AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST THAT Poysonous and Fundamental ERROR OF THE QUAKERS Denying the same Numerical true and real Manhood of Jesus Christ in Heaven a place remote from the Earth In two SERMONS Preached at Hartford By W. H. CHRISTOPHILUS ISA. 4.2 In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and Glorious and the fruit of the Earth shall be Excellent and Comely for them that are escaped of Israel ISA. 53.2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a Root out of a dry Ground He hath no Form nor Comeliness and when we shall see him there is no Beauty that we should desire him London Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in S t. Pauls Church-Yard 1676. The Epistle Dedicatory To his much Honoured FRIEND Sir John Hartop Baronet SIR THAT which gave the Occasion of my thoughts pitching upon this subject matter viz. Christ's Manhood in Heaven was that Dispute betwixt Mr. Hicks and Mr. Pen at London concerning the same I being there present am satisfied by the Quakers fallacious management of that Discourse that they deny the same Numerical true and real Manhood of Christ in Heaven as a place remote from us Since that I have had Discourse with a Neighbour Quaker William Bates who frequently said He did not believe that the Humane Nature that which was taken by Christ of the Virgin had now any being I have three Witnesses of this whom I can produce if need be Sir I may boldly say That neither you I nor thousands more of Christians in this Nation ever thought that we should live to see that day wherein so many thousands pretending to Christianity in this Nation should be so Brazen-foreheaded as to disown Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah yet so it is O Tempora O Mores The Ends of the World are come upon us My Spirit being stirred within me at the hearing of this grand Fundament al Errour I thought it my duty to the Lord Jesus Christ to Antidote the poor Country as much as in me lieth against these damnable Delusions it made him speak that was dumb before when he saw his Fathers Life in danger So what Babe what Novice will want a Mouth a Tongue to speak a Hand a Pen to write when the Man Christ is struck at by ungodly Seducers Therefore I though the least and most unfit of my Brethren have Printed my Notes Preached you know at Hartford and humbly present them to you Sir as to one whom I know to be a sincere lover of the One Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and of his Evangelical Truths Pray Sir vouchsafe to read them and candidly bear with what may not be so congruously worded in so sublime a Mystery The Lord by his Spirit establish settle strengthen you in this and every Truth and preserve you and your Elect Lady both as Vessels of Honour to his heavenly Kingdom there to behold the Man Jesus Christ in his Glory which is best of all Your Servant for Jesus sake William Haworth AN ANTIDOTE Against that Poysonous Fundamental Error OF THE QUAKERS c. 1 PETER 3.22 Who is gone into Heaven and is on the Right hand of God THE Apostle Peter is here speaking of the Grounds of Comfort to the guilty Consciences One is in Vers 21. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ The answer of a good Conscience through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ He rose again for our Justification He being acquitted by the Father then His Members are acquitted now A second Proposition in order to the Answer of a good Conscience is The Ascension of Jesus Christ and his sitting at the Right-hand of God all things being made subject to him To see by Faith our Head exalted into Glory and there Advocating for us and Ruling for us is a very comfortable thing In the 18 Verse he is speaking of Christ's being put to death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit i.e. the Divine Power Then descends to speak of his Resurrection as the true solid Ground of the Answer of a Good Conscience and from this Resurrection descends to speak of his Ascension So then That same Jesus that was put to death in the Flesh and Raised by the Power of God from the Dead That same is gone into Heaven It 's plain then that he was put to Death in his fleshly Body and in This it was that he Rose again Why then in This is he gone into Heaven and in This is he at the Right-hand of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaks a Motion from one Place to another a Change of the Place Now Whither went he Into Heaven Heaven is not every where as some say and so this Change is only a Change of State But Heaven is a Place where God doth manifest most of his Glory It 's called the Heaven of Heavens and the third Heaven whereunto Paul was wrapt up 2 Chron. 6.21 Hear thou from thy dwelling-Place even from Heaven It 's called here and 1 Kings 8.30 Gods Dwelling-Place John 14.2 It 's called the Fathers House In my Fathers House are many Mansions I go to prepare a Place for you And is on the Right-hand of God An Allusion to the Custom of Kings who were wont to take their Favourites and place them on their Right-hand as Solomon placed his Mother at his Right-hand And as Zebedee would have had her Sons at Christ's Right-hand in his Kingdom It is a Place of Honour Glory Power and Authority Learn this Truth from the Words That the Same Jesus Christ that was put to Death in the Flesh and did Rise with that Same Flesh again That Same Jesus in that Same Flesh and Man-hood is now in Heaven which is a Place not a State only there he is at Gods Right-hand in Power and Glory So that as to that Humane Nature he is not upon Earth I will prove this That Jesus Christ is now a true real Man in Heaven and so Is not here on Earth as he is Man That ever Jesus Christ was a true real Man some have denied and have held That it was only an Appearance or Spectrum in the shape of a Man And some are of this mind now But we will take this for granted That Christ was once here on Earth a real true Man but that he is so Now the Quakers deny A Man consists of these two Essential Parts viz. Soul and Body Both these Christ had Heb. 10.5 A Body hast thou prepared me That which was taken by the Virgin which consists of Flesh and Bones Luke 24.39 A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have 2. A Soul he had Matth. 26.38 My Soul is sorrowful even unto Death That both these Essential Parts Soul and Body are now in Heaven I am now about to prove a Place remote from us so that he cannot be said as to his Corporal presence to be here on Earth Though we believe that
