of a Beginning stand thus It is either Principium principians non principiatum that is a beginning which is a Beginner vnto another yet hath not his beginning from another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie a parte ante this is God the Father to whom it is peculiar to beget the Sonne yet is himselfe neyther made nor created nor begotten of any other Secondly there is Principium principiatum principians to witte a Beginning which hath his beginning of another and is also a beginning to another lest there should be any defect or imbecillitie in the Beginning and this is the Euerlasting Sonne very God of very God begotten of the substance of his Father alone before thē worlds neither made nor created Thirdly there is Principium principiatum non principians that is a Beginning which is also begun but is not a beginner vnto another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie a parte post and this is the Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the very substance and Being of the Father and the Sonne and is with them one GOD coeternall and coequall But you will say Is not the Holy Ghost a Beginner vnto any other how is he then the Authour of our consolation and how is hee said to leade vs into all trueth c Vnderstand what I meane Hee is not a Beginner vnto any other of the same Infinite Essence or Being with himselfe For the beginnings which I spake of before are in the Essence of God alone now our spiritual consolation whereof the Holy Ghost is said to be the Beginner is but an or effluence from that Being which he himselfe is as the light of the Sunne doth illuminate euery bright body exposed to his light and yet imparteth not his being thereto You will againe obiect that Eternitie hath no beginning nor ending how then can Christ be both eternall and begun and how againe can he be equall to the Father whereas hee beeing begotten of the Father the Father hath a prioritie before him I answere that this beginning is none other then that production or begetting which I before declared to haue been heretofore none other then it is now and shall be eternally as the Sunne hath brought forth light since his creation and shall still bring forth light till the worlds dissolution For this action of GOD whereby hee begetteth his Sonne is not a transeant action to cause a passion in the subiect and a repassion in the agent for in such the subiect of necessitie should haue been existent before the action but this action is immanent and therefore of necessitie of the same nature with the agent which agent because it is eternall therefore the production is also eternal and consequently the product and so of necessitie very GOD. But you must euer remember what difference I made betweene the action of God infinite in power therefore able to actuate the obiect and the immanent actions of our minde Now for the Prioritie or Posterioritie you may obiect I graunt there is Prioritie among the persons of the Godhead but of what kinde not of Being for their Essence is one and therein is none afore or after another neither is any one of the Trinitie more or lesse God then another not of time for they are all one Eternitie not of dignitie for they are all one Infinitie and the Sonne himselfe being very God thinketh it no robberie to bee equall with God But yet there is Prioritie and that of order onely for the Father is in order before the Sonne because the Sonne is begotten of the Father and the Sonne likewise is before the Holy Ghost because the Holy Ghost is the mutuall loue betweene the Father and the Sonne and so proceeding from them both I will make a comparison vnmeet for the matter of which I speake for to whom shall wee assimulate the Highest but yet meete to helpe your vnderstanding When a man doth dreame and imagine things which are not there is you know the phantasie the phantasme or thing imagined or dreamed and the phansying or working of the phantasie about that obiect Now these three are all of one nature and are one after another onely in order and not in time For the particular phantasie of such an obiect is before the obiect and makes it to haue an intentionall being then the obiect being the discourse of the phantasie followeth in order which neuerthelesse was in time as soone as it obseruing euer the cautions that are to bee obserued Thus haue I very briefly showne not many reasons but rather how that many reasons may bee showen for this Christian assertion yet haue I showen ynough to perswade any reasonable man to yeelde meekely vnto the trueth of that doctrine which is so euident both in the booke of GOD and in euerie faithfull and true Christian mans confession and according to that discourse which is euident to euery mans vnderstanding Now giue me leaue to speake a little to those arguments which haue throwen the most learned of the Iewes head-long to the feet of Christ to make thē acknowledge that the Messiab must be both God and man I will not herein doe any thing contrary to that which in the beginning I protested that is not to compel you by authoritie of Scripture but to intreate you by reasonable perswasion to encline your eare to the trueth But because I may not without iniurie to the cause leaue altogether out such manifest proofe and without iniurie also to your selfe who might thinke that I went about to sophisticate a true seeming vntrueth which would not abide the touch I will onely intend my finger to some very few of many thousandes of axiomes of the Scripture for this purpose leaue you to make the conclusion by your selfe hoping that the Iewes example may prouoke you to follow them so farre forth as they haue followed the trueth Exod. 13. 