the creatures and therefore it is only proper to the understanding and the will of God that only from them there should be a generation of the Son and a procession of the Spirit and so a difference of Peâ—…sons Some do here object against some termes which as they say are not to be found in Scripture but are only imposed by the Church and that is the word Trinity and the word Persons and that in a mysterie of this infinite high nature there should be no addition of mans wit and invention but we should tye our selves most strictly to the terms of Scripture seeing this mysterie so infinitly exceeds mans understanding To whom I return this answer Do ye think that what the Church shall determin in this and other mysteries that it proceeds from the wit and invention of man do you ascribe no more to the cloven tongues that fell upon the Apostles whereby they were replenished with Gods Spirit and which Spirit they did conferre upon others by imposition of hands by election or succession and do you stile all this by the wit and invention of man when I consider the determinations of the Church their form of divine Service their Canons their Discipline their religious Orders God knows I do verily believe that I do see more in them then the wit and invention of man and I think them to be the immediate dictates and directions of Gods Spirit But call them what you will for these words of Persons and Trinity truly I conceive them to be nothing but the translation of Scripture and I hope you will think translations very necessary for the Evangelists and the Apostles use the translations of the Septuagints in their quotations of the old Testament if then Christ shall prescribe the form of our Baptism to be in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and that we know there are no Accidences in God but all are Substances and distinct Substances surely I know not by what other term I should call Substances and distinct Substances but by the name of Persons and if these three Persons be one God and so the Scripture stiles them The word was with God and God was the word surely I know not with what other words to express it but by the name of Trinity or triunity So likewise those words of Schoolmen Deus intelligendo seipsum genuit verbum are not these words taken out of Scripture hodie genui te and thence they infer verbum in intellectu Thus without the determinations of the Church and unless due respect and reverence be given to the Church no Religion can subsist but will instantly fall to confusion Thus as our understanding begets a word and there is a mutuall love and correspondency between this understanding and this word so if God be said to beget a Son or a Word in a spirituall manner in his understanding and that from both proceeds the holy Ghost the Church must then necessarily conclude that they are severall and distinct Persons not that we should conceive them to be like the Persons of men with circumscription of time and of place in various and different formes but to be divine Persons all alike partaking of one infinite nature and what God hath revealed what the Church hath explicated that we believe desiring the same God by the inlightning of his Spirit to engender faith in our hearts to strengthen and increase it and what God hath reserved only for his own knowledge that not curiously to pry into but content our selves with such a measure and proportion of knowledge as he hath been pleased to impart remembring that the first Sin which gave occasion to all the mischieves and miseries which have befallen us it was the tasting of the Tree of knowledge whereby in stead of that great light which we aymed at whereby we should have knowledge like God indeed we had our eyes opened but it was to see and feel our own nakedness to our own confusion Yet to give some little information I will only make this instance If I should take out of a River severall Cups full of water I would ask what difference there were in these waters Surely none would appear in the nature but as they are distinct in severall Cups or Vessels which give them severall forms and severall dimensions and thus it is in all homogeneall bodies suppose I should insist in spirituall qualities as in Light certainly the difference would be less what then if I should insist in spiri's themselves which are not capable of dimensions yet still in respect of the finitness of their nature there would be some difference but if I should ascend to an infinit nature then there would be no difference in respect of the nature yeâ—… a difference there would be in respect of their different manner of subsisting as by generation procession c. Yet here we must take heed of curiosity and know the weakness of mans understanding that we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men and it is most probable that God should commit his secrets to the care and custody of his Church which may put them into such form and fashion of speech as may best beseem them rather then that particular spirits who are so apt to be misled with errors even in things of least moment should be left to their own inventions and expressions in the highest mysteries But how should the whole Deity be in every Person is it not