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
also power to worke And if from hence I should conclude a Trinity of Persons in the unity of that one powerfull and active being the whole creature would say Amen For as every effect is answerable to the cause and by that voyce which it hath shewes what the cause was so you shall finde that every created being hath in it matier or that which is proportionable thereto which is as the simple being thereof then forme whereby it hath power to worke and lastly working according to that property which ariseth from the matier and the forme For as Saint Paul saith of mankind so is it true in every thing That in Him or By Him we moove that is our action and Live that is the power from whence our action ariseth and Are that is the foundation of both the other But because this argument would be but inductive therefore I referre you to the 11. Chapter before for further proofe of the Trinity of Persons in unity of the Godhead Returne then to where you left GOD is the first of beings and therefore eternall à parte antè for otherwise something should have beene before Him which should have caused Him to be but we consented to the contrary before And if He be the first of beings then nothing made by Him can be greater then He by whose power He might be brought to nothing And therefore He is eternall à parte post to endure for ever eternally And if God be the first of all beings then it is necessary that His being be most simple and pure as having nothing therein of any dependance of another unto whom either matier forme composition accident or any possibility to be either more lesser greater or other then He is can any way belong And if God be eternall it followes necessarily that He have infinite power to continue eternally But an infinite power cannot be but in an infinite being therefore His being is infinite And because nothing can be in His most simple being but that which is essentially Himselfe therefore infinitie must be His being and His being infinitie And if God be infinite in His being then it is impossible that any perfection of being should be wanting to His being for so His being could not be infinite And therefore Wisedome Goodnesse Trueth Glory and all other excellencies of being are in Him infinitely perfectly and eternally And because no abatement want or littlenesse can be in infinitie therefore is it necessary that all those perfections which are in God be also active or working in Him for otherwise they could cause no joy or happines unto Him so should they be unto Him in want and defect and not in infinity Therefore it is necessary that all those perfections that are in God be not onely active in Him but also as infinite in their action as they are in their being lest a twofold being one in the greatnesse of being and another in lessenesse of action should be in God which is utterly impossible But because no action can be where there is no object to worke upon nor no infinite action where there is not an infinite object therefore it is necessary that there be an infinite object of all that glorious action which is in God wherby He works infinitely and eternally And this infinite object is that glorious Sonne of His love the image of Himselfe wherein all His perfection is actuated and expressed and that infinite action whereby the Sonne is Characterized Hebr. 1.3 Formed See Esay 43.10 or brought foorth eternally is the Holy-Ghost And because there can be no action where either the agent or object is wanting therefore is the Holy-Ghost most truely said to proceed from the Father and the Sonne And because I speake onely of that incommunicable action which is in God Himselfe from whence the difference of the three Persons doth arise therefore you must understand that as the action so the Persons also are in the Godhead essentially and that not onely because the action is according to the purity and perfection of the Divine being but also because all the termes thereof that is the Agent the object and the Action it selfe are infinite and eternall which cannot possibly be found out of the Godhead And thus in briefe you see it manifest not onely that God is but also that His being is infinite and eternall with all the perfections both of being and working and how from the infinitie of His glorious and eternall working the Trinity of Persons in the unity of the Godhead is concluded and consequently that the Holy-Ghost is God eternally proceeding from the Father and the Sonne For further understanding and proofe of all which things you may if you will as cause is reade any of the 12. first Chapters at the beginning Notes a IF the procession of the Holy-Ghost The heresies which have been about this Article of our Creed have beene many and great For the more necessary any trueth is to be knowne and beleeved the more damnable heresies hath the devill raised thereabout But as the heresies that were about our Lord Christ so these here may be brought to three heads The first concerne the person of the Holy-Ghost § 1. The second His being § 2. The third His properties § 3. § 1. Concerning the person of the Holy-Ghost Simon that eldest sonne of Satan would be all in all For he said that he gave the Law to Moses in mount Sina in the person of the Father that in the dayes of Tiberius he suffered in shew under the Person of the Sonne and that after he was that Holy-Ghost that came upon the Apostles in the shew of cloven tongues Thus saith Augustine Haer 1. But Epiphanius Haer 21. saith that he called his Punke Helena the Holy-Ghost for whose deare sake he transformed himselfe that he might come to her thorow all the heavens unknowne of his angels But this fellow presuming too much on the power of his devills while he tooke upon him to ascend into heaven againe he died of the fall and so the necke of his heresie was broken Manes a Persian the father of the Manichees erred the same heresie with Simon the Witch and gave out himselfe for the holy Spirit but being slayed alive by the King of Persia he found himselfe to be a body and not a spirit Hierax an Egyptian Monke affirmed that Melchizedek of whom you reade Gen. 14. was the Holy-Ghost Some there be that write concerning Montanus the Phrygian that he tooke upon him to be the Holy-Ghost But Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 14. and Augustine Haer 86. affirme that this heresie was onely thus much that he had received that Comforter which was promised Iohn 15.26 in greater measure then the Apostles and in this his followers the Cataphryges and with them Tertullian himselfe as it appeares by some of his writings did consent to him But Epiphanius in that 48. heresie cites the words of Montanus thus I came neither Angel nor
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
Councell of Florence in the yeere 1439. grew more hot than they had beene before and that because the Greekes then present in that Councell in hope to draw them of the West into their helpe against the Turks did seemingly yeeld to that trueth which these Churches in the West doe holde in that point yet it appeares that in the time of Damascen about the yeere 750. it was their received opinion For thus he writes Orthod fidei lib. 1. Cap. 13. He is the Spirit of the Sonne not proceeding from Him but from the Father by Him For the Father onely is the cause Nay if you looke yet higher in that explanation which the Councell of Constantinople spoken of even now made of that Article of the Holy-Ghost in the Nicene Creed that clause and from the Sonne is left out so that this errour seemes not new but falshood is as ancient as the devills apostacie and no antiquitie can make it trueth And if you looke to the authorities of Scripture brought before to this point in the Chap. § 1. and consider well the reasons in Chapter 11. you shall see how rotten this opinion is and how justly the clause And from the Sonne was added by the Latine Churches as they declare it in that Councell of Florence spoken of before So that falshood which some write to Paulus of Samosata that the Holy-Ghost is not any divine subsistence but onely the working and grace of God in the hearts of men and that which they write of Servetus that it is onely a certaine vigor or strength whereby every thing created is mooved naturally at the sight of the same authorities and reasons will vanish as mist before the wind Those childish fantasies of the Elleasites or Sampseans of which you read in Epiphanius Haer. 30. and Haer. 53. would trouble your hearing Sect. 3 § 3. So the onely heresie which is yet remaining is that which concernes the propriety or working of the Holy-Ghost Concerning whom some affirmed that He was not given sufficiently to the Apostles and that therefore further revelations were necessary to be made by them that had greater measure of that gift The Cataphryges or disciples of Montanus and the Manichees must needs be chiefe herein For if they had held that the gifts of the Holy-Ghost had beene given to the Apostles sufficiently their fancies of their new Comforters to teach them more then was needfull had never beene hatcht And among these Tertullian was most too blame who having once detested the Montanists