our selves, whereby wee are taught the way to eternall life.

I call it [heavenly wife dome] for, fo it is called, 1 Cor. 2. 13. The wifedome which wee teach, is not in the words, which mans wifedome teacheth, but which the Holy Ghoft teacheth. So likewife the Apoftle in another place calls it, The forme of wholesome words; that is,that Syfteme,or comprehenfion of wholefome Doctrine delivered in the Scripture. Now it differs from other Syftemes, and bodies of Sciences:

I Because it is revealed from above all other knowledge is gathered from things below. 2 Againe, all other Sciences are taught by men, but this is taught by the Holy Ghoft.

3 All other knowledge is delivered in the writings of men, but this is revealed to us in the holy Word of God, which was written by GoD himfelfe,though men were the mediat pen-men of it; therfore, I adde that,to diftinguish it from all other Sciences; that, It is not revealed by men, but by the Holy Ghoft,not in bookes written bymen,but in the holy Scriptures.

In the next place I adde the object,about which this wifedome is converfant, it is,the knowledge of God, and of our felves. And fo it is likewife diftinguished from all other knowledge, which hath fome other object. It is the knowledge of God, that is, of God, not fimply confidered, or abfolutely, in his Effence, but as hee is in reference and relation to us..

And againe,it is not fimply the knowledge of

Our

our felves, (for many things in us belong to other Arts and Sciences) but as we stand in reference to God; fo that these are the two parts of it, the knowledge of God,in reference to us; and of our felves, in reference to him.

Laft of all, it is diftinguished by the end, to which it tends, which it aimes at, which is to teach us the way to eternall life: And therein it dif fers from all other Sciences whatsoever, for they onely helpe fome defects of understanding here in this prefent life: for where there is fome failing or defect, which common reafon doth not help, there,arts are invented to fupply and rectifie thofe defects; but this doth fomewhat more, it leads us the way to eternall life:and as it hath in it a principle above all others, so it hath an higher end than others, as the wel-head is higher, fo the ftreames afcend higher than others. And fo much for this defcription, what this fumme of the Doctrine of Theologie is. The parts of it are two:

1 Concerning God.

2 Concerning our felves.

Now concerning God,2 things are to be known: I That he is; both thefe are fet downe in 2 What he is; the Text.

:

1 That God is, wee fhall finde that there are two waies to prove it, or to make it good to us 1 By the ftrength of naturall reafon. 2 By faith.

That we doe not deliver this without ground, 2 What God is. look in the first of the Romans, v. 20, For the invi-Rom, 1.20.

B2

fible

Als 17.

Aft. 14. 17.

fible things of him, that is, his eternall power and God-head, are feene by the creation of the world, being confidered in his workes, fo that they are without excufe. So likewife, A. 17. 27, 28. the Apostle faith, that they fhould feeke after the Lord, if happily they might grope after him, and finde him for hee is not farre from every one of us: for in him wee live, move, and have our being: That is, by the very things that we handle and touch, we may know that there is a God; and alfo, by our owne life, motion and being, wee may learne that there is a Deitic, from whence these proceed: For the Apoftle fpeaketh this to them, that had no Scripture to teach them. So likewife, Aus 14. 17. Nevertheleße, hee hath not left himselfe without witneße, in giving us fruitfull feafons: As if thofe did beare witneffe of him that is, thofe workes of his in the creatures. So that you fee,there are two waies to come to the knowledge of this,that God is ; One, I fay,is by naturall reafon: Or elfe,to make it more plaine, we fhall fee this in these two things:

I There is enough in the very creation of the world, to declare him unto us.

2 There is a light of the understanding, or reason, put into us, whereby we are able to dif cerne those characters of GoD ftamped in the creatures, whereby we may difcerne the invisible things of God, his infinite power and wifedome, and when these are put together, that which is written in the creature, there are arguments enough in them,and in us there is reafon enough, to fee

the

the force of thofe arguments,and thence we may conclude, that there is a God, befides the arguments of Scripture, that wee have to reveale it. For, though I faid before, that Divinity was revealed by the Holy Ghoft, yet there is this difference in the points of Theologie: Some truths are wholly revealed, and have no foot-steps in the creaturs,no prints in the creation,or in the works of God to difcerne them by, and such are all the myfteries of the Gofpel, and of the Trinitie: other truths there are, that have fome veftigia, fome Characters ftamped upon the creature whereby we may discerne them, and such is this which we now have in hand, that, There is a God, That there Therefore we will fhew you thefe two things:

How it is manifeft from the creation. 2 How this point is evident to you by faith. 3 A third thing I will adde, that this GoD whom we worship, is the onely true God.

Now for the first, to explicate this, that, The power and God-head is feen in the creation of the world. Befides thofe Demonftrations elfe-where handled, drawne from the Creation in generall, as from: 1 The fweet confent and harmony the creatures have among themlelves.

2 The fitneffe and proportion of one unto another: 16 bas

* £ 3 From the reasonable actions of creatures, in themselves unreafonable.

4 The great and orderly provifion, that is made for all things. 30a daya to zanie

B 3

5 The

is a God.

See the fenfible the Deity in the Demonßration of

beginning.

The confide originall of all things,proved

1 By the making of man.

That man was made.

The combination and dependance that is

among them.

6 The impreffions of skill and workmanship that is upon the creatures. All which argue that there is a God.

There remaine three other principall arguments to demonftrate this:

The confideration of the Originall of all things which argues that they must needs be made by God,the maker of heaven and earth;which we wil make good to you by thefe three particulars:

If man was made by him, for whom allthings are made, then it is certaine that all other things were made alfo, For the argument holds; If the beft things in the world must have a beginning then furely those things that are fubferving, and fubordinate to them,muft much more have abeginning.

Now that man was made by him,confider but this reafon; rota, maut

The father that begets,knows not the making of him, the mother that conceives,knowes it not, neither doth the formative vertue, (as we call it) that is,that vigour which is in the materials that fhapes,and fashions, and articulates the body in the womoè, that knowes not what it doth. Now it is certame, that he that makes any thing,muft needs know it perfectly, and all the part of it, though the ftanderby may be ignorant of it. As for example, he that makes a ftatue,knowes how every particle is made, he that ma es a Watch, or any ordinary works of Art, he knows all the jun&tures,