sentence pronounced Come yee blessed receive the Kingdome prepared for you for I was hungry and ye gave Mee meat c. and on the other side Depart ye cursed for I was hungry and ye gave Me no meat c. Mat. 25.35 to 46. Ans It cannot bedenied but that the sentence of condemnation upon the reprobate is according to their workes as the deseruing causes thereof For not to beleeve in Christ is that great sin which is the cause of condemnation Ioh. 3.18 and 16.9 Neither is a dead faith ought worth but that faith onely is accepted which worketh by love Galat. 5.6 without which it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 And if all things that are not of faith be sinne Rom. 14.23 Then the wicked works of Infidels and Hypocrites and much more their violent and wilfull rebellions must needs be concurrent causes of their condemnation But the faithfull are therefore called to possesse the kingdome 1. Because they are blessed of the Father 2. Because they are predestinate thereto and the kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world So their workes come not as causes of their happinesse but onely as the fruits of their faith But because workes onely and not faith in the heart are manifest to the world therefore is the comparison made onely of the workes both of the godly and of the wicked that the justice of God may be manifested in rewarding the workes that are manifest to man But you will say if men for their ill deeds doe merit hell why should they not by their good workes merit heaven See the answere Chap. 19. Object 2. and 3. 3. A third question may arise concerning that which is said Luke 21.32 This generation shall not passe till all be fulfilled why then was not the judgement long agoe Answer The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a generation in the narrow signification doth signifie that multitude of men which are alive at once and withall that time in which it is supposed they shall all be dead which in common reckoning is 100. yeeres And in this sence the saying of our Lord must be referred only to that which He had spoken concerning the overthrow of Ierusalem which followed about fourty yeeres after and the signes which should goe before that As the preaching of the Gospel in all the world See Col. 1.6 False Christs See Note g on Chapter 24. Warres Pestilence c. But because our Lord after the answeres to the three questions made by the disciples Matth. 24.3 1 Of the destruction of Ierusalem 2. Of the signe of His comming 3. Of the end of the world addes these same words This generation shall not passe c. vers 34. a generation cannot bee so narrowly taken in this place but rather it must signifie as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Saeculum and so taking the infancy of the world in the time of nature for one generation that middle age under the Law for another and then this old age of the word under the Gospel there is no other generation or change of state in the Church to be looked for but in this very generation all things shall be fulfilled And therefore Saint Iohn saith 1 Epist 2.18 This is the last time And although Saint Peter say 1 Epist 4.7 That the end of all things is at hand and that therefore we should be sober and watch unto prayer because we know not when our Lord shall call us to a particular account of our stewardship when all things of this world are ended with us Yet Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. directly affirmeth in his time that that great day of God should not come till the Apostasie was revealed which could not be till he that withheld that is the Imperiall power that then ruled was taken out of the way 4. But seeing that day of God is so terrible to the wicked as that they put it farre from them and againe so much desired of the godly as that they cry Come Lord Iesus Come it may seeme not altogether unfit to see some reasons of their different desires Concerning the wicked it is manifest that they being condemned already in their owne consciences have great cause to wish that there were no day of judgement no judge no tormentors But the faithfull in Christ who have the testimony of God in their hearts that their sinnes are covered have great reason to desire that day First and above all that the glory of God His mercy and justice may be manifest Secondly that the merit of Christs sufferings may appeare to the glory of His grace in them that they may have the actuall possession of that happinesse which they have here onely in the assurance of hope And no lesse doe they desire that comming that the body of sinne may be truely abolished For which desires sake even death it selfe is here in life oftentimes desired and when it comes is most willingly embraced because that thereby they are justified from their sin Rom. 6.7 And among other causes for which they pray that the Kingdome of God may come this is one that although euen because they refraine from ill therefore doe they make themselues as a prey Esay 59.15 yet in that day the trueth of their innocency shall be knowne And although here the more innocent and harmelesse a man is the more is hee subject to injuries slanders and surmises and that because men have forsaken the feare of the Almightie and having forgotten that he that taketh up not onely hee that raiseth a slander which every base varlet may doe but hee that beleeveth it and and much more he that furthereth it hath no part in that Kingdome Psal 15.3 Yet they use their tongues as if they were their owne and remember not that they must give an account of every idle much more of every lying and hurtfull word And heere there be some which doubt not to say that the godly may desire the comming of that day that they may see the reward of the wicked perhaps upon that text where it is said The Righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengâ—ance Psal 58.10 But I suppose it necessary to answere with this difference That so farre foorth as a wicked man or men are declared the enemies of God of Christ of His Church a Christian may say Doe not I hate them ô Lord that hate thee yea I hate them with perfect hatred as if they were mine enemies Psal 139. ver 21.22 the hatred must be of their sinnes not of their persons but concerning those offences that are towards a mans owne selfe let the same mind be in us which was in Christ Iesus who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow His steps who being reviled reviled not againe who being mocked and wounded yet made intercession for the transgressors Therefore though thine enemies despight thee dayly without a cause though he that eates thy bread lift up
verifie in created things and because it is not able by one simple apprehension in it selfe either to conceive much lesse to expresse that perfection which is in the simplicity of the divine being it is content with those expressions which it is able to make thereof so that the truth and majestie of the thing bee not hurt thereby Therefore whether S. Thomas deliver it thus or Zanchius thus So long as we know they meane no other thing than that which the holy Scripture hath taught us wee ought not to receive with the left hand that which they deliver with the right 2. Now for the opinion of Sabellius it is said That if every one of the Persons be the divine Being then shall they all bee but one Person But every Person in the Deity is the whole divine Being or if the Sonne and the Holy Ghost be not the whole divine being then can they not be God as Arrius affirmed Answer Although nothing of the Divine being bee without or beside the Persons but that every Person is perfectly God yet the manner of being cannot be the absolute Being of a thing so the assumption is false And although every Person in respect of his absolute Being be very God yet is it not said that any Person according to his personall properties is the whole divine being no more than the Son-ship of Isaack is his humanity so the consequence for Arrius will not hold 3. What two things soever agree in a third must needes agree betweene themselves The Father and the Sonne agree in the unity of essence therefore they are one betweene themselves Answer The argument is fallacious from specialty as I shewed log chap. 22. n. 2. For the rule holds onely in equality of quantities except you restreine it to that wherein the agreement is so the Father and the Son agree in the unity of their essence but differ in their personall properties 4. The essence of God is most simply and substantially one and therefore first not differing from it selfe Secondly incommunicable to three Answer First the difference is not betweene it selfe and it selfe but in the properties which are essentially in it selfe as the individuall being of Isaack differs not from it selfe but his Fatherhood toward Iacob and his Sonship toward Abraham are as really different that is as diverse properties as Fatherhood and Sonship can bee Secondly The three Persons are not severall essences but all one essence incommunicable to any other but they are diverse relations in that one absolute being 5. A Person in the deity is either finite or infinite if finite he cannot bee God if infinite then if there be three Persons there must also bee three infinites or if these three infinites bee but one infinite then is there but one infinite Person called by diverse names Answer Infinity in the Deity is the condition of the absolute being not of the propriety or manner of being as to be reasonable is in Isaack the property or condition not of his Fatherhood nor of his Sonship but of his humanity only 6. If there bee moe Persons than one in the one onely absolute being of the Godhead then it is necessary that there bee something in them whereby they must be distinguished and so every Person must bee compounded or if to avoid composition you say that this distinction is onely in relation which brings not any new being but onely respect to another yet relation cannot bee without some absolute being whereon it is grounded As in a servant there is a being besides that reference which he hath to his master Nay if this absolute being bee the individuall and most simple essence of the Deitie yet that cannot be the foundation of diverse relations because of the uttermost unity and simplicity thereof And if these relations have any other foundation it is not possible to avoid composition therefore there is not any plurality or difference of Persons Answer You were told before That whatsoever is in God is in Him essentially that it is not more essentiall to Him to bee one God then to be three in the differences of Persons because perfection both of being and manner of being are in him according to his most simple being For the diverse perfections of the creature came thereto by the manifold formes therein over and above the essentiall formes and must of force bee Accidents But the superexcellency of the simplicity of the divine being being the cause of all perfection therein suffers neither composition nor accident as hath beene shewed chap. 9. therefore as in the divine being neither goodnesse wisdome nor power adde any thing of new being so in the working the diverse termes of agent action object or any other words whereby we expresse the difference of relations or Persons doe not adde any thing to the simplicity either of being or working though they bee therein essentially No nor yet are they properly said to be founded therein as any other things different therefrom though we in our weake understanding can neither conceive nor expresse them but as different termes of relation properly so called Neither yet shall it follow from hence that the persons are not really and truly distinguished for the very being of the Father as he is a Father is in this Hee doth eternally bring forth his Sonne And likewise the Being of the Sonne that he is brought forth of the Father by the infinite and eternall action of the Father in himselfe but rather because this production is infinite and eternall as was shewed therefore the Persons also as concerning their personall proprieties must be different eternally though in their absolute and individuall being they bee one essentially so that as in relations properly so called there is the substance the attribute and the relation which followes thereon so likewise here is first the absolute Being of the Deity then the working thereof and lastly the termes of that action or the relations ensuing which we call Persons yet with this difference that in the relations of the creature the attribute and the relation succeeding are both accounted accidents But here in the deity all things are essentially so that although the simple or absolute Being of the deitie bee not the foundation of divers relations yet the action thereof must needs admit these different termes which we call relations or persons and that without composition either to make distinction of the persons or to avoide confusion in them 7. That relation whereby the Persons are distinguished either is something of very being or else it is in the understanding onely If it be in our understanding onely then can it not make any personall distinction if it bee any thing of very being yet can it not be that absolute Being common to all and if it be anything different therefrom then must something be in the Persons beside their absolute essence which because it is impossible it followes that there is no distinction of Persons Answer This
not infinite in these dignities of power wisdome truth eternity goodnesse c. when so great effects of these things are altogether without Him And to deny unto God the infinity or perfection of these dignities were utterly to deny his Being and to make him unworthy to bee that which Hee is contrary to all that hath heretofore beene proved 12. The holy Scriptures every where teach this truth Gen. 1. 2. chap. Iob. 38. and many places in that booke beside Neh. 9.6 confesses to God Thou art Lord alone thou hast made heaven and the heaven of hâ—avens with all their hoste the earth and all things that a e therein the Seas and all that are in them and thou preservest them all and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee Psal 95.5 The Sea is His and He made it and his hands prepared the dryland Psal 96.5 All the gods of the people are Idols But the Lord made the heavens whose armies in Psal 136. are more particularly reckoned up And therefore doth God by his owne right challenge the heavens for his seat and the earth for his fâ—otstoole because his hand hath made all these things Esay 66.1.2 To this purpose you may read other Texts cited by S. Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 5. The continuall preservation also of the Creature as it is manifest in reason by the arguments afore going So it is taught Psal 36.6.7 Psal 147.8.9 Psal 145.15 And Psal 104. is wholly in this Argument And that all this frame shall come to nought at last you may read Psal 102.25.26 which is also cited by S. Paul Heb. 1. v. 10.11.12 Read moreover to this purp se 2 Pet. 3.10 Reu. 20.11 And that because it was made of nought Heb. 11.3 Sap. 11.14 § 4. These things then being thus manifest we are now by the way 1. First to consider what necessary conclusions follow here upon 2. And then to see whether the creation of the world doe belong to every Person of the Trinity alike or to any one more particularly than another First it is certaine that not being cannot be the beginning of Being And therefore it is necessarie that Being bee eternall And that which is the first of beings must needs be the cause of al the rest So that all other beings must acknowledge their originall from thence And because all things that are were in time created by that first of Beings not according to any necessity of naturall working as the fire according to the necessitie thereof doth burne any matier that is fit to be burnt but only according to the pleasure of his owne will therefore first of all it must necessarily ensue hereof that the continuance of all things must have the same cause which was also of their Being So that for his holy wills sake alone they also continue If he then withdraw his supportance either from all or from any particular creature it must of necessity come to nought in an instant Secondly because every agent workes for some end and the greatest and best of work-masters must needs work for the greatest and chiefest good and seeing there neither is nor can be any thing greater or better than God himselfe Therefore it is necessary that this world was created for Him But because Hee infinitely blessed in Himselfe needed not the world nor any thing of the world as though he could be better thereby Psal 16.2 Act. 17.25 it must follow that the creature was for this end that as by his Being it was made partaker â—f being so by his infinite goodnesse it might also bee partaker oâ— glory and happinesse For because his goodnesse and life and happinesse and all his glories are answerable to his owne being therefore are they infinitely sufficient for every thing that in any sort can possibly be partaker of being So then the goodnesse of God was not encreased in the creation but manifested onely that the creature according to the measure thereof might bee blessed in him Thus then is God the end of all the creature Because hee is that supersupreme perfection of goodnesse and happinesse whereof the whole creature desires to be partaker but that not our of any choice or purpose of the creature but of him alone that hath created it to be partaker of that image of his goodnesse From the first conclusion we are taught with what reverence and feare we ought to live before him to whose onely pleasure we owe our being and continuance Next with what great respect and care we ought to behave our selves toward the creature not onely men which have the same pretious hopes of immortality which wee have but likewise toward every other creature even the least of Beings For although we know that all the more bodily creature was made for the use of that which hath understanding and that not onely for the exercise of the minde in his wisdome and power that created it but for thankefullnesse also to that goodnesse which hath subjected it to our use in food in clothing and other such services for our ease or conveniences that being destitute of no good thing wee might give our selves to his service and praise him alone And lastly that the whole creature might bee blessed in man in whom it is to possesse an eternall being yet when wee remember that there is nothing so meane or seeming so base in the Creature but that it was eternally foreseene to that infinite wisdome even as we that it was created by the same power appointed by the same foreknowledge to this or that very use with what reverence and feare should we carry our selves lest we abuse it and so offer dishonour unto the Lord and owner both of it and us alike especially seeing that when we were not hee had determined so to blesse us From the second conclusion wee may learne with what patience wee ought to endure all the troubles and afflictions of this life because wee know those pretious promises whereto wee are created if we acknowledge Him faithfull and hold our hopes unto the end see Tit. 1.2 The question moved to which Person the Creation belongs is full of perplexity and of any other most hard and darke if it bee well thought on And therefore in the solution thereof it is most safe for us to hearken to the oracles of God alone It is commonly and truely said that the workes of the Holy Trinitie which are without are undivided yet so as that they receive a certaine determination or order from that manâ—er of Being which is in the Persons And therefore because the â—â—ther is the fountaine of Being they commonly ascribe the creation or bringing of things into being unto Him So because all perfection of Sonship is in the second Person and that there can be no moe Sonnes than one therefore the redemption of mankinde by the in-dwelling of God in Man is given unto the Sonne and so the sanctifying of the church to the Holy Ghost
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mud For so the conclusion of earth and water is best understood and fittest for generation of earthly things as Ovid delivers the opinion and cleeres it by comparison of the overflowing Nilus Metam lib. 1. All other Creatures tooke their different birth And figures from the voluntary Earth When her cold moisture with the Sunne did sweat And Slimy Marishes grew big with heat So when seven mouthed Nyle forsakes the plaine Anantient channel doth his streames containe And late left slime the heavenly warmth doth feele Men sundry shapes beneath the sod reveile Some new begun and some to halfe doe grow That halfe alive the rest but earth below But Moses Gen. 1. delivers it unto us in the parts active and passive heaven and earth which yet before their division were both of water as it is manifest in that place and 2. Pet. 3.5 According hereunto Homer Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after him Thales affirmes the first matier of all things to be water But the opinions of the lesse reckoning are those that are found amongst the heretickes of the Christians For all the Philosophers and Poets of the heathen which held not the eternity of the world acknowledged God the authour of the world under one name or other but Simon Magus and with him Menander said that the Angels were the makers of the world Saturnius gives the honour unto seven Angels alone whom he makes the Creators of the world without the consent or knowledge of God Carpocrates and the Priscillianists affirmed that the world was made by certaine inferiour Angels among whom the devill was chiefe workemaster Valentinus gave it out that a devil which was begotten of the thirtieth Aiâ—â—n begot other devils and these Sonnes of Avengles made the world and mischiefe and sinne are in the world not through the wickednâ—sse and free will of man but even by the very creation of the world it selfe The Nicholaitanes tel us of Angels the makers of the world and that Barbelo who was ruler of the eight Sphere was overseer of the works His mothers name was Yaldaboth But I have not read so farre in heraldry as to tell you who was his Dad nor of what house his mother came nor yet whether his fellow workemen were good or bad Angels The Gnosticks of the two Gods which they make as you have heard before make the ill God the creator of the world which though it appeare not either by Irenaeus Clement Tertullian Epiphanius or by S. Augustine yet it is plaine by Plotinus Aenead 2. lib. 9 who writes against their opinions and this in particular Marcion made three creators one good another bad and another betweene them whom they called Iust So you see how all these hereticks had madded themselves and their followers in their opinions concerning the Creator of all things Others erred concerning some parts of the creature onely as the Seleucians and Hermians or Hermâ—genians beside their errour of the worlds matier coeternall with God denyed that God created the soules of men but would have them created by the Angels of fyer and Spirit contrary to that which is in Gen. 2.7 Esay 57.16 1 Pet. 4.9 That God is the faithfull Creator of the soule The Priscillianists said that the soules of men were of the same substance and nature with God and being by him sent downe from heaven the devill met with them by the way and sowed them as seed in the flesh whereupon it must follow either that the being of God is divisible into infinite partes or that there is but one onely soule of all men and both wayes unavoydably that God at least in part of Himselfe must be subject to Sinne and so that either He must need a Saviour or by His owne law bee subject to eternall death This is the fruite of heresie The Patricians denyed God to be the Creator of the body of man and gave that honour to the devill contrary to that which is in Gen. 2. v. 7. and v. 21.22 yea and so detested the flesh as that to be out of the body some of them killed themselves The Paternians said that the lower parts of the body it seemes onely those that are affixed thereto for generations sake that flesh which the law so often commands to be washed were made by the devil and thereupon tooke occasion to live in filthinesse and lust contrary to the Commandement of God The Marcionites and Manichees said that wickednesse and ill was partly from God and partly from the matier of the world Florinus and his followers said that things were created ill according to their substances contrary to the Scripture Gen. 1.31 But contrarily the Coluthians would not have God the Author of ill no not that of punishment which neverthelesse the Scripture teaches Esay 45.7 and 54.16 Amos. 3.6 Some also of the heretickes followed the opinions of the ancient Philosophers as they that were called Aquei that of Thales and said that water was the matier of the would but yet eternall and not created The Audian and Manichean hereticks instead of Aristotles eternals brought in darkenesse fire and water you might bring hither their foolish thoughts concerning the transplantation of soules and such like questions but there will bee fitter place thereto in the article of everlasting life And because these upstart weenings are so witlesse as they are false I will not vouchsafe to inquire into their reasons the onely authority of the holy Scripture is sufficient to grinde them all to dust and to bring that dust to nought at all But least any man contrary to the truth of God be overswayed with the reasons of the Philosophers it will not be unfit to examine and answer them 1. And first concerning the reasons of the Platonicks that the matier of the world should therefore be eternall because it is simple and uncompounded I answer That it is but petitio principii or a taking of that which is not granted for it is utterlie denied that there was ever such matier as they suppose utterly informed I say according to the Sacred Philosophie that when water the first matier of all things was created darknesse or confusion was upon the face of the deepe but yet with that water under that confusion was concreated all manner of formes which afterward were all brought forth out of the possibilitie of the matier so that matier was impregnate or great with all kinde of formes which afterward were made to appeare for otherwise could not the effect bee answerable to the cause if hee being in himselfe the Jdeas or formes of all beings had not brought forth the first matier full fraught with all materiall formes by which afterwards according to the disposition of their naturall causes the different kindes of things were informed And therefore here also are all things said by him to have beene made at once And although in the workes of the fifth day the
