singularly odd concerning the Production of the Second Person And yet it 's very observable that Tertullian says nothing but what has been advanced by many other Ecclesiastical Writers before the Council of Nice so that notwithstanding all Dr. Bull 's Endeavours to reduce what these Fathers say to an Orthodox sense Mr. Hill must of necessity involve them in the same censure with Tertullian 2ly Mr. Hill affirms concerning the Fathers that in his opinion they generally taught a gracious Adoption and a Metaphorical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our Nature in Jesus Christ and of all the Saints by him But to justifie them in this Particular we must say either that Mr. Hill never read them or that if he did he quarrels with them with as little ground as when he censures the Bishop for using the Expression of Divine Person in speaking of the Flesh for both the Bishop and the Fathers who often call Jesus Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have had the same Idea so that they must either stand or fall together But I shall take leave of this unfair Writer when I have performed one thing that I promised I told you that I was very much surprized to find in Mr. Hills Book a most dangerous Principle I must now make you sensible of it These are his words Pag. 6. What I require is that the Catholick Doctrine be asserted as a Rule of Faith which the Church is bound to adhere to on the certain Authority of Divine Revelation this Revelation appearing real not only to particular mens private Opinions but originally committed to the charge and custody of the whole Church by the Apostles and so preserved by their Successors throughout the whole diffusive body Whereas his Lordship only lays down this notion or form of Faith That we believe Points of Doctrine because we are perswaded that they are revealed to us in Scripture which is so languid and unsafe a Rule that it will resolve Faith into every man's private Fancies and Contradictory Opinions Since each man's Faith is his Perswasion that what he believes for a Doctrine is revealed in Scripture Whereas the act of a Christian Faith believes such Doctrine to be true and fundamental in Christianity from the certain evidence thereof in the Scriptures acknowledged by all Churches not led by casual perswasions but by a Primitive perpetual universal and unanimous Conviction and Tradition The deviation from which Rule and Notion to private Opinions and Perswasions is the cause of all Heresies and by its consequent divisions naturally tends to the ruine of the True Christian and Catholick Faith You see that Mr. Hill is angry with the Bishop for saying that we believe Points of Doctrine because we are perswaded that they are revealed in Scripture he thinks the Bishop should have said that we receive a Doctrine for fundamental from the evidence thereof in the Scriptures acknowledged by all Churches not led by casual perswasions c. These Expressions are so intricate that it 's hard to guess at Mr. Hill's meaning If these words acknowledged by all Churches relate to the word Scripture which goes immediately before it 's very hard to apply what he says to all the Books of Scripture so as that they may retain their Authority with Christians for it is notorious that divers Books of Scripture as the Epistle to the Hebrews c. have not that Primitive Universal and unanimous Tradition to establish their Authority This one Clause of Mr. Hill's will deprive us at one dash of all the Books the Authority whereof we are told in Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History was for a long time questioned by great Churches But if he refers the words acknowledged by all Churches c. to the evidence of Fundamental Doctrines as the series of his Discourse the Maxim of Vincentius Lyrinensis which he cites and what he says concerning the Creeds seem to intimate then this Proposition is not less dangerous than the other It is true that a Fundamental Doctrine the Revelation whereof is acknowledged by all the Churches is most evident by that very thing that all the World does acknowledge it But must therefore all the Fundamental Doctrines which have not been acknowledged by all the Churches tho they are clearly revealed in Scripture be thought not fundamental because they want this Evidence I confess Mr. Hill says that he will not examine what Rules private men are to follow but he affirms that those who desire to arrive at a ripeness of Judgment and Knowledge ought to take the Rule of Vincentius Lyrinensis p. 7. which the Bishop has rejected But this I say first of all is a Notion that has no solid ground in Divinity 'T is granted that Certainty of Revelation in respect to those who live now I depends upon the Certainty of Revelation which the Apostolical and after it the Christian Church has had down to this time But it is not a wild imagination to oppose hâ—r Certainty which the Apostolical Church in a Body has bad to the perswasion of each Member of the Apostolical Church What Certainty could the Body of the Apostolical Church have but the Certainty which each single member of which it was composed had Who ever heard among Protestants but that the Faith of each private man resolves it self into the Certainty of Revelation which way