but euen the spirituall Angels are subiect to affection passion and perturbation but God is a pure and mere forme and therefore altogither actuall hee is immateriall and therefore impassible Gent. Belike you make all affections to be acts motions and inclinations of the will but with this difference that in God they are eternall generall constant and quiet and indeed acts of the will but neither motions nor inclinations but in man momentanie variable euident raging particular stirred vp not by the generall consideration of the diuerse natures of things as they are in God whose affections in that respect must needs be constant because the generall natures and notions of things are eternall and immutable but with this or that particular obiect and therefore variable and vncertaine Gent. I perceiue your meaning saue only that I doo not see why Gods will should be said to be mooued with generall obiects onely and not also with particular persons accions for we know that he is diuersely affected towards particular men and hateth euill not onely in abstracto and in the vniuersall idea of it but also in particular men in whom soeuer he findeth it Sch. Affections and will in God are not blinde nor yet peâ—uerse and rebellious to reason as they are in men but wholely agreeing vnto it and therfore they follow the generall grounds of it euer in particular obiects whereas in men they follow the impression of the particular obiect without yea contrary to the grounds of reason Sect. 2. Gen. VVEll I pray you shew mee the particular poynts of doctrine in the loue of God for as I remember you put that first of the affections which you say are attributed to God Sch. Loue is most fitly and truly attributed to God who for that he excelleth in this affection is defined by it as if it were his very essential form for so we read 1. Iohn 4. 16. God is loue But that wee may knowe the particulars of this loue of God it is needfull that wee first search out and consider the nature of loue in generall the which may thus after a sort bee described Loue is an inclination of the will to a pleasanâ— obiect for the fruition of the pleasure of it the which breedeth a desire of doing good vnto it if it be capable of it This description is to be explained by alleadging the seuerall obiects of loue or of those things which men do vsually loue in all which it will appeare that the cause why they are loued and sought vnto is some sweetnesse or pleasure which may be sucked out of them that nothing is loued which doth not bring with it some delight and pleasure thus Iohn reasoneth 1. Ioh. 4. 20. How can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene that is with whom hee hath conuersed and so might haue taken delight pleasure by him loue God whom hee hath not seen and wee read Gen. 25. 28. that Isaac loued Esau because his venison tasted sweete in his mouth and Leah saith Gen. 29 32. Now my husband will loue mee hauing borne him a son By these and infinite other examples it appeareth that all men incline to that wherein they finde and feele some pleasure and sweetnesse and this inclination is called the loue of that thing Yet this is not all in loue and therfore we must adde the second part of the descriptioÌ„ which saith that the pleasure in true loue procureth a desire in him that loueth and enioyeth the pleasure to return pleasure delight and any good whatsoeuer can bee done vnto it to the thing loued For without this mutual relation of pleasure it is not to be called loue but rather lust as the inclination which men haue to those meates drinks and such other things the which they loue is not true loue but rather lust and those things are properly said to be loued to the which wee may returne that pleasure and delight which wee receiued from and by them and procure their good as well as they procured our pleasure For example the inclination which a man hath to an harlot and to the pleasure that may bee hadde by her is not true loue but onely lust because heerein a man hath respect onely to himselfe and to his owne pleasure not caring what become of her when his lust is satisfied But the affection which a man beareth to his wife is of an other kinde and is true loue because he doth not rest in that pleasure which hee enioyeth by her meanes buâ— addeth thereunto an earnest desire and indeuour by all meanes possible to procure her good beeing farre more desirous to please and profit her then to please himselfe by her otherwise it is not true loue but selfe loue for true loue hath a hand to giue as ready yea more ready then one for to take And therefore meates and drinkes and such other pleasant things although they doo greatly delight vs yet they cannot bee said to bee loued because they perish with the vse and though they did â—emaine they are not capable of any pleasure or good to bee done in way of requitall which is the cheefe part of loue But men are truly said to loue