the same manner doth the intellectuall ingraffed notion before it be distinctly apprehended either mislike the suggestion of sundry phantasmes as apt rather to smoother or obscure than to manifest or expresse it or like of others as comming neere it or being some necessary adiunct of it but finally approues onely such as haue exact correspondency with it or cleerely represent it to it selfe or the intellectiue facultie wherein it resides or moues Hence perhaps may that maine question of questions be assoyled How wee become certainly perswaded of any truth this certaintie can never be wrought but by a repercussion of the ingraffed notion vpon it selfe Thus in all contemplations fully evident certaine we feele a gratefull penetration betweene the obiect knowne and the facultie knowing and as it were a fastning of the truth found vnto that part of the soule whence the desire of it sprung The soule it selfe by this penetration becomes so fully satisfied that the inclination which before wrought outwardly seeking where to rest delights now rather to retire inwardly and enioy it selfe Our manner of examining the certainty of truth supposed to be found out is by a kinde of Arietation a tryall which floating conceits or phantasmes not perpendicularly setled vpon the intellectuall notion cannot abide And without convenient and setled phantasmes the intellectuall intentions glaunce away without reflection or repercussion and consequently without all sense or notice of the Idaeall rules or notions whence they flow as lines from their center Some glimerings they may leaue of their indefinite truth none of their goodnesse as the Sunne-beames leaue some light or impression of light in the middle or vpper region of the aire none of heat vntill it meet with some solid bodie to reflect them CHAPTER XIIII What qualifications are required in the Phantasie or passiue vnderstanding for performing its dutie to the actiue vnderstanding specially for the right representation of matters morall or spirituall 1. FOr avoiding of erroneous conceites as well in matters sensible as immateriall it would be requisite to knowe somewhat more particularly what qualification is required of the phantasie what of the whole humane soule what peculiarly of the intellectuall and supreme facultie which sets all the rest a working and calls all their severall operations to precise examination and strict account Seeing every thing almost that is hath some affinitie with others and nothing can be knowne without speculation of phantasmes it will be hard to vnderstand either more excellent and transcendent natures truely or ordinary matters fully without varietie of phantasmes The next thing that can be required in the phantasie thus furnished with store of modells or representations is that it be stayed or setled Non sum adeo informis nuper me in littore vidi Cum placidum ventis staret mare I am not so ill favoured I saw my selfe ere while In calmer sea a glasse most true which can no man beguile saith the Shepheard in the Poet. But who hath seene his bodily shape at any time in a raging Sea or swelling streame although that concourse or efficiency which our faces or bodies afford to the production of their owne images or similitudes be in all places and all times the same So is the irradiation or agencie of the actiue vnderstanding in the Philosophers opinion perpetuall nor works it by fits or glimering So we were alwayes alike apt to learne or apprehend it is alwayes alike readie to make vs vnderstand For as nothing can be weary of its essence so neither can the intellectiue facultie be of this its proper operation which as the Philosopher thinkes is the selfe same with its essence The proper essence and operation of it is to diffuse these intellectuall rayes or ingraffed notions of truth but these we alwayes apprehend not we remember not their apprehensions because the passiue or fashionable vnderstanding which some take to be all one with the phantasie is subiect to change and corruption often so ill disposed that either no representations are made in it or els such as are false and vnperfect This I take to be the Philosophers meaning in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To thinke he should here giue a reason why our soules after separations from their bodies remēber not what they knew in them would make his soule I am perswaded yet to smile could it but reade the Interpreters glosses vpon these wordes to this purpose Not to insist vpon his authoritie nor to wrangle about his particular meaning in this place which perhaps he purposely left obscure and doubtfull all that can be gathered from his reason or from experience is this that the humane soule hath a perpetuall operation independent of the body which sufficiently proues it to be immortall but so is not humane knowledge because in the production of it the soule must be patient as well as agent and doth not worke vpon it selfe directly but by repercussion or reflection And seeing these are not wrought without some concurse of the phantasie whose operations as it selfe is are subiect to corruption and change our Intellection whether it be made by imitation or impression of phantasmes refined cannot be perpetuall or immortall 2. That potentialitie or aptitude which the soule hath to be linckt and made one substance with the body must needs abate some part of that perfection which is in Angels They are pure actes and perpetually apprehend their owne perpetuall operations the soule of man hath an immortall desire to doe the like but is held downe by the earthly and mortall body whose motions and vnruly appetites doe still counter-sway these inbred desires which the soule hath to contemplate her selfe as containing the ingraffed notions or similitude of all things Hence is that which the same Philosopher elswhere excellently obserues that sense and prudence doe in a manner voluntarily result from the stay or setled estate of the soule without variation Now these disturbances or turbulent motions of the soule which hinder knowledge arise for the most part from alliance with the body or from the allurements of externall senses For his reason as we said before when bodily calamitie or affliction cut off the hopes of temporary or sensuall pleasure and vntie or burst the strings which held vs fast vnto the pomps or vanities of the world the ingraffed notions of Gods power or providence the naturall dictates of conscience haue libertie and opportunitie to notifie and expresse themselues Then as Plinie sayth we know our selues to be but men and our soules begin to vnderstand themselues and their former errors they now see what precious seede was sowne in them so they had not suffered it to be smoothered and choaked with worldly cares nor suffred it to starue by nourishing vaine hopes of reaping forraine pleasures And yet even whiles the reasonable soule condemnes the senses for hiding this inestimable treasure of ingraffed knowledge shee cannot discover it without their helpe the representation is