did afterward both follow their errour and defend it But if that Holy Spirit should leade the Apostles into all trueth yea and shew them the things to come as the promise was Iohn 16.13 What further sufficiencie would these Hereticks require They might say the Disciples were ignorant of many things after the Holy-Ghost was come upon them for Peter accounted the Gentiles uncleane Act. 10. Answere But they were not ignorant of any thing that was needfull for the Church to know as S. Paul saith Actes 20.27 That he had declared unto them all the Counsell of God so according to the dispensation of the times which God had appointed the Gentiles were taken into the fellowship of the Faith For though they were commanded to preach repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes to all Nations yet the preaching must begin at Ierusalem Luk. 24.47 from Esa 2.3 Therefore they preached not to the Gentiles till the time was come and then Philip was sent to preach to the Eunuch Actes 8.26 and 29. and Peter to Cornelius Actes 10. and Barnabas and Paul euery where but with this condition first to offer the word of reconciliation to the Iewes and after to the Gentiles because the Children must first be fed See Marke 7.27 and Actes 13.46 So concerning the declaration of things to come Agabus foretold the famine Actes 11.28 that the Church in time might provide for due reliefe So the prophecyes of Saint Paul 2. Thes 2. and 1. Tim. Chap. 4. of Peter 2. Epistle Chap. 2. and 3. and Iohn Rev. all are no lesse lights for the knowledge of the true Doctrine and Church of Christ in these dayes than the prophecyes of old were for the knowledge of Christ when He should come and the benefits which the faithfull should receive by Him unto the Church which was before His manifestation in the flesh And if the Providence of God bee upon all His creatures His speciall mercy and compassion upon His chosen so that Hee never leaues them destitute of that which He knowes to be fit for them can any but Pepuzians and such franticks thinke that God will bee carelesse of His Church for whose sake He gave His onely Sonne to die Or can any man be such an Infidell as to thinke that the instruction of the Holy-Ghost who is God blessed above all is not sufficient to guide the Church according to the rule of trueth the Holy Scripture in the right way to everlasting life Therefore follow that rule and pray for that guide and let the follies of these Enthousiasts for ever vanish The second supply Of that inestimable gift of God the holy Scripture which Hee by His holy Spirit hath given to the Church CHAP. XXXIIII THough for Adams sinne God did hide His face from man except when either in justice Hee did punish his sinne or in mercy declare the meanes and give assurance how he should be freed therefrom as it appeares in Adam Cain Abraham Moses and the Prophets untill the time came that the promise of the redemption was fulfilled Yet by His holy Word hath He so fully provided for the direction and comfort of His Church and every one of His children therein that there is nothing in the whole course of mans life whether in things that are to be done or left undone or in things that are to be beleeved or not to be beleeved in whatsoever it is fit for us to expect any direction or comfort from God immediately wherein He hath not most particularly declared His holy will It was a wonderfull grace and favour beyond all other men unto Moses that whensoever he went into the Tabernacle he might talke with God face to face as a man converses with his friend Is not the same grace vouchsafed to us who not onely in the Churches but even in our private chambers or in the open fields may talke with God and receive His answere in His word And lest any man may pretend ignorance or want of skill how to present himselfe unto God all manner of formes of thankes of of praise of prayers are set out in the Scripture and all summ'd up in that forme which our Lord hath taught us And that we may come boldly unto the Throne of Grace and be assured to find helpe in the time of need we shall in His Word not onely receive His owne Answer but likewise see by examples how holy and devout men have sped in the like cases Thus we
effect should not bee answerable to the cause The infinite essence hee supposes the Father the infinite power the Sonne and the infinite worker the Holy Ghost And by these three are three Trinities brought out of spirituall creatures or Angels as he by Psellus understands the Chaldean in wisdome whether well or ill it skils not much For we are taught Iob. 1.3 That By the word all things were made and without him was nothing made that was made But to his reason Can an infinite Being bring forth an effect without power and working thereto or can an infinite power bee but in an infinite being or can an infinite worke bee without an infinite power so that these three which hee makes divers Creators and that of severall Trinities can bee but one Creator as they are but one Trinity in unity of essence as hath afore beene declared at large And as concerning the conclusion it is yeelded that the number of individuals or particular beings is infinite to us utterly beyond our reckoning but yet to Him without whom a Sparrow lights not on the ground they are all numbred Nay I say further that through his blessing upon the creature to multiply according to kinde Gen. 1. the individuals are in nature potentially infinite but no way to Him by whose onely power nature doth worke For otherwise His wisdome and power could not bee coequall And thus have men wearyed themselves in vaine to finde out his wayes that are past finding out The first supply concerning Man CHAP. XIV That Man was created one alone male and female as the Scripture names them Adam and Eve CHAP. XV. That Man was created innocent and without sinne CHAP. XVI That Man continued not in that innocencie but that he sinned and thereby became subject to eternall death CHAP. XVII That by the sinne of our first parents the whole masse of mankinde was corrupted and made liable to eternall death both of body and soule CHAP. XVIII That there is a restoring of man to a better life and further hope than that from which our parents fell CHAP. XIX That this restoring could not be made by any meanes that was in man nor by any one that was man onely CHAP. XIIII That Man was created one alone male and female THese questions seeme necessarie for the knitting of that which followes to the conclusions that have beene made before And because they are taken as suppositions in the briefe of our Creed and seeme plaine enough of themselves they may be handled with the more shortnesse but yet may they not here bee let passe altogether untouched for although it be given that man is the creature of God yet if he made many men and many women though one or moe sinned yet the rest might continue in their innocencie and so the whole race of mankinde was not corrupted Or if hee made but one man yet if he made him such as men now are then could not his actions be accounted any way sinfull or if Adam by his sin lost not his estate of happinesse or his owne alone or if there were no hope of restoring then to beleeve any Saviour were altogether in vaine or if there were any other meanes of salvation by man or Angell than that which the Christian faith doth hold then were all that which followes utterlie needlesse therefore it must appeare that man was created first one male and female and no moe secondly upright and without any taint of originall or actuall sin onely such freewill he had as that he might sinne if he would or if hee would not hee might not haue sinned And first that hee created them one only male and for continuance of kinde his female it is plaine by this 1. The workes of God are so made in the perfection of number and measure as that it is not possible to finde any defect or excesse therein But if moe men than one had beene made if without the power of bringing forth their like there had beene defect in them and they needlesse and in vaine if with such power of multiplication as Adam had then had there beene excesse in the creature and God had needlesly brought out mankinde from many roots which might bee brought out from one alone but this was unnecessary in the creature therefore it could not bee fitting in the wisdome of the Creator And therefore he being but one he created man in his owne image one man male and female Gen. 1.27 2. The excellencie of Lordship or rule must be in one alone cannot possiblie consist in many so that if many men had bin created the Lordship of man over the inferiour creature had not beene perfect in one although there be now many millions of men yet the Lordship over the creature is to everie one equall with Adam or Noah inasmuch as everie man claimes as the perfection of his kinde so the dignities and prerogatives thereof from his first originall which if it had beene many could not have beene so excellent 3. Everie naturall motion or instinct of nature which is ordered according to one rule must needs have one authour and one beginning But all the ordinarie and naturall motions of every species are according unto one rule to joyne with their like