infinite though infinitely imparted yet still it remaines one and the fame infinite nature and cannot admit a plurality and though the nature be the same both in kind and number yet must there be a difference of persons in regard of the different act of generation Deus intelligendo seipsum genuit verbum Here we have an Understanding and a Word but can this Understanding subsist without a Will or what shall unite and knit together the understanding and the word as they are in themselvs most inseparable but only Amor the love of God or that conformity of the understanding to the word of the word to the understanding which proceeding from both serves to unite both Here then we have a third person the holy Ghost and seeing the will of God is no lesse active then the understanding this third person must therefore be necessary and eternall with the word and with the understanding proceeding from both it must be of like extent and nature with both the understanding infinite the word infinite the love must likewise be infinite this nature being infinite it can be but one and the same nature infinitely imparted to the three persons and though the same nature yet this love proceeding it must be a person and in regard of the different manner of procession from both needs it must be a different person from both God comprehending and understanding himself to be infinite begets verbum infinitum which is the action of the understanding and by this word knowing himself to be infinitum bonum from the understanding and from the word proceeds amor infiniâ—…us which is the action of the will Thus the understanding and the will as they are the most inward active and eminent qualities in every spirit so are they most wonderfull in God for they are fruitfull in their own kind neither power providence justice mercy nor any other divine attribute can produce the like unto themselves these look only ad extra as if from the Castle of the Deity the windowes were opened and they should look only upon the creatures but the wisdom and the will of God look ad intra reâ—…lect upon the deity it selfe God comprehending and understanding himself to be infinite begets verbum infinitum which is the action of the understanding and by this word knowing himself to be infinitum bonum from the understanding and from the word proceeds amor infinitus which is the action of the will These three persons though admitting a difference between themselves in regard of generation and procession yet they agree in their nature and the whole nature is in every person and there can be no more then the whole in the three persons according to the nature of an infinite which being infinitely imparted yet still it remains infinite hence it is that all the actions of God are alike ascribed to every one of the Persons and though the different Persons revealed may appear unto us by different actions as the Father by creation the Son by redemption the holy Ghost by â—…anctification yet this difference as the mystery it self is likewise unsearchable As all the actions so all the attributes of God are likewise ascribed to every one of the Persons yet in the Persons they are tyed to the nature thus we say not three incorruptibles but one incorruptible not three incomprehensibles but one incomprehensible three persons in unity and one God in Trinity the father is God the son is God and the holy Ghost is other Gods according to the very letter not the persons in one Godhead for they are but one God and if you would know what gods are excluded surely the verse following will direct you Thou shalt worship no Idols But why this mystery should not be revealed to the Jews this is a question of such a nature as being answered yet still the like question remains as Why should not all other mysteries and why should not the Incarnation be long before it was and therefore I will make bold to propose the same question to the Jews Why should God reveal himself to the later Prophets more then he did to Moses or why should Moses institute Sacrifices and such a number of Ceremonies which were never discovered to Abraham or why should God by Abraham institute Circumcision which was unknown unto Noah or why were not all the mysteries together revealed unto Adam the father of mankinde created in Paradise in a state of innocency sanctified with Original grace and himself being the immediate workmanship of God Now to all these questions I will return this answer God is not to be tyed to mans captious curiosity he may do as he please and reveal himself according to such manner as his own wisdom shall appoint It is certain that in all natural things God observes degrees and nothing comes all at once to his ripeness and perfection Thus there is a blossom and a bud before you come to the fruit thus a childe begins first to learn his letters then to reade before he comes to any exact knowledge So God did make himself known by several Names and each Name did import more mysteries then other as God speaks By my Name of Sadai quod sufficit I did reveal my self unto them but not by my Name of four letters which of all other Gods Names did involve the greatest mysteries and God requires no more of man then God hath given unto man and that shall abundantly suffice until it shall please God further to reveal himself Think you that God would not reserve some mystery for his Son to reveal more then ever was known to the Prophets and what greater then the Trinity which neither men nor Angels can comprehend and both men and Angels must adore Neither do I think that all is yet revealed but that we shall have a further knowledge of things in the state of Glory when we our selves shall be made more and more capable of his knowledge and in the interim God doth herein deal with men but after the manner of men as he doth in all other things Thus we get knowledge by degrees and first we begin with the easiest lessons and then come to that which is more difficult and this stands well with the honor majesty and magnificence of God that we should come to him by degrees thus was there a Court a Porch a Temple before we come to the Holiest of Holies Thus far I have answered their Objection and requited them in the same kinde by proposing another question of like nature but I may not so far wrong Moses and the Patriarchs as to think they were utterly ignorant of this mystery though it may be they had not such an express knowledge as God revealed in succeeding times and likewise for the manner that it was not in such express terms We reade then that Moses and Elias the Law and the Prophets did attend Christ when he was
