therein O times Into what corruption of manners are wee fallen So when all charity is put only in the maintenance of idlenesse and begging Gangrels being otherwise dead and cold when the apostasie is fully revealed and the man of sinne detected which exalteth Himselfe above all that is called God Moreover when by the working of the false apostles of that apostasie there is a daylie falling from the faith 2. Thes chap. 2. When that ill servant hath said in his heart My Lord delayes his comming and hath begun and so continues to smite his fellow-servants Matth. 24.28 29. what wants but onely that the Tribes of Israel should be gathered to the Church that all the wicked should bee put away like drosse Psal 119. verse 119. For the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement nor the sinners in the congregation of the righteous Other signes you may reade in the Holy Text and consider of them But that signe of the Son of man spoken of Matth. 24.30 is doubtfull Some thinke it shall be a crosse some a great light Lactantius Lib. 7. Cap. 19. thinkes it shall bee a sword which shall fall from heaven like the ancyle Ovid. Fast lib. 3. But Sibyl orae lib. 2. saith it shall be a glorious Starre in the likenesse of a Crowne except by an Enallage of number shee meanes a Crowne of Starres as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometime doth signifie a constellation Her Verses are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A shining Starre like to a Crowne most sheen In the bright heaven of all men shal be seen For many dayes Next after the signes of our Lords comming to Iudgement you may reade the manner of His comming as it is delivered in the Scripture so farre as our understanding can conceive to bee with power and glory Mat. 24.31 euen the glory of the Father Mat. 16.27 and all the holy Angels with Him Matt. 25.31 In flaming fire rendring vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Thess 1.8 § 3. But that we dwell not on these things which are either beyond our understanding as the enquiry of the time which is therefore hid that it may stint our curious search or else so plaine that wee need not doubt let us goe forward to those questions which seeme to offer some doubt unto us 1. And first if Christ our Lord shall judge the world in righteousnesse Psalm 9.8 how is it said Matth. 19.28 That the Apostles shall sit upon twelue Thrones and judge the twelue tribes of Israel And againe 1 Cor. 6.2 Doe ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world and vers 3. Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels To which the answere is returned That the Apostles by their faith and doctrine shall take away all excuse from the Israelites and so judge and condemne them For this is their condemnation That they beleeved not in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Iohn 3.18 So the Saints in generall shall judge the wicked by their faith and repentance whose example the wicked would not follow that they might be saved Moreover seeing the faithfull are the members of that mysticall body of which Christ is the head they in Him are said to judge the world that is the unbeleevers And seeing all the enemies of Christ are to bee brought before the Throne of Christ and His Church in as much as Christ shall judge the world and the wicked Angels in trueth and righteousnesse all the faithful shal subscribe to the judgement as most holy and just and so are rightly said to judge the Angels And as the holy Angels shall then rejoyce with joy unspeakable for that glory and mercy which God shall vouchsafe unto His Saints So the Saints likewise shall give glory and thankes to God for that encrease of glory and happinesse which He shall give unto the holy angels as the reward of their continuall watch and guard which they have held about us all the time of our pilgrimage upon earth and at the houre of death helping the soule out of the prison of the body and conducting it unto the place of joy But it is said Iohn 16.11 That the Prince of this world is judged already how they shall we judge the Angels Answer The devill is judged already 1. In the decree of God 2. By the word of God he is declared to be reserued in chaines of darknesse and that hell fire is prepared for him and his angels 3. By his owne knowledge of his owne estate 4. Because his torment is in part begun But in judgement there be two things First the enquiry of the fact then the award of the reward Neither the deeds of the good or bad angels shall bee enquired into at the judgement a as some have thought but the reward shall bee assigned unto them both and acknowledged to be most just by the Church as I said before and this is our judgement of them Neither yet shall the sencelesse creatures be exempted from this judgment in as much as The elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes thereof shall burne 2. Pet. 3.10 that they may be freed from that corruption to which they are subject for the sinne of man For when man sinned the whole bodily creature which was made for man was thereby subjected to vanity not of it owne will or any inclination which was therein in respect of any weakenesse of state wherein it was created For all was exceeding good Gen. 1.31 but that the justice of God against sinne might be manifest is it subjected to the curse Gen. 3.18 19. yet under hope that when man is freed from his sinne the creature also shall be restored unto that libertie from corruption wherein it was created Rom. 8.20 c. as it is said Rev. 21.1 and 5. Behold I create all things new See 1. Pet. 3.13 2. Another doubt may bee concerning the forme of the sentence whereby it may seeme that the merit of workes is justified For so is the sentence pronounced Come yee blessed receive the King-dome 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 tobeleeve 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
And therefore the Holy-Ghost is God And His witnesse in our hearts that wee are the sonnes of God is an eternall trueth and such as hath neither falshood nor doubt nor double meaning § 2.1 But you will say Sect. 2 if the word Spirit belong essentially to all the Persons of the God-head and that they bee all holinesse it selfe as it is said Es 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hostes how is it here appropriated to the third Person Is not the difference of Persons taken away hereby seeing every one is a Holy Spirit I answere That in this place as in many other texts of Holy Scripture the words Holy Spirit are taken relatively or Personally as they meane that third Person of the Holy Trinity with that relation of procession which He hath from the Father and the Son as it was shewed Chap. 11. Re. 8. 2. But it is said Iohn 7.39 That the Holy-Ghost was not yet which takes away His eternity and so His God-head Answere Tropes and figures are usuall in every language though not minded by the vulgar sort So here is a Metonymia or taking of the author for the gifts of divers tongues miracles prophecie and such like and these gifts were not yet given as it followes in the text because that Iesus was not yet glorified that it might appeare to all that these were His gifts who was before crucified Compare herewith Iohn 16.7 Ephe. 4.8 and 11.1 Cor. 12.8 c. 3. a If the procession of the Holy-Ghost bee perfect from the Father then doth Hee not proceed from the Sonne or if it be necessary that He proceede from the Sonne also then must there bee in Him something of composition of superaddition or the like whereby his being should not be most simple which were to denie Him to be God So also the procession from the first principle not being perfect would argue a defect therein Answere This is as if you should reason thus If the way betweene Thebes and Athens be the ready way from Thebes to Athens then can it not be the way from Athens to Thebes But I say that the procession emanation or out-flowing of the Holy-Ghost from the Father is most perfect infinite and eternall as from that being from which the procession is actively as the action of understanding is in and yet from the mind which doth understand as from the active principle But the procession or emanation of the Holy-Ghost from the Sonne is likewise infinite and eternall as from the passive principle as the understanding is from that object which is understood And so the procession of the Holy-Ghost is perfect infinite and eternall both from the Father and the Sonne And because all this is in the God-head onely for I speake not now of those graces and mercies which are from God upon the creature therefore it is necessary that the Holy-Ghost be God blessed above all infinitely and eternally one being with the Father and the Sonne You will heere aske me what the difference is betweene generation whereby the Sonne is from the Father and procession whereby the Holy-Ghost is from the Father and the Son If I confesse that I can neither speake nor conceive it you must hold me excused For in those things that are not lawfull nor possible for the creature to know it is not fit to enquire But you may remember that heretofore although we concluded according to the rule of trueth the Holy Scripture that all the Persons in the Holy Trinitie were in their absolute being one yet by the same rule and the enforcement of reason we were compelled to yeeld unto the Father as concerning His Personal being the precedence of originall as being that fountaine of life and glory from which the other Persons doe proceede And because our Lord Iesus is the expresse Image of the Father Heb. 1.3 whose procession or going forth is from eternity Mich. 5.2 and He by the stile of the Holy Scripture called the Sonne of God Psal 2.7 therefore doe wee attribute unto Him as concerning His Personall being the word of generation or being begotten yet in respect of His absolute essence wherein He is one with the Father He is also called the everlasting Father Esay 9.6 But because all things in the Godhead are in the infinitie of perfection and that the being of the Holy-Ghost is alike both from the Father and the Son and that no perfect being hath two Fathers therefore is His personall being said to be rather by procession then by generation § 3. And because this Article is the last in our Creed Sect. 3 whereby we confesse our faith in the holy Trinity it will not be unfit to take up in briefe that which we have spoken hereunto at large It is manifest unto all reason that nothing can be a cause and yet not be for that would bring a contradiction which the understanding of the foole of fooles I meane the Atheist could not endure that a thing that hath no manner of being should bee of such powerfull being as that it should cause either it selfe or another thing to be And because we see that divers things are which could not cause themselues to be when they were not it followes necessarily that there were causes of their being and that all their causes did worke as they were ordered and mooved by their first cause which seeing it is the cause of all beings must of it selfe not onely be but also have power both to be of it selfe and also to moove all other causes to worke to their determinate ends And this most excellent and first being the cause of all other is that which we call God in whom you see the first thing which we can understand is to be but that eternally because there is nothing before Him which might give Him His being and infinitely because there was nothing which could put any bounds to His being The next thing that we can understand of God is that He hath power both to be and to worke but no worke or action can be but in that which hath both actuall being and 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