theyr friends wiues and children because as they doo many wayes receiue pleasure comfort ioy delight and profit by them so theyr whole desire is to returne all that good backe againe into theyr bosomes with double interest Gent. You say that it is not true loue but lust to take pleasure in any thing without returning and as it were repaying the said pleasure to him from whom it was taken and as it were borrowed Indeed this is good honest dealing and to be commended but if I be not deceiued I can shew you a more true and excellent loue then this which you haue propounded to wit that which Christ preferreth farre before this your loue the which may be called a kind of traffiquing and exchanging of one good turne or benefit for an other But the loue which he commendeth vnto vs is not procured and as it were bought or hired by precedent pleasure but commeth from a mere desire of dooing good vnto them which haue not onely not deserued it at our hands by louing vs but contrarely haue by hating and harming vs prouoked vs to requite and repay them with the like hard measure Math. 6. 43. You haue heard that it hath bene said loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie but I say vnto you loue your enemies for if you loue your friends onely what great matter is that do not the Publicans so And as this loue is farre more excellent then yours so it doth farre better agree to your purpose and serue for the explication of the loue of God for if wee should make the ground of his loue towards vs to bee the fruition of some pleasure in vs or by our meanes we should make a faire peece of work of it or rather marre all the
ground of our saluation which relyeth it selfe vpon the mere loue of God not procured by any desert or any occasion whatsoeuer on our owne behalfe Sch. If you thinke that our Sauiour Christ meaneth that wee should beare as great loue to strāgers to our enemies as to our friends you are farre deceiued for so he should destroy nature it selfe which hath with her owne fingerwritten in our hearts this description of loue which I haue brought to wit that our loue shuld be greater towards them at whose hands we haue receiued pleasure and comfort then to them who are strangers or enemies vnto vs. But his meaning is that to our enemies wee should not bee full of anger and reuenge but patient gentle yea louing and helpful labouring by good to ouercome their ill and that by doing good to straungers from whom or from any in their name we are neuer like to receiue any retribution we should shewe the faith and loue which we beare vnto God in obedience of whose commaundement we do that which of it selfe is hurtfull vnto vs. But that a man should loue a malitious enemie as earnestly as a louing and faithfull friend a strange and vnknowne woman as well as his owne wife other mens children as well as his owne it is not onely not commendable but euen monstrous and contrary both to the light of nature to the law of God For so we should be vniust and iniurious to our owne friends to whom our loue and the duties of it do belong in bestowing it vpon others and in suffering them to to reape the croppe where they did not sowe any seed yea then Christians should endeuour to procure to themselues the good will of their brethren not by duties of loue but by iniuries then the which what can bee said or supposed more absurd Now as touching the loue of God towards vs the which you affirme to come of the free motion of his will not proucked caused or occasioned by any good or pleasure which he getteth by vs I confesse that GOD electeth to saluation without any motiue of goodnesse foreseene in vs euen of hi◠mere will and good pleasure and that it were mere madnesse to imagine that there is any thing in vs or in any creature by the which we might eyther pleasure or profit God yet I answere you first that we are to distinguish betwixt the election and the loue of God for God chuseth and predestinanateth to loue of his owne mere will but hee loueth not but for some cause For as his loue is in the generall notion inclined to good not to euill so he loueth nothing but that which is good yea and hee loueth it because it is good and for the goodnesse sake If you say what is our goodnesse to God that he should loue vs for it what doth it profit or pleasure him indeed he standeth in no need of it yet he taketh pleasure in it the Lord delighteth in the righteousnesse of his Saints their sins are as eyesores vnpleasant sights vnto him For why God delighteth in himselfe and euery thing in that which is like it selfe he taketh pleasure to behold his own Image in vs euen as the greatest ioy pleasure that a mā can haue in any worldly thing is to behold his owne fauour and fashions his owne countenance and conditions in his son And therefore the more that a man in holinesse resembleth god the more he is beloued of him as being so much liker to him as it is said of Dauid that he