they would haue prou'd might they haue gotten that place in heaven which they sought for is a comparison which they can in no way disgest The chiefe art they exercise to misleade man from the wayes of truth and life is to empeach God of falsehood as if he would lie for his advantage as they doe without any such necessitie as they haue or finally to cast such suspitious aspersions vpon his lawes and promises as their incarnate instruments do vpon the liues and resolutions of his Saints among whom they liue The virulent censures which these slaues of corruption vomit out giue vs the true taste of their Masters loathsome rancor against God CHAPTER VII Of malignant Atheisme Of the originall of enmitie vnto Godlinesse That the excesse of this sinne doth beare witnesse to the truth which it oppugnes 1 AS there is no passion for the present more impetuous than the burning fits of incontinency no corruption that can worke such strange suffusions in the eye of reason as the smoaking of fleshly lust so is there no permanent disposition of body or soule so apt to quench or poyson all naturall notions of God or religion as dissolute intemperancy once rooted by long custome Incontinency as the Philosopher obserues drawes vs to a blindfold choise of particulars whose vniversals we condemne and reiect but intemperance corrupts the very roote or first principles whence all touch or cōscience of good or evill springs If temperance according to the inscription which it beares in Greeke be the nursing mother of morrall prudence or safe gardian of the minde conscience what other brood can be expected from dissolute intemperance but that folly of heart which so disordereth all our thoughts and actions as if there were no God to over see them Civill wisedome in Platoes iudgement may sooner entombe than enshrine her selfe in bodies full stuft twice every day vnaccustomed to lye without a bedfellow by night and we Christians know that vigilance abstinence are as two Vshers which bring our prayers vnto Gods presence His spirit delights to dwell in brests thus inwardly clensed by abstinence and outwardly guarded with sobrietie and watchfulnesse But drunkennesse and surfetting as a Father speakes driues him out of the humane soule as smoake doth Bees out of their hiues howbeit that which goes into the mouth doth not so much offend him as that which comes out of the heart as adulterous or vncleane thoughts Yea the heart may be vndefiled with lust and yet vnqualified either for entertaining Gods spirit speaking to vs or for offering vp incense vnto him That Gods testimony of himselfe I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt might be imprinted in the Israelites senses they are commanded not to come at their wines when they came to heare it And there must be a seperation for a time betweene them whom God hath ioyned and made one body that they may by fervency of abstinent prayers be vnited to him in spirit Strange then it is not nor can it so seeme that sociall lust should haue such peculiar antipathy with that holinesse which makes vs capable of Gods presence without which we are but Atheists when as matrimoniall chastitie consorts no better than hath beene sayd with the puritie of Angelicall life when as the children of the resurrection as our Saviour tels vs shall no more brooke the marriage bed Now as they which in that other world enioy the sight of God can haue no minde of such bodily pleasures as may be lawfull to mortalitie so neither will the intemperate appetite of vnlawfull lust suffer mortalitie to see God in his Word his threats or promises This is the will of God even our sanctification that we should abstaine from fornication that every one should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour Not in the lust of concupiscence as doe the Gentiles which know not God Ignorance of God brought forth these lusts of concupiscence in the Heathen and the like lusts as greedily affected by Christians breede not ignorance onely but a deniall of God or of that holinesse which he is without whose symbole no man shall ever see him 2. To haue wrought the wise King to such grosse Idolatry as he polluted his soule withall by any other meanes than by tempting loue of strange women or other consorts of carnall pleasures had beene perchance a matter impossible to the great tempter himselfe To haue allured him in that age vnto Atheisme had beene bootlesse when as most of the gods which he worshipped were held as countenancers or abetters of luxury ryot and intemperance But now destitute of these pretended indulgences or dispensatiōs from supposed divine powers by whose authoritie the old world was easily enticed to impurity he labours to harden latter ages in this sinne whereto most of vs are naturally as prone as were our forefathers by perswading them there is no true God that will vndoubtedly call them vnto judgement for giuing the raines to headstrong lust Hardly can Atheisme be so absolute in any as vtterly to free them from all contradiction or checke of conscience whiles they wallow in vncleannesse but such contradictions compared with the strength of opposite desires seeme to argue rather light surmises or iealousies then any firme beliefe so much as morall or naturall that there is a God or righteous judge eternall To hold it more probable there is such a God or judge then none is the lowest degree imaginable of beliefe if not rather the one extremitie or vltimum non esse of infidelitie or vnbeliefe But this strong bent of lust where it raignes keepes mens coniectures of divine providence or finall judgment below this pitch As men of highest place or hautiest spirits so desires of greatest strength are alwayes most impatient of crosse or opposition Against them conscience cannot mutter but shall be as quickly put to silence as a precise Preacher that will take vpon him to reforme the disorders of a dissolute Court For whiles the delight or solace which men take in sensuall pleasures exceeds without comparison all sense or feeling of any spirituall ioy they cannot but wish to exchange their remote hopes of the one for quiet fruition of the other once possessed with eager desires there might be no King in Israel but that every man without any feare of after reckonings might doe what seemed good in his owne eyes their often longing to haue it so easily impels them to thinke it is so for miseri facile credunt quae volunt and this conceipt once entertained sets loose the sensuall appetite to runne its course without a curbe so doth presumption of vncontroleable libertie still whet the tast or sense of wonted pleasures which haue beene formerly abated by restraint Lastly from experience of this change and manifest improouement of accustomed delights necessarily ariseth a detestation or loathing of all scrupulositie as
slaine in such a stile as were enough to cast a musing Reader into a waking dreame or imagination that the walls the houses the very soile whereon shee trod had beene animated with some peculiar Genius capable of friendship and foehood Horruit Argia dextrasque ad moenia tendens Vrbs optata prius nunc tecta hostilia Thebe Si tamen illoesas reddis mihi coniugis vmbras Nunc quoque dulce solum With griefe o'regrowne to Theban-walls her suppliant hands shee bends Oh Cittie late too dearly lou'd since loue in sorrow ends Now hostile Thebes yet so thou willest my Consorts Corps restore Still shalt thou be a Soile to me as deare as heretofore These or the like speeches of heathen Poets if by Christians they may not be vttered without reproofe Lactantius his censure of Tullie for his too lavish Rhetoricall Prosopopeia made vnto Philosophie shall saue me a labour O Philosophie the guide of life the searcher out of vertue the banisher of vice without thee not onely wee thy followers should be no bodies but even the life of mankinde could be nothing worth for thou hast beene the Foundresse of Lawes the Mistresse of manners and discipline As if forsooth saith this Author Philosophie it selfe could take any notice of his words or as if He rather were not to be praised which did bestow her He might with as good reason haue rendered the like Rhetoricall thanks to his meate and drinke for without these the life of man cannot consist howbeit these are things without sense Benefits they are but they can be no Benefactors As they are the nourishment of the bodie so is wisedome or true Philosophie of the soule 3. That the seminaries of Poetrie should be the chiefe nurses of Idolatry argues how apt the one is to bring forth the other or rather how both lay like twinnes in the wombe of the same vnpurified affection vsually begotten by one spirit Woods and fountaines as every Schoole-boy knoweth were held chiefe mansions of the Muses to whose Courts the Poets resorted to doe their homage invoking their aide as the goddesses whom they most renowned hereto allured by the opportunitie of the place The pleasant spectacle and sweete resounds which woods and shadie fountaines afford will sublimate illiterate spirits and tune or temper mindes otherwise scarce apt for any to retired contemplations They are to every noise as an organized bodie to the soule or spirit which moues it Gentle blasts diffused through them doe so well symbolize with the internall agitations of our mindes and spirits that when wee heare them we seeme desirous to vnderstand their language and learne some good lesson from them And albeit they vtter not expresly what we conceiue yet to attentiue composed thoughts they inspire a secret seede or fertilitie of invention especially sacred 4. But is or was the notion of the Deitie naturally more fresh and liuely in these seminaries of heathenish Poetry than in other places Yes every vnusuall place or spectacle whether remarkeably beautifull or gastly imprints a touch or apprehension of some latent invisible power as President of what we see Seneca's observation to this purpose will open vnto vs one maine head or source of heathenish Idolatrie which well cleansed might adde fertilitie to Christian devotion In vnoquoque virorum bonorum quis deus incertum est habitat deus To proue this conclusion that God is neare vs even within vs thus he leads vs. If thou light on a groue thicke set with trees of such vnusuall antiquitie and height as that they take away the sight of Heaven by the thicknesse of their branches ouer spreading one another the height of the wood the solitarinesse of the place and the vncouthnesse of the close and continued shade in the open aire doe ioyntly represent a kinde of Heaven on earth and exhibit a proofe vnto thee of some divine power present Or if thou chance to see a denne whose spatious concauitie hath not beene wrought by the hand-labour of men but by causes naturall which haue so deepely eaten out and consumed the stones that they haue left a hanging mountain to ouer spread it like a Canopie the sight likewise will affect the minde with some touch or apprehension of Religion We adore the heads of great Rivers c. Vide Parag. 8. 9. of this Chapter 5. And because superstition can hardly sprout but from the degenerate and corrupt seeds of devotion wicked spirits did haunt these places most which they perceived fittest for devout affections As sight of such groues and fountaines as Seneca describes would nourish affection so the affection naturally desirous to enlarge it selfe would with the helpe of these Spirits sleights and instigations incite the superstitious to make their groues more retired and sightly Thus like cunning anglers they first baite the places and then fish them and their appearance being most vsuall when mens mindes were thus tuned to devotion the eye would easily seduce the heart to fasten his affections to the place wherein they appeared as more sacred than any other And to the spirits thus appearing as to the sole Lords and owners of the delightfull soile and chiefe Patrons of these bewitching rites and customes they thought their best devotions were not too good 6. Throughout the story of the Iudges and Kinges of Israel we may obserue how groues were as the banquetting houses of false gods the trappes and ginnes of sacrilegious superstition For this cause in all suppressions of Idolatrie the commission runnes joyntly for cutting downe groues and demolishing Altars So God Deuteronomie the 5. after commandement given to destroy the Amorites addeth this iniunction withall Ye shall overthrow their Altars and breake downe their pillars and ye shall cut downe their groues and burne their graven Images with fire And vnto Gideon the first in my remembrance to whom this warrant was in particular directed Throw downe the Altar of Baal that thy Father hath made and cut downe the groue that is by it Iudg. 6. v. 25. And Ezekiah whiles he remoued the high places and brake the Idolls cut downe the groues 2. King 18. v. 4. The like did Iosias after him 2. King 23. v. 14. How availeable either this destruction of groues was to the extirpation or the cherishing of them to the growth and increase of Idolatrie the good successe of â—agello his like religious policie in winning the Lithuâ—nians his stifly Idolatrous and strangely superstitious Country men vnto Christian Religion may enforme vs. I relate the Story at large as I finde it because it conteines fresh and liuely experiments as well of this present as of diverse other observations in this Treatise And no man will easily distrust auncient reports when he sees them parallele by moderne and neighbour examples The common sort saith mine Author speaking of the Lithuanian about two hundred yeares agoe was very stiffe and would hardly indure to be intreated to relinquish their