whales with other things which had a life with the power of moving are said to bee created yet is that spoken onely in regard of that more manifest life than the vegetable had in the workes of the third day but that life neverthelesse was brought out of the power of the matier by more powerfull causes his blessing comming thereto even as it was afterward upon them to bring forth after their kinde Onely in the sixth day because it was not in the power of all nature to bring forth a reasonable and an immortall soule hee breathed into man a Spirit of new life and man became a living soule the epitome or modell of all the creature earthly and heavenly bodily and spirituall This truth is so plaine that Ovid the prince of all the heathen Poets for wit judgement and manifold learning read it in the booke of nature Metam lib. 1. Before the Sea the earth and heaven all hiding There was one face on all the world abiding Which men name Chaos an unordered load Wherein the seeds of things contrarie aboade But though it be granted that the first matier was meerely and purely simple yet can it not follow that therefore it was eternall except it may withall appeare that it had power to bee of it selfe without the power of the Creator But that would utterlie take away the infinite power of God if beside his power any power could bee supposed to another thing which could uphold an eternall being And seeing in all corruption everie thing returnes to those principles of which it was as in man his body to the earth and his Spirit unto God that gave it and that nothing materiall returnes to a simple and pure being but that it is still found under some forme or other it is manifest first that that first matier was not created simple but by his decree ever subject to composition and therefore secondly impossible to be eternall Concerning that eternall Spirit or life of the world in respect of which they thought it should bee eternall both before and after you shall understand more in the 24. Chap. note g § 10. yet in the meane time I answer that if that Spirit whereby the world both is and is ordered worke according to that paterne which hee sees in another it cannot follow that the world shall thereby bee for ever except it appeare to stand with that will according to which hee workes Now what that will is we understand better by his owne Revelation in his owne word than Plato and all his followers could see in all the subtilty of their understanding By which word also wee know that the last end and hope of the creature is more excellent and glorious by the change than by the continuance of the world for ever in that state wherein it is And thus the speciall reasons of that Sect are answered See more to this question if you will in Tertullian against Hermogenes 2. But it is further objected that whatsoever begins to worke which did not worke before must be moved thereto either by it selfe or by another But God is not moved that is changed from that which he was before either by himselfe nor by any other for neither can his action bee new or begun seeing his action is his being neither can hee be affected otherwise than hee was before And therefore is hee an eternall cause of the world an eternall effect as Aristotle affirmed I answer That no new motion or purpose can come unto God concerning the creature for all his workes are knowne to him from eternitie Acts 15.18 But seeing that these workes of which we speake are of his will alone they must be according to the limitation or appointment of that will so that although hee had eternally willed to create the world yet had he eternally willed when by whom and after what fashion the world and all the things therein should be created And this by one onely will and one onely action of the same will eternally The newnesse then of the world is in the actuall being of the world not in the will or power whereby it was wrought But for the better understanding of this thing you may observe a difference of actions of which some are immanent or in-dwelling in the doer and are accompted among the perfections of the thing such are the workes of the will or understanding some againe are transeunt or passing from the doer upon that which is done as the worke of the Smith upon the steele in making a sword The workes of God in himselfe are immanent neither doe these of necessitie put the outward object into actuall being as a man may conceive of a house which is not yet built or the Smith by his art or skill hath power to make a locke which hee hath not yet made So God though hee foresaw and willed eternally that the world should bee yet the effect followed not but according to the determination of that will when by whom and how the world should receive an actuall being 3. But it may againe bee said that God is an Eternall and an Almighty agent and that not in possibilitie onely but in act also for whatsoever is brought from the possibilitie of doing unto the act of doing must bee enforced thereto by a former and more powerfull agent and that actually which in God is utterlie impossible and if hee be an eternall and a powerfull agent and that actually the effect must necessarily follow and that actually for otherwise neither could the effect be answerable to the cause nor yet the cause bee said to bee sufficient and Almightie if the cause were in act and the effect in possibilitie onely therefore it seemes the world must of necessitie be eternall Answer Although God bee actually and eternally whatsoever hee may bee in himselfe yet seeing hee workes in outward things not according to any necessitie but onely according to the pleasure of his owne will the outward effect of his power must bee limited according to the circumstances of his will which I declared before Therefore this reason doth no more enforce the eternitie of the world than it doth that all the possibilities of the creature should be actually at once and that every thing created should bee eternall because the cause is eternall actuall and all sufficient But these things as they can no way stand with the possibilitie of the creature so would they utterly take away the working of all naturall causes by which the glory of his manifold wisdome is declared neither doth the all-sufficiencie of the cause bring any sufficiencie to the reason to prove the world eternall For although the creature bee an effect of the infinite power of God yet because it is not an adequate or proportionable object thereto that is wherein that power may bee wholly and onely exercised therefore is it but a forrein effect wherein that power workes onely according to the will of the worker
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
also may bee holy even as Hee which hath called them is Holy and that according to the Law or rule of a sanctified life according to which they ought to live and count it their present misery that they are still subject unto sinne and so in their spirit they serve the Law of God though in their flesh the law of sinne See Rom. 1.25 But so many of this Church as are already freed from this bondage of corruption in the assurance of eternall blisse waite in hope for the redemption of their bodies so that both in body and soule they may serve the living God Obiect 2 Object 2. But why doe you call them holy men Can neither Women nor Children be heires of eternall life Answere As the word Homo in Latine signifies any of the race of man-kind as homo nata est Shee was borne man Serv. Sulp. ad Cic. So is man often used in English and therefore by the title of the most worthy the whole race of man kind is here understood So that not onely they which are within the virge of the visible Churches and have the ordinary meanes of faith that is the word and sacraments are comprehended hereby but also such as have not those meanes as they that live in the Countreys of Panims and Gentiles yea and of the Pagans themselues all such as the Lord our God shall call Neither may wee presume to forbid them to come unto God who seeme denied of the outward meanes of knowledge as the deafe the blind the Idiots in as much as God the God of the spirits of all flesh Numb 16.22 can by His Spirit guide the will and informe the understanding as it pleases him Prov. 21.1 See further hereto Note a § 2. n. 4. on Chap. 32. And thus you understand what is meant by men and withall why the Church is called Catho ike or Vniversall namely because it holds the number of Gods chosen which haâ—e beene or shall be called out from the rest of all the men of the world from Adam unto the last man that shall be borne as this Church confesseth unto Christ Rev. 5.9 Thou had redeemed us unto God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and Nation and people The last circumstance is concerning the predestination of them that are in this Church for seeing none can be glorified but they that are justified in Christ neither can any one bee justified but such as are called and predestinate Rom. 8.30 and seeing that to the infinite wisedome of God all his workes are knowne and determined Act. 15.18 it is impossible that any one can be a member of this Church but onely such as God out of His eternall love hath predestinate thereunto Object 1 Object But there is one God and Creatour of all whose mercie is over all His workes and He hateth nothing that He hath made And therefore it may seeme that all are equally predestinate unto eternall life if all doe equally lay hold thereon Answere As the creature could not cause it selfe to bee So neither being corrupted by originall sinne can it change that being wherein it is See Art Eccl. 10. and seeing God alone doth worke in us both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure Phil. 2.13 it is not in any man of Himselfe to lay hold on eternall life nor to endâ—auour any thing thereto no not so much as to will or desire it without the speciall woâ—ke of God in him who worketh all things according to the counsell of His owne will Ephe. 1.11 So man though made upright yet being originally corrupted and left to the hand of his owne will cannot cease to sinne And although God permit him to follow his owne wayes yet that permission is no cause of any mans sinne nor puts it any thing in the reprobate why he should sinne But in the predestinate it is not so For he renews them in the spirit of their mind unto sanctification converting their will and making them ready unto every good worke Object 2 2. Object If then predestination be not of all men unto eternall life and yet that all men are in one and the same state of nature corrupted by the sinne of Adam It may seeme that God did predestinate and chuse out of the masse of man-kind those onely whom He did fore-see that they would bee excellent for their good works and so for their future merits sake adopted them to bee heires of eternall life Answere God is debtor to no man and where bee that gives is no way bound the gift can no way be accounted but onely of his free will that giveth so Predestination hath no other originall but onely the meere free-will of the Almighty God But if our works fore-seene were any cause of our predestination 1. How then could it bee of His mercy onely Rom. 9.16 2. How could it bee according to the good pleasure of His will Ephe. 1.5 3. How were it to the glory of His grace if the worthinesse of our workes foreseene had any right therein Ephe. 16 4. How were our boasting excluded Rom. 3.27 if they were the cause of our happines 5. And if our workes fore-seene be the cause of our predestination then also of all the consequents thereof as of our election calling justification and glorification But this is most false See 2. Tim. 1.9 Therefore also the former 6. Moreover what good workes can bee in man which God Himselfe doth not worke in us as the Prophet saith Esay 26.12 O Lord thou hast wrought all our workes in us 7. If God have created good workes that wee should walke in them and good workes acceptable to God bee found only in them that are predestinate and chosen to life it followes that good workes are fore-seene in us not as the cause but as the fruits and effects of predestination For if they can be no other than the effects of Gods grace in us they cannot be fore-seene as a cause of His grace towards us This objection is laid to them of the Romane Church but as farre as I have any acquaintance with them I find no such thing by them Tho. Aqu. contr Gent. lib. 3. Can. 163. teacheth the contrary and gives his reasons The grace of God saith hee is an effect of predestination and goes before all humane merit 2. The Divine will and Providence are the cause of all other things For of Him in Him and for Him are all things Neither can it be accounted the doctrine of their Church for in the 7. Can. Sess 6. Core Trid. where all the causes of the justification of man in the state of Nature are reckoned up efficient finall formall instrumentall the meritorions cause is put onely the suffering of our Lord who thereby made full satisfaction to God and merited justification for us And if wee be justified onely by the merit of Christ and not by any merit fore-seene in us then are we called chosen and predestinate
authorities of Scripture were not wanting to both purposes as it is manifest Matth. 6. and 1. Cor. 15. Yea Paul at Athens or wheresoever hee perswaded the worship of the true God among the Gentiles hee perswaded not by authoritie of Scripture which amongst them had beene very weake but by such arguments as they knew to bee sufficient even in themselues If these things were not so how then could the Gentiles which knew not the Scriptures be without excuse for their ignorance of God Therefore I conclude that there is nothing which is beleeved but it may also be knowen Now knowledge we know is ingendered by such principles as have trueth in them the which is evident of it selfe So that by plaine and reasonable understanding a man may know whatsoever he beleeveth You will say To what purpose then serue the Scriptures I answere That God infinite in goodnesse hath together with this understanding and light of Nature given us withall His Word as a greater light whereby our lesser lights might become more shining That He hath given unto us not onely an inward Word to wit our naturall understanding but also an outward word as a most illustrious Commentary both of declaration and amplification of that text whereby we may the better understand whatsoever wee ought to understand without it But how then cometh it to passe that all men have not Faith And how is Faith said to bee the gift of God The first is answered Rom. 1.21 and Ephe. 4.18 For hardnesse of their heart who when they knew God did not glorifie him as they ought therefore their imaginations became vaine and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse And for this cause is Faith also said to bee the gift of God First in respect of that knowledge whence it doth proceed which knowledge is His gift Secondly because it is the onely worke of God to make that knowledge to become fruitfull by laying it so unto mans heart that the hardnesse thereof may be removed that when wee know God to bee good and just wee also beleeve and worship Him as wee ought Thirdly and most especially because that God oftentimes pardoning the ignorance which men have of Himselfe and the creature doth so enlighten the heart with His Holy Spirit that it is suddenly framed without any previant knowledge to faith and obedience The trueth whereof neverthelesse doth not any whit impugne that which I say That God hath given unto every man so much understanding as to know what he ought to beleeve and to be satisfied for the reasons of his Faith if he could open his eyes to see in the middest of what wondrous light he were placed This point is manifest both by many Scripture-authorities and by many reasons which I omitt But taking this as either granted or sufficiently prooved that God hath given us light of understanding whereby to yeeld a reason of the Hope that is in us a reason I say even of every Article of our Faith let us with holy reverence come unto the thing in question and see what reason wee have for our defence I will therefore a while forbeare to use the authoritie of holy Scripture not that I esteeme the waight or evidence of any reason comparable thereto but onely perceiving by that talk I had with you that you had read the Scripture as one of those whom Peter noteth 2. Epist 3.16 Not intending to wrangle about your wrested interpretations I will first propose the evidence of reasonable proofe and afterwards bring in the assent of holy Scripture that you may perceive in what wondrous cleare light you strive to bee blinde And because I know not what your opinion is concerning God for he that denieth the God-head of Christ may as well denie the God-head absolutely that being one step toward the question I will proceed orderly and give you also a reason of our faith concerning that matier taking this onely as granted which is rise in every mans knowledge that both the termes of Contradiction cannot bee affirmed of the same subject that is that one and the same thing cannot be both affirmed and denied of the same subject at one time and in the same respect But first by the name of God know that I meane an Eternall Being infinite in goodnesse in power in wisedome in glorie in vertue and onely worthy of endlesse love and honour My reason is thus If there be not a Being which had no beginning then of necessitie that which was first existent or begun must be a beginning unto it selfe by causing of it selfe to be when it was not But this is impossible that any thing should be a cause and not be for so should it both be and not be therefore there is an eternall Being which is the beginning middle and end of all things and Himselfe without beginning and this eternall Being wee call God My reason is plaine to bee understood and remember what I have said that I may goe on Whatsoever is without beginning is also without ending because it hath no Superiour which might bring it to nothing therefore God is eternall Againe whatsoever comes to nothing is corrupted by his contrarie but nothing can be opposite to God therefore He is Eternall Or else I might thus reason 2. Being and Not-being are such contraries as one of them cannot spring out of another for every thing for the preservations sake of it selfe doth represse and corrupt the contrarie Seeing then that there is Being which could not possibly raise it selfe out of Not-Being it followes that Being had a primacy or priority before Not-Being and therefore of necessitie must be eternall for otherwise there was a time wherein it might be said that Being is not Being and so Not-Being should have beene first and contradictories might have stood together but both these are impossible therefore there is an eternall Being and this eternall Being wee call God Furthermore wee know that the greatest excellency or perfection of every thing is in the nearenesse or likenesse thereof unto the first cause But every thing is more excellent in the Being therof then in the Not-Being Therefore Being was before Not-Being and for that cause Eternall Now Eternitie is an infinite Continuance Therfore whatsoever is Eternall must of necessitie be Infinite and this Infinite being we call God Moreover whatsoever hath Infinite continuance hath Infinite Power to continue infinitely and this omnipotent or endlesse power we call God I might reason likewise of His Goodnesse of His Wisedome Truth Glory c. But one shall serue in stead of the rest and I will take His Wisedome for my example and prove unto you that likewise to be Infinite and that not onely in existence but in action also And first that hee is wise God is most worthy to be such as He is but if He were not wise He were not worthy to bee God Ergo he is wise Now marke how these depend one on another In God