it lies in Gods power to unmake them and in every minute to reduce them to nothing and some wicâ—…ed men might a little distrust God but for the assurance of the continuance of Gods favors God is become man the Creator made a Creature both Natures now fastned and riveted together by an indissoluble knot of marriage which can never be broken and which serves as a great ingagement and assurance from God to preserve and continue his graces and blessings upon the works of his own hands whereof we have a pledge or earnest in Christ perfect God and perfect Man both Creator and Creature united in one Person never to be separated So I hope it plainly appears that as the Incarnation can be no dishonor to God so it tends to the great honor and settlement of the Creatures In speaking of the blessed Trinity I began with the beginning of S. Johns Gospel In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word Then for proof and assurance of this great mystery I ended with the end of S. Johns Gospel wherein he affirms that the world could not contain the books which might be written of Christs acts thereby intimating that the works and miracles that Christ wrought above natural power did most abundantly serve to confirm and justifie the works and mysteries which he taught above natural Reason And now that I come to the Incarnation of Christ where the invisible God becomes visible man it is strange how this our Apostle S. John alters his style for in his first Epistle Chap. 1. ver 1. speaking of God in our flesh he saith That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life So that he who speaking of the Deity of Christ like an Eagle soared aloft as it were out of sight even beyond all humane reason and understanding speaking now of the Humanity of Christ he descends so low to make it more manifest and palpable as he seems to fall beneath sense for that he calls all the senses of man to witness which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled and this in effect twice repeated whereby we may be the more assured of the truth of his Manhood As there was an eternal generation of this Word according to the Godhead so was there a Temporal birth of this Word in the fulness of time according to his Manhood for these two Mysteries though very different in themselves yet are they both very wonderful In the first you shall observe three Persons in one Nature in the second you have three Natures in one Person a Trinity of Persons in a Unity of Nature and a Trinity of Natures in a Unity of Person the Father the Son and the Spirit three distinct several and real Persons yet all subsisting in one undivided Essence of the Deity the Flesh the Soul and the Godhead three distinct and several Natures yet all subsisting in one undivided Person of Christ. How wonderful is the mercy of God that whereas our Saviour the second Person in Trinity was All-sufficient and happy in himself yet in commiseration of man man that had sinned in the root sinned in the bud when to our first-fathers guilt we had heaped up innumerable transgressions against the day of wrath he took up our nature and infirmities to satisfie for our sins to offer up himself as a propitiatory Sacrifice to reconcile us to God Men Angels and all other inferior created powers cannot any way satisfie for the least part of our guilt as not being able to be sufficiently thankful for their own beeing Sin is an infinite evil as being committed against an Infinite Majesty and therefore in the exact ballance of Gods Justice requires no less then an infinite Ransâ—…m or an infinite Punishment Righteousness and Justice pleaded against man that our sins were such as could not stand with his integrity freely to pardon Mercy and Peace put him in minde of his ancient love that as he had freely created man so now likewise in the bowels of compassion he should freely intend the Redemption of man And thus it was concluded in the High Court of Parliament in the highest Heavens that God himself Christ Jesus the second Person in Trinity should take our Nature upon him that as every act of his proceeding from his Deity the shedding of the least drop of his blood the trickling of one tear the suffering of one stripe the least temptation was of infinite value of infinite estimation so he alone was able to recompense for sin And thus it was fulfilled what was said by the Prophet Mercy and Truth have met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Here is the agreement and thus is God and man reconciled by the coming and Incarnation of our onely dear Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus When I consider the first sin the sin of the Angels I cannot conceive that such excellent Creatures in their own kinde understanding Natures intelligent Spirits should attempt such a foul offence against God as to ascend up to his Throne to take upon them Gods Majesty were there not some probability or likelihood to effect it I cannot say whether they had it by immediate infusion from God or to speak after the manner of men by some common fame or report that the Creator and Creature should be united in one Person or whether by the excellency of their own knowledge they did fitly gather that as the Creation was a work of Gods infinite love and as God was existent in every creature according to the infinite extent of his own nature so undoubtedly as an effect of that infinite love God should tie unto himself some creature by an infinite band namely by an hypostaticall union And this their Conceit gave some way and occasion to their pride and presumption as claiming and challenging that high prerogative above other creatures by virtue of their birthright But herein did appear the oversight and ignorance of the Angels for the creature was not to aspire to the height and dignity of the Creator but the Creator was to descend to the humility and baseness of the creature neither was God to be united to the Angelical nature though otherwise highest in order and condition but to descend lower to give a more undoubted token of that infinite love even to the humane Nature and Manhood mans Nature being the Centre in the midst of the Circumference a little Microcosin in whom all the creatures are united things sensible partake in his Body the intelligent Spirits are combined in his Soul and thus God taking the nature of man sits in the very midst of his creatures imparting himself infinitely to all so far forth as it may well stand with the truth of his Godhead and with
