his Spirit to engender faith in our hearts to strengthen and increase it and what God hath reserved only for his own knowledge that not curiously to pry into but content our selves with such a measure and proportion of knowledge as he hath been pleased to impart remembring that the first Sin which gave occasion to all the mischieves and miseries which have befallen us it was the tasting of the Tree of knowledge whereby in stead of that great light which we aymed at whereby we should have knowledge like God indeed we had our eyes opened but it was to see and feel our own nakedness to our own confusion Yet to give some little information I will only make this instance If I should take out of a River severall Cups full of water I would ask what difference there were in these waters Surely none would appear in the nature but as they are distinct in severall Cups or Vessels which give them severall forms and severall dimensions and thus it is in all homogeneall bodies suppose I should insist in spirituall qualities as in Light certainly the difference would be less what then if I should insist in spiri's themselves which are not capable of dimensions yet still in respect of the finitness of their nature there would be some difference but if I should ascend to an infinit nature then there would be no difference in respect of the nature yeâ—… a difference there would be in respect of their different manner of subsisting as by generation procession c. Yet here we must take heed of curiosity and know the weakness of mans understanding that we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men and it is most probable that God should commit his secrets to the care and custody of his Church which may put them into such form and fashion of speech as may best beseem them rather then that particular spirits who are so apt to be misled with errors even in things of least moment should be left to their own inventions and expressions in the highest mysteries But how should the whole Deity be in every Person is it not true in all Homogeneall bodies Suppose the elements that where they are they are totally they carry their whole nature about them but this truth more especially appears in spirits for there is nothing so common and triviall in Schooles as this known principle Anima ubi est tota est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte totius But if this Deity be wholly imparted yet then how should it still remain whole and entire is it not proper to all spirituall qualities as Light Knowledge and the like that they should be communicated without any loss or diminution of themselves Here then at length consists the whole difficulty that the nature being imparted there should be no difference in number reason seeing the difficulty sees likewise the reason of the difficulty for her own further satisfaction for this in the creatures proceeds from the bounded finite and limited nature of the creatures which must be circumscribed both with time and with place and so make a difference in the number but if you will suppose this nature to be infinite as is the Deity then would it admit no difference as not in nature so not in number What I have hitherto written hath been according to the opinion of our best and most â—…earned Divines together with the acknowledgement of the whole Catholick Church to which I do believe a man may very safely subscribe for whatsoever is there related as
is this That as there is not any creature wherein at this time the footstep and impression of the blessed Trinity doth not appear as I have already proved so I doubt whether God can make any creature wherein the stamp or mark of the blessed Trinity shall not be imprinted My reason is that God alone is Actus purus simplicissimus nothing but pure form a light without shadow or an absolute perfection without blemish or spot but whatsoever is besides God is was created by God of nothing and therefore in respect of this nothing from whence it arose it must have in it self quiddam potentiale something defective and imperfect that being made of nothing it is apt of it self being left to it self to return again to nothing So then it must consist ex actu potentia and there must be vinculum or ligamen to knit or unite together this Actum and Potentiam So here is some resemblance of the blessed Trinity in effect those three first Principles whereof every thing doth subsist and which are so much insisted upon in Philosophy And here you see that the blessed Trinity doth necessarily appear in the works of God as well as the rest of his Attributes More particularly if it be lawfull to make comparison between small things and great wherein I do the rather presume because I know my intention to be harmless and innocent and I serve a merciful God who is apt to forgive sins especially such as proceed out of ignorance I would take notice how farre forth this Mystery of the Trinity is shadowed forth in the knowledg affections of man himself It is the counsel of the wisest Philosopher Nosce teipsum Know thy self thou mayest make better use of the knowledge of thy self for the direction of thy self to thine own happiness then of any other forain or outward knowledge so for the love of thy self it is imprinted in thy heart that man should love himself above all others Proximus ipse mihi and all his actions tend and are directed accordingly which may a little if not point out yet resemble the operations which the knowledge and love of God do cause in the blessed Deity and therefore if we were to prefer some of Gods Attributes above