our selues that while all other Creatures doe strictly serue God in their owne kinde yet wee though more bound vnto God for the many blessings receiued then they though more especially intended for Gods seruice seeing all other Creatures serue man and man alone is immediatly ordained for Gods seruice yet the poore dumbe Creatures should strictly serue God in their owne kinde while we and we alone and we onely are the transgressors Secondly it sets forth the large extent of Gods Church and the vntouchable height of his glory though our sinnes haue made a separation betweene God and vs though our blasphemies be such and so great as that faine they would obscure and eclipse Gods glory yet maugre our attempts and in despight of our malice God shall be glorified as of the Angels aboue so of the dumbe Creatures beneath if men shall cease to sing their Hosannah the stones will cry Luke 19.40 Then in the last place let their seruice be some encouragement and motiue to ours if we cannot attaine to the perfections of Angels to offer vp our selues as a whole burnt sacrifice to God if we cannot approue our selues as members of one Catholike Church to serue God in the vnity of one faith but that as the East hath formerly beene separated from the West so is now the South from the North as if with sects and schismes we were to quarter out religion according to the coasts of the world and to diuide Christs seamelesse garment among vs hauing first crucified the Lord of life If in the course of Christianity we cannot agree in the very fundamentall points of religion but are wholly separated so that neither one mother Church beneath nor yet one heauen aboue can containe vs. Suppose that Christianity should cease then let vs come to the tearmes of humanity and desire to exceed all other Creatures as well in vertue and dignity as in nature and condition But if all faile if all faile as I feare they doe in some then in the last place I pray let me recommend vnto them the religion of dumbe Creatures surely we can doe no lesse then ioyne with them in their religion for they are sensuall and beastly like to our selues then let not those most excellent attributes of God which are discouered by them be contradicted by vs here we shall auoide Atheisme in our prayers deuotions and seruice of God let vs not be inferiour to them But aboue all let me recommend this one thing to our practice that the Creatures may not out-strip vs in the strict obseruing of the naturall Law which to vs in effect is in moral honesty This I doe the rather wish because the morall law was neuer abrogated notwithstanding the change of Priest-hood the change of Ceremonies the change of Religion which was translated from the Synagogue of the Iewes to the Church or congregation of the Gentiles yet still one and the same morall law was continued So at this day notwithstanding our diuersity of Sects Schismes and Religions yet it were to be wished that our actions might be squared out by one morall law which law appeares in the Creatures and is common to man and the Creatures and is as naturall to man as is his owne nature and should no more be separated from man then his owne nature for want then of religious piety and godlinesse let this morall law be our guide Thus man shall know his dutie to man But how miserable were our condition what a world of mischiefe would follow if we should neglect morall duties vnder cloake and pretence of religion as if religion did abolish nature as if the morall law were abrogated together with the ceremoniall Yet this is the practice and iniquity of these our most vnhappy times that all factions seditions and trecheries must be forsooth rooted and grounded in religion as if religion were the sole mother and nurse of all treasons as if heauen could not subsist with the earth as if the Tower of Babel could not be built but with Church stones This is the bane and the shame of Religion God knowes I cannot speake of it with patience or without my great hearts griefe and therefore I will here end abruptly beseeching the Almighty God to reforme it beseeching the Almighty God reforme it Sancte indiuiduae Trinitati sit honor gloria SOme faults haue escaped the Presse either in omitting letters as page 4. line 21. for awake read awaken or omitting words as p. 25. l. 17. this word Sanctus should be thrice repeated as implying a mystery or mistaking some words as pag. 22. lin 17. for apparitions read operations yet the faults are such and so few as that thou thy selfe maist easily correct them E. g. signifies exempli gratia as for example How God is praised Dumbe Creatures speake and Man is strucken dumbe The end why man exhorteth beasts The vse of the creatures The obedience of the Creatures is set foorth by a similitude A corporation of all Creatures The religion of dumbe Creatures The seruice of God in dumbe Creatures is their religion The parts of religion How we come to know the Creatures Sence is the mother of Idolatrie The vnderstanding reacheth beyond sence The good vse of Idolatry In reason we cannot consider the effects without their cause Reason as apt to discourse so to search and enquire Reasonlesnes of the dumbe beasts The answer of dumbe creatures vnto reason The beasts acknowledge a God and deny all fortune The naturall implicite faith of beasts The beasts may teach the Atheists The dumbe Creatures confesse one God The Creatures deny that there can be many gods The Creatures point out God as the first moouer Hence is implied Gods necessity Immutability Eternity Bonity Infinity Simplicity Without variety of parts Without diuersity of faculties Gods wisdome Freewill Power Prouidence Whereas here are many grounds wherby we come to the knowledge