the similitude of the Throne there was as it were a similitude of a man vpon it whereof is said Vers 26. This was the appearance of the similitude of the glory of the Lord and when I saw it I fell vpon my face so Dan. 7. 9. I beheld till the thrones were set and the ancient of dayes did sit whose garment was white as snowe and the hayre of his head like the pure woll Likewise Es 6. 1. the Prophet saith I sawe the Lord sitting vppon a high throne By the which sitting vpon a Throne althogh signifying royall glorie and maiestie God doth not exalt or aduance but rather debase himselfe and that for our sakes that we by this meanes might get some conceit and knowledge of him into our mindes yet if we should continue and rest in these formes without adding the difference vnto them wee should not helpe but hurt and hinder our selues and get not the knowledge but the ignorance of God Sect. 3. NOw let vs go on and see what creature in all the world is to be accounted likest vnto God and fittest to resemble his nature vnto vs as wee gathered it to bee by the consideration of his workes The question is not hard to be answered for this being taken for granted that God hauing made al things is far more excellent then any or all of them it will follow that that creature which of all other is most excellent is the likest and commeth nearest to the nature of God and doth more fitly resemble him then any of the other as we know that among men not any of the raskall sort but some great Noble man or Prince of the blood is most fit in the absence or nonage of the king to hold his place and represent his person For although euery creature bee good in his owne kind as wee reade in Genes 1. 31. yet looke how many diuers kindes of creatures there are so many diuers degrees of goodnesse there are the highest whereof are to bee accounted excellent as we see all the starres to be bright and glorious yet the sunne moone and some other to be the most excellent in light glorie as they were in the beginning called by God himselfe by the name of great lights Thus no man will denie but a common peeble stone is better then a raw lumpe of clay or a handfull of earth that a tree is more glorious then a stone that a liuing beast excelleth a tree that a reasonable man is better theÌ„ a brute beast an Angell then a man and an Archangell then one of lower degree and so will any man consesse that God whose infinit knowledge and wisedome appeareth in the creation of the world is not to be placed among the sencelesse and brutish creatures but to be referred to the kinde of reasonable things And so indeed throughout the whole scripture we see that God is content to take a place among his reasonable creatures to be accounted to be of their nature and kind as hath beene shewed out of Act. 17. 26. to call them to wit both men and Angels his image and simililtude and in that respect his ofspring sonnes and children yea to appeare and shewe himself in the forme and shape somtimes of the one somtimes of y e other But to come as neare the marke we ayme at as we can although both the humane the angelicall nature be notable images similitudes and resemblances of God yet as the Angels are farre more excellent then men so they are in themselues farre more fit tipes and examples of the diuine nature then men are for that they haue many properties of the diuine nature which man wanteth For man is mortall and corruptible but both the Angels and God are immortall and incorruptible hee consisteth of a medley of contrarie qualities continually iarting and fighting togither vntil at length one destroy another but their nature and substance is vniforme not wasting it selfe or wearing away but stedfast permanent and the same for euer he is visible yea grosse and palpable but they are inuisible insensible subtile pure and spirituall hee hath litle strength with much weaknesse they haue great power and might without impotencie or infirmitie hee hath knowledge with ignorance truth with error wisedome with folly will with peruersenesse and obstinacie affection with passion and perturbation loue with lust abundance with many wants contentment with complaint day with night ioy with sorrow glorie with shame and happinesse with miserie but they are perfectly wise vertuous mightie glorious and happie Yea by this excellencie aboue man the Angelical nature is prooued against those who will not beleeue the word of God vnlesse their owne sences say amen to exist as a meane betwixt man and god although farre nearer the lower then the vpper extreame For if there were no nature existing betwixt God and man the distance and downfall would be greater then is meete in respect of that dependance cohaerence which should be betwixt the creature the creator closely combined togither without any such wide and abrupt gappe in order and due proportion The which wide gap betwixt God and man the angelical nature doth fill vp participating somewhat of each nature as it were hanging and houering in the middle region betwixt heauen and earth hauing had a beginning with man and nâ—w being immortall with God voyde of all mixture as is God and yet consisting of matter forme as doth man subsisting in some matter subiect and substance as doth man yet being incorporeal as is God able in a moment to bee any where as God alwaies is euery where yet locall and circumscribed by place as is a man being of wonderful capacitie knowledge as is God yet ignorant of some things as namely of the essence of God as is maÌ„ in one word being euerie way finit as is man yet perfect in al respects as is God Thus we haue by the degrees of the creatures as it were by the staires and steppes of Iacobs ladder climbed vp to heauen and leauing men with the rest of the earthly creatures groueling heere in the dust belowe by the wings of Angels soared aloft to the diuine nature or rather to speake more properly toward it Neither is it possible for vs to goe any higher or to finde more of God in any thing then wee haue alreadie found in the angelical nature Wherevpon our Sauiour Christ doubteth not to put on Gods backe this glorious robe of the angelical naure hauing amongst all the formes and shapes in the world none more excellent wherewith to inuest him and therefore he saith Ioh 4. 24. God is a spirit as he is elsewhere in scripture called an Angell and an Archangell But this saying is warely to be taken and wisely vnderstood least that in stead of true doctrine wee gather out of it a blasphemous heresie For in trueth God is no more a spirit or an angell the which two words are in
diuinitie to be accounted of the same signification and compasse then he is a soule or a bodie what then may you say is the signification of these words Surely they are not positiue but priuatiue they shew not what God is but what he is not namely that hee is not a formall visible and sensible bodie For so they containe in them a refutation of that grosse opinion of the carnall and hypocriticall Iewes who thought that an outward and bodily worship voyde of the spirituall sinceritie of the heart would well ynough fit and please God as if a man hauing to deale with those heathenish idolators that thinke brute beastes or sencelesse stockes to bee Gods should say vnto them you are fouly deceiued in this point for God is not a dead stocke or a brute beast but rather to be resembled to a liuing man So then the meaning of Christes words is this God although in trueth hee bee not a spirit or an angell yet because that nature commeth nearer him and doth more resemble him then any other therefore hee may fitly for your capacitie be so called Sect. 4. YOu remember I doubt not that it was said that there are three things required to the searching out of Gods nature first a conceite of it in the minde gathered by the effects of it secondly a reall example or patterne wherein that conceit doth exist and may bee seene and thirdly the difference betwixt the conceite the example the one being in abstracto the other in concreto the one existing onely in the imagination of the minde the other in some creature and reall subiect The two first wee haue alreadie gotten the one out of the creatures which haue taught vs the nature of God in generall the other we haue found in the angels who are a liuely resemblance of the said diuine nature the third remaineth to wit the difference betwixt the patterne and the thing it selfe For although we haue alreadie ascended and come to the highest steppe of Iacobs ladder for that it is impossible to find any more of the diuine essence in any creature then wee haâ—e alreadie seene in the angelicall nature yet wee are not at our iourneyes ende nor yet halfe waye for although there be as great difference betwixt Angels and men as there is distance betwixt the heauen and the earth yet there is tenne times yea ten thousand times greater oddes betwixt the Angels and God and the space is infinitly greater from the heauen of the Angels and saints to the heauen of heauens where God dwelleth And therefore we are now in the last place to seeke out the difference which exalteth the nature of God thus farre or rather thus infinitly aboue the Angels this is the verie true essentiall forme of God the which if it could bee once named the matter were at an ende the case cleare much labor might be saued which must be spent or rather most profitably and happily bestowed in gessing coniecturing imagining that by many properties attributes actions and effects which by this meanes might be fully knowne all at once But it is not the will of God neither were it profitable for vs that so inestimable a iewell should bee so easily gotten who would esteeme the most precious pearles if so be that they lay in the streetes for the vptaking and if the nature of God were once fully known how could it afterwardes bee so earnestly sought and desired as is mâ—ete Yet we are not to thinke that this impossibilitie of finding out the true forme of God commeth of God as making daintie and daungerous of the knowledge of his nature to make vs eager earnest in desiring to know it although iâ— bee true that hath beene said that it is better to haue our appetite whetted and sharpned by the hardnesse and impossibilitie of attaining it then our stomackes cloyed with the full fruition of it neither are we to think that God doth enuie and grudge vs so great a good and so sweete a pleasure or that in pollicie hee keepeth himselfe close not daring to shew himselfe for feare of being censured or contemned by vs But this commeth of the shallownesse of our braines and the the weaknesse of out capacitie the which making it impossible for vs to conceiue it maketh it impossible for God to reueale it Gent. I was in good hope to haue heard at the next word the very true essential forme of God declared and indeed that had beene woorth the hearing but now I perceiue you will reserue that for another time or rather giue it ouer for euer wherin you deale wisely in my minde for what follie were it for a man to beate his braines in pursuing that which it were more then madnesse once to hope to attaine But I pray you how wil you do to make your proude Lucifer a God Sch. We will doo as we may sir and if all should faile I hope that you will helpe at a dead lift according to your promise but to proceed Seeing that the true forme of gods nature cannot be had we must take in stead of it some essentiall propertie flowing from the forme the which will make those things which are attributed to God differ from the same things as they are in the Angels For example knowledge wisedome might and maiestie haue place both in God and also in the Angels yet they are not alike in both for in the Angels they are although great and perfect yet finit but in god they are absolute and infinit So then if we adde this difference of infinitnesse to the Angelicall nature there will come forth a diuine nature which may not vnfitly be described an angelical nature euery way infinit and so God be defined an infinit Angell as an Angell may be said to be a spiritual man For as surpassing excellencie doth distinguish the Angelicall nature from the humane for although they bee both of one kinde to wit reasonable indued with wit knowledge wisedome and will yet they differ in that the Angelicall nature hath all these in farre greater measurâ— then hath the humane in like manner infinitnesse doth distinguish the diuine nature from the angelicall for they both being reasonable or vnderstanding natures indued with wit and will and with all things belonging there vnto differ in this respect that the one is excellent in vnderstaÌ„ding knowledge wisedome will power puritie and glorie but the other is infinit in all these respects the one hath all these things in an excellent measure the other hath them without measure the one hath much the other hath all And thus by gathering the nature of God out of his workes and word by finding out a patterne of it in the Angelicall nature and lastly by adding vnto this angelicall nature that wherein it commeth short of God we haue in some sort made vp the diuine nature or rather indeuoured to do that which it is impossible to performe for in this case the least
