tempted by them who lye unto him hee is a witnesse in Heaven with the Father and the son Acts 5 9 hee commandeth and willeth that the Apostles be separated Act. 13.2 Acts 20.28 And lastly He appointeth teachers in the Church All these things are proper unto a person existing intelligent indued with a will working and living That the holy Ghost is God co-eternall with the Father and the son proved Col. 2.9 Joh. 10.30 1 Joh. 5.7 Jer. 23.24 Joh. 1.18 Rom. 8.9 1 Cor. 6.19 Rom. 8.11 Gen. 1.2 Joh. 15.26 Aug. lib. de Trinitate 15. cap. 26. That he proceedeth from the Father the Son Gal. 4.6 Joh 15.26 20.22 Joh. 16.14.15 Now that the holy Ghost is God co-eternall with the Father and with the son it may be proved by the unity of the divine Essence because there is but one God-head and by the incomprehensiblenesse of the three persons the same is also proved by the essentiall union of them that is because he is often called the spirit of the Father and of the Son but the Father and the son were never without their spirit therefore hee is God co-eternall with both Also that which saint John saith that the spirit proceedeth from the Father The ancient Fathers holding the right faith do understand cheifly to be spoken of the everlasting proceeding of the spirit from the Father And he proceedeth from the son first because he is called the sons spirit Secondly Because the son together with the Father giveth him Thirdly Because the holy Ghost receiveth the Wisdome of the son which he revealeth unto us wherefore he proceedeth of the substance of the son because he receiveth that of him which is the sons By this it appeareth what is the proceeding of the holy Ghost namely the communicating of the divine essence whereby the third person of the God-head alone receiveth the same and whole or intire essence from the Father and the son as from him whose spirit hee is for there is nothing in God which is not his essence and seeing that is indivisible it must needs be whole and the same communicated unto him which is in the Father and the son That the Holy Ghost is consubstantiall with the Father and the Son proved Rom. 8.9 Lev. 16.1.34 Heb. 9.7.8.9.10 Psal 95.7 Heb. 3.7 Isa 6 8.9 Acts 28.25.26 As the spirit of man which is in man is of the Essence of man so the spirit of God which is in God is of the Essence of God which divine essence is but one that is but one Jehovah or eternall being one essentially who alone is of none but himself communicateth his being to all things and preserveth it in them Now the Holy Ghost is Jehovah and therefore he is the same with the Father and the son not only God co-eternall but also con-substantiall or God co-essentiall with both That he is co-equall with the father and the Son proved Gen. 1.2 And further That he is co-equall with the Father and the son is proved by those divine Attributes and properties which are attributed and communicated to the holy Ghost As first eternity because he created heaven and earth and because God was never without his spirit Secondly Immensity or unmeasurablenesse as who dwelleth whole and intirely in all the elect Thirdly Omnipotency because he Psal 33.6 1 Cor 12.11 1 Cor. 2.10 together with the Father and the son created and preserveth all things Fourthly Omnisciency that is the knowledge of all things Fifthly Acts 1.16 Psal 143.10 unchangeableness Sixthly Infinite goodnesse and holinesse and the causing of goodnesse and sanctity in the creatures 1 Cor. 6.11 Joh. 15.26 1 Joh. 5.6 Rom. 5 5. 8.26 Isa 63.10 Mat. 12.31 Acts 5.9 Ephes 4.30 Seventhly truth not to be doubted of the fountain of truth Eightly Vnspeakable mercy Ninthly Indignation even against hidden sins All which do sufficiently prove that the holy Ghost is God coequall with the Father and the son Besides the same divine works which are attributed to the Father and the son Mat. 12.28 1 Cor. 12 4. are also attributed to the holy Gâ—ost as the generall creation preservation and government of the whole world Likewise those works which properly belong to the salvation of his Church Job â—â— 13.33 4. Joh. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.18 Joh 14.26 Acts 9.31 Isa 48.16 Acts 20.18 Luke 12.12 1 Cor. 12.7 2 Pet. 1 21. Mat. 28 19. Heb. 9.8 Joh. 16 13. Acts 11 28 Ephes 2 22 1 Cor. 12 13 Joh. 14 26 Ephes 1 17 Rom. 8.14 Acts 16 6 Isa 11 2 Joh. 14 16 Rom 8 15 1 Cor 6 11 Joh. 6 63 Rom. 8 11 as the calling and sending of Prophets The bestowing of competent and fit graces for the Ministry on Ministers The publishing of the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles The instituting of sacraments The foretelling and prophesying of things to come The gathering of the Church The enlightning of mens mindes The governing of the Actions and whole life of the Godly The strengthning and preserving of the regenerate against the force of temptation even unto the end The pardoning of sins and adopting the sons of God The bestowing of salvation and life everlasting All these divine workes being attributed to the holy Ghost do likewise clearly prove his co-equality with the Father and the son Moreover Diverse titles of the holy Ghost Wee finde in the sacred scriptures many Titles and Appellations answerable to the manifold effects of his Power Office and Divinity For example The Holy Ghost is called Jehovah Isa 6 9 Act. 28 25 The earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1 14 The power of the most high Luke 1 35 The Teacher of the Faithfull Joh. 14 26 The earnest of the spirit 2 Cor. 1 22 The Oyle of Gladnesse Psal 45 7 The seven spirits of God Rev. 4 5 The spirit of Interpretation Sanctification Supplication Consolation Revelation The grace of God Knowledge Adoption Counsell Eternity Wisdome Prophesie Holinesse 1 Cor. 12 10 Rom. 1 4 Zach. 12 10 2 Thes 2 16 Ephes 1 17 Acts 14 26 Isa 11 2 Rom 8 15 Isa 11 2 Heb. 9 14 Isa 11 2 1 Cor. 12 10 Rom. 1 4 The Holy Ghost is called The spirit of the Father Joh. 15 26 The spirit of the Son Gal. 4 6 The spirit of the Lord. Isa 1 12 The earnest of Gods spirit 2 Cor. 5 5 The teacher of Truth Joh. 14 46 The mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2 16 And he is called An Eternall spirit Heb. 9 14 A Comforter Joh. 14 16 A heavenly gift Heb. 6 4 The holy spirit Ephes 4 30 The spirit of Christ God Right working miracles Power Life Truth Promise Grace Love Rom. 8.9 Gen. 1 2 Joh. 16 8 9 10 11 13 1 Cor. 12.10 2 Tim. 1 7 Rom. 8 2 Rev. 11 11 Joh. 14 17 Ephes 1 13 Heb. 10 29 Zech. 12 10 2 Tim. 17 The hand of God Job 26 13 Luke 1 66 A free spirit Psal
infirmities which Discipulus saith were in our saviour Christ The other two which hee denyeth to be in him are sin and ignorance For the first that is sin wee all know and are sure that hee had none but for the second we must distinguish and understand that there is first Ignorantia pravae dispositionis That there is a two fold ignorance An ignorance of a wicked disposition as when men know not or wil not know the things that they ought or might and this wee say was not in Christ Secondly Ignorantia merae privationis an ignorance of meer privation Et ignorantia negativa seu nescientia plurimorum and a negative ignorance or the not knowing of many things which are not of absolute necessity to be known and this ignorance wee say was in our Saviour Christ according to his humanity Ignatius in Ep. 2 ad Trallian First Because Adam in the state of his innocency was ignorant of many things that God did know and he knew not that he should be seduced by the Serpent That Christ was ignorant of some things Damasc l 3 Nazian l 2 defil Amandus Polanus in Sym pho catholica Thesi 7 c 9 Secondly Because he did increase in wisdome and knowledge that is in his acquisite and experimentall wisdome and not in his infused or divine for he had that perfect from the very first moment of his conception and therefore by his acquisite and experimentall wisdome he learned some things that he knew not before so that in this respect we may lawfully say That Christ was ignorant of many things in his youth which afterwards hee learned in his age Thirdly Mat. 21 19. Mark 13 32 Because hee knew not that there were no figgs on the figge-tree untill hee went and saw there was none and he knew not the houre and the day of Judgement And yet we say that although the man Christ Jesus knew not these things Ex natura humanitatis Scotus in sent dist 14 q 1 4. by the manhood yet he did know them in natura humanitatis in the manhood because he was hypostatically united unto that eternall son of God which made and seeth and knoweth all things And so you see that as Christ assumed our Nature Christ assumed our imperfections so he assumed our naturall imperfections that are void of sin But here we must observe that hee assumed them all as Saint Augustine saith not by any imposed necessity Non miseranda necessitate sed miserante voluntate but by a voluntary assuming of them to deliver us from them when as no Law could have compelled him to undergo them So that from hence we may clearly see this son of God was not made flesh to dignifie or to better himself for if it had been so then hee would never have assumed all our humane frailties Besides He was before his incarnation as I have shewed a God in the best and highest degree from everlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God of himselfe How greatly God loved us that he would be made man for our good co-essentiall and co-equall unto his Father What therefore should he merit or wherein could he be dignified by his incarnation more then hee was before Gloria ejus augeri non potuit nothing could be added unto his Glory or if it could his love to us could not be so great A love like himselfe incomprehensible for then it might be sayd he