subordination of causes infinitely then seeing every effect is brought to perfection in a finite time it must follow that c infinite causes may worke in a time finite and so infinite may be in that which is limited and finite But this is impossible therefore there cannot be a subordination of causes infinitely Moreover seeing every effect doth naturally answer the cause thereof and seeing the effects are of so different kinds it must follow that there is not onely an infinite subordination of causes but also that there be infinite subordinations of causes of kinds infinitely different according to the different effects brought forth But this is impossible for the causes being ordained for the effect and the effect being the end of those causes that which is finite should be more noble and excellent than that which is infinite Thirdly if there be a subordination of causes infinitely of which one is moved orderly by another it must needs follow that there is no moving and consequently no causing at all for every cause being moued by that which is before or above it if there be no first cause given there can be no moving But it is apparent that in infinitie of causes there can be no first nor last and so there should be no moving nor no immediate cause of the effect Therefore there is one cause of all which is infinite and eternall 3 If God be not eternall then either the world was a beginning unto it selfe or else it was eternally and so shall continue eternally But neither was the world a beginning unto it selfe as is proved Cap. 1 Re. 1. neither is the world eternall as shall be proved Cap. 13. Therefore God is eternall 4. And this truth of Gods everlasting being the holy Scripture teacheth every where as Gen. 21.33 And Abraham called on the â—ame of the everlasting God Exod. 15.18 The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Deut. 32.40 I live for ever Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made thou art God from everlasting to everlasting So Psal 41.13 106.48 and Rev. 11.17 We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty which art which wast and which art to come Psal 145.13 Thy kingdome is of all eternity and thy dominion in every generation Notes a HAth power to continue infinitely the Schoolemen say Thom. contra Gentes lib. 1. cap 16. and often elsewhere Quod potest esse potest etiam non esse which you may construe That which hath power to be hath also power not to be or that which may be may also not be which seemes directly to crosse this argument But you must understand the Doctor there to speake of a thing which is in the power of being whereto it hath not yet attayned as a kernell is in power to become a tree in which the power of being is passive importing a privation of the being to come But in this place power to be meanes an actuall power not privative but positive whereby the thing which hath the power shewes by the actions the power which it hath as of the understanding to applie it selfe to this or that The passive power can no way be in God The second is a power of absolute perfection without which he could not be God b Impossible necessarily See the rule of this consequence Logono Cap. 18. n. 7. Cap. 26. n. 1. c Infinite causes Re. 2. That which is infinite in power may worke in a time finite not that which is infinite in number onely which is here meant That God is Infinite CHAP. III. INfinitie cannot here be meant of multitude for the more that multitude is increased in any kind the more the dignities of one are abated Neither yet can this infinitie be of quantitie for infinity cannot be in quantity no more than eternity can be in time a Neither is God a body which onely is capable of quantity yet is not infinity of extension denyed in as much as he fils all places infinitely beyond all place as the Prophet Esay speaks Chap. 40.12 That he measures the waters in his fist and the heavens in his span Neither is God infinite privatively in regard of any defect or want of being because he hath the complement of all perfections in himselfe But he is infinite negatively because there is no limit or bound to be set to his being to his perfection or superabundance in goodnesse wisdome power truth and glorie The reasons are these 1. Whatsoever is supersupreme or highest in all degrees of perfection must needs be infinite because there is nothing above it which may limit or restraine it But such is the being of God above which it is confessed that nothing can be thought more excellent Therefore God is infinite 2. Being taken absolutely that is simply by it selfe without any limitation must needs be infinite because infinite things by infinite meanes may be partakers thereof But such is the being of God that is absolute and simple for neither is his being from another as the cause thereof seeing he is eternall neither yet in another as a forme in the matter for so something should be more excellent than he as every totall is more excellent than any part thereof or as the accident in the subject for so something should be before him and also be more worthy than he as every subject in regard of the accidents Neither yet is he for any other as the end thereof for as all things are from him and by him as the first cause so are they for him as for their first and chiefest end and secondly for themselves to finde themselves happy in him as farre as they are capable as the Apostle concludes Rom. 11.36 Of him through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Therefore God is infinite 3. If the being of God be not actually infinite then should it be inferiour to the possibilities of the creature for mans understanding though actually finite yet admits the possibility of an infinite actuall being as was shewed in space and in numbers Chap. 1. Re. 6. But it is impossible that the being of God should be inferiour to those possibilities which the creature can reasonably give unto him for so the activitie of the understanding should be created in vaine if there were no being actually infinite to be apprehended thereby So also the effect that is the understanding should be extended beyond the being of the cause that is God if it could conceiue any excellency of being goodnesse wisdome c. greater than his Therefore it is necessarie that God be infinite You may see more Reasons Chap. 10. and there also the ground of this discourse 4. The authorities of Scripture are these Psal 143.3 Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible Psal 93.3 The Lord is a great God a great king above all Gods Psal 104.1 O Lord my God
bee knowne Because that on his being and power alone the being and possibilities of al things depend Neither can any thing be live or understand but that iâ— one or moe of these it expresses his Image So that he in that one simple working of his owne understanding and sight of himselfe sees at once both himselfe and in himselfe the being and possibilities of all things beside For seeing his understanding iâ— his being chap. 8. if Hee did understand by any other meanes than by the sight of his owne Being then Hee should have in himselfe a Being and a Being then there should be a cause of understanding to him without himselfe So his understanding should be in possibilitie only actuated or brought to worke by an outward understandable object So his understanding should be accidentall to Him as ours to us and so it should not be infinite For nothing can be infinite which is in possibility of being because it hath not all those perfections of being which it may possibly have So then God by the sight of his owne being knowes all things being * Sâ—â—â—â—â— nâ—â—â— or not being And to know all things in their cause and by their cause is the excellencie or perfection of knowledge For alâ—hough the effect be not necessary to the being of the cause yet is the first cause more essentiall to the effect than all other succeeding causes whatsoever they are And therefore it is said Act. 17.28 In him we live mâ—ve and have our bâ—ing Seeing then that all effects are in the power of the cause and that every thing which is in another must be therein according to the manner of that being wherein it is If God be understanding and wisdome it selfe they must be in Him understandably and therefore be perfectly knowne by Him But you say If the creature bee knowne and seene by the infinite wisdome and if nothing can be in God beside His very being chap. 9. then that knowledge of the Creature must bee in the very being of God because it is in Him Then it is necessary that in the divine being there bee a manifold or divers being because a different knowledge one that whereby Hee knowes himselfe which will easily be yeelded to be essentiall and his very being see chap. 8. and another of the creature which if it be essentiall His essence must be d vers Because the essence and being of the Creator and of the creature are most different If not essentiall it must be accidentall to Him and so His being should not bee infinite and in absolute perfection of being if capable of accidents I say that if the divine wisdome should view the being of the creature in any other being beside himselfe then the divine understanding for as much as concernes the creature should be dependent on that which must be inferiour and after Him Therefore all this quarrell is because that which was first deluded was either not understood or not remembred It was said that the knowledge of all things is in God most certainely most particularly and that not according to the being of things as they are but according to all possibilities whereto they are subject But as the being of the creature comes not unto it but by Him so this knowledge of the creature in God comes not to Him as raised or gathered from the things in their owne being for so it should be chancefull as they had hapned to be But by that being which they have in Him as in their cause For God knowing his power answerable to all possibilities of being and Himselfe able thereby to worke according to the pleasure of his owne will according to that pleasure appointed of all causes to the bringing forth of things in their being Therefore as the power of all causes is from Him the first of causes so that knowledge of His is a creating knowledge and essentiall to Him For because He is the first of beings it is necessary and essentiall to him not onely to be the best most wise powerfull infinite c. and yet the most simple and pure of all beings but also the cause of all beings that can come after Him Therefore as the being so the knowledge of the creature also is in God that is in the object of his understanding which is his word seene by one infinite action of understanding For by his owne absolute perfection doth Hee measure all the distances of imperfection as by one simple unity all the proportions in numbers are both made and measured Neither doth it any way follow that because the beings of God and the creature are divers therefore his knowledge of Himselfe and the creature should bee also different so farre as to make a different essence or being in Him For the understanding of man though one in it selfe yet sees and knowes the things that are most different and contrary As a looking glasse may represent all bodily shewes without any change in the being of it either essentiall or accidentall Beside that being of the creature which He beholdes is no other than that being which it hath in Him increated eternally intellectually and causally And if our imagination or thought which takes hold of nothing but by the outward sence doth yet turne it selfe from the sence to view the same likenesse though absent though long agoe beheld and the understanding much more taking that likenesse from the imagination and utterly withdrawing it from matter doth frame to it selfe a patterne or likenesse of the common or universall being under which all things of the same kinde are contayned expressed in the definition how much more shall the divine wisdome know the being and possibilities of all things not by that being which is in them derived and dependant whereby the Angels know but most perfectly by that being which all things have in Him which is independent Of which being of the Creature you shall have further occasion to consider in the 13. chap. when wee shall speake of the eternity of the world and the originall being of the creature 2. This may seeme an answer you say for things that are being if good if worthy His knowledge But seeing that every thing that is knowne is after some sort in Him that doth know it may seeme that the excellency of his being and understanding cannot suffer that the knowledge of things that are vile and base or especially that are ill should be in Him For seeing those things that are base and ill seeme altogether to bee in want and defect of perfection if the knowledge of them be in God and consequently his essence then his being should be of things which are in defect which cannot agree to Him that is the most perfect of all being Moreover if the things that are knowne by Him be in Him as in their cause then must it follow necessarily that if He know things that are ill He should also be the cause of ill which can no way
to such a being onely as hath heavinesse of parts but in God is neither heavinesse nor parts And so He workes and that infinitely 2. God is infinite and so evermore as great as he may be and that not in being only but also in working for otherwise greatenesse and lesnesse should be in him And because nothing can be in him beside His very being if the infinitie of greatnesse were in his being and a lesnesse in his working greaternesse and lesnesse should bee his very being so finite and infinite perfection and want good and ill should be convertible in him but these things are impossible Therefore God doth either worke infinitely or else he cannot worke at all but so should he not be worthy to be God so should not his power be infinite and if his power be infinite and yet he cannot worke at all then should his power bee altogether in vaine But all these things are impossible therefore God doth worke and that infinitely 3. The wisdome of God is infinite as was proved and by the infinitie of his wisdome hee doth understand the infinitie of his owne being but that cannot be but by an infinite action of understanding therefore the working of Gods wisdome is infinite And as these reasons against Epicurus that God doth worke and that infinitely so also these that follow prove the question fullie for if the being of God be one and that most simple and that nothing can be in him but essentially as was proved Chap. 9. § 5. 6. if hee worke as is shewed then his working or action must be his very being which because it is proved to be infinite it must follow that his action is also infinite 4. The working of infinite goodnesse wisdome power life truth c. in eternitie is the most desireable thing that may be and wherein the greatest glorie can consist which action of God if by his will He would not then must he will a ceasing of the action of goodnesse wisdome power c. and that in eternitie So should these dignities be infinite in vaine so his will were not answerable to the rest of his dignities so should hee not will the infinitie of his owne glorie nor being But all these things are impossible therefore the working of his dignities are answerable to their being and therefore infinite 5. The power of God is infinite as was proved by which infinitie of power all the other dignities of God may both be and worke infinitely And if the goodnesse and other dignities of God did not worke infinitely when by his power they might there should be an inequalitie or want in his goodnesse which should not be answerable to his power and the deprivation of the working of an infinite goodnesse would enforce an infinite ill so God should cease to be infinitely good But all these things are impossible Therefore the action of Gods goodnesse is of necessitie infinite 6. The power of God is such as that hee is thereby enabled to worke and if by his infinity he were not able to worke infinitelie then his infinitie should be of lesse force to withstand littlenesse and not being than his power is to withstand weakenesse so defect and want should be in his infinitie which of all his other dignities is set most against it and so his power should be infinite onelie in the possibilitie of working but finite in the action But these things are impossible therefore the power of God is as infinite in the working as it is in the being 7. If the working of God were not infinite he could not know it to be infinite but finite onely and in defect but a God cannot know any defect in himselfe in whom no defect is possible to be Therefore his working is infinite 8. If infinite working and being be not all one in God then there must of necessitie be in him either a multiplicitie of being or of accidents or of being and accidents But all these things have been shewed to be impossible chap 8. 9. therefore infinite being and working are in God all one So then his working is infinite 9. An infinite glory cannot be without the conditions of infinitie and eternitie nor yet without the being of goodnesse but neither can it be said to have the being of goodnesse if it spread not it selfe in the action of goodnesse neither yet of infinite and eternall goodnesse if it worke not infinitely and eternally but the glory of God is infinite with all the conditions of infinitie eternitie and goodnesse Therefore it workes infinitely and eternally according to the being of infinite and eternall goodnesse 10 The truth of God was proved to be infinite and one but if in the divine dignities there be a greatnesse in being and a lesnesse in working the truth in God must likewise be divers and not one so neither simple nor infinite But this is impossible therefore the working of his dignities is infinite as his being 11. The infinitie of God is such that b no abatement want or lesnesse may be understood or found therein but littlenesse or abatement might bee found therein if it were not as great in the action thereof as in the being for every abatement or want whether it bee of the being or of the working in goodnesse power wisdome c. is not onely a lessening but even an utter taking away of the infinitie thereof So that to denie the infinite working of God is to denie his infinitie and so his being 12. If all the dignities of God be infinite both in being and working it will follow that their equalitie and concord one with another is also infinite so that they be essentially one God and the same convertibly one with another the respects onely different as hath beene shewed Chap. 9. note h ob 1. But if these dignities bee not infinite in working as they are in being the disagreement will bee infinite because betweene no working or a finite working and a being every way infinite there is an infinite distance and to put this distance in God whose being i◠most simple and one would be utterlie impossible therefore God is altogether infinite in being and working If further proofe seeme yet needfull you may take hereto an inducement or two 13. The understanding of man is the image of God in him and as the understanding will not rest so is it much more meet to thinke of an endlesse wisdome Nay the very fantasie or thought though bodily though tyed to the five outward wits alone yet will it not rest and when it cannot worke upon the reason as in sleepe because reason will see that the fantasie was not deceiued in the outward sences then will it presse upon the remembrance as it appeares in dreames 14. If Hee which is cause of all working should cease to worke then all things at once should cease also both to worke and to be because c the first mover ceasing to move all the
one as was shewed hee that denies the infinity and eternity of his working denies also the infinity and eternity of his being Wherefore seeing all these things are false and impossible it followes of necessity that there is a production of Persons in the onenesse of the Godhead Or take it thus affirmatively 4. That goodnesse is truely a great goodnesse which doth bring forth a great good and by how much more it brings forth a greater good by so much more it comes neerer to infinitie d Therefore God in whom infinity and goodnesse are one being doth bring forth eternally an infinite good that is the Sonne betwixt whom and himselfe results an infinite Communion of goodnesse viz. the holy Ghost If there must needs bee a distinction of termes in the actions of the Godhead then there must needs bee a difference of Persons otherwise the difference of the termes were idle and vaine if the being understood thereby were not answerable But there must needs bee a distinction of termes in the working of the Godhead For an infinite working already proved must needs be from an infinite worker about an infinite worke Therefore there is a difference of Persons in the unity of the deity 6. If there were not an infinite and eternall production in the Persons of the Godhead then the being of a beginning could not cleerely and evidently bee therein because though the beginner were yet the working of the beginner and the being begun were yet wanting and so these two comming after should bee inferiour or lesse both in continuance and infinitie And so the first and highest cause should bee an infinite beginner without any effect or thing begun by him which must bring on that the first and chiefest cause of all should be infinitely defective and ceasing to worke and of lesse force than other causes subordinate which all worke incessantlie to the bringing forth of their effects unlesse they bee hindered by lets more powerfull Therefore there bee moe Persons than one in the unitie of the Godhead 7. Being and the power of Being working and the power of working are all one in God as was shewed chap. 8. 9. n. 6. But God by his infinite and eternall power can bring forth an infinite and eternall being like Himselfe by the infinite and eternall working of his power Therefore He doth bring forth or if he can and will not that power were in vaine and so his power and will were not equall and infinite So there should bee divers beings in God finite and infinite But all these things are impossible Therefore God doth bring forth an infinite being his Sonne by his infinite working the holy Ghost 8. If the inward working of the deity bee infinite with all the conditions of Infinitie then the understanding of God for example must bee infinite both in the act or perfection of it selfe and in the object which it doth understand and in the worke or action of the understanding about that object So that God understanding his owne being must needs behold himselfe by an infinite action of understanding But the working of God is infinite with all the conditions of infinitie as hath beene proved for otherwise there should bee a greaternesse in being and a lessenesse in working and so the being of God should not bee simple and one Therefore in the unity of the infinite deity there is an infinite understanding which we call the Father an infinite object or image of that understanding in the sight of which that infinite understanding is most delighted because nothing can be more excellent than it and this is God understood that glorious Sonne and an infinite working of the understanding and that is the Holy Ghost which you see cannot be conceived to be if either the infinite understanding or the object were supposed not to be and therefore he is said to proceed from them both And thus is it in all the other dignities of God his goodnesse his infinitie his eternity power will truth glory c. 9. Now the texts whereby this doctrine is taught more darkely in the old Testament lest the true Church with the Heathen might have fallen into the opinion of many Gods are these among many other Gen. 1. v. 26. Let us make man in our owne image Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of us Gen. 11.7 Let us goe downe and let us confound their language Gen. 11.7 which manner of speech is not borrowed for manners sake from the custome of Princes and great men who for modestie speake not in their owne name alone Wee but as having determined with their great men and counsellors men like themselves But God doth not so consult nor determine by advice of his Creature Neither yet doth that language admit such forme of speech but as the Easterne languages even to this day speake to one particular person in the number of one as you may reade 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man and 2 Sam. 18 3. Thou shalt not goe forth Thou art worth ten thousand of us Esth 7.3 If I have found favour in thy sight O King But to returne to the holy Trinity You have a like proofe in Numb 6.24.5.6 where the word Iehovah is three times repeated in the blessing and every time with a severall accent So that although his name be one Zach. 14.9 and his being one Deut. 6.4 yet in that one being is a Trinitie of Persons which you shall better understand if you consider the blessings in the new Testament all taken from hence as that 2 Cor. 13.14 Rev. 1.4.5 c. So likewise in Iob. 35.10 Where is God my makers and Psal 149. Let Israel rejoyce in his makers Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creators and againe Psal 11.7 His faces or their faces will view the righteous In which places though for some reason translated singularly Maker Creator Face yet according to the precisenesse of the Hebrew it is as I have told you And yet a more evident proofe is that in Gen. 20.13 where the word Elohim God is ioyned with a verbe of the plurall number And in Ioshuah 24.19 The Trinity of Persons in unity of the being is most cleare For with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim is ioyned an adiective of the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kadoshim and a personall of the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hu as if you would say God He the holy ones or as Esay explaneth it Ch. 6.3 Holy Holy Holy art thou O Lord. And againe in the same Chapter ver 8. whom shall I send there is the unity of the Godhead and who shall goe for us there is the Trinity of the Persons And againe in Esay chap. 48.16 Christ speaketh thus There am 1. I. and now the. 2. Lord God and 3. His Spirit hath sent me So you read in Psal 33.6 By the 1. Word of 2. Iehovah were the heavens made and all the host of them by the 3.
