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
Goodman Bishop late of Gloucester June 4. 1653. being the Eve of Trinity Sunday which we were wont to keep very solemnly and I hope you do so continue still THE INTRODUCTION St JOH 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh I Should be much afraid to speak of this word and to multiply my words in the exposition of this one word were it not that my Text doth inform me that thiâ—… word was made flesh and therefore I may well presume on Gods mercy that as it was his humility to descend down from heaven to take up our flesh so without disparagement to his honour â—…lesh and blood may presume to speak of this word to clothe him with our mortall words as some time he was clothed with our mortall nature Again to imbase him and as iâ—… were to give him a new birth conceived in the womb of the heart brought forth by the tongue that so future ages and succeeding generations might testifie of this word for this word was made flesh The written word of God proceeding from the wisdom of God may seem to have been a stream derived from the fountain of this eternal word as large Commentaries and Expositions serve to unfold a little text wherein there is much more matter implyed then can be expressed now this written word though otherwise Gods own word in whom there is no blemish or imperfection yet certainly it was imperfect before such time as this eternall word was made flesh I speak not only that it consisted of types shadowes and figures without the spirit of grace and oâ—… truth not only that it did â—…arre surmount the state and condition of man untill this word was made flesh sanctifying our corrupted nature and descending to our capacity but whereas the written word was a precept a Law and a Rule to square out our actions necessary it was that after the Rule given there should be some pattern to exemplifie the rule Praecepta docent Exempla excitant the Rule is imperfect without an Example But before the time the fulnesse of time wherein God appeared in our flesh there could be no example of true holinesse and obedience to Gods Law and therefore for the upshot and conclusion of the Law in the Eclipse of the Prophets Cum silentium contineret omnia nox in suo cursu mediuÌ„ iter haberet omnipotens sermo tuus Domine exiliens de coelo à regalibus sedibus durus Debellator in mediam exterminii terram prosiluit Sap 18. here is the example annexed to the rule an example in whom dwels the fulnesse of the deity all the treasures of Gods wisdom from whom as from a fountain the written law is derived to whom as to an Ocean the whole scope of the law is directed thus is the Rule perfected by the example the written word serves for a precept the begotten word serves for a president the yoak is made easie the burden is light for wherein the law might seem obscure and difficult that shall now easily appear by the practise example and imitation of this word for this word was made flesh Saint Austin hath well observed that before such time as the word was made flesh man in the pride and presumption of his own heart might have used some excuse unto God Lord why hast thou commanded such strict lawes such as are opposite to the inclination of nature the forgiving of wrongs the chastising of the flesh the mortifying of passions continuall repentance and sorrow whatsoever thou didst unto man thou didst it with the greatest facility and ease verbo virtutis tuae thou spakest the word and all things were created but whatsoever thou requirest of man it is done with the greatest difficulty and labour Thus in effect especially considering the manner thou seemest to require more of man then thou hast done unto man here then there is no proportion But behold to stop the mouthes of Blasphemers that sin might be inexcusable behold the word is made flesh God hath entred the Lists of our misery and hath run thorough the whole course of our Pilgrimage in sudore vultus in the sweat of his browes with watchings and fastings with labour and passions he hath fulfilled the law and having performed it in his own person it is no wrong or injustice to impose the same law upon his vassals and creatures for the word was made flesh Man as he totally proceeds from God so is he totally directed to God but before such time as the word was made flesh it should seem only the better part of man the soul and the understanding were capable of Gods word Alas what becomes of the sensible part shall the body and the flesh be excluded if it lookes for a portion in glory needs it must have some earnest in grace body and soul they are both creatures alike they are both parts of man alike See then the wonderfull work of Gods mercy the word is made flesh a word speaking to the understanding and possessing the soul flesh subject to the sense visible to the outward appearance that so the whole man might be sanctified for the word was mad flesh But leaving all preambles I will tie my self more strictly to the words of my text wherein I will consider these three parts The word in it self The word in our flesh The manner and circumstances answerable to the three termes of of my text Et verbum caro factum est And the word was made flesh wherein are implyed the ineffable mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation and both these great mysteries I will first set them down as the Church receives them then I will illustrate them by naturall reason and the grounds of Philosophie and lastly I will give sufficient assurance for the truth of them for I will produce miracles above natural power for confirmation of mysteries above naturall knowledge which is an abundant satisfaction This first Chapter of Saint John in my poore judgement hath some relation to the first Chapter of Genesis and though Saint John be the last Evangelist prophet and penman of Scripture yet he seems to inclose and incompass on every side Moses the first law-giver prophet and pen-man of Scripture whereby it may appear that Christ was Agnus occisus ab origine a Lamb slain from the beginning and by the eternall decree of God long before the foundations of the world were laid You shall then observe that both Saint John and Moses they use the same first word in both their writings in principio in the beginning only with this difference that Moses intended the beginning of time where first God began the Creation and set the first wheel on going but our Apostle and Evangelist like an Eagle makes a higher flight and looking upon the Sun and fastning his eyes thereon is no way daunted though the Sun be the master piece of the creation which other creatures cannot behold but aymes at
