of the Holy-Ghost give witnesse which Christ who five times in that one day and at sundry times afterwards shewing Himselfe alive did coâ—firme which the glorious Angels and the holy Women did assure to which the Apostles who did see and handâ—e Him 1. Iohn 1. that it was Hee Himselfe and not a Spirit which hath neither flesh nor bones with great power gave testimony wâ—ich His very enemies the Souldiers while they were yet unbribed did confesse Yea all the circumstances of the action it selfe reproove the blindnesse and infidelitie of the Iewes O ye fooles and blind how long will yoâ— not understand You see not your signes and wonders any more there is not one Prophet more the sigâ—es of your Messiah are fulfilled in Iesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary that greâ—t Prophet that was raysed unto you as Moses of your brethren is there not oâ—e maâ— among you that understands any more Doe you not heare the words of your Prophet Hosea 1.7 I will save them saith GOD by IEHOVA their God aâ—d will not save them by bow nor by sword nor by battell by horses nor by horse-men as you sâ—ill dreame But which is the greater deliverance that from hell and the power of sinne and eternall death or from any temporary and worâ—dly thraldome If the greatest deliveranâ—e bee performed why doate you on the lesse Which cannot bee till you forsake your infidelitie and returne Returne therefore unto Iesus your God from whom you are fallen by your unbeliefe Take with you words and turne to the Lord your God and say unto Him Take away our iniquity and receive us graciously so will wee render the calues of our lips But you will say why did not Christ shew Himselfe alive to all the Iewes at on e that they might all beleeve I answere that the life to which our Lord redeemed us is a spirituall life unto which we must walke by faith and not by sight And if it bee not sufficient proofe of His resurrection that He beside other times shewed Himselfe alive to five hundred at once 1. Cor. 15.6 neither would it have beene sufficient to them that seeing would not see and hearing would not heare who said that His great workes were done by the power of the devill though Hee had conversed among five hundred thousand of them every day ARTICLE VI. ⧠He ascended into heaven c. CHAP. XXX § 1. THough the Iustification of the Articles of our Creed bee my onely worke Yet heere I heare two questions demanded of mee The first who those were which are said Matth. 27.52 and 53. to have risen at the resurrection of Christ and to have shewed themselues to many in Ierusalem The second where our Lord was in that time of 40. dayes betweene His resurrection and ascension seeing it is manifest that He conversed not wholely with His Disciples but shewed Himselfe unto them at severall times and that especially on the first dayes of the weeke as on that day He had risen from the dead To these I answere where I have the authority of the Scripture boldly where I have not I leave you at your libertie to thinke with mee First therefore in the number of them that rose immediately after the resurrection of our Lord I put those high Saints which are reckoned in the Genealogie of our Lord from Adam unto Ioseph His nursing Father except Henoch and with them many of the Saints who had slept in the faith of Christ to come in the memory and knowledge of such as were yet alive in Ierusalem as Zechary and Elizabeth Simeon Hanna and many others who by speciall grace were raysed againe shewed themselues alive unto such as were appointed thereto and to them bare witnesse not onely of the resurrection of Christ but by experience in themselues did also testifie that the power and vertue of His Resurrection was of force and availe for the raising up of all them that should beleeue in Him And of these especially you must understand that speech of our Lord which is Iohn 5. Chapter from verse 19. to 30. where He saith that the houre was comming and was even then at hand when the dead should heare the voice of the Sonne of God and should live As you may remember how it was said Note a on the last Chapter that the faithfull are raised by the venue of Christs resurrection but they that shall be raised up to judgement at the last day are raised up by the power of the Father Of these faithfull that had dyed was that word of our Saviour spoken as it is manifest by the text And this is that captivitie or number of Captives which till then had beene held under the bands of death but by the victory of Christs resurrection were freed from death and ascended with Him on high when Hee gave gifts unto men Eph. 4.8 And although some will needes interpret that resurrection only of a new life by repentance from dead workes yet the arguments in that place will not so hold All that are in the graves shall heare the voyce of the Father and shall come foorth some to life some to damnation ver 28.29 Therfore some shall heare the voice of the Sonne and live verse 25. For the Father quickneth the dead so the Sonne verse 21. And whatsoever the Father doth the same things doth the Sonne likewise But to raise the dead and to give Repentance are not the same things So then that which is heere spoken by our Lord is no other thing than that which was prophesied by Hosea 6.2 The third day He will raise us up and wee shall live in His sight and was here fulfilled by the testimony of the Evangelist And if the first fruits be holy then also the whole lumpe Rom. 11.16 So that we which have the same faith shall at last receive the end of our hopes and have our parts in that holy resurrection whereof whosoever is partaker on Him the second death can have no power For as that prophesie of Ioel 2.18 was fulfilled in part after the ascension of our Saviour It shall be in the latter dayes that I will powre out of my Spirit upon all flesh c. Act. 2.17 and for a proofe or assurance of that which shall be fulfilled not in 120. Persons but in all flesh when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Es 11.9 Hab. 2.14 So likewise was that resurrection a pledge and assurance of that holy resurrection of the dead in Christ which shall rise first 1 Cor. 15.23 1 Thes 4.16 but the rest of the dead shall not rise till the time be fulfilled that they shall be judged according to those things that are written in the bookes Revel 20.4.5.12 Whereas of these it is said Iohn 5.24 That they shall not come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into iudgement much lesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into condemnation but are passed from
24.14 and 26.22 and 28.23 And yet some-what more particularly the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes and this division of the bookes of the Holy Scripture our Lord also allowes Luke 24.44 But in this last division the bookes are numbred 24. first of Moses 2. Foure of the former Prophets as they call them Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Kings 3. Foure also of the later Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and the Booke of the 12. small Prophets 4. The Kethubim or holy writing contained 11. bookes the 5. Poeticall that is the Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes Iob and the Canticles three which they called Megilloth volumes or rolles Ruth Lamentations and Esther among which the booke of Canticles is sometimes accounted and 2. halfe Chaldee which were last written Daniel Ezra with Nehemiah and the Chronicles And these holy writings they divided from the other prophecies because they were not given either by dreame or by vision or by hearing a voice or in any extasie but were inspired by the Holy-Ghost immediately And according to this order of the bookes of the Holy Scripture divers Hebrew Bibles have bin lately printed as one by Plantin in Oct. another by Hutterus in Folio and others Now concerning the bookes of the New-Testament Saint Ierom ad Paulin. reckons them as wee And are not these Aramites strucke with blindnesse that print the Bible the decree of Trent and those prologues of Ierom before it that it may appeare how they set the Fathers at naught But for the full decision of this question let us looke unto the undoubted truth of the Scripture by the Scripture it selfe let us learne what is Scripture or the word of God 1. Therfore concerning the books of the New-Testament M. Luther accounted the Epistle of S. Iames to bee aridam stramineam dry as a Kix and his followers give their reasons against it 1. the seeming opposition which is betweene him and S. Paul in the question of justification by faith and by works 2. because hee teacheth not but supposeth onely that which is the sum of the Gospel that is the redemption of the world by the death of Christ as some men speake for Athanasius concerning the booke of Esther that none of the names of God are mentioned therein to which others answere that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mimmakom acher in Chap. 4. v. 14. is for sense in that place equivalent to any of the names of God which the prophet did there forbeare to remember because hee would not that any of the names of God should bee prophaned among the heathen with whom he lived So also Luther held the Revelation to be the writing of some well-meaning honest man but not Canonical Wherein I thinke the wonderfull wisdome and mercy of God appeared to hide the meaning of that booke from him lest he should be destroyed with pride when he should see himselfe and his ministery so alluded to therein But let Luther and his followers in this question thinke by themselues betweene us and the Church of Rome there is no difference both parties holding all the bookes of the New-Testament to be canonical The onely doubt is about the books which we call Apocryphal of unknowne and obscure Authors or strange doctrines delivered therein In which question the Canon or rule of the New-Testament is for us For concerning all the books of the Old-Testament the reason stands thus 1. All the oracles of God or Canonicall Scripture was received in the Church of the Iewes But none of the Apocryphall bookes were received in the Church of the Iewes Therefore none of the Apocryphall bookes are the Oracles of God The proposition is Saint Pauls and he accounts it as well hee may the first and chiefe preeminence of the Iew that unto them the Oracles of God were committed Rom. 3.2 The assumption is manifest for the Apocryphall bookes were extant onely in Greeke which language the Iewes never used in their holy seruices And although the booke of Ecclesiasticus were begun by the grandfather in Hebrew yet was it augmented and finished in Greeke by the grand-child And although the first booke of the Maccabees were extant in Hebrew yet was it not therefore Canonicall no more than the second that was written in Greeke So the conclusion stands sure And if neither the Church before Christ received those Apocryphall bookes nor the ancient Church since His suffering accounted them Canonicall for the Authour of the Sophisticate Cannons of the Apostles wee receive not upon what ground then should the Fathers of Trent presume to doe that which neither the Primitive Church or Fathers attempted before 2. Such another argument you have from Luke 24.27 where it is said that Christ beginning at Moses and all the Prophets expounded unto them all the Scriptures the things that were written concerning Himselfe So all the Scriptures are understood by the Law and the Prophets as I shewed before and yet for further explication it is added in verse 44. the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes For of all the Cethubim the booke of Psalmes was first and by a Synecdoche is put for all the rest Now to which of all these will you bring the Apocryphall bookes By the Law you understand the five Bookes of Moses which the Samaritanes and all the sects of the Iewish Religion except the hereticks called Nasacheans â—id receive The sects of the Sadduces and Samaritanes rejected the rest but the Church of the Iewes held all the Prophets both former and later with all the Kebuthim to bee holy Scripture but the Apocrypha are reckoned with none of these 3. A third argument from the holy Scripture against these apocryphals is from Revel 19.10 The testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of prophecie But in these apocryphals which the Iewes received not there is no prophecy no evident testimony of Iesus that was to come Therefore they are no witnesses of Him no word of His. And although in the fourth booke of that supposed Esdras there be mention of Iesus Christ Chap. 7.27 28. yet the false narration of things never done and other fictions See Master Brerew Enq. Chap. 13. have discredited those bookes so farre that the Papists themselves doe not mention them in their new Canon and vouchsafe them a place in the end of their Bibles onely lest they should be lost Object But the Fathers themselves call these bookes Canonicall Answer And our Church yeelds they are so in the meaning of the Fathers that is serving for rules of good life and vertue but not of faith as the holy Scriptures and that is the question betweene us and Trent Sect. 4 § 4. That the holy Scripture is abundantly sufficient to teach all things that belong to faith and godlinesse is manifest by the reasons brought for the proofe of the second question That it was necessary for us that God by His written Word should vouchsafe unto us the knowledge of His will 1. For how could either our hope
profitable labours deserve more prayses And though I have stood all day in the market because no man hath hired mee yet seeing I would as fame have the penny as he that hath borne the burden and heat of the day I would not bee idle But because the knowledge and study of heavenly things and the meanes whereby the soule may bee saved concernes all men alike even Amos among the herdmen of Tekoa asmuch as Azariah the Priest in the Temple of Ierusalem And that every one as he hath received so is hee bound to make account of his talent Therefore although the burden I confesse was more fit for a man in the strength of his memory and understanding and too heavy for mee now wasted in seventy yeares with age sicknesse and continuall paines yet I trusted in him that directed my heart to take it up that hee would give mee strength in some sort to beare it But concerning those men that have laboured herein before me although I praise their paines yet I thinke them nor fit for every mans use Aquinas according to the greatnesse of his active understanding in his bookes against the Gentiles hath moved an endlesse number of questions of which as it seemes to mee many are very needlesse and impertinent to this my purpose and would draw an English Reader into a maze out of which hee could hardly winde himselfe Raimund de Sabunde though his writings be easie and quicke yet his matiers are scattered and not according to that method which I intend Savanarola wanders up and downe meanes well saith something out of Thomas but in his Triumphus Crucis as in all the Schoolemen and so in both the former very many things are left our which most necessarily belong to this our purpose and many things brought in which are not here at all questioned Mornay though he deserves much praise for his great reading and his plaine and easie stile yet beside that which hee perswades concerning some few questions here moved hee referres us to the Scriptures for proofe of the rest A most certaine proofe indeed and above all other with a Christian but my purpose is to adde an overplus of proofe to the perswasion which the Christian hath and to justifie his faith against all adversaries not by authority of Scripture onely which with Heretickes Turkes and Infidels is of small regard Moreover that which he perswades is by reasons in a manner altogether inductive which kinde of proofe although it bee more usuall in the Scriptures than any other and is of force sufficient with them that hold the principles and maine grounds of Religion for whom only they were written and not for them who are without Rom. 15.4 yet with infidels or adversaries inductive arguments are of small force except they be layd downe with their supposition as I call it log cap. 14. For otherwise the understanding hath no foundation wheron it may stay it selfe And he that in matiers of faith brings in reasons which are not of force to compell the understanding to yeeld to the truth gives occasion to infidels and Atheists to scoffe at Religion and leaves the wavering minded more unsetled than before As I knew a young Scholar who reading Euphues refuting his Atheist by such slight inductions and arguments onely probable became much perplexed in his minde till it pleased God by his light to settle his understanding The reasons of Raimund Lully and his manner of arguing gives more full satisfaction And hee it is from whose enlightned Spirit I borrowed most because hee onely of the rest hath written particularly to almost all the Articles of the Creed yet that treatise hath great need both to be cleered and of supply And although for examples sake in his art generall and inventive hee handle some of the questions yet while he strives therein to shew the use of his art rather than the truth of the things hee proposeth his reasons with great confusion and exceeding difficulty to bee understood as it will easily appeare to him that reades him But to yeeld that I tooke my light from those illuminate doctors Aquinas and Lully for I seeke not mine owne praise but the manifestation of the truth of God and the joy and comfort of the Christian soules among mine owne nation was the light theirs is not reason the common light of every man which can either finde it out or see it being found is the light in a Church his light that made the windowes thorow which it shines what interest hath he therein more than any stranger that injoyes the light yet knowes not the mason But if my knowledge of the mason that is my reading of Aquinas make the reasons his then his reading of Aristotle shall make the reasons Aristotles from whom hee hath gathered his reasons some where whole and entire every where from his principles And so if my reasons gathered from the practise of Raimunds art or from his owne practise bee therefore Raimunds reasons because he delivered that excellent art then the light shall be the Masons But if they for their goodly buildings made Bay windowes to let in much light And I for my low yet sure built house have made but casements and loopeholes yet so disposed them as they may let in light enough to lighten every corner of my little roomes Let everie one that is pleased come in and enjoy the benefit of the light and thereby behold the truth of God and rejoyce in His light And when hee understands the reasons let him account them his owne either to strengthen himselfe and others thereby against misbeleefe and doubting or especially against such as shall either wilfully or ignorantly withstand the truth And if I for my long and great study earne not so much as the name of a diligent translator or an Abridger or a gatherer hereby yet if any man gather either profit or content I shall be glad for the paines that I tooke herein brought unto me an abundant reward And having thus defended my selfe I will tell you for what reasons I have at last taken heart to discharge my selfe of my former promise First of all when in the earnest thought of these things I found that the holy religion of the Christians howsoever tryed by Scriptures or by the cleere evidence of understanding had such light and manifestation of the truth therein as that all the darkenesse of hell could not dimme it I confesse I had such assurance of joy therein that I judged I ought not to conceale it alone For what greater joy can any man have in all the miseries and discontents of this wretched life than to know and see that his hopes proposed for a better life are such as cannot faile then to see the exceeding mercy of God such as that hee requires nothing to bee beleeved for which hee doth not abundantly satisfie the understanding if it will enlarge it selfe and desire to be satisfied Is it nothing that the