was a man according to the heart of God Gent. This doctrine soundeth very harsh to me and so I think it wold do to others if they should heare it as that which giueth a great blowe to Gods free election I am sure you haue read that Christ loued vs being his enemies Rom. 5. and that you do not doubt but that God loued the Apostle Paule euen in his infidelitie and when he in great furie did persecute the Church Sch. It may bee that it would seeme strange to them that haue not considered of it but the doctrine is as I thinke good and sound that God neither hateth any but for sin neither loueth any but as they are holy Yet our foreseen holines is not the cause why God doth elect vs to saluation for first he electeth vs to loue to life then afterward by sanctifying vs he maketh vs capable of his loue and of eternal life The proper obiect of Gods loue is the holinesse of the reasonable creature vnto the which as being agreeable to his owne nature God doth encline himself by dooing good vnto it as hee receiueth a kind of contentation in it and from it As for the estate of the elect before they bee called and sanctified we know that whom God loueth once he loueth alwaies and Paul euen in the heate of his furie against Christ was beloued of God as one whom hee had chosen and predestinate to beare at the appointed time his owne Image of holinesse and so the foresight of holinesse in him may be said to be the the cause of Gods loue though not of his election For God may chuse to loue whom he list but hee cannot loue but according to his owne nature neither any thing but that which is in some sort agreeable to his nature for he cannot loue or like but must of necessitie hate and abhorre euill as well in concreto as in abstracto in parricular subiects as well as in generall notions that so hee may be alwaies like himselfe Sect. 3. Gent. I Will not contend with you about it at this time because I will not hinder you from other matters now that you haue laid the foundation of the description of Gods loue I pray you go on with the rest of the building Sch. We will and first we may out of that that hath bene said to this purpose define the loue of God to be the motion or rather the act of his will enclining it selfe by dooing good to good preuailing in the reasonable creature In this discription wee are to obserue these three things first that the loue of God belongeth onely to the reasonable creature secondly that the motiue or inducement stirring vp in God this loue is goodnesse preuailing in the creature and lastly that the manner or rather a proper and necessary effect of this loue or inclination of God to the creature is by dooing good vnto it The first point being plain inough of it selfe needeth no further explanation for although all the creatures in theyr seuerall kindes and degrees haue in them a speciall goodnesse in respect whereof God may bee said to loue and fauour them as we read Gen. 1. 31. that God hauing finished all the creatures looked vpon them and seeing them all to be good blessed them and still to extend his gracious prouidence ouer them al preseruing and vpholding them not onely by the ordinarie force of
their natures but euen by extraordinary meanes vnknowne to vs as hee is said to feed the young rauâ—ns when they call vpon him although this may be ascribed to naturall meanes yet in proper speech hee is said to loue the reasonable creatures onely whom hee hath picked out of the whole bunch whereon to set his heart wherein to delight and take pleasure This choise of his loue it hath pleased God to make for two causes first in respect of the excellent goodnesse as it were the surpassing bewtie of the reasonable creature the which beeing framed according to the likenesse of God maketh a kinde of sympathie and naturall agreement betwixt God and it whereof it commeth that God taketh exceeding delight and pleasure in the soule of maÌ„ the faculties of it being orderly disposed and endued with that bewtie of holinesse which God created in it and therefore may iustly require of it as in a most pleasant garden and paradise shining with all varietie of the most faire flowers and colours The other respect which appropriateth the loue of God to the reasonable creature is for that as it onely hath in it matter of exceeding pleasure and delight to God so it onely is capable of the rebound recourse and reciprocation of the said pleasure from God in the which as hath beene said the chiefe part of loue doth consist For howsoeuer God may doo and doth many waies good to the other creatures in that hee feedeth and preserueth them in their seuerall kindes yet they not knowing GOD cannot acknowledge those good things which they receiue from him to come from him and to proceed of that fauour which hee beareth vnto them whereas the soule of the reasonable creature being as it were filled with the sweete blessings of God taketh greater pleasure in the giuer then