is this That as there is not any creature wherein at this time the footstep and impression of the blessed Trinity doth not appear as I have already proved so I doubt whether God can make any creature wherein the stamp or mark of the blessed Trinity shall not be imprinted My reason is that God alone is Actus purus simplicissimus nothing but pure form a light without shadow or an absolute perfection without blemish or spot but whatsoever is besides God is was created by God of nothing and therefore in respect of this nothing from whence it arose it must have in it self quiddam potentiale something defective and imperfect that being made of nothing it is apt of it self being left to it self to return again to nothing So then it must consist ex actu potentia and there must be vinculum or ligamen to knit or unite together this Actum and Potentiam So here is some resemblance of the blessed Trinity in effect those three first Principles whereof every thing doth subsist and which are so much insisted upon in Philosophy And here you see that the blessed Trinity doth necessarily appear in the works of God as well as the rest of his Attributes More particularly if it be lawfull to make comparison between small things and great wherein I do the rather presume because I know my intention to be harmless and innocent and I serve a merciful God who is apt to forgive sins especially such as proceed out of ignorance I would take notice how farre forth this Mystery of the Trinity is shadowed forth in the knowledg affections of man himself It is the counsel of the wisest Philosopher Nosce teipsum Know thy self thou mayest make better use of the knowledge of thy self for the direction of thy self to thine own happiness then of any other forain or outward knowledge so for the love of thy self it is imprinted in thy heart that man should love himself above all others Proximus ipse mihi and all his actions tend and are directed accordingly which may a little if not point out yet resemble the operations which the knowledge and love of God do cause in the blessed Deity and therefore if we were to prefer some of Gods Attributes above others natural Reason would say that his Understanding and his Will did excel all the rest of his Attributes as they the most active and eminent qualities in every spirit for first our Understanding must direct us and then our Will must execute so in God they are the most eminent of all his Attributes for God himself is the object of his own Understanding and his own Will and so he is not of the rest of his Attributes for he is not the object of his own Power nor of his Justice nor of his Mercy but onely of his Understanding and of his Will and these being operative and producing some fruits as all the rest of Gods Attributes have their proper effects needs they must produce wonders in the Godhead to the astonishment and admiration of Reason Consider how the strong apprehension and longing of a woman in the time of her childe-bearing makes an impression sometimes in the mother but most commonly in the infant to the astonishment of Philosophy when the Physicians with their Dissections and Anatomies can neither shew the means nor the manner but profess their own ignorance And as the Understanding works such effects so in the next place consider the nature of our humane love which of all other passions is the strongest and doth most firmly and inseparably unite and therefore makes two persons man and wife in the eye of the Law to be reputed but as one person and this is much more strange that two persons having two natures and differing in Sex should be but one person then that one nature should be in several persons yet so the wisdom of the Law esteems them and it were high presumption in any man to question their wisdom Mans understanding and mans love have such operations in mankinde and no other faculties in man have the like Thus in the Schools it is said Intellectus fit quod intelligit The understanding doth work upon it self and for our love Amor unionem Love hath ever that property and appetite as to desire an union how the poor mother hugs the childe in her arms takes it into her bosom and with all her might and power would fain incorporate the childe into her self and if such be the effects of our understanding and our love then what may we conceive of the understanding and love of God But contraries do sometimes best appear by contraries and therefore to know the strength and efficacy of the understanding and love in man consider them in their defects and abuse and in the heavy judgements which sometimes befall them for all fits of Madness when men are distracted and out of their wits most commonly they arise either from the understanding when with night-watchings and studies they distemper themselves and so with strong impressions of melancholy have not the right use of their wits or otherwise when with outragious lusts in the strength and vehemency of their love-passions they do impart themselves and then rest in their rage and their fury besides themselves God grant that I do not offend in making any Comparison to that which is incomparable the Mystery of all mysteries the Secret of all secrets and is ineffable not to be understood by Men or Angels yet seeing God hath in part revealed it I thought fit with all humility and submission prostrating my self at the footstool of Gods Throne to express it according to the Tenents of Gods Catholick Church for the inlightning strengthning and confirmation of our faith I will now at length give this admonition to the Socinian who professeth to believe no more of God then his own Reason shall teach him and Reason we know depends upon the information of sense and he might as well say that what he hath not seen he will not believe so that his infidelity might as well extend it self to the sensible world Thus he should not believe all those delicious and beautiful fruits which the Eastern Countrey affords nor should he believe those great Whales and Monsters of the Sea whereof he hath not been an eye-witness nor should he believe the former Ages of the world nor take any thing upon the relation of others much less should he believe a spiritual world which is of another nature and condition nor should he believe the Influences of the heavens which exceed his Reason for they are not sensible nor should he believe the working of Gods Spirit and that his prayers should be of any efficacy or power And thus he utterly overthrows all Faith and Religion and so in effect is a profest Atheist onely he would cover it with a cloak and pretence of natural Reason pretending some great skill and knowledge in