and honour whilest our winding sheetes doe expect vs as having one foote in the graue within whose territories Plowmen are full compeeres to Kings where the spade may chalenge precedence of the scepter where the miter may not contest with the mathooke CHAPTER XXI Of Idolatrie occasioned from inordinate affection towardes Friends deceased or ceremonious solemnities at Funeralls 1. THe implanted notion of the God-head which with diversitie of affections hath its spring and fall was in some Heathens so buried that nothing but sorrow for friends departed or affection towards publique benefactors could reviue it Such were the Augilae a people of Africke which had no gods besides the ghosts of men deceased Their error though grosse was linked in a double chaine of truth the one that soules of men deceased did not altogether cease to be the other that the things which are seene were ordered and governed by vnseene powers yet loath they were to beleeue any thing which in some sort they had not seene or perceived by some sense Hence did their generall notion miscarry in the descent vnto particulars prostrating it selfe before sepulchers filled with dead bones and consulting soules departed Though not in the negatiue yet in the affirmatiue part of these mens verdit concerning the gods most Heathens vpon occasions did concurre The superstition might easily be either bred or fed from an opinion so probable to most in speculation as opportunitie would easily draw all to the practice The grand Censurer while he denies Deceased auncestors to be any whit affected with the weale or misery of posteritie implies this to haue beene a received opinion before his time for such for the most part he either refutes or refines This principle being once setled in mens mindes strong impulsions either of hope or feare would extort such prayers and supplications to friends or auncestors departed as vpon like occasions should haue beene tendered to them living And the supplicants not knowing any set meanes of procuring audience before patrons now absent and out of sight would try all they had knowne in like cases practised by others or could invent themselues Sacriaces amongst other meanes were as the common lure to wooe ghosts or spirits vnto familiar conference or at least to take notice of suits exhibited and to manifest their answers by the effect Thus Alexander though a Prince of Aristotles instructing being now bound for Asia offered sacrifice to Protesilaus vpon his Tombe with supplication for better successe then he to whom he offered sacrifice had there found being slaine in the Troian warre Did the great Monarch as we may conjecture thinke that the soule of this Grecian Worthy not pacified with such offerings would envy better successe vnto his successors of Greece or did he rather hope that Protesilaus by resolute adventure and vntimely death had merited a warrant from the gods to grant safe conduct vnto Graecian Nobles that vpon just quarrells invaded Asia For the reason why Alexander should sacrifice to him before any other was in that he of all the Grecian Captaines had set first foote in Asia as if by death he had taken possession of Protectorship over his Country-men in like expeditions But whatsoever motiue Alexander had to this Idolatrie from that generall improument of mens esteeme of others worth and vertue absent in respect of them present many nations were prone to adore them as gods after death whom they honoured and reverenced aboue others yet with humane honour onely whiles they liued From this observance amongst the Grecians Callisthenes ingenuously and wittily refutes Anaxarchus perswading the Macedonians to giue divine honour to Alexander ready enough to receiue it before his death Whatsoever the Barbarians may practise faith this Grecian Philosopher Greece I know hath no such custome nor did our Auncestors worship Hercules as a god so long as he conversed among them in humane shape nor after his death vntill the Delphicke Oracle had so appointed Anaxarchus on the contrary thought it a great Indecorum not to giue that honor to the Emperour whiles he liued which he doubted not would by publique consent be designed vnto him after death The like Parasiticall humor of the Tâ—asians a people of Greece had travailed before of like Idolatrie but brought forth onely a memorable jâ—st in that wise King Agesilaus vnto whom such proffered service smelled too rankly of base flattery My masters quoth he hath your Cittie the authoritie or art of making gods If it haue I pray let vs see what manner of gods you can make your selues and then perhappes I shall be content to be a god of your making 2. The Platonicall opinion of the soules inlargement in her principall faculties after delivery from this walking prison which she carries about with her did secretly water and cherish the former seeds of error For consequently vnto this doctrine men might thinke that they who by their wit especially had done much good whiles they liued in the bodie would be able to doe much more after their dissolution So Herod thought Iohn Baptist had brought more skill out of that world wherevnto he had sent his soule before the naturall time of her departure then in his first life he had beene capable of for Iohn in his life time wrought no miracles Not onely the commonly conceived dignitie of the soule separated from the body but the time or manner of its separation did much instigate mindes otherwise that way bent to grosse superstition and Idolatrie The Magicians that liued at Athens when Plato died offered sacrifice to his soule supposing him to haue beene more than man because he died on his birth-day having fulfilled the most perfect number in his course of life whose length was iust fourescore yeares and one But to this particular superstition the causes mentioned in the eighteenth Chapter had their ioynt concurrence Quirinus and Romulus whether two or one were in Tullies judgement rightly reputed Gods after death because good men whilest they liued and as it seemes he thought no way disenabled for doing good still in as much as they enioyed eternitie in their soules And Trismegist catechizing his sonne in the Egyptian Art of making gods tells him his grand-father who was the first inventor of Physicke being gone to heaven in soule or to vse his phrase according to his better man did still worke all those cures by his secret power which before he wrought by art the onely place where this divine soule would be spoken with was the Temple wherein his mundane man or bodie lay entombed wherein likewise he had an Idoll or Image as every other Egyptian Temple had vnto which by Exorcismes or Invocation they wedded either spirits or soules of men after they had relinquished their owne bodies By this art were most Egyptian gods procreated vntill error by Gods iust iudgement did reciprocate and idolatry ascend from beasts to men from whom it first descended For in
our hearts on anything besides God is a spirituall fornication or adultery but thus to elevate our spirits which Christ hath espoused vnto himselfe by grace vnto Saints and Angels as they doe that direct religious prayers vnto them in the house and Temple of God is like an incestuous pollution of the marriage bed as if a woman betrothed vnto the eldest brother and heyre apparant vnto the Crowne should prostitute her bodie vpon her marriage-day to his kinsman or younger brother 2. But admit S. Peter or some Angell should by Gods appointment vouchsafe their locall residence againe amongst the Inhabitants of the earth worke miracles heale diseases and instruct vivâ voce in the remote deserts of Africke or in the Indies where we could neither haue personall accesse vnto them nor commend our suites vnto them by letter or interposed messenger might wee here in England kneele downe and turning our faces towards the place of their residence poure forth the requests of our hearts vnto them as Daniel being in exile did his towards Ierusalem wherein God had promised to dwell This were to outstrip the Heathen as well in the essentiall forme of Idolatrie as in the degrees of superstitious or magicall folly What heathen did ever exhibit solemne worship or poure forth their petitions for ayde or succour vnto Apollo Mercurie or Aesculapius much lesse vnto their Demi-gods or Heroikes saue onely in places where they supposed them resident as in their Temples about their Oracles or before shrines or Idols which according to Ethnicke Divinitie were in a sort animated with their presence Or admitting any heathen living in Asia should haue directed his prayers towards Hercules his Temple in Greece might not his folly haue beene iustified by the same Apologie which the Romanist brings for his if that were iust and orthodoxall Iupiter est quodcunque vides The supreame power adored by him vnder the name of Iupiter he might with good approbation of the Learned haue avouched to be every where able and willing to acquaint the lesser Gods his more intimate friends with whom he might be bolder with his petitions in so great distance To be perswaded that any Saint should be able at all houres of day and night to take notice of all the petitions that are or can be made vnto him in Italy Germanie France and Spaine or throughout the whole world is to ascribe greater divinitie vnto him than any Heathens did to their ordinary Gods whom notwithstanding they conceived worthy of divine Honour The fruition of his presence who knowes all things at all times cannot make Saints or Angels so capable of this perpetuall vbiquitary knowledge as personall vnion with him who is every where essentially present might make Christs body of vbiquitary locall presence yet to maintaine it to be so present every where is in our Adversaries judgement an heresie but a farre greater to ascribe this vbiquitary knowledge vnto Saints And out of this conceipt to direct prayers to them in heaven from every part of the earth is formall Idolatrie as well in practise as in opinion For God even God onely knowes the hearts of all the Children of men 1. King 8. ver 31. 3. To conclude with what manner of respect or observance in particular glorified Saints or Angels are to be entertained by vs mortall men is a point impossible to be determined vntill wee haue iust occasion to dispute it And other occasion we can haue none saue what their presence or commerce with vs shall administer Or admitting their vndoubted apparitions were at this day as rife as heretofore they haue beene pretended it would be the first part of our dutie to fashion our selues vnto such observance as they would prescribe vs not to prescribe them what manner of honour they were to receiue from vs. Gods word concerning their worship is silent saue onely that Saint Paul hath advised vs to content our selues with ignorance in these secrets vnto whose search we are not called to affect whose knowledge wee can haue no provocation or impulsion besides the vaine-swelling of our fleshly mindes But whatsoever respect or observance might lawfully be tendred to their infallible appearance cannot without impious folly be seriously proffered to them whilest they appeare not and solemnly to consecrate it to their Images whose persons we never sawe is the height of impietie Civilitie common sense may enforme vs that to tender such respect or signes of submission to Princes or great Personages whom wee see a farre of as would become vs being admitted to conference with them would argue either distraction of minde or clownish simplicitie Though it were lawfull to expresse our necessities with bended knees to Saints or Angels vouchsafing their presence and to implore their intercession for vs with sighes and teares yet may not such as haue eyes pray to them or any whom they cannot see saue onely to him who is invisible None that haue sense may pray to any of whose vertuall presence or acquaintance with our affaires we haue no sensible vndoubted pledge saue onely to him whom we know not by sense but by the spirit of grace and faith every where to heare and know all things that are done or sayd any where Howbeit for every man at all times in every place vpon all occasions to worship him in such manner as they without offence with true devotion haue done vnto whom his extraordinary presence hath beene manifested would be but a superstitious observance For although we be fully assured that he sees our gestures knowes our hearts and heares our petitions at all times and every where alike yet he sees that we haue not alwayes the like occasions which they had to pray or worship as they did And any extraordinary manner of worship without extraordinary impulsion is will-worship More particularly Religious prayers being proper acts of faith vnlesse they be made in faith are most properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of faith quite contrary to the rule of faith which in any point to crosse is a presumptuous sinne but to contradict it in matters of religious worship is the sinne of Idolatrie Now religious prayers cannot be conceived or exhibited to any in faith without certaintie of faith that they to whom they are exhibited doe heare vs. Seriously to tender requests to the soules of Saints deceased farther distant from vs than any one part of the earth is from another after the same manner we might do vpon certaine notice of their presence or mutuall pledges of commerce with vs is but to offer the sacrifice of fooles vnto the winde or to sow the element wherein we breath with the poysonous seedes of Ethnicke superstition And so in fine the Romanist doth not enrich the Saints but stockes and stones the workes of his owne hands with that honour whereof he hath robbed his God His adoring his kissing and his worshipping of Saints and Images with bended knees and other signes of submission is but
in meere carelesnesse and incogitancy many are iustly liable which never perhaps so much as in their secret thoughts expresly deny the Godhead or divine providence but rather haue some surmise of their existence But this blossome comes to no proofe because it springs not from the internall notion in graffed by nature in their hearts whose growth the cares of life doe quickly choake but is acqui'rd by custome vnwitting assent or consonancy to others asseverations with whom they converse This customary beleever or carefull worldlings carelesse temper in matters spirituall is like to a man in a dead sleepe or so drowsie that he apprehends no impression of any phantasmes yet can answer yes or no to any that vrges him with a question Briefly the vtmost degree of beliefe that men thus buryed in cares of this world haue of the Deitie is no better than such idle perswasions of loue to Christ and Christianity as haue beene observed in the former booke The onely ground of it in many did they well obserue it is their vnwillingnesse to be accounted what indeed they are meere Atheists a title displeasing to such as liue amongst professed Christians To charge a man though on a suddaine with matters distastfull will extort◠peremptory deniall of that whereto he had formerly beene altogether indifferent as knowing nothing either for it or against it As what souldier is there of better spirit which hearing his Countrey-men vpbrayded with cowardize or his Countrey blemished with trecherous base infamous dealing would not vndertake to make good the contrary with his body against the obiecter albeit altogether ignorant what domesticke and forreigne vnpartiall Chronicles had testified to his preiudice concerning the carriage of the impeached proceedings The more peremptory the one were in avouching the more confident the other would be in disclaiming the crime obiected But should a practicall head skilfull in humoring such an hot braine strike in with them aright and by way of sociable and friendly conference insinuate plausible reasons to misperswade him of his Countrey-mens deserved prayse which in generall to beleeue he had better positiue reasons than to deny the former particular imputations a lesser matter than losse of good fellowship would make him willing to let all controversie fall or put it off with a iest Should we thus resolutely charge the most groveling minded earth-worme this day breathing with open shame for never looking vp to heaven for living without a God in this present world we might perhaps provoke him to pollute his first positiue and serious thoughts of his creator with false and fearefull oathes in his name that he had thought on him that he feared and loved him ever before as much as others But with greater cunning than can be matched with any skill of man can the old serpent insinuate himselfe into our most secret thoughts and covertly fortifie our inclinations toward such baits as he hath laide alwayes watching opportunities of pushing them whether he sees them most inclined for his advantage Finally by this sleight he workes the wisest of worldly men to confesse that to him ere they be aware with their hearts which with their lips they would deny before men even vnto death whiles vrged with it vnder the style of disgrace Or if he cannot thus farre worke them he puts fayre colours of discretion vpon indifferency for positiue resolutions whether there be a God or no or whether it goeth better with him that serveth or with him that serues him not 7. And albeit either the strength of intended argument or