follow'd with the perfect enjoyment of Good and the violating of it with the experience of all Evil of Sin and Punishment It was to signify what they should know by eating viz. the difference between the Evil of Disobedience and the God of the contrary Or thus it was the Tree of Knowledg of Good and Evil i. e. of the Good they had before and of the Evil which was to ensue upon eating They should experimentally find what Good they lost and what Evil they fell into So that it is probable this Tree had its name from the Event and Effect of it It taught them by experience what Good and Evil was for after Man had sinn'd in eating that forbidden Fruit he saw and felt what Happiness he had lost and what Misery he had procured Some have been so curious as to enquire and so bold as to determine what particular Tree and Fruit this was It was and Apple-tree say some and they would make it probable from Cant. 8. 5. It was the Vine saith Vossius It was the Indian Fig-tree saith Goropius Becanus Most say it was a Fig-tree with the Leaves of which Adam and Eve covered their nakedness as soon as they had eaten of the Fruit. Theodoret stiffly maintains this Opinion and saith This was the reason why Christ cursed the Fig-tree Athanasius with others incline to this belief but there is no ground for it it must only pass as a Conjecture And so that Father grants in his Answer to that Demand What Tree was it of which Adam eat the Fruit No Man saith he is able exactly to discover that which the Scripture hath wilfully conceal'd The grand thing which we are to mind and which is the principal thing in this first Oeconomy is this that it was God's pleasure that the Fruit of that Tree whatever it was should not be meddled with and therefore straitly charged Adam and his Consort that they should not dare to touch it God might reasonably act after this manner For first as an antient Writer saith on this Subject God dispenseth all things sutably to the particular Time and measureth his Institutions by the Abilities and Powers of Men. Therefore he gave that Command of not eating of this Tree to Adam as it were to a new-born Babe He dealt with our first Parents as with Infants and Children he tried them by mean and low things as most agreeable to their nature But secondly tho he was thus pleased to prohibit them the Fruit of one single Tree yet this was highly accountable if you consider that God gave them the use of all the rest of the Trees in Paradise Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayest freely eat Gen. 2. 16. there was only this one Tree excepted and reserved Here was Liberty and Indulgence sufficient And they might well have contented themselves in the injoyment of it Besides the Creator can lay what Restraints he pleaseth on his Creatures He that made both them and the Garden could justly bar them of any thing which that place afforded Therefore God gave them this Precept to shew his Dominion over them as he was their Maker and Lord. He would let them see by this little Command his absolute Soverainty over them as a pious Father speaks Again God having made them reasonable and indowed them with a power or freedom of choice he might justly exercise that Faculty and put them to an actual trial of it which could not be done but by proposing something to their choice As they had a rational Nature and free Will given them by God they were able to keep that Law of Abstinence and therefore it was not unjust in God yea it was just and fit to impose this upon them as they were free and reasonable Beings This shews the reason of this positive Law which was given them to try their Obedience Likewise it was very reasonable and equitable Command that seeing God had conâ—err'd on them so many Benefits and Blessings they should be limited as to a single one that thereby they might shew their Thankfulness to God for all the rest In the next place consider also that God particularly told them what he expected from them when he gave them a Prohibition about the Tree He assured them that if they ventured to eat of it it should cost them their Lives or more emphatically in the Original they should die the death Here was fair warning and they had time to consider of it and they were sensible how greatly they were obliged to God and how just and reasonable a thing it was to observe his first and original Law that which was matrix omnium praeceptorum as Tertullian calls it yea to obey God in whatsoever he commanded Fifthly To the revealed Laws under the State of Integrity we must refer the Covenant of Works For we may gather from the Sacred Writings that there was a mutual Agreement or federal Compact between God and our first Parents wherein he promis'd to them Eternal Life and Happiness on condition of their perfect Obedience to his Laws and on the contrary Death was threatned if they disobey'd as we have heard already It is true it is not expresly call'd a Covenant in Genesis but it was one for God gave Man a Law and back'd it with Threatnings and Promises and Man agreed and consented to it which is the formal nature of a Covenant Not are we to think that those two Persons and no more were under this Dispensation Altho only Adam and Eve were in actual being at that time yet all Mankind were included in them and represented by them and therefore are to be reckon'd as under that Dispensation For God having created our first Parents without Sin and with knowledg of their Duty and strength to do it he made a Covenant or Agreement with them not only in behalf of themselves but of all their Posterity It was covenanted that if they and their Race continued in Obedience they should never die but be always blessed and happy but if they disobey'd the Divine Command they should be subject to Death and be every way wretched and miserable It is certain they consented and agreed to this for in that State of Integrity what God propounded to them could not but be acceptable God would offer that which was just and equitable as he was God Our first Parents would not disagree to it as they were induâ—d with a perfect understanding and knew that what their Maker propounded was most reasonable They could not but approve of the Condition on their part viz. Obedience and they could not but accept of the Reward promis'd on God's part viz. endless Happiness That they fully consented to the Contract in the name of themselves and their Posterity is demonstrable from many passages in Holy Writ as that Hos. 6. 7. They like Adam for so it is the Hebrew have transgress'd the Covenant which refers to God's Covenant