he should not be God But all these things are impossible therefore God is Almighty And this the holy Scripture every where proclaimeth first by the voice of God himselfe Gen. 17.1 35.11 I am God Almighty and Exod. 6.3 I appeared unto Abraham Isaac aad Iacob by the name of the Almighty God Then by his Prophets Iob 27.3 This is the portion of Tyrants from the Almightie This is also the voice of heaven Revel 4.8 Holy holy Lord God Almighty Revel 15.3 Great and marvellous are thy workes Lord God Almighty Notes a IN respect of the Creature Reâ— 1. The first argument is the effect of those which Tho. Aquin. hath brought to this question in his second booke Cont. Gent. cap. 22. And although this infinite power bee one of the inward perfections of the being of God no lesse than His goodnesse eternity infinity c. which the Doctor saw well enough yet because hee could manifest it best by the effects in the Creation therefore hee deferred it to that place Yet by this meanes He left the question proved but in the smallest part because the infinity of Gods power though manifested in the Creation of a Million of worlds of which every one should be greater and better than this yet could they no way be an object answerable to his power to which nothing can bee equall but only Himselfe Wherefore the Doctor was compelled to adde hereto two chapters 23. 24. as certaine supplies That God wrought not the Creature by any necessity but according to the purpose of his owne will and wisdome yet would I not be thought to blame these or the like arguments though in effect only inductive For the Holy Scripture in infinite places uses the like And to this purpose principally is concerning the literall interpretation are all those reasons and instances which are brought in Iob from the beginning of the 37. chap. to the end of the 41. b If God be not Almighty then either that which is or that which is not R. 2. Many questions have beene moved and still are by idle and presuming wits concerning the knowledge will and power of God In the will and fore knowledge of God is that great doubt which is about predestination and reprobation wherein I have said so much note a in the 5. chap. as may direct the honest minded who enquires thereinto not for controversies and disputations wherein the practice of godlinesse doth not at all consist Concerning the power of God some questions are moved meerely captious and idle some though unnecessarily yet more pardonablie but because that in every thing which wee know truely of God there is exceeding comfort it is not unfit to heare some of them and to give an answer First it is demanded If God be Almightie and all knowing whether he bee able to doe that which he knowes to be impossible to be done I answer That onely such things are utterlie impossible to be done whereof there is neither power nor knowledge neither doe they come into the account of things But possibilitie and impossibilitie are not to be measured by us for though to man many things seeme impossible yet to God all things are possible Mar. 10.17 And this difference we our selves either out of our owne wits or in our best wits acknowledge when in suddaine or great dangers out of which we see no possible avoydance wee call upon God as acknowledging our escape possible to him 2. Whether God can call backe or undoe the things that have beene Salomon Eccles 1.9 10. saith That which hath beene is that which shall bee and there is no new thing under the Sunne Is there any thing new it hath beene already in the time that was before us But whereas Salomon speakes by way of comparison or likenesse or that things past may bee figures and prophecies of things to come I thinke you meane the same in number and that in respect of their being onely then I answer No. For that which hath beene is as necessarie to have beene as it is necessarie for that to be which is Now to be and not to be implies a contradiction or a saying and gainesaying of the same thing And that any thing be infolds necessarily the will and power of God thereto so that any thing should have beene and not have beene it must of necessitie enforce that God should both will and not will the same thing but to will and not to will proceeds from extreme weakenesse of foresight and want of judgement in the difference of things that are good and bad But nothing of weakenesse can belong to God as to be lesse then hee is in any of his dignities to cease to be or will that which is ill to be inglorious to forget to suffer violence to be weary sorrie angrie to denie himselfe 2. Tim. 2.13 as it is said Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things a promise and an oath wherein it is impossible that God should lie we may have strong consolation which lay holde on the hope which is set before us Neither yet can that belong to God which is against the necessitie of being as because the being of God must of necessitie be independent therefore God cannot make another God besides himselfe which shall bee equall to himselfe and independent Neither yet in things being because all his works are done in truth and judgement Psal 111.7 is it possible to change them as that 2. and 3 should not bee 5. that a tryangle should not have three corners and therefore thirdly if it be questioned 3. Whether the same things which God hath wrought were possible to be done otherwise than they are done I answer The power of God in the creature is conformable to his will his will to his goodnesse his goodnesse to his wisdome So as God in his wisdome seeing what was good in the creature according to the pleasure of His will so framed the creature as it is said Psal 134.6 Whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven and in earth in the sea and in all deepe places Therefore supposing that it was His will so to worke in the creature as he hath framed it it was not possible to be done otherwise than it is For so his will should not be absolute and unchangeable nor yet his will and power should be convertible But yet seeing the creature is no way a proportionable object to his wisdome and his power if it had seemed good unto him Hee might have done the same things otherwise then hee hath in respect of any limitation which he found in the creature And may create other worlds and beings different from this according as it shall seeme good to His infinite wisdome Therefore all the possibilities mentioned beforâ— are in respect of the creature oâ—ly not in respect of the infinite power of the Creator who by that which Hâ—e hath wrought in the creature hath put an impossibility to change or undoe
them gathered out of the old autors by Fra. Patricius and printed at Venice 1593. and since that elsewhere By which it is apparent that Zoroaster held the mysterie of the Trinitie in Unitie of the Deitie and one God above all the Creator of all things who according to his owne goodnesse made every thing perfect and good as his words witnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For from the Fathers workmanship nought runneth wast Or yet imperfect as though it were made in haste But that every thing according to that order of being which it hath hath all the perfections that belong therto Neither can the learned Mornay be excused that having seen and citing Zoroaster would beleeve Plutarch in that wherein he knew the Oracle of Zoroaster was quite contrary He cites his consent to the Christian positions concerning originall sin Cap. 7. for the immortalitie of the soule and resurrection of the body Cap. 15. yea and for this very point of the Trinitie of Persons in the Vnity of the Deitie de ver Christ Rel. Cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father having made all things to th' Second wisedome gave Whom all mankind account the first all honour due to have But how could Plutarch so grave a Writer be so mistaken Hee flourished in the Reigne of Trajan before which time Simon Magus had taught that God did not make the world but certaine Angels which opinion his Scholler Menander upheld and over and above the filthinesse with women and things offered to Idols the Nicholaitans also Cernthus yet added that the God which made the world was but a lower power who did not so much as know the true God Iren. lib. 1. Ca. 25. From these and especially from Menander and the Nicholaitans proceeded the Gnosticks though not under that name til afterward These vaunted of all knowledge held Plato as one that knew little or nothing of Philosophie And this their high knowledge they boasted to have out of the Oracles of Zoroaster which they pretended to have thence falsly gave out what they list to bring the holy Scripture into contempt By the falshood and impudency of these it seems that Plutarch was deceived which yet is further manifest in this that in the same place de Is os hee mentions the opinion of the Chialists as the doctrine of Zeroaster wherein by his glosse Cerinthus had corrupted the holy Text Apoc. 20. as the Turks at this day understand their Paradise Now this doctrine of heaven upon earth for ought that ever I read was never mentioned in any prophane Writer before the time of S. Iohn but it was no new matier for Plutarch to be deceived in matiers of Religion as well that of the Chaldees further from his knowledge as in the Swine and Asse of the Iewes which he might have knowne better if by the Iewes themselves he would have beene informed See I. S. de Diis Syris synt 2. Ca. 16. But to returne to our Hereticks for all these follies and contrary opinions afore mentioned if you compare with the reasons and authorities aforesaid will vanish into nothing Of all the heresies about this point there is none so wicked as that which Augustine writes somewhere to Basilides Contr. Adver leg supra who first durst affirme that the God which the Nation of the Iewes honoured was not the true God Then he writes that Carpocrates denyed that God gave the Law to Moses elswhere that Cerdon affirmed that the God of the Law and the Prophets wâ—s not the Father of Christ de haer Cap. 21. this last the Iewes like well of but to us all these are one heresie who hold according to that which is Heb. 1. That God which at sundry times and after sundry manners had spoken of old to the Fathers spake to us in these last dayes by his sonne For evidence of which because it is the ground of all our hopes you shall have a reason or two and if you desire moe read the bookes of Tertullian against Marcion especially the third fourth and fift 1. § 4. If that God which was honoured by the Nation of the Iewes whom the Christians acknowledge the Father of Christ be not the true God then it will follow either that the true God hath hitherto beene utterly unknowne to the world or else that some of those false gods as we terme them whom the heathens worshipped as Jupiter Iuno Neptune c. must be the true God But both these things are false Therefore the God which the nation of the Iewes adored was the true God Now that none of the gods of the heathens could be the true God is manifest by this that although they were lyars yet durst never any of them take this to himselfe that he was God as may appeare by the answer of that Apollo of Claâ—os where after a long description of God by which yet hee would uphold devill-worship he concludes with a lye of him and his fellowes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is God but wee Angels are a little portion of God where you see to save his credit and uphold his sacrifices he gave himselfe out as a part of God as if the being of God were divisible into parts Moreover whereas the true God in regard of his Lordship and power over the creature might challenge the service and obedience thereof and give rules how he would be worshipped thereby as he did to Abraham Moses c. yet none of these devills ever taught their worshippers any other service to themselves but as enemies of mankinde to Reade further to this purpose the second booke of S. August de Civit. Dei and see what Religion they taught their worshippers murder one another as is manifest by the sacrifices of Molech and other Idoles of the Canaanites Psal 106.37.38 And in prophane writers who knowes not the altar of the she-devill among the Tauri which had no sacrifices but of mans blood strangers and enemies overcome in warre Such was the altar of Saturne among the Cretians and Carthaginians and such a Priest for Iupiter Chamon was Busiris in Aegypt And Marius upon a dream which the devill shewed him became the butcher of his owne daughter Calphurnia Beside this if any of these gods of the heathens had beene the true God as their will so their wisdome goodnesse and justice should have beene knowne unto men Their will you see was murder their wisdome such that their chiefe fortune-teller Apollo of Delphi was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his crooked and doubtfull answers which hee made concerning such things to come as he did not know or knowing would yet deceive therein as a devill Compare herewith the answers of God to Gedem to David c. As their wisdome such was their goodnesse for what can bee remembred wherein any of these devils did ever any good to any nation countrie citie or private man wherein the providence and wisdome
of man was not chiefe as you may account the safetie of the Athenians in their wooden wals at Salamis to the wisdome of Themistocles And although Castor and Pollux saved Simonides for his song yet they slew his hoste and all his friends And for their power it easilie appeares how weake it was in that they could not defend their owne right in man which doubtlesse they had if any among them had beene the true God but at the name of Christ all their worshippers forsooke their service and set them at naught so that their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether he would or no must plainely confesse as as he did to Augustus after the birth of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew Childe mee bids who o're the Gods doth reigne To leave this house and to returne to Hell againe Now to the other part of this long historicall argument it is likewise plaine that the true God hath not hitherto been unknown unto the world for neither could it stand with His goodnesse and mercy to suffer the most holy men to wander ever in errour and to spend their best thoughts and devotions on him that was no God and thereby also to be unjust to himselfe not onely refusing the honour due to him but also excluding himselfe for ever out of that right which he hath in his creature for who will now acknowledge any God hereafter besides him in whom we have hitherto beleeved and acknowledged the most High neither yet could it stand with his truth to suffer the truth of his own being to be for ever concealed from man that with all humilitie and desire hath hitherto sought it If then neither any of the heathen gods were the true God neither yet can it stand with the Goodnesse Iustice or Truth of the true God to denie to man that knowledge of himselfe which man was capable of nor to refuse that service which hee could doe Him it must needs follow of necessitie that the God which the Nation of the Jewes worshipped which we acknowledge the Father of Christ is the true God and this his devilship was forced to acknowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely the Caldees and Hebrewes have learn'd true wisdomes love Who selfe-begotten God and King in puritie adore Where you must understand that Abraham the Caldee and his sonne Izaac and Iacob are put in the first place and after all they that hold the faith of Abraham the honor of Hebers race 2. Either that God which the Iewes did serve and wee by his owne instruction know to bee the Father of Christ was the true God or else that other supposed true God cannot bee free from the uttermost injustice that can bee done But this last is impossible therefore the former is true The consequence is necessarie for if God the Father of Christ bee not the true God all the world hath hitherto been utterlie ignorant of the true God and if that supposed god should either condemne all the world to hell for ignorance of himselfe when hee had afforded no meanes to know him it were the uttermost injustice that could bee done and to save all indifferentlie all being ignorant as well them that cared not to know and serve him as them that made it their whole life and search and thought themselves borne for no other end were as great injustice on the other side Therefore that God which the Iewes knew and served is the true God 3. That God whose wisdome is infinite must needs bee the onely true God But the Nation of the Iewes worshipt that God of infinite wisdome which appeares in this that Hee alone declared from the beginning what should come to passe at the last which no other God or Idole of the Heathens hath done if they have shew it Let it appeare that they are able to doe either good or ill This argument might not be passed over because it is the reason which God himselfe useth to justifie himselfe Esay Chap. 41. vers 21.22.23.26.27 And could that God of Basilides and Cerdon be content to be thus dared to his face to yeeld his honour to another if he had either might courage or justice This sottish opinion was not worth halfe this paines and time neither have I vouchsafed it to Basilides but that wee of the Gentiles which were once farre off and served those Idoles may know and bee thankfull that we are now by Christ drawne neere unto God that is rich in mercy to all them that call upon Him For is God the God of the Iewes onely and not of the Gentiles yes verely even of the Gentiles also Rom. 3.29 And he is that one God and there is none other there is no other God beside him Reade Esay 45. and especially verses 5.18.20.21 22. And if you require further proofe hereof by authoritie of holy Scripture reade that elegant treatise of S. Origen to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. Cap. 4. and the answer to the contrarie objections you shall finde in Irenaeus lib. 4. and Epiphanius haer 23. CHAP. IX Sect. 1. That God is neither matier 2. Forme 3. Compound 4. Bodily 5. Nor subject to any accident 6. And that His being is most simple and pure WEe have hitherto dwelt on the consideration of the divine being and according to the weakenesse of mans understanding have assayed to shew what He is Now as well for further cleering of the premisses as for the avoyding of some left-handed opinions concerning Him it is likewise fit that we consider what hee is not And because the author of that booke which by him is stiled Soiga by which forsooth in his deepe Cabala you must understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is holy and by sude deus and such deepe mysteries doth most falslie affirme pag. 12. that God is the matier of all things that have existence or a peculiar being it may appeare unto you for these reasons following Section 1. That God is not Matier 1. NO matier is eternall But God is eternall a therefore God is not matier The rule or proposition is thus proved Whatsoever is moved by any kinde of motion cannot be eternall because it supposes another being whereby it is moved either from the pure possibilitie of not being into being as the first matier of all things or in being from one state of being into another But all matier is one of these therefore no matier is or can be eternall and therefore not God And if no matier can be God then God cannot be matier See log Cap. 13. B. rule 1. 2. All matier is in possibilitie to become this or that that is to change from one forme to another as the moisture of the earth by the vertue of the root turnes to grasse thence by the vertue of the stomacke of the oxe becomes blood then flesh which in the stomacke of the man being digested againe becomes his