trust Againe admitting trust or affiance in God to receiue continuall increase according to the growth of our beliefe of his word or being That Divells albeit they beleeue or know both more clearely then the best of vs should notwithstanding perpetually remaine without any trust or affiance in Him or his mercies no man vpon iust examination of the difference between their collapsed estate and ours can deeme strange or doubtfull much lesse a doubt as some in their writings suppose insoluble vnlesse we make trust or affiance in God essentially to difference our beliefe of his being from theirs If the Kings Maiestie should proclaime a generall pardon to a number of knowne rebells and vow execution of iudgement without mercie vpon some principall offenders which had maliciously and cunningly seduced their simplicitie I suppose his will and pleasure equally manifested to both and so beleeved would as much dishearten the one as encourage the other to relie vpon his clemencie Such altogether notwithstanding is the case of men and wicked Angells the one beleeues Christ tooke the womans seed and therefore cannot without such wilfull mistrust of the promise of life as was in his first parents vnto Gods threats of death despaire of redemption by the eternall sacrifice The other as firmly beleeue or rather evidently know that Christ in no wise tooke the Angelicall nature and without this ground the better they beleeue his incarnation the lesse are their hopes of their owne redemption 4. Briefly the bringing of soules to God being the end as of our preaching so of our writing the first point as I conceiue we are to teach such as desire to come vnto him is to beleeue that he is The second that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seeke Him Not all the eloquence of Men or Angels not the most patheticall exhortations the one can frame or the most forcible impulsions the other can vse are halfe so powerfull to draw our hearts after our God as the distinct orthodoxall explication of his Essence and Attributes of his power his wisdome and goodnesse either generall in respect of all the workes of his hands or peculiar to Mankinde visibly set forth vnto vs in the life the actions and passions of our Saviour What beliefe so ever is not conceiued from sober and frequent meditations of these truthes what confidence soever is not brought forth by beliefe so conceived will by Sathan one time or other easily be impeached of bastardie Even when this faith by which we now walke shall be converted into perfect sight everlasting confidence shall not outstart but rather follow it Much lesse should we in this vale of darkenesse begin our edification in faith at the open profession of assured or consummate confidence or seeke to frame it by imitation of such outward practises as strength of faith and full assurance of Gods favours haue emboldened hearts thoroughly enflamed with sincere zeale of truth to vndertake The truth then supposed as chiefe supporter to the discourse following is That without some precedent defect of our apprehensions there can be no want of true confidence and faile we may as most doe in apprehensions either of the veritie vnitie or of the Nature and Attributes of the Godhead The internall originall or manner of our defects or errours in these three points we are to set downe in this Booke the right explicaon of the Article proposd in the next CHAP. II. Disputation is not the readiest way to cure or reclaime an Atheist TO dispute with such as deny manifest and received Principles were to violate a fundamentall law of the Schooles which in matters of faith and sacred morality is to be religiously kept as in other respects so chiefly in this That generall Maximes whence particular truths and conclusions of best vse must be derived can hardly be prooved by arguments more cleare and evident then themselues Now to interpose proofes of lesse truth or perspicuitie then is the matter to be prooved is but to eclipse the evidence of it which of it selfe would in due season shine to calme and purified meditations or to provoke such as delight in trying masteries of strength or skill in arguing to assault truths otherwise safe enough from all attempts did they not see them so weakly guarded vpon preparation Thus the discovery of timorous lookes or meane provision often incourageth base and cowardly theeues to encounter passengers whose number or presence they durst not behold if they did not betray themselues For this reason amongst others I will not in the first place vse the benefit of divers Schoolemens labours to proue by strength of speculatiue reason there is a God although they bring abundance of reasons all irrefragable to an ingenuous well disposed contemplator but vnto such this principle is of all others most cleare and evident in it selfe as being most deeply implanted in the reasonable nature not acquired by vse of sense or observation The best method in my opinion to prevent Atheisme or cure an Atheist would be to hold the Meane betwixt the contemplatiue Philosopher and the practicall Physitian I haue heard of some so far over-growne with melancholy that they would eate no meate conceiting either they had no mouths or that their teeth were as soft as butter For a Physitian to haue attempted remoovall of such fancies by force of reason or importunate suggestion of contrary perswasions had beene cum ratione insamre to haue prooved himselfe as mad as his patients were melancholy The readiest way as not long agoe hath beene experienced to relieue parties thus affected is for a time rather to assent vnto then contradict them that so by promising a remedie to the supposed maladie an entrance may be made to purge the humour which breeds the false imagination And he that would cure an ordinary Atheist should as not sooth him in his impietie so not directly or fiercely encounter him with syllogisticall proofes or discourses metaphysicall for so aegrescit medendo he will grow sicker by seeing the medicine but labour rather secretly to vndermine the internall disposition whence such vnhallowed imaginations spring Atheisme in graine is but a spirituall madnesse arising from the abundance of such distemper in the soule as in proportion answers to melancholy in the body Would men looke into their owne hearts in time before they be over-shadowed with such griesly qualities they might behold the image of God engraven in them and as it were by an ocular demonstration be better enformed in this point then by the disputes of Philosophers CHAP. III. The Notion of the Deitie or divine power is most naturall vnto all men How this Notion being most naturall vnto all is eclipsed and defaced in many 1. THat the internall notion of powers divine which guide this visible worke of nature is most naturall to mankinde needes no further proofe then its owne extent and vniversalitie This sure ground wee haue sayth Tully to beleeue there be Gods in
