counsell and acquaintance as men doo some speciall and approoued friends Thus wee reade that Enoch walked with GOD that Moses did ordinarely talke and conferre with him face to face as one friende doth with an other thus he did as it were in sporte familiarly wrastle with Iacob and continually both accompany and assist him thus he was to Dauid as a Counseller to direct him in all his affaires and thus hee tooke Paul vppe to heauen and shewed him things not to be vttered But of all other most notable in this respect was Abraham called often in Scripture by the name or rather by the most honourable and glorious title of Gods friend as 2 Chro. 20. 7. Es 41. 8. Iames 2. 23. And in trueth so might hee well bee called for God did both make and keepe with him very solemnely all the lawes of true friendship For first hee made a couenant of perpetualloue with him and with his seed for euer calling Abraham Gods friend and himselfe Abrahams God Secondly hee did bestowe vpon him all his blessings both temporall and spirituall yea the greatest honour that could bee namely to bee as it were the foundation of his Church and chosen people and the first of the progenitours of Christ And lastly hee did impart to him his purposes and counsels in all things that did any way concerne him or might make for his good Yea wee reade that God was so carefull in the performance of this dutie for so it pleaseth God to binde himselfe in duties to men of friendshippe that beeing about to destroy those wicked Citties of Sodome and Gomorra he thought it needfull to impart the matter to his friend Abraham yea to haue his assent for the doing of it Thus it pleaseth God of his mercie and goodnesse to exalt wretched men to this highest degree of honour which indeed is so high as that the Angels in heauen do seldome attaine vnto it So that in this respect and in many other heretofore mentioned wee may well burst forth with the Prophet Psal 8. 5. And say what is man that thou that art the great God of heauen and earth shuldest remember him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest thus visit him Sect. 5. Gent. I Am thinking with my selfe what facultie there is in the soule of man not yet mentioned for if there bee any I doubt not considering the great likenesse betwixt the soule of man the nature of God in those faculties common to them both which you haue already handled but that it is ether truly belonging to God or at the least will giue occasion to consider something in his nature You know that men conceiue things by imagination and retaine them by memory are these faculties in God likewise conscience in man is a distinct facultie or rather an act of the mind and there are in him diuers affections as ioy and greefe and diuers vertues not as yet mentioned what are we to thinke of these things Sch. I hope you do not looke to heare at this time whatsoeuer might be said of the nature of God you are not now so desirous but if that were taken in hand you would bee as wearie of hearing ere it were halfe done if the cheefe matters be declared they will giue sufficient light whereby the rest may be perceiued and so by those which haue beene handled you may easely vnderstand the nature of the rest of those good affections and vertuous dispositions which are in scripture attributed to God So for the essentiall faculties of the soule you say very truly that they are most like to the diuine nature and euen a plaine and expresse Image of it yet this difference must be noted that whatsoeuer thing is in them that argueth weakenesse or suture possibilitie that hath not truly place in the diuine nature which is a perfect and complete act As in these particulars which you haue named imagination is but a possibilitie or meanes of knowledge but the knowledge of God hath beene said to bee eternall and actuall It is hard I confesse and euen impossible for vs to see or imagine how all the particulars in the world should exist actually in any vnderstanding from all eternitie but wee must not measure the infinitnesse of Gods vnderstanding by our shallow braines But as touching the question which you mooue of imagination and the meanes and manner of knowledge in God how the ideae or notions of things enter into his mind or rather how they exist eternally in it without any entering in or beginning first it must bee helde that although they exist eternally in GOD yet they are not essentiall to him that is so naturall and necessary as that without them he could nor exist as is the knowledge of himselfe and the idea of his owne nature yea all the rest of Gods essentiall attributes of all which if wee should detract but one from God wee shuld quite destroy and ouerthrow his whole nature and essence But the knowledge of the creatures is not of that kinde for God beeing in himselfe absolute and all sufficient might haue if it hadde so seemed good vnto him existed without euer