as entire an interest in his death as if what soever he did or suffered in the daies of his humiliation he had done and suffered all for us alone But this last consideration perhaps is more pertinent to the knowledge of Christ and of him Crucified then unto the historicall beliefe of his death or Crosse CHAP. 3. Whether such knowledge of God and of Christ as the Scriptures teach be a science properly so called ADmitting the objects of our beleife might bee as certainely and as evidently knowne at least by some as the subjects of sciences properly so called are Whether this knowledge and our beleife of the same objects may be coincident that is whether it be all one so to know them and to beleeve them I will not dispute for this would occasiō a controversie about the use of words unfitting for a professed Divine to entertaine much more to invite But that there is a knowledge of Christ even in this life which if not for perspicuity or evidence of truth yet for the excellencie of the truths knowne exceeds all other knowledge we have our Apostles peremptory sentence for us For writing to his Converts of Corinth which then abounded with all kinde of knowledge secular he saith I esteemed or determined to know nothing amongst you save Iesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. He therefore determined to know nothing besides because he had no other knowledge in any esteeme in comparison to this And what good Christian would desire any other but as it is subservient to this knowledge This comprehends all that wee can desire either to know or to enjoy all that wee can esteeme or love even eternall happinesse it selfe as the author and fountaine of all happinesse instructs us John 17. ver 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent But whether our Saviour in this speech or his Apostle in the former do use the word knowledge in a strict or in a vulgar sense may be questioned And this question resolves it selfe into another more generall as whether Theologie that is knowledge of God be a science properly so called or whether many conclusions of faith may bee clearely demonstrated 2. Two sorts of men there be who for the support or securing of their unreasonable conclusions have some reason to deny this Queene of sciences this Mistresse of Arts and supreame Governesse of all good faculties to be a science properly so called The Agents for the Romish Church and their extreame opposites whether mere Enthusiasts such as deny al use of scriptures or mixt Enthusiasts men that acknowledge the use of Scriptures but abuse them more then such as reject them by using them too much or to no good purpose or mingle them with the secret inspirations of their private spirits or wrest them to their owne fancies First if the conclusions controverted betwixt us and the Romane Church may be one way or other demonstrated as either to be altogether true or altogether false or so sublime that in this life they cannot be punctually or absolutely determined then are wee not absolutely bound to beleeve every proposition which that Church shall commend unto us as a doctrine of faith with the same confidence as if it were expresly delivered in Scripture or in the Articles of our Creed Nor should every applauded booke or Sermon albeit their bulke or substance consists for the most part of Scripture sentences be acknowledged to be that word of God to which all owe obedience if once it were acknowledged that there is a facultie or science of Divinitie which hath the same authority to approve or disprove doctrinall conclusions or their uses which other Arts or sciences have to examine the workes of all pretenders to them If Divinity be a science then he which is a Divine or a master of his profession might censure the Professors of other Arts faculties or sciences which take upon them to resolve Theologicall controversies or to teach doctrines which the Church wherein they live never avouched with the selfe same libertie which the Professors of other Arts usually doe Divines if they take upon them to teach or practise within the precincts of their profession Besides these two sects of men and some other men which cannot be comprehended under any sect or faction but have the same temptation to desire that there might be no true knowledge of God or of Christ or no demonstration of the Spirit that the Atheist or desperate sinner hath to wish there were no God or no Judge of quick and dead I cannot conceive what reason any man or any sort of men have to deny Theologie to be a true and proper science Yet to give the ingenuous Reader if not full satisfaction yet some Hints at least whereby hee may satisfie himselfe it will be no digression from our present argument at least no long digression briefely to shew wherein that knowledge of God and of Christ which may in this life be obtained doth differ from sciences properly so called and wherein they doe agree Now all the differences or concordance that can be betwixt any sciences Arts or faculties do either concerne the Maxims and Principles or the conclusions and the subjects of such faculties 3. The Maximes or Principles of all other sciences may be clearely apprehended and firmely assented unto by the industrious search and light of common reason without illuminations supernaturall so cannot the principles or Maxims of Divinity there must be a light or illumination more then naturall before wee can have either a cleare and undoubted apprehension of their truth or a just valuation of their worth Yet this difference is not much