and so to bring out other Persons as this lewd consequence would enforce But the ground of this mistaking which I tell you of for avoyding of the like cavils is this that they consider not the superexcellency of the Divine being but measure it by the short and scanty rules whereby they measure the creature It is true in things here below that according to those naturall causes wherby everie thing is brought forth so may it likewise bring forth the like because that strength or power is given thereto for the propagation and preservation of kinde in the like which it cannot uphold in it selfe by reason of corruption neither is the generation of naturall things but with imperfection and their multiplication by decision of the seed into divers parts Neither doth any father communicate his whole being to that which is begotten by him neither can the species or common nature so farre forth as it is multiplicable even by one alone be savâ—d whole and entire in any one individuall But nothing of all this is in the most glorious spirituall and divine generation for that power of generation is not received but essentiall so that which is begotten is eternall and incorruptible The generation also is in the uttermost perfection because the whole infinite being is communicate thereby but that not for any abasement in the principle but because of the infinite perfection thereof Neither is matier for multiplication either possible or needfull here because all the fulnesse of Fatherhood Sonneship and procession are herein perfectly substantially infinitely and eternally because the procession is not such as tends to any thing without for so that which proceedeth should not bee coequall to the principle from whence it doth proceed But this procession is in the Divine being onely in every Person according to his peculiar subsistence answerable whereto no generation can be found in all the creatures 2. Another objection there is to the like purpose out of Heb. 1.3 where it is said of the second Person that hee susteineth all things by the Word of his power So that if hee being the Word of his Father have also a Word whereby he susteineth all things which therefore is another Word and not the things that are susteined thereby it may seeme that there is a multiplication of Persons and that the former objection is not fully answered I have said Log. Chap. 29. n. 5. That the appointment of all naturall causes to the bringing forth of their effects is the rule or law of Nature Now this law is that necessitie fate or destinie which is ordained by his eternall decree that made Nature and all things therein and blessed all the living creature with power to bring forth according to kinde as it appeares Gen. 1. And this is that Word of which S. Paul speakes No other divine Person but that Word whereby he melteth the yee and Snow Psal 147.18 that ordinance which the creature cannot passe Psal 148.6 Of which you may reade every where in the Holy text and especially in that admirable booke of naturall and Divine Philosophie the booke of Iob in comparison of which all Aristotles naturalls are not worth the while For seeing all naturall causes have their strength from him hath not hee bound nature within those limits beyond which hee gave it no further power to worke And within which hee is trulie said to worke by his word or by his power in the strength of which alone Nature her selfe doth worke Maker of Heaven and Earth CHAP. XIII That the World is not Eternall Section 1. THe puritie or uttermost simplicitie of the Divine being is the fountaine from whence all the perfections which are therein doe flowe for neither can any thing be living powerfull wise continuall glorious c. except it bee neither can any thing be such infinitely if it have not an infinite being but an infinitie of being cannot be but with the uttermost simplicitie of being For whatsoever is put to being takes away the simplicitie thereof and must needs be a limitation thereto and so take away the infinitie also The manifold perfections therefore in the Divine being are not additions of other beings to make composition therein or to take away the simplicitie thereof seeing they all signifie one and the same being but because the most simple being must needs bee the first of beings as being altogether in act or perfection and no way in possibilitie of being for then wereit not a most simple being if it were both in act of being that which it is and in possibilitie of being that which it is not therefore must all other beings depend hereon nay bee herein because all things are virtually contained in their principles And this is that eternitie of the creature which it had in the infinite wisdome and power of God before it was Gen. 2.5 For seeing that in God is infinite perfection and that nothing can bee wanting to that which is perfect neither yet can any thing be perfect but in him therefore the first and highest being of all things must bee in his perfection But because absolute perfection must needs bee with the uttermost simplicitie without othernesse or change therefore must all things in God bee one and he though one alone yet virtually all things But because all things were in him eternally one that they might in time bee different in themselves for otherwise they could never at all either have beene or have beene different It is necessarie to grant that in that one absolute being which the creature had in God there must be first a possibilitie for it to be in it selfe for as things utterlie impossible can never be so can there bee no possibilitie of being but by him Secondly a possibilitie for the things being to be different among themselves and that not onely in their severall kindes but also in their particular existences and this for the manifestation of that manifold wisdome of the Maker And from hence thirdly succeeds that actuall being which things that are being have by that Holy pleasure or will by which they are and continue in their severall beings which Will must needs bee partaker both of the infinite power and infinite wisdome that it might effect that which was possible and foreseene And thus is there in the Unitie of the creature a Trinitie also in possibilitie in difference and actuall being that wee should never forget to adore the eternall Trinitie in the Unitie But the question of the worlds eternitie is onely about this last manner of actuall being for it is not denyed that it is eternall in respect of that being which it had in God as the cause or in it selfe as possible to bee because that while it was not being it had not any power to resist that Almightinesse which called it out of not being into being though to speake more properlie that eternity which it had in pure possibilitie was not in it selfe because it was
But if wee looke diligently unto the text of the Holy Scripture we shall finde how necessary it was that the Mediator should satisfie for the sinne of the creature because the whole creature was made by Him For so wee may reade Ioh. 1.2.3 All things were made by that word which in the beginning was with God And without it was nothing made which was made And vers 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him And vers 14. And that word was made flesh that is tooke on him the whole nature of man body and soule and dwelt among us and we saw on the holy mount Mat. 17.2 c. 2 Pet. 1.18 the glory thereof that is of that flesh or man as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of the Father And againe Col. 1.16 By him that is the Sonne were all things created which are in heaven and which are in earth things visible and invisible all things were created by him and for him and in him all things consist 1 Cor. 8.6 There is one God the Father of whom were all things and we by him Eph. 3.9 God hath created all things by Iesus Christ And Heb. 1. v. 1.2 God hath spoken unto us in these last dayes by his Sonne whom He hath made heire of all things by whom also he made the worlds By all which texts it is cleere which S. Paul hath Rom. 11.36 of him through him and for Him are all things That is that God the deliverer which should come out of Sion vers 26. And thus have these Apostles explained that which is written Gen. 1.1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth which word in the whole body of the old Testament as wisemen have observed is almost never spoken but of the Person of the Mediator onely I suppose then that it is plaine enough which is spoken by our Lord Ioh. 5. v. 19. The Sonne can doe nothing of Himselfe save what he seeth the Father doe for whatsoever things He doth the same things doth the Sonne in like manner That is whatsoever the eternall Godhead ordeined in his everlasting Counsell and decree to bee done that same doth the Sonne execute and performe in the creature answerably and brings forth every thing in time according to the possibilities and opportunities of the creature For as the wiseman saith Ecclus. 18.1 He that liveth for ever made all things together or at once So the Psalmist as also the other Scriptures tels us by whom and in whom Psal 104.24 In wisdome hast thou made them all that is in our Creator and Saviour So then it being cleered by the text of the holy Scripture that the creation of the world was of God the Father in Christ by Christ and for Christ it will easily follow how necessary it was that He our creator by His eternall Spirit should offer himselfe to God for the sin of his creature as it will further appeare when I come to that article Notes a EVery tenne thousand yeares You may reade the position in Aug. de Haer. cap. 43. and the refutation thereof in his 20. 21. 22. bookes de civit Dei But the Cabalists for the renewing of this lower world put seven thousand yeares and no more for the restoring of the whole creature both heavenly and earthly they put fifty thousand yeares You may read the opinion and partly see their reasons in Leo Hebr. de Amore. pag. 500. c. b The world is not eternall The most famoused opinions that have beene concerning the worlds eternity are these One that which the Christian faith doth hold according to the truth of the holy oracles of God and the voice of Reason as you have heard and to this truth the Stoicks are said to haue consented The second opinion is that of Plato and his followers who held that the world had a beginning in time but of an eternall matier and that the continuance thereof should bee eternall For seeing generation and corruption is onely by the change of formes the matier still remaining one therefore they thought that as that forme which is purely without matier was incorruptible and eternall So likewise must matier bee which of it owne nature is utterly without forme And because matier is greedy of all formes how differing or contrary soever Therefore it is ever subject to change Neither is the heaven it selfe utterly freed from all power of Change because of that matier whereof it is in which the power of Change is ever hidde Therefore the world is not eternall in respect of any power in it selfe either to the production of formes or the continuance of it selfe under the same formes but first in respect of the vnformed matier and most of all in respect of that Spirit or life whereby it is guided and ordered as by the internall causes and in respect of the divine will and goodnesse as the outward principle and the end which will as it cannot repent to have done good in giving being unto the world and the things therein contained so can it not will contrary to it selfe and cease to doe good in the continuance of the creature in that being which it hath You may reade more to this purpose in Plot. Ennead 2. lib. 1. and his commentator Marsilius Ficinus The third opinion is that of Aristotle that the world was eternall and from God as an eternall effect of an eternall cause For because it seemed to him impossible and if you looke no higher than nature alone it is indeed impossible that any thing being can come out of nothing therefore matier must needs be eternall and therewith generation and corruption without which nothing is brought forth And because these two could not be thought to be without the moving of the heavens as the cause thereof therefore both the heavenly bodies and motion especially circular must be also eternall and herewith time which is measured by the motion of the heavens But what this eternall matier should bee the Philosophers went into divers opinions Heraclitus thought it to be fire Archelans ayre Empedocles all the elements and among the rest one one thing and another another as you may reade in Aristotle where hee refutes them in Tull. Acad. q. lib. 4. and especially in Plutarch de placitis Philosophorum and from him in many other Aristotle himselfe from Hesiod and they that had beene before him cals it Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In theogonia First was the Chaos then the earth which word if they borrowed not of Moses his Tohu which signifies empty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sometimes meanes to bring to nought nor of that which seemâ—s to come from thence Chohus whereby as Festus saith the old Latines called the world yet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they meant by it confusion and no way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a countrie or an appointed place Sometime this matier is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
from a precedent matier was recalled by Hermogenes against whom Tertullian disputes as you may reade 6. But infinitie is not onely of continuance which we call eternitie which we may seeme to have refuted sufficiently but of greatnesse or extent of number also of power of goodnesse or the like but if it hath beene proved that the world tooke a beginning as concerning the continuance it may easily follow that no manner of infinitie can belong unto it Yet Fran. Patricius Pancos lib. 8. upon the same arguments of the infinitie of the power goodnesse and will of God would build up the infinitie of the world at lest concerning the extension or space thereof And although the answers heretofore made to the arguments above may seeme to answer his reasons sufficiently yet I suppose you may better understand whatsoever is to bee said hereto if you have well perused that which is said in the second and eighth Chapter In the meane time you may doe well to remember who measured the water in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with his span Esay 40.12 And if all these things were made in number weight and measure Sap. 11.17 It may well follow that the world cannot be infinite in any of these 7. But the infinitie or uncertaintie of number hath most doubt because it is said Heb. 1.2 11.3 That God hath appointed Christ to bee heire of all things because that by him he made the Worlds But the word World answers to two words in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first signifies oftentimes the frame of the whole creature as in Matth. 25.34 but not alwayes for sometimes it signifies the world of the wicked onely as Iohn 14.17 sometime of the elect onely as Iohn 3.17 sometime as age or time of the world and the people of that age as S. Peter 2. Epist 2.5 saith that God spared not the old world and againe 2. Pet. 3.6 The world that then was perished by waters to which meaning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in that text of Heb. 1.2 doth most directly answer So that the ages there spoken of may well receive interpretation by the dayes of the creation by which God foretold what should afterward come to passe as it is said Esay 46.10 and elsewhere * See Brocardi Mystica in Gen. So then the first day of nature when darkenesse was upon the deepe signified that time when the wickednesse of man was great on the earth and the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually And although they had the light of reason in them yet because they did not walke according to that light therefore God brought the floud upon the world of the ungodly The second day wherein was the division of the waters by the firmament of heaven meant that time when God separated his Church from the people of the world and parted them by the firmament of his Covenants first of circumcision given to Abraham afterward of the ceremoniall Law by Moses which worke of the second day is therefore not praised as good because the Law workes wrath Rom. 4.15 And because these ceremonies were not able to give life to the doers of the same for Moses might not bring Israel into the land of promise Deut. 34.4 Esay 66.3 Gal. 2.16 1◠30.10 The third day signifies the third age or state of the Church when the earth that is these worldly rites by the lively interpretation of the Prophets who unfolded their meaning and taught the people of their times to have hope in him that was to come brought forth the herbe and fruit tree yeelding seed unto everlasting life The fourth age of the Church was that time wherein the Sun of righteousnesse did shine and brought in that new light that true light which lightens every man that come into the world of his Church that Sun which gave shine unto the Moone the Apostolike Church and to the Stars those Doctors whose knowledge zeale and constancie gave light in that darke night of persecutions and heresie which did ensue And these and such other are the ages even untill the great Iubile of which the Apostle speakes in that place Heb. 1.2 which is brought for the proofe of many worlds So this Democritan fancie may vanish 8. Concerning the infinitie of multitude in the different species or kindes of things the Cabalists have an opinion that although they rise to an excessive number yet they must needs be definite and that according to the difference of words in all the possible change and joyning of the letters for if either the things were not different according to the signification of words or that the words had not their meaning according to the difference of things that wisdome who both made the things and gave words to expresse their differences should seeme disproportionable and wanting on one side or on the other neither could that word be verefied Gen. 2 19. which saith And whatsoever Adam called every living creature so was the name thereof The opinion is delivered in the booke which they call Iezirah the author of the tradition they make Abraham the Patriarch the description of Iuda an ancient Rabbine the collection of the number is of Fr. Georgius in his 244 Probl. tit 67. and this * You may see also the comment of Postellus on that booke and Archangels apologie of the Cabala pag. 548 c. is the number 1124002590827719680000. that is one thousand one hundred twentie foure millions of great millions two thousand five hundred and nineteene great millions eight hundred twenty seven thousand seven hundred and nineteene millions sixe hundred and fourescore thousand But although the possible combination of letters be so different as they make it yet the reason holds not for the actions and passions as well as the proprieties of things must be expressible with all the differences of times past present and to come and that either alone or with others Besides wordes expresse the defects of things the vices also and imaginations of the minde which are neither created beings nor alwayes true Moreover although Adam had power over all words yet it appeares not that hee had knowledge also of the nature and differences of the heavenly and spirituall creatures so that the words may perhaps fall short of the number of different beings But because they will not be out bidden they fix this number to the combination of consonants it seemes for the different species to which if you adde the different vowels above or below as the manner of that writing is you shall have a number so great as may equall all the individuals of all the specialls that ever have beene or shall bee hereafter which by Patricius must needs be infinite for thus he reasons Panarch lib. 19. from three infinities essentiall potentiall and actuall a fourth infinite must needs proceed at least of number for otherwise the
