THE CREATVRES PRAYSING GOD OR THE RELIGION OF dumbe Creatures An Example and Argument For the stirring vp of our deuotion and For the confusion of Atheisme Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino laudate superexaltate eum in secula G. G. LONDON Printed by FELIK KINGSTON 1622. To the Reader GOod Reader The Authour himselfe not vouchsafing his name title or preface to this his worke and very vnwilling that it should be publisht I thought fit to let thee vnderstand that the booke it selfe containes no paradox notwithstanding the title for the naturall seruice of God in dumbe Creatures when they obey God in their owne kinde and follow their owne naturall course this is it which he calls The Religion of dumbe Creatures and as it is frequent and vsuall to make comparisons in particular instances so here in generall their seruice is compared to our Religion To commend the worke seeing I am so farre ingaged as that against the Authors will it was my importunity to publish it were in effect to commend mine owne iudgement I will here onely acquaint you with the reasons that moued me First to take away grose Atheisme which denies any God he vseth no Sophistry no perswasion not the testimonies either of God or of men but herein craues aide of the dumbe Creatures and in effect desires them to beare witnesse who instantly acknowledge a God and discouer many excellent and admirable attributes in God and this he calls their confession or the naturall implicite faith of the Creatures pag. 9. Secondly that this knowledge of God which we learne from nature is an imperfect knowledge though otherwise it was the sole knowledge of the ancient heathen Philosophers he brands it with this imputation that it is no more in effect then the religion of dumbe beasts but as reason is aboue sence so faith aboue reason reason points out mysteries faith discouers them by vertue of which faith we ioyne with the Angels in their seruice as the dumbe beasts doe ioyne with vs in nature and here he takes away all naturall obiections against the mysteries of religion beating downe mans curiosity pag. 16. Thirdly how the Creatures praise God in their voices and sounds which in effect are their prayers in their naturall law which is their decalogue in all their qualities and affections both naturall and as they are sometimes meanes and conduit-pipes of grace whereby nature is sanctified pag. 23. Fourthly how all naturall Sciences may be reduced to Theology suppose the Metaphysicks naturall Philosophy morall Philosophy which are indeed the branches of naturall Theology and are incorporated into the body of our diuinity And hence you may as well exclude the morall law the decalogue and the whole state of nature as to exclude humane learning which showing the perfections and excellencies of nature doth therein show the praise and commendations of the Maker pag. 31. Fifthly this naturall religion not only comprehends in it selfe all naturall sciences but it is further a supposed ground and foundation in all religions Thus Iudaisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as Christianity acknowledge God in nature though the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall law began with Moyses the Gospell with Christ yet the naturall law together with the state of nature began with Adam not by any reuelation but by ingrafted and inbred principles and therefore is common to all nations to all religions Hence he gathers these two notes first that different and opposite religions may notwithstanding ioyne together in such things as are good and alike approueable in both for so we ioyne with dumbe Creatures in their naturall seruice and that the bounds of the Church are not to be hedged in according to mens priuate phansies and imaginations or according to the Prouinces and iurisdiction of Prelats but according to the vnity and concent of faith Secondly that be the religions neuer so opposite and contrary yet all agree in the naturall law and therefore are bound to performe to each other all naturall rights suppose the discharging of trust where it is reposed to vse morall honesty in our actions obedience to our superiours allegiance to the Prince and the like thus may different religions liue quietly and peaceably vnder one iust gouernment If this were obserued surely it would cause much peace in the Christian world so much distracted and disquieted at this day with infinit and innumerable sects and religions pag. 34. To conclude What can be more glorious to God then that his praise should be set forth by all his Creatures what greater charity then to comprehend them not within the walls of our Christian Church though once they were contained in the Arke yet within the compasse and circuit of religion what greater deuotion then by their example to stirre vp thy selfe though the Angels be out of sight and thou canst not heare their hymnes yet the beasts may awaken thy dulnesse what greater humility then to stoope to the basest wormes and together with them to associate thy selfe in Gods seruice These reasons I confesse did moue me to publish it and as I had no other intent but Gods glory so I beseech him to giue a blessing to thy reading hereof that it may tend to the increase of thy deuotion THE CREATVRES PRAYSING GOD OR THE RELIGION OF dumbe Creatures PSAL. 148. 