nimblenesse quicknesse of wit and in all other respects But what need we suppose this Angelicall man whom we haue truly existing for we know that in heauen the bodies of the Saints shall bee pure and spirituall free from all heauie lumpishnesse yet the faithfull being glorified shall not become Angels but still be men for neither in subtilitie of body nor yet in excellencie of inward gifts shall they bee made equall to the Angels Thus we haue with much ado make the humane and the Angelical nature meet togither and vsed the one as a Glasse to represent and make knowne the other vnto vs. Now then to apply all this to our purpose for the finding out of Gods nature wee must doo these three things first we must get an idea or conceit of it into our mindes by searching what manner of thing God is and so to what kinde his nature doth belong and is to bee referred in the second place we must get a patterne example or resemblance of it in some thing really existing and lastly we must by adding and detracting make them euen or equall For the first seeing that the nature of God cannot bee knowne eyther by any essentiall causes or by sensible qualities we must imagin it by the effects actions and workes whether they be ordinarie or extraordinarie Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his works For so it hath pleased God to the end he might make himselfe knowne to man and man happie by knowing him after a sort to take vnto this his inuisible and insensible nature this visible and sensible shape and to couer himselfe with the creatures as with a garment that so he might discouer and reueale his hidden nature to man as we know that both he himselfe as also his Angels haue shewed themselues to men by putting on the nature and shape of man Not that we imagine as some haue done that God is the soule or life of the world and the world the body of God for God is not in the creatures eyther as their matter or as their forme but onely is to them the efficient but because the creatures make Gods inuisible nature to be knowne therfore we call them the shape or forme of God For by this meanes it is broght to passe that althogh God Iehoua as he existeth in himselfe and as he did exist before the creation be inuisible yet God the Creator of heauen and earth is as visible as are the Starres by night or the Sunne at mid-day in the heauen and as palpable as is the grosse earth whereon we tread as it is Act. 17. 27. God hath made the world that in it men might seeke him yea grope after him and feele him Thus both the creatures and also the extraordinary workes of God done both within and also without the Church and recorded both in holy Scripture as also in other true Records and. Histories teach vs what God is yea thus they preach to the whole world as touching God their maker Author that he is a liuing and working yea a mightie and wise nature excellent yea infinit in all goodnesse to wit in knowledge and wisdome in truth and iustice in loue and mercie in power and strength in glorie and maiestie Thus hauing conceiued in our mindes an idea or imagination of Gods nature we are in the next place to bring it forth into the world by getting an example or resemblance of it in some thing not vnlike vnto it But against this patterne or resemblance it will bee obiected the which you touched before that both it is impossible to finde any thing in the world that is like to God or fit to be a resemblance and also that if there could any such thing be found yet it were Idolatrie to resemble God to any creature Whereunto we answere first to the former part of the obiection that although the vnlikenesse to God be farre greater in the creatures then the likenesse yet that there is no creature which is not more or lesse in one respect or other like vnto him for whatsoeuer is good commendable or excellent in any creature as all the creatures are good yea euery one of them endued with a proper and peculiar goodnesse that commeth from God who is the fountaine of all goodnesse and maketh the creature to bee like to God So then if the meanest and basest creatures haue some likenesse to God without doubt the excellent creatures cannot but haue a great likenesse and resemblance vnto him the which wee knowe that GOD himselfe in the Scripture doth graunt vnto them calling man his owne similitude God made man in the likenesse of GOD. Genes 5. 1. Yea although there were no manner of likenesse or resemblance betwixt GOD and the creatures but rather all contrarietie and flat repugnancie yet they might profitably bee vsed for the illustration of his nature as wee knowe that all contraries doo argue and illustrate each other The which way of teaching although it bee not the readiest to attaine the truth for that doctrine and knowledge are positiue not priuatiue consisting not in the negation of that which is not or is not true but in the affirmation of that which doth truly and really exist yet it is alwaies an helpe and sometimes the onely meanes To the other parte of the obiection wee aunswere confessing that it were flat Idolatry and vtterly vnlawfull to make or suppose God to be simply like or equall to any creature for that were to pul him downe from his Throne of maiestie and to place him among the creatures yet affirming it to be very lawfull to resemble him to any creature the difference which is betwixt them being obserued and mentioned Thus Act. 17. 29. the Apostle Paul resembleth the diuine nature to the humane proouing against the Idolatrons Athenians that God is not like to those stocks and stones wherin the heathen did worship him because hee is like vnto man who is of a cōtrary nature to sencelesse things We men saith he being the kind of God it cannot be that God being like vnto vs that he shuld be like to siluer gold or to any sencelesse thing where tho he make these two natures of God man like to each other yet he maketh them not equall but putteth the difference in that hee maketh man to come and flowe from God as a little arme or creeke of the sea from the great Ocean Yea thus God hath throughout the whole Scripture reuealed himselfe vnto vs in the forme and shape of a man ascribing to himselfe the parts of his body as his eyes and eares his hands and feete yea all the faculties affections and passions of his minde and will and that both seuerally sometimes one and sometimes an other and also al togither assuming to himselfe the whole shape and forme of a man as namely Ezech. 1. 26. vpon
to go astray from the truth to â—ifte out some part of the truth of this vnsearchable mistery by our familiar reasoning too and fro of matters and therefore I can bee well content to bee admonished where I go astray Gent. Then to tell you plainly me thinkes that although these definitions which you bring may haue in them some substance of trueth and also some plausible shewe of popular facilitie which I wil not denie yet they haue no Art in the world in them and for that cause are not onely not curious but euen confused and obscure and want that euidencie which you seemed in framing them wholly to affect I haue heard and read many discourses of this matter yet neuer knew I any take such a course as to define one thing by another and to inmble vp into one definition things of diuers natures as you do in defining god to bee an infinit Angell or a reasonable aire for thus you make a moÌ„ster of him as it were an Hermaphrodite halfe of one nature and halfe of another halfe reasonable and halfe vnreasonable You deale with me as men do with naturall fooles when they cannot make them conceiue that three and foure make seuen but by a mathematicall demonstration setting seuen leauen horse loanes one vppon another so you heap vp diuers particulars in stead of one generall It had beene a better course if according to the olde and ordinarie manner of handling and defining in the first place you had sought out the generall kinde or nature which you in the Schooler call the Genus in definition to the which the diuine nature doth beloÌ„g is to be reserred theÌ„ to haue added either the proper form or if that could not be found as I think that in this case it cannot som formal proopertie pointing as it were with the finger at the vnknowne forme As in this example you haue found out of Act. 17. 