Utinam disrumperes Coelos descenderes Elevate portas principes 〈◊〉 introibiâ—… Rex gloriae c. were not this Son to be born this expected Messias above the state and condition of man for by nature children should rather boast of their Parents shewing their honorable descent pedegree and linage but if the decrepit Parents for many precedent ages shall comfort themselves in hope of this childe as it is no natural course so undoubtedly this childe must claim a higher birth then nature can afford him Let their own Prophets witness against them I will now content my self with two onely quotations Jer. 33. 16. In those dayes shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and he that shall call her is the Lord our Righteousness Isa. 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and she shall call his name Emmanuel which is by interpretation God with us For that Temporal Kingdom which the Jews expect I would gladly know what contentment can the world yield whereof their fathers were destitute a rich glorious and beautiful Temple the Land of Protnise in possession a people multiplying above measure made a terror to all Nations Peace and Plenty within their walls a wise and a just Law Politick and good Governors valiant and victorious Captains and yet in those dayes there was a continual expectation of the Messias not to adde to their worldly pomp but to establish a higher Kingdom the Kingdom of Grace and of Truth which herein exceeds all earthly Monarchs that it wants no outward Thrones nor Ceremonies to set forth his own greatness but it appears glorious in baseness powerful in weakness that so Gods immediate hand might better discover it self who pulls down the mighty from their seat and exalts the humble and meek Far be it that the coming of the Messias the expectation of all Nations should only tend to worldly and transitory honours which is but vanity of vanities and cannot quench the moderate thirst of the soul neither is so befitting mans present state and condition for this world which we now inhabit is but the place of our exile a vale of misery a just punishment for our fathers disobedience and onely serves as an earnest or a passage to a farther happiness If Paradise were to be replanted on earth God had never expelled man Paradise yet let the Jews apply those Promises of glory to the second coming of Christ his coming to Judgement and there shall they finde them truly verified according to the letter that not one tittle of the Law can miscarry Thus having incountred with the Jews I will now come to the Hypostatical Union of this Word with our flesh for Explication whereof I do much commend the saying of a Father Nec inferiorem consump sit glorificatio nec superiorem minuit assumptio two distinct and several natures the Godhead and Manhood and yet the weakness and infirmities of man not swallowed up in the Majesty of God nor yet Gods Majesty imbased or lessened by the assumption of the Manhood but both continue whole and entire both make but one Person Christ Jesus our dear and blessed Messias I will illustrate this with two similitudes God first appearing to Moses appeared in the form of fire in a bramble bush the fire not consuming the bush nor the bush obscuring the fire but both continuing whole and entire in their own nature 2. Our Saviour is here styled by the name of a Word and in a word you shall observe these two parts Sonus a sound the elision of the air proceeding from the mouth and possessing the ear and likewise Verbum a significant word carried by the Conduit-pipe of this sound and informing the understanding The sound proceeds from motion and onely beats upon the sensitive part the word taking his descent from reason doth likewise speak to the reasonable soul neither sound nor word are confounded neither sound nor word can be separated I will not onely content my self with bare similitudes but it shall further appear by a type Benjamin had two names from his mother he was called Henoni that is the son of sorrow the son of affliction and from his father he took the name Benjamin that is the son of Strength the son of Portitude and Courage Make the application to Christ. Now for the possibility of this union of the Godhead with our Nature doth not Reason inform us That as Creatures have their condition from God so it cannot stand with the same goodness of God without great and just occasion to alter and change their state and propriety See you not God in all his works and yet the works still continuing and subsisting in their own kinde Canst thou conceive how all the contrary Elements should be combined in one compound subject Canst thou understand how the body and soul are united two distinct and several substances of several kindes the Spirit and the Flesh not necessarily depending upon each other the soul having life motion action existency without the help of the body and the body likewise subsisting in his own Elements without the information of the soul Then why should it seem strange or incredible that the Godhead and Manhood should be linked in one Person since nothing is impossible to God but that which implies a contradiction From this union of the word with our flesh necessary it is that the manhood of Christ should receive all possible infusion of grace all possible perfection which may be any way competent or stand with the condition of a creature and that in the first moment of this union Christ increased in knowledge but it was according to mans apparance and Judgement for in his first conception the manhood in the right of the Deity contained in it self all the treasures of Gods wisdom the fulness of knowledge which notwithstanding by degrees according to mans state and condition did manifest and discover themselves This band between both being indissoluble which did well appear in the time of Christs passion hough the soul and the body were separated yet the soul and the Deity were never divorc'd and two distinct natures being knit together by this indissoluble bond making but one person hence it is that there is a mutuall communication of attributes between both and that without the breach of truth mans weakness fastned on the Deity and Gods power ascribed to mans infirmity Deus natus est passus est homo fecit miracula captivam duxit captivitatem in this union nothing was wanting to Christ which was necessary to mans nature no imperfection redounding in Christ whereof the nature of man might be priviledged he was conceived without sin and therefore might well subsist without sin yet the punishment of sin of that originall sin Morte morieris being tyed to our nature by a Statute Law Statutum est hominibus semel mori if God takes up mans nature he cannot
