Pilgrimage, Book 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Of God, one in Nature, three in Persons, the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost.
THE Poets were wont to lay the foundations and first beginnings of their poeticall Fabrikes, Homer, Virgil, Ouid, &c.with inuocation of their Gods and Muses, although those workes were sutable to such workmen, who according to their names were Makers, of those both Poems and Gods. I, as far short of their learning, as beyond them in the scope of my desires, would so farre imitate their maner, in this matter which I intend; that, although I enuie not to some their foolish claime of that Poeticall (not propheticall) inheritance, to make my Maker: and my matter, as in a Historie (not a Poeme) must bee made to my hands: Yet in a Historie of Religion, which hath or should hauehave God to be the aApoc. 1.9.Alpha and Omega, the efficient, from whom, the end to whom it proceedeth: the matter, of whom, the forme by whom and whose direction, it entreateth; I could not but make a religion to begin this discourse of Religion at him; this being the way which all men take to come to him. First therefore I beseech him that is the first and last, the eternall Father, in the name of his beloued and onelyonly Sonne, by the light of his holy and all-seeing Spirit, to guide me in this perambulation of the World, so to take view of the Times, Places, and Customes therein, as may testifie my religious bond to him, whose I am, and whom I serue: and the seruice I owe vntounto his Church, if at least this my Mite may be seruiceable to the least of the least therein: that he as he is in him selfe the beginning and ending, Apoc.1.8.so he would bee, in some measure, of this worke the Author and finisher, that in beholding this Mappe of so infinitely diuersified superstitions, we may be more thankefull for, and more zealous of, that true and onelyonly Religion, which Christ by his bloud hath procured, by his word reuealed, by his spirit sealed, and will reward eternally in the heauens. And hereto let all Christian readers say with me Amen, to him which is bApoc. 3.14.Amen, that witnesse faithfull and true, that forsaking all the by-wayes which this Labyrinth exhibiteth, we may receiue his witnesse as faithfull and true Disciples, that follow the Lambe whither soeuer he goeth, and will not heare the voice of strangers.
In the next place, I hold it not vnfit briefely to expresse somewhat of Him, which indeede and throughly can neuer be expressed. For the wisest of the Prophets hath said of him and to him, that the c1. King. 8.27.heauens and heauens of heauens, are not able to containe him: and the d2 Cor.12.11.chiefe, or at least he which was not inferiour to the chiefe of the Apostles, as rauished with such a height, and swallowed in such a depth, cried eRo.11.33.O Altitudo, O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes past finding out? As for my selfe, I may most fitly borrow the words of AGVR, fProu.30.2.Surely I am more foolish than any man, and hauehave not the vnderstanding of a man in me: Ver.3.For I hauehave not learned wisedome nor attained to the knowledge of boly things. Ver.4.Yea indeede, who hath ascended vp to Heauen, and descended? Who hath gathered the Winde in his fist? Who hath bound the Waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the World? What is his name, and what is his Sonnes name if thou canst tell? Tell this mysterie we cannot. And yet so farre as he hath told vsus by his word and workes, we may. Of the one the next words testifie: Ver.5.EueryEvery word of God is pure: Of the other elsewhere: gPs.19.1.The heauens declare the glorie of God: hRo.1.20.and The inuisible things of him, that is his eternall power and god-head, are seen by the creation of the world, being considered in his workes. iAR.14.17.God hath not (therefore) left himselfe without witnesse, who besides the testimonie of Nature, written in our hearts, hath added those of the Scripture and of the Creature, that this threefold Cord might not easily be broken, and by the mouth of two or three witnesses, we might learne plainely that he is, and in some measure what he is. That there is a God: Heauen and Earth, Angels and Deuils, Man and Beast, Reason and Sense, Greeke and Barbarian, science in the most, in the rest conscience, as a thousand witnesses, all that wee see, and which we see not, say and proclaime, that all may see, and in maner palpably feele his present deitie; in kAct.17.18.whom we liue, moue, and hauehave our beeing. lD. King lect. in Ion.4. foreign. Hitro. ille Cicero.This is a common notion, and impression, sealed vp in the minde of eueryevery man: a remnant of integritie after the fall of ADAM, a substance or blessing in the dead Elme, sparkles of fire raked vp vnderunder the ashes, which cannot die whiles the soule liueth. What a one he is, is not so deeply ingrauen in Nature, Nat. Doi. li.1. Nomen qu…a dat notitiam.whose owlish eies are dazled with the brightnesse of this light. But when heere wee might renue the question, What is his name, and what is his sonnes name? he himselfe answereth in scripture by attributing to himselfe such names, whereby wee may know him as the Creator from all creatures, as the true God from all false Gods: and so farre as is meet and necessary to our saluation. Hee then that dwelleth in light inaccessible, whom no man hath seene, nor can see m1.Io.3.2.as he is, in this our infancie, hath manifested himselfe vntounto vsus, n1.Co.13.12.as through a glasse darkely, that we may with MOSES hauehave some glauncing oExod.34.6.view of his hinder parts.