did it not only for our sake but also for his own that himself might thereby be the more dignified and exalted but seeing he was so high before that he could not be higher so great that he could not be greater and so good that he could not be better it is most certainly apparent that he descended from the height of his dignity unto the very depth of humility to be made flesh only for our sake And as Hugo saith Hugo in l. de Sacrament Nulla causa veniendi fuit nisi peccatores salvos facere Tolle morbos tolle vulnera nulla est causa medicinae there was no cause that he should come to us but to save us for where there are no wounds where there are no Diseases there is no need of Medicines there is no use of Plaisters because the whole need not the Physitian Non eum de coelo ad terram merita nostra sed peccata nostra traxerunt Aug in Joh. gloss in 1 Tim. 1. which may serve to shew it was not our Goodnesse but our wickednesse our greivous sins that brought down Jesus Christ out of heaven the place of eternall happinesse so that from hence also we may see his rare and singular humility in that hee being the eternall Sonne of God and the head of all Principality and Power How Christ humbled himselfe that could have commanded all the Angells and by his stretched out Arme without the assumption of our Weaknesse have made all his enemies his footstool was notwithstanding contented Exinanire seipsum The greatest sign of Christ his love to empty and dis-robe himselfe as it were of all his royall dignities and divine Riches and to cloathe himselfe with our humane Nakednesse only for our sake to free us from under the tyrannicall Bondage of the Devil And therefore we may wel say that greater love then this cannot be that he which is the highest cheifest Joh. 15.13 everlasting God should descend and be made the son of man that we through him might be made the sons of the immortall God for by his incarnation Naturam humanam nobilitavit he hath so ennobled our humane nature as Saint Augustine saith that we which were worms and no men 2 Pet 1 4 are now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partakers of the divine nature So that now our nature being repaired it is exalted far above the dignity of its first originall That we attain to a far better state in Christ by his incarnation then we lost in Adam Bernard ser 1 1 de Epiphan and it hath obtained to a far better state in Christ then it had and lost in Adam because Adam was but in the Image of God but we are joyned and made one with God as Saint Bernard saith And therefore Faelix culpa quae talem meruit redemptorem happy was that fault as it hapned unto us which brought forth such a Saviour to be made partaker of our flesh that wee might be Partakers of his Spirit as Saint Gregory speaketh But now it will be here demanded as Saint Augustine saith Quare non potuit Dei sapientia aliter homines liberare Why God decreed the incarnation of his son for the salvation of man c. Why could not the Wisdome of God devise and the Power of God effect some other way to deliver and save sinfull men then by sending his son to be made man to be borne of a woman and to suffer such shamefull things
is no more able to expresse all the Mysteries and most excellent points that we might collect and learne from the Incarnation of Christ then one poor fisher man is able to catch all the fishes in the ocean sea And therefore thus much shall suffice concerning this discourse of the Incarnation Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is as hath been proved the true and promised Messiah the only son of God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse image of his Person heire of all things Heb. 1.2.3.4 c. more excellent then the Angels having honour glory Power strength Praise 2 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 5.12 Colos 2.3.1.18 Psal 2.8 Eph. 1.20.21.22 Psal 72.8.17 Phil. 2 9. Dignity Riches and Wisdome yea all treasures of knowledge and wisdome the heathen for his inheritance the Earth for his possessions and the Heavenly places for his seate far above all Power Might Dominion and Principalities with a Name given him above all Names at which every knee should bow c. Being the second Person in Trinity begotten of his Father from Eternity Gal. 4.4 in one Person the Son of God and very man Man Non exeundo quod habuit sed induendo quod non habuit not by loosing that he had but by accepting what hee had not our miserable nature conceived of a Virgin by the Holy Ghost called of his Father ever since the fall of Adam to be a Mediator between God and man desired of the Patriarchs prefigured in the Law foretold by the Prophets accomplished in the time of Grace manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 seen of Angells preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into Glory For man hee became a King to rule a Prophet to teach and Priest to sacrifice CHAP. III. OF THE HOLY GHOST Wherein the greatnesse of Gods goodness doth appeare WHEN we think upon the infinite goodnesse of the great Jehovah how gracious he is in all respects amiable in himselfe placable unto men liberall unto all his creatures none is so stupid and dull as not to admire it in him such is the never-dying streams of the goodness of God it is like a boundlesse Ocean there is no end of his Goodnesse and therefore Saint Bernard in admiration thereof breaketh forth into these heavenly acclamations saying Quam dives es in misericordia magnificus in Justitia munificus in gratia Domine Deus noster O how rich art thou in mercy how magnificent in Justice and how bountifull in Grace O Lord our God! For thou art a most liberall bestower of heavenly gifts Nam tu munerator copiosissimus remunerator aequissimus liberator piissimus Bernard a most righteous Rewarder of humane workes and a most gracious Deliverer of all that trust in thee yea so great is the goodnesse of God it is beyond expression beyond our imagination our words are beneath our thoughts and our thoughts far lower then the truth thereof Deut. 32.49 52. Yet as Moses from the top of Mount Nebo beheld the borders of the land of Canaan so if you please to ascend with me to the Mount of Contemplation I will shew you some glimpses of Gods goodnesses Certaine glimpses or shadowes of Gods goodness for he elected us before we were he created us of nothing hee redeemed us when we were lost hee preserveth us being found and that hee might bring us to eternall life hee hath given us the Author and Fountain of all temporall and spirituall gifts even the holy Ghost What the holy Ghost is 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh 15.26 Gal. 4.6 Psal 139.7 who is the third Person of the true and only God-head proceeding from the Father and the Son and co-eternall coquall and consubstantiall with them both Mat. 28.19 Isa 6.8.9 Act 28.25.26 He is call'd by the name of spirit proceeding from the Father and the son to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formall and Essentiall part of man 1 Cor. 2.11.12 So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no Composition falleth And yet some have been so bold as most impiously to affirme that the holy Ghost was but a created quality or a godly motion in the hearts and minds of Righteous man Isa 6.8.9 Acts 28.25.26 But if wee do compare the words of Isaias with the words of Saint Paul they will sufficiently confute this damnabe â—rrour and most manifestly shew unto us this holy spirit to be the true and eternall God Besides the scripture saith That the spirit of the Lord filleth heaven and earth Sap. 1.7 whereupon Saint Basil Ambrose de S. S. l. 1. c. 7. Saint Augustine Saint Ambrose and others have most plainly proved against all hereticks whatsoever that the holy Ghost is a true God by Nature That the Holy Ghost is a true God by nature because that to be every where cannot by Grace belong to any but only to him that is by Nature God which reserveth this unto himselfe to be every where and therefore Saint Augustine writing against Maximinus an Arrian Bishop saith Aug. cont Maxim l. 3. c. 21. Epist 66. I cannot express how much I marvell what a heart you have so to extoll the holy Ghost as to make him every where present to sanctifie the faithfull and yet that thou dare deny him to be a God for is not he a God which filleth heaven and earth Also Dydimus in his booke Basil de spiritu sancto c. 22. and Saint Basil in his treatise De spiritu sancto declare that to be God Didym lib. 1. de spiritu sancto which can be in diverse places at one time Which thing is not agreeable to any creature But that the holy Ghost was present with the Apostles and Prophets in sundry parts of the world at one time no man professing the faith of Christ doth in the least doubt the truth thereof Wherefore it followeth that he is a God Job 33. Mat. 28.19 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh 14.1.16 1 Cor 3.16 2 Cor. 13.14 Psal 33.6.104 30 The Symbolum of Nice out of the holy scripture teacheth That the holy Ghost is hee that maketh alive and hee that together with the Father and the sonne is worshiped and with them is honoured therefore the holy Ghost of necessity must be true and everlasting God with the Father and the son in one only essence touching which point the holy Fathers powerfully did set themselves against the Hereticks and out of holy scripture stoutly maintained the same Plato Aristotle Proclus Suidas Orpheus Pherecydes Parmenides Porphyrius Numenius Amelius Chalcidius Avicen As for Atheists which deny the scriptures and are altogether ignorant of this blessed spirit if they will but look into the writings of