soever he may come by that Certainty of Revelation Is it not rank Popery to assert that our Faith is not immediately resolved into the Authority of God who proposes a Doctrine to us in Scripture Pray where shall we find Christians if to be so it is not enough to believe a Doctrine because Christ has revealed it but one must believe besides such a Doctrine to be true and fundamental in Christianity from its certain evidence in Scripture acknowledged by all Churches not led by casual perswasions but by a Primitive perpetual universal and unanimous Conviction and Tradition One might perhaps think at first that this addition to the definition of Faith were no great matter but I assure you Sir it destroys entirely the nature of Faith and contains the whole Doctrine of the Church of Rome upon this Point it imports that the Gospel has no Authority quo ad nos till it is vouched by the Authority of the Church The Church has been believed hitherto to be the Depositary of Scripture But it was never believed that her Authority went so far as that we ought not to receive a truth evident in Revelation but as it is acknowledged by all the Churches not led by casual perswasions but by a Primitive perpetual universal and unanimous Conviction and Tradition Indeed Sir if what Mr. Hill lays down be true it 's hard to tell who has Faith now I desire Mr. Hill to reflect upon that Article of the Creed which establishes the Procession ab utroque and to tell me whether he does not think himself bound to believe it till he has examined whether this is
disputing's sake Divines of a greater Name than Mr. Hill laugh at those Remarks which he has accumulated Dr. Tenison has proved That the Shekina is celebrated down from Adam to Noah from Noah to Moses from Moses to the Captivity and from the Captivity to the Messias This is in his Book of Idolatry where one would think he intended a Refutation of Mr. Hill After all whatever the meaning of the word Jehovah may have been before the Law it 's certain as I said That under the Law that word denoted the God which the Jews worshipped in the Cloud of Glory and that it is with respect to that Habitation that St. John says speaking of his Incarnation That the Word has dwelt amongst us The Bishop who intends to prove that the Apostles did not propose another Object of Adoration than the Jehovah worshipped under the Law desires no more than this which is sufficient for his purpose But can we rationally infer the Adoration of the Messias from this that the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily as St. Paul tells us Col. 2. The Orthodox have believed it to this day and the Bishop with them but out of spight to the Bishop Mr. Hill will not allow this to be a good consequence he does not much concern himself whether the Socinians triumph or not provided he may quarrel with the Bishop by alledging I know not what frivolous Exceptions of which himself would have been ashamed had he not been transported with his Passion To take this passage from the Bishop which seems so full to his purpose Mr. Hill gives it so Chimerical an Interpretation that probably he is the first Inventor of it he pretends that the Apostle speaks there in opposition to the Gnosticks Notions who excluded Jesus Christ from the Supreme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divinity but that tho St. Paul had declared Jehovah to be in Jesus Christ yet of what sort of inexistence soever this might be understood it could not be concluded from it that the Messias was to be adored I am not of Mr. Hill's mind concerning the sense he gives to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place of St. Paul 'T is not very probable that this Apostle had an eye to the Gnosticks and it is much more natural to understand this fulness in opposition to the Manifestations of the Deity under the Old Testament the Sequel of the Discourse seems to lead us thither since the Apostle declares that it dwelt bodily which is opposed to Figures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word which the Apostle has expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies really and substantially But be this as it will what can Mr. Hill mean when he denies that from such an Habitation as this by which the Flesh is personally united to the Deity the Adoration of the Messias cannot be inferred It 's plain that the Bishop does not pretend that the Flesh ought to be adored in the Person of Jesus Christ but it is yet more certain that no Christrian except those that deny the Hypostatical Union of both Natures denies that the word incarnate is to be adored that is the Messias who is God and Man They all agree That the Principle of Adorability or that for which the Person of the Messias is to be adored is the Divinity of the Word but they don't deny as Mr. Hill seems to do that Jesus Christ is the Object of Adoration because the indwelling of the Word is such that thereby the Human and Divine Natures are united in one Personality Here is another Criticism of Mr. Hill's He owns That the Argument which the Bishop draws from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is constantly given to Jesus Christ in the New and answers to that of Jehovah in the Old Testament is an excellent Argument but