desire as farre as we finde the likenesse of our selves or of something in our selves therein But good is of divers kindes the first and lowest kinde is conditionall or civill as riches honour favour of great men authority which are good or ill according as they are used Secondly morall as the vertues and abilities of the minde and the fruits thereof Thirdly naturall which is in every thing and that either essentially in the perfection of the being whereto it is ordeined which every thing desires as the proper good thereof or specifically in respect of those proper effects which proceed from the essentiall forme inasmuch as every good thing imparts the goodnesse of it selfe as much as it may But the goodnesse of God comes not into accompt with these for although for that loves sake which he hath of goodnesse he were pleased to imprint certaine likenesses of himselfe in the creature yet this was not out of any need which he had of the creature without which he was and is infinitely happy in himselfe Psal 16.2 Therefore the creation onely manifested the goodnesse of God that the creature according to the measure thereof might be good perfect and blessed in him who is infinitely good in himselfe as is manifest by these reasons 1. It is proved Chap 2. that the being of God is infinite Hence it followes thus Whatsoever is equall to an infinite being must of necessity be infinite The goodnesse of God is equall to his infinite being for otherwise his being should be defective and ill if by his goodnesse it should not be wholly and infinitely good And if in any thing his being were defective then should it not be infinitely distant from not being and so his being should not be infinite but all these things are impossible Therefore the goodnesse of God is infinite 2. Being and Goodnesse are termes convertible inasmuch as every thing desires the perfection of it owne being as the proper goodnesse thereof But it is necessarie that some thing be chiefe and superexcellent in being as the cause of all other beings therefore also in goodnesse and this is most eminently true in God that his goodnesse is his being because it cannot be in him as a property proceeding from any forme he being utterly free from any composition nor yet by any superaddition or putting to of any thing vnto his being he being the cause of all and utterlie free from suffering any thing from without Therefore God is infinitely and essentially good 3. In the order of things being it is necessarie that something be supereminent and chiefe either good or ill which must of necessity be that which is the first and cause of all other things Good is a positive being and brings in perfection Ill is onely privative and puts nothing in being And seeing the excellencie of every effect is in the multitude of the likenesses thereof unto the cause if the first cause thereof be not supereminently good then that which is ill and privative shall be more actuall perfect and excellent than that which is good and every thing the worse it is shall be more like unto it and that which is worst of all shall be most like unto it and that which is most of all not being to wit that which is utterly impossible to be most actuall and perfect but these things are manifest contradictions and utterly impossible Therefore God the first cause of all is supereminently and infinitelie good 4. Whatsoever hath all the perfections of being in it must needs be infinitely good But God hath all the perfections of being in himselfe as being the cause of all Therefore God is infinitely good 5. And this is that goodnesse which our Lord would not suffer to be given unto any other There is none good but one even God Marke 10.18 But the representation of this infinite goodnesse is diversly imparted first without measure Iohn 3.34 To him that is the image of his being Hebr. 1.3 Then to them who of his fulnesse have received even grace for grace Iohn 1.16 Thirdly to every thing in the being thereof as I spake before Gen. 1.31 And hereby you may see the force of that argument which our Saviour uses Matth. 7.11 If you then which are ill can give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them that aske him Seeing he is goodnesse it selfe and this goodnesse of God is the argument of so many Psalmes Praise ye the Lord because he is good for his mercie endureth for ever Psal 118.136 c. CHAP. V. That the wisdom of God is infinite EVery thing naturally seekes the preservation of it selfe in the being which it hath as the perfection and happinesse of it selfe and therefore first avoids those things that are contrary thereto as you may see in a greene sticke put into the fire how the water shunnes the heate as the greatest enemy it hath Secondly encreaseth it selfe by those things which it can make like and turne into it selfe as I have elsewhere shewed how every seed encreaseth by the earth and moisture thereof which cannot be but with a wehling out or choice of things that are homogeneous or of parts like thereto and a refusing of those things that are heterogeneous that is of unlike parts or of another kinde And over and above this every thing doth spread it selfe in that goodnesse which it hath upon those things that are capable thereof as it appeares in the effect of every medicine And nothing of all these things can be done but by a certaine degree of naturall knowledge inbred in every thing according to which it doth chuse or avoid those things which are within the compasse of that knowledge And this is seene in every thing simple or compound in things elementall minerall and vegetable But in things wherein life is more manifest by moving which we call Animall the fruits of knowledge and understanding appeare in farre greater differences of degrees as you may finde betweene the oyster or the snaile and the fox the horse or the elephant of which they write he may bee taught to know letters Plinhist nat lib. 8. cap. 3. Aquin. contra Gent. lib. 3. Cap. 57. what knowledge these things have of the Creator it is not easie to define See Plin. hist lib. 8. Cap. 1. But certaine it is that the whole creature hath a most earnest desire and hope to bee delivered from that corruption and change whereto it is subject Rom. 8.19 But that man though knowing nothing at all but by the helpe of things sensible was created to know and honour the creator by and for his knowledge is most manifest for otherwise the Creator should lose his honour which he might and consequently ought to have by the outward sences from things sensible And this was the condemnation of the world that thus knowing by the creature they did not honour him accordingly Rom. 1.17 Of how much sorer
and goodnesse are one being doth bring forth eternally an infinite good that is the Sonne betwixt whom and himselfe results an infinite Communion of goodnesse viz. the holy Ghost If there must needs bee a distinction of termes in the actions of the Godhead then there must needs bee a difference of Persons otherwise the difference of the termes were idle and vaine if the being understood thereby were not answerable But there must needs bee a distinction of termes in the working of the Godhead For an infinite working already proved must needs be from an infinite worker about an infinite worke Therefore there is a difference of Persons in the unity of the deity 6. If there were not an infinite and eternall production in the Persons of the Godhead then the being of a beginning could not cleerely and evidently bee therein because though the beginner were yet the working of the beginner and the being begun were yet wanting and so these two comming after should bee inferiour or lesse both in continuance and infinitie And so the first and highest cause should bee an infinite beginner without any effect or thing begun by him which must bring on that the first and chiefest cause of all should be infinitely defective and ceasing to worke and of lesse force than other causes subordinate which all worke incessantlie to the bringing forth of their effects unlesse they bee hindered by lets more powerfull Therefore there bee moe Persons than one in the unitie of the Godhead 7. Being and the power of Being working and the power of working are all one in God as was shewed chap. 8. 9. n. 6. But God by his infinite and eternall power can bring forth an infinite and eternall being like Himselfe by the infinite and eternall working of his power Therefore He doth bring forth or if he can and will not that power were in vaine and so his power and will were not equall and infinite So there should bee divers beings in God finite and infinite But all these things are impossible Therefore God doth bring forth an infinite being his Sonne by his infinite working the holy Ghost 8. If the inward working of the deity bee infinite with all the conditions of Infinitie then the understanding of God for example must bee infinite both in the act or perfection of it selfe and in the object which it doth understand and in the worke or action of the understanding about that object So that God understanding his owne being must needs behold himselfe by an infinite action of understanding But the working of God is infinite with all the conditions of infinitie as hath beene proved for otherwise there should bee a greaternesse in being and a lessenesse in working and so the being of God should not bee simple and one Therefore in the unity of the infinite deity there is an infinite understanding which we call the Father an infinite object or image of that understanding in the sight of which that infinite understanding is most delighted because nothing can be more excellent than it and this is God understood that glorious Sonne and an infinite working of the understanding and that is the Holy Ghost which you see cannot be conceived to be if either the infinite understanding or the object were supposed not to be and therefore he is said to proceed from them both And thus is it in all the other dignities of God his goodnesse his infinitie his eternity power will truth glory c. 9. Now the texts whereby this doctrine is taught more darkely in the old Testament lest the true Church with the Heathen might have fallen into the opinion of many Gods are these among many other Gen. 1. v. 26. Let us make man in our owne image Gen. 3.22 Behold the man is become as one of us Gen. 11.7 Let us goe downe and let us confound their language Gen. 11.7 which manner of speech is not borrowed for manners sake from the custome of Princes and great men who for modestie speake not in their owne name alone Wee but as having determined with their great men and counsellors men like themselves But God doth not so consult nor determine by advice of his Creature Neither yet doth that language admit such forme of speech but as the Easterne languages even to this day speake to one particular person in the number of one as you may reade 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man and 2 Sam. 18 3. Thou shalt not goe forth Thou art worth ten thousand of us Esth 7.3 If I have found favour in thy sight O King But to returne to the holy Trinity You have a like proofe in Numb 