29. the Genus or kind of God to wit that hee is of the same kinde and nature that man is in respect not of his bodie but of his soule and indeede so hee is God is of a reasonable nature for â—ee hath knowledge wisedome and will 〈◊〉 which cannot haue place but in a reasoâ—able nature Now thisis but the genus of the definitioÌ„ for both men and Angels are reasonable natures and therefore you must adde the difference which distinguisheth God from al other reasonable natures but how can you make this infinitnesse to containe in it all the attributes of Gods nature I see not as yet and so you define God infinit reason or the infinit reasoble nature But I pray you proceed in declaring it and pardon my boldnesse in telling you my foolish opinion thus plainely Sch. It is not so easie for a man to doo right himselfe as it is to finde fault with an other as it may bee you will confesse anon when we chaunge places and you become the speaker and I the censurer I know that definitions should consist of one generall notion not of diuers particular instances yea I could haue done thus much my selfe for it is nothing but vpon yourmotion and request I tooke that other course which if it be rude and voyd of art blame your selfe who were the procurer of it yea I did meane to bring at length the proper and true definition void of all metaphoricall similitudes as namely that God is as you say infinit reason or râ—ther an infinit vnderstanding the which is tâ—â— fittest definition of him that I can now think of Yet surely for my owne part I doo not so much trust my owne wit in conceiuing aright of the nature of God but that I should bee glad in learning it to haue the helpe of a type or particular example to direct me But in one thing you do me manifest wrong in that you say that I make a monster of the diuine nature compounding it of the Angelical humane and elementarie natures I dare warrant you that the differeÌ„ce which was broght to wit infinitenesse being put to the definitions or to the aforesaid natures will so purge them that there shall not be one dramme of the drosse of any created nature left in them Yea try it when you will and you shall finde it to bee the right Philosophers stone which turneth all mettalles into golde and that one dramme of it being put not onely to an Angell or to a whole element but euen to the least flye in the world or the least mote in the Sunne is of force to make it true and very god For first it maketh it to bee the primary and authenticall nature or if this word import generatioÌ„ to the eare of a curious grammatist the first essence deriued from none other for then it was contained in that other and then it was finite for the thing containing is the limit and bounds of that which is contained Secondly this infinitnesse maketh it to be but one because there cannot be two infinits for wher there are two there is diuision of y e one froÌ„ the other where there is diuision there is the end of the one and the beginning of an other and so no infinit Thirdly infinitnes maketh the subiect to be immateriall and incorporeall for no matter or bodie can be infinit for a bodie is of necessitie contained and circumscribed by a place but if it be contained then it is not infinit whereof it followeth that the infinit thing being without matter is also without passion for sola materia patitur and so it be commeth also immutable for there can be no change without passion Fourthly infinitnesse maketh a thing to bee immooueable for whatsoeuer mooueth hath terminos a quo ad queâ— that is it mooueth hither and thither but in infiniâ—o non sunt termini And lastly the infinite thing is simple voyde of all manner of composition for in composition there is diuision and qualitie and so by consequent there are limits And thus we are to thinke of the diuine nature that although it be of the kind of reasonable natures as some creatures are yet in that it onely is infinit it is sufficiently distinguished from them all and is made first primarie or authenticall without cause or beginning but existing absolutely in himselfe and of himselfe Yea as he is himselfe without cause or beginning so hee is to all the other things the cause and beginning hee is the roote and fountaine from the which all natures and beings do spring and proceed comming from him yet not diminishing him hauing all their essence but no part of his essence from him For this also is a proper effect of the infinite to be the originall of all things the which if they came from any finite thing they should at length draw it drie and so the nature or beeing of all the things in the world should perish or beeing preserued by mutuall transinutation yet they want an omnipotent agent to begin
them For by the confession of all men the first creation of the world requireth a power not limited but infinit for that it is impossible to any finite power to create that is to make something of nothing if the power be infinit the subiect wherein it is must be of the same nature Again God is one and but one because he is God to wit that infint nature which is sufficient of it self to occupie fill ten thousand wordls neither can abide to be iustled by a pewfellow but must sit and raigne alone this point of doctrine the whole world euen the Iewes and Turkes do hold abhorring all sound or shew of any pluralitie of Gods Again God is immateriall and incorporeall not existing as we do in earthly and corruptible bodies or as the Angels doo in some more pure solide and firme subiects which may in some sense bee called bodies or in the most subtile and pure matter that can be imagined but as a pure actuall and substantiall forme subsisting of it selfe And therefore we are interpreting euery doubtfull thing in the best sense to thinke that Tertullian giuing a body not onely to the Angels but euen to God himselfe ment him to be not a phantasticall imagination or an accidentall qualitie of some other thing but a true real substantiall and essentiall nature subsisting as truly and really as doth a body which we see and feele Otherwise by giuing God a body we take from him his infinitnesse so his diuine nature making him locall mutable and mooueable The which are in no case to bee admitted for God is not contained in any place but containeth in himselfe all places bodies and natures whatsoeuer 1 King 8. 27. How shall God dwell in this house when as the heauen of heauens cannot containe and comprehend him Neither is he subiect to mutation passion or alteration as he should of necessitie bee if hee were materiall but is the same this day and yesterday now and for euer Lastly we are not to admit motion in the diuine nature for that in motion there is a possibilitie of good or some degree of perfection which is not yet in act nor attained vnto and so there would be imperfection in God but the diuine nature is not in any mouing possibilitie tending to any other state but is euer in complete act and in absolute perfection and resteth and remaineth in it selfe without motion far more firme and stedfast then is any Rocke in the sea or the earth or whatsoeuer can be imagined most immooueable moouing all things yet hee himselfe resting for all things tend to him but he to nothing Lastly the diuine nature is most simple and vniforme all alike throughout all voyde of all mixture composition combination diuision or dissimilitude It is not compounded of matter and forme for it is a forme needing no matter wherewith to be vpheld or wherein to exist but vpholdeth it selfe and subsisteth in it selfe In it there is not cause and effect for it is an efficient without an effect and of that which is no effect euen of it selfe It is a totum a whole without parts for it is euery where the same and like it self or rather it selfe and therefore cannot bee diuersely diuided or distinguished into parts and if our finite cogitations must needs make him haue parts conceiue him by peecemeale and parts because wee cannot take the whole then must wee needes make euery part to bee the whole and lastly it is a substance without accidents for nothing can either accidere or accedere to that which already is all and infinit neither doth it as other substances do extenuate it selfe into accidentall qualities but whatsoeuer it sendeth foorth from it selfe or rather to it selfe for from it selfe it cannot go that is it selfe not any way extenuated but remaining in the same plight which it had before CHAP. III. Of the faculties of mans soule attributed to God Sect. 1. Gent. HItherto you had my cōpany and I was glad of yours but since you entered into the handling of this infinitnes which you make the difference of the diuine nature distinguishing it from other reasonable natures you haue flowen so cleane out of my sight that I haue no hope of ourtaking you For if you thus exempt Gods nature from all logicall relation of substance and accident of subiect adiunct of essence and attributes by the which distinction it is as you know vsually declared and laid opē you will take away all meanes eyther of teaching or of learning and conceiuing it Sch. You mistake my meaning which was not to exempt God from all logicall relation and the groundes and rules of reason without the which I confesse that neither the diuine nor any other nature can bee either declared or learned or in truth exist in it selfe For reason and logicke which is the act and operation of reason stretch themselues ouer all things that exist howsoeuer they exist whether finitely or infinitely although in vs it cannot fully comprehend that which is infinite yea and a little further too euen to those things which doo not exist As for the diuine nature it is as hath bene said an essentiall and infinite reason or vnderstanding euen the fonndation and fountaine of all reason and therefore wee cannot thinke that it should abolish or destroy reason for so it should destroy it self but rather are to acknowledge that it doth establish it and agree vnto it Indeede the grounds and principles of naturall Philosophie as they haue bene laid downe by heathen Philosophers who hauing little or no knowledge of God had the more leisure to looke into naturall things doo fight with the grounds of diuinitie and by not admitting any actuall infinite do destroy the nature of god as in other points we know that the best Philosopher that euer was was but a sory diuine yet we may not in any wise thinke that reason and diuinitie doo iarre or crosse each one the other the which indeede are both one in effect and therefore neither I nor any other vnlesse he be voyde both of naturall also of artificial logick can doubt or denie that God hath substance essence nature forme yea his proper attributes and effects and the distinction of essence and attributes which all Diuines make in handling the nature of god is good true They deny indeed that there are any accidents in God and say that whatsoeuer is in God is the essence of God but then they meane by accidents separable and mutable qualities and by essence essentiall and inseparable properties So there are no accidents in God as in a man or an Angell are knowledge wisedome puritie holinesse strength and happinesse which are no part of their nature or essence nor yet essentiall properties for they may be remoued and separated from their subiects as we know that many both men and angels are ignorant foolish wicked vile weak and miserable but nothing that is in
