prescribed this was done in the infancy of the Creation when Adam and Eve might happily be ignorant whether the rest of the Creatures were rationall or irrationall whether they were dumbe or spake a language they might see that their works and all their naturall actions were very agreeable to reason and the Creatures having all the instruments of speech why might they not be supposed to have the free use and exercise of speech as well as man and for other things they could speak nothing by their own experience we have heard of Monsters of men whom by their shape and form you could hardly know to be men yet had they the use of reason There was a Fish taken in the time of Hen. 2. so like a man that Fishermen were mistaken and did conceive him to be a man indeed certainly without triall and experience which our first Parents could not have so immediately upon the Creation it was easie for them to mistake I should never believe that Parots and Pyes should speak so distinctly were it not that I find it by proofe But not to trouble you with every circumstance the Angels did sin spiritually in their pride and presumption sins spirituall answerable to their condition as they are wholly spirits Man subsisting of flesh sinned carnally in tasting the forbidden fruit and therein his flesh prevailed over his reason in breaking Gods command only some of the Angels sinned and they were punished accordingly but the first Parents of Mankinde sinned and in them according to the course of our own ordinary justice their whole race and posterity was to suffer but the punishment was small for they had the benefit of repentance whereby they might not only have remission but likewise through the Mercies of God and the Merits of Christ they might attain a greater degree of happiness then was at first allotted unto them And for that punishment of death which God enacted by a Statute Law Statutum est hominibus semel mori alas it is but the transition to a better world whereby we take the possession of that whereof we are not now so capable and therefore it should be a great part of our desires Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo. Thus after the fall of Angels God having given the like freedom of will unto man in pleased God likewise to make tryall of his obedience in giving him the free use of all the rest of his Creatures only forbidding one fruit the Tree of knowledge which might be seen but not tasted whereby might appear whether Gods command or mans inordinate appetite were the more powerfull in man or whether man subsisting of flesh and spirit which of these should be predominant whether man being placed between the blessed Angels and dumbe Beasts should by his abstinency and conformity to God draw neerer to the Angelicall state and become more spirituall or by his carnall uncleanness giving way to his appetite and gluttony he should fall down to the sensuality of Beasts that whatsoever he lusted after he should not deny himself what his own eyes and his carnall concupiscence should offer unto him he should greedily imbrace it and thus by the tasting of the forbidden fruit which the Socinians conceive to be but a small offence there is implyed the great opposition between the flesh and the spirit Now for the truth and demonstration that man did offend it shall appear by the punishment for I have already proved by undenyable arguments that man is fallen from his first integrity and perfection and that the state of the world is much changed and altered since the Creation that many things have and do daily befall man which can be no less then the punishments of sin and the just effects of Gods vengeance that man himself by his fearfulness and naturall uncleanness seemes to acknowledge a guilty conscience and himself to be justly condemned This I have already proved and I set forth a Book to that purpose about 40 years since the Title of the Book is The fall of man or the fall of Adam from Paradise proved by naturall reason wherein I do not only give satisfaction to reason but I do plainly evince it by many naturall proofs I consess I cannot do the like for other mysteries but only for that alone because it comes nearer our naturall state and condition while other mysteries are far above our reach and concern the state of another world but the fall and corruption of Nature must manifestly and demonstratively appear in the effects and punishment of sin and therein the ground and foundation of Socinianism is utterly dissolved and though since that time many of their Books have been vented and published yet I never heard that the scope and intent of that Book was ever so much as questioned which I am ready still to make good and to justifie now in my old age though my strength memory and intellectuals do a little faile me I thank God for it Man being fallen from his first integrity as God would not utterly destroy him so neither would he suffer him to continue in a sinfull state and condition look what distance there is between heaven and earth between life and death such and so great is the distance and opposition between corrupted nature and grace therefore needs there must be a regeneration and a redemption of man but whether this should be done without means only by Gods omnipotency as was the act of Creation therein we doubt it is true that in the Creation no means could be used for then there was nothing but God yet notwithstanding in the Creation it self as soon as God had created the confused mass of the heavens and the earth out of nothing then immediately he useth this generall mass as a means for producing particulars Producat terra herbam virentem pro ducant aquae reptile and that light which was created the first day did serve to make the Sun and the Stars the fourth day and in the constituted course of nature there is nothing done without meanes the sap and fatness of the earth together with the Sunshine and influence of the heavens God appointing protecting concurring and blessing his own means serve for our fruitfulness and to continue nature in her own kind Thus in Religion God hath instituted Sacraments and Rites then certainly the same God who is ever so constant in the uniformity of his works for that he doth ever make choyce of the best and therefore is not uncertain or wavering in the constancy of his own resolutions he would use means in the work of mans redemption as well as in the preservation of the world for God out of his infinit love desiring to impart himself as he gives a beeing whereby Creatures made of nothing may together subsist with himself so they subsisting to honour them the more he refuseth not their help but useth them as means that they should together cooperate with himself Thus
