the wife of Lapidoth who judged Israel Num. 11.25 Judg. 4.4 Judg. 6.8 And one more of whom mention is made Judg. 6. In the daies of Eli the high priest the word of the Lord was pretious there was no open vision and then the Lord spake unto Samuel and appeared again in Shiloh where the Tabernacle and the Ark at that time were and revealed himselfe unto him And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew 1 Sam. 3.20 21. that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. But Samuel taught the art of prophesying by the appointment of God for which cause many had recourse unto him and by him were taught to prophesie 1 Sam. 19.20 2 King 2.3 5. so that from that time forth there were not only prophets in Israel but houses and Seminaries of the Prophets at Naioh at Bethel at Jericho and so wonderfully were the sons of the prophets multiplyed that their Seminaries or Colledges became in time too strait and little for them 2 King 6.1 Among whom were most famous the Prophets Gad Nathan Asaph Iduthum Ahias Samaias Jad Azarias Hanani Jehu Jaziel Eliezer Zecharias in the raign of Uzziah whose prophesies and predictions were not written and if written not extant But above all 1 King 17.14 1 King 18.38 2 King 1.10.12 1 King 17.1 2 King 2.11 2 King 4.34 2 King 13.21 2 King 6.17 the prophet Elijah who continued the oyl from wasting in the cruse brought down fire three times from heaven carried the rain in his tongue raised the dead and was carried up into heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a whirle-wind of fire saith S Epiphanius And Elisha upon whom rested a double portion of the spirit of Elijah who raised two from the dead one while he lived and another by his dead bones multiplyed the widows oyl to fill up all the vessels to the brim and brought horses and horsemen and Chariots of fire from heaven for the defence of Israel saith Justine Martyr or whosoever else is the Author of those questions and answers ad Orthodox 85. Prophets whose writings are extant and received in the Church as authenticall are the Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Ezechiel and Daniel who are called the greater Prophets because they wrote the greater volume Also the Prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micha Nahum Habbakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah the son of Barachiah and Malachi who are called the lesser Prophets because they wrote the lesser books All these testified of Christ and preached the redemption of mankind by him as the Apostle St. Peter sheweth in the Acts of the Apostles Act 3 18 21 22 24. Mal. 3.1 S. Mar. 1.2 S. Joh. 1.29 cap. 3. Now Malachi was the last of all the Prophets and by the spirit of prophesie he foretold the coming of St. John the Baptist a messenger sent immediately before Christ to prepare his way by his preaching and by his baptism and to point him out saying Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world So that from Malachi to St John the Baptist St. John the Baptist they had no Prophet But St. John the Baptist was a Prophet â—uc 1.17 and more then a Prophet he was a Prophet for the spirit and power of Elias was upon him He was more then a Prophet for he was an Apostle too extraordinarly called and sent forth by Christ to preach and to baptize to prepare his way and to point him out He was of greater holiness then any that were before him for though the Prophet Jeremiah were sanctified in his mothers wombe Jer. 1.5 S. Luk. 1.15 yet St. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers wombe He received greater grace then any that were before him for the mysterie of the blessed Trinity was never so plainly revealed unto any as unto him in that he baptized Christ saw the Holy Ghost descend upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove and heard the sweet voice of the Father from heaven saying S. Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Here the Reader may please to take notice that God in time past was pleased to be consulted with How God was consulted with and to give answers to his people the Jewes in four divers manners First by Oracle for so long as the Tabernacle and the first Temple were standing they came unto the Oracle that is to say to the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was and the propitiatory or mercy seat thereupon covered aloft with the wings of Cherubims and although they might not enter in yet they stood before it without the vaile and enquired and God answered by voyce for they heard the voyce of one speaking unto them from off the mercy-seat that was upon the Ark of the testimony from between the two Cherubims Exo. 25.22 Num. 7.89 But the second Temple had not the Ark and Oracle as the Talmudists do say but only that stone and censer of which mention hath been made before notwithstanding they talk of answers by Bath-kol which was that sometimes there came a small still voyce from heaven such a voyce as St. John the Baptist did hear after that Christ was baptized S. Mat. 3.17 such as the Disciples heard at the transfiguration of Christ Which voyce came unto him as the Apostle St. Peter saith from the excellent glory S. Mat. 