These names and diuine attributes I meane not with large explications heere to expresse, as not so fitting my abilitie, or purpose, & being by *Dionys. de Diuinis nomin. P. Galatin. de Arcanis, l.3. Zanchius de. Nat. Dei. l.1 Bullinger. de Origine erroris, l.1.others learnedly done already: Yet to say a litle, where the tongues of men & Angels cannot say enough: the scripture attributeth, or he in Scripture attributeth to himselfe, names, in regard both of author & obiect diuine; sometimes (as they terme it) in the *As true, wise, liuing &c.concrete; sometimes in the *As truth, wisedome, life, &c.abstract; the first signifying his perfect subsistence; the other his supersubsisting perfection; those more fitted to our capacity; these to his diuinitie: who eternally & effentially is, whatsoeuer he is said to be, or in himselfe to hauehave. And therefore all perfections are in him but one, and this one himselfe, eueryevery way infinite and incomprehensible, nothing being in him either by participation, or as a qualitie, or as a naturall faculty, or as a mutable passion, or in such sort simply, as wee (whose vnderstandings are limited in their finite bounds, and for that cause receiuing in a finite measure, conceiuing in a finite maner) do or can comprēhend. Who can take vp the Ocean in a spoone? and yet these are both finite, and hold neerer proportion than the great Creator, and the greatest of creatures. Yet is this glimpse of this bright shining Sunne comfortable through this chinke and key-hole of our bodily prison, and euen the Taste of these Delicacies, more than sweete and delectable. Some of these names are attributed to him in regard of his being, in it selfe considered, as Iehouah, Iah, Ehieh; and some in regard of the persons which al hauehave that one being, and eueryevery of which hauehave all that being, which pHock. Etclisiast. Polit. li. 5.in it selfe is indiuidually one: and their seueral manners of hauing it, is that which is called their personall proprietie and incommunicable. Such a name is, Elohim, applied to the Father, Sonne, and Holie-Ghost, in signification mightie, in forme plurall. Some of these names are such as are communicated to Creatures also, but with this difference, that those which in the Creature are borrowed, imperfect, accidentall, are in him Nature, Perfection, Substance. Some are absolutely considered as he is God blessed for euer; some relatiuely with respect vntounto his Creatures. De Dco etiam vera loqui periculusum. Arnob.in Psal. 91. Aug de Trin. li.1.c.3.Some againe are Negatiuely spoken, others affirmatiuely: some properly, others by a figure. But this is indeed a thornie waie, of which we may say with AVGVSTINE, Nothing is missed more dangerously, nothing sought more laboriously, nothing found more profitably. Euen the Angelicall Seraphins had their qEs.6.2.sixe wings, whereof two serued to execute their prompt obedience; two couered their feet, because of mans weaknesse not able to comprehend their glory; and yet they themselues thus glorious, with two other wings couered their face, as not able to endure the brightnesse of a greater glorie. Let vsus then be wise, but to rRom.12.3.sobriety. Let vsus go to the Lambe to vnclaspe this sealed booke. sCol.2.3.For in him all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid. Let vsus so know as we may be knowne, and so tPhi.3.10.comprehend as we may rather be comprehended. Let vsus feare, louelove, beleeue, and serue him: and then God will uPs 25.9.teach the humble his waie, and *10.7.17.They which will doe him will shall know of the doctrine. This is our way to eternall life, thus to know him, and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ: if namely we so learne xEph 4.21.Christ as the Truth is in Iesus, if we y1.Co.3.18.become fooles that we may be wise, and putting off the old man be renued in the spirit of