a higher beginning In aeterno principio aeternitatis in the eternall beginning of eternity you must give me leave is sometimes I speak in unusuall termes when neither the words nor apprehension of man can otherwise serve to express or conceive the mysterie And to what can the regeneration or new birth of man be better resembled or compared then to the creation See then how they agree and concur together After the creation of the heaven and the earth and the confused masse of the waters the first thing created for ornament and beauty was light Gen 1. 3 Light is but an accident and must presuppose a substance and though it be light yet in respect of the substance it is in effect but a shadow Saint John therefore doth better express this light together with the fountain of this light in the fourth verse of this Chapter speaking of the Word In him was life and the life was the light of men and as in the creation before this light was created the state of the world is described by Moses Gen. 1. 2. And darkness was upon the face of the deep which is most truly explicated by Saint John in the 5th verse of this Chapter The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not this darkness betokeneth the state of sin the death of sin as Adam soon after his creation committed sin whereupon followed the sentence of death And out of this death of sin it was the great mercy of God that man should be awakened and that by degrees first with the sound and noyse of the law which came with Thunder and Lightning to strike terror into man as the bellowing of beasts designed for slaughter and sacrifice might shew them their own condition for death is the wages of sin and thus far Moses proceeds Man being now rowsed a little awakened with this great sound of the Law trembling and fearing he listens and finds that this sound becomes a voice Vox hominē sonat the voice betokens a man and here after the great terror and threatnings of the law he begins to conceive hope that he may find bowels of compassion and then expects mercy and pity This was the office of Saint John Baptist whose time was an interregnum between the Law and the Gospel and who was Vox clamantis in deserto the voyce of a cryer in the wilderness described by S. John in the 6th verse of this Chapter Hitherto we have heard the sound of the law and the voice of a Cryer but all this will not suffice to discover the secrets and mysteries of God we must then listen and we shall find that this voyce doth tend and end in a word and that this word may be fitted to mans capacity it is necessary that this word be made flesh Verbum caro and in him should dwell all the treasures of Gods wisdom And as this word was of an extraordinary condition so it is necessary that there should be tongues of an extraordinary nature and form fit to express this word Linguas attulit qui pro verbo venit and this was the holy Ghost who came down in the form of fiery cloven tongues to testifie of this word and here you have the full hight and perfection of the state of grace and this is the scope and the object of Saint John which is implyed in his name for it signifies the grace of God So that Moses comes as far short of Saint John as time doth of eternity and in other respects especially for the object Saint John as far exceeds Moses as the fruit doth the blossom or the substance the type or the body the shadow Moses by a propheticall spirit and speciall illumination describes the creation of the world and the making of man and so descends downwards and writes only the History of his own time but our Apostle transcends and as he begins with the eternity of Christ so in the Revelations he prophesies of the Church even to the worlds ends and after the dissolution of this world then to remain glorious for all eternity And as they had several ends so they proceeded severall ways Moses according to the office of a Law-giver sets down many judgements of God upon the committing of the first sin as the sentence of death the expulsion out of Paradise the murder of Abel the vengeance upon Cain the deluge the confusion of tongues the burning of Sodom the captivity of Egypt besides the heavy yoak of Gods own law that they should begin with circumcision the shedding of bloud that they should be so many in number commanded with such strict observances with such severe punishment and notwithstanding all this yet could he not so much prevaile as to bring the Israelites into the land of promise But our Apostle Saint John according to the nature of an Evangelist in every page brings many tokens signes and assurances of Gods mercy and goodness they are so many that I will not reckon them and as upon the creation man committed sinne so in our regeneration he that knew no sin became a sacrifice for sin Mans nakednesse did then appear but now he is clothed with Christs righteousness Paradise was then lost but now he recovers a better inheritance and that it might appear how in every point and parcell a full restitution should be made as in Paradise there was the tree of life and pleasant fountains and waters so the like are described in the heavenly Jerusalem as Paradise was kept shut by an Angell with a fiery sword so on the contrary the heavenly Jerusalem hath many doores all standing wide open there is free entrance none are excluded as you may read in the latter end of the Apocalypse besides those frequent and daily works of mercy practised by Christ whose custome was deambulare benefaciendo he had no other imployment but onely to doe works of mercy curing all manner of diseases feeding many thousands raising the dead blessing sanctifying and teaching men in the wayes of salvation and to reckon them up in particular were endless onely I conclude with our Apostle in the last words of his Gospell where he confesseth that the world would not contain the bookes that might be written of Christs Acts. Thus our Apostle doth every way inclose and incompass Moses and so far doth the last Evangelist exceed the first Law-giver both in the object whereof they treat for the world was created of nothing but the word was begotten in the understanding of God not six thousand years are yet past since the world was created but the word was begotten from all eternity so Moses ends with his own time but our Apostle proceeds to the eternity of the Church by comparing the first pen-man of Scripture with the last it is memorable to consider the difference between the beginning of Scripture and the end of Scripture between Genesis and the Apocalipse for it
preserve the Truth Unity and Majesty of the Godhead The Metaphysicks do further use Arguments taken from Analogies as that one spirituall God should appoint one Vicegerent under himself as it were one corporeall God to govern this materiall world viz. One Sun in the firmament from whom all the Stars borrow their light and from whom the Corporeall World receives all her perfection and as God is only known by the revealing of himself so this Sun is discerned only by his own light yet the eye must not presume to penetrate or fasten on the Sun lest wasting the spirits it fall into blindness and darkness yea when the Sun is eclipsed when by the interposition of the Moon the brightness thereof is obscured yet then it is not safe to behold it nothing is so hurtfull to the sight which serves by way of comparison or Analogâ—…e to deterre us from prying into the secrets of the Deity From the Metaphysicks I come to the Mathematicks which have the commendations that of all other Sciences they are the most demonstrative I will therefore borrow some examples from them and I will only instance in Astrology and when it plainly sheweth so many great and such strange wonders in the heavens such as a man of ordinary capacity cannot easily conceive it must needs argue that God himself must be much more admirable and incomprehensible suppose that the Sun which appears unto the eye to be but of a little compass and quantity yet should be so much greater then the whole Earth which certainly it must be or else it could not enlighten so great a part of the World secondly the motion of a Bullet may seem very swift for the eye cannot follow it nor avoyd it yet