High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted as we are He that was in all points tempted as we are and so can be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities that same is our High Priest now passed into the Heavens and that must needs be as to his Manhood for his Godhead was not capable of such temptations Phil. 3. From whence that is from Heaven we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body We see plainly from this Scripture that Christ hath a Body and that it is now in Heaven from thence it shall come when the time is according to the Faith and Expectation of the Saints Here followeth the Properties of this Manhood of Christ from what hath been spoken and what may be spoke 1. IT is a real and true Body as any man on earth hath It is not as some have thought an Aerial Body or so a Spiritual that it remains not still a humane Body it is that very Flesh and Bons that Thomas felt and the Disciples felt and handled 2. It hath the same Form and Figure that it had when here upon Earth else how could the Disciples know him after the Resurrection which is a glorious state of the Body 3. It is now since the Ascension the Object of Sense It is visible hath been seen with the bodily Eye and may be seen Stephen its evident saw the Body of Christ and Paul saw him with his bodily Eye 1 Chr. 15.18 Last of all I saw him and at length Every eye shall see him coming in the Clouds of Heaven Rev. 1.7 4. It is a smite body if it were infinite it would be God and not Man so then there would be another God in time that was not before because another infinite being and that must needs be God Moreover if Infinity can be attributed to it why not Omnisciency Incorporiety Simplicity and so all of Gods Attributes for where any one of Gods Incommunicable Properties is ascribed there all the rest may be 5. It is then circumscribed it must be still in some one certain Place or other not limited or confined to any one Place or corner as it were of Heaven but still in one place or other in the highest Heavens If Bodies are not some where circumscribed they cease to be Bodies and so are no where and so not at all 6. It is an immortal an incorruptible impatable Body Such thoughts we ought to have of it not that it can suffer any thing now but that it did suffer and so Christ knows how to pitty us and doth pitty us neither Death nor Corruption can come upon this Body it saw Death before but no Corruption 7. It is a very glorious Body Phil. 3. Like unto his glorious Body How gloriously it is represented and painted out to us by Daniel and John in the Revelations more bright than a thousand Suns 8. The Saints may do and ought to worship the Humane Nature of Christ in union with the Deity we do not worship it by it self apart nor for it self but as in union with the Deity this is the last term of our Worship with one and the same Worship we worship him that is God and Man but the cause and foundation of that Worship is the Deity He received worship from several when he was here on the Earth in the Flesh John worshiped him in the Visions he had as appears in the Book of the Revelations and there we read likewise that the Angels and Elders round about the Throne fell down and worshipped the Lamb that was Christ 9. This Flesh of Christ this Humane Nature is such as giveth Life to our Souls in quickening of us to Righteousness to our Bodies in the Resurrection State to Souls and Bodies Eternal Life at last in Heaven Except you eat my Flesh and drink my Blood saith Christ John 6.53 you have no Life in you Likewise the Scripture saith Our Life is hid with Christ in God Now how is the Flesh of Christ a Life procuring Flesh 1. As the material Cause of Life Sin the Cause of temporal spiritual and eternal Death was expiated in the Flesh of Christ Rom. 8.3 And for sin condemned sin in the Flesh By the offering of the Flesh of Christ sin was taken away so that Righteousness and Eternal Life we may say was and is in the flesh of Christ i. e. in a way of merit it is quickning Flesh 2. It is quickning Flesh as it is secondarily an efficient Cause of Life Christ as Man doth concur to the quickning of his Members us he is a Man he giveth forth of his Treasures and spiritual Riches and this Life is a great part of these Traasures and Riches But now there is a different Action in this efficiency of the Flesh of Christ and a different way of working then when we are said to be quickned by the Deity Christ as Man now he is in Heaven quickneth efficiently First by his Intercession the virtue of his Sacrifice pleads for this and obtains this Life for us Secondly Because he hath a Will as he is Man that we should be quickned Thirdly As he obtaines the Spirit by which we are Regenerated and Faith by which we are united to that Fesh of his Fourthly When we are thus 〈…〉 to us his Flesh and what is in that Flesh 〈…〉 and Eternal Life Thus we are quickned by the Flesh of Christ it is the Organ of the Deity but so as it is an understanding living Organ of the Eternal Word in 〈…〉 ther◠and it hath or proper actions of own 〈…〉 Actions of the Deity Yet it is the Actions of the Deity that perfects all good for us and in us The Actions of the Humanity compleat nothing without this There must be Blood and there was Blood there is the Humanity but then this Blood is the Blood of God Act. 20.28 that gives the virtue and energy to it thus the Flesh in John 6.63 profiteth nothing i.e. alone but in Conjunction with the Deity we have all Life from it Objections against this Truth Answered 1. Object The Apostle faith Ephes 4.10 That be ascended far about all Heavens Therefore Christ is not in Heaven in his Manhood Answ Therefore Christ as to his Manhood is not in any of these Visible Heavens for he passed through these and went into that invisible most supream Heaven the Heaven of Heavens as it is called far above the other Heavens Psal 68. It is said He ascended on high which interprets this place or far above all Heavens i. e. all heavenly Powers all Angelical Nature and Perfection he is above them all 2. Object It 's said in Ephes 4.10 That he might fill all things How then is he contained in Heaven if so he then is every where and as some Jay in every man Answer This filling all