21 it is said The Lord went before thē c. Chap. 14. 19. The Angel of God which went before them remoued where Christ the Angell of the Couenant is called The Lord Iehouah Againe Exod. 15. 3. The Lorde is a man of warre his name is Iehouah therefore Christ is God and man who by his conflict vpon the crosse triumphed ouer Death and Hell as it is written in the Gospell the booke of the warres of the Lord. Againe Esay 9. 6. Vnto vs a childe is borne there is his Manhood and vnto vs a Sonne is given and they shall call his name The mightie God And Esay 35. vers 4. Your God will come and saue you Ierem. 23. 5. c. I will rayse vp vnto Dauid a righteous branch and a King shal raigne and this is the Name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse And Ierem. 33. vers 16. Iudah shall be saued and be that shall saue her is the Lorde our righteousnesse Where the name vsed is that great Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehouah
shall serue in stead of the rest and I will take his Wisedome for my example and proue vnto you that likewise to be Infinite and that not onely in existence but in action also And first that hee is wise God is most worthy to be such as he is but if he were not wise he were not worthy to bee God ergo hee is wise Now marke how these depende one on another In God is Wisedome which by reason of his Infinitie is also infinite and by his Eternitie is also eternal so that there is no time wherein it may be said that this infinite Wisdom is not infinitely exercised for then were it not eternally infinite Therefore his wisedome is infinite not in existence onely but also in action Againe the wisedome of God is such as hath no defect or imbecillitie therein But if it were not Infinite both in action and in existence a man might find defect therein and imagine a more Infinite wisedome then that is but this is impossible So might I conclude of all the other Dignities of God but I haste to the purpose and I thinke that you will not vnwillingly graunt what I haue said but vnderstand the rest All the Dignities of God beeing actuated or brought into working require of necessitie an Infinite Obiect whereon they worke because they thēselues are Infinite but nothing can be Infinite but God alone therfore it followeth that these Dignities are obiected or exercised in God alone And this is that Eternal Sonne begottē before the worlds in whome the Father resteth or as the Prophet speaketh His beloued in whome his soule delighteth which cannot be applyed to any creature without which God is happy in him selfe therefore saith the Apostle that in him dwelleth the Godhead bodily How is that not in his manly body eternally for his humane body tooke beginning of the flesh of the Virgin when the fulnes of time came but yet bodily that is as essentially or substantially as the body of a man is substantiall to the man For euery Dignity of God being infinite in action as was proued must of necessitie produce such as it selfe is As for example the Wisdome of God or his Infinite Vnderstanding must haue an Infinite intelligible or vnderstandable obiect which is produced thereby by an infinite vnderstanding So that ye must know of necessitie and marke three Termes as I will a while call them the Terme from whence the Terme whereto or wherein and the middle Terme betweene them I will for your capacitie which I know not to bee much exercised in these matters make a comparison meet for your vnderstanding When the minde or vnderstanding of a man conceiueth any vnderstandable obiect then is you know first the vnderstanding in the minde it selfe secondly the obiect vnderstood and thirdly the discourse or vnderstanding whereby that obiect is apprehended Now giue me leaue to tell you what differences you must make betweene the vnderstanding of God and the vnderstanding of man in this comparison First the minde of man beeing finite the vnderstanding is not able to view al that which can be vnderstood thereby at one time or with one action of vnderstanding but must conceiue of one thing after another whereas the vnderstanding and wisedome of God is such as at one sight seeth himselfe and euery thing els past present and to come and this not once onely but euen continually because it is eternally infinite Secondly the intendement of man worketh nothing in the thing conceiued to make it either to be if it be a meere conceit or to be other then it is if it be existent but the vnderstanding of God is by reason of his power so actiue as that it causeth that wherein it is exercised both to be and that according to his maner of apprehension or vnderstanding of it which vnderstanding is by his Infinitie so infinite and by his Eternitie so continuall as that of necessitie there must bee a subsistence or a person wherein it must be exercised which must also be Infinite and Eternall And this is that glorious Sonne of God who is thus begotten or produced eternally both before the world was euen as hee is now and shall not cease to be produced after the world shall cease eternally Thus you see two of the termes spoken of from whence wherein now you must know the middle terme betweene them The terme whence is the Wisedome intelligent