27.5 and Acts 1.18 and 20. Secondly from the chiefe accessaries in the murder prophesied concerning Herod and Pontius Pilate Psal 2.2 fulfilled Luke 23.12 Acts 1.26 27. And concerning the Priests and Scribes it was prophesied Gen. 49.6 fulfilled Matth. 26.3 Mar. 15.11 Luke 22.2 Thirdly from his friends forsaking Him foretold Psal 38.11 Zach. 13.7 compared with Matth. 26.56 27.55 what can the Infidell Iew or Turke now say for their unbeleefe when by all these arguments and all things else whatsoever were prophesied of Him our Lord bath beene approved to bee that Saviour that was to come into the world yea so approved by the rule of the Law Deut. 18 22. and their owne expositors Moimony in Iesude hatorah cap. 10. that even because they beleeve not therefore is our Lord Iesus that true Prophet that was to come Because hee foretold both their unbeleefe and the punishment thereof Therefore beside other circumstances and proofes in this abundance not necessary to bee remembred take for another argument the unbeleefe of the Iewes and the destruction of their citty and scattering of that nation as the punishment of that unbeleefe Their hardnes of heart and incredulity was prophesied Ps 118.22 Es 6.9.10 c. 8.14.15 c. 52.1.2.3 The scattering of the whole nation is prophesied Lev. 26. vers 27. to 40. Deut. 28.64 Hos 3.4 9.17 The destruction of the cittie and Temple was foretold Dan. 9.26 and by our Lord himselfe Luk. 19.43.44 ch 21.20 with the continuance of that desolation Luk. 21.24 And of this their unbeleefe and scattering of the Nation and desolation of Ierusalem the Iewes themselves and all the world with them are witnesses unto this day If you desire further conferring of the Texts of the old Testament with the new you may reade Tertul. lib. 3. et 4. adversus Marcionem 11. To the death and sufferings of our Lord whereby wee are redeemed unto God the Father Rev. 5.9 wee may also adde the death and sufferings of his Saints as it is written Psal 44. vers 11. to 23. compared with Rom. 8.36 For even from Abel to Isaacke and so forward they that have beene borne after the flesh have persecuted them that have beene borne according to the Spirit Gal. 4.29 And although these persecutions have beene more common and grievous at some time than other as it may appeare by the bookes of the Maccabees and the ten persecutions of the primitive Church foretold Reu. 2.10 yet that rule holds and still shall till that King doe come that shall reigne in Iustice that all that will live godly in Christ must suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 For whether it bee that God by afflictions and persecutions doth try the constancie and patience of his servants and exercise their faith in his promises or whether by trouble and persecution hee will teach them not to looke for their portion in this life or to make them more conformable to the death of his Sonne that they may also bee partakers of his resurrection or that the reward of their afflictions may bee with an exceeding waight of glory or that in the life to come they may by comparison inioy the fullnesse of their happinesse in more thankefullnesse and the perfection of love to the author thereof or that the devil may in Iustice punish such as forsake his obedience for by the taint of originall sinne wee all became his vassalls and God is not uniust no not to the devill himselfe and therefore suffers him to afflict them whom he himselfe will comfort Ioh 1. Reu. 2.10 or whether the devil to keepe his owne vassals in firme obedience doth more eagerly persecute the truth this is a sure conclusion that from Abel to this day the truth of the Religion of Christ and the obedient and faithfull professours thereof have ever beene persecuted whereas all Idolatry and superstition of how different kinds soever hath beene and is freely exercised From whence the reason will follow thus If the Religion of Christ and the faith in him have onely beene persecuted by the devill and his Instruments even from the beginning of the world untill now then the faith in Christ is onely the true faith and Hee the onely Saviour of the world But the first is true by the testimony of the holy Scripture and all those histories both ecclesiasticall and prophane that write any thing concerning this matter and the practice of the Turkes at this day doth approve it Therefore the Faith in Christ is onely the true faith and He the onely Saviour of the world 12. To this argument of the sufferings for the faith of Christ you may take another from the heresies that have beene thereabout For as a malitious enemy besieging a Castle impregnable poisons the fountaine of which the defenders must needs drinke so the faith of Christ being that onely fountaine of life by which we are sustained in our spirituall warfare hath by the malice of the devill beene troubled g with all kindes of heresies which the devill could possibly forge by the wits of his Instruments whereas in all the false worships that have beene in the world no questions nor dissentions have beene but every man wandred as hee was led in the darkenesse of his foolish heart And yet in all these heresies through the gratious direction of the Spirit of Christ and the light of his word the true faith hath prevailed according to his promise Math. 16.18 That all the devils that passe in and out at the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it From whence you may reason thus That faith which onely hath beene attempted by all manner of heresies to bee corrupted thereby and yet hath stood uncorrupted and unreproveable in the True Faith But the Christian Faith onely is such Therefore the Christian Faith onely is the true Faith and consequently our Lord Iesus is the Saviour of the world seeing in Him onely wee looke for redemption 13. And this is that pole of the Loadstone whereto we may bee directed by every point within the compasse of the holy Scripture And these pointers that follow are sufficient to shew it Act. 2.36 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Act. 4. v. 10.11.12 There is no salvation in any other for there is no name under heaven given among men whereby wee must be saved save onely the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whom God hath raised from the dead Act. 16.31 Beleeve on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy whole house Act. 17.3 Paul opened and proved that Christ must needes have suffered and risen againe from the dead and this Iesus whom I preach unto you is the Christ Act. 18.28 He mightily convinced the Iewes and that publikely shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was the Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is
that had the husband Esay 54.1 For he came unto his owne but his owne received him not Iohn 1.11 And therefore was hee made a light unto the Gentiles unto the uttermost ends of the earth Esay 49.6 Acts 13.46.47 that is to us even to us of this Island utterly removed from all the world beside Glory be to thee O Lord most high f Gen. 49.5 6. Simeon and Levi brethren their swords are the instruments of violence Into their secret let not my soule enter Let not my glorie be united to their assembly for in their rage they slew the man and in their selfe will they houghed the oxe The interpreters differ in the translation of this text first about the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mecherotheikem which some bring from the roote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chur a furnace or crucible but translate it in their habitations as if it descended of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ghur to sojourne or dwell as a stranger others derive it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machar which among other things signifies a sword and may well bee the theame of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machaers in Greeke a sword by which word Arius Montanus doth translate it most fitly to the sence and without any understanding of the word in Another difference is about the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shor which being pronounced shur signifies a wall and for the authority of the Chaldaean Paraphrast is by many interpreted they pulled or digged downe the wall In which sence though it agree well to that purpose for which I cite it that the high Priests of Levi and the Scribes of Simeon through their malice and violence against our Sauiour caused him to die so in their selfe will pulled down the wall of partition between the Iewes and Gentiles yet the word being pronounced shor as it is pointed in this place doth every where signifie an oxe and so with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to pull out by the rootes or to cut a sinew as it is used 2 Sam. 8.4 and 1 Chron. 18.4 Hee boughed their chariot horses is by the Greeke and some other good interpreters here turned as you see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they houghed the oxe neither is there at all any mention of digging downe a wall Gen. 34. where this deed of the sonnes of Iacob is recorded but that they made spoile of all their cattell And although the other sonnes of Iacob were actors in this businesse yet was it by the instigation of Simeon and Levi as the whole multitude before Pilate were perswaded by the Priests and Scribes to aske Barabbas and to kill the Lord of glory Now concerning their scattering among the other tribes of Levi you may reade Ioshua 21. of Simeons scattering in the cities of Iuda of Dan in mount Seir also and the countrey of Amalek you may reade Ios 19. and 1 Chron. 4. from verse 24. to the end And as the Levites though dispersed yet for their zeale in avenging the idolatrie of the Israelites Exod. 33.26.7 8. had this honour from God to teach Jacob his judgements Deut. 33.9 10 so the Simeonites likewise tooke this honour to themselves to be teachers of the law in the Synagogues of Iacob as the Levites in the scholes of Israel as the Thargum of Ierusalem hath recorded and by these was that fulfilled which Iacob here prophesies concerning the man of men slaine by them and that oxe the great sacrifice for the sin of the whole world sinew-cut or deprived of all strength or life as concerning his flesh which fact of theirs the Patriarch doth so detest as that neither his tongue nor thought should give consent thereto For although the ignorant multitude thought that the Messiah should come in worldly glory yet the Prophets knew that his kingdome was spirituall and that by his death they were to be freed from death and him that had the power of death to whom they were subject because of sin And therefore was it that Davids heart smote him when he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment for Saul was a figure of Christ lest by that fact he were likewise a paterne of them and so in some sort partaker with them of whom he prophesied Psal 22.18 They parted my garments among them But you say the Scripture is not to bee strained for by that meanes everie thing may be made of any thing but there is one onely sence of the Scripture and that according to the letter I Answer Our Lord saith That Moses writ of him Can you shew it by the letter hee said indeed A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you from among your brethren like unto mee him shall ye heare So he raised up David Salomon Esay and the rest and they did heare and beleeve them but him whom the Father sent they beleeved not Iohn 5.38 Therefore this was not hee of whom Moses wrote Is this your literall understanding He saith also that Ionas was a signe of his buriall and yet there is not a letter of it in all the booke of Ionas Adam said This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh and therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall bee joyned to his wife Saint Paul from hence Eph. 5.32 and Heb. 2.14 câ—â—cludes that seeing the children were partakers of flesh and blood therefore the Mediator also must be incarnate But hee could not prove it by the letter and therefore hee calls it a great mysterie So then there is a mysticall sence of the Scripture as well as a literall And the mysticall is rather to bee taken in this place because the Patriarch himselfe in the first verse of this Chapter promises to tell them what shall befall them in the last dayes Now it is manifest that of the three estates of the Church First under the law of nature Secondly of the ceremonies thirdly and of grace that of grace onely could bee called the last dayes For the estate of the Church under the law of nature was the first and not utterly finished till the tables made of the unknowne matier were broken Ex. 32.16.19 and then began the law of the ceremonies when the same words were againe written in the tables of stone which Moses hewed Exod. 34.1 which middle estate also lasted untill the Gospell of repentance was preached by Iohn the Baptist and was utterlie finished in the Consummatum est Iohn 19.30 and then began this last estate of grace called the last dayes as it is manifest Ioel 2.28 compared with Acts 2.17 and Hebr. 1.1 and 1 Iohn 2.18 So that this prophecie of Iacob though it were in some sort fulfilled as concerning their dispersion in the second state of the Church as I shewed yet the uttermost accomplishment of their foule offence in slaying that man figured by their crueltie toward the Sychemites could not bee till the last dayes when Christ was manifest in the flesh Compare