chiefe enemy to their greatest good Thus they fall from one mischiefe to another vntill their consciences become cauterized with the flames of lust and being past all feeling they giue themselues over vnto lasciviousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse 3. All dissolute behaviour is dangerous and serues as fewell to this infernall fire which will excruciate that soule after death whose conscience it seares in this life but that is much worse which is matched with hautie vastnesse of minde for the most part transfused from gluttonish appetite or the Epicurean disposition As Boares and Bulls or other creatures by nature or breeding tame onely through hugenesse of body or fulnesse of plight grow often wilde fierce or mankene so men from a like disposition of body or indulgence to brutish appetites come to a gyantly temper of minde readie to proclaime warre against heaven and heavenly powers What shall wee thinke the Gyants were saith Macrobius but a wicked generation of men which denied the gods who for this reason were thought to haue attempted their deposition from their heauenly thrones He was not pacified sayth a better Writer towards the old Gyants who fell away in the strength of their foolishnesse Hence the same Author prayes ioyntly against these sister sinnes and twinns of hell O Lord father and God of my life leaue me not in their imagination neither giue me a proud looke but turne away from thy servant a Gyantly minde Take from me vaine hope and concupiscence and retaine him in obedience that desireth continually to serue thee Let not the greedinesse of the belly nor lust of the flesh hold me and giue not me thy servant over to an impudent or gyantly minde This he prayes against was the very temper of the Cyclops as Homer and Euripides haue pictured them After Vlysses and his mates had besought the Gyant to be good vnto them for Iupiters sake the supposed protector of the helplesse stranger He answered him in this or like language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. My pettie guest a foole thou art or sure thou comm'st from farre Thou hop'st with names of heavenly Gods the Cyclops stout to scarre Vnto the Gods wee owe no feare wee no observance shâ—w Our selues to be as good as they or better well wee knowe For Goate-nurst loue his loue or hate I waigh it not a whit Nor thee nor thine for him I 'le spare but as I thinke it fit His picture as Euripides hath taken it is more Gyantly vast For he paints him proclaiming his belly to be the onely or greatest God vnto whose sacrifice the fruits increase of the earth are due by title so soveraigne as neither heaven nor earth could withdraw or deteyne them Speeches altogether as vnsavoury will the belly-servers of our time belch out though not directly against God because they liue not in an Anarchie destitute of humane lawes as the Cyclops did yet against the messengers of his sacred will revealed for their salvation whiles we dehort them from these shamefull courses wherein they glory to their destruction And albeit they vse no such expresse forme of liturgie as did the Cyclops while they sacrifice to their bellies yet S. Pauls testimony is expresse that their bellie is their God And of the two Priests or grand sacrificers to this domesticke Idoll the dry Glutton me thinkes resembles the Land-serpent as his brother the beastly Drunkard doth the Water-snake This latter is more vnsightly and vgly to the eye the former more noysome and venemous to religious societie His enmitie against the Womans seed more deadly but lesse avoydable because the working of his poyson is lesse offensiue and more secret 4. Simple Atheisme consists in an equilibration of the minde brought as it were so to hang in its owne light as it cannot see whether way to encline but hoovers in the middle with Diagoras de Dijs non habeo quid dicam c. Concerning the Gods I haue nothing to say for them or against them Howbeit to men thus minded it seemes the safest course lite pendente to sacrifice onely to their owne desires and to hold Gods part by sequestratioÌ„ The curious or disputing Atheist striues to draw himselfe downe a little below this levell by matching the attractions of divine goodnesse with the motions of his owne imaginations But the malignancy of this Atheisme which ariseth from combination of the late mentioned distempers may grow so great as to turne the notions of good and evill topsie turvie transposing these inclinations which nature hath set on heaven and heavenly things towards hell As all inordinate affections more or lesse abate or countersway our propensions vnto goodnesse so the excesse of such as are most malignant bring the soule to an vtter distaste or loathing of whatsoever is truely good and to delight in doing mischiefe Now the very procurers or advancers of mischiefe much affected shall be deified with rites and titles due to God alone as it were in factious opposition to the holy spirit The same vnwildy or vast desires of sensuall pleasures or contentments which disenables men to distinguish that which is truely good from that which seemeth best to their distempers will with the same facilitie draw them blindfold to a like sinister or preposterous choyce of their patrones As the truely godly worship the true God because his greatnesse is so good to all so vnto these wicked or malignant Impes That shall be Lord That shall be God whatsoever it be which they esteeme their greatest good or vnder whose protection they may quietly possesse what they already enioy We see it too often experienced that stubborne desires of lucre honour lust or revenge draw men destitute of other meanes for accomplishing their hopes vnto expresse and wilfull compacts with Devils or performances of sacrifices to infernall powers The observant Poet makes Iuno speake as great Personages in like remedilesse crosses vsually resolue Flectere si nequeo superos Acheronta movebo nor doth the language of that other ought vary from the common practise of forlorne hopes suggested by vast desires Vos mihi manes Este boni quoniam superis aversa voluntas If these and the like prayers or wishes of heathen supplicants found gratefull successe their second edition in plaine English was thus What Heavens haue marr'd whiles Hell amends Fiends goe for Gods and Gods for Fiends 5. With many men otherwise of sober disposition onely too much wedded to the world or to their own wills a sorcerers charme will be as acceptable as a godly prayer so the event ensuing giue present content or satisfaction to their desires Yet many Atheists as Vasques counts it a point of speciall observation vpon wicked practises sometimes recoyle and come to beleeue there is a God or guide of nature by evident experience of magicke feates farre surpassing the power of man or creatures visible 6. It