casuall occurrents of some strange mishaps befalling others by meanes more than humane may often rowse some actuall and expresse acknowledgement of a divine providence in this worldling yet these imaginations comming once to opposition with his stiffe desires or being counterpoised with fresh proposals of Satans riddles or instantly dispelled as vtterly as if they had never beene conceived His beliefe then of this first Atticle in the Creed is at the best no better than his was of the soules immortalitie which held it as true so long as Platoes booke of this argument was in his hand but let the truth slip out of his minde as soone as he laid the booke aside or had not the Philosophers reasons in his eye what shall we thinke of him then as of an Atheist or as a true beleever No man holdeth it any point of wisedome to attribute much vnto a misers oath in matters of gaine yet he that is ready to sweare falsely by his God doth in this taking loose his former beliefe of him if any he had For periury is the naturall broode of Atheisme sometime best knowne by the parents name though now it hath changed his coat and covered it selfe with protestations of Christianitie renouncing nature with the tongue as it doth the Deitie in the heart Iuvenall condemnes a generation of Naturalists in his time as more Atheisticall and periurous than Rome formerly had knowne Sunt qui in fortunae iam casibus omnia ponunt Et mundum nullo credunt rectore moveri Naturâ volvente vices lucis anni Atque ideo intrepidi quaecunque altaria iurant Some now there be that deeme the world by slipperie Chaunce doth slide That dayes and yeares doe runne their round without or rule or guide Siue Nature and dame Fortunes Wheele and hence sance shame or feare Of God or Man by Altars all they desperately doe sweare 8. This carelesse Neutralist holdeth the same correspondency betweene the true Christian and the Heathenish Idolater or Infidell that Mungrels doe with the diverse Countreyes betweene whose wast borders they haue beene so promiscuously brought vp that no man knowes to whether people they belong vsually traffiking with both without profession of absolute alleigeance or personall service to either saue onely as private occasions or opportunities shall induce them The contradicting Atheists are as halfe Antipodes to the Neutralist and full Antipodes to true Christians Their seate is darkenesse alwayes destitute of the Sunne seldome partaker of any twilight To impell the one sort as farre from truth as may be and the other no farther than the mid way betweene it and the most opposite errour is alike behoouefull to Satans purpose a great part of whose chiefe cunning is to suite his temptations to mens severall dispositions Now some men there be of heavier mettall who as they haue mindes perpetually touched with hopes of gaine so their gaine is not gotten by gluts or heapes but receiues a slow and constant increase by continuall cares and paines These if he can but bring to this kind of incogitant Atheisme or dull ignorance of God and his goodnesse he hath as much as he desires of them Those whom he labours to malignant or disputing Atheisme haue vsually such nimble wits and resolutions vntill they settle vpon their lees so ticklish that did he suffer them to hover a while betwixt light and darkenesse they would quickly turne
vpon that levell whence the right aspect of heaven and heavenly powers is taken But lest having this libertie of trying all they should come to fasten on that which is best His pollicie is to cast them so farre one wrong way or other in youth that either they shall haue no thought or inclination to retire in mature age or no strength left when they grow old to recover the miscarriages of fresh and liuely motions To sway themselues that way which nature first enclined them or grace doth call them is not easie to be attempted almost impossible to be effected by men that haue beene long fettered in some linke of sociall lust or other filthinesse by men whose mindes haue beene perpetually enwrapt in the curiosities of their proud imaginations Those are the two speciall snares whereby Gods enemy detaines stirring spirits in the dregs of contradicting Atheisme But the men of whom we now speake such as haue wedded their soules to the earth count toyling and moyling in gainefull businesses greatest pleasures are as the tempter knowes of a cleane contrary constitution apt they are not to moue many wayes either vpward or downeward but onely to waggle to and fro within a narrow compasse without whose lists should he tempt them to outray much in any notorious dissolutenesse outragious villany or open blasphemy the vncouthnesse of their distemper procured by these vnnaturall motions might happily admonish them in good time to seeke a medicine The onely meanes he hath herein to prevent them is continually to feede this their deadly disease so kindly and gently as it shall never bewray any danger vntill they be past all possibilitie of recovery They goe to Hell as in a lethargie or deepe slumber Much what to this purpose it is in other parts of these comments observed that the equable morall temper which never alters much from it selfe is most obnoxious to finall miscarriage because seldome so fiercely assaulted by the enemy as to occasion any extraordinary terror of conscience And it is the lesse assaulted because it seldome or lightly rebels against him Now men never much affrighted with the danger wherein all by nature stand nor enflamed with loue of a better Country than they enioy cannot addresse themselues to any resolute or speedy departure out of the territories of civill moralities within which if Satan hold vs he makes full reckoning of vs as of his civill or naturall subiects and this as S. Gregorie obserues is the reason why many are not molested by him CHAPTER VI. Of Disputatiue Atheisme deniall of the God-head or divine providence with the severall curiosities which occasion it 1. FOrraigne supportance is seldome reiected by deserved fame and men of no deserts alwayes seeke to vnderprop their ruinous reputation or groundlesse prayse some by the place which they hold or by the societie wherein they liue others by their auncestors birth or education many by the subiect of their thoughts or worthinesse of matters which they vnworthily handle To professe noble sciences or at the most to haue taken degree in any is ground enough for some men to raise themselues farre aboue such as but yesterday were their full equalls or to stand vpon tearmes of comparison with the best And few there be of their owne Coate that would not willingly yeeld to them what thus they challenge as their due would they shew themselues either able or willing to repay that credit and estimation to the common profession which like bankrouts or decayed Marchants they are enforced either to borrow or beg from it as from the publicke stocke For all of vs are glad to see our owne profession grac't or exalted the rather because we hold it not safe to haue our heights measured onely by our personall stature vnlesse withall we take in the advantage of the ground whereon we stand 2. A second maine stem of habituated Atheisme arose as was lately intimated from this partiall desire in professors to establish the soveraigntie of those arts or faculties wherein they were best seene or most delighted And the best meanes for advancing or establishing their soveraigntie was to extend the limits of their wonted authoritie by reducing all or most effects to their principles as great Lawyers striue to bring most causes to those Courts wherin their practise or authoritie is greatest Another principall veine serving to feed the disease whereto this partiall and intemperate appetite of curious artists ministred first matter wee may if we mistake not fitly deriue from a generall aptitude of the humane soule to take impression from those obiects with which it is most familiar and to iudge of others by their correspondency with these Hence as sollicitors seeking after meanes conducible to any end vsually interceps our desires or intentions of the end it selfe for whose sake onely the meanes in reason were to be sought so doth the curious speculation of creatures visible divert the minds of many from the invisible creator vnto whom the fight of these by nature not misleveled by inordinate or vnwildy appetites would direct all And our generall facility to beleeue with speed what we much affect or strongly desire brings forth peculiar pronesses in the professors of severall arts to frame vniversall rules whether negatiue or affirmatiue from broken and imperfect inductions Now the power and wisedome of God being especially manifested in the workes of creation in the disposition of things created and in matters manageable by humane wit or consultation Satan by his sophisticall skill to worke vpon the pride of mans hart hath erected three maine pillars of Atheisme or irreligion as so many counter sorts to oppugne our beliefe or acknowledgement of the divine providence in the three subiects mentioned Many naturall Philosophers out of a partiall desire to magnifie their owne facultie observing none brought forth without a mother nothing generated without pre-existent seede or matter forth with concludes the course of things naturall which we daily see to haue beene the same from everlasting that generation had no beginning that corruption can haue no ending The imperfection of this induction and the over-reaching inference which some in this kind haue fram'd from a Maxime most true in a sense most impertinent Ex nihilo nihil fit falls in our way againe in the Article of creation The Astronomer likewise finding the influence of starres by experience to haue great force in this inferior world seekes to extend their dominion ouer humane actions or consultations as if all matters of state or private life were by their conventicles or coniunctions authentickly predetermin'd without possibilitie of repeale And thus as the Moone eclipseth the Sunne or lower Planets sometimes hide the higher so haue the Sunne the Moone and Hoast of heaven excluded his sight from approaching vnto the Father of lights Or if through them he can discerne the truth of his existence or see some glimpses of his generall attributes yet the eyes of his minde are so
Philosophers labour to teach vs in many words yea in many volumes I can comprehend in this short precept Let vs persevere such in health as we promise to be in our sicknesse That this Heathen whiles thus well minded otherwise should be so mindfull of his God is a very pregnant proofe from the effect that the naturall ingraffed notions of the Deitie proportionably increase or wane with the notions of morall good or evill The cause hereof is more apparant from that essentiall linke or combination which is betweene the conceipt of vice and vertue and the conceipt of a Iudgement after this life wherein different estates shall be awarded to the vertuous and to the vitious hence the true apprehension of the one naturally drawes out an vndoubted apprehension of the other vnlesse the vnderstanding be vnattentiue or perverted For that any thing should be so simply good as a man might not vpon sundry respects abiure the practise of it or ought so absolutely evill as vpon no termes it might be embraced vnlesse we grant the soule to be immortall capable of miserie and happinesse in another world is an imagination vnfitting the capacitie of brutish or meere sensitiue creatures as shall be shewed by Gods assistance in the Article of finall Iudgement 5. That sicknesse and other crosses or calamities are best teachers of such good lessons as Plinies forementioned friend had learned from them Elihu long before him had observed whose observation includes thus much withall that such as will not be taught by these instructions are condemned for trewants and non-proficients in the schoole of Nature Vertue or Religion that is for Hypocrites and men vnsound at the heart For if the roote or seede of morall goodnesse remaine sound the Maxime holds alwayes true maturant aspera mentem Adversitie is like an harvest Sunne it ripeneth the minde to bring forth fruites of repentance He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cordes of affliction then he sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they haue exceeded He openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquitie If they obey and serue him they shall spend their dayes in prosperitie and their yeares in pleasures But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword and they shall dye without knowledge but the Hypocrites in heart heape vp wrath they cry not when he bindeth them The truth as well of Plinies as of Elihues observation is presupposed by most of Gods Prophets with whom it is vsuall to vpbraid his people with brutish stupiditie and hardnesse of heart to brand them with the note of vngracious children for not returning vnto the Lord in their distresse as if to continue in wonted sinnes or riotous courses after such sensible and reall proclamations to desist were open rebellion against God Senslesnesse of paines in extreame agonies doth not more certainly prognosticate death of body or decay of bodily life and spirits than impenitency in affliction doth a desperate estate of soule For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of Hosts Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and taile branch and rush in one day And in that day did the Lord God of Hostes call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine let vs eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye And it was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hostes surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till ye dye sayth the Lord God of Hostes 6. The reason of this truth it selfe thus testified by three rankes of witnesses is not obscure in their Philosophy to whom I most accord who teach that the seedes of all truth are sowne by Gods hand in the humane soule and differ onely in reference or denomination from our desires of knowledge indefinitely taken As to our first parents so vnto vs when we first come vnto the vse of reason knowledge it selfe and for its owne sake seemeth sweete and welcome whether it be of things good or evill we much respect not But this desire of knowledge which in respect of actuall apprehension is indifferent neither set vpon good nor evill is vsually taken vp by actuall or experimentall knowledge of things evill or so vnprofitable that our inclinations or adherences vnto them either countersway our inclinations vnto goodnesse or choke our apprehensions of things truely good Now after our hopes of enioying such sense-pleasing obiects be by affliction or calamitie cut of the soule which hath not beene indissolubly wedded vnto them or alreadie giuen over by God vnto a reprobate sense hath more libertie than before it had to retire into it selfe and being freed from the attractiue force of allurements vnto the vanities of the world the Devill or flesh the naturall or implanted seedes of goodnesse recover life and strength and begin to sprout out into apprehensions either in loathing their former courses or in seeking after better And every least part or degree of goodnesse truely apprehended bringeth forth an apprehension of the author or fountaine whence it floweth that is of the divine nature In my prosperitie I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountaine to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled I cryed to thee O Lord and vnto the Lord I made my supplication It may seeme strange to our first considerations as Calvin with some others vpon this place obserue that God should enlighten Davids eyes by hiding his face from him without the light of whose countenance even knowledge it selfe is no better than darkenesse But so it is that prosperitie doth oftentimes infatuate the best men and adversity maketh bad men wise The saying is authentique though the Author be Apocryphall Anima in angustijs spiritus anxius clamat ad te O Lord God almightie God of Israel the soule in Anguish the troubled spirit cryeth vnto thee So is that other Castigatio tua disciplina est eis Thy chastisement is their instruction Calvin hath a memorable story of a prophane Companion that in his jollitie abused these words of the Prophet The heaven even the heavens are the Lords but the earth hath he giuen to the children of men Psal 115. vers 16. The vse or application which this wretch hence made was that God had as little to doe with him here on earth as he had to doe with God in heaven But presently being taken with a suddaine gripe or pang he cryed out O God O God Yet this short affliction did not giue him perfect vnderstanding for afterwards he returned againe vnto his vomit and wallowing