certain it is that the Stars near the Equinoctiall do move a hundred times swifter then a Bullet which must needs be considering the great circuit which they make within the compass of a naturall day and yet notwithstanding they seem unto us as if they stood still thirdly the spacious Earth together with all her huge Mountains and Rocks alas they carry no proportion of any sensible quantity in respect of the heavens when we are at Sea we see the whole medietie of the heavens as if there were no earth at all to hinder our sight fourthly one mother earth affording the same nourishment a little durty Pap to the severall plants yet by virtue of the heavens it should prove sweetness in one bitterness in another and so of all severall tasts and savours fitted and proportioned to all particular natures this I write to assure man both in his sense and in his understanding that there is such a difference and disproportion between the two Worlds that man might see his own infirmity acknowledge his weakness and himself to be so much inferior as to be ignorant in the particulars of the spirituall World and therefore not rashly to oppose but humbly to submit his own Judgement But fearing lest these Metaphysicall Mathematicall contemplations might be obscure I will therefore descend lower and instance in such particulars which may be more perspicuous and whereof we may take morenotice as being more sensible and therefore better known unto us and seeing the Logicians have reduced all things into predicaments I will insist in them as they are in order First for Substance which consists of matter and form who fashioned these each to other that the matter should afford Organs and Instruments and a fit habitation for the form that the form should adde perfection beauty and ornament to the matter surely they could not thus severally dispose themselves therefore there must be some efficient cause to order them accordingly From the matter proceeds quantity which hath severall dimensions longitude latitude and profundity but who squared out these with his Rule and his Compass according to measure and proportion but some omnipotent power for nothing will bound and limit it self From the form proceeds qualitie which admits degrees of comparison good better best but needs there must be some infinite power to prescribe and appoint the degrees Thus far how things are constituted in themselves now in relation to others to see how the heavens are sitted for the Earth how the Eâ—…ements are proportioned each to other and agree in their Symbolizing qualities how the Male and the Female are fitted to each other how every thing is fitted with food with harbour with rayment surely some infinite omnipotent wisedom made our provision for if we were left to our selves we should starve in our own wants For Action if unreasonable creatures do work according to the Rules of reason as the dumb creatures do in every thing naturally which concerns them and their condition Surely this must proceed from some infinite intellective power which infuseth such a knowledg into them with this limitation that it should only extend to such things as are necessary to their beeiâ—…g and no further For Passion it is a wonderfull thing to consider what Birds and Beasts will do for their own defence the Hares which are near the Sea side do watch their time that when the Hounds are in pursuit they may goe close by the Sea side that the tyde coming in might take away the sent they shall observe where the sharpest stones are that themselves being light may pass over while the dogges being heavy may cut themselves and cannot follow the pursuit if Gunpowder be a late invention of ours surely the wilde Foule in discovering it it is a late invention of theirs there is not a fencer so cuning as they are in defending themselves The Serpent will so winde her body that she will make it a Buckler for defence of her head where she knows the least blow proves deadly neither are they wanting in Stratagems Quando in respect of time it is wonderfull to consider how the poor Silkworm and the Mulbery bud come together The Swallow the Cuckow and other Summer Birds if they come not at their just time it is an Argument that some Storms and Winter cold are behind Where these Birds should hide themselves how they should continue without food and where they should provide food at their coming for it is certain the Martins bring into their Nest such worms as no reasonable man scarce knowes where to finde the like For the building of their Nests that they should be able on the highest Trees to lay as sure a foundation as if they did build upon a Rock that no man let him be never so skilful in Architecture and use the best means and instruments he hath his Rule his Square his Levell his Compass yet he shall not be able to make the like Nest. And to conclude whatsoever doth habitually concern the creatures you shall finde it so grounded in wisdom and so supported with all severall circumstances that we can do no lesse then admire the goodness and
Philosophy which I know to be very little very little indeed and were my age fit for an encounter I would question their skill in Philosophy as here I will give you a little taste thereof And first see and consider the great difference and opposition between us The Socinian professeth that he doth not believe the Mysteries in Religion because he cannot understand them in Reason and I profess the contrary that I do believe the Mysteries in Religion revealed and much the rather because the Socinian cannot understand them in Reason Nollem ego in Deum quem tu comprehenderes That God whom thou art able to comprehend shall never be my God I will not vouchsafe to serve such a God I scorn to worship such a God I renounce such a God for he is too like thy self to be the true God This I am taught in Philosophy and even by the strength of Reason that God is Infinite and every way Incomprehensible And this I have learned of the Heathen who did erect an Altar ignoto Deo to the unknown God or to the incomprehensible God Surely there is a greater difference between the true God and man then that we should make God of like nature and condition with our selves as that we should think our selves to be able to comprehend him Before I proclaim war I have ever thought it a necessary point of Charity first to try how far forth the difference may be reconciled and so to go hand in hand as far as Honesty and Truth will permit us and when as once we become irreconcileable then to make an utter separation and every man to stand on his own guard That I may then deliver my opinion concerning natural Reason how far she is to be admitted in Religion I do not commend credulity nor would I have a man apt to believe but upon good grounds Memento diffidere is the first Rule in Policy though I confess as Mysteries are above Reason and that I would have Reason to know her distance and not to incroach too far yet would I have Reason to have full satisfaction for it is the guide which God hath given to man for his direction not onely in Humane and Civil things but even a little to prepare and direct him in his way to salvation and to make him capable of Religion whereof the brute beasts are not and though Religion be as far above Reason as the Heavens are above the Earth yet is she no way contrary to Reason but serves to inlighten and to sanctifie Reason and to confirm Reason in her own Principles and grounds as the