he thinks the Bishop had not skill enough to free it from an Objection arising from 1 Cor. 8. The Arians have insisted upon that place Verse 6. Nobis tamen unus Deus pater to prove that the Son was not God They have been answered That when the Father is named here the Son is also evidently supposed as having the Divine Nature if he be truly the Son of God It has been often said to them that by the same reason we might conclude That the Father is not Dominus because the Apostle adds unus Dominus Jesus Christus pèr quem omnia and wherein has the Bishop enervated this Argument Because the Bishop affirms says Mr. Hill that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering to that of Jehovah in the Seventy Translation is here appropriated to Jesus Christ which he establishes as a consequence of his Hypothesis that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a federal Title of God with relation to the Jews Now Mr. Hill thinks that 's a false Hypothesis On the other hand he pretends That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by St. Paul which cannot be rendred by Jehovae in the Plural Number from whence he concludes That the Bishop has not taken off the Objection he makes to himself The question started by Mr. Hill whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresses that of Jehovah and whether supposing it expresses the Jehovah of the Old Testament it is a federal word with respect to the Jews this question I say is decided in favour of the Bishop not only by the Moderns but also by the Ancients If Mr. Hill has a mind to be informed of the Opinion of the Ancients in this matmatter let him read Origen upon the 8th of Ezekiel p. 1. and St. Jerom upon the same at the beginning of his 9th Book he may read also the Learned Pearson upon the Creed as to the second thing controverted here between the Bishop and him The foundation of this Opinion is more solid than Mr. Hill is aware of almost all the Ancients prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ because it was he who appeared under the Old Testament and that he who then appeared is named Jehovah which the Seventy render by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore the Apostle might say according to this Phraseology that if the Christians did acknowledge but one God they acknowledge likewise but one Lord viz. Jesus Christ giving to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Title of Jehovah which is rendred by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Old Testament So that it is St. Paul's Doctrine that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Jehovah and that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incarnate is no less Jehovah than he was before the Incarnation If it were otherwise St. Paul had argued like a Sophister when he proves by a passage out of Joel that Salvation belongs to Christians because they invoke Jesus Christ who is the Lord spoken of in Joel Rom. 10. I know not why Mr. Hill is not satisfied with this Solution 't is his
the Article Light of Light from the Platonists Notion and that the Bishop of Salisbury does affirm it pray where is the Crime of that Was not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borrowed from the Heathens If this Notion which was common to Scripture with the wisest Philosophy could be usefully employed to denote that the Divine Essence is in the Father and in the Son as Light is of the same Nature in two Candles one of which is lighted by the other why should not they have made use of it This is Tatian's Notion and the learned Dr. Bull believes that the Fathers of Nice have followed the same p. 60. Eusebius Caesariensis drew the Scheme of the Nicene Creed and it appears by his Book De Praeparatione Evangelica how much stress he laid upon Plato's Authority to establish the Dogma of the Trinity The Fathers of the Council added only to it the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which at first seemed hard to Eusebius but he admitted it afterwards This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been disgraced by the abuse that Paulus Samosathenus made of it having employed it to denote that Jesus Christ was only of the same Nature with us But the Fathers of Nice have used it to signify that he was of the same Nature with the eternal Father After this the Fathers of the Council of Chalcedon have made use of it in the first Sense to express the Faith of the Church against the Apollinarians and Eutichians who denied that Jesus Christ had a Soul No man has found fault with him for making that use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Eusebius Caesariensis had not been the first Author of this Creed Mr. Hill's Objection would be of some force But as it is certain that the Nicene Fathers have used the Creed drawn up by Eusebius Caesariensis without adding any thing else to it but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Condemnation of Arius's Propositions confirming the Condemnation pronounced before by Alexander so it is visible that they have made use of a Notion in it which was received by those Fathers that were Platonists It seemed to them consonant to the Christian Faith and we receive it at this Day taking it in a commodious Sense I say we