of God Natures testimony of God is defectiue and insufficient Whether this defect in Gods knowledge appeares by the testimony of nature The ground of all the mysteries in Religion Causes are not fully discerned by their effects Naturall causes Voluntary causes Supernaturall causes The application An instance How nature directs vnto grace Nature will not trespasse beyond her owne bounds Reason giues way to mysteries She neither reueales nor impugnes them The necessity of faith Dumbe Creatures cannot be the sole teachers of man concerning God Faith is a kinde of reason eleuated aboue a naturall condition Naturall reason acknowledgeth mysteries in generall Supernaturall workes confirme supernaturall words Reason discerning the open miracles cannot gaine say the secret mysteries Reason Admiration Faith Miracles proue mysteries The naturall implicite faith of the Creatures The seuerall kindes of faith Dumbe Creatures may as well be said to haue faith as knowledge The dumbe Creatures preach their faith vnto vs And exhorting vs they praise God by vs. As Angels so dumbe Creatures continually praise God The perfection of the Creatures How Creatures praise their Maker The temple of the Creatures and their Leiturgie They vse no ceremony but substance The prayers of the Creatures The generall intent of prayers The diuersity of their prayers They praise God in the best manner The Church-musicke of the Creatures Their variety of Anthems and Collects Their canonicall houres How powerful their prayers are The decalogue of the Creatures The morall vertues of dumbe beasts The sacrifice of dumbe Creatures Their various and different sacrifices The truth of their sacrifices How the Creatures concurre in the Sacraments The hope of the Creatures What becomes of the Creatures after our resurrection Their religion is according to their power Euery thing must haue a religion There is a naturall religion Proper to beasts not to man A naturall religion hath naturall bounds The Metaphysicks Naturall Philosophy Morall Philosophy Theology How all sciences may be reduced to this naturall religion How this naturall religion and Iudaisme is reduced to Christianity The Creatures make man ashamed The large extent of Gods Church The example of Creatures is an exhortation to vs. By our nature we are tied to a naturall religion There is but one and the same morall law to all religions No differences in religion should take away morall duties
THE CREATVRES PRAYSING GOD OR THE RELIGION OF dumbe Creatures An Example and Argument For the stirring vp of our deuotion and For the confusion of Atheisme Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino laudate superexaltate eum in secula G. G. LONDON Printed by FELIK KINGSTON 1622. To the Reader GOod Reader The Authour himselfe not vouchsafing his name title or preface to this his worke and very vnwilling that it should be publisht I thought fit to let thee vnderstand that the booke it selfe containes no paradox notwithstanding the title for the naturall seruice of God in dumbe Creatures when they obey God in their owne kinde and follow their owne naturall course this is it which he calls The Religion of dumbe Creatures and as it is frequent and vsuall to make comparisons in particular instances so here in generall their seruice is compared to our Religion To commend the worke seeing I am so farre ingaged as that against the Authors will it was my importunity to publish it were in effect to commend mine owne iudgement I will here onely acquaint you with the reasons that moued me First to take away grose Atheisme which denies any God he vseth no Sophistry no perswasion not the testimonies either of God or of men but herein craues aide of the dumbe Creatures and in effect desires them to beare witnesse who instantly acknowledge a God and discouer many excellent and admirable attributes in God and this he calls their confession or the naturall implicite faith of the Creatures pag. 9. Secondly that this knowledge of God which we learne from nature is an imperfect knowledge though otherwise it was the sole knowledge of the ancient heathen Philosophers he brands it with this imputation that it is no more in effect then the religion of dumbe beasts but as reason is aboue sence so faith aboue reason reason points out mysteries faith discouers them by vertue of which faith we ioyne with the Angels in their seruice as the dumbe beasts doe ioyne with vs in nature and here he takes away all naturall obiections against the mysteries of religion beating downe mans curiosity pag. 16. Thirdly how the Creatures praise God in their voices and sounds which in effect are their prayers in their naturall law which is their decalogue in all their qualities and affections both naturall and as they are sometimes meanes and conduit-pipes of grace whereby nature is sanctified pag. 23. Fourthly how all naturall Sciences may be reduced to Theology suppose the Metaphysicks naturall Philosophy morall Philosophy which are indeed the branches of naturall Theology and are incorporated into the body of our diuinity And hence you may as well exclude the morall law the decalogue and the whole state of nature as to exclude humane learning which showing the perfections and excellencies of nature doth therein show the praise and commendations of the Maker pag. 31. Fifthly this naturall religion not only comprehends in it selfe all naturall sciences but it is further a supposed ground and foundation in all religions Thus Iudaisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as Christianity acknowledge God in nature though the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall law began with Moyses the Gospell with Christ yet the