God the Father The terme wherein is the Wisedome intelligible God the Sonne The middle terme is ipsum intelligere which in my Comparison I called The discomse it selfe which also in this must needs bee Infinite For an Infinite intelligible cannot bee conceiued of an Infinite intelligent but by an Infinite intelligere and this is that Holy Ghost which as you may easily vnderstand must of necessitie proceede from both the Father and the Sonne and be also infinite and eternall and therefore God Now because they are all Infinite and of Infinite essentially there can bee but one therefore are these three in Essence or Being one but in Subsistence or cleare distinction of Persons three Vnderstande my comparison which I made I will yet cleare the matter further for your conceyuing If you take in a myrrour the light of the Sunne and reflect it directly thereon againe in the Sunne it is one in the glasse another and yet the reflection of the beames is also a third but for all this there is but one nature and worde of light which comprehends al three so is it in this Tri-Vnitie of which I speake My leisure serues me not to dilate these things but I hope you are able to vnderstand what I say therefore I will proceed It is said that Powers are knowne by their actions and actions are limitted by their obiects I know the meaning of it and it is not vnfitte in this place But to my reason The Power of God is infinite and by his infinite wisedome hee knoweth it to be infinite but God could not know that his Power were infinite vnlesse he were able thereby to bring forth an infinite action and euery infinite action must of necessitie be exercised in an infinite subiect For whatsoeuer is receiued is receiued according to the capacitie of the receiuer therefore there is an infinite subiect wherein the power of God is exercised that is the Sonne of whom I speake And here againe behold the Tri-Vnitie an infinite power the Father an infinite action the Holy Ghost an infinite subiect the glorious Sonne all three one infinite Being Returne to your comparison As the vnderstanding of man could no way know his owne power but by his actions neither can there be any actions of vnderstanding where there is nothing to be vnderstood no more is it possible to bee in the Deitie Now vnderstand that as I haue reasoned from the Wisedome and Power of God so might I reason from all his other Dignities so that for one reason which I
which is neuer giuen to any creature Zach. 9. 9. proues him God and man What shall I cyte vnto you that of the second Pslam Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee which place with many more is brought in the Epistle to the Hebrewes to this purpose which is your question These authorities the Thalmadists who sticke onely to the killing letter and apparant sense of the law hold sufficient to put this matter out of doubt Now if leauing this outward sense of the Scripture we should desire to know what is the quickning spirit thereof and should ransacke the treasuries of the Cabalists remembring that place of our Sauiour Matth. 5. 18. One iod or tittle of the Law shall not passe till all bee fulfilled and should examine the question by the letters and pricks of the Scripture wee should more easily find an entrance then an end thereto Yet for a taste take only the first 3. words of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breshith bará elohim which may not vnfitly be thus turned In the beginning they the mighty God created And of that againe take the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bresbith and see what it may signifie by that part of the Cabala which they call Notariacon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b. the first letter of ben signifieth the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. the first of ruach signifies the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n a. the beginning of av is the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s. the first of Sabbath importeth rest â—â—… the beginning of the ineffable name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not there onely but euen of it selfe it imports the Deitie For we consider of things not obuious to our senses and vnderstanding as if they were not and therefore this least of all the letters neerest vnto nothing doth signifie GOD. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th the first of Ta. or Thom. is construed a Closet or a Depth Which construction if you put together according to the rules of that excellent Grammar of Diuinitie with reference to that which followes may import thus much The Word the Spirit and the Father resting eternally in the Closet or vnconceiueable abysse or as Paul calls it the inaccessible light of the infinite Deitie manifested their almighty power in creating the heaueÌ„ and the earth Neither is it without a great mysterie that the Son is here put in the first place for In the beginning was the word because the chiefe honour both of the Creation and restauration of the world is giuen vnto Christ as the Apostle doth comment vpon this text Coloss 1. And in another place In him is all the treasure both of the wisedome and knowledge of God As Psal 104. vers 24. In wisedome hast thou made them all For in Christ were al things together one infinite wisedome till in the Creation he made them seuerall according to their distinct Ideas Therefore saith the Apostle He sustayneth