the Ancients they shall surely finde that as the Gentiles did understand many things concerning God and Jesus Christ his only son so some of them have delivered some things although but darkly concerning this holy spirit For Hermes Trismegistus hath these words All kind of things in this world saith he are quickned by a spirit one spirit filleth all things the world nourisheth the bodies and the spirit the soules and this spirit as an instrument Mercuâ—ie in his Esculapius c. 3. 7. is subject to the will of God And further he saith That all things have need of this spirit it beareth them up it nourisheth them it quickneth them according to every of their capacities it proceedeth from a holy Fountaine and is the maintainer of all living things and of all spirits Here wee see the reason why we call him the holy Ghost namely because he proceedeth from the fountain which is the very holinesse it selfe And least we should think him to be a creature Mercurie in his Sermon in his Poemander c 3 there was saith hee an infinite shadow in the deep whereon was the water and a fine understanding spirit was in that confused mass through the power of God From thence there flourished a certain holy brightnesse which out of the sand and the moyst nature brought forth the Elements and all things else Also the Gods themselves which dwell among the stars tooke their place by the direction and appointment of this spirit of God In the writings of Plotinus Plotin Enn. 5. lib. 2. lib. 3. cap. 35. there be found very significant speeches of the holy Ghost whom hee calleth Vniversi animam Plotin Ennead 3. lib. 9. cap. ult Eâ—n 6. lib. 8 cap. 13. 15. 27. Enn. 3. lib 8. c. 10. lib 9. cap. 1. the soule or life of this whole universe This soule saith hee hath breathed life into all living things in the Air in the Sea and on the land it ruleth the Sun the stars and the Heaven it hath quickned the matter which once was nothing and utterly full of darkness and all this hath it done by the only will of it selfe It is all throughout all like to the father as well in that it is but one as in that it extendeth it self into all places All which doth most apparently prove that the Gentiles themselves were not ignorant of this holy spirit whom they clearly shew to be the true and eternall God And therefore how may this serve to shame the wretched Atheists of this world which notwithstanding such a cloud of witnesses will still continue ignorant and hardned in unbeleife Why the holy Ghost is called a spirit Moreover This third person of the true and only God-head is called a spirit not only because hee is a spirituall that is an immateriall and pure essence for so likewise is the Father a spirit and the son as well as he but first in regard of his person because he is spired and as it were breathed both from the Father and the son Secondly In regard of the creatures Psal 33.6 Joâ—h 20 22. because the Father and the son do work by the spirit who is as it were the breath of Grace which the Father and the son breatheth out upon the saints blowing freely where it listeth Joh 3.8 1 Cor. 2.12.13 Act. 2. â— 3.4 and working spiritually for manneâ—â— meanes and matter where it pleaseth Thirdly In regard of his Property because the property of him is to move to set forward to perswade to comfort to enlighten the spirits hearts of men and at length to worke in them such things as pertain to our sanctification And indeed the saints have such tryall of the marvellous effects thereof as neither reason nor mans wisdome is able to comprehend those things neither can they be discerned by the eyes of men So that as Peter Martyr saith wee beleive in the holy Ghost as in a thing that far exceedeth the capacity of our nature and yet is distinctly set forth unto us in the holy scripture Job 14 26. 1.33 Joh. 16.13.14.15 Mat. 28.19 That the holy Ghost is distinct from the Father and the son for the Apostles are commanded in the Gospell that they should baptize in the name of the Father of the son and of the holy Ghost Which place doth most plainly expresse the distinction of the three persons and do signifie nothing else but that we be delivered from our sins by the name authority and power of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And in the baptisme of Christ Luke 3 21 22 Mat. 3 16 17 as Luke rehearseth the Voice of the Father was heard and the holy Ghost appeared under the forme of a Dove whereby is signified that the holy Ghost doth so differ from the Father and the son as he is derived from them both In John it is sayd I will pray the Father Joh. 14 16 and hee shall give you another Comforter Here the son prayeth the Father heareth and the Comforter is sent Now if the Father shall give such a Comforter then the Father himselfe cannot be that Comforter neither can Christ that prayeth be the same So that very significantly the three persons herein are plainly set forth unto us For even as the Father and the sonne are two distinct and severall though not sundred persons even so the holy Ghost is another distinct person from the Father and the Son Joh. 15 26 Luke 1 35 That the holy Ghost is a person proved Luke 3 22 And further that the holy Ghost is a person is proved 1. By his apparitions because he hath appeared visibly for seeing he descended in bodily shape upon Christ and sate upon the Apostles Acts 2 3 it followeth that hee is subsisting 2 Hee is proved to be a person 1 Cor. 3 16 Acts 5 3 4 Isa 40 7 30 Ephes 4.4.30 Acts 28.25 1 Cor. 12 11 Luke 12 12 Joh. 16.13 Luke 2 26 Mat. 10 20 because he is called God 3 Because the properties of a person are attributed unto him as that hee distributeth gifts even as he will that hee teacheth comforteth confirmeth ruleth raigneth Likewise that hee sendeth Apostles and speaketh in them So also hee declareth the things to come Acts 16 10 39 20 24 1 Tim. 4 1 He giveth prophesies of Simeons death of Judas the Traitor of Peters journy to Cornelius of Pauls bands and afflictions which should betide himselfe at Jerusalem of a falling away and of the deceiver in the last times Heb 9 8 10 15 of the meaning of the high preists entrance into the holiest of all of the first Tabernacle of the new Covenant 1 Pet. 1 11 of Christs sufferings and his glory which should follow after them and such like He maketh request for us with sighes which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.29 he cryeth in our hearts Abba Father he is
Felle caret Rostro non laedit Optimum granum elegit Gemicum pro cantu habet Juxta flumiâ—a aquarum sedet Innocentia valet Volatu praestat Thom. Aquin. de proprietat columbae she wanteth Gall shee hath no bitternesse in her shee never hurts with her bill nor clawes she is full of Love and yet shee never sings any wanton tune but woo woo is her matutinus vespertinus cantus her mournfull morning and evening song and therefore the holy Ghost descended on Jesus Christ like a Dove to shew these dove-like qualities of this Lambe of God and to teach that we must be thus qualified like Doves if we should have and enjoy the sweet and comfortable presence of this Heavenly Dove this holy spirit of God Joh. 14.16.17.18.26 Rom. 8.15.16 Joh. 16.13 Eph 1.13 4 30. Rom. 8.23 who is in the hearts of the elect as the pledge of Christs presence the witnesse of their adoption the guide of their life the comforter of their soule the seale of their redemption and the first fruits of their salvation Secondly like cloven tongues of fire Secondly He appeared like cloven tongues of fire First Like tongues because as a Father saith Symbolum est lingua spiritus sancti a Patris verbo procedentis The tongue is a symbole of the holy Ghost proceeding from the word of the Father for as the tongue hath the greatest cognation 1. Why the holy Ghost appeared like tongues and the neerest affinity with the word and is moved by the word of the heart to expresse the same by the sound of the voice saith Saint Gregory so the holy Ghost hath the neerest affinity that may be with the word of God and is the expressor of his voice and the speaker of his will Joh. 16.14 that receiveth of him and revealeth all unto us Secondly Like cloven tongues 2. Why he appeared like cloven tongues because all tongues and all languages are alike knowne and understood of God and because this holy spirit can teach all men all Languages and the gift of tongues is a gift of God Thirdly 3. Why he appeared like cloven tongues of fire He appeared like cloven tongues of fire because the spirit of God delighteth rather in the zealous and the fervent tongues of saint Paul and Apollo's that warme the heart then in those eloquent tongues of Cicero and Demosthenes that delight the eares for this is the desire of Gods spirit to kindle the hearts of men and to set them on fire with the love of God and to make them zealous in all good things Indeed zeal derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word that 's framed from the very sound and hissing noise that hot burning coales do make when they meet their contraries in any moystned substance and so zeal expresseth heat and zealous men are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as burn or such as waxe fervent in spirit Acts 18.25 Psa 39.3 so as the Prophet saith The fire kindled and at the last I spake with my tongue zeal is the highest degree of affection good or bad therefore he that doth any thing moderately though hee may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of that thing yet he cannot be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because a Zelot is so intensive Vt quicquid vult valde vult as that to all the objects of his affections he is excessively disposed Omnis animi impetus a ratione vel recta vel perversa proveniens ad destruendum vel ad sâ—uendum aliquid sub hoc verbo zelus significatur and most earnestly