imputed because there was yet no law whereby shee was subjected to her husband was that shee gave not firme credit to the word of her husband delivering the commandement of God but that shee suffered her selfe to bee withdrawne by the craft of the devill speaking in the serpent but that his sinne was in this that hee did unaduisedly eat that which the woman gave him not minding what it was as he pleads for himselfe before Him with whom he could not lye The woman gave me of the tree and I did eate And thus was there mercy reserved for man both in regard of that weake estate wherein hee was created in comparison of the Angels and in respect of the quality and measure of his sinne and of the meanes whereby he was drawne thereto whereas the Angels that kept not their first estate but wilfully sinned against God for their three sinnes and for foure could never finde any place of repentance But it is said Iob. 31.33 If I have covered my sinne as Adam By which it seemes his sinne was more than he confessed I answer The word Adam there used and so the word Enoch in divers places of Scripture doe signifie man in his sinnefull and wretched estate indefinitely as Psal 8.4 144.3 Iehovah what is Adam that thou knowest him the Sonne of Enoch that thou makest any account of him And therefore divers good translations reade that text of Iob If I have covered my sinne as Man who doth commonly excuse his sinne and lessen his offence But of what sort soever the sin of man was it is most certaine that he did sinne 1. For as the effect is manifest by the cause so the cause appeares by the effect Now death is the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 so then sinne is the cause of that punishment And every punishment is for some offence But it is manifest that Adam was punished even unto death it selfe For otherwise hee had lived untill now and hereafter Therefore it is manifest Adam sinned 2. It is proved before that all the creature was good and upright in every kinde and that man was the prime and chiefe of all the visible creature and therefore that hee was created for the most excellent end which is to bee happy in Him who is the chiefest good of which happinesse hee could not have fayled if he had continued in the state of his creation For every thing ordained for an end by a cause that is powerfull thereto must bee furnished with meanes sufficient for the attainement of that end But it is manifest that Adam hath failed of that happinesse by the utter losse of life and present being Therefore hee continued hee continued not in the state of his creation but sinned against his Creator 3. Death is the punishment of some great offence in the reasonable creature who is able to make a difference betweene good ill But it is manifest that Adam was not created sinfull and therefore not subjâ—ct to death And againe it is manifest that that state of Adâ—m was changed because he is dead But that change was not made by God because it was contrary to his ordinance neither could it bee made by enforcement of any outward meanes For then Adam had not beene made sinfull thereby Therefore it was made by the willing act of Adam himselfe and hee thereby subjected to Sinne. 4. Nothing can be so inseparably in the whole off-spring which is not first in the originall as the fruit cannot be wholly poysonous if the root or stem bee not first infected But it is learned by lamentable experience that the whole masse of mankinde is wholly sinfull and corrupted and that no man can say his heart is cleane therefore it must needs bee that the root or originall from whence they are descended which wee have already proved to have beene one wis sinnefull and corrupt 5. Man with much care and government in his youth with much heed and warinesse in his owne carriage is hardly at last brought unto a course of a vertuous life and that not without many wicked desires and sinfull deedes But if the first man had not corrupted his nature all vertue and that alone had been naturall to all men But experience shewes the contrary Therefore Adam sinned and therby corrupted his whole nature But you will say If that sinne of Adam were onely a sinne of ignorance and that in so small a thing as the eating of an apple the punishment of death and that both of body and soule can no way seeme to be proportionable For shall not the judge of all the world doe right And if the least sinne deserve the greatest punishment what punishment can be left for the greatest sinne or shall wee say as the Stoiâ—ks taught that all sinnes are equall I answer That sinnes compared one with another are truly said to be lesser or greater one than another For it is a lesse sinne to thinke ill of a man undeservedly than to hate him And that than to maime him and that than to murder him and that than to defame him For most of these degrees hold in them all those sinnes that are under it So that as the Stoickes truely said every later exceeds by the multitude of sinnes that are therein Yet is there no sinne in it selfe how little soever it seeme but in the rigor of Gods Iustice deserves more punishment than al that which the sinner can beare because of his greatnesse who is dishonoured thereby For the greater any person is the greater is the offence whereby he is dishonoured As for a word of scorne spoken by a meane man against his equall a small acknowledgment may make amends for which offence against a Peere a Scandalum Magnatum may be brought and if it had beene spoken to the dishonour of the king it might iustly bee accounted high treason in the speaker How great then may wee hold that offence to be which is against the Majesty of God before whom all the nations of the earth are not so much as the drop from a bucket falling into a mighty river Es. c. 40.15.2 Moreover every commandement of his being a rule of infinite Iustice an infinite Iustice is offended by the breach therof And what satisfaction can a finite creature make to an infinite Iustice that is offended but because it cannot beare a punishment intensivè infinite or infinite in quantity therefore it is iust that it should beare it extensivè in the infinity of Continuance Now as it was necessary that God should givâ— a law unto man that he might evermore acknowledge that duty and obedience which he ought to his Creator so having enabled him both in body and soule to performe his law which was also so easie a burthen as that it stood not in doing any thing but onely in the forbearance of one fruit among a million it was most necessary that God in His iustice should require that breach of His law Which law the
thoughts from whence is the streame of all our sinne Heere you will question what strength wee have to fight and universall grace and free will but they are beside this present purpose whereby it is cleere that all our sins being but issues of our owne corruption against which we strive not it is just with God both to punish our carelesnesse and neglect of his commandement and our owne safety with sinne and to leave us in that corruption to be guided by him whom we chuse to serve having forsaken our true Lord and owner But because this corruption is from our birth and that we made not our selves such but that by the fault of Adam sinne and death reigne over all the summe of the question is knit up in that one sinne of our first father concerning whose fall wee are brought to this point If God so foresaw the fall of Adam that he will'd it it was impossible but that he should fall if he will'd it not it was impossible that he should To which doubt Thomas Aquinas in lib 1. Sen. Dist 46. q. 4. answeres wittily and modestly that although the proposition be true and necessary yet it is not necessary that the will should be carried to either side of the contradiction His reason as I thinke is because truth is not the object of the will but of the understanding onely and therefore he saith that God doth permit ill onely not because it is ill but because of the annexes or dependances thereon either precedent as because it is good that the creature should have the power whereby it may be enabled to doe ill or not to doe ill or consequent which is that good that is occasioned by the ill I reverence the judgement but yet Doctor the question is here concerning good and ill the proper object of the will and as the understanding cannot avoid it but must consent to a truth which it knowes so neither can the will in that which it takes to be good or ill but that it must chuse one and refuse the other For as the outward sences cannot refuse to be moved by their proper objects as the eare to heare a sound within a meet distance no more can the inward faculties of the minde Besides the question is here of the will of God an infinite will and convertible with an infinite understanding for in God there is not one being of his will and another being of his understanding as will appeare more large hereafter in the 8. and 9. Chap. Neither is the will of God as mans will which may sit still while his understanding workes but what he understands he wills it also to be or not to be as his promises are not yea and nay but in him all is yea and Amen Therefore to let passe those questions which are moved hereabout concerning the freedome of Adams will why God should forbid that to Adam wherein he saw that Adam would transgresse and so make his eating to be sinne for where no law is there is no sinne and such unnecessary questions I answer directly that it is utterly impossible but that God did foresee the fall of Adam the taint of all mankinde thereby all the sins and all the punishments wherunto any one particular person is lyable all the wandrings backslidings and wants which can be in the creature Neither will I blush to affirme with the Apostle Rom. 11.32 That God hath shut up all under sinne that hee might have mercy upon all But it followeth not hereupon that hee decreed our misery in Adam because he foresaw it yet such was his mercy that out of this great evill he wrought a greater good so that it may seeme by consequence we are rather gainers by Adams fall for though we lost by the sinne of Adam an inheritance of holinesse c. Yet that holinesse was like the morning dew that vanished at the heat of the first tentation it was a created holinesse it was in a low degree fit to his being in whom it was Is not the present inheritance of our holinesse more sure more excellent who are made partakers of his holinesse who is holinesse it selfe his knowledge was but of worldly things ours of eternall and though our naturall knowledge bee by Adams sinne corrupted or lost yet shall it at last be restored againe with endlesse advantage for the gift is not as the sinne Rom. 5.15 His life but a naturall life so that if Adam had not sinned he might have lived a naturall life till now and afterward free from sicknesse and want abounding in all the knowledge of nature and naturall blessings but that should have beene the end of his hope as farre as I can see though some there be that give us hopes of the same degrees of happinesse and glory which now we have although Adam had not sinned Yet because they see that that could not be brought to passe except God should take our nature that thereby we might be lifted up to that estate of glory they thinke that Christ our Lord should have come in the place of Henoch the seventh from Adam and that therfore Henoch was taken away in stead of Christ See Pastellus de Nativitate Mediatoris pag. 116. But wee are bound both by reason and authoritie of holy Writ to know and confesse that the first Adam was of the earth earthly and such should our happinesse have beene if we had continued in our created innocencie the second Adam is the Lord from heaven heavenly into whose image being renewed we are made partakers of his superexcellent and heavenly glorie The meanes whereby we come to this state of glory is also our assurance that it shall be fully accomplished God dwells in our flesh O unspeakeable mysterie he hath taken upon himselfe our sinnes O unspeakeable love he calls them his owne sinnes Psal 40.12 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath healed us with his stripes and is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse holinesse redemption life with an over-abounding waight of glory Is not the exchange well made with this advantage who would not lose himselfe that he might winne Christ with all his demerits who would not forfeit the life and happinesse of Adam in his innocencie that he might gaine the life and glorie of Christ in his eternitie And thus much briefly for the advantage Is it nothing to see the infinitie of the wisdome and goodnesse of God which out of the greatest ill could bring the greatest good The greatest ill on Adams part was his sinne which from him spread it selfe over all mankind to make it liable to eternall death on the devils part his malice and murder yea such a murder as could not be in the world beside in one man to murder the whole world of men Is it nothing I say that out of this great ill God could bring the greatest good that is our assured and everlasting righteousnesse and glorie is it nothing that he hath caught the wylie in his
vaine for what need they mercie or Mediatour who for their owne worthinesse must enter into everlasting life yet this poyson the Socinians of late have lick't up as a restorative which heresie with other of theirs you may reade in Wentsel a Budowees pag. 232. 233. But as Adam had received originall righteousnesse so by his sinne did he lose what he had received and that not for himselfe alone but also for his posteritie for hee being that common person in whom the whole race of mankinde was whatsoever gifts or graces God gave unto him hee gave them as a king to him and his for ever if hee as a faithfull liege-man should performe those services that were belonging to that state wherein he was infeoffed but if hâ—e performed not that service whereto hee was bound then must he also forfeit that estate for him and his for ever And because contraries are knowne each by other as a crooked line by a straight it may easilie appeare what that originall sinne is whereto all the sonnes of Adam were made lyable by his offence for if Adam were created in originall righteousnesse so that hee had power both to know and to doe that which was pleasing to God and a freedome of his will to continue or not to continue in that state and without any of those conditions he could not be perfect then must it needs follow that by that sin of his both he and his posterity are deprived both of that knowledge of the will of God of the knowedge of the creature also and of all abilitie to doe or will any thing as of our selves that maybe pleasing in his sight for as that originall righteousnesse had with it not onely an innocencie harmelesnesse or freedome from sinne but likewise a positive strength to doe that which was good so likewise that originall sinne brought with it a corruption of the understanding a frowardnesse of the will a heavinesse or unablenesse to all good and more than that a concupiscence or ill desire leading the minde captive unto sinne for contrarie causes must have contrarie effects so as God had created that first righteousnesse in the heart of man so when man did willingly forsake his service and of himselfe betooke himselfe to the service of his enemie the devill for to whomsoever a man doth yeeld himselfe to obey his servant he is to whom hee doth obey the devill not onely willingly entertained this new come guest whose service he so much longed for but also gave him his livery and infected his heart with contrarie conditions that he might never after be fit for the entertainment of his former Lord. For of contraries about the same subject one must of necessitie be therein as light or darkenesse in the ayer health or sicknesse in the bodie sight or blindnesse in the eye so that in stead of the former vertues wherby the Spirit of grace did guide mans heart to God he is now not only utterly disabled to doe that whereto his conscience tels him he is bound but also become a thrall of Satan to be guided and governed according to his will And this wretched and sinfull estate with the guiltinesse or obligation unto the punishment thereof which is the death both of bodie and soule is that originall sinne wherein every one of Adams children is conceived and borne and for which he is subject unto death for so was the sentence that in what day hee sinned he should die the death And though Adam instantly did not finde himselfe to die yet by the â—ust sentence of the Law and justice of God did he finde himselfe spiritually dead that is destitute of the grace of God and that strength which he had to doe his will and therefore subject to this necessitie that he must die at last and so in an estate contrarie to that in which he was created neither ought it to seeme strange or unjust that God should punish this sinne of Adam in his posteritie also for as it was personall in respect of himselfe to make himselfe liable to the wrath of God so his naturall gifts being lost and corrupted the contrarie qualities brought in in stead thereof became a naturall contagion to all his posteritie There is heere some little question whether this ignorance frowardnesse heavinesse and concupiscence before spoken of be the effects of originall sinne the wounds of nature as the schooles call them or the sinne it selfe But as their contraries were in originall justice as the parts or as the poperties or as the effects thereof so must these be in originall sinne to mee they seeme to bee that spirituall death that was threatned to Adam and so the present punishment of that sinne and in them that are not renewed to the life of grace the assurance of that further punishment that shall come upon the soule hereafter Let us not stay in needlesse questions but looke to the proofes of our conclusion for by the knowledge of originall righteousnesse it will appeare what these things are 1. Because nothing can bring forth naturally any other thing than such as it selfe is If Adam were in himselfe corrupted as hath beene shewed Chap. 16. hee could not beget any other children but such as were corrupted And forasmuch as all men in justice are accounted as one man in respect of the common nature whereof they are all partakers it is just with God to punish all men alike for their common corruption from which no man can say his heart is cleane for doth any man forbeare to kill an adder though he never yet stung any man or beast I thinke not but because the whole nature of adders is venimous therefore will he kill him 2. It cannot stand with the justice of God to punish any one with death who is not lyable to that punishment for some offence Now the sinne of those infants who from their birth are carried to their grave not being any actuall sinne to which any election or consent of the minde could come it is plaine that they are punished for their originall sin And concerning them that have lived to take an account of their owne wayes there needs no other proofe than the testimony of every mans conscience whether they finde not the law of sinne in themselves warring against themselves and leading them captive unto sinne contrarie to the law of their own minds This is that burthen under which the Saints doe groan so as that they hate themselves therfore and desire to be delivered from this bodie of death Rom. 7.18 c. And why of death because the wages of sinne wrought in the body is death Rom. 6.23 yet not of the body onely but of the soule also both in regard of this inbred contagion that bitter root and of that consent which it gives to sinne that I say nothing of them who through custome follow sinne with greedinesse 3. Every creature naturally continues in that estate and followes those things whereto
everie a ten thousand yeers all things returne againe to the same state wherein they had been before for whether through the weakenes or strength of the imagination in some fore-catchings of the shadowes of things to come for it may bee argued both wayes a man oftentimes perswades himselfe that hee hath beene in the same place with the same persons seene or done the same things heard or spoken the same words before upon which ground it seemes this Pythagorean fancy was builded But to the doubt I answer That it would have beene as great if the world had been made ten thousand times the whole age of the world before and no greater if it should have been made as much after the present age for as if you suppose an infinite space wheresoever you shall set a pricke or point therein it must needs be in the middes thereof so time how long soever yet compared to eternity can be no more then as an indivisible centre therein And therefore S. Paul takes up this question Act. 17.26 That God hath assigned the seasons which were ordayned before and hee that puts not all things in his power to do both what he will and as he will and when he will denies him to be God Now let us see the reasons for the Christian faith that b the world is not eternall or everlasting but made by Almighty God as the Article affirmes § 3. By the world you can understand no other thing than this frame of the whole being of things beside the Godhead whether heavenly or earthly understanding bodily or mixt ethereall or elementall with all the causes and effects proprieties actions or other actions that belong to everie one of them But the word Eternall signifies diverslie For our purpose either it may meane an age or state of long continuance as the land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and his seed for an eternall or everlasting possession Gen. 17.8 which eternitie must be limited either to that age of the world before Christ or at the farthest to the uttermost age and time of this world after the desolation determined shall bee fulfilled and they brought to their owne land againe And this must needs bee the uttermost eternitie of that promise concerning the letter as of the everlasting Covenant of Circumcision Another taking of eternitie may bee in that being which hath a beginning and no ending as our hope is of the state of the soule and everlasting or eternall life after the resurrection So the promise of the everlasting possession of Canaan was a type and Promise that heaven should bee our eternall inheritance whereof we have already assurance yea deliverie and seisure in that the Canaanit the devill is driven out from thence by Iesus our unconquered Captaine Apoc. 12.7 8. c. A third and chiefe meaning of eternitie is that which hath neither beginning nor ending And so we say that God onely is eternall In the first signification the world is eternall in that state wherein it is and hath continued from the creation which wee hold and so shall continue unto the dissolution which wee hope for In the second signification also it may bee said to bee eternall as concerning the most excellent and noble parts thereof as the Angels and men restored from corruption and in them the second Ideas or formes of all the creatures But the last degree of eternitie is utterlie denied to the actuall being of the world and that for these reasons following 1. Whatsoever is eternall must also bee infinite both in the being and the manner of being because there could bee nothing before it by which it might receive any kinde of limit or bounds any defect or lesnesse of being But c the world is not infinite in the being thereof for it is concluded already Chap. 3. that God is infinite and of infinites there can bee but one Chap. 8. cons 2. And in the manner of being it cannot bee infinite for in all things brought forth there is either quantitie contrarie to infinitie or time contrarie to eternitie there is defect or failing by reason of corruption and death there is abatement or lesning because that in everie kinde one particular is not so excellent as another in understanding memorie strength beauty continuance or one vertue or other Therfore the world is not eternall 2. If the world bee eternall then eternity must either bee the whole essence and convertible with the essence of the world or else it must agree thereto as the essentiall forme or as a propertie or as a common accident Eternitie is not the essence of the world for so should it belong to everie part thereof essentially for everie part is partaker of the essence of the whole But this is most false in all experience neither is it the essentiall forme thereof for even from thence would it follow that the world were not eternall inasmuch as having matier and forme it must needs presuppose an efficient cause who both created the parts and disposed the matier for the forme it cannot be a propertie thereto for all properties proceed from the composition or joyning together of the matier and forme But composition takes away eternitie for the reason aforesaid neither is it an accident nor yet appropriate thereto by accident as any relation for all such by the order of nature are after that subject whereto they belong whether they be immediate accidents or relations depending thereupon Therefore the world in the actuall being is no way eternall 3. Whatsoever hath parts must needs bee compounded and whatsoever is compounded or put together must needs have parts that were once asunder and so cannot bee eternall à parte ante And againe everie compound by that power whereby it was made may be resolved into those parts of which it was made whether the parts bee essentiall as body and soule to a man or entyre as stones timber iron glasse c. to a house But the World hath parts ethereall elementall incorruptible and corruptible animall vegetable minerall c. Ergo the World is not eternall 4. All reall truth is verified first in the things of actuall being that is in the individuals Secondly in the notions or apprehensions of the things in their intentionall or common being either speciall or more generall But if the world be eternall that eternity can agree onely to the common being and not to the particular or individuall beings as to this man that horse that tree c. So the truth of the worlds eternity shall be intentionall onely not reall so common intentions onely may bee true where there is no individuall But this is most false and impossible therefore it is most false that the world is eternall 5. The whole World consisting of all the parts thereof is either a body or not a body If our sence from whence all our discourse proceeds be judge it is a body Now every body in regard of the extent thereof is