materiall neither part of it positive or negative is any way formall or essentiall to the constitution of a science properly so called For by what meanes soever the Principles of any science become manifest and certaine unto us whether by our owne industry or by the teaching of others or whether wee bee taught them immediately from God either by the admirable disposition of his extraordinary Providence or by speciall infused grace is meerely accidentall to the constitution or nature of a science properly so called Hee that sees the deduction of Mathematicall conclusions from the uncontrovers'd Maximes of the same Art as clearely as another doth is never a whit the lesse skilfull Mathematitian although perhaps he learned the Principles by the helpe of an Extraordinary teacher which the other attained unto by the industrious exercise of his owne wit Now if it be meerely accidentall to the nature of a science whether a man be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne Master or anothers Scholar whether in learning the principles or conclusions it can be no prejudice either to his knowledge or proficiency in such knowledge that he hath beene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediatly taught by God at least for the Maximes And I make no
the water or as Eagles soare in the aire or whether the whole firmament from the Region wherein the fixed starres doe move unto this lower region of the aire wherein we breath be at all times so uniforme for the transmission of light or for the true representation of the exact distance whether of the altitude or latitude of the starres from us as at sometimes it is or as glasse or the cleare aire is with us This last Quaere were it agitated and discussed as it might be would I am perswaded shake many Astronomicall suppositions or presumed Notions concerning motum trepidationis that is of the supposed reciprocall motion of those which they call fixed starres from South to North from North to South Great expences without hope either of gaine or of recovering the principall spent in trying Chymicall conclusions by many in the former age will not to this day give satisfaction to some moderne Naturalists whether the conversion of other metalls or materialls into Gold be atchievable Many like problemes there be in other secular sciences which will never be fully resolved untill wee shall not need their resolution Yet were the number of insoluble problemes in every one of these sciences mentioned or in all that can be mentioned much greater then it is this could be no prejudice to them so long as the deduction of many usefull conclusions from cleare undoubted principles may be made evident to men which have their wit and senses exercised in such subjects That the number then of insoluble Problemes is in Divinitie much greater then in any other facultie this only argues the subject of it to be more admirable then the subjects of other faculties In other faculties or sciences wee are bound to give our absolute assent to no more principles or conclusions then are cleare and evident But in Divinitie we must absolutely beleeve many conclusions which we cannot hope in this life absolutely to know or that they should be made evident unto us For we must beleeve the finall judgement with the joyes of the life to come which no man can know till he enjoy them and we must beleeve the everlasting paines ordained for the Devill and his Angels which no man hopes ever to know Many matters of fact likewise there be related by the Prophets Evangelists other sacred writers of which there can be no ungainesayable proofe or demonstration no other ground or reason of our assent unto them besides the authoritie of the Relator Howbeit no man can rightly acknowledge such authoritie as may command his assent without further proofe unlesse there be better grounds or motives then the bare proposall or assertion of the Author That we are thus bound to beleeve many sacred truthes which cannot in this life possibly be knowne doth no way argue our beleefe of them to be lesse rationall then our assent unto other truthes which may be proved by reason but rather supposeth that the true historicall beleefe of Relations sacred doth parallel the truth or evidences of sciences properly so called No evidence of any science doth so farre exceed true historicall beleefe of matters sacred as it doth all historicall beleefe of matters secular and it incomparably exceeds all other historicall beleefe not only in respect of the worth or just estimate of matters related but even for the rationall evidence of the abstract or speculative truth What esteeme soever we make of Xenophons stories this participates no authoritie no credit to Plutarch or other Graecian writers of later times We may give deserved credit to Plutarch to Tacitus and yet iustly suspect Herodotus Livie in many particulars All the credit which secular historians that live in or write of severall ages can expect of us must grow from their owne rootes The consent of many writers in severall ages may serve to underprop a generall or common truth which happily would decline or fall if it were supported by the credit of one alone But naturall propagation of truth from one secular historian to another is not to be expected And without such propagation some addition may be made to our beleefe of one by reading others but there can be no true growth or augmentation of our beleefe of matters secular by comparing divers Historians Farre otherwise it is in the right historicall beleefe of matters sacred 4. The seed of Divine mysteries which are sowne in Mosaicall writings shoot out their branches in the ensuing historians the Prophets and beare flower and fruit in the Evangelicall stories So that he that rightly beleeves the truth of Mosaicall histories cannot distrust the Prophets or suspect the Evangelists in their relations This is a truth supposed by the Author of Truth himselfe Had yee beleeved Moses you would have beleeved me For he wrote of me Joh. 5. 