I Beleeve that nothing is without beginning but God, no nature, no matter, no spirit but one and the same God; That God as he is eternall, almighty, onely wise, onely good in his nature, so he is eternall Father, Sonne and Spirit in persons.
I beleeve that God is so holy, pure, and jealous, as it is impossible for him to be pleased in any creature, though the worke of his owne hands: So that neither Angell, Man, nor World, could stand or can stand one moment in his eyes, without the beholding of the same in the face of a Mediatour; and therefore that before him, with whom all things are present, the Lamb of God was slaine before all worlds, without which eternall councell of his it was impossible for him to have descended to any work of creation, but he should have enjoyed the blessed and individuall society of three Persons in Godhead onely forever. But that out his eternall and infinite goodnesse and love, purposing to become a Creator, and communicate with his creatures, he ordained in his eternall councell, that one person of the Godhead should be united to one nature, and to one particular of his creatures, that so in the person of the Mediatour the true ladder might be fixed, whereby God might descend to his creatures, and his creatures ascend unto him: So that God by the reconcilement of the Mediatour, turning his countenance towards his creatures, (though not in the same light and degree) made way unto the dispensation of his most holy and secret will; whereby some of his creatures might stand and keepe their state, others might fall and be restored, and others might fall and not be restored in their state, but yet remaine in their beeing, though under wrath and corruption, all with respect unto the Mediatour; which is the great mysterie, and perfect center of all Gods wayes with his creatures, and unto which all his other works and wonders do but serve and refer.
That hee chose (according to his good pleasure) man to be that creature, to whose nature the person of the eternall Son of God should be united: And amongst the generations of men, elected a small flock, in whom (by the participation of himselfe) he purposed to expresse the riches of his glory: all the ministration of Angels, damnation of Divels and Reprobates, and universall administration of all creatures, and dispensation of all times, having no other end, but, as the wayes and ambages of God, to be further glorified in his Saints, who are one with the Mediatour, who is one with God.
That by the vertue of this his eternall councell touching a Mediatour, he descended at his own good pleasure, and according to the times and seasons to himselfe knowne, to become Creator, who by his eternall Word created all things, and by his eternall Spirit doth comfort and preserve them.
That he made all things in their first estate good, and removed from himself the beginning of all evill and vanity unto the liberty of the creature, but reserved in himselfe the beginning of all restitution, to the libertie of his grace, using neverthelesse, and turning the falling and defection of the creature, (which was to his prescience eternally knowne) to make way to his eternall councell touching a Mediatour, and the worke hee purposed to accomplish in him.
That God created Spirits, whereof some kept their standings and others fell, hee created Heaven and Earth, and all their Armies, and Generations, and gave them constant and everlasting lawes which we call nature, which is nothing but the laws of the creation; which lawes neverthelesse have had three changes or times, and are to have a fourth or last: The first, when the matter of heaven and earth was created without formes. The second, the interim of perfection of every dayes worke. The third, by the curse, which notwithstanding was no new creation: And the last at the end of the world, the manner whereof is not yet fully revealed: So that the lawes of nature which remaine, and now governe inviolably till the end of the world, began to be in force when God first rested from his workes, and ceased to create; but received a revocation in part by the curse, since which time they change not.
That notwithstanding God hath rested and ceased from Creation since the first Sabbath, yet, neverthelesse, de doth accomplish and fulfill his divine will in all things, great and small, singular and generall, as fully & exactly by providence, as he could by miracle and new creation, though his working be not immediate and direct, but by compasse; not violating nature, which is his owne law upon the creature.
That at the first the soule of man was not produced by heaven or earth, but was breathed immediatly from God; so that the wayes and proceedings of God with Spirits, are not included in nature, in the lawes of heaven and earth, but are reserved to the law of his secret will and grace, wherein God worketh still, and resteth not from perfecting the worke of redemption, as he resteth from the worke of creation, but continueth working till the end of the world; what time that worke also shall bee accomplished, and an eternall Sabbath shall ensue. Likewise, that whensoever God doth transcend the law of nature by miracles, (which may ever seem as new creations) hee never commeth to that point or passe, but in regard of the worke of redemption which is the greater, and whereto all Gods signes and miracles doe referre.