to propagate their like to maintaine their life alike c. Therefore mankinde had but one author of all their kinde and so were not brought out of stones nor trees neither yet were they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or springing of themselves out of the earth as the fancies of the hâ—athen that knew not their originall leade them to beleeve 4. The worke of God must needs bee of the highest and greatest perfection that may bee But the beginning of a species from one roote is more noble excellent and perfect than from many because in that one both the individuall and the whole kinde also is conteined Therefore the first creature in mankinde was one alone 5. It was necessarie that the God of Unitie and peace should so create man as it might be most availeable for the maintenance of that love and peace which should afterward bee and flourish amongst men But when men know themselves to be the sonnes of one common father of them all they are more straitly tied to brotherlie love and the upholding of fellowship among themselves And this being the end the meanes must be availeable to the end Therefore the beginning of mankinde was onely from one man whereby it seemes that Adam had not his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adamah which signifies earth but rather as a master observed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Achad dam one blood as S. Paul urges it Act. 17.26 That God of one blood made all the nations of men that dwell upon the face of the earth CHAP. XV. That Man was created innocent and without Sinne. THis may appeare by the consideration of those excellencies which belong to the Creator For no cause can worke
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
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
doe necessarily follow the nature and being of any thing is to destroy the thing it selfe so that to deny either the divine or humane will of Christ were to make him an unsufficient mediator and is directly contrary to that scripture which is Luke 22.42 Father not my will but thine be done 4. From whence Iordanus Brunus a Neapolitan in my time in Oxford would inforce a more wicked conclusion That Christ was a sinner because His will was not in every respect answerable to the will of God And because that which comes into the wicked imagination of one may proove a stumbling blocke to another I will by the way remove this out of the way Therfore I answer That because man knowes not nor may presume to know what the secret will of God is hee may in the freedome of his owne Will will desire pray for and indeavor any thing which is not contrarie to the revealed will of God and that without sinne especially in such things as stand with the naturall desire of all the creature in the preservation of it selfe in the present being which it hath As a sicke man without sinne may use diet medicine and prayer for recovery although God in His secret will have determined he shall dye Davids purpose to build the Temple though against the purpose of God was so well accepted of God as that he thereupon received the promise of a perpetuall succession even till Christ the eternall king to come of his seed 2 Sam. 7.11 to 16. Nay when Hezekiah had heard the sentence of death from God Himselfe by the voice of his Prophet Esay 38. was his prayer and his teares accounted sinnefull which God did so far accept as that he confirmed his petition by a miracle And although our Saviour knew himselfe to have come into the world that He should dye for the sinnes of the world yet might he without sinne pray unto His Father to save Him from that houre John 17.17 especially divers figures affording that hope was not Isaak in the very stroake of death rescued by the voice from heaven when the Ram was offered up in his stead Gen. 22. was not the scape goate Leu. 16.21.22 on which all the iniquities and sinnes of the sons of Israel were put sent away alive into the wildernesse But wherein was this repugnancy of his will to the will of God Not my will but thine be done He denyed his owne will he laid downe not onely his life but even the desire of life that he might performe the will of his Father so that the true conclusions which arise from hence or the like places are these first seing all men naturally desire to live and would not bee unclothed that is would not die 2 Cor. 5.4 but rather that our mortality might be swallowed up of life as it shall be with them who are found alive at the comming of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.51 and 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. Christ our Saviour was truly man both in the nature and all the naturall properties of a man contrarie to the heresie of Eutyches and the Monothelites of which you may reade further if you will in Thom. Aquinas contra Gent. lib 4. Cap. 36. Secondly and because every pure and meerely naturall propertie is concreated with the thing whose property it is and that the desire of life is naturally in every thing which hath life and that without sinne lest â—e that put this desire in the creature should be supposed a cause of sinne it was â—o sinne iâ— our Saviour to desire life upon that condition contrary to the folly and falshood of Brunus Thirdly seeing that God the Father so loved the world as that he refused to accept the prayer of his owne beloved Sonne when hee besought him with strong crying and teares for life but would give him to that most bitter death for us what confidence and assurance of life may wee have when the price of our redemption is paid and hee our Redeemer restored unto life for if while we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne how much more being reconciled shall we bee saved by his life Rom. 5.10 ARTICLE III. ⧠VVhich was conceived by the Holy-Ghost CHAP. XXV ALthough it were said to Abraham That in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed so that the Humanity of Christ was in Abraham and the fathers originally and so descended unto Him yet you may not thinke that any determinate * You may see the contrary opinion in Galatin lib. 7. cap. 3. matter descended from Abraham or the rest of which the Manhood of Christ was to be made peculiarly no more then the manhood of all others that descended from them And as no more so no lesse was He in the loynes of Abraham then the other Israelites But yet with this difference That whereas all other men being borne according to the law of concupiscence are subject to originall sinne from both the parents a Hee being not so borne was not subject thereto And because He was not borne according to the flesh but according to the promise according to the Law of the eternall life that is of the eternall Father onely on the one side without a mother and so of His mother onely on the other side without a father Therefore was He as not subject to sinne so not tithed in Abraham when he gave tithes of all unto Melchizedek Genes 14.20 as Levi was Hebr. 7.9 10. for tithes are an acknowledgment of sinne in him that is tithed and a confession that he needs a mediator unto God But Christ being a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek did therefore in Melchizedek receive tithes of Abraham and by Melchizedek blessed him with whom He had before-hand established His promise Gen. 12.2 3. Now when the fulnesse of time came that this promise of God should bee fulfilled the blessed Virgin Mary being sanctified by the Holy-Ghost unto holinesse of life and puritie of affections was so highly favoured and accepted of God as that in her tender yeeres for they write that shee was not above fourteene yeeres at the message of the Angel shee was vouchsafed worthy to bee the mother of the Saviour of the World Her heart being therefore purified by the Holy-Ghost to beleeve the promise of God made to her by the Angel and by him to bee perswaded of the possibilitie thereof Hee wrought in her also a free consent thereto a full submission to the will of God and a desire of the performance of the promise Reade Luke 1. from 28. to 39. Thus according to the nature of the Holy Spirit she first conceived her sonne in her Spirit or understanding and holy desires then by the working of the Holy Spirit that seed which is the originall of man-kinde was sanctified separate and sequestred into the place of naturall generation and the Eternall Son invested therein that according to the time