acknowledged by many to be the onely God from the former opinion became answerable to as many names as the world had principall parts and vpon diversitie of relations to effects or motioÌ„s presumed to issue from his amiable or liue presence subdivided into both sexes tearmed Neptune in the sea Liber in the vineyard Vulcan in the Smiths forge and Vagitanus in the Infants mouth in the aire Iuno in the earth Tellus Venilia in the sea-waue whilest current to the land Salatia in the same waue reciprocating The meere varietie of names or alteration of the sexe or gender would naturally suggest a multiplicity of gods and goddesses vnto the ignorant so would the diverse formes or shapes of those bodies whereof they imagined him to be the soule and spirit vnto the learned specially seeing the motions or operations of the elements or other inferior bodies haue no such vitall dependance vpon any one or few principall parts of the world as in man all other members with their functions haue on the heart the head and liver or perhappes all originally on the heart And yet the evident prerogatiue of these three parts hath perswaded great Philosophers to allot three severall soules really and locally distinct to each principall part one From which opinion it would with probability follow that in one man there should be three living creatures A plant a sensitiue and a rationall substaÌ„ce And Varro the most learned amongst the Romanes graunts that the auncient Romanes did worship mother Tellus Ops Proserpina and Vesta for distinct goddesses Though these titles in his refined Theologie rather imported so many severall vertues of the earth whose soule or spirit was but one And not absurdly as he thought might other goddesses be reduced to this olde Grandame Tellus But S. Austine demaunds how this can stand with the doctrine of his auncestors which had ordained severall rites to all these as vnto goddesses in nature different and consecrated peculiar votaries vnto Vesta It is not all one for one goddesse to haue many names and to be many goddesses or shall multiplicitie and vnitie be avouched of one and the same It may be saith Varro that in one many may be contained but this avoydes not the intended checke Saint Austine replies That as in one and the same man there may be many entities not many men so in one and the same goddesse there might be severall vertues not severall goddesses Varroes attempt to justifie his forefathers iolly and reconcile their grosse ignorance with his learned errors evidently bewrayes whose successors the Iesuites or other quaint moderne refiners of Schoole Paganismes are which hope to salue the contradictions of their doating forefathers and erring councells and patch vp the vnitie of their broken and divided Church by Schoole glue or Philosophicall querks 3. But concerning the animation of the world and its severall parts the opinions of Philosophers varied and their variation caused varietie of Idolatrie Every body had a peculiar spirit or genius besides Iupiter to whom the moderation of all was assigned whence we may without breach of charitie suppose the worshipping of dumbe and sencelesse creatures to haue beene a practise though wicked in all yet not altogether so brutish and sencelesse in some heathen as it is often generally censured without distinction For even the elements or inanimate creatures which they adored had in the opinion of some Philosophers their proper spirits though not to informe them as our soules doe our bodies yet to assist or guard them each of which spirits was held divine and indued with some peculiar power or vertue for producing or averting certaine effects proportionable to the bodies Authors for skill as well practicke as speculatiue not easie to be deceived and for their gravitie and morall honestie exempt from all suspition of purposed deluding others haue related strange apparitions about Mines The like might seduce some heathen to adore gold and silver not as mettalls but rather as visible pledges of an invisible Mammons presence conceived by them as a spirit or guardian of treasure by whose favour sollicited in peculiar rites or services wealth might either be gotten or increased The like conceit no question moved the â—ndians to present a Casket of gold jewels with such a solemne maske or superstitious daunce as they held most acceptable to their country-gods in hope Gold the Spanish God as they deemed it being pleased with their devotions would appease the Spanyards crueltie Why those semi-Christians should so hunger and thirst after gold and mettalls which could neither allay their hunger nor quench their thirst could not enter into these silly caitiffs hearts vnlesse it were to sacrifice it vnto some Mammon or spirit of Gold 4. Iulian the Apostata albeit he spared no cost to make Iupiter his friend whom he adored as King of gods and chiefe moderator of the world yet thought it no point of thrift or wisedome to neglect the Elementall spirits because these in the heathenish divinitie which he followed were powers truely divine able to qualifie their worshippers with the spirit of divination Neither was this opinion of their Deitie in the censure of those times or sects any Paradox nor the offering of placatory sacrifices any vnlawfull or superfluous practise Otherwise Amianus his plea to acquite his Master from suspition of sorcery or Magicall Exorcismes had beene as ridiculous in the sight of Heathens as it was impious in the judgement of Christians Because this Prince a professed louer of all sciences is by some maligned to haue gained the foreknowledge of things future by naughtie Arts we are briefely to advertise by what meanes a wise man as this Prince was may attaine vnto this kinde of learning or skill more than vulgar The spirit of all the elements saith this Author being enquickned by the vncessant motion of the celestiall bodies participate with vs the gift or facultie of divination and the favour of the substantiall powers or immortall substances being purchased by respectiue rituall observance the praediction of Fates or destinie is conveyed vnto mortalitie from them as from so many perpetuall springs or fountaines Over these substantiall powers the goddesse Themis sits as President so called by the Grecians because the iâ—revocable fatall decrees by her mediation become cognoscible This Themis the auncient Theologi haue therefore placed in the bedchamber and throne of Iupiter fountaine of life and liuelihood 5. Yet this conceipt of Themis soveraigntie was not the opinion of all or most auncient heathen Doctors For some haue taught that Tellus or the spirit of the Earth did giue Oracles before Themis medled in these businesses During the time of both their regencies Nox by others was esteemed at least as midwife of Revelations whereof sometime she had beene reputed Queene-mother because these secret praedictions of destinie or fatall doomes were vsually brought to light in silent darkenesses Not much different from Ammians Philosophy are
