But before we essay that, we are to inform you of one sort of learned Authors, who, because of the difficulty attending this Point, Whether we hold the Traduction or Creation of the soul, have thought it the most wife and sober way to acknowledge the Propagation of original Sin; But as for the manner How, there to have a modest suspense of our judgement, to profess a learned ignorance herein to believe That it is, though How it is so, we know not. And Tertullian, concerning the original of the soul (Lib. de Animâ) hath this known saying, Praestat per Deum nescire, quae ipse non revelaverit, quàm per hominem scire, quae ipse praesumpserit. In this way of suspense Austin continued as long as he lived, thinking that this might be one of those Truths, we shall not know, till we come into the Academy of Heaven; and to this modest silence, we have one place of Scripture, which might much incline us, Eccles. 11. 5. As thou knowest not the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb, &c. This Text should teach us not to [Greek or Hebrew], to venture too far, but to observe the light of the Scripture, as they did the Pillar and Cloud in the wilderness to stand still, where that stands still; And indeed the Disputes about the Modes of things, is very intricate. The known saying is Motum, sometimes Modum nescimus, the manner of Gods working in conversion, The manner of Christs presence in the Sacrament, what endless controversies hath it begotten? And therefore it was the King of Navarre's counsel to the Divines, when the Lutherans and Calvinists were upon pacification about the Sacrament, that they should not De modo ultra modum disputare. Now although this be good counsel, yet when heretical and erroneous opinions have invaded the Modus, then it is our duty to maintain not only the truth of a thing, but the manner of it also; What is a greater mystery then the Son of God, having his being from the Father? He that will touch this mystery with mere natural reason, doth as if the Smith should handle his live-coals with his hands and not the Tongs, saith Chrysostom, yet because of the Socinians, who say, He is only a made God in time, and hath his Deity by donation; We are forced not to be content only to believe, that he is the Son of God, but also how, viz. By eternal Generation;
But before we essay that, we are to informe you of one sort of learned Authors, who, because of the difficulty attending this Point, Whether we hold the Traduction or Creation of the soul, have thought it the most wife and sober way to acknowledge the Propagation of original Sinne; But as for the manner How, there to have a modest suspense of our judgement, to professe a learned ignorance herein to believe That it is, though How it is so, we know not. And Tertullian, concerning the original of the soul (Lib. de Animâ) hath this known saying, Praestat per Deum nescire, quae ipse non revelaverit, quàm per hominem scire, quae ipse praesumpserit. In this way of suspense Austin continued as long as he lived, thinking that this might be one of those Truths, we shall not know, till we come into the Academy of Heaven; and to this modest silence, we have one place of Scripture, which might much incline us, Eccles. 11. 5. As thou knowest not the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones doe grow in the womb, &c. This Text should teach us not to 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, to venture too farre, but to observe the light of the Scripture, as they did the Pillar and Cloud in the wildernesse to stand still, where that stands still; And indeed the Disputes about the Modes of things, is very intricate. The known saying is Motum, sometimes Modum nescimus, the manner of Gods working in conversion, The manner of Christs presence in the Sacrament, what endlesse controversies hath it begotten? And therefore it was the King of Navarr's counsel to the Divines, when the Lutherans and Calvinists were upon pacification about the Sacrament, that they should not De modo ultra modum disputare. Now although this be good counsel, yet when heretical and erroneous opinions have invaded the Modus, then it is our duty to maintain not onely the truth of a thing, but the manner of it also; What is a greater mystery then the Sonne of God, having his being from the Father? He that will touch this mystery with meer natural reason, doth as if the Smith should handle his live-coals with his hands and not the Tongs, saith Chrysostome, yet because of the Socinians, who say, He is onely a made God in time, and hath his Deity by donation; We are forced not to be content onely to believe, that he is the Sonne of God, but also how, viz. By eternal Generation;