in his wonted vncleanenesse This relation of Calvines serveth as a testimony to confirme the truth of Tertullians observation which serues as a Document or sure experiment of our last assertion Vultis ex operibus ipsius tot ac talibus quibus continemur quibus sustinemur quibus oblectamur etiam quibus exterremur vultis ex anim◠ipsius testimonio comprobemus Qua licet carcere corporis pressa licet institutionibus prauis circumscripta licet libidinibus et cōcupiscentijs euigorata licet falsis Dijs exancillata cum tamen resipiscit vt ex crapula vt ex somno vt ex aliqua valetudine sanitatem suam patitur Deum nominat hoc solo quia proprie verus hic vnus Deus bonus magnus Et quod Deus dederit omnium vox est Iudicem quoque contestatur illum Deus videt deo commendo Deus mihi reddet O testimonium animae naturaliter Christianae Denique pronuncians haec non ad capitolium sed ad coelum respicit Novit enim sedem Dei vivi ab illo inde descendit Shall I proue vnto you there is but one God from his manifold workes by which we are preserued and sustained with which we are refreshed yea by which we are astonished or shall I proue the same truth by the testimony of the Soule it selfe which though it be kept vnder by the prison of the body though surrounded by naughtie and dissolute education though infeebled by lust and evill concupiscence though enslaued to false Gods yet when shee returnes vnto her selfe out of distempers surfet sleepe or other infirmitie and enioyes some gleames of health shee calls on God without addition of other titles because this God which shee calls vpon is truely one truely good and truely great What God shall award is a speech rise in every mans mouth vnto this God the Soule appeales as vnto her Iudge God he sees to God I commend my cause Let God determine of me or for me A worthy testimony that the Soule is naturally Christian Finally the Soule whiles shee acts these or the like parts looketh not to the Capitoll the imagined seate of such Gods as the Romans worshipped but vp to Heaven as knowing the seate of the living God from whom and whence shee is descended Many other authorities which might here be avouched to the same purpose do sufficiently argue that the multiplicitie of Gods was a conceipt or imagination seated or hatched onely in the braine that even the very Heathens themselues which worshipped many Gods and would haue maintained their profession of such service in opposition to their adversaries vnto death being throughly pinched with calamitie or occasioned to looke seriously into their owne hearts did vsually tender their supplications vnto the Deitie or divine power it selfe which filleth all places with his presence whose tribunall is in heaven Seeing anguish of soule contrition of spirit or generally affliction cause naturall notions of God and goodnesse formerly imprisoned in the earthly or fleshly part of this old man to shoote forth and present themselues to our apprehensions in case no calamitie or affliction doe befall vs we are voluntarily to consort with others whom God hath touched with his heavie hand or as Salomon adviseth vs to visite the house of mourning more then the house of mirth Or in case the Lord vouchsafe not to send these his seuerer visitors either to vs or to our neighbours yet he alwayes giues vs libertie to inuite another guest in afflictions roome which expects no costly or curious entertainement fasting I meane now to fast according to the prescript of Gods law is to afflict our soules CHAPTER IX In what respects supernaturall grace or faith infused is necessarie to the right beliefe of these truths which may in part be certainely knowne by diligent search of naturall reason 1. BVt if to nature not blinded by vaine curiosity nor polluted with the dregs of lust if to men free from passion or chastised by the hand of God the apprehension of the Deitie be cleare and evident the habit of supernaturall assent vnto the first Article of this Creed may seeme either altogether superfluous or not very necessary Vnto this difficulty proposed in termes more generall whether faith may be of obiects otherwise evident and exactly knowne some schoole-men acutely thus reply He that by reasons demonstratiue knowes this or other like truths beleeved that there is one God and no more which hath created the world may notwithstanding the evidence of motiues necessitating his will to this assent either doubt or deeme it a truth very obscure and vnevident whether God ever revealed thus much otherwise than by the common light of Nature or helpes of Art Cōsequently to their divinity they might reduce the resolution of the difficultie proposed to fewer termes and more constant thus the habit of faith or supernaturall assent is not necessary to ascertaine vs that the matters beleeved by vs are in themselues true seeing this much as is supposed may be prooved by reasons more evident than faith which is alwayes of obiects vnevident at least wise as apprehended by vs but to assure vs that their truth was testified or avouched by God whose testimony cannot be knowne but by his expresse word written or spoken 2. But if our former assertion that our knowledge of any obiect cannot be more certaine then it is evident be orthodoxall he that could demonstrate any Article of beliefe should be more beholding to the evidence of Art or demonstration than to the supernaturall habit of vnevident faith Wherefore with better consonancy to former discussions and if we be not in both mistaken vnto the truth we may thus resolue the doubt proposed The necessary existence of a God-head or supreame cause with the possibilitie of other things beleeved may be indefinitely knowne by light of Nature or demonstration but so much of these or any Article in this Creede contain'd as every Christian must beleeue or which is all one the exact forme of any one Articles entire truth can never be knowne by Art or Nature but onely by Gods word revealed or the internall testimony of his spirit refashioning his decayed image in mens hearts according to the patterne wherein they were first created That the resurrection though this truth to corrupt nature seemes most difficult is not impossible yea that it is impossible there should not be a resurrection or iudgement after death may be demonstrated but that the wicked shall rise to torments the righteous to ioy glory everlasting is a streame of life which naturally springs not within the circuit of the heavens it must be infused from aboue 3. The naturall man left to himselfe or vsing meere spectacles of art yea though admitted to the glasse of Gods word will alwayes in one point or other conceiue amisse of the Deitie and transforme the incorruptible nature into the similitude of corruption Yet further admitting the naturall man
felicitie then a Cloud with Iuno The favorers of the former opinion would perhaps replie that the manner of the inherence of intellectuall characters in the soule might in some sort be such as hath beene said though they be often mutually diffused one through another as if two should write with the iuice of Onions vpon the same paper the one not knowing what or where the other had written or that their fashion by the soules too deepe immersion in this fluxible matter might be so soiled that they could not be read but by confused coniectures as letters written in moist paper or it may be a Platonicke would require some chimicall purification of the soule vnto the extraction of the distinct and proper idea of truth how ever it be it is an error common to him and some Divines but very inconsequent to other points of both their doctrines that the soule of Man though truly immortall should be of the same nature with angelicall substances which are neither apt physically to informe bodies nor to participate of their infirmities or to loose their first naturall light although they were imprisoned or confined within them 2. More pertinently to the point proposed it may be questioned whether every specificall nature which we vnderstand or know haue a distinct and severall character answering to it in the soule Or whether the fabricke or compositure of the vnderstanding it selfe includes onely such a vertuall similitude to the formes or essences of all things as the organ of every sensitiue facultie doe to all the proper obiects thereto belonging The perception or representation of greene colours is not I take it made vpon any one part of the eye whose constitution hath more particular affinitie with greene then with blew or red but the whole humour wherein vision is made being homogeneall hath not colour in it actually is not more inclined to one then to another framed of purpose as an Aequilibrium or indifferent receptacle of all impressions in that kinde as apt according to every part as any to receiue the shape or image of any one colour as another Nor doth the common sense perceiue sounds and colours by two Heterogeneall parts whereof the one doth better symbolize with hearing the other with sight rather the internall constitution of this facultie includes an Homogeneall aequabilitie of affinitie vnto both these senses 3. The soule of man being created after the image of God in whom are all things though of an indiuisible and immortall nature hath notwithstanding such a vertuall similitude of all things as the eye hath of colours the eare of sounds or the common sense of these other sensibles woouen by the finger of God in its essentiall constitution or internall indissoluble temper Out of mixt bodies are drawne by art Quintessences whose substances though subtile and homogeneall vertually containe the force or efficacy of many ingredients The same proportions which these Quintessences haue to their materialls hath the soule of man to all sensible creatures of which it is the pure extract or perfection in nature and essentiall qualities more resembling celestiall then subluminary substances albeit vertually including as great affinitie to sublunaries as spirits or Quintessences doe to their compounds out of which they were extracted From this vertuall similitude which our soules haue with all things springs our eager thirst after knowledge which is but a desire of intimate and intire acquaintance with their nature and properties besides which meanes there is in truth no other possible for them to come acquainted with themselues The more they vnderstand of other things the better they vnderstand themselues Hence saith the Philosopher Intellectus cum factus fuerit omnia intelligit seipsum When the vnderstanding is made all things it vnderstands it selfe Nor could we take delight in the knowledge of any thing vnlesse in knowing it the soule did know it selfe and become more intimate with it selfe It is as truely said optimus as proximus quisque sibi nothing could desire its owne preservation most vnlesse its owne entitie were to it selfe the best and most to be desired if it knew rightly how to enioy it selfe The reason why Simile gaudet simili is because the actuall sympathie which mutually ariseth from presence of like natures in creatures sensible or reasonable causeth their seuerall identities to reflect vpon themselues and each as it were to perfuse it selfe with its owne goodnesse which it liketh best but whereof without such mutuall provocations it was vnapprehensiue or vncapable nothing can rightly ioy but in the right fruition or enioyment of it selfe Sense which is the foundation of pleasure is but a redoubling of the sensitiue qualitie or temper vpon it selfe Touch is but an apprehension or feeling of its owne tactike qualities being actually moved by other of the same kinde If this motion be according to nature it is pleasant and this pleasure is but a reflection of the moâ—ue facultie vpon it selfe or motions fruition of it selfe The delight in like manner which we reape from contemplation is but a reflection of these vertuall Idaeas or internall characters which are instampt vpon the very substance of the soule as the colour of fire is in blades newly come out of the forge The divine nature hath fulnesse of ioy in himselfe and of himselfe being all-sufficient to contemplate and intirely to enioy his owne infinite goodnesse without any externalls to caule or occasion such reflection as we neede The Angelicall natures can thus likewise reflect vpon themselues and enioy as much felicitie as they contemplate of their owne entitie both which they haue from and in their Creator The soule of man in as much as it hath some reliques of Gods image in it must needes haue some seedes of morall besides transcendentall goodnesse neither of which it can of it selfe inioy because not able to reflect vpon it selfe or contemplate the seedes of truth and goodnesse imprinted in it without the helpe of some externalls sympathizing with them provoking them to make some Crisis of their owne inherence All the felicitie any nature is capable of is the entire vncumbred fruition of its totall entitie the onely meanes of mans fruition of himselfe or of his owne soule is his knowledge The full measure then of mans felicitie must consist in the mutuall penetrations embracements of entitie and knowledge when these be thus intimately and exactly commensurable according to every degree of diuisibilitie which either of them hath there can be no more addition of delight to the humane nature than of water to a vessell full to the brimme And seeing as well our entitie as knowledge doth essentially and intirely depend on God it is impossible our ioyes should be full vntill we see him and our selues in him In this life as we know so are we happie but in part or rather in spe not in re when we shall know as we are knowne we shall be wholly and fully happy In