eyther making or knowing any creature and therefore the knowledge of them in God must be thought to arise not from the absolute necessitie of his nature but from the free libertie of his will moouing yet eternally his vnderstanding to this actuall knowledge of the creatures Yea that as the knowledge oridea of his own nature is according to y â— order of nature not any difference of time first in the essentiall vnderstanding of God and then in his will so the knowledge or idea of the creatures hath his beginning not in the vnderstanding but in the will of God This difference we haue and see more plainely in our selues for as we haue some general notions engrauen in our mindes by nature it selfe and so in a maner both bred and borne with vs without any helpe of our wils so the knowledge of other things hath the beginning in the will disposing and inclining the minde to this or that knowledge as it seemeth best vnto it Secondly as touching this in a manner accidentall knowledge of God it must bee held that God hath it of himselfe and not by the means or from the creatures as we haue that by sence and imagination get the resemblances of things into our mindes the which way of knowledge if it were admitted to bee in God it would follow that his knowledge of the creature doth not go before but followeth after it and so is not the cause but rather an effect of it and not eternall but temporall whereas wee holde that the will and eternall foreknowledge of God are the cause of all things Gent. I haue heard it said that the diuine nature is as it were a Glasse wherein al things that do at any time exist in the world may be seene and knowne and that by the Saints and Angels in
not see how the most mightie and omnipotent God could make y e first matter of the world for that hee had nothing whereof to make it and iust nothing saith hee though falsely is made of nothing what would hee say to this paradoxe that nothing did of nothing make something yea all things not onely materiall bodies but euen the most pure and operatiue formes But wee knowe that God is eternall that is hee euer was and neuer was not hee was not made by nothing for nothing makes nothing nor by any thing for that which could make God was before god and greater then God and therefore onely God but God made himselfe not by giuing or rather by taking a beginning to himselfe but by being himselfe as he doth still and shall for euer make himselfe Hee was alwaies as hee will bee euermore neuer beginning nor euer ending but alwaies being Hee existeth not of nothing but of himselfe not by another but by himselfe in no other but in himselfe and for no other but for himselfe and so hee is to himselfe all in all Yea as God is eternall so euerie eternall is God for no creature can bee eternall because with the creature there comes in generation and motion with motion time and so eternitie is abandoned for time and eternitie are contraries as are finite and infinite the measure and that which is vnmeasurable But you may say how could God exist without the creature for how could hee exist without working and doing something he being a most actuall and operatiue forme and how could hee worke if hee had no matter to worke on how could God extend his goodnesse there beeing nothing to receiue it or how could hee haue glorie and honour there beeing none to giue it for honour is in the giuer not in the taker or what disparagement would it haue beene to God if hee had made the creature to exist from all eternitie more then it is that hee will make it to existe to all eternitie as wee knowe that hee hath promised in holy scripture yes surely God is not pind vpon the sleeue of the creature that hee could not exist and that in perfect happinesse and glorie without the helpe or company of any creature the which howsoeuer it do set foorth the glorie of God after another manner then that wherby God was glorious in and to himselfe ftom all eternitie yet it addeth nothing to the perfection of Gods glorie which before was absolute although not in the same manner Neyther can wee doubt but that this eternitie of the creature would bee a great blot to the glory of God wherof his eternitie is now a notable part but should not bee if that the creature were eternall as well as God And therefore it must bee content to bee a degree beneath him rather then to striue in vaine to fetch the pedigree from so auncient a stocke eternitie must be left to God as a royall prerogatiue proper to his house and crowne for the antiquitie of a fewe thousand yeares may serue to make y e creature noble Now that obiectiō which saith that God could not exist without the creatures because without thē he could not worke is easely answered for before the creation God did no way mooue or worke yet he was not idle for hee did as hee doth still giue himselfe to the contemplation of himself euen of his own infinit essence and glorie