6.24.5.6 where the word Iehovah is three times repeated in the blessing and every time with a severall accent So that although his name be one Zach. 14.9 and his being one Deut. 6.4 yet in that one being is a Trinitie of Persons which you shall better understand if you consider the blessings in the new Testament all taken from hence as that 2 Cor. 13.14 Rev. 1.4.5 c. So likewise in Iob. 35.10 Where is God my makers and Psal 149. Let Israel rejoyce in his makers Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creators and againe Psal 11.7 His faces or their faces will view the righteous In which places though for some reason translated singularly Maker Creator Face yet according to the precisenesse of the Hebrew it is as I have told you And yet a more evident proofe is that in Gen. 20.13 where the word Elohim God is ioyned with a verbe of the plurall number And in Ioshuah 24.19 The Trinity of Persons in unity of the being is most cleare For with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim is ioyned an adiective of the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kadoshim and a personall of the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hu as if you would say God He the holy ones or as Esay explaneth it Ch. 6.3 Holy Holy Holy art thou O Lord. And againe in the same Chapter ver 8. whom shall I send there is the unity of the Godhead and who shall goe for us there is the Trinity of the Persons And againe in Esay chap. 48.16 Christ speaketh thus There am 1. I. and now the. 2. Lord God and 3. His Spirit hath sent me So you read in Psal 33.6 By the 1. Word of 2. Ichovah were the heavens made and all the host of them by the 3. Spirit of his mouth And in Hag. 2.5.6 From the beginning I was and now I am with you saith the 1. Lord of hostes the 2. word which covenanted with you when you came out of Aegypt my 3. Spirit shall dwell among you And if you desire moe proofes out of the old Testament you may reade Ficinus de Christ Relig. Cap. 31. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ichovah that great and fearefull name of God Deut. 28.58 one name of his owne being containes the mysterie of the Trinity For in the forming
And if any other kinde of argument bee brought either by rule or induction or syllogisme yet seeing superiour causes are not alwayes here to bee found whereby to make analyticall demonstration therefore the reasons for the most part are contayned within this bound onely to prove the Article that it is true Nay I adde yet further that the Theologian or divine is not tyed to the use of naturall reasons onely for proofe of his conclusions For so you should make divinity nothing else but naturall Philosophie except that the one should bee intended to the cause of all being the other to the effect in nature onely But you know that all truth whereinsoever it is being founded in the truth of God reason the searcher thereof must farre exceed the limits of nature or naturall causes Therefore although that conclusion of Tho. Aquin. stand sure that the philosophers could not come to the knowledge of the Trinity by the view of nature because nature was an insufficient meane to bring them thereunto which yet may receive limitation either in respect of the degree of knowledge which nature brings of the Creator as himselfe makes difference Prooem in lib. 4. contr gent. or in respect of the manner of concluding inductive onely yet will it not follow from thence that the articles of our Faith are utterly beyond all proofe of reason For as divinitie is of a farre higher straine than naturall Philosophie so are the proofes and reasons thereof from greater lights than all nature can shew Who knowes not that divinity as concerning a great part of the practice holds all morall Philosophie whose conclusions though from reason yet are not the reasons natural but morall Have not Grammar Logick and all other Artes and Sciences either instrumentall or principall certaine rules or principles which are true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is universally necessarily and convertibly or peculiar to that Science and yet not demonstrable by naturall Causes And to this very purpose Saint Augustine saith De Civ Dei lib. 11. Cap. 24. Diligentia rationis est non praesumptionis audacia ut in operibus Dei secreto quodam loquendi ' modo quo nostra exerceatur intentio intelligatur Trinitas That is the Holy Trinity may bee understood by us in the workes of God by their secret manner of speech in which they speake to our understanding And if this high mystery may bed understood by the creature as the Father shewes in that booke and other Christian writers elsewhere I doubt not but by those honourable titles which the holy Scripture doth give unto God it may much better bee made to appeare And if it were lawfull to prove the first and principall Article of our faith by reason and by reason I say without presumption of perfection in knowledge to prove that God is as it hath beene shewed by the warrant of the Apostle is it not likewise as lawfull in the Articles following And these things may seeme the more strange in Thom. Aquin. because in the 11. chap. of his fourth booke contra Gentiles he doth so clearelie deliver this point of our beleefe both by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures and the evidence of reason yea and that on the same grounds whereon Raymundus doctrine is builded that he may seeme to have lighted his torch at the lampe of Thomas Take the meaning of his words as they lye Seeing that in the Divine nature He that understands the action of his understanding and his intention or object understood are all one and the same being it must needs bee that whatsoever belongs to the perfect being of any of these be most truly in Him Now it is essentiall to the inward word or intention understood that it do proceed from him that understands according to the action of his understanding And seeing that in God all these three are essentially one for in him nothing can be but essentiallie it is necessarie that every one of these be God and that the difference which is betweene them bee not of being but of relation onlie or the manner of being as the intention is referred to him that conceives it as to him from whom it is therefore the Evangelist having said Iohn 1. The word was God lest all distinction might seeme to bee taken away betweene the Father and the Sonne addes immediately That Word was in the beginning with God Thus saith Thomas Oh but say you it is a dangerous case to commit matters of faith to reason I but there is no danger to commit reason to matiers of faith that is to make reason a servant of faith neither is our reason too good to give attendance on faith nor faith so proud as to scorne the service of reason therefore let this jangling and frowardnesse cease If I say any thing to your content accept it if not you are not bound to reade it but God hath not given us the knowledge of himselfe in his word that as parrats in a cage which with much adoe are taught a few words and then can say no more so we should hold our selves content when wee can say the Creed but that by continuall meditation in his word our knowledge and so our faith our love and feare of him might be increased dayly And this is it which S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 2.6 Wee speake wisdome among them that are perfect and againe 1 Cor. 1.22 The Grecians seeke wisdome and wee preach Christ the wisdome of God for in him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge hid Now it is apparent that he meanes not the wisdome of this world but that which is in things concerning God whereby we may be able to give a reason of the hope that is in us 1. Pet. 3.15 And this is that perfection whereto we ought to strive whereof the Catechisme doctrine of repentance of faith c. is but onely the foundation as it is manifest Heb. 6.1.2 For although the least degree of faith even as a graine of mustard seed bee sufficient to remove the high mountaines of rebellious and wicked thoughts that rise up against the obedience of the truth and consequently to save the soule through his mediation and mercie that doth not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flaxe yet seeing every man as he hath received ought as a faithfull Steward of the manifold graces of God to profit thereby our hearts by faith being purged from dead workes wee ought to adde vertue to our faith and to this vertue knowledge and by these meanes to make our calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1.5.10 And for this cause S. Paul prayes for the Colossians that having through faith embraced the truth they might bee filled with knowledge of the will of God in all wisdome and spirituall understanding And this is our progresse from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 that is from that pure faith whereby wee first receive the kingdome of God as little
that is in continuance to make it infinite then it can be in it owne proper subject that is in measure to make it unlimited so also infinitie shall bee powerfull in the contrarietie of good and ill to make them eternall and weake in the littlenesse of extension So also the world being eternall must be for this end that it may bee that which it is as God Whereby it would follow that the end of the worlds being could not bee one but contrarie to it selfe in generation and corruption in good and ill and all other contrarieties that are now therein But all these things are impossible therefore the contrary is necessary See Log. Cap. 26. n. 1. 6. Eternitie cannot admit before and after so that one eternall should be before another eternall But if the world be eternall this must follow necessarilie for every generation is with the corruption or taking away of that forme which was in the matier before and every corruption is of something that was generate before So each of these eternals must bee each before another and so neither of them eternall and yet the eternity of the world brings in these contradictions inasmuch as generation and corruption have beene ever since the world was Therefore the worlds eternity is impossible 7. If the world be eternall that eternity shall be rather ill than good because the longer the continuance of the world is the greater is the encrease of wickednesse and ill more than of that which is good at least because of the continuance of good and ill the worlds eternitie shall be both good and ill And yet because every worldly good hath a beginning and an end in time and that every privation or taking away of any good eternally must needs be an eternall ill that eternity of the world shall bee neerer to ill than to good both because of the positive ills and the deprivations of the goodnesses that are therein Moreover seeing nothing which is corrupted returnes to be the same in number which it was before generation shall bee good and availeable to the maintenance of the species onely not to the restoring of the actuall or individuall Beings But Corruption shall bee powerfull both against the individuall and therein against the species also And so the worlds eternity shall bee much nearer to ill than to good and a bringing in of all these inconveniences Therefore it is not eternall 8. If the world be eternall then neither was there any first man neither can there be any last without which lastnesse there cannot be any generall resurrection of men nor