stretching himself to the very height of his abilities his love is fervent his desire eager his delights ravishing his hopes longing his hatred deadly his anger fierce his greif deep his feare terrible and so of all the rest of his passions he hath them all in the highest pitch so that such a man all the men in the world had most need to have his biasse right and to be furnished with that most necessary paire of spirituall endowments namâ—â— Wisdome and understanding Of wisdome understanding by way of digression first what they are two excellent graces and gifts to be desired above all the wealth of this world if wee would but consider the difference betwixt a Wise man and a foole that is void of understanding Now there are two sacred scriptures which do tell us what is Wisdome and Understanding for in the Book of Job it is sayd Job 28.28 Behold the feare of the Lord that is Wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Deut. 4.4 5 6. And Moses sheweth the same also saying Behold I have taught you statutes and judgements c. Keepe therefore and do them for this is your Wisdome and your Vnderstanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these statutes and say surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people Moreover Sap 7.22 concerning wisdome the wise man sayth that in her is an understanding spirit 2 Of the sundry properties in wisdome holy one only manifold subtill lively clear undefiled not subject to hurt plain loving the thing that is good quick which cannot be letted ready to do good Kinde to man Sap. 7.23 stedfast sure free from care having all power overseeing all things and going through all understanding pure and most subtill spirits For wisdome is more moving then any motion Sap. 7.24 shee passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness 25. For she is the breath of the power of God and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty Therefore can no defiled thing fall into her 26. For shee is the brightnesse of the everlasting light the unspotted mirrour of the power of God and the image of his goodnesse 27. And being but one she can do all things and remaining in her lelf she maketh all things new and in all ages entring into holy soules shee maketh them freinds of God and Prophets 28. For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdome 29. For shee is more beautifull then the Sun and above all the order of the stars being compared with the light shee is found before it so that as Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome is a more precious possession then all riches and therefore Nihil sapientiâ ardentius diligitur nihil dulcius possidetur nothing is loved nothing is desired more than Wisdome and though one man affecteth honour another desireth wealth and a third loveth his pleasure Aristot Meâ—a l 1. yet all men affect wisdom which as Aristotle saith is Cognitio primarum altissimarum causarum Cicero Tusc l 4. or as Cicero defines it Sapientiae est divinarum humanarum rerum scientia and it is the greatest glory and eminency of any man because a wise man in raggs is more to
be respected then the greatest Peer that is arrayed in gold and pearles if he be destitute of understanding Saint Basil saith Ille intelligens est Basil sup prov 1 qui secundum mentem rationem vivit he is an understanding man not which knowes things but which liveth according to the dictate of his reason and understanding which is an habit Per quem animus ea perspicet quae sunt by which the mind of man doth perceive and see those things which are principia intelligibilia Cicero in Rhetor l. 2. Aristot Aethic in l. 5. intilligible principles as Aristotle saith and Plato hath one excellent observation of the understanding Quód infinitam virtutem in se habet cum nec humana nec divina respiciens satiatur nisi infinitum Deum capiat qui capacitatem ejus ab eo manantem Mag. Mor. c. 34. Intellectus est habitus principiorum impleat infinitam that it hath a most large extent and is never satisfied with the knowledge of any hamane or divine things untill it layeth hold upon the most infinite God which hath enlarged that capacity unto our soules and is only able to replenish the same himselfe and therefore the more that any man understandeth the more he coveteth to understand untill he understandeth God The understanding how insatiable without which we understand nothing but are most truly compared unto the beasts that perish the whole world being no more able to satisfie our understanding then a peck of corn is sufficient to fill up all the Vast Regions that are under the circumference of the highest heaven For the understanding of naturall things indeed this eye of the soule is very peircing sharpe it s like the Eagles eye that can behold sub frutice leporem How sharp our understanding is in naturall things sub fluctibus piscem a hare lurking under the shrub and a fish playing under the wave we will presume to understand the times and seasons Intellectus est vis animi quae invisibilia perspicit Aug. de spiritu anima and the secrets of all Natures works heaven it selfe and all the host thereof is within the reach of our understanding it tells you how far it is to every sphere and it setteth forth the dimensions of every star even to an inch And yet blind man I dare be bold to say it that Aristotle himselfe that great Philosopher knew not all the knowable things in a straw Joh. 3.12 The least entity or invisible being not wholy known by any man and therefore if our understanding be so dimmed and so dulled that we can but scarcely perceive naturall things how shall we be able to understand spirituall which are supra intellectum humanum above all humane understanding because Reason cannot peirce into spirituall things yea all our understanding though it be the eye of our soule yet it is full of darkenesse How dull our understanding is in sprituall things and would soon bring us into the pit of ruin and destruction if the same were not Dei verbo directus spiritu divino illuminatus directed by Gods word and illuminated by this spirit of God which is the spirit of understanding so that indeed it is most truly said of Caelius Rhodiginus Ludovicus Caelius Rhodig leg antiq l. 3. c. 1. de intellectu agente passibili That although the soul of man needeth no other extrinsecall light but only that which is innate if negligence or vice did not corrupt the same to understand those things which are within it as is the soul it self powers habits faculties and all the vertue thereof yet Ad ea percipienda quae sunt supra ipsum to understand those things which are above it and do exceed all humane understanding indiget omnino anima irradiatione ab ipsâ luce veritatis primae The soule doth altogether require to be enlightned with the bright beames of of the first truth Our soules must be enlightned to understand God which is God himselfe or else man shall never be able to attain unto the least measure of the understanding thereof and this irradiation of light from God upon our soules to the inlightning of our understanding is called infusio gratiae ad divina contemplanda the infusion of Gods Grace to inable us to contemplate and to understand spirituall and divine things for we finde the very Apostles themselves could not understand the scriptures untill the spirit of God had opened their understandings Luke 24. 1 Cor. 2.14 because the carnall or naturall man cannot perceive the things of the spirit of God and therefore Saint Paul saith No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost no man can beleeve the incarnation passion resurrection and assension of our Saviour Christ and the rest of the mysteries of true Religion but by the speciall helpe and illumination of the spirit of God nay more Psal 119.18.34 verse 73 125.14â— Rom 7.14 the Prophet David sheweth that we cannot understand the Law of God which seems to be plain enough without any secret meaning or hidden mysteries unlesse wee be guided enlightned by this holy blessed spirit who is the Instructer which teacheth us Joh. 14.26 16.13 Rom. 8.2 Joh. 6.63 Ezeck 47.1 Joh. 3.5 1 Cor. 3.13 Rom. 8.26 Joh. 15.26 the spirit of life which quickneth us the water which reneweth us the fire which inflames us the comforter which helpes us the Advocate which speaks for us and the everlasting fountain and spirit of Truth from whom all truth and celestial riches do flow unto us and by whom our infidelity is turned into faith our thraldome into freedome our poverty into plentie our barrennesse into fruitfullnesse our sorrow into solace our darknesse into light our misery into mercy our wearinesse into strength our mourning into mirth our death into life our affliction into glorification and our Hell into heaven yea finally by him the Angells are replenished Prophets inspired Scribes are instructed the word is quickned the Church sanctified the hardnesse of heart suppled the weaknesse of faith cherished the darknesse of the soule enlightned and the mist of discomfort dispersed so that by his presence darknesse is expelled and by his favour soules from death and hell are delivered CHAP. IV. OF THE TRINITY IN VNITY GOD is so wonderful saith Saint Gregory Vt semper debet confiderari per studium How comprehensible is our God Greg. in quadam homiâ—a Esa 6. Ambrose de spirit sanct l. 3 c 22. sed nunquam discuti per intellectum that hee ought alwaies to be considered and admired in our thoughts but never pried into by our understandings for as Saint Ambrose speaking of the Seraphims which Esayas saw both standing and flying saith Si volabant seraphim quomodo stabant si stabant quomodo volabant If they did flye how could they stand and if they stood how did they flye surely