Heavens adde beauty and perfection to the Earth for neither Jewels nor beautiful flowers can be discerned or appear glorious without the light of the heavens Thus for all the Moral Law which is a great part of Religion Reason serves as an excellent Glosse or a Commentary for the Exposition Thus Reason being sanctified having a tincture of grace serves to draw excellent Conclusions and Theological Precepts out of the premises of Scripture but if we should know no more of God then Reason informs us surely we should be then very unreasonable for we should know nothing of the state of that other world since natural Reaon can make no discovery of a supernatural world If then we should know no more of God but onely so far forth as may be gathered by the works of Nature it would much shorten our knowledge of God and a little detract from Gods glory besides a preposterous course for whereas we are to govern and teach the dumb creatures who are onely made for our use and therein attain their own ends now on the contrary they should be our onely teachers to direct us to our last end and perfection if all our knowledge of God should be onely by their information and that we should know no more of God but onely so far forth as they should instruct us or catechise us and seeing that every day we learn more and more in the creatures for new qualities and secrets of nature are daily discovered it must hence follow that as yet we have not learnt so much of God as the creatures can teach us they are our very learned Schoolmasters and we are ill Proficients and thus contrary to all good order and form our Reason must be subject to their sense even for the knowledge of such things as do infinitely exceed all sense and all reason Nor is it possible that God should be so forgetful of man as to supply him with all the provisions of this world for his back and belly for his kitchin his wardrobe and yet should neglect his breeding and education to teach him at School and there to instruct him in his necessary ways and means to attain his last end and salvation Surely God is more merciful to the dumb creatures for they have a natural instinct in themselves sufficient and necessary for their preservation to conduct them to their own last natural end and what is wanting in them God hath commanded man to take the care and charge over them yea further God hath given them some priviledges as that they should take the benefit of a rest on the Sabbath that they should have some refreshing in their labours Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn that they should be priviledged from slaughter when they are breeding and God hath given them an ingenuity to be taught what is fit for their condition Thus the horse learns his pace remembers his way as knowing that his last end is to be a Traveller Thus is there a natural inclination in every thing to conduct and direct it self in attaining its own last natural end And surely God will be no less merciful to man in supplying him with such means as shall be necessary for his last supernatural end The world was created for man the Sun the Moon and the Stars have their continual motion for the fruitfulness of the earth and the preservation of this sublunary world and all nature tends to the use service and ministery of man Man is the end of nature and therefore man cannot end in nature or have a natural end by the course of this world and the continual succession he knows it can be but a passage he sees the bounds of this natural world the material heavens and then he concludes that needs above this natural world there must be a supernatural world thus over and above his natural knowledge which consists in a rational discourse he findes in himself wonder and admiration which may serve him for his knowledge of that supernatural world Thus he still looks up to heaven and by his aspiring thoughts his hopes and expectation he seems to cast up an Anchor to heaven and wants onely wings to fly up or a ladder to climb and that blessed Spirit which came down in the form of a Dove supplies him
curb to bridle and order this liberty of will as he shall see cause and Gods prescience imposeth no necessity upon the action for as the Omnipotency of God creates all things out of nothing so the Omnisciency of God may foresee and foreknow all things out of nothing Gods power and Gods knowledge are of like extent and efficacy and when no cause is determinated and ordered yet God who seeth all things which are not as if they were so he may foresee things which shall be though the causes be free and not determinated for he sees things not onely in their causes but in the infinite light of his own Intellectuals so that in respect of the causes whereof alone we are to judge the effects may be free voluntary though in respect of Gods prescience whereof we are not to judge they may be necessary and infallibly succeed This I will illustrate by an example He that stands on a high Mountain and on either side sees passengers riding in the same rode-way some forward some backward some towards each other the passengers ride of themselves and it lies in their power to go or not to go but he that stands on the hill may know where and when they shall meet and yet notwithstanding his foreknowledge they meet very casually and voluntary and thus may Gods prescience stand with the freedom and liberty of mans actions Hitherto I have made a high flight and now me thinks I am like a man that is weary in holding up his head to look upon the Sun and the heavens and finding that his spirits are a little wasted with too much light he retires home and coming to his inner rooms he findes them so dark that he can see nothing yet rests himself there for a time to recover his strength whereby he might be the better enabled again to discern the Sun and the heavens So give me leave in stead of making further search into the Attributes of God wherein I finde my eyes dazled now to turn mine eyes inward and to make a diligent search what knowledge man hath of his own in such things as meerly concern himself and how far his natural knowledge may transport him in the knowledge of God and Religion and how far we may presume upon our natural light to discern a supernatural object and things of another world of a higher condition Our own reason informs us that there is nothing in man that hath not bounds of Circumscription Thus in our stature Datur maximum minimum we cannot adde to our own growth thus in our senses Excellens sensibile â—…orrumpit sensum we cannot fasten our eyes on the Sun thus in the strength of our limbs we finde in our selves a definite and determinate power that we cannot work beyond our ability so is there a measure and stint of knowledge that we cannot conceive beyond our limited capacity This will better appear if we consider the several degrees of understanding in man himself how one man doth far exceed another in wit capacity and apprehension Thus we finde that all wits are not fit for all studies and all Sciences he must have the light of great natural Intellectuals who is fit to wade through the midnight of the Metaphysicks or to spy out the curious subtilties of School-learning he must have engines in his brain who is fit for Mathematical studies or Architecture he must have a quick and nimble fancy who aims to excel in Poetry or Rhetorick he must have an exact memory to compute the Concordancy of Times to be a perfect Historian So then it