appearing of the Glory of the Mighty God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ who shall come from the highest Heavens accompanied with an exceeding great Host of mighty Angels and Souls of righteous men Heb. 12.22 1 Cor. 6.1 2. Thirdly Then shall be heard the sound of a Trumpet a wonderful piercing and long continuing sound summoning all Men and Angels unto Judgment Fourthly The good Angels shall gather all Nations and bring all unto the place of Judgement all I say the living and the dead for the very dead shall first be called out of their Graves and they shall come cloathed with their own bodies 1 Thess 4.16 2 Thess 4.16 2 Tim. 4.10 And with them shall appear all that be alive changed in a moment in the twinckling of an eye and corruptible bodies shall become incorruptible natural shall be turned into spiritual living immediately by the vertue and Power of God And the bodies of the Saints shall be like the glorious Body of Christ shining as the Sun Matth. 13.43 And the Wicked shall be full of shame and dishonour Dan. 12.2 The evil Angels also they are reserved for the Judgement of the great day Jude 6. And then Antichrist the Son of Perdition shall appear in his colours who shall be consumed and wasted continually by the Spirit of Christ preaching in the Gospel but his final abolishing and perdition shall be at the glorious Coming of Christ 2 Thess 7.8 Fifthly Then shall Christ sit in his Throne of Judgement Note as the Evangelists speak Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory Matth. 25.31 and this Throne shall be like a flame of fire Dan. 7.9 So that the Wicked shall desire the Mountains to cover them from the sight of it Sixthly This done the Lord wall make separation between the Elect and the Reprobate as he doth here on Earth in the Church make separation between the Precious and the Vile by the fame of his Gospel preached Confer Mat. 3. Jer. 15. So will he by his own immediate Voice and Ministry of his Angels make a final separation in that day between the one and the other The Sheep which heard his Voice and testified their Faith by their innocency like Lambs they shall stand on his right hand They which contrarily testifie their Unbelief by their lasciviousness and lusts like Goates Ezek. 34.18 shall be set on his left hand Seventhly Every man's particular cause shall be tryed before this Judge by the Evidence which his Works shall give with him or against him 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every man may receive the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or evil Here the better to assure us of the truth and certainty of the Lord 's proceeding and of his particularizing of all things in this action the Holy Ghost tells us that the Lord hath as it were Books of Record to manifest all and every Work of Man and his Books be Three in Number First His Book of Providence which is the knowledge of all particular things past present and to come Psal 136.16 Secondly His Book of Judgement which is divided as it were into two parts First His Prescience or knowing every thing far more evidently than we know any thing recorded ii a Book before our eyes Secondly The second part of the Book of Judgement is the Conscience of every man standing before him which shall then be so qualified by the great Power of God that it shall be able to record and testifie so much of all his particulars as shall serve to testifie his Faith and Justification by Christ or his most just Condemnation without Christ The third Book is The Book of Life which is the Eternal Decree of God concerning the Salvation of all Believers by Christ whose Names be written in this Book that they being as God's precious Pearls of this Book Isa 4.3 Exod. 32.32 and of this distinction of Books Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works And after that men's Works are made manifest by these Books then must they be tryed whether they be good or evil the Gentiles and Jews that never heard of Christ by the Law of Nature which shall prove them inexcuseable Rom. 2.12 16. The rest that have heard shall be tryed by the Law and Gospel vers 16. The Word of God shall serve as a Bill of Indictment for the just Condemnation of all such as have contemned the Law and Gospel of Jesus Christ Joh. 12.48 For the Sentence of the Judge in the last day of general Judgment shall be nothing else but a manifestation and declaration of the Sentence pronounced and published before by the Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel touching the Justification and Condemnation of every particular Person Now after the manifestation of all things and that every particular Conscience sees his blessed Justification by Christ or his just Condemnation by Unbelief and for his Works then the Judge shall proceed to his definitive Sentence and this is two-fold The first is pronounced to the Elect in these words Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the World This Sentence is full of affection and love most sweet and most comfortable recommending the free Grace of God their Election their Adoption and Blessedness in Christ and not their Works for the cause of their Salvation and then he addeth the Evidence of their Faith by the works of Mercy which they have done to his Members here on Earth I was hungery and you gave me to eat c. The Answer of the Saints saying When saw we thee an hungry c. argues that they are far from vain glory in their Works or seeking any Justification by them and Christ's last words to them Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my Brethren c. gives us an infailable Argument of God's Child which is not to love because we arc loved again but to love for Christ's sake and the living Members of Christ because we see his Picture and Image in them renewed this is a special Grace of God and of this love speaks David Psal 16. All my delight is in his Saints which are in the Earth 1 Joh 3. The second Sentence pronounced against the Reprobates is Go ye Cursed into Hell fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for I was hungry and you gave me no meat c. In which Sentence are contained a heap of woes present and to come for the present what can be more woful than to see so many admitted into the Kingdom of God and yet themselves shut out and