soules with two distinct habites of Religion one of latria wherewith wee serue God another of dulia whereby we tender such respect and service as is fit for Saints and Angells For every abstract number without addition or subtraction of any vnitie without any the least variation in it selfe necessarily includes a different proportion to every number that can be compared with it and so doth every sanctified or religious soule without any internall alteration or infusion of more habites or graces than that by which it is sanctified naturally bring forth three severall sorts of religious and respectfull demeanour 1. towards God 2. towards Saints or Angells 3. towards Princes men in authoritie or of morall worth As it is but one lesson Giue honour to whom honour loue to whom loue tribute to whom tribute so it is but one religious habite or rule of conscience that teacheth the practise of it And in some sense it may be graunted that men in authoritie or of morall worth must be worshipped with religious worship in another sense againe it must be denyed that Saints are to be worshipped with religious worship though worthy of some peculiar religious respect whereto Kings and Princes vnlesse Saints withall haue no title 4. The respect or service which we owe to others may take this denomination of Religious from three severall References First from the internall habit or religious rule of conscience which dictateth the acts of service or submission secondly from the intellectuall excellency or personall worth of the partie to whom they are tendred thirdly from the nature and qualitie of the acts or offices themselues which are tendred to them with the manner or circumstances of their tendring According to the first denomination we must worship vngodly Magistrates and irreligious Princes with religious Worship For if wee must doe all things for conscience sake and as in the sight of God our service wheresoever it is due must be no eye service no faigned respect All our actions and demeanours must be religious as Religion is opposed to hypocrisie dissimulation or time-serving And in this sense religious and civill Worship are not opposite but coordinate Men truely religious must be religiously civill in their demeanor towards others If our respect or service take the denomination of Religious from the personall worth or internall excellencie of the partie whom we worship it is most true wee are to worship Saints with more than meere civill Worship None of our Church I dare be bound will deny that godly and religious men must be reverenced not onely for their vertues meerely morall or politicke but for their sanctitie and devotion Yet is this all that the moderne Papist seekes to proue against vs. And from this Antecedent which needes no proofe he presently takes that for graunted which he shall never be able to prooue either from these or other premises to wit That Saints are to be worshipped with religious Worship as it is opposed to civill Worship His meaning if it reach the point in question must be this Wee are bound to offer vp the proper acts of Religion as prayers with other devotions by way of personall honour or service to the Saints This wee say is formall Idolatrie 5. It is one thing to tender our service in lowlinesse of spirit for conscience sake vnto the Prince another to tender him the service of our spirit or subiection of our consciences Religion binds me to bow my knee or vse other accustomed signes of obeysance in vnfaigned testimony that I acknowledge him Lord of my body armed with Authoritie from the Maker of it to take vengeance vpon it for deniall of its service Or in case he punish me without cause the bond of conscience and Religion tyes me to submit this outward man in humilitie of spirit to the vnlawfull exercise of his lawfull power rather than I should graunt him the command or disposall of my Religion or honour him with the acts or exercises of it In like sort the sight and presence of any whom God hath graced with extraordinary blessings of his Spirit will voluntarily extort signes of submissiue respect from every sanctified and religious spirit in vndoubted token that they reverence Gods gifts bestowed vpon him and heartily desire their soules might take some tincture or impression from his gratious carriage or instructions which they can hardly doe without some nearer linke of familiaritie and acquaintance or at least would doe so much better by how much the linke were closer or their vicinitie greater The right end and scope whereto the instinct of grace inherent in our soules doth direct these externall signes of submission is to woe their soules and spirits whom we thus reverence to some more intimate coniunction This submissiue reverence though not required by them is on our parts necessary for holding such consort or iust proportion with the abundant measure of Gods graces in them as we may draw comfort and perfection from them Contemplation of others excellency without this submissiue temper in our selues either stirres vp envie or occasioneth despaire and yet all that these outward and vnfaigned signes of submission can lawfully plight vnto them is the service of our bodies or inferior faculties These we could be content to sacrifice not to them but for their sakes alwayes provided that we doe not preiudice the right or dominion which our owne spirits and consciences haue over our bodies immediately vnder God But to offer vp the internall and proper fruits of the Spirit vnto them by way of tribute and honour is to dishonour to deny that God which made them The seedes of grace and true Religion are sowne immediately by his sole powerfull hand and their natiue of-spring acts of faith especially must be reserved entire and vntouched for him Prayers intrinsecally religious or devotions truely sacred are oblations which may not which cannot without open sacriledge be solemnly consecrated to any others honour but onely to his who infuseth the Spirit of prayer and thankesgiving into mens hearts The principall crime whereof we accuse the Romish Church and whereof such as purposely examine the inditement put vp by Reformed Churches against her and her children are to take speciall notice is her open professed direct intendment to honour them which are no gods with those prayers or devotions with these elevations of mindes and spirits wherewith they present the onely wise immortall King in Temples dedicated to his service He that prayed in olde times to an Idoll in a Groue destinated to his worship did wrong the true God after the same manner that he doth which robs him of his Tyths before they be set apart for his house But to come into his house of prayer with serious purpose to honour him with the sacrifice of a contrite or broken spirit and in the time of oblation to divert our best intentions to the honor of our fellow-creatures is worse than Ananias and Saphirahs sinne a lying to the