7 8 9 and 10 Verses 7. Praise the Lord vpon earth yee dragons and all deepes 8. Fire and haile snow and vapours stormy winds fulfilling his word 9. Mountaines and all hilles fruitfull trees and all Cedars 10. Beasts and all cattell wormes and feathered fowles TWo absurdities may here seeme to be committed at once with one breath either that man should speake and exhort such Auditors who are without sence and therefore not capeable of exhortation or that Creatures dumbe in themselues should be exhorted to praise God which seemes to be a thing proper to Angels and men Both these are easily satisfied if we rightly consider that the praises of God doe not necessarily imply the most exact and magnificent order and forme such as might well beseeme the Maiestie of a Deitie both men and Angels come short in that excellent seruice but the praises of God require no more in effect then the power and ability wherewith God hath first inabled the Creature for he accepts our imperfect prayers and descends to our weakenesse Thus the stocks and the stones in their silence and in their naturall properties the beasts in their sounds and their cries in their sence and in their motions all serue to praise him for God requires no more then he hath first giuen the right imployment of his gifts is indeed to praise him Now man exhorting them to this their bounden duty ioynes with them in their seruice and as it were seemes to congratulate their praises of God notwithstanding his owne disobedience and sinne yet he reioyceth in their seruice and exhorts them still to continue their praises of God And though they seeme
partake with vs in our future intended renouation Thus then we will say with Ioshuah 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord we and whatsoeuer is ours either inwardly in our selues or outwardly in our substance we are all at his seruice euery one according to his power and ability doth praise God and hath his religion if a defectiue religion Then looke to the power and you shall finde it likewise defectiue for both are fitted and proportioned to each other in nature there is a faith of nature there is a law of nature and where the naturall creature is capeable of grace there are the mysteries of grace the precepts and counsels of grace And thus without any figure or metaphore the Creatures may truly be said to praise God in a kinde of religious worship and seruice for whatsoeuer proceeds from God tends to his glory heere is the end Now the way must be agreeable to this end and therefore what tends to his glory must needs runne in the course of his seruice whether nature or grace If ye say that religion be properly tied to a state of grace Non est litigandum de verbis vbi in re conuenimus yet I am not of that opinion for I thinke it no absurdity to say a natural religion Thus all nations are said to haue their religion and yet we know that most of them haue no more then sence reason and nature and yet notwithstanding they haue a religion then surely they haue onely a naturall religion which in effect is no more then the religion of dumbe beasts for nature appeares alike in them as in vs that which giues mans religion a speciall dignity and prerogatiue aboue the religion of dumbe beasts is onely this that mans religion is not meerely naturall and onely naturall but there is an earnest of grace to sanctifie the corruption of nature mysteries of grace beyond the apprehension of nature and a certainty of hope beyond the expectation of nature And thus in generall as there is a seruice of nature so in generall we may well say that there is a kinde of naturall religion which notwithstanding proceeding onely from nature it cannot be raysed aboue nature but must againe returne and end in nature and being by the necessity of their nature it is therefore a seruice which requires no further reward but onely serues as a motiue and example to vs. And thus far of the naturall seruice of God in dumbe Creatures which I call the Religion of dumbe Creatures now briefely to conclude three things there are wherein I doe much desire to giue you contentment First whether this meditation may be thought vaine and needlesse Secondly how farre it may seeme strange or a Paradoxe Thirdly what good vse may be made of it for the first whether this be a vaine meditation I pray trace it by degrees the faith of the Creatures I did suppose to be that knowledge of God which is gathered from the Creatures as much in effect as the naturall or reasonable man can know of God Now whereas of all sciences the Metaphysicks haue euer beene held the most excellent this very subiect is the principall part of the Metaphysicks by consideration hereof the heathen Philosophers haue beene strangely transported and rauished and haue burst foorth into these or the like exclamations and inuocations of God Eus â—â—tium primus motor prima intelligentia naturans natura immensa infinitas principium sine principio c. Secondly after their faith how the dumbe Creatures doe praise God in their owne nature in their passions in their affections or if these be secret and hidden from man then according to the imitation of man how they praise God in their voyces in their sounds which are the outward signes and symptoms of their owne inward nature This belongs to the Physickes and is in effect the whole scope and intent of all naturall Philosophy Thirdly for their law which serues as a guide to direct them which law is written in their hearts practised in their actions in so much that in them we may easily read the characters of this law the very pure text of the law of nature without any corrupt glosse this is in effect the whole ground and foundation of all morall Philosophy Fourthly for the sacrifice and Sacraments of Creatures when we consider how the dumbe Creatures are sanctified and prooue to be Sacramentalia fit to enter into the Holiest of Holies to be vnto vs as meanes and conduit-pipes of grace which seeme to imply that nature and grace being now incorporated there