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
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
in all naturall works God useth meanes and why not in supernaturals it is most credible that the same wise God observes the same wise course for the effecting of his own will nor can this disparage God for the means are none other but such as God himself doth appoint thus is God the beginning the end and the meanes that God may be all in all Thus it appears that meanes must be used to purchase our redemption i. e. that a price or ransome must be paid for our sin but where should we procure this ransom if we have it not of our own where shall we borrow it who will be bound for us or become our surety it is true that God hath locked up in the bowels of the earth as it were in Natures coffers great treasures of Gold Silver precious Stones Minerals and these serve to make our Coyn which carries the price of all things whereby these worldly commodities are bought and sold in the Market and these will serve to pay for the ransom of Princes or to corrupt Magistrates and to buy their consciences or for any other worldly or finister imployment and answerable hereunto God hath his coyn in the materiall heavens his Golden Sun his Silver Moon and as the Chimists observe there is not a Planet which hath not a speciall influence upon some Metalls Thus do Gods treasures in the heavens cause the generation of ours in the bowels of the earth but alas all these are temporary the rust doth consume them and therefore they are not currant mony to purchase eternity neither yet do they serve in the exchange and remission of sins After the Metals we will consider the Vegetatives the beauty and sweetness of fair and delicious flowers the odoriferous and aromaticall fruits the pretious drugs and all whatsoever else the earth doth afford these may very well be Natures incense or sacrifice to God but alass their odours do vanish like vapours and cannot wash away the spots and cleanse the uncleanness of sin After the Vegetatives we come to the Beasts such as have motion and sense and in them by their slaughter and sacrifice in the Mosaicall Law we finde the just deserts and rewards of our sin that death is the wages of sin so that God in the Law did institute sacrifices to betoken the truth of things to succeed for it appears that the spots and staines of sin have so far defiled and made such a deep impression in man that they cannot be washed away but by the effusion of bloud it is bloud and bloud only that must serve to scoure them From beasts come we to Man for whom the whole world was created and in whom the whole world did transgress and having now found out the principall party we must lay hold on him he is our Prisoner and untill we proceed first against him we cannot touch upon the accessaries death being the wages of sin therefore man must dye but seeing the sin was of infinite malignity as being committed against an infinite Majesty it requires either an infinite price and ransom or an infinite punishment and satisfaction therefore the death of poor silly man alone cannot suffice though we must take it in part of payment yet it cannot discharge the whole debt We must then ascend higher and if meanes be used in the redemption of man as it is a work of the highest nature so needs it must have the most excellent meanes This whole world is sublunary and serves for our inferiour uses to cloth the back and to fill the belly it cannot reach so high as the heavens or the work of our redemption the Angels are only our gardians they attend and assist us and being so meanly ministeriall it were high presumption to make them our redeemers for they cannot be sufficiently thankfull for their own beeing much less are they able to satisfie for the sin of others which sin being infinite requires an infinite satisfaction and therefore none but God alone can suffice for in justice there must be a proportion between the offence and the punishment but if the punishment should be infinite either in the torments or in the continuance then there were no place for Mercy but it should be wholly excluded which being one of Gods attributes it must ever subsist therefore it was necessary that some infinite Person should suffer and seeing that the work of Redemption is far greater then the work of Creation and therefore we call the time Hebdomada major for in the Creation there was no resistance of Gods Power for there was nothing but in the work of redemption our sins stand in opposition and thereby hinder Gods action and therefore God is pleased not to use any of those generall attributes which performed the work of the Creation as the omnipotency in making the providence in preserving the justice in punishing but a Person in the Deity must be ingaged and the more to interest him in the cause and the more for the satisfaction of justice there must be an Hypostaticall union of the Godhead and Manhood in one Person whereby the weakness and guiltiness of man supported by the power and al-sufficiency of the Godhead might make a full satisfaction for sin and though it be not agreeable to justice that an innocent should dye for the nocent yet by the free oblation of himself it seems very reasonable and just and thereby he becomes a true reall propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and as man using means under God repentance and sorrow for sin laying hold on Gods Mercies in Christ shall receive the full benefit so I doubt not but the cursed Angels the very Devils themselves may finde some mitigation of punishment even by Christ's Passion for God could infinitely increase their Torments as their sins have justly deserved and it is the mercy of God to binde them up in chaines that they might not be permitted to do more mischief whereby they might further provoke and incurre Gods heavy wrath and vengeance against them and that they are capable of some mercy or at least of some mitigation of punishment they are Gods creatures they partake of a spirituall nature and are in the compass of Gods generall mercy which may abundantly suffice all and I do ascribe all the mercies of God to Christ. Thus then for our redemption no less then a Person in the Deity can suffice and as this is necessary in respect of justice which requires a due recompence so in regard of the purchase which is no less then the Kingdom of heaven and a Crown of Glory and therefore could be of no less undertaking and performance then of a Person in the Deity and that it should be the second Person because he is the word or the wisdom of God and the sin was committed against the wisdom of God by tasting the Tree of knowledge and though God be life in himself imparts