of reliques or worshipping of images their meaning was as if they had prayed that the Pope would approoue of whatsoever the people should publickly practise for it is but another part of the former conclusion that all whom he shall vouchsafe to canonize may be lawfully adored by the vniversall Church in publicke and solemne Liturgies so that to worship such is now more necessary than it was before 2. Never had the infernall powers since their fall so just occasion given them by any creatures of insultation and triumph at the wonderfull successe of their policies as by these latter Romanists who as well by Apologizing for their superstition towards the dead whereof others haue chalenged them as by seeking to reforme some grosse abuses whereof themselues were ashamed haue beene fetcht over to commit more detestable and more blasphemous idolatry with living men than any Heathen ever did with their deceased Heroicks with their false Gods or true devills Such as worshipped those beastly Romane Emperours whom their Successors consecrated were not bound to beleeue nor could their Successors perswade themselues that the Senate could not erre or doe amisse in decreeing divine honour to them That people not knowing what faith meant did onely as their chiefe Magistrates commanded them nor did these command all throughout the Empire to be partakers with them in their idolatrous worship But now to dispute whether the Pope doe well or amisse in canonizing men after death whom he knew not living is held a point of heresie or infidelitie His absolute infallibilitie as well in declaring who are Saints as in determining what honour is due vnto them is prest vpon vs as a Maxime of faith And is not this to worship him with divine honour That conceipt which the old Romanes had of their consecrated Emperours came as farre short of this divine excellency which Papists imagine in the Pope as the Iewes opinion of their Messias whom they expected should be a King doth of that esteeme which true Christians make of Christ whom they adore as God The superstitious knowledge or rather the practicall ignorance of the true God differeth no otherwise in Rome-Heathen and Rome-Christian than the ordinary knowledge of Christ in the old Testament and in the New The idolatry of Rome-Heathen agrees with the idolatry of Rome-Christian as the type or shadow with the body or substance 3. Bellarmine giveth Melancthon the lye for saying the Romish Church ascribes a divine power to Saints in knowing mens thoughts I aske them not knowing our thoughts how can they know our petitions No Catholique saith he did ever teach that they know our prayers as they are cōceived in our minds but as they are in God who reveales them to his Saints and Angels He would not thus fiercely avert the imputation of the Antecedent vnlesse he knew the inference to be legall and vnavoydable To pray then to Saints out of presumed beliefe that they know the secrets of our hearts were by his confession to ascribe a divinitie vnto them and to worship them with divine honour plaine idolatrie Therefore they pray vnto them out of assurance that God who sees our hearts acquaints them with our hearts desires Yet that one Saint that every Saint should by this meanes know every mans prayers that is enjoyned to pray vnto them necessarily supposeth a participation of that infinite knowledge which is incommunicable To see the secrets of mans heart is one of Gods peculiar titles If Saints by enioying his presence enioy this sight no reason can be conceived why in seeing him they may not see all things that are in him all that he sees And so they shall not be onely Gods but as was observed before Gods Almightie by participation But admitting that all such as enioy Gods presence doe heare our prayers I demaund what ground of beliefe Romane Catholiques can haue that many whom they must pray vnto are partakers of Gods presence Onely this The Pope hath canonized them But seeing the world is full of dissimulation and hypocrisie seeing men are partiall to giue better testimony of such as they seeke to preferre than they can deserue how can his Holines know them to be true Saints vnlesse he know their hearts by better testimony than humane As a Christian he knowes that onely the pure in heart enioy the blessed sight of God But how can he so infallibly know as becomes a Pope whether such as lived in England in Spaine in Asia America or other remote parts of the world were pure in heart or but hypocrites If he may erre in this knowledge the people must erre in practise 4. Their resolution of this point comes to this finall issue Saints celestiall see our hearts in seeing God Romane Catholiques see the integritie and puritie of their hearts whose faces they never saw in the Pope or by reading his decrees He stands as God to them on earth as the true God is to the Saints in heaven He knowes as certainely who goes to heaven and what they doe there as God knowes what is done in earth And out of this confident beliefe of his infallible all-seeing spirit his creatures pray to S. Francis Dominicke Aquinas as vnto secondary or intermediate Intercessors with the same assurance of faith that they doe to Christ as to their principall Mediatour And reason they haue so to doe God Almightie hath said that Christ is in heaven and the Pope hath sayd of Aquinas Dominicke or some other they are in heaven Thus like foolish Mariners or Fresh water Souldiers after they had beene long carried vp and downe with the blasts of vaine doctrine fearing ship-wracke in the open Ocean of former ages idolatrie and yet ashamed to returne to the Haven whence they loosed lest wise men should laugh at them they put in at the jawes of hell for Harbour SECTION V. Of the transformation of the Deitie or divine power in his nature attributes word or will revealed CHAPTER XLI Transformation of the divine nature doth issue from the same originall or generall fallacie from which Idolatrie and multiplicitie of Gods was observed to issue Chapter 17. 1. AMONGST the Heathen many who did not altogether so vainely multiplie their gods did most grossely misfigure the divine nature or God-head The common roote to both these branches of errour but from which the latter doth more directly spring and take more kindly was pronenesse to conceiue of matters heavenly and invisible according to the best forme or patterne which they had of matters visible or earthly Now to be sole Lord of the whole earth without consorts of like nature would be a life to the wisest and healthiest of men most irkesome And the Philosopher out of a popular opinion either of his owne or times more auncient makes competent store of friendes or alliances necessary supporters of faelicitie Now as that happinesse which in this life they hoped for supposed friends or other contentments so the common notion of the