more easie it was to bee kept so much the sorer punishment did Adam deserve for the breach thereof And thus did that murtherer of mankinde by the sinne of our first Parents set open a doore for the Iustice of God to breake out upon them being now liable to eternall punishment yet did they not hereby bring on their owne punishment alone inasmuch as all their children are made lyable with them to the same condemnation § 2. It may seeme a needlesse question to aske how long Adam stood in his innocency but because opinions have beene about the time of his fall wherein they have differed from the first day of his Creation to three yeers and an halfe betweene which others have thought a weeke some tenne dayes or seventeene at most others halfe a yeare Lidg de Emend temp Omitting conjectures it will not be unfit to examine it by reason and Scripture which hath not left us without a guide and instruction in any doubt that may be moved therein The Hebrewes compare Adam to an oxe that had horns and no hoofs by which they meant he had no strength at all to walk in the commandements of God but assoone as he was created he pushed rebelliously against his ordinance The ordinances of God over and aboue the preheminences which He gave him in his creation were three Marriage for the due propagation of mans naturall life Gen. 2.24 the law of the tree of knowledge the figure of the life of grace ch 2.17 and the Sabbath the assurance of the life of glory For it were a witlesse thing to think that God sanctified that day for his owne use but for man to meditate in the workes of God and for remembrance of his hopes to come Adams transgression was against the second but it will appeare by the circumstances of the other two when that transgression was committed Adam was created a perfect man in the prime and chiefe of his strength and accordingly received that blessing to bring forth fruit and multiply Now if Adam according to that blessing had in his innocency endeavoured the propagation of mankind it cannot be supposed that God who had immediately before given him that blessing to multiply would immediately have taken it away againe And that act of Adam not being in vaine that first sonne of Adam must have bin holy and without the taint of originall sinne although the parents had sinned afterward before it was borne For that staine of originall sinne comes from the conception Psal 51.5 not by the birth But no such holy seed of Adam is mentioned nor none such could bee For the Lord looked downe from heaven upon the sonnes of Adam and they were altogether become filthy Psal 14.3 Now if Adam were created such as hee was aske any lusty young man how many nights hee would allow to his beloved and most beautifull Bride in her virginity and give so many to Adam before hee sinned So then it may seeme that wee may take that Storie of the Scripture concerning Adam thus Adam being made in the morning that God might give him experience of the excellencie of that estate wherein he was created brought the Beastes and Birds before him and gave him the Lordship over them all which that hee might exercise as he ought hee gave him perfect understanding of their nature and power of words whereby to expresse their nature and to command them For as Adam named every thing so was the name thereof But that man might know that hee was for a more noble end than to live among beasts Hee tooke him and put him in the Garden of delight furnished with fruits for every season and gave him power to eate of all excepting the forbidden tree At noone that heavie sleepe fell on him in which the woman was made out of his side Hee awaking the marriage was solemnized and the woman by her husband diligently warned to forbeare to eate or to touch the forbidden fruit But while she wandred from her Husband to chuse fruit to her liking for it is manifest that her Husband was not with her when shee was deceived 1 Tim. 2.14 shee was encountred by the devill possessing the Serpent and drawn into sinne and this about the ninth hower or three of the clocke in the afternoone as all the sacrifices of the Law and that sacrifice for sinne whereby the workes of the devill were destroyed doe sufficiently witnes Matth. 27.46 50. Thus man being in honor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bal yalin could not continue a night but by his sinne became subiect to death as the beasts that perish Psal 49.12 The heresie of Pelagius was like a Serpent with many heads of which this was one that Adam was created mortall and though hee had not sinned yet should he have died not for the merit or punishment of his sinne but for the condition or state of his creation for being made of the elements which in everie elementall body may be separated and in their simple being are changed one into another it cannot be thought said hee that Adams state could be more continuall than that from whence hee had his beginning Besides having in his innocencie need of meate to restore the decay of his body his body cannot be supposed immortall but the answer is easie For that immortality depended on the soule which should not have parted from the body but should have ever been able to uphold the body without corruption sicknes or death And although any particular change had beene in the body yet should it not have beene in the whole no more than that corruption or change which is in the simple elements therefore Adam in his innocencie was immortall absolutely inasmuch as his immortall soule should never have forsaken his body but he was mortall onely on condition if he did sinne So mortalitie was the punishment of his sinne but that which is put upon a man as a punishment can no way belong unto him in the state of his innocencie But it is plaine that death was inflicted on him for his sinne for why should it be said to him In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Gen. 2.17 if by the necessitie of his creation hee should have dyed though he had not eaten CHAP. XVII That by the sinne of Adam the whole race of mankinde is corrupted and made liable to everlasting death both of bodie and soule ANother error of Pelagius was that Adam by his sin did hurt himselfe alone but that his posteritie were no way tainted thereby with any originall sinne nor brought in danger of eternall death which as it is contrary to the autority of the holy Scripture so do they thereby put an absolute necessitie on the justice of God to admit those infants that never commited any actuall sin into eternall happines whereby as the mercie of God so also the death of Christ as far as he should be a Saviour to them is utterly in
that the effect of that goodnesse may appeare in his everlasting life and happinesse for if the continuance of the world bee for the multiplication of mankinde onely for satisfaction of the divine justice upon mankinde for his sinne then should it bee necessarie that the world were everlasting that the everlasting justice might receive everlasting satisfaction but so the greater power of the Creator in the longer continuance of the world should bee for the greater affliction and hurt of the creature so the infinitie of his power should bee infinitely distant from his mercie and pitie the effect of his goodnesse toward his creature so he should have made the creature and the continuance thereof because he hated it not because hee loved it But all these things are impossible and against the dignities which wee have before proved to bee in God one infinite being Ergo. § 1. From hence also it will appeare that the restoring is to an estate of further happinesse than the continuance of that naturall life in which and unto which Adam was at first created For if the advantage in the recoverie were not greater than the losse was by the sinne then had the sinne beene permitted to no end then had the losse been sustained in vaine and all those afflictions which mankinde hath ever since endured should be without recompence in the reward But it is impossible that God should permit sinne in man and the punishment thereof afflictions and death onely to set man in the same state wherein he was before for that had been to no end at all it had beene in vaine to suffer his owne justice to bee violated in vaine to give his Sonne to die onely to restore man to that state which hee had lost wherein hee might have been kept and all these inconveniences saved Therefore the recovery is with a super excellencie of glorie and happinesse far above that which Adam lost 2. It is the glorie of the wisdome of God out of the greatest ill to bring the greatest good The greatest ill which the devill by sinne could bring upon man was the losse of his worldly life and happinesse and to make him liable to the wrath of God and so to eternall death therefore the infinite mercy and wisdome prepared so powerfull a remedie against this poyson of the old Serpent that the life and happinesse in this world was changed to that which is to be in eternitie in the heavens with an exceeding weight of glory which no words can utter neither can it come into the heart of man to conceive And this with that assurance of the favour and love of God in Christ from which neither height nor depth nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come shall ever bee able to separate us Rom. 8.38.39 CHAP. XIX That the restoring of Man to the favour of God could not be by any meanes that was in man nor by any one that was man alone WHat hast thou O man which thou hast not received and if thou hast received that which thou hast of grace alone whereas thou could'st claime nothing of duty what is that merit of thine either of condignity or of congruity for which thou canst challenge either reward or acceptance is there not a bond of dutie and thankfulnesse to him of whom thou did'st receive it And if man have received of God his whole being and whatsoever he hath of outward blessings or inward graces how can hee give any thing to God which is not his owne 1 Chron. 29.14.16 So that whatsoever a man can doe which may seeme pleasing to God yet when hee hath done all hee must acknowledge himselfe an unprofitable servant because hee hath done onely that which hee ought Luke 17.10 But being besides in danger of the judgement of God both for his originall and actuall sinne shall hee bring for his ransome ten thousand rivers of oyle or the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule Mic. 6.7 Oh madnesse of merit and satisfaction where are those workes of supererogation that treasurie of the Church by the pedling and sale of which that purple whore hath lived in pleasure and glorified her selfe But see the reasons of the conclusion 1. Every offender against an infinite justice must in justice either make an infinite satisfaction or else indure an infinite punishment But no finite creature either man or Angell can make an infinite satisfaction so then there is no returne to the favour of God by the mediation either of man or Angell 2. Where an endlesse debt is still increased there no payment can bee lookt for But man by his originall sinne being infinitely indebted doth still increase the debt more and more by his actuall transgression Therefore from man no amends can bee lookt for 3. No creation can bee without an infinite power as it hath beene prooved therefore much lesse can the restoring of the creature being fallen from the estate of Grace For in the Creation there was nothing which hindered the worke of the Creator But in the estate of sinne there is an impediment first in the corruption which is in the understanding and frowardnesse of the will turned away from God Secondly in the concupiscence whereby man is inthralled to the service of sinne c. Thirdly the power of the devill where to a man is subjected by his sinne Fourthly the Iust sentence and wrath of God The soule that sinneth shall die the death O Man see what thou doest when thou doest sinne Can'st thou flee from thy selfe yet the devill will overtake thee Canst thou escape the devill yet the vengeance of God will surely lay hold on thee Therefore there is no Redemption of hope in him that is man alone 4 No man can pay for another that for which he is indebted himselfe But every man and every other Creature doth owe unto God whatsoever it is or whatsoever it can doe Therefore no man only man can supply toward God the want of another mans service much lesse make satisfaction for his sinne as it is said in the 49. Psal v. 7. None can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor giue to God a ransome for him And if the injury were infinite and the satisfaction impossible to be made by a finite creature to which of the Angels shall man turne himselfe And there shall hee finde a further inconvenience For seeing the offence was made by man It is necessary that Iustice seeke satisfaction where the offence was made As an unity in number once broken cannot bee made up by the same parts into which it was broken Objections 1. But you will say a finite Creature cannot doe an infinite deed and therefore cannot commit an infinite sinne thereby to deserve an infinite punishment Answer The sinne is not esteemed according to the littlenesse of the Sinner but the infinity of the sinne is first in regard of Him against whom the sin was that is God whose infinite glory
and Iustice was disesteemed therein Then in respect of the good of which man deprived himselfe by his sinne that was life eternall as the Father saith factus est dignus molo aterno qui in se perimit bonum quod poterat esse aeternum Thirdly in respect of the manly nature dispoyled of grace and glory which nature by the blessing which Adam had received was multipliable into infinite multitudes of men In all which respects that sinne after a sort may well be said infinite 2. But good is more powerfull and active than ill seeing ill neither is but in that which is good nor workes but in the power thereof Therfore if man by one ill deed were able to destroy himselfe much more by many good deeds shall he be able to make satisfaction Answer Ill is in every want or failing of that which is good but Good holds all perfections whether in being or in working Therefore man might easily corrupt himselfe but being corrupted hee cannot possibly repaire himselfe nor yet doe any thing that is good or acceptable Math. 7.18 12.33 3. But the satisfaction being now made are wee not restored unto as good an estate by the suffering of Christ as that which Adam lost so that if Adam for his obedience sake might have lived a naturall life eternally wee also for our workes sake may bee accounted worthy of everlasting blisse For if wee be restored by Christ and for his sake accepted our workes likewise are for his sake both accepted and rewarded according to their merit Answer I say that our estate is farre better than Adams in this that his hope of everlasting life being set in his owne obedience did instantly faile but ours standing in the obedience of Christ who is made to us righteousnesse sanctification redemption and life can never faile For therefore because that pretious treasure of eternall life was so carelesly kept by Adam God who loved the salvation of mankinde better then man himselfe would in no wise commit the keeping of that jewell to man any more Therefore though sinne have no power to condemne them that are in Christ yet is it still suffered to dwell in us that wee should not trust in our selves but in the living God For as the Father saith Multum nobis in hoc carue tribucremus nisi usque ad ejus depositionem sub veniâ viveremus Aug. de Civ lib. 10. cap. 22. And although Adam by the grace and favour of his Creator might have continued in the estate in which hee was created if hee had stood in his innocency yet could hee not even then have beene said to merit everlasting life For merit or hire comes ever for that which is above duty which cannot bee in the creature towards the Creator As to a hired servant the wages merit or hire comes for his worke because it was in his power whether hee would labour for that master or no being not bound unto him but for his hire but in a bondman the possession of his Lord all his service and labour is his Lords to require and imploy it as it pleaseth him Luke 17.8.9 and this is the condition of the whole creature to the Lord and Creator of all And if Adam in his innocency could not merit much lesse can sinnefull man merit any thing but affliction and death by his sinne and service to the devill to whom hee is no way bound but by his sinne And this difference the Apostle maketh Rom. 6.23 the wages of sinne is death but the free gift of God is eternall life 4. But are wee not commanded to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 and is not the sentence of everlasting life pronounced for the workes of charity which were foreseene in us and for which the kingdome of heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the world Math. 25. vers 34.35.36 Answer What merit can any man claime for that which another hath principally wrought in him And if God worketh in us to will and to doe Phil. 2.13 what is our worke but that wee should with joy runne after Him that drawes vs Cant. 1.4 Therefore although good workes are ordained of God that wee should walke in them and that wee are created thereunto Eph. 2.10 and that God who chose us in Christ to bee heires of glory ordained all the meanes thereto and workes in us to bee ready to every good worke and thereby makes our calling and election sure unto us yet is not that worke solely and intirely ours but chiefely of the grace and spirit of Christ that dwels in us and crownes His owne good workes in us with everlasting life 1 Cor. 15.10 So then our workes must vanish that every mouth may bee stopped and the whole world may bee guilty before God Rom. 3.19 So that every man notwithstanding his owne workes even the chiefest among the Saints may with Iob abhorre himselfe and repent in sackcloth and and ashes Iob. 42.6 5. The naturall desires common to all men cannot bee in vaine because they come not unto them out of any particular choyse or present necessity but by influence or direction of that common nature which is in all men which though it cannot effect it yet hath it shewed what is to bee wrought for the uttermost good of every particular by the Lord of Nature But every man by the inclination of his owne will doth desire the uttermost perfection and happpinesse of his owne being which hee acknowledges to bee in being united to that which is the greatest good and the enjoying thereof in eternall life Therefore every man by the guidance of nature it selfe doth returne unto God as the Author and Finisher of his happinesse Answer No agent can worke of it selfe above the proper strength and power of it selfe And eternall life is a thing beyond the limits of naturall knowledge and desire which mindes onely the well-being and continuance of the whole man according to the present estate of this naturall life alone But because Hee that wils not the death of a sinner Ezech. 33.11 would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 therefore are all men so farre instructed or at least if they doe not willfully winke may bee so farrē instructed either by the voyce of the creature or by certaine inbred notions or by tradition or by an influence of grace denyed to none that they may know the eternall power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 and the immortality of the soule in a better estate then this life can afford as hath beene said before in Pref. And this is that universall grace which wee may yeeld to bee vouchsafed to all not onely without the visible Church but much more within the Church where by the cleare light of the Holy Scripture all may and ought to know particularly whatsoever is meet for their soules health And this universall grace I say further wee ought to yeeld unto because
expect a Messiah yet have they no countrey nor forme of Religion appointed by God to uphold that expectation for the use of the ceremoniall Law wherein the Messiah was figured was commanded onely in their owne land out of which they being now banished their ceremonies have no use See Deut. 12.1 Ios 5.5.7 Amos 5.25 Hebr. 10. Therefore this Iesus is the true Messiah 9 Neither may that argument bee omitted whereby our Lord justified himselfe Ioh. 7.18 Hee that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true Seeing therfore that our Lord sought not his own glory but came in the greatest humility to endure the greatest affliction and most cruell death onely for the glory of his Father and the salvation of mankind And moreover seeing God did seale unto his words that they were true by those glorious miracles which hee wrought by him it followes in great probabilitie that this Iesus is the Mediatour by whom alone wee may come unto God as hee testifieth of himselfe No man commeth to the Father but by me Ioh. 14.6 and againe Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ 10 a He unto whom all the prophecies of all the Prophets of the Old Testament concerning the Saviour to come doe agree must needs be that true Messiah or Saviour of the world But all the Prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Saviour of the world doe most precisely agree unto this Iesus whom the Christian faith doth confesse and to none other therefore this Iesus the Sonne of the virgin Mary is the Saviour of the world For it cannot stand with the mercie of God to his creature to give us signes whereby to know that which concernes us most to know which should not bee sure and certaine therefore the proposition is manifest and the Iewes themselues doe not gainsay it the assumption will be manifest if the Scriptures of the Old Testament bee compared with the historie of the New First concerning his being both God and man Psal 2.7 Esay 9.6 7. Ier. 33.15 16. Mich. 5.2 compared with Rom. 1.3 4. and those other texts which you had before in the end of the 23 Chapter Then in all the circumstances first of the forerunner of Christ foretold by Esay Chap. 40. v. 3.4.5 and Malach. 3.1 compared with Mat. 11.10.14 Iohn 1.23 Secondly of the time foretold b Gen. 49.10 c Dan. 9.24 25 26 27. and c Hag. 2.9 and Mal. 3.1 compâ—red with Luke 2.25 26. Matth. 16.3 Luke 12.56 Thirdly of the place of his birth prophesied Michah 5.2 fulfilled Matth. 2.6 Luke 2.4.6 Iohn 7.42 Fourthly of his mother a virgin Esay 7.14 Ier. 31.22 compared with Matth. 1.23 Luke 1.27.34 Fifthly of the wisemen of the East that came to worship him prophesied Psal 72.9 10 11 15 and fulfilled Matth. 2.11 Sixthly of his propheticall authoritie equall to Moses Deut. 18.15 and 18. Esay 42.1.3 4. and Esay 61.1 2 3. compared with Matth. 12.18.21 and 17.5 Luke 4. from v. 18 to v. 23. Iohn 1.4.5 and 5.46 and 6.14 Acts 6.14 Hebr. 12.26 Seventhly of his miracles Esay 35.5 6. compared with Mat. 11.5 Ioh. 5.36 and 7.31 and 15.24 Eighthly of his humiliation which appeared first in his low estate and povertie Esay 53.2 3 4. verefied Luke 2.7 Then in his flight to Egypt Psal 80.8.15.17 Hos 11.1 verefied Mat. 2.15 Thirdly in the murther of the innocents of his own age prophesied Ier. 31.15 fulfilled Matth. 2.16.4 by his meane bringing up in Galile not in the Vniversity at Ierusalem foretold Psal 22.6 Esay 9.1 fulfilled Mat. 2.22 23. 13.55 Mar. 6.3 Iohn 7.15 Fifthly by his lowly riding on an asse Zach. 9.9 Mat. 21.7 Ioh. 12.14 Sixthly in his reproach and scornfull usage before the high Priests and Pilate where you may remember his meekenesse and silence prophesied Psal 22.22 and 69.21 where the lots the speare his owne words and his enemies the vineger and the spunge of Colocynthis are not forgotten Esay 50.6 and 53. all Micah 5.1 fulfilled in all the Gospels Then in his crucifying with the theeves prophesied Numb 21.8.9 Deut. 21.23 Esay 53.12 fulfilled in all the Gospels and Gal. 3.13 Eighthly in his death Esay 53.8.10 and Matt. 27.50 Lastly in his buriall Esay 53.9 Iohn 19.40 A ninth argument from the prophecies of the Old Testament That this Iesus is the Saviour of the world is from his exaltation and the glories that should follow his sufferings As first his resurrection prophesied Psal 16.10 68.20 Hos 6.2 fulfilled Matthâ—w Marke Luke Iohn Act. 2.24 1. Cor. 15. By vertue of which they that had slept in his faith did also rise as it was prophecied Psal 68. the 18. and Ioh. 5.25 fulfilled Matth. 27.52.53 Secondly his Ascension prophesied Psal 24.9 68.18 Mic. 2.13 fulfilled in all the Gospels and Act. 1.9 Eph. 4.9.10 Thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God Psal 16.11 110.1 compared with Mar. 16.19 Act. 2.34 7.56 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 1.13 Fourthly the gifts wherewith hee beautified his Church of the faithfull Beleevers prophecied in the text cited before Psal 68.18 and Ioel 2.28 fulfilled Mar. 16.17 18. Acts 2.4 and ver 17.18.33 1. Cor. 12.28 Fifthly the increase of his Church by the conversion of the Gentiles prophesied Esay 42. al. 52.13.14 and 54.1 Psal 2.8 and Psal 22.27 28. So commanded by our Lord Matth. 28.19 Mar. 16.8 so performed by his Disciples Acts 8.35 Mar. 16.20 and Act. 10.34 c. and 13.46 47. and found true by experience almost these 1600 yeeres Sixthly his taking away of the Ceremoniall Law prophesied Esay 66.3 Ier. 31.31 32 33. Dan. 9.27 Hag. e 2.6 fulfilled Iohn 4.21.23 24. Acts. 15. al. Gal. 2.16 and 3.10 11 19 21. Heb. al. especially Chap 9 10. Seventhly his destroying the workes of the devill 1. Iohn 3. speaking of his insatanized Prophets in Egypt at Delphi at Dodone at Colophon and in every corner of the earth This was prophesied Zach. 13.2 3 4. accordingly he rebuked the unclean spirits and suffered them not to speake Mar. 3.12 So Paul Acts 16.18 and this the devils themselves confessed as you may reade note b on the 8 Chapter number 1. The Hebrew Childe c. answerable to that of the Poet Iuven. Sat. 6. Delphis Oracula cessant of Plutarch de defectu Oraculorum and others A tenth argument from the prophecies of the old Testament that this Iesus our Lord is the Saviour that was promised Gen. 3.15 is from forreine circumstances and among them first from the treason of Iudas prophesied Psal 41.9 and 53.13 fulfilled Math. 26.15 and 23. and with the hyre of his treason the thirty pieces of silver take the bestowing of it prophesied in the 11. Chap. v. 12 13. of Zachariah Remember the Lord by equivalence Ieremiah exalt the Lord because he ought never to be remembred without his praise fulfilled Matth. 27.7.10 Then the reward of his treason Psal 55.15 and 109.8 with Matth.
