as possibly he can and consequently that he might by degrees totally eclipse the glory of the Lord Jesus for he hates him with a perfect hatred and utterly frustrate in the end the great work of Redemption From this Forge it is I doubt not to say it that this old Antichristianisme now newly revived concerning the needlesness of the Knowledge and Faith of Christ under the Law hath had its forming and contrivance wherein some of late have exceeded above measure It would be too tedious here to intersert all that is written of this matter in a Book called Theologia Veterum and to give answer thereunto this onely would I know how the Lord Jesus could Quatenus Mediatour be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yesterday If all that is said concerning Justification and Salvation not onely of the Fathers that were of old taken into Covenant with God but of the very Heathen not in and through Jesus Christ but onely by a general knowledge of God the maker of Heaven and Earth be true Doubtless there cannot be truth in both these assertions and if any shall assert Doctrines contrary to the express Word of Scripture whether it is better to hearken to the Holy Ghost or them judge you But I shall leave this matter to their second thoughts who have been too rash in spreading about these Anti-scriptural Paradoxes hoping that those who continue still too pragmatically Active therein will now find Cause to repent them betimes of their errour and retract it Onely I must here add if this Errour be to be repented of how much more that other which is made the ground of it and which doth indeed snatch the Crown off from the head of Christ not suffering him to have any thing to do at all in the salvation of his people from the beginning of the World to the end thereof viz. That God was pleased to make choice not of the Object but the Act of faith The T◠Credere as it is called to be imputed to his people for Justification And what I beseech you doth this signifie but that God was not so well pleased with his Son as with us poor sinful Creatures Or as if it stood with the Wisdom and Justice of God to make choice and accept of that which was imperfect for so is Faith in the strongest Believer considering it in the Act to make sinful man Rectus in Curia righteous in his Sight and to reject that which was most Perfect If this be not to dishonour both the Father and the Son I know not what is But as the Holy Martyr said of old in retam sancta Deliberatio non habet locum When such affronts as these are put upon the Almighty God we must not be mealy-mouthed how dares any man utter such a notorious untruth as this God was not pleased to make choice of the Object of Faith for our Justification If an Angel from Heaven should come and preach this Doctrine we should spit in his face and hold him accursed Can there be any thing in this world dearer to us then this that the Lord is our Righteousness Is not this the foundation of our Comfort here and of our hope that we may lift up our heads with confidence hereafter at the great day of Retribution against all the pleas of the Law and the clamours of the great Accuser of the Brethren what Doctrine is there that the Apostle Saint Paul doth more clearly and more frequently insist upon in all his Epistles then this that It is the Righteousness of Christ and Christ alone that is imputed to us for our Justification Rom. 5.19 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 2.16 1 7 To give some instances Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one that is Christ many shall be made Righteous 1. Cor. 1.30 Christ Jesus is of God made unto us Righteousness 2 Cor. 5.21 We are made the Righteousness of God in him Gal. 2.16 17. Knowing this a man is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ that is by Christ himself as is plain in the Verse next following Yea and the Apostle for himself particularly professeth saying I live not but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 for I live by the faith of the Son of God See how he glorieth in the Object of his Faith as that which is the staff of his Life viz. of his justification in the sight of God without which he confesseth himself to be a dead man True it is Rom. 4.5 that he saith elsewhere viz. Rom. 4.5 Faith is counted for righteousness but that must be understood relatively as faith is fixed upon the object and as the object puts virtue into it otherwise we should make the Apostle to contradict himself and it is very observable that whensoever Saint Paul speaketh of faith in this point of justification he still renders it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is through faith or by faith as implying somewhat that we receive by faith but never thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for faith as if Righteousness were a recompense given unto us for the bare Act of believing Neither is it ever said in an active sense faith justifieth but by faith we are justified that is Passively by a forein Righteousness which by faith as the recipient onely is applied unto us When a beggar puts forth his hand to take an almes from a liberal man should he say mine own hand or the sense of my poverty that made me beg hath releived me in my want and have no regard to the Giver or to the Alms it self whereby his Life is sustained When our Saviour tells his Disciples Mat. 5.14 They were the Light of the World Math. 5.14 Joh. 1.9 did he then deny himself to be that light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Joh. 1.9 A power is given unto Ministers of the Gospel in many places of Scripture such as properly belongeth unto God himself and his Son Jesus Christ As for example the works of Regeneration Conversion Remission of Sins everlasting Salvation what are all these but works far beyond the reach of man or Angel being such as hath been said belong unto God and Christ yet we know all these are by the Gospel ascribed unto Ministers 1 Cor. 4.15 Act. 26.18 Joh 20.23 1 Tim. 4.16 for they are said to beget men unto God as also to convert them opening their eyes turning them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God to remit their Sins yea to save them but now because these things are spoken of Ministers in a way of subserviency unto Jesus Christ will any man be so void of reason therefore as to exclude Christ himself and say not Christ but Ministers do regenerate convert forgive and save those that do believe Yet thus do our adversaries argue in this case because it is said faith is counted for righteousness and we are justified by faith