of God Sch. Surely euen that that followeth the vnderstanding in the nature of man from the which we borrow al these attributes as types and similitudes of the nature of God and so we do after a sort put our own coat on Gods backe or rather put our whole nature both the body and especially the soule vppon his diuine nature as he himselfe did in the incarnation of Christ that so we may see know that which otherwise and of it selfe is inuisible and not to be knowen and therefore as in the humane so also in the diuine nature we must to the vnderstanding ioyne the facultie of will the which cannot possibly be seuered from an vnderstanding for that there is no vnderstanding which if it be not actuall or in complete act of it owne nature and eternally as is the vnderstanding of God yet it is potentially actual that is it tendeth to action whereof this facultie of will is the fountaine and beginning Gent. Nay surely you need go no further in declaring what is the wil or any other thing in the essence of God if it bee so as you say that these attributes are not truly in God but onely resemblances and shadowes of his nature Belike we haue al this while bin conserring about moonshine in water striuing about shadowes altogâ—ther voide of the substance of trueth I did verely thinke that the vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome whereof you haue spoken had beene truly really in god and not only shadowes of his vnknowne nature I may well vse the similitude of the Prophet and compare my selfe to a man who beeing hungrie and thirstie dreameth that he eateth and drinketh according to his owne appetite but awaking on a suddaine hee findeth himselfe drie and emptie so I did all this while imagine that you did feed and in trueth euen fill my hungrie and thirstie soule with the knowledge of God the which I do farre more earnestly and greedely desire theÌ„ euer I did meat or drinke and behold on a suddaine you awaken mee out of this pleasant dreame and tell me that all is nothing but mere imaginations Sch. You take mee at the worst and farre woorse then you should do I haue not fedde you with winde or vaine dreames as you inferre of my words but the trueth is this The nature of God is so vnsearchable and so faare aboue the reache of any created wit that when we haue come as neare it as we can and haue to our thinking gotten some hold of it yet the very remembrance of ourowne weaknesse in comparison of the infinitnesse of it makes to vs to distrust and suspect our selues as beeing deceiued with a false conceit of that which cannot possibly bee truly conceiued comprehended here of it commeth that although we be verily perswaded that understanding knowledge wisdome are in God not onely truly and really but also most properly as in the naturall subiect or rather substantially without any subiect but being to themselues an vpholding subiect yet we doubting the worst and thinking that the diuine nature is something more and more excellent then an infinit vnderstanding although in truth there cannot bee any nature more excellent then an vnderstanding or a resonable nature nor any thing more then that which is infinit and also thinking that for so much as these things to wit vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome haue place in the nature of man whom we see and feele to be a most weake and silly creature that therefore they cannot be truly in the nature of God hereof it commeth that wee rather call them the attributes or resemblances of his nature then his very essence or nature it selfe the which in trueth they are Gent. That is an other matter but then we must not foster in our selues this vaine feare and doubting to affirmi him to bee that which we learne and know out of his word that he is indeed but rather boldly without any wauering or doubting affirme him to be that he is knowing most certainly that wee are not deceiued and if we be deceiued that then God himselfe hath deceiued vs with whom it is better to erre then to holde the trueth in our owne conceits But I cannot but laugh to my selfe when I thinke of one thing that you said that wee doubted least that vnderstanding knowledge and wisedome were not truly in God because they are truly in the nature of man whereas you should haue inferred the cleane contrarie to wit that wee know assuredly that God is an vnderstanding or reasonable nature because man who is reasonable is the image of similitude of God yea and made for this end to shew represent to vs the nature of god but how I pray you can a reasonable nature bee an image or similitude of that which is not reasonable Now proceed I pray you and shewe me how and what you make will to be in God Sch. Will is very fitly and truly yea essentially giuen to God for as in the soule of man will is not an accidentall qualitie which may be spared without the diminishing or abolishing of the subiect as may knowledge or wisedome but an essentiall facultie issuing properly and immediately out of the vnderstanding and cleaning inseparably vnto it for that it is impossible that the conceits receiued into the mind should rest ydly there and not tebound backe againe into action euen as the beames of the sunne lighting vppon a solide bodie cannot but reflect and so make heate so we are to thinke that the essentiall vnderstanding of God doth naturally necessarely and eternally bring foorth the essentiall will of God the which may bee defined the essential act of his vnderstanding the fountaine and beginning of all his actions which are simply good Sect. 5. Gent. HOw doo you make the will of God to bee the beginning of all the actions of God Sch. Euen as it is in all other things which haue will the which is of this nature that in what subiect soeuer it be it will there dominere and haue the sole and supreme authoritie of doing all things and therefore may truly be called Primus motor the first mouer and beginning of all actions for euery thing that hath wil doth that onely or at the least tendeth to the doing of it wich it willeth As for the vnderstanding althogh it be in order nature before y t will yet it is not said to be the beginning of actioÌ„ because it onely moueth perswadeth and directeth but doth not inforce or compell for as wee vsually say counsel is no commaund whereof it commeth that although in God there be no such disagreement yet in y e creatures it doth ofâ—eÌ„ come to passe that the will reiecteth the counsell and direction which the minde giueth and worketh without or against reason according to the owne inclination But the will is followed and obeyed by the actions in all things possible euen as the commaundements of a soueraigne Monarche
from some supernaturall power whereof we haue of late had euident examples to the astonishment of all men And if your Atheist wil not beleeue his owne eyes beholding the strange iudgemeÌ„ts of God in others but will rather giue his owne sences the lye then acknowledge the truth of the Godhead let him but by some iniurious deed or coÌ„tumelious word prouoke some witch of Endor that hath the temporary power ouer some spirit vpon condition that he shall haue eternall power ouer her and it is like inough he being voyd of all faith and sence of God so out of his protection that he shall feele to his cost and confesse to his shame that there is a power ouer and beside the ordinary course of nature Gent. Indeed these Atheists that denie God do also denie that there is eyther diuel or Angel I think will confesse them all assoone as any one Sch. And they that will not bee taught by God must will they nill they learne of the diuel who in my mind is the fittest schoole-maister for such schollers CHAP. 2. What God is or of the essence of God Sect. 1. Gent. YOu haue so fully resolued me and setled my minde in this poynt that â— trust neuer hereafter to bee troubled with the obiections which Athists make against the diuine essence especially if that I might by any meanes haue the nature of God declared and described as it is indeed For this is the cause why men are so easily brought to doubt of the being and existence of God because they cannot conceiue or comprehend the manner or forme of his essence nor haue any true notion of it setled and fixed in their mindes whereby it commeth to passe that the imagination of maÌ„ casting god in a thousaÌ„d moules turning him into as many diuerse formes as Proteus is fained to haue neuer resting conteÌ„ted with any as neuer finding any garment that will sit close on his backe or any forme agreeing to the infinitnesse subtilitie of his essence reiecteth all and with all euen the diuine nature it selfe supposing it not at all to exist which they cannot suppose how it doth exist And therefore if I may entreate you to take the like paines in shewing the manner and forme of Gods essence which you haue done in proouing the truth and certaintie of his existence you shall make me much beholden and indebted to you Sch. Indeed it is impossible as for you to keepe that which you neuer had so for me either to declare that to you in words which I my selfe did neuer conceiue in minde or to comprehend that within the compasse of my narrow and shallow braine which is in nature infinit and incomprehensible for so we are to thinke of God that his nature and essence being euery way infinit cannot possibly be comprehended by any finite creature no not by the heauenly Angels themselues whose nature being subtile and spiritual doth easily pierce into the depth of knowledge how much lesse then by men who in comparison of Angels are but dolts and dul-pates groueling here on earth in the mudde and myre of error and grosse ignorance vnable by any art or industrie to finde out the true nature forme and vertue of the meanest creatures no not of the least Flie or Gnat how much lesse then of the mightie Iehoua whose seate is in the heauen and whose footestoole is the earth But what need I alledge the impossibilitie of comprehending fully in our finit mindes and memories the infinit essence of God it beeing impossible for vs to commence or begin this action by receiuing into our imaginations or fancies any true conceit of him Things subiect to sense are conceited in the minde by a resemblance or similitude of them which the sense doth draw from the things themselues But as for things not subiect to sense of the which nature all men confesse God to be how shall they conuey and send to the imagination their picture and resemblance surely they cannot doo it themselues but must substitute in their roomes that sensible thing which is likest vnto them to represent their person as if a man that is far absent should will the Painter to draw his picture and counterfait by beholding the visage of his sonne or brother being not much vnlike vnto him But what creature shall â—it in Gods chayre of estate and represent his person to our imaginations and mindes Whereunto shall wee compare or liken Whereunto shall we compare or liken God or how can we not thinke it to be vnlawfull and flatly forbidden by the law of God to resemble him to any thing eyther in or within heauen or to frame any Image or similitude of him eyther by outward action in deed or by inward imaginatioÌ„n in our mindes Thus God perswadeth the people of Israel from making any Image wherein to worship him because they had not seene him in any forme and therefore could not tell after what fashion the Image should bee made Deut. 4. 15. Besides it may be doubted whether it be lawfull or not to attempt the searching and finding out of the nature and essence of God which wee haue not in the scriptures reuealed vnto vs. We know that God in reuealing himselfe to men hath reserued some things secret to himselfe the which it is his glory to conceale Prou. 25. 2. and therefore his dishonour to haue them knowne Deuter. 29. 29. Let the hidden things be with the Lord our GOD and the reuealed things to vs and to our children for euer But what can bee hidden or secret in GOD if his very forme and essence bee reuealed And therefore we ought to bee rather sober and modest then hotte and hastie in pursuing the knowledge of the diuine essence It is sufficient for vs that we may enter into the Temple and Church of God and there behold his mercie and goodnesse yea his power and iustice toward the wicked what need we be so presumptuous as with the meÌ„e of Bethsemes to look into the aâ—ke of the Lord 1. Sam. 6. 19. or to enter into the holy of holiest or how dare we set eyther foot or face into that place which the Lord hath inclosed with glory and made seuerall for his owne abode and there to behold or rather to outface the Maiestie of God sitting in his Cherubin chaire of estate the which the Angels themselues neither can not yet dare behold and therefore with their wings couer their faces least that they seeing it should be confounded as ouerwhelmed with the greatnesse of his glory And therfore for this mâ—tter I must desire you to hold me excused if I do not take vpon me to declare vnto you the essence of God the knowledge whereof I am sure it is impossible to attaine and I doubt whether it be lawfull to attempt Gent. You put me into a straunge maze and quandary in that you would maâ—e me beleeue that I had committed som hainous offence in desiring