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
not and seeing that which any thing hath of it selfe is first therein and more proper thereto than that which it hath of another therefore the world of it selfe having not being it could not possible bee eternall but onely in his eternall purpose which had appointed it unto this being The World therefore in God the principle is not begun but eternall and one but whatsoever is severed from this Principle can neither bee one nor yet eternall but comes into the reckoning of othernesse and change and so of necessitie must bee subject to time wherein alone all change is wrought § 2. 1. But here it will be asked whether God who before the creation of the world rested eternallie in his owne glorie and happinesse suffered not some alteration in this that he wrought without himselfe that which hee had not wrought before and how hee can be said both to worke and to rest Gen. 2.2 and yet to bee without all shadow of change Iam. 1.17 2. Then how He infinite in goodnesse and truth and ever one in himselfe subjected the creature to wretchednesse continuall corruption and change 3. Thirdly seeing that to an infinite and eternall power all things are alwayes possible why the world was not brought forth many ages heretofore that seeing it must be subject to vanity it might before this have beene freed from corruption and brought to that libertie whereto it doth yearne Rom. 8.22 1. To the first I answer that although the creature doth of necessitie supposea Creator without which it could not be yet on Gods part there was no necessitie to enforce him to create but he created onely according to the pleasure of his owne will as it is confessed Revel 4.11 For nothing was able to impose necessitie but onelie that which was superiour in dignitie and power which the superexcellencie of the Divine being suffers not neither can the freedome of an infinite will such as the will of God is bee guided either by chance by destinie or by necessitie But because hee is infinite in goodnesse he envied not to any thing the being thereof but out of not being brought it into being by his Word our Lord Iesus Christ Athanasius de Incarnat Verbi But in this creation he suffered no alteration who had eternally wil'd the creature to be in the time appointed and in the time appointed brought it out only by the motion of his will for his will his wisdome his power being infinite and one being no other motion labour or alteration needed but onely to will that the creature should then bee created when hee had from all eternitie willed that it should bee created So then it was in him both to create that it might appeare that hee had no necessitie of the creature who was absolutely perfect without it and yet at his pleasure to create lest that which was not might seeme to be exempted from his power and againe that the creature might be blessed in his goodnesse and yet he himselfe without all shadow of change As the minde of a man which hath plotted a convenient house and given or described the model to the builder suffers no alteration by the house being builded Therefore after the commandement of water the first matier of all things to bee the labour of the Creator mentioned in the sixe dayes was onely the appointment of secondarie causes to worke in their times to those ends which hee had determined for the bringing forth of their severall effects for as the first agent moves all secondarie agents so it is necessarie that all their ends bee ordered to the ends of their first mover So then the sixe Evenings of the being of things first potentially in their immediate or next causes and in their fieri or way to perfection and the Mornings of their actuall and perfect being are the times * See Esay 66.8 ages or dayes wherein they were brought forth by their naturall causes all moving in the power of the first cause unto their perfection appointed by his eternall decree And this ordering of causes and giving strength thereto was his first worke as his continuall blessing and upholding the creature by his word is his continuall worke wherein hee takes delight Heb. 1.3 Psal 104.31 But his rest in the seventh day was his ceasing to bring forth new creatures which day is therefore said not to have any evening because his rest delight or glorie is eternall and is therefore commanded to bee sanctified by us with a Memento because it is a pledge unto us that after the sixe ages of this worlds travell and wearinesse in vaine we shall at last be made partakers of his rest Compare herewith Gen. 1. 2. to ver 4. Esay 46.10 and 2. Pet. 3.8 But this is beside my purpose and therefore I leave it 2. To the second question of that ill which is in the creature though I have answered sufficiently note a on Chap. 6. yet I say further that contraries are best knowne one by another â—ight by darknesse health by sicknesse And therefore that we may not onelie desire but also better know and enjoy our future happinesse it is fit that wee should taste the momentary wretchednesse and miseries of this life yea drinke at last the gar-ans of death it selfe that wee may truly enjoy the happinesse of everlasting life O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath rest with his possessions But how acceptable is thy doome to him that is vexed in all things Eccles. 41.1 And questionlesse if the elect Angels never had any experience of sorrow neither did at any time sinne for he found no stedfastnesse in his servants and laid folly vpon his Angels Iob. 4.18 And in his beloved Sonne alone is hee well pleased Matth. 3.17 Then doe they wonderfully by our afflictions enjoy their owne happinesse while they dayly behold our manifold miseries and yet know us to be heires of equall glorie Luke 20.36 for therfore are the sons of David dayly scourged with the rods of men corrected every morning and die at last that they may be like unto their Lord be made conformable unto his death for if the Prince of our salvation was consecrated in afflictions how should we hope for any portion in his glorie if we should not with joy be partakers of his sufferings For therefore by his owne example did he teach us obedience because in obedience onely we must walke the way to everlasting life A second reason is that wee may be humbled before him when we consider whereto we are come of our selves that is into miserie but not out and consequently that wee may bee thankefull for that abundant grace by which wee are delivered when our sufferings shall bee recompensed with an exceeding weight of glorie 3. The third doubt concerning the time of the worlds creation hath heretofore so troubled some mens braines that they thought there had beene infinite worlds yet so that after
Therefore observe here secondly a difference of agents of which some worke naturally and these worke alwayes necessarily according to their uttermost power in the diversity of things whereon they worke as the Sunne by his heat melts that which hath thin parts as butter or waxe and hardens that which hath parts more stiffe as clay Some agents againe are voluntarie and these worke not necessarily but according to the choice and freedome of their owne will as the Physician gives not to his patient all that hee can give but that which hee knowes to bee with his strength to the procuring of health Now God is first and principall among these agents onely as concerning all things without himselfe and no way tyed by any necessitie therefore the world being an effect of the will of God it must be subject to all the conditions of that will that it be such as he will have it that it be when he will have it that it bee according to those causes by which he will have it that it bee of that continuance as he will have it and this unchangeably because there is no superiour being whereby that will can possibly be changed 4. But what God willed he willed from eternitie and because his will as you truly say cannot be changed therefore no new motion can come thereto and because no defect can bee therein nor yet any hinderance as being convertible with an infinite power therefore it is necessarie that the world was created eternally that his will eternally might take effect Answer It is not denied but that the world in the purpose of God was willed to bee eternally and that no change defect or hinderance was or ever could bee found in this will for if any of these things were not thus it had beene impossible that ever the world should have beene But yet to put the eternitie of the world lest this will should be without effect would necessitate this will to the actuall being of the creature in that it might seeme deficient and hindred and so miserable if the creature had not beene eternall but this by no meanes may be yeelded unto because it would utterlie take away the absolute libertie of of an infinite will for although God doth not or cannot bee said both to will and unwill the same things in respect of the effect of his will or the actuall being of the things themselves because hee cannot denie himselfe 2. Tim. 2.13 Yet in regard of any superiour cause which might enforce his will to the one side or the other it cannot bee denied but that hee had absolute libertie both to will or not to will the being of any thing without himselfe for otherwise his will were more limited then the will of a man who hath freedome of will to doe or not to doe the things that are in his owne power and therefore his will tooke effect in this neither could it bee effected otherwise than thus that the creature was then when hee had determined that it should bee But for the better understanding and assoyling of this doubt remember this third difference concerning the necessitie of Gods will which is either absolute or conditionall The absolute necessitie of Gods will is in that which concernes himselfe alone as that hee be that his being bee such as it is infinite eternall glorious c. The conditionall necessitie which they call of supposition is of things without himselfe as because hee knowes his infinite being sufficient for supportance of all manner of being his owne goodnesse to bee likewise infinite and yet loves the multiplicitie of goodnesse as the similitude or representation of his owne therefore wils hee that the creature bee the image of his being and goodnesse and although there bee but one action of the will whereby it is carried to the desire of good yet because goodnesse cannot be infinite but in himselfe alone therefore doth hee will his owne being with an absolute necessitie of his will but hee wils other things as hee hath limited the times of their being and degrees of their perfection So that as by one eternall act of knowledge hee knowes both his owne being and therein all the possibilities of being so by one act of his will which is moved by the shew of good doth he will himselfe as an infinite good with an absolute necessitie of his will and other things as the representations of his goodnesse which goodnesse is that condition for which hee wils them necessarily ex supposito I meane that they may bee partakers of his goodnesse not that hee hath need of any of them So having willed that man should bee it is necessarie that hee will also all those things which are necessarie to his being as that hee have a soule endued with reason and election c. which things though hee willed eternally and necessarily yet not with any absolute necessitie because hee is absolutely perfect in himselfe without them therefore as it followes not that all things possible should bee at once because he is Almightie so neither doth it follow that any thing created should bee eternall because hee from eternitie willed that it should be but rather because he willed that it should be in time therefore it cannot in any case be eternall 5. Whatsoever begins to be that which it was not before must needs have the present being by some kinde of change whereby it was brought to bee that which it is But before all change it is necessarie that there bee something that may be changed and this may seeme to be eternall Answer The proposition is true onely in things that are changed according to naturall causes But creation is a thing above nature by which nature her selfe had her beginning not onely in regard of the subject or matier wherein shee workes but also of the causes by which she brings forth all naturall effects But you will say that all things are not materiall for the spirituall beings of whom it is fit to thinke that they are both moe in number and in greater differences of essentiall formes than the bodily are yet are not materiall in which respect not being subject to change they may well be thought eternall I may answer hereto as to the first objection from the simplicitie of the matier for first it is not granted that the spirituall beings spoken of are utterlie without matier then although that were given yet it followes not but that they were brought into being out of not being and so created as the Article affirmes And these are the chiefe arguments brought by the Platonicks and Aristotelians to prove the worlds eternitie Other objections of lesse importance you may reade if you will with their answers in Thomas Aquinas contra Gentes lib. 2. Cap. 32.33.34 c. But if you understand the answers and the differences which have beene observed I suppose you shall be able thereby to answer for the truth The opinion of the worlds creation
to death when it appeares what mans disease or sinne was the remedie likewise will be manifest but it is plaine that man being not content with his estate would bee God as it appeares first by the temptation of the devill Gen. 3.5 In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall be as God knowing good and ill Then by the consent verse 6. And the woman seeing that the tree was to bee desired to make one wise shee tooke of the tree and did eate If then the sickenesse were this that man would bee God the onely medicine must be this that God would bee man therefore the mediatour would be both God and man 6. To require satisfaction for the sin of man from God was to require that which was not due and that is against justice To require the satisfaction of man was more then hee could performe and that is against mercie therefore that the worke both of justice and mercie might bee perfect it was necessarie that the Mediatour for the sinne of man should in one person bee both God and man for as gold is molten in the fire because it hath parts that may bee made running yet by reason of the puritie and perfection of those parts it cannot be consumed by the most violent flames so our Lord because hee was truly man did feele and endure the pangs of most bitter death and was compassed about with the sorrowes of hell Psal 18.6 yet for the innocencie of his manhood and the glorie of his deitie he could not be overcome thereby 7. It is impossible that a pure creature should have such sufficiencie of merit that in Gods justice the sanctification of mankinde should be due to those merits because all holinesse that can come to any creature whether of vertue or of workes must come thereto from God so no praise or merit can in justice bee due to any man for that which God hath wrought by him therefore the Mediatour of mankinde must be God 8. Every particular man being onely man is of much lesse worth than the whole race of mankinde and so insufficient in justice to make a sufficient satisfaction for the sins of all men therefore that all mankinde might be freed from their sins both originall and actuall it was necessary that the Mediator who should make satisfaction for their sinnes should be both man from whom the satisfaction was due and yet of more worthinesse then all mankinde that his merit might make the ransome sufficient for the sinnes of all men But nothing is of more worth then all mankinde but God alone therefore the Mediatour for mans sinne must bee God For although the Angels bee more excellent then man according to the condition of their present being yet not in respect of the end of their creation First in that they are ministring spirits for mans sake Heb. 1.14 Secondly in regard of their common end in that both the one and the other are to bee blessed in God alone Thirdlie And if any one man cannot bee accounted more worthie then any of the whole kinds of beings that were created as our Lord said Yee are more worth then may sparrowes Luke 12.7 He said not all for no species in the creature may be missing and yet the health of one man was priz'd above the life of 2000 swine Mar. 5.2.13 How can any thing beside the Creator himselfe bee more worthie then all mankinde 9. The greatest benefit which God could bestow upon man must of necessitie be by the greatest gift which hee could give vnto him The greatest benefit was in this to save and redeeme him when hee was utterly lost The greatest gift which he could give to man was himselfe therefore it was necessarie that God should become one with man that in man he might save man that was lost 10. This is that riddle which the Psalmist takes upon him to open Psal 49. where after hee hath shewed that no man either by his wealth or honor can make any ransome for another hee concludes that it is God which redeemes the soule from the power of hell Therefore the Prophet saith Esay 9.6 To us a childe is borne Ergo he is man To us a Son is given not borne but given ergo he is God even the mightie God as S. Paul saith 2. Cor. 5.19 That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe To this purpose you shall have many texts of Scripture hereafter Chap. 23. n. 5. CHAP. XXII That God would bee incarnate VPon that text which is in Psal 91. v. 11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes some have thought that the sinnes of the rebellious Angels was that when God had created man and arretted the charge of him and his posteritie to the Angels they supposing the state of their creation to be farre more excellent and honourable then the state of man as doubtlesse it was if the hopes reserved and purchased for us had not beene farre beyond those whereto we seemed to be created refused to performe that service to so meane a creature for which disobedience being cast off they have ever since persecuted the woman and her seed And this opinion seemes to have had the originall out of the Alkoran See Wem à Budowes de fab Alk. pag. 157. Some other thinke they were not rejected for any one offence but for three offences and for foure that is for continuall rebellion they were not spared and so for many ages before mans creation they were adjudged to the paines of eternall fire though the execution of their sentence be prorogued untill the number of the sonnes of pride be utterlie fulfilled Of this you may see Postell de Nat. Med. ult It is not fit to determine what is the certaine truth in those things which the holy Scripture hath not declared but because the soule of man is his image who inspired it and that he our Creator the wisdome of the Father knowes all things ex fundamento as he hath seene with the father therefore this image of his will also bee enquiring that although it cannot know what the originall of things is according to all their orders of causes yet by the effects will it be prying into the causes of them And if it doe this with reverence and modesty it oftentimes findes strange helpes beyond that it hoped for and if herein it bee lawfull for others also to propose opinions it may seeme not altogether improbable that the sin of the devill was this That finding himselfe in the first order of the creature he thought that God who out of his infinite goodnes purposed to bring all the understanding creature to the uttermost happinesse which it could be capable of which could not bee but in the uniting of the creature unto God for God in his absolute and infinite being could not be come unto nor apprehended much lesse be enjoyed by a finite creature except hee would be pleased
their attendance is it not said Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall bee heires of salvation Compare herewith Psal 34.7 and 91.11 and conclude with Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3.23 All things are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods The questions before are neere to this as all the Articles of our faith are necessarie consequents one of another therefore let us briefely see by that which is already proved what we can gather to this conclusion 1. Either the whole race of mankinde must be lost and perish being tainted with the sinne of Adam or the infinite justice against which the sinne was done must for ever stand violated and broken or else a Mediator must bee found who was able to satisfie the infinite justice that was offended The first is against the wisdome goodnesse and love of God to his creature either to make mankinde in vaine that is to destroy it againe or to make it unto eternall punishment The second is impossible that an infinite justice infinitely able to avenge it selfe should endure it selfe for ever to to remaine violate and offended for so should it prize a thing finite and wicked before it selfe infinite in justice therefore there behoves to be a Mediatour who should fully satisfie the justice offended and utterly blot out the guilt of sinne Now an infinite justice offended must be satisfied by a punishment answerable that is infinite but no finite creature could any way be or be accounted infinite Therefore when none was found worthy either in heaven or in earth or under the earth the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world tooke upon him our flesh to satisfie for the sinne of his creature and so by his infinite obedience for by His eternall spirit Hee offered himselfe to God Heb. 9.14 and by the infinite merit of his suffering for by that spirit the manhood both soule and flesh was enabled to endure those pangs and that punishment which neither all mankinde nor any other creature could endure was the infinite justice satisfied And thus Hee became mighty to save Esay 63.1 and having Himselfe in his owne body borne our sinnes vpon the tree did utterly abolish the whole body of sinne and found for us eternall redemption 2. The divine goodnesse hath created all things exceeding good Gen. 1. so much doth it delight it selfe in that concordance or agreement which is betweene the inward and the outward good But that agreement is the greatest which is in the unity of one person Therefore it is expedient that there be an incarnation that so in one person the goodnesse may bee most eminent and the concord most lovely 3. Otherwise you may propose it thus The excellency of the effect appeares by that conformity or agreement which it hath with the cause so then the inward worke of the infinite Goodnesse and the outward being accorded in the unity of one person the multiplication of the agreement is so great that it cannot possibly bee greater Therefore it followes that the Godhead bee incarnate for otherwise the concord in the inward and outward worke of the deity might bee greater than it is but that is impossible 4. The divine will concerning his workes without doth will and love that especially wherein the excellency of all his inward dignities doth most appeare But the excellency of all his dignities appeares most in this that God bee manifest in the flesh For thereby we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 of his glory vertue everlasting life and happinesse So that now there is but one end of God and his creature that is the glory of God of which and unto which God rejoyces over his creature to bring it and make it partaker And the Creature likewise reioyces to be made partaker And thus the end or perfection of the creature hath rest or accomplishment in the inward perfections of God and his inward perfections are manifest in his outward workes Therefore God would bee incarnate 5. And seeing that God infinitely blessed and happy in himselfe needed not the Creature but made it therefore that it might be blessed in him and that of his fullnesse the creature might receive that fulnesse of happinesse which it can possibly injoy therefore it is requisite that that fulnesse of his bee imparted unto that creature wherein all the rest of the creature hath interest which we have already proved to bee man chap. 17. § 4. ob 5. Therefore God would dwell in man that by man the whole creature might be blessed in Him 6. If God were not incarnate then the divine dignities should be lesse Infinite one than another For the infinite goodnesse by the infinite wisdome seeing that uttermost and perfect happinesse that might come unto man by the incarnation if his power his will and love of the creature did not answer thereto so that he would bee pleased to dwell in his creature then should they be defective and of lesse extent than his infinite wisdome But that is impossible Therefore it followes that God would be incarnate See the answer to the objection that may be made from hence § 1. on the 39 chapter n. 4. 7. If there were not an incarnation then the infinite wisdome should not have the view of that highest excellencie which is possible to be in the creature neither should the infinite power magnifie it selfe by the multiplication of it selfe in an outward subject so these dignities should not be glorious by all those meanes whereby it is possible that they might glorifie themselves But all these things are inconvenient Therefore it is reasonable to beleeve the incarnation lest ignorance weakenesse and defect of glory should bee found in the first principle which must of necessity take away His infinity proved chapter 3. understand the reason well For your more ease I will propose it affirmatively thus 8. If there bee an Incarnation then the divine understanding may have an outward object wherein it may be infinite both in the inward and outward working For whereas all created obiects are absolutely finite yet if the Divine being understood which heretofore we called the Sonne chap. 11. take on him our being our nature by that assumption is deified and so made infinite with that uttermost infinitie whereof the Creature can any way bee capable seeing the deity is neither without the humanity nor the humanity without the deity And so the divine understanding may be an outward obiect infinite as much as it is possible that a creature can be infinite And so the wisdome also may bee infinite in all possibility of infinity both in the inward and outward working And what I have said of the infinite wisdome of God must also be understood of all his other perfections of goodnesse of power of eternity of life of glory c. But if there bee no incarnation this infinite outward obiect is taken away and so the understanding and