the same Or suppose this Phrase from the foundation of the World doth not denote Eternity yet it is enough for our purpose that Christ the Lamb of God was slain from the beginning of the World for from thence we may gather that it was designed and appointed to reach to all following Generations 2. The way and method of Salvation was the same under all the Dispensations of Grace for Christ instructed his Church in all Ages the Gospel was preached to them aâ— well as to us Heb. 4. 2. All the Patriarchs and Prophets and Holy Men of past ages arrived at Heaven and Happiness by the Conduct of this great Guide Iesus Christ the same yesterday 〈…〉 day and for ever are words appliable to Christ nor only as he is King and Priest but also as he is Prophet and Teacher of his Church Which Sacred Office he hath faithfully performed in all Ages and there hath been no Time since the Church was founded but he hath been the Instructer of it The Covenant of Grace was made first of all with Adam in Paradise and God hath from Age to Age renewed that Covenant to his Church and the Grace of God in Christ was common to the Antient Patriarchs and Iews with us So that from the Fall of our first Parents to the end of the World the way of Expâ—ation and of obtaining Salvation hath been is and shall be the same viz. by Christ and by his Merits The Virtue of his Death altho he actually died long after commenced with the first Promise made to Adam The Socinians oppose this and generally hold that the Godly who lived before the time of the Messias were not saved by Him they assert that they knew nothing of it and that there were other means of being saved under the Old Testament than there are under the New But this is a Doctrine deservedly exploded by all Persons who are of the Orthodox Faith and who own the True Christian Religion They all agree that the same way of Salvation hath always prevailed that all who were saved under the Old Testament were saved by Virtue of Christ's Death and Satisfaction There was Justification under the Law tho not by it or by virtue of it Those that believed with their whole hearts on God and faithfully serv'd him were justified and obtain'd Remission of their Sins and Eternal Life by that Grace which was couched in the Law i. e. promis'd in the Messias and figured and represented by the obscure Types of the Law By virtue of the Grace to be exhibited by Christ even those who were before his arrival were saved This is the Doctrine which St. Peter preach'd Acts 15. 11. We believe that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saved even as They i. e. the Fathers before Christ as is clear from the foregoing verse The Holy Men then were acquainted with the Substance of this Covenant viz. the Promise of Restoration by Christ and consequently the Old Testament Saints were saved by him Thus we are told by another inspired Author that by means of Christ's Death there was Redemption for the Transgressors that were under the first Testament Heb. 9. 15. For tho the Redemption of Mankind was not actually wrought by him till he died on the Cross yet the Virtue and Benefit of it were in all Ages as the Sun spreads its light and illuminates our Region before its glorious Body appeareth above the Horizon 3. As to the Conditions and Qualifications on our part all the Dispensations of Grace were the same All substantial Duties towards God and Man are the same now that they were then Even Faith in the Messias is as antient as that Promise on which it was first founded that the Blessâ—d Seed should break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. They who lived before Christ's Incarnation conâ—ided in this Promised Deliverer by whose Merit they hoped to be reconciled to God Faith in Christ was a Duty under the Old Testament because there were Promises concerning the Messias then as is evident from Luke 1. 72. and what were these Promisessor but to be credited and relied upon Therefore it is recorded that Abraham Believed Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. And our Saviour witnesseth that Abraham rejoiced to see his day and he saw it and was glad Joh. 8. 56. The Reason was because as the Apostle saith God preached the Gospel to Abraham Gal. 3. 8. and discovered the Messias to him The just lived by Faith in Habakkuk's time Hab. 2. 4. which by the Apostle is applied to the Evangelical Faith in Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. Therefore when Socinus tells us that Faith in Christ was not comprehended in the Mosaick Covenant and when one of his Scholars confidently avers that it is a gross Error to think that the Fathers under the Old Testament believed in Christ to come and were justified by that Faith we know whence to confute these bold Men. That the Evangelical Righteousness and Justification were in the Old Testament is clear because the Apostle brings Examples of this free Justification out of the Old Testament Rom. 4. 3 6 c. That Salvation by Faith in Christ was no New thing is evident from other places as Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousness of God withâ—ut the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Aâ—d St. Peter 1 Episâ— Chap. 2. ver 6. proves that Chrisâ— is the foundation whereupon all the Saints are built from Isa. 28. 16. Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded From all which it may be undeniably infeâ—'d that under the Law they believed in Christ for Justiâ—â—cation and that the Fathers before Christ were saved by Faith in him and in a word that all from the beginning of the World have been Justified and Saved the same way viz. for Christ's Merits and upon the Gospel-terms of Sincere Faith and Obedience and of persevering in the same unto the end Thus in respect of the Designation the Way and the Efficacy of Salvation the Evangelical Dispensation differs not from the preceding ones This the Antient Fathers speak of particularly they defend the Antiquity of Christianity and prove it to be as old as Moses yea as Adam Iustin Marâ—yr reckons Abraham and Elias but he goes too far when he reckons Heraclitus and Socrates among Christians in answer to that Objection that those were Christians only that lived within a hundred and fifty Years This Pious Father in another place argueth from the Antiquity of the Christian Religion and the Authors of it That Religion which hath the best Authors and is oldest is
permitted to eat the Flesh before it was quite dead or they were not to eat any Limb or Member torn off from an Animal alive The Reason given in another place why they must not â—at Blood is because it is the Soul or Life of all Flesh that is it is the chief Instrument of Life and therefore is properly and significantly used in making Atonement for Souls Therefore it was designed wholly for Expiation it was appointed and appropriated to that sacred Use on the Altar And for this reason it ought not to be used in a common way Again God forbad eating of Blood and that even before the Law to teach abstaining from Man's Blood They must eat no Beast's Blood that they might not thereby learn to delight in Human Blood as we see saith an Expositor upon the place Butchers who kill Beasts are generally cruel and bloody to Men and for that reason the Law suffers them not to be on the Jury of Life and Death The Athâ—nians order'd one to be flead alive because he had serv'd a Ram so The Areopagite Judges condemn'd a Boy to death because he put out the eyes of Quails and this is given as the reason because it shew'd that the Boy was of a cruel disposition and would prove very hurtful if he lived So here it was thought that Blood-eating was a sign of and preparative to inhuman Actions and accordingly was not allow'd of Therefore this Precept of not eating the Flesh of Beasts with the Blood running about it was to restrain this Cruelty The old Giants of the World before the Flood generally liv'd on the Blood of Beasts and so learn'd to be cruel and savage to Men and thence as Maimonides and Mr. Selden from him conjecture this Law had its rise God therefore commanded those of Noah's Posterity to reâ—rain wholly from Blood that they might not proceed from cruelty to Beasts to killing of Men. Besides this may seem partly to be a natural Law Blood being a gross Meat and not fit for nourishment A Third Law given to Noah was that in Gen. 9. 