XVI The generall fallacie by which Sathan seduced the World to acknowledge false Gods 1. THe manner how indefinite notions of the Deitie did branch themselues into Idolatrie though many haue attempted to handle at large none in my judgement haue so directly hitt as the Philosopher doth in a touch or glaunce The fallacie was in converting that Maxime or generall notion simply which was convertible onely by Accident All conceived of God as the best obiect they could conceiue whence many finding contentment to their desires beyond all measure of good distinctly knowne before forthwith collected that to be God which had given them such contentment Others more desirous to gratulate their extraordinary benefactors with more then vsuall respect then able to distinguish betweene the severall degrees or sorts of honor made bold to borrow such as was due vnto the divine power therewith to gratifie men and so by custome or bad example brought posteritie to pay that as an ordinary debt which in heate of affection or vnwildie exuitation of minde had beene mis-tendered by way of complement or lavish gratuitie In mindes not well acquainted with the severall kindes of things desireable nor with the degrees of their goodnesse it is alwayes easie for any good of higher degree or ranke then hath beene formerly tasted to intercept that respect or affection which by rule of justice belongeth onely to the best And the affection thus alienated or misguided disenables our inclinations for aspiring any higher For although the capacitie of the humane soule be in a manner infinite and all of vs infinitely desire to be happy yet our apprehensions of goodnesse or happinesse it selfe are confused and indistinct The best of vs vntill Gods spirit become our guide are no better then blind men in the choyce of things good From this natiue blindnesse of our appetites and apprehensions we infinitely desire that which first or most frequently possesseth our soules with delight though in its nature but a finite good and our desires being infinitely set on that which is but finitely good doe dull our sight dead our appetite and abate our capacities of that infinite goodnesse which we naturally long after Thus as heretofore is observed our desires of good ends which admit no bound or limit are often taken vp by the meanes whose acquaintance was onely sought for better compassing the end And many yong wits finding vnusuall refreshing in extemporary exchange of jâ—sts of pleasant discourse or in opening some veine of Poetry are in short time brought to confine themselues wholly to this kinde of dyet contented to be continually fed with froth otherwise framed for contemplation of such mysteries as might perpetually distill Nectar and Ambrosia 2. By a wittie resemblance directly subordinate to this generall occasion of error â—re intimated doth the noble Mornay expresse the manner of some Heathens seducements to worship the Hoast of Heaven This saith he so fell out as if some Rustique that thinkes a great deale better of himselfe when he hath on his holy daies suite permitted to come within the Court should mistake the first gawdie coate he mette with for his Prince or Soueraigne Heaven they conceived to be the seate or court of divine powers and the Sunne Moone and Starres being bodies glorious in themselues and sensible procurers of common benefits to men partly by reason of their place partly by that high ranke of excellency or goodnesse which they enioy amongst the partes of this visible world might easily be adored for gods by such as had small or no relish of any other good than what was sensible Some Barbarians as is said to this day thinke vs Christians but a kinde of senselesse creatures for worshipping a God whom we neither see heare nor feele neglecting the Sunne to whose comfortable beames more senses then one are beholding This report though not avouched by any authentique Relator whiles related in my hearing by some who avouched themselues eare-witnesses of such expostulations with Barbarians I could not reiect as incredible because not vnconsonant to Caesars Narration of the auncient Germanes The Germanes saith he which worshipped no Gods besides the Sunne the Moone c. of whose beneficence they were sensible Their manner of life as is well knowne was but simple without varietie of trades for supplying of necessities much more destitute of good arts or curious inventions for ornament of publique State otherwise their gods had beene more Had the mystery of Printing to omit other profitable inventions of moderne Germanes beene invented in those auncient times whereof Caesar writes Gutenberg of Ments to whom the Christian world is vnder God most beholding for this sacred Art might haue beene a God of higher esteeme throughout Germany than Mercury or Iupiter himselfe or any other God of the Germanes by Caesar mentioned For with most people of those times as Zenoes scholler had observed any profitable Invention was title sufficient to chalenge the esteeme or honor of a God even the things themselues so invented if rare or extraordinarily beneficiall were enstiled with the attributes of divine powers Thus as the wise man had observed the Heathens multiplied their gods according to the varietie of the matters which they principally desired or feared And Cotta deriding the Somnolent and sluggish gods of the Epicures doth in comparison acquite the Aegyptians from their grosse foppery in that they consecrated no beasts but for some publique benefit in their opinion received from them 3. Of publique benefits freedome from daunger was held a part whence those beasts how loathsome soever vnto whose annoyance they were most obnoxious were reverenced and feared as gods Not the Crocodile but had his peculiar rites or pacificall ceremonies howbeit his worshippers held it a point of religious policy to hold like correspondency with Iohneumon a kinde of water Rat which devoured this gods young ones To attribute divine honour vnto beasts how beneficiall soever may seeme to vs very grosse and without some other collaterall impulsiue causes scarce derivable from the former originall of this error But whatsoever the causes might be experience hath proued the effect not vnusuall amongst barbarous people in this age There be at this day in Samogithia many Idolaters which nourish a kinde of Serpents that go or creepe vpon foure short feet like Lizzards their bodies blackish and fat about some three handfulls in length and these they nourish as their houshold Gods And whilest they come or creepe vpon set daies by ceremoniall invitation vnto their meate the Master of the house with his familie attends them with feare and reverence to their repast at their repast vntill they returne vnto their place It is a strange Narration which this Author in the same place commends vnto vs vpon the credit of his Hoast Which how farre it is to be taken I referre it to such as will take paines to reade the Author himselfe or his words here quoted in
acknowledged by many to be the onely God from the former opinion became answerable to as many names as the world had principall parts and vpon diversitie of relations to effects or motioÌ„s presumed to issue from his amiable or liue presence subdivided into both sexes tearmed Neptune in the sea Liber in the vineyard Vulcan in the Smiths forge and Vagitanus in the Infants mouth in the aire Iuno in the earth Tellus Venilia in the sea-waue whilest current to the land Salatia in the same waue reciprocating The meere varietie of names or alteration of the sexe or gender would naturally suggest a multiplicity of gods and goddesses vnto the ignorant so would the diverse formes or shapes of those bodies whereof they imagined him to be the soule and spirit vnto the learned specially seeing the motions or operations of the elements or other inferior bodies haue no such vitall dependance vpon any one or few principall parts of the world as in man all other members with their functions haue on the heart the head and liver or perhappes all originally on the heart And yet the evident prerogatiue of these three parts hath perswaded great Philosophers to allot three severall soules really and locally distinct to each principall part one From which opinion it would with probability follow that in one man there should be three living creatures A plant a sensitiue and a rationall substaÌ„ce And Varro the most learned amongst the Romanes graunts that the auncient Romanes did worship mother Tellus Ops Proserpina and Vesta for distinct goddesses Though these titles in his refined Theologie rather imported so many severall vertues of the earth whose soule or spirit was but one And not absurdly as he thought might other goddesses be reduced to this olde Grandame Tellus But S. Austine demaunds how this can stand with the doctrine of his auncestors which had ordained severall rites to all these as vnto goddesses in nature different and consecrated peculiar votaries vnto Vesta It is not all one for one goddesse to haue many names and to be many goddesses or shall multiplicitie and vnitie be avouched of one and the same It may be saith Varro that in one many may be contained but this avoydes not the intended checke Saint Austine replies That as in one and the same man there may be many entities not many men so in one and the same goddesse there might be severall vertues not severall goddesses Varroes attempt to justifie his forefathers iolly and reconcile their grosse ignorance with his learned errors evidently bewrayes whose successors the Iesuites or other quaint moderne refiners of Schoole Paganismes are which hope to salue the contradictions of their doating forefathers and erring councells and patch vp the vnitie of their broken and divided Church by Schoole glue or Philosophicall querks 3. But concerning the animation of the world and its severall parts the opinions of Philosophers varied and their variation caused varietie of Idolatrie Every body had a peculiar spirit or genius besides Iupiter to whom the moderation of all was assigned whence we may without breach of charitie suppose the worshipping of dumbe and sencelesse creatures to haue beene a practise though wicked in all yet not altogether so brutish and sencelesse in some heathen as it is often generally censured without distinction For even the elements or inanimate creatures which they adored had in the opinion of some Philosophers their proper spirits though not to informe them as our soules doe our bodies yet to assist or guard them each of which spirits was held divine and indued with some peculiar power or vertue for producing or averting certaine effects proportionable to the bodies Authors for skill as well practicke as speculatiue not easie to be deceived and for their gravitie and morall honestie exempt from all suspition of purposed deluding others haue related strange apparitions about Mines The like might seduce some heathen to adore gold and silver not as mettalls but rather as visible pledges of an invisible Mammons presence conceived by them as a spirit or guardian of treasure by whose favour sollicited in peculiar rites or services wealth might either be gotten or increased The like conceit no question moved the â—ndians to present a Casket of gold jewels with such a solemne maske or superstitious daunce as they held most acceptable to their country-gods in hope Gold the Spanish God as they deemed it being pleased with their devotions would appease the Spanyards crueltie Why those semi-Christians should so hunger and thirst after gold and mettalls which could neither allay their hunger nor quench their thirst could not enter into these silly caitiffs hearts vnlesse it were to sacrifice it vnto some Mammon or spirit of Gold 4. Iulian the Apostata albeit he spared no cost to make Iupiter his friend whom he adored as King of gods and chiefe moderator of the world yet thought it no point of thrift or wisedome to neglect the Elementall spirits because these in the heathenish divinitie which he followed were powers truely divine able to qualifie their worshippers with the spirit of divination Neither was this opinion of their Deitie in the censure of those times or sects any Paradox nor the offering of placatory sacrifices any vnlawfull or superfluous practise Otherwise Amianus his plea to acquite his Master from suspition of sorcery or Magicall Exorcismes had beene as ridiculous in the sight of Heathens as it was impious in the judgement of Christians Because this Prince a professed louer of all sciences is by some maligned to haue gained the foreknowledge of things future by naughtie Arts we are briefely to advertise by what meanes a wise man as this Prince was may attaine vnto this kinde of learning or skill more than vulgar The spirit of all the elements saith this Author being enquickned by the vncessant motion of the celestiall bodies participate with vs the gift or facultie of divination and the favour of the substantiall powers or immortall substances being purchased by respectiue rituall observance the praediction of Fates or destinie is conveyed vnto mortalitie from them as from so many perpetuall springs or fountaines Over these substantiall powers the goddesse Themis sits as President so called by the Grecians because the iâ—revocable fatall decrees by her mediation become cognoscible This Themis the auncient Theologi haue therefore placed in the bedchamber and throne of Iupiter fountaine of life and liuelihood 5. Yet this conceipt of Themis soveraigntie was not the opinion of all or most auncient heathen Doctors For some haue taught that Tellus or the spirit of the Earth did giue Oracles before Themis medled in these businesses During the time of both their regencies Nox by others was esteemed at least as midwife of Revelations whereof sometime she had beene reputed Queene-mother because these secret praedictions of destinie or fatall doomes were vsually brought to light in silent darkenesses Not much different from Ammians Philosophy are