of God and the Son of man and againe Ioh. 3.13 Hee that came downe from heaven is the Sonne of man and againe Ioh. 3.13 He that came downe from heaven is the Sonne of man which is in heaven For hee that ascended is even Hee that descended Eph. 4.9 Moreover it is said Heb. 9.14 That Christ by his eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot unto God But if the humanity of Christ be another person beside the deity then he offered not himselfe but that other person of the humanity by whose death our reconciliation was wrought and so not by his owne bloud but by the bloud of another person should hee have entred into the holy place So God should not have sent his owne Sonne into the world that the world by him might be saved contrary to that which is Heb. 9.12 Ioh. 2.16.17 But he that is mighty to save even Iehovah our king hath saved us Esay 23 22. and that not with forraine bloud but by his owne offering of himselfe hath he purchased for us eternall redemption This then being the great mystery of our salvation that God was manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 That God is one with us Matth. 1.23 That that holy thing which was borne of the virgin is the Sonne of God Luk. 1.35 it may appeare how detestable that heresie of Photinus and his predecessours was who made our Mediator the Sonne of man by nature and the Sonne of God by adoption only and how dangerous this consequence of Nestorius is who of that one Mediator betweene God and man 1 Tim 2.5 would make two persons If you desire to know the growth of this heresie and the other positions of the Nestorians you may reade M. Broerewoods enquiries chap. 19. § 9. Arius and his followers held that Christ was truly man so that be might truly be called the Sonne of the virgin Mary borne in time as concerning his manly body and the Sonne of God as being the first begotten of every creature and so the most excellent creature created by the will of God the Father before all times and ages but not coeternall with him because there was a continuance when he was not and therefore was hee not say they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or coessentiall with the Father because hee was created of that which was not from which Errour these Arians were also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This poysonous fountaine overflowed afterward into divers streames For the halfe Arians of whom Acatius was chiefe held that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of the like being with the Father by nature but others said that this likenesse was not in nature but only in will and powerfull working Whereupon Asterius is by some affirmed to have said that Christ was the vertue only or a creature indued with the power of God other heretickes againe as Aetius and his scholler Ennomius said that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of another manner of being unlike to the Father both in nature and will and hence arose the errour of the Dulians who thought him onely the servant of God in the worke of the creature and so of the Bonosians who held him to bee the Sonne of God onely by adoption And although this Hydra might seeme to have beene nipt in the head by the writings of Athanasius and other learned men of former times and especially by the first Councell of Nice Anno 327. and other that followed afterward yet never was there any heresie in the primitive Church that went on with that violence and strength or that caused more trouble and persecution as being confirmed by divers Councels and set forward by the authority of sundry Emperours And for the continuance thereof it hath been such as that unto this day not onely among the Turkes but ever in the Church of Christ if at least they may bee said to bee of his Church who falsly denie unto him the truth and excellencie of his being some have beene found from time to time even since the clearer light of the truth hath shined that have maintained this heresie of Arius in whole or in part as Socinus Gittichius David the Hollander Servetus Neuserus and with us Legat Mannering and others In Polonia also and Transylvania they swarme as you may reade in Wents à Bud. pag. 229 c. But say you is it possible that an heresie so foule as this is taken to bee should continue so long and be upheld by Councels and maintained by Emperours and justified by learned men except there were both reason and authority of Scripture for it For as no man is wilfully ill but by the errour of his judgement betweene good and bad so no man doth erre wilfully but onely by mistaking of falshood for the truth Answer Saint Paul saith that there must be heresies and this I suppose should come to passe because men would not be content to learne the doctrine of Christ and his truth according to the simplicity of the truth as he had taught it in the holy Scriptures whereunto if men would take heed and trie the truth as they ought the things of God by the word of God matiers of Religiâ—n by the rule of Religion that is the holy Sâ—ripture alone so many heresies had not sprung up For mans understanding so long as it doth follow the true guide thereof the revealed truth of God it cannot deceive nor be deceived But if it will presume to be guide and make the truth of the Scriptures to follow it it is impossible not to stray and so by the just judgement of God men also grow hard and obstinate in their owne errours not onely to resist the truth but also to persecute it as these Arians did very grievously at severall times But see their reasons and their authorities 1. The Godhead is in the Father wholly or else hee cannot bee perfect God and if the Deitie be wholly in the Father then can it not be in the Sonne nor in the holy Ghost Answer The word wholly is equivocall or of doubtfull meaning for wholly may signifie as much as with all the parts but this cannot belong to that which is infinite or wholly may signifie onely and so the proposition is false or it may meane asmuch as perfectly and so the proposition is true but the consequence is false for the Deitie is wholly and perfectly in all the persons alike 2. He onely is the true God that is prayed unto by the Mediator But God the Father onely is so prayed unto therefore God the Father onely is the true God I answer If we worship the Godhead in the nature or being of God we worship one onely being in the three Persons But if we worship the persons we worship them in the vnitie of the Godhead that is acknowledging every person to be God And this is that Father that one God whom we pray unto by that one Mediator of God and man the
doe necessarily follow the nature and being of any thing is to destroy the thing it selfe so that to deny either the divine or humane will of Christ were to make him an unsufficient mediator and is directly contrary to that scripture which is Luke 22.42 Father not my will but thine be done 4. From whence Iordanus Brunus a Neapolitan in my time in Oxford would inforce a more wicked conclusion That Christ was a sinner because His will was not in every respect answerable to the will of God And because that which comes into the wicked imagination of one may proove a stumbling blocke to another I will by the way remove this out of the way Therfore I answer That because man knowes not nor may presume to know what the secret will of God is hee may in the freedome of his owne Will will desire pray for and indeavor any thing which is not contrarie to the revealed will of God and that without sinne especially in such things as stand with the naturall desire of all the creature in the preservation of it selfe in the present being which it hath As a sicke man without sinne may use diet medicine and prayer for recovery although God in His secret will have determined he shall dye Davids purpose to build the Temple though against the purpose of God was so well accepted of God as that he thereupon received the promise of a perpetuall succession even till Christ the eternall king to come of his seed 2 Sam. 7.11 to 16. Nay when Hezekiah had heard the sentence of death from God Himselfe by the voice of his Prophet Esay 38. was his prayer and his teares accounted sinnefull which God did so far accept as that he confirmed his petition by a miracle And although our Saviour knew himselfe to have come into the world that He should dye for the sinnes of the world yet might he without sinne pray unto His Father to save Him from that houre John 17.17 especially divers figures affording that hope was not Isaak in the very stroake of death rescued by the voice from heaven when the Ram was offered up in his stead Gen. 22. was not the scape goate Leu. 16.21.22 on which all the iniquities and sinnes of the sons of Israel were put sent away alive into the wildernesse But wherein was this repugnancy of his will to the will of God Not my will but thine be done He denyed his owne will he laid downe not onely his life but even the desire of life that he might performe the will of his Father so that the true conclusions which arise from hence or the like places are these first seing all men naturally desire to live and would not bee unclothed that is would not die 2 Cor. 5.4 but rather that our mortality might be swallowed up of life as it shall be with them who are found alive at the comming of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.51 and 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. Christ our Saviour was truly man both in the nature and all the naturall properties of a man contrarie to the heresie of Eutyches and the Monothelites of which you may reade further if you will in Thom. Aquinas contra Gent. lib 4. Cap. 36. Secondly and because every pure and meerely naturall propertie is concreated with the thing whose property it is and that the desire of life is naturally in every thing which hath life and that without sinne lest â—e that put this desire in the creature should be supposed a cause of sinne it was â—o sinne iâ— our Saviour to desire life upon that condition contrary to the folly and falshood of Brunus Thirdly seeing that God the Father so loved the world as that he refused to accept the prayer of his owne beloved Sonne when hee besought him with strong crying and teares for life but would give him to that most bitter death for us what confidence and assurance of life may wee have when the price of our redemption is paid and hee our Redeemer restored unto life for if while we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne how much more being reconciled shall we bee saved by his life Rom. 5.10 ARTICLE III. ⧠VVhich was conceived by the Holy-Ghost CHAP. XXV ALthough it were said to Abraham That in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed so that the Humanity of Christ was in Abraham and the fathers originally and so descended unto Him yet you may not thinke that any determinate * You may see the contrary opinion in Galatin lib. 7. cap. 3. matter descended from Abraham or the rest of which the Manhood of Christ was to be made peculiarly no more then the manhood of all others that descended from them And as no more so no lesse was He in the loynes of Abraham then the other Israelites But yet with this difference That whereas all other men being borne according to the law of concupiscence are subject to originall sinne from both the parents a Hee being not so borne was not subject thereto And because He was not borne according to the flesh but according to the promise according to the Law of the eternall life that is of the eternall Father onely on the one side without a mother and so of His mother onely on the other side without a father Therefore was He as not subject to sinne so not tithed in Abraham when he gave tithes of all unto Melchizedek Genes 14.20 as Levi was Hebr. 7.9 10. for tithes are an acknowledgment of sinne in him that is tithed and a confession that he needs a mediator unto God But Christ being a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek did therefore in Melchizedek receive tithes of Abraham and by Melchizedek blessed him with whom He had before-hand established His promise Gen. 12.2 3. Now when the fulnesse of time came that this promise of God should bee fulfilled the blessed Virgin Mary being sanctified by the Holy-Ghost unto holinesse of life and puritie of affections was so highly favoured and accepted of God as that in her tender yeeres for they write that shee was not above fourteene yeeres at the message of the Angel shee was vouchsafed worthy to bee the mother of the Saviour of the World Her heart being therefore purified by the Holy-Ghost to beleeve the promise of God made to her by the Angel and by him to bee perswaded of the possibilitie thereof Hee wrought in her also a free consent thereto a full submission to the will of God and a desire of the performance of the promise Reade Luke 1. from 28. to 39. Thus according to the nature of the Holy Spirit she first conceived her sonne in her Spirit or understanding and holy desires then by the working of the Holy Spirit that seed which is the originall of man-kinde was sanctified separate and sequestred into the place of naturall generation and the Eternall Son invested therein that according to the time
invisible Luke 4.30 Iohn 8.59 and 12.36 by which He walked on the waters Iohn 6.14 by whiâ—h He filled the world with wonders and that before His body was raised from the dead Beside it is not unreasonable for us to thinke that as the woman by whom sinne was brought into the world was brought out of the side of Adam so that man by whom the satisfaction for our sinne was made might likewise bee brought out of the side of the Woman For as it was sufficient for our redemption that our ransome was paid in our whole and perfect nature taken of the Virgin so was it likewise more honourable and beseeming the Lord of Glory having taken our flesh to be so borne Buâ— Eve you say was so brought to being while Adam was in a deepe sleepe I answer that it is not utterly improbable that the Virgin likewise in that birth was fast asleepe For first it was in the night the time of sleepe Luke 2.8 And it was according to all reason that shee which had conceived without pleasure should also bring forth without paine And although I affirme not this of any necessitie to bee beleeved yet among those many of whom you reade Luke 1.1 which set forth the declaration of these things that Gospel which was said to be written by Saint Bartholmew affirmes thus much Howsoever I thinke that Ierom spake too boldly Dialog 2. adversus Pelag Deum per genitalia virginis natum Neither can I give my consent to Tertullian lib. de carne Christi virgo quantùm à viro quantùm à partu non virgo That Mary was a Virgin in respect of her husband but no Virgin in respect of her Sonne For this in Iovinian was justly accounted an heresie Aug. here 's cap. 82. And that because it is contrary to the voice of the Prophet Behold a virgin shall bring foorth a Sonne I but Luke 2.23 saith that He was presented according to the Law Every male child that first openeth the wombâ— shall bee holy to the Lord which may seeme to belong so properly to Christ the holy One of God as to none other Answ I question not the birth but the maner onely And seeing it could not be but miraculous all confessing that it was not painefull I say that to Him who onely hath the power of miracles all things are easie alike And although the blessed Virgin at her Churching brought her offering commanded by the Law to shew her thankefulnesse and obedience yet doth it not follow thereupon that she was no virgin as other women are or needed any purification for that birth or that her Son was either borne or begotten as other children But the virginity of the mother of God is impugned not onely by these Ebionites but also by them that were called Antidicomarianitae or Antimaritae that is opposites to the Virgin Mary of whom one Helvidius an vnletter'd fellow sometime a scholler of the Arians was said to be chiefe about the yeere 389. Obiect 1 Now his opinion was That after Christ was borne His mother had other children by her husband Ioseph And that because it is said Matth. 1.25 That Ioseph knew her not till she had brought foorth from whence hee would conclude that after that he knew her Though in the sence of Helvidius this be unlikely Ioseph being fourescore yeeres old when he tooke her to wife as Epiphanius writes haeres 28. and that she knowing how she had conceived vowed perpetuall virginity her husband consenting thereto See Numb 30.7 yet the argument is onely from the doubtfull signification of the word Knew which in this place hath reference vnto the 18 and 19. verses where Ioseph suspecting her honesty thought to put her away but not daring to doe that being forbidden by the Angel he tooke her but yet knew not that is was not yet fully perswaded by his dreame that she was with child by the Holy-Ghost But when she had brought forth her Sonne then By her miraculous deliverance By the miracle toward the Shepherds By the prophecie of Simeon and Anna By the comming of the Magicians from the East-countrey By the admonition of the Angel to flee into Egypt and the slaughter of the Innocents that followed thereon he knew her to have bin with child by the Holy-Ghost and so to bee His mother that was the Saviour of the world Others had rather answere from the meaning of the word till unto or untill which with a negative in the time to come may signifie as much as never as it is said of Michal 2. Sam. 6.23 That she had no child till the day of her death As on the other side with an affirmative it may signifie ever as Matt. 28.20 I am with you alwayes unto or untill the end of the world not that he then forsakes them for whom He loves he loves unto the end that is eternally Obiect 2 Moreover it is there said that she brought foorth her first begotten Sonne whence Helvidius concluded that she had another Son afterward But Christ is not called the first begotten of his mother because she had other children after Him but because she had none before him So first begotten in this place is as much as only begotten For as he was the only begotten of his father according to His divine nature because he was the perfect Son of a perfect Father So was it fit that He should also be the onely Sonne of His mother because as Hee had in Himselfe all the perfection of Sonship So by His birth had Hee given to His mother the perfection of mother-hood above all women Obiect 3 3. But in Matth. 12.46 and sundry other places His brethren are mentioned I answere The name of Brother belonged indifferently to all the men of the same family or kindred as Abram spake to Lot Gen. 13.8 Wee are brethren as the Sychemites acknowledged Abimelech their Brother Iudg. 9.3 So all the Israelites call Benjamin and by a Synecdoche his tribe their Brother Iudg. 20.23 though he had been dead above 400. yeeres Therefore against Helvidius beside these conjectures either of Maries vowed virginity or that old age of her husband or those probabilities with sanctified minds more then probable That the Virgin her selfe had been most unthankefull if she had not been content with that glorious Son for whose faâ—â—e the holy women before her desired to be mothers and if she should wilfully have stained that virginity which she knew to have been so miraculously preserved unto her And Ioseph likewise having received the gift of continence had been too presumptuous if he had not forborne that sanctified body whom by the message of the Angel and so many miracles he knew to have conceiued by the Holy-Ghost Let vs looke to that which is the maine purpose and intent of the Scripture that in the setting up of that Kingdome which should be established unto David for ever 2. Sam. 7. from vers 12. to 17. Dan. 2.35.44 And