true in all Homogeneall bodies Suppose the elements that where they are they are totally they carry their whole nature about them but this truth more especially appears in spirits for there is nothing so common and triviall in Schooles as this known principle Anima ubi est tota est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte totius But if this Deity be wholly imparted yet then how should it still remain whole and entire is it not proper to all spirituall qualities as Light Knowledge and the like that they should be communicated without any loss or diminution of themselves Here then at length consists the whole difficulty that the nature being imparted there should be no difference in number reason seeing the difficulty sees likewise the reason of the difficulty for her own further satisfaction for this in the creatures proceeds from the bounded finite and limited nature of the creatures which must be circumscribed both with time and with place and so make a difference in the number but if you will suppose this nature to be infinite as is the Deity then would it admit no difference as not in nature so not in number What I have hitherto written hath been according to the opinion of our best and most â—…earned Divines together with the acknowledgement of the whole Catholick Church to which I do believe a man may very safely subscribe for whatsoever is there related as
woâ—…d and the begotten word The word of God is imperfect without Christ. Man expostulates with God Blasphemers suppressed Whole man is made capable of God The division of the Text. The method Saint John ex ceeds Moses The comparison between both They both agree in particulars Moses Iohn Baptist. Christ. Saint John transcends Moses The heavy judgements accompanying the law The Gospell accompanyed with works of mercy The great difference between the beginning and ending of Scripture Of the name of John how imposed upon Saint John Baptist. A comparison of Saint John Baptist with Saint John the Evangelist The parents of Saint John and how he was recommended to be an Apostle How his mothers desire was accomplished Saint Johns prerogatives above other Apostles After Christ he did adhere to Saint Peter Saint John was the Evangelist of the Gentiles The occasion of writing his Gospell How he might come to the knowledge of this mysterie Saint John might be instructed by the blessed virgin At the annuntiation there was implyed the Trinity Saint John an Eagle As he was the beloved Apostle for he did ever Preach love Saint John was Boanerges Christs eternall generation A distinct Person The same Godhead The difference between God and man The three persons outwardly concurre The manner of the generation of the Word The mauner of the procession of the holy Ghost A prerogative of the understanding and will of God above his other attributes How the three persons agree in actions and attributes The Jews question answered God is known by degrees All mans knowledge is gotten by degrees Moses had some knowledge of this mystery The Trinity appears in the creation of the world The Messias must needs be a Person in the Deity God doth sacrifice to himself there are Persons in the Deity The seed of Abraham is more then man Isaac's sacrifice Jacobs expectation The faith of Moses The whole Law directed to Christ. The Jews had a tradition of our Baptisme And severall types of our Baptisme They knew the form of our Baptisme as well as the matter What Prayers were uâ—…ed at their sacrifices The câ—…ssation of the Law The Temple destroyed How the Jews fell by degrees Gods judgement upon the Jewes The Jewes no longer a Nation The method how to deal with the heathen The Atheist is the greatest impostor The infinite proofs of a Godhead The Metaphysicks acknowledge God and Angâ—…ls Influences The effect of influences The transcendentia discover God Every thing points out both an efficient and a final cause The leaâ—… inconveniâ—…nce must evâ—…r be admitted The first is ever excepted from the ordinary rank The Sun is a kind of corpoâ—…eall God The Mathematicks shew the wonders of God The wonders in Astrologie In Loâ—…ick all the preâ—…icaments predicate the Deity Substance 〈◊〉 Qualitâ—… Relation Action Passion 〈◊〉 Ubi Situâ—… Habitus The infinite proofes of a Godhead A particular instance for proof of the Deity God is iusiuite We acknowledge an Infinite yet we cannot conceive aâ—… Infinite God must be Infinite Without imperfection God is of himself Eternity Ubiqui y. Omnisâ—…iency Omnipotency Providence Constancy Immutability Gods Justice Mercy As every thing was made so it must depend upon God How causes may be free yet the effects necessary Mans weakness Every thing in man is bounded The difference of men n their intellectuals No comparison between God and man Mans natural Reason is bounded within the natural world The object faculty must be proportionable Our natural ignorance in natural things The same method in naturals as in supernaturals Mans natural knowledge discerns a supernatural world A supernatural light must fully discover a supernatural world Man 〈◊〉 naturally an ambition above nâ—…e Admiâ—…ation is a kind of natural faith The understanding must obey in believing as the will in performing A