glimse of the truth is to be esteemed knowledge Sect. 5. Gent. I Thanke you for this paines which you haue taken in vnfolding this deepe and darke poynt of religion the ground of all the rest Indeede I confesse that as hee that goeth vppe to the toppe of the highest mountain in the world may farre better see and consider the whole course and order of the starres and heauens then hee that lieth in the low valley hauing his sight hindered by trees hils cloudes and other impediments so he that hath his cogitations fixed on the celestiall Angels the highest and excellentest of all creatures may in them behold the diuine nature more clearly then he that looketh onely vpon man and other earthly creatures in whom although there bee some resemblance of God yet the grossenesse corruption and mortalitie of their bodies beeing betweene our sight and the image of God in them doth hinder vs from the cleare and plaine beholding of it Yet for so much as fewe can clime vp to the toppe of this high hil for that fewe off vs that are vnlearned are so well acquainted with the angelicall nature as to haue any certaine idea or notion of it setled in our mindes I doubt that his demonstration of the diuine nature by the angelicall which indeed and to those that are learned is the most fit and direct that can be imagined will to vs who for the most part either doubt whether there bee any such thing as an Angel in the world or if we beleeue the scripture telling vs that there are such spiritual creatures yet we know no further of them theÌ„ as we haue seen them painted on signes with a paire of wings will seem obscurum per obscurum if not per obscurius for that it will be as hard for theÌ„ to suppose what an Angell is as what God is And therefore mee thinkes I could wish that the diuine nature could be declared and shadowed out vnto vs by some other nature better known more familiar vnto vs. Sch. It were dangerous as that which might be an occasion of idolatrie vnto vs to take so great libertie in imagining the nature of God as to resemble him to any visible thing neither were it agreeable to the nature of God who is inuisible we know that of all bodely creatures there is none by nature inuisible saue onely the ayre And surely if we must needs in respect of the vulgar capacitie or rather dulnesse want of vnderstanding haue some familiar and easie example resemblance of the diuine nature in my mind there is no elementarie creature so fit for this purpose as is this which wee haue light on For first as no man doubteth but that this element of y e ayre doth truly substantially exist although it cannot possibly be seene no more are we to doubt but that God doth most certainly exist al though he caÌ„not possibly be visibly seen Thus doth Christ Ioh. 3. 8. by the inuisibilitie of the winde teach Nicodemus the secrecie of the spirit of God The wind bloweth whither it listeth thou hearest the sound of it but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth euen so is euery one that is borne of the spirit or so secret is the operation of Gods spirit in reneuing men And without question it is the safer and the better course whensoeuer we thinke of God and therfore must of necessitie coin in our minds some idea or forme of him to resemble him to this inuisible bodie then to any beast or man to the sunne moone starres or any other visible creature Againe this element doth the which neither Angell man beast nor any other creature can very notably represent vnto vs the vbiquitie of God for it is euery where in euery open place secret corner in the towne in the fields and in the widest deserts in the bowels of the earth and in the bottome of the sea within without vs yea inseparably closing and compassing vs about So that if we doo but stretch this element vp to the heauens supposing them to be made of this matter as sure the matter of theÌ„ is not much vnlike neither can we more probably compare it to any thing then to a pure and firme kind of ayre so in imagination aboue the highest heauens although in truth there be there neither ayre bodie nor place we shall truly plainly conceiue of the vbiquitie of god A point of doctrine very needneedfull to be plainly declared truly learned for that most men doo greatly and in truth very grossely erre in it by tying god to one certaine place and shutting him vp in heauen as it were a Bee in a Box for that the Scripture doth often assigne vnto him that place not meaning that he in essence is there more theÌ„ in this inferior world but that there his glorie and maiestie do mote clearly shine From this foule error another farre woorse doth spring for by this meanes they exclude both God and his prouidence out of the world cast off all feare â—offending him whom they thinke to be faâ—â—â—â—sent by the wals doores and windowes of their closets and chambers kept from seeing or knowing their doings whereas on the other side if they were perswaded of his vbiquitie presence in all places that he doth immediately compasse them about as doth the aire sitteth as closely to them as their shirts doo to their backes yea that he hath place euen in their minds and hearts as certainly as they do continually drawe the ayre into their brains and bodies it could not bee but that they should continually stand in awe of him So then to let passe without any inlarging diuers other respects in the which this Element doth not vnfitly represent vnto vs some properties and attributes of the diuine nature as that it is most mightie making the verie earth to shake and rocking it too and fro like a little childe in a cradle that it is most subtile pearcing into euery place and passing through the least cracke and narrowest crannie or chinke that it is the beginning of things if we thinke as some Philosophers haue done that it is the first matter whereof being thickned and compacted togither the water and other things were made that it is the preseruer of our life for that without it we caÌ„not continue any space but do presently perish so that we may truly say of it as the Apostle saith of the diuine nature Act. 17. 28. In it we liue we mooue and haue our beeing But to let these things passe thus briefly if wee suppose a thousand worlds one aboue another all of them replenished with thiâ— primarie pure simple subtile pearching inuisible yea insensible for of it selfe not affected or distempered by any accidentall qualitie it is neither seene heard tasted smelt nor felt this mightie large vniuersal creature we shall haue a pretie patterne and resemblance of the infinitnesse
vbiquitie inuisibilitie pure simplicitie and pearcing subtiltie of the diuine nature for as I haue often told you we doo not make any comparison betweene this or any other creature and God the Creator but onely a resemblance which may bee where there is no shewe of equalitie As in this instance the ayre is to our sence and capacitie and in respect of other creatures subtile simple pearching insensible mightie large and vniuersall but in comparison of the diuine nature it is more grosse confused blunt palpable weake narrowe and wanting then can bee said And therefore in resembling God in word or in imagination either to Angels or to the ayre wee must remember to adde the difference for otherwise wee commit grosse and hainous idolatrie For there is no creature in the world which howsoeuer it be perfect in the owne nature yet if it be vsed as a resemblance of God will not bee found wanting in many respects Man is indeed the image of God yet he is too little and weak to fill his chaire of estate yea indeede too grosse for that purpose how soeuer it hath pleased Gnd sometimes to reueale himselfe to Moses Daniell Esay Exechiell and other of his Prophets in the likenesse of a man for some respect and signification The Angels are not litle weake and grosse as man is yet before we can make them a fit type of God me must stretch them far beyond their owne compasse euen throughout the whole world The aire is large and vniuersal but it wanteth life sence and an internall beginning of motion howsoeuer it moue as nimbly as if it had a thousand liues annd therefore to make it a fit resemblance of God wee must inspire it with life or rather if we thinke that life is not properly attributed to God with reason and vnderstanding the which without question doth most properly and essentially belong to God And so we may for the weake capacitie of the vnlearned describe God supposing him to bee a reasonable element of aire as before to the vnderstanding of the learned wee made him to bee an infinit Angell Thus to make vp and finish this patterne and picture of God we are constrained to imitate Apelles that famous Painter who going about and enterprising by the curiositie of his art and cunning to counterfaite yea to surpasse the perfection of naturall bewtie would not insist in any one particular but out of diuerse persons made choise of that which in each one of them seemed most excellent taking from one the complection and colour of the eye and haire from an other the forme and straightnesse of the nose from the third the breadth and largenesse of the forehead so forth in all the other parts of the visage vntill at length with much ado he got togither into one face or countenance an exquisit and absolute idea of bewtie In like manner we are not to thinke that any one creature is able to affoord sufficient matter whereof to make this infinite Image that doth fill both heauen and earth or that the shop of any creature how excellent so euer hath sufficient varietie of colours wherewith to set it forth as the dignitie of it doth require it is well if that all the perfections of all the creatures in the world brought togither into one picture do make but a resonable resemblance of him Gent. Indeed I must needs confesse that you haue now fitted me a penney worth serued me in my kinde and as I cannot truly call my selfe either learned or altogithe vnlearned for I went long to the Grammer schoole and I was a yeare or two at the Vniuersitie before I went to the Innes of Court but rather a mungrell betwixt both so now I may chuse of whether side and sect I wll be and so worship either the ayre with the common people or with the learned your asspiring Lucifer climbing vp to the throne of god Yet by your patieÌ„ce as touching your ayerie god although I confesse that element to bee fitter then any other of these elementarie bodies yet me thinks y e the element of the fire wold haue serued your turne better considering that it is both far larger as beeing higher as also farre more subtile and simple more piercing and forceable then is the misty and fogayre as all men know and confesse Neither can you take exception against the visibilitie of it as you make it very dangerous and a great occasion of Idolatry to resemble God to any visible thing for although our fyre here below being composed of all the other elements bee visible and sensible yet the element of fire as it is in the proper place and sphere we see to be inuisible Sch. The same reason that would not suffer you to rest contented in the similitude of the Angels because as you say truly their nature is greatly doubted of among the ignorant people and in a manner vnknowne to the wisest and therefore it being darke and obscure in it selfe is not fit to giue light to any other thing so I say of your fierie element that although the Philosophers prooue by good reasons that howsoeuer it wete neuer seene yet there is some such thing truly existing for that otherwise there cannot bee that perfect quaternitie and correspondency of primarie qualities which is needfull in the mixture of these inferiour bodies yet for as much as it is not so certain but that some who thought themselues to be Philosophers haue doubted of it and much more the common people who do not weigh reasons nor admit any other euidences for the proofe of the true and lawfull tytles of assertions saue onely their owne sences I thought that I should fit your humour and fulfill your request which was to haue a plaine and popular demonstration of the nature of God not so well by this vnknowne and insensible element of fire as with that other of the aire with the which as with a daily companion and friend that will not be kept out a dores nor yet out from our hearts we are so familiarly and so entirely acquainted Sect. 6. THere I confesse you haue aunswered me to the full and giuen me as good as I brought yet seeing I haue begun to picke a quarrell with these discourses and definitions of the diuine nature so litle learning as I haue I doubt not but that I could find a fault in them that you should not wipe away so easily as you haue done this but I dare not be so bold with you Sch. I will be so far from thinking it boldnesse that I shall thinke my selfe much beholden to you for so doing yea it is a thing which both I may and do challenge of you and you are bound by promise to performe for I did not take vppon mee to deliuer the whole truth of this doctrine as it were to speake vndoubted oracles but rather in hope that by our mutuall helping one another where eyther of vs should chauncâ—