which hee must of necessitie communicate with the Creature And this is that Wisedome created and increate without which nothing was made This both the Creator and the Creature that forme of formes in whom by whom and for whom are all things pag. 21. 103 c. I answer That if it must of necessitie be put that God cannot worke without Himselfe because He is infinite and therefore immoveable then for the same reason it must follow that no such great created being can at all be except you will say that hee created himselfe and so was when He was not or that hee had his creation from some other originall than God which must likewise bee infinite in being able to create so excellent a being and yet finite that hee might move or not move himselfe thereto when he would But first this progresse would be infinite and beside that impossible For if neither God could move because Hee is infinite nor much lesse the creature when it was not how was it possible that any thing at all should be created Secondly Moreover it would follow hereupon that that were possible to the second cause which was not possible to the first but it is manifest that all second causes worke onely by the activity of the first so that if the first cause cease to worke much more the second Thirdly beside this the power of God should not be infinite if it could not worke according to his pleasure in things without But you say as Himselfe so His action is infinite and it is impossible that a finite being should be the subject of an infinite action I say though Sampson were able to breake a Cable yet might he straine one haire of Dalilah to straightnes not to lengthen it to lengthen it not to breake it This is true say you because he was as every creature partaker of being and not being of act or perfection and of possibilities or imperfection whereby he might move or not move at his pleasure But God is not so but alwaies actually whatsoever Hee may be But say I it is one thing to speake of the infinite action of God in himselfe and another of his action in the creature limited according to his Wisdome and His Will in respect of the outward object as I have shewed at large in answer to the objections for the worlds eternity chap. 13. note b ob 2. 3. 4. Neither is the will of God without an infinite Wisedome to dispose of all things in their times nor yet without an infinite power to cause every thing to bee actually according to His Wisdome and His will and the application of his will wisdome and power is sufficient to move all inferiour causes to give all manner of beeing to the Creature 2. But seeing the matier and forme of all things are after a sort contrary and that the bodily composition likewise of things below is of elements contrary in their qualities it is impossible that these repugnances should be brought together into one nat Med. pag. 21. Answ The Philosophers tell us of a certaine quintessence in which the different qualities of all the elements are brought to agreement and give us reason to beleeve it by which quintessence dwelling in every thing the contrarieties of the elements are accorded in every compound Raim Lulli and Ioh. de Rupesc de 5. essentia lib. 1. cap. 2. But seeing they keepe the experiment with themselves neither their reason nor their authority shall bee of any force with us But this is without all doubt that hee that had power to create all things had likewise power out of that created masse fruitfull with the seed of all things to bring out every thing in due time according to the kindes that were by him foreseene and determined And because wee have hitherto maintayned that God alone by his eternall wisdome Our Lord Iesus Christ was the Creator it must follow of necessity that the creature was also ordered and guided by Him For that infinite power which could doe the more and cause that to bee which was not might also doe the lesse and order it at his will So that for this objection wee are not compelled to acknowledge any such created being the Creator and disposer of all the rest And concerning that supposed repugnancy betweene the matier and forme of every thing it is but the begging of the question for all formes are produced out of possibilities of their matier excepting onely the soule of man and the divine endowments thereof as I shewed at large chap. 17. § 4. n. 2. 3. The third argument of Postellus pag. 28. is not much unlike the former drawne from the perpetuall change of things subject to generation and corruption For nature brings out nothing violently or in an instant therefore as the things that are began by little and little to bee by the power of the Spirit of God which moved upon the waters so by the power of the same Spirit are they still preserved in their order of being and by it they are changed from state to state And this spirit of God is that first created being that Mediator betweene God and the creature the spirit of the Vniverse actually moveable and applying it selfe to every thing and working in every thing by the power of the Trinity which dwelleth in Him For nothing which proceedes from the power of the matier is able to move it selfe no more than the matier was no not the soule of man but onely by His strength and activity by whose power it is Answer Concerning the progresse of things naturall from the evening of their beginning to the morning of their perfection I have spoken before But for answer to this I say that it is not necessary to put any such spirit of the universe such an applyable divinity as the Platonicks call Animam Mundi because things are changed from one state of being to another seeing the Holy Scripture tels us Psal 148.5 that all the armies of the creature were made because God commanded And for their changes in corruption and generation it is plaine it must be according to that degree which they cannot passe vers 6. which is the law of nature And moreover concerning the providence of God on every particular thing our Lord hath taught us Math. 10.29 that not a Sparrow fals to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father except Postellus will here except that that heavenly Father must signifie that first begotten of the creature which he doth meane Which interpretation would directly crosse that text Act. 15.18 That all the workes of God were knowne to Him from everlasting And nothing can bee in the second cause which was not in the first Therefore seeing the infinite power of God is that by which every thing is powerfull to worke unto that end whereto it was destinate we must needs confesse that Hee by His power workes what He will both in Heaven and in earth and
yet because all the orders of causes are appointed by him wee may safely say as our Lord hath taught us Mark 4.28 That the earth of her owne accord bringeth forth fruit and as the Prophet Hos 1.21.22 I will heare the heavens and the heavens shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the corne and the wine shall heare Israel Which order of causes being put we shall not need to apply the immediate power of that applyable divinity of the Mediator to every effect as Postellus holds it necessary For the whole creature by the power of that blessing which it received at the creation is able to worke according to the end appointed And if it were necessary to put any common agent in the Creature by which every inferiour Agent were to bee moved which wee cannot doe except we hold that Gods decree the law of nature is too weake or may be broken yet I thinke that the dominion of the heavens set in the earth Iâ—b 38.33 or that same anima mundi here below mentioned may better stand with the Scripture than the perpetuall imployment of this supposed mediator That I say nothing of those pâ—rticular intelligences which some Philosophers Postel himselfe pag. 63. have appropriated to every thing beside the specificall vertue of the seed Neither is it cleare that this spirit which moved upon the waters Gen. 1.2 was any such being as Postellus supposes a created divinity or the mediator betweene God and his creature but rather that vigor life or heat concreated with the Chaos that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nephesh anima mundi or spirit whereby every thing is enlivened or made able to worke to the destinate end which ever dwels in the watry part of the compound as the soule in the bloud or if this interpretation be not admitted yet that of Saint Ambrose may stand Hexam lib. 2. that Moses in these words In the beginning God created heaven and earth having made mention of the Father and the Sonne doth rightly adde that clause And the spirit of God moved upon the waters that he might shew that the creation of the world was the worke of the whole Trinity yet may you not hereby suppose that that Spirit of God which fils the whole world sap 1. was carried upon the waters by any locall position but rather as an artificer whose will and understanding is busied in his worke so the holy Spirit disposed the whole creature to naturall action according to his will and power Rab. Maur. Enar. in Gen. If you love to conferre opinions you may read Ioh. Pici Heptaplum D. Willet and other expositors 4. To these reasons of Postellus you may adde a fourth every action is limited by the object so the eternall and infinite action of God the Father understanding himselfe doth thereby produce the eternal Sonne as hath beene further said chap. 11. But because the Father doth also view all the possibilities of being in the creature and that the creature must needes stand in cleare distinction from the Creator therefore as the eternall Sonne is the image of the Father so that idea or image of the creature must needes bee a different being from that image of the Father which wee call the eternall Sonne and so of necessity must come into the reckoning of the creature For the true image of every thing must be like to that whose image it is Answer If the image of the things created were represented to the divine understanding from any thing which is without himselfe the reason were of force But seeing that God knowes all things only in and by his owne being by which being of his only as the cause of all things all things have their possibilitie of being so that his being is the foundation of all beings it followes that the representation of the divine being which wee call the Sonne is also the similitude or representation of all those possibilities of being which are in him so that the creature is in God the Father as the first cause of all equivalently fith his being is equivalent to all being and the possibilities thereof In the Sonne the idea of all being it is as represented or characterized eminently or visibly to the divine understanding and by Him all naturall causes and possibilities are ordered to the bringing of all things into their actuall being And therefore as Christ our Lord Heb. 1.3 is called the expresse image of the Person of the Father so likewise Col. 1.15 is hee the first begotten of every creature For seeing the understanding of God is not by discourse nor habituall as gotten by experience but that it is His owne very being unto the perfection whereof all the termes of Action must of necessity concurre that is both of Him that understands and of the obiect understood and of the action of understanding as was shewed chapter 11. Rea. 8. it is not possible but that seeing they are all infinite they must also bee câ—essâ—â—tiall and one and if one then the action of understanding whereby God vieweth himselfe must also bee that whereby hee vieweth the creature for otherwise it were not infinite if it comprehended not all beings at once So then in this action of Gods understanding there cannot bee a prioritie of an infinite being understood that is God the Sonne and a posterioritie of a finite that is the creature By this 〈◊〉 you say I make the Creature to be coessentiall with God in which incoâ—venience the strength of the former objection doth stand Answ If you meane the Creature according to the actuall being I put it naturally in the preâ—â—â—ent causes and possibilities of nature but as concerning the first and priâ—â—e cause it is so farre from any inconvenience that it is most necessarie that 〈◊〉 and the first cause of all being beside Himselfe be termes convertible essentially And thus the Creature is in God as in the cause But seeing nothing can be in another but according to the manner of that being wherein it is and sâ—â—ing thâ— being of God is his most Pure understanding the Creature is no otherwise in him but is understood or foreseene and willed eternally And if you will stay to see you may in the Persons of the holy Trinity view a wonderfull presentation of the perfections of the Creature The Father is the foundation that sustaines all The Sonne or Mediator that power or efficacie which perfecteth all The Holy Ghost that infinite activity in the strength of which every thing doth worke The number three supposes two and because neither to worke outwardly nor to will within can bee where there is not a power thereto therefore our Lord saith Iohn 15.5 Without mee yee can doe nothing And secondly supposes first so that power cannot bee without a being wherein it dwels And thus you see the Father the foundation of all being is more inward to every thing than the matier thereof the
of life Hee might bee borne the Son of man O sacred mysterie O miraculous conception Yet thus must His conception be who was to vnite all things in one But for all this is not Christ our Lord said to bee the Son of the Holy-Ghost although hee were thus conceived by Him nor yet the Son of the holy Trinitie as the Abissine Church confesseth For as concerning His eternall being Hee was the Son of the Father onely so for this His manly beeing Hee was the Son onely of His mother having His humane nature and birth of her and consequently His originall or discent from her Fathers David Abraham c. And being then first conceived according to his humane nature of which the Holy Ghost was not partaker therefore hee was not propagate of the substance of the Holy-Ghost as Isaac of Abraham according to kind to which conception onely the name of Father and Son doth properlie belong Now see the reasons That our Lord was conceived by the Holy-Ghost You may remember how it was said in the Chapter before § 10. Answere to the fourth objection that the Holy-Ghost is that infinite activitie in whose strength every thing doth worke Which if it have truth in every naturall action as I shewed much more is it true in things above nature such as is this conception of our Lord. 1. For if the fountaine bee corrupt then also the water must bee unwholsome And if original sin doe follow every one that is conceived according to the flesh as it is said Psal 51. In sin hath my mother conceived mee then as it was necessarie that Hee which should bee a propitiation for the sinne of others should bee himselfe holy and vtterly separate from sinners so was it also necessary that his conception should be onely by the Holy Ghost that Hee might be free from all taint of sinne both originall and actuall 2. And as the generation according to the course of nature had beene in sinne as was shewed at large Chap. 17. so also was it vtterly impossible that God thereby should bee incarnate For b no agent can worke beyond the power of its owne nature But the Incarnation whereby God and Man became one Person was beyond the power of all naturall generation For man as all other naturall agents is finite the divine being infinite and so impossible to bee begotten by man Beside this the divine being in this case of being conceived must have beene in the state of a sufferer by a being finite But these things are impossible And therefore it was c necessary that the conception should bee by the Holy-Ghost 3. If the conception of our Saviour had beene according to the course of naturall generation then had there beene two fathers of one Person and so the humanitie taken into the Deitie of Christ had beene the cause of confusion in respect of the Father-hood which had beene in God the Father and in respect of man the Father of the same Son So the perfection of Father-hood had not beene wholly and perfectly in God the Father So defect should be in the first principle But these things are inconvenient Therefore d the conception was not by man 4. And why this conception was the peculiar worke of the Holy-Ghost it may yet further appeare thus In all the workes of God in the creature the whole Trinity works either according to one manner common to all the Persons or else according to their personall properties Now in this incarnation of the Son as the Father had begotten Him by eternall generation so in the fulnesse of time did Hee send His Sonne into the world and this sending is that second generation or begetting For as the thought or intent in the minde of a man is that inward word of his understanding which being spoken is made understandable by others So the Word of God remaining eternally in the bosome of the Father being sent into the world became manifest in the flesh And thus the whole being of Father-hood was in the Father and of Sonship in the Sonne And besides these two termes of begetting belonging to the Father and being begotten belonging to the Sonne there is onely that of conception necessary to this most wonderfull Incarnation which must belong to the Holy-Ghost least two offices being given to one Person the third Person should cease to worke So there should bee inequalitie in their actions and their workes without should not bee conformable to their inward beings shewed Chap. 11. and 12. But this is not to bee affirmed Therefore hee was conceived by the Holy-Ghost 5. And seeing it was necessary that the Redeemer of the world should be borne of a Virgin as it will appeare in the Chapter following it was also necessary that the conception should be by the Holy-Ghost For as in the ordinary way of all generation the female seed is not of strength to become man except it receive motion life and strength from the masculine seed conveyed into the place of conception which cannot be done but with the breach of Virginitie so where the Virginitie was not impaired it was necessary that the disposing of the seed and enabling it unto conception should bee by the power of the Holy-Ghost who was able to supplie all defects in nature and to cause the Virgin to conceive and consequently to bring forth without the feeling either of pleasure or paine 6. Every supernaturall worke which proceeds from the perfection of Love must bee performed by him who is the perfection of Love But the Incarnation of God in man was a supernaturall worke which proceeded from the superabundant Love of God to Man-kind See Chap. 22. Reasons 4 5.10 11 12. And therefore wrought by Him who is the perfit Love betweene the Father and the Sonne that the perfection of the band vnion or knot of Love might bee in the Holy-Ghost as betweene the Persons of the Godhead so betweene the God-head and the humanity Notes Object 1 a HEe was not subject to originall sinne A Iew or Atheist may object that if Hee were subject to the punishments of originall sinne that is the sicknesses of minde ignorance forgetfulnesse the passions of anger sorrow and the like and so of the body to bee weary hungry faint sleepie c. Then must it also follow that Hee was subject to the sinne for no effect can bee but by the precedence of the cause But it is manifest that hee was subject unto most of these Therefore it may seeme that Hee was also subject to sinne though not actuall yet originall which was the cause of these Answere Though the rule bee most true that no effect can bee without the precedent cause yet in this businesse where grace and mercy is above nature the cause in one wrought the effect in another The sinne was of Adam and his sonnes the punishment of CHRIST the Sonne of GOD. But the supposition that these defects if they may bee so called are the