repeâ—…ition what hath been proved It is a greater wonder that Accidences should become Substances in God then that one Substance should become Persons It is a greater wonder that all Gods Attributes should be but one Attribute then that one Substance should be three Persons That Gods Justice should be his Meâ—…cy is as strange as the Godhead should be three Persons Gods Attributes as wonderfull as the Persons A brief of what hath been proved A digression upon the Mercy of God A conference with an Angel The Angels wonder at naturall things A conference with an infant in the wombe The wonders in nature The creatures are nothing in comparison with God Gods understanding and will produce Persons The authors private opâ—…nion The determinations or traditions of the Church are more then human The Church in effect doth translate The personality in the Godhead How the Persons are dâ—…stinct The Godhead being spirituall and infinite is imparted without loss Proofes of the Trinity in nature The Authors private opinion Footsteps ' of the Trinity Reasons in nature to prove the Trinity Gods prerogative may be examined A resemblance of the blessed Trinity must appear in every creature The knowledg and love of man what events it works The longing of women Two persons become one The understanding and love are causes as of union so of distraction How 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 extends The anâ—…pathy between the Author and the Socinians The excellent use of reason in Religion Dumb creatures catechise the Socinians God is mans Schoolemaster Man is the end of nature and therefore cannot end in nature How man stands naturally affecteâ—… in religion Faith presupposing nature A supernaturall knowledge must conduct us to a supeâ—…naturall end Gods perfection consists not in variety as the Creatures doth The effects of Gods power c. do not alwayes appear The excellency of Gods understanding â—…nd will What kinde of Persons there are in the Deity God only must reveale the Trinity What God did before the Creation Mans salva ion hath more reference to the Persons then to his other attributes The exceâ—…lency of Gods understanding and will Not Philosophers but Poets were the Priests of the Heathen The 〈◊〉 borrowed from the Jewes Reason may serve to direct Morall actions but noâ—… our faith This mysterie hath nothing contrary to Philosophy The great assurance or security which we have for our â—…aith Actions confirm words The miracles and manner of working them confirm mysteries Works above nature confirm words above nature In the notes which are plundered and lost Forain Authors recommended No writings extant which contradict Scripture The Law ordained to Chrâ—…st Saint John Baptist his Testimonies of Christ. The prerogatives of Saint John Baptist. Severall miraculous acts of Chriâ—…t Mirâ—…cles of all severâ—…ll kinds Raising the dead the greatest of miracâ—…es The rashness and haste used in Christ's condemnation The wonders in Christs resurrection How the Text of S John may be understood The great use of Reason in Religion Reason an handmaid to Religion Reason and sense must join in Gods service Mysteries are to be adored not curiously to be searched into What God requires of the Creatures God gave some creatures liberty of wiâ—…l The fall of the Angels Man is a middle Creature between Angels and Beasts The Angels sin was greater then Mans. The flesh prevailed in man God used means What sins could not be in the infancy of the world The Devill tempts man The punishment of mans sin was small My book of he fall of man God doth ever use meanes The treasures of Nature Vegetatives Man alone not sufficient to satisfie for sin God and man must joyn in satisfying for sin All Gods Mercies are by Christ. A Person in the Deity redeems us No dishonor to God to be incarnate Gods infinite love Gods omnipotency Gods experience Gods Paâ—…lion The Mediator A new honor of God in his Title The dignity of the creatures by the incarnation The Incarnation is a settlement to the creatures S. John's testimony of the incarnation The incarnation proceeds from Gods mercy Gods Justice and Mercy reconciled in Christ. The occasion of the sin of Angels Christ was not to take the nature of Angels Why the second Person rather then any other should be incarnate How Gods words are verified The incarnation intimated in mans creation The first Adam and the second Adam The great mystery in Gods name The name of Abraham changed Several presages of Christs coming Christs God head prophesied A temporal Messias how improbable Christs coming to Judgment Two several Natures Similitudes to set forth the hypostatical Union The possibility of the Incarnation The consequences of the Incarnation How the natures were united No sickness could befall Christ. The circumstances of Christs Birth The preparatives to his coming The Gentiles Jacobs expectation The prophesies of Christ. The coming of of Eltah Herodians Christ no temporall Messias as he Jewes expected The time of his comming The manner of Christs comming Prophesies and preparatives among the Gentiles for the comming of Christ. A miracle to confirm the prophesie The fulâ—…lling of the prophesie The prophesies of the Sibylls The Sibylls