illocall simple one and omnipotent Gent. Now I do perceiue your meaning neither will I gainesay it or deny but that God is to be thought to be an vnderstanding nature or essence and that infinit hauing the aforesaid attributes belonging vnto it But whether shall the vnderstanding or the infinitnesse of God haue the first place assigned vnto it Sch. These two can no more be seuered then can the fire and heate neither is the one before the other in time nature or beeing both existing togither eternally yet in the order of logicall relations and respects as god is an essence before hee is an vnderstanding essence so is he an vnderstanding or reasonable nature before he is infinit Neither are we to thinke that the essence of God consisteth simply in infinitnesse but in an vnderstanding or if any other thing can bee named which commeth nearer to the essence of God in some other thing that is infinit for the essence of God is not priuatiue onely but most truly and properly positiue Sect. 2. Gent. YOu haue satisfied me fully and I thanke you heartily for your paines in explaining vnto mee that poynt of religion which of all other I haue alwaies desired to hauesom insight into nether do I know what now to desire of you vnlesse it please you to go on in the particular explication of these attributes of the diuine nature and to beginne with the vnderstanding which you make not an attribute bur rather the very essence of God or at the least that which commeth nearer vnto it then any other thing doth that we know Sch. Indeed the first place in the treatise of Gods nature is woorthily assigned to his knowledge or rather to his essentiall vnderstanding the which must either bee made Gods essence or else wee must confesse that we knowe not what itis or wherein it doth consist but to declare the true nature manner of it is as farre aboue my reach as the heauen is aboue my head Yet some little knowledge of it the scripture doth affoord vs to this effect that the knowledge reason or vnderstaÌ„ding of god is his infinit essence knowing all things actually alwaies Gent. Doo you make the knowledge and the vnderstanding of God to be all one or is there some difference betwixt them Sch. I doo meane but one thing by them both to wit that part for so I may speak tho improperly of Gods essence which in order hath the first place and I thought it best to vse diuers words to signifie one thing for plainesse and the greater euidence of the matter for the one to wit knowledge is the more vsuall terme and yet the other seemeth to be the more proper and significant For as in a man or Angel knowledge is one thing euen a separable or accidental qualitie which is often wanting as wee see in many men who are in a manner altogither destitute of knowledge and the minde vnderstanding or reasonable soule another thing to wit the very essentiall forme so in God we may say that the same thing is both his vnderstaÌ„ding as it subsisteth in it selfe and also his knowledge as it hath relation to other things namely to the creatures and so knoledge as it is in the creature a separable or accidentall qualitie so in God in whom there is no mutation it is an essentiall attribute arising from his vnderstanding which is his essence For if the world had neuer beene made nor to haue beene made wee could not in proper speech haue saide that God had the knoweledge of it for so he shuld haue known that which was not but that cannot be for things which neuer exist are neuer knowne in particular howsoeuer they might and should haue beene knowne in abstract and generall notions So that the knowledge of God properly taken precisely distinguished from his vnderstanding is his vnderstaÌ„ding actuated or broght into act yet not so large as is his vnderstanding which is infinit wheras gods knowledge of the world or of the creatures neyther is nor can bee infinit for that God neyther hath alreadie created infinite particulars neyther yet in trueth can doo it because so there should bee two infinits one created or made and the other the maker of it for howsoeuer to our weake vnderstanstandings not onely all the particulars which haue happened or shall happen in the world but euen a asmall part or portion of them seeme infinit yet to God they altogither are finite and numerable Gent. You seem to make the knowledge of God to be his vnderstanding not as it is subsisteth in it selfe but as it is actuated and hath relation to the things that are knowne But by this meanes you incurre two great inconueniences first in making it finite the which you confesse although in my minde it is not to bee admitted for all Diuines make the knowledge of God infinit and secondly in making it to bee accidentall and not of absolute necessitâ— in God This will plainly followe if the knowledge of God be limitted to the things in the world which are knowne for although it was necessary that the world should be created God hauing so decreed yet this necessitie is not absolute because God might haue existed though hee had neuer made the world and then hee should haue wanted this knowledge of things because the thinges themselues were wanting This supposall is not altogither vainâ— and friuilous for God as hee did exist without the world before the creation of it so wee cannot doubt but that hee might haue done so still and for euer otherwise wee should fall into that grosse absurditie of some Philosophers who to make the world eternall make it essentiall to God and to follow him as necessarely inseparably and as wee say as hard at heeles as the shadow doth the body the which I doubt not but you condemne as most absurd We are rather in my mind so others also thinke and write to acknowledge not oneâ—y the vnderstanding but euen the knowledge of God to be infinit in that it stretcheth it selfe not onely to the creatures but euen to God himselfe whereof it will followe that it is both infinit for whatsoeuer knoweth and comprehendeth that which is infinit is it selfe infinite and also essentiall to God because it is not onely eternall as is the knowledge of the creatures in God although it bee not of absolute necessitie but also absolutely necessary because it cannot bee supposed that God could exist without the knowledge of himselfe Yet I will not wholly reiect or deny this destinction which you make of the vnderstanding of God from his knowledge for although of all Gods attributes his knowledge doth most properly and immediately flow from his vnderstanding yet me thinkes that there is a difference to bee put betwixt God and his knowledge as well as betwixt God and his power yet for so much as through ignorance of Gods true forme wee are not able to declare the nature of
within the compasse of his kingdome are put in execution by loyal subiects without any resistance And indeed will may very fitly be it compared to an absolute mightie Monarche for that it cannot either be controled coÌ„manded or compelled by any superior power without it selfe or yet resisted by any inferiour within his owne dominions it being impossible euen to God himself to inforce or constraine the will of the least of his creatures He may indeed abolish destroy al the wils and all the creatures in the world or enforce theÌ„ by outward violence to whatsoeuer pleaseth him yea he may as hee doth in regeneration by changing inlightning y e minde make that the will shall incline it selfe to that which it did before abhor yet he caÌ„not compel any thing to be willing it being of it selfe vnwilling Wherof it coÌ„meth that this soueraigne monarche harh place in those creaturs only which are intire absolute in theÌ„selues not depending vpoÌ„ any other without it self-whatsoeuer for abilitie of motion action And therfore trees which haue not in themselues sufficient power of natural heat wherby to mooue theÌ„selues at their own pleasure but do depeÌ„d vpoÌ„ the sun by whose heat they are helped caÌ„not be said to haue will But as for those things which do perfectly liue and mooue as do all things which haue life and soule for they do as freely mooue or rest and performe any naturall action as any man or gell Gent. I like wel that youmake the wil of god the first beginning of al his actios but to make this coÌ„mon vnto the creaturs as if they wer so absolute that they did not nor neded to depeÌ„d on god me thinks it is harsh and soundeth somewhat to the disgrace of God to whom me thinkes you should not deny this royall prerogatiue that his will should bee the first moouer and beginning not onely of his owne actions but also of all the actions of all the creatures rather then to make euery liuing creature as it were a priuiledged place exempted froÌ„ his iurisdiction Sch. Wee are rather to account it to bee a great praise and glorie to God that as hee himselfe is most perfect so he is able to make other things also not onely imperfect as some of the creatures to wit those which waÌ„t sence may bee called although they also be perfect in their kindes but also perfect and absolute in themselues able to mooue themselues within the compasse of their naturall power when and as it pleaseth themselues without any outward helpe whatsoeuer Let vs suppose for wee may reade of such a matter that some cunning Mathematican made a doue of wood or some such matter which could flie out and returne to him home againe should hee thinke it a disgrace vnto him that this doue needed not his helpe or that hee should carrie it abroad when as it could flie of it selfe and not rather thinke it a matter of incomparable praise that hee could make such an absolute and admirable peece of worke yes surely for the perfection and absolutenesse of the worke doth not detract but addeth to the praise of the workman as no doubt but that it is a great glorie to God that all the creatures in the world mooue preserue and increase themselues by the sole means of that vertue strength which hee put into them in the