de Carâ—â— Christi Epiphan haeres 28. 30. And especially in Tertul. de Trinit if that booke be his Thus we have seene the falshood of the Monophysites now it remaines that we also take a view of their opinions that hold more natures than one in Christ and among them to see the heresies of Nestorius 1. and Arius 2. and then the late opinion of Postellus 3. § 8. Concerning the position of Nestorius it may seeme that all authors agreed not what it was For hee that made that addition of the Timothean Nestorian and Eutychian heresie unto Saint Augustine makes the heresie of Nestorius nothing else but a mingle-mangle of the Photinian and Timothean heresie That Christ was man onely not conceived of the Holy Ghost but that afterward God was mixt with that man Againe Socrates Hist Eccles lib. 7. cap. 32. writes that many supposed that Nestorius sought to bring in the Heresie of Photinus whereas saith hee it is plaine by the writings of Nestorius that he onely avoided this that the virgin should be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Mother of God But Tho. Aquin. contra gent. lib. 4. cap. 38. cites Damascen to this purpose We affirme that there is a perfect union of the two natures not according to the Person as the enemy of God Nestorius affirmed but also according to the Hypostasis From whence Tho. concludes that this was the position of Nestorius to confesse one person in Christ and two Hypostases If by Hypostases he meant the Divine and humane natures united in the one Person of our Mediator neither Damascen nor Thomas can blame him for it But if by the manly Hypostasis consisting of body and soule he must meane a humane person as Thomas in the same place out of Boâ—tius determines you may see how they made a quarrell more than needed For though Nestorius had beene madd yet would he never have held one Person of both natures and also two persons But it is cleare by the later Historians of the Church that this among other was the heresie of Nestorius that as in Christ there were two natures so there were also two persons which opinion might easily take the originall from Cerinthus Phoâ—iâ—us and such as stunk of that Pumpe For if God the Word came to dwell in Jesus the sonne of Mary being a perfect humane person of body and soule whether at his Baptisme as Cerinthus taught or from the very instant of his conception as the Nestorians of this time affirme the position of Nestorius must follow of necessitie that there be in him as two natures so two persons For the Godhead destroyed nothing of the humane perfection which it found So that if it came not to the humane nature but in the subsistence of a manly person then that humane nature must remaine in the perfection of a person as it was before Whence that followes also not unfitly which hee further affirmed that the things of infirmity which were in Christ as to eate to drinke to sleepe to gâ—ow in wisedome c. belonged to the sonne of Mary without the Sonne of God and all the glorious miracles which Christ did worke were done by the Sonne of God without the sonne of Mary But the supposition of Nestorius that the deitie came into the humanity when the humanitie had perfect subsistence in soule and body that is in the perfection of a personall beeing is most false For the Word taking flesh of the Virgin caused it to become one person with himselfe so that the body assumed was the proper and peculiar body of God and the humane soule the soule of God not of any other Person but the body and soule of the Sonne of God and this not onely while the soule dwelt in the body according to the naturall life but also while he was yet under the burden of our sinnes his body in the grave his soule in Hell as the Apostle cites the Scripture Act. 2.27 Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell neither wilt thou give thy Holy one to see corruption So then the body in the grave was the Holy One of God for nothing else of him was subject to corruption and though it were for a time forsaken of the soule yet not of the Godhead which thing the words of the Angel doe confirme Matth. 28.6 Come see the place where the Lord lay So that our Saviour on the Crosse yea even in the bands of death as concerning his body was still the Lord and God of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Aâ—d if it be most true that God is more inward and more neare unto every thing than can be expressed by any words of beeing of essence of nature substance moities forme proprietie or the like because he is the foundation unto all these and in him all things consist How much more shall hee bee inward and fundamentall unto that body soule and Spirit of Iesus which hee was pleased to make his own that by that body and blood of his he might redeeme his Church as it is said Acts 20.28 That God purchased his Church with his owne blood that is with the life and blood of that body which was proper and peculiar unto himselfe Thus then the word was made flesh not by any transmutation or change of the one or the other from their true and naturall being but because that by a secret and unspeakable conjunction the Word was made one with the flesh and the flesh with the Word So then the Sonne of GOD tooke the humanitie not that it might be another person beside himselfe but being in himselfe perfect God he would also in himselfe be perfect man taking flesh of the Virgin The differences of union you may see if you will in the principles of N. Byfield Chap. 16. This union of the Godhead and Manhood is manifest by divers Texts of the holy Scripture For evidence of which we will first put this infallible axiome That of two different persons one cannot possibly bee affirmed of the other as to say that Peter is Iohn or Iohn is Peter neither yet that the proprieties of the one can belong to the other as to say that the Gospell of Saint Iohn is the Epistle of Saint Peter Now it is said Ioh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world which belongs to Him as to the Sonne of God as Iohn expounds it 1 Epist 4.9 and then it followes Againe I leave the world and goe to the Father which is peculiar to him as man as it is said Act. 3.21 Therefore Iesus the Sonne of God and the Sonne of the virgin is one and the same person so Col. 1.16 that same He by whom all things were made v. 18. is the head of the Church and the first borne from the dead and Rom. 9.5 Hee who is of the Fathers concerning the flesh is God blessed above all This our Lord affirmed of himselfe Math. 26.63.64 to be the Sonne
2. How are wee freed from that damnation under which we were brought through the sinne of Adam while the Divine Iustice is yet unsatisfied 3. And if Christ have not suffered for vs what example hath He left unto vs that wee should follow his steps 4. Wee that are the Disciples should bee above our Master our patience more then His our love to Him more then His to vs If wee for His sake should willingly suffer persecution shame losse imprisonment death which He Himselfe had not suffered for vs. And 5. It had been utterly to no end that He should have become man For as it had been in vaine for Him to have taken a body which should againe have beene scattered into that from whence it was taken as Apelles affirmed so had it beene to no end to take a body and therein to suffer the darkning of His divine glory if by that body no benefit had redounded to the creature But if you desire moe reasons hereto they that are brought in the Chapter for His suffering crucifying death and buryall may give you full satisfaction So the errours that are yet remaining about the suffering of Christ are two one of the Theopaschites who held that the God-head of Christ did suffer while His body was nayled on the Crosse Aug. de Haer. Cap. 73. The other of the Patrispassians such as Praxeas and Sabellius who because they thought that as the Father and the Son were but one substance so were they likewise but one Person and therefore they affirmed that God the Father was incarnate and suffered Aug. de Haer. Cap. 41. But the former of these is sufficiently reproved by the doctrine of the 9. Cha. For if God be not any kind of matier nor a compound nor a formed body nor subject to any accident but that His being be most simple and pure as was there shewed by every one of these circumstances it will follow necessarily that God cannot suffer The later is refuted by all the reasons of the 11. and 23. Chapters And if you hold not your selfe satisfied by that which is brought in those Chapters and the answeres to the reasons of Sabellius Note d on Chap. 11. You may doe well to read Epiph. Haer. 57. and Tertullian against Praxeas For this very question whether God the Father was incarnate and suffered is the Argument of that Booke b That by His partaking of our sufferings He might c. It may heere not vnfitly be demanded for what causes Christ the Holy one of God should die for vs and how that death becomes availeable to free vs from the power of sinne of death and hell For answere Wee must first put that which was the first and principall cause of our salvation the eternall purpose of God which He â—urposed in Iesus Christ our Lord. Ephe. 3.11 See Actes 2.23 And this not for any graces or workes fore-seene in us But according to the good pleasure of His owne will Ephe. 1.5 For He hath saved us and called us with an Holy calling not according to our workes but according to His owne purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began 2. Tim. 1.9 And he that puts any outward cause or good workes fore-seene in us whereby God might bee moved to chuse us takes away the chiefe glory of his grace and makes him to bee lesse good So then the first cause of all the causes and meanes of our salvation in Christ is the free mercy and purpose of God the Father which because it is the first it must needes also be the chiefe cause seeing all other causes worke to that end to which they are ordered and guided by the first And because the Son doth nothing of Himselfe but what things soever He seeth the Father doe those also doth the Sonne likewise Iohn 5.19 Therefore secondly did the Sonne according to that eternall purpose of the Father offer Himselfe vnto His Father for man as a ransome and satisfaction for their sinne as it is said Psal 40.7 Loe I come in the volume of the Booke it is written of mee to doe thy will O God Heb. 10.7 For in Him onely is God well pleased Matth. 12.18 And this is that Eternall Gospel of the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the World Apoc. 13.8 For through the Eternall Spirit did Hâ— offer Himselfe without spot vnto God But if this offer of our Redeemer who offered Himselfe for vs had not beene accepted of His Father then had it beene of no availe for us Therefore in the third place it must appeare that God did accept this Sacrifice of His Sonne which is manifest first by this That it was the disposition and purpose of God Himselfe as was shewed in the first place and as it is said Heb. 10.10 By the will of God are wee sa ctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all Neither was God in this reconciliation of man-kind a willer or disposer onely but a worker also of our Redemption For God was in Christ reconciling the World vnto himselfe not imputing their trespasses vnto them 2. Cor. 5.19 If God then be for us who can be against us If He Iustifie who can condemne us who â—ave the decree and will of God for our Iustification the offer and acceptance of Christ both God and man for our ransome and reconciliation and that offer was made by the eternall Spirit And this Spirit also beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the sonnes of God Rom. 8.16 The second cause concernes the justice of God by which our Lord Christ died for vs. And it stood in this that He according to the will of His Father became our surety Hebr. 7.22 and bound Himselfe to make satisfaction for the sin of man which man himselfe could not doe as it hath beene manifest before Chap. 19. Now in this satisfaction of Christ the infinite Iustice was accorded with the infinite Love of God to the creature The infinite love appeared as was said before first in this that the Sonne was called and appointed to the performance of this glorious worke Hebr. 5. verse 4 5.10 Then in this that being performed it was accepted in our name and for our everlasting happinesse as it is said Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that He gave His onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth Him should not perish but have everlasting life The infinite Iustice was manifest in this that the satisfaction of Christ was a full and perfect satisfaction according to the rigour of Iustice and that both in respect of the infinite value thereof and of the punishment which our Mediator endured The infinite value of the satisfaction was first in the Person that offered it For as the grieuousnesse of the injurie exceeded by the worthinesse of the Person of the Father that was offended So the value of the satisfaction exceeded by the worthinesse of the Sonne that made the amends And
a forged one Cent. 3. cap. 10. They bring also reason for say they If the Divine and humâ—ne natures in Christ be united personally then it is necessary that where the one nature is there must also be the other But the two natures are so united Ergo. Answere The consequence of the proposition is not good where one of the natures is finite the other Infinite as Saint Augustine saith God and man are one Person and both together are one Christ every where as He is God but as He is man in heaven Ep'la ad Dardanum But this question is by many handled at large and if you desire further satisfaction See the Catechisme of Vrsinus a Booke I thinke common and the question is there briefly handled See Doctor Willet Synopsis Pap. Contr. 13. Part. 1. See also Bucan Inst Theol loc 48. quest 60. c. But in summe against these or any other heresies which may rise against the trueth of this Article take the authorities of the holy Scripture Psalm 24.7 c. Psal 47.5 and 68.18 The place and circumstances of His ascension are remembred Mark 16.18 Luke 24.50 Act. 1.9 Reade hereto Ephes 4.8 1 Tim. 3.16 Hebr. 4.14 and 9.24 And that the naturall property of Christs humane body being now glorified is not destroyed so that is may be every where as the God-head is take these authorities of the holy Scripture First it is said of Him after His resurrection Matth. Mark Luk. He is risen He is not here And Act. 1.10 While they looked up stedfastly as He went which must not be by disappearing but by leaving of one place and passage to another and againe vers 11. This IESVS which is taken from you into Heaven therefore not bodily with them still as He saith Iohn 16.7 It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send Him to you And therefore it is said Act. 3.21 That the Heavens must containe Him untill the time that all things bee restored And this is spoken of His body neither can it be true of His Deity and if His body be contained in heaven how can it become a piece of bread or in a piece of bread on earth You will say if Christ were last of all seene of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.8 how was Hee still contained in the heauens for His conversion was after the ascension I Answere Even as Saint Paul saw in a vision a man named Ananias comming unto Him whom otherwise he saw not till afterward Act. 9.12 and yet the sight by vision from God is a most certaine and true sight Or if it were so that He were indeed in His body taken up into the third heaven as he makes it questionable 2. Cor. 12.2 so might he see as he professeth of himselfe in your understanding CHAP. XXXI ⧠And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty THe great antiquitie of this Creed appearing to be even from the time of the Apostles brought some writers into an opinion that the twelue Apostles before their departure from Ierusalem to preach unto the Gentiles gave out this forme of confession of the faith to bee acknowledged of every Convert before they might bee baptized and appointed that all interpretation of Scripture should be made according to the rule of it as they will understand that text in Rom. 12.16 And some will yet bee more particular herein that every Apostle brought in that Article which he thought fit to be beleeved Yea and for a need they will tell you which Article every Apostle made and so have of necessitie limitted the Articles to the number of twelve But the Scripture admits no other rule of Interpretation than it selfe And so I confesse that the Creed may be a rule in as much as it hath the foundation in the Holy Scripture As Saint Augustine saith lib. 3. de Symb. ad Catech. Chapter 1. Deus in ecclesia regulam c. God would have one perpetuall rule to be in the Church which should be simple briefe and such as every one might easily understand according to which the godly might examine all doctrine and interpretation of the Scripture to receive that which is agreeable thereunto and to refuse that which is contrary And although for your satisfaction therein I have followed the fashion for the number of Articles as you may see yet it cannot be denied but that if you take every several conclusion for an Article there are in all 17. or 18 at least fifteene severall Articles of which this of our Lords sitting at the right hand of God will be one although in that number of 12. it goe as a part of the Article before Hee ascended into heaven But this is not a thing of any great importance And therefore let us rather looke to the certainty thereof for that is necessary for us to know and beleeve But it may be demanded why in the Creed such a Metaphor should be used as might endanger younglings and novices to thinke with the Anthropomorphites that the invisible God is like to man with hands and bodily parts To which wee may answere that the Christians I speake not of wilfull hereticks were not so ill instructed but that they knew right well how to discerne betweene Christ and a Vine Iohn 15. betweene a figurative and a proper speech And therefore the Fathers in the Church the Author or Authors of this Creed having a jealous care of the trueth of God doubted not to propose it in the words of God Himselfe Therefore seeing this part of Christs glory is so prophesied to bee fulfilled Psal 110. cited Heb. 1.13 The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole it is so to be retained in the Article of our Creed And although it bee a borrowed speech yet seeing it is so taken into use by our Lord Himselfe and by the Pen-men of the New-Testament it is by all meanes most fit so to hold it For so our Lord speakes Matth. 26.64 and Luke 22.69 Hereafter shall you see the Sonne of man sit on the right hand of the Power of God So Col. 3.1 Christ sitteth above at the right hand of God So Hebr. 1.3 and 10.12 and 12.2 with many other Scriptures to the like purpose The word To sit signifies either to tarry or continue as in Luk. 22.49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit that is abide or stay in the Citie of Ierusalem or else it signifies to raigne as in Esay 16.5 The Throne shall be established and Hee shall sit upon it in trueth So the right hand of God signifies either power as Act. 2.33 Hee being by the right hand that is the power of God exalted or else it signifies happinesse and joy eternall as it is said Psal 16. and 11. verse At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And although some Interpreters make the meaning