speak very punctually of Christ. The Religion of the heathen a preparation to Christianity The Mother of Christ an espoused Virgin The generall taxing at the Birth of Christ. The effects which foâ—…lowed the Emperors Edict Why Christ was born in a common Inn. Christ was born in a stable Christ was born in the sixt age Christ was born at midnight What followed the birth of Christ. The martyrdome of the Innocents The keeping of the feast an argument of the truth A comparison between Christ and Moses Signs amongst the Gentiles for the coming of Christ. The Oracles having first acknowledged Christ after became dumb The Miracles which haâ—…e hapned in the Church S. Peters miracles Where Scripture leaves the Church A commendation of the ancient Romans The dignity of the Church The dignity of Christian Religion All other religions vanity A distribution of times The first ages after Christ. The age of miracles and Martyrs The age of Confessors The age of Monasteries The age of Laicks God will govern the world The contempt of the Church The devills policie Preaching should not exclude other acts of Religion The keeping of the Sabbath None should preach without much study Take heed of Apocalyptical Doctors The pulling down of Churches The Author ends abruptly
mysteries discovered by our Saint Iohn and secondly the Eagle renewes her age to betoken the long life of Saint Iohn or rather the eternity of such things as he prophesied in so much that it gave occasion to a false report for whereas Christ made only a supposition they conceived it as really true that Saint Iohn should not die and thus far indeed it proved true that he died not of a violent death as all the rest of the Apostles suffered Martyrdom but his Matyrdom it should seem was then when he did assist at the Passion of Christ and none other Apostle attended there but himself and no doubt but his then sorrow and grief might equall or rather exceed in virtue and power the Martyrdom of others And secondly that common fame and report of his not dying might thus far prove true that he died not in that age but lived to the beginning of the second Century being now very old as S. Hierome relates in his commentaries upon the Epistle to the Galatians when he could not goe of himself but was carryed by others to the Church or place of meetings he made no other Sermon but this Filioli diligite alterutrum quia praeoeptum Domini est si solim fiat sufficit it should seem being the beloved Disciple the love of Christ was so fastened and fixed in him that it made a repercussion and became an Echo and brake out into these termes of love Filioli my sons whom I so dearly love let not my love rest in you as singulars but impart it to each other that so you may be united and linked together in the Bonds and Chaines of love that as this love proceeds from Christ to me and from me to you so from you to each other among your selves that we may all lay hold on the Anchor of our hope Christ the Son of God who hath reconciled us to God notwithstanding our sins and transgressions I will now come directly to the Text which is the very keâ—…nell the marrow the Elixiâ—… of all Christian Religion and hath ever been received with the greatest admiration and astonishment and at the very naming of the words Christians were 〈◊〉 to bow and to express all possible honour and reverence The ineffable Trinity And the word was made flesh THe first word of my Text standing in the forefront and being a conjunction copulative gives me occasion to look back and mark the dependence wherein I dare boldly say that neither the large volumes of the Fathers nor the subtill and curious invention of the Schooles nor the deep and profoundest Divines can better unfold the mystery of this word then may be well gathered by the precedent and express words of this Evangelist onely here stands our weakness That as Moses having talked with God his countenance received that light that the Israelites could not behold the face of Moses so this our Apostle having leaned on the bosom and sucked out these mysteries he is now become Boanerges the son of Thunder rather astonishing the eare with wonder and amazement then distinctly informing the heart in things which are too high for the weak state and condition of man but I pray mark the first verse of this Chapter In principio erat verbum in the beginning was the word â—…ere is the eternall generation of this word not proceeding from Gods free will and election not supposing his determinate decree and purpose but a natural and a necessary generation equally existing with God in the moment of his eternity as the Sun and the light were together created the Soul and the understanding together infusect so is the generation of â—…his word equall in time and continuance with the deity Et verbum erat apud deum And the word was with God here is the distinction and relation of the Persons apud deum with God not as a property or quality not as an attribute or faculty but as a person distinctly existing and that by a different manner of generation from the Father Et deâ—… erat verbum And God was the Word here is the mutuall communication and participation of the deity for it is a property of the greatest good that it should