Chain of consanguinity and kindred and this may in some sort set forth the eternall generation of Christ that God the Father did beget his Son and from both proceeds the holy Ghost Thirdly their Gods were men which in effect might intimate thus much that God should prove man Christ Jesus God and man two dâ—…stinct Natures and yet but one Person and substance and thus the Jews in regard of the Divine revelation the Gentiles by the principles of their own Religion cannot suppose the mysteries of Christianity to be strange and incredible but all might acknowledge the Star of Salvation which God hath prepared before the face of all people to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of his people Israel and so now I come to such things as are concomitantia such as did accompany his Birth God having decreed to take our Nature upon him he prepared for himself a chosen vessel the most pure spotless immaculate undefiled Virgin that ever did subsist of our corrupted flesh the Blessed Virgin Mary Blessed be the wombe that conceived my Saviour and happy are the Paps that gave him suck Mary an espoused Virgin and that for these five Reasons First that no unjust imputation should be laid against her through the infamy of childbirth Secondâ—…y that she might have the comfort of a spouse a fellow-helper in such extremities Thirdly that the Birth of Christ might be concealed from the evill Spirit who did undoubtedly foresee that the Messias should be born of a Virgin and therefore it was the providence of God that she should be an espoused Virgin so to prevent his mischievous and wicked practises and designes Fourthly for the approbation of all the severall states of men virginity which is recommended unto us in the Mother of Christ and yet an espoused Virgin and there is the approbation of marriage Fifthly and most especially as I conceive because the genealogie of Males was only enrolled and publick notice taken only of their Tribe and they matching in the same Tribe there could be no further question but both were of Judah whereof the promise was made for the descent of the Messias I will not here speak of Saint John Baptist the forerunner of Christ who was the voyce of a cryer in the wilderness as was prophesied by Esay I will tye my self more strictly to speak of his Birth being conceived in Galalee it fell out so that Augustus Caesar then Emperour taxing the whole world every one was to repair to his own City and therefore Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth in Galilee unto Bethlehem a City of David for they were of the house linage of David as it is Recorded by Saint Luke in his second Chapter Observe here I beseech you a most wonderfull and unspeakable providence of God it may be this generaâ—…l meeting and assembly was called against the coming of their true King notwithstanding the edict came from Augustus It may be that it was Gods goodness that through this generall concourse and passage of people there might be a greater manifestation of his Birth and therefore he was conceived in Galilee born in Bethlehem brought up in Egypt that all the world might take just notice of his coming These happily may be but mans conjectures I will therefore acquaint you with four things which I thinke were most especially intended by the holy Ghost First whereas the blessed Virgin having no Revelation might happily be ignorant of the place of Christs Birth and where she should be delâ—…vered see here there comes forth an edict from an heathen Emperour that so the prophesie might be fulfilled that the Messias should be born at Bethlehem Mich 5. Secondly whereas there might be made some doubt of his Genealogie Joseph and Mary by virtue of this edict were constrained to go to Bethlehem a City of David thereby to make it manifest that they were descended from the Tribe of Judah whereof the Messias was expected Thirdly whereas it was prophesied that the Scepter should not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shiloh come by this one act of gathering together the dispersed people and that for the payment of Tribute to the Roman Empire to a forain Prince it is manifest that the people were now in thraldom and captivity and that the time now approached for the coming of theâ—…r Messias Fourthly to manifest the truth of his Nature no sooner born but he was instantly circumcised among the Jews which did serve for the triall and touchstone of his Manhood so with the Gentiles he is here numbred and accounted amongst men And as his Nature so his Condition did appear that he was not to be any Temporal King for he travelled in his mothers womb to pay Tribute unto Caesar and therefore Herod might be well secured of his own Kingdome Non eripit mortalia qui Regna dat coelestia How many and how great Mysteries are contained in this one action Time Place Genealogie and Descent the truth of his nature and condition all manifested by a Decree of an Heathen Prince little intending the good of Gods Church God over-rules the hearts of Princes And this is wholly to be referred to his All-disposing Providence Coming to Bethlehem Joseph and Mary were lodged in a common Inne No marvel for here was the birth of a stranger and forainer God of himself yet now become man being Lord over all yet for our sins taking upon himself the form of a servant c. Thus the preparation for his birth and nativity was answerable to his state and condition In a common Inn as being to extend equally his universal grace unto all none are excluded from a common Inn none are rejected from the bosom of the Church the passage lies open to all and all are admitted through Faith and Repentance So was his Passion Extra portas Civitatis without the walls of the City as not redounding to the particular benefit of City or People but equally extended to all In a common Inn where commonly the greatest excess the greatest ryot and disorder is observed and therefore it shews the end of his coming which was to satisfie for the sins of his people And yet there was no room in the Inn it should seem it was taken up with a multitude of guests in this great concourse of people and therefore she must be delivered in a Stable See here a homely entertainment of the Majesty of God and mans unthankfulness for his mercy and thus it befals the heart of man which being wholly possessed and swallowed up with our worldly thoughts the lust of our eyes the concupiscence of our flesh cannot afford the least entertainment or harbor for the working of Gods Spirit Born in a Stable Here it was verified that the Ox and the Ass acknowledged their Lord and Master while sinful man stood wilful and obstinate neglecting his Maker Born in a Stable