it was Because He was free among the dead Psal 88.5 Moreover concerning the first Father of mankind almost the whole Church agrees that He freed him there which may not be thought that the Church beleeved without cause although the expresse authority of the Canonicall Scripture be not alleadged He saith almost the whole Church because the heretickes called Tacians denyed that Adam was saved De Haeres Cap. 25. Vossius beside all these brings the consent of the Africane and of the Easterne Churches both of the Greekes and of the Nestorians with divers later writers as Zuinglius P. Martyr and others Sect. 4 Obiect 1. But the Fathers agreed not all in one judgement Answer True Neither yet they of later times For concerning the end of His going to hell some thought that He delivered all that He found there both good and bad indifferently 2. Others because they thought that the whole punishment for mans sinne could not otherwise be discharged said that He went to hell that He might there suffer for the soules of men as on His Crosse He had suffered for their bodies Nay as Postel de nat Med. relates the Abissine Church holds that He went thither for His owne soule This last is hereticall the other against the direct authority of the Scripture For our Lord Himselfe when He gave up the Ghost professed That whatsoever was necessary for His suffering and our redemption was then finished And therefore both Saint Peter 1 Epist 2.24 saith That He bare our sinnes in His body on the tree and Saint Paul Colos 1.20 That Hee wrought our peace through the blood of His Crosse And Chapter 2. 15. Hee spoyled the principalities and powers triumphed over them openly in His Crosse Beside His promise to the thiefe This day to bee with Him in paradise doth directly crosse this opinion 3. Others upon that text of 1 Pet. 3.19 He went and preached unto the Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah thinke that He went to hell to upbraid to them their infidelity But this was not according to the end of His comming which was to seeke and to save that which was lost Luke 19.10 Therefore others and with them Martinus Cellarius de operibus Dei thinke that He preached repentance unto them and that such as beleeved Him to be God were redeemed from hell and saved by Him But because our Church hath rejected this opinion compare the Synod Edw. 6. with the Synod Eliz. therefore I refuse it And that text of Peter may be interpreted of the preaching of Noah while the Arke was preparing 5. Some againe on better ground then the former thinke that that descent of His into Hell was for manifestation or investing of Himselfe in that Lordship which He as the Sonne of man had over all the creature and consequently over the powers of hell That at His Name every knee should bow both of things in Heaven and of things in earth and of things under the earth Phil. 2.10 Thus He that liveth and was dead is alive for evermore and hath the keyes of hell and of death Thus He that descended first into the lower parts of the earth did ascend farre above all heavens that Hee might fulfill all things Ephes 4.9 10. That fluttering distinction That He as God dwelt in the man hood on the earth the lower part of the world and then He as man ascended will not helpe For first euery globe of the Moone the Sun or any star as it hath a centre to which every thing thereon inclines for otherwise it could not hold together in one body so is it a centre to the universe that is about it And so is likewise the lowest in comparison of those globes that have different centres Beside He which descended is even the same that ascended But God and man are not the same Thirdly He descended and ascended that He might fill all things which God did for ever neither ascending nor descending And therefore Augustine said well Totus Filius suit apud Patrem c. The Sonne was whole with the Father whole in the Virgins wombe whole in Heauen whoâ—e in Earth whole on the Crosse whole in Hell 6. But howsoever private opinions might fall in by the way yet by that which was said before it is manifest that the ancient Church did beleeve that Christ did therefore descend into hell that the faithfull by Him might be brought into Paradise which if it were the meaning of them that did compose and of them that did generally receive the Creed then cannot that Article of Christs descent into hell be interpreted according to their meaning which say That it must signifie no other thing but that He suffered the paines of hell in His soule Concerning them that received the Creed and interpreted it you have heard § 3.4 and shall further heare their meaning The Authors meaning you shall heare anone Obiect 2 Obiect 2. But the same Fathers are cited on both sides Answ Every man that writes or speakes may be taken short and hâ—s words wrong to a sence contrary to his meaning But in this question it is not much stood upon even by favourers of this new opinion but that the current of the Fathers beares all the other away insomuch that the learned Bucanus Instit. Theol Loc. 25. though he seeme to allow this later exposition better yet he professes that he dares not condemne the judgement of the Fathers seeing it is neither contrary to the Scripture nor hath any inconvenience in it So others yeelding that the opinion of the Fathers is for the most part for the locall descent of Christ into hell would yet be excused to follow it See Synops Pap Contr. 9. qu. 1. edit 4. pag. 403. which demand truely may seeme to be very just that being put which Augustine said a little before that it is not by the expresse authority of the Canonicall Scriptures which ought to be the ground and rule of our Faith But that clause of Augustine concerning the want of the authority of the Canonicall Scripture is ill referred to Christs descent into Hell which belongs onely to the freeing of Adam there But if their mistaking were indeed Augustines meaning That the descent of Christ into hell had no authority of the Canonicall Scripture yet remembring that it may not be thought that the Church yea the whole Church beleeved it without cause seeing it hath no inconvenience in it seeing it is not contrary to the Scripture and that the holy Scriptures by Anselmes judgement cited in the Preface confirmes all that which it doeth no way contradict being lawfully gathered from manifest reason Let us be bold to looke upon the Reasons which may seeme to have drawne the ancient Church unto this opinion Sect. 5 And because it is necessary first to agree vpon some principles let it be put that these words He descended into Hell are not spoken either of the God-head of Christ
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
spoken of in that text of Iohn 16.14 is not of grace but by nature neither is it any other thing than this That as the Father from all eternity had decreed to reconcile the world unto Himselfe by the death of His Sonne and that the Sonne accordingly performed this in due time by His death upon the Crosse So the Father and the Sonne by that Holy Spirit which proceedeth from them both doth sanctifie the hearts of the elect and assure them that this reconciliation with all the fruits and effects thereof was for their eternall comfort and salvation For that peculiar manner of subsistence in the Divine nature which He taketh from the Father and the Sonne whereby it is most necessarily concluded that He is God is not heere spoken of 4. Objection The Holy-Ghost is no where called God in the Scripture Therefore He is a creature Answere 1. He is no where in the Scripture called a creature or mentioned among the creatures in Psal 148. or else-where Therefore He is God Answer 2. The proposition is false as it appeared by the texts cited out of Actes 5.3 4. and Matth. 28.19 where He is equalled with the Father and the Sonne and 2. Cor. 13.14 And Iohn 5.7 Moreover no sinne doth make a man lyable to an infinite punishment but that which is against an infinite being But the sinne against the Holy-Ghost shall not bee pardoned neither in this world nor yet in that which is to come Matth. 12.32 Therefore the Holy-Ghost is God Take hereto Actes 28. verse 25. and 27. with Rom. 11.8 and 1. Cor. 3.16 And as these texts of Scripture are sufficient to shew the falshood of this last objection So doe they manifest the vanitie of all the rest and confirme abundantly the trueth of this Article that the Holy-Ghost is God To bring the consent of Fathers and Councells to these Scriptures were as to encrease the light of the Sun by a burning candle yet because it was so plainely declared in the first generall Councell held at Nice by 318. Fathers in the yeere of Christ 325. you may remember it if you will In that Councell this Article was thus declared in that forme of confession which was framed by Hosius Bishop of Corduba As the Father and the Sonne so also the Holy-Ghost subsisteth with them of the same being of the same power of which they are And a little after Wee ought to confesse one God-head one being of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost not teaching any confusion or division of the Persons of the unspeakeable and blessed Trinitie But according to the integritie of that faith and doctrine which was heretofore delivered by the Lord Himselfe to His Apostles and hath beene sincerely taught to us by our holy Fathers who kept it pure and intire as they received it from the Apostles wee beleeve and confesse the undivideable Trinitie which cannot sufficiently either be conceived in the understanding or expressed in wordes that is the Father eternally and truely subsisting a true Father of a true Sonne and the Sonne eternally and truely subsisting a true Sonne of a true Father and the Holy-Ghost verily and eternally subsisting with them And wee are ever ready by the power of the Holy-Ghost to proove that this is the trueth by the manifold testimony of the holy Scripture Histor Gelasij Cyzic Act. Conc. Nic. lib. 2. cap. 12. This faith was approved of all but because the present