naturall law together with the state of nature began with Adam not by any reuelation but by ingrafted and inbred principles and therefore is common to all nations to all religions Hence he gathers these two notes first that different and opposite religions may notwithstanding ioyne together in such things as are good and alike approueable in both for so we ioyne with dumbe Creatures in their naturall seruice and that the bounds of the Church are not to be hedged in according to mens priuate phansies and imaginations or according to the Prouinces and iurisdiction of Prelats but according to the vnity and concent of faith Secondly that be the religions neuer so opposite and contrary yet all agree in the naturall law and therefore are bound to performe to each other all naturall rights suppose the discharging of trust where it is reposed to vse morall honesty in our actions obedience to our superiours allegiance to the Prince and the like thus may different religions liue quietly and peaceably vnder one iust gouernment If this were obserued surely it would cause much peace in the Christian world so much distracted and disquieted at this day with infinit and innumerable sects and religions pag. 34. To conclude What can be more glorious to God then that his praise should be set forth by all his Creatures what greater charity then to comprehend them not within the walls of our Christian Church though once they were contained in the Arke yet within the compasse and circuit of religion what greater deuotion then by their example to stirre vp thy selfe though the Angels be out of sight and thou canst not heare their hymnes yet the beasts may awaken thy dulnesse what greater humility then to stoope to the basest wormes and together with them to associate thy selfe in Gods seruice These reasons I confesse did moue me to publish it and as I had no other intent but Gods glory so I beseech him to giue a blessing to thy reading hereof that it may tend to the increase of thy deuotion THE CREATVRES PRAYSING GOD OR THE RELIGION OF dumbe Creatures PSAL. 148. 7 8 9 and 10 Verses 7. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee dragons and all deepes 8. Fire and haile snow and vapours stormy winds fulfilling his word 9. Mountaines and all hilles fruitfull trees and all Cedars 10. Beasts and all cattell wormes and feathered fowles TWo absurdities may here seeme to be committed at once with one breath either that man should speake and exhort such Auditors who are without sence and therefore not capeable of exhortation or that Creatures dumbe in themselues should be exhorted to praise God which seemes to be a thing proper to Angels and men Both these are easily satisfied if we rightly consider that the praises of God doe not necessarily imply the most exact and magnificent order and forme such as might well beseeme the Maiestie of a Deitie both men and Angels come short in that excellent seruice but the praises of God require no more in effect then the power and ability wherewith God hath first inabled the Creature for he accepts our imperfect prayers and descends to our weakenesse Thus the stocks and the stones in their silence and in their naturall properties the beasts in their sounds and their cries in their sence and in their motions all serue to praise him for God requires no more then he hath first giuen the right imployment of his gifts is indeed to praise him Now man exhorting them to this their bounden duty ioynes with them in their seruice and as it were seemes to congratulate their praises of God notwithstanding his owne disobedience and sinne yet he reioyceth in their seruice and exhorts them still to continue their praises of God And though they seeme
a world of consultation were requisit for the framing of this world were it not supplied in an instant by the infinit wisdome of God which wisdome more especially and immediatly appeares in the comprehending and vnderstanding of himselfe Secondly hauing once laid downe the plot-forme then succeeds a most absolute freewill in bounding and disposing his owne actions Thirdly intending to create and being resolued of the manner then followes an infinit power to put all in execution Fourthly hauing once finished the worke necessary it is that there should be a continuance of the same infinit wisdome will and power in his Prouidence for the continuance and preseruation of his workes The Creatures can no more preserue themselues then at first subsist of themselues and therefore they want a continuall concourse and sweet influence of this first moouer for as it is a property of God to be independent so it is a property of Creatures to be alwaies dependent and this serues as a bridle to curbe them besides the ouer-ruling power and prerogatiue which God reserues in himselfe whereof I will not dispute See here how many excellent attributes of God are discouered by the information and instructions which wee haue from the Creatures these are the Articles of their faith and all these arise out of this one ground as the Schoole speakes ratione necessitate causalitatis as wee consider God to be the first cause and moouer Alas I should be infinit if I would proceed in this subiect to speake of God onely so farre forth as the Creatures doe testifie of God which in effect is their faith but I will passe this ouer yet giue me leaue to passe my censure vpon it Audita approbata sunt omnia vpon due examination I finde them to be sound and Orthodoxall I cannot taxe them with Atheisme or Heresie but what they say or testifie of God it is most true onely with this defect that they say not enough nature cannot be raised aboue nature the mysteries of grace fall not within the compasse of naturall