euery thing by his powerfull word that is the Sonne and elsewhere In him Christ wee liue and moue after the Creation and haue our Being before the Creation And for this cause doth Iohn begin the law of mercie and grace in the very same words wherewith Moses began the law of Iustice and condemnation In the beginning For we know nothing of God neyther of iustice nor of mercie c. but onely by Christ as he saith No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Sonne wil reueile him And in another place No man commeth to the Father but by me Now the Holy Ghost is put in the second place because hee is the mutuall loue of the Father and the Sonne and as I may say the instrument of their actions both in manent and transeunt Go forward now if you will to the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bará you see it affords the same argument for the Tri-Vnitie by the three letters before explained and the number which is the singular Thinke not this a fancie neither reproch the diuine Cabala as the ignorant Sophisters vse to doe not knowing how aboue all other knowledges it doth aduance a mans meditation on high And to the present purpose they which know any thing in the holy language know that this sentence can no way agree in Grammatical construction vnlesse the singular verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bará be thus made plurall that it may haue concordance with the plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim You will aske why these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b. r. a. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. are twice put seeing in this precisenesse no such superfluitie should haue needed I tell you that it is not done but to intimate vnto vs a most high mysterie For in the first place it imports that Eternall and Infinite Being of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost which they had before the worlds in their endlesse glorie felicitie in that silence of the Deitie in that super-supreme Entity which is vnto the Godhead perfect aboue perfection without any respect vnto the creature it imports that Infinitie that Eternitie that Power that Wisedome which is aboue all things and giues vnto it selfe to be such as it is that Nothing as the diuine Areopagite seemes to speake which is before and aboue al things that may be spoken or thought without any respect of any emanation or effluence whatsoeuer And therefore followes that letter of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of vnitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in the second place it signifies the Deitie as exercised in the creature and therefore followes that Epithyte Elohim which shewes that emanation of Power or Strength and is sometimes giuen vnto the creatures Angels and men It were an endlesse thing to speake that of these mysteries which may be spoken neither can I For the Law of the Lord is perfect and man is full of weakenesse I haue said so much as I thinke meete concerning the Tri-Vnitie Now a word to that point that Christ is GOD which although it appeare sufficiently in the Tri-Vnity before proued by this anagogicall doctrine yet to that second person in particular is that which followeth Esay 7. 14 it is said of Christ that his name should bee called Immanuel but in the historie of the Gospell in Matthew and Luke both before his Conception and at his Circumcision he is called Iesus It is therefore meete that you know how Iesus is Immanuel or God with vs. The writing of the Name of IESVS is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ihsuh though according to the rules of the pronunciation of that tongue Iesu and according to the ancient abbreuiation following the Hebrue orthography IHTS In which Name you see are al the letters of the greatest ineffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehouah with the interposition of that letter of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 s. for then was God reconciled to the world then was euerlasting righteousnesse brought in when the Word became flesh This is that glorious Name of which God spake by the Prophet Behold I will make my Name new in the earth For you see how of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is IESVS This is that Name which is meet for the Sonne of GOD alone and cannot bee giuen to any creature because it is a Name of the DEITIE as it is Hebr. 1. It is that Name which is aboue all names in which the Angels and the righteous soules triumph at which the powers of Hell are agast and tremble to which the whole creature yeeldeth meek obedience This is that Name of which our Lord spake Father I haue manifested thy Name vnto men the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so long as the mysterie of the Incarnation of God was hidde so long that Name remained vnsoundable but when the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst men so that the mysterie was reueiled then the Name which was before not to be pronounced was lawfully pronounceable That as the Word of life was to bee seene with eyes and handled with handes so that glorious Name might also be beaten betweene our lippes and teeth and this by the interposition of that letter of rest The Iewes knowing this reason of this great mysterie moued with the reuerence thereof durst neuer pronounce that Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in stead thereof Adonai or Elohim Let