46. that is Christ was if not the sole subject yet the onely scope of Moses his writings Now to beleeve the histories of Moses or matters related by him we have inducements many no lesse binding then the experiments or inductions which winne and tie our assent unto the Principles of Arts or Sciences These inducements are partly from the visible booke of the Creatures partly from the estate of the Jewes sufficiently known to all Nations from time to time Of these inducements somewhat hath beene said in the first booke of these Comments somewhat likewise in the Treatise of Creation Now the contemplation of that most exact harmonie between Mosaicall or Propheticall delineations of Christ and that liue image of him which the Evangelists by his Spirit have exhibited unto our view is no lesse rationall then the contemplation of connexion betweene the Principles of other Sciences and their conclusions The progresse in this contemplation of the Harmony betwixt the severall passages of sacred stories is not the same that is betweene Mathematicall principles or Theorems and their conclusions The point then next to be enquired is how the mysteries concerning Christ and his Kingdome which have been revealed unto us in the new Testament were delivered by Moses by the Prophets or other Canonicall writers of the old Testament SECT 2. Of the severall wayes by which the mysteries contained in the knowledge of Christ were foretold prefigured or otherwise fore-signified Of the divers senses of holy Scriptures and how they are said to be fulfilled with some generall rules for the right interpretation of them CHAP. 5. Containing the generall division of testimonies or fore-significations of Christ ALL the prenotions or fore-significations which the Patriarchs had or their posterity might have had concerning Christ have been elsewhere reduced to these three generall rootes To testimonies meerely Propheticall meerely typicall and Typically Propheticall The division though no way misliked by us now may notwithstanding upon the revise be somewhat amended or further explained All the prenotions or overtures of Him that was to come were either by word or matter of fact either Enunciative and assertive or representative or partly
face whilest he talked with the people who were not able to behold the glory But this vaile as our Apostle tels us 2 Cor. 3. 14. is put away in Christ It is true Yet this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the word was not the Christ to doe away this vaile till he put on the vaile of flesh The flesh then was a vaile to him but as a glasse or mirrour to us Wee may in Christ with open face behold that glory of God whose reflexe on Moses face the Israelites could not behold but through a vaile Christ then is that glasse or mirrour wherin the brightnesse of Gods glory which the Israelites could not then behold may now be seene But did the Iews or Israelites in the time of the old Testament or in that time wherein the Author of the booke of Wisdome wrote conceive any such matter as our Apostle here inferres that the glory of God should be more fully revealed or that men should be more capable of the participation of his presence in later ages then they had beene in former Some of them did others did not all of them ought even by their owne prenotions or interpretations of Scriptures so to have conceived and beleeved For thus some moderne Iews conceive of Moses his request What was that saith a great Rabbin amongst them which Moses our Master sought to attaine unto when he said I pray thee shew me thy glory 9 He requeged to know the truth of the being or essence of the holy blessed God untill that he were knowne in his heart like as a man is knowne whose face is seen and whose forme is ingravē in ones heart so that man is distinguished or separated in his knowledge from other men So Moses requested that the Essence of God might be distinctly knowne in his heart from the essence of other things so that he might know the truth of his Essence as it is But God answered him that the knowledge of living man who is compounded of body and soule hath no ability to apprehend the truth of this thing concerning his Creator That knowledge of God or sight of his glory whereof Moses was uncapable was truely ingraven in the heart of the man Christ Iesus and in his light wee see light He that saw him with the eyes of faith did see the father he did see the glory of the Godhead The brightnesse of the divine glory is alike inaccessible alike incommunicable in the Sonne as in the Father if we consider them in their divine nature alone but in the man Christ Iesus and in him alone wee may behold the brightnesse of the Divine glory which neither eye nor heart of man could behold in it selfe or in any divine person alone but only in the divine person which was incarnate 10 And it is not here to be omitted that the forecited 29. of Exodus ver 45 I will dwell among the Children of Israel is thus translated by Onkelus in his paraphrase ponam praesentiam divinitatis meae in medio filiorum Israel So Fagius with