although this Kingdome was to be a spirituall Kingdome of Grace and Glory Ioh. 8.36 yet that is not first which is spirituall but naturall So that our Lord IESVS according to the right of naturall descent by His mother See Luke 3.5 ver 24 c. and of legall right by His father Ioseph See Matth. 1. was the true and lawfull King of the Iewes as he is confessed by the Magi from the East Matth. 2. proclaimed by Pilate Iohn 19.15 19. and professed by Himselfe Iohn 18.37 and that not by any reserved and doubtfull meaning but by a plaine and direct answere according to the q estion of Pilate Art thou the King of the Iewes For for this cause was he borne that He might beare witnesse to the trueth He therefore being both lawfull and naturall King of the Iewes according to His descent from David and that by an unquestionable right of descent as the succession of that Kingdome had stood from David to Iehojakiâ— above 400. yeeres and after the captivity from Zorobabel to Ianna Hircanus almost 300. yeeres and that by the covenant of God Himselfe to David which was to be established in Christ for ever it must follow of necessity that Ioseph had no children by Mary his wife as Helvidius barked For so the right of that title to the Kingdome of David should have been to that heire who had the right by naturall descent from both parents rather then to him which had right onely by His mother and adopted father Neither had this which I plead been good onely for Iosephs sonnes but also for his daughters if he had had any by Mary his wife as it appeares in the case of the daughters of Zelophehad Numb 26.7 8. Wherefore seeing it cannot be supposed but that the holy Virgin blessed above other women and freely beloved should not have bin denied the blessing of children if she had desired any after her Son IESVS it will follow of necessity that for the eternity of Davids kingdome to which our Lord had the only right not by intrusion or disannulling of a better title I meane in civill right He was that stone cut out without hands that shall fill the whole earth and that the blessed body of his mother according to that vision of Ezechiel 44. was that East-gate or ordinary way of entrance into mankind in which the Prince did sit to grow before the Lord as he that eates bread even untill the time of His birth when He should goe out thence perfect man And because the Lord God of Israel had entred in by that gate Therefore should it be shut that no man might enter in by it but that the holy Virgin should continue a virgin as in the conception and birth so for ever after a virgin For neither had the outward Sanctuary of the Tabernacle nor of the Temples afterward any such secluded gate but that both Priests and People did go in and out thereat to doe their dayly service So then that mysticall Temple of Ezechiel must needs intend the Temple of the Virgins body by which God Himselfe entred into our Tabernacle and came forth God-Man blessed for ever Amen ARTICLE IIII. ⧠1. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was 2. Crucified 3. Dead and 4. Buried CHAP. XXVII WHat the infinity of that glory was of which the Sonne of God did empty Himselfe when He clouded it under the forme of a servant all the Angels in heaven cannot comprehend Yet such was the infinite love of God to man as that for our sakes a Hee was pleased to be borne man that b by His partaking of our sufferings He might become a faithfull high Priest for us unto God that we might be made partakers of His glory For a friend loveth at all times and a Brother is borne for adversity Prouerbes 17.17 His friends we are if we doe whatsoever Hee hath commanded us Iohn 15.14 neither is He ashamed to call us brethren when Hee saith Psal 22.22 I will declare thy Name to my Brethren In the midst of the Church will I praise thee Hebr. 2.12 Now what these sufferings were it is in part manifest by the Prophets and by the Evangelists Such was His poverty as that He was borne in a stable among the beasts A manger was His Cradle In His infancy He was persecuted by that cruell King that sought His life and compelled Him to seeke His safety by banishment in a forreigne land The poore Trade of a Carpenter was His meanes of maintenance that had made all the world Subiect He was to our infirmities of Hunger Thirst Heat and Cold Weariâ—â—sse and Griefe both of mind and Body neither had Hee lesse afflictions though He were free from sicknesse But when the time came that He should shew Himselfe to bee that Redeemer that was to come then was He most busily tempted by the devill rail'd on and reviled by His ministers that praised themselves therefore Say we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a devill then was he loaden with injury and scorne His life was sought by treason and at last betrayed by His owne Schollar But how great was the anguish of His mind how great was His affrighting at the sight of that death whereby He must fight against the fierce wrath of God inflamed against Him that had set Himselfe the surety to pay for the sinnes of the whole world Arise ô Sword against my Shepherd against the man that is my fellow friend saith the Lord of hostes I will smite the Shepherd and the sheepe shall be scattered Zach. 13.7 What was that anguish of His mind that forc't Him thrice to pray with strong crying and teares and to sweate like drops of blood running downe to the earth That that bitter Cup might passe away verely the sorrowes of hell compassed Him about and the snares of death were before Him Psal 18.5 Yea so were the sorrows of His heart enlarged as a man that sought for comfort and could finde none He prayes and comes to His Disciples to seeke some ease by their mutuall speech but they are fast asleepe and there finds He none Thus while the God-head doth rest toward Him Psal 22.1 And according to the law of Iustice leaves him in His pure humanity to beare the burden of our sinne alone while all the waves and stormes of Gods wrath passe over Him while the dogs of hell with their severall temptations compasse him about while the horrible curse of the Law euer sounds in His eare Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them Deut. 27.26 which curse Hee that had become our surety Psal 40.7 Hebr. 7.22 must beare for every one What marvell was it if He prayed that His soule thus left alone might be delivered from the power of the dogge that He might be saved from the Lions mouth being thus beset with the hornes of the Vnicornes Read Psal 22. and 69. But yet remembring that for our cause
of Herods reigne was Iesus borne After sixe yeeres lawfull reigne Herod died miserably After whom his Kingdome by Augustus was divided to his foure sonnes of their number called Tetrarchs so that Arâ—helaus had Idumea Iudea and Samaria Herod called Antipas had Galilee Philip had Iturea and Trachonitis And Lysanias had Abylenâ— But Archelaus for his wicked government being by Augustuss thrust from his dignitie and banished in Gallia Romane Presidents Coponius Ambivius and Rufus were sent thither to order that Tetrarchy each two yeeres under Augustus Then by the appointment of Tiberius the succeeding Emperour Valerius Gracus held that government 11. yeeres and after him Pontius Pilate the other sonnes of Herod still holding their dignitie as you reade Luke 3.1 Now to the arguments Such was the mercy of God to man that although the Gospel which was preached in Paradise ought to have beene that chiefe thing which man should remember yet because his way was corrupted and he become abominable by his crueltie in the earth his whole race except eight persons were swept away by the flood This great Iudgement might have taught all posterities to know what that was which God required of men and to desire the fulfilling of that promise of Him that was to come But this being neglected of all men except some few among the least of all nations which God had chosen for his people and they now in captivitie in Babylon God did againe call vpon the World to turne unto Him because His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and deliverance and salvation is by him alone Read Dan. Chap. 2. v. 44. and Chap. 3. v. 29. and the Kings Proclamation at large in the 4. Chapter Not long after the World was summoned againe by the like Preaching and Proclamation of Darius in the second Monarchy of the Medes Dan. 6.25 and later histories testifie abundantly how Alexander marching with fury against Ierusalem at the sight of Iaddua the High-priest as Paul before Damascus of an Enemie became a Convert adored the Priest sacrificed and offered gifts unto the true God His successors sonne in Egypt Philadelphus had the old Testament translated into Greeke and not long after Ionathan Ben Vziel translated it in Chalde that all the world might be prepared to receive that Saviour that was shortly after to bee manifested in that time when the greatest and most powerfull Empire did flourish most that is in the dayes of Augustus and his Successor Tiberius The argument in briefe is this 1. That seeing the satisfaction for the sinne of man was to bee made by the death of Christ beleeved on in the world it was necessary that as in every age and Empire of the world Hee had beene preached So He should die by the power of the greatest Empire then in the worlde that all the world might take knowledge thereof Therefore in the greatest and most solemne feast of the Passeover whither the Iewes and Proselytes from all Countreys resorted for He was first to be preached to them Luke 24. 47 and by the deputy of the greatest Emperor was this thing done and after published in that Senate which ruled all that as the salvation was wrought for all so all might know it For by this meanes the preaching of His Apostles and Ministers afterward was more easilie beleeved that He was the Saviour of the world whom after so much good done and so great miracles shewed by Him they did unjustly cause to die when they found no cause of death in Him 2 The second argument is this The holy Scripture is the declaration of the will of God Therefore it is necessary that as all the will of God so the holy Scriptures also bee fulfilled Among these that of Gen. 49.10 is directly to this purpose The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah c. till Shiloh come This Shiloh all the best Interpreters both Iewes and Christians agree to bee Christ the King from whence it followes necessarily that when Christ came the Scepter or authority had departed And therefore that the Messiah being to bee slaine the execution of that death must be by that forraine authority that ruled over them And this the Iewes themselves professed Iohn 18.31 It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death you may put hereto Esay 7.16 with those texts cited in the 24. Chapter Reason 10. But you may object that in the captivity that Scepter was utterly broken yea so that after their returne they had no Governours but by the appointment of the Kings of Persia as it is manifest by the Bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah especially Chapter 9. vers 36.37 I answere That as the Iewes in that captivity knew the time of their returne by the Prophet Iere. 29.10 so they ever held the hope of their libertie from that subjection and therefore after Alexander defended it against his successors in Syria and Egypt especially when they had the favour and countenance of the Romans See 1. of Macch. Chap. 15. verse 16. and Iust. Hist lib. 36. But in their subjection to Herod they gave the government of themselves and their posterity unto him and his And although Archelaus his sonne for his mis-government lost it yet it returned to the Romanes of whom hee received it and therfore in this case betweene Christ and Caesar they vtterly disclaime Christ for their King and professe they have no King but Caesar Iohn 19.5 So then it being cleere that our Lord was to suffer under the Lieutenant of the Romans which at that time was Pontius Pilate let us see what He suffered under him It is not likely that a Prophet having beene condemned by the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction and suffering most unjustly such reproaches as you heard before should be better intreated before a civill Magistrate Yet Pilate hath more patience to examine the cause What accusation bring ye against him The points of His accusation were three First He is a malefactor How prooue you that If He were not so wee would not have delivered Him unto thee Iohn 18.30 A very substantiall proofe we malicious lyars say so therefore it is so The second point He is a blasphemer for Hee said I am the Sonne of God Iohn 19.7 Hee said true and prooved it Mark 2. verse 7. and 10. and Iohn 10. verse 35 36 37 38. Thirdly Treason He makes Himselfe a King He speakes against Caesar calcemus Caesaris hostem Iohn 19.12 But He explained Himselfe That His Kingdome was not of this world Iohn 18.36 And by the rule of your owne teachers All they shall bee cut off that watch for iniquity That make a man an offendor for a word and lay a snare for him that reprooveth openly Esay 29.20 21. So that for these crimes falsely objected He was three times pronounced Not guilty I find no fault at all in Him Iohn 18.38 and 19.4 and 6. No nor yet Herod Luke 23.15 and therefore I will bee free of the blood of this just man and
above every Name that every tongue should confesse that Christ is Iehova 3. And seeing He suffered under the power of the Romanes it was necessary that He should die by that manner of death which was most usuall with the Romanes which for their seruants and provincialls was the Crosse And although it seemed unto Pilate himselfe an unworthy death for Him Shall I crucifie your King Yet nothing could content His enemies but Crucifie Him Crucifie Him And because our Lord had no such priuiledge to plead for Himselfe that He was a free man of Rome as Saint Paul did Act. 16.37 22.25 29. 25.11 and so lost his head by the sword Therefore He must needs endure that bitter and accursed death of the Crosse 4. The tree through the craft of the devill was unto man-kind a cause of sinne Therefore lest the tree which was created good might become a curse to him for whom it was created and thereby the end of the creation might be perverted it seemed fit to the Wisedome of God that as the tree had beene an instrument in the worke of mans condemnation it should also bee an instrument in the worke of his redemption that man by his wound might also bee healed And therefore that our ransome should bee payed on the Crosse 5. Man by his sinne had made himselfe subject to the curse of the Law Therefore that the promise to Abraham That in his seed all the Nations of the earth should bee blessed Gen. 12.3 might come vpon them it was necessary that the curse should fall vpon that promised seed in whom they were to bee blessed as Saint Paul doth argue Gal. 3.13 and 14. 6. This crucifying of our Lord was prefigured diverslie in the Law as by the Serpent in the Wildernesse if you compare Numb 21.8 with Iohn 3.14 Moses also spreading out his hands in the forme of the Crosse overcame Amalec by his prayer Exod. 17.11 But aboue all other figures that glorious Type of Christ Samson who should begin to save Israel Iud 14.5 most liuely figured our Saviour on the Crosse when he laid his hands upon the Pillars and slew more at his death than he had done in all his life Iud. 16.30 So our Lord the Authour and Finisher of our Salvation though by His Preaching and His miracles He had shaken the Kingdome of the Devill yet by His death upon the Crosse He did triumph over all the power of hell Col. 2.15 David Psal 22.16 prophesies plainely of the wounds wherewith He was pierced in His hands and His feet when He was nailed to the Crosse as the Prophet Zechary Chap. 12.10 of that wound which through His side they made in His heart I the Lord will powre vpon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplicatior and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced And thus according to the Prophesies that were before was our Saviour crucified as you reade in the Gospel 3. Dead VVEe see IESVS made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death that He by the Grace of God should taste of death for every man Heb. 2.9 All the reasons for His crucifying confirme thus much And for this cause was Hee conceived and borne that He might redeeme His people from their sinnes The arguments also of the 19. Chapter of the 21.22 and 23. come all to this centre that Christ our Lord and onely Redeemer must die for our sinne 1. For seeing man by his sinne had made himselfe subject unto death according to the just sentence Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die it was necessary that He that had made Himselfe our surety Heb. 7.22 and taken our sinne upon him Esay 52. should die for our sinne 2. It was necessary that the highest degree of obedience should bee in him in whom was also the perfection of Sonne-ship But all the perfection of Son-ship was in Christ both that which is Eternall and that which is in time as hath appeared Therefore also the perfection of obedience But there can be no degree of obedience beyond this that a sonne should die at the will of his father Therefore it was necessary that our Lord should die For God so loved the world that He gave his onely begotten Sonne to die that the world by him might bee saved But because it was impossible that He in his Eternall being should be subject to death therfore was it necessary that He should bee incarnate that Hâ—e should bee conceived of the Holy-Ghost and be borne of a Virgin as it hath beene prooved 3. If Isaac the shadow were content to die at the will of His Father how much more ought Christ the substance to fulfill the will of His Father 4. The manifestation of the infinite dignities of God the Father is the proper and peculiar office of the Son See Iohn 17.6 and 26. And how could either the infinite Iustice or Mercy or Love of God the Father toward His creature or His honour in the creature bee better manifested than in the death of that Son For although it were farre from Injustice to punish the innocent for the wicked when He had set Himselfe to answere for the sinnes of the world yet was it the uttermost the most severe and eminent Iustice that possibly could bee to lay upon Him in whom there was no sinne neither was there any guile found in His mouth the burden of vs all to breake him for our sinnes to multiplie His sorrowes and at once to deprive Him of all the comforts of God and life it selfe for our offences Neither could the Mercy or love of God toward His creature be greater than this that when wee were enemies yet spared He not His owne Sonne to worke our reconciliation Neither can the honour of God be more magnified by the creature than for that mercy and love which he hath shewed toward the creature in the Eternall Glory and happinesse which He hath reserved for it through the satisfaction of his Son And because these things could not possibly be brought to passe otherwayes than by the death of the Sonne of God therefore was it necessary that He should die 5. Of contrary effects the immediate causes must needs bee contrary The greatest delight and joy which the naturall man hath is to follow his sinfull lusts Therefore the recovery or restoring of man from his sinfull state cannot bee but by the suffering of the greatest sorrow that is of death 6. The obedience and sufferings of Him who was to make satisfaction for the disobedience and rebellion of all man-kind could not possibly be either exceeded or equalled But if our Lord had not died a most bitter and cruell death in those torments which He endured both in his soule and body then had His sufferings beene equalled if not exceeded by many of the holy Martyrs who for their love and faith in God endured most bitter and exquisite torments Heb.