place to containe them So this eternity of the world must be the greatest ill as being that which brings in an impossibility of the greatest good that is the hope of the resurrection and everlasting life the end of all our hopes But it is impossible that this hope of man should bee frustrate as it will appeare further in the 38. chap. Therefore the world is not eternall 9. And if you looke backe on the things that have beene already spoken concerning the dignities of the Godhead in the nine first chapters you may from thence make a great supply of arguments to this purpose thus God is chap. 1. And He is being essentially with all the perfection of being infinitely eternally actually not in possibility of being any thing that hee is not and therefore God is the perfection of being and convertible the perfection of being is God Now termes convertible cannot possibly belong to forrein beings as to guide a shippe at Sea cannot belong to any but to man alone Therefore being cannot belong to any thing but to God alone primarily and of it selfe but onely Analogically as it hath received the Being from Him Therefore if the world be not God which the foole cannot say in his heart the world is not eternall 10. God is eternall chap. 2. and eternity belongs essentially to God alone chap. 8. If then the world be not God then can it not be coeternall with Him For as it is not possible that there should bee more Gods chap. 8. n. 7. so it is not possible that there should bee more eternals than one Therefore the world is not eternall So you may reason from the simplicity of His being proved chap. 9. n. 6.7 and from the other dignities of God which are proved to belong to Him in the chapter before no lesse from those things which are denyed to belong to Him as to bee matier bodily compounded c. chap. 9. But in this plenty and plainnesse of the matier I take onely that one which followeth 11. If God bee almighty and one then it is not possible that any thing can be but by his power alone But it hath beene proved that God is almighty chap. 6. and one chap. 8. n. 7. Therefore the world is by his power alone But if it be obiected that by his eternall power hee brought out the world eternally yet must it needs bee that hee created it either of nothing or of some matier that was not eternall or else that hee made it of a matier that was eternall To say that God from all eternity had created the world either of nothing or of a matier not eternall would imply a manifest contradiction To say that hee made it of a matier which was coeternall to himselfe would enforce that the world were consubstantiall with God or rather that it were God For seeing his being is most simple and one entyre being without parts and is not communicated but whole and all and that eternity as all his other attributes was proved to be God essentially it cannot bee but that the world must be God if it be eternall Or if that impossibility could be avoyded yet to say that God had eternally made the world of eternall matier would necessitate him to an action without himselfe which would take away the infinite freedome of his will his glory and perfection which hee hath in himselfe Or if it bee said that the world is eternall without or beside any action of God upon it but of it selfe alone beside the endlesse absurdities contradictions and impossibilities that would follow thereby It would directly enforce that there is no God For if the power by which the world is and workes if the wisdome manifest in the ordering causes therein if the truth goodnesse continuance and other attributes of worldly things had any other originall than God then must it of necessity follow that God is not infinite in these dignities of power wisdome truth eternity goodnesse c. when so great effects of these things are altogether without Him And to deny unto God the infinity or perfection of these dignities were utterly to deny his Being and to make him unworthy to bee that which Hee is contrary to all that hath heretofore beene proved 12. The holy Scriptures every where teach this truth Gen. 1. 2. chap. Iob. 38. and many places in that
booke beside Neh. 9.6 confesses to God Thou art Lord alone thou hast made heaven and the heaven of heavens with all their hoste the earth and all things that are therein the Seas and all that are in them and thou preservest them all and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee Psal 95.5 The Sea is His and He made it and his hands prepared the dryland Psal 96.5 All the gods of the people are Idols But the Lord made the heavens whose armies in Psal 136. are more particularly reckoned up And therefore doth God by his owne right challenge the heavens for his seat and the earth for his footstoole because his hand hath made all these things Esay 66.1.2 To this purpose you may road other Texts cited by S. Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 5. The continuall preservation also of the Creature as it is manifest in reason by the arguments afore going So it is taught Psal 36.6.7 Psal 147.8.9 Psal 145.15 And Psal 104. is wholly in this Argument And that all this frame shall come to nought at last you may read Psal 102.25.26 which is also cited by S. Paul Heb. 1. v. 10.11.12 Read moreover to this purpose 2 Pet. 3.10 Reu. 20.11 And that because it was made of nought Heb. 11.3 Sap. 11.14 § 4. These things then being thus manifest we are now by the way 1. First to consider what necessary conclusions follow hereupon 2. And then to see whether the creation of the world doe belong to every Person of the Trinity alike or to any one more particularly than another First it is certaine that not being cannot be the beginning of Being And therefore it is necessarie that Being bee eternall And that which is the first of beings must needs be the cause of al therest So that all other beings must acknowledge their originall from thence And because all things that are were in time created by that first of Beings not according to any necessity of naturall working as the fire according to the necessitie thereof doth burne any matier that is fit to be burnt but only according to the pleasure of his owne will therefore first of all it must necessarily ensue hereof that the continuance of all things must have the same cause which was also of their Being So that for his holy wills sake alone they also continue If he then withdraw his supportance either from all or from any particular creature it must of necessity come to nought in an instant Secondly because every agent workes for some end and the greatest and best of work-masters must needs work for the greatest and chiefest good and seeing there neither is nor can be any thing greater or better than God himselfe Therefore it is necessary that this world was created for Him But because Hee infinitely blessed in Himselfe needed not the world nor any thing of the world as though he could be better thereby Psal 16.2 Act. 17.25 it must follow that the creature was for this end that as by his Being it was made partaker of being so by his infinite goodnesse it might also bee partaker of glory and happinesse For because his goodnesse and life and happinesse and all his glories are answerable to his owne being therefore are they infinitely sufficient for every thing that in any sort can possibly be partaker of being So then the goodnesse of God was not encreased in the creation but manifested onely that the creature according to the measure thereof might bee blessed in him Thus then is God the end of all the creature Because hee is that supersupreme perfection of goodnesse and happinesse whereof the whole creature desires to be partaker but that not out of any choice or purpose of the creature but of him alone that hath created it to be partaker of that image of his goodnesse From the first conclusion we are taught with what reverence and feare we ought to live before him to whose onely pleasure we owe our being and continuance Next with what great respect and care we ought to behave our selves toward the creature not onely men which have the same pretious hopes of immortality which wee have but likewise toward every other creature even the least of Beings For although we know that all the more bodily creature was made for the use of that which hath understanding and that not onely for the exercise of the minde in his wisdome and power that created it but for thankefullnesse also to that goodnesse which hath subjected it to our use in food in clothing and other such services for our ease or conveniences that being destitute of no good thing wee might give ourselves to his service and praise him alone And lastly that the whole creature might bee blessed in man in whom it is to possesse an eternall being yet when wee remember that there is nothing so meane or seeming so base in the Creature but that it was eternally foreseene to that infinite wisdome even as we that it was created by the same power appointed by the same foreknowledge to this or that very use with what reverence and feare should we carry ourselves lest we abuse it and so offer dishonour unto the Lord and owner both of it and us alike especially seeing that when we were not hee had determined so to blesse us From the second conclusion wee may learne with what patience wee ought to endure all the troubles and afflictions of this life because wee know those pretious promises whereto wee are created if we acknowledge Him faithfull and hold our hopes unto the end see Tit. 1.2 The question moved to which Person the Creation belongs is full of perplexity and of any other most hard and darke if it bee well thought on And therefore in the solution thereof it is most safe for us to hearken to the oracles of God alone It is commonly and truely said that the workes of the Holy Trinitie which are without are undivided yet so as that they receive a certaine determination or order from that manner of Being which is in the Persons And therefore because the Father is the fountaine of Being they commonly ascribe the creation or bringing of things into being unto Him So because all perfection of Sonship is in the second Person and that there can be no moe Sonnes than one therefore the redemption of mankinde by the in-dwelling of God in Man is given unto the Sonne and so the sanctifying of the church to the Holy Ghost But if wee looke diligently unto the text of the Holy Scripture we shall finde how necessary it was that the Mediator should satisfie for the sinne of the creature because the whole creature was made by Him For so wee may reade Ioh. 1.2.3 All things were made by that word which in the beginning was with God And without it was nothing made which was made And vers 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him And vers 14. And