the state and condition of the creature But supposing the three Persons in one Deity why should the Word be made flesh the Father and the Spirit excluded Certainly if we were to make choice of the Person reason would inform us that to be the natural son of man is more agreeable to the natural Son of God then to the unbegotten Father or to the proceeding Spirit The manner of his double birth would testifie the same truth begotten in the understanding of God from all eternity conceived in the womb of a Virgin in the fulness of time The nature of that sin which was the first motive of this descent seems to fasten a necessity upon the second Person of the Trinity it was a sin against the wisdom of God the tasting of the Tree of Knowledge Eritis sicut Dii scientes bonum malum and therefore fit it was to shew the large treasures of Gods mercy and the strictness of Gods Justice that the same wisdom offended should satisfie for the offence Foelix culpa quae talem habuit Redemptorem where is the wrong where is the injury when the party offended shall satisfie and therefore we will with humility retort Gods own words upon himself who upon the fall of man could say Ecce Adam quasi unus ex nobis so now upon the fall of God that is upon the descent of God we will say Ecce Deus quasi unus ex nobis If man lose the image of God as concerning Holiness and Sanctity wherein he was first created nothing can restore this image but that which gave the first impression If man cannot conform himself unto God then for an upshot and agreement between both necessary it is that God should consorm himself unto man Man lost Gods image God takes up mans image and this was most competent to that Person in the holy Trinity who as the Apostle describes him to the Hebrews was Splendor gloriae figura substantiae Patris Observe I beseech you the creation of man being made of the earth God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life Breath if it were agreeable to Gods nature yet certainly proceeding from an intelligent Spirit it could not be bare breath but necessarily it must be accompanied with some word especially considering that in all other Creatures you shall finde the power of this word for God spake the word and they were created But here this word is concealed and therefore we may well suppose that there is some mystery concealed Behold then the first earnest of his Incarnation God intending a marriage between the Deity and the Humane Nature he takes the body of man as it were taking his wedding gloves breathes in them to extend them to warm them to sit them for himself at length puts them on Here now at length the word accompanies the breath the breath made us living souls the word shall make us quickning spirits breath gave us a natural life the word shall regenerate and give a new birth and thus by virtue of this breath by virtue of this word man hath a double root the first Adam and the second Adam taking sap from both he is Arbor arbor inversa he hath a root downward and a root upward he treads upon the earth and looks up towards heaven And thus God if ever intending the renewing of his Creatures sit it was that God should there begin where he did end Man was the last work of the Creation and therefore in man there must be the first beginning of renovation Incipiat ubi desitum est it is a rule in all works and here you shall finde it true by experience the last work is first perfected For the Word was made flesh But I would gladly demand of the Jews who do not acknowledge these mysteries either the Trinity or the Incarnation Why should God be so careful and curious in giving himself a Name a Name it is therefore ordained to make a difference in a multitude as many men of one kinde are distinguished by their names But the nature of God is one as the Sun is but one and therefore wants no name but the name of his own kinde Gods Name then as it imports no difference in his nature so it implies a distinction and difference of Persons in that one nature of the Deity This will better appear if you please to consider that great and ineffable Name of God the Name of four letters The first letter was Jod quod significat principium and doth undoubtedly betoken the Person of the Father The second was He quod vivere significat setting out the second Person as being life in himself though life by participation imparting life unto the Creatures for in him we live we move and have our being he is the Way the Truth and the Life The third letter was Vau quae vim apud Hebraeos habet Copulandi intimating the love of God proceeding from the Father and the Son whereby the Father and the Son are united The last letter it was the same with the second letter He twice repeated ut duas in filio fateamur naturas Dei Hominis And that you may conceive that this observation of the Name proceeds not from mans fancy and conjecture I pray give me leave to bring another Example to this purpose When God had tied himself unto Abraham as touching the promised seed in token hereof it pleased God to change the name of Abraham from Abram to Abraham by the addition of a letter so likewise of his wife from Sarai to Sarah by the substraction of a syllable and the addition of a letter Now you shall observe that this letter which was added to both their names it was indeed one and the same letter and it was a letter of Gods own Name the second letter of his Name that as the second Person was to be united to the nature of Abraham and Sarah so this letter given and received might serve as a pledge or an earnest to signifie that union Observe the phrase and style of Scripture Verbum Domini venit ad Isaiam venit ad Prophetas c. which form of speech to my understanding cannot be so well justified were it not that this word were a Person and that some certain manner of coming were proper and peculiar to this Person Why should God speak of himself after the manner and fashion of men I cannot disallow the opinion of our Divines that God speaking to mans understanding fit it was that he should descend to mans capacity but desiring that truth in Gods words might altogether appear I had rather apply them to an intended incarnation then to admit a bare figure in Gods words which happily to us might be some occasion of error Wherefore serve the groanings and cries of the Fathers Expectabo salutare tuum Domine Mitte quem missurus es Rorate Coeli desuper nubes pluanâ—… iustum