and earth Ier. 23.24 Therefore as God is said to have come downe from heaven not properly but in respect of His dwelling in the Manhood So is the Sonne of man also said to be in heaven not properly but in respect of the unity of His humanity with the Godhead According to this sence Hee said also Iohn 6.38 I came downe from heaven to doe the will of Him that sent me as you read before Note g § 10. ob 9. on Chap. 24. Another Text which may seeme to make for Valentin is 1. Cor. 15.47 The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heaven Yet this prooves not that the body of Christ was not taken from His mother but rather that as wee are staâ—ned with or ginall sinne by Adam so are wee washed and clensed by the blood of Christ for so it followes Verse 49. As we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heavenly And although it be said The second man is the Lord from heaven yet prooves it not that He brought His body from heaven but rather because wee understand nothing of heavenly things but by bodily likenesses therefore is Hee called the man from heaven to signifie that new manner of being which God had with us in our nature and to assure us that Hee our Redeemer is our eternall God able to save us and man with us that doeth pitie our miseries 3. The Heresies of Apelles are refuted by Epiâ—hanius Haer. 44. briefly and plainely but this which concernes the body of our Lord moâ—e fully by Tertullian in his Booke De carne Christi You shall have what I held fit to gather from both or to adde thereto The arguments of Apelles are in part all one with those of Valentin already answered The rest are these that follow 1. If the Angels appeared in flesh not taken from mankinde much more might Christ But the first is true therefore the later Answer The consequence in the Proposition is not good For the Angels came not to die therefore not to be borne as our Lord Himselfe appeared to Abraham not borne of a woman because the time appointed that He should die was not yet But when the fulnesse of the time was come that He by His death should take away the sinnes of the world then God sent His Sonne made of a woman Besides this they are beside the question For to proove their Position that Christ tooke His body of the Starres and Elements they ought to proove that the Angels also tooke such bodies But that they cannot proove For if the Angels made themselves that which by nature they were not why might they not doe it by that which was not 2. It is said Matth. 12.48 Who is my mother and who are my brethren If then Christ had no mother or brethren but in that spirituall kindred of them which kept the word of God He had no body taken of the Virgin Answer No man would have told Him that His mother stood without which did not know that shee was His mother Therefore the circumstances and time of His speech must be observed He was now in the businesse of God His Father for whom all earthly parents must be denied as He also answered Luke 2.49 3. But the flesh of sinfull man was an unfit and unworthy dwelling for Him that came to destroy the workes of the devill Answer As sinne the worke of the devill was brought into mankinde by the body and the bodily sences as it appeares Gen. 3.6 The woman seeiâ—g that the fruit was good for food and pleasant to sight tooke and did eat it So wâ—s it necessary that sin e should be destroyed in the body oâ— that flesh wherein sinne was conceiâ—ed and wrought Moreo er the difference not of the matter which must be one but of the Spirit of sanctification wh ch was in Christ made His body a fit sacrifice for sinne But concerning this unworthinesse alleadged answere was made before Note a ob 1. 3. on Chap. 5. 4. But if He had flesh like ours Hee should have beene begotten like us Answer The consequence is not good as was shewed before Note a § 2. on Chap. 26. 5. If the flesh of Christ were the same with ours the common accidents of both should be alike so that our flesh should forthwith rise againe like His or His like ours bee resolved to dust Answer When our Lord had fully satisfied the Iustice of God for the sinne of mankinde it had beene against Iustice that He which had done no sinne should have still continued under the power of death and therefore imposible Act. 2.24 But our bodies doe therefore still rest in hope because all H s enemies are not subjected unto Him among which the last is deâ—th 1. Cor. 15.26 Therefore for concâ—usion of this point over and above those reasons which you had in the twentieth Chapter and the authorities in the end of the three and twentieth Chapter and these which are heere already cited take that of Eph. 5.30 We are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones So that if we know or beleeve that we our selves have a body oâ— flesh and bones we must also know that our Lord had a true natura l and humane body as one of us Which authority is yet of so much the greater regard because it was prophesied in Parad ce Gen. 2.24 That our Redeemer should be incarnate that in the body of His flesh through death He might â—reâ—ent us holy a d unblameable Col. 1.22 For seeing the chi dre are partakers of flesh and blood Hee also Himselfe likewise tooke pâ—rt of the same that thro gh death Hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2.14 Reade the Chapter from verse 5. unto the end and see how many arguments you find to this purpose onely The fancies therefore of these Hereticks being lighter than vanity it will follow that all those opinions which might seeme to bee raised there-from were as false as foolish As first that of Celsus That the body of Christ was not subject to paine and griefe Against which Saint Origen disputes lib. 2. Cont. Cels For as for that Stoicall vnsufferance of His mind which Clemens Alex. Strom. lib. 7. thought not to bee subject either to joy or sorrow it was onely an over-sight in so learned a Writer and directly contrary to the Text of the Scripture Iohn 11.35 Matth. 26.38 where Iesus wept and was exceeding sorrowfull even unto death And concerning the joy of His Spirit See Luke 10.21 Secondly that of Saturnilus That Christ did suffer onely in shew Epiph. Haer. 23. Thirdly that of the neat-heard Basilides who taught that Simon of Cyrene was crucifyed in Christs stead Epiph. Haer. 24. Of all which if any thing were true what thanks were due to Him from vs when He had suffered nothing for our sakes
who hold that Hee did locally goe downe to hell so that according to the essence or being of His soule He was truely present there And as the former of these denie not but that Christ by His death did utterly spoile the powers of darknesse and so may be said virtually and by the effects of His suffering to have gone downe into hell because that by the eternall offering of Himselfe a ransome for the sinnes of the world and the performance thereof in the time appointed He did utterly free all His beleevers from Hell which was their due and setled them in the inheritance of eternall life so these latter for the most part denie not but that all this which is said is agreeable to the trueth of the Scripture and the analogie of Faith onely they cannot yeeld that it is the true and native meaning of this Article And betweene these two parties all those texts of Scripture which are brought for the locall descent of Christ are hammered so thinne that may seeme plyable every way But let the strength of the Holy Text for ever stand sure and let us see the reasons a little on all sides with their answeres and exceptions And first of them that interpret this Article by the sufferings of Christs soule Sect. 3 Object 1. As the sufferings of Christ even from the first minute of His Incarnation were meritorious for us yet our ransome from the torments of hell was wrought especially by the suffering of His humane soule which torments of His soule Hee endured not onely by the torture or fellow-feeling of His naturall body not by compassion onely on the sins and sorrowes of His body mysticall but also He might be said even to feele the sorrowes of eternall death when He saw Himselfe to be now set to suffer the wrath of God due to the sinnes of the whole world And if this bee not the proper and native sence of this Article how are wee taught by our Creed to beleeve more concerning Christ than wee confesse to be true of the theeves of whom wee may say they suffered under Pontius Pilate that they were crucified dead and buryed Al. Hume Rejoynd to Doctor Hil. I answere First the holy Scripture is profitable for doctrine for instruction for reproofe c. But the object of our faith is onely the Holy Trinity in Vnity and the satisfaction of Christ for our Redemption and the benefits which wee receive thereby And therefore although I beleeve and know by the Scriptures that Samson was the Sonne of Manoa yet I neither beleeve in Samson nor Manoa And though I know by the Scriptures that the penitent thiefe suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucifyed and dyed yet I beleeve not in him But concerning Christ as I beleeve that all His merits redound to us so I beleeve that all His sufferings were according to the Scripture a satisfaction to the justice of God for the sinnes of the world which they could not be but by the suffering both of His soule and body as it is said Esay 53. Hee shall see the travaile of His soule and bee satisfied If then wee know that whatsoever befell unto our Lord was that the Scripture might be fulfilled Matth. 26.54.56 and if wee beleeve and confesse in our Creed that He suffered according to the Scriptures and dyed and rose againe according to the Scriptures and that the Scriptures doe plainely testifie that by His sufferings and death the wrath of God against mans sinne is fully satisfied which as I said could not be but by His sufferings in His soule as well as in His body After these sufferings under Pontius Pilate what needes a second remembrance of His suffrings in soule under a title of a descent into hell Therefore when as I am bound to beleeve and confesse that the sufferings of Christ under Pontius Pilate were according to the Scriptures that is in soule and body I am bound to deny that the suffering of Christ in His soule is the native meaning of this Article He descended into hell 2. Beside the doctrine of Faith being a catechisme doctrine Heb. 6.1 and the sum thereof being for the use of children and novices it is not likely that the Church would have so generally received a creed wherin the thing to be beleeved should be laid down inwords that were tropicall and obscure when plaine and proper termes were necessary and at hand But hell cannot signifie the torments of hell but by a metonymia of the place for the adjunct of the place neither yet could it properly be said That our Saviour went down into hell when He was lifted up upon the Crosse where the especiall endurance and expression of His hellish torments were both in soule and body 2. Neither can it truely be said He descended into hell that is He suffered in soule the torments of hell but by a Synecdoche of the whole man for one part Neither were these torments of His soule more properly or truely called torments of hel then those torments of His body which we confesse He suffered under Pontius Pilate 3. Moreover after He was dead and buried it comes in unduly againe to make mention of His sufferings in soule a great part of which were endured in the garden before He came to the hands either of Pilate or of the Priests 4. And yet beyond all these reasons there is another argument that the Church did not interpret this Article by the sufferings of Christs Soule because as Gerrardus Vossius puts it De statu animae separatae Qu 1. It was the received opinion of the ancient Fathers even to this our time That the soules of the faithfull before Christ entred not into Paradise till Christ by His death had set it open and entred thereinto according to His promise to the thiefe on the Crosse And if all the soules of the faithfull were in hell taken in the second sence before mentioned though in a place of rest as Theophilus speakes and that by the comming of Christ thither they were brought to Paradise or a place of further joy then certainely this Article must in their iudgement be interpreted by the descent of Christ into hell after his death rather then by the sorrowes of His soule before it And to this purpose the learned Vossius brings some 20. Fathers from Tacianus the schollar of Iustin Martyr about the yeere of Christ 180. before whom He might have put His master Iustin as it is plaine in his Triphon Among those Fathers are Irenaeus Tertullian Origen Eusebius Athanasius Ambrose Ierom Epiphanius Chrysostom Augustin Cyril and beside them whom he reckons up he ads innumerable others and with them the sentence of the Councill of Toledo in the yeere 633. He descended into Hell that He might free them which were there detained Aug. Ep 99. writes thus If the reason be asked why our Saviour would come into hell where those sorrowes are of which He could not be held
it was Because He was free among the dead Psal 88.5 Moreover concerning the first Father of mankind almost the whole Church agrees that He freed him there which may not be thought that the Church beleeved without cause although the expresse authority of the Canonicall Scripture be not alleadged He saith almost the whole Church because the heretickes called Tacians denyed that Adam was saved De Haeres Cap. 25. Vossius beside all these brings the consent of the Africane and of the Easterne Churches both of the Greekes and of the Nestorians with divers later writers as Zuinglius P. Martyr and others Sect. 4 Obiect 1. But the Fathers agreed not all in one judgement Answer True Neither yet they of later times For concerning the end of His going to hell some thought that He delivered all that He found there both good and bad indifferently 2. Others because they thought that the whole punishment for mans sinne could not otherwise be discharged said that He went to hell that He might there suffer for the soules of men as on His Crosse He had suffered for their bodies Nay as Postel de nat Med. relates the Abissine Church holds that He went thither for His owne soule This last is hereticall the other against the direct authority of the Scripture For our Lord Himselfe when He gave up the Ghost professed That whatsoever was necessary for His suffering and our redemption was then finished And therefore both Saint Peter 1 Epist 2.24 saith That He bare our sinnes in His body on the tree and Saint Paul Colos 1.20 That Hee wrought our peace through the blood of His Crosse And Chapter 2. 15. Hee spoyled the principalities and powers triumphed over them openly in His Crosse Beside His promise to the thiefe This day to bee with Him in paradise doth directly crosse this opinion 3. Others upon that text of 1 Pet. 3.19 He went and preached unto the Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah thinke that He went to hell to upbraid to them their infidelity But this was not according to the end of His comming which was to seeke and to save that which was lost Luke 19.10 Therefore others and with them Martinus Cellarius de operibus Dei thinke that He preached repentance unto them and that such as beleeved Him to be God were redeemed from hell and saved by Him But because our Church hath rejected this opinion compare the Synod Edw. 6. with the Synod Eliz. therefore I refuse it And that text of Peter may be interpreted of the preaching of Noah while the Arke was preparing 5. Some againe on better ground then the former thinke that that descent of His into Hell was for manifestation or investing of Himselfe in that Lordship which He as the Sonne of man had over all the creature and consequently over the powers of hell That at His Name every knee should bow both of things in Heaven and of things in earth and of things under the earth Phil. 2.10 Thus He that liveth and was dead is alive for evermore and hath the keyes of hell and of death Thus He that descended first into the lower parts of the earth did ascend farre above all heavens that Hee might fulfill all things Ephes 4.9 10. That fluttering distinction That He as God dwelt in the man hood on the earth the lower part of the world and then He as man ascended will not helpe For first euery globe of the Moone the Sun or any star as it hath a centre to which every thing thereon inclines for otherwise it could not hold together in one body so is it a centre to the universe that is about it And so is likewise the lowest in comparison of those globes that have different centres Beside He which descended is even the same that ascended But God and man are not the same Thirdly He descended and ascended that He might fill all things which God did for ever neither ascending nor descending And therefore Augustine said well Totus Filius suit apud Patrem c. The Sonne was whole with the Father whole in the Virgins wombe whole in Heauen whoâ—e in Earth whole on the Crosse whole in Hell 6. But howsoever private opinions might fall in by the way yet by that which was said before it is manifest that the ancient Church did beleeve that Christ did therefore descend into hell that the faithfull by Him might be brought into Paradise which if it were the meaning of them that did compose and of them that did generally receive the Creed then cannot that Article of Christs descent into hell be interpreted according to their meaning which say That it must signifie no other thing but that He suffered the paines of hell in His soule Concerning them that received the Creed and interpreted it you have heard § 3.4 and shall further heare their meaning The Authors meaning you shall heare anone Obiect 2 Obiect 2. But the same Fathers are cited on both sides Answ Every man that writes or speakes may be taken short and hâ—s words wrong to a sence contrary to his meaning But in this question it is not much stood upon even by favourers of this new opinion but that the current of the Fathers beares all the other away insomuch that the learned Bucanus Instit. Theol Loc. 25. though he seeme to allow this later exposition better yet he professes that he dares not condemne the judgement of the Fathers seeing it is neither contrary to the Scripture nor hath any inconvenience in it So others yeelding that the opinion of the Fathers is for the most part for the locall descent of Christ into hell would yet be excused to follow it See Synops Pap Contr. 9. qu. 1. edit 4. pag. 403. which demand truely may seeme to be very just that being put which Augustine said a little before that it is not by the expresse authority of the Canonicall Scriptures which ought to be the ground and rule of our Faith But that clause of Augustine concerning the want of the authority of the Canonicall Scripture is ill referred to Christs descent into Hell which belongs onely to the freeing of Adam there But if their mistaking were indeed Augustines meaning That the descent of Christ into hell had no authority of the Canonicall Scripture yet remembring that it may not be thought that the Church yea the whole Church beleeved it without cause seeing it hath no inconvenience in it seeing it is not contrary to the Scripture and that the holy Scriptures by Anselmes judgement cited in the Preface confirmes all that which it doeth no way contradict being lawfully gathered from manifest reason Let us be bold to looke upon the Reasons which may seeme to have drawne the ancient Church unto this opinion Sect. 5 And because it is necessary first to agree vpon some principles let it be put that these words He descended into Hell are not spoken either of the God-head of Christ
of which it is confessed that it is everywhere nor yet of His dead body of which it is said in the Article before that it was buryed but that the enquiry is heere what became of the soule of our Saviour after it was departed from His body Secondly That seeing the soule neither came to nothing nor was an infinite being to bee every where it must of necessitie be in some definite ubi some place where while it was it was not in another Thirdly Seeing the soule of Christ was a true humane soule as one of ours and that it became Him in all things to bee like His brethren except their sinne His soule also being separate from the body went unto that place where the soules of the faithfull were before His comming This I thinke none will denie the Doctors old and new come all hereto The Reverend P. Martyr in Symb. saith thus Descendit anima Christi ad inferos c. The soule of Christ descended into hell meanes no other thing but that it did undergoe the same estate which other soules being separate from the body had experience of So Musculus in Eph. 4.9 Des endit ad nos in hunc mundum c. He descended to us in this world unto the grave and unto hell He descended to them whom He came to redeeme and as farre as they either living or dying had descended so farre also did He Himselfe descend that He might lift them up from below unto those places above from which He had descended Irenaeus said as much long agoe Lib 5. Cap. ult The Lord kept the law of the dead that He might bee the first-begotten from the dead Hitherto it seemes all parties are agreed But the assumptions set them at oddes againe as farre as heaven and hell For the old Interpreters inferre that the faithfull before Christ were in Abrahams bosome or in hell taken in the second sence But the new Interpreters inferre thus But the faithfull which were before Christ were in Abrahams bosome that is ascended into heaven properly so called For so the word Paradise doth signifie by the expresse authority of the Scripture 2. Cor. 12. verse 2. and 4. where the third heaven by Saint Paul is called Paradise For the first heaven is this of the Ayre to the Moone The second heaven is that of the Planets and Starres and the third heaven is Paradise the place of the blessed soules And this is one of the Arguments of them that reject the Iudgement of the Fathers and the ancient Church and holde the tropicall interpretation of hell for hellish torments of the mind And because I am here fallen into these bryars I will first put fire to them and afterward goe forward to the conclusion Therefore I answere The first heaven is this of the soules of heaven Gen. 1.20 The second is that of the cloudes of heaven Revel 1.7 So the third heaven for Paradise is in the Moone But this conclusion you laugh at Therefore you see on how weake and ungrounded principles they dispute 2. Beside is there no difference between a thing really performed and a vision as that of Paul which is not by things actually being but represented onely for instruction to the Prophet that fees it 3. But to grant all that the third heaven is Paradise and that the third heaven must signifie that which is above all the starres is there no Paradise beside when every place of pleasure is a Paradise Therefore though Saint Paul were in the third heaven yet the faithfull soules might bee in anotheâ— Paradise before they came thither as Adam was 1. Objeâ—tion This is contrary to the first conclusion of Vossius That the faithfull before Christ were not in Paradise till Christ opened it by His comming thither with the thiefe Answere It crosses not the opinion of the Fathers For though they put all the soules of the Saints in hell whither they also sent the soule of Christ yet they put them there into a place of rest and refreshing into a higher place in death free from torments and the tyranny of the devill and that by the authority of that historicall parable in Luke 16. where Lazarus on the one side of the gulph was in Abrahams bosome comforted the rich man in flames on the other side tormented So that first place or Paradise was that state of quiet where in the faithfull soules rested from their labours of this life Iob 3. from verse 13. to 20. in Ioy and hope of Him that was to come But that Paradise which the Fathers meant was a more free state and the enjoying of a fuller happinesse by the presence of Christ the worke of their redemption being accomplished they having their Redeemer with them a sure pledge of their eâ—â—â—rance into heaven after their resurrection as He should foâ—thwith bee raised and ascend to heaven whither till that time they had no hope to come 2. Oâ—jection The same Faith hath the same fruits the same effects But the Fathers before Christ had the same Faith Therefore they went to Heaven as they that have beene since Christ. Answere The same faith hath the same fruits the same effects concerning the uttermost end of faith which is the salvation of the soule and the consummation of that blisse which is to be in eternall life but not concerning all the degrees and circumstances betweene For many Prophets and Kings desired to see the day of Christ yet saw it not but as they saluted the promisses afarre off by their Faith The bodies also of divers Saints were raised at the resurrection of Christ and appeared to such as had knowne them alive for proofe of all that benefit whereof all the faithfull shall bee partakers Which blessing neither Daniel Dan. 12.13 nor Paul are yet partakers of And this answere may serve for divers texts of Scripture which are unfitly brought to this purpose as that of Iohn 5.24 Heb. 13.14 and such others And therefore though it bee most certaine and true according to the Scriptures that the Gospel of Christ was an eternall Gospel and that His death was available to eternall life to all that beleeved in Him since the beginning of the world So that their soules after they were delivered from the burden of the flesh were in Ioy and felicitie yet is it as true which the trueth saith Iohn 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions So that although the soules of the faithfull departed before Christ were in Paradise in Abrahams bosome in the Kingdome of God in Everlasting life yet were they not in heaven properly so called neither could they have the presence of their Redeemer when Hee was not yet incarnate by whom they might enioy the vision of God as now they doe Obiect 3 3. Objection By this answere you grant then that they suffered the penaltie of losse as they call it though not of sence of losse I say because they were not in heaven in full happinesse