stupiditie tremble at their sencelesse petulancy in this argument As the learned Papist hath no parallell the Iew excepted in this kinde so in the maine points of their Religion as in the doctrines concerning the authoritie of the Church and the sacrifice of the Masse they doe not goe so much beyond others as besides themselues The waight or consequence of the matters conteined in the mentioned controversies breeds an extreme desire to haue their profitable tenents countenanced by sacred authoritie and extremitie of desire an vnsatiable thirst or greedinesse of lucking wringing those Texts of Scripture which in colour of words or literall shew doe seeme at first sight to make somewhat for them but in truth and substance manifest the poyson of their doctrine and argue their eager appetite in maintaining it to be a spice or symptome of spirituall madnesse To proue the sacrifice of the Masse some not content to vrge that of the Prophet And they shall offer a pure oblation to me in all places or Melchisedeckes offering consecrated bread and wine which being once granted would everlastingly over-throw it would perswade vs the latine Missa was coyned in the Hebrew mint from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masas which in the first signification imports as much as to blow whence the Verball 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Missah in a secondary sence signifieth tribute or Pole-money The implication is the very name of the Masse imports that this oblation or sacrifice is Gods tribute to be paid vnto him as duely as Peter-pence is to the Pope Their owne acknowledgement of this doting fancy in some of their writers leaues a suspition whether it were a true relation rather then a meere iest put vpon that ignorant Priest who being put to finde the word Masse in the Scriptures after a long and wearisome search when he was ready to giue over or fall asleepe lighting vpon those words in the first of Iohn Invenimus Messiam cryed out Wee haue found the Masse we haue found the Masse to the confusion of the Heretiques 2. I know not whether the Prophets interpretations of dreames and visions were of greater force to perswade the Heathen that the spirit of the immortall Gods did dwell in them than such dreaming interpretations as latter Iewes doe make of Prophecies or other divine Oracles are or might be of for confirming Christians beliefe that the Lord hath sent a spirit of slumber vpon them so like they are in their comments or meditations vpon Scriptures concerning Christ vnto such as dreame The same phantasmes which by floting in our braines breed dreames by night present themselues to our waking thoughts by day but want opportunitie to deceiue so long as our eyes and eares are open to receiue forraigne information But whiles the externall senses which serue as witnesses and that principall internall sense which sittes as chiefe Magistrate in the inferior part of the soule are surprized by sleepe the vainest fancies the braine can represent passe for currant without examination or checke The phantasie or common sense is as credulous of their suggestions or obtrusions as illiterate ignorant or vnexperienced people are of counterfeit commissions or pretended warrants As at this instant though I think of my good friends in London yet the sight of Oxford and other vndoubted pledges of my presence in this place wherein I am will not suffer my soule to be miscarried with false imaginations of being elswhere whereas whiles the gates of these outward senses are shut and the passages from the principall sense internall or examinatiue facultie stopped the modell of that famous Cittie rouling in my fantasie would forthwith breede an imagination that I were in it in their presence whose image or representation onely is present with me Vpon appearances altogether as light and frivolous are the Iewes transported from Christ now fully manifested and presented to them to imbrace such shadowes or prefigurations of him as had fallen out in the dayes of their Patriarkes or ancient Kings No man that reades their writings but will perceiue many phantasmes or modelles of Evangelicall truth swimming in their heads but the vaile being laid before their hearts disenables their iudgements for distinguishing figures from substances or apparitions from realities 3. The reliques of orthodoxall truths which vnto this day worke in this heartlesse peoples braines would be sufficient to forme Christ crucified in the hearts of Heathens not given vp to a reprobate sense For example that practicall pre-notion Gebher hath sinned Gebher must be punished wheron they ground their ceremonies in the feast of atonement being construed according to its literall and naturall sense is in effect the same with that divine Oracle As by man came death so by man came the resurrection of the dead or with that fundamentall Article of our beliefe that man was to satisfie for the sinnes of men But the passages of these latter Iewes internall senses being lockt vp in a deeper slumber in the day of their solemne feasts then our externall senses are in the dead of the night the cleare representatiō of the former Christian truth makes no impression in their heart but vanisheth into a heathenish dreame Like so many men that vse to walke and raue in their sleepe they vnwittingly act our Saviours sufferings after the manner of an Interlude putting Gebher which in their Rabbinicall language signifieth a Cock for meere affinitie of name for Gebher in Hebrew signifieth a man vnto all the tortures they can devise adding withall that every Gebher every man amongst them deserues to be so dealt withall as they deale with this poore creature Nor is any creature of this kind so fit for this purpose in their fantasie as a white one Their severall phantasmes or pre-notions concerning this mystery rightly put together and examined by vigilant thoughts signifie thus much that the matter of the sacrifice by which the atonement for mans sin was to be wrought was to be a Gebher a man without blemish or spot of sinne 4. If any prophecie include the least historicall reference or allusion to Abraham to Moses David or Solomon as the first draught almost of every Prophecie is some former History this is a motiue sufficient to these blinde guides to interpret the place as wholly meant of these types alone Christ who is the body therein presented God blessed forever which vpholdeth all things by the power of his word the very Center though they perceiue it not whereon their soules doe rest hath no more place in our thoughts than the bed wherein we lye hath in our night imaginations of walking or talking with our friends either deceased or farre absent Every metaphor or resemblance borrowed from things visible as mouldes for fashioning our conceits of matters spirituall or invisible to be accomplished in the life to come make these miserable wretches quite forget the estate as well wherein they are as whence they are fallen and cast them into pleasant dreames of