A Cure for the Cankering Error OF THE New Eutychians Who concerning the Truth have erred SAYING That our blessed Mediator did not take his Flesh of the Virgin Mary neither was he made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh and thereby have overthrown the Faith of some By Thomas Monck Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness c. London Printed for the Author Anno 1673. The Author to the Reader Christian Reader THE matters contended for in this Treatise are on all hands confessed to be very weighty and necessary to our Salvation which in short are these viz. The true knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which to know is life Eternal Now these new Eutychians which here in this Treatise I oppose say That the Divine Nature of Christ which was in the beginning with God and was God Joh. 1.1 2. compared with the 14 verse was made flesh viz. by turning his Divine Nature or Godhead into flesh even at the Water was turned into Wine at Cana Joh. 2.9 which ceased to be Water and became Wine so the Eternal Word viz. God the Creator of Heaven and Earth ceased from being a Creator to become a Creature viz. Man and died for our sins as these men say as you may see in this insuing Discourse Nov this Opinion I call Erronious and Heretical and indeavour to prove it so as also impossible sith God is Immortal and Immutable yea Perfection it self and therefore cannot die nor yet be changed as I have proved in this Treatise Secondly They say in plain words That our blessed Mediator did not take his flesh of the Virgin Mary nor of David and so by Consequence he was not the true Son of David and if so how can we be saved sith all the Promises are Yea and Amen in him that was the true Son of David as the Reader may see in the insuing Discourse which is a consequence of the former Opinion Now albeit some of them that be more subtile begin to bogle and will not speak plainly to this question What the Word was before it was flesh but say they cannot tell We say he was either a Creator or a Creature sith we know no other thing that could die for us and as was said before God the Creator of all things could not die as we believe Therefore if they deny him to be a Creator then we think they must be Arrians or Socinians which two Opinions they say they abhor as false and erroneous but the other part of them say still as they all use to say heretofore That he was of the uncreated substance of his Father their Essence being one but yet they all agree in this That he that was the Eternal Word did not take his Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary as we say he did Now I can assure thee Christian Reader I have had no mind to Dispute much less to Write about these great Mysteries which I humbly believe and adore but the Opposition that these men of late have made against the Truth the great danger that I know some poor Souls have been yet are in concerning these things about God Christ as also the exhortation of the Apostle Jude which bids us earnestly contend for that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints hath ingaged me in this great Work which I confess I am not sufficient for but hope by this to open a door to some abler Pen to inlarge upon and further explain these great Mysteries that so the little children that John bids keep themselves from Idols may know them better than yet I doubt they do Now the principal things I treat of in this Book are these Four First Of the Essence of God Secondly Of the Holy Trinity Thirdly About the Person of Christ Fourthly Of the union of Natures in that one sacred Person As you may see if the Lord open your eyes as he did the two Disciples that were a going to Emmaus and that he may so do is and shall be the Prayer of the Author of this Book to God for thee And because I would be an instrument in the hand of God to keep thee from Heresie or pluck thee out if thou art in it I have thought good to open to thee in some measure the nature of that dâ—â—â—nable sin of Heresie from the words of the Apostle Peter which I will use as a Preface to this Book to the which I refer thee as also to the Book it self for thy satisfaction and shall pray that God would be pleased to make it effectual for the end intended which is Gods Glory and the Salvation of poor Souls and remain Thine To serve in what I may for the Truths sake T. M. October 19. 1672 The Preface 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. But there were false Prophets amongst the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of And through covetousness shall they with fained words make merchandize of you 1. IN these words the holy Apostle shews us That as the Church and People of God in old time had their enemies the false Prophets so the Church of Christ in these last dayes shall have their Adversaries the false Teachers 2. That the work of the false Teachers will be privily to bring in damnable Heresies 3. That the Heresies will be of so destructive and damnable a nature that they which adhere to them will even in so doing deny the Lord that bought them 4. That the false Teachers in bringing in the said damnable Heresies will bring upon themselves swift destruction 5. Such shall be the success of false Teachers That many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of 6. That which shall be the moving Cause to set false Teachers a work shall be Covetousness 7. The Engine or Instrument which they shall use to carry on their work shall be feigned words 8. And lastly The condition that those will be brought into which follow them is no better than slavery they shall make Merchandize of you that you shall as it were be bought and sold into slavery I hope through the good assistance of Jesus Christ to treat of these Eight Particulars briefly as an Introduction to this Treatise First It being the main design of Satan to subvert the Kingdom of God he hath in all Ages used his utmost endeavour so to do He assaulted our first Parents even when they were in innocency and having prevailed so far that the first Covenant hath been