this must passe our best capacities and therefore si hoc comprehendere non possumus quod videmus quomodo deum comprehendere valemus quem non videmus if wee cannot apprehend that which we do see how how can wee comprehend him whom we cannot see What the knowledge of God from a naturall light Rom. 1.19.30 As for the Knowledge of God which is from the light of nature that doth take its rise from sence and can ascend no higher then it is supported nor go any further then it is led by sensible objects which give us no clearer knowledge of God then the effects do of their cause namely that he is and that Hee is not such as they are but far excelling them in Essence and in Attributes as not being compounded not depending not finite not mutable and the like but now the knowledge of God which is from a supernaturall light What from a supernaturall light Joh 1.18 Exod. 33. â—3 that is meerly by divine Revelation as that God is the Father of Christ and the Holy Ghost the ineffable bond of both Yea such is our Knowledge of God through the apprehension of faith in the glorious mystery of the Blessed Trinity whereby wee beleeve the same God which is One in nature or being Deut 6.4 Isa 45.5 1 Cor. 8.4 6 Gen. 11.7 Isa 63.7 9.10 1 Joh. 5.8 Gen. 1.26 3.22 is also Three in persons or manner of subsisting Father Son and Holy Ghost for so the scriptures plainly teach us as Let us make man in our image and behold the man is become like one of us saith the Lord himself to shew that in this unity of Essence there is a plurality of Persons Mat. 3.16 28.19 Gen. 19.24 and againe The Lord raigned upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah from the Lord out of Heaven that is the Son rained from the Father as Justin Martyr Tertullian Epiphanus Cyprian Ironaeus Eusebius Cyrill and many others do so expouud that place And so the three men that appeared unto Abraham Gen. 18.1 2 3. and that heavenly Harmony of Cherubims saying Holy Holy Holy Isa 6.3 Lord God of sabboth do sufficiently declare the Trinity of Persons in the unity of Gods Essence Now a Person is a distinct subsisting of the whole God-head What a person is Joh. 1.1 5.31 Chap. 14.5.16 and an individuall understanding and incommunicable subsistence living of it selfe and not sustained by another So that the three persons in the Trinity are not three severall substances but three distinct subsistences Col. 2.9 or three diverse manner of being of one and the same substance and divine Essence And here wee must consider that the Essence doth not beget an Essence Psal 2.7 Heb. 1.5 Joh. 15.26 but the Person of the Father begetteth the Person of the Son and the Person of the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son by an Eternall and incomprehensible spiration Athanas 2. Dialog de Trinit as if it be lawfull to compare great things with small in the reasonable faculty of mans soule when the understanding considereth it self it begetteth an image of it selfe Thom p. 1. q. 27 ar 1. and 3. Mornaeus de verit Châ—ist Relig. c 5. Keckerm Sâ—stâ—m Theol. l 2. c. 2. it being in that reflected action the proper object of it selfe from the desire or appetite of which image so produced there ariseth a mutuall love and delight betwixt the understanding and his image so in the eternall essence of the God-head the Father looking upon himselfe begetteth the image of himselfe which is his son and from the mutuall love and delight of both these persons one to another the holy Ghost proceedeth as the common beam of these two incomprehensible lights And as in one sun there are the body of the sun the sun beames and the heat the beames are begotten of the sun and the heate doth proceed from both Aug. de Trinit but the sun it selfe proceeds from none Even so in the one Essence of God there are the Father the Son and the holy Ghost the son is begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeds from both but the Father is of himselfe alone and as the son doth alwaies beget his beams and both sun and beames do send forth the heat so the Father from all eternity ever did now doth and ever will beget his son and both Father and Son do spire and breathe forth the Holy Ghost and therefore Origen saith excellent well Origen hom 6. in Jerem. Salvator noster splendor est gloriae splendor autem non semel nascitur deinceps desinit nasci c. Our blessed Saviour is the brightnesse of Gods glory but the brightnesse of Glory Sed quotiescunque ortum fuerit lumen ex quo splendor oritur toties oritur splendor gloriae The Father doth ever beget the son is not once begotten and then afterwards ceasing to be begotten but as often as the light riseth from whence the brightnesse springeth so often doth the brightnesse of glory arise And our Saviour saith hee is the wisdome of God but the wisdome of God is the brightnesse of that eternall light Et ideo salvator semper nascitur and therefore as the scripture saith Ante colles generat me Before the mountains were layd he begetteth me and not as some do erroniously read it Generavit me He hath begotten me so the truth is that the son of God is ever begotten Aug. de verbis Domini and the Holy Ghost ever proceeding Also as the Fountain begets a brook and both the Fountaine and brooke do make the poole and yet all three is the same water so the Father is the Fountaine which begets the Sonne and from the Father and the Son proceeds the holy Ghost and yet is the Deity of all three the same That there are certain similitudes of the Trinity to be seen in the creatures In like manner the fire hath Motion Light and Heate and yet but one fire and in all other creatures wee may behold certaine glimps and similitudes that do after a sort adumbrate Why Power is ascribed to the Father wisdome to the Son and goodnesse to the Holy Ghost seeing all and each of the three persons have the same power wisdome and goodnesse and shadow out this ineffable and expressible mystery for by their greatnesse wee may consider the Power of the Father by their beauty we may see the wisdome of the Son and by their utility we may note the goodnesse of the holy Ghost Now amongst the creatures it is wont to be observed as Saint Augustine saith that in a Father is found a defect of Power by reason of his Antiquity in a Son is seen ignorance by reason of his youth and in experience of things and in the name of a spirit there seemeth to be a kind of fearfull vehemency as Quiescite ab homine cujus spiritus in
naribus ejus rest not in man whose spirit is in his nostrills and therefore least the like might be thought to be in these divine persons we find Power ascribed to the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justia Martyr in expos fideâ— Cy il l. 8 cont Jul. Wisdome unto the Son and Goodness unto the Holy Ghost wheras indeed each one of them is of the same power wisdome and goodness as the others be so we say with Justin Martyr according as God hath revealed himselfe unto us both in his word his works that the unity is understood in the trinity the Trinity is acknowledged in the unity Moreover S. Cyril saith that the Philosophers have affirmed the Essence of God to be distinguished into three subsistences and sometimes to have delivered the very name of Trinity and the Jewish Rabbins Galaâ—in de ar can fide l. v. 2. c. 11. 12 as Galatinus saith have observed this mystery out of the Hebrew names of God that there are three in one but one in three Vide. N. N n celium iâ— pâ—â—â—mio p 20. and so Hermes Trismegistus affirmed that there was one divinity or deity in the Trinity in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was an intellectuall light before the intellectuall light A mind full of light and there was alwaies an enlightned mind of the mind and this was nothing else then the unity of these and the spirit which containeth all things besides this there is no God nor Angell nor any other substance because he is the Lord and Father and God of all things and all things are under him and in him Verbum ejus â—â—â—sectam â—â—sum insâ—◠〈◊〉 natura aqua secunda prolificam fecit aquam Quae verba quia sunt in eis quaedam carminum vestigia deinde restituta qui dam Orpheo vindicarunt for his perfect word existing and being fruitfull and a worker or maker of all things fallen in a fruitfull nature hath plentifully produced all things And then having sayd these things he prayeth unto this God saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Heaven the most excellent worke of the great God I do adjure thee and I do adjure thee the voice and speech of the Father which hee first uttered and spake when hee established all the world and I beseech thee by thine only begotten word and the Father which containeth or upholdeth all things be thou favourable and mercifull unto me There is no man but he would wonder to see in this Author the very words of Saint John and yet notwithstanding his bookes were translated by the Platonists a long time before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And it is no marvell though we find sayings of his in diverse places which are not written in his Poemander considering that hee wrote six and thirty thousand five hundred and five and twenty Volumes that is to say Rolls of Paper Jambilicus in his 39. chap. of mysteries as Jambilicus reporteth This Hermes or Mercurius sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the greatest Philosopher the cheifest Preist and most prudent Prince of Aegypt he flourished before Pharaoh in the time of Moses and was called Ter Maximus thrice great because hee writ of the Trinity yea Saint Augustine affirmeth Aug. l. 5. c. 3. de haeresibus that hee did compose a booke whose Title was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfect word and that