prescribed this was done in the infancy of the Creation when Adam and Eve might happily be ignorant whether the rest of the Creatures were rationall or irrationall whether they were dumbe or spake a language they might see that their works and all their naturall actions were very agreeable to reason and the Creatures having all the instruments of speech why might they not be supposed to have the free use and exercise of speech as well as man and for other things they could speak nothing by their own experience we have heard of Monsters of men whom by their shape and form you could hardly know to be men yet had they the use of reason There was a Fish taken in the time of Hen. 2. so like a man that Fishermen were mistaken and did conceive him to be a man indeed certainly without triall and experience which our first Parents could not have so immediately upon the Creation it was easie for them to mistake I should never believe that Parots and Pyes should speak so distinctly were it not that I find it by proofe But not to trouble you with every circumstance the Angels did sin spiritually in their pride and presumption sins spirituall answerable to their condition as they are wholly spirits Man subsisting of flesh sinned carnally in tasting the forbidden fruit and therein his flesh prevailed over his reason in breaking Gods command only some of the Angels sinned and they were punished accordingly but the first Parents of Mankinde sinned and in them according to the course of our own ordinary justice their whole race and posterity was to suffer but the punishment was small for they had the benefit of repentance whereby they might not only have remission but likewise through the Mercies of God and the Merits of Christ they might attain a greater degree of happiness then was at first allotted unto them And for that punishment of death which God enacted by a Statute Law Statutum est hominibus semel mori alas it is but the transition to a better world whereby we take the possession of that whereof we are not now so capable and therefore it should be a great part of our desires Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo. Thus after the fall of Angels God having given the like freedom of will unto man in pleased God likewise to make tryall of his obedience in giving him the free use of all the rest of his Creatures only forbidding one fruit the Tree of knowledge which might be seen but not tasted whereby might appear whether Gods command or mans inordinate appetite were the more powerfull in man or whether man subsisting of flesh and spirit which of these should be predominant whether man being placed between the blessed Angels and dumbe Beasts should by his abstinency and conformity to God draw neerer to the Angelicall state and become more spirituall or by his carnall uncleanness giving way to his appetite and gluttony he should fall down to the sensuality of Beasts that whatsoever he lusted after he should not deny himself what his own eyes and his carnall concupiscence should offer unto him he should greedily imbrace it and thus by the tasting of the forbidden fruit which the Socinians conceive to be but a small offence there is implyed the great opposition between the flesh and the spirit Now for the truth and demonstration that man did offend it shall appear by the punishment for I have already proved by undenyable arguments that man is fallen from his first integrity and perfection and that the state of the world is much changed and altered since the Creation that many things have and do daily befall man which can be no less then the punishments of sin and the just effects of Gods vengeance that man himself by his fearfulness and naturall uncleanness seemes to acknowledge a guilty conscience and himself to be justly condemned This I have already proved and I set forth a Book to that purpose about 40 years since the Title of the Book is The fall of man or the fall of Adam from Paradise proved by naturall reason wherein I do not only give satisfaction to reason but I do plainly evince it by many naturall proofs I consess I cannot do the like for other mysteries but only for that alone because it comes nearer our naturall state and condition while other mysteries are far above our reach and concern the state of another world but the fall and corruption of Nature must manifestly and demonstratively appear in the effects and punishment of sin and therein the ground and foundation of Socinianism is utterly dissolved and though since that time many of their Books have been vented and published yet I never heard that the scope and intent of that Book was ever so much as questioned which I am ready still to make good and to justifie now in my old age though my strength memory and intellectuals do a little faile me I thank God for it Man being fallen from his first integrity as God would not utterly destroy him so neither would he suffer him to continue in a sinfull state and condition look what distance there is between heaven and earth between life and death such and so great is the distance and opposition between corrupted nature and grace therefore needs there must be a regeneration and a redemption of man but whether this should be done without means only by Gods omnipotency as was the act of Creation therein we doubt it is true that in the Creation no means could be used for then there was nothing but God yet notwithstanding in the Creation it self as soon as God had created the confused mass of the heavens and the earth out of nothing then immediately he useth this generall mass as a means for producing particulars Producat terra herbam virentem pro ducant aquae reptile and that light which was created the first day did serve to make the Sun and the Stars the fourth day and in the constituted course of nature there is nothing done without meanes the sap and fatness of the earth together with the Sunshine and influence of the heavens God appointing protecting concurring and blessing his own means serve for our fruitfulness and to continue nature in her own kind Thus in Religion God hath instituted Sacraments and Rites then certainly the same God who is ever so constant in the uniformity of his works for that he doth ever make choyce of the best and therefore is not uncertain or wavering in the constancy of his own resolutions he would use means in the work of mans redemption as well as in the preservation of the world for God out of his infinit love desiring to impart himself as he gives a beeing whereby Creatures made of nothing may together subsist with himself so they subsisting to honour them the more he refuseth not their help but useth them as means that they should together cooperate with himself Thus
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