businesse with Arius was especially about the Sonne For he held that the Son was not of the subsistence of the Father nor yet very God That they might meet fully with that errour they agreed to that forme wherein it is confessed that the Sonne is light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father c. Thus having ended the controversie about the God-head of the Sonne they come to the question of the Holy-Ghost against whom Phaedon a Philosopher and patron of Arius his cause objected thus It is no where written in the Scripture that the Holy-Ghost is a Creator and therefore Hee is not God To which the Councell opposed that which is in Iob 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life And that in Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the Spirit of His mouth To which they added that of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12. verse 4 5 6. where the Holy-Ghost is called both Lord and God And so concluded that all the three Persons that is the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall or of the same substance Lib. Cit. Cap. 25. Likewise when this heresie of Arius concerning the Holy-Ghost was againe revived by Macedonius the second generall Councell held at Constantinople in the yeere 381. condemned the heresies of all Arians Apollinarists and Macedonians confirmed the faith professed in the Nicene Creed and for further explanation of the trueth in this point to that clause Wee believe in the Holy-Ghost they added the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorified c. And this is sufficient for the declaration of the trueth in this point by the authority of generall Councells All the orthodox Fathers consent hereunto Among whom if you desire to bee further acquainted with the arguments and objections on both sides you may reade the writings of that most noble Champion of the trueth of the holy Trinitie Athanasius and in speciall that sermon of the humane nature taken by the Word the oration against the ging of Sabellius and the first and second Epistle to Serapion and his first dialogue against Macedonius with him Macedonianus See also Greg. Nyss vol. 2. pag. 439. edit Paris 1615. you may also if you will take these objections and their answeres brought by Epiphanius to this question Haer. 74. and with them those in Thomas Aquinas Contra gentes Liber 4. Cap. 16. and their answeres Cap. 23. Another errour against the being of the Holy-Ghost is that which they call of the later Greekes and yet is not onely of the Grecians themselves but of all those Nations and Peoples that are of the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople which if you leave out the Countreys of the poore Painims in the East and West Indies is far greater than the pretended universality of the Bishop of Rome both in Europe and in Asia See Brerew Enq. Chap. 15. and besides them the Melchites or Christians of Syria the Armenians and Maronites hold the same heresie All these though they confesse that the Holy-Ghost is God the third Person in the Trinitie yet they say that He proceedeth onely from the Father not from the Sonne But although they account this but a later errour among the Greekes perhaps because the stirres thereabout after the
Apostles are not corrupted either to forestall his doctrine or to deface his memory 9. And yet more particularly to free the writings of the Apostles from this Mahumetan slaunder take that word of God Himselfe which is in Iohn 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeve on me through their word This word of the Apostles cannot be understood onely of that word which they spake unto the people but much more of all the Scriptures of the New Testament which should be left in writing to the Church by which in all ages of the Church since their time children were to be begotten unto God through a lively faith by which they should apprehend the satisfaction of Christ and so have an entrance unto God by Him And seeing that in all ages since the Apostles we find the effect of our Mediators prayer that their writings have beene that Word by which the faithfull have beleeved on Him and so hath done and still doth that worke for which it was sent thereby are we sure that it is their word their owne word as they delivered it not corrupted or sophisticate by any device of man for any purpose or intent as that false prophet doth pretend And that you may see how great the trueth is and how it prevailes take out of Ficinus in the said 36. cap. what this Mahumed confesseth of himselfe whereby you may see how betweene his arrogance and his ignorance the trueth doth shew it selfe He confesseth that he neither had done any miracle nor none could doe That he was pure man and no more That he could give no pardon for sinne That he would not be call'd upon or worshipped And although in his madnesse he pretended himselfe to be a messenger sent from God and inspir'd by Him and that he was the Holy-Ghost yet when his raving fit was off hee confest that hee was ignorant of many things and that there were somethings in his bookes of the trueth of which there might be doubt and whosoever shall worship one God and live honestly whether he be Iew Christian or Sarazen shall have mercy from God What is then the preferment of his Alchoran before the holy Scriptures or why shall wee forsake our most holy guide whom he confesseth to be the breath and word of God and to have the next place unto God in heaven that we may become circumcised and abstaine from Swines-flesh and wine and enjoy fleshly pleasure with many wives if nothing of all this give us any furtherance to eternall life 10. To end this question I will bring this only argument which for substance is indifferent to both the Testaments the circumstances only differing If the writings of the holy Scriptures be corrupted either those corruptions must come in by little and little into the copies of the Scripture while they were dispersed by writing or else all at once If they came in by little and little then the books that had beene written without those faults might bee patternes to correct the faulty by and so the text might bee still preserved pure as wee find it was done when Printing flourished under the managing of learned men in those copies of the Greeke Testament printed at Compludo and at Paris To suppose they came in all at once is against all reason and possibilitie of experience I have shewed that till the time of Christ and his Apostles the Old-Testament was pure and can it be supposed that all the Churches of the Iewes in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia 1. Pet. 1. nay all the twelue tribes in the Cities of the Medes in places so distant should conspire to such an act for which they were perswaded they should goe downe irrecoverably to hell Can the imputation of a base Iewe or two in a thing of so great importance to the disgrace of their owne Nation without any proofe of the thing naming of the place time or Persons against all possibilitie of trueth sticke so fast as that no nitre can be able to wash it off To say that the Christians of the Gentiles ever endeavoured to corrupt the Hebrew text hath yet more impossibilities For during the time of the gift of tongues no such crime might touch them and after that none among them no not the Fathers themselues except perhaps Origen or Hierom had so much skill in Hebrew as to be able to corrupt it Beside the whole nation of the Iewes would have opposed it and as they detest our religion and faith so had they had just cause to brand us with infamy for that endeavour and to proclaime our folly which should corrupt that in the sincerity of which alone is the assurance of our hope So the Hebrew text remaines intier And concerning the New-Testament written in Greeke it was so suddainely dispersed among the converts of the Gentiles and that while some of the Apostles were yet liuing that there could be no possibilitie of any corruption to come unto the text by any common consent And because that our Lord was to be made a light unto the Gentiles and a salvation unto the ends of the earth Actes 13.47 Therefore were the bookes of the New-Testament also Translated into many languages even in the birth and infancie of the Church of the Gentiles as you may read in Aug. de Doctr. Chr. lib. 2. Cap. 5. in Chrys hom 1. in Iohn who also translated the Scriptures for the Armenians as Hierom for the Dalmatians his countrey-men I said many languages because they name the Indian Ethiopian Persian Syrian Egyptian Sarmatian Scythian but Theodoret De Graec. affect cur lib. 5. saith into all languages which were in use And if it might be put that the Greeke copies were corrupted yet these Translations being out of them while they were intire would detect the corruption But all these Translations among the Christians though differing in some points one from another as the Nestorians Euticheans c. doe still agree in the substance of the meaning and shew the purity of that fountaine from whence they flowed And there is none of these translations or Fathers here named but were before Mahumed of a Christian became a renegado at least 200. yeeres All which things being put together it will be manifest that neither the falshood of the Iewes nor the forgery of Mahumed have any shew of trueth but that the Holy Scriptures both of the old and new Testament are still in their purity as the Church received them Of the Scriptures easinesse to bee understood §. 6. THat comparison of the Prophet Psalme 36. that the judgements of God are like a great deepe was by a Father fitly and wittily applyed to the Scripture to bee as a sea in which the Elephant may swim but yet with Shallowes in which the Lambe may wade And although David prayed that God would teach him the wonderfull things of His Law yet hee honours it for this that it is perfect that