soules with two distinct habites of Religion one of latria wherewith wee serue God another of dulia whereby we tender such respect and service as is fit for Saints and Angells For every abstract number without addition or subtraction of any vnitie without any the least variation in it selfe necessarily includes a different proportion to every number that can be compared with it and so doth every sanctified or religious soule without any internall alteration or infusion of more habites or graces than that by which it is sanctified naturally bring forth three severall sorts of religious and respectfull demeanour 1. towards God 2. towards Saints or Angells 3. towards Princes men in authoritie or of morall worth As it is but one lesson Giue honour to whom honour loue to whom loue tribute to whom tribute so it is but one religious habite or rule of conscience that teacheth the practise of it And in some sense it may be graunted that men in authoritie or of morall worth must be worshipped with religious worship in another sense againe it must be denyed that Saints are to be worshipped with religious worship though worthy of some peculiar religious respect whereto Kings and Princes vnlesse Saints withall haue no title 4. The respect or service which we owe to others may take this denomination of Religious from three severall References First from the internall habit or religious rule of conscience which dictateth the acts of service or submission secondly from the intellectuall excellency or personall worth of the partie to whom they are tendred thirdly from the nature and qualitie of the acts or offices themselues which are tendred to them with the manner or circumstances of their tendring According to the first denomination we must worship vngodly Magistrates and irreligious Princes with religious Worship For if wee must doe all things for conscience sake and as in the sight of God our service wheresoever it is due must be no eye service no faigned respect All our actions and demeanours must be religious as Religion is opposed to hypocrisie dissimulation or time-serving And in this sense religious and civill Worship are not opposite but coordinate Men truely religious must be religiously civill in their demeanor towards others If our respect or service take the denomination of Religious from the personall worth or internall excellencie of the partie whom we worship it is most true wee are to worship Saints with more than meere civill Worship None of our Church I dare be bound will deny that godly and religious men must be reverenced not onely for their vertues meerely morall or politicke but for their sanctitie and devotion Yet is this all that the moderne Papist seekes to proue against vs. And from this Antecedent which needes no proofe he presently takes that for graunted which he shall never be able to prooue either from these or other premises to wit That Saints are to be worshipped with religious Worship as it is opposed to civill Worship His meaning if it reach the point in question must be this Wee are bound to offer vp the proper acts of Religion as prayers with other devotions by way of personall honour or service to the Saints This wee say is formall Idolatrie 5. It is one thing to tender our service in lowlinesse of spirit for conscience sake vnto the Prince another to tender him the service of our spirit or subiection of our consciences Religion binds me to bow my knee or vse other accustomed signes of obeysance in vnfaigned testimony that I acknowledge him Lord of my body armed with Authoritie from the Maker of it to take vengeance vpon it for deniall of its service Or in case he punish me without cause the bond of conscience and Religion tyes me to submit this outward man in humilitie of spirit to the vnlawfull exercise of his lawfull power rather than I should graunt him the command or disposall of my Religion or honour him with the acts or exercises of it In like sort the sight and presence of any whom God hath graced with extraordinary blessings of his Spirit will voluntarily extort signes of submissiue respect from every sanctified and religious spirit in vndoubted token that they reverence Gods gifts bestowed vpon him and heartily desire their soules might take some tincture or impression from his gratious carriage or instructions which they can hardly doe without some nearer linke of familiaritie and acquaintance or at least would doe so much better by how much the linke were closer or their vicinitie greater The right end and scope whereto the instinct of grace inherent in our soules doth direct these externall signes of submission is to woe their soules and spirits whom we thus reverence to some more intimate coniunction This submissiue reverence though not required by them is on our parts necessary for holding such consort or iust proportion with the abundant measure of Gods graces in them as we may draw comfort and perfection from them Contemplation of others excellency without this submissiue temper in our selues either stirres vp envie or occasioneth despaire and yet all that these outward and vnfaigned signes of submission can lawfully plight vnto them is the service of our bodies or inferior faculties These we could be content to sacrifice not to them but for their sakes alwayes provided that we doe not preiudice the right or dominion which our owne spirits and consciences haue over our bodies immediately vnder God But to offer vp the internall and proper fruits of the Spirit vnto them by way of tribute and honour is to dishonour to deny that God which made them The seedes of grace and true Religion are sowne immediately by his sole powerfull hand and their natiue of-spring acts of faith especially must be reserved entire and vntouched for him Prayers intrinsecally religious or devotions truely sacred are oblations which may not which cannot without open sacriledge be solemnly consecrated to any others honour but onely to his who infuseth the Spirit of prayer and thankesgiving into mens hearts The principall crime whereof we accuse the Romish Church and whereof such as purposely examine the inditement put vp by Reformed Churches against her and her children are to take speciall notice is her open professed direct intendment to honour them which are no gods with those prayers or devotions with these elevations of mindes and spirits wherewith they present the onely wise immortall King in Temples dedicated to his service He that prayed in olde times to an Idoll in a Groue destinated to his worship did wrong the true God after the same manner that he doth which robs him of his Tyths before they be set apart for his house But to come into his house of prayer with serious purpose to honour him with the sacrifice of a contrite or broken spirit and in the time of oblation to divert our best intentions to the honor of our fellow-creatures is worse than Ananias and Saphirahs sinne a lying to the
seene vaiâ—ely puffed vp in his fleshly minde If so maine a pillar of Christs Church as S. Iohn who foresaw the generall Apostasie from the sincere worship of God to Antichristian Idolatry were thus shaken with this temptation it was not to be expected that any after that Sathan who can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light was let loose should be able to stand without vigilant attention vnto Iohns admonitions and these fayre warnings which God had given the world in him and Cornelius A senselesse and reprobate stupiditie more than Iewish hath befallen most of the moderne Romanists for their wilfull relapse into Heathenish Idolatrie What heathenish Priest did ever frame an answere to the obiections of the Orthodoxe either so ridiculous in it selfe or which might argue such a respectlesse esteeme of the divine Maiestie whom they were chalenged to wrong as Vasquez and Salmeron with others haue made to this instance of S. Peter and Cornelius St Peter say these Iesuites in part approved by Bellarmine who loues to haue two strings to his deceiptfull Bowe disclaimed the worship offred him not as if it were not due vnto him How then In modestie Doth this make for them or against them If it were his modestie to refuse it from Cornelius it would be good manners in them not to offer it till they know more of his minde or meete him face to face as Cornelius did who yet did not presse him to take it as in good manners he should if out of modestie onely he had refused it But they haue made S. Peters Image of such a mettall as it will not easily blush charm'd it with such new distinctions as it shall not tremble whiles they doe such homage to it as would haue moved S. Peter himselfe no lesse than the peoples dauncing before the golden Calfe did Moses The Image they thinke doth well approue of their service in that it doth not disallow it nor bid them stand vp saying what it could not truely say albeit these Impostors could teach it to speake for I also am a man Yet if S. Peter himselfe heare their prayers and see their gestures to it as well as if he were amongst them will he not be as modest in Gods presence who is alwayes an vndoubted spectator of this their service as he was before Cornelius Will he not disavow their practise as quite contrary to his example and their doctrine as directly contradictory to his instructions And doe they truely honour or rather fouly vilifie S. Peter and the rest of Gods glorious Saints in obtruding greater honour to their Images of liuelesse wood and stone than any Christians offred to them whilest they liued or were they present yet are capable of CHAPTER XXVII That the respect which wee owe to Saints deceased supposing they were really present with vs doth differ onely in degree not in nature or qualitie from the respect which wee owe vnto true liuing Saints That the same expression of our respect or observance towardes Saints or Angells locally present cannot without supersitition or Idolatrie be made vnto them in their absence 1. SVppose St Peter or the Angell whom St Iohn proffered to adore should vndoubtedly appeare vnto vs and vouchsafe vs libertie of proposing our desires vnto them we might and would tender them respect and reverence not for their civill dignitie or hopes of promotion from them but for their personall sanctitie which should exceed all the reverence wee owe to ordinary godly men as much as the civill Honcaâ— we giue to Kings doth our civill respect of any subiect that is our better But as our soveraigne observance of Kings or supreame earthly Maiestie may not transcend the latitude of civill honour so neither might wee tender such honour reverence or worship to S. Peter or the Angell were they present as would transgresse the vtmost bounds of that respect or reverence which is in some measure due to every godly man The difference betweene our respect to Angells the blessed Virgine or to Saints of the highest ranke and the lowest may be greater in degree than the latitude of civill honour in respect of Monarchs and their meanest officers can afford because the amplitude of sanctifying grace doth for ought we know farre exceed the measure of morall vertues or latitude of civill dignitie But the severall observances which we owe to Kings and to others that are our betters in the ranke of subiects differ more in specificall qualitie and essence than the severall respects which are due to Angels or Saints of the highest order and to religious Lazarus were both equally present For Kings in matters concerning our goods or bodies haue a soveraigntie communicated to them from God not communicate by them to their greatest subiects so haue no Saints or Angels in matters spirituall any Lordship or dominion over vs wee owe no allegiance of our spirit saue onely to one Lord. Christ in these cases is our sole King whose felicitie is communicated to all his followers his soveraigntie to none in respect of him the greatest Saints and Angels be our fellow-subiects What respect or reverence then doe we owe them in respect of prayers or invocations suppose we might speake with them face to face As our necessities would compell vs to request their prayers to God for vs so good manners would reach vs to fit the manner of our observance or submissiue entreatie to the measure of their sanctitie or of that favour which they haue with God in respect of ordinary godly men whose prayers we craue with due observance of their persons The rule of religious discretion would so proportion our obedience to their instructions as their instructions are proportioned to the directions of vsuall Pastors we would be readie to doe them any bodily service with so much greater fidelitie and better affection than we doe to others as we conceiue them to be more faithfull and fervent in Gods service than others are But Religion it selfe and the rule of Gods word which they most exactly obey would restraine vs from falling downe before them with our bodies with purpose to lift vp our minds vnto them as to our patrons or secundary Mediators To offer vp the fruites of the spirit or consecrate the spirit of prayer and thankesgiving to the honour of any saue onely of him that made redeemed and sanctified our soules and spirits is wee maintaine it vnto death sacrilegious heathenish impiety Yet must dulia which these men consecrate wholly to the honour of Saints be of necessitie an essentiall part of the spirit of prayer if the prayers themselues which it brings forth be as they contend Cultus ver è religiosus true or intrinsecally religious worship Religion is the bond or linke betweene the Creator and the creature the essence of religious prayers consists in the elevation of the spirit the vse and end of the spirits elevation is that we may be ioyned in spirit with Christ To fixe
of reliques or worshipping of images their meaning was as if they had prayed that the Pope would approoue of whatsoever the people should publickly practise for it is but another part of the former conclusion that all whom he shall vouchsafe to canonize may be lawfully adored by the vniversall Church in publicke and solemne Liturgies so that to worship such is now more necessary than it was before 2. Never had the infernall powers since their fall so just occasion given them by any creatures of insultation and triumph at the wonderfull successe of their policies as by these latter Romanists who as well by Apologizing for their superstition towards the dead whereof others haue chalenged them as by seeking to reforme some grosse abuses whereof themselues were ashamed haue beene fetcht over to commit more detestable and more blasphemous idolatry with living men than any Heathen ever did with their deceased Heroicks with their false Gods or true devills Such as worshipped those beastly Romane Emperours whom their Successors consecrated were not bound to beleeue nor could their Successors perswade themselues that the Senate could not erre or doe amisse in decreeing divine honour to them That people not knowing what faith meant did onely as their chiefe Magistrates commanded them nor did these command all throughout the Empire to be partakers with them in their idolatrous worship But now to dispute whether the Pope doe well or amisse in canonizing men after death whom he knew not living is held a point of heresie or infidelitie His absolute infallibilitie as well in declaring who are Saints as in determining what honour is due vnto them is prest vpon vs as a Maxime of faith And is not this to worship him with divine honour That conceipt which the old Romanes had of their consecrated Emperours came as farre short of this divine excellency which Papists imagine in the Pope as the Iewes opinion of their Messias whom they expected should be a King doth of that esteeme which true Christians make of Christ whom they adore as God The superstitious knowledge or rather the practicall ignorance of the true God differeth no otherwise in Rome-Heathen and Rome-Christian than the ordinary knowledge of Christ in the old Testament and in the New The idolatry of Rome-Heathen agrees with the idolatry of Rome-Christian as the type or shadow with the body or substance 3. Bellarmine giveth Melancthon the lye for saying the Romish Church ascribes a divine power to Saints in knowing mens thoughts I aske them not knowing our thoughts how can they know our petitions No Catholique saith he did ever teach that they know our prayers as they are cōceived in our minds but as they are in God who reveales them to his Saints and Angels He would not thus fiercely avert the imputation of the Antecedent vnlesse he knew the inference to be legall and vnavoydable To pray then to Saints out of presumed beliefe that they know the secrets of our hearts were by his confession to ascribe a divinitie vnto them and to worship them with divine honour plaine idolatrie Therefore they pray vnto them out of assurance that God who sees our hearts acquaints them with our hearts desires Yet that one Saint that every Saint should by this meanes know every mans prayers that is enjoyned to pray vnto them necessarily supposeth a participation of that infinite knowledge which is incommunicable To see the secrets of mans heart is one of Gods peculiar titles If Saints by enioying his presence enioy this sight no reason can be conceived why in seeing him they may not see all things that are in him all that he sees And so they shall not be onely Gods but as was observed before Gods Almightie by participation But admitting that all such as enioy Gods presence doe heare our prayers I demaund what ground of beliefe Romane Catholiques can haue that many whom they must pray vnto are partakers of Gods presence Onely this The Pope hath canonized them But seeing the world is full of dissimulation and hypocrisie seeing men are partiall to giue better testimony of such as they seeke to preferre than they can deserue how can his Holines know them to be true Saints vnlesse he know their hearts by better testimony than humane As a Christian he knowes that onely the pure in heart enioy the blessed sight of God But how can he so infallibly know as becomes a Pope whether such as lived in England in Spaine in Asia America or other remote parts of the world were pure in heart or but hypocrites If he may erre in this knowledge the people must erre in practise 4. Their resolution of this point comes to this finall issue Saints celestiall see our hearts in seeing God Romane Catholiques see the integritie and puritie of their hearts whose faces they never saw in the Pope or by reading his decrees He stands as God to them on earth as the true God is to the Saints in heaven He knowes as certainely who goes to heaven and what they doe there as God knowes what is done in earth And out of this confident beliefe of his infallible all-seeing spirit his creatures pray to S. Francis Dominicke Aquinas as vnto secondary or intermediate Intercessors with the same assurance of faith that they doe to Christ as to their principall Mediatour And reason they haue so to doe God Almightie hath said that Christ is in heaven and the Pope hath sayd of Aquinas Dominicke or some other they are in heaven Thus like foolish Mariners or Fresh water Souldiers after they had beene long carried vp and downe with the blasts of vaine doctrine fearing ship-wracke in the open Ocean of former ages idolatrie and yet ashamed to returne to the Haven whence they loosed lest wise men should laugh at them they put in at the jawes of hell for Harbour SECTION V. Of the transformation of the Deitie or divine power in his nature attributes word or will revealed CHAPTER XLI Transformation of the divine nature doth issue from the same originall or generall fallacie from which Idolatrie and multiplicitie of Gods was observed to issue Chapter 17. 