5 6. Surely the blood of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of man at the hand of every mans brother will I require thâ— lifâ— of man Whoso â—â—eddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the Image of God made 〈◊〉 maâ— There is indeed a Treble Law comprised in these words 1. They are forbid to shed mans blood Noaâ— and his sons are commanded not to be guilty of Homicidâ— Taking away a mans life was unlawful before as in C ain but here it is solemnly denounced to be such and moreover the Punishment of it is set down If shedding of mans blood were not here forbidden as unlawful it would not be followed with a Pâ—nalty as you see it is Which is the second Sanction here the blood of your lives I will require at the hand of every beast and at the hand of every man Whether man or beast procure the death of a man their blood shall be required for it Death is here made the Penalty of Murder Yea the very Beasts that kill'd a man should themselves be kill'd There was no Law before this for the punishing of Bloodshed And thirdly here is also signified the Autâ—ority of thâ— Magistrate whose particular and peculiar work it is to require the life of man at the hand of every mans brâ—thâ—r Whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Here the manner of punishing bloodshed is set down and appointed it must be done by the Magistrate A publick Minister of Justice is here ordered and appointed to punish the guilty Here is the first Institution of that Political Order Here is the first injunction for erecting Courts of Judicature Some of the Socinian party will allow this to be a Commination but not a Precept given to Magistrates But herein they separate what they ought to have united for these words are both a threatning of Punishment and also an Order or Warrant given to the Magistrate to execute that Punishment It is to be done by Man Adam which word sometimes is appropriated to one of Eminency and Power and therefore here not unfitly denotes the Magistrate the Ruler him that hath Authority and Power above others This is the person that is commission'd here not to suffer Bloodshed to go unpunish'd but to return blood for blood which is a practice grounded on the Law of Reason and Equity which in such a case as this requires a just and equal Retribution But this and other places those of the Racâ—vian way distort to serve their own end viz. to patronize their opinions concerning Magistrates who according to them are not to use any Capital Punishment not to 〈◊〉 War c. But any unprejudic'd and considerate person cannot but see that the power of the Sword is here given to the Civil Magistrate Upon this one Charter depends the Execution of Justice against all Crimes upon this is founded the power of executing judgment upon Offenders and of cutting off of Malefactors So that you see in this forecited place are contain'd two of those Precepts which were said to be given to Adam the Titles whereof were of Iudgments and of not Shedding of Blood which both were Laws of Nature imprinted in mens breasts but when after the flood the World began anew God thought fit to revive the remembrance of these Laws and made them Positivâ— and not before that we know of Some think that under this Dispensation was introduced Slavery that men were all free before the Flood and that not long after Servitudâ— began viz. in Canaan the Son of Cham for which they alledg that Text Gen. 9. 25. A servant of servantâ— shall he bâ— Here is the first servant mention'd and because we read of none before they conclude that Bondage which is a great Curse began in this Cursed Person the Offspring of cursed Câ—am But I cannot so easily assert that Servitudâ— had its first rise here for though Canaan be the first servant mention'd yet it doth not follow thence that Thraldom had its beginning in him for silence is no Argument that there was none before But the main thing which I have to say is this that if Bondage commenc'd in Canaan it is to be understood not of himself but of his posterity So that we may truly say it did not begin in this Dispâ—nsatiâ—n but afterwards And this is plain from the place it self and the following verses where 't is said Canaan shall be the servant of Shâ—m and he was so when his posterity the Canaanitâ—s were overcome and subdued by those of the race of Shâ—m viz. the Israâ—lites Then it was that this Curse on Canaan was fulfill'd and not before But as to common Servitude we read of it long before that time Aâ—raâ—am had mâ—n-servants and maid-sâ—rvants who 〈◊〉 boâ—ght with
Vessel whilst the Israelites were in the Wilderness and so was continued till Solomon's Temple was finished and then Fire came down again from Heaven and consumed the Sacrifices 2 Chron. 7. 1. This was preserv'd till the Babylonian Captivity and afterwards renewed 2 Macc. 1. 22. Here the Difference between the Patriarchal Sacrifices and the Mosaick ones might be taken notice of The Patriarchs had no other Expiatory Sacrifices but Holocausts or Burnt-Offerings as is clear from several places Besides there were Anniversary Monthly and Weekly Sacrifices among the Iews but we know not that there was any such thing before the Law And some other Differences the Reader may gather from the particulars aforesaid But the End and Design of these Sacrifices are chiefly to be inquired into where we shall also see a further Difference in some things between the Mosaical and Patriarchal Sacrifices Let us see to What Purpose all those Bloody Offerings were appointed let us acquaint our selves with the Design of Heaven in it First They were as the Fruits of the Earth intended as Acknowledgments that God was their Benefactor He gave these Animals as well as those Fruits and therefore it was fit to offer these as well as the others 2. If we speak concerning the Continual Morning and Evening Sacrifices it is certain they were Symbolical they were a Token of God's Presence among them They were instituted as a Testimony of This as you read in Exod. 29. 38 to the end They were a Sign that the Lord would be continually with them and be their God 3. The Mosaical Sacrifices were to testifie what the Iews deserved for their Sins viz. Death By these Bloody Oblations it was signified that the Life of Beasts should expiate for the Life of Men who had sinned and were become worse than Beasts Sheep and Oxen were substituted in the room of Offenders these sinned and those were slain Though this could not be evidently discover'd by Natural Light as hath been said yet now upon God's declaring in the Law the nature of these Sacrifices it appears that this was one design of them Those Legal Sacrifices were a kind of Confession of their Guilt By killing their Beasts they did as 't were acknowledg that themselves deserved to be used so 4. The Mosaical Sacrifices were Federal Rites and design'd to signify the Correspondence and Agreement between God and Man To which purpose you may observe that as part of the Shelamim the Peace-Offerings was burnt on the Altar so the remainder and greater part were eaten by the People that brought it to shew that it was truly a Sacrifice of Peace a Ceremony of Communion and Friendship with God a Token of Fellowship and Amity between God and Man As for the Holocaust that indeed was all of it burnt but there was a Meat-Offering and Drink-Offering annexed to it to denote Familiarity and Friendship to shew that they were Guests in God's House or rather that they were of his Family and were fed at his Table and eat of his Meat as the Sacrifices are call'd in Mal. 3. 