left slime the heavenly warmth doth feele Men sundry shapes beneath the sod reveile Some new begun and some to halfe doe grow That halfe alive the rest but earth below But Moses Gen. 1. delivers it unto us in the parts active and passive heaven and earth which yet before their division were both of water as it is manifest in that place and 2. Pet. 3.5 According hereunto Homer Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after him Thales affirmes the first matier of all things to be water But the opinions of the lesse reckoning are those that are found amongst the heretickes of the Christians For all the Philosophers and Poets of the heathen which held not the eternity of the world acknowledged God the authour of the world under one name or other but Simon Magus and with him Menander said that the Angels were the makers of the world Saturnius gives the honour unto seven Angels alone whom he makes the Creators of the world without the consent or knowledge of God Carpocrates and the Priscillianists affirmed that the world was made by certaine inferiour Angels among whom the devill was chiefe workemaster Valentinus gave it out that a devil which was begotten of the thirtieth Aion begot other devils and these Sonnes of Aveugles made the world and mischiefe and sinne are in the world not through the wickednesse and free will of man but even by the very creation of the world it selfe The Nicholaitanes tel us of Angels the makers of the world and that Barbelo who was ruler of the eight Sphere was overseer of the works His mothers name was Yaldaboth But I have not read so farre in heraldry as to tell you who was his Dad nor of what house his mother came nor yet whether his follow workemen were good or bad Angels The Gnosticks of the two Gods which they make as you have heard before make the ill God the creator of the world which though it appeare not either by Irenaeus Clement Tertullian Epiphanius or by S. Augustine yet it is plaine by Plotinus Aenead 2. lib. 9. who writes against their opinions and this in particular Marcion made three creators one good another bad and another betweene them whom they called Iust So you see how all these hereticks had madded themselves and their followers in their opinions concerning the Creator of all things Others erred concerning some parts of the creature onely as the Seleucians and Hermians or Hermogenians beside their errour of the worlds matier coeternall with God denyed that God created the soules of men but would have them created by the Angels of fyer and Spirit contrary to that which is In Gen. 2.7 Esay 57.16 1 Pet. 4.9 That God is the faithfull Creator of the soule The Priscillianists said that the soules of men were of the same substance and nature with God and being by him sent downe from heaven the devill met with them by the way and sowed them as seed in the flesh whereupon it must follow either that the being of God is divisible into infinite partes or that there is but one onely soule of all men and both wayes unavoydably that God at least in part of Himselfe must be subject to Sinne and so that either He must need a Saviour or by His owne law bee subject to eternall death This is the fruite of heresie The Patricians denyed God to be the Creator of the body of man and gave that honour to the devill contrary to that which is in Gen. 2. v. 7. and v. 21.22 yea and so detested the flesh as that to be out of the body some of them killed themselves The Paternians said that the lower parts of the body it seemes onely those that are affixed thereto for generations sake that flesh which the law so often commands to be washed were made by the devil and thereupon tooke occasion to live in filthinesse and Iust contrary to the Commandement of God The Marcionites and Manichees said that wickednesse and ill was partly from God and partly from the matier of the world Florinus and his followers said that things were created ill according to their substances contrary to the Scripture Gen. 1.31 But contrarily the Coluthians would not have God the Author of ill no not that of punishment which neverthelesse the Scripture teaches Esay 45.7 and 54.16 Amos. 3.6 Some also of the heretickes followed the opinions of the ancient Philosophers as they that were called Aquei that of Thales and said that water was the matier of the would but yet eternall and not created The Audian and Manichean hereticks instead of Aristotles eternals brought in darkenesse fire and water you might bring hither their foolish thoughts concerning the transplantation of soules and such like questions but there will bee fitter place thereto in the article of everlasting life And because these upstart weenings are so witlesse as they are false I will not vouchsafe to inquire into their reasons the onely authority of the holy Scripture is sufficient to grinde them all to dust and to bring that dust to nought at all But least any man contrary to the truth of God be overswayed with the reasons of the Philosophers it will not be unfit to examine and answer them 1. And first concerning the reasons of the Platonicks that the matier of the world should therefore be eternall because it is simple and uncompounded I answer That it is but petitio principii or a taking of that which is not granted for it is utterlie denied that there was ever such matier as they suppose utterly informed I say according to the Sacred Philosophie that when water the first matier of all things was created darknesse or confusion was upon the face of the deepe but yet with that water under that confusion was concreated all manner of formes which afterward were all brought forth out of the possibilitie of the matier so that matier was impregnate or great with all kinde of formes which afterward were made to appeare for otherwise could not the effect bee answerable to the cause if hee being in himselfe the Jdeas or formes of all beings had not brought forth the first matier full fraught with all materiall formes by which afterwards according to the disposition of their naturall causes the different kindes of things were informed And therefore here also are all things said by him to have beene made at once And although in the workes of the fifth day the whales with other things which had a life with the power of moving are said to bee created yet is that spoken onely in regard of that more manifest life than the vegetable had in the workes of the third day but that life neverthelesse was brought out of the power of the matier by more powerfull causes his blessing comming thereto even as it was afterward upon them to bring forth after their kinde Onely in the sixth day because it was not in the power of all nature to bring forth a
reasonable and an immortall soule hee breathed into man a Spirit of new life and man became a living soule the epitome or modell of all the creature earthly and heavenly bodily and spirituall This truth is so plaine that Ovid the prince of all the heathen Poets for wit judgement and manifold learning read it in the booke of nature Metam lib. 1. Before the Sea the earth and heaven all hiding There was one face on all the world abiding Which men name Chaos an unordered load Wherein the seeds of things contrarie aboade But though it be granted that the first matier was meerely and purely simple yet can it not follow that therefore it was eternall except it may withall appeare that it had power to bee of it selfe without the power of the Creator But that would utterlie take away the infinite power of God if beside his power any power could bee supposed to another thing which could uphold an eternall being And seeing in all corruption everie thing returnes to those principles of which it was as in man his body to the earth and his Spirit unto God that gave it and that nothing materiall returnes to a simple and pure being but that it is still found under some forme or other it is manifest first that that first matier was not created simple but by his decree ever subject to composition and therefore secondly impossible to be eternall Concerning that eternall Spirit or life of the world in respect of which they thought it should bee eternall both before and after you shall understand more in the 24. Chap. note g § 10. yet in the meane time I answer that if that Spirit whereby the world both is and is ordered worke according to that paterne which hee sees in another it cannot follow that the world shall thereby bee for ever except it appeare to stand with that will according to which hee workes Now what that will is we understand better by his owne Revelation in his owne word than Plato and all his followers could see in all the subtilty of their understanding By which word also wee know that the last end and hope of the creature is more excellent and glorious by the change than by the continuance of the world for ever in that state wherein it is And thus the speciall reasons of that Sect are answered See more to this question if you will in Tertullian against Hermogenes 2. But it is further objected that whatsoever begins to worke which did not worke before must be moved thereto either by it selfe or by another But God is not moved that is changed from that which he was before either by himselfe nor by any other for neither can his action bee new or begun seeing his action is his being neither can hee be affected otherwise than hee was before And therefore is hee an eternall cause of the world an eternall effect as Aristotle affirmed I answer That no new motion or purpose can come unto God concerning the creature for all his workes are knowne to him from eternitie Acts 15.18 But seeing that these workes of which we speake are of his will alone they must be according to the limitation or appointment of that will so that although hee had eternally willed to create the world yet had he eternally willed when by whom and after what fashion the world and all the things therein should be created And this by one onely will and one onely action of the same will eternally The newnesse then of the world is in the actuall being of the world not in the will or power whereby it was wrought But for the better understanding of this thing you may observe a difference of actions of which some are immanent or in-dwelling in the doer and are accompted among the perfections of the thing such are the workes of the will or understanding some againe are transeunt or passing from the doer upon that which is done as the worke of the Smith upon the steele in making a sword The workes of God in himselfe are immanent neither doe these of necessitie put the outward object into actuall being as a man may conceive of a house which is not yet built or the Smith by his art or skill hath power to make a locke which hee hath not yet made So God though hee foresaw and willed eternally that the world should bee yet the effect followed not but according to the determination of that will when by whom and how the world should receive an actuall being 3. But it may againe bee said that God is an Eternall and an Almighty agent and that not in possibilitie onely but in act also for whatsoever is brought from the possibilitie of doing unto the act of doing must bee enforced thereto by a former and more powerfull agent and that actually which in God is utterlie impossible and if hee be an eternall and a powerfull agent and that actually the effect must necessarily follow and that actually for otherwise neither could the effect be answerable to the cause nor yet the cause bee said to bee sufficient and Almightie if the cause were in act and the effect in possibilitie onely therefore it seemes the world must of necessitie be eternall Answer Although God bee actually and eternally whatsoever hee may bee in himselfe yet seeing hee workes in outward things not according to any necessitie but onely according to the pleasure of his owne will the outward effect of his power must bee limited according to the circumstances of his will which I declared before Therefore this reason doth no more enforce the eternitie of the world than it doth that all the possibilities of the creature should be actually at once and that every thing created should bee eternall because the cause is eternall actuall and allsufficient But these things as they can no way stand with the possibilitie of the creature so would they utterly take away the working of all naturall causes by which the glory of his manifold wisdome is declared neither doth the all-sufficiencie of the cause bring any sufficiencie to the reason to prove the world eternall For although the creature bee an effect of the infinite power of God yet because it is not an adequate or proportionable object thereto that is wherein that power may bee wholly and onely exercised therefore is it but a forrein effect wherein that power workes onely according to the will of the worker Therefore observe here secondly a difference of agents of which some worke naturally and these worke alwayes necessarily according to their uttermost power in the diversity of things whereon they worke as the Sunne by his heat melts that which hath thin parts as butter or waxe and hardens that which hath parts more stiffe as clay Some agents againe are voluntarie and these worke not necessarily but according to the choice and freedome of their owne will as the Physician gives not to his patient all that hee can give but