it not trouble you that Iudah the sonne of Iacob was called by such a name as had these foure letters therein with the addition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehudah but rather wonder and learne how by these sacramentes the children of GOD before the Incarnation exercised their faith saluted the promises afarre off and saw that our Lord should enter into our earthly tabernacle by the doore of Iudahs flesh for so much the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daleth importeth To which mysterie the heauenly Poet alluding triumphed with that double ioy Psal 24. Lift vp your heads yee gates and be ye lift vp yee euerlasting doores c. foreseeing the descension of GOD the Sonne by the gate of our flesh and the ascension of our flesh by Christ into the heauenly places both which he celebrated by that repetition Compare with this place Gen. 39. 35. and 49. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. and Reuelat 5. 5. and other places as you shal reade and vnderstand them and with all consider how the ancient Fathers haue prided themselues with the seuerall letters of this Name to keepe in remembrance by their owne names a thing neuer to bee forgotten The Incarnation of our Lord. As Abram assumed h. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and was called Abraham Oshea tooke i. and was called Ioshua as you know Neyther againe let it trouble you that some do write this name thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ISV because say they the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s. turned vpward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as the double he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omitted I know no reason for this but many authorities against it as you may know by that which is and shall be said though I let passe a very great number Now consider the name in euery letter and see what cloudes of witnesses there are that Christ is God and man and learne by the Name it selfe how Christ is the Character or ingraued Image of the person or subsistence of the Father Hebrewes 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Is the Crowne or Diademe of the ineffable Name of GOD and signifies the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 u. Pretends the Tree of life for it is a thing much noted among the learned of the Hebrue tongue that this letter is neuer put radically in any naturall Hebrue word either in the beginning or end thereof but is as the Tree of life in the middest of the Paradise of God The double letter h. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth that Christ concerning his Deitie is essentially vnited to the Humanitie and concerning his Humanitie vnited also essentially to the Deitie and that by the Holy Ghost For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h. is a spirit or breath therefore is Christ in himselfe or in respect of his Deitie the superiour Wisedome of the Father and the Sonne of GOD not made but begotten Prou. 8. 22. In the creature or with respect of his Humanitie the inferiour wisedome of GOD not begotten but made and created Ecclus. 24. 11. 12. Now the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s. hath many things therein to bee considered For you may not thinke that it was taken by chaunce into this Name but for the Notory and for the Geometrie For the Notory I haue obserued that the Theologians both of the old and new Testament haue celebrated thereby first the rest or dwelling of the Godhead in him as Esay 42. vers 1. and â—o 1. vers 33. Then the rest or â—ie all beeing of the world in Christ before the creation and the restoring of the world by his suffering wherein the iustice of God rested or came to a period as Esay 53. 11. He shall see the trauell of his soule and be satisfied Lastly that great Iubile or Sabbath of Sabbaths in the world to come when all the creature shall rest from corruption Secondly they learned thereby the euerlasting Anointing of Christ to bee our King our Priest and our Prophet For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the head of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to anoint Hitherto belongs that of the 45. Psal Thou art anointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And in particular I have found Dauid or my beloued seruant with my holy oyle haue I anointed him that for his Kingdome Dan. 9. 24 speakes of his Priesthood To finish the wickednesse to seale vp the sinnes c. and to ancint the most Holy Esay 61. of his Prophecie Therefore hath the Lord anointed mee hee hath sent mee to preach c. For this cause was there no Anointing in the old Testament but typicall as a shadow of the good things that were to come so that when He came all these anoyntings ceased both of the Leuiticall Priesthood for Thou art a Priest for euer Heb. 7 and of the Kingdome for Hee shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer Luk. 1. 33. And for his Prophecie he saith Whatsoeuer I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowen vnto you The whole scope of the new Testament is to this effect Now the Geometrie hath also many mysteries first it is one semicircle with three branches the mysterie of the Trinitie in the Vnitie all whose dignities of Vertue and Power c. are coequall in all and in euery person intirely and indiuisibly and therefore in our Lord also
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