Sect. 4. NExt to the eternitie of GOD commeth to bee considered his vbiquitie which concerneth the stature and greatnesse of GOD as the other did his age and continuance For as in time so also in greatnesse God must bee knowne and acknowledged to bee infinite not inclosed or comprehended within any creature or place eyther in heauen or in earth but silling all creatures and all places both in heauen and earth yea stretching and extending himselfe beyond the compasse of the world by infinite degrees and that not onely by his power his essence beeing in some set particular place as wee knowe that Princes sitting and being contained in a little chaire stretch their power authoritie ouer whole countries and kingdomes farre distant from them but it is not so with God who as in power so also in his substance and essence is euery where in al things and in all places for hee is not by any thing either kept or put and as it were iusled out and dispossessed of his place but is in all places euen where the grossest bodies are as well as where is neyther place nor bodie We see how the ayre to the which wee haue before compared the vbiquitie of God is desirous to inlarge his dominions and therefore assoone as euer it findeth any place emptie it straightway taketh possession but if there be any bodie in it to keepe possession it is kept out a doores and can haue no title to it and so in all other bodies wee see that the weaker giueth place to the stronger for it is impossible that two bodies should bee togither in one place But it is not so with God for no creature is able to put him out of any place hee doth suffer the creatures to haue their seuerall places but not to vsurpe his place the which is euery place as well where the creatures are as where nothing is For their being in place doth not hinder him from being there for he is there as well as they and euen where they are Hee is where the earth is for hee is in the earth and both heauen and earth are in him and subsist in him as in their subiect and foundation vpholding and containing them And therefore his title is better to that place which they haue then is theirs for hee was there in peaceable possession of it before they were any where existing and so he will bee there when they are consumed to ashes and gone Gent. I do easely beleeue that God is euery where and that his exceeding greatnesse is more then sufficient to fill a thousande worlds but I pray you shewe mee how God is present euery where whither he bee partly in one place and partly in another or rather as I haue heard them say wholly in euery place as it is said of the soule that it is tota in toto corpore and tota in qualibet parte wholly both in the whole bodie and also in euery part or member of it Sch. That is indeed the vsuall saying and similitude according to the which god is to bee thought to be wholly in euery Church house yea in the least thing that is as well as in the greatest It is sure that the essence of God is most simple and vniforme without any distinction of partes but the very same euery where yet that common saying is hard to bee vnderstood and therefore may easely by the simple bee peruerted to their own destruction who hearing God to bee wholly in euery place will readely suppose him to bee
contained in that place and so to bee finite yea to bee diuided into infinit Gods as the Heathen imagined euery house and person to haue his proper god attending on him And therefore wee may more â—asely and truely imagine God to bee one whole vndiuided and vniforme essence containing and inclosing in it selfe all bodies as doth the ayre yet not excluded out of any place where any body is as the ayre is out of all such places and that God is not in this or that place Church or house but that all places houses churches yea the earth ayre heaueÌ„ it self are in God that in quantitie euen as a pins poynt is in respect of the whole compasse of heauen and that in him the whole world mooueth and hath his beeing Yea his essence extendeth it selfe infinitly without the compasse of the world and aboue the highest heauens and so is to bee thought to bee totally or wholly in any one place and that equally as much in one place as in another Gent. I pray you shewe mee that for I haue alwaies thought God to be after a speciall manner there where hee professed himselfe to bee as namely to bee present with the Arke and the propitiatorie seate more then in the Idoles of the heathen in the temple of Ierusalem more then in any other so likewise to bee in the godly more then in the wicked in heauen the which the scripture doth vsually make the place of Gods dwelling and residencie more then in hell or on the earth and most of all to bee in the humanitie of Christ wherein the Apostle saith Col. 2. 