10. and Houshold Provision Again the great Design of the Mosaick Sacrifices was to Expiate and Atone Not only Burnt-Offerings or Helocausts but all Free-will-Offerings were Expiatory notwithstanding what Crellius affirms viz. that they were Eucharistical and therefore were not Expiatory But we must know that That Epithet doth not respect the End which those Sacrifices were design'd for but the occasion of their Offering them As for the name of Peace-Offerings that was given to this sort of Sacrifices not only because they were offer'd in way of Return for their Peace i. e. as the Hebrew word denotes their Safety and Welfare which were vouchsafed to them but because the offering of them did also procure Peace with God and did assure them of the like Blessing for the future from the same Propitious Hand And therefore tho in another Dispensation I distinguish'd between Eucharistical and Expiatory Sacrifices yet there is no reason to do so here when I am speaking of the Mosaick Sacrifices all or most of which have on them the evident marks and tokens of Expiation They were appointed to propitiate and appeaâ—e God's Wrath and therefore might all of them be call'd Pacifick as well as some That these Peace-Offerings were Expiatory is proved from this that here was putting the Beast to Death here was Sprinkling the Blood here was the Consumption of some part of the Beast on the Altar as an Oblation to God which are the three Ingredients of an Expiatory Sacrifice But what was this Expiation which was made by the Mosaick Sacrifices I answer It was threesold 1. In respect of Corporal Punishment The Sanction of the whole Mosaick Law is express'd in Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Which Curse imports no less then Death it self besides all the miseries of this life But God was pleas'd to mitigate the rigour of this Sanction and whereas according to the strictness of the Law those who were found guilty of violating it were to Die this was not put in Execution but Beasts were appointed to suffer death for the Offenders and their death was accepted for the death of Sinners 2. These Sacrifices Expiated as to Legal and Bodily Impurities which separated them from publick Converse and Worship Such were Leprosy Touching the Dead c. Hence the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrâ—ws saith that they Sanctified to the purifying of the Flesh Heb. 9. 13. 3. These Sacrifices which is the most considerable thing of all Expiated for Moral Impurities viz. all sorts of Sins I know it is asserted by some Men of great Learning when they discourse of Sacrifices that the Mosaick Law gave no pardon to heâ—â—ous Sinners that great Offences were not expiated by Scarifices This is more especially held by 〈◊〉 who urges that the Sacrifices under the Law were available only for lesser Sins not for great ones And Volkelius and other profes'd Socinians insist upon the same thing and labour to prove that Sacrifices were offer'd only for expiating of Sins of Lgnorance Weakness and Error and that Death was the Penalty of all great and enormous Offences The same is defended by Smalcius as the Reader may find it in his Writing And we are told by one of our own Divines that the Jewish Religion allow'd of no Expiation but for legal Impurities and involuntary Transgressions such as proceeded from Ignorance and Inadvertency but not for Sins of Presumption and such as were committed with an high hand If Men sinned wilfully there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law for such Sins And another of great repute in our Church agrees with him saying The greater Crimes under the Law were no otherwise to be expiated but by the Blood of the Offender himself whereas for lesser ones the Blood of Beast
The rectified Mind said they is the Man but the sensitive Appetite is the Beast This latter they declared to be the Principle which predominateth in all vicious Men and because they wholly â—ollow their Sense and are led merely by a corporeal Appetite they resemble Brutes Accordingly Epimenides calls the Crâ—tians evil Beasts as the Apostle takes notice and for the same reason all Persons that are given to Vice deserve that Denomination For their Portion like Nebuchadnezzar's is with the Beasts You cannot reckon them in the number of Men for tho they retain the human Shape yet they are really degenerated into the nature of Brutes Nay Man is become more irrational by far than the whole Herd of Brutes who by a natural Instinct or by some certain Laws of Motion following the Apprehensions of their Senses discern what is good or hurtful to them and not only so but imbrace the one and avoid the other Man alone once the excellentest Creature in the World but now depraved knows not his Happiness or despises it which in the sacred Stile is expressed after this manner The Ox knows his Owner and the Asâ— his Master's Crib but Israel doth not know my people do not consider Isa. 1. 3. These are the inword and spiritual Evils which are the effects of Adam's Degeneracy and they are usually called by Divines by the name of Spiritual Death for these also were part of that dreadful Threatning In the day thou â—atest thereof thou shalt surely die But there are not only temporal but eternal Evils which are the fruit of Man's Apostatizing Man by his Guilt and Pollution contracted by the Fall and since delighted in is liable to be excluded from Happiness in another Life and is obnoxious to eternal Punishment and Misery in the World to come for Sin of it self can never be expiated and therefore the Guilt of it must necessarily continue without any Period Accordingly we read that the Wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6. 23. i. e. eternal Death for it being oppos'd in that place to eternal Life it cannot signify less It appears then that the Sinner deserves to be â—ormented both in Body and Soul with endless and eternal pains which makes his Condition far worse than that of the Beasts who Perish and so are made uncapable of all future Sufferings This is that worst of Deaths which is another part of that direâ—ul Threatning denounced against Adam and which is the most grievous and terrible effect of his Disobedience and falling from God and from this as from the other Evils procured by Man's Apostacy there is no redemption on 〈◊〉 the merciful and meritorious Undertakings of the blessed Messias who was afterwards promised After all it might be observ'd that not only Adam and Eve were threatned to be punish'd for this Transgression but even the Serpent which the Devil made use of in order to it he was rendred the most cursed of all Creatures and condemn'd to grovel on his Belly and to feed on the Dust of the Earth Gen. 3. 14. Which was design'd to be a lasting as well as a visible Memorial of God's Displeasure against the first Sin in the World So we read afterwards that God spared not the brutâ— Beasts whom the Sinners of the old world had abused but destin'd them no less than the Offenders themselves to Destruction Gen. 6. 