therein hee left written Monas genuit monada in se suum reflexit ardorem which is as much as if hee had said the Father begat the Sonne or the minde begate the word and from both proceeded the Holy spirit Also Theodorus the Platonist as it is in Proclus affirmeth that there are three cheife workers whereof hee calleth the one a substantiall minde the other a mentall substance and the third the Fountain of all life and Theodoret doth affirme That Plotinus and Numenius have collected out of Plato That there are three eternities Bonum mentem universi animam Goodnesse which answereth the Father that is the Fountaine of the Deity the minde which signifieth the Son and the soule or life of this whole Universe which is the holy spirit that as in the beginning of the Creation Gen. 1.2 hee presently moved upon the Waters to sustain the same so ever since hee spireth and preserveth every living thing and so Amelius and many others are as full and as plaine in this point as may be as any man may see that will looke into Nancelius his Proem Nancel in Proem Chalcidius Avicen which hee confesseth to have taken out of Eugubinus Thus we see how the Ancient Philosophers were all of one Opinion and judgement in the Doctrine of the Trinity The Gentiles did conceive a certaine kinde of knowledge and understanding though undigested and imperfect overshadowed as it were with humane reasonings concerning this mystery wherein they had so much knowledge as not only was able I say not with Clemens Alexandrinus to bring them to salvation but to make them without excuse in the day of Tribulation because that they knowing God glorified him not as God but also as doth exceede the knowledge of many which make profession of Christianity and will no doubt rise in judgement to condemn them in the later day Yet further God â—oe and indivisible as the Philosopers have affirmed the essence of God to be distinguished into three subsistences so likewise they have acknowledged the divine Essence to be only one impartible and indivisible For First Hermes Trismegistus teacheth Although many of the Ancient Philosophers through custome did celebrate the plurality of Gods yet notwithstanding they did acknowledge buâ—â—ne only true God by nature Du. Plessis That there is but one only God That One is the roote of all things and that without that One nothing hath been of all things that are That the same One is called the only good and the goodness it selfe which hath universall power of creating all things That it is impossible that there should be many makers That in Heaven he hath planted immortality in earth interchange and universally life and moving That unto him alone belongeth the name of Father and of God and that without blasphemy those titles cannot be attributed either to Angells Fiends or to men or to any of all those whom men do call Gods as in respect of honour and not of nature He calleth him the Father of the world the Creator the Beginning the Glory the Nature the End the Necessity the Renewer of all things the worker of all powers and the power of all works the only Holy the only unbegotten the only everlasting the Lord of everlastingnesse and the everlastingnesse it selfe Vnto him alone will hee have us to offer up our prayers our praises and our sacrifices and never to call upon any other Secondly Pythagoras teacheth Alledged by Cicero Plutark Clemens
of Orphaeus who is called the Author of the plurality of the Gods Also Phocilides Phocilides followeth him in these words There is but only one God mighty wise and happy And again Honour the only God And so Theognis Homer Hesiodus Sophocles Euripides Aratus and many others have delivered the same truth And as touching the Latins Ovid Ovid. in his Metamorphosis attributeth the Creation of the world and of all things therein unto the only one God Virgil in his fourth booke of Husbandry and in other places And Virgil doth ordinarily call him the King of Gods and men and he describeth him shedding forth his power to the uttermost Coasts of Heaven and earth and with his virtue quickning the world and all that is therein Thus we see that the Gentiles did conceive a certain kinde of knowledge and understanding though undigested imperfect overshadowed as it were with humane reasonings concerning God and that although through custome they did celebrate the plurality of Gods yet notwithstanding they did acknowledge but one only true God by Nature This Truth of the unity of the God-head The unity of the God-head proved from Scripture may be yet further proved and confirmed by expresse testimonies of sacred Scripture as heare O Israel the Lord thy God is one God Deut. 6.4.32.39 Isa 44.6 7 8. and therefore know you that I am God alone and besides me there is none other saith the Lord himselfe to shew the truth and certainty of the unity of his Essence also Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 8.4 6. We know that there is none other God but one and so wee finde the same truth expressed in many other places of the Scripture as Deut. 4 35 1 Sam 2 2 Psal 18.31 Isa 37 16 45 5 21 46 9 Hos 13 4 Mal 2 10 Mark 12 29 32 Rom 3 30 Gal 3 20 Ephes 4 5 1 Tim 2 5 Jam. 2 19. Reason sheweth that there can be but one God c Besides reason it selfe sheweth that there can be but one God for if there were more Gods then one then they must be either all without beginning or one must proceed from other either by creation or generation That they should be all without beginning is impossible for then it must needes follow that there should be multa principia prima dispâ—rata in una voluntate non convenientia many first causes and unequall beginnings that could never agree and be of the same minde and will and therefore to say they should be all without beginning is most absurd An unaswerable argument that there is but one God If one be from the other by Creation then is the second a creature and therefore but one God uncreated if one be from the other by generation then the first gave the second either a part or his whole substance if a part then is God partible and may be divided which cannot be said of such a spirituall indivisible substance if the first gave the rest his whole essence then have all the same deity and so all must be the same God-head Secondly There can be but one infinite God is infinite and therefore but one because that which is infinite comprehendeth all things within the circle of it self Thirdly Deut. 6.4.5 Mark 12.29.30 we are charged to give unto God all our heart all our strength and all our soul if one must have all there is none left for any other Fourthly there is but one first cause of all things God is that first cause therefore he is but one Fiftly But one first cause Acts 17 28. Exod 3.14 God is summum ens the first and cheifest being as himself professeth I am that I am we have learned that of the Prince of Philosophers that there can be but one cheifest Being But one cheifest being Quia ens unum convertuntur because that being and one are all one Lastly It is impossible there should be many Gods for seeing it is absolutely necessary that hee who is God Why there can be but one God have all perfection of being in himself to make many Gods were to make them all imperfect and so they can be no Gods To allow of Polutheism then is to admit of Atheisme he cannot worship any God who acknowledgeth many Gods seeing there can be but One most perfect But one most perfect Tertul. l. contra Hermog c. 17. as but one first mover one first efficient and therefore this one God is so absolutely One that he is One alone besides whom there can be none other for we deny all number in the Deity Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Only one unlesse you mean in the personall proprieties And therefore Gregory Nyssen saith well Quod in multitudinem extendere numerum Deitatum eorum duntaxat est qui laborant multitudinis deorum errore Nâ—ssen ad Eustach l. de Trin. Basil ep 141. ad Caesarium That to extend the number of the Deities into a multitude belongs only unto them which do erroneously maintain a multitude of Gods for the Catholick Faith is this That we should worship the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity that is The Trinity of Persons and the unity of Essence because all number is to be rejected from the Essence of God saith Saint Basil for the divine Essence is so simple and so numerically one that no diversity can be given The father the Son and the holy Ghost are one by nature whereby the very Persons do differ in regard of the Essence so that whatsoever the Father essentially is the Son is the same and the Holy spirit is the same How the persons are distinguished But now here wee must observe that although the God-head cannot be divided in its Essence yet the persons may be distinguished by their properties Quia hoc est proprium Patris quod solus est Pater quod ab alio non est nisi a se hoc est proprium Filij quod a Patre genitus est solus a solo hoc est proprium spiritus sancti quod nec genitus nec ingenitus est sed a patre filio aequaliter procedens for this is the property of the Father That he alone is the Father and that hee is not from any other but only of himself and this is the property of the Son that he alone is begotten of the Father alone co-equall unto him and co-essentiall and this is the property of the Holy Ghost to be not made not begotten but from the Father and the Son equally proceeding And therefore wee say that these incommunicable and proper operations of the persons do so make the true and reall distinction of the Persons that the Father cannot be the Son nor the Holy Ghost that the Son cannot be the Father nor the Holy Ghost That the distinction of the persons hindreth not the unity of