having bought them of God and payd their ransome brought out of all power of their strong enemie out of the shadow of death into the everlasting light of Paradise in all the libertie and ioy of the understanding to view the Wisedome of God in His most glorious workes as you may read further a little below Sect. 8. Numb 3. Sect. 7 Sect. 7. Now having shewed the different interpretations of this Article and as I thinke fully proved that the soule of Christ went not to heaven properly so called before His resurrection but that it was glorious and blessed among His Saints in happinesse and so in heaven formaliter as they speake It is fit that wee draw toward a conclusion which before wee can come unto it must first appeare what Abrahams bosome what Paradise is and where it was Then why the word of descending into hell is heere used with the solution of such doubts as fall in the way The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bosome sometime signifies a baye of the sea wherein harbour and safety is from waves and tempests and thus the word is used Act. 27.39 Thus Lazarus Luke 16. might be said to be in Abrahams bosome that is to have arived and cast anker in that safe and quiet haven of happinesse where Abraham the father of all the faithfull because he against hope beleeved in hope Rom. 4.18 was now in blisse or else it may signifie a bosome properly as it is used in Luke 6.38 and thus also Lazarus might bee said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in cheare and joy in Abrahams bosome as Saint Iohn Ioh. 13.23 lay leaning in the bosome of Iesus his uncle at supper as the manner of that countrey was sometime to eate their meate lying on the ground The word Paradise whether it be native greeke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is supposed to be plentifully watered or a Persian word as good Authors affirme and that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pardes used in Eccles 2.5 and Cant. 4.13 signifies a place of pleasure inclosed or a parke and so it is used in Xenophon Cyrop lib. 1. or a garden as the Greekes translated the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gan in Genes Chap. 2. and 3. or an orchard as in the texts of Solomon before And hither was our Lord first said to have come after His death because as Adam by his sin had lost his happy estate in the earthly paradise So Christ by His death did recover the hope of our returne into the heavenly For the gift is not as the offence Rom. 5.15 By these two words the blessed estate of the faithfull is signified though with some difference not of place but degree of happinesse as I shewed For although the children of the kingdome were all and at all times heires of the same hopes yet they that were in Abrahams bosome before Christ had not that fulnesse of joy which they had after their redemption was fully wrought and He not now in Abrahams bosome with them but Abraham and all his faithfull children with him in Paradise To the same sence concerning the state of happinesse is the Kingdome of Heaven used Luke 13.28 29. though that word expresse also the joyes after the resurrection And because it was ever thought even among naturall men as the Heathen Philosophers that the soule was immortall and that after death it was better to them that had lived well then to the wicked therefore were they perswaded that their soules went to a place of rest and happinesse which they called as they pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the house of Pluto by the common name and that of pleasure the Elysian fields of torment a place inclosed by Acheron a river without joy And sith the body went downe to the earth from whence it was and that they perswaded themselves that every creature might be abundantly happy in that region whereof it was an inhabitant as being the onely region that was fit for it therefore they thought that the place of the soules rest was not farre from the body and so went downe into the earth And because the ancient Church could not teach the heathen conuerted to God but by such words and language as they understood and differed not much in meaning from that which they themselues beleeued therefore were they content to use this manner of speech of descending to Hades the house of Pluto or hell which the vulgar had been taught by their guides the Philosophers and Poets In stead of all the rest see Plato in Phaedone and Virgil. Aeneidos lib. 6. yet they meant by this descent of Christ into hell no other thing but that His soule being separate from His body went into that place where the faithfull soules were then at rest and in assured hope of further joy But because our Church uses not the terme descending but teaches her owne children in their owne tongue to confesse that Christ went downe to hell Artic. 2. Let us not forsake the law of our mother Prouerb 6.20 but rather endeavour to know what this going downe to hell may meane And certainely it must needes bee thought a thing either of great obscurity or of little necessity wherein our Church as most other hath not held it fit to make any further declaration Therefore though I take liberty to enquire what the possible or most likely meaning of the words may be yet I presume not to affirme any thing but with submission to the Churches judgement when God shall vouchsafe further light thereto to determine according to the Scripture what is the certaine trueth in this or any other question of the like doubtfulnesse 1. To descend to goe or come downe is used diversly But that I may descend to every understanding I will make it of two kinds one of place and that is of three kinds The other of state or condition 1. Of place higher and lower as it is said Luke 9.37 They came downe from the hill and Act. 11.27 There came Prophets downe from Ierusalem to Antioch or from a place of more fame to a meaner as Act. 13.4 From Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they came downe to Seleucia Now if the earth and water made one flat surface which stretched from one side of heaven to the other as the old fancy was then could this descent of Christ meane no other going downe but under that surface And although some of the Fathers were no better Cosmographers then to thinke thus yet for the most part they were better thewed But because our faith suffers not to put any untrueth in nature therefore this going down must be refused 2. But if this globe of the earth bee hollow then this going downe may be meant as most of the Fathers tooke it into that hollownesse of the earth 1. And that the earth is hollow both reason and authority shew it Authority you have 4. Esdr 4.7 where
His resurrection and have denied also that I thinke with them that say that He went downe to suffer for our sinne And having as I thinke said enough to all contrary opinions the trueth by the Holy Scripture and the reasons grounded thereon must be made to appeare But first of all it is plaine that the meaning of our Church is such for in the 8. Article it is said that the Creed of Athanasius ought thorowly to bee received and beleeved and that because it may be prooved by most certaine warrants of Holy Scripture And in the 7. Article the Church of Ireland agreeth hereto in these words All and every the Articles conteined in the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought firmly to be observed and beleeved For they may bee prooved by most certaine warrant of Holy Scripture And because it may not bee supposed that our Church cites the authority of Athanasius but according to his owne meaning as he himselfe hath explained it if it were the meaning of Athanasius that Christ after His suffering descended locally into the hell of the damned it must needes bee that our Church accorded to his meaning And what the meaning of this Article in the Creed of Athanasius is we need not to doubt who have Athanasius himselfe to declare it in his Epistle of the incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ against Apollinarius where hee prooves against his Heresie that there bee onely two parts of the humane nature in Christ a body which the grave received and a soule which went downe into hell the grave received that which was bodily hell that which was not bodily And by his reason you may yet understand his meaning better When the Creator saith he call'd man into question for his disobedience Hee decreed against him a double punishment For to the body He said Thou art earth and unto earth thou shalt returne But to the soule He said Thou shalt die the death And for this cause man being dead is condemned to depart to two places And therefore it was also necessary that the Iudge Himselfe that made this decree should also undergoe it that in the estate of man condemned shewing Himselfe free from sin uncondemned He might reconcile man unto God and restore him to perfect libertie In the same Epistle hee had said a little before that in hell He condemned death that Hee might every way perfect the salvation of man in our image which He had put on and in his fourth oration against the Arians hee saith that the powers of hell withdrew themselues being afraid at the sight of Christ. So the meaning of Athanasius is plaine that the soule of Christ did locally goe downe to hell and withall the meaning of our Church Now among these texts of Scripture by which this doctrine of Athanasius may bee warranted that text of the 1. Pet. 3.18.19 is most plaine especially as it stands in the Greeke Christ suffered for our sinnes that He might bring us unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put to death in the flesh but quickened in the Spirit by which He went and preached to the Spirits in prison Which Scripture must be applied onely to the manly being of Christ who Himselfe had set an example to His followers to suffer ill patiently which could be onely in His manly being For as God He could not suffer ill Beside His God-head mooves not by any locall motion as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth signifie And moreover His divine spirit was no way quickned nor could be but He went and preached in that Spirit in which He was quickned which could bee onely in His humane spirit or soule in which having once suffered death He manifested His power to the disobedient spirits by taking to Himselfe the keyes or power over hell and death to shut in and keepe out whom Hee will Reuel 1.18 And although I deny not that the sence is true and good He was quickned by the Spirit that holy Spirit which Hee received not by measure yet I hold that this is not the native meaning of this place and the best printed copies of Stephan Plantin and others are with me Neither will the words naturally beare that change of In and By Neither did the reverend Noel Deane of Pauls and other like Him accord with them Neither is this the onely place of Scripture that prooves the locall descent of Christs soule into hell For that argument of Saint Peter Act. 2.31 whereby hee prooves the resurrection of Christ out of Psalm 16. because His soule was not left in Hell strangles these interpreters harder then Achelous was strangled in the hand of Hercules So that which Ionah the figure said of himselfe being by Christ the substance applied to Himselfe To be three dayes in the heart of the earth must bee as true in the substance as it was figuratively true in Ionah This is the confession of him that was holy as no man was Psalm 68.2 Thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest hell vers 13. as the Apostle speakes Ephes 4.9 10. He descended first into the lower parts of the earth and ascended above all heavens that Hee might fill all things So then the Scriptures not being of any private interpretation that is to set out the stories of private men 2. Peter 1.20 must have their highest and uttermost interpretation in Christ Now that this is the native interpretation of this Article and consequently the right meaning of the Composer or Composers of the Creed beside the texts of Scripture on which the Article is grounded it will bee further manifest by the Reasons 1. In a Catechisme the use of Tropes or borrowed speeches are not fit for the use of children and novices and such is the Creed or forme of the confession of our Faith as it is manifest Hebr. 6.1 And the suffering of Christ His Death Buriall c. is taken properly therefore His going downe also into hell Object Object If Christ went to the faithfull that were dead whose soules were in Paradise why doe you say to hell whereby is specially meant the place of the damned Answer Hee first went to the dead in Paradise as His promise was That the Thiefe should there bee with Him in Paradise Then to hell to take to Himselfe all rule all authority and power For God had put all things in subjection under His feet 2. If this Article He went downe to hell be not to bee referred to the soule of Christ after His death then have we no direction by the Creed to know what became of His soule neither are wee taught hereby whether He had a humane and immortall soule or no. So we are still left in doubt whether this Christ be the Saviour of the world But if this Article be referred to the state of Christs soule after His death then are we truely taught and informed against these doubts But that
adulterate interpretation of His sufferings is excluded 3. And seeing our Lord Christ is appointed of God to bee the Iudge of the world and that as He is the Sonne of man it was necessary that our Lord should goe downe to hell both in regard of the justice and of the mercy which ought to appeare in His judgement of His justice that the enemies of mankind the devills may not torment them according to their cruelty and hatred of man but onely in justice afflict them according to the sentence passed on them according to the measure of their sinne and not beyond as it is said Luk. 12.47 and 48. The servant which knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe shall be beaten with many stripes but hee that knew it not shall be beaten with fewer 4. And because our Lord Christ was by the Father appointed to be the Saviour of mankind it was necessary that His compassion toward mankind should by all meanes be inflamed and therefore that His soule should goe downe to hell that as by the bodily feeling of our miseries in this life He was made a mercifull and faithfull high-Priest for us Heb. 2.7 so by the actuall and present sight of those unsufferable torments He might have the uttermost mercy and compassion which can stand with justice on those whom Hee should judge 5. It is necessary for our Redeemer to passe thorow fire and water that is to have experience of all tentations and all manner of afflictions of death and hell that for us He might overcome them all But He that was the paterne of all Heroicall and excellent vertues that knew Himselfe to have come into the world that He should die that shamefull death of the Crosse Iohn 3.14 and 12.33 was not so affrighted at the bodily death but His strong crying and teares were That the pit of hell should not swallow Him up nor that deepe should shut her mouth upon Him Psalm 69.15 And Hee was heard in that which He feared by Him that was able to save Him from death Heb. 5.7 But He was not delivered from the bodily death Therefore His prayer was That He might be delivered from the power of hell Psal 22.20 21. For hereupon depended the life of the whole world not onely that He might suffer but much more on this That He might overcome death and him that had the power of death And for this great deliverance would Hee magnifie the Name of God with a song and set foorth His praise among His brethren And because the benefit of this redounds to us let us also offer the sacrifice of praise the fruit of our lips confessing His Name Sect. 9 Sect. 9. Now having thus declared the meaning of this Article It remaines that I shew for what reasons I hold this interpretation of this Article rather to bee followed then that of them who say That it signifieth onely those hellish torments which Christ endured in His soule while He was yet alive which although it be the drift of the whole Chapter before as you may see particularly in § 3. Yet to make up the garland take these flowers which have not yet beene bound up with the rest And first I put this as granted That as the Articles themselves so their interpretation must bee such as must stand in the greatest evidence and declaration of the trueth in greatest opposition to falshood and heresie and for the highest hope and comfort of the faithfull 1. Now if you follow the interpretation of the Fathers that the soule of Christ after death ascended locally or really to hell or the place of them that had died in the hope of the deliverer that was to come then it followes necessarily that the soule of Christ had a being separate and apart from the body and that it was therefore an immortall soule that died not with the body being able to subsist of it selfe without the body Whereby the heresie of the Sadduces which deny the being of spirits and soules separate and consequently the immortality of the soule and thereupon the resurrection also Mark 12.18 Act. 23.7 is plainely refuted And so that lie of the Thnatopsychitae which thought that the soule of man came to nought as the soules of the beasts and no lesse that opinion of Apollinarius That Christ tooke of His mother a vegetable but not a reasonable soule all which you see make the death of Christ and our faith in Him of none effect But if that interpretation be onely true That Christ being yet alive suffered hellish torments in His soule are any of these falshoods refuted thereby doth it from thence follow against the Sadduces ergo the soule of Christ is immortall he will deny the consequence he will yeeld it might suffer in His body but that it died with His body or against the Apollinarists therefore Christ had a perfect humane soule hee will deny it For although he yeeld that the soule of Christ suffered such torments yet he will say That it was onely by a vegetable or animall soule which suffered by compassion with the body 2. But because the heresie of Arius did trouble the Church more then any ancient heresie beside Let us see what force our battery hath against his fortifications The soule of Christ went downe to hell locally to the soules of other men therefore Christ had a soule like other men They will answere here That His created Deity which they falsly imagined went downe to the places under the earth For so they explaine it out of Iob 38.17 as you may see Answer to the Ies Chal pag. 282. But that answere will not serue For though it were a created Deity yet being a Deity it must have those conditions of omnipotencie in the creature of ubiquitie wisedome c. without which it could not be a Deitie So then that created Deitie of Christ must bee in hell before the death of Christ as well as after and those hellish torments of the new interpreters which say nothing of the state of Christs humane soule after His death availe nothing to the contrary of this heresie 3. Neither doth this new interpretation onely dismount our artillery against those ancient heresies but also dismantles our fort of that refuge and succour which the distressed soule may have in the agonies of death For bee it put that our Saviour tooke our sinnes upon Him and felt in Himselfe the fierce wrath of God against Him so as if He had committed the sinnes of all men I finde therefore that God doth not deale with me according to my sinnes nor reward me according to mine iniquities And bee it that being dead His body was buryed in the grave I will therefore say unto my grave O sweete bed of rest that wast so perfumed with the odours of His most pretious Merits But when I see my soule all over leprous with originall sinne and spotted like a Panther with actuall transgressions now going to a place