some others render it and why he so renders it gives the reason And the later Rabbines as one well conversant in their writings saith generally observe that whensoever it is said in the person of God that I will dwell amongst them this may not be understood but of the Majestie of the holy and blessed God To this purpose they alleage the 9. verse of the 8 Psalme His salvation is neere them that feare him that glory may dwell in our Land And Simeon in his dying song doth testifie that Jesus the sonne of Mary whom he imbraced when he was presented in the Temple was the salvation of God Lord now lattest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word For mine eyes have seene thy Salvation And although our Saviour whilest hee lived here on earth had no constant dwelling no place of inheritance yet at this time the Godhead or that glory of the Godhead of which the Psalmist speaketh was incorporated in him These and the like Scriptures S. Iohn did see fulfilled in Christ when he said the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and wee saw his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father that is such glory as could not bee communicated to any but to him who was by nature the sonne of God such glory as no flesh could behold otherwise then as it was in Christ or in the word made flesh such a declaration of the divine Majestie as none besides the sonne of God could declare So the Apostle saith ver 18. No man hath seene God at any time but the only begotten sonne who is in the bosome of the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath declared or expounded him But wherein doth this declaration consist or how was it made by the sonne Not by word only or by declaration of his will but by matter of fact or reall representation But of this point more fully in the exposition of the name Iesus Seeing Moses had said that no flesh could see God and live it may seeme strange to men which have not their senses exercised in the search of Scriptures that the Prophet Isaiah should avouch the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together Isay 40. 5. Moses speech and that conceipt which the ancient had that man could not see God and live was universally true untill the word or brightnesse of Gods glory was made flesh But this was the very mysterie which Isaiah in that chapter foretold as elsewhere hath beene declared in part and shall be as it comes in order to be handled more fully a little after this Chapter 11 That the moderne Iews can expect the God of their Fathers should dwell with them should walk with them should manifest his glory unto them after such a manner as their owne Doctors interpret his promise made to Moses to al these purposes after any other way or manner then the Evangelist witnessed he did walk with and manifest his glory unto his Disciples This to us Christians is an evident demonstration that the vale which their Forefathers put before their faces when they could not behold the brightnesse of Gods glory which shone on Moses face after he had seene God and talked with him is to this day put before their hearts when they read Moses and the Prophets For this glorious Majestie of God the very expresse or graven Image of his substāce which they say Moses desired to see but could not did so personally dwell in the man Christ Jesus that whilest he walked with his people God did walke with thē whilest he remayned within the territories of Iudah or Galilee salvation glory did dwell in their Land And to this day in whomsoever he dwelleth by faith in him God dwelleth by faith As he is the expresse image of the person of his Father so every one in whom he thus
then in the Hebrew But the Chaldee further instructs us that the object of this oath was the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which did not note only God himselfe but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mediator between God and man and the tenor or contents of the oath was that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was God himselfe and the object of this oath should become the seed of Abraham and make mediation by such a sacrifice as God the Father for tryall only did require of Abraham The comming of the sonne of God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the world which had long before beene promised was not newly ratified only by oath but from this time the son of God was truly predestinated to be the seed of Abraham or the seed of Abraham to be the sonne of God as afterwards the seed or sonne of David was to wit from that time wherein the Lord had sworne to David that his seed should endure for ever and his throne as the dayes of Heaven Psal 89. 29. It is not to be omitted that where the Hebrew Psal 110. hath it The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand c. the Chaldee hath it The Lord said unto his Word sit thou at my right hand untill I make thy enemies thy footstoole And this Word or this Lord for so the Hebrewes expresse it by Adonai was then destinated and declared by oath to become not only the sonne of David but to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech ver 4. All these three places will require some further consideration in the treatise of Gods Covenant with Abraham and with David or of our Saviours consecration to his everlasting Priesthood Thus much for the present may suffice that S. Iohn was nto the first which conceived the sonne of God God himselfe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much lesse did he need to borrow his expressions from any Writers not truely Canonical For all this was conteyned in the places before alleaged as Ionathan and Onkelus interpret them and was likewise expressely conteyned in the Hebrew in sundry places of the Prophets of some of which God willing in the next Chapter 5 As little probabilitie there is either that S. Paul Heb 1. 