pleaseth God so to order the states of men and the several gifts of nature that some should become Teachers others prove Scholars and Proficients as God shall give a blessing and prosper their endevours And while they are learning necessary it is that they should believe their Teachers And is there such a difference of men between themselves comparing one with another then much more is there a far greater difference between God and man Suppose I should compare God with man in other Attributes and see the infinite difference what is the strength of man but weakness in respect of Gods Omnipotency what is the length of mans age but less then a minute in respect of Gods eternity what is the wealth of man but beggery in respect of Gods treasures Then what is the wit and understanding of man but meer foolishness in respect of Gods wisdome But that we may lay a deeper foundation lest natural reason might presume too far she must first be taught to humble her self I would then first ask what is the object of natural reason surely I will extend the object as far as possibly I can I will give her the uttermost due and therefore I do acknowledge the object of natural reason to be the natural world for upon the same grounds and principles whereof the world doth subsist Reason doth likewise guide her self by way of direction but man sees the bounds of the natural world the material heavens which incompass and hedge in the world as a Circumference to the Centre or Circle Then surely he must see the bounds of his natural Reason beyond which he cannot extend his natural knowledge which is very fitly set forth by the form and fashion of mans head or scull which is somewhat circular and not unlike the Globe of the world all his brains are within the scull and what is without is no part of man So what is within the cavity of the Globe of the world may be partly involved and laid up in mans brain as it were written in Characters but what is without the convexity of this Globe it cannot enter into mans brain Thus every faculty hath his object and this must be adaequatum every way answerable and proportionable to the faculty and what exceeds this object comes not within the sphere of that faculty as the eye cannot hear the ear cannot smell the hand cannot taste for every faculty hath as her own proper organs and instruments so her own proper bounds And lest Reason should be presumptuous and being onely natural should rashly adventure to leap into the supernatural world or out of infidelity should utterly deny what is above her reach and apprehension I must lay open her weakness and see how far she is wounded even in her own naturals that she may be well asham'd of her self if being so ignorant at home and in things which concern her yet she must presume to comprehend mysteries of another world which so far exceed her reach and apprehension See then our defects in natural knowledge not onely in the motion of the heavens the insensible Influences the miraculous Meteors but come we to the meanest Creatures and to speak of them in general The Philosophers will tell you that the forms of things are utterly unknown whence the Logicians conclude That we cannot
assign the proper differences and consequently both of them fail in their definitions and content themselves onely with bare descriptions and outward properties And therein we are so far from attaining any perfection that every day new qualities are discovered And thus far I tax the greatest Philosophers in the world Hippocrates who knew as much as any man did living in his time begins his book with excusing his ignorance Ars longa est vita brevis Alas what shall we say of the ordinary sort of men when great Clerks after much study night-watchings and labours think it a great perfection if they can but discern their own ignorance I remember when I was a young Scholar in Cambridge sometimes for our own health and recreation taking the fresh air in the fields we would look for Herbs and Simples but for the virtues and operations of them alas alas ouâ—… Her alists were wonderfully defective At the same time to try conclusions we would finde out a Birds nest and when the Hen had laid her full number of eggs and began to sit every third day we would open an egge to see the manner and degrees of Conception it was the white of the egge which made the skin the bones the feathers the beak while the yolk was reserved for the more inward and vital parts and truly we could but admire Gods workmanship and wonders in the course of nature and thence we did conclude that if there were such ignorance in natural things it could not seem strange if we proved stark blinde in supernaturals Thus far we have taught the natural man his ignorance in natural things and until he can acquit himself therein it were a strange presumption to trust to his own skill in supernaturals Now God observes the same method and rule for our learning and instruction both in things natural and supernatural and that is that first we must begin with belief thus it is necessary that the scholar should first believe his Schoolmaster and he that is simplest and weakest in apprehension out of a trust reposed in others doth naturally submit his own opinion to the better judgement of others Thus the poor silly childe who understands not the reason of his fathers counsel yet he believes him and follows his counsel Thus the poor Countrey Husbandman or Plowman though he knows not the reasons of State nor the secret Counsels of his governors yet he believes them and yields his obedience accordingly and if this course be taken in temporal things why not much more in spiritual wherein first God requires faith which by degrees is more and more inlightned until at length it comes to the beatifical vision and then no longer faith of things unseen but an actual vision and a real possession And herein see the goodness of God that man finding the miseries of this world should at length by experience dislike his own estate and loathing the fond carnal pleasures should be ambitious to attain a better condition and to this end God hath added to his natural reason some spark or thirst of knowledge more then natural for seeing the heavens which are the bounds of nature he conceives that above these heavens there must needs be some more excellent and supernatural world Regio superior incognita a place not yet discovered wherein notwithstanding he desires to make a plantation for he concludes in Reason and by the rule of Architecture that the Roof is the fairest and beautifullest thing in building as being most in sight the pavement and groundsel is the meanest and basest as being to be troden on therefore the material heavens which are the roof of this inferior world they are the fairest thing in nature beset and imbroydered with most rich and costly Jewels the Sun the Moon and the Stars yet are these heavens nothing but the pavement and groundsel of the superior world where the inhabitants do tread and trample them under their feet and over our heads and therefore are the meanest things in that superior world And as in dignity and worth so likewise in quantity for the whole earth is in effect an indivisible point and carries no sensible quantity in respect of the heavens which plainly appears by many Astronomical demonstrations Then what inconvenience is it that there should be such a disproportion in the knowledge of these two worlds for the supernatural world must needs have