17.5 2 Pet. 1.17 And which Bath-kol or small still voyce the people once heard but knew not what it was 2ly By his Prophets before time in Israel S. Joh. 12.28 29. when a man went to enquire of God thus he spake Come and let us go to the seer for he that is now called a Prophet was before time called a seer Neither did they diffide the answers which the Prophets of the Lord should give For when king Ahab consulted with his false Prophets 1 Sam. 9.9 about the expedition that he intended to make unto Ramoth Gilead and was counselled by them as from God to undertake it king Jehosaphat not satisfied with their answer required to know what God would have to be done by the mouth of one of his own Prophets Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might enquire of him saith he But these Prophets ceased after the return of the people from Babylon and were not under the second Temple the Prophet Malachi being the last as was intimated before 3ly By the Priest that is to say by the high Priest who when he asked counsell of God had on his Ephod or superhumerall and the Rationall or breast-plate of judgement wherein was the Urim and Thummim a mute Oracle placed within the duplicate over against his heart whereby when he enquired he understood the will of God But how that is not known because it is not revealed in the Scriptures what the Urim and Thummim were But
down into the place of the damned really and by locall motion so that he descended not onely by effect and virtue but by actuall descent the divinity being also present therewith by the hypostaticall union Which thing is no less no otherwise nor by any other faith to be believed but in the same measure in the same manner and by the same faith by which we believe his death and buriall For saith the Church of England As Christ dyed for us and was buried so also is it to be believed that he went down into hell Art 3. It is to be believ'd because it was predicted and foretold by the spirit of prophecie in the old Testament Thou wilt not leave my soule in hell It is to be believed because it was typed by Sampson and by Jonah the prophet It is to be believed because it pertained to his triumph over principalities and powers Psal 16.10 Jud. 16.3 Jon. 1.17 to spoile them utterly of all that they had and to enter as a conqueror into their strong city there to triumph over them and to spoile them of that dominion which they had there seeing that he was made not in his divinity for that he was before but in his humanity wherein he was crucified and wherein he conquered Lord of hell and of all infernall things It is to be believed because Saint Peter saith expresly That he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometimes were disobedient 1 Pet. 3.19 when once the long sufferings of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water 20. He sealed up their just condemnation for their incredulity by exhibiting himself there who would not believe in him the seed of the woman who should break the Serpents head whom Noah had preached unto them that they might be saved Finally it is to be believed because this Creed and all other creeds are to be understood onely in the literall sense and without tautalogies which while some have not observed they have been put to miserable shifts and have thereby fallen into divers errours while some by hell understand the grave others those sufferings wherewith his soul was afflicted upon the cross others his captivity in the grave whereby his body lay in bondage under death till the third day some have flatly denyed the article it self and have not spared to style it a fiction some think the Creed to be corrupted and that the words in time got in by negligence Some have translated hell to the garden of Gethsemane and to mount Calvary and said that there he descended into hell both in soule and body by his sufferings in both and that he suffered there the torments of hell rejection desperation the second death Some also do describe as perfectly as if they had been there and do say that in hell there be four receptacles the one where the souls of the righteous Fathers who departed this life before the comming of Christ in the flesh and before his death were kept and thither went the soul of Christ say they by actual reality and brought them out from thence and this they call limbus patrum Another receptacle they say there is where the soules of penitent Christians are kept which have not been perfectly cleansed from the blemish of sinne in this life and this they call Purgatory A third wherein are kept the soules of children departing this life before baptisme which they call limbus puerorum or infantium And the fourth into which the damned are sent to suffer eternally by a double penalty of the loss and of the sense And this they call the hell of the damned into which if we will believe them Christ descended not by actuall reality as neither did he into purgatory and the limbus puerorum but only by a virtuall and operative descent But the Creed having told us what became of his body after death and that he was buried doth likewise tell us what his soul did after it was departed from his body and that he