be most fruitfull in his own kind and communicate it self in the largest and greatest manner now in the creatures we find some foot-steps of the deity as appears by their being moving order perfection but necessary it is that God should impart his own nature which nature though infinitely imparted yet still continuing infinite it can be but one and the same nature equally communicated to the three Persons three persons and one God If a man communicate his nature to his son this nature though still continuing the same in kind and condition yet must it differ in number in regard of the finitenesse of our nature the circumscription both of time and of place but it is otherwise with God for out of the infinite extent of his own nature one and the same deity the same in number the same in virtue and power is equally and totally imparted to the three persons in one blessed and undivided Trinity Thus much ad intra concerning the relation of Persons within themselves now ad extra in respect of the creatures it followes in the third verse of this Chapter Et verbo facta sunt omnia and without him nothing was made so that both inwardly and outwardly the deity of this Word appears inwardly in the coeternall existency and infinite participation of the Godhead and outwardly as together concurring in the creation framing and making of this world And having thus discovered the second person because we acknowledge another person in the deity take therefore the testimony of this second person concerning the third when the holy Ghost whom I shall send unto you from the Father the spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father he shall give testimony of me John the 15. 16. 26. these are the mutuall testimonies of Persons in behalf of each other and hereunto I shall adde what the holy Catholick Church out of other texts of Scripture doth undoubtedly demonstratively and most necessarily conclude Verbum a word must necessarily imply intellectum an understanding to conceive this word this understanding being alwayes active the word must be of like continuance and eternity and being active as there was an eternall so is there a daily and continuall generation of this word Hodie genui te This word being naturall to the understanding it proceeds not from any voluntary or free election of God but from the necessity of his nature and according to his nature so is it begotten in a spirituall and most unspeakable manner being in the understanding answerable to the understanding and of like extent It can be no creature seeing by it all things were made and created and being in the understanding it must subsist of the same nature which nature being
transfigured in the Mount whereby is intimated that they had Christ in figures and types So then if I shall make it appear that either the three Persons or any one of the Persons are named or appeared in Scripture we may thence very well gather that they had some knowledge of the mystery First let us view the Creation Verbo Domini Coeli formati sunt And God said Let there be light Said that is spake the word To whom should God speak when as yet there was nothing but himself So then a Word is begotten in his understanding which reflects upon the understanding and proves a distinct Person and the Word was God then follows And the Spirit of the Lord moved on the waters This Spirit could be no creature for now began the Creation the Spirit of the Lord. Surely there is nothing in God but God God can admit of no mixture or composition he is actus purus simplicissimus nothing but pure form therefore this Spirit must be God the holy Ghost Do we not here see how all the three Persons did concur as in one nature so in the same outward act of Creation From the creation of the World where it is said Dii creavit let us come to the creation of Man for whom the world was created and therefore being a work of so great moment God seems to deliberate and to enter into consultation Certainly when we enter into counsel it argues a diversity of persons or at least it must imply a greater caution that neither in words or acts there might be any mistake the rather because it is the first time that ever God spake of himself wherein frail man is usually more cautionate and wary then in any other discourse and therefore this may much more be supposed in the most wise God let us then hear God with the greatest reverence Faciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram Let us make man according to our own image the plural number which argues Persons is here twice implied both in the act faciamus let us make and in the type or sampler ad imaginem nostram according to our own image If here you shall tell me that it is an Hebrew phrase and an ordinary and usual form of speech I confess it and acknowledge it but therein I do more magnifie the providence of God who did so ordain the speech and language of men as that it should be fit to express such a mystery yet withall consider that it is otherwise with God then with men for God is Truth it is self and therefore I believe that there is not a metaphor or figure spoken of God wherein there is not a stamp of truth involved And whereas it is now frequent that great Princes do speak of