authority or else it signifies a tribe and in this sence the tribe or distinction of a tribe never departed from Inda till our Lord came whereas the ten tribes carried away by Salmanasar in the dayes of Hezekiah were ever after utterly left out of all remembrance in the holy records see further in the 27. chap. R. 2. But concerning the cunning Scribe or lawyer for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies brought up betweene his feet as Paul at the feet of Gamaliel it is most certaine that such a Prince never failed from Iuda till the time of Herod the great who not being able to win the Iewes either by his most sumptuous building of the Temple or by his Largis in their famine or by all the favours that he could doe them to acknowledge his right to the kingdome by the gift of the Romans because they daily expected him that was to come of David murdered their Sanbedrim and all the males that hee could finde of the house of David so that he spared not his owne Sonne that was descended thence by his mother burnt also the bookes of the genealogy of their Kings and afflicted them with other calamities till they after thirty yeeres reigne of his were compelled to acknowledge him their lawfull king and then according to the promise was our Lord incarnate that true Shiloh her only Sonne But you say Shiloh may be interpreted his Son I answer The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shiloh by the consonants or substantiall letters signifies her Sonne but by the vowell or spirit above it may signifie his Sonne but because the vaâ—â— is wanting it shall signifie his sonne that is invisible and therefore our Saviour is both God and man So there is no letter present no letter wanting in the holy word without a deepe mystery higher than heaven c Dan. 9. v. 24. Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people vpon thy holy Citty to restraine transgression to seale up sinne to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse to seale the vision and Prophesie and to annoint the Holie of holies c. to the end of the chapter The more evident and plaine any text of Scripture is for the clearing of the truth of Christ the more hath the devil laboured to darken it and to pervert the truth thereof And though by other texts of Scripture it be plaine enough to us that this Iesus is the Christ yet seeing no Scripture is so direct and punctuall as this for the certaine designement of the time the devill hath the more earnestly laboured to bewitch mens understanding so that they have taken more paines to make the time uncertaine nay some make it nothing at all belonging to Christ our Lord. The errours of the Iewes you may read in Pet. Galatinus lib. 4. cap. 14. to the 19. the contradictions of the Christians against the truth and against one another you may finde in D. Willet his most diligent com on Dan. Among the Iewes one Porphyry because he saw the text was so plaine for the truth of Christ suffering at the time appointed by this prophecie said that there was no reckoning to be made of this text of Daniel because he was no propher contrary to the consent of all other Iewes and the manifest authority of the Scriptures as you may reade Eze. 14.14.20 28.3 Math. 24.15 wher his innocency wisdome gift of prophecie are testified others among them doe wrest the time concerning the end thereof For the true Messiah not comming as they lookt for Him in pompe and worldly glory they stil looking for him that should come according to their fancy have made these weeks to mean some 700 yeers some 7. Iubilees others 7. tens And because many in Scripture are stiled by the title of Messiah as you may reade Psal 105.19 Esay 41.1 and elsewhere therefore some of them will have Cyrus to be meant hereby some Zorobabel others Iehoshua some Nehemiah but because neither the time nor circumstances accord others will needs refer it to Agrippa who was King when the Citty and Temple were destroyed by Titus And I would the faithlesse Iewes had wandred thus alone and that no Christian by his lifelesse interpretation had sided with them But the circumstances of the text doe easily overthrow them For this Messiah must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messiah Naghid the Prince or chiefe Messiah or of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messiah that was to be manifested that Messiah that was to be annointed with the oyle of gladnesse above all his partners Psal 45.7 because He received not the Spirit by measure Ioh. 3.34 Moreover who is he that can be that Holy of Holies but onely Christ our Lord both God and man who is hee that can restraine men from transgression that can seale up sin that can cover iniquity that can bring in eternall righteousnesses but Christ our Lord in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed Therefore the text by these circumstances is tyed onely to the promised seed Gen. 3.15 which should utterly destroy the workes of the devil But the errors and disagreements of the Christians have beene a great cause to withhold the Iewes from the acknowledgment of the truth For they have been more different in their opinions hereabout than the Iewes who held constantly that the beginning of the time was according to the word of the Angel in the first yeere of Cyrus when they had liberty to returne and to build the Citty and Temple But the Christians make questions whether from the going forth of the word from God to the Angel or from the Angel to Daniel or from the king who gave the commission to the Iewes Gordonii Chronol cap. 15. pag. 237. And here againe out of Ezra because it is said chap. 6.14 that the house was sininished by the commandement of Cyrus and Darius and Arteshaste king of Persia question arises whether these seventy weekes begin in the first yeere of Cyrus or of Darius Hystaspis or of Artaxerxes Longhand and whether in his seventh or in his twentieth yeere And here while every man is rich in his owne opinion and prizes at an high rate his owne reading and praises his Authors and despises as deceived or counterfeit such as make against him men have so puzled themselves by prophane stories and the reckoning by the olympiads that they cannot finde as not where to begin so not where to end the account whether at Pompeies taking of Ierusalem or at the birth of our Lord or at his death or with the destruction of Ierusalem or in the daies of Adrian when the Iewes were banished out of Palestina And whether these sevens of yeares for on that the Christians agree be moone-yeeres or Sun-yeeres for such fine subtilties they are driven unto who apply their wits and studies to make good their profane authorities How much more necessary were it to hold constantly the limits
be except you will say that hee created himselfe and so was when He was nor 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 Ruposc 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. as not much unlike the former drawne from the perpetuall change of things subject to generation and corruption For nature brings out nothing violently or in an instant therefore as the things that are began by little and little to bee by the power of the Spirit of God which moved upon the waters so by the power of the same Spirit are they still preserved in their order of being and by it they are changed from state to state And this spirit of God is that first created being that Mediator betweene God and the creature the spirit of the Vniverse actually moveable and applying it selfe to every thing and working in every thing by the power of the Trinity which dwelleth in Him For nothing which proceedes from the power of the matier is able to move it selfe no more than the matier was no not the soule of man but onely by His strength and activity by whose power it is Answer Concerning the progresse of things naturall from the evening of their beginning to the morning of their perfection I have spoken before But for answer to this I say that it is not necessary to put any such spirit of the universe such an applyable divinity as the Platonicks call Animam Mundi because things are changed from one state of being to another seeing the Holy Scripture tels us Psal 148.5 that all the armies of the creature were made because God commanded And for their changes in corruption and generation it is plaine it must be according to that degree which they cannot passe vers 6. which is the law of nature And moreover concerning the providence of God on every particular thing our Lord hath taught us Math. 10.29 that not a Sparrow fals to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father except Postellus will here except that that heavenly Father must signifie that first begotten of the creature which he doth meane Which interpretation would directly crosse that text Act. 15.18 That all the workes of God were knowne to Him from everlasting And nothing can bee in the second cause which was not in the first Therefore seeing the infinite power of God is that by which every thing is powerfull to worke unto that end whereto it was destinate we must needs confesse that Hee by His power workes what He will both in Heaven and in earth and yet because all the orders of causes are appointed by him wee may safely say as our Lord hath taught us Mark 4.28 That the earth of her owne accord bringeth forth fruit and as the Prophet Hos 1.21.22 I will heare the heavens and the heavens shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the corne and the wine shall heare Israel Which order of causes being put we shall not need to apply the immediate power of that applyable divinity of the