others natural Reason would say that his Understanding and his Will did excel all the rest of his Attributes as they the most active and eminent qualities in every spirit for first our Understanding must direct us and then our Will must execute so in God they are the most eminent of all his Attributes for God himself is the object of his own Understanding and his own Will and so he is not of the rest of his Attributes for he is not the object of his own Power nor of his Justice nor of his Mercy but onely of his Understanding and of his Will and these being operative and producing some fruits as all the rest of Gods Attributes have their proper effects needs they must produce wonders in the Godhead to the astonishment and admiration of Reason Consider how the strong apprehension and longing of a woman in the time of her childe-bearing makes an impression sometimes in the mother but most commonly in the infant to the astonishment of Philosophy when the Physicians with their Dissections and Anatomies can neither shew the means nor the manner but profess their own ignorance And as the Understanding works such effects so in the next place consider the nature of our humane love which of all other passions is the strongest and doth most firmly and inseparably unite and therefore makes two persons man and wife in the eye of the Law to be reputed but as one person and this is much more strange that two persons having two natures and differing in Sex should be but one person then that one nature should be in several persons yet so the wisdom of the Law esteems them and it were high presumption in any man to question their wisdom Mans understanding and mans love have such operations in mankinde and no other faculties in man have the like Thus in the Schools it is said Intellectus fit quod intelligit The understanding doth work upon it self and for our love Amor unionem Love hath ever that property and appetite as to desire an union how the poor mother hugs the childe in her arms takes it into her bosom and with all her might and power would fain incorporate the childe into her self and if such be the effects of our understanding and our love then what may we conceive of the understanding and love of God But contraries do sometimes best appear by contraries and therefore to know the strength and efficacy of the understanding and love in man consider them in their defects and abuse and in the heavy judgements which sometimes befall them for all fits of Madness when men are distracted and out of their wits most commonly they arise either from the understanding when with night-watchings and studies they distemper themselves and so with strong impressions of melancholy have not the right use of their wits or otherwise when with outragious lusts in the strength and vehemency of their love-passions they do impart themselves and then rest in their rage and their fury besides themselves God grant that I do not offend in making any Comparison to that which is incomparable the Mystery of all mysteries the Secret of all secrets and is ineffable not to be understood by Men or Angels yet seeing God hath in part revealed it I thought fit with all humility and submission prostrating my self at the footstool of Gods Throne to express it according to the Tenents of Gods Catholick Church for the inlightning strengthning and confirmation of our faith I will now at length give this admonition to the Socinian who professeth to believe no more of God then his own Reason shall teach him and Reason we know depends upon the information of sense and he might as well say that what he hath not seen he will not believe so that his infidelity might as well extend it self to the sensible world Thus he should not believe all those delicious and beautiful fruits which the Eastern Countrey affords nor should he believe those great Whales and Monsters of the Sea whereof he hath not been an eye-witness nor should he believe the former Ages of the world nor take any thing upon the relation of others much less should he believe a spiritual world which is of another nature and condition nor should he believe the Influences of the heavens which exceed his Reason for they are not sensible nor should he believe the working of Gods Spirit and that his prayers should be of any efficacy or power And thus he utterly overthrows all Faith and Religion and so in effect is a profest Atheist onely he would cover it with a cloak and pretence of natural Reason pretending some great skill and knowledge in
grave surely the Sun and the Moon which cause the day and night must needs testifie the truth of his death and himself for many yeers after might assure us of his rising again Hereunto you may adde the manner of his own death what speed was made how was the course of Justice precipitated that in one morning he should be Apprehended Accused Examined Whipped Scourged Condemned Exposed to all Contempts with his Crown of Thorns carry his own Cross and at noone be crucified that there he should be nayled for the space of three houres and though his enemies had no power to break his bones according to the prophesie as they did the malefactors yet what was more for that life did not consist in the breaking of bones they gave him a wound through the side into the heart as may appear because there issued forth Bloud and Water which are not so usually found in the body but only in the parts nearest the heart for that the excessive heat there dissolves the bloud into the first elements and thence you have water and this water makes recompence by