And wee see that in these things where a bare faith without knowledge might seeme to be most required because as a man would thinke there were no reason to be giuen of them namely concerning the maintenance of this life and the resurrection to the life to come both Christ and his Apostles vse no other reasons but such as euery reasonable man may easily be perswaded by though authorities of Scripture were not wanting to both purposes as it is manifest Mat. 6. and 1. Cor 15. yea Paul at Athens or wheresoeuer he perswaded the worship of the true God among the Gentiles hee perswaded not by authority of Scripture which amongst thē had bene very weake but by such argumēts as they knew to be sufficient euē in thēselues If these things were not so how thē could the Gentiles which knew not the Scriptures he without excuse for their ignorance of God Therefore I conclude that there is nothing which is beleeued but it may also be knowen Now knowledge we know is ingendred by such principles as haue truth in thē the which is euident of it selfe So that by plaine and reasonable vnderstanding a man may knowe whatsoeuer he beleeueth You wil say To what purpose then serue the Scriptures I answere That God infinite in goodnesse hath together with this vnderstanding light of Nature giuen vs withall his word as a greater light whereby our lesser lights might become more shining That he hath giuen vnto vs not only an inward word to wit our natural vnderstanding but also an outward worde as a most illustrious Commētary both of declaration and amplification of that text whereby we may the better vnderstand whatsoeuer wee ought to vnderstand without it But how thē commeth it to passe that all men haue not Faith And how is Faith sayd to bee the gift of God The first is answered Rom. 1 21. and Ephe. 4. 18 For hardnes of their heart who when they knew God did not glorifie him as they ought therefore their imaginations became vaine their foolish heart was ful of darkenes And for this cause is Faith also sayd to bee the gift of God First in respect of that knowledge whence it doeth proceede which knowledge is his gift Secondly because it is the onely worke of God to make that knowledge to become fruitful by laying it so vnto mans heart that the hardnesse thereof may bee remoued that when wee know God to bee good and iust we also beleeue and worship him as we ought Thirdly and most especially because that God oftentimes pardoning the ignorance which men haue of himselfe and the creature doth so illumine the heart with 〈◊〉 holy Spirit that it is suddenly 〈◊〉 without any previant knowledge to faith and obedience The trueth whereof neuertheles doth not any whit impugne that which I say That God hath giuen vnto euery man so much vnderstanding as to know what he ought to beleeue and to bee satisfied for the reasons of his Fayth if he could open his eyes to see in the middest of what wonderous light hee were placed This point is manifest both by many Scripture-authorities and by many reasons which I omit But taking this as either granted or sufficiently prooued that God hath giuen vs light of vnderstanding whereby to yeeld a reason of the Hope that is in vs a reason I say euen of euery article of our Faith let vs with holy reuerence come vnto the thing in question and see what reason wee haue for our defence I will therefore a while forbeare to vse the authoritie of holy Scripture not that I esteeme the waight or euidence of any reason comparable thereto but onely perceiuing by that talke I had with you that you had read the Scripture as one of those whom Peter noteth 2. Epist 3. 16. Not intending to wrangle about your wrested interpretations I wil first propone the euidence of reasonable proofe and afterwards bring in the assent of holy Scripture that you may perceiue in what wondrous cleare light you striue to be blinde And because I know not what your opinion is concerning God for he that denieth the Godhead of Christ may as well denie the Godhead absolutely that beeing one steppe toward the question I will proceed orderly and giue you also a reason of our faith concerning that matter taking this onely as granted which is rife in euery mans knowledge that both the termes of Contradiction cannot bee affirmed of the same Subiect that is that one and the same thing cannot be both affirmed and denied of the same Subiect at one time and in the same respect But first by the Name of God know that I meane an Eternall Being infinite in goodnesse in power in wisedome in glory in vertue and onely worthie of endlesse loue and honour My reason is thus If there be not a Being which had no beginning then of necessitie that which was first existent or begunne must be a beginning vnto it selfe by causing of it selfe to be when it was not But this is impossible that any thing should bee a cause and not bee for so should it both bee and not be therefore there is an eternall Being which is the beginning middle and