in the gift and reioyceth yea glorieth more herein that God the great King of heauen and earth vouchsafeth to set his heart vpon it and to take pleasure in dooing it good then in any other thing whatsoeuer This sense of the goodnesse of GOD as it is to them the most sweete happinesse that can be imagined so it stirres vp in them a mutuall loue towards God whom although they cannot by any meanes eyther profit or pleasure yet they endeuour with all care to glorifie him by their holy obedience and so to testifie that vnfained loue which they beare vnto him But the vnreasonable creatures wanting this sence of the loue and goodnesse of GOD and so the reciprocation of loue which should bee in them wherein the force of loue consisteth are for this cause not to bee admitted into the participation of the loue of God Besides the loue of God as it is eternal so it hath this vertue that on what subiect soeuer it seazeth it maketh it eternall preseruing it from perishing but this cannot bee done in the other creatures the which must bee dissolued and come to nought onely the reasonable soule being possessed and as it were filled with the loue of GOD iâ— by preserued for euer For these causes it hath pleased GOD of his goodnesse to make choise of the reasonable nature of man whereunto to ioyne himselfe in the bonde of perfect loue and in this respect to compare himselfe to a carnall louer enamoured of the bewtie of some fayre young woman delighting himselfe exceedingly in the fruition of her and desiring nothing more then to please pleasure her yea by all meanes possible to procure her good as wee may see in the song of songs in the Prophet Ezâ—chiel in diuers other places of scripture In the second place wee are to consider that not any measure of goodnesse in the reasonable creature will serue to procure the loue of God for then God should loue the wicked in whom wee knowe that there are diuers reliques of his image yea euen the diuell himselfe and all his wicked spirits whose nature and naturall faculties are good and not corrupted with sinne in respect of their substance but God doth not loue and embrace these with this affection of loue for what fellowship or agreement much lesse intire loue can God haue with Beliall or light with darknesse Nay rather wee knowe that God doth most iustly hate and abhorre them for that their persons are not in regard of these reliques of goodnesse to bee accounted good because it doth not preuaile in them but is ouercome and captiuated or rather abolished by the contrarie corruption of sinne the which hauing the possession and commaund of them ought of right to haue the title and name of them But God loueth the godly and their persons yea though they bee in part defiled with sinne because not sinne and euill but holinesse and good preuaileth and beareth sway in them sinne beeing captiuated and kept vnder So that in man good and euill do in a manner contend for God the one laboring to procure his loue and the other his hatred in the which conflict the stronger and the predominant qualitie preuaileth and pulleth to the person in the which it is the affection of God eyther of loue or else of hatred Gent. I had thoght that one and that the least corruption or sinne in a man had beene of sufficient force to make the whole person hatefull abhominable in the sight of God as a little leuen sowreth the whole lumpe according to that of the Apostle Iames hee that breaketh any one poynt of the lawe is guiltie of transgressing the whole notwithstanding there bee in him many good parts of holinesse euen as wee see in ciuill iudgements that one single crime condemneth a man yea though in other respects his life bee neuer so iust and vnreprooueable Sch. That is true you say according to the exact rule of Gods iustice the which requireth the full perfection of holinesse without any exception and reiecteth the whole if neuer so litle of it be wanting but the loue of God taketh another course for it looketh on men with an amiable and fauourable countenance and what maruell is it that the loue of God doth that which the loue of men is enioyned to performe couereth the multitude of sinnes Lastly the loue of God neuer commeth emptie but as God is the fountain and full treasure of all pleasure so he bringeth with him whither soeuer hee commeth all good pleasure and happinesse by the which his loue and affection towardes any person is known and felt Yea hereof it followeth that as any nature or person is indued with a lesse or greater measure of this goodnesse which is so pleasing to the wil and so agreeable to the nature of God so it procureth to it selfe a lesse or greater measure of the loue of God and so consequently of that pleasant and happie good which doth continually accompanie it yea that as God himself is the best and most excellent nature of all other without any comparison so hee louâ—th himselfe farre more then he doth any