of glory was a grace and honour to mankind above all the creature and a speciall exaltation of her of whom Hee would be borne above all other women Luke 1.28 if our Lord had not been conceived and borne of a most pure Virgin then had He exalted the corrupted flesh of mankind and tainted with lust before that which was vncorrupt which as in it selfe it had been inconvenient so had it brought chastity and purenesse of life into contempt But these things are inconvenient Therefore it was necessary that the Saviour of the world should be borne of a Virgin 4. Neither was it beseeming neither was it possible that the Creator of all things should become a creature but after a peculiar and speciall maner the most honourable and beseeming that could be But neither could any conception be more honourable than by the Holy-Ghost nor any birth be more beseeming than of a Virgin Therefore so was He conceived so borne 5. Adam was not deceived but the woman yet a virgin being deceived was vnto him the cause of transgression And lest womankind should ever be subject to the rebuke of man for this therefore was it necessary that the Saviour should bee borne of a virgin For if man had had any thing to doe in this generation of the Saviour the woman had not so been quit from blame in as much as man might have said That a woman could bring all mankind into sinne but without man shee could afford no helpe which inequality had not been meet betweene them that are equall heires of the same glorious hopes Therefore that the healing might bee so made as was the wound it was requisite that Hee that takes away our sinne should be borne of a virgin And thus is that fulfilled which is spoken Ierem. 30.17 From thy wounds I will heale thee that is as thy wound was made so shall thy health be procured 6. The virgin Eve was given to man for a helpe before him yet she brought him into sinne and the snares of the devill but the purpose of God could not thereby be made void Therefore that other virgine was she that was especially meant who should bring foorth that helpe of helpes in mans greatest need Therefore that face might answere to face it was expedient that the Saviour of the world should be borne of a virgin 7 And seeing he was conceived by the Holy-Ghost that no taint or lust of sinne might be in the conception and that the subject of the action of the Holy-Ghost should be the most fit subject for such a worke-master and such an action and that a pure and uncorrupted body was most fit for such a conception Therefore it was also necessary that he should be borne of a virgin For it cannot be supposed that God who came into that harbour of His mothers body that he might sanctifie it would at his going out leave it in worse estate than He had found it 8. One contrary cannot be an efficient cause of the other contrary As to say That that which is pure and holy should be the cause of any impurity or corruption But the conception which was the cause of this Birth was most pure as having the Holy-Ghost the author thereof Therefore could not the conception be any cause to take away the virginity of Christs mother For so that divine worke of the Holy-Ghost should have been ordained to an end more vnnoble then the worke whereas the end is euer more excellent than those things that are ordained for the end So also He that commanded parents to be honoured should have brought a spot upon His owne mother if by His birth her virginity had been impaired which was not impaired by his conception But these things are impossible Therefore He was borne of a virgin 9. The birth of that child which is supernaturall as being both God and man must needs be most noble and supernaturall But it could not be most noble if it were with the dispoyling of the mothers virginity nor yet in the highest kind supernaturall if it were not of a virgin And this is that mystery which all the Churches stiled in Cant. 3.11 by the name of the daughters of Sion are called to take knowledge of Goe forth ô ye daughters of Sion behold King Solomon with the Crowne wherewith His mother crowned Him in the day of His espousals and in the day of the gladnesse of His heart And that because all the mysteries of our salvation were accomplished in His humanity 10. Thus as God both by Himselfe and by His Prophets hath shewed that these things should thus be fulfilled So in the time appointed was Christ our Lord borne of a virgin The holy authorities are First that which is Genes 3.15 The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head and if of the woman onely as the promise stands without any ayde or mention of man then must the conception of necessity be by the Holy Ghost who should give activity and working unto the female seed and the birth being as it beseemed answerable to the conception must of necessity be of a virgin Neither yet doth this abate any thing of the true and perfect humanity of Christ that He was made man onely of the female seed For seeing every second cause workes onely in the strength of the first and chiefe cause it is plaine that whatsoever the second cause is able to doe by the vertue of the first that first is able to doe by it selfe And therefore God who made man of the dust of the earth could also without any action of the manly seed produce a perfect man of the seed of the Virgin in which seed the whole humanity was although it was not able to moove it selfe to the perfection of kind Another text is that of Esay cited before Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and such a birth could never be but that the conception must be by the Holy-Ghost And therefore it is said The Lord himselfe shall give you a signe because He was the onely worker That text of Ieremiah 31.22 The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A woman shall compasse a man doth inforce as much as the former But what new thing is this Is any thing more usuall then a woman with child But this is the newnesse That a woman who never knew man should compasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaber that mighty One even God and man in one person For seeing it was a new thing it must be such as never was before a miracle in the birth of a man which could onely bee in this That He should be conceived without a father among men and borne of a mother that was a maid as it is said Matth. 1.25 That Ioseph knew her not till shee had brought foorth The text of Ezech. 44. you shall heare by and by And beside these texts that are plaine and manifest others may seeme to import as much as that
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 â—rrours 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 vnsitly 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 purposed 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 cames 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 He 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 sanctified 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 have 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 stond 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 maâ— himselfe could not doe as it hath beene manifest before Chap. 19. Now iâ— 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 maâ—e the amends And because the honour which was done to God herein is valued according to the worthinesse of the Person which worthinesse in Christ is essentiall unto him not accidentall as that of Aaron therfore the satisfaction also is essentially infinite and therefore abundantly sufficient in respect of the Person that did fulfill it For the satisfaction to an infinite Iustice was as fully made by the Person of the Sonne an infinite being than if the creature being finite even all Angels and men had suffered the torments of hell eternally Secondly the infinite value of the satisfaction appeares in the worthinesse of the thing that was offered For our Mediator having no greater nor better
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 agame 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 for saken 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 King-dome 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 vengeance 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 his heele against thee though the drunkards make songs upon thee yet remember that there is a reward for the righteous that thy innocency shall breake forth as the light and thy patience shall shine as the noone day And remember that unthankefull wretches are no new thing in the world for the Orator said long agoe and I have often found it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But if that Punke could say Men ' moveat cimex Pantilius Shall he that hath experience of such monsters of ingratitude put it in the power of a sonne of Belial to disquiet his peace Therefore let the Rymer read what others judge of him Feltham Resolu Cent. 2. Ch. 56. Let him write a booke against me I will bind it as a Crowne upon my head And if for my love and for my best
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 whereby 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 Ambassador but I am the Lord God even the Father Neither have these hereticks of old time onely so madded themselves but with us of late Wrightman gave out himselfe for the Holy-Ghost as Hacket before him would needes bee Christ But the discipline of Bedlem or Bridewell is fittest to teach such sencelesse people not to set their mouthes against Heaven 1. But that which all these hereticks affirme concerning the Holy-Ghost is utterly beyond all faith and possibility of being Of faith I say because neither Iewes nor Turkes which cannot beleeve a Trinity of Persons in unity of the Deitie can never be brought to thinke that two of these Persons should bee incarnate when they will not receive Him that was approved of God by so many miracles to bee God with us Neither can the Christians bee brought to beleeve that the Holy-Ghost
as homo nata est Shee was borne man Serv. Sulp. ad Cic. So is man often used in English and therefore by the title of the most worthy the whole race of man-kind is here understood So that not onely they which are within the virge of the visible Churches and have the ordinary meanes of faith that is the word and sacraments are comprehended hereby but also such as have not those meanes as they that live in the Countreys of Panims and Gentiles yea and of the Pagans themselues all such as the Lord our God shall call Neither may wee presume to forbid them to come unto God who seeme denied of the outward meanes of knowledge as the deafe the blind the Idiots in as much as God the God of the spirits of all flesh Numb 16.22 can by His Spirit guide the will and informe the understanding as it pleases him Prov. 21.1 See further hereto Note a § 2. n. 4. on Chap. 32. And thus you understand what is meant by men and withall why the Church is called Catholike or Vniversall namely because it holds the number of Gods chosen which have beene or shall be called out from the rest of all the men of the world from Adam unto the last man that shall be borne as this Church confesseth unto Christ Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and Nation and people The last circumstance is concerning the predestination of them that are in this Church for seeing none can be glorified but they that are justified in Christ neither can any one bee justified but such as are called and predestinate Rom. 8.30 and seeing that to the infinite wisedome of God all his workes are knowne and determined Act. 15.18 it is impossible that any one can be a member of this Church but onely such as God out of His eternall love hath predestinate thereunto Object But there is one God and Creatour of all Object 1 whose mercie is over all His workes and He hateth nothing that He hath made And therefore it may seeme that all are equally predestinate unto eternall life if all doe equally lay hold thereon Answere As the creature could not cause it selfe to bee So neither being corrupted by