a supernatural light for nothing can be known or acted without means and the means must be of like condition and nature with the end as here below we see the Sun and the Stars onely by their own light so is it much more necessary that we should know nothing above the heavens but by a revealed light answerable and agreeable and of the same nature and condition with that superior world Thus natural Reason by the force and strength of natural Reason is brought to acknowledge the use and necessity of grace to sanctisie and inlighten our natural blindness and ignorance And if the difference be such for the beauty and quantity between the two worlds natural and supernatural then surely there must be as great a disproportion in the knowledge of these two several worlds for to understand the supernatural world needs there must be some supernatural light for nothing can be known without means and the means must ever be of like condition and nature with the end as here below we see the Sun and the Stars not by Candle-light or Torch light but by their own light and the natural eye is not capable of that supernatural light neither yet can reason for want of means to discourse come to any supernatural knowledge yet God for the satisfaction of reason hath ingraffed in man wonder astonishment admiration whereby man may see his own blindness and not oppose the truth of things which are above his reach and apprehension Thus for the knowledge and attaining of the supernatural world there must be a supernatural light and in man there are some aspiring thoughts some ambitious desires that naturally he aims at things higher then nature wherein appears the great mercy of God that as the tasting of the Tâ—…ee of Knowledge was the first sin which proceeded from curiosity so God in his mercy is pleased to sanctisie mans curiosity that being kept within due bounds and limits it proves to be the first step or degree to bring man unto God for now he is curious to know things of a better world and takes this world but for a transitory passage tending and ending in death and destruction Thus far we have brought the natural man to believe that seeing the bounds of the natural world he is apt to confess that above the heavens there is a supernatural world for knowledge whereof there must be a supernatural light for procuring whereof he findes naturally in himself wonder astonishment and admiration and needs there must be some proper object answerable thereunto And here
last resurrection and these not done in secret but in the sight of multitudes and thousands all testifying the truth of things done the Jewes acknowledge the Gentiles confess the Apostles proclaim the Evangelists record many Millions of Martyrs seal with their bloud and all the world with joynt consent and harmony beares witness seen by our fore-fathers and left unto us together with their memory for the salvation of our own soules then these undoubted miracles must argue a supernaturall power in things naturall which if Reason confess as herein she is convinced that the wisdom and power of the teacher was supernaturall then must there be some supernaturall object though not appearing in nature yet answerable and agâ—…eeable to this supernaturall knowledge and power here then at length we have opened a gap to let in all the mysteries of our Christian faith and Religion yet lâ—…st we should be left to our own conjectures and presumptions lest the hardness of our heart should not easily condescend to things above our reach and capacity therefore truth beares evidence to truth the wonders of nature to the mysteries of grace as his deeds and actions were much above nature so it cannot seem strange if his Doctrine and Precepts far exceed our naturall understanding for his Words as well as his Actions were much above nature and therefore did aâ—…gue a powâ—…r above nature which is God himself Christ Jesus God and man the second Person in Trinity who came down and took our nature upon him to satisâ—…ie for our sins he it is that hath revealed these mysteries that so by Faith and Belief as our first Fathers fell from God by unbelief and presumption we might come unto him and through his mercy obtain our everlasting salvation Here I did examine all the miracles and the most remarkable things in the old Testament and first I did reduce all the Ages of the world to the Deluge where I did infer by many probabilities what past before the deluge for that it could not stand with the Mercies of God who created all things to begin with such an heavy Judgement as an universall deluge and because we have no other Records of those times but the Testimony of Scripture I did therefore produce necessary and demonstrative arguments for the proof of the Deluge and of Scripture together with some remarkable Tokens I did insist upon which must needs point out some former times before the deluge here I made good proof that the Eastern parts of the world must needs be the first parts inhabited I shewed the greatness of their Monarchies their continuance and dissolution I shewed how all other Nations issued from them and how they borrowed their Customes and Manners I shewed how the Hebrew was the originall Tongue of all the Eastern Languages by the roots and by the proprieties of that Tongue I did instance in all the Ancient Monuments and made it appear that the world could not be elder then the time related by Moses for the Creation For the Histories before Christ I did use Torniellus Pererius Salianus and all the rest for the time since Christ I had such Authors as were extant but especially I did rely most upon Baronius and Bibliotheca patrum and I do heartily wish that some younger man would undertake that task for I am aged and my short time which remains cannot suffice for such a work besides I have the infirmities of old age my memory failes me and I am past all imployments neither can I so put off all naturall passions but I confess it doth grieve me to thinke that heretofore having alwayes liv'd in great plenty God reward my founders for it that now I should be reduc'd to such poverty and wants but I hope God will raise up some other to compose such a History And leaving that task for them I will now only instance in the miracles of Scripture for confirmation of mysteries and first for the truth of Scripture it is a demonstrative proof to me that it should be the most Ancient of all writings and many ages exceeding the heathen Authors or Poets and this is an undoubted argument of truth for truth is the most Ancient and that which doth accompany truth that others should give Testimony to truth and none to oppose it for in these Ancient Poets we find somethings borrowed from the Jewes which makes for the confirmation thereof and none in effect did ever oppose them for had they so done surely we should have heard of their Writings as we do of their Warres and their Histories and no doubt there were many enemies which would not have omitted such an opportunity at this day the Jewes the Christians the Mahumetans all do acknowledge Scriptures without any manner of contradiction for in effect the heathen are utterly vanished and not to be seen or to stand in opposition It is true that at this day heathen there are but they no way partake with the Ancient Heathen neither in the same gods nor in the number of their gods nor in the manner of their worship only like upstarts because they must have a Religion for they cannot â—…ook