other thing whatsoeuer and procureth to himselfe more pleasure happines theÌ„ he doth to any creature Yea it is his will that according to this rule this affection of loue in the godly be squared to wit that they loue those most in whom they see a greater measure of goodnesse and godlinesse and bee more inclined towards them to doo any manner of good vnto them then to any other as it is Psal 16. 3. All my delight is in the saints on earth euen to those that are excellent And so Gal. 6. 10. Sect. 4. BY this doctrine of the loue of God wee may easily gather what hatred the contrary affection is to wit a motion or act of Gods will declining and abhorring the person wherein euill doth preuaile And first for the cause or ground of Gods hatred wee must hold that God doth not hate or abhor any creature vpon the meere motion of his owne will for his will neither doth nor can mooue eyther towards or from any creature but vpon good and iust cause taken euen from his owne nature Wee know that God of himselfe loueth all his creatures euen because they are his owne workmanship and therefore good and woorthie to bee both liked and loued as immediately after the creation hee behelde them and seeing them to be good and excellent euery one in his proper kinde he powred downe his fauourable blessing vpon them euen as the deawe and raine falleth vppon the hearbes and flowers of the fielde whereby they waxe faire and flouâ—ish Neither did God eyther play the dissembler in pretending loue to all his creatures whereas hee hated many of them or yet is he a changling to turne his loue into hatred but as once hee did so alwaies hee doth both loue and blesse the creature which hee seeth to bee good Yet if the creature at any time become euill and bee not as it was made by him but as it hath beene marred by it selfe not bearing any longer his excellent and glorious image but some other moÌ„strous shape then it cannot bee loued any longer but must incontinently be hated of God Yet God is the same that hee was and not a whit altered but the creature hath chaunged his place and condition and is remooued and as it were transplanted out of Gods pleasant paradice in the which it did flourish amidst the foure riuers of the blessings of God into a wide wilde desert where it being schorched with the burning beames of gods curse withereth for want of water and beeing cleane dried vppe is become most deformed Gent. I could well agree that loue should haue place in God both in his nature and in his actions for as hee is the chiefe and the very fountaine of all goodnesse so it seemeth very meet that hee should extend his goodnesse to all his creatures by doing good vnto them all according to their seuerall kinds but for this affection of hatred I do not see how it can so well agree to the nature of God it being by nature euill and contrarie to the louâ— of God for the which he is so renowmâ—d And therefore mee thiâ—kes it were better for you to passe ouer in 〈◊〉 this head of doctrine as it were to 〈◊〉 it cut as a foule blemish which in my 〈◊〉 disgraceth this faire picture of Gods nature which you haue so carefully drawne Sch. If you graunt the one you cannot deny the other for as God is good so hee must maintaine and vphold his goodnesse against euill by hating and abhorring it yea by confounding all the maintainers and vpholders of it For it is as necessarie naturall to God to abhorre euill generall and to hate it in the particulaâ— subiects as it is to him to inclin to good and to loue it in his creatures Gent. You will haue much ado to perswade me that God hateth any although I confesse you make a show of argument to proue it but before we argue the matter I would knowe whom and how God hateth Sch. Indeed the state of the question would bee agreed vpon before disputation and it may easily be known if you call to mind that which hath been said of the loue of God for first the reasonable creature onely is the subiect as of the loue so also of the hatred of God for of all the creatures in the world the reasonable onely can be and is euil The reason hereof is because all other things as they were created good so they continue in that state of goodnesse and in respect of it are in some sort loued of God although not in that degree of perfection and excellencie God hauing for the sin of man withdrawne from them some part of it But man hath cleane forsaken that state and standing wherin he was placed by God and lost that goodnesse for the which hee was so beloued of God Yea not onely so but also hee hath made an exchange of the said goodnesse for the contrarie naughtinesse of knowledge obedience for ignorance errour rebellion and contempt yea of the whole image of God for the vgly shape of Sathan and so is iustly become odious to God to whom before he was dearely beloued Gent. Belike man was created in a woorse estate then the rest of the creatures for they were sure to continue in the state