The Gospel treasury opened, or, The holiest of all unvailing discovering yet more the riches of grace and glory to the vessels of mercy unto whom onely it is given to know the mysteries of that kingdom and the excellency of spirit, power, truth above letter, forms, shadows / in several sermons preached at Kensington & elswhere by John Everard ; whereunto is added the mystical divinity of Dionysius the Areopagite spoken of Acts 17:34 with collections out of other divine authors translated by Dr. Everard, never before printed in English.

CHAP. III. What Speeches of God are Affirmative, and what Negative.

1. IN our Theological Descriptions, we have ex∣pressed the most principal things of affirma∣tive Divinity, how the Divine and Good Nature is called One, and how Three; and what it is which in it, is called PATERNITY & FILIAL: and what the Divinity of the HOLY GHOST meaneth: How from the Immaterial and Indi∣visible GOOD, sprung out the Cordial lights of GOODNESS, which still abode, not going Out (the Mansion of being CO-ETERNAL to the Emanation or Germination) both in It self, in Themselves, and in One Another.

2. How Super-essential JESUS was essenti∣ated in the TRUTHS of Humane nature: as also Other things which we have Celebrated in our Theological Descriptions, as delivered unto us from the Scriptures.

3. Likewise also in the book of Divine Names we have declared How He is called GOOD, How BEING; How LIFE, and WISDOM, and POWER, and whatsoever else belongs unto the Intelligible Divine NOMINATION.

4. But in our Symbolical Divinity we have shewed what are the Metonymies, or Translations or Borrowed NAMES taken from sensible things, and applyed to Divine things, viz. What are the Divine FORMS; What the Divine Figures or Shapes, Parts and Organs, or Instruments; What are the Divine-Places and Ornaments: What the Angers, Sorrows, Furies; What the Drunkennesses and Surfets; What the Oaths and Curses; What the Sleeps and Wakings, and other-like things Ap∣pertaining to this Part of Divinity, which they call Symbolical; speaking of such Forms and Figures as have been Holily invented, To Repre∣sent God by.

5. And I think Thou hast seen as well as I, how many more words are used in the latter then in the former: For it behoved, that the Theologi∣cal Descriptions, a••d this Explication of the Di∣vine NAMES, should need fewer words then Symbolical Divinity: For by how much Higher we climbe towards That which is Above, by so much the more are our words Contracted and Con∣centred in the View and Sight of Intelligible things.

As now, when we enter into that DARKNESS which is above All mind and understanding, we shall find not shortness of speech, but utter silence and dumbness, as also want of understanding.

And from thence our Speech and discourse de∣scending from the Highest to the Lowest, according to the Quantity of its Descent, is Enlarged into a proportionable breadth or multitude.

But now Arising from the things Below, to that which is Above, according to the measure of its Ascent, it is Contracted and grows Less, till after all ascent it becomes quite Void of words, and so united to that which is Unspeakable.

6. But thou wilt ask, to what purpose? We laying down the Divine Affirmations, began with the first; and now begin the Divine Ablations or takings away with the last. I answer; That was because putting Down or describing, that which was Above all Affirmation or Position, it was fit to Begin and Establish the Fundamental Affirmations from that which is most Proper, and Nearest unto it. But now when we go by way of Taking away from that which is Above All Ablation or taking Away, it is likewise fit we should begin our takings away, at Those things that are furthest temote from it.

For is He not, Rather and more properly Life and Goodness, then Aire or A Stone? And may it not Rather and more Properly be said, that he is not Weak or Angry, then that he is not Spoken, nor Understood?