mysteries discovered by our Saint Iohn and secondly the Eagle renewes her age to betoken the long life of Saint Iohn or rather the eternity of such things as he prophesied in so much that it gave occasion to a false report for whereas Christ made only a supposition they conceived it as really true that Saint Iohn should not die and thus far indeed it proved true that he died not of a violent death as all the rest of the Apostles suffered Martyrdom but his Matyrdom it should seem was then when he did assist at the Passion of Christ and none other Apostle attended there but himself and no doubt but his then sorrow and grief might equall or rather exceed in virtue and power the Martyrdom of others And secondly that common fame and report of his not dying might thus far prove true that he died not in that age but lived to the beginning of the second Century being now very old as S. Hierome relates in his commentaries upon the Epistle to the Galatians when he could not goe of himself but was carryed by others to the Church or place of meetings he made no other Sermon but this Filioli diligite alterutrum quia praeoeptum Domini est si solim fiat sufficit it should seem being the beloved Disciple the love of Christ was so fastened and fixed in him that it made a repercussion and became an Echo and brake out into these termes of love Filioli my sons whom I so dearly love let not my love rest in you as singulars but impart it to each other that so you may be united and linked together in the Bonds and Chaines of love that as this love proceeds from Christ to me and from me to you so from you to each other among your selves that we may all lay hold on the Anchor of our hope Christ the Son of God who hath reconciled us to God notwithstanding our sins and transgressions I will now come directly to the Text which is the very keâ—…nell the marrow the Elixiâ—… of all Christian Religion and hath ever been received with the greatest admiration and astonishment and at the very naming of the words Christians were 〈◊〉 to bow and to express all possible honour and reverence The ineffable Trinity And the word was made flesh THe first word of my Text standing in the forefront and being a conjunction copulative gives me occasion to look back and mark the dependence wherein I dare boldly say that neither the large volumes of the Fathers nor the subtill and curious invention of the Schooles nor the deep and profoundest Divines can better unfold the mystery of this word then may be well gathered by the precedent and express words of this Evangelist onely here stands our weakness That as Moses having talked with God his countenance received that light that the Israelites could not behold the face of Moses so this our Apostle having leaned on the bosom and sucked out these mysteries he is now become Boanerges the son of Thunder rather astonishing the eare with wonder and amazement then distinctly informing the heart in things which are too high for the weak state and condition of man but I pray mark the first verse of this Chapter In principio erat verbum in the beginning was the word â—…ere is the eternall generation of this word not proceeding from Gods free will and election not supposing his determinate decree and purpose but a natural and a necessary generation equally existing with God in the moment of his eternity as the Sun and the light were together created the Soul and the understanding together infusect so is the generation of â—…his word equall in time and continuance with the deity Et verbum erat apud deum And the word was with God here is the distinction and relation of the Persons apud deum with God not as a property or quality not as an attribute or faculty but as a person distinctly existing and that by a different manner of generation from the Father Et deâ—… erat verbum And God was the Word here is the mutuall communication and participation of the deity for it is a property of the greatest good that it should be most fruitfull in his own kind and communicate it self in the largest and greatest manner now in the creatures we find some foot-steps of the deity as appears by their being moving order perfection but necessary it is that God should impart his own nature which nature though infinitely imparted yet still continuing infinite it can be but one and the same nature equally communicated to the three Persons three persons and one God If a man communicate his nature to his son this nature though still continuing the same in kind and condition yet must it differ in number in regard of the finitenesse of our nature the circumscription both of time and of place but it is otherwise with God for out of the infinite extent of his own nature one and the same deity the same in number the same in virtue and power is equally and totally imparted to the three persons in one blessed and undivided Trinity Thus much ad intra concerning the relation of Persons within themselves now ad extra in respect of the creatures it followes in the third verse of this Chapter Et verbo facta sunt omnia and without him nothing was made so that both inwardly and outwardly the deity of this Word appears inwardly in the coeternall existency and infinite participation of the Godhead and outwardly as together concurring in the creation framing and making of this world And having thus discovered the second person because we acknowledge another person in the deity take therefore the testimony of this second person concerning the third when the holy Ghost whom I shall send unto you from the Father the spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father he shall give testimony of me John the 15. 16. 26. these are the mutuall testimonies of Persons in behalf of each other and hereunto I shall adde what the holy Catholick Church out of other texts of Scripture doth undoubtedly demonstratively and most necessarily conclude Verbum a word must necessarily imply intellectum an understanding to conceive this word this understanding being alwayes active the word must be of like continuance and eternity and being active as there was an eternall so is there a daily and continuall generation of this word Hodie genui te This word being naturall to the understanding it proceeds not from any voluntary or free election of God but from the necessity of his nature and according to his nature so is it begotten in a spirituall and most unspeakable manner being in the understanding answerable to the understanding and of like extent It can be no creature seeing by it all things were made and created and being in the understanding it must subsist of the same nature which nature being