bounds Why thus there are degrees of faith amongst vs we see but in part wee know but in part all cannot conceiue mysteries alike and the most faithfull man may truly say Lord I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe And thus it is with the Creatures what they testifie of God is most true but they testifie not enough yet what they testifie not it is not out of frowardnesse or that they are hard of beliefe but it is for want of capacity here then they are sufficiently excused Excused I say in respect of themselues but whether any wrong or iniurie be done vnto vs this is a question for if the Creatures propose vnto vs this knowledge of God as a perfect rule of our faith to which we should not adde but that we should be tied to the stint of their beliefe to haue no more faith then they this were dangerous for to admit this were to oppose and contradict all the mysteries in religion which are not discouered by their light this were in effect to seduce vs to make vs of Christians meere naturalls Indeed they haue already too farre preuailed on our passions and on our affections that we are almost growne sensuall and beastly like vnto them as if we were of their common-wealth but if they shall presse further vpon vs to worke vpon our soules our consciences and our vnderstandings to intice vs to be of their faith of their Church of their religion to make vs meere naturals like to themselues this were most intolerable So then the question remaines whether the Creatures or nature I meane in the Creatures or that which is the same in effect whether naturall reason proceeding vpon naturall grounds whether these supposing their owne ability in the fulnesse of Gods knowledge seeme to exclude grace or otherwise in the weakenesse of their knowledge shewing their owne insufficiency seeme onely to make way and serue as an introduction to grace It is a question indeed in my iudgement of all others most worthy to be resolued for in effect it implies the whole ground and foundation of all our mysteries and it stands thus whether by the light of our owne naturall reason we are to beleeue no more of God then appeares in the Creatures or whether the same light of our owne naturall reason will informe vs that there are other greater mysteries to be receiued of God more then those natural attributes which are discerned by his works For your satisfaction herein you may be pleased to vnderstand that what knowledge wee haue of God by the light of our naturall reason it is not deriued immediatly from God himselfe but by a reflection onely so farre foorth as God is discerned in the glasse of his Creatures now this is a rule in all arts that no causes can fully exactly and totally appeare in their effects as hauing first a proper nature allotted to themselues before they were ordained to action first they are in themselues before they come to relation so that for the knowledge of causes in themselues there must be some further search and inquisition more then the effects demonstrate this shall appeare by considering the diuersity of causes which I will suppose to be of three sorts First naturall causes and these are not sufficiently discerned by their owne naturall effects E. g. by the nature and properties of a weed you cannot discouer the whole nature and properties of the Sunne or the earth for the inward nature and the outward actions are not alwaies of like extent nor doe they agree in all accidents More especially this will appeare in voluntary causes that they cannot totally be discerned by their workes when as the limitation of the worke and the diuersitie of the worke proceeds not from the necessity of the nature but depends vpon the free will of the Maker Thus one and the same voluntary cause brings foorth various and different effects and therefore cannot imprint her whole and perfect image in all Thus if man were knowne by his workes we should neuer make search for malefactors but euery one should instantly appeare Now there are yet other causes and these are of a different nature and condition suppose the Angelicall spirits and the materiall world God and the Creatures a spirituall Deity and a corporeall worke haec differunt toto coelo differunt plusquam genere how is it possible then that the one should fully and perfectly discouer the other Thus in a word to make application of all God being a cause a voluntary cause a cause of another nature surely the whole vertue and power of the Deity cannot be discerned or laid open by the workes of the Deity E. g. By the building of this house though the skill of the workeman sufficiently appeares yet you cannot informe me of his age his name stature strength condition complection the
that some Giantlike Deity by his workes by his words hath made knowne vnto the world that his power and his wisdome surpasseth all naturall bounds while the Creatures shewing in themselues the effects of his power doe likewise point out the depth of his wisdome and hereby conclude an infinit power an infinit wisdome both which cannot admit mans weake opposition or disputation but rather should worke in vs admiration astonishment and silence For as in miracles the dumbe Creatures notwithstanding their naturall inclination yet are they ouer-ruled by Gods power so in mysteries man notwithstanding his naturall wrangling and contentious wit and the scrupulous curiosity of his owne minde yet must he submit himselfe to Gods words Thus the power manifested serues as a seale to the will reuealed miracles prooue the truth of mysteries the one our naturall reason may easily see and discerne and these being discerned doe prooue the infallible truth of the other This by way of digression for this is extraordinary