is hermaphroditicall in planting in grafting and the like one kind may be bettered by another but not in perfect animalls much lesse in man I know also what poore shifts there bee to prove the possibilitie of these monstrous generations the fancy of Incubus and Succubus and of the devill stealing the seed from a dead body and such like But that pretious seed dyes instantly except it be received into the proper vessell And when the body is once dead and that soule gone which kept the whole and every part and parcell of the body in life that which was for a new life in another must also die I know that some both of the Fathers and Schoole-men are cited of a contrary opinion but our learned King Daemonob lib. 3. cap. 3. vpon reasons in nature unanswereable hath shewed the impossibilitie of this generation to which I will adde one reason out of the Holy Scripture Wee are commanded by God Exod. 20. Ephe. 6. to honour our Fathers and Mothers Now if Merlin for instance or the Nation of the Hungars were begotten by devills then by that commandement were they also charged to honour the devill which as no man under paine of Hell-fire may doe so were it a damnable sinne for any man to thinke that God hath commanded it And yet this fancy would take strength from Genes 6.2 4. where the sonnes of God which Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 70. will have to bee Angels accompanied with women and so by that transgression of kynds Gyants were bred See hereto Tertull de virg velandis But those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephelim Gyants or man-quellers who prized themselves by their violence and cruelty were not so called in respect of their stature for they are after called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibborim men of courage or strength as every valiant or strong man is titled But the sonnes of God or as our Lord calls them The sonnes of the kingdome that is which held the hope of Christ to come yet not living according to that hope but following their owne lust and joyning in marriage with Infidells and Atheists neglecting the bringing up of their children in obedience and vertue it must needs bee that they must become gracelesse and fierce and so for their crueltie brought the flood vpon themselves And this is that wretched and wicked state whereto the world especially this little world of ours is againe returned and cries to heaven for that second baptisme of the fire c Necessary that the conception should be by the Holy-Ghost You see by these two reasons one taken from the humanity of Christ the other from His Divinitie that it was necessary that our Mediator in both respects should bee conceived of the Holy-Ghost They that have little time to thinke on naturall Philosophie need some helpe to vnderstand the difference of generation and conception And let us not bee afraid to speake of the workes of God to His honour according to trueth and modestie Generation or begetting is actively in the Parents for the female is also an agent in respect of the feminine seed which shee affords generation passively is in that which is begotten Conception is an action or passion concurrent or necessary to generation For although the seed on both sides bee afforded yet if it bee weake and vnfit for generation as in lustfull persons or if it bee not retained and duely nourished in the wombe there can bee no conception Therefore in this wonderfull generation of our Saviour whereby he was made a naturall man by naturall causes as farre as they were incorrupted there was also a conception necessary The conception actively was in the Holy-Ghost who prepared and fitted first the minde of the Virgin for if her actions or sufferings herein had not beene voluntary they had no way beene availeable unto her selfe for eternall life then her body with all the powers and parts thereof that shee might conceive that is both afford retaine and nourish that blessed tabernacle of Him that would dwell in us The conception passively was either dispositive whereby the body of the Virgin was so fitted to conceive or finall whereby that which was conceived was perfected in every degree according to all the naturall causes necessary thereto And because the Goly-Ghost was the chiefe agent or worker in all this therefore is the conception properly attributed unto Him d The conception was not by man That poore and base conceit of Ebion Cerinthus and their followers unworthy of that soule which should presume to thinke on God or His glorious workes you reade before Chap. 24. § 4 5 6 7. where it is sufficiently refuted and their reasons answered and before that you might see it strangled by all the reasons of the 22. Chapter CHAP. XXVI Borne of the Virgin Mary SO the Infinite Wisedome and Love of God delighted in man that there is no kind of perfection possible to the creature which hee hath not either manifested or promised unto him To frame and fashion the body of Adam out of the earth with His owne hands to breath into him an immortall soule was a wonderfull work and one aâ—one Out of that virgin man to take a rib and thereof to make a woman was a worke no lesse wonderfull and one alone The ordinary propagation of man-kind is the third way for increase because Hee that was the Lord of all kindes here below should not be inferiour unto them in the possibility of bringing foorth his like But that fourth and last way of mans generation was that which out of the side of the virgin woman brought out that man which should restore and give perfection to all the rest More excellent than the third which from corrupted and sinfull parents multiplies more corrupted and sinfull children more powerfull then the second which out of the more perfect sex brought out that which was lesse perfect more glorious and availeable to us then the first which raised Adam out of dust For by this God himselfe to become one of us tooke that which was ours that he might give unto us that which was His. And for the cleere proofe of this Article a That our Lord Christ was borne of a Virgin 1. Let this be one ground which the holy Virgin her selfe did stand upon Luke 1.34 That without the society of man it is a thing in nature utterly impossible that any generation of mankind can be Secondly That which is impossible to nature because the power whereby nature doth worke is a limited power and in the perfect kinds of things according to one rule is yet possible to God Luke 1.37 Thirdly That the workes of God Himselfe the author of Nature are more noble excellent and perfect then those of nature Whereupon it will follow reasonably that sith our Saviour could be borne of a virgin if He would it was covenient so to be but He could as it appeares by that which is said and also would for so He declared it
by His Prophet Esay 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne Therefore our Lord was borne of a virgin 2. All the fulnes of perfection ought to be in Him who was to restore man to that perfection which he had lost Therefore as Christ our Saviour had a Father in heaven without a mother being begotten of the substance of His father by an unconceiveable and most glorious generation So ought He in earth without a father to have a mother without any taint or spot a Virgin 3. And seeing the Incarnation or Conception and Birth of the GOD of glory was a grace and honour to mankind above all the creature and a speciall exaltation of her of whom Hee would be borne above all other women Luke 1.28 if our Lord had not been conceived and borne of a most pure Virgin then had He exalted the corrupted flesh of mankind and tainted with lust before that which was vncorrupt which as in it selfe it had been inconvenient so had it brought chastity and purenesse of life into contempt But these things are inconvenient Therefore it was necessary that the Saviour of the world should be borne of a Virgin 4. Neither was it beseeming neither was it possible that the Creator of all things should become a creature but after a peculiar and speciall maner the most honourable and beseeming that could be But neither could any conception be more honourable than by the Holy-Ghost nor any birth be more beseeming than of a Virgin Therefore so was He conceived so borne 5. Adam was not deceived but the woman yet a virgin being deceived was vnto him the cause of transgression And lest womankind should ever be subject to the rebuke of man for this therefore was it necessary that the Saviour should bee borne of a virgin For if man had had any thing to doe in this generation of the Saviour the woman had not so been quit from blame in as much as man might have said That a woman could bring all mankind into sinne but without man shee could afford no helpe which inequality had not been meet betweene them that are equall heires of the same glorious hopes Therefore that the healing might bee so made as was the wound it was requisite that Hee that takes away our sinne should be borne of a virgin And thus is that fulfilled which is spoken Ierem. 30.17 From thy wounds I will heale thee that is as thy wound was made so shall thy health be procured 6. The virgin Eve was given to man for a helpe before him yet she brought him into sinne and the snares of the devill but the purpose of God could not thereby be made void Therefore that other virgine was she that was especially meant who should bring foorth that helpe of helpes in mans greatest need Therefore that face might answere to face it was expedient that the Saviour of the world should be borne of a virgin 7 And seeing he was conceived by the Holy-Ghost that no taint or lust of sinne might be in the conception and that the subject of the action of the Holy-Ghost should be the most fit subject for such a worke-master and such an action and that a pure and uncorrupted body was most fit for such a conception Therefore it was also necessary that he should be borne of a virgin For it cannot be supposed that God who came into that harbour of His mothers body that he might sanctifie it would at his going out leave it in worse estate than He had found it 8. One contrary cannot be an efficient cause of the other contrary As to say That that which is pure and holy should be the cause of any impurity or corruption But the conception which was the cause of this Birth was most pure as having the Holy-Ghost the author thereof Therefore could not the conception be any cause to take away the virginity of Christs mother For so that divine worke of the Holy-Ghost should have been ordained to an end more vnnoble then the worke whereas the end is euer more excellent than those things that are ordained for the end So also He that commanded parents to be honoured should have brought a spot upon His owne mother if by His birth her virginity had been impaired which was not impaired by his conception But these things are impossible Therefore He was borne of a virgin 9. The birth of that child which is supernaturall as being both God and man must needs be most noble and supernaturall But it could not be most noble if it were with the dispoyling of the mothers virginity nor yet in the highest kind supernaturall if it were not of a virgin And this is that mystery which all the Churches stiled in Cant. 3.11 by the name of the daughters of Sion are called to take knowledge of Goe forth ô ye daughters of Sion behold King Solomon with the Crowne wherewith His mother crowned Him in the day of His espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of His heart And that because all the mysteries of our salvation were accomplished in His humanity 10. Thus as God both by Himselfe and by His Prophets hath shewed that these things should thus be fulfilled So in the time appointed was Christ our Lord borne of a virgin The holy authorities are First that which is Genes 3.15 The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head and if of the woman onely as the promise stands without any ayde or mention of man then must the conception of necessity be by the Holy Ghost who should give activity and working unto the female seed and the birth being as it beseemed answerable to the conception must of necessity be of a virgin Neither yet doth this abate any thing of the true and perfect humanity of Christ that He was made man onely of the female seed For seeing every second cause workes onely in the strength of the first and chiefe cause it is plaine that whatsoever the second cause is able to doe by the vertue of the first that first is able to doe by it selfe And therefore God who made man of the dust of the earth could also without any action of the manly seed produce a perfect man of the seed of the Virgin in which seed the whole humanity was although it was not able to moove it selfe to the perfection of kind Another text is that of Esay cited before Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and such a birth could never be but that the conception must be by the Holy-Ghost And therefore it is said The Lord himselfe shall give you a signe because He was the onely worker That text of Ieremiah 31.22 The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A woman shall compasse a man doth inforce as much as the former But what new thing is this Is any thing more usuall then a woman with child But this is the newnesse That a woman who never knew man should compasse
although this Kingdome was to be a spirituall Kingdome of Grace and Glory Ioh. 8.36 yet that is not first which is spirituall but naturall So that our Lord IESVS according to the right of naturall descent by His mother See Luke 3.5 ver 24 c. and of legall right by His father Ioseph See Matth. 1. was the true and lawfull King of the Iewes as he is confessed by the Magi from the East Matth. 2. proclaimed by Pilate Iohn 19.15 19. and professed by Himselfe Iohn 18.37 and that not by any reserved and doubtfull meaning but by a plaine and direct answere according to the q estion of Pilate Art thou the King of the Iewes For for this cause was he borne that He might beare witnesse to the trueth He therefore being both lawfull and naturall King of the Iewes according to His descent from David and that by an unquestionable right of descent as the succession of that Kingdome had stood from David to Iehojakiâ— above 400. yeeres and after the captivity from Zorobabel to Ianna Hircanus almost 300. yeeres and that by the covenant of God Himselfe to David which was to be established in Christ for ever it must follow of necessity that Ioseph had no children by Mary his wife as Helvidius barked For so the right of that title to the Kingdome of David should have been to that heire who had the right by naturall descent from both parents rather then to him which had right onely by His mother and adopted father Neither had this which I plead been good onely for Iosephs sonnes but also for his daughters if he had had any by Mary his wife as it appeares in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad Numb 26.7 8. Wherefore seeing it cannot be supposed but that the holy Virgin blessed above other women and freely beloved should not have bin denied the blessing of children if she had desired any after her Son IESVS it will follow of necessity that for the eternity of Davids kingdome to which our Lord had the only right not by intrusion or disannulling of a better title I meane in civill right He was that stone cut out without hands that shall fill the whole earth and that the blessed body of his mother according to that vision of Ezechiel 44. was that East-gate or ordinary way of entrance into mankind in which the Prince did sit to grow before the Lord as he that eates bread even untill the time of His birth when He should goe out thence perfect man And because the Lord God of Israel had entred in by that gate Therefore should it be shut that no man might enter in by it but that the holy Virgin should continue a virgin as in the conception and birth so for ever after a virgin For neither had the outward Sanctuary of the Tabernacle nor of the Temples afterward any such secluded gate but that both Priests and People did go in and out thereat to doe their dayly service So then that mysticall Temple of Ezechiel must needs intend the Temple of the Virgins body by which God Himselfe entred into our Tabernacle and came forth God-Man blessed for ever Amen ARTICLE IIII. ⧠1. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was 2. Crucified 3. Dead and 4. Buried CHAP. XXVII WHat the infinity of that glory was of which the Sonne of God did empty Himselfe when He clouded it under the forme of a servant all the Angels in heaven cannot comprehend Yet such was the infinite love of God to man as that for our sakes a Hee was pleased to be borne man that b by His partaking of our sufferings He might become a faithfull high Priest for us unto God that we might be made partakers of His glory For a friend loveth at all times and a Brother is borne for adversity Prouerbes 17.17 His friends we are if we doe whatsoever Hee hath commanded us Iohn 15.14 neither is He ashamed to call us brethren when Hee saith Psal 22.22 I will declare thy Name to my Brethren In the midst of the Church will I praise thee Hebr. 2.12 Now what these sufferings were it is in part manifest by the Prophets and by the Evangelists Such was His poverty as that He was borne in a stable among the beasts A manger was His Cradle In His infancy He was persecuted by that cruell King that sought His life and compelled Him to seeke His safety by banishment in a forreigne land The poore Trade of a Carpenter was His meanes of maintenance that had made all the world Subiect He was to our infirmities of Hunger Thirst Heat and Cold Weariâ—â—sse and Griefe both of mind and Body neither had Hee lesse afflictions though He were free from sicknesse But when the time came that He should shew Himselfe to bee that Redeemer that was to come then was He most busily tempted by the devill rail'd on and reviled by His ministers that praised themselves therefore Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a devill then was he loaden with injury and scorne His life was sought by treason and at last betrayed by His owne Schollar But how great was the anguish of His mind how great was His affrighting at the sight of that death whereby He must fight against the fierce wrath of God inflamed against Him that had set Himselfe the surety to pay for the sinnes of the whole world Arise ô Sword against my Shepherd against the man that is my fellow friend saith the Lord of hostes I will smite the Shepherd and the sheepe shall be scattered Zach. 13.7 What was that anguish of His mind that forc't Him thrice to pray with strong crying and teares and to sweate like drops of blood running downe to the earth That that bitter Cup might passe away verely the sorrowes of hell compassed Him about and the snares of death were before Him Psal 18.5 Yea so were the sorrows of His heart enlarged as a man that sought for comfort and could finde none He prayes and comes to His Disciples to seeke some ease by their mutuall speech but they are fast asleepe and there finds He none Thus while the God-head doth rest toward Him Psal 22.1 And according to the law of Iustice leaves him in His pure humanity to beare the burden of our sinne alone while all the waves and stormes of Gods wrath passe over Him while the dogs of hell with their severall temptations compasse him about while the horrible curse of the Law euer sounds in His eare Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them Deut. 27.26 which curse Hee that had become our surety Psal 40.7 Hebr. 7.22 must beare for every one What marvell was it if He prayed that His soule thus left alone might be delivered from the power of the dogge that He might be saved from the Lions mouth being thus beset with the hornes of the Vnicornes Read Psal 22. and 69. But yet remembring that for our cause
above every Name that every tongue should confesse that Christ is Iehova 3. And seeing He suffered under the power of the Romanes it was necessary that He should die by that manner of death which was most usuall with the Romanes which for their seruants and provincialls was the Crosse And although it seemed unto Pilate himselfe an unworthy death for Him Shall I crucifie your King Yet nothing could content His enemies but Crucifie Him Crucifie Him And because our Lord had no such priuiledge to plead for Himselfe that He was a free man of Rome as Saint Paul did Act. 16.37 22.25 29. 25.11 and so lost his head by the sword Therefore He must needs endure that bitter and accursed death of the Crosse 4. The tree through the craft of the devill was unto man-kind a cause of sinne Therefore lest the tree which was created good might become a curse to him for whom it was created and thereby the end of the creation might be perverted it seemed fit to the Wisedome of God that as the tree had beene an instrument in the worke of mans condemnation it should also bee an instrument in the worke of his redemption that man by his wound might also bee healed And therefore that our ransome should bee payed on the Crosse 5. Man by his sinne had made himselfe subject to the curse of the Law Therefore that the promise to Abraham That in his seed all the Nations of the earth should bee blessed Gen. 12.3 might come vpon them it was necessary that the curse should fall vpon that promised seed in whom they were to bee blessed as Saint Paul doth argue Gal. 3.13 and 14. 6. This crucifying of our Lord was prefigured diverslie in the Law as by the Serpent in the Wildernesse if you compare Numb 21.8 with Iohn 3.14 Moses also spreading out his hands in the forme of the Crosse overcame Amalec by his prayer Exod. 17.11 But aboue all other figures that glorious Type of Christ Samson who should begin to save Israel Iud 14.5 most liuely figured our Saviour on the Crosse when he laid his hands upon the Pillars and slew more at his death than he had done in all his life Iud. 16.30 So our Lord the Authour and Finisher of our Salvation though by His Preaching and His miracles He had shaken the Kingdome of the Devill yet by His death upon the Crosse He did triumph over all the power of hell Col. 2.15 David Psal 22.16 prophesies plainely of the wounds wherewith He was pierced in His hands and His feet when He was nailed to the Crosse as the Prophet Zechary Chap. 12.10 of that wound which through His side they made in His heart I the Lord will powre vpon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplicatior and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced And thus according to the Prophesies that were before was our Saviour crucified as you reade in the Gospel 3. Dead VVEe see IESVS made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death that He by the Grace of God should taste of death for every man Heb. 2.9 All the reasons for His crucifying confirme thus much And for this cause was Hee conceived and borne that He might redeeme His people from their sinnes The arguments also of the 19. Chapter of the 21.22 and 23. come all to this centre that Christ our Lord and onely Redeemer must die for our sinne 1. For seeing man by his sinne had made himselfe subject unto death according to the just sentence Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die it was necessary that He that had made Himselfe our surety Heb. 7.22 and taken our sinne upon him Esay 52. should die for our sinne 2. It was necessary that the highest degree of obedience should bee in him in whom was also the perfection of Sonne-ship But all the perfection of Son-ship was in Christ both that which is Eternall and that which is in time as hath appeared Therefore also the perfection of obedience But there can be no degree of obedience beyond this that a sonne should die at the will of his father Therefore it was necessary that our Lord should die For God so loved the world that He gave his onely begotten Sonne to die that the world by him might bee saved But because it was impossible that He in his Eternall being should be subject to death therfore was it necessary that He should bee incarnate that Hâ—e should bee conceived of the Holy-Ghost and be borne of a Virgin as it hath beene prooved 3. If Isaac the shadow were content to die at the will of His Father how much more ought Christ the substance to fulfill the will of His Father 4. The manifestation of the infinite dignities of God the Father is the proper and peculiar office of the Son See Iohn 17.6 and 26. And how could either the infinite Iustice or Mercy or Love of God the Father toward His creature or His honour in the creature bee better manifested than in the death of that Son For although it were farre from Injustice to punish the innocent for the wicked when He had set Himselfe to answere for the sinnes of the world yet was it the uttermost the most severe and eminent Iustice that possibly could bee to lay upon Him in whom there was no sinne neither was there any guile found in His mouth the burden of vs all to breake him for our sinnes to multiplie His sorrowes and at once to deprive Him of all the comforts of God and life it selfe for our offences Neither could the Mercy or love of God toward His creature be greater than this that when wee were enemies yet spared He not His owne Sonne to worke our reconciliation Neither can the honour of God be more magnified by the creature than for that mercy and love which he hath shewed toward the creature in the Eternall Glory and happinesse which He hath reserved for it through the satisfaction of his Son And because these things could not possibly be brought to passe otherwayes than by the death of the Sonne of God therefore was it necessary that He should die 5. Of contrary effects the immediate causes must needs bee contrary The greatest delight and joy which the naturall man hath is to follow his sinfull lusts Therefore the recovery or restoring of man from his sinfull state cannot bee but by the suffering of the greatest sorrow that is of death 6. The obedience and sufferings of Him who was to make satisfaction for the disobedience and rebellion of all man-kind could not possibly be either exceeded or equalled But if our Lord had not died a most bitter and cruell death in those torments which He endured both in his soule and body then had His sufferings beene equalled if not exceeded by many of the holy Martyrs who for their love and faith in God endured most bitter and exquisite torments Heb.