7. which gives us some account of the implacable Opposition of the Divine Nature to all Sin and even to all that are but instrumental and serviceable to it He that is of purer eyes than to behold Iniquity will not suffer it to go unpunish'd wherever he observes it And this might be added here that the foresaid Cursâ— on the Serpent hath reference also to the malicious Dâ—mon who actuated that Animal The doom of this impure Spirit is here included his being not able to raise up himself against the Servants of the most High so as to hurt them and his being 〈◊〉 to Hell and his being made for ever a cursâ—d Creature lâ—ath'd and abhor'd of God and Man are comprehended in this Execration Thus I have finish'd the second State of Man This I call a State as it respects Us but I call it a Dispensation as it hath respect unto God because it was his Will and Pleasure to suffer this to be Out of infinite Wisdom he permitted Man's Fall designing to make it subservient at last to the Good of Mankind and to his own Glory by inhansing his Mercy and Goodness in the 〈◊〉 and unexpected rescuing of Mankind from the Miseries which they had incur'd by this general Lapse I say general for as I asserted before concerning the first State that of Innocâ—ncy that it included all Men in it as well as our first Progenitors so I must declare the same concerning this second State and Dispensation It takes in not only Adam and Evâ— who indeed were the most conspâ—cuous Persons but all the succeeding Generations of Men and Women For by reason of our first Parents wilful sinning and transgressing the Divine Law all Persons are under the Displeasure of God the Penalty of his Law and the Power of Satan for they are all conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity they are naturally averse to all Good and prone to all Evil and therefore a Condemnation is justly pass'd on them all Here I might copâ—ously treat of Original Sin and the fatal Influence of it but I intend not at present to enlarge on any main Article or Point of Divinity this Treatise being design'd only as an 〈◊〉 to so great a Performance This only in brief is to be remembred that Adam as a common Person sinn'd for himself and his whole Posterity In him all Mankind were created and in him they all â—ell and were corrupted Adam being the Father and Root of all Successions by his sinning involv'd himself and his Progâ—ny into a State of Guilt and Enmity against God This great Banker broke and with him all his Race were beggar'd and ruin'd His particular Fault became the Catholick Crime of all Persons descended from him even before they knew what was Good and Evil i. e. before they were born They were all accurs'd in him and rendred obnoxious to the Divine Wrath and no Creature was able to deliver them from it But God the merciful Creator and indulgent Father of Mankind was pleased to contrive their Deliverance Accordingly he made an early Discovery of his Grace and Love to our first Parents and to their Posterity which leads me to the next Dispensation CHAP. III. The Nature of the Third General Dispensation The first part of which is the Adamick State The early Promise concerning the Messias Gen. 3. 15. explain'd He was expected betimes The New Testament witnesses that he was to bruise the Serpent's Head Several positive Laws were under this Oeconomy That of Oblations and Sacrifices is especially consider'd Eucharistical Sacrifices were part of the Law of Nature Expiatory
and Death St. Luke had St. Matthew and St. Mark 's Writings to direct him And he professes moreover chap. 1. 1 2. that he receiv'd all he writ from those very Persons who were Eye-witnesses Besides he was a constant Companion of St. Paul who had all those things revealed to him by God in Heaven which is as much as if he had seen and heard them As for the Acts of the Apostles St. Luke could not but give a full and perfect Account of the Actions related there because he was an inseparable Attendant and Associate of St. Paul about whom most of that Book is spent The Epistles contain chiefly holy Doctrines divine Counsels seasonable Reproofs and pathetick Exhortations but they are not wholly destitute of Matter of Fact They were writ either by those that were properly stiled Apostles as St. Peter St. Iames St. Iohn and St. Iude who therefore could not be ignorant of what they delivered concerning Christ and the things he did or they were writ by St. Paul who was an Apostle extraordinary immediately called and sent by God to preach the Gospel being first fully instructed in all Matters relating to Christ and it by divine Revelation It might be yet further made evident that the Writers of the New Testament had perfect knowledg of what they writ and that they were sufficient Witnesses of what they relate because the Matters of Fact were so frequent and so often repeated as also because they were done near them and not far off and so they could easily know the truth of them moreover because they were done publickly and in the open Light and not in a Corner because they were done before so many Witnesses before Apostles and Disciples and thousands of the People who were Spectators and Auditors of what happen'd I might add that the Evangelists publish'd the Stories of Christ and his Doings when thousands were alive who knew the Facts and might have oppugned them if they would but they did not Especially St. Matthew publish'd his History while yet the Persons lived on whom Christ's Miracles were wrought and innumerable others who were Witnesses thereof were then surviving Hence it appears that it was difficult for the Evangelical Writers to conspire and combine together in a Lie and to deceive the People if they had had a mind to it They might soon have been confuted if the things they attested had been false The Cheat was easily to be found out amongst so many Witnesses and in things so often acted and in the Face of the World Therefore it is morally impossible that there should be a Cheat and Delusion these things being thus 2. The Personal Qualities of the Evangelical Writers and other Christians who attested these things argue that they were credible Witnesses and that their Testimony was worthy of all acceptation This is clear from such Considerations as these viz. that most of them were simple and unlearned Men and so were not fit Persons to devise these things It is no ways probable that they could invent such high and mysterious matters yea indeed no humane Wit was able to do it This shews that they were not deceivers and that they did not voluntarily deliver a falshood Likewise it is to be remembred that they were no idle and loose Persons but were of an honest condition and way of Life they were poor Tradesmen and Fishermen that lived on their work and lawful callings and therefore it is altogether improbable that they were designing Men and that they made it their business to cheat and impose upon the World Again their Integrity Candor and Simplicity appeared most signally in their Writings seeing they relate their own failings and impartially set down the grossest miscarriages of their Brethren as Thomas's Infidelity Peter's denying of his Master the Apostles flying from Christ at his Passion and many other things which none but Honest Plain and True-hearted Men would have recorded and transmitted to Posterity Further what they did was not out of Ambition and Love of Honour for Pride self-seeking vain Glory over-valuing of Men crying up Paul and Apollos and Cephas were Vices and Practices which they both preach'd and writ against And to let you see that this was not counterfeit their Lives