therefore hath God made choice not of the Object but the Act of faith to be imputed to us for our Justification There is indeed a lenitive cast in to qualifie the sharpness of this corroding and poisonous errour graunting faith not to be the meritorious cause of Justification But why then is the Lord Jesus Christ the Object of our faith so plainly shut out from having any part at all in this matter and why are we told that where it is said we are justified by faith it is not to be taken Tropically and Metonymically for the Object as many Orthodox Writers do interpret it whom I could set in opposition to those that are mustered up for the defense of this Errour if they have at least given that suffrage unto it as is pretended yea and why is such an inference derived from the Apostles frequent magnifying of faith Rom. 4. as to say the Holy Ghost had not bound himself so precisely to those words and syllables viz. of justification by faith if he had not meant to give this Honour unto faith it self but rather to some other thing as it is most uncomely called which faith laieth hold upon Alass alass that any who pretend to have a share in the merits of Christ should in this manner detract from his Glory did the Lord Jesus Christ himself Bear our sins in his own body on the Tree yea become sin for us that his righteousness might be imputed unto us and according to the appointment of his Father be made glorious in our justification and shall not the travel of his Soul be his peculiar satisfaction what is faith it self become false to the justling of Christ out of his Throne whose office it is and ever hath been to advance and promote his Crown and Dignity or rather is not the hand of Joab I meane the malice of the Devil as I said before evidently to be seen going along in this matter In vain it is for any man living to make a flourish and to boast of a constant adherency to the Protestant Profession notwithstanding the fury of late persecutions when there is such a manifest agreement avouched with Rome in this particular viz. of justification by works It seems by common report that the Authour of the Book called Theologia Veterum is of late deceased nevertheless what is here written may stand as an antidote to preserve others from the infection of these postilent errours which if there were nothing else to work in the hearts of those that are faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ a loathing of that Anti-christian Synagogue this alone were enough to cause an everlasting separation But I have done and do be think my self what I have done how I have raised up some spirits that may possibly be thought not to be easily laid again whereas my hope is they are rouzed to give Glory to God in consenting to what is written Nevertheless so long as I have Truth on our side I shall not be afraid though an Hoste of adversaries how Potent soever they may prove to be did rise up against mee It is not God knoweth out of any unbeseeming contempt or disrespect of any Person that I have medled in this controversy Learning I do reverence wheresoever it is as much as any shall onely I do wish that it may not be used as a Weapon to fight against Jesus Christ But floreat Veritas Ruat Coelum Let the World go which way it will with me I cannot I dare not betray the Truth by a sinful silence when so fair an opportunity of vindicating it is presented unto me I must confess there hath been in this particular some small digression for having an Errour in chase it hath made me go beyond my bounds But we shall return and take into consideration the second Period of Time here mentioned in the Text with a reference unto this third interpretation of it Consider what hath been said and let us pray that the Lord may give unto us a right understanding in all things CHAP. II. Sheweth the meaning of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to day as it is rendred in the Text according to our Third Interpretation and treateth also of Christ's Oeconomy therein Proposition JESUS CHRIST is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same or the onely Hee to Day Now herein also two things are to be considered by us First The Denomination of Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly What is predicated of that Time viz. Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Same to Day First the Denomination of the Time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. mansuetus ad differentiam noctis quae immitis â—orrida est to Day from whence we may collect The Time of the Gospel is a time of light The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implying it which the former word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not The text we see calleth it a day and it is light we know that formeth the Day without which it vanisheth and cometh to nothing A Day then it is and a light-some day A day which the Lord hath made even the Lord our Light and our Righteousness the Path of that just one having from the beginning been as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day A glorious day wherein is concluded the light of Yesterday For as the light which for the three first dayes of the Creation was dispersed through the Heavens it pleased God to gather and unite into one body of the Sun so that Light of Yesterday which was diffused through so many shadowes and Legal Ceremonies was at last complicated and folded up in Christ the Son of Righteousness who is now in this day of his Power like a strong man running his Race displaying his Beames distilling his Influences filling the Earth with knowledge even as the Waters covers the Seas But let us more particularly behold and see the Glory of this Light First the Light of this Day is the true Light 1 Joh. 2.8 as the Evangelist Saint John calleth it 1 Joh. 2.8 Not like unto that of old which was darkned with the shadowes of the Mosaicall Oeconomy but clear and manifest Lumen illuminans Joh 1.9 A Light that inlightneth every man that cometh into the World non illuminatum not inlightned by Moses or any man in the World Secondly It is a great Light overspreading the whole World shining out into all Nations making a day of Salvation unto all People There were two great Lights which God Created in the beginning the greater Light to rule the Day Gen. 1.16 and the lesser Light to rule the Night Answerably hereunto hath God ordained two great Lights for his Church the lesser Light to rule the time of the Law and the greater to rule the time of the Gospel and as the Evening did precede the Morning in the ordering of the natural