9. That the fulnesse of the Godhead doth dwell bodeâ—y Sch. If you thinke the essence of God to be in any one place more then in another you are greatly deceiued it is euery where alike neither can it possibly bee otherwise for it cannot be gathered or compacted togither into any other forme then is that infinite greatnesse which filleth all places God may indeede shewe his presence by outwarde actions more in one place then in another and so saye and professe himselfe to bee there onely and no where else speaking according to the erroneous conceit of men that thinke him to be no where present in essence but where he sheweth himselfe and his power by some outward signe Thus God was present in the Temple of Ierusalem and more specially in the holy of holiest and in the propitiatorie seate more then in other places not by his essence but by his mercie and goodnesse the which hee did there reueale and shew to the Iewes more then to any other people Thus God is present in his spirit in the faithfull more then in the carnall man not by the essence but by the effectuall operation of it reneuing in theÌ„ his owne image of holinesse and trueth the which thing hee doth not in the other Thus God is present in heauen more then in hell or heere on earth not in essence but in glorie and maiestie the which shineth more in heauen then any where else For euen as a man hauing been kept all his life in a darke dungeon from the light of the sunne and the sight of the creatures in the world if he were on a suddaine brought vppe into the open ayre and suffered to behold all these glorious creatures would not sticke to say and affirme this world to bee the very dwelling place and pallace of God so doth heauen seeme in respect of this inferiour world wherein wee liue But the greatest doubt is of the humanitie of Christ with the which without doubt the Godheade is present farre otherwise yea farre more excellently then euer it was with any creature or in any place eyther in heauen or earth yea so that if it were possible for the diuine esseÌ„ce to be in any one thing or place more theÌ„ in another it would without question bee more in the humanitie of Christ then euer it was any where For God did neuer before vouchsafe such vnspeakeable honour to any creature as to take it into his own person and to himselfe yea to bee himselfe Yet for all this the essence of God is no more in the humanitie of Christ then in other places and creatures and yet it is ioyned yea vnited to it so as it neuer was to any creature Gent. How is that straunge coniunction of the humanitie of Christ to the diuine essence Sch. For that I must craue pardon of you it is not so soone done as desired it is well if I can get done the taske which you exact of mee thogh I do not meddle with other matters especially with such as being very hard and intricate require seuerall and large treatreatises it is better that wee hold our selues to the matter in hande and so seeing in part the trueth of this poynt to proceede to the rest of the externall attributes of god as namely to the omnipotencie of God Sect. 3. Gent. I did not thinke it to haue beene a matter requiring either long time or any greate labour and then I am sure you would not haue stucke with me but I pray you hold on your course seeing you will not bee intreated to digresse Sch. The omnipotencie of God is resembled in man by the strength of his bodie or the power of his person yet there is as great difference as is betwixt the age of man and the eternitie of God or the stature of man and the incomprehensible greatnesse of god For as God is so is his power by the which hee is able and sufficient to doo whatsoeuer pleaseth him as it is defined Psal 135. 6. The Lord is great aboue all Gods and hath done whatsoeuer hee woulde in heauen and in the earth in the sea and in the deeps what neede there to bee more power then will or to what purpose is that power which is without the will So that the obiect of Gods power is the whole world in the which and ouer the which God hath so ample and absolute authoritie that neither the greatnesse strength nor multitude of the creatur is able to resist his wil and power who is able if hee were willing to turne all things vpside down to make the heauen the earth change places the one with the other so that the heauen should rest in the middest the earth turne about in the circle Yea as hee made both heauen and earth and all things in them contained of nothing so hee is able to turne them all to nothing and that without any labour or difficultie euen by the breath of his mouth and the meer inclination of his will But howsoeuer this power of God cannot bee matched by any creature yet it doth both match and ouermatch it selfe restraining it selfe so that it is not able to doo any thing against it selfe for that which God by his power doth at any time hee cannot by his power make it to be not done or vndone at the