our mindes, and put on the new man which after God is shapen in righteousnes and irue holynesse. Otherwise, we z1.Co.8.2.know nothing as we ought to know, otherwise, we know nothing more, nor so much as the Diuels know. aPro.1.7.The feare of the Lord is the beginning of this wisedome. And for this cause hath he called himselfe, and proclaimed those his names, bEx.34.6.Iehoua, Iehoua, strong, mercifull and gratious, slowe to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth, &c. and the like in other places; not that we may know to know, (a foolish curiositie) but that hauing such light, wee may beleeue and walke in the light, that wee may be children of the light. Iehoua the most essentiall (and after the Iewish superstition ineffable) name of God, is not therefore only reuealed to vsus that we may know him in himselfe and of himselfe to be, cHeb.13.8.Yesterday, to day and the same for euer, dApoc.1.8.which is, which was, which is to come: but also as the Creator, of whom, in whom, and for whom are all things: and as the redeemler; which is known by his name Iehoua as himselfe eEx.6.3.interpreteth it, by giuing a reall being, and accomplishment to his promises. In which one name (as in others of like signification) is expressed the simplicity, Immutability, Infinitenesse, blessednesse, eternity, life, perfection and other attributes of God. When he calleth himselfe strong, therein is declared his almightie power, whether wee vnderstand it actually in producing and preseruing all things in heauen and earth; or absolutely, whereby he is able to do euen those things which in his wisedome he doth not: whereby he is able to doe all things which either *Quae contradictionem implicant sub diuina omnipotensia non continen…ur. Non pro defectis potentiae, sed quia non possunt habere rationem patibilis vel possibilis. Conuenientius dicitur, quòd eae non possunt fieri, quàm qùòd Deus non pessit facere. Aq.1.q.25. art.3. & d.in themselues (as implying contradiction) or with him (as imperfections) are not impossible, both those kindes not excluding, but concluding the power of God, which because he is almightie, f2.Tim.2.12.cannot lie or denie himselfe.
What should I speake of his wisedome, whereby all things are open in his sight, both himselfe, and his creatures, past, present or to come, and that not as past or future, but with one, eternall, perfect, certaine, immediate act of knowledge, which in regard of second causes are necessary or contingent, or in effect but meerely possible, and neuer actually subsisting. Truth is in him as a root, from whence it is first in the being; next in the vnderstanding; thirdly in the writing or saying of the creature. True he is in himselfe, in his workes ordinary, and extraordinary, and in his word reuealed by the Prophets and Apostles. What should I adde of his goodnesse, grace, louelove, mercy, Iustice, and other his attributes and names not yet mentioned? as Adonai, which signifieth the Dominion of God due to him, by Creation, by purchase, by mutuall couenant. Saddai, which signifieth his all-sufficience; Ehie, his eternall stabilitie; and others. Yea in one Chapter gP Gal. l. 2. c.13.14.Cod.PETRVS GALATINVS rehearseth threescore and twelue names of God out of the Rabbines workes, multiplied and diuersified in ten sorts, which make in all seuen hundred and twentie names. To dilate of these at large would aske so many large Commentaries, and yet euen then should we still finde this God incomprehensible; of whom we may, in respect of our capacitie, rather say what he is not, Deus vbique est, vel magis propriè est ipsam vbique. Trelcat.than what he is, whose goodnesse is not to be distinguished by qualitie, or his greatnesse discerned by quantitie, or his eternitie measured by time, or his presence bounded by place: of whom all things are to be conceiued, beyond whatsoeuer wee can conceiue.