it not a wonder that many should follow those wayes that are so pernicious But it is as St. Paul saith when men receive not the love of the Truth that they might be saved then God in his just Judgment sends them or gives them over to strong delusions that they should believe a Lye 2 Thess 2.10 11. The Apostle tells Titus that there were many unruly and vain talke s and deceivers which it seems had such success that they subverted whole houses viz. turned them from the Faith teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake Tit. 1.9 10. insomuch that all they that were in Asia were turned away from him See 2 Tim. 1.14 15. Yea the Spirit speaks expresly that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4.1 So all the World wondered after the Beast Rev. 13.3 and worshipped the Beast and the image of the Beast and was so inamoured with their Idolaty that they say Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make War with him vers 4. For Sixthly That which is the moving Cause which sets false Teachers on work is Covetousness that which made Balaam so desire to curse the People of God was Covetousness The Apostle tells us he loved the wages of unrighteousness Jude 16. 2 Pet. 2.15 For the love of Money saith St. Paul is the root of all evil which whilst some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows l Tim. 6.10 But Seventhly When the heart is corrupt 't is no wonder if the tongue be false therefore our Apostle tells us That the Engine or Instrument which the false Teachers shall use to carry on their design of beguiling unstable Souls shall be feigned words words of deceit swelling words of vanity see 2 Pet. 2.18 19. So the Apostle Paul tells Titus There are saith he many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses Tit. 1.10 they subvert or turn away the minds of their Hearers from the Truth by false and deceitful words For evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 Therefore Eightly and lastly Let us behold with horror and compassion the sad condition of those miserable Souls that are carried away with the Error of the wicked The false Teachers saith the Text shall make Merchandize of you Is it not a cruel thing to sell a man into slavery How much more cruel is it to sell the Souls of Men and Women into worse slavery and bondage than the Egyptian bondage Better that man had never been born than to be an instrument to bring any Persons into Heresie As those that convert Sinners from the Error of their way shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 Jam. 5. ult So for those that lead them in the way of Heresie is reserved the mist of darkness for ever 2 Pet. 2.17 If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch See Matth. 15.14 False Teachers are unmerciful For as the true Servants of God labour to have the Church of Christ established in the true Faith so the Children of Belial do sell them into Perdition making them as Christ saith twofold more the Child of Hell than themselves see Matth. 23.15 Beloved I will now conclude this Preface by declaring unto you what Heresies I principally oppose in this ensuing Treatise viz. All that oppose the Essence of God the Trinity of Persons and our Lord Jesus Christ and the Union of Natures c. For this is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 CHAP. I. Of the Divine Essence Exod. 3.14 And God said unto Moses I am that I am and he said Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel I am hath sent me unto you I AM viz. I am the only true God truly subsisting and not only through the opinion of men as Idols are I am he that have an everlasting being unchangeable subsisting of it self not depending from others infinite most simple the Author and Cause of the being of all things not a borrowed changeable finite dependent and compound being c. as all the Creatures have Of this mine Essence will I give thee the highest most express and general name of all He that is Which hath remained in use amongst the Hebrews and was then first revealed by God Exod. 6.3 The French Annot. He that is which is the Name that we translate for want of another more proper the Lord God which Name God then newly revealed to Moses Exod. 6.3 See Diodat's Annotations upon the Text. The Essence of God absolutely considered is that one pure and meer act by which God is God Because through the weakness of our understanding we cannot apprehend it in any measure by one act it hath pleased God to give unto himself many Names and Attributes by the help of which we may the better conceive thereof The Divine Attributes are certain essential Properties which God is pleased in Scripture to ascribe or attribute unto himself they are also called the Perfections of God or divine Predications or Titles They are not distinguished from the Essence really but notionally that is They are not distinguished at all in God but only to us-ward according to our manner of conceiving The Perfection of his Nature is either simpleness or the infiniteness thereof The simpleness of his Nature is that by which he is void of all Logical Relation He hath not in him subject or adjunct Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself compared with Joh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in his light as he is light compared with vers 5. God is light and in him is no darkness Hence it is manifested that to have life and to be life to be in light and to be light in God are all one Neither is God subject to generality or speciality whole or parts matter or that which is made of matter for so there should be in God divers things and one more perfect than another Therefore whatsoever is in God is his Essence and all that he is he is by Essence The saying of Augustine in his 6th Book and 4th Chap. of the Trinity is fit to prove this In God saith he to be and to be just or mighty are all one but in the mind of man it is not all one to be and to be mighty or just for the mind may be destitute of these vertues and yet a mind Hence it is manifest That the Nature of God is Immutable and Spiritual God's immutability of Nature is that by which he is void of all composition division and change Jam. 1.17 With God there is no