seemes to me an obiect worthy deeper speculation of the observant that albeit some Atheists may so farre abortivate or dead the seedes of religion sowen in their soules as that they shall never bring forth any expresse thought or liue apprehension of their Creator yet can they not vtterly evacuate nature of their remainder Either in their speeches actions or resolutions they still bewray some corrupt reliques of celestiall infusions And as wine and strong waters which through ill keeping haue lost their natiue force and proper relish become most loathsome vnpleasant so the imbred notions of God and godlinesse after they be themselues tainted doe sublimate the corruptions of nature with which they mingle into a kinde of rancor more than naturally irreligious such as the Psalmist calls the poyson of Aspes In all the contentious quarrels vsually pickt by dissolute and godlesse persons against men of religious and vnspotted life there appeares a root of bitternesse supernaturall or diabolicall The pietie that shines in the one the other holds in execration and persecuteth with such a kind of zealous hate as true pietie doth execrable villanies If they be men of better place which be thus badly minded they exact respect and dutie in such straines of passion as if it were sacriledge to deny it them albeit in other cases nothing to them is sacred or worthy of religious esteeme The threates likewise of revenge breath'd out by them in their braver humors are vsually besprinckled with some flowing notions of a divine Maiestie whereof in this humor onely they are apprehensiue because the personall offence committed against their dignities cannot seeme so great as they desire to make them without deriving Gods right or soveraignty vpon themselues or making him sharer in their wrongs 7. Of some affinitie or rather of the selfe same progenie with this observation is that sweete discourse of S. Austine wherein he proues the desire of peace to be so deeply implanted in every mans soule as spirits most turbulent and vnquiet can never vtterly shake it of but rather of necessitie though preposterously follow it even in such seditious and tumultuous broyles as wilfully and causlâ—sly they haue kindled What Kite is there so much addicted to solitude in soaring after his prey which hath not his mate whom he helpes in hatching and cherishing their common brood which preserues not the lawes of domesticke societie with his female consort with as great peace as he can How much more is man led by the lawes of nature to mainteine peace as farre as in him lyeth with all men when as even wicked and naughtie men will fight for the welfare of them and theirs and would if it were possible that all men and all things els might do them service vnlesse they conspire together for their peace either through love or feare Thus doth pride though preposterously imitate God it hateth equalitie with all fellow creatures vnder God but seekes to exercise dominion over them in Gods stead So then it hates that iust peace which is of God and loues its owne unrighteous peace but not to loue some one kinde of peace or other it cannot choose For 〈◊〉 is so contrary to nature as to 〈◊〉 out all print of natures lawes Those as the same Father addes which disturbe the peace wherein they liue doe not simply hate peace but rather covet to change it at their pleasure It is not their will then to haue no peace but to haue such peace as they will In like manner the Foole of Fooles the irreligious Politician when he wisheth in his heart there might be no God desires himselfe might be as God The observances which he exacts of his inferiors are many times such as naturall reason not infatuated may easily discover to belong vnto a greater power than he is capable of whose authoritie he abuseth as vngracious servants doe their gracious Lords and Masters CHAP. VIII Meanes for preventing infection of Atheisme or irreligion In what temper or constitution of minde the ingraffed notion of God and goodnesse doth best prosper That affliction giues vnderstanding in matters sacred with the reasons why it doth so 1. THe chiefe causes of Atheisme being discovered the meanes to prevent it cannot be difficult and these consist in this â—iple care First To preserue the heart or fountaine pure cleane from all mixture of earth or dregs of lust in which the image of God either cannot be imprinted or will quickly be defaced Secondly To keepe it calme and free from agitation of boysterous or tumultuous passions whereby the representation of impressions acquired or naturally inherent are alwayes hindred Thirdly To avoyde the intangling loue of wrangling arts whose impertinent curious disquisitions wooven for the most part with obscure perplexed termes sâ—re as a cataract vpon the eye of reason intercepting its rayes from piercing into the heart that being a deepe into whose bottome ordinary sights without these helpes as well for right proposall or representation of the obiect as for the right qualification of the facultie cannot diue To the set the Reader may adde the qualities before required for the right growth of faith Whatsoever hindreth it must needs hinder all beliefe of the true God and whatsoever is availeable for furthering it must needs be alike availeable for raising beliefe of Gods existence his goodnesse or other attributes But of that puritie of heart wherein the right and perfect representation of the divine nature is onely seene wee are to speake more particularly in the last part of this Treatise 2. Besides avoidance of these generall incumbrances a peculiar disposition or temper there is wherein the common notion of the Deitie or divine power giues a more sensible Crisis of its inherence in our soule The nature of which disposition cannot better be expressed than by a temper contrary to the gyantly vastnesse of minde or vnrelenting stubbornnesse of heart It is well observed by the Examiner of wits that he which is by nature vnapprehensiue of danger is neerer allied vnto foole-hardinesse than to fortitude seeing the truely valourous will in many cases be afraid though not affrighted out of their wits or farther deiâ—cted than occasions require Howbeit the valour it selfe so much magnified amongst the Heathen or with the world to this day is no fit consort for Christian humility rather to be reckoned amongst the mightie things which God hath purposed to confound than with the weake which he hath chosen to confound them The true reason why it was so much extold aboue other vertues was not the great Philosopher being judge because it was by nature better or did internally more beautifie the parties minds where in it rested but because it did much benefit others The disposition which now wee seeâ—e is somewhat lower more apprehensiue of death of danger or other humane infirmities â—pter to be stricken with feare at consciousnes of internall evils than to be driven vpon imminent perils by