and rather shewe my ignorance and follie then seeme iniurious and vnthankfull Sch. You may speake your pleasure but by all liklihood you are a Scholler according to your owne acception howsoeuer it pleaseth you to make your selfe for the time one in my sence and it may be you are so by your calling and kinde of life howsoeuer your outward state seemeth better then vsually Schollers attaine vnto yea I am perswaded by this great desire to increase in knowledge which appeareth in you that you haue alreadie attained to a great measure of it and know what belongs vnto it as wee see that vsually the richest are most couetous Sect. 2. Gent. VVEll well let vs leaue these things and come to the purpose yet for all this hast one thing I must needs desire of you and it is this That you would not bee offended nor yet thinke scorne to aunswere and resolue me eueÌ„ in those questions which are most certaine manifest and without all question as if I should desire to bee resolued of this poynt that there is a God that made and ruleth and gouerneth al things Not that I doubt of this or any other maine poynt of Christian religion but that I may knowe and hold that more firmly which I doo alreadie both beleeue and also know in part Sch. Wee cannot if wee speake properly call this a poynt of Christian religion for all the heathenish religions that euer were or that are at this day in the world agree in this as in the foundation and ground wheron they rest that there is a God for otherwise there could be no religion Yet you say verie true that our knowledge both in this and in all other poynts concerning God is vnperfect and therefore we may lawfully yea we must necessarily labour for an increase of it and for that Pleerophoria that is a ful knowledge and certaine perswasion mentioned in Scripture Yea if you please we will beginne with this poynt for that if it must needs be handled as it is seldome it beeing seldome called into question it ought to haue the first place assigned vnto it Gent. Indeede it is straunge that this blockish Atheisme should bee in any that hath a reasonable soule yet hee that doth consider the liues of many led without any knowledge feare loue care or any regard whatsoeuer had vnto God may see that verified which is spoken Psal 14. 1. The foole hath said in his heart there is no God yea I haue heard of such as would openly professe themselues to be of that iudgâ—ment and as farre as they might without daunger defend it by argument against any whosoeuer The which shamelesse impietie although I doo from my heart detest and shall I trust while I liue yet to tell you plainly there haue often such doubts risen and â—unne in my minde as I should bee ashamed and therefore would be loth to vtter Sch. Nay it is a shame to conceale cherish not to declare and abandon them but what I pray you hath at any time made you doubt of God Gent. Surely to deale plainly with you me thought there was no order of gonâ—rnement but rather extreame confusion in the world that things came to passe not by any prouidence or power of God but partly by the force and efficacie of naturall causes working according to the ordinarie and set course of nature and partly by the inclinations deuises consultations and purposes of men proceeding from the free motion of their owne minds and wils that foolish and superstitious people did ascribe many things as warre dearth famine plague sicknesse pouertie and many other casualtieâ— to some extraordinarie worke of God which the wise did plainly see to come by the ordinarie connexion and consequence of naturall causes that as touching those fewe who did wholly depend and relye themselues vppon God and did daily and hourely call vppon him for such things as they stood in neede of it happened to them no better yea for the most part farre woorse then to the wicked that for all their faith and prayers they must either betake themselues to the ordinarie course of the world or else vtterly perish and miscarrie that many who most outragiously blaspheme yea openly both denie defie God as wee read of a certaine Pope who said that hee would haue and eate of a meate that hee fancied in despite of God and so he did prosper and fare as well yea much better then they that serue him most deuoutly that there were not to be seene in the world any arguments of Gods power and presence nor any thing which might make a wise man wonder whereas in all reason it should seeme more possible to hide the sunne being aboue our horizon so that it should not either by heate beames light or anie other meanes shewe it selfe to bee present then that God should be in the world and yet no way apparant As for the Scripture out of the which we vse so plainly to teach proue and demonstrate the beeing of God as out of his onely euidences that there was no certanitie could bee had of anie thing contained in it that euerie Kingdome Countrie and Cittie yea almost euerie priuate man did gather out of it a diuers and different â—orme of religion and seruing GOD that many