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
the tree of life And that thus the letter vau ך is one part and signifies in that tongue a nayle if you will that nayle that pierced His hands and His beautious feet to which if you adde the iod reversed ◠you may well perceive the figure of the whole Crosse that Tree of life which bare that heavenly fruite that spirituall food whereof Adam and his faithfull children which overcome may eate and live for ever Revel 2.7 Thus you may see how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us You may see that riddle of the Angel to Esdras 2. Booke chap. 5. v. 37. expounded The image of that Word from which and whereto the Bookes of both the Testaments doe sound You may see what confidence we may have in that promise of Christ who in the dayes of His flesh said Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name He will give it you Ioh. 16.23 But after His Ascension the miracles that are to be done in that Name are more wonderfull Mark. 16.17 And againe He that beleeveth in me greater workes then these shall He doe for I goe to the Father Behold the mysterie of it cause it to ascend and describe that circle whose centre is every where whose circumference is no where Now are the superior and inferior conduit-pipes soudered together as the Hebrues speake now the higher influences the Spirit and Graces of God are not given by measure and the refluences so great as that Whosoever beleeveth out of His belly shall arise fountaines of living water springing up unto eternall life O glorious Name O sacred Mystery by which you may well perceive that there is greater Vnitie betweene the Deitie and the Humanitie then by any words of Contiguitie or Continuitie may be expressed You may well perceive how according to that place of the 89. Psal He the first borne or as Ioh. saith Chap. 1. The onely begotten of the Father is made higher then the Kings of the earth Here is our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption complete here is our adoption and reward our consolation our life and religion our reverence and our feare yet our joy and boldnesse all in all The presence of God I am not able to give due honour thereunto My thoughts are swallowed up when I consider the other great mysteries which this one letter doth import the mysterie of the triple world the mysterie of mercy and of Iustice of Election and Reprobation of that great Iubile or Sabbath of Sabbaths when that which is above shall againe descend to restore the creature from corruption and change into that nimietie or excesse of Goodnes wherein it was created But these things are therfore here to be omitted because the discourse therof were long and because they are rather consequents then premises to the question To tell you at once and to make an end of this argument The whole Nation of the learned Iewes confesse that the Messiah should be called by this great Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which purpose there are besides these which have beene brought many places of Scripture which in the Hebrue veritie are most direct though by our translations they might seeme somewhat harsh They hold I say that He must be both God and Man and in a word there is nothing which wee Christians doe affirme concerning our Lord but the evidence of Scripture doth compell them to confesse it Onely they differ in this from us whether This Iesus be that Christ that should come into the world though this also be a thing not questionable as you may learne of Daniel 9. vers 24 25 26. and 2. Esd 7. verse 28.29 Although the common error and expectation of the Iewes was of a terrestriall Monarchie yet the best learned of them agree that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world For they remember that place in the Testament of Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda till Shiloh come By which it followes that when Messiah shall come there should be no more shew of an earthly kingdome That of Zach. 9.9 is as direct Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee poore They remēber also that in the 21. Ps I am a worme and noman a shame of men and the contempt of the people And that also of Esay 53. He hath neither forme nor beauty when we see Him there shall be no forme that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of men c. Reade the whole Chapter and the Psalme compare them with the histories of His Passion and behold Him on the Crosse in the horror of His anguish and extreame perplexity But you will say what is this Iudaisme in the letters of His Name for argument to prove that He is God Is it more then if we should write the Name of Christ with the last letter thereof capital ChrisT because it may represent the Crosse or else the two last letters so interlaced that they may have reference to the Serpent in the wildernesse because that was also a figure of CHRI◠Though I had here to answere for the Cabala of every of the 72. languages of the Confusion yet I say onely thus If after all this that I have said you will still be contentious I have no such custome but I am well content that either thus or by any other meanes a ChrisTian man should hold that in perpetuall memory which is his Ioy his Victory his Crowne his happinesse in this world and in the world to come Were it to any purpose to make you know what the ancient Philosophers who knew not the Scriptures have thought of this matier all speaking this one thing which the light that God hath given to mankind did make them know although they concealed their intendement by divers names Yet Hermes called Him plainely the Sonne of God Zoroaster the Vnderstanding of His Father Pythagoras Wisedome as Paul and Solomon every where and particularly Prou. 8. and in the booke of that title Parmenides named him The Sphere of Vnderstanding Orpheus termed him Pallas to the same effect as the other if you know the fable and yet hee speakes more plainely to the Trinitie in his Hymnes of the Night of the Heaven and of the Ayre Platoes separate Idea's meane nothing else and in summe as many of the Philosophers as were worth any thing were not ignorant of this thing But I feare these authorities are with you of little worth yet have I brought them that you may see how wee are furnished with all kind of proofes and how you do contemne all maner of testimony If this which I have said perswade you to look better to the foundation of your faith it is sufficient if it perswade you nothing then have I done contrary to the Commandement which forbiddeth to cast pearles before swine But yet I hope that God will not suffer you to be led any longer by that spirit of Antichrist against which S. Iohn doth so often
THE SACRED PHILOSOPHIE Of the HOLY SCRIPTURE Laid downe as Conclusions on the Articles of our Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed Proved by the Principles or rules taught and received in the light of understanding Written by ALEXANDER GIL Master of Pauls Schole Psal 116 v. 10. I have beleeved therefore have I spoken Imprinted at London by Anne Griffin for Ioyce Norton and Rich. Whitaker 1635 THE SACRED PHILOSOPHIE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRE Laid downe as Conclusions in the Articles of our Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed Proued by the Principles or Rules taught and receiued in the Light of Vnderstanding VVhereby it is made plaine to every one endued with Reason what the stedfastnesse of the Truth and Mercy of God toward Mankinde is concerning the attainment of everlasting happinesse And what is the glory and excellency of the Christian Religion over all heathenish idolatry all Turkish Iewish Athean and hereticall Infidelity Written by Alexander Gil Mr. of Pauls Schoole Psal 116. vers 10. I have beleeved therefore have I spoken LONDON Printed by Anne Griffin for Ioyce Norton and Richard Whitaker and are to bee sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Kings-Armes 1635. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL the Master VVardens and Assistants of the Honourable Câ—mâ—â—nie of MERâ—â—â—S in London my worthy friends and Patrons c. IT is now six and twentie yeares since by the great love and favour of the Company I had the government of that ancient and religious foundation of Pauls Schole committed to my trust and care In all which time untill Nature gave place unto extreme age and infirmitie if my abilitie assisted with industrie hath advanced those that were commended to my institution in manners and learning I desire that they may render and attribute the sole thankes unto you For by your courtesie and discreet liberalitie I was cherished and furthered not onely to doe you service in my selfe but likewise to give such education to my sonnes as hath made them fit in their qualities to performe the like dutie Now so it is worthie Gentlemen that Nature being not onely declined in me but almost quite worne out by reason of a sedentarie life much studie and continuall paynes I thought it fit before I goe hence in gratefull acknowledgment of the many and great obligations which your goodnesse hath from time to time fastned upon me ever since my entrance into your service to dedicate the best of my labours to your acceptance This is it which if it have the blessing to doe as doubtlesse it will in some measure any benefit to the Church and country wherein I live I shall likewise intreate them to conferre the thanks upon you by whom I was enabled to perfect a worke of so high and necessary an argument I shall not live to receive your thanks my selfe and therefore I beseech you to accept of them as the legacie of a dying man and with them the dedication of this worke Which as it was begun and finished under your roofe so I know none more fit to patronize the worke than your-selves who have been the Patrons of the author Thus in all humility I take leave committing you to God my surviving sonnes to the continuance of your love and care and this other chyld of my old age to your fostering a more living witnesse of your favours towards me and my thankefulnesse towards you Your much obliged Servant ALEX. GIL THE PREFACE to the Reader WHen in the yeere 1601 I gave out a little treatise concerning the Trinitie of persons in the Vnitie of the Deity for such reasons as appeare therein I made a conditionall promise of a further assertion of every Article of our Christian faith This promise of mine hath oftentimes since that beene exacted both by friends and strangers That treatise tryed the common fortune of all bookes some slighted it because it brought nothing but that which was common others condemned it as thinking it unfit that matiers of faith should be perswaded by reason They of the first sort were not onely mine acquaintance who might commend my Booke for affection to me but some strangers who for their liking of the booke became afterwards my friends And these encouraged me to the performance of my promise The second sort did not a little comfort me because I had in no sort troubled the peace of the Church The third sort have held me disheartned untill now for although I there shewed that even in matiers where faith is most required both our Lord and his Apostles perswaded by common reasons as also the Prophets before-time had done yet though I knew no reason of their dislike I did forbeare because I would not offend of ignorance But seeing the everlasting saving or losse o the soule is a thing which of all other concernes a man most to thinke of and that all sorts and sects of men which farre exceed us Christians in multitude See Brere woods enquirie of Religion Chap. 14. have hope of immortall life aswell as wee it concernes us not a little to seâ— wherein our advantage is and what assurance wee have more than they Now to let passe the false Religion of the Paynim idolaters in Lapland in Africa in the East and West Indies and that great continent of the South what is our preheminence over the Iewes Turkes and Heretickes of the former times of them that are and still will be untill the time that all things shall be restored The Iewes hold firmly as we the authoritie of the Old Testament and denie the New The Turkes also though they speake honourably of Christ as of more than a Prophet yet of the holy Scriptures which wee receive they make little reckoning and although they reade the Psalter Azoa 7 yet they set up their Alcoran as their Idole which they worship Doe not the fathers Tertullian contra Marcionem and Augustine de Haeres Cap. See also the epistle of Orig. cited by Iohn Picus Miran pag. 206. witnesse how the authoritie of Scriptures was â—based by the Heretickes some they rejected the rest they corrupted by false interpretations by adding and taking away what was for their purpose It seemes therefore that the authorities on all sides respectively being of like regard the maine advantage which we have is â—n reason as it shall hereafter appeare in every Article of our Faith And therefore they that denie us the use of reason in a matier of so great importance as our Religion is bereaue us of our chiefe advantage and as much as in them is turne us out of the fold of Christ to chuse at large what Religion we like best But if man were created in the image of God that hee might know and serve him as he ought and if common reason rightly guided be that image of God in us yet remaining as it is plaine because that image and wisdome of the Father is that light which lightens every man that comes into the
world Iohn 1. I see no cause why reason that especiall and principall gift of God to mankinde should not be serviceable to the principall and especiall end for which man himselfe is created that is his drawing neere unto God by faith in him for the excellencie of every thing is in the excellencie of the End for which it is And that common sence and reason have their especiall use in things pertaining unto God it is most manifest For all our knowledge proceeds from meere ignorance first knowing words by their meaning then things by sence and experiments from whence the reason ascending by enquirie into the causes comes at last into the knowledge thereof and so unto the chiefest and first cause wherein alone it findes rest And seeing man alone of all the visible creatures is framed and formed of God unto this search by the outward sence and reason to finde the wisdome and power of God in the creature that so honouring him therefore as he ought he might be made happie thereby if it bee no way possible by reason and discourse to come to this end then should God want of his honour by some of those meanes by which it might be given unto him then should the creature bee failing to man in the speciall use which he should make thereof to God then should reason the chiefe facultie of our soule and principall meanes of our knowledge have beene given unto man in vaine that is as sence is to the beasts onely for this life if it were either no helpe at all or an unfit or an insufficient meane to know that which is most necessary and worthy to bee knowne and yet obscure to stirre up our industrie that as faithfull servants we may improve those gifts wherewith God hath intrusted us See Luke 19.1 And so the purpose of God should be frustrate both in the inferiour creature and in man and that in their chiefest and uttermost end See Prov. 16.4 But these things are impossible and therefore wee are commanded Deut. 6.5 to love and serve the Lord our God with all our heart the seat of reason 1 King 3.12 with all our soule the seat of the will and understanding in heavenly things and all our affections there stiled by a word of vehemencie or excesse And thus doe we fulfill the counsell of the wise Pro. 3.9 to honour the Lord with all our substance that is whatsoever is ours without or within as sence reason understanding affections and will But still you say that reason is an unsufficient meane and unable to bring us to the knowledge of those things which we are bound to beleeve for else the Heathen which know not the Scriptures might have known the truth of Religion as well as we Ans There be divers kinds of questions about every subject as I shewed Log Chap 3. Now the conclusion or Article of our faith by the Atheist or Infidell or weake Beleever being made a question the reasons brought are to prove onely that the conclusion is true not alwayes why it is true for there be many conclusions in our faith which cannot be knowne and proved prioristicè as they speake that is by their immediate and necessarie causes seene and understood in the effects necessarily following thereon for then that humilitie which ought to be joyned with our faith should bee without reward but yet the foundation of our faith is sure because the Spirit of God which understands the things which are of God hath revealed in the Scriptures whatsoever is necessary for us to know or beleeve concerning God thus posterioristicè or by way of induction are all the Articles of our faith approved by reason so that our faith and hope are not of things impossible but such as are true and necessarie to be Moreover if there bee but one God one Lord of all one faith the onelie way to come unto God Ephes 4.6 as it is plaine there is but one Mediatour 1. Tim. 2.5 without whom none can come to the Father Iohn 14.6 It cannot be denied but that the same glorious faith which we are taught in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament excepting onely the historicall circumstances thereof as names and times as that the Mediatour Iesus was to bee borne of a Virgine Mary and to suffer death under Pontius Pilate c. must be that very same faith by which all the Saints of God were saved for above two hundred and fifty yeers before there were any Scriptures