no purpose So His greatest and best worke had effected no good to us but a perpetuall ill unto Himselfe But all these things were impossible Therefore Christ our Lord did rise againe 4. It is impossible but that where the greatest union is there should be the greatest love and consent The greatest union that may be is in our Mediator seeing the humane nature is sustained in the Person of the Deity But the soule of Christ being separate did naturally desire to bee united to the body for otherwayes should it not have desired the perfection of it selfe that is to give life and sence and to be one with that body which was peculiar to it selfe as the desire of all humane soules is and therefore depart so unwillingly from the body But if this were the naturall desire of the soule no way sinfull the Deity infinite in power and in regard of the unity consenting thereto it must follow of necessity that our Lord was raised againe from the dead 5. Contrary causes must have contrary effects The devill by the sinne which he wrought in Adam had caused death to prevaile over life in all mankind Therefore Christ who came to destroy the workes of the deuill must cause life to prevaile over death But this could not be done in the members before it was perfected in the head Therefore Christ being dead must of necessity bee the first fruits of them that are raised from the dead And if it were necessary that Christ should first rise Ergo it was impossible that He should not rise See Log. chap. 26.11.1 6. If Christ our Lord had not beene raised from death a then had it beene impossible that any of His beleevers should bee raised againe by the power and merit of His resurrection 1. And so the naturall desire of the soule to dwell with the body should be created in vaine 2. So the debt being paid the prisoner should ever be detained 3. So the afflictions of the Saints which they have suffered in body should be in vaine as cold hunger nakednesse reproach and shame imprisonment stripes yea and death it selfe willingly sustained for the love of God should be without reward But it were against the justice of God to cause the body and soule to suffer together and not to glorifie them both together 4. So also the death of Christ should not be meritorious and effectuall for the procuring of all that good which might and ought to come thereby both to Himselfe and all His beleevers For although the soules of the faithfull for the merit and full satisfactions sake of His death being separate might enjoy an eternall though not a full happinesse without the body yet the body should be left eternally to the power of death and so the workes of the devill should not be destroyed by Christ 5. So also the body should be created in vaine if to sorrow onely without the hope of happinesse 6. So God should lose His right in His creature if Hee were not Lord both of the living and of the dead both of the soule and of the body 7. So the one sinne and disobedience of Adam should be more powerfull to condemne mankind then the everlasting and most perfect obedience of the Sonne of God should be to save it But all these things are impossible And therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 4.25 That Christ was delivered to death for our sinne and raised againe for our Iustification For if Christ be not raised againe then are we yet in our sinnes 1. Cor. 15.17 not that any addition was made by His resurrection to that satisfaction which He made by His death but because the resurrection of Christ is a sure and manifest proofe of His conquest over sinne death hell and all the power of the devill and that His suffering and death was a full and sufficient sacrifice whereby the wrath of God against sinne was fully satisfied so that we are now justified in His sight whereas if in the conflict of our Redeemer with death and hell He had been overcome then could we have had no faith nor hope that our sinne by His death had beene done away But now knowing that He hath overcome death and is returned to life againe in all the troubles and sorrowes of this life and in the agonies of death wee may be secure as the feet or toes that are lowest under the water may hope at last to come to land because they know that their head being above the water the body cannot be drowned 7. Now concerning that impossibility of Saint Peter it stands thus It is impossible that the Scripture being the declaration of Gods trueth made by Himselfe 2. Pet. 1.21 2. Tim. 3.16 should faile But it hath beene declared by the Scripture that Christ should be raised againe from the dead Therefore it was impossible that He should still be held under the power of death The text cited by Saint Peter is found Psal 16.10 to which you may adde the types of the old Testament whereby the death and resurrection of our Lord was signified as that of Noah Gen. 9. ver 20. c. When our Saviour being as it were drunken with the love of His Church and desire of mans salvation tooke our state upon Him and for us became subject to the death of the Crosse when being seene by the Iewes those Chumits in the nakednesse or infirmity of our estate He was set at nought by them that thought that their Messiah could not die Iohn 14.34 But when Noah our Rest and Comforter awaked out of His grave He brought on them that destruction which was foretold as the punishment of their hardnesse of heart and unbeliefe See Psalm 41.10 Dan. 9.26 So the Ram taken by his hornes in the bush Gen. 22. was the type of His death and Isaac taken alive from the Altar the figure of His resurrection Ioseph also taken out of the dungeon to be ruler over all the land of Egypt To the same purpose was the law of the two goates Levit. 6. the one slaine for a sinne offering the other sent alive into a land of separation to make an atonement for all iniquity transgressions and sinne of the people So by the two Sparrowes Levit. 14. He that was like to the solitary sparrow on the house top Psalm 102.7 shed His blood for the cleansing of our leprosie yet by the other that was sent alive into the open ayre His resurrection was figured Sampson the Nazarite asleepe in Gaza signified our Lord in the sleepe of death for the love of His Church yet waking and having opened the gates of death He carryed them away and ascended in triumph to the top of the mount Iudg. 16.3 And because the strong gates of death are carryed away we are assured that all they that sleepe in the dust of death shall rise to give an account of their workes Beside these types you have also the prophecies of the old Testament as Psalm
darknesse unto that day and bring upon them that destruction which they sought to bring upon all man-kind And shall also reward those servants of His which have continued faithfull in His service whether they be Angels or men 4. None is so fit to judge betweene two as hee that hath interest in both parties and knowes the worthinesse of them both and that not onely in his understanding but also by his experience of them both But man-kind is to be judged for that which hee hath done contrary or according to the will of God Therefore seeing our Lord Iesus is very God and very man as it hath beene prooved Hee shall be the judge of the quicke and the dead 5. In every orderly and just judgement both the Iudge and the sentence ought to be manifest and knowne to all them that are to be judged And because man kind is to bee sentenced to joy or paine eternall both in soule and body And that if either the Person of the Father or of the Holy-Ghost should judge otherwayes than by the Son as they are no way to bee apprehended by the bodily sences of the wicked so neither could the judge be seene nor the sentence heard Therefore it is necessary that our Lord Iesus doe execute the generall judgement as being the Mediator betweene God and His creature And that the performance of that judgement bee by Him in His manly being as it is said Iohn 5.27 1. For seeing the exaltation and glory of Christ is the reward of His humilitie Phil. 2.8.9 it is just with God that He that was most unjustly judged should be the Iudge of all the world 2. Moreover seeing He hath received power to raise the dead for that which He performed in His man-hood it is fit that the judgement should be by Him in His man-hood 3. And seeing in His manly being He taught the way to everlasting life it is fit that He in His manly being should require of us an account of the practise of His precepts 6. None is so fit to judge the world as He in whom the perfection of justice and compassion on man-kind are accorded Our Lord Iesus because He is God is infinite in His justice and because He is man and knowes mans weakenesse better than man himselfe therefore can none be so mercifull and compassionate on man as He especially having Himselfe beene oppressed by the most unjust judgements of the Priests and of Pilate Therefore our Lord Iesus shall judge the quicke and the dead For being pronounced innocent and yet condemned Iohn 18.38 and 19.6.16 Hee hath power to acquit them that are condemned in themselues and to give them His innocencie that it may bee availeable to them which was not availeable to Himselfe 7. This is that doctrine which He left unto His Church as it is said Actes 10.42 Iesus of Nazareth commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is Hee which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quicke and the dead So Saint Paul Rom. 14.10 11. saith from the Prophet Esay 45.23 wee shall all stand before the judgement Seate of Christ For it is written as I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to mee and every tongue shall confesse to God 2. Tim. 4.1 The Lord Iesus shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome And Rev. 1.7 Behold Hee commeth with the cloudes and every eye shall see Him even they that pierced Him and all kindreds of the earth shall waile because of Him Even so Amen Notes §. 1. Sect. 1 a AS some have thought Divers unnecessary questions have beene moved about this generall judgement Some concerning the signes and circumstances that goe before it As whether that fire which goes before the face of the judge be it by which the Heaven and earth shall be purged Some concerning the adjuncts of the judgement as concerning the place whether it shall be in the valley of Iehoshaphat For which they bring Ioel 3. verse 2. and 12. And reason that He shall judge there where He was judged and despitefully entreated For this valley is betweene Ierusalem and Mount Olivet over which our Lord was led to Ierusalem after He was taken in the close of Gethsemane which valley some suppose to bee named of Iehoshaphat the King and that because he gave thankes there with his Armie after his spoile of the Ammonites 2. Chron. 20. But the circumstances of the history accord not well with this but rather that that valley of Barachah where the King gave thankes was in the Tribe of Iuda neere to the wildernesse of Ieruel as Adrichomius describes it from Ierom Brocard and others But this being put that the Lord shall descend from heaven to judge wheresoever He shall judge according to the interpretation of the Name Iehova is Iudge there is the valley of Iehoshaphat which the Prophet therfore mentioneth because that valley was the usuall place where they buryed the Israelites that died at Ierusalem So they move question heere what causes and persons shall come into Iudgement And the consequents of the judgement they enquire what manner of fire the fire of hell is and supposing it to bee bodily to torment the bodies of the damned how the devills which they suppose to be purely Spirits can be tormented by a bodily fire And hereupon also they move doubt about the qualities of the bodies which according to the opinion of the Stoicks concerning the soules Lactant. lib. 7. cap. 20. to the damned they thinke shall be base and subject to passion to the blessed contrary with many such curious questions as you may see in Tho. Aqu. in Sent. lib. 4. Dist 44.5 6. c. of which perhaps you may find some answered heere as far as it stands with the clearing of this Article 1. And first because the ill angels were utterly given over for their sinne and they by their malice confirmed onely in ill their actions being ever unanswerable and they before-hand condemned therfore it may seeme that there shall be no enquirie of their actions but onely the sentence of condemnation is to passe upon them and accordingly the execution So the good Angels because they have beene kept from sinne and confirmed in goodnesse are exempted from enquiry of their actions being onely good so they shall have the sentence of approbation 2. Concerning Infants there is much more question For some will have all the Infants of infidels to bee damned others put to them the infants of beleevers also that were never baptized And this hard sentence is passed on them because their originall sinne was never washed away in baptisme But seeing originall guiltinesse in Infants is onely by the staine of nature that the whole world may be guilty before God and so be the subject of His mercie Rom. 3.19 may it not stand as well with the mercy of God that the faith of their Parents should bee imputed to them
a holy Catholike Church For it is impossible either that the promises of God should faile of their performance or that saith and other vertues should be without their reward For so the Spirit of grace which wrought these vertues in man should worke in vaine But this is impossible 5. This holy Catholike Church is declared in sundry places of the holy Scripture and in special according to all the causes thereof in the Epistle to the Ephes 4. chap. 1. from vers 2. to 15. And although Saint Paul in that place write to a particular Church yet is the Catholike Church no other than such as is there described no more then the Brittish or Spanish Seas are different from the great Ocean either in substance or qualities For there is but one body and one Spirit one Lord one faith one hope one baptisme one God and Father of all Ephe. 4.4 5 6. And as there is but one God so is there but one Mediator betweene God and man the Man Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 2.5 6. And this one Mediator is that one onely mysticall head of His mysticall body For there is no name given under heaven whereby wee must be saved but onely the name of Iesus Christ Act. 4.12 And as there is but one head so is there one onely body as it is said Cant. 6.9 My Dove my undefiled is but one and Iohn 10.16 There shall be one fold and one shepherd by which texts of the Holy Writ it is manifest that there is one holy Catholike hurch as wee doe beleeve § 3. And by this which hath beene said it may easily appeare what those differences are betweene this Catholike Church and other particular congregations whether in private houses or in Cities Countreys Kingdomes or Peoples which in Cant. 6. cited even now are signified by the Queenes Concubines and the innumerable Virgins which consent to the same points of faith and doctrine 1. The first and most common is this that in the Visible Churches Hypocrites and Atheists are found among the chosen and these are the tares among the wheate the bad fish among the good Matth. 13.48 But in this holy Catholike Church no vile or prophane person can bee as it is said Rev. 21.8 and 22.15 That without the holy Citie shall be doggs the fearfull and abominable the unbeleeving murderers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and every one that loveth and maketh the lie 2. A second difference is in this that every particular Church is visible so that every member thereof may be fully informed of all things whatsoever is taught therein for trueth either concerning doctrine or discipline but the Catholike Church in the sence we here take it neither is nor ever was nor can bee visible but to the eye of faith alone as here we confesse in our Creed for faith is the proofe or argument of things not seene Hebr. 11.1 If then the Catholike Church be a thing to be seene then is it not to be beleeved if it be to be beleeved then must it needs be invisible 2. Beside this the universall or Catholike Church as Saint Paul describes it Ephes 13.15 is of the Saints in heaven as well as of them that are in earth yea and of them that are not yet borne as of either of these And although all the members of this Church during the time of their pilgrimage upon earth be visible or in a visible Church yet while they are here on earth we doe not beleeve them to be of that Catholike Church with that assurance of knowledge which a saving faith requires such a faith I meane as is due to an Article of our Creed but onely with that hope or credulity which Christian charity and their holy conuersation doth bind us to have of them 3. For as God only knoweth the heart so He only knoweth who are His and if He only know then cannot we and though we see them in a true particular Church yet doe we not thereby know that they are true members of the Catholike Church Object 1. If the true Church be not alwayes visible why doth our Lord send us to the Church Mat. 18.17 Answer That commandement of Christ shewes what is to bee done in particular visible Churches not in the invisible Catholike Church and this is to be obserued in such texts as are like to this which the Papists bring to proove the perpetuall visibility of the Catholike Church For if they could make that good they would hope thereby to proove the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Church But if the first were given the second would not follow For was there no Catholike Church before Romulus murthered his brother or where was the Catholike Church when Rome was yet the mother of all the abominations and filthinesse of the earth First in their worship of devills and after when their lives were answerable to their Religion as you reade in Saint Paul Rom. 1. and in their owne prophets Iuvenal Arbiter c. and againe since they have forsaken their faith once praised Rom. 1.8 and borne the former reward of their idolatry And if that Church be the Catholike Church out of which none can bee saved as they say what shall become of all those Christians in the whole world which detest the Church of Rome and all their idolatries and false doctrines as the Greekes and all that follow them the Nestorians Iacobites Ethiopians the reformed Churches in the West c. which for the number may seeme to be at the least five to one to the Papists notwithstanding their false pretended universality To the former differences betweene the Catholike Church and particular congregations you may adde a third that any particular Church may erre wholly both in manners and doctrine as I shewed in the Chap. before § 7. N. 2. but the Catholike Church cannot erre 4. Any particular Church may faile or cease to be but of the kingdome of Chriâ—t there shall be no end Therefore the Catholike Church cannot faile from whence it followeth 5. That the Catholike Church is of the greatest antiquity as having the beginning thereof in Adam and Eve for I enquire onely of the Church of the redeemed not of the Angels but particular Churches had their bâ—ginning afterward some at one time some at another as that of the Iewes in Abraham and his family that of the Ethiopians in the Eunuch c. 6. Concerning the succession of the Catholike Church there is none such â—s they account of Kings or Bishops in this or that See but becaâ—se Christs kingdome cannot faile therefore there is this succâ—ss â— That before these Saints that now live shall die others shall be borne that are the true members of the Church and thus is there still but one Catholike Church which unity containes all and every member thereof in one mysticall body whereof our Lord Christ is the Head Notes a I Withheld thee from sinning against Mee Against this and many such texts of