of the loue of God and in happinesse from the which we see that man is most miserably fallen and that into y e hatred of god as you wold haue it I coÌ„fesse y â— as now y e case staÌ„deth with him man is in a farre woorse estaâ—e then any vnreasonable creature And that it were farre better to be a brute beast or a sencelesse stone then a man out of the fauour of God for who had not rather without any comparison with theÌ„ want the sweete sense of the loue of God as all the reasonable creatures do which eyther haue no sence at all or at the least no sence of God then to feele the heaâ—ie burthen of the wrath of God and would not chuse not to bee happie with them rather then to bee miserable with man Yet if we compare their first estates togither we shall find that mans estate was farre more excellent then theirs in that hee was created in the fruition of all pleasure and happinesse of the which their nature is not capable And what though hee were created in the possibilitie of being miserable from the which the other creatures are exempted Who would refuse the offer of riches honour fauour and loue made by his Prince vpon this condition that if hee were found to bee traiterous rebellious and disloyall hee should not onely bee depriued of all the aforesaid benefits but also be most shamefully and miserably toâ—tured and tormented to death Gent. That is it I lookt for you haue madâ— a very good reason against your selfe for protest vnto you I haue alwaies carried this minde that I had rather liue in a meane and
A TREATISE of the Nature of God By T. Morton Psal 18. 11. He hath made darknesse his secret place LONDON Printed by Tho. Creede for Robert Dexter dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Brazen Serpent 1599. TO THE READER HEreis good Reader a litle Treatise of a great Argument in the which if euer in any that may be seene which doth daily come to passe that the Book it self doth nothing lesse then performe that which the title doth promise and pretend as we see and find often that the countenances of men do make a faire shew of many singuler vertues and excellent parts which in triall are not to bee found in any part eyther of their soules or bodies How then may any and will some man say do you of purpose go about to deceiue vs with glosing titles which haue vnder them no substance of matter or were you your selues deceiued in taking in hand that which you were not able to accomplish Surely whatsoâ—uer we were he hauing the truth plainly told him and the fault reuealed need not now be deceiued vnlesse he will himselfe and then volenti noÌ„ fit iniuria but for our parts wee did enterprise this conference not in hope of souÌ„ding the depth of this bottomelesse mysterie but onely purposing to content our selues with that knowledge of it which is reuealed in the word of God The which no doubt is most needfull and also comfortable to all Christians for what eyther is or shall be our happines but the true knowledge and continuall contemplation of God To the which purpose if this Treatise do any whit further thee we are glad otherwise take our good will in good part And so we commend the good Reader as we desire to be commended by thee to the gracious assistance of Gods holy spirit to be by him instructed and preserued in all truth THE EPISTLE Dedicatorie SIr my dutie remembred vnto you desiring of God your welfare as heartely more earnestly then I either do or euer did mine owne I had once purposed not to make any dedication of this litle pamphlet that so none should need to be troubled with it saue only they if there were any such that wold trouble themselues with it But the perswasions of some friends wishing that this litle bodie going abroad might haue some head to direct it haue preuailed so far that I began to thinke of some friend with whom I might make so bolde as to vse his name at least vnderstoode the whiche may serue for once vnlesse wee haue imitated that vnskilfull painter who must needs set this epigramme ouer euery thing y t he painted This is such a thing the forefront of this treatise to giue to these fewe sheetes of paper the name and title of a perfest booke the which they doo so earnestly affect Wherevpon while I did bethinke my selfe of the reasons and respects which vsually men follow in dedicating bookes among the rest for there are diuers besides yet aboue the rest for they are the chiefe these three came to minde the first is necessarium the second vtile and the third honestum Necessitie maketh men writing of matters not only greatly controuerted but euen flatly contradicted yea perhappes spightfully oppugned as is almost euery trueth by one or other shrowde themselues vnder the authoritie countenance of some great personage that so they may haue shelter against the stormes and tempests which their malitious enemies raise against their persons and the trueth which they do professe But this seemed not needfull