answer'd to what they professed in their Carriage and Behaviour none were more humble and self-denying which proves that they acted not out of Applause and Affectation of Honour from the People but were sincere and faithful in what they did Nor could they speak or act for Gain and Wordly Profit for they were Men that despised Riches as much as Honour They lived meanly and poorly and were beholden to the Charity of others for a subsistence Which shews that they had no design to enrich themselves and to grow great in the World They foresaw and knew and perswaded themselves of this before-hand that their Profession would expose them to the greatest Dangers and Hazards and that Bonds and Imprisonment and Death it self would attend them yet notwithstanding this they resolved to preach the Gospel and to follow their Master whatever befel them And lastly to give you an irrefragable Demonstration of their Integrity and Sincerity most of them laid down their Lives to testify and confirm what they had deliver'd they sealed the Gospel with their Blood they died for what they preach'd and writ This is a sign they were in earnest Thus if you consider the Personal Qualifications of the Apostles and Evangelists who were Witnesses of Christ's Actions you must necessarily grant that they were Persons to be believed that their Evidence is authentick and we have no reason to think they were deluded themselves or deluded us For the Proof of Fact consisteth chiefly in Witnesses who must be knowing and honest Men. This makes them to be credible Persons and such were the Relators of those things which concern our Saviour Wherefore to have them attested by a sufficient number of Persons of that Character is enough to assure the Truth of them We have no cause to dispute whether those things were so or no but on the contrary we have good Foundation for a firm Assent to them But tho the Disciples and Apostles did not cheat us yet perhaps we are deluded by thâ—se that came after them It may be they have not truly deliver'd things to us How can we depend on their Words Reports are oftentimes false There are untrue Representations of things which are very near to us much more may there be of Actions which are so far off and were so long ago How then shall we credit History and Tradition i. e. the Church's delivering these things to us I answer we may and we ought to believe the Persons who receiv'd these things from the Apostles viz. the pious Teachers Fathers and Bishops of the Primitive Church and the Godly and Faithful Christians of those days we ought I say to credit these as well as the Apostles themselves for we have the most
cogent Reasons to perswade us that they truly and faithfully delivered down to us those things This I will make good from the Consideration 1. Of the Persons that transmitted these things 2. Of the Evidence of the Cause First as to the Persons I will consider both their Lives and their Deaths Their Lives are sufficient proofs of their Integrity in delivering the Scriptures of the New Testament to us and of their confident belief of the Truth of all that is contain'd in them The Primitive Christians lived after another rate than we do now They did not wrangle and quarrel as we do they did not â—ight and devour one another as the manner of too many is of latter times but they were remarkable for their mutual Love and Concord for their Humility Meekness and Condescension to one another and they were admired for their Gravity Sobriety Self-denial and Patience they were eminent for their Piety towards God and their Innocent and Righteous dealing with all Men. The Ministers practised what they preached and the People were ambitious to imitate their Preachers and both were singularly Good and Virtuous This was it which gain'd so many Proselytes to Christianity in those first times this brought them to a perswasion of the Truth and Reality of Christ's Doctrine Therefore when Origen had excellently proved the Truth of Christianity to Alexander Severus that noble Emperor ingenuously confessed that he was more convinced of the Truth of that Religion by the humble and loving carriage of Christians than by all Origen's Arguments The exemplary and blameless Conversation of those Primitive Professors argued that the Doctrine and Principles of their Religion were real and certain For how can it enter into any sober Mans thoughts that such holy and upright Men true followers of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ would have constantly confessed and owned the Christian way unless they had been throughly convinced of the Truth of it and that it was the very same which was confess'd and acknowledg'd by the Apostles themselves These Holy and Godly Men made Conscience of a Lie and counted it a heinous Crime to falsify yea they esteem'd it no less than a damnable Sin to disbelieve or misreport those things concerning Christ and the Christian Doctrines They were really perswaded in their Minds that their Salvation lay at stake that their Eternal Welfare or Everlasting Ruin were concern'd in these things And can you imagin then that they would report them falsly and impose upon the World by delivering things which were counterfeit Again as the Lives so the Suffering and Death of the Saints in the Primitive Days and in the succeeding Ages are an undeniable Argument of the Truth of what was deliver'd to them and of what they conveyed to us They underwent the most exquisite Pains and Torments with ineffable Courage and Constancy and nothing could prevail with them to renounce the Christian Religion insomuch that when the Pagan Adversaries in those days would express any thing to be impossible they did it thus Ye may sooner make the Professors of Christ quit their Mastersâ— Doctrine This was a thing not to be effected for those Persons first of all forsook their worldly Goods and then parted with their Lives to hold fast their Religion This patient Suffering and undaunted Dying of so many thousands is an unquestionable Proof of the Truth of Christianity For those enlightned and sanctified Men would never lay down their Lives to maintain a Falshood and to perpetuate a Lie No they knew whom they believed in and for whom they suffer'd and that made them so couragious We may conclude then that the Christian Doctrine is confirm'd by the Blood of those Worthy Men those expiring Saints did testify the Truth of Christianity and therefore they are stiled Martyrs Secondly The Evidence of the Cause is an impregnable Argument of the Reality and Truth of these things which I am speaking of There is this following heap of Evidences 1. A great Presumption arising from just Causes and Circumstances yea and from a multiplicity of them which in all Courts of Judicature is of considerable weight and value with understanding Judges This first but lowest sort of Evidence the Christian Church since our Saviour hath not been destitute of for there were never higher Presumptions in any Cause under Heaven than there were in this But we need not mention this when we have 2. The Notoriety of the Facts i. e. when the things in trial are openly and commonly known when they are avouched by publick Fame and the universal Vogue of Men. And that this was the case of Christianity ever since Christ left the Earth cannot be denied by any Man of Modesty and Truth 3. The Succession of Christians and Churches in the World is a plain Proof that they verily