was surely some Deity incarnate by vertue wherof the whole materiall nature is combined to the Spirituall nature not by consanguinity but by alliance by the nuptials of those two natures in his one person who was both perfect God and perfect Man this is a most deepe and profound mysterie in Theology and thus you cannot condemne this Meditation as vaine and needlesse Neither can it seeme so strange or a paradox for take the bookes of Philosophers and such as haue written of the Creatures in generall and suffer me to prefixe these words in the frontispice A Ioue principium or In Dei nomine which are the same in effect Then giue me leaue to turne ouer the leaues and to the last lines in stead of Finis or Explicit to adioyne these words as a labell or codicill to the worke Ad Dei gloriaÌ„ both these nature implies for first there must be a workeman then the worke must be directed to some end Now besides the worke it selfe no other end appeares but the workeman things must then runne in a circle from God to God God in the forefront God in the vpshot And thus if you consider the Creatures betweene God and God in stead of a naturall discourse here you haue a religion of nature Thus in Christian Religion if our ceremonies were first inuented by Pagans if our prayers were first composed by Heathen yet still we may lawfully vse them for when we prefixe In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti or when we shut vp our prayers with Per Christum Dominum nostrum then wee giue them the tincture of Christianity Thus with Dauids Psalmes which are indeed the Psalmes of the Iewes when we cloze them vp with this period Gloria patri Filio Spiritui sancto then we make them ours and properly ours in effect we Christen them And thus to consider the Creatures barely in themselues without reference to God were a most imperfect knowledge but shew them their discent and originall from whence they proceed shew them their right vse and the end of their progresse and here in effect you haue composed a naturall religion Thirdly for the vse which we may make vnto our selues of this Religion of dumbe Creatures in a word it is this First it serues to make vs ashamed of
our selues that while all other Creatures doe strictly serue God in their owne kinde yet wee though more bound vnto God for the many blessings receiued then they though more especially intended for Gods seruice seeing all other Creatures serue man and man alone is immediatly ordained for Gods seruice yet the poore dumbe Creatures should strictly serue God in their owne kinde while we and we alone and we onely are the transgressors Secondly it sets forth the large extent of Gods Church and the vntouchable height of his glory though our sinnes haue made a separation betweene God and vs though our blasphemies be such and so great as that faine they would obscure and eclipse Gods glory yet maugre our attempts and in despight of our malice God shall be glorified as of the Angels aboue so of the dumbe Creatures beneath if men shall cease to sing their Hosannah the stones will cry Luke 19.40 Then in the last place let their seruice be some encouragement and motiue to ours if we cannot attaine to the perfections of Angels to offer vp our selues as a whole burnt sacrifice to God if we cannot approue our selues as members of one Catholike Church to serue God in the vnity of one faith but that as the East hath formerly beene separated from the West so is now the South from the North as if with sects and schismes we were to quarter out religion according to the coasts of the world and to diuide Christs seamelesse garment among vs hauing first crucified the Lord of life If in the course of Christianity we cannot agree in the very fundamentall points of religion but are wholly separated so that neither one mother Church beneath nor yet one heauen aboue can containe vs. Suppose that Christianity should cease then let vs come to the tearmes of humanity and desire to exceed all other Creatures as well in vertue and dignity as in nature and condition But if all faile if all faile as I feare they doe in some then in the last place I pray let me recommend vnto them the religion of dumbe Creatures surely we can doe no lesse then ioyne with them in their religion for they are sensuall and beastly like to our selues then let not those most excellent attributes of God which are discouered by them be contradicted by vs here we shall auoide Atheisme in our prayers deuotions and seruice of God let vs not be inferiour to them But aboue all let me recommend this one thing to our practice that the Creatures may not out-strip vs in the strict obseruing of the naturall Law which to vs in effect is in moral honesty This I doe the rather wish because the morall law was neuer abrogated notwithstanding the change of Priest-hood the change of Ceremonies the change of Religion which was translated from the Synagogue of the Iewes to the Church or congregation of the Gentiles yet still one and the same morall law was continued So at this day notwithstanding our diuersity of Sects Schismes and Religions yet it were to be wished that our actions might be squared out by one morall law which law appeares in the Creatures and is common to man and the Creatures and is as naturall to man as is his owne nature and should no more be separated from man then his owne nature for want then of religious piety and godlinesse let this morall law be our guide Thus man shall know his dutie to man But how miserable were our condition what a world of mischiefe would follow if we should neglect morall duties vnder cloake and pretence of religion as if religion did abolish nature as if the