for this treatise which beeing rather a Philosophical then a Theological discourse of the nature of God in general wherin not only all Christians but also the Iewes yea the very Turkes and all other infidels doo agree may safely trauel into any country without a safe-conduct or arriue on any coast without a conuoy The second motiue is vtile a Planet that now adaies raigneth by his powerfull influence in the very wils of men the which God himselfe cannot compell and is the Cynosura or North star by whose aspect most men lay their plots courses And surely men are not to bee blamed if by this officious kinde of saluting and acknowledging the vertues of woorthie men it beeing done without flatterie they labor to procure vnto them deserued fame renowne to purchase to theÌ„selues some lawful fauor as a recompence of their good affection This may be done yet it is more lawfull then commendable for it is better to giue then to to take and in the opinion of some men to want then to craue The third respect is the most honest and praise woorthie for it hath an eye not to present safetie or to future profit but to benefites past and gone and in a maner worne out of mind the voluntarie acknowledging whereof especially before so many witnesses sheweth a good nature and a most ingenuous minde Here I did set down my staffe as minding out of this companie to make my choise yet was I not as yet come to my iourneyes end for as wee all haue many benefactours to whom wee are much indebted so it may bee doubted which of them may by best right challenge this dutie to himselfe Our best benefactour is hee from whom onely commeth euery good and perfect gift who hath enriched vs both with temporall and with spirituall blessings and therefore doth most woorthely deserue to bee honoured aboue all others with the first and best of all the things we haue And without question the zeale and good affection of those men who euen in this our age in thankfulnesse to God the giuer of all knowledge and wisedome haue made him and no other the Patrone of their bookes and labours yea though they were not directly written of his nature deserueth highly to bee praised yet me thinkes as it is not lawfull to giue to man the honors which are due and proper to God so it soundeth somewhat harsh though in trueth it bee not euill and to bee condemned as simply vnlawfull to giue those honours to God which are commonly bestowed on men and therefore euen the godliest men haue thought it most meete to dedicate their bookes to men like to themselues and themselues both bodie and soule to God So then we must descend to humane benefactours of all which wee must acknowledge the publick Patrons fathers of our countrie to bee as most beneficiall to vs howsoeuer the enuie which men bear to the good one of another maketh common benefites not to bee esteemed so most worthie to whom in the first place all honour loue and dutie should bee performed both by this and by all other meanes whatsoeuer Yet wee are not to stay here for tho publicke persons be to be preferred yet priuate duties must not bee neglected the which thing the very heathen did see by the light of nature and therefore assoone as they had ended their publicke seruices and sacrifices to the publicke Gods of
and rather shewe my ignorance and follie then seeme iniurious and vnthankfull Sch. You may speake your pleasure but by all liklihood you are a Scholler according to your owne acception howsoeuer it pleaseth you to make your selfe for the time one in my sence and it may be you are so by your calling and kinde of life howsoeuer your outward state seemeth better then vsually Schollers attaine vnto yea I am perswaded by this great desire to increase in knowledge which appeareth in you that you haue alreadie attained to a great measure of it and know what belongs vnto it as wee see that vsually the richest are most couetous Sect. 2. Gent. VVEll well let vs leaue these things and come to the purpose yet for all this hast one thing I must needs desire of you and it is this That you would not bee offended nor yet thinke scorne to aunswere and resolue me eueÌ„ in those questions which are most certaine manifest and without all question as if I should desire to bee resolued of this poynt that there is a God that made and ruleth and gouerneth al things Not that I doubt of this or any other maine poynt of Christian religion but that I may knowe and hold that more firmly which I doo alreadie both beleeue and also know in part Sch. Wee cannot if wee speake properly call this a poynt of Christian religion for all the heathenish religions that euer were or that are at this day in the world agree in this as in the foundation and ground wheron they rest that there is a God for otherwise there could be no religion Yet you say verie true that our knowledge both in this and in all other poynts concerning God is vnperfect and therefore we may lawfully yea we must necessarily labour for an increase of it and for that Pleerophoria that is a ful knowledge and certaine perswasion mentioned in Scripture Yea if you please we will beginne with this poynt for that if it must needs be handled as it is seldome it beeing seldome called into question it ought to haue the first place assigned vnto it Gent. Indeede it is straunge that this blockish Atheisme should bee in any that hath a reasonable soule yet hee that doth consider the liues of many led without any knowledge feare loue care or any regard whatsoeuer had vnto God may see that verified which is spoken Psal 14. 