Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of King James the First. 1847. The Deity XLIV. Nathanael Baxter
THERE 1 was one Soueraigne God, which we call Pan, That cannot be defin’d by mortal man. Some call him Ioua, for his existence; Some Elohym, for his excellence; Some call him Theos, for his burning light; 5 Some call him Deus, for his fearfull might; Some call him mightie Tetragrammaton, Of letters fower in composition. There is no region vnderneath the skie But by fower letters write the Deitie. 10 For fower is a perfect number square, And æquall sides in euerie part doth beare. And God is that, which sometime Good we nam’d, Before our English tongue was shorter fram’d: Pan, in the Greeke, the shepheards do him call, 15 Which we do tearm the whole vniuersall: All in himself, all one, all euerie where, All in the center, all out, all in the spheare, All seeing all, all comprehending all, All blessed, all mightie, all æternall; 20 Comprehended in no circumference, Of no beginning, nor ending essence; Not capable of composition, Qualitie, accident, diuision, Passion, forme, or alteration; 25 All permanent, without mutation; Principall mouer, alwaies in action, Without wearinesse or intermission; Immortall, and without infirmitie, Of everlasting splendent maiestie, 30 One in essence, not to be diuided, Yet into Trinitie distinguished; Three in one essence, one essence in three, A wonder, I confesse, too hard for mee; Yet diuine poets innumerable, 35 At theorems, and demonstrations, Deliuer it to our contemplations. The Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, these three Are subsistent persons in the Deitie: Abba, Ben, Ruach, blessed poets sing, 40 Are the true names of Pan, cœlestiall King.
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