so here this was reserved till now for the honour of Christ Therefore Verse 10. it 's said He ascended that be might fill all things i.e. all the Church with the power and virtue of the Spirit Therefore he said upon his departure It is expedient that I go away if I go not away the Comforter will not come with you but if I depart I will send him unto you John 16.7 You see to deny Christ to be a Man in Heaven is to rob the Church of the great Gift of the Spirit of God it self and all the Gifts thereof Reason 4. To deny Christ to be now a Man in Heaven it is to deny Christ to be King and Lords it is to deny Christ's Rule Power Authority and Dominion Psal 110. Sit thou at my Right-hand this must be spoke as to Christ's Man-hood as to his God-head he had alway Majesty and Power it follows till I make thine Enemies thy foot-stool This sitting at Gods Right-hand is called reigning 2 Cor. 15. He must reign till all his Enemies become his Foot-stool It 's spoke of in Ephes 1.20 And set him at his own right-hand that must be as to his Man-hood far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not only in this World but in that which is to come Vers 21. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church Phil. 2. Hath highly exalted him This must be as Man And given him a Name above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow So in this place of Peter He is gone into the Heavent and is at the Right Hand of God Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him It is very comfortable for the Saints to consider that Christ is exalted on purpose to sit as King to Rule over all the Enemies of the Church Death and Devils for their good gathering his Saints by degrees to himself and that at length all the Governments of this World will be subservient to him Acts 2.36 God hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christ You may see by the scope he was thus upon his Ascension in vers 34. Christ was Lord before but now was there a clearer manifestation of it his Manhood being exalted now from hence is our defence and safety in our Warfare Reason 5. It is to deny Christ Jesus his second coming and being Judge of the World Acts 17.31 Because he bath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained wherefore he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the Dead He hath ordained the Man Christ to be Judge and that Man that was raised from the dead Acts 1.11 It 's there said This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Now he went away Visibly so he shall come Therefore Rev. 1. Every eye shall see him i. e. every eye of Man He cannot be seen with a Carnal Eye as to his Deity and the wicked cannot see him with a spiritual Eye How then shall every Eye see him but in the sence we speak Heb. 9. Vlt. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without fin to salvation Observe he that was offered will appear Now he was offered as to his Man-hood Matth. 24. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Isa 40.5 All flesh shall see his Glory Now this is sweet to the Saints to consider that we shall be judged by Christ our Saviour Reason 6. If Christ hath not now a Humane Nature then hath he no Sympathy with his Members in their Afflictions But Christ hath a fellow-feeling with his People in all their straits Heb. 4.15 For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He had all our Infirmities when here upon Earth Hunger Thirst Weariness Sorrow Fear and Dread of Death but without Sin and he had them for this end that he might know how to pitty us in our State he being now gone into Heaven and having the same Soul and Body in which he suffered these things he remembers how it was with him here upon Earth therefore he gives the Reason of this Pitty and Compassion because he was in all points 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or through all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Bez◠renders similiter For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like as we are To the same purpose doth the same Apostle speak Chap. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest If he hath not now a Humane Nature in Heaven he doth not retain these two Essential Qualities of an High Priest viz. Mercifulness and faithfulness Now those that deny this would rob us of this sweet Consideration in our Afflictions in our Poverty Sorrows Imprisonments Hurries and Temptations by Satan Why Christ was poor in this World hurried up and down by the Devil suffered the Contradictions of sinners abused by wicked Men afraid of Death in an Agony forsaken of God and is now gone into Heaven in that same Humane Nature in which he felt these things and remembers how it was with him and hath a fellow-feeling with us and pittieth us Hence came that Voice of his from Heaven when Saul was making Havock of the Church Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Lose not this Comfort Reason 7. The Consideration of the Man-hood of Christ now in Heaven doth give a boldness and access in Prayer God hath rendred himself much more familiar to us this way We are very apt to be swallowed up with the abstracted thoughts of the Deity we being poor ones full of infirmities know not how to bear the Majesty and Glory of the Son of God But now we draw near with boldness and Pray with more sweetness where we know that He to when we pray is Man as well as God It was a great help and comfort to the Jews that they had a Priest that was a Brother one of themselves that was to Pray for them and Offer for them that was familiar with them and they could have access unto him Now the Apostle having to do with them in this Epistle to the Hebrews lest they should be confounded with the thoughts of the Majesty of the Deity of the Son of God having asserted that he was very God and all the Angels worshiped him tells them withall That he took Flesh and Blood and was a Brother one of us in the latter end of the second Chapter And thereupon in the last Verse of Chap. 4. he encourageth