ende of all things and himselfe without beginning and this eternall Beeing wee call God My reason is plaine to bee vnderstood and remember what I haue said that I may goe on Whatsoeuer is without beginning is also without ending because it hath no Superiour which might bring it to nothing therefore God is eternall Againe whatsoeuer comes to nothing is corrupted by his contrary but nothing can be opposite to God therefore hee is Eternall Or else I might thus reason Being and Not Being are such contraries as one of them cannot spring out of another for euery thing for the preseruations sake of it selfe doth represse and corrupt the contrary Seing then that there is Beeing which could not possibly raise it selfe out of Not Being it followes that Being had a primacy or prioritie before Not Beeing and therefore of necessitie must be eternall for otherwise there was a time wherein it might be said that Being is Not Being so Not Being should haue been first and contradictories might haue stood together but both these are impossible therefore there is an eternall Being and this eternall Being wee call God Furthermore wee know that the greatest excellencie or perfection of euery thing is in the proximitie or approch thereof vnto the first cause But euery thing is more excellent in the Being thereof then in the Not Being therefore Beeing was before Not Being and for that cause Eternall Now Eternitie is an Infinite Continuance therefore whatsoeuer is Eternall must of necessitie be Infinite and this Infinite Being we call God Moreouer whatsoeuer hath Infinite continuance hath Infinite Power to continue infinitely and this omnipotent or endlesse Power we call God I might reason likewise of his Goodnes of his Wisedome Trueth Glory c. but one
A TREATISE concerning the Trinitie of Persons in Vnitie of the Deitie Written to Thomas Mannering an Anabaptist who denyed that Iesus is very God of very God but man onely yet endued with the infinite power of God ⸪ Imprinted at London by Simon Stafford dwelling on Adling hill neere Carter-lane 160â— TO MY VERY LOuing and deare friend Master Thomas White a Citizen of Bristow WHile I was at Norwich in the yeere 1597. I writ this Treatise vpon such occasioÌ„ as appears therein and deliuered it vnto that Heretike that by himselfe if God would he might consider and be perswaded Since which time I haue kept it by me and though some of my priuate friends desired copies yet allowing that wisdome of Solon who would make no law against Patricide least the mention of the fact might giue occasion to commit it and withall considering that it is too sâ—mple and poore for the publike view I haue hitherto refused to make it common Yet now perceiuing a present necessitie because that s â—me of late haue wandered in this labyrinth withall remembring that of any weakling shall hereafter entertaine this opinion he may before he be wholy possessed therewith find the absurditie of it and be reformed that many a nouice in Christianitie who therefore doubts of the truenesse of his Religion because he findes no familiar reason to perswade but onely the racke of authorities to 〈◊〉 him to acknowledge it may perhaps be hereby satisfied and find comfort and that they who are already strong may by this ouerplus triumph in the goodnesse of God who requires them to beleeue no more then they may by that vnderstanding which he hath giuen them be perswaded of I haue for their sakes who may reape benefite thereby set at nought all other Censurers not guilty vnto my selfe of any offence which I can commit in making it publike Such as it is accept good master White as a parcell of that assertion which may hereafter follow of euery article of our Christian faith if God shall vouchsafe me vnderstanding leasure and maintenance thereto I therefore offer it vnto you both because I know you are diligent in reading bookes of good argument and because I haue none other meanes whereby to shew my selfe thankefull for your manifold kindnesses and your loue At London this 20. of April 1601. Your louing and assured friend A. G. THE TREATISE THough many things discouraged mee to write vnto you of this Argument in such sort as I intend considering that neither your daily reading of the Scripture neither the perswasion of learned Diuines can moue you to accord vnto the trueth though by manifest testimonie of Scripture they conuince your heresie and most of all that God hath left you to beleeue that lying spirit of Antichrist who denyeth that Iesus is that Christ Yet neuerthelesse hauing some hope that God of his goodnes will at last pull you as a brand out of the fire and quench you with the dew of his grace that you may grow in the knowledge of his Sonne I wil as briefly as I can lay down some few reasons of that faith which euery one that will be saued must hold Whereby if I perswade you nothing yet shall I obtayne thus much that you who neither beleeued his word nor yet opened your eyes