1. AMONGST the Heathen many who did not altogether so vainely multiplie their gods did most grossely misfigure the divine nature or God-head The common roote to both these branches of errour but from which the latter doth more directly spring and take more kindly was pronenesse to conceiue of matters heavenly and invisible according to the best forme or patterne which they had of matters visible or earthly Now to be sole Lord of the whole earth without consorts of like nature would be a life to the wisest and healthiest of men most irkesome And the Philosopher out of a popular opinion either of his owne or times more auncient makes competent store of friendes or alliances necessary supporters of faelicitie Now as that happinesse which in this life they hoped for supposed friends or other contentments so the common notion of the
whom any kind of iniquitie raignes Nor is it strange if selfe-loue which is the common nursery of all misconceipts in moralities bring forth delusorious imaginations of brotherly loues inherence in hearts wherin outragious malice keepes close residence seeing to be charitably minded towardes others is a qualitie that makes vs most commendable No man that thinkes too charitably of himselfe but will easily be perswaded that he is as charitable as any man living towards others towards such especially to whom charitie is most due To speake well of Christ and their King no man more forward than some kinde of drunkards What they haue heard concerning Christs loving kindnesse towards men they never apprehend so affectionately as when their hearts are dilated with pleasant liquor Of other loue and benignitie than what the cup doth minister they haue no distinct notion or experience And if at any time they be sweetly merry without quarrelling or offence or if each tickle other with exchange of mutuall applause or delightfull toyes they mistake their meetings for feasts of charitie Some of this sect will not sticke to professe how highly they scorne that any dull sowre Stoicks devotion at Gods board should be so well seasoned with loue as are their friendly pastimes at Bacchus table But if Gods Embassadour as time and place require shall open his mouth against them it is in their construction but to giue a vent vnto malice with whose abundance his heart would otherwise burst To thinke thus maliciously of others is held by them in this humor especially rather an effect than breach of charitie For not being able to distinguish that true and absolute good which they ought at all times most to affect from that which seemes good to them thus affected they kindly well-come their eager desires of enjoying the wonted pleasures of good fellowship without molestation for the fruits of peace There is no foule of the ayre nor beast of the field either by kinde or breeding so wilde or brutish as to abandon all tearmes of loue or desire of peace with some others but that excessiue loue which ravenous beasts beare to their yong ones or consorts doth still animate them with rage fury against man their lawfull Soveraigne and whets their appetite to devour and prey with more than wonted greedinesse vpon silly and harmelesse creatures In like sort that loue which bad minded men mutually foster among themselues alwayes proues the mother of deadly hatred and vncharitablenesse towards all such as loue God and his lawes for these are greatest enemies to that kinde of peace which they onely know and most desire Thus by a worse error than can rightly be emblematized by lxions fabulous imaginations the fumes of wine are often mistaken for the motions of the spirit factious amitie goes currant for true Christian societie riotous mirth or other vnhallowed solace is entertained as the comfort or peace of conscience and which is worst of all Christ is worse slaundered by such consorts than he was by the Scribes and Pharisees not for a companion onely of Publicanes and sinners but for a Patron of riot a friend of dissolutenesse 4. Yet are not these the principall offenders in this kinde because their offences though oftentimes fowlest in the sight of men are not so odious vnto the Searcher of all hearts as the enormities of others who presume more of his speciall favour and approbation Many biting vsurers or oppressors will be ready to interpret the extraordinary increase of their estate Marchants or great dealers their successe in cheating or vnconscionable bargainings ambitious mindes the atchieving of their bad suites or vnlawfull promotions as vndoubted blessings of their God and sure pledges of his peculiar providence when as in truth they are but baytes laid by Sathan to make them sacrifice in heart to their owne devises or to his lusts while with their lips they offer prayses vnto the Lord. All the misperswasions hitherto mentioned are but so many reciprocations of that deception which was observed before to be the maine Conduit or common spring of Idolatrie in the Heathen As they admitted all for gods which had done them any extraordinary good so the carnall minded Christian deriues every notable branch of sense-pleasing good from the onely true invisible God The transfiguration of divine essence is in both cases for qualitie the same albeit the Heathen Delinquent in ascribing wealth to Mercurie luxury to Bacchus the one conceived as a god of cunning the other of ryot both flexible to mens desires that would worship them did lesse offend than Christians aequally exorbitant doe in making the pure immaculate Essence author abettor or approver of their exorbitances Any furtherance of naughtie desires or approbation of vnrighteous dealing suite worse with the knowne nature of the true God than the imagination of false gods fitted to such desires did with those broken notions which the vulgar Heathen had of the Deitie The worst that can be objected to any Heathen was their adoration of monstrous of vile or vgly creatures for gods The Christian in what kinde soever alike exorbitant if we compare his secret perswasions or presumptions either of Gods favourable affection or indulgence towards his person or approbation of his enormous actions with his professed beliefe of the same Gods absolute puritie justice holinesse and vnpartialitie makes the Almightie Creator which made him man that is the comeliest of all visible creatures an hideous deformed monster The fashioning of this invisible Creator in visible shape the multiplication of supposed divine powers so fashioned were rather accessaries than principalls in the nature of this sinne which we now reproue At the least to distract or divide the divine power into severall formes or portions not much disagreeable to some particular distinct attributes of the true God is lesse abominable than to frame a multiplicitie of contrary wills or commixture of dissonant affections or resolutions in one indivisible eternall immutable Essence The divine nature saith Nyssen whatsoever it be besides for who can comprehend it is goodnesse holinesse power glorie puritie aeternitie Who is he then may safely say to him My Father He whose nature is goodnesse can be no favourer of bad desires no patron of wicked purposes He whose truth shines in whatsoever is good can be no countenancer of the oppressor or malefactor If one whose conscience is branded with foule sinnes shall before repentance claime kindred of God and being vniust and filthy say to that iust and holy one My father his mouth whiles he repeates his Pater Noster vents no prayers but contumelious slaunders against God For by calling him Father whiles he nourisheth any knowne sinnes in his heart he makes him author and countenancer of his mischievous imaginations These and the like declarations of this ancient and learned writer vpon the Lords prayer may serue as an orthodoxall Paraphrase or iust Comment vpon these sacred Texts of Scriptures Vnto the wicked saith
stupiditie tremble at their sencelesse petulancy in this argument As the learned Papist hath no parallell the Iew excepted in this kinde so in the maine points of their Religion as in the doctrines concerning the authoritie of the Church and the sacrifice of the Masse they doe not goe so much beyond others as besides themselues The waight or consequence of the matters conteined in the mentioned controversies breeds an extreme desire to haue their profitable tenents countenanced by sacred authoritie and extremitie of desire an vnsatiable thirst or greedinesse of lucking wringing those Texts of Scripture which in colour of words or literall shew doe seeme at first sight to make somewhat for them but in truth and substance manifest the poyson of their doctrine and argue their eager appetite in maintaining it to be a spice or symptome of spirituall madnesse To proue the sacrifice of the Masse some not content to vrge that of the Prophet And they shall offer a pure oblation to me in all places or Melchisedeckes offering consecrated bread and wine which being once granted would everlastingly over-throw it would perswade vs the latine Missa was coyned in the Hebrew mint from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masas which in the first signification imports as much as to blow whence the Verball 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Missah in a secondary sence signifieth tribute or Pole-money The implication is the very name of the Masse imports that this oblation or sacrifice is Gods tribute to be paid vnto him as duely as Peter-pence is to the Pope Their owne acknowledgement of this doting fancy in some of their writers leaues a suspition whether it were a true relation rather then a meere iest put vpon that ignorant Priest who being put to finde the word Masse in the Scriptures after a long and wearisome search when he was ready to giue over or fall asleepe lighting vpon those words in the first of Iohn Invenimus Messiam cryed out Wee haue found the Masse we haue found the Masse to the confusion of the Heretiques 2. I know not whether the Prophets interpretations of dreames and visions were of greater force to perswade the Heathen that the spirit of the immortall Gods did dwell in them than such dreaming interpretations as latter Iewes doe make of Prophecies or other divine Oracles are or might be of for confirming Christians beliefe that the Lord hath sent a spirit of slumber vpon them so like they are in their comments or meditations vpon Scriptures concerning Christ vnto such as dreame The same phantasmes which by floting in our braines breed dreames by night present themselues to our waking thoughts by day but want opportunitie to deceiue so long as our eyes and eares are open to receiue forraigne information But whiles the externall senses which serue as witnesses and that principall internall sense which sittes as chiefe Magistrate in the inferior part of the soule are surprized by sleepe the vainest fancies the braine can represent passe for currant without examination or checke The phantasie or common sense is as credulous of their suggestions or obtrusions as illiterate ignorant or vnexperienced people are of counterfeit commissions or pretended warrants As at this instant though I think of my good friends in London yet the sight of Oxford and other vndoubted pledges of my presence in this place wherein I am will not suffer my soule to be miscarried with false imaginations of being elswhere whereas whiles the gates of these outward senses are shut and the passages from the principall sense internall or examinatiue facultie stopped the modell of that famous Cittie rouling in my fantasie would forthwith breede an imagination that I were in it in their presence whose image or representation onely is present with me Vpon appearances altogether as light and frivolous are the Iewes transported from Christ now fully manifested and presented to them to imbrace such shadowes or prefigurations of him as had fallen out in the dayes of their Patriarkes or ancient Kings No man that reades their writings but will perceiue many phantasmes or modelles of Evangelicall truth swimming in their heads but the vaile being laid before their hearts disenables their iudgements for distinguishing figures from substances or apparitions from realities 3. The reliques of orthodoxall truths which vnto this day worke in this heartlesse peoples braines would be sufficient to forme Christ crucified in the hearts of Heathens not given vp to a reprobate sense For example that practicall pre-notion Gebher hath sinned Gebher must be punished wheron they ground their ceremonies in the feast of atonement being construed according to its literall and naturall sense is in effect the same with that divine Oracle As by man came death so by man came the resurrection of the dead or with that fundamentall Article of our beliefe that man was to satisfie for the sinnes of men But the passages of these latter Iewes internall senses being lockt vp in a deeper slumber in the day of their solemne feasts then our externall senses are in the dead of the night the cleare representatiō of the former Christian truth makes no impression in their heart but vanisheth into a heathenish dreame Like so many men that vse to walke and raue in their sleepe they vnwittingly act our Saviours sufferings after the manner of an Interlude putting Gebher which in their Rabbinicall language signifieth a Cock for meere affinitie of name for Gebher in Hebrew signifieth a man vnto all the tortures they can devise adding withall that every Gebher every man amongst them deserues to be so dealt withall as they deale with this poore creature Nor is any creature of this kind so fit for this purpose in their fantasie as a white one Their severall phantasmes or pre-notions concerning this mystery rightly put together and examined by vigilant thoughts signifie thus much that the matter of the sacrifice by which the atonement for mans sin was to be wrought was to be a Gebher a man without blemish or spot of sinne 4. If any prophecie include the least historicall reference or allusion to Abraham to Moses David or Solomon as the first draught almost of every Prophecie is some former History this is a motiue sufficient to these blinde guides to interpret the place as wholly meant of these types alone Christ who is the body therein presented God blessed forever which vpholdeth all things by the power of his word the very Center though they perceiue it not whereon their soules doe rest hath no more place in our thoughts than the bed wherein we lye hath in our night imaginations of walking or talking with our friends either deceased or farre absent Every metaphor or resemblance borrowed from things visible as mouldes for fashioning our conceits of matters spirituall or invisible to be accomplished in the life to come make these miserable wretches quite forget the estate as well wherein they are as whence they are fallen and cast them into pleasant dreames of