originall sinne can it change that being wherein it is See Art Eccl. 10. and seeing God alone doth worke in us both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure Phil. 2.13 it is not in any man of Himselfe to lay hold on eternall life nor to endeauour any thing thereto no not so much as to will or desire it without the speciall worke of God in him who worketh all things according to the counsell of His owne will Ephe. 1.11 So man though made upright yet being originally corrupted and left to the hand of his owne will cannot cease to sinne And although God permit him to follow his owne wayes yet that permission is no cause of any mans sinne nor puts it any thing in the reprobate why he should sinne But in the predestinate it is not so For he renews them in the spirit of their mind unto sanctification converting their will and making them ready unto every good worke 2. Object Object 2 If then predestination be not of all men unto eternall life and yet that all men are in one and the same state of nature corrupted by the sinne of Adam It may seeme that God did predestinate and chuse out of the masse of man-kind those onely whom He did fore-see that they would bee excellent for their good works and so for their future merits sake adopted them to bee heires of eternall life Answere God is debtor to no man and where hee that gives is no way bound the gift can no way be accounted but onely of his free will that giveth so Predestination hath no other originall but onely the meere free-will of the Almighty God But if our works fore-seene were any cause of our predestination 1. How then could it bee of His mercy onely Rom. 9.16 2. How could it bee according to the good pleasure of His will Ephe. 1.5 3. How were it to the glory of His grace if the worthinesse of our workes foreseene had any right therein Ephe. 16 4. How were our boasting excluded Rom. 3.27 if they were the cause of our happines 5. And if our workes fore-seene be the cause of our predestination then also of all the consequents thereof as of our election calling justification and glorification But this is most false See 2. Tim. 1.9 Therefore also the former 6. Moreover what good workes can bee in man which God Himselfe doth not worke in us as the Prophet saith Esay 26.12 O Lord thou hast wrought all our workes in us 7. If God have created good workes that wee should walke in them and good workes acceptable to God bee found only in them that are predestinate and chosen to life it followes that good workes are fore-seene in us not as the cause but as the fruits and effects of predestination For if they can be no other than the effects of Gods grace in us they cannot be fore-seene as a cause of His grace towards us This objection is laid to them of the Romane Church but as farre as I have any acquaintance with them I find no such thing by them Tho. Aqu. contr Gent. lib. 3. Cap. 163. teacheth the contrary and gives his reasons The grace of God saith hee is an effect of predestination and goes before all humane merit 2. The Divine will and Providence are the cause of all other things For of Him in Him and for Him are all things Neither can it be accounted the doctrine of their Church for in the 7. Can. Sess 6. Cone Trid. where all the causes of the justification of man in the state of Nature are reckoned up efficient finall formall instrumentall the meritorions cause is put onely the suffering of our Lord who thereby made full satisfaction to God and merited justification for us And if wee be justified onely by the merit of Christ and not by any merit fore-seene in us then are we called chosen and predestinate onely in Him through the mercy of God who gratuitò of his owne free will doth wash sanctifie and seale us by the Holy Spirit of promise who is to us the pledge of our eternall inhoritance this is the effect of the Canon Object 3. But how is this Church Catholike or Vniversall if any man be shut out of it Or how is it said by S. Paul 1. Tim. 2.4 That God would have all men to bee saved if there be few that shall enter in at the straight gate Answere The common answere to that text of Timothy is that it is spoken not de singulis generum but de generibus singulorum that is that some of every Nation and degree amongst men shall bee saved not every man of every degree But I suppose that it is rather spoken in respect
dignitie which it had naturally over the body and follow the lusts and appetites thereof and for that treason against God lost the power and strength which it had to support the body and moreover must seeke sustenance for the body out of the creature now accursed and deprived of her first strength it was impossible but that according to the curse corruption diseases and death should follow thereupon Yet seeing the merit of Christ is so ful of satisfactiō to the justice of God and He so powerfull to restore all the decay of nature and to destroy all the wrack and mischiefe which the devill hath brought thereinto wee may firmely beleeve as we professe in this Article that wee shall at last be brought to the enjoying of everlasting life better than that to which wee were at first created 1. For although by the craft of the devill sinne entered into the world and death by sinne passed over all man-kind yet seeing man was made immortall and that neither the end which God purposed nor yet the infinite merit of the death of Christ can bee in vaine it is impossible but that man-kind at last should be brought to eternall life 2. The infinite goodnesse of God is the reason and the cause that he is good to all and that His mercy is over all His workes Psal 145.9 Therefore there is an eternall life reserved for man the most excellent of the visible creature and the will of man above all other things desires an eternall life in glory and happinesse according to His promises But if no such eternall life shall bee then the action of God toward His creature shall be in litlenesse and defect neither shall he fulfill the desire of them that feare Him So also the will of man should more desire the accomplishment of the divine goodnes upon the creature than the will of God should desire the accomplishment of it selfe But these things are impossible therefore there shall bee an eternall life in glory and happinesse 3. Virtue and the ready service of man unto God is that thing wherewith God in man is most delighted and which He hath commanded as it is said Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 11.44 and the desire of this holinesse is found in them especially that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and hate their sinnes whereby they displease Him But this seruice of man to God hath not hitherto beene duely performed by any living among the sonnes of men neither can be performed both in body and soule by the dead Therefore it shall be performed in the life that is to come wherein both Gods will and the desires of His shall bee fulfilled See Matth. 5.6 4. If there shal be an eternal life for man then man shall receive of the divine goodnesse and power a power whereby he may both bee and doe those things whereto the divine goodnesse and wisedome hath appointed him But if there be no life eternall then the end of mans creation should be onely to privation and not being But it were better never to have beene than after all the miseries of this life in the end to returne to an everlasting not being For so the effect that is man-kind should no way be answerable to the cause nor yet be any proofe or manifestation of that goodnesse infinity eternitie and power by which it was made But this is impossible and against the conditions both of the prime cause and the infinitie of the dignities thereof Object But you will say that this reason doth no more prove that there is an eternall life for man than for beasts and other of the creatures which also ought to continue for the proofe of that wisedome and almightynesse of their cause Answere There is a difference betweene the end and those things which are for the end Man is the end of all the visible creature and therefore it followes that all those things are to bee in man as in the end so far forth as they can be worke or be glorified in Him And from hence also it followeth that man must bee for ever lest all these things which were for him should returne to nothing with him and the image of that infinite goodnesse and wisedome by which they were made should come to nothing eternally Therefore though they shall be in man as the idéa of them all yet not in their severall or distinct beings beside man 5. No naturall desire of the creature which is implanted in every individuall of every kind can bee in vaine because it is implanted therein by a superiour power which cannot bee frustrate But it is implanted in all men naturally both to desire and to hope for eternall life Therefore there shal be an eternall life For if after the resurrection man should not live for ever then there should be in God a will to raise him to life contrary to his will that hee should live for ever So His being should not be simple and one but this is impossible as it was proved Chap. 9. § 6. 6. The more powerfull that any cause is the more manifestly doth the likenesse thereof appeare in the effect And sith God is the first and chiefe cause of all and that the likenesse of man His worke shall be greater in his perpetuall well-being than in not being at all therefore there shall bee an eternall life wherein the greatest likenesse of the effect to the cause shall be perfected that man may live in eternall Righteousnesse Wisedome and Glory Otherwise the infinite justice might seeme defective in reward and punishment if both good and bad should perish alike Moreover the word whereby the punishment was inflicted was neither so generall nor so without exception but that there was grace reserved And now lest he take of the tree of life and live for ever in his sin therefore the Lord God sent him forth of the garden of Eden the type of eternall happinesse till he had tasted of death the punishment of his sinne then should hee live for ever in joy 7. And these reasons for the assurance of everlasting life you may adde to them that are in the Chapter before And above all reason the holy promises of God which cannot faile as Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that He gave His onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life Titus 3.7 Wee are made heires according to the hope of everlasting life Matth. 19.29 Every one that hath forsaken houses c. or lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Psal 37.18 The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright that their inheritance shall be for ever Psalm 23. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And that the ioyes of heaven are eternall it may appeare by the torments of the wicked that are in hell of both which see Matth. 25. from vers 31. to 46. And therefore the Apostle
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 remeber 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 CHRIST 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 warne us For I doe you to wit that this your heresie is no new thing but even as ancient as the Apostles time For the reason of Iohns writing of his Gospel was to prove the Godhead of Christ against the Hereticks that denied it in His own time And truely I maruell that you who have received this heresie from the rotten bones