take it in a large Sense for it is certain that this Expression Deus de Deo being as strictly taken as Mr. Hill usually takes words in Disputing against the Bishop does rather denote the Substance than the Personality as that of Lumen de Lumine and when in pronouncing these words we refer them to the Personality we have more regard to the Sense of the Church than to the natural Import and Signification of the Expression for we only mean that the Son is derived from the Father who communicates the Divine Essence to him and not that the Essence of the Father's Divinity produces such another Essence in the Son Mr. Hill might very well have forborn his Censuring the Bishop upon this Article of the Creed for whatever pains he takes to deliver his Readers from this thought that the Fathers of the Council of Nice have referred the Expression Deus de Deo Lumen de Lumine to the second Generation yet he himself furnishes us with a sufficient Argument to confute him in the passages which he quotes in the Margin out of Tertullian Theophilus Athenagoras Justin and Tatian For the Fathers have used these Expressions with Tertullian against Praxeas to denote the second but not the eternal Generation of the Word Tertullian particularly called the second Generation the true Nativity of the Word What can a Reader conclude from thence but that the Notion Deus de Deo Lumen de Lumine in the Council of Nice relates to this second Generation Which Mr. Hill himself calls an odd Conceit p. 12. though he affirms p. 75. that the Church never condemned it So that upon the whole Matter it is very natural to believe that the Fathers of Nice took these words in the same Sense in which they were taken by the Ancients Mr. Hill may see now of what use the Platonick Notions have been to explain the Doctrine of the Trinity The learned confess that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Plato and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have nothing common with the two last Persons of the Trinity This is not only acknowledged but proved by the learned Dr. Tenison in the Book before cited On the other hand it 's no less certain that the Ancients have made use of the Platonick Notions upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that Plato owned the two last Persons of the Trinity What follows from all this but that Mr. Hill might have spared his Censures against the Bishop And that notwithstanding all his endeavours all what he has said to justify the Ancients is useless and insignificant I shall add but one word more upon this Head viz. That it does not become Mr. Hill to find fault with the Bishop for having asserted that the Fathers before the Council of Nice did conceive in the Trinity a Subordination importing an inequality of the two last Persons with the first He will give himself a very needless trouble if he undertake to clear them from that The Bishop has but too many Proofs upon this Article and none but those who never read the Ancients or read them without attention can disown it This is acknowledged by Petavius Dr. Cudworth and Heuetius Origen lib. 2. q. 2. By this kind of injudicious Accusations Mr. Hill would almost tempt a man to draw such a Picture of Antiquity as would not be much to its advantage We may say in a word That if there have been some among the Ancients who have recommended the study of Pagan Authors because of the use that a Christian might make of them to render the Doctrines of his Religion more probable to the Heathens there have been others who have almost absolutely condemned that study seeing what impression Platonism had made in the Minds of the Primitive Christians so that Pope Gelasius was in the right in the Roman Council when he ranked with prohibited Books the greatest part of those Authors who have spoken so crudely upon the point of the Trinity Mr. Hill proceeds to another Accusation which is as ill grounded He pretends that the Bishop has unjustly charged the Fathers with believing a specifick Unity of the Divine Essence and with having understood the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that Sense p. 91. and seq Mr. Hill thinks this is to charge the Fathers with Tritheism which he may with so much the more reason impute to the Bishop that the Bishop supposing that the Fathers have attributed to the Persons Operations ad extra different from each other he is not only fallen himself into the same Notion but which is
not altogether extinguished in him I would have him consider that in the sight of God 't is not he that receives but he that does the Injury that is Unhappy If I have chanced in this Paper to say any thing that seems too severe against him and that approaches too near to his Angry Strain I humbly desire that without more ado you would strike it out as being writ against my intention I would by no means be my self guilty of a fault which I sincerely lament when I find it in others and which would but cover me with the more confusion if I should be found to practise that which I condemn in another April 12. 