descended into hell so that his descending into hell did not pertain to his humiliation but to his glorification inchoated and begun which was manifested by his glorious resurrection whereby he was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 as Saint Paul saith but was fully consummated by his ascension into heaven When the third day was come after that his soul had done all those things in the heavenly paradise The history of Christ his blessed resurrection and in hell which he in his soul by divine dispensation was first to do and after that his blessed body had rested in the grave about the space of thirty six or thirty eight hours from the friday at what time he was laid into his sepulchre by Joseph of Arimathea and Nichodemus before the sun went down to the morning of the first day of the week to the end that he might fulfill the types and prophecies of the scripture Gen. 22. Gen. 41. Jon. 2. 3. S. Mat. 16.21 and also his Evangelicall word whereby he had promised his resurrection upon that day And that his Church in all her members might know and believe that he had fully conquered and subdued death And that he might fully manifest himselfe to be the Son of God S. Joh. 10.17 18. and Lord of life and that he dyed not by compulsion but of his own free will And to the end that he might make a gracious and effectuall application of his obedience and of his sufferings and of his death to all true believers by ascending into heaven Heb. 9.24 Rom. 8.34 S. Joh. 2.1 2. to appear in the presence of God and to make intercession for them and to be their advocate with the Father Upon all these respects and for all these great waighty causes he delayed no time but early in the morning somewhat before day and to that end that he might with all speed comfort his sorrowfull Disciples who as yet believed not that he would rise againe by his own power and virtue S. Joh. 20.9 he arose from the dead and went out of the sepulchre leaving behind him the linnen clothes and the napkin wrapped together in a place by it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stone which was rolled S. Jo. 20.6 7. yet remaining upon the door of the sepulchre Theoph. in Mat. 28. Then was there a great earthquake S. Mat. 28.2 for the Angell of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sate upon it His countenance was like lightning 3 and his raiment white as snow And for feare of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men Such was the cause of the earthquake 4. and of the comming of the Angell It was not to role back the stone to the end that his body might come forth
his return being known the life of the young child might be sought for but by divine admonition turned aside into the parts of Galilee and dwelt in Nazareth and so was fulfilled the prediction of the Prophets but what Prophets we have not to say Isa 11.1 60 21. Zech. 3.8 6.12 for though both the Prophets Isaiah and Zechariah do style him Netzer a branch yet none of all the Prophets which we now have doe style him a Nazarene doubtless some of those Prophets whose prophesies are not come to our hands who had said that he should be called a Nazarene But when Herod was dead behold an Angell of the Lord appeared in a dream to Ioseph in Egypt S. Mat. 2.19 saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and go into the land of Israel for they are dead which sought the young childes life 20 And he arose and tooke the young childe and his mother and came into the land of Israel But when he heard that Archelaus did raigne in Iudea 21 in the roome of his father Herod he was afraid to go thither Notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth 22 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets 23. He shall be called a Nazarene Being returned out of Egypt and brought to Nazareth there to inhabit with his parents Christ grew the childe Jesus grew having been nourished it seemes before by his mothers milk as other children in their infancy S. Luc. 11 27 and more especially as Isaac was who was a type of Christ Gen. 21.7 he was in time convenient taken from his mothers breasts and accustomed to stronger meats as the prophet Isaias before had prophesyed Butter and hony shall he eat Isa 7.15 As if he should say The ordinary food of the land for the land Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey Exod. 3.8 Being so fed and nourished in his infancy and in his childehood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he grew aetate corporis quantitate saith Stella in age and in quantity of body quatenus homo as being man the solid parts of his body as he grew in age were ampliated in longitude latitude and profundity This will prove the verity of his body therefore his flesh was not fantasticall nor made of the stars and celestiall bodies it was humane flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He waxed strong in spirit his soul as he grew in body did more and more exert and manifest the powers and faculties of the same therefore he had a soule not the divinity in stead of a soule nor a soul converted into flesh nor yet mixed and mingled with his divinity but a distinct soul a reasonable soul He