his heele against thee though the drunkards make songs upon thee yet remember that there is a reward for the righteous that thy innocency shall breake forth as the light and thy patience shall shine as the noone day And remember that unthankefull wretches are no new thing in the world for the Orator said long agoe and I have often found it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But if that Punke could say Men ' moveat cimex Pantilius Shall he that hath experience of such monsters of ingratitude put it in the power of a sonne of Belial to disquiet his peace Therefore let the Rymer read what others judge of him Feltham Resolu Cent. 2. Ch. 56. Let him write a booke against me I will bind it as a Crowne upon my head And if for my love and for my best deserts I find enemies yet will I pray for them Psal 109.4 For seeing we know that if we suffer with Christ we shall also reigne with Him shall we not pray for them that seale unto us the assurance of this hope Therefore shall this be among my chiefest joyes That the drunkards make songs upon me 5. It may further be objected from Iohn 3.17 That God sent not His Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world by Him might be saved And if He came to save the world how shall He judge and condemne the wicked to Hell fire seeing this is contrary to the end of His comming Answer First that is spoken of His first comming onely Secondly it is manifest by the verse before verse 16. that the world in this place signifies onely the faithfull in the world for whose sake the world is and continues For to these only God gave His only Son that they should not perish but have everlasting life And as Christ was once offered for these at His first comming so for these shall He appeare the second time to salvation Heb. 9.28 For the last judgment being but the confirmation of the sentence of their justification by the death of Christ and the putting of them in the actuall possession of those promises that depend thereon their sinnes are so covered as that b there shall not be any remembrance of them in the judgement For the worshippers that are once purged have no more conscience of sinne to their condemnation Hebr. 10.2 seeing the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And therefore as a countrey-man of ours saith well Ames Med Theol Cap. 41 This judgement in respect of the faithfull is essentiall unto Christ as He is the Mediator but in respect of the unfaithfull it is of power onely given Him by the Father not essentiall to His mediation but some way belonging to the perfection thereof because the Father hath committed all judgement to the Sonne Yet let me adde thus much that although the judgement of condemnation be not essentiall to Christ as the Mediator of reconciliation yet He being the great Steward of the house of God it is essentiall to Him as the Son of God to take vengeance without mercy on them that dishonour His Father and despight the Holy Spirit of grace which by the light of their consciences proclaimes their sin unto them which they will in no wise forsake Sect. 4 § 4. 6. The last question is with those mockers that say either in words or by their continuance in their wicked deedes where is the promise of His comming For since the dayes of Henoch who threatned that Iudgement Iud. 14. above 4500. yeeres are passed and yet the world continues and that which hath beene is even that which shall be neither is any thing new under the Sun Eccles 1.9 Moreover though for your reasons against the eternitie of the world Chap. 13. it may seeme the world is not eternall à parte antè but that it had a beginning yet is it not cleare but that it may be eternall à parte pòst and continue for ever in as much as the Creator cannot repen◠Himselfe to bee the work-master of so glorious a frame So not to continue it in that being which it hath and to doe good unto it as the Psalmist confesseth Psal 104. verse 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in His workes And if all the creature being made was exceeding good Gen. 1. the destroying of so great a good cannot bee but a very great ill which is farre from that goodnesse by which it was created I answere That the Text of Eccles prooves not but that the judgement shall fit at last and the bookes of every mans conscience shall be open that the judgement may be acknowledged to be according to their workes And although the time seems to us to bee prolonged that the number of the elect may bee fulfilled that the patience and long-suffering of God towards the wicked may be manifest for their repentance that the desire of the godly and their longing for His comming may be inflamed Yet to Him the time is determined and can neither be longer nor shorter than He hath appointed onely that comming to judgement hath been proclaimed so long before that in all ages men remembring the judgement might avoid those things for which they should bee condemned So for those reasons wherby you would enforce the continuance of the world for ever it hath beene answered that it is for the greater good to man and the creature which was made for his use that this world should have an end that the creature might be freed from that corruption to which it is subject by reason of his sinne then that it should still continue Neither doth that text of the 104. Psalme prove any thing to the contrary For as the glory of God had endured in eternity before the world so shall it continue when neither the heaven nor the earth nor yet their places shall be found any more Reu. 20.11 And as for that glory of His which is manifest in the creature it shall bee more wonderfull and excellent in that worke of His recreation which the Cabalists call de Mercava when the creature in the world to come shall be brought to glory and be able to consider the super-excellency of His mercy and goodnesse than it is in this worke de Bereshith or state of creation in this present world And if the deprivation of this present being seeme to be ill because the being of the creature was good in the state of creation then the taking away of all this ill and misery which is since come upon the creature by reason of sinne and the restoring of it into an estate of happinesse without comparison better and surer than that wherein it was created must in both respects be a far greater good than either to have created it such as it was or to continue it in the present being Bring hither what you finde in the 18. Chapter § 2. But because it seemes not
unto God But no such condemnation of the one by the other can be but by comparison of their workes Therefore the workes of the Infidels must come into iudgement That which they bring for proofe that the Heathen shall not be judged in His sight hath no sure ground as that in Psalm 1. The wicked shall not rise againe in the judgement as the greeks translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo Yakyma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had beene better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kom here signifies not onely to arise but to stand firme and sure as they that are risen and stand upright So the meaning is They shall not stand or be established that is not justified in the judgement So they bring that in the third of Iohn verse 18. He that beleeveth not is condemned already but that is not spoken of the Gentiles that never heard of Christ but of such Infidells as were in the Church of the Iewes that knew Christ to have suffered and beleeved not in Him as it is manifest by the 14 and 15. verses And these having the conscience of their sin and refusing the meanes of satisfaction to the justice of God must be condemned in themselues Neither doe they say any thing to the contrary who object that a long time must be needfull to the examination of the wicked mens deeds words and purposes For the booke of every mans conscience shall be opened and they shall at once be made to see the whole story of their sinfull life Neither shall words be needfull where the deeds are manifest But what time soever is taken thereto as there is a time for every thing it will neither seeme long to the blessed nor long enough to them that are damned And thus I thinke it is plaine that the workes of the Gentiles shall come into judgement 4. Moreover seeing the Gentiles though they have not the Law written yet are a law unto themselues And seeing God the just rewarder of all men renders to every man whether Iew or Gentile according to his deeds to them that by continuance in well-doing seeke glory and immortality eternall life What brazen fac't hypocrite art thou who contrary to the commandement of God Himselfe Mat. 7.1 2. and Rom. 14.4 dost presume to judge yea and that being so threatned that with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged If God be no accepter of persons but that in every nation he that feares God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of Him for the prayers of Cornelius Act. 10. and his almes came up for a memoriall before God before he heard the Gospel preached by Peter why shall we presume to judge them that are without the judgement of whom belongs onely unto God 1. Corinthians 15.13 How shall any one bee able to moove the sure foundation of God or bee so bold as to breake His seale The Lord knoweth who are His I say not of the heathens Pythagoras Heraclitus or the rest as Iustin Martyr Apol. ad Antonin said of Socrates that he walked with God as Abraham and Elias yet he had this hope that after death it should be better to them that had lived well then to the wicked Plat. in Phaed. And certaine it is that he died by the sentence of the unjust Athenians for this Because he taught that there was one onely true God which I doubt these busie censurers would hardly doe But this I say That seeing Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole world 1 Iohn 2.2 Let no man enquire how this satisfaction of Christ is made effectuall unto them seeing He is found of them that sought Him not Esay 65.1 Neither let the Christian that one sheepe of an hundred which the good Shepherd hath sought and brought home be so uncharitable as to give those ninety and nine left alone in the wildernesse of this world as a prâ—y devoted to the roaring lyon But shall we not follow our Guides and what is more usuall with them then Esau the reprobate Saul the reprobate So Ishmael Pharaoh and who they please beside Yea and Solomon that glorious Type of Christ in the Church restored is somewhat doubted of It is well that he was a Prophet and so by the word of Christ in the Kingdome of Heaven Luke 13.28 for the rest you may understand the teachers according to their true meaning Concerning Ishmael and his mother Hagar the allegory is expounded by Saint Paul Gal. 3.22 c. that he signified the Church of the Iewes and their seruitude under the Ceremoniall Law and lastly their rejection But yet he himselfe held the worship of God as his father taught him as it is manifest in Gen. 18.19 and 28.6 7 8 9. And though Pharaoh were a figure of the persecuters of the Church that were to come though Saul were cast out from the kingdome because the eternall kingdome was to be set up in Iuda Genes 49.8 11. though Esau was a type of the present apostasie yet doth it not thereupon follow that they were damned And although Esau the profane prized not his birth-right the gift of God as hee ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His glorious gift ought not to be set light by nay though it be said of him Mal. 1.3 Esau have I hated yet ought we not from thence to judge that this was to eternall damnation of him and his for ever but because the promised seed was to come of Iacob not of Esau because not onely worldly preferments as that the posterity of Iacob should rule over the Edomites but that the giving of the Law also and the succession of the Church was to be continued in the posterity of Iacob till Christ came therefore in comparison of Iacob Esau after a sort that is for such degrees of preeminence might seeme to be hated yet held he and his the true Religion for both Iobab or Iob and his three friends Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar are all accounted Edomites See Lam. 4.21 and the addition to the booke of Iob in the Greeke translation Object But they are held accursed that say that every man shall be saved by that law or sect which he professeth seeing the Scriptures affirme that there is no name given under heaven by which men may be saved but onely the Name of Iesus Christ Article Eccles 8. Answer And most justly are they to be held accursed For it was shewed even now that there is no Law which brought not with it the knowledge of sinne and therefore enforceth the necessity of a Mediator which wee according to the Scripture have manifested in Chap. 24. to be our Lord Iesus Christ apprehended by a true faith which is wrought in us inwardly by the Spirit of God and outwardly by His Word read and preached And beside this in the visible Church there is no meanes of salvation But because the Gentiles have
or Writings 1. First that wee through patience and comfort of these Scriptures might have firme and sure hope in God and His promises Rom. 15.4 2. Secondly that nothing through mans infirmity might be forgotten of all that which ought to be in continuall remembrance 3. Lest by the wickednesse of men and the subtilty of the devil inciting them thereto the holy Doctrine of God might be corrupted from the native and true meaning and so new Doctrines and new Religions brought in in stead of that Service which we owe onely to God and that according to His owne revealed Will and Word 4. No man knoweth the thoughts of a man but onely that spirit of a man which is within him much lesse can any know the things of God but onely the holy Spirit of God The things of God of which I speake are either such as concerne Himselfe or us Himselfe as that in His being He is a Spirit Eternall infinite in Wisedome c. In essence one in Persons three in His dispensation towards us that in the fulnesse of time the Eternall Sonne should dwell in the Tabernacle of our flesh that in our nature and for us He might make satisfaction for our sinne that we might be restored againe to the favour of God which wee had lost by our transgression and so have hope of the full enjoying of those benefits which come unto us thereby as the resurrection of our bodies and eternall life both in body and soule And because it was impossible for us to understand those things except God Himselfe had revealed them unto us therfore it was necessary that He should vouchsafe the certaine and immutable knowledge of them by His Holy Word 5. No Kingdome can bee ordered according to Iustice wherein the Lawes are not manifest and to bee knowne of every subject that will know them But Christ is that King that is to raigne in Iustice Esay 32.1 Therefore it was necessary that the lawes and ordinances of His Kingdome which peculiarly is His Church should be so published that every one both small and great might take knowledge of them 6. No punishment is due but for some offence and where no law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 So no reward is due but either in justice for some merit above dutie as the merit of Christ on our behalfe or else in mercie by promise for the carefull performance of that which is due But neither duty nor punishment nor merit nor mercie can either appeare or be such where no law is Therefore it was necessary that God by His Word should both shew what duty He did require of us and what punishment was due to the breakers of His law and what reward was due to the observers as the law declares And moreover because no man in this state of corruption by originall sinne is able to performe the law of God as he ought in perfect righteousnesse Therefore it was also necessary in this impossibilitie on our parts to make it knowne how wee might bee delivered from the punishment by the mediation of another as the Gospel shewes 7. And because so great a benefit as the deliverance of mankind from the thraldome of the devill was never to bee forgotten therefore it was necessary not onely that the Church should bee prepared unto the expectation thereof and dayly put in mind by such lively signes as the sacrifices were the true meaning of which they were taught by the Prophets but also when the time came that the promises should bee fulfilled that the Church should be throughly informed and confirmed in the trueth thereof by the powerfull doctrine and glorious miracles which were done both by the authour and finisher of our faith and by those who were eye-witnesses of all things which they testified to the world Therefore it was necessary that both before the comming of Christ the Church should be catechised unto Christ by the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets and after His comming bee fully instructed by the Apostles and Evangelists the Holy-Ghost evermore working in the hearts of the elect that the things which were taught should be beleeved § 3. Hath it indeede beene the practise of the devill by his principall agents the persecuters of the Church to deface the Holy Scripture and to put out their remembrance among men Histories affirme it Neither can the Father of lies hate any thing so much as the trueth nor the enemie of man-kind endeavour any thing so earnestly as to deface that by the knowledge whereof man may find the way to eternall life yet great was the trueth and prevailed Then by hereticks he would corrupt it but yet the trueth prevailed Then hee would keepe it from us in an unknowne tongue but yet the trueth appeared and every man may reade in his owne tongue the wonderfull workes of God English and Germanes and French and the rest yet the devill had one tricke more in his budget that seeing hee could neither deface nor corrupt nor conceale the bookes of Holy Scripture in a forraine tongue whose vulgar use is vanish't among men he would shuffle in other bookes among them that so we might not discerne the true Mother from the false And if any question grew about the Child traditions which wee must receive with equall affection of piety must decide it Strange Divinitie Did the Church deale thus of ancient time For you onely are wise you onely will be the people Shew the custome of the Church you claime to Fathers shew it from them Saint Athanasius in Synops. divides the bookes of the Old-Testament as wee into Canonicall and not Canonicall The Canonicall he accounts all as wee save Esther the not Canonicall he accounts the booke of Wisdome Esther Iudith and Tobit The books of the New-Testament all Canonicall hee numbers as wee the foure Gospels the Actes the seven Catholike Epistles fourteene of Saint Paul among which following Saint Peter Second Epistle 3.15 he puts that to the Hebrewes and the Revelation Epiphanius also Lib. de Mens pond accounts the Canonicall bookes as Athanasius but puts Esther among them he accounts Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus to be apocryphal Ierom. in Prol. Gal. accounts the Canonicall bookes of the Old-Testament as Epiphanius and as the manner of the Hebrewes was of old they count the books according to the number of the Hebrew letters 22. as the knops nuts or almonds on the golden candlestick were 22. for the Lamentations was one book with the prophesie of Ieremiah and the 12. small Prophets made but one Booke and as five of their bookes were double that is Iude and Ruth 2. of Samuel 2. of Kings and 2. of Chron. Ezra and Nehem. in one booke so are 5. of their letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the end of words are thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in Summe they speake of their bookes altogether the Law and the Prophets as Luk. 16.29 and 31. and 24.27 Actes