the Nature of the God-head although every person intirely holdeth his own incommunicable property and that the Holy Ghost cannot be the Father nor the son so that in a word all Three is the same Essence and yet neither of the three can be the person of the other Also from these inward actions or operations of these persons do proceed the nominall relations of the one unto the other as Father Son and Holy Ghost which do likewise make a true reall distinction of the Persons for the Father is not a name of Essence but of relation unto the Son and the Son is not a name of Essence but of relation unto the Father and so the Holy Ghost proceeding is not a name of Essence but of relation to the Father the Son therfore these names are so proper to each person that the name of the one cannot be ascribed to the other Ob. But you will say that the Son it called Father as Esa 9 6 He is said to be the Father of eternities Sol I answer that the name of Father is taken two wayes The name of the father is taken two wayes 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally First Essentially so in respect of the creatures each person of the Trinity may be rightly termed Father Secondly Personally and so the first person only is Father because he only doth beget his son How the father is the first person Mat. 28 19. Joh. 5.26 Joh. 10.30.38 Mat. 11.27 Joh. 16.14.15 And here by the way we must remember that the Father is the first person not in priority of dignity or of time but of order as being the fountain of the Trinity communicating not alienating from himselfe the whole nature essentiall attributes of the God-head to the son and with the son to the Holy Ghost Now as touching the outward actions or operations of these persons Outward operations not altogether sufficient to expresse the differences of the three subsistences and why we finde they are not altogether sufficient to express their differences for as Nazian truly affirmeth of the three persons themselves Non possum tria discernere quin subito ad unum referar nec possum unum cogitare quin trium fulgore confundar so may we say of their outward operations that although they be affirmed of one yet may they presently be referred to all three Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 1.2 Joh. 1.3 1 Cor. 1.2 Psal 33.6 Eph 4.30 Opera Trinitatis adâ—extra sunt indivisa so we find them in many passages of the holy scriptures as redemption sanctification to the father creation sanctification to the son creatino redemption to the Holy Ghost So that indeed these outward works of the Trinity are so indivisible that we cannot so properly ascribe them to any one but you see that they may likewise be ascribed to any other And besides wee must observe that whereas the inward actions of these persons are permanent and necessary Outward workes voluntary these outward operations are transient and voluntary for that God in these things is Liberrimus Agens A free Agent so that he might have chosen whether to do them or not do them and therefore in all these works Election Creation Gubernation Redemption Sanctification Glorification there can be ascribed none other cause Psal 135.6 but Quia voluit because he would For whatsoever pleaseth the Lord that did hee in Heaven and in Earth in the seas and in all deepe places And therefore I say these outward actions and so likewise those Names which are given unto these Persons in regard of these actions as Creatour unto the Father Redeemer unto the Son Comforter and Sanctifier unto the Holy Ghost are not altogether sufficient to expresse the differences of these persons because they are common to all three in one Essence And yet we finde that when any Action is determined to the Father according to the manner of his existence as Father then do the Scriptures say a quo vel ad quem from whom Jam. 1.17 Prov. 16 4. Ephes 3.21 or for whom or to whom and when any action is ascribed to the Son according to the manner of his existence as son then do the scriptures say Per quem in quo Ephes 3.21 1.3 by whom or through whom and in whom and when any action is assigned to the Holy Ghost according to the manner of his existence as Holy Ghost then do the scriptures say Quo ex quo by whom Rom. 8.14 Joh. 3.6 and of whom and in regard of these expressions of the workes of God by such Phrases Basil de spiritu sancto c. 14. Saint Basil doth expound that place of the Apostleâ— in Rom. 11 36 Of him and through him and for him are all things to be a plain distinction of the three persons by the manner of their Actions as well as their existence because all things are of the Holy Ghost by the Son for the Father as the same Author speaketh And thus you see That although the divine Essence is only One impartible and indivisible Athanâ—s 2 Dialog de Trinit yet that there are three persons in this one Essence not that the Essence begets either Essence or person but because the person of the Father begetteth the Person of the Son and both Father and son do eternally spire and send forth the person of the Holy Ghost But now if any shall further enquire of the manner how the father begetteth the son and how the father and the son do spire and send forth the holy spirit Galenus l. 15. de usu partium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I must answer as Galenus did in a point far inferiour to this which is of infinite profundity How this is done if you enquire you will be taken for one that hath no understanding either of your own infirmity or of the power of the Creator And the fathers do often dehort us from the curiosity of explaining the manner of divine mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that worthy Nazianzen saith Nazian Orat. 1 de Theolog. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You heare the generation of the son be not curious to know the manner you hear the Holy Ghost proceedeth be not busie to enquire how That we should not enquire too far into the manner of divine mysteries A finite understanding not possibly able to comprehend this infinite mystery And in another place he saith Let the generation of God be honoured with silence it is much for thee to have learned that he was begotten as for the manner how we grant it not to be understood by Angells much lesse by thee So that here wee must acknowledge it impossible that a finite understanding should comprehend that mystery which is infinite in its Glory and therefore when the minde soares high to conceive the truth of the unity
should be conceived without the helpe of man Saint Luke doth most plainly and fully declare unto us saying The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee Luk 1.35 the Power of the highest shall overshadow thee which words are not to be understood so as if he were begotten spermaticâ—s per concubitum by any carnall effusion of seminall humour as Jansenius seemeth to imagin nor of the Essence or substance of the Holy Ghost as some hereticks have sayd for so the Holy Ghost being God should have begotten him not man but God Quia omne generans generat sibi simile because every begetter begets his like and that which is borne of the Spirit is spirit Joh. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he was conceived by way of Manufacture that is by the handy worke or operation or by the vertue of the Holy Ghost whereby the Virgin did conceive as Justin Martyr saith Just Martyr Apol. 2 pro. Christianis Aug. Ser. 3 de temp or else by the energeticall command and ordination of the holy Ghost as Saint Augustine saith or by the Benediction and blessing of the holy Ghost as Saint Basil saith Basil ser de nativitate whereby that part of the Virgins blood or seed whereof the body of Christ was to be framed was so cleansed and sanctified that in it there should be neither spot nor staine of originall pollution and then was so composed and framed that it became a perfect Christ and though the substance and parts of other men in ordinary generation be framed successively by degrees for the seminall humour first becomes an Embryo then a body in-organicall then are the Liver heart and Brain fashioned and then the rest one after another perfected and it is at least forty dayes before the body of any Child in the wombe be fully formed That Christ was conceived a perfect man in the first moment of his conception yet Christ in the very instant of his conception Quoad perfectionem partium non graduum in respect of the perfection of all parts was made a perfect man in body and Soule void of sin and full of Grace and so in a moment Totam naturam humanam uniendo formavit formando univit he was perfectly framed and instantly united unto this eternall Christ because it is the property of the Holy Ghost subito operari to worke instantly and perfectly And therefore When wee consider how wonderfully and inexplicably Christ was made flesh how a star gave light unto the Sun a branch did bear the Vine a Creature gave being unto the Creatour how the Mother was younger then what shee bare and a great deale lesser than what shee contained and how this Child was suddenly perfectly and holily made without the helpe of man wee may well say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.16 that great is the Mystery of Godlinesse and we should say with Saint Augustine Rem credo modum non quaero I do most faithfully beleeve the matter but I will not curiously search into the manner of his Conception Tertull. de resur carnis Quia ratio facti est potentia facientis ideo considerans autorem tollo dubitationem Moreover touching the end and finall cause of this his extraord nary and miraculous Conception it was Christ was conceived of a Virgin that he might be free from all sin That he might be