1. should borrow his characters of the Sonne of God from the Author of the booke of Wisdome or that Author his though much what the same from S. Paul as that S. Iohn should take his expressions from the former Chaldee paraphrast or the later from S. Iohn Both S. Paul and the Author of the booke of Wisdome had their hints at least from such prenotions as the ancient Hebrews had of the wisdome or sonne of God or of their expected Messias when he should be revealed It is no way improbable much lesse incredible that such Interpreters or paraphrasers upon sacred writ as for ought we know did not expressely beleeve in the sonne of God either before his incarnation or since should have the forementioned prenotions concerning the promised Messias seeing the very Samaritans had the like which they could not gather from the ordinary reading of originall Scripture if at all they read them Such a prenotion that woman Iohn 4. had of the Messias before she did beleeve that Jesus was the promised Messias or Christ I know saith she that Messias commeth which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things ver 25. She had a prenotion and conceit that the Messias should tell them all things in a better manner then the prophets could do For shee had acknowledged our Saviour to be a Prophet ver 19 yet rested not satisfied with his answer to her question there made untill he had told her in expresse termes that hee was the promised Messias 6 But to compare S. Pauls characters of the son of God with the Authors of the booke of Wisdomes characters of the Wisdome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the prophets Hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heire of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Who being the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person and upholding all things by the word of the power when hee had by himselfe purged our sinnes sate downe on the right hand of the Majestie on high Being made so much better then the Angels as he hath by inheritance obteyned a farre more excellent name then they For she is the breath of the power of God and a pure influence flowing frō the glory of the Almighty therefore can no undefiled thing sal in to her For she is the brightness of the everlasting light the unspotted mirrour of the power of God and the image of his goodnesse And being but one she can do all things and remaining in her selfe shee maketh all things new in all ages entring into holy soules she maketh thē friends of God and Prophets For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with Wisdome For she is more beautifull then the sun above al the order of stars being compared with the light she is found before it For after this commeth night but vice shall not prevaile against Wisdome 7 There is not one proposition or character in all this passage which for ought I yet know is not Canonicall No attribute of wisdome which can fitly be applied to any person or substance save onely to the son of God or at least to the holy Ghost But whether this Author did so intend them or apply them or whether the holy Ghost did by his peculiar inspiration or God by his speciall providence direct him thus to speake or write after the same manner he did Moses and other Authors of Canonicall Scriptures is not to me so evident Nor is it probable that this booke was written by Solomon albeit the Author of it doth put upon him the person of Solomon and personate himselfe under the habit or Garb of the King of Israel The opinion is not improbable who think this book was written by Philo the Iew to solace himselfe and his Country men upon the ill successe of his Embassage unto Caius the Emperour which was not many yeares after our Saviours death nor many before S. Paul did write his Epistle or S. Iohn his Gospell The book it selfe whosoever was the Author of it is an excellent and a most elegant paraphrase upon many Canonicall Scriptures and conteynes many exquisite expressions of Gods special providence and infinite wisdome in governing the world and in over-ruling both the policie and the power of greatest Princes The same booke notwithstanding is for many reasons justly denyed by S. Ierome by our Church and by many grave
order and ranke in such a manner as he is not of theirs 3 The resolution of the second Quaere depends upon another more questioned point which I have no minde to dispute and lesse to be tyed to other mens conjectures or voluntary determinations of it without warrant of Scripture or any certaine deductions from it warrantable by reason The point questionable is briefely this whether the humane soule of our blessed Lord was infused into his body immediately upon his conception which as the sacred Text to my apprehension imports was in a moment and immediately upon the blessed Virgins assent unto the Angels message If at the same instant or moment of time the humane soule was inspired into his body the Word was not made flesh before he became man If otherwise the holy seed did after the conception grow by degrees into a live sensitive reasonable substance though neither after the same manner nor by the same meanes yet according to the same measure of time as other Infants