been willing to insert to give full satisfaction to those that are Scepticks in this point and for the confirmation of their faith that are sound and orthodox Object 2 Secondly They object that which the Angel speaks to the Virgin Mary Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee therefore that Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Therefore also say they he was not the Son of God before his Incarnation Unto this also we may answer sundry waies Answ First The inference which the Angel produceth from his premises was to let the blessed Virgin see that the fruit of her Womb should be according to the Prophecy that went of him not of an ordinary Extraction because the Holy Ghost not a mortal man was to be the efficient thereof therefore that Holy Thing that should be born of her should be the Son of God and not of any man yet since the Nature that was produced Non Gene râ—t one â—ed 〈◊〉 benedictione was not after the similitude of the Nature and Essence of the Holy Ghost for Christ was not conceived of the substance but through the power of the Spirit we may conclude infallibly that Christ had not this denomination of the Son of Gost first given him at the time of his Incarnation Secondly Qui pascun ter ex Aqua sp sancto non ided aquae filios eos recte quispiam dixcrit Pet. Lom If it were so the Holy Ghost should by a proper right be called the Father of Christ which he never is in Scripture neither indeed did ever any that truly professed the Christian Faith acknowledge him in any respect to be for he is not the principle of the subsistence of the second person in the Trinity and therefore not the cause of the Divine eternal Sonship neither was there a new person conceived at his unconceivable over-shadowing of the Virgin and therefore he could not be the Father of Christ in respect of any inferiour filiation so that we must seek out some other sense of the Angels words then that which these Dreamers have foolishly imagined Thirdly The words therefore of the Angel may well be conceived to have reference to the Prophecy of Isaiah unto which he seems to have respect in the 31. Verse of this first of S. Luke the words of the Prophet are these Es 7.14 Mat. 1.23 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bare a Son and shall call his name Immanuel which Immanual is being interpreted God with us Implying he shall be called both the Son of God and the Son of man and though the Angel makes mention only of the first of these Denominations V. 35. yet it is not to be taken exclusively of the other for he said before V. 31. Thou shalt call his name Jesus whereby he meaneth that he should be called also the Son of man In a word the Particle Therefore Luke 1.35 wherein the stress of this Objection lieth is not to be referred to the conception of Christ by the Holy Ghost as the cause of his Sonship but to the Prophecy that went before both of the Mother and the Son wherein they were both concern'd viz. That that should be fulfilled Fourthly Whereas it is said He shall be called the Son of God it is to be understood after the manner of the Hebrews Pro vere manifestabitur He shall be truly manifested and declared to be the Son of God as where it is said He shall be called Immanuel it is not meant He shall be called by that name but declared to be such as that name imports and acknowledged to be so among his people so by these words He shall be called the Son of God is meant he should be acknowledged to be the Son of God when he was born into the World not implying a Beginning of what he was not but that then he should begin to be manifested and acknowledged what he was Or else lastly He which was ever the Son of God in respect of his Godhead should now be called the Son of God existing in the Manhood or God manifested in the flesh as the Apostle phraseth it 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Tim. 3.16 Object 3 Thirdly They harp much upon that place of the Apostle Col. 1.15 where Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first born or first begotten of every creature Whence they will infer that he must needs be a Creature for as the first begotten say they amongst brethren is to be reckoned one of their number and of the same nature with them so the first begotten of every creature must also be connatural with the creatures and therefore cannot be begotten from Eternity but is a creature having a temporal beginning of existency even as they Thus do these Christomacho fighters against Christ shew their teeth though they cannot bite and shoot out their bolt wherewith they let fly nothing but their own folly But let them if they will Marcion enjoy their priviledge to be of his brotherhood who deservedly was called Primogenitus Diaboli the first begotten of the Devil In the mean time that their folly may be made manifest unto all men as his also was and that all who love the Lord Jesus Christ may have their faith confirmed and their affections enlarged towards him let these following answers be taken into consideration Answ First It would be observed that Christ is not called here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The first Created as it should indeed be rendred if their sense should pass for currant but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The first begotten of every creature which signifieth that he was begotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Before all the Creation as appeareth by what is presently added by the Apostle V. 16. For by him were all things created which clearly distinguisheth him from those things that are made giving him also the priority before all things V. 17. which must conclude his Generation to be Eternal Secondly If the Apostle must be taken in such a sense as that his words here should make Christ and the Creature Correlatives each to other it will not necessarily follow that he from his original was a creature too And now to make it clear that the Apostles meaning is of a higher aim and strain I shall undertake with all due reverence and sobriety to speak of this great Mystery according as God hath dealt to me the measure of faith and the Lord give us a right understanding therein Saint Paul seems here to be raised up by the Holy Ghost into a spiritual rapture setting forth the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ as I may say in all its Dimensions the height and length and bredth and depth thereof The height in that he is the uncreated everlasting Image of the invisible God for in that sense it must be taken in regard he