vnusuall and therefore onely incident to some few of them according to times place and occasions Come we then to their generall faith which I call the naturall faith of the Creatures which faith implies the whole knowledge of God whereof the Creatures informe vs how farre by their direction wee may proceed in Gods knowledge and where we must desist This knowledge of God being fitly gathered from the Creatures can be no lesse then a naturall implicit faith of the Creatures all of them testifying the same truth doe in a sort make one common confession of their faith they say their Creed together as we doe this is enough to saue and excuse them from the imputation of infidelity for children doe no more in their baptisme whom notwithstanding we know to be in the number of Gods faithfull people Faith doth not alwaies imply the actuall surrendring vp of our wills and consents but sometimes an habit or forme neither is euery faith a iustifying faith but there is a testifying faith an historicall faith yea sometimes an imputatiue faith and there being so many kindes and degrees of faith I pray be not so vncharitable as to make the poore dumbe Creatures infidels For there is a wisdome of nature there is a knowledge in dumbe beasts they know their times and their seasons their manner of working and what is fit and agreeable to the state of their bodies and why may there not be a naturall faith in them as well as a naturall wisdome and knowledge for these seeme to be as proper to man as his faith yet these we ascribe to dumbe beasts though they want a reasonable discourse and why may we not as well yeeld vnto them a faith not a sanctifying but a naturall faith for I will not exceed the bounds of nature in them their faith is an historicall faith or a testifying faith for this their naturall faith serues onely to giue testimony to the God of nature Surely they haue a faith and what is more they preach this faith vnto vs together with many morall instructions and many good admonitions they are I confesse very learned preachers and doe exceedingly edifie for they were able to strike the very heathen who were without the knowledge of the true God with wonder and amazement the most dumbe and sencelesse Creatures beare witnesse and testifie of God The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handyworke one day telleth another and one night certifieth another Thus they instruct vs while they catechize each other and as we exhort them to praise God so they exhort vs that what is wanting in them they may supply it in vs here is their cunning they are dumbe therefore they make vs their Aduocates their instruments and spokesmen they vse our tongues to set forth Gods praise giuing vs occasion and stirring vs vp to praise him our praise becomes theirs and their praise is made ours wee are their God-fathers to make the confession of their faith they are our remembrancers serue as the seales of our truth And thus there is not onely a communion of Saints but a communion of Creatures which ioyne together in one naturall seruice of God as we partake with them in substance so we may ioyne with them or rather learne of them the commendations of God Thus much of their faith wherein if I haue beene somewhat obscure I pray remember the nature of faith which is of things inuisible and so from their faith and testimonies of God come we then to their praiers and praises of God It is not onely proper to Angels to be continually busied in praising and magnifying of God singing their Halleluiah c. but euen the most dumbe Creatures partake in this seruice and beare their part in this song though not in such an excellent manner This is natures daily taske and imployment for what is naturall to things in generall therein nature cannot be wanting to her selfe but must first know and acknowledge her owne properties within her selfe artificem collaudat opus that the worke should praise and commend the workeman I take it to be a seruice imposed or an homage done to the Lord. Thus wheresoeuer ye discerne the worke you cannot exclude the workeman both are of like extent since to be and to be the effects of his power both are alike inseparable from the Creatures who vpon the first view and appearance doe plainly shew that what they are in themselues this they haue from their Maker their perfection speakes his excellency their continuance his eternity if they haue ought praise worthy in themselues this makes for his praise who is most worthy of all praise though we most vnworthy to set forth this praise Consider then in the Creatures in generall First their proper and bounded nature together with so great variety and perfection in their owne kinde Secondly in this nature such excellent properties affections and accidents which doe so well agree with the nature Thirdly from this nature such strange and wonderfull apparitions and effects Fourthly by this nature such an excellent order and proportion both in themselues and to the whole Vniuerse Fifthly through this nature such a constancy and perseuerance in keeping their due course in performing their duty seruice and ministry to man O excellent Artist that could so sweetly tune nature to make such a melody where there is such a concent and agreement on euery side the parts to the whole the whole to the parts each to it selfe all to the Maker O excellent melody here is neither found nor voice to the eare yet a most sweet and delectable harmony a musicke of nature Doe not then harken with your eares but listen with your mindes and in stead of notes conceiue this ditty We sing the praise of our Maker This praise and seruice of God seemes to resemble our mentall prayer for it is inward secret and consists only