things in it might bee prooued to be false and fabulous as of the flames of Purgatorie the fire of Hell and the light of heauen prepared and appoynted for the soules of men departing from their bodies according as they had liued in this world either well or else wickedly that all these doctrines and infinit others of the same kinde were but counterfeit and both deuised and vsed to keepe people in some awe and order yea which seemed woorst of all that the Scripture was contradicted not onely by others but also by it selfe in many poynts and places whereas in truth there is not any discord or harsh iarring but a most sweete and full consort and harmonie So that for these reasons and diuers other that I will not trouble you with me thought I might say of God as Elias saith of Baal that in all likelihood hee was either a sleepe or in bat tell or about some waightie affaires or as he thought and mentindeed no where existing yet these doubts were but as flying cloudes in my minde which the glorie maiestie and truth of God shining both in his word and worke as clearely as the sunne doth at noone day did soone dissolue yet not so that you should thinke it lost labour to speake somewhat to that effect Sch. I may for fashions sake but I am perswaded that it is in a manner needlesse and that you are not now to learne how that God hauing reuealed himselfe sufficiently by diuers euident meanes doth now in a manner hide and absent himselfe from the world yea euen from his church and chosen people and that vpon good ground in respect both of the elect and of the
to comprehend the infinit and know the secret essence of God But by your patience a litle is it now become a fault to seeke the knowledge of God in the knowledge and contemplation of whom not only the scripture and as I haue heard all diuines with one assent but euen Plato an heatheÌ„ Philosopher although somewhat smelling of the truth of religion do make our whole happinesse to coÌ„sist the infinitnesse of the nature of God doth hinder the full comprehension but not the true knowledge of it selfe to be in the minde of man the sight of the eye no not the whole eye is able to containe the body of the Sun and yet by it we do plainly beholde and truly know the Sun Moone Starres yea the whole heauen What thogh it be not lawfull evher to make any Image or to imagine any similitude of God yet we may consider of the nature of God by coÌ„paring it to the nature of the creature though there bee neuer so great inequalitie betwixt them Yea the infinitenesse of Gods nature is most plainly seene when it is compared to a finite and meane creature as wee knowe that the chearefull lightsomnesse and fairenesse of white is best perceiued when a darke and sad backe is laid by it that the hugenesse of an Eliphant is most admired when wee thinke of he smalnesse of a flie and a crooked building is best knowne by the straight line The whole bodie and compasse of the sun and moone may bee behelde in a little dishfull of wateâ— and why not God in his creatures especially in those which hee hath made according to his owne image and that as I am perswaded for this very end and purpose But although the nature of god might be by some means in some measure conceiued and knowne yet you doubt of the lawfulnesse of the attempt but your doubting is without cause or rather as I am perswaded without trueth and in shewe onely The propitiatorie is now remooued and the Arke vncouered so that we may be bolde to looke into it the vaile of the Temple is rent a sunder yea quite broken downe and therefore wee need not any longer stand aloofe but may with confidence enter into the holy place approach vnto the throne of grace It is not with God as it is with mortall and sinfull men who of set purpose and in good pollicie doo in many cases withdraw themselues from the sight and view of others least that by bewraying their infirmities they shuld bring their persons into contempt but God is not ashamed of himselfe neither afraid of being knowne seene and censured Men the further they are off from vs the greater they seeme and the lesse they are known thâ— more they are esteemed the more familiaâ—ly that they are acquainted the more likely to bee contemned but it is not so with God who the more he is known the more he is admired the nearer he approcheth to vs the more he amazeth astonieth with his â—urpassing glorie and maiestie so that he may not vnfitly be compared to the cloude which the Prophet Elias or rather God himselfe raised out of the sea 1. King 18. 14. which a farre off seemed no bigger then the palme of a mans hand but when it came neare it couered the whole face of heauen I confesse indeed that the essence of God cannot be fully comprehended by any creature and that if God should shine vppon vs with the bright beames of his glorie wee could not but bee confounded as we see our eyes to be dazeled and our sight dimmed by gazing on the bright shining sunne For this the word of God is plaine Exod. 33. 