morall law were abrogated together with the ceremoniall Yet this is the practice and iniquity of these our most vnhappy times that all factions seditions and trecheries must be forsooth rooted and grounded in religion as if religion were the sole mother and nurse of all treasons as if heauen could not subsist with the earth as if the Tower of Babel could not be built but with Church stones This is the bane and the shame of Religion God knowes I cannot speake of it with patience or without my great hearts griefe and therefore I will here end abruptly beseeching the Almighty God to reforme it beseeching the Almighty God reforme it Sancte indiuiduae Trinitati sit honor gloria SOme faults haue escaped the Presse either in omitting letters as page 4. line 21. for awake read awaken or omitting words as p. 25. l. 17. this word Sanctus should be thrice repeated as implying a mystery or mistaking some words as pag. 22. lin 17. for apparitions read operations yet the faults are such and so few as that thou thy selfe maist easily correct them E. g. signifies exempli gratia as for example How God is praised Dumbe Creatures speake and Man is strucken dumbe The end why man exhorteth beasts The vse of the creatures The obedience of the Creatures is set foorth by a similitude A corporation of all Creatures The religion of dumbe Creatures The seruice of God in dumbe Creatures is their religion The parts of religion How we come to know the Creatures Sence is the mother of Idolatrie The vnderstanding reacheth beyond sence The good vse of Idolatry In reason we cannot consider the effects without their cause Reason as apt to discourse so to search and enquire Reasonlesnes of the dumbe beasts The answer of dumbe creatures vnto reason The beasts acknowledge a God and deny all fortune The naturall implicite faith of beasts The beasts may teach the Atheists The dumbe Creatures confesse one God The Creatures deny that there can be many gods The Creatures point out God as the first moouer Hence is implied Gods necessity Immutability Eternity Bonity Infinity Simplicity Without variety of parts Without diuersity of faculties Gods wisdome Freewill Power Prouidence Whereas here are many grounds wherby we come to the knowledge of God Natures testimony of God is defectiue and insufficient Whether this defect in Gods knowledge appeares by the testimony of nature The ground of all the mysteries in Religion Causes are not fully discerned by their effects Naturall causes Voluntary causes Supernaturall causes The application An instance How nature directs vnto grace Nature will not trespasse beyond her owne bounds Reason giues way to mysteries She neither reueales nor impugnes them The necessity of faith Dumbe Creatures cannot be the sole teachers of man concerning God Faith is a kinde of reason eleuated aboue a naturall condition Naturall reason acknowledgeth mysteries in generall Supernaturall workes confirme supernaturall words Reason discerning the open miracles cannot gaine say the secret mysteries Reason Admiration Faith Miracles proue mysteries The naturall implicite faith of the Creatures The seuerall kindes of faith Dumbe Creatures may as well be said to haue faith as knowledge The dumbe Creatures preach their faith vnto vs And exhorting vs they praise God by vs. As Angels so dumbe Creatures continually praise God The perfection of the Creatures How Creatures praise their Maker The temple of the Creatures and their Leiturgie They vse no ceremony but substance The prayers of the Creatures The generall intent of prayers The diuersity of their prayers They praise God in the best manner The Church-musicke of the Creatures Their variety of Anthems and Collects Their canonicall houres How powerful their prayers are The decalogue of the Creatures The morall vertues of dumbe beasts The sacrifice of dumbe Creatures Their various and different sacrifices The truth of their sacrifices How the Creatures concurre in the Sacraments The hope of the Creatures What becomes of the Creatures after our resurrection Their religion is according to their power Euery thing must haue a religion There is a naturall religion Proper to beasts not to man A naturall religion hath naturall bounds The Metaphysicks Naturall Philosophy Morall Philosophy Theology How all sciences may be reduced to this naturall religion How this naturall religion and Iudaisme is reduced to Christianity The Creatures make man ashamed The large extent of Gods Church The example of Creatures is an exhortation to vs. By our nature we are tied to a naturall religion There is but one and the same morall law to all religions No differences in religion should take away morall duties
which God first appointed the Sunne keepes his iust houre of rising the Moone obserues her certaine reuolutions so all the dumbe Creatures and all the beasts of the field doe the like you may assoone abolish their nature as accuse them for the breach of the law of nature they are led by their owne instinct they haue no liberty of will to oppose they cannot be refractory but are like the Angels in heauen sealed and confirmed in their state and condition Here is their conformity to Gods naturall law as farre forth as God hath giuen them a law they are surely led by the law and the most sanctified man can doe no more but according to the measure of grace that is giuen him Alas I should shame our selues if I should speake of our disobedience in respect of theirs Heare then how all those naturall vertues appeare in them how they are rooted and grounded in them suppose temperance iustice sobriety industry naturall affection and the like I will forbeare to speake being verily perswaded that