beginning without any other supply or streÌ„gth althogh without question they do many waies both need feele his helping hand Yet hath not the creature hence any matter of boasting against god for that all that absolutenesse and perfection which it hath came not of it self but from God who as hee gaue it so hee is able to take it way and as hee made all the creatures of nothing so also to consume them all to nothing if it were his will Besides if wee did make the will of God the beginning and fountaine not onely of his own actions but also of the actions of the creatures wee should admit many inconueniences and absurdities for then all the enormities monstrous confusions sinnes which are in the world should bee ascribed and referred to God as to the fountain from the which they sprang Yea wee should fall into their heresie or rather extreame madnesse who imagine the whole world and all the creatures coÌ„tained in it to be the bodie of god god to be the soule of euery liuing thing theÌ„ the which nothing can be imagined more grosse and impious So then in this comparison of the will of God with the will of the creature we see in the first place that as God so also the perfect that is all liuing and moouing creatures haue their proper wils not onely distinct and diuers from the will of God but also free and absolute in themselues and exempted from being constrained or enforced by the authoritie or power of God yea it may be said truly if it can bee so â—aken and vnderstood that the will of the creature is no lesse free in the own kinde then is the wil of God for nothing can bee added to that which is in the highest degree Whereof it commeth that this freedome of will is alike in all things in the brute beast as in the reasonable man in men as in angels in the creature as in the creator yea si paruis componero magna liceret in the least flie or weakest worme as in the mightie God of heauen and earth Not that any creature hath so effectuall a will as God hath for there is no comparison between the power of God and of all the creatures in the world ioyned togither in one as a poore maÌ„ is not of so great abilitie as is a great Lord yet his freedome may bee as great The creature can doo nothing but it may will any thing against the will of god the mightiest creature is not free to doo what it list yet the weakest is free to do whatit list as can be imagined euen as the prisoner that lieth bound in chaines in the corner of a straight prison is as free in will as the king that sitteth on his throne Freedome therefore is so inseparable and essentiall a propertie of the will that it cannot possibly by any meanes or power whatso-soeuer be taken away eyther from the brutish the reasonable or the diuine will Will may be taken from the creature the creature out of the nature of things yet cannot freedome be taken froÌ„ the will for it wil follow it either existing or at the least desisting with it Lastly herein agree the wils of y e creature with the wil of God rhat all of theÌ„ whither created or vncreated tend incline to good not all to that which is in trueth good yet al to y â— which is in appearance good For as it is the nature of euery thing to preserue to delight it selfe so for that purpose it escheweth whatsoeuer seemeth euil and inclineth
maketh this doctrine of Gods hatred seem so strange and bee so harsh in your eares namely because hatred amongst men is so corrupt a thing bringing with it so many euils mischiefes But we must not measure God by man nor the one kinde of hatred by the other for God hateth first by detesting sinne and then by punishing the rebellion of him that hath committed it Gent. Belike you make this hatred onely the execution of iustice done by God as by a righteous iudge vpon malefactors or as by a soueraigne king vpon open rebelles and so a supposed hatred for that hee that inflicteth punishment seemeth to hate as it is 1. Cor. 4. 21. Shall I come to you with a rod or in loue and if it bee so me thinkes it were better to call it iustice then hatred the one word signifying a most corrupt the other a most commendable thing Sch. The outward and actuall manner of Gods hatred which is by doing euill to the sinfull person being in nothing disagreeing from the rule of iustice may not vnfitly bee so called yet we need not feare to ascribe hatred and detestation both of sin in generall and also of the particular persons polluted with it vnto God hee hauing so often in scripture taken them vnto himselfe Otherwise if wee take hatred as it is vsually in and among men then man is freed from all hatred of God both by the goodnesse of Gods nature the which can neyther will nor doo euill to his creatures but onely so farre forth as is needfull for the satisfying of his iustice and manifesting of his glorie and also by the basenesse of his owne nature and estate for what is man a worme rather then a man that god should hate the least spark of whose anger is of force to consume to nothing a thousand worlds Sect. 5 LIke vnto the aforesaid affectioÌ„s are pleasance anger the which also are often in scripture atributed to god yet in truth thee they haue no place in his nature but onely are as resemblances borrowed from man to declare the actions of God The former doth better agree and may more fitly bee attributed to God then the other for it is an essentiall thing in God to like or mislike as things are good or euill But as it is vsually taken for a suddaine temporarie contentment or rest of Gods will hauing beene before stirred vp and mooued to anger in this sense God cannot be properly said to be eyther pleased or appeased for hee was neuer displeased it being impossible that any thing proceeding froÌ„ any creature or indeed from himself shuld worke any change or alteration in him Likewise for anger thogh it be in infinit places of scripture aâ—tributed to God yet that he cannot by any meanes be prouoked vnto it Onely hereby is ment first for the nature of God that as he liketh and approoueth the obedience and puritie of the godly so hee misliketh the impuritie of the wicked as greatly as men doo those things whereat they are inflamed to anger which is a certaine signe of discontentment And secondly for the outward and sensible actions of God that hee vseth as great seueritie yet not passing y e limits of iustice as meÌ„ do being angrie who vsually are rather too rigorous and passe the boundes of moderation in this behalfe yea if we suppose the which wee need not it beeing so common a thing the most outragious blasphemies and horrible villanies which can be imagined to bee committed by men yet God is not thereby prouoked to anger or any whit chaunged otherwise then he was before He doth indeed abhorre sinne and punish sinners as they do deserue but not in choller or any violent passion but by the essentiall and eternall motion or rather immoueable act of his will so affected to these obiects as they doo eyther agree or disagree from his diuine nature and therfore this affection in God may more fitly be termed hatred it being so constant and inueterate to wit eternall not a sudden and momentanie anger Thus God saith Exod. 23. 10. Let me alone and I will be angry at this people and consume them that is I will consume them as if I were angry but if this affection of anger had bene truly stirred vp in God he would haue said I am angry not I will be angry Likewise for ioy sorrow these affections also are attributed to God in scripture yet no man is so simple as to thinke that they do belong to God in truth for nothing can happen to him eyther profitable or vnprofitable nothing eyther pleasant or vnpleasant or rather nothing but that which is not pleasant vnto him because nothing can bee done against his will But as for pittie and compassion which is a sorrow and greeuous sense of the miserie of an other that the scripture doth so earnestly ascribe to God and God in scripture so carefully challenge to himselfe as that wherein his cheefe glory doth consist that it may seeme very hard and not to bee admitted that such great matters should bee turned into shadowes and resemblances For so we reade Exod. 33. 19. That when as God would at the earnest sute of Moyses set forth himselfe and his nature in his greatest glory hee desineth himselfe by thiâ— one attribute saying I will make all my good to go before thee and I will proclame the name of the Lord before thee to wit I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie and I will shew compassion to whom I will shew compassion And without question if any humane affection may bee truly said to bee in God it is this of pittie the which of all other is most excellent and commendable proper to gentle noble and royall mindes as nothing is so base and sauage as is vnmercifulnesse and crueltie But the truth is that there are no manner of passions in God his nature beeing impassible onely by the pittie of God in scripture is ment that God as hee is infinitly and onely good yea the fountaine of all goodnesse so he is most prone and ready to impart and extend the same to all his creatures especially vnto those which being miserable doo stand in greatest need of his helpe and comfort This may be plainely seene in those iudiciall lawes which hee gaue to his people by Moses wherein it may worthely bee noted how carefull the Lord is for the helping and releeuing of all those which are any way distressed as namely the poore the widowe the orphane and the straunger that men should not onely take heede of iniurying them any way for saith he Exod. 22. 27 although thou bee cruell in oppressing thy poore brother yet I am pittifull and cannot abide it but will punish thee for it but also be carefull to releeue them with the crop and vintage of the seuenth yeare and by leauing them some gleanings in the yearely haruest by setting them free out of bondage at the seuenth