20. where God saith to Moses My face that is my full glorie and maiestie no man can see and liue but as for my hinder partes that is some part or shadow of my glorie that I will shew vnto thee Yet the doth not proue that this great and greedie yea insatiable desire which this holy man of God had of seeing and knowing still more and more of God yea after that God had many waies reuealed himselfe more fully to Moses then euer hee had done or did since to any man liuing should bee condemned as rash and preâ—umptuous which rather is to be commended and imitated of vs by hauing a most earnest care and desire to know so much of Gods essence as may bee knowne yea much more and euen the whole nature of God if so it stood with his good pleasure For this is the onely happinesse which we aspire vnto hope for in the life to tome that whereas now we see God but darkly in part and as it were his image in a glasse theÌ„ we shall see him face to face 1. Cor. 13. that is in farre more ample manner then now wee doo although not so fully and amply as hee is indeede vnto the which absolute perfection of the knowledge of Gods essence I doo easily graunt you that neither the Saints nor the Angels in heauen can possibly attaine And therefore seeing that my request is no other then both I may wel and lawfully make and you easily performe I pray you doo not shift mee off with this excuse which I am perswaded you made thinking as it is indeed that you Schollers â—an by your logick and schoole-tricks perswadevs simple people to think what you list make vs beleeue that as the prouerb is The moon is made of green cheese but rather at my request take in hand the explication of this poynt which of all other is most needfull to be knowne and most woorthie to bee sought out with all care and diligence as beeing that wherevnto all our knowledge yea our whole life is to be referred Sch. I am glad sir that I haue by this means ferreted you out of this deepe dissimulation wheerin you haue hitherto so closely lurked although indeed I did thinke so much wheÌ„ I first heard you speake did suspect you to be the man whoÌ„ now I finde you to be I am perswaded that you who are so cunning in crauing could if you list bee as bountifull in giuing but seeing the bargaine is made it is now no going backe neither will I looke backe vnto the speech which you haue made of the lawfulnesse of attempting and the possibilitie of attaining the knowledge of Gods nature in some sort It was true and therefore cannot be confuted yet was full and sufficient and therefore need not bee enlarged You doo well to confesse that the infinit essence of god cannot be fully comprehended no not by the Angels in heauen yet that it may in some sort be knowne euen by men here on earth For euen as when a traueller desirous to see straunge countries and fashions arriueth in some coast towne of any forraine kingdome hee may euen there gather some coniectures and get some knowledge of the condition state and power of that Prince but when he commeth to the chiefe
them For by the confession of all men the first creation of the world requireth a power not limited but infinit for that it is impossible to any finite power to create that is to make something of nothing if the power be infinit the subiect wherein it is must be of the same nature Again God is one and but one because he is God to wit that infint nature which is sufficient of it self to occupie fill ten thousand wordls neither can abide to be iustled by a pewfellow but must sit and raigne alone this point of doctrine the whole world euen the Iewes and Turkes do hold abhorring all sound or shew of any pluralitie of Gods Again God is immateriall and incorporeall not existing as we do in earthly and corruptible bodies or as the Angels doo in some more pure solide and firme subiects which may in some sense bee called bodies or in the most subtile and pure matter that can be imagined but as a pure actuall and substantiall forme subsisting of it selfe And therefore we are interpreting euery doubtfull thing in the best sense to thinke that Tertullian giuing a body not onely to the Angels but euen to God himselfe ment him to be not a phantasticall imagination or an accidentall qualitie of some other thing but a true real substantiall and essentiall nature subsisting as truly and really as doth a body which we see and feele Otherwise by giuing God a body we take from him his infinitnesse so his diuine nature making him locall mutable and mooueable The which are in no case to bee admitted for God is not contained in any place but containeth in himselfe all places bodies and natures whatsoeuer 1 King 8. 