God should be in vaine Therefore the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together Esay 40.5 and from one Sabboth to another shall all flesh come and shall worship before me saith the Lord Esay 66.23 And I will powre out of my Spirit upon all flesh Ioel. 2.28 And seeing the flesh hath these holy promises therefore the flesh shall rise againe that as both the flesh and the soule have sorrowed so they may both reioyce together Object 2 Object 2. But the Prophets speake of the resurrection darkely and in figurative speeches onely Answer Not onely but oftentimes so as they cannot be otherwayes meant And though they use figurative speeches yet no figure is taken but from somewhat that is properly and truely such Moreover the words are often such as admit no other meaning as in Iohn 5.28 29. The houre is comming in which all that are in the graves shall come foorth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done ill unto the resurrection of condemnation Object 3 Obiect 3. If the same body shall rise againe of the same shape and lineaments some shall be whole men some maimed some halting blind c. Answer The qualities of the bodies shall be changed the substance shall not be lost For as it is against the justice of God that one substance should doe that which is pleasing to Him and another be rewarded therefore So if all teares shall be wiped away then also all cause of teares all hurts wants and deformity both of body and soule So that as the same body shall be returned to the same soule so shall it returne intire and whole Object But if the use of the members cease why are the members needfull Ans Though the naturall body shall be made spirituall and thereby be delivered from the necessities of those things to the use of which wee are now tyed as of foode clothes c. and so the members freed from their offices yet are they not therefore unnecessary For the tribunall of Christ requires a perfect man that he may receive in his body according to that which he hath done in his body Moreover for the perfection of beauty and glory the body must be intire the integrity of which stands not in the offices of the members but in their substance Neither yet shall all the offices of every member cease for the instruments of the voyce shall still serve for praise to God as this Father thinketh The objections which Thomas Aquinas brings from naturall doubts are of no force against the reasons which we have brought from the light of grace and knowledge of the Scriptures For it is yeelded that the resurrection of the body is beyond all the power of naturall causes to effect but that it is onely of the will and power of God as to make man at the first so to restore him againe out of his former principles into which he was resolved But that you may see how weake naturall reason is compared with the trueth of God and on what wretched hopes the Atheist depends which trusts that his sinnes shall never be brought to judgement I will propose the reasons and answeres as they stand Object 4 Object 4. That which is corrupted cannot be made the same againe as a naturall habit of the body or mind being deprived cannot be restored Answer The impossibilities of nature cannot limit that power which created nature especially in the resurrection of the body wherein the Author of nature hath professed that He can and hath promised that He will raise it up againe as you read before Object 5 Object 5. But the essentiall principles being lost it is impossible that the same thing in number should be restored Answer The essentiall principles in man are soule and body which being restored each to other in the perfection of them both nothing which is concomitant whether it be property or necessary accident can be wanting and that both these remaine in the state of being and consequently in the possibility of being brought together againe you may see Chap. 17. § 4. N. 5. Object 6 Object 6. Corruption is a change from being unto not being Therefore it is impossible that the being of man being corrupted the same being in number should be restored Answer This is in effect one with the former And it is true that the totall is destroyed in man by the separation of the parts But neither of the parts doe come to nothing but are in the hand of that power to bee conjoyned againe by which they were conjoyned at first Object 7 Object 7. If whatsoever hath beene essentiall to the body of man must in the resurrection be restored unto him then this bodily proportion shall be very uncomely in as much as the haire the nailes and whatsoever else is wasted away by the force of naturall heat were once as essentially of the body as that was which he carryed with him to the grave See the first supply to Logicke question 66. Answer As it was said before that whatsoever was wanting in the body should be made up So understand on the contrary that superfluities and deformities shall be taken away and that every one shall rise againe in that perfection which is peculiar to man-kind Object 8 Object 8. That which is common to all of any kind seemes naturall to the species But there is not any common virtue of any naturall agent to worke this Therefore it seemes that all men shall not rise againe Answer The resurrection of the dead is not by any naturall cause but it depends onely on the power of God to whose justice every man must give an account of his owne workes Object 9 Object 9. Death is the effect of sinne from both which wee are fâ—eed onely by the death of Christ Therefore it seemes that all shall not rise againe but they onely that are partakers of the merit of His death Answer It is true that such onely shall rise to eternall life the rest for justice unto judgement And because death is the wracke of nature in all men and the worke of the devill and that our Lord came to repaire nature and utterly to destroy the workes of the devill Therefore that it may appeare that Hee hath perfectly finished that for which He came all men must rise againe Object 10 Object 10. The last objection seemes a mighty one above the rest That if all men must rise againe perfect what shall become of the Canibals who have eaten one another nay if any of these Canibals eate onely mans flesh and beget children seeing their seed as their wisedome affirmes is onely the superfluity of the nourishment before it be conuerted into the substance of the fathers body here is the knot of Gordius who hath most right to this seed whether the sonne whose body was made of it or the father or he from whose body it was devoured by
had brought in death it was a mercy that all those enemies of life which accompanied death should shew themselues that man miâ—ht daiâ—y be put in mind of his mortalitie and returne unto H m whom he had offended Now if you shall aske from whence this change of estates from immortality to mortality did succeed in man I thinke even from hence that the pure soule the image of God dwelling in the body which was framed of the bodily creature which was yet pure and not subiected to the curse had power to sustaine the body in that perfect estate wherein it was created and sâ— should have preserved it for ever if it had held that dignitie which it had and hearkened onely to the ordinance of God and had reigned over the bodily affections and desires as it ought and had power to doe But when the soule would forsake God the guide thereof and that dignitie which it had naturally over the body and follow the lusts and appetites thereof and for that treason against God lost the power and strength which it had to support the body and moreover must seeke sustenance for the body out of the creature now accursed and deprived of her first strength it was impossible but that according to the curse corruption diseases and death should follow thereupon Yet seeing the merit of Chri t is so ful of satisfactioÌ„ to the justice of God and He so powerfull to restore all the decay of nature and to destroy all the wrack and mischiefe which the devill hath brought thereinto wee may firmely beleeve as we professe in this Article that wee shall at last be brought to the eâ—â—oying of everlasting life better than that to which wee were at first created 1. For although by the craft of the devill sinne entered into the world and death by sinne passed over all man-kind yet seeing man was made immortall and that neither the end which God purposed nor yet the infinite merit of the death of Christ can bee in vaine it is impossible but that man-kind at last should be brought to eternall life 2. The infinite goodnesse of God is the reason and the cause that he is good to all and that His mercy is over all His workes Psal 145.9 Therefore there is an eternall life reserved for man the most excellent of the visible creature and the will of man above all other things desires an eternall life in glory and happinesse according to His promises But if no such eternall life shall bee then the action of God toward His creature shall be in litlenesse and defect neither shall he fulfill the desire of them that feare Him So also the will of man should more desire the accomplishment of the divine goodnes upon the creature than the will of God should desire the accomplishment of it selfe But these things are impossible therefore there shall bee an eternall life in glory and happinesse 3. Virtue and the ready service of man unto God is that thing wherewith God in man is most delighted and which He hath commanded as it is said Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 11.44 and the desire of this holinesse is found in them especially that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and hate their sinnes whereby they displease Him But this seruice of man to God hath not hitherto beene duely performed by any living among the sonnes of men neither can be performed both in body and soule by the dead Therefore it shall be performed in the life that is to come wherein both Gods will and the desires of His shall bee fulfilled See Matth. 5.6 4. If there shal be an eternal life for man then man shall receive of the divine goodnesse and power a power whereby he may both bee and doe those things whereto the divine goodnesse and wisedome hath appointed him But if there be no life eternall then the end of mans creation should be onely to privation and not being But it were better never to have beene than after all the miseries of this life in the end to returne to an everlasting not being For so the effect that is man-kind should no way be answerable to the cause nor yet be any proofe or manifestation oâ— that goodnesse infinity eternitie and power by which it was made But this is impossible and against the conditions both of the prime cause and the infinitie of the dignities thereof Object But you will say that this reason doth no mâ—re prove that there is an eternall life for man than for beasts and other of the creatures which also ought to continue for the proofe of that wisedome and almightynesse of their cause Answere There is a difference betweene the end and those things which are for the end Man is the end of all the visible creature and therefore it followes that all those things are to bee in man as in the end so far forth as they can be worke or be glorified in Him And from hence also it followeth that man must bee for ever lest all these things which were for him should returne to nothing with him and the image of that infinite goodnesse and wisedome by which they were made should come to nothing eternally Therefore though they shall be in man as the idéa of them all yet not in their severall or distinct beings beside man 5. No naturall desire of the creature which is implanted in every individuall of every kind can bee in vaine because it is implanted therein by a superiour power which cannot bee frustrate But it is implanted in all men naturally both to desire and to hope for eternall life Therefore there shal be an eternall life For if after the resurrection man should not live for ever then there should be in God a will to raise him to life contrary to his will that hee should live for ever So His being should not be simple and one but this is impossible as it was proved Chap. 9. § 6. 6. The more powerfull that any cause is the more manifestly doth the likenesse thereof appeare in the effect And sith God is the first and chiefe cause of all and that the likenesse of man His worke shall be greater in his perpetuall welâ—-being than in not being at all therefore there shall bee an eternall life wherein the greatest likenesse of the effect to the cause shall be perfected that man may live in eternall Righteousnesse Wisedome and Glory Otherwise the infinite justice might seeme defective in reward and punishment if both good and bad should perish alike Moreover the word whereby the punishment was inflicted was neither so generall nor so without exception but that there was grace reserved And now lest he take of the tree of life and live for ever in his sin therefore the Lord God sent him forth of the garden of Eden the type of eternall happinesse till he had tasted of death the punishment of his sinne then should hee live for ever in joy 7. And these
and should ransack the treasuries of the Cabalists remembring that place of our Saviour Mat. 5.18 One jod or tittle of the Law shall not passe till all be fulfilled and should examine the question by the letters and pricks of the Scripture wee should more easily find an enterance then an end thereto Yet for a taste take onely the first three words of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bereshith bara â—elohim which may not unfitly be thus turned In the beginning they the mighty God created And of that againe take the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bereshith and see what it may signifie by that part of the Cabala which they call Notariacon ב b. the first letter of bâ—n signifieth the Sonne ר r. the first of ruach signifies the Holâ— Ghoâ—t × a. the beginning of av is the Father ש â— the 〈◊〉 of Sabbath importeth rest ר i. the beginning of the inâ—ffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not there onely but even of it selfe it imâ—orts the Deitie For wee consider of things not obuious to oâ—r sâ—nces and understanding as if they were not and therefore thi◠〈◊〉 of all the letters neerest unto nothing doth signifie God â—â— the first of Ta. or Thom. is construed a Closet or a Dâ—pth Which construction if you put together according to the rules of that excellent Grammar of Divinitie with reference to that â—hich followes may import thus much The Word the Spirit and the Father resting eternally in the Closet or unconceiveable â—bysse or as Paul calls it the inaccessible light of the infinite Deitie manifested their almighty power in creating the heaven and the earth Neither is it without a great mysterie that the Sonne is here put in the first place for In the beginning was the Word because the chiefe honour both of the Creation and restauration of the world is given unto Christ as the Apostle doth comment upon this text Coloss 1. And in another place In Him is all the treasure both of the wisedome and knowledge of God As Psal 104. v. 24. In Wisedome hast thou made them all For in Christ were all things together one infinite wisedome till in the Creation he made them severall according to their distinct Idea's Therefore saith the Apostle He sustaineth every thing by His powerfull Word that is the Son and elsewhere In Him Christ wee live and move after the Creation and have our Being before the Creation And for this cause doth Iohn begin the law of mercie and grace in the very same words wherewith Moses began the law of Iustice and condemnation In the beginning For wee know nothing of God neither of Iustice nor of Mercie c. but onely by Christ as he saith No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Sonne will reveile Him And in another place No man cometh to the Father but by mee Now the Holy-Ghost is put in the second place because He is the mutuall love of the Father and the Sonne and as I may say the instrument of their actions both immanent and transient Goe forward now if you will to the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bara you see it affords the same argument for the Tri-Vnitie by the three letters before explained and the number which is the singular Thinke not this a fancie neither reproach the divine Cabala as the ignorant Sophisters use to doe not knowing how above all other knowledges it doth aduance a mans meditation on high And to the present purpose they which know any thing in the holy language know that this sentence can no way agree in Grammaticall construction unlesse the singular verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barà be thus made plural that it may have concordance with the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim And that these three persons are in the unity of their Being one may appeare by that which is Chap. 2. v. 4. where the name of their essence Iehovah is joyned to Elohim as if you would say the Gods Iehovah made the earth and the heavens You will aske why these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b.r.a. are twice put seeing in this precisenesse no such superfluitie should have needed I tell you that it is not done but to intimate unto us a most high mysterie For in the first place it imports that Eternall and Infinite Being of the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost which they had before the worlds in their endlesse glory and felicity in that silence of the Deitie in that super-supreame Entity which is unto the Godhead perfect above perfection without any respect unto the creature It imports that Infinity that Eternity that Power that Wisedome which is above all things and gives unto it selfe to be such as it is that Nothing as the divine Areopagite seemes to speake which is before and aboue all things that may be spoken or thought without any respect of any emanation or effluence whatsoever And therefore followes that letter of rest ש that of unity ×™ and that of perfection ת Now in the second place it signifies the Deitie as exercised in the creature and therefore followes that Epithete Elohim which shewes that emanation of Power or Strength and is sometimes given unto the creatures Angels and men It were an endlesse thing to speake that of these mysteries which may be spokeÌ„ neither can I For the Law of the Lord is perfect and man is full of weaknes I have said so much as I thinke meete concerning the Tri-unitie Now a word to that point that Christ is God which although it appeare sufficiently in the Tri-unity before prooved by this anagogical doctrine yet to that second person in particular is that which followeth Esay 7.14 it is said of Christ that His Name should be called Immanuel but in the history of the Gospel in Matthew and Luke both before His Conception and at His Circumcision He is called Iesus It is therefore meete that you know how Iesus is Immanuel or God with us The writing of the Name of IESVS is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ihsuh though according to the rules of the pronunciation of that tongue Iesu and according to the ancient abbreviation following the Hebrew orthography IHS In which Name you see are all the letters of the greatest ineffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah with the interposition of that letter of rest ש s. for then was God reconciled to the world then was everlasting righteousnesse brought in when the Word became flesh This is that glorious Name of which God spake by the Prophet Behold I will make my Name new in the earth For you see how of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is IESVS This is that Name which is meet for the Sonne of God alone and cannot be given to any creature because it is a Name of the Deitie as it is Heb. 1. It is that Name which is above all names in which