to Him alone For though she hold other Churches her sisters called faithfull and beloved and esteemes of their true Pastors and Doctors as beautifull and shining lights yet followes shee nothing of any mans because it is his whether Luther or Calvin or any other but Christ her Lord alone doth she follow according to his owne rule My sheepe heare my voice a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voice of strangers But therfore as I said before so doe I still professe that if this Church upon any light from God shall hereafter declare the meaning of this Article otherwayes than I have done I forsake my selfe to follow her so far as she shall follow Christ And if any faithfull man be otherwise minded concerning the meaning of this Article then I have shewed yet doe not I therefore hold him of another Church or faith so long as he doth hold fast the foundation one God and one Mediator betweene God and man the man Iesus Christ For the Kingdome of God is not in the excellency of knowledge much lesse in wilfulnesse of opinion in matier of doubt but in joy and peace and comfort of the Holy-Ghost while a man doth those things which he knowes in himselfe he is bound to performe ARTICLE V. ⧠The third day Hee rose againe from the dead CHAP. XXIX THe sufferings of Christ were fulfilled as wee have seene now it followes that wee see the glories that should follow after of which the first is His triumph over death by His resurrection from the dead set against that in the Article before Hee was dead and buried And although by His death He is said to have triumphed over the principalities and powers of death and hell in His Crosse Col. 2.15 that is by the power and vertue of His merit as a champion by His valour and courage in the field overcame His enemie yet the actuall manifestation of His triumph was not solemnized till by His resurrection the power and glory of His victory did appeare But it may here be asked How Christ our Lord is said to have risen againe seeing Saint Paul saith Rom. 6.4 That Hee was raysed againe by the glory of the Father To which the answere is easily returned that Christ our Lord by His owne active power as He was God raised Himselfe from the dead and as man by a passive or received power was raised againe as He said of Himselfe Iohn 10.18 I have power to lay downe my life of my selfe and I have power to take it up againe This commandement have I received from my Father For for this end was it necessary that our Mediatour should be both God and man in one Person that that which was not fit nor possible for the God-head might bee endured in the humanity as those things which concerned His death and suâ—fering and that which was impossible to His pure humanâ—â—â— might yet therein be perfected by His divinitie as Saint Paul saith Rom. 1.3.4 that He was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to bee the Sonne of God by His resurrection from the dead But there is a great difference betweene the state or manner of His being before His death and after His resurrection For although the unitie of the humanitâ—e with the God-â—ead were alwayeâ— before in and after His death the same yet was not that unitie alwayes manifested in the same glory and excellency For in the first state while He bare our infirmities His body was subiect to hunger cold wearinesse death and other accidents of a naturall body His soule also though according to the principall or first acts endued with the excellencie of reason and knowledge yet according to the second acts or practise not knowing the grave of Lazarus the day of Iudgement c. In the second state also His body was deprived of sence and life His soule of the proper habitation But in His resurrection His body was raysed immortall spirituall 1. Cor. 15.44.45 glorious and as in all the perfection of grace and compassion on us so with the fulnesse of Wisedome and Knowledge to see our miseries and to make intercession for us according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. Now concerning the trueth of this Article that our Lord Iesus rose againe from the dead though it be most powerfully witnessed by God Himselfe by Angels and men as you may read yet because the authoritie of the Scriptures wherin those things are recorded is set at nought by Iewes Turkes Infidels Hereticks and such God lesse people let not us endeavour to leade them like sheepe that follow their shepherd but drive them like asses with the cudgell of reason And as Saint Peter Actes 2.24 takes his first argument from the impossibility of not performing those things which are contained in the Scripture so our arguments shall be from the impossibilities in reason 1. It hath been prooved before that man was created innocent Chapter 15. That by his sinne he became subiect to death Chapter 16. That there is a restoring to a better estate Chapter 18. And that the restorer of mankind must be both God and man Chapter 20. and 21. Then that this restorer was Iesus our Lord the Sonne of the Virgin Mary Chapter 24. who by His sufferings and death made satisfaction for the sinnes of the world Whence I argue thus For the greatest good that can be done for mankind the greatest ill may not be rewarded for that were unjust with God The greatest good that could come to mankind was the ransoming of man from eternall death both of the body and soule The greatest ill and basenesse is to be left continually in the state of death wherein if Christ had still continued then had He suffered the greatest ill for the greatest good which could bee performed But this was impossible Therefore our Lord did rise againe from the dead 2. If Christ who sinned not should have borne the punishment of sinne that is to be subject to the power of death yea when the satisfaction was fully ended then should His obedience to God the Father have beene not onely without reward but also for the satisfaction of the justice God had He suffered from God I speake after the manner of men extreame injustice who had neither sinne of His owne for which He should suffer and had fully satisfied for their sinnes whose surety He was But this was utterly impossible For he that fulfilleth the Law shall live therein Levit. 18.5 ergo It was necessary that Christ having fulfilled the Law Iohn 19.30 Luk. 24.44 should rise againe 3. If Christ after His suffering and death had not risen againe then had He not prooved Himselfe to be the Saviour of the world seeing none would have beleeved Him to be able to give life unto others that was not able to quicken Himselfe So His suffering had beene in vaine and His satisfaction if not beleeved should have beene to
no purpose So His greatest and best worke had effected no good to us but a perpetuall ill unto Himselfe But all these things were impossible Therefore Christ our Lord did rise againe 4. It is impossible but that where the greatest union is there should be the greatest love and consent The greatest union that may be is in our Mediator seeing the humane nature is sustained in the Person of the Deity But the soule of Christ being separate did naturally desire to bee united to the body for otherwayes should it not have desired the perfection of it selfe that is to give life and sence and to be one with that body which was peculiar to it selfe as the desire of all humane soules is and therefore depart so unwillingly from the body But if this were the naturall desire of the soule no way sinfull the Deity infinite in power and in regard of the unity consenting thereto it must follow of necessity that our Lord was raised againe from the dead 5. Contrary causes must have contrary effects The devill by the sinne which he wrought in Adam had caused death to prevaile over life in all mankind Therefore Christ who came to destroy the workes of the deuill must cause life to prevaile over death But this could not be done in the members before it was perfected in the head Therefore Christ being dead must of necessity bee the first fruits of them that are raised from the dead And if it were necessary that Christ should first rise Ergo it was impossible that He should not rise See Log. chap. 26.11.1 6. If Christ our Lord had not beene raised from death a then had it beene impossible that any of His beleevers should bee raised againe by the power and merit of His resurrection 1. And so the naturall desire of the soule to dwell with the body should be created in vaine 2. So the debt being paid the prisoner should ever be detained 3. So the afflictions of the Saints which they have suffered in body should be in vaine as cold hunger nakednesse reproach and shame imprisonment stripes yea and death it selfe willingly sustained for the love of God should be without reward But it were against the justice of God to cause the body and soule to suffer together and not to glorifie them both together 4. So also the death of Christ should not be meritorious and effectuall for the procuring of all that good which might and ought to come thereby both to Himselfe and all His beleevers For although the soules of the faithfull for the merit and full satisfactions sake of His death being separate might enjoy an eternall though not a full happinesse without the body yet the body should be left eternally to the power of death and so the workes of the devill should not be destroyed by Christ 5. So also the body should be created in vaine if to sorrow onely without the hope of happinesse 6. So God should lose His right in His creature if Hee were not Lord both of the living and of the dead both of the soule and of the body 7. So the one sinne and disobedience of Adam should be more powerfull to condemne mankind then the everlasting and most perfect obedience of the Sonne of God should be to save it But all these things are impossible And therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 4.25 That Christ was delivered to death for our sinne and raised againe for our Iustification For if Christ be not raised againe then are we yet in our sinnes 1. Cor. 15.17 not that any addition was made by His resurrection to that satisfaction which He made by His death but because the resurrection of Christ is a sure and manifest proofe of His conquest over sinne death hell and all the power of the devill and that His suffering and death was a full and sufficient sacrifice whereby the wrath of God against sinne was fully satisfied so that we are now justified in His sight whereas if in the conflict of our Redeemer with death and hell He had been overcome then could we have had no faith nor hope that our sinne by His death had beene done away But now knowing that He hath overcome death and is returned to life againe in all the troubles and sorrowes of this life and in the agonies of death wee may be secure as the feet or toes that are lowest under the water may hope at last to come to land because they know that their head being above the water the body cannot be drowned 7. Now concerning that impossibility of Saint Peter it stands thus It is impossible that the Scripture being the declaration of Gods trueth made by Himselfe 2. Pet. 1.21 2. Tim. 3.16 should faile But it hath beene declared by the Scripture that Christ should be raised againe from the dead Therefore it was impossible that He should still be held under the power of death The text cited by Saint Peter is found Psal 16.10 to which you may adde the types of the old Testament whereby the death and resurrection of our Lord was signified as that of Noah Gen. 9. ver 20. c. When our Saviour being as it were drunken with the love of His Church and desire of mans salvation tooke our state upon Him and for us became subject to the death of the Crosse when being seene by the Iewes those Chumits in the nakednesse or infirmity of our estate He was set at nought by them that thought that their Messiah could not die Iohn 14.34 But when Noah our Rest and Comforter awaked out of His grave He brought on them that destruction which was foretold as the punishment of their hardnesse of heart and unbeliefe See Psalm 41.10 Dan. 9.26 So the Ram taken by his hornes in the bush Gen. 22. was the type of His death and Isaac taken alive from the Altar the figure of His resurrection Ioseph also taken out of the dungeon to be ruler over all the land of Egypt To the same purpose was the law of the two goates Levit. 6. the one slaine for a sinne offering the other sent alive into a land of separation to make an atonement for all iniquity transgressions and sinne of the people So by the two Sparrowes Levit. 14. He that was like to the solitary sparrow on the house top Psalm 102.7 shed His blood for the cleansing of our leprosie yet by the other that was sent alive into the open ayre His resurrection was figured Sampson the Nazarite asleepe in Gaza signified our Lord in the sleepe of death for the love of His Church yet waking and having opened the gates of death He carryed them away and ascended in triumph to the top of the mount Iudg. 16.3 And because the strong gates of death are carryed away we are assured that all they that sleepe in the dust of death shall rise to give an account of their workes Beside these types you have also the prophecies of the old Testament as Psalm
68.20 That to Him belonged the issues of death both to passe out of death Himselfe and also to bring out His from thence Esay also Chap. 53. after He had declared His sufferings and death proves His resurrection by His dividing the spoile with the strong Our Lord also foretold His resurrection Himselfe in Mat. 12.49 and Luk. 18.33 and the b infidelity of Thomas made it certaine unto all Vpon all which texts we may firmely conclude with Saint Peter that it was impossible that our Lord should be held in the bands of death 8. And why the third day was appointed for His resurrection a reason or two are rendered Hee rose not before that none might doubt but that He was certainely dead See the 27. chap. for His death and buriall Neither was it fit to deferre the resurrection longer lest the faith and hope of His Disciples should faile Who trusted that it was Hee that should have redeemed Israel Luke 24.21 9. As Christ was man that He might suffer death Chapter 20. so was He also God the Lord and giver of life Chapter 21. But it was unreasonable that He which is one Person with the Author of life should be subject to death longer then that it might appeare that He was certainely dead and that by His owne life and power He had overcome death Therefore our Lord rose againe the third day from the dead 10. Although by the unseparable union of the humanity with the Person of the Deity the body of our Lord might have beene preserved uncorrupted for if the devills have power to preserue mans bodie uncorrupted for nine dayes Hom Iliad Ω or for a longer time as it appeares in the bodies of the Witches that die not by the justice of the Law much more might the body of the Lord have been preserued Yet because in Him and by His death the whole state of nature was to be restored the soule of Christ returned againe to the body before corruption in the course of nature could seaze on it 11. The signe of Ionas did prophesie as much Matth. 12.40 and Hosea in plaine and direct words Chap. 6.2 After two dayes He will revive us and in the third day He will raise up and we shall live in His sight For in as much as Christ our Lord doth now appeare in the presence of God for us we also are said to have risen with Him Colos 3.1 The word of Christ Himselfe is plaine to this purpose that He would rise againe Matth. 17.23 and 20.19 and Ioh. 2.19 and that even in the understanding of His aduersaries Matth. 27.63 And that it was the same Saviour that had suffered for us who rose againe from the dead the circumstances of the place doe make it evident For therefore was He buryed in a new tombe hewen out of a rocke wherein never any one had been laid because the hard-hearted and brazen-faced Iewes might have no pretext to say That any other had risen in His stead Notes a THen had it beene impossible that any of His beleevers c. Concerning the resurrection of the dead fitter place to speake will bee in the Article following Chapter 38. Here it shall bee sufficient to remember that the beleevers onely are raised up by the vertue and merit of Christs resurrection as it is said Iohn 11.25 but that the rest that shall be raised up in the last day shall rise by the power of the Father that according to the rule of Iustice and that sentence upon Adam and all his seed In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death they may re eive according as their workes shall bee b The infidelitie of Thomas made it certaine unto all God that brings light out of darknesse used the unbeliefe of Thomas for a most evident proofe of the resurrection of Christ so that although he would not beleeve the testimonies of so many witnesses as had seene him alive yet his owne tryalls according to his owne manner of proofe by his finger put into the print of the nayles and his hand thrust in his side might make him to beleeve yet was nothing of all this of any availe to them that aâ—e without For as Epiphanius nor obscurely signifies Haer. 28. and Aug. De Haer. cap. 8. directly affirmes Cerinthus that Hereticke and hiâ— followers tâ—ught that Christ was onely man and consequently that He was not yet risen from the dead But both the proposition Matth. 13.55 and the conclusion Matth. 28. fâ—om verse 11. to 16. were made by the blind-hearted Iewes before our Lords ascension and still is it their errour unto this day But if no man could doe those miracles that He did ex ept God were with Him Iohn 3.2 If God alone doth know the heart If God alone can forgive sinnes Mark 2.7 8. then their seared consciences were bound by their owne words to acknowledge that He was God Yet because they ever resisted the Holy-Ghost Actes 7.51 that their conclusion might stand that He was not risen from the dead therefore with large money hyred they the Souldiers that had watched knowne well to bee takers that they should say that His Disciples had stollen Him away whiâ—e they slept But this foule lie stinks to him that hath but halfe a nose 1. For if they slept indeed how could they say His Disciples stole Him rather then that Hee rose agaiâ—e of Himselfe 2. Besides when the Disciples themselves did not beleeve nor when they heard it understood that it was poss ble that He should rise againe Mark 9.10 and 31. Luk. 18.34 no nor yet after it was come to passe could they beleeve them that had seene Him Mark 16.11 and 13. to what end should they be the auctors of such a device 3. Moreover all other circumstances are against it For if they had stollen Him away wherefore should they offer themselves the second time to a needlesse danger as you reade Iohn 20.4 c. 4. Wherefore left they the fine linnen wherein He was wrapped which either respect to the corpes or covetousnesse or haste or feare of the souldiers or all together would not have given them time to plucke off when all places were full of feare the earth it selfe trembling and quaking Matth. 28.2 5. Beside all this the Priests having such power of themselves such favour from Pilate why did they not call the Apostles in question for the fact That the whole trueth if it were as they said might have appeared and wouâ—d easily by their wit and greatnesse have beene fish't out of silly fishers if they should have gone about to conceale it But male verum examinat omnis Corruptus Iudex And because they knew well enoâ—gh that by their further questioning the trueth of God and their lie would bee manifest to all therefore neither then nor at any time afterward durst they endeavour to disproove this trueth to which God Himselfe with so great power of miraâ—les and wonders and gifts
soules which they sent to Elysium as you may read of Anchises and others Aeneid 6. yet they supposed that their faâ—se gods and such as were by them canonized went up to heaven as Hercules Castor and Pollux Romulus and he that was one of the chiefe masters of the devills slaughter-men Iulius Caesar From whence you may reason thus The place of the greatest glory is most due to Him that is both the Creator and Restorer of all things But such was our Lord Iesus as it hath appeared before Therefore He ascended into heaven 5. It is necessary that the blessed and damned doe differ by all those meanes whereby the paines of the one and the blessednesse of the other may be increased The paines of the damned are increased by the horrour of that place wherein they are tormented therefore the ioyes also of the blessed are increased by the superexcellent beauty and pleasures of that place of their abode And because our Lord is blessed and holy above all that are blessed and holy therefore it is necessary that He should ascend into heaven 6. If Christ after His resurrection had not ascended into heaven then could no other creature bee blessed in heaven by His merit So the place of perfect blisse should be without inhabitants and therefore created in vaine So God should want that praise which were due to Him for His mercy and goodnesse shewed to the creature But these things are impossible Therefore the holy Angels and Saints are blessed in heaven and Christ our Lord their King among them See Iohn 14.2 3. and Ephes 2.6 7. If Christ our Lord had not ascended into heaven yea so that His ascension might be witnessed both by men and Angels Actes 1.10 11. then could not we which beleeve in Him have full assurance of those heavenly joyes that are laid up in store for us 1. So the Christian faith were all in vaine and we still subject to the punishment of our sinnes 2. So His Conception Birth Miracles Sufferings Death and Resurrection heretofore prooved should have beene in vaine So His owne preaching and of His messengers 4. So the prophecies of the Scriptures which were before concerning Him even since the world began should bee without their trueth 5. So the faith and hope of them which confesse the most gloâ—ious things of God concerning His goodnesse and mercy toward His creature which faith they have in Him being taught by Him out of his word and by the successe of all things that have come to passe accordingly should be frustrate But all these things are impossible And therefore God is gone up on high in triumph and our Lord with the sound of the trumpet all the holy Angels and the spirits and soules of the faithfull joying therein all the troopes of the heavens and the heavens of heavens attending His comming and submitting themselues to Him their Lord and King Open your heads ô yee gates and be yee set ope yee everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Who is this King of glory The LORD of hostes mighty in battell euen our Lord IESVS who by the warres of His suffering and death on the Crosse and by the conquest of His resurrection hath overcome the powers of Hell He is the King of Glory Amen Notes a THerefore He ascended into Heaven This Article hath beene gainesayed by the heretickes diversly Cerinthus said That because Iesus was man onely conceived and borne as other men Hee was not yet risen but should rise at last Aug. de haer cap. 8. And thus by consequence he denied that our Lord ascended into heaven But this Iew both by nation and opinion is refuted before in all by the proofe of those Articles which he denied And because he brought nothing for the proofe of his opinions but onely opinion let them all vanish at the authority of the holy Scripture as mist before the Sunne Carpocrates as he had beene taught by Saturnilus said that the soule was onely saved Epiph haeres 23. So that the soule of Christ onely after it was freed from the body ascended to the Father Epiph heres 27. Against this heresie you may set the reasons and authorities of the Chapter before and them that follow in the Article of the resurrection of the body Chap. 38. The errour of Apelles you read before Note a on Chap. 26. § 1. N. 3. his reasons and their refutation you have Note a on Chapter 27. N. 3. The Seleucians confesse that Christ when He ascended tooke with Him His manly body and carryed it as high as the Sunne but there He put it off and left it there But Saint Paul affirmes that He ascended farre aboue all heavens that is all the visible heavens either of planets or starres yet they brought their reason out of the 19. Psalm vers 4. He hath set His tabernacle in the Sun So the vulgar translation of the Latines hath it from the Greeke and so all the Greeke copies reade it except that of Aquila who according to the Hebrew hath it thus In them the heavens He set a tabernacle for the Sunne and this helpes the Seleucians nothing But the errour which hath swayed most against this Article and which with their sacriledge if they could see it hath now defaced their Church is that of the Vbiquitaries who because they beleeve that very substance of the body and blood of Christ is received with the Bread and Wine they are compell'd to say That His naturall body may be in many and consequently in all places at once as His God-head is And therefore that this ascension of Christ must be nothing else but a disappearance out of the earth or a vanishing from the sight of men For the ground of their opinion they urge the word of our Lord This is my body This is my blood but they deny not the Bread and Wine to continue still which if it be true then the sence of the words must bee In this or with this Bread and Wine is my body and blood But the words beare no such meaning but prove much rather that transubstantiation or change of the Bread and Wine into the body and blood of Christ which the Papists would But this opinion of the Papists were to denie Christ to have taken flesh of the Virgin Mary and so to have beene made of the seed of David at least in part of His bodily being when His hody and blood should be made of bread and wine I but it is said Matth. 28.20 I am with you unto the end of the world Answere Not by His bodily being but by His continuall providence and the graces of His Holy Spirit as Saint Augustine saith Corpus suum intulit Coelo majestatem non abstulit mundo Tract 50. in Ioh. But the Centurists cite also the auctorities of the Fathers for their consubstantiation as of Iust Martyr in Tryph. of Tertullian against Marcion but corruptly and falsly and of Origen but