gestures be essentiall to the Sacrament In the third place Traditions may signifie any rule thrust upon the Church as necessary to be beleeved or obserued quite besides or contrary to the word of God for conscience sake toward God that Priests and Nunnes may not marry which things though they be brought in as Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall Traditions yet by the rule of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 4.1 2 3. they seeme rather to leane to the doctrines of devills beleeved by such as speake lyes in hypocrisie and have their consciences seared No part of Holy Scripture lost Obiect 3 Object 3. ANd if Traditions might therefore seeme to be necessary because it is yeelded by some of the Fathers that some of the Canonicall Scriptures are lost by whose reasons or authority some of the later writers have strayed after them yet this will nothing at all support those unwritten verities For it is utterly denyed and that according to reason and the word of God that any part of the holy Scripture is perished 1. For can we thinke that it stood with the goodnesse of God to give His Word to His Church for comfort and instruction and stood it not with His providence to preserue that Word that it should not perish but accomplish that thing for which it was sent Esay 55.11 But divers objections are brought hereto as you may see in the author G. Langf forenamed in the 4. § 1. The booke of the warres of IEHOVAH is mentioned Numb 21.14 but not extant Therefore some part of the holy Scripture is perished Answer It ought first to be manifest what this booke was but in briefe the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah and of the Kings of Israel are often mentioned in the bookes of Kings and Chronicles yet were not those bookes therefore holy Scripture written by the Prophets but rather by the Recorders or Secretaries of state appointed for that purpose as the histories of other kingdomes are or ought to be written and of this ranke may that booke mentioned by Moses seeme to be For it is not necessary that all writings mentioned in the holy Scripture should be holy Scripture For the Poets whose writings Saint Paul mentions were but Heathens and Iannes and Iambres as profane writers call him Mambres are no where mentioned in holy Scripture but onely 2 Tim. 3.8 2. A second doubt is from that which is in Ioshua 10.13 and 2 Sam. 1.18 where mention is made of the booke of Iasher whereto though some according to the interpretation of the word just or upright will have the sence of that text of Ioshua Is it not recorded by him whose writings are upright and true as it is said Iohn 21.24 This is the Disciple that testifieth these things and we know that his testimony is true yet because the booke is mentioned in times above 390. yeeres distant it seemes to me rather to be some Liger or booke of record wherein such memorable things were written by the appointment of their Synedrion as might serue for remembrance to future ages for that Synedrion or great Councill of 70. Elders instituted by God under Moses Numb 11. never failed so long as their state lasted 3. The writings of the Prophets themselues as of Nathan and Gad mentioned in 1 Chron. 29.29 of Ahia and Iddo 2 Chron. 9.29 of Iehu 2 Chron. 20.34 are utterly lost Answer Not so For as it is manifest that all the things written in the 2 of Sam. were done after his death so likewise may we very well thinke that both the bookes of Iudges and Ruth 2 of Samuel and the two bookes of Kings for some give the Chronicles wholly to Ezra were written by divers Prophets whom God raised up in all the ages of that Church to bee inditers of His Word and were as Saint Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-witnesses of the things which they recorded and these Prophets here mentioned with others were the Authors of those bookes 4. But some texts are cited in the new Testament which are 1. not found in the old as that in Matth. 2.23 Hee shall be a Nazarite or else are 2. not found in the Author cited by which we may thinke that some booke of his is lost as that which S. Matthew cites out of Ieremy Chap. 2.17 is not found in all that booke 3. Moreover S. Paul remembers the word of our Lord Actes 20.35 which is no where extant beside 5. And the Epistle to the Laodiceans mentioned Coloss 4.16 is utterly lost For that schedule which is found here and there is rejected by every one as unworthily to be remembred by the Apostle 5. Iude likewise cites the prophecie of Henoch which is not found except in the Talmud Answere 1. Some referre that of Matth. 2.23 to Esay 11.1 The Branch that should grow out of the roote of Iesse But it is more fully verefyed in that which is written Iud. 13.5 Where Sampson the Figure that should begin to save Israel is a Nazarite unto God and Hee much more which is separate from sinners and should perfect the deliverance of all the Israel of God and the text cited by the Evangelist may not onely intend both these but whatsoever else either the Law or the Prophets understand by the figurative snow-white puritie of the Nazarites Lam. 4.7 and is therefore cited in the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all the Prophets 2. The other citation in Saint Matthew where one Prophet is named by another doth not prove that any booke of Ieremiah is lost neither was it of any ignorance or forgetfulnesse in the Evangelist or yet mistaking of them that have copied out that booke but because that the seed of the Woman so long expected was now to come into the world it may be that Zachariah by interpretation Remember the Lord is now Ieremiah exalt the Lord who never ought to bee remembred without his praise especially in the performance of that inestimable benefit for man-kind 3. Concerning that which is cited by Saint Paul Actes 2.25 If he had that which he cites by the suggestion of the Holy-Ghost as wee may well thinke or that the saying of Christ was in fresh remembrance with them that heard it it is not therefore to bee concluded that S. Paul cites it out of any booke now lost seeing he might receive it from those Disciples which had heard it 4. And as to that Epistle to the Laodiceans it is but a common errour that S. Paul makes mention of any such but hee perswades the Colossians for the better understanding of some passages in the Epistle written to them to read the Epistle sent from Laodicea to him and that they of Laodicea should read that which he sent to the Colossians as containing doctrine and instruction fit for both the Churches to know and doe 5. And if Saint Iude were taught of God that Henoch had so prophecied though the prophecie were never written or if he cited it from
any booke which went under the name of Henoch if nothing in the booke were Henoch's beside this prophecie Saint Iudes citing doth not make the booke Canonicall Scripture no more than S. Pauls citing the heathen Poets or if S. Iude had it onely by tradition that Henoch had so prophecied how doth it make for the question For it is not said that all things are false which are delivered by tradition but that in the matiers of the faith and doctrine of the Church those traditions have no force or credit which are contrary to the truth of God revealed in His Word 5. But it is yeelded that though some part of Scripture be lost yet that which remains is sufficient and containes all things necessary Answere Our Lord saith Luk. 10.42 That one thing is necessary which in Iohn 17.3 he confesseth to bee this To know the Father the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent and according to the necessitie of this one thing the 3. Chapter of Gen. with the 53. of Esay and any one of the Gospels might seeme sufficient And in this sufficiencie onely wee dwell hither-unto But because S. Peter saith 1. Epistle 1.11 that the inquest of the Prophets was not onely concerning the saluation of the soule but likewise what times and what manner of times they should be wherein the sufferings of Christ should bee fulfilled and the glories which should follow thereupon and because both the sufferings of Christ and his glories are to be accomplished not onely in Himselfe but also in His Church as they were prefigured in all the types that were of Him in the Church under the Law and that God the Lord doth nothing but He revealeth His secret unto His seruants the Prophets Amos 3.7 when wee shall grow past milke and be able to digest stronger meat when wee shall understand how the Law and the Prophets are to be fulfilled to every jod and title contained in them Matth. 5.17.18 when wee shall be able to apply every text to the proper time and meaning according to the perfection of the uttermost understanding thereof then shall we see that the Law of the Lord is a perfect Law and His Statutes and judgements are sweeter then honey and the honey combe then shall the Church see and know that nothing in the whole body of the Holy Scripture is either superfluous or that any word letter or prick therein might bee missing Sect. 5 § 5. That the Scriptures are come unto us as they were at first delivered to the Church by the Prophets and Apostles that were the Pen-men thereof it may be manifest by those reasons which are brought for proofe of the former question 1. For if God who is praysed for His trueth in that Hee hath magnified His Word above all His Name Psal 138.2 hath not preserved His Scripture intyer from the corruption of man from the alteration addition or taking away that they might make what comfort or certaine instruction can wee have thereby What assurance of hope by those promises of which wee are not sure whether they be the promises of God or the imaginations of men Thus the end for which God of His goodns gave those Scriptures should be frustrate and man in that incertainty nothing furthered toward eternall life Thus the Church should fayle in the duty and faithfull performance of that trust which she owes unto God in preserving that treasure which was committed to her charge and safe keeping But these things are not to be granted And therefore the Scriptures are come unto us in that integrity or purity in which they were at first delivered to the Church they of the old Testament in the Hebrew tongue they of the new in Greeke 2. The constant consent of all the doctrines and promises contained in the Scriptures the efficacie and power of that Spirit which is manifest in the deliverie thereof are evident proofes that the Scripture is still in that purity in which God gave it unto the Church And although God in those Scriptures have vouchsafed to apply Himselfe to our understanding and as a nurse to lisp with her infant yet so much is the foolishnesse of God wiser than man and the weaknesse of God stronger than men 1. Cor. 1.25 as that it is still manifest in the whole body of the holy writ that nothing of humane drosse is mixt there-with but that His Word is still as before pure as silver that hath beene tryed seven times in the fire 3. This fire is that dampish smother-fire of heresies which the devill did kindle among his brands among whom though some rejected the authority of sundry bookes of Holy Scripture as Marcion and others some corrupted the sence thereof by Allegories and forraine interpretations as the Origenists See Augustin de Gen. ad literam others by wresting it from the native sence to the supportance of their owne heresies yet the Church which continued faithfull in the doctrine of God constantly with-stood all these attempts and ever maintained the sincerity as of the doctrine so of the Holy Scripture on which it was founded And because the Scripture is either of the old or of the new Testament it is fit to speake to each of them in particular 4. And first concerning the old Testament it is manifest that the Church of Israel whose hope was set on that Messiah that was to come had no cause to corrupt the text of the holy writ but according to the promises which they had in the Law and in the Prophets the expositors thereof so to hope that He should be such a deliverer and Saviour as was promised by which hope they were bound to preserue the Scripture in all integrity that they might see the full accomplishment thereof when He was come 5. Beside the Priests whose lips should preserue knowledge and at whose mouth they should seeke the Law Mal. 2.7 there was from Samuel unto the dayes of Ezra a perpetuall succession of Prophets who could not in any wayes have endured so great a corruption uncontrouled as that the Word of the Lord should be changed or depraved And although the Scriptures before the time of Ezra had beene corrupted yet he being a Prophet a Priest and a perfect scribe of the Law of the Lord and of the Statutes of Israel that had prepared his heart to teach the Law of God and His statutes and judgements Ezra 7. who changed the forme of their Chaldean or Samaritane letters for those which are now in use hee I say would have taken away all such corruptions or changes as had come to the Holy Scripture if it might bee imagined that any could come in the time of the Prophets that were before as far as the diversitie of Copies gave them light Of the Israelites care in writing the Scriptures and of the Masôreth 6. MOreover that exceeding care and diligence which the Scribes were to use in writing is sufficient proofe that the bookes of the
old Testament are come to us in that purity in which the Church received them which care how great it ought to bee you may see by that which their Doctors have recorded Henry Ainsworth Aduertisement n. 3. cites out of Rambam Sopher Torah Chap. 7. and 10. thus much If the booke of the Law doe want but one letter or have one letter too much if one letter touch another if the forme of any letter be corrupted if the word which is full be written defective or that full which is defective if the word of the margent be written in the line or that of the line in the margent the Booke is not allowable to bee read in the Synagogue neither hath it the holinesse of the Booke of the Law at all but is a booke on which Children may learne To this purpose you may take that which you read in Shickard Prodrom in Bechinah happerushim Disp 1. cited out of the booke Sopherim Chap. 1. Halach 1.4 5. by which you may see with what a superstitious care if any care could be too much they regarded the writing of the Booke of the Law wherein nothing might bee blotted nothing scrap't out neither might they write it in any Parchment or Velam but such as was of the skinnes of cleane beasts in Parchment on the fleshie side in Velam on that side which had the haire And if this ordinance were changed they read not in it And this was the manner Because the lines being written in length according to the bredth of the skinne as in an Indenture might bee troublous to finde they divide the skinne into certaine pages which in Iere. 30.23 are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dlathoth which wee interpret leaves because they were like the leaves of a doore and may fitly bee termed pages neither was it lawfull to write it with a coale or with Inke wherein was either Gum or Coperas and all this say they by the Tradition of Moses on mount Sinai Then with what respect they used the Booke being written you may see in Oseh Torah Chap. 3. Halach 10. and in Anthony Margaritha a converted Iew in his booke of the Iewish faith and others They touch it not but with washed hands neither doe they take the rolle by the midst but by the margent and that onely with the right hand for which they bring Deut. 33.2 At His right hand was a fiery Law No man may lay it on His knees nor leane upon it when he reads nor read it as other writings c. lest the holy Bookes grow into contempt no man may sit upon the fourme or bed on which it lyes nor lay it towards the beds feet nor lay other bookes upon it and their reason for that the whole Law is holy and that every letter therein containes infinite wisdome and that God hath more care of the Letters and Syllables of the Law then of the starres of heaven And that this care was not onely of the bookes of the Law but likewise of all the holy Scripture of the old Testament indifferently you may know by that infinite diligence of the Masôrites who to the intent that the purity of all the holy Text might be preserued intier numbred in the whole Bible the Verses the Words the Letters and of them the common and the finall and what verse what word and letter was the midst of every booke and among the Letters they noted how many times every one was found in every booke if any one were bigger or lesse then the due proportion or higher then the rest or pointed extraordinarily what holem was with vau and what without it what hirick was written with jod and what not what space was more what lesse betweene the paragraphs when two words were to be read as one when one as two when the letters in the midst of a word should be transposed and that which was in the end of one word to be put to the beginning of another with many such obseruations which you may read in Shickard cited before De Masôreth pag. 45. c. So that no corruption or alteration could come into the text of the old Testament but by these rules of the Masôreth it might be easily detected Neither is this Masôreth wonderfull onely for the infinite diligence and paines that was used in the compiling thereof but also venerable for the Authors which by the authorities of the Hebrewes were Ezra and the Prophets of his time which were called the men of the great Synagogue or more truely the great men of the Synagogue Haggai Zachary Malachy Daniel Hananiah Misheel Azariah Nehemiah Mardoche Zorobabel and of the most wise and learned among the rest to the number of 120. For this could not be the worke of one man or of one age And although the succession of the Synagogue still continued in some sort yet by reason of the many warres and troubles after their returne from Babylon even untill the last ruine of their nation by Adrian about the yeere after the death of Christ one hundred this worke was often at a stand and not fully finished till about the yeere five hundred and tenne after the Incarnation Whereupon those Masôrites are by some unduely thought to bee the first Authors of that worke 6. Also the whole Art of the Kabalists in high esteeme among the Hebrewes above all others without this purity of the holy Text were either nothing worth or rather in it selfe nothing at all But the argument from hence to proove the purity of the Scripture among the common sort for whom I write would not be easie to be understood Therefore I referre them that are desirous to know further hereof to the author forenamed pag. 60. c. to Iohn Reuchlin and others that have written of that Art For by this which I have already said I thinke it is cleare to him that is not wilfully blind how farre it was from the Church of the Iewes to offer any sacriledge to the Booke of God who with such infinite paines and care have wall'd in that holy ground lest beasts should breake into it 7. 1. And for further proofe that the Hebrewes were the faithfull Library-keepers of that booke as Saint Augustine calls them you may take the testimony of Saint Paul 1 Tim. 3.15 where hee calls the Church the pillar and stay of Faith not that in an implicite and ignorant faith we should hold it sufficient to beleeve as the Church beleeves but because the Church had evermore truely and faithfully preserued and followed the trueth of God revealed in His Word as it had received it from Him at the first And if this be true of the Church in generall it must needs be most true of that most ancient and publike Church first chosen from all nations by whom the Name of the Lord should be called upon from whom the word of the Lord was to proceed to other nations Esay 2.3 whereas the Church of the Gentiles was then