believed those things which made them Christians and Churches Hereupon they deliver'd to us those Writings which they receiv'd from the Hands of the Evangelists and Apostles by their transmitting them to Posterity they shew that they believe them to be sacred and certain Verities 4. The Succession of Bishops and Pastors is an other Evidence for it was their Office to read publickly the Scriptures of the New Testament and to preach the Doctrines contain'd in them and consequently to own them to be Truth which is a good Motive to us to do the same 5. The frequent Disputes which Christians in all Ages have held with those who opposed the Scripture and Christianity are no mean Testimony in this Cause 6. To these may be added the famous Writings of the Christians in the several Centuries their Apologies Dialogues Sermons Homilies Orations Commentaries Histories All which proclaim their serious and firm Belief of what they have convey'd down to us 7. All Christian Churches have deliver'd to us certain Symbols or Articles of Belief which they reckon'd to be the Standards of Evangelical Faith and Truth 8. The Constant Communion of the Church and the publick Worship of God in the solemn Assemblies of Christians ever since the days of the Apostles the setting apart a Day for that Worship the reading of the Scriptures at such times the instructing the People out of them the celebrating the Lord's Supper the constant custom of openly rehearsing and proâ—essing the Christian Belief the Prayers and Praises offer'd to God in the name of Christ the yearly Commemoration of the Birth Death and Resurrection of our Saviour the Sacrament of Baptism which acknowledgeth the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost 9. The sundry Decrees and Canons of Synods and Councils held in the Christian Churches Lastly the many Laws and Edicts of Christian Emperours and Princes in defence and confirmation of our most holy Religion These and all the rest before-named are clear Proofs and Evidences that the Evangelical Writings which contain the Doctrine and Actions of our blessed Lord were rightly and truly convey'd to us and that we are in possession of the same Faith and
answer the Sign doth not always go before the thing signified as you may satisfy your selves from perusing Exod. 3. 12. and 37. Isa. 30. 43. Ier. 9. 10. 51. 63 64. from which Instances it is undeniably plain that things to come are Signs and given as so to encourage Persons to something for the present It is not necessary then that this Sign should precede the deliverance from Rezin and Pekah It might come after it and so it did when a Virgin conceived and bore Christ. The Virgin then in Isaiah's time was a Type of the Virgin Mary and her Infant a Type of Christ born of the Virgin and her being delivered was a Sign and a Type of the spiritual Deliverance by Christ. The Lord shall give you a sign and behold a Virgin shall conceive c. as much as to say you think that God is not powerful enough to deliver you from these two Oppressors and Invaders Rezin and Pekah but you are deceiv'd for God will give to your Posterity a far greater Argument and Proof of his Power for he will bring it to pass by his miraculous and omnipotent Arm that the Messias shall be born of a Virgin and he shall be a Mighty Saviour and Deliverer he shall rescue you from worser Enemies than those Kings of Syria and Israel he shall save you from your Sins he shall deliver you from Satan from Death and Hell and Eternal Destruction Secondly what relateth to Christ's Life and Actions was foretold in the Scriptures of the Old Testament and exactly fulfill'd in the New as his flying into Egypt and his returning thence Isa. 16. 7. Hos. 11. 1. the Murder of the Infants in Bethlehem Ier. 31. 15. the presenting of him in the Temple Mal. 3. 1. his working of Miracles and particularly his healing of Diseases Isa. 35. 6. his Preaching and Doctrine Isa. 61. 1 2. compared with Luke 4. 21. his riding into Ierusalem on an Ass Zech. 9. 9. which place Rabbi Iosua and other Learned Iews interpret of the Messias Nay R. Solomâ—n confesses that it is impossible this Prophesy should be interpreted of any but him Thirdly the things relating to his Sufferings and Death were predicted by the Prophets of the Old Testament and are found accomplish'd in the Evangelical Writings as those Affronts and Abuses put upon our Saviour by the Iews Isa. 53. 3 c. his being betray'd by his Disciple and pretended Friend Psal. 41. 9. their selling him for thirty pieces of Silver Zech. 11. 12. the scoffing of him when he hung on the Cross Psal. 22. 8. Mat. 27. 43. the piercing of his Hands and Feet Zech. 12. 10. Mat. 27. 35. That of the Psalmist Psal. 22. 16. can be applied to none but Christ for in those Days in which David lived there was no such custom of Punishment wherein they pierced the Hands and Feet from whence David could borrow that Phrase And as for what Calvin saith that it is a Metaphorical Expression of David's Sufferings and Calamities it is not worth attending to For David here as in some other Psalms speaks in the Person of Christ and utters such things as agree not fully with his own particular Condition as when he addeth ver 18. They parted my Garments amongst them and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots Which is a prophetical account of that part of the History of Christ's Sufferings which is recorded by the Evangelists Luke 23. 34. Iohn 19. 24. This likewise Calvin saith is a Metaphor and only signifies that David was a prey to his Enemies and was despoil'd and robbed of all But this is the usual course of this Learned Writer as I have observ'd elsewhere All or most of the places in the Old Testament which are mystically meant of Christ and which were so understood by the antient Fathers of the Church are interpreted by him in a literal Sense only which is a great fault in this learned and worthy Reâ—ormer for in thus doing he extreamly favours the Iews in those Texts and is thereby a Patron of Iudaism Christ's thirsting and their giving him Gall and Vinegar were foretold Psal. 69. 21. and St. Iohn particularly takes notice of its being fulfilled Iohn 19. 30. his being crucified among Thieves was the accomplishment of what was said in Isa. 53. 12. and therefore is particularly taken notice of in Mark 15. 28. that his Legs should not be broken as those of the Malefactors that suffer'd with him was foretold in the Law of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12. 46. and is accordingly applied in Iohn 19. 36. The whole 53 d Chapter of Isaiah is a Description of the Messias's sufferings which though the Jews usually interpret concerning the People of Israel afflicted with Captivity and then delivered yet any one may see that the expressions cannot agree in any tolerable way to the Jewish People and their Condition But they are most easily appliable to Christ and to none else and it is certain that the Antient Rabbins understood them of the Messias So all of them conclude that he was to be put to death from Dan. 9. 26. After the threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself And that this and other Texts before named foretold Christs sufferings is taken notice of by himself Luk. 24. 26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and again v. 46. Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer Briefly the Death and Passion of our Saviour were evidently predicted and as plainly accomplished according to that of St. Peter in his Sermon Acts 3. 