counsell and acquaintance as men doo some speciall and approoued friends Thus wee reade that Enoch walked with GOD that Moses did ordinarely talke and conferre with him face to face as one friende doth with an other thus he did as it were in sporte familiarly wrastle with Iacob and continually both accompany and assist him thus he was to Dauid as a Counseller to direct him in all his affaires and thus hee tooke Paul vppe to heauen and shewed him things not to be vttered But of all other most notable in this respect was Abraham called often in Scripture by the name or rather by the most honourable and glorious title of Gods friend as 2 Chro. 20. 7. Es 41. 8. Iames 2. 23. And in trueth so might hee well bee called for God did both make and keepe with him very solemnely all the lawes of true friendship For first hee made a couenant of perpetualloue with him and with his seed for euer calling Abraham Gods friend and himselfe Abrahams God Secondly hee did bestowe vpon him all his blessings both temporall and spirituall yea the greatest honour that could bee namely to bee as it were the foundation of his Church and chosen people and the first of the progenitours of Christ And lastly hee did impart to him his purposes and counsels in all things that did any way concerne him or might make for his good Yea wee reade that God was so carefull in the performance of this dutie for so it pleaseth God to binde himselfe in duties to men of friendshippe that beeing about to destroy those wicked Citties of Sodome and Gomorra he thought it needfull to impart the matter to his friend Abraham yea to haue his assent for the doing of it Thus it pleaseth God of his mercie and goodnesse to exalt wretched men to this highest degree of honour which indeed is so high as that the Angels in heauen do seldome attaine vnto it So that in this respect and in many other heretofore mentioned wee may well burst forth with the Prophet Psal 8. 5. And say what is man that thou that art the great God of heauen and earth shuldest remember him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest thus visit him Sect. 5. Gent. I Am thinking with my selfe what facultie there is in the soule of man not yet mentioned for if there bee any I doubt not considering the great likenesse betwixt the soule of man the nature of God in those faculties common to them both which you haue already handled but that it is ether truly belonging to God or at the least will giue occasion to consider something in his nature You know that men conceiue things by imagination and retaine them by memory are these faculties in God likewise conscience in man is a distinct facultie or rather an act of the mind and there are in him diuers affections as ioy and greefe and diuers vertues not as yet mentioned what are we to thinke of these things Sch. I hope you do not looke to heare at this time whatsoeuer might be said of the nature of God you are not now so desirous but if that were taken in hand you would bee as wearie of hearing ere it were halfe done if the cheefe matters be declared they will giue sufficient light whereby the rest may be perceiued and so by those which haue beene handled you may easely vnderstand the nature of the rest of those good affections and vertuous dispositions which are in scripture attributed to God So for the essentiall faculties of the soule you say very truly that they are most like to the diuine nature and euen a plaine and expresse Image of it yet this difference must be noted that whatsoeuer thing is in them that argueth weakenesse or suture possibilitie that hath not truly place in the diuine nature which is a perfect and complete act As in these particulars which you haue named imagination is but a possibilitie or meanes of knowledge but the knowledge of God hath beene said to bee eternall and actuall It is hard I confesse and euen impossible for vs to see or imagine how all the particulars in the world should exist actually in any vnderstanding from all eternitie but wee must not measure the infinitnesse of Gods vnderstanding by our shallow braines But as touching the question which you mooue of imagination and the meanes and manner of knowledge in God how the ideae or notions of things enter into his mind or rather how they exist eternally in it without any entering in or beginning first it must bee helde that although they exist eternally in GOD yet they are not essentiall to him that is so naturall and necessary as that without them he could nor exist as is the knowledge of himselfe and the idea of his owne nature yea all the rest of Gods essentiall attributes of all which if wee should detract but one from God wee shuld quite destroy and ouerthrow his whole nature and essence But the knowledge of the creatures is not of that kinde for God beeing in himselfe absolute and all sufficient might haue if it hadde so seemed good vnto him existed without euer eyther making or knowing any creature and therefore the knowledge of them in God must be thought to arise not from the absolute necessitie of his nature but from the free libertie of his will moouing yet eternally his vnderstanding to this actuall knowledge of the creatures Yea that as the knowledge oridea of his own nature is according to y â— order of nature not any difference of time first in the essentiall vnderstanding of God and then in his will so the knowledge or idea of the creatures hath his beginning not in the vnderstanding but in the will of God This difference we haue and see more plainely in our selues for as we haue some general notions engrauen in our mindes by nature it selfe and so in a maner both bred and borne with vs without any helpe of our wils so the knowledge of other things hath the beginning in the will disposing and inclining the minde to this or that knowledge as it seemeth best vnto it Secondly as touching this in a manner accidentall knowledge of God it must bee held that God hath it of himselfe and not by the means or from the creatures as we haue that by sence and imagination get the resemblances of things into our mindes the which way of knowledge if it were admitted to bee in God it would follow that his knowledge of the creature doth not go before but followeth after it and so is not the cause but rather an effect of it and not eternall but temporall whereas wee holde that the will and eternall foreknowledge of God are the cause of all things Gent. I haue heard it said that the diuine nature is as it were a Glasse wherein al things that do at any time exist in the world may be seene and knowne and that by the Saints and Angels in
same time for so the power of God should bee contrarie to it selfe And therefore if God by his power make the sunne to shine at any time hee cannot by his power make that it shall not shine at the very same time If he make maÌ„ free he caÌ„not make him bouÌ„d if hee giue him will he cannot compell him to be willing for so hee should not giue but take away will from him and so in all other instances it is impossible to God to make contradictories to bee true because he being perfect vnitie cannot bee contrarie to himselfe And if God cannot make any repugnancie in the nature of the creatures much lesse can hee doo it in his owne nature and therfore he cannot do any thing coÌ„trarie vnto it as namely to iustifie a wicked man or to condemne the righteous to loue one that is sinfull or to hate him that is indued with his owne image of holinesse to diminish destroy or any way to alter himself who is vnchangeable These things God cannot do beeing hindered not by any creature but by himself and therefore the impossibilitie of dooing them is not to bee accounted weaknesse or impotencie but strength and power otherwise nothing is impossible to bee done by God that can possibly be imagined by man How then can we sufficiently wonder at the grosse errour and sottish ignorance of those men who in respect of the difficultie or rather impossibilitie as they thinke of performing them call into question the trueth of those promises which God hath made to his Church of the resurection of the bodie although consumed to nothing and of eternall glorie But as they erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God so we seeing these things to bee most easie to God are to bee confirmed in faith and in the resolute perswasion of the trueth of them Gent. I am I thanke God fully perswaded that God both can easely and will vndoubttedly restore vs to life though we were consumed to nothing by burning a thousande yeares in the hotest fire that can bee made or imagined Yet I pray you tell me one thing doo you thinke it possible that the very same indiuiduum and as you say in the Schooles idem numero hauing beene consumed to nothing can bee restored as namely the same candle after that it is consumed Sch. I perceiue you meaning it is certaine that God both can and will raise vs to life againe not in any other but in these very same persons which now we are but what the Schoolemen meane by that quidditie of idem numero many other of the same kind as I neuer did so I do not now mean to trouble my selfe with them Sect. 4. WEe will rather come to the rest of these external attributes the which as I am of my selfe not vnwilling so you see that we must of necessitie knit vp in very fewe words First for the similitude of the diuine essence the which must be graunted to bee a most simple and pure forme altogither voyde not onely of all mixsture of diuers matters or contrarie qualities as wee knowe the elements to bee but euen of all manner of composition whatsoeuer euen of that which is the simplest to wit of matter and forme whereof all creatures do necessarely subsist for that neyther matter nor form can in them exist the one without the other But there can no kinde of matter bee admitted into the diuine essence no not that wherof as being most pure subtile and simple the heauens or the Angelles themselues more subtile then the heauens if more may bee do consist For so wee should pull downe all that wee haue built vp and gainesay all that hath hithertoo beene affirmed of the nature of God For we cannot make him both eternall and also compounded of matter and forme for in composition there is motion in motion time and time taketh away eternitie yea wee must graunt the matter wherof hee is compounded to haue beene before him the which must subsist in simple before it bee brought into composition Againe if hee bee materiall he is locall for all matter is in place and so hee is not infinite but finite and circumscribed Yea thus wee shall take from him his omnipotencie which ariseth of the puritie of his simple forme beeing mere actuall because it is inmateriall whereas if it were compounded of matter and forme it should be compounded of impotencie and of power of passion as well as of action for it must participate the nature of both the parents taking from the one operatiue power and from the other passible impotencie and so bee not a pure act but clogged and blunted with the grossenesse of matter and by it made vnable to worke yea as like and readie to suffer it selfe as to worke in others And therefore in the building of this pallace for the great God of heauen wee must reiect all corruptible matter yea all matter whatsoeuer because al matter is corruptible and so make the diuine nature to bee a pure forme wholly actiue and in no respect or part passiue Ge. I haue ofte heard men speak haue red mens writings of these pure abstract formes of the which kind many do hold not only god but eueÌ„ the angels which are meer creatures to bee yet it couâ—d neuer sinke into my head how a forme should subsist of it selfe without some matter to vphold it and as I remember you said before that some ancient diuines I thinke you named Tertullian were of the same opinion or rather dulnesse of conceit and did therefore allowe bodies wherein to subsist not onely to the Angels but euen to God himselfe Sch. It is haâ—d for vs who consisting of grosse bodies and braines esteeme other natures by our own to imagine how any forme should subsist without some materiall subiect to vphold it As touching the Angels if you cannot thinke or will not beleeue them to be pure and abstract formes altogither voyde of materiall composition you shall for mee continue in your error or opinion but if you will not admit God to subsist in this manner to wit as a substantial forme vpholding both it selfe and also all things whatsoeuer do any way exist you will marre all Neyther ought the difficultie of supposing it breede in vs any doubting of the trueth of it it hauing beene often alreadie saide that the maner of Gods subsisting in his essentiall forme is altogither vnsearchable and incomprehensible Let it bee sufficient that wee haue it prooued by most necessarie demonstrations that God is a most pure substantiall immateriall actiue forme without any coÌ„position of matter form or distinction of parts but euery where alike and the very same Yea I do not see but that this praerogatiue of being a mere and pure forme must be reserued to God and in no case coÌ„municated to any creature as the grossenesse of matter must be left to the creature and in no wise ascribed to God