to see the light of reasonable vnderstanding shall at last confesse that his word and iudgements are holy and true But before I come to the point let mee first perswade you that although the knowledge of the holy Trinity be one of the most high mysteries which can be knowne or beleeued and that it is the onely work of the holy Ghost to work this faith and knowledge in the heart of man yet neuertheles God hath not left vs destitute of meanes whereby to come to this faith and knowledge but hath also with his word giueÌ„ vs a reasonable soule vnderstanding whereby to grow in the knowledge of himself his will For wheÌ„ Adam was created he had giuen vnto him all perfite knowledge meete for him Now God who created the world for no other purpose theÌ„ the manifestation of his owne glory might not leaue that creature without vnderstanding of the Godhead who being by nature creatioÌ„ the most excellent in this world was made for that purpose especially aboue al other to set forth his prayse and to call on him Now how could he do this if he knew him not But I think that seeing it is said that maÌ„ was created in the Image of God you wil not deny that man before his fal had much more perfit vnderstanding of the Godhead theÌ„ it is possible for him to haue till he come to know euen as he is knowen but that by him you may say this knowledge was lost not lost but corrupted onely euen as mans will For then it should follow that wee were inferiour to bruit beasts who haue in theÌ„ a sensible knowledge meete for that ende whereto they were created Furthermore it is not possible that mans sin should frustrate the ende which God intended in his creation but it is manifest that man was created to know and honour the creator Againe seeing in Christ al things consist hee being ordained of the Father before all worldes in whom the world should be both created and restored it is plaine that this light of our vnderstanding both proceedeth from him and is restored in him as it is said Ioh. 1. He is that light which lightneth euery man that commeth into the world not onely his chosen with knowledge of his sauing trueth but euen generally euery man with reasonable vnderstanding whereby wee may know whatsoeuer is to be known of God how euen by the works of God as it is plainely concluded Rom. 1. 19 20. Therefore are they not to bee heard who hold any thing without the compasse of Faith which is without the compasse of Knowledge For Faith ought so to be grounded on Knowledge as Hope is grounded vpon Faith So that as Faith Heb. 11. 1. is sayd to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an euiction or proofe of things hoped for though they bee not seene so may I say that Knowledge is the proofe of things which are beleeued For Faith is nothing els but the Conclusion of a particular Syllogisme drawen from the conclusion of an vniuersall which the knowledge of God had coÌ„cluded as it is manifest Iam. 2. 19. Heb. 11. 3. By conference of which two places it appeareth that this knowledge of which I speake this Historicall Faith as to beleeue that there is one God which made all things of nought is onely such a knowledge as the deuils wicked men haue but to beleeue and haue confidence in this God is that particular conclusion that faith which causeth vs to haue hope in his promises Therefore said Christ Haue fayth in God that is striue to know God that knowing you may haue faith and beleeue in him
haue brought I might haue brought you fiftie But I shew you the way if you be guided by the Spirit of Trueth how you may strengthen your selfe in the way of Trueth therefore I wil goe on and shew you yet more plainely by more familiar reasons An Infinite power is not more weake then a finite but euery finite creature which we can cast our eies vnto doth by nature produce his like as much as in it is as a man begetteth a man trees bring forth seed whereof their like in nature may spring and in likewise euery other thing Therefore the Infinite Power of God begetteth his like also which is the Sonne the image of the inuisible God the first begotten of euery creature Col. 1. 15. But none can bee like vnto God in his Being who is not very God therefore Christ the onely begotten of the Father is also very God Maruel not that I make this argument from the creature to the Creator for in this very point of the Power Godhead the Holy ghost himselfe teacheth me to reason of the inuisible things of God by the things visible Rom. 1. 20. And hereby also learne to helpe your ignorance and put away your wonder how God should bee one and yet three See you not how the vnderstanding the Sun-light also is one in nature and yet three in euident and cleare distinction though in so base and imperfect order as that which is aboue all perfection is possible to be aboue it And further see you not in euerie thing a bodie a spirite and a life which is the knot betweene them Or rather see you not how the very bodily composition is both one and three one body which is vnited of three bodies that is earth water and ayre or oyle which yet again in the root of their nature are but one For oyle is but a due mixture of water and earth meanely fixt and meanely volatil and earth is but fixed water so that water which is but one is the root of the three as it is manifest Genesis 1. and 2. Pet. 3. 