upon heaven without some kinde of adoration therefore every one frames a Religion to himself and according to his own phansie either agrees or differs from others But because the blessed Trinity hath been only expresly revealed in the new Testament I will therefore insist only in the miracles of the New Testament and reserve other proofes and evidences for confirmation of other mysteries that we may take all by degrees and not spend our whole stock and store at once so then to instance only in the miracles of the New Testament if these had fallen out only in the Person of Christ there might have been cause of suspicion but the whole Law was only a preparation to his coming such Types Figures and Prophesies and in a word the scope and intent of the Law had no other relation and this will appear for that it seems scarce reasonaâ—…le that God should be served with the slaughter and offering up of unreasonable Beasts had they not relation to the sacrifice of his only Son and such infinite variety of strange ceremonies would never have been admitted had they not pointed out some extraordinary holiness to succeed this did likewise appear in the cessation of the Law for about a full age before the coming of Christ there was a cessation of Prophets and neither did God appear either by speciall messengers or by miraculous victories That the minds of men not being withdrawn nor having any other solace or comfort might wholly intend the expectation of the Messias whose immediate forerunner was Saint John Baptist and therefore whatsoever is ascribed unto him tends unto Christ as being his forerunner for he gives testimony to Christ and that three severall times in this one first Chapter of Saint John verse the 27. When the Priests and
grave surely the Sun and the Moon which cause the day and night must needs testifie the truth of his death and himself for many yeers after might assure us of his rising again Hereunto you may adde the manner of his own death what speed was made how was the course of Justice precipitated that in one morning he should be Apprehended Accused Examined Whipped Scourged Condemned Exposed to all Contempts with his Crown of Thorns carry his own Cross and at noone be crucified that there he should be nayled for the space of three houres and though his enemies had no power to break his bones according to the prophesie as they did the malefactors yet what was more for that life did not consist in the breaking of bones they gave him a wound through the side into the heart as may appear because there issued forth Bloud and Water which are not so usually found in the body but only in the parts nearest the heart for that the excessive heat there dissolves the bloud into the first elements and thence you have water and this water makes recompence by cooling and refreshing the heat so by a providence they mutually help each other and this bloud and water did serve for the institution of our Sacraments Being dead he was buryed in a new Sepulcher as he was conceived in a Virgins wombe lest they might say that some other dead body had risen a great Stone was rowled over the Sepulcher because himself had prophesied that he would rise again the third day watch and ward was kept about the Sepulcher as to prevent his Disciples from coming thither to steal away his body so if it had been pâ—…ssible to hinder his resurrection but being risen again he did converse with his Dâ—…sciples for forty dayes and then by his own power he ascended up in o heaven in the sight of many thousands and because the eyes of men might faile and that some might 〈◊〉 that his ascension was onely out of sight and no further therefore â—…he Aâ—…gels came down to testifie the truth of his ascension into heaven and according to Christs command the Apostles continued at Jerusalem there to receive the Holy Ghost who at the day and appointed time came down in a miraculous manner in fiery cloven Tongues and wrought wonderful effects upon the Apostles not onely in their inward sanctifying their gift of Tongues and power of working Miracles all foretold that as before his birth there were many preparatives for his coming so afâ—…er his death the subsequent signs and wonders might give testimony to the forerunning Miracles and the truth of the Doctrine confirmed by them Now at length to draw to a period as S. John begins his Gospel with the eternal generation of Christ wherein is implied the great mystery of the Trinity so my self having shewed the doctrine of the Church and having a little expressed the mystery and thereby giving satisfaction to mans natural reason though reason could not comprehend it and having in the last place produced many miracles above natural power to confirm mysterie above natural knowledg As I began with the begining of S. John so I will end with the conclusion of S. Johns Gospel as you shall finde in his last Chapter the last verse the words are these And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the world it self could not contaiâ—… the books that should be written Some may conceive this speech to be a figure or metaphor of an high transcendent quality but I suppose it may be exactly and literally understood in this sense that seeing the narural world is but a book and that in every creature or rather in every punctilio of the creature as in every letter word and syllable we reade Gods Wisdom Mercy Power Providence c. If hereunto you will adde Christs Miracles which were above Nature and did presuppose Nature as being done in natural bodies and though not offering violence to Nature yet being far above the reach and power of Nature and therefore therein Nature did seem to suffer Seeing this supernatural power is much above Nature surely it may be truly said That the natural world cannot contain those books which might be written of Christs supernatural power for they include Nature they exceed Nature they are over and above Nature and therefore something must remain which the natural world cannot contain And this shall serve to have spoken of the great mystery of the most holy blessed and undivided Trinity Thus I hope in God I have given satisfaction to mans Reasonâ—… in this great Mystery of the Trinity that God never did nor could subsist one minute without the knowledge of himself and love of himself which being the acts and exercise of his Understanding and his Will being inward and in the Deity and from all eternity they can â—…e no less then God himself for there is no accident in God there is nothing in God but God Yet these being produced by the Understanding and the Will needs they must have such a difference between themselves as to make several persons in the Deity which is not so with the rest of Gods Attributes for they look outwardly upon his works and therefore onely produce the creatures And though the blessed Trinity do infinitely exceed mans capacity yet doth it no more exceed then all the rest of Gods Attributes do for they are all above reason beyond reason and infinitely transcending reason but no way contrary to reason and therefore they are the objects of our faith in respect of Gods knowledge revealed and they are the objects of our admiration in respect of our own natural ignorance And so to conclude Persons being supposed in the Deity here is one step and degree towards the Incarnation for now we may with more confidence lay hold on a Person in the Deity and cloth him with our nature and our flesh Sanctae individuae Trinitati sit omnis honor gloria Amen The Wonderful Incarnation AFter the blessed Trinity I now come to the wonderful Incarnation where I shall likewise speak some things by way of Introduction And here I must first enter a caveat or a solemn protestation Though I do examine these mysteries by natural Reason I confess they are far transcending Reason above Reason beyond the reach of Reason yet are they no way contrary to Reason nor opposite to Gods Attributes or Actions whereby they might seem improbable much less impossible for I confess that Reason is so powerful in man that it serves him for his guide and conductor as in his natural and civil actions so partly in his Religion for all the Moral Law which is a great part of Religion is much squared out by natural Reason and it serves as a ground-work or foundation whereupon Religion is built and which makes a man capable of Religion for if he