power of their Maker that such unreasonable creatures in themselves should notwithstanding order themselves according to the rules of best reason Thus every thing doth testifie a God and therefore you might fill up a book greater then the whole World with arguments and proofes of the Deity Not to confound my self with generals I will descend to particulars When we look upon the heavens and see the Suns continuall motion for our service when we our selves are not the Authors thereof nor yet those heavenly bodies as wanting understanding cannot direct their course and know not the use of their own motions doubtless we must conceive some higher agent some intellective power who both giving and knowing the influence and operation of the heavens as likewise the use and necessities of this inferior World did accordingly dispose and order these Actions and that is God himself And seeing that all things are carried Certa lege pulcherrimo ordine by the Rule and Square of his providence seeing all things were Created verbo virtutis suae by the word of his mouth for otherwise a world of ages would not have sufficed for the framing of this world doubtless we must conceive that in God there is an infinite wisdom â—…joyned with infinite power and this the best approved heathen Philosophers did acknowledge nothing can be hid from his wisdom for there is nothing which his wisdom hath not contrived nothing can resist his power for there is nothing but only the effects of his power But here if I shall further demand what is an infinite then we begin to discover our own weakness Natura abhorret infinitum we cannot possibly conceive that any thing should be infinite and the reason is because mans understanding is a kinde of comprehension and to comprehend that which is infinite without limits and bounds and therefore is in it self incomprehensible this implies a contradiction And thus by the light of reason we are brought to acknowledge God this God to be infinite and by the same light of reason we are taught that we cannot possibly conceive an infinite Now every thing in God being of like extent that is infinite reason in the knowledge of God must be taught in hurnility to prostrate her self and not with blear eyes to behold the Sunshine with waxen wings to draw near a consuming fire as it were again pâ—…esumptuously to taste of the Tree of knowledge For your further satisfaction let us consider other attributes of God every one of them hath this property to be infinite and even naturall reason shall testifie so much for to be infinite is to be without bounds or limitations and what should bound or limit Gods nature when as there is nothing but God and the Creatures the effects of Gods power Thus God hath a most absolute freedom liberty of wil neither violence can inforce him nor any necessity can be imposed upon him only he is tyed to the Laws of his own nature which makes for his infinite excellency and perfection for thereby he is made uncapable of any blemish or defect thus being infinitely good or Goodness itself he cannot commit sin being Justice it self he can do no injury or wrong being Truth it self he cannot speak falshood there can be no contradiction in his words he is a light without shadow he neither hath nor can any imperfection befall him Since God is the Author of his own beeing he must therefore have the best and most incomparable beeing to which there can be no addition made for his duration or continuance both à parte ante and à parte post it is alike infinite for it is from all eternity and to all eternity for the extent of his being it is infinite he is every where and hath an unlimited Ubiquity the whole world and the heavens cannot contain him and the least punctilio cannot exclude him for his Wisdom he is Omniscient he knows all things past future present what is or what can possibly be without any discourse or reasoning he sees them all in an instant they are all present unto him When his wisdom hath once laid the ground and platform give me leave to speak of God after the manner of men having the weakness of infirmity of man in my self and speaking to men who cannot otherwise conceive me then the power of God puts all in execution and this is infinite and therefore Omnipotent for he creates all things of nothing à non-ente ad ens there is an infinite distance which requires an infinite power and what can resist this power when as there is nothing but onely the effects of his power Things being once constituted then succeeds Gods infinite providence which implies his wisdom and power together with the constancy of his will for the preservation of that which being founded with such excellent wisdom and power cannot possibly be permitted to perish And as there is such a constancy in his actions so is there an Immutability in his nature for having the best condition if he should any way alter or change it should be for the worse and so to his detriment and loss which his infinite wisdom and power could not permit and upon all several occasions God is most abundantly provided for having given unto men a liberty and freedom of will making man according to his own image and like unto himself hereby man is enabled and made capable either to conform himself to Gods law or to transgress and answerable thereunto there is in God an infinite Justice to punish the offence of infinite malignity being committed against an infinite Majesty or otherwise there is in God an infinite Mercy to accept and reward the poor weak endevours of man which are of no value in themselves for alas what can man do to deserve Gods favor when as he is nothing in himself surely his works must needs be less then nothing for if the substance or body be wanting there cannot be so much as a shadow Gods infinite mercy and Christs passion as the means must make them acceptable and crown them with an infinite bliss both in respect of the object which is God himself as likewise in respect of continuance which is for Eternity Neither can God make any thing which shall be wholly independent from himself for this were to devest himself of his own power and to resign it to the Creatures and so to deprive himself which God cannot do for as man was created of nothing so without a constant and continual support he would in every moment fall unto nothing As God is the first and sole Cause so he is the continual and sole preserver of all and though making man according to his own image he hath given him a liberty of will yet still God hath reserved to himself not onely the foresight and prescience but when occasion serves he hath a
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