themselves in the Plural number I conceive that it is therefore more justifiable because they are Politick Bodies and in a sort Corporations and so represent others and that it might imply that whatsoever they do it was with the grave advice of their Councel and therefore for the greater honor and majesty they use the Plural number Come we then after the fal of Adam to that which the Fathers call Semen Evangelii the beginning of our Redemption Semen mulieris conteret serpentis caput is it possible that when as Adam being the immediate workmanship of God and therefore of the greatest perfection created in Paradise in a state of innocency sanctified with Original grace that he should not be able to resist the temptation and yet the seed of the woman of the weaker sex should be able to bruise the head of the serpent that is utterly to destroy the Kingdom of Sin and Satan surely it must needs argue that the Son of the woman could be no less then the Son of God seeing such a Conquest farre exceeds the power of all Angels and Creatures After the sin consider the punishment and therein Gods Mercy and Compassion how he clothes the nakedness of Adam with the skins of beasts Some Divines do ask what became of the carkases of those beasts and they conceive it very credible that God did offer them up in sacrifice to himself to shew Adam the manner of sacrificing and withall to prefigure that God alone should offer up the only great sufficient propitiatory sacrifice that is that he should offer up himself to himself which must needs argue severall Persons in the Deity Hence followed as an earnest or type thereof the sacrifice of Abel and because his sacrifice was acceptable he himself was more acceptable then his sacrifice therefore he must be offered up in sacrifice to prefigure him whose blood speaks better things then the blood of Abel Hitherto Gods promises for the coming down of his Son were only tyed to mankinde but after the confusion of tongues when men were dispersed then it pleased God to make choice of his nation to promise Abraham That in his seed all generations should be blessed in token memory hereof God instituted Circumcision as it were for the honor of his issue and for the assurance of his faith that Christ should succeed and as a pledge thereof Abraham being to administer an oath to his servant takes his hand and layes it upon his loynes and then makes him swear Now in a corporall oath we ever lay our hands upon the most holy thing suppose the Bible or the Altar and therefore the servant layes his hands upon the loynes Gen. 23. 2. seeing that Christ was then in the loynes of Abraham Another memorable thing in Abraham that he saw three Angels and he worshipped one Gen. 18. 3. Which may a little set forth three Persons and one God In Isaacs sacrifice it is more manifestly implyed for God would never require that of man which he did not intend to perform unto man and therefore God requiring of Abraham to sacrifice his Son what was then only proposed God would hereafter really perform on his part in sacrificing his only Son for Abraham and his Sons Isaac gives the blessing to Jacob of whom that I may say nothing of his life the blessing which he gives unto his Sons upon his death-bed was very memorable Gen. 49. Giving his blessing to Judah from whom Christ was to descend he there prophesieth of the time of his coming and expresseth much joy and comfort therein but after speaking of Dan that he was a serpent certainly he had some relation to that cursed serpent which seduced our first Parents for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ was of the tribe of Dan and it is not unlike but the great Antichrist shall be of the same tribe which Jacob foreseeing suddenly breaks out into these words Expectabo salutare tuum Domine Lord I will expect thy salvation though some of my posterity shall betray thee yet lay not the sin to my charge hold me as innocent and therefore in the assured hope of Gods mercy he takes order that
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
the state and condition of the creature But supposing the three Persons in one Deity why should the Word be made flesh the Father and the Spirit excluded Certainly if we were to make choice of the Person reason would inform us that to be the natural son of man is more agreeable to the natural Son of God then to the unbegotten Father or to the proceeding Spirit The manner of his double birth would testifie the same truth begotten in the understanding of God from all eternity conceived in the womb of a Virgin in the fulness of time The nature of that sin which was the first motive of this descent seems to fasten a necessity upon the second Person of the Trinity it was a sin against the wisdom of God the tasting of the Tree of Knowledge Eritis sicut Dii scientes bonum malum and therefore fit it was to shew the large treasures of Gods mercy and the strictness of Gods Justice that the same wisdom offended should satisfie for the offence Foelix culpa quae talem habuit Redemptorem where is the wrong where is the injury when the party offended shall satisfie and therefore we will with humility retort Gods own words upon himself who upon the fall of man could say Ecce Adam