was true man consisting of body and soul for he was filled with all wisdome therefore with acquisite or experimentall wisdom whereby nothing was wanting to him which might conduce to the perfection of the humane nature And the grace of God was upon him for all his words and actions were gracious no inordinate childish mirth or foolish pastimes were seen in him by all that he said by all that he did every man had to observe the grace of God If he had no liberall education and at the schooles S. Joh. 7.15 for he needed not to be taught by man according to that which is objected St Joh. 7.15 How knoweth this man letters having never learned Yet no question but he had religious education by his parents which he accepted by divine dispensation who instructed him privately and at home in the mysteries of religion Christ brought up to Hierusalem when he was twelve years old brought him unto the Synagogues upon the Sabbath-daies and when he was twelve years old they brought him up to Hierusalem to the temple to the end that he might behold the worship of God in his Sanctuary that he might worship in that place which God had chosen to put his name there that he might hear the learned doctrines and expositions of the Scribes who taught and expounded the law that he might bring his gift unto God according as it was required by the law and finally that he might manifest his obedience to the law which required that all the males should appear before the Lord ter in anno thrice every year According to which law Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God Joseph peradventure Exod. 23.17 S. Mat. 1.19 Phil. 3.6 who was a just man and as Saint Paul saith of himselfe touching the righteousnesse which is in the law blamelesse after his return out of Egypt and when he dwelt in Nazareth went up to Hierusalem three times a year Although they say that there was an indulgence granted to them that dwelt more remotely and that it was sufficient for them if they went up once a year at the feast of the Passeover from which none might be excused but only by invalidity of body The law concerned Joseph not the blessed virgin Saint Mary Omne masculinum tuum all thy males The Evangelist therefore doth commend the piety and fervent zeal of the blessed virgin in that she also took the paines to go up to Hierusalem with Joseph her husband at the feast of the passeover sixty foure miles whereas by the law she might have stayed at home Christ being twelve years old went up with his parents for the causes before expressed Why Christ went up to Hierusalem being twelve years old Whether he had been there before or not the Evangelist doth not determine I do rather think that he had not been brought up before for fear of Archelaus and that this was the first time that he came up from Nazareth to Hierusalem his parents who before were afraid to return vvith him to Bethlehem because they heard that Archelaus did raigne in Judea being then confident to bring him up thither because they heard that Archelaus had now lost his Ethnarchie being also exiled to Vienna in France When the solemnity of the feast was ended his parents departed but Jesus himselfe tarried behinde in Hierusalem He tarried behinde that he might be about the businesse of his heavenly Father in yielding obedience to his divine will and that by hearing of the Doctours and asking them questions he might manifest his divine wisdome for the honour of God shew the zeal of Gods glory which he had even in his childhood and give example unto others And it was not without mystery that he would be pleased so to do being twelve years old for it was he that would send forth his twelve Apostles to preach his Gospell all the world over Again the age of twelve years saith Stella is intelligendi percipiendi aetas the age or time wherein children come to a ripe understanding or perception therefore not before because he
the vote of the Scribes and said even as they did This fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub the prince of Devils Hereupon others of their consorts S. Mat. 12.24 seeing that the Scribes and Pharisees had condemned this signe to be from hell tempted him and sought of him a signe from heaven They would have had him peradventure as St. Hierome also saith to have brought fire from heaven as Elijah did 2 King 1.10 1 Sam. 12.18 or to have caused it suddainly to thunder and rain as the prophet Samuel did But he apologizeth and recriminateth By the apologie he maintaineth his divine power whereby that and all other his divine miracles were effected By the recrimination he convicteth them of that irremissible sin which is against the holy Ghost The Scribes and Pharisees convinced of the irremissible sin in that they saw and knew his divine power in the works which he did and yet blasphemed The apologie is grounded upon two arguments whereof the first is taken from the absurdity of the consequence as if he should say how irrationall is this How doth Sathan cast out Sathan is his kingdom divided or doth he himself seek the ruine of his own kingdom or must it not needs be so if he will cast himself out where he hath once gotten quiet possession This is