cooling and refreshing the heat so by a providence they mutually help each other and this bloud and water did serve for the institution of our Sacraments Being dead he was buryed in a new Sepulcher as he was conceived in a Virgins wombe lest they might say that some other dead body had risen a great Stone was rowled over the Sepulcher because himself had prophesied that he would rise again the third day watch and ward was kept about the Sepulcher as to prevent his Disciples from coming thither to steal away his body so if it had been pâ—…ssible to hinder his resurrection but being risen again he did converse with his Dâ—…sciples for forty dayes and then by his own power he ascended up in o heaven in the sight of many thousands and because the eyes of men might faile and that some might 〈◊〉 that his ascension was onely out of sight and no further therefore â—…he Aâ—…gels came down to testifie the truth of his ascension into heaven and according to Christs command the Apostles continued at Jerusalem there to receive the Holy Ghost who at the day and appointed time came down in a miraculous manner in fiery cloven Tongues and wrought wonderful effects upon the Apostles not onely in their inward sanctifying their gift of Tongues and power of working Miracles all foretold that as before his birth there were many preparatives for his coming so afâ—…er his death the subsequent signs and wonders might give testimony to the forerunning Miracles and the truth of the Doctrine confirmed by them Now at length to draw to a period as S. John begins his Gospel with the eternal generation of Christ wherein is implied the great mystery of the Trinity so my self having shewed the doctrine of the Church and having a little expressed the mystery and thereby giving satisfaction to mans natural reason though reason could not comprehend it and having in the last place produced many miracles above natural power to confirm mysterie above natural knowledg As I began with the begining of S. John so I will end with the conclusion of S. Johns Gospel as you shall finde in his last Chapter the last verse the words are these And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the world it self could not contaiâ—… the books that should be written Some may conceive this speech to be a figure or metaphor of an high transcendent quality but I suppose it may be exactly and literally understood in this sense that seeing the narural world is but a book and that in every creature or rather in every punctilio of the creature as in every letter word and syllable we reade Gods Wisdom Mercy Power Providence c. If hereunto you will adde Christs Miracles which were above Nature and did presuppose Nature as being done in natural bodies and though not offering violence to Nature yet being far above the reach and power of Nature and therefore therein Nature did seem to suffer Seeing this supernatural power is much above Nature surely it may be truly said That the natural world cannot contain those books which might be written of Christs supernatural power for they include Nature they exceed Nature they are over and above Nature and therefore something must remain which the natural world cannot contain And this shall serve to have spoken of the great mystery of the most holy blessed and undivided Trinity Thus I hope in God I have given satisfaction to mans Reasonâ—… in this great Mystery of the Trinity that God never did nor could subsist one minute without the knowledge of himself and love of himself which being the acts and exercise of his Understanding and his Will being inward and in the Deity and from all eternity they can â—…e no less then God himself for there is no accident in God there is nothing in God but God Yet these being produced by the Understanding and the Will needs they must have such a difference between themselves as to make several persons in the Deity which is not so with the rest of Gods Attributes for they look outwardly upon his works and therefore onely produce the creatures And though the blessed Trinity do infinitely exceed mans capacity yet doth it no more exceed then all the rest of Gods Attributes do for they are all above reason beyond reason and infinitely transcending reason but no way contrary to reason and therefore they are the objects of our faith in respect of Gods knowledge revealed and they are the objects of our admiration in respect of our own natural ignorance And so to conclude Persons being supposed in the Deity here is one step and degree towards the Incarnation for now we may with more confidence lay hold on a Person in the Deity and cloth him with our nature and our flesh Sanctae individuae Trinitati sit omnis honor gloria Amen The Wonderful Incarnation AFter the blessed Trinity I now come to the wonderful Incarnation where I shall likewise speak some things by way of Introduction And here I must first enter a caveat or a solemn protestation Though I do examine these mysteries by natural Reason I confess they are far transcending Reason above Reason beyond the reach of Reason yet are they no way contrary to Reason nor opposite to Gods Attributes or Actions whereby they might seem improbable much less impossible for I confess that Reason is so powerful in man that it serves him for his guide and conductor as in his natural and civil actions so partly in his Religion for all the Moral Law which is a great part of Religion is much squared out by natural Reason and it serves as a ground-work or foundation whereupon Religion is built and which makes a man capable of Religion for if he