my self lest I might lose my self in these dark mists of Divine Mysteries I have proved a God and but one God and that this one God is every way Infinite and therefore Incomprehensible I have proved all the several Attributes of God as Wisdom Power c. that they are all Substances which notwithstanding in the Creatures are but Accidences I have proved that all the several Attributes they are but one and the same for there cannot be several Infinites for then they would bound and limit each other I have proved that some Attributes according to mans apprehension seem to oppose each other as Mercy detracts from Justice yet that they are but one and the same Attribute in God And now I conclude That all these being duly considered they do as farre exceed mans natural Reason as doth the great and ineffable Mystery of the most holy blessed and undivided Trinity I never name Gods Mercy but my heart danceth for joy and then I begin to lay hold on it and to fasten on it and I cannot so cursorily pass over it I would here by way of objection ask How can all the Attributes of God be infinite when as Scripture seems to enlarge Gods Mercy for every thing must do and consequently hath knowledge according to his own nature whether spirituall or corporeall and certainly the inhabitants of one World cannot conceive the state and condition of another World the Angels would be as ignorant of this corporeall World as we are of their spirituall unless it be revealed alike to both Suppose then that I should elevate my reason above the course of this our present nature and that I had conference with an Angell upon my relation certainly the Angell not having any other knowledge of the inferiour World infused from God but judging of things according to his own spirituall condition he would say it were more impossible that one individuum or Person should subsist of different natures matter and form then that one nature should subsist of different Persons The Angell would think it a far greater inconvenience that one nature not able to preserve it self yet should be able to communicate her nature to another that is to be generative in her own kind for so the Angels are not as that one eternall nature should be alike and equally communicated to three Persons or if I should inform the Angels that one grain of Corn when it is dissolved and seems to be rotted in the Earth yet then it should send down a Root send up a Blade and so come with an increase and happily bring twenty graines for one this would seem more strange to an Angel then that one infinite nature should be alike and equally imparted to three Persons This I write only by way of supposition for I doubt not but the Angels by their spirituall condition and by their daily assistance and Beatificall Vision have a far greater knowledge revealed unto them both of the state of the naturall world as likewise of the most blessed Trinity then we have being only in Statu viae having now but an earnest of what we shall hereafter receive in greater measure From conferring with an Angel which many others have done I will now descend to a conference which may seem much stranger then that of the Angel for it is with an infant in the wombe who hath a reasonable Soul and wants only â—…it Organs and a right disposition for the practise and exercise thereof as Saint John Baptist did spring in the wombe upon the approach of our Saviour wherein he did express both reason and Religion yet this is not ordinary but suppose an infant had the right use of understanding I would tell him that he should no longer lye crouching and sleeping in the wombe but he should come abroad and prove a day-labourer and get his living in the sweat of his browes that there should be no further use of the Navill but his mouth should be his taster and his Teeth should be grinders that he should be no longer silent but should go to School and learn a language these things would seem as strange and as incredible to the infant for want of experience and due information as now they seem frequent usuall and ordinary to us for every thing hath knowledge according to his present condition and therefore no marvell if the naturall man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God Thus it plainly appears by the Angels by the Infant that there is a great difficulty in conceiving things of an other nature but to instance in our own nature Suppose I should ask of the greatest Doctors and Philosophers the reason and cause why the Adamant should draw up Iron and turn it self to the North or how should the Moon which is not able to turn a little stick yet should be able to turn the whole Ocean oâ—… take the late invention The unguentum Armarium by anoâ—…nting the weapon to cure the wound who can imagine the cause thereof Thus how many things are we bound to believe whereof we cannot understand the manner and means And therefore if in very naturall things it is very necessary there should be a faith and belief some reposing trust in others in regard that all are not of a like apprehension much moâ—…e in things which are not within the compass of this naturall world and therefore fall not within the compass of mans naturall reason But there is as great a distance between them as is between Heaven and Earth And all Creatures even Angels themselves in respect of God there is as great a difference between them in knowledge as is in beeing or if you will have me to express it further there is as much difference between them as is between finite and infinite between the most excellent being and no being between something and nothing for so all creatures are both in themselves for what they have of themselves and in comparison with God Here then at length I come to the greatest difficulty Why should there not be the like operations upon the Godhead from his other attributes as there is from the understanding and from the will for the understanding begets verbum a word and from both proceeds Amor which is the action of the Will and here are three distinct Persons which cannot be said of the rest of Gods attributes Surely the answer is very plain because the understanding and the will of God they look ad intra they reflect upon the Deity it self for thus God is the object of his own understanding he understanding himself doth thereby enjoy most infinite happiness he is likewise the object of his own will or his love for knowing himself to be infinitely good he must therefore love himself infinitely and is therefore necessarily the finall end of all So that all are refer'd unto God but for the other attributes of God they look ad extra upon