true of every kingdom S. Mat. 12.25 26 27 28. S. Mar. 3.23 24 25 26. S. Luc. 11.17 18 19 20. and of every house therefore of Sathans kingdom and of Sathans house how then do I by Sathan cast out Devills or by whom doe your children cast them out The second is taken from the manner of ejection which is the necessity of the consequence How can I cast out Sathan against his will were I not stronger then he can any man enter into a strong mans house and spoil his goods if he be not stronger then that strong man first to bind him and then to spoil his goods If I therefore have entred into Sathans house If I have bound him S Mat. 12.29 30. S Mar. 3.27 S Luc. 11.21 22 23. S Mat. 12.31 32. S Mar. 3.28 29 30. The irremissible sin against the holy Ghost if I have cast him quite out of his house and despoyled him of his goods as you may see in this demoniak am I not then stronger then Sathan And if stronger then Sathan who else but God and the son of God The recrimination followeth and is this therefore you Scribes and Pharisees because you have said that I have an unclean spirit and do cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils have sinned against the Holy Ghost to your own damnation The irremissible sin therefore is not blasphemy against the nature or person of the holy Ghost if a man shall deny that there is an holy Ghost or third person as did the Photinians or if he shall deny him to be God or more then a creature as did the Macedonians Quid ergo fiet de his quos lucrari cupit ecclesia saith St. Augustine What shall then become of those whom the Church desireth to acquire De verb. Dom. Ser. 11. cap. 4. The Church desireth to gaine and hath gained such But that irremissible sin is blasphemy against the works of the holy Ghost and is when he that is illuminated shall against his own knowledge and conscience slander and blaspheme the holy Ghost in his works by a malicious obtrectation by a wilfull repudiation and by an envious persecution of those that work them So the Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed the holy Ghost by affirming those works to be done by Beelzebub which they saw and knew to be done by the finger of God and by persecuting Christ for his works sake Saint Matthew and St. Luke proceed in the recrimination and both of them do say S Mat. 12.39 40. S Luc. 11.29 30. The signe of the Prophet Ionah that he denyed them a signe from heaven that is to say such a signe and in such a manner as they desired But yet promised the signe of the Prophet Ionas by the resurrection of his body upon the third day Indeed Jonah was an excellent type of the resurrection of Christ and of his resurrection upon the third day For like as Jonah for three dayes was in the Whales belly and during that time no better then dead but then the fish could hold him no longer for then the Lord spake unto the fish Jon. 2.10 and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land And Jonah is sent a Prophet to preach to Nineveh that they should repent Piscis qui Ionam devoravit in pelago significat mortem quam Christus passus est in mundo saith one of the Fathers The fish which devoured Jonah in the sea signifieth the death which Christ suffered in the world For even so was Christ in the grave as Jonah in the Whales belly till the third day but then the earth could hold him no longer God speaks unto the grave and the grave must surrender his blessed body and he ariseth and preacheth to the Ninevites for he sendeth his Apostles with ample commission Rom. 10.18 And their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world In amplifying of which recrimination while he insisteth more sharply he telleth them that the Queene of the south and the Ninevites shall rise up in judgement against them for their unbelief and hardness of heart to their condemnation S Mat. 12.43 44 45. S. Luc. 11.24 25 26. which he affirmeth to be just for as much as the Devill whom he would cast out of the world by the power of his Gospell should in a worse manner than ever enter again into their nation And as he insisted upon these things a certain woman that heard him and was in the company be it Marcella or whosoever it were Blessedness of Christs mother cryed out as in a divine rapture Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Indeed the wombe was blessed the paps were blessed the body was blessed the soul was blessed S. Luc. 1.48 yea and all generations shall call her blessed but that blessedness came not to her by bearing of Christ but by believing in Christ S. Luc. 11.28 and therefore he replyeth saying yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keep it So having pronounced his mother blessed blessed in bearing more blessed in believing she together with his brethren arriveth there S. Luc. 8.19 desiring to speak with him and because they could not come at him for the preass they sent unto him calling him as Saint Mark saith The cause of her comming to Christ as he was preaching No doubt but the cause of their comming was good and as they thought at that time necessary peradventure to perswade him to take some pitty upon himselfe considering his long fasting and continuall pains which also