The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

The difference also of the descriptions that have bin of God are to be thought on: for there hath bin a Philosophical consideration of God, and a Theological. The Philosophical was had among the Gentiles, by the wisest of them. The Theological hath only bin had in the Church. The one looked upon God only by the light of Nature and experience, and the other looks upon God by the light of Scripture and Faith: But that Philosophical Light was extremely deficient and far short of the Ecclesiastical Light: for besides that the wisest of the Philosophers had much ado to separate the true GOD from the many Gods worshipped by the Nations: they were altogether blind, in the Mystery of the Trinity, and ignorant altogether of the highest praises of God, (viz.) his mercies unto man in Jesus Christ: yea, there was scarce any Attribute of God, that was rightly known with any life, without the Pale of the Church.

The difference also of the descriptions that haue bin of God are to be thought on: for there hath bin a Philosophicall consideration of God, and a Theologicall. The Philosophicall was had among the Gentiles, by the wisest of them. The Theologicall hath onely bin had in the Church. The one looked vpon God onely by the light of Nature and experience, and the other lookes vpon God by the light of Scripture and Faith: But that Philosophicall Light was extreamely deficient and farre short of the Ecclesiasticall Light: for besides that the wisest of the Philosophers had much adoe to seperate the true GOD from the many Gods worshipped by the Nations: they were altogether blinde, in the Mysterie of the Trinity, and ignorant altogether of the highest praises of God, (viz.) his mercies vnto man in Iesus Christ: yea, there was scarce any Attribute of God, that was rightly knowne with any life, without the Pale of the Church.

Now that knowledge that is to be had of God, may be gathered three ways: by Negation, Eminency, or Causation: By Negation, when we deny unto God whatsoever is of imperfection in the Creature: and so we deny death, measure, Mutation, &c. and say that God is Immortal immense immutable, &c. By eminency when we give unto God in the highest degree, what we find to be good in the creature, and so we say, he is most holy, most wise, most just, &c. By Causation we