nature hath proposed them vnto vs as presidents of each vertue that hauing giuen vs a rule some inclination in our selues to morall vertues she might annexe some example to that rule the example of dumbe Creatures that if we our selues through the malignity of our wills should practise to abolish the law in our hearts for so the custome of sinne takes away the sence of sinne yet still the law might be reserued whole and entire together with the exact patterne and practice of the law as I may so say bookes of reports in the Creatures and to this purpose I had made a long discourse but to enter vpon it I should proue tedious therefore I will forbeare to make any further mention of this which indeed is so euident and palpable as that it cannot admit a contradiction From their law come we then to their sacrifice which truely is as naturall as is their law for sacrifice is a pledge of our thankfulnesse which thankfulnesse is a branch of common iustice this iustice is naturally ingrafted in all Creatures that receiuing our selues from God we should offer vp our selues vnto God or at least something in lieu of our selues some quit-rent or fine in the acknowledgement of our Tenure that we hold our selues from God and therefore we are not at our owne disposing but must surrender vp our selues vnto God so that you might as well exclude from nature a naturall law as to deny a sacrifice Thus in generall all things being ordained to Gods glory they are likewise ordained for his seruice here is their sacrifice More particularly Nothing in it selfe containes in it selfe the vse and end of it selfe but hath some reference beyond it selfe E. g. Doth not euery thing euaporate and impart some part of it selfe suppose the flowers of the field in their sweet smels many Creatures with their incense and odoriferous perfumes and what are these indeed but natures sacrifices Shall we yet come neerer and shew how they partake in a true sacrifice What are the stones in the Temple but indeed offered vp in sacrifice For it is not necessary that all should consecrate who attend at the Altar all cannot be principals if the materiall temple will not suffice come we then to mans body which is the Temple of Gods Spirit and surely things ordained for the vse of this Temple and the vse consisting in their owne slaughter they are indeed consecrated and become a sacrifice If hitherto you dislike the metaphoricall or large signification come we then to the strictest sence What were the sacrifices of the Iewes but indeed the offering vp of dumbe Creatures Then surely these dumbe Creatures were no small part in the sacrifice they cannot be excluded but these were only types and shadowes of a true Sacrifice Come we then to that one and only true Sacrifice the sacrifice of Christ As we partake in his sacrifice in regard of our nature the manhood of Christ so all the Creatures cannot be excluded in regard of one common matter or substance in the body of Christ so that in him in him alone the whole world the great world in the little world becomes a true and reall sacrifice And for Sacraments Are not all the Creatures sanctified for mans vse And what is this in effect but to be the visible signes of inuisible grace Suppose the foure Elements The fire when as God appeared like fire in a bramble-bush and the Holy descended in fiery tongues The aire when as Christ together with his owne breath breathed out his Spirit The water in our baptism The earth in her fruits Bread and wine in the Eucharist Thus they share in our Sacraments according to the capacity of their nature we actiuely they passiuely all concurre in the Sacraments And to proceed yet further Lest they might seeme to faile in the end and scope of religion I say they are not altogether without hope for what may they not hope and expect from God who is so bountifull and magnificent in his rewards though their seruice be a naturall seruice a seruice necessarily imposed and that they can doe no lesse then serue him in their owne kinde yet it stands with Gods bounty to reward their seruice I say then that they are not altogether without hope for there is a naturall hope as Iob speaks Iob 14.7 Lignum si praecisum fuerit habet spem quod reuirescet so if I should extend this naturall hope as an earnest or as an implicite hope to a renouation of nature this were no inconuenience For certaine it is of all the dumbe Creatures that at the generall day of our Resurrection they likewise though not in themselues yet in their owne elements and principles shal be renewed For there shall be a new heauen and a new earth that then they may be fitted for our vse as now in the time and state of corruption they serue our present turnes and occasions If this seeme a strange doctrine then let this reason confirme it Creatures were first created in Paradise Then surely they were not so much ordained for slaughter and mans vse as for the setting forth of Gods glory Now since our fall they groane and trauell in paine together with vs vnder the burthen of our sinnes and our miseries the punishments of sinne Rom. 8.22 yet still they continue innocent in themselues they are often imployed in Gods seruice alwaies praysing God in their owne kinde and neuer incurre the breach of his law but are patient notwithstanding our immoderate and inordinat abuse Then surely by a course of iustice according to their manner and the capacity of their owne nature though not in themselues that is in the fiercenesse malignity and corruption of their nature yet in their owne first elements and principles or as they haue now entred into mans body and are become parts of mans flesh all the Creatures in generall shall