The Persons, Deus vnus in Trinitate, trinus in vnitate. Arnob. in Psal. 145.which communicate in this Diuine Nature, are three: This is their owne witnesse of themselues; There are three which beare record in Heauen, the Father, the Word, and the Spit it, and these three are one. This mysterie was manifested in the hMat.3. Zanch. de 3. Elohim haec fuse.baptisme of Christ, and in our baptisme in the name of the Father, Sonne, and Holy-Ghost. The Angels vntounto this glorious Trinitie iEsay.6.sing their Holy, Holy, Holy: the Scripture it selfe applying that which there may be interpreted of the Father, both to the Sonne Io. 12.41. and to the Spirit, Act. 28.25. These with other places do also signifie their personall distinction. The creation was not only the Fathers worke, but also of the other persons, as appeareth by that nowne plurall ioined to a verb singular in the first words of MOSES, and other like plurall appellations Es. 44.24 and Es.54.5.2.Sam.7.23. & many such places. foreignThe Apostles apply the couenant, worship, and works of God mentioned in the Old Testament, to the Sonne and holy Ghost in the New, neither can the one be the Sonne, or the other the spirit of God, naturally and in proper maner of speech, but they must also subsist in the same Nature with the Father, which being infinite, spirituall, immutable, can be but one, which must wholly, or not at all, be communicated. In a word, the equalitie, the names, the proprieties, the workes, the worship peculiar to God, are applied to the Sonne and Holy Ghost, equally with the Father. Which they, that list, may learne in such as especially treate of this subiect: where this mysterie of the Trinitie is auerred against all heretikes, Iewes, and Infidells: Yea by some kMorn.de.ver. C.R. P Gal. I.I2. alijque plurimi.also, out of their owne authentike Authors, whether they receiue Scriptures, Rabbines, Philosophers or any other. I intend only to annoint the doore-posts of this house with this discourse, that I may make a fitter entrie thereinto, leauing the fuller handling of this mysterie to such as purposely frame their whole edifice with large common places heereof; which yet alway must be more certainely receiued by faith, than conceiued by reason: according to that of IVSTIN MARTYR, Vnitas in Trinitate intelligitur, & Trinitas in Vnitate noscitur: id vere quomodo fiat, nec alios scrutari velim, nec ipse mihi possum satisfacere. li. Confes. fidei. Thinke of one: a threefold light wil dazle thee; distinguish into three, & an infinite vnitie wil swallow thee. Vnus, & si dici debet, vnissimus, saith BERNARD Ber. ad Eageni. D. Abbot. pars 3. Defenc. pag.9.. Hauing thus with trembling hand written of that dreadfull mysterie of the Trinitie, of which wee may say, cum dicitur, non dicitur; It is not told with telling, nor can be described by description; The next to be considered are the workes of God, which are either inward and immanent, or outward and transient. The inward are eternall and vnchangeable, indeed no other but himselfe, although accounted and called workes in regard of their effects in the World and of our conceiuing. For all the proprieties of God are infinite, as they are immanent in himselfe, yet in their transitiue and forren effectes are stinted and limited to the modell and state of the creature wherein the same effects are wrought. Such an immanent worke we conceiue and name that decree of God touching the creation of the World, Trelcat. Zanch. de Na D. l.5.c.1, 2.with his prouident disposing all and eueryevery part thereof, according to the counsell of his owne will, and especially touching the reasonable creatures, Angels and Men, in respect of their eternall state in Saluation or Damnation. The outward workes of God are, in regard of Nature, Creation and prouidence: in regard of Grace, Redemption and Saluation, in the fulnesse of time performed by our Emanuel, God manifested in the flesh, true God and perfect man, in the vnity of one person, without lforeignconfusion, conuersion, or separation. *1.Io.5.20.This is very God and life eternall, Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our Lord, which was conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin MARY, suffered vnderunder PONTIVS PILATE, who was crucified, dead and buried; descended into Hell; rose againe the third day; hee ascended into Heauen; where he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty, from whence he shal come to iudge the quicke and dead. And to such as are sonnes, mGal.4.6.God doth also send the Spirit of his Sonne, to renue and sanctifie them as children of the Father, members of the Sonne, temples of the Spirit, that they, euen all the elect, may be one holy Catholike Church, enioying the vnspeakeable priuiledges and heauenly prerogatiues of the Communion of Saints, the forgiuenesse of Sinnes, the Resurrection of the Body, and Euer lasting life. Euen so, come Lord Iesus.