True it is that from the first day of his birth to the last minute of his Passion the foxes had holes the birds had their nests but the Son of man had no place of habitation Born in a Stable Here is no preparation no solemnity as if we were to expect not a man but the worm of men and the outcast of the people Alas dear Virgin comfort thy self thy Babe is thy Comforter thy Comforter thy Saviour for behold from henceforth all generations shall call thee blessed Alas sweet Babe pardon our unkindness and discourtesie in thy entertainment thou thy self hast taken the nature of man and what is man but grass and hay well befitting a Stable and therefore as thou thy self hast infinitely abased thy self so pardon our unthankfulness if in stead of Princely Palaces rich Pavilions Ivory Beds thoâ—… wert born in a Stable and laid in a Manger And thus much for the Place now I come to the Time It was in the sixth Age of the World As man was created on the sixth day so in the sixth Age God intended the renewing and redemption of man We are not to demand why sooner or later he took not our flesh for this was in the free choice and election of God onely this probable reason may be given That as wise Physicians then labour to purge the disease when it is grown to his height and ripeness so God expected the time when Charity was grown cold the Kings office decayed the Priests duty neglected the Synagogue divided into Sects and Schisms and this is in some sort resembled by the barrenness of the earth for he came in the winter season And it is to be feared lest our Sects and Divisions our sins our crying sins will hasten his second Coming in Judgement His coming was in Solstitio Brumali when the days were at the shortest and then began to increase And hence is gathered though a common yet a witty observation of S. Ambrose that as John the Baptist decreased so Christ should increase John Baptist born at Midsummer when the dayes shorten and Christ with the lengthning of days increasing in glory See here an admirable Providence in every the least circumstance Christ was born at midnight as may appear by the Shepherds watch which argues the worlds universal darkness and that his coming in the flesh was to cover and conceal sin that in the day of Gods wrath he might take our iniquities upon himself and impute his Righteousness to us and therefore it was an approved and laudable custome of the Fathers to keep their watchings the same night and to offer up their prayers and thanksgivings in memory of the hour of his Nativity And so I come to such things as are Consequentia such as followed his Nativity I will not speak of the Angels song to the Shepherds which was the Calling of the Jews I will not speak of the Stars appearing which guided the Wise-men to the place of his birth where they worshipped and were the first-fruits of the Gentiles I will onely name one action which is the Murther of Infants the Martyrdome of Innocents It should seem then that the birth of Christ was not a matter of small importance or little moment in the eyes of Princes that Herod should slay all the children from two years old and under for the assurance of his State and Kingdom But here observe the Providence of God Herod in revenge and to satisfie his own ambition attempted such an horrible cruelty God permitted the action 1. For the punishment of the Jews who for not affording place for our Saviours birth they justly incurred his wrath and indignation insomuch that their own eyes beheld the slaughter of their own babes flesh of their flesh and bones of their bones late conceived in the womb now committed to the grave from the Cradle to the Coffin late pampered in the bosom novv putrifying in the dust 2. That the prophesie might be fulfilled In Rama was a voice heard mourning and weeping and great howling Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Jer. 31. 15. 3. For the manifesting of his own glory that upon his entrance into the world so many happy infants should be ordained from all eternity to suffer Martyrdome for his Cause the day of their death was much more happy to them then was the day of their Nativity and therefore we celebrate and keep solemn a certain Feast-day in memory of those Innocents 4. Since Moses was a type of Christ for both of them were Law-givers as the children of the Hebrews were put to death at the birth of Moses so the death of these infants might give testimony to a second to a new Law-giver Thus as King Pharaoh did persecute Moses so King Herod persecuted Christ Moses was laid in a Basket Christ in a Manger And as they thus agreed in the circumstances of their Nativity so in the manner and course of their lives Moses led the Israelites through the Red-sea Christ led his people through Baptism and so through his own blood Both of them fasted forty days Moses appointed Seventy Elders Christ Seventy Disciples Moses sent out Twelve Spies to discover the promised Land Christ sent out Twelve Apostles into the world to publish the Kingdom of Heaven Moses wrought his Miracles by a Rod Christ by his Cross and therefore as Moses Rod was laid up in the Ark so the Cross of Christ hath ever been most precious in the Church Moses delivered his people from the bondage of Egypt and Christ delivered his from the thraldome and slavery of sin Thus do the two Law-givers agree whereby it appears that Moses was but a type of Christ and the Law only a preparation to the Gospel But I will leave the Jews and descend to the Gentiles whose posterity we are and I will take a view what hapned amongst them upon the birth of our Saviour Certain it is that the Oracles then spake that Nature had brought forth a King and immediately the Images which were wont to be worshipped in Churches fell down and were broken which many referred to the greatness of Augustus though truly it was competent to Christ. Eusebius reports that at the same time there sprang out of the earth a River of Oyl which argues that grace was now to be conferred to the Gentiles and that he was now born who was anointed with the oyle of gladness above his fellows Orosius reports that Augustus Caesar then Emperor commanded on the same day that no man hereafter should call him Lord or Master as if God had secretly inspired in his heart that then was born the Lord of lords the King of kings Christ Jesus God and Man and therefore it was impiety and sacriledge for any vassal of his during his presence to accept the Title of Lord or Master Suidas reports that when Augustus Caesar having offered his Sacrifice demanded of