1. The foole hath said in his heart there is no God yea I haue heard of such as would openly professe themselues to be of that iudgâ—ment and as farre as they might without daunger defend it by argument against any whosoeuer The which shamelesse impietie although I doo from my heart detest and shall I trust while I liue yet to tell you plainly there haue often such doubts risen and â—unne in my minde as I should bee ashamed and therefore would be loth to vtter Sch. Nay it is a shame to conceale cherish not to declare and abandon them but what I pray you hath at any time made you doubt of God Gent. Surely to deale plainly with you me thought there was no order of gonâ—rnement but rather extreame confusion in the world that things came to passe not by any prouidence or power of God but partly by the force and efficacie of naturall causes working according to the ordinarie and set course of nature and partly by the inclinations deuises consultations and purposes of men proceeding from the free motion of their owne minds and wils that foolish and superstitious people did ascribe many things as warre dearth famine plague sicknesse pouertie and many other casualtieâ— to some extraordinarie worke of God which the wise did plainly see to come by the ordinarie connexion and consequence of naturall causes that as touching those fewe who did wholly depend and relye themselues vppon God and did daily and hourely call vppon him for such things as they stood in neede of it happened to them no better yea for the most part farre woorse then to the wicked that for all their faith and prayers they must either betake themselues to the ordinarie course of the world or else vtterly perish and miscarrie that many who most outragiously blaspheme yea openly both denie defie God as wee read of a certaine Pope who said that hee would haue and eate of a meate that hee fancied in despite of God and so he did prosper and fare as well yea much better then they that serue him most deuoutly that there were not to be seene in the world any arguments of Gods power and presence nor any thing which might make a wise man wonder whereas in all reason it should seeme more possible to hide the sunne being aboue our horizon so that it should not either by heate beames light or anie other meanes shewe it selfe to bee present then that God should be in the world and yet no way apparant As for the Scripture out of the which we vse so plainly to teach proue and demonstrate the beeing of God as out of his onely euidences that there was no certanitie could bee had of anie thing contained in it that euerie Kingdome Countrie and Cittie yea almost euerie priuate man did gather out of it a diuers and different â—orme of religion and seruing GOD that many things in it might bee prooued to be false and fabulous as of the flames of Purgatorie the fire of Hell and the light of heauen prepared and appoynted for the soules of men departing from their bodies according as they had liued in this world either well or else wickedly that all these doctrines and infinit others of the same kinde were but counterfeit and both deuised and vsed to keepe people in some awe and order yea which seemed woorst of all that the Scripture was contradicted not onely by others but also by it selfe in many poynts and places whereas in truth there is not any discord or harsh iarring but a most sweete and full consort and harmonie So that for these reasons and diuers other that I will not trouble you with me thought I might say of God as Elias saith of Baal that in all likelihood hee was either a sleepe or in bat tell or about some waightie affaires or as he thought and mentindeed no where existing yet these doubts were but as flying cloudes in my minde which the glorie maiestie and truth of God shining both in his word and worke as clearely as the sunne doth at noone day did soone dissolue yet not so that you should thinke it lost labour to speake somewhat to that effect Sch. I may for fashions sake but I am perswaded that it is in a manner needlesse and that you are not now to learne how that God hauing reuealed himselfe sufficiently by diuers euident meanes doth now in a manner hide and absent himselfe from the world yea euen from his church and chosen people and that vpon good ground in respect both of the elect and of the