do The case is unquestionable that the sonne of God or the Word was made flesh before he was made man For he was not made man before the inspiration or creation of the reasonable soule but even from the very first moment of his conception the Womans seed was hypostically united to the Word or sonne of God The flesh and blood which he tooke of the blessed Virgin became the flesh and blood of the sonne of God from the first moment of their assumption Nor can this opinion be justly charged with any suspition of errour or other difficultie as conteyning nothing which is not exactly parallel to that which wee beleeve concerning the union of his body with the Divine nature in his person after his body was separated from his soule His body in that interim of separation or of its rest in the grave was as truely the body of the son of God as it had beene whilst it was living His soule likewise was as truely the soule of the sonne of God during the divorce as it was whilst it retayned union with its body And whether the blood which was shed from his most pretious body on the Crosse were gathered againe into his veines a point not to be pryed into by mortall men or how ever it pleased him or his heavenly Father to dispose of it yet I think I may say that not a drop of it but remaines unto this day the true blood of the sonne of God it lost no union nor degree of union with his divine person it still retaines the power and efficacy of cleansing or sanctifying our nature 4 Some I know there be who think all others to speake and think unworthily of Christ unlesse they grant that his soule was not only infused into his body in the first conception of it but that it was withall endued with all manner of knowledge which Hee afterwards had Yet to binde any man to beleeve or acknowledge either of these the latter especially is to lay more upon us then God hath in his written Word or in the booke of his Creatures tyed us unto if so these men will give us leave to use the spectacles of reason in reading either booke For if our blessed Saviour during all the time he was in his mothers womb had the perfect use of sense and reason his condition of life had beene more wearisome then in any part of his pilgrimage here on earth it was for he was as mortall and as subject to sad impressions in the womb as he was in the strength of his age and death had beene more welcome to him then such close imprisonment if the excercise of reason or Contemplation had beene as free there as it was when he was endued with libertie of sense and locall motion The only reason I can conceive any man should pretend either for the infusion of the reasonable soule into his body at the first conception or that the reasonable soule whether then or at the time wherein other infants become capable of it shouâ—d be endued with such a measure of actuall or explicite knowledge whilst he was in his mothers womb as afterwards it was must be grounded on the hypostaticall union betweene the womans seed and the word of God But if any reason thus grounded could infer either part of the premisses it would aswell inferre that his knowledge as man should have beene infinite from his conception This I think no Christian wil affirme for the personall union of the divine nature with the humane doth not endow it with the reall titles of the divine Otherwise Christs strength as man should have beene infinite from the womb and his body should have beene every where And it would be lesse unreasonable to say that his body is at this day infinite and his humane nature every where then that his wisdome or knowledge as man should have beene infinite or as great whilst he was in the womb as now it is If the divine nature did not communicate his infinity to the humane nor make the sonne of God so compleat a man for strength of ability of body from the womb as at thirtie yeares he was it exceedeth the bounds of my capacitie to imagine what reason those men have for their opinion who think our blessed Lord Saviour did not as truely grow in wisdome and knowledge as he did in strength or stature of body The Scripture is alike literall for both Luk. 2. 52. Iesus increased in Wisdome and stature and in favour with God and man I make no question but that such as deny his growth in wisdome do this out of a religious feare lest they should speake or conceive any thing of Christ which might be thought either to derogate from his greatnesse or from his goodnesse This feare or zealous care is in the generall very good but hath small ground in this particular For were it either well grounded or well guided it would rather teach us not to deny that Jesus did grow in wisdome and goodnesse then to be peremptory in contradicting others which hold the affirmative Simple nescience can be no sinne in any Child nor in any man unlesse it be of those things which he is bound to know But proficiency in wisdome and knowledge is in the sonnes of men a praise worthy perfection which I should be as unwilling to deny unto my Lord and Saviour in his infancy or his youth as to rob him now of any royall attributes since he was made King That he was without all staine of sinne the most holy Sanctuary of the most holy and blessed God from the womb I stedfastly beleeve but that he had the same measure oâ— knowledge at his circumcision at his presentation in the Temple which he had and gave proofe of when his Parents found him in the Temple disputing with the Doctors or no greater measure of this knowledge at his baptisme then he then had or as great as his baptisme as