whether they be elementall vegetable and sensitive and likewise of things that have imagination and reason See hereto Chap. 17. § 4. n. 5. or else because all bodily beings shall have their rest and perfection in him and with him or at least because he uses these things to such workes as are acceptable to God But if there be no resurrection then after the end of this world man in whom and with whom all these things are to receive their perfection not being at all all these things have no end of their being and so either not being at all or else being for no end their creation as concerning their uttermost and true end which is the eternall glory of God should bee in vaine and that expectation or groaning of the creature to bee delivered from the bondage of corruption of which Saint Paul speakes Rom. 8. should also be in vaine and the promise of making all things new Rev. 21.5 Es 65.17 2. Pet. 3.13 should also bee of none effect But all these things are impossible Ergo. It is necessary that there be a resurrection of the body and eternall life 12. Neither is the body nor yet the soule for it selfe but both the one and the other that both together may make one perfect man So the perfection and blessednesse of the whole man is more than that which can come onely to one part But if there bee not a resurrection of the body this greater blessednesse is utterly lost so that although the soule bee happie for ever yet the greater blessednesse of the soule and body together suffers eternall privation So the whole should be onely that one part may bee happie so the hope even of the faithfull should bee in vaine and their eternall happinesse onely in imperfection and so the punishment of the wicked But these things stand neither with the justice of God nor the trueth of His promises Therefore the body shall rise againe 13. And because this is our last hope and uttermost comfort in all our calamities and a speciall bridle to restraine from sinne it is fit that upon all occasions you should exercise your selfe to make this conclusion on whatsoever you thinke or whatsoever you heare out of the holy Scriptures For every promise and every threatning therein brings you to this that a reckoning must be given for all that which you have done in the body For if the body with the sences the servants of the soule either for sinne or righteousnesse should not live againe then the divine justice in reward and punishment should be defective but this is impossible The texts that are plaine you will understand by your selfe as that of Moses in Psal 90.3 Thou turnest man to destruction and sayest Returneye children of men Some are a little further off which yet you may easily bring hither as Esay 38.18 19. The grave cannot praise thee They that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy trueth The living the living hee shall Praise thee as I doe this day Therefore the dead shall rise againe For seeing man was made to glorifie God in his body and in his soule and that his end cannot bee frustrate man must live againe that his mercy and justice may be praised both by the good and the bad Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses 2. Tim. 3.8 Therfore Moses Iannes and Iambres must come to judgement For it is a just thing with God to reward you and to punish them that trouble you 2. Thes 1.6.7 And if for your further satisfaction you will reade that which the Fathers have written you may take that which goes under the name of Iustine the Martyr in his questions of the Greekes the oration of Athenagoras concerning the resurrection of the dead Irenaus lib. 5. cap. 4. c. his arguments for the most part taken from Athenagoras Theophilus lib. 1. ad Autolycum Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. cap. 10. Reade also that excellent booke of Tertullian of this argument where you may see what his judgement is concerning the qualities of the bodies being raised and some objections to the contrary answered This Article the Iewes both Cabalists and Talmudists hold so firmely against that heresie of the Sadduces that they say That he can have no part in the world to come which denies the resurrection Lib. Sanhedrin Cap. Halec Neither is there any man that lives and sees the continuall course of nature in the digestion of the food that can deny that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the body of which Pythagoras and after him Plato speakes in Phaed. and most of all Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15.39 § 3. Yet so fearefull is the judgement which follows after the resurrection unto the Atheist that he searches all corners of cavills against it you shall take some of them with their answeres as I find them in Tertullian and Thomas Aquinas contr gent. lib. 4. cap. 80 and 81. Object 1 Object 1. And first it is said 1 Cor. 15.50 That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God Answer Till by grace it is made spirituall So not the substance of the flesh is there understood but the present estate thereof with the lusts and wicked desires which if a man doe mortifie by the Spirit he shall live Rom. 8.13 So in Iohn 6.63 The flesh profiteth nothing understand the fleshly-minded man which of himselfe knoweth not the things of God and those things which belong to sanctification and eternall life But concerning the being or substance of the flesh or body of man seeing it was tempered by Gods owne hand fashioned according to His jmage made the seat of the soule so excellent a being by which and with which the soule workes whatsoever it doth seeing in the holy Baptisme the flesh is wash't that the soule may be cleane seeing in the holy Supper the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is received by the mouth that the soule may be strengthened in God seeing our bodies are the members of Christ the temples of the Holy-Ghost and He dwells in them seeing our bodies are not our owne but Gods 1 Cor. 6. seeing they are the instruments of holinesse in all the workes of mercy in prayers in wholesome counsell almes deeds in indurance of sorrowes in fasting in imprisonment in martyrdome in death it is impossible that God should leave forlorne the workemanship of His owne hands the closet of His owne breath the masterpiece of His cunning the heire of His riches and the Priest of His religion and service to dwell in eternall death that He should not heale the wounds and restore those dead to life which have beene wounded and slaine for His sake And though the flesh in it selfe be weake and through sinne utterly lost yet seeing our Lord came to seeke and to save that which was lost and that He Himselfe hath borne our sinnes it is impossible that either the merit of Christ for us or the mercy and goodnesse of
the tree of life And that thus the letter vau ך is one part and signifies in that tongue a nayle if you will that nayle that pierced His hands and His beautious feet to which if you adde the iod reversed ◠you may well perceive the figure of the whole Crosse that Tree of life which bare that heavenly fruite that spirituall food whereof Adam and his faithfull children which overcome may eate and live for ever Revel 2.7 Thus you may see how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us You may see that riddle of the Angel to Esdras 2. Booke chap. 5. v. 37. expounded The image of that Word from which and whereto the Bookes of both the Testaments doe sound You may see what confidence we may have in that promise of Christ who in the dayes of His flesh said Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name He will give it you Ioh. 16.23 But after His Ascension the miracles that are to be done in that Name are more wonderfull Mark. 16.17 And againe He that beleeveth in me greater workes then these shall He doe for I goe to the Father Behold the mysterie of it cause it to ascend and describe that circle whose centre is every where whose circumference is no where Now are the superior and inferior conduit-pipes soudered together as the Hebrues speake now the higher influences the Spirit and Graces of God are not given by measure and the refluences so great as that Whosoever beleeveth out of His belly shall arise fountaines of living water springing up unto eternall life O glorious Name O sacred Mystery by which you may well perceive that there is greater Vnitie betweene the Deitie and the Humanitie then by any words of Contiguitie or Continuitie may be expressed You may well perceive how according to that place of the 89. Psal He the first borne or as Ioh. saith Chap. 1. The onely begotten of the Father is made higher then the Kings of the earth Here is our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption complete here is our adoption and reward our consolation our life and religion our reverence and our feare yet our joy and boldnesse all in all The presence of God I am not able to give due honour thereunto My thoughts are swallowed up when I consider the other great mysteries which this one letter doth import the mysterie of the triple world the mysterie of mercy and of Iustice of Election and Reprobation of that great Iubile or Sabbath of Sabbaths when that which is above shall againe descend to restore the creature from corruption and change into that nimietie or excesse of Goodnes wherein it was created But these things are therfore here to be omitted because the discourse therof were long and because they are rather consequents then premises to the question To tell you at once and to make an end of this argument The whole Nation of the learned Iewes confesse that the Messiah should be called by this great Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which purpose there are besides these which have beene brought many places of Scripture which in the Hebrue veritie are most direct though by our translations they might seeme somewhat harsh They hold I say that He must be both God and Man and in a word there is nothing which wee Christians doe affirme concerning our Lord but the evidence of Scripture doth compell them to confesse it Onely they differ in this from us whether This Iesus be that Christ that should come into the world though this also be a thing not questionable as you may learne of Daniel 9. vers 24 25 26. and 2. Esd 7. verse 28.29 Although the common error and expectation of the Iewes was of a terrestriall Monarchie yet the best learned of them agree that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world For they remember that place in the Testament of Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda till Shiloh come By which it followes that when Messiah shall come there should be no more shew of an earthly kingdome That of Zach. 9.9 is as direct Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee poore They remēber also that in the 21. Ps I am a worme and noman a shame of men and the contempt of the people And that also of Esay 53. He hath neither forme nor beauty when we see Him there shall be no forme that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of men c. Reade the whole Chapter and the Psalme compare them with the histories of His Passion and behold Him on the Crosse in the horror of His anguish and extreame perplexity But you will say what is this Iudaisme in the letters of His Name for argument to prove that He is God Is it more then if we should write the Name of Christ with the last letter thereof capital ChrisT because it may represent the Crosse or else the two last letters so interlaced that they may have reference to the Serpent in the wildernesse because that was also a figure of CHRI◠Though I had here to answere for the Cabala of every of the 72. languages of the Confusion yet I say onely thus If after all this that I have said you will still be contentious I have no such custome but I am well content that either thus or by any other meanes a ChrisTian man should hold that in perpetuall memory which is his Ioy his Victory his Crowne his happinesse in this world and in the world to come Were it to any purpose to make you know what the ancient Philosophers who knew not the Scriptures have thought of this matier all speaking this one thing which the light that God hath given to mankind did make them know although they concealed their intendement by divers names Yet Hermes called Him plainely the Sonne of God Zoroaster the Vnderstanding of His Father Pythagoras Wisedome as Paul and Solomon every where and particularly Prou. 8. and in the booke of that title Parmenides named him The Sphere of Vnderstanding Orpheus termed him Pallas to the same effect as the other if you know the fable and yet hee speakes more plainely to the Trinitie in his Hymnes of the Night of the Heaven and of the Ayre Platoes separate Idea's meane nothing else and in summe as many of the Philosophers as were worth any thing were not ignorant of this thing But I feare these authorities are with you of little worth yet have I brought them that you may see how wee are furnished with all kind of proofes and how you do contemne all maner of testimony If this which I have said perswade you to look better to the foundation of your faith it is sufficient if it perswade you nothing then have I done contrary to the Commandement which forbiddeth to cast pearles before swine But yet I hope that God will not suffer you to be led any longer by that spirit of Antichrist against which S. Iohn doth so often
death unto life For he that judgeth himselfe and condemneth himselfe and brings no other plea unto Christ but that for mercy may be sure to find mercy in the time of need See 1 Cor. 11.31 Heb. 4.16 Now for the second question although it seeme more curious then profitable to aske where our Saviour was after the time of His resurrection during His absence from His Disciples yet I will answere what I thinke and leave you upon better consideration to give a better answere First therefore it is manifest by the Scripture that our Lord shewed Himselfe Eleven times after His resurrection if oftner yet is it not manifest by the text Of this number five manifestations of Himselfe were on the day of His resurrection 1. To Mary Magdalen alone Mar. 16.9 2. To her againe and the other Mary Mat. 28.9 3. To Simon Peter Luke 24.34 1. Cor. 15.5 4. To Cleopas and his friend Luke 24.15.35 5. To all the Apostles except Thomas Iohn 20.24 to which if you put that time when He ascended on the 40. day from mount Olivet the five appearances remaining for I speake not of those extraordinary manifestations of Himselfe after His ascension to Steven Actes 7.56 and to Paul Actes 9.17 and 1. Cor. 15.8 will bee most likely to have beene on those five Sundayes as wee call them which were betweene as it may well be gathered from Iohn 20.26 because the Lord would fully finish the ceremoniall use of the Iewish Sabbath and sanctifie the day of His resurrection for the remembrance of those benefits which wee receive thereby This use the Primitive Church made of it Iust. Mart. Apol. ad Anton. and further against our Traskits because they would prevent their errours who under the profession of Christianity did still retaine their Iudaisme whose folly to avoid in stead of the Iewish Sabbath they celebrated the day of Christs resurrection Ign ep ad Mag These times of shewing himselfe were 1. To the Disciples and Thomas with them Iohn 20.26 2. At the Sea of Tiberias Iohn 21.1.3 3. On a mountaine of Galilee appointed to them Mat. 28.16 4. To above 500. brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 5. To Iames. ver 7. And for the times of His absence from them because it is said in the text to the Ephesians cited above That He did therefore descend into the lower parts of the earth and ascend farre above all heavens that He might fill or fulfill all things which were written of Him not onely those which were necessary for our saluation as His Suffering Resurrection Ascension c. but also whatsoever belonged unto man to doe in that state betweene His resurrection and ascension as you may in part understand by that which hath been said Chapter 28. N. I thinke that in those 33. dayes He in His manly being did view this earth and the fulnesse thereof and especially visit and blesse those places where He did purpose that His Church and trueth should most of all flourish and continue Sect. 2 Sect. 2. Thus much for the questions by the way Now turne to that which is the maine To every degree of the abasement of our Redeemer there is a degree of exaltation and glory opposed So this of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven is set against that of His descent into hell and that by the authority of Saint Paul He that descended is even the same that ascended And although it may very well be thought that after His Passion finished on the Crosse by His death His going to hell was the beginning of His victory to take to Himselfe that power whereby He as the Sonne of man is to reigne over all the powers of death and hell Yet because His body during those three dayes is by most supposed to have been held under the power of death and that all the parts of His victory are to belong unto Him as Hee is Lord both of the quicke and dead that is in His intire humanity soule and body together therefore that descent is rather held by many as the lowest estate of His humiliation as you might read a little before Chap. 28. § 2. N. 3. But that our Lord after that He had by many and infallible signes and arguments by the space of fourty dayes given abundant proofe of His resurrection did ascend into heaven these reasons doe make it manifest 1. Vnto every body is a place due according to the qualities and properties of that body as in all natures here below it appeares that the place is both conseruative and also generative of those things which are peculiar thereto as the lower parts of the earth of the mineralls the surface of the vegetables the water of fishes c. And againe it is manifest that all things under the Moone are subject to corruption and change no beauty strength or excellency is such as is not fading no pleasure such but that in the very using it growes loathsome no bravery so costly but in three dayes wearing it waxes stale so that by the voice and consent of all men the Angels and blessed soules and all such beings as are free from corruption and in the state of glory are sent into heaven But it is manifest that our Lord by His resurrection and conquest of death purchased first to Himselfe and then to us a state of glory and immortality Romanes 6.9 Ephes 2.6 Therefore also that Hee ascended into heaven 2. The blessednesse of the creature is onely in this That it may behold the glory of God in whom alone is the excellency of all perfection And this glory is seene onely in the face of Iesus Christ the Mediator as was shewed Chapter 24. § 10. N. 5. unto which blessednesse onely the pure and blessed inhabitants of heaven as the holy Angels and soules of men are dignified And from hence it must follow that our Lord is ascended into heaven the place of Angels and happy soules For no man dwelling in his ruinous house of clay is able to behold that glory Exod. 30.20 3. Hell is the place of torments the earth of troubles changes and calamities therefore heaven is the place of happinesse or else no happinesse at all is to be found But that is impossible For so all things should be created to wretchednesse and misery onely which cannot stand with the loue of God to His creature and His infinite goodnesse And if any such place of happinesse be and He our Saviour not brought thereto then the greatest obedience performed to the Father for the manifestation of His glory should be without reward But this were unjust with God and therefore impossible And therefore it was necessary that our Lord after His resurrection should ascend into heaven 4. By the consent of Christians taught of God and of Heathens taught by nature heaven is the place of the greatest glory and happines as hell of sorrow and wretchednes For although the Heathen allotted a degree of eternall blisse to the