1695. I am Sir c. FINIS Books lately Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard A Discourse of the Pastoral Care By the Right Reverend GILBERT Lord Bishop of Sarum His Four Discourses delivered to the Clergy of the Diocess of Sarum Concerning I. The Truth of the Christian Religion II. The Divinity and Death of Christ III. The Infallibility and Authority of the Church IV. The Obligations to continue in the Communion of the Church 8 vo Memoirs of the most Reverend THOMAS CRANMER Archbishop of Canterbury Wherein the History of the Church and the Reformation of it during the Primacy of the said Archbishop are greatly illustrated and many singular Matters relating thereunto now first published In Three Books Collected chiefly from Records Registers Authentick Letters and other Original Manuscripts By John Strype M. A. Fol. Origo Leguin Or A Treatise of the Origine of Laws and their Obliging Power as also of their great Variety and why some Laws are immutable and some not but may suffer change or cease to be or be suspended or abrogated In Seven Books By George Dawson Fol. 1694. A brief Discourse concerning the Lawfulness of Worshipping God by the Common-Prayer in Answer to a Book intituled A Brief Discourse of the Vnlawfulness of Common-Prayer-Worship By John Williams D. D. 4 to 1694. Dr. John Conaut's Sermons Publish'd by Dr. Williams 1693. 8 vo Rushworth's Historical Collections The Third Part in Two Volumes Containing the Principal Matters which happened from the meeting of the Parliament Nov. 3. 1640. to the end of the Year 1644. Wherein is a particular Account of the Rise and Progress of the Civil War to that Period Fol. 1692. The History of the Troubles and Tryal of the Most Reverend Father in God WILLIAM LAVD Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Wrote by himself during his Imprisonment in the Tower To which is prefixed the Diary of his own Life faithfully and entirely published from the Original Copy And subjoyned a Supplement to the preceding History the Arch-Bishop's Last Will His Large Answer to the Lord Say's Speech concerning Liturgies His Annual Accounts of his Province deliver'd to the King and some other Things relaying to the History â—ubsisâ—â— by Henry Wharton Chaplain to Archbishop Saâ—â—â—st And by his Grace's Command Fol. A Commentary on the First Book of Moses called Genesis By the Right Reverend Father in God Simon Lord Bishop of Ely 4 to 1695. The Hearts-Ease or a Remedy against all Troubles With a Consolatory Discourse particularly directed to those who have lost their Friends and Relations To which is added two Papers printed in the time of the late Plague By the same Author 12 mo Reprinted A Discourse Of the Government of the Thoughts By â—eo Tully Sub-Dean of York The Second Edition 8 vo The Bishop of Sarum's Sermon at the Funeral of Archbishop Tillotson Who dyed at Lambeth Nov. 20. 1694. A Sermon concerning Holy Resolution Preached before the King at Kensington Decemb. 30. 1694. By his Grace Dr. Thomas Tenison Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury His Sermon at the Funeral of the Queen in the Abby-Church in Westminster March 5. 1694 5. Historia de Episcopis Decanis Londinensibus necnon de Episcopis Decanis Assavensibus à prima Sedis utriusque fundatione ad Annum MDXL. Accessit Appendiae instrumentorum quorundam insignium duplex Autore Henrico Whartono A. M. 8 vo 1695. The Possibility and Expediency and Necessity of Divine Revelation A Sermon preach'd at St. Martin's in the Fields January 7. 1694 5. at the beginning of the Lecture for the ensuing Year Founded by the Honourable Rob. Boyle Esq by John Williams D. D. The Certainty of Divine Revelation being his Second Sermon preach'd at the said Lecture Feb. 4. 1695. His Vindication of the Sermons of his Grace John Archbishop of Canterbury concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour and of the Lord Bishop of Worcester's Sermon on the Mysteries of the Christian Faith from the Exceptions of a late Socinian Book Intituled Considerations on the Explications of the Doctrine of the Trinity To which is annexed a Letter from the Lord Bishop of Sarum to the Author of the said Vindication on the same Subject 1695. 4 to An Essay on the Memory of the late QUEEN By Gilbert Bishop of Sarum 8 vo Remarks of an University Man upon a late Book falsly called A Vindication of the Primitive Fathers against the Imputations of Gilbert Lord Bishop of Sarum Written by Mr. Hill of Kilmington 4 to 1695. The Characters of Divine Revelation A Sermon Preached at St. Martin's in the Fields March 4. 1694 5. Being the Third of the Lecture for the ensuing Year founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esquire By John Williams D. D. Of Sincerity and constancy in the Faith and Profession of the True Religion in several Sermons By the most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Published from the Originals by Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace 8 vo 1695. Advertisement THere will be published several other Sermons and Discourses of the most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury by order of his Administratrix faithfully transcribed from his own Papers by Dr. Ralph Barker Chaplain to his Grace Which are disposed of to Richard Chiswell and his Assigns If any Person Print any others except those published in the Author's Life-time they are to be look'd upon as Spurious and False And the Publishers will be proceeded against according to Law