pure and free from all Originall sin because it was requisite that hee which should save sinners should be himselfe free from all sin For this end his Mother was sanctified with the fullnesse of Grace with overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and with the Inhabitation of the son of God and therefore Saint Bernard saith That shee was Mariam non libido impregnaviâ— sed fides Sine pudore foecunda sine gravamine gravida sine dolore puerpera great with Child without breach of Chastity a Mother and yet a Mayde a woman and yet escaping the Curse of all Women for the Law had accursed them all Vrigins Luke 1.25 Gâ—n 3.16 because they were barren and the marryed wives because they should bear in sorrow but the blessed Virgin escaped both Quia virgo genuit dolorem non sensit for that shee conceived without sin and was delivered without paine as Saint Augustine sheweth by the example of the Sun that shines through a Glasse and yet breaks it not and of the fire that Moses saw in the bush and yet consumed it not but whether she felt any paines or not I cannot tell only this wee may be sure of that the greatnesse of her joy and gladnesse to bring forth such a son might well swallow up the greatest pain and greif and as she conceived a Virgin so she continued a Virgin as all the most judicious writers have affirmed for it is neither piety to speake nor Reason to thinke that Joseph being so just and so godly man as the holy Scriptures do testifie of him and being eighty yeares old when he was espoused unto Mary That the blessed Virgin continued a Virgin as Epiphanius saith should have any desire to know her whom he knew did bear his Saviour or that shee especially should yeeld to the desire of any man after shee had conceived and brought forth a God 2. Of the matter whence Christ his flesh was composed Rom. 1.3 Secondly Touching the matter from which the flesh of Christ was formed Saint Paule saith he was made of a woman that is of the flesh and blood and substance of his Mother and so he saith That hee was made of the Seed of David Heb. 4.15 and therefore it must needs follow that he was made in all things like unto his brethren sinne only excepted for the seed of the parents is the first matter and substance whereof the man is made And if it be true what Aristotle and the Philosophers do affirm That we take the substance of our flesh from our mothers that Semen patris in substantiam faetus non cadit sed ad menstruum mulieris se habet tanquam artifex ad artificium the seed of the man doth not fall into the substance of the Child but doth so dispose the seed of the woman as a workman frameth and disposeth his worke to make the same into the forme of man as this is most probable to be true although Galenus and most Physitians say the contrary then have we no reason at all to thinke that hee tooke not all the whole nature because he had another Worker to dispose and to frame the same substance into the forme of man yea seeing hee had a far more excellent Agent to worke the same then any seed of man can be and because the effect is ever better Ibi potior effectus ubi nobilior est causa where the cause is more excellent Reason it self sheweth that we have no reason to think that he was defective in any thing that pertained
51 12 A Good spirit Nehem. 9 20 And he is called The finger Of God Luke 11 20 Mat 12 28 The pledge Of God 2 Cor 5 5 Joh 14 16 17 18 26 The witness Of God Rom 8 16 The seal Of God Eph 4 30 2 Cor 1 22 The kisse Of God Cant 1 2 Seed of God 1 Joh 3 9 The Intercessor c. Rom 8 29 1 Joh 2.27 Act 2.2 Mat. 3 16. Act. 2.3 He is compared unto Oyntment a mighty wind a Dove and unto cloven tongues like fire Hee is also compared unto a Cloud to seed to water fire and winde To what the holy Ghost is compared and why 1 To a cloud Exod. 13.21 1 King 18.45 First unto a cloud Because that as the cloud betokneth a shadowing from heat and a sending downe of Rain as both Philosophy and experience sheweth so the spirit of God doth overshadow us from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the Raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all goods works Secondly to seed Because that 2. To seed as in our naturall birth we are begotten by the seed of our Parents so in our new birth wee are begotten by those Graces that are sown in our hearts by the holy Ghost Thirdly to water Because that 3 To water The properties of water as water mollifieth the hard earth fructifieth the barren ground quencheth the greatest heat and cleanseth the foulest things so doth the spirit of God soften our hard hearts fructifie our barren soules quench the heat of lust and cleanse us from all our sins And so make us to become fit Temples for himself to dwell in or like the trees that are planted by the water side Psal 1.3 which bring forth their fruit in due season Fourthly to Fire 4. To fire 1 Cor. 3.13 Because he doth consume away the drosse of sin and illuminate our understanding with the light of truth and inslame our hearts with the zeale of Gods glory and with unfained love The properties of fire both towards God and man yea as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius these three speciall things That is 1. Calorem 3. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heat to warme mollifie and purifie 2. Splendor to give light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Even so the spirit of God first warmeth and heateth the hearts of the Godly with a fervent and a fiery zeal of all godlinesse hee mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and purifieth their souls from all kind of filthiness whatsoever Secondly he illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God and heavenly things Thirdly he maketh them allwayes to be in action and never idle Finally he is compared to wind and that for these five reasons 5. To wind Joh. 9.8 Exod. 33.19 Reason 1 First as the wind bloweth where it listeth so the gifts and graces of Gods spirit are given to whom soever it pleaseth him Reason 2 Secondly as the winde scattereth the dust and driveth the chaffe away from the Corne so the graces of Gods spirit doth winnow the consciences of the saints and drive away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Reason 3 Thirdly As the wind cooleth comforteth and refresheth all those that are scorched with the heat of the sun so doth the grace of Gods holy spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of troubles and afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sins Reason 4 Fourthly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine and mighty stream so will the grace of Gods holy spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination Reason 5 Fifthly As the winde will passe unresistably so will the grace of Gods blessed spirit work its own effect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore he is compared unto a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde we read of in the sacred scripture did rend the Mountaines and break the rocks before the Lord Why the holy Ghost is compared to a mighty wind 1 King 19.11 so the grace of Gods holy spirit and the word of the great Jehovah is mighty in operation able to shake the stoutest the proudest man and to break in peeces the stoniest heart The gifts of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11. All these severall operations which this holy spirit worketh in the hearts of the elect and all those foregoing Titles and Appellations which the sacred scriptures do give unto the holy Ghost do certainly prove him to be the true and everlasting God Besides if wee further search the holy scriptures we shall finde that by the holy Ghost First The word of wisdome the word of Knowledge Faith Gifts of healing working of miracles Prophesie discerning of spirits diverse kindes of Tongues and the interpretation of Tongues c. is given Heb. 6.4 5. Secondly By him the godly are sanctified and the very Reprobates have a taste of heavenly gifts and of the good word of God and of the promises of the world to come Exod. 13.3 4 0. 1 Sam. 11.6 c. Thirdly By him all excellency in common gifts of Nature reason as strength courage arts and sciences Policy and government is given unto man yea unto many that never heard of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 6.63 Joh. 14.17 Fourthly Influence perpetuall effectuall and vitall of saving grace from Christ is the head of every true member is given to beleevers 1 Pet 1.2 in which sence the world cannot receive or know the same Fifthly By the holy Ghost vertues charity constancy benignity faith goodness joy longanimity mildness modesty love patience Gal. 5.22.23 and peace of conscience are gotten with seven other principall vertues to wit wisdome understanding counsell fortitude knowledge godliness Isa 11.2 and the fear of God All these gifts being given by the holy Ghost do likewise prove him to be a God Many of the gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit are excellently well deciphered and set down unto us under the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the holy Ghost did appear As First he appeared like a dove when he descended upon our Saviour Christ because his dove-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent meek and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the feild the little silly lamb is in most respects best qualified therefore is Christ call'd the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world So of all the fowls of Heaven the Dove in most respects is most excellent In what respects the holy Ghost is like a Dove For shee is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace she brought the Olive Branch unto Noah