written And therefore that although this faith was delivered and reverently embraced by the faithfull before the Law of Moses who also so delivered it as that they could not looke unto the â—nd of the law 2 Cor. 3.13 Yet they who either received it not by tradition as most of the Gentiles or understood it not in the Law as few among the Iewes did beside the Prophets must of necessity through the light of reason alone hold with us some maine and fundamentall points according to which if they lived in obedience they might finde mercy for that whereof they were ignorant as it is said Act. 17.30 that God oversaw or neglected the ignorance of the time before Christ For if the representative Priest by forein bloud found forgivenesse for himselfe and the ignorances of the people concerning all punishment in this life how much more might the everlasting high-priest by his owne offering of himselfe finde eternall redempâ—ion for their ignorances who sought mercy of God although they knew him not by whom they did obtaine it yet might they therefore assure themselves to obtaine it because they could not seek forgivenesse but by his Spirit who framed their hearts to seeke it and therby gave them an earnest or pledge that they should finde it Compare herewith Rom. 10.18.20 Ioh 14 6. Now those maine points of which I spake which by the light of reason they might know are these First that ther is a God infinite in goodnesse in glory in wisdome in power as it is manifest Psal 19. Rom. 1.19.20 and elsewhere Secondly that this God the maker of all things according to that goodnes made every thing to an end infinitly good â—s farre as the creature could bee capable thereof And that therefore the happinesse of man could not bee in this life short and miserable but that his hope must bee for hereafter And therefore thirdly that hee must needs perswade himselfe that hee was immortall and that there was an immortall life at least as appertaining to his soule Fourthly because a mans wretchednesse is for the most part from him selfe in the unlawfulnesse of his owne ill deeds which proceed from the bitter fountaine of his affections and ill desires tormenting himselfe therefore hee must needes confesse his sinne against himselfe and know that hee that finds himselfe so displeasing to himselfe can no way hope that for his owne worthinesse hee can any way bee acceptable unto God and that therefore he
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
He came into this houre that Hee might fulfill the will of His Father Hebr. 10.5 and that by that one offering of Himselfe He should bring many sonnes unto Glory therefore as the valiant Captaine of their salvation did Hee willingly and couragiously offer Himselfe to the hands of them that sought His life having first commanded a safe conduct for His Disciples Iohn 18. from 3. to 10. Then what scorne and reproaches and speaking against of sinners He endured before the high Priests the holy Prophets and Evangelists have recorded I gave my Backe to the smiters and my Cheeke to them that plucked off the haire I hid not my Face from shame and spitting Esay 50.6 Hee giveth His Cheeke to him that smiteth Him He is filled with reproach Lament 3.10 See further in Micah 5.1 Matth. 26.6 7 8. Marke 14.65 Luke 22.63 64. Iohn 18.22 But because the Article of our Creed mentions only His sufferings under Pontius Pilate under which all these by a Synecdoche are comprehended let us looke unto them in particular for therein was the accomplishment of our Redemption But first it may be heere demanded why mention is made of Pontius Pilate as if the trueth of God and his most glorious worke in the creature that is the redemption of man by the death of His Son should any way need or admit of humane testimony I answere that as the Spirit of God in the Evangelists vouchsafes to apply the history of the Gospel to the times of Tiberius of Pontius Pilate his proconsul of Herod of Philip c. Luke 3.1 2. so likewise this short abridgment of the Gospel our Creed doth not neglect them For seeing the sufferinâ— of Christ was for the benefit of man-kind it is necessary that wee should bee made so sure and certaine of the truth thereof that how oever that truth were tryed by divine or by humane autâ—ority of reason or historie it might most cleerely and plainely appeare And therefore is this truth of Christ witnessed not onely by the Prophets and Evangelists as you read before Chap. 24. Reason 10. and by the Ecclesiasticall Histories but even the prophane writers yea the persecutors and enemies of this truth are not silent herein Pilate himselfe might bee a witnesse of those things which hee had heard and seene concerning the miracles the death and resurrection of Christ whereof hee writ unto Tiberius the Emperour And although it seemed not fit to the Wisedome of God that that glorious truth concerning his Sonne which Hee himselfe had testified from heaven and had confirmed by so many miracles and gifts of the Holy-Ghost should afterward receive authority from the Senate of Rome that Senate by whose authority so many thousands of false gods were worshipped See Aug. de civ D. lib. 3. cap. 12. yet even to that Senate the trueth of his Deitie by that testimony of him that had heard and seene was cleerely manifest See Tertul. Apolog. cap. 5. Euseb Eccl. hist lib. 2. cap. 2. And although Lucian and Porphyrie and Celsus and such doggs barked against the holy Religion of Christ yet even therein they testified that Christ did establish a faith and Religion among His faithfull followers Plini Epiâ—t lib. 10. Epist. 97. and Tacitus Annal. lib. 15. though they no Christians for the first was a cruell persecuter of them yet have they testified so much and have alwayes beene held faithfull in their writings And so may Iosephus though hee make it questionable whether Christ were onely a man Antiq. lib. 18. Cap. 4. This therefore being without doubt that our Lord did suffer under Pontius Pilate it may bee further asked why He being a Iewe should bee condemned to die by the authoritie and power of the Romanes For this there bee two reasons principall and chiefe For the understanding of which you need to remember that there have beene foure principall Monarchies in the earth the first of the Assyrians and Babylonians which tooke the beginning from Nimrod of whom you reade Gen. 10.8 9 10. and was after encreased by Ninus Semiramis Salmanasar Bellochus and others but most of all by Nabuchadnezar This Monarchy after it had flourished about seventeene hundred yeeres was overthrowne by Darius the Median and his nephew Cyrus King of Persia who were the founders of the second Monarchie which continued not much above 130. yeeres and was then broken by Alexander who in battell overthrew the last King Codoman This Alexander began the third Monarchy of the Grecians which after him was divided among his Captaines of which foure were chiefe See Dan. Cap. 8. of these foure Kingdomes Egypt Syria Greece and Asia Asia continued but two descents of 23. yeeres the other three one after another were subdued by the Romanes who made the fourth Monarchie Syria and by and by Iudea was subdued by Pompey and made a Province of the Romans about 60. yeeres before the birth of Christ This Syria is a Countrey wide and large Palestina inhabited by the twelve Tribes a small part therof See Ptolom Geogr. lib. 5. cap. 14. and Asiae tab 4. This Countrey in the time of Christ was divided into three parts or shires Iudea toward the South Galile to the North and Samaria betweene them Iohn 4. v. 3 4. These Samaritanes were strangers in the land sent thither onely to till the ground after Salmanassar had carryed away the ten Tribes in the dayes of Hoshea 2. King 18. from the 9. to the 13. verse Iudea and Galilee were possest by the Iewes after their returne from Babylon But after they were subdued by the Romanes they were compelled to accept of such government as they appointed These Romanes for the good services and deserts of Antipater Prince of the Idumeans and of Herod his sonne after him gave the Kingdome over the Iewes to that Herod surnamed the great who held it 37. yeeres Augustus beside the gift of the Senate enlarged the Kingdome of Herod with the Countreys of Batanea Trachonitis Abylene and others But the Iewes knowing the time of Messiah to be at hand whose Kingdome they thought should be of this World most obstinately refused the government of Herod a stranger And though he sought the establishment of a just government over them and did many things to their content yet when hee saw that by no faire meanes hee could win them to accept his government hee fill'd all places with crueltie and blood till in the 31. yeere of his Reigne they were compelled to acknowledge obedience to him as their King and to his posterity after him So when the Scepter was vtterly departed from Iuda even by their owne consent then according to the prophesie of Iacob in the 32. of Herod was the Angel sent to the holy Virgin when the Iewes had thus beene taught to know that the true Messiah was to bring a greater deliverance not to them onely but to all man-kind than any could be from an earthly bondage So in the beginning of the 33. yeere