the creatures and therefore it is only proper to the understanding and the will of God that only from them there should be a generation of the Son and a procession of the Spirit and so a difference of Peâ—…sons Some do here object against some termes which as they say are not to be found in Scripture but are only imposed by the Church and that is the word Trinity and the word Persons and that in a mysterie of this infinite high nature there should be no addition of mans wit and invention but we should tye our selves most strictly to the terms of Scripture seeing this mysterie so infinitly exceeds mans understanding To whom I return this answer Do ye think that what the Church shall determin in this and other mysteries that it proceeds from the wit and invention of man do you ascribe no more to the cloven tongues that fell upon the Apostles whereby they were replenished with Gods Spirit and which Spirit they did conferre upon others by imposition of hands by election or succession and do you stile all this by the wit and invention of man when I consider the determinations of the Church their form of divine Service their Canons their Discipline their religious Orders God knows I do verily believe that I do see more in them then the wit and invention of man and I think them to be the immediate dictates and directions of Gods Spirit But call them what you will for these words of Persons and Trinity truly I conceive them to be nothing but the translation of Scripture and I hope you will think translations very necessary for the Evangelists and the Apostles use the translations of the Septuagints in their quotations of the old Testament if then Christ shall prescribe the form of our Baptism to be in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and that we know there are no Accidences in God but all are Substances and distinct Substances surely I know not by what other term I should call Substances and distinct Substances but by the name of Persons and if these three Persons be one God and so the Scripture stiles them The word was with God and God was the word surely I know not with what other words to express it but by the name of Trinity or triunity So likewise those words of Schoolmen Deus intelligendo seipsum genuit verbum are not these words taken out of Scripture hodie genui te and thence they infer verbum in intellectu Thus without the determinations of the Church and unless due respect and reverence be given to the Church no Religion can subsist but will instantly fall to confusion Thus as our understanding begets a word and there is a mutuall love and correspondency between this understanding and this word so if God be said to beget a Son or a Word in a spirituall manner in his understanding and that from both proceeds the holy Ghost the Church must then necessarily conclude that they are severall and distinct Persons not that we should conceive them to be like the Persons of men with circumscription of time and of place in various and different formes but to be divine Persons all alike partaking of one infinite nature and what God hath revealed what the Church hath explicated that we believe desiring the same God by the inlightning of his Spirit to engender faith in our hearts to strengthen and increase it and what God hath reserved only for his own knowledge that not curiously to pry into but content our selves with such a measure and proportion of knowledge as he hath been pleased to impart remembring that the first Sin which gave occasion to all the mischieves and miseries which have befallen us it was the tasting of the Tree of knowledge whereby in stead of that great light which we aymed at whereby we should have knowledge like God indeed we had our eyes opened but it was to see and feel our own nakedness to our own confusion Yet to give some little information I will only make this instance If I should take out of a River severall Cups full of water I would ask what difference there were in these waters Surely none would appear in the nature but as they are distinct in severall Cups or Vessels which give them severall forms and severall dimensions and thus it is in all homogeneall bodies suppose I should insist in spirituall qualities as in Light certainly the difference would be less what then if I should insist in spiri's themselves which are not capable of dimensions yet still in respect of the finitness of their nature there would be some difference but if I should ascend to an infinit nature then there would be no difference in respect of the nature yeâ—… a difference there would be in respect of their different manner of subsisting as by generation procession c. Yet here we must take heed of curiosity and know the weakness of mans understanding that we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men and it is most probable that God should commit his secrets to the care and custody of his Church which may put them into such form and fashion of speech as may best beseem them rather then that particular spirits who are so apt to be misled with errors even in things of least moment should be left to their own inventions and expressions in the highest mysteries But how should the whole Deity be in every Person is it not true in all Homogeneall bodies Suppose the elements that where they are they are totally they carry their whole nature about them but this truth more especially appears in spirits for there is nothing so common and triviall in Schooles as this known principle Anima ubi est tota est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte totius But if this Deity be wholly imparted yet then how should it still remain whole and entire is it not proper to all spirituall qualities as Light Knowledge and the like that they should be communicated without any loss or diminution of themselves Here then at length consists the whole difficulty that the nature being imparted there should be no difference in number reason seeing the difficulty sees likewise the reason of the difficulty for her own further satisfaction for this in the creatures proceeds from the bounded finite and limited nature of the creatures which must be circumscribed both with time and with place and so make a difference in the number but if you will suppose this nature to be infinite as is the Deity then would it admit no difference as not in nature so not in number What I have hitherto written hath been according to the opinion of our best and most â—…earned Divines together with the acknowledgement of the whole Catholick Church to which I do believe a man may very safely subscribe for whatsoever is there related as