was in him But the particular branches of this dutie spring more directly out of the Articles concerning Christ vnto such knowledge of whom so much as may bring forth the true similitude of his minde the true knowledge of the divine nature and generall attributes is by way of method necessary and vnto this knowledge the generalities of the former principle presupposed and practised there is yet a more excellent way CHAPTER LI. The best meanes to rectifie and perfect our knowledge of God is to loue him sincerely Of the mutuall ayde or furtherance which the loue of God and the knowledge of God reciprocally and in a manner circularly afford each to other in their setting and growth 1. TO make loue the mother and knowledge the daughter will seeme an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or meere inversion of natures progresse from whose footesteps the common Maxime vnseene vnsought after or as the Latines expresse it Ignoti nulla cupido vnknowne vndesired hath beene gathered by the investigators of truth The very essences of desire and loue especially of things not actually enioyed are so closely enterwrapt and linkt together that for knowledge or whatsoever is no essentiall part of themselues to interpose or come betweene them is impossible If then knowledge according to the former saying be alwayes presupposed to desire how should it be the ofspring of loue 2. The former Maxime notwithstanding if I much mistake not though within its limits without controlle yet rightly examined hath no just authoritie saue onely in such expresse and actuall desires as are fashioned to determinate particulars desired It no way stretcheth to that mother desire which all men naturally haue of knowledge indefinitely taken This alwayes workes before we are aware and all of vs desire to know before we know what knowledge or desire meaneth This natiue desire of knowledge no man I thinke were he to speake directly and bona fide to this point would avouch to be different from the desire of happinesse alike naturally and inseparably rooted in all One the same inclination of the reasonable nature swayes to happinesse as to the end or marke through knowledge as the entry or passage but often miscarries not so much through faint intention or remisse endevours as from too hastie levell vnsteadie loose or immature delivery before it be furnished with internall weight to ballance it selfe against externall impulsions or attractions Goodnesse divine in whose fruition this happinesse consisteth was the port for which the Philosophers in their intricate disputes were bound the point whereon the former desire is by nature directly set but from which the alacrious endevours or vigorous intentions of men most greedie of knowledge vsually divert as far as an headlesse vnfeathered flight shot out of a strong bow in a mightie winde doth from the marke whereto the Archer would haue sent it Not the most exquisite knowledge of natures secrecies of every creature in the world can adde ought vnto our happinesse otherwise than by rectifying or right levelling that inbredde desire which impells or swayes vs to this anxious search of knowledge For knowledge it selfe we desire onely as it is good whereas no goodnesse saue divine can giue satisfaction to this desire Vnto this point or center of the soules rest and contentment which Philosophers sought vp and downe by as many Arch-lines as there be spheres or circles in the severall workes of nature the Psalmist directs vs by a short corde or string Delight thou in the Lord and he shall giue thee thy hearts desire Psal 37.4 And our hearts desire includes at least such a measure of knowledge and true happinesse as in this life is fittest for vs. But as we may in some sort desire his goodnesse may we so truely delight in him whom wee haue not knowne Is it true of our hearts what Iacob said of Bethel Are they indeed the houses of God is he in them and wee are not aware of his presence 3. Of things in their nature sensible but never apprehended by any particular sense there may be an implanted hate or loathing As whatsoever the mother neare childebirth hath beene affrighted or misaffected with will be misliked by the childe brought forth Hence doe these secret enmities which some reasonable creatures beare to dumbe beasts which never offended them vsually growe The Paroxysmes or fits of this dislike are never occasioned but by sight or feeling or some other sensitiue actuall apprehensions of matters thus offensiue howbeit some grudgings of the same disease may be procured by meere vicinitie or the vnknowne presence of the adversary as I haue known some men restlesse after hard labour and ever and anone to refuse the seate of their wonted rest not knowing any reason why so they did till search being made the sight of their adversary that was a Cat did bring their fit vpon them And yet I make no question but either delightful imployments exercise of the spirit and senses or the company of louely creatures might easily haue either prevented the working of the Antipathie or deaded all impression of irkesomnesse or dislike although their badde neighbour had still beene present As dislike and hate from antipathie so loue or delight may be raised from secret contact or vicinitie of sympathizing natures And whether we holde our soules to be immediately created of nothing or to spring as branches from our parents both wayes they may be capable of impressions from Gods presence which though for the most part vnapprehended is alwayes intimate and immediate to them as well in their operations as productions and would vndoubtedly fill them with secret joy did we not either giue preposterous issue to such gladnesse as by the sympathie is often vnwittingly raised in our hearts or stifle the first workings or intimations of it by contrary motions of vnhallowed mirth Were those secret rayes of warmth and comfort which daily issue from his brightnesse not cast as they vsually are vpon secondary causes or by-standing creatures but reflected vpon their fountaine the light of his countenance would more clearly shine vpon vs and instampe our mindes with the right portraicture of his perfections imitable The summe of the Psalmists late mentioned advise is to nurse the sympathizing instincts or seeds of secret joy but by abandoning all delight saue in those practises which preserue the health and peace of conscience For to delight in the Lord and in his law are with him tearmes synonymall Vnto this point the last passages of the fourth booke as of laying vp Gods word in our hearts of giving mature and right vent to internall motions or suggestions haue as the Reader will easily perceiue peculiar and immediate reference The imperfect light of speculatiue or artificiall knowledge may well beget some heate of loue but the perfection or splendor of knowledge divine cannot spring but from loue throughly kindled and bursting out into a flame which it seldome doth if those inward touches of
hath nothing in it which was not first in the phantasie illuminated by the actiue vnderstanding nor could it euer reiect any information given in by the phantasie thus inlightned as is supposed by the noblest facultie of the reasonable Soule 2. Others there be who haue well refuted all intelligible formes or impressions of abstract Phantasmes vpon the vnderstanding which neverthelesse by going too farre against Platonicall Ideas or notions imprinted by nature haue made their owne opinion otherwise allowable obnoxious to the former inconveniences Actuall Intellection or vnderstanding to their apprehensions consists wholy in the true imitation of things presented and then we are said to vnderstand when the reasonable soule Proteus-like transformes herselfe into new similitudes not when it puts on their forme as it were alreadie made fit for her by the actiue vnderstanding and the phantasie All this being granted the former difficulties full remaine first how we should rightly vnderstand the materiall entities never presented by sense secondly how the reasonable soule should make vndoubted triall whether her own imitations of what sense presents vnto her be exact and true The great Philosopher himselfe from whose discourses the former broken Axioms are borrowed graunts that brute beasts haue no sense or apprehensions of their sensitiue functions although they haue oftimes a more liuely sense of externall obiects than man hath it is then mans peculiar to haue a true sense and iudgement of all his own functions whether sensitiue or intellectiue This reflexed apprehensions or revise whether of sensitiue impressions or intellectuall functions excited by them necessarily supposeth some rule or copy pre-existent by which their examination should be tryed Imposble it is this rule or copie should be taken from sense or any actuall intellection by sense occasioned both these being to be ruled or examined by it Regula autem est prior regulata CHAP. XI How farre Platoes opinion may be admitted that all Knowledge is but a kind of reminiscence or calling that to minde which was in some sort knowne before 1. PLATOES opinion that all acquired science is but a kind of reminisence though it suppose a grosse error is not altogether so erroneous but that it may lead vs vnto that truth from whose misapprehension happily it first sprung That our soules whiles they liued as he supposed long time they did a single celestiall life should be plentifully furnisht with all manner of knowledge but instantly loose all by matching with these harlotrie bodies was a conceit more wittie in him than warrantable in vs vnto whom God hath revealed the true reason of that Probleme the desire of whose resolutioÌ„ enforced him to this supposall of the Soules existence before the bodie More divine wee know by much then Plato could imagine any was that knowledge wherewith our first Parents soule though concreated with his bodie was instamped Not Aristotle himselfe with the helpe of all the Philosophers which had gone before him not after his laborious workes de Hist animal could so readily haue invented names for living creatures so well expressing their seuerall natures as Adam not a full day old gaue them at their first appearance Such notwithstanding as his was might our knowledge of all things haue beene vnlesse his fall by Gods iust iudgement had beene our ruine That oblivion then or obstupefaction wherein our soules as Plato dreames are miserably drencht by their delapse into these bodily sinks of corruption wee may more truely deriue from that pollution which we naturally draw from our first Parents wherewith our soules at first commixture with our bodies are no lesse soiled the characters of truth imprinted in them no lesse obliterated then if they had beene perpetually soakt in them since the first creation All of vs by nature seeke after knowledge as an inheritance whereto we thinke we haue iust title and auncient copies could we reade them of the originall evidences which our auncestors sometimes had 2. For what should impell vs to this sollicitous search no humane wit can divine vnlesse we graunt some such reliques or fragments of vniversall truth once had but now lost to reside yet in our collapsed natures as oftimes runne in our thoughts whiles surprised with oblivion of some particulars which we much desire to call to minde As wee cannot call ought to minde which we haue not actually and expresly knowne before so is it impossible wee should certainly know any things actually or expresly whose notion or Character was not in some sort formerly imprinted in our intellectiue facultie Remembrance knowledge expresse or actuall and these ingraffed notions differ onely as Adam Seth and Enoch did not by nature but in manner of descent Seth had a father as well as Enoch yet a father not begotten by a former father but created In like manner knowledge expresse or acquired cannot but proceede from knowledge pre-existent not acquired or expresse but implanted vnapprehended And as remembrance is but a reiteration of actuall knowledge so is actuall knowledge but an apprehension of imprinted notions pre-existent though latent These two parts of Platoes assertion we must admit as absolutely true First We can vnderstand nothing without vs but by recourse vnto these Ideall notions which are within vs not abstracted or severed from vs as he is wrongfully charged to haue taught Secondly As for a Master to seeke his fugitiue servant amongst a multitude were vaine vnlesse he had some pre-notions markes or notice of his shape or favour or carried some picture drawne by others to compare with his face never seene by him before so for vs to seeke the knowledge of any matters before vnknowne vnlesse we had some modell or character of them framed by nature would be altogether as bootlesse Those Ideall notions whereof this Philosopher and his followers so much speake are in true Divinitie the prints or characters of truth ingraven vpon our soules by the finger of our Creator And so many of these prints or reliques of divine impressions as wee can distinctly hunt out or discover so much of Gods image is renued in vs. CHAP. XII After what manner the Ideall or ingraffed Notions are in the soule 1. THe difficulties whose accurate discussion would cleare this whole businesse are especially two first the manner of these notions inherence or implantations in our soules Secondly by what meanes their distinct notice or apprehensions are suggested Their opinion which thinke these characters though latent should be in our soules after the same manner as Letters written with the iuice of Onions are in paper though not legible admitteth some difficultie For were they so distinct well severed in the soule though not apparant error would not be so riâ—e when they appeare nor should the sense delude the vnderstanding with such false shewes or resemblances as it often obtrudes vnto it the flesh could not intice the spirit to embrace that for an vndoubted and inestimable good which hath lesse similitude with true