5. They which vnderstand the rules of Pyronomy know what I say and if you vnderstand me wel you would confesse that not onely this instance which I haue brought of earth water and ayre but euen the whole frame of Nature did proclaime the Trinitie in the Vnitie You would I say confesse that whatsoeuer may be knowne of God is manifested in the creature If I should here tell you how the Heauen the Earth the Deepe Gen. 1. might be vnderstood mystically and the Analogie betweene the Creator and the creature therein and then tell you what Let the earth bring forth liuing soule might meane and compare it with that place That which was made in him was life and then particularly for man The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the earth and tell you that it was so necessary because that Christ is Terra â—â—â—entiâ—â—… and inforce an argument to proue the Tri-Vnitie by that treble repetition of the man made in the image of God comparing it with that place 1. Cor. 11. 3. and 7. If I should then tell you that it was necessarie that the Sonne of God must become flesh as well that the infinite Iustice of God might be actuated in him which could not bee actuated in him beeing onely GOD as for many other reasons both from the Iustice and Mercie and Wisedome of GOD though to a well sighted vnderstanding I might seeme to haue layd a precious foundation of Philosophie diuine and natural yet to you I might rather seeme perhaps to haue proponed Cabalisticall dreames then any sound argument to the thing in question Yet this will I tell you and holde it for good Diuinitie that the mayne drift and scope of the whole Scripture is to shew the Creation of all things in Christ through him and for him and the restoring of the whole creature in man by him That in al things he might haue the preeminence Col. 1. Neyther doth this any whit derogate from the honour of the Father For first It hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell and besides it is an honour aboue all honours vnto the Father to be the Father of so glorious a Sonne Therefore is this world and all the things therein created to the Image of Christ to expresse his glory euen as he is the expressed Image and glory of the Father And here is the worlds Eternitie which had in Christ an eternall Being according to that his Name Esay 9. 6. The Father of Eternitie Here are those separate Ideas about which Plato and Aristotle could neuer agree and which neyther both of them nor many of their followers did perfectly vnderstand not that they might not by the frame of nature and the wisedome which GOD had giuen to man be vnderstood For is not this world as a booke wherein wee may reade and vnderstand by the created trueths what is the Trueth which is increated but all true knowledge is the gift of GOD. Therefore wrest not that place Coloss 2. 8. against the Christian search after the knowledge of Nature whereby aboue all other humane knowledges a man is brought to know GOD and to honour him as he ought but rather be sory that your knowledge of Nature is no more For that will I tell you to teach you to know your selfe that there is nothing in the creature which may be knowne and all may bee knowne that is in the creature but man ought to know it and to glorifie the Creator thereby And this great labour hath GOD giuen to men that knowing how short they are of that they ought to be they might bee humbled thereby Psal 1. 11. Eccles. 1. 13. And why ought this to seeme strange doth not God require that perfectioÌ„ at mans hand wherein he did create him and was he not created with perfect discourse to know the creature that hee might therein behold the Creator and so glorifie his wondrous Power and goodnesse But this question would draw mee from the question in hand therefore I wil briefly adde one reason more and because my leisure is little I will be as short as I can but I pray you lend mee your eare for it is hard in English an inartificiall language to expresse my mind but because you told me you could a little Latine I will be bold here and there to vse a word my reason is thus The whole and perfect nature of a Principle or Beginning is in God who is alone the beginner of all things Now a Principle is of three sortes whereof euery one is so clearely distinct from another as that one cannot possibly be that other therefore in the Vnitie of the Deitie there is also such cleare distinction into a Trinitie as that one distinct cannot possibly be that other from which hee is distinguished yet in the Vnitie of essence they are all one The differences