quasi unus ex nobis so now upon the fall of God that is upon the descent of God we will say Ecce Deus quasi unus ex nobis If man lose the image of God as concerning Holiness and Sanctity wherein he was first created nothing can restore this image but that which gave the first impression If man cannot conform himself unto God then for an upshot and agreement between both necessary it is that God should consorm himself unto man Man lost Gods image God takes up mans image and this was most competent to that Person in the holy Trinity who as the Apostle describes him to the Hebrews was Splendor gloriae figura substantiae Patris Observe I beseech you the creation of man being made of the earth God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life Breath if it were agreeable to Gods nature yet certainly proceeding from an intelligent Spirit it could not be bare breath but necessarily it must be accompanied with some word especially considering that in all other Creatures you shall finde the power of this word for God spake the word and they were created But here this word is concealed and therefore we may well suppose that there is some mystery concealed Behold then the first earnest of his Incarnation God intending a marriage between the Deity and the Humane Nature he takes the body of man as it were taking his wedding gloves breathes in them to extend them to warm them to sit them for himself at length puts them on Here now at length the word accompanies the breath the breath made us living souls the word shall make us quickning spirits breath gave us a natural life the word shall regenerate and give a new birth and thus by virtue of this breath by virtue of this word man hath a double root the first Adam and the second Adam taking sap from both he is Arbor arbor inversa he hath a root downward and a root upward he treads upon the earth and looks up towards heaven And thus God if ever intending the renewing of his Creatures sit it was that God should there begin where he did end Man was the last work of the Creation and therefore in man there must be the first beginning of renovation Incipiat ubi desitum est it is a rule in all works and here you shall finde it true by experience the last work is first perfected For the Word was made flesh But I would gladly demand of the Jews who do not acknowledge these mysteries either the Trinity or the Incarnation Why should God be so careful and curious in giving himself a Name a Name it is therefore ordained to make a difference in a multitude as many men of one kinde are distinguished by their names But the nature of God is one as the Sun is but one and therefore wants no name but the name of his own kinde Gods Name then as it imports no difference in his nature so it implies a distinction and difference of Persons in that one nature of the Deity This will better appear if you please to consider that great and ineffable Name of God the Name of four letters The first letter was Jod quod significat principium and doth undoubtedly betoken the Person of the Father The second was He quod vivere significat setting out the second Person as being life in himself though life by participation imparting life unto the Creatures for in him we live we move and have our being he is the Way the Truth and the Life The third letter was Vau quae vim apud Hebraeos habet Copulandi intimating the love of God proceeding from the Father and the Son whereby the Father and the Son are united The last letter it was the same with the second letter He twice repeated ut duas in filio fateamur naturas Dei Hominis And that you may conceive that this observation of the Name proceeds not from mans fancy and conjecture I pray give me leave to bring another Example to this purpose When God had tied himself unto Abraham as touching the promised seed in token hereof it pleased God to change the name of Abraham from Abram to Abraham by the addition of a letter so likewise of his wife from Sarai to Sarah by the substraction of a syllable and the addition of a letter Now you shall observe that this letter which was added to both their names it was indeed one and the same letter and it was a letter of Gods own Name the second letter of his Name that as the second Person was to be united to the nature of Abraham and Sarah so this letter given and received might serve as a pledge or an earnest to signifie that union Observe the phrase and style of Scripture Verbum Domini venit ad Isaiam venit ad Prophetas c. which form of speech to my understanding cannot be so well justified were it not that this word were a Person and that some certain manner of coming were proper and peculiar to this Person Why should God speak of himself after the manner and fashion of men I cannot disallow the opinion of our Divines that God speaking to mans understanding fit it was that he should descend to mans capacity but desiring that truth in Gods words might altogether appear I had rather apply them to an intended incarnation then to admit a bare figure in Gods words which happily to us might be some occasion of error Wherefore serve the groanings and cries of the Fathers Expectabo salutare tuum Domine Mitte quem missurus es Rorate Coeli desuper nubes pluanâ—… iustum