February which shall be in the yeere of our Lord 1645. is very weake and contrary to those prophesies of Scripture which teach us to expect the conuersion of the Iewes And with them the fulnesse of the Gentiles and that Sabbatisme or restitution of the creature which is so often promised both in the old and in the new Testament as it may hereafter appeare more at large Yet as by the Spring wee know the approach of Summer so hath He given us certaine signes that wee may lift up our heads and know that our redemption is nigh at hand For as it is a manifest signe that the destruction of that Nation is nigh when every man is oppressed one by another when the Boy shall behave Himselfe proudly against the Ancient the base against the honourable Esay 3.5 yea and bee upheld 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 orac 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 unspeakeable 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 then 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
vice or rather should be no vertue at all when there were no difference in the reward Nay rather vertue should be vice and and vice vertue and every man the more wicked violent and bold he were should be so much the more vertuous and blessed in as much as by violence and cruelty he might without feare bring his purposes to passe to the hurt of others although it were onely to please himselfe But all these things are impossible and utterly against the truth and Iustice of God Therefore there shall be a generall judgement wherein the deeds of all men shall be tryed and rewarded 5. That which was threatned from the beginning by God Himselfe must of necessity come to passe at the last But the judgment was threatned to Adam the common father of us all and in him against us all because we were all in him originally that upon the breach of the commandement of God Gen. 2.17 we should be lyable to death both of body and soule Neither was this onely threatned at the beginning but ever since written as it were by the finger of God in every mans heart their owne consciences accusing or excusing them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men by Iesus Christ Rom. 2.15 16. Therefore there shall be a judgement 6. It is necessary that the judgements of God done in this world doe appeare to be just For shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Genes 18.25 But many of His judgements are yet hid and unknowne and of them that are knowne yet the faithfull doe not alwayes see the reason thereof and so the praise which is due unto God for His justice therein is lost But it is necessary that the equity and justice of God be manifest to all that His workes may be magnified and He acknowledged to be just in His words and pure in His judgements Psal 51.4 Therefore it is necessary that there be a revelation of the righteous judgement of God in the world to come 7. No perfect judgement can be made of any tâ—ing till the full end thereof doe appeare so that although the lire of man be ended and a particular judgement passed upon him yet because many things succeed in the time to come which depend upon those things which he hath done in his life therefore it is necessary that there be a finall judgement at the last day when those dependances also shall have an end For in respect of these dependances a man may bee said to live after his body is dead and that in divers respects As in his fame either good or bad which oftentimes is very false but at the last judgement the trueth shall appeare then in his writings as the holy Prophets and the Apostles live in those Oracles which the Holy-Ghost gave out by them So Arius and other Heretickes live yet in those venomous opinions which they broached and other vaine people doe hold after them So parents live by the example of their life to the instruction or corruption of their children Maxima debetur pueris reverentia So by their correction and precepts to them in the feare and nurture of the Lord or by the neglect thereof to their destruction Doe you not heare me ye foolish and wicked parents know you not yet that you shall answere for that wickednesse of your children which they shall doe through your default And if there be any other way whereby a man may be said to live as in the furthering of good lawes So a man lives in his buildings or in the havocke of that estate which his Ancestors disposed to the use of his children in new fashions daily devised worse and worse and if there be any other thing which remaines for example either good or bad after death it is necessary that it be enquired of and rewarded in the last judgement 8. If there be not a generall judgement in which the blessednesse of the faithfull both in soule and body shall be perfected then 〈…〉 the sufferings of Christ and those glories that followed thereon should be to no end seeing He being in Himselfe God blessed above all neither suffered nor did any of all that which was wrought in His manhood for any increase of happines to Himselfe for that was impossible but that the benefit thereof might be manifest in us But this cannot be till the generall judgement For then shall the wicked see that there is a reward for the righteous Then shall they know that there is a God that judgeth the earth Psalm 58.11 Reade hereto Wisd Chap. 5. 9. All the dignities of God have heretofore beene proved to be infinite therefore also His justice which should be defective if it had not given a perfect rule according to which all judgements ought to be guided and if it did not examine all judgements thereby to ratifie or cancell them And because not onely the administration of publike justice is with judgement but also every particular action whereto the will doth consent therefore it is necessary that there be an universall judgement wherein all judgements and actions of men shall be examined and rewarded From this justice also it followeth that it ought to be well with the good and ill with the wicked And because for the most part it falles out contrary in this life therefore it is necessary so to be in the life to come See 2 Thess 1.5 6 7. 10 And because judgement is not fully executed according to justice in this world upon many offenders in great and grievous and hidden sinnes and that especially on great persons who live as they list oppresse others and hold themselues beyond the compasse of all lawes And moreover because in this state of mortality man is not able to endure that punishment which is due to His sinne therefore is it necessary in the justice of God that such sinnes being not repented of should be openly and fully punished in the world to come as it is said Esay 30.33 Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared He hath made it deepe and large the pyle thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it Therefore there shall be a generall judgement 11. And if you will admit of an argument inductive it may easily be admitted that there shall be a generall judgement at the end of the world by that severity which God hath so often shewed and doth shew against sinners to put men in remembrance of that great day As the drowning of the world for their cruelty in the dayes of Noah The overthrow of Sodom for their unnaturall lust The captivity of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar for their idolatry And at last the utter casting off of that nation for their unbeliefe The publike calamities of Plague Warres Earthquakes and overflowings of Waters to the overthrowing of Cities and Countreys famine and death every houre attending on
to whom wee are often betrayed by our owne wicked imagination ye doth He not forsake us for ever but when wee see our selves to have no strength of our selues to stand in the least temptation and so have learned not to trust in our selves but in the living God and to desire His helpe then doth He returne and comfort us in all the troubles of our mind and even in death it selfe makes us more than conquerors Oh what is man that thou shouldest take such tender care of Him or the sonne of sinfull flesh that thou shouldest so visit him Now it is impossible that any created Spirit at one time in all places of the world and that ever since God created man upon the earth even unto the last man that shall be borne should worke these different effects in the hearts of all Gods children 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 Sect. 2 § 2. 1. But you will say 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 Sect. 3 § 3. And because this Article is the last in our Creed 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
condemne thee yet God is greater then thy conscience and knoweth all things 1 Iohn 3.20 Objection 1. It is not long agoe that certaine men from the mint of their owne braine sought to give out a coyne under their owne stampe That we are not justified by the active righteousnesse of Christ but by that which was passive onely and another like this That we are not bound to the obseruation of the Law delivered by Moses either Iudiciall Ceremoniall or Morall But because this coyne had not the publike stampe it was accounted false and therefore this last argument of yours which drawes so neere to their last position may seeme to be fallacious The Law defended not the innocent ergo it cannot condemne the guilty Who knowes not that the just Law was most unjustly wrested against our Saviour that Hee ought to die because He said Hee was the Sonne of God when as in the case of treason against Caesar upon His owne interpretation He was acquited by the Romane deputy Answere So He was pronounced innocent against all their other objections and yet His innocency saved Him not Yet His case was a reserved case in as much as He was no private man but even the Head of His Church who had set Himselfe to answere for all His members and therefore when the Law protected not Him who was innocent above all men and for all men it condemned it selfe as unable to give life and therefore the conclusion is good that it is not of any power to condemne any of them who were condemned in Him that was innocent But that I may answere more particularly I say that I am farre from these men in both their opinions For although the things which our Lord did so farre forth as wee can imitate them are examples for us yet not onely for example but also for our justification that the law of perfect righteousnesse being fulfilled for us wee might bee freed from the curse of the Law Moreover by that active righteousnesse which our Saviour performed He was able to save all that come unto God by Him whereas if it might be supposed that God and man in one person could sinne as the devill tempted Him then His suffering had beene onely sufficient for Himselfe whereas now His death was meritorious for all For as that supposed sinne had beene infinite both in respect of the person against whom and the person by whom it had beene done being an infinite Person so must it have had an infinite satisfaction So all that Christ had merited by His death had beene available onely for Himselfe but now being offered a Lambe without spot His sacrifice is sufficient for all that come unto God by Him Then for that other opinion that wee are not bound to the fulfilling of the Law it is most false For though the Iudiciall were peculiar to Israels common wealth and the ceremoniall Law served onely till the substance was exhibited yet the morall Law in regard of the eternall Iustice and equitie thereof as the law of nature may not be broken without sinne nay so much more straightly are wee bound to the performance thereof as the thoughts are more unruly than the actions otherwise what meant those interpretations of the Law Matth. 5. and elsewhere fetch 't from the innermost meaning of Iustice which binds the very thoughts It hath beene said to them of old c. But I say unto you Love your enemies and whosoever lusts hath committed adultery in his heart c. Is not our Lord a sufficient Law-giver for His Church Doe they take away sinne out of the world and so make void the death of Christ For where no Law is there is no sinne imputed Rom. 5.13 I confesse that the Law hath no power over them that are in Christ to eternall death because it was insufficient to protect His innocent life although the keeping of the Law if it were exact might claime to eternall life But the works of the Law and faith in Christ are by Saint Paul set in direct opposition in this argument of justification See Rom. 3. from verse 20. c. And Galatians Chapter 3. But yet though obedience cannot bring life eternall to the doer of the Law because the Law is perfect our obedience imperfect yet sinne brings deserved death upon the sinner whereby their vanitie appeares which hoâ—d the keeping of the law not necessary and likewise the trueth of the former conclusion that seeing the keeping of the law gave not life to our Lord that fulfilled it neither can the breach of the Law bring condemnation to them that are in Him to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 Object 2 Object 2. But seeing the merit of Christ is infinite and He being both God and mâ—n of infinite woâ—thinesse above the creature and for this purpose appearing that He might take away the sinnes of the world how comes it to passe that after the sacrifice for sin is offered yet both sinne and death the punishment thereof doe still remaine Answere It was an easie thing for God utterly to have abolished death after that by sinne it had entered into the world so that neither the body should have died the naturall death nor the soule the spirituall death of ignorance and pleasure in sinne nor both together the death eternall But yet God would let both sin and death remaine and that for foure reasons especially First that the justice of His most righteous sentence might stand In the day that thou eatest of that tree of the knowledge of good and ill thou shalt die the death 2. That the infinitie of His wisedome and goodnesse might appeare that as death by sinne had entered into the world so by death he might destroy sinne that whereas the devill which had the power of death sought to deprive man of life and glory He might take the weapon out of the hand of that Egyptian and as Benajah kill him with his owne speare and by death bring man to everlasting glory 3. That man might see the greatnesse of the benefit and willingly conforme himselfe to follow Christ through the paines of death and honour of the grave seeing God hath called and predestinated us to be like the image of His Son 4. The devills fell by pride and least man should grow proud therefore is sinne and death left with him to humble him thereby So that to the faithfull the condition of death onely is changed For whereas justice would that man should die because the sentence of death had proceeded against him And mercy would not the death of a sinner Wisedome decided it that death should bee made the way to everlasting life and so both Iustice and mercy might have what they desired Object 3 Objâ—ct 3. But how is sinne said to be forgiven when both sinne and the punishment doe still remaine Answere The meaning and purpose of this Article of our faith is that wee stedfastly beleeve the forgivenesse of our
every man in his greatest security are so many summons to every man to think on that day For as the pilgrimage of Israel in the wildernesse was the type of our pilgrimage in this world so their punishments were types unto us 1 Cor. 10.11 But there is no type but of some thing which is to be indeed So that the destruction of the people in the wildernesse were both to them and especially to us on whom the ends of the world are come an assured argument of this great judgement at the last day And as the carcasses of them that were disobedient fell in the wildernesse whereas the rest enjoyed the promised land So all those punishments that were remembred bring to the faithfull an assured hope that God will deliver them For Noah and Lot were saved from destruction Ebedmelech and Baruâ—h had their lives given as a prey Ezechiel Daniel and they that were signified by the basket of good figges Iere. 24.5 were carryed away for their good The Christians likewise were safe at Pella in the destruction of Ierusalem Euseb Ecclesiast hist lib. 3 Cap. 5. So He delivereth from the noysome pestilence Psalm 91.3 c. and in the dayes of famine those that wait on Him shall have enough Psal 37.19 So these things are testimonies unto us both that there shall be a judgement and that the godly shall be saved and the wicked condemned 12 And as if nature it selfe had imprinted the acknowledgment of this judgement in every mans mind so there was never any man c that confessed the resurrection but did withall confesse this generall judgement And therefore though every other Article of our Creed have been impugned by some hereticke or other yet never any gainesayd this I meane since those errours were stilled in the Apostles time See 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. But whether it be that every man acknowledging the justice of God as no man can confesse him to be God whom he doth not beleeve to be just and a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him Hebr. 11.6 or whether it be that the testimonies of the holy Scripture are so cleare in this point as that they have stopped the mouthes of all heretickes the thing it selfe is most certaine to be as it may appeare by the texts of Scripture already cited and by these also that follow Psalm 9. vers 8. The Lord hath prepared His Throne for judgment He shall judge the world in righteousnesse He shall minister judgment unto the people in uprightnesse And Psalm 50. vers 3 4 5 6. God shall come A fire shall devoure before Him Hee shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that Hee may judge His people c. Psalm 96.13 The Lord commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with His trueth As it is also Psalm 98.9 Eccles. 11.9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement And Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee ill Reade hereto 2 Pet. 3. Chap. from vers 7. to 15. and Reu. 20. Chap. from vers 11. to the end Sect. 6 § 6. Thus it being manifest that the judgement shall be it must also appeare that our Lord Iesus must bee that judge Whereto though I have said that which may be sufficient at the beginning of the Chapter yet because it is our speciall hope and comfort that He shall be our judge that was our Creator that hath so dearely bought us that hath been our Mediator that doth evermore preserue us from the power of the enemy let us both begin and end with this lest the conscience of our owne sinnes and the remembrance of that fearefull time should cause us not to long for that comming For if God be very terrible in the assembly of His Saints Psalm 89.7 how much more in that gloomy day when He comes to render vengeance with devouring fire before Him and to repay His aduersaries to their face and to passe on them that fearefull sentence that shall d never be reversed and from which there is no appeale But lift up your heads you that are little in your owne eyes and tremble at His words for that is the day of your redemption and God Himselfe will come and save you And because He is God He knowes the secrets of your hearts and sees your reverence and your feare before Him and your acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse And because He is man and hath had experience of sorrowes and passed under the burden of unjust and cruell judgement and hath for us endured the Crosse and shame that we might be delivered from the wrath to come therefore lift up your heads and receive the reward of your faith and patience and the end of your hopes the eternall saluation of your soules and bodies 1. For if our Lord having suffered such things for us and having overcome in all His sufferings having ascended into heaven to be our continuall intercessor for us should not then give unto us that everlasting life which He hath purchased for us His sufferings and intercession should be altogether in vaine and our faith in Him which He hath wrought in us by His holy Spirit should be utterly void and those promises which Hee hath giuen us in His holy Word should faile of their trueth and performance But all these things are impossible And therefore our Lord Iesus shall come to give reward unto His seruants both small and great Revel 11.18 and to cast out the unbeleevers out of His kingdome 2. In things that are orderly disposed for an end nothing may be omitted of those things that are necessary for the attainement of that end The end of our Lords incarnation and sufferings concernes either God or man Concerning mankind euerlasting life in all happinesse and joy is that great end for which our Saviour was incarnate died and rose againe and shall raise us up at the last day And by His judgement of mercy and compassion on us shall deliver unto us the seisure and possession of that eternall happinesse Therefore our Lord Iesus shall be judge of the quicke and the dead Concerning God it is necessary that in His love to His Father and zeale to His honour Hee take vengeance on them that have offended the infinite justice and despised that mercy and pardon which hath beene offered unto them and still have continued in their sin and followed it with greedinesse Therefore in this respect also our Lord Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead 3. And seeing our Lord Iesus hath undertaken that honourable enterprise vtterly to destroy the workes of the devill it is necessary that He leave nothing unperformed which doth belong to the accomplishment thereof Therefore Hee shall judge those Angels which are reserved in chaines of