27. How shall God dwell in this house when as the heauen of heauens cannot containe and comprehend him Neither is he subiect to mutation passion or alteration as he should of necessitie bee if hee were materiall but is the same this day and yesterday now and for euer Lastly we are not to admit motion in the diuine nature for that in motion there is a possibilitie of good or some degree of perfection which is not yet in act nor attained vnto and so there would be imperfection in God but the diuine nature is not in any mouing possibilitie tending to any other state but is euer in complete act and in absolute perfection and resteth and remaineth in it selfe without motion far more firme and stedfast then is any Rocke in the sea or the earth or whatsoeuer can be imagined most immooueable moouing all things yet hee himselfe resting for all things tend to him but he to nothing Lastly the diuine nature is most simple and vniforme all alike throughout all voyde of all mixture composition combination diuision or dissimilitude It is not compounded of matter and forme for it is a forme needing no matter wherewith to be vpheld or wherein to exist but vpholdeth it selfe and subsisteth in it selfe In it there is not cause and effect for it is an efficient without an effect and of that which is no effect euen of it selfe It is a totum a whole without parts for it is euery where the same and like it self or rather it selfe and therefore cannot bee diuersely diuided or distinguished into parts and if our finite cogitations must needs make him haue parts conceiue him by peecemeale and parts because wee cannot take the whole then must wee needes make euery part to bee the whole and lastly it is a substance without accidents for nothing can either accidere or accedere to that which already is all and infinit neither doth it as other substances do extenuate it selfe into accidentall qualities but whatsoeuer it sendeth foorth from it selfe or rather to it selfe for from it selfe it cannot go that is it selfe not any way extenuated but remaining in the same plight which it had before CHAP. III. Of the faculties of mans soule attributed to God Sect. 1. Gent. HItherto you had my cōpany and I was glad of yours but since you entered into the handling of this infinitnes which you make the difference of the diuine nature distinguishing it from other reasonable natures you haue flowen so cleane out of my sight that I haue no hope of ourtaking you For if you thus exempt Gods nature from all logicall relation of substance and accident of subiect adiunct of essence and attributes by the which distinction it is as you know vsually declared and laid opē you will take away all meanes eyther of teaching or of learning and conceiuing it Sch. You mistake my meaning which was not to exempt God from all logicall relation and the groundes and rules of reason without the which I confesse that neither the diuine nor any other nature can bee either declared or learned or in truth exist in it selfe For reason and logicke which is the act and operation of reason stretch themselues ouer all things that exist howsoeuer they exist whether finitely or infinitely although in vs it cannot fully comprehend that which is infinite yea and a little further too euen to those things which doo not exist As for the diuine nature it is as hath bene said an essentiall and infinite reason or vnderstanding euen the fonndation and fountaine of all reason and therefore wee cannot thinke that it should abolish or destroy reason for so it should destroy it self but rather are to acknowledge that it doth establish it and agree vnto it Indeede the grounds and principles of naturall Philosophie as they haue bene laid downe by heathen Philosophers who hauing little or no knowledge of God had the more leisure to looke into naturall things doo fight with the grounds of diuinitie and by not admitting any actuall infinite do destroy the nature of god as in other points we know that the best Philosopher that euer was was but a sory diuine yet we may not in any wise thinke that reason and diuinitie doo iarre or crosse each one the other the which indeede are both one in effect and therefore neither I nor any other vnlesse he be voyde both of naturall also of artificial logick can doubt or denie that God hath substance essence nature forme yea his proper attributes and effects and the distinction of essence and attributes which all Diuines make in handling the nature of god is good true They deny indeed that there are any accidents in God and say that whatsoeuer is in God is the essence of God but then they meane by accidents separable and mutable qualities and by essence essentiall and inseparable properties So there are no accidents in God as in a man or an Angell are knowledge wisedome puritie holinesse strength and happinesse which are no part of their nature or essence nor yet essentiall properties for they may be remoued and separated from their subiects as we know that many both men and angels are ignorant foolish wicked vile weak and miserable but nothing that is in