8. Those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled And concerning St. Paul we read that he said no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead Acts 26. 22 23. Which is the next thing you are to take notice of Fourthly Then Christs Resurrection and the happy Consequences of it were long since foretold David speaketh concerning him thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption Psal. 16. 10. Acts 2. 25 27. The Apostle tells us that Christ not only Died and was Buried but also Rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 4. i. e. according to this place of Scripture now mentioned and according to the History of Ionas his being three Nights and three Days in the Whales Belly which was a Type and Presignification of our Saviours lying in the Grave part of three Days The Ascending of Christ into Heaven was the consequent of his rising from the Dead and that also was foretold Ps. 68. 18. Thou hast ascâ—nded on high thoâ— hast led Captivity Captive c. which you will find applied to our Saviour in Eph. 4. 8. And so his sitting at the
Family or Houshold as it were all the Inhabitants of the World who were scatter'd and divided before are now brought under one Head and Governour one Supreme Catholick Ruler as St. Chrysostom expounds the place All Nations divided before by false ways are now united in Christ the Way and the Truth He brings all the Severals into One and makes up a full Church Militant and Triumphant whereas before there was a dispersion Thus Heaven and Earth are happily joined Again the Greek word sometimes signifies to restore or repair and accordingly is rendred by the Vulgar Latin and then the meaning of the Apostle is that all things in Heaven and Earth are restored and renewed by Christ and his Coming There is a happy Restauration of Man's Nature by the Incarnation of the Blessed Iesus the former State of Integrity is now renewed and Man is in a far better Condition than he was at first And as for Angels their State also is much amended they are now confirmed in their Integrity and Happiness Thus according to Theodoret's Interpretation of the place the things in Heaven and on Earth are Restored Renewed Reformed by the Evangelical Dispensation But there is a third and that the most probable Interpretation of the words which is this and the Margin in our English Translation takes notice of it that in the Dispensation of the fulness of Time or the Dispensation of the Gospel God was pleased to sum up all things in Christ. Which may refer to Arithmetical Computation or bringing all Numbers into One and so here is signified that all the former Dispensations being cast up and briefly collected are reduced to this of the Gospel This is the Sum total Christ is all and in all Col. 3. 11. Or it may refer as St. Ierom on the place thinks to the way of Orators and Pleaders who in the close of their Speeches and Declamations briefly repeat and recapitulate all the foregoing particulars and represent the whole Cause in short In like manner what had been spun out and prolonged in divers foregoing Dispensations is now under the Gospel briefly gather'd and summ'd up in Christ Jesus This is the time wherein God hath made an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath drawn into one all that went before He hath finished the account for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred or the Work and cut it short in Righteousness bâ—cause a short Account or Work will the Lord make upon the Earth Rom. 9. 28. which as you will â—ee by consulting the Context and the place in Isaiah from whence it is taken is meant of the Gospel This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that abbreviated word or short Account or because a word and a thing or work are frequently convertible among the Hebrews whence this is borrow'd short work which God hath made upon the Earth The Law was tedious with its multiplicity of Observances but Christ comes in a compendious way and requires none of those long Undertakings which Moses exacted This saith one of the Fathers is the short word that is here meant the brief words of Faith Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved is the concise way of the Gospel This comprises the greatest things in short Christ the Incarnate Son of God is the Sum and Substance of all the Old Testament and of all the different Oeconomies from the beginning of the World The Evangelical Dispensation is the Recapitulation of all the preceding ones All is to be shut up with this nothing more is to be expected this being the Upshot and Conclusion of all the Administrations that are upon Earth I might argue likewise from the Gospel's being call'd the New Testament for the Greek Word signifies both a Covenant and a Testament Sometimes even when it is rendred a Covenant in the Margin it is translated a Testament But by the very import and scope of the Text we are forc'd to render it a Testament in some places as in Heb. 9. 16 17. The Chriâ—tian Institution and the New Covenant of Grace therein contained are the Will and â—estament of our Saviour wherein he hath set down what he would have done after his death â—or that is the true notion of a Testament Christ the Testator died and bequeathed us the Gospel this his Last Will must stand and that only therefore no other is to be looked for Moreover I might argue from this that the time of the Gospel is call'd the last Time I grant that sometimes the last Day and last Times and the end of the World are understood of the Day of Judgment and particularly the last Day is applied no less than four times in the 6 th Chapter of St. Iohn to the time of the last Resurrection or the Day of Judgment Some modern Writers understand the last Times and the end of the World of Christ's coming to destroy Ierusalem and it is certain they may in some places be understood so But for the most part they are taken otherwise and those Learned Mâ—n who defend the contrary shew too plainly their Prejudice and Partiality in asserting a Notion which they have once taken up But nothing is more evident than this that the last Times and the last Days which latter is different from the last Day in the singular Number are generally meant of the Gospel Dispâ—â—sation which is last of all This I prove from such places as these both in the Old and New Testament Isai. 2. 2. It shall come to pass in the last days that the Mount of the Lord's House shall be establiâ—â—ed on the top of the Mountains and so in Mic. 4. 1. where by the Consent of all Interpreters the last Days signiâ—ie the time of Christ's Coming the Appeaâ—ing of Christianity in the World and in other Prophets this is express'd after the same manner The Apostles use the same way of speaking and all the time from Christ's Coming to the Day of Judgment is call'd by them the last Time and the last Days as in 2. Tim. 3. 1. Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 5 20. 1. Pet. 3. 3. 1 Iohn 2. 18. and in other places the Time of the exhibitâ—ng of Chriâ—â— in the flesh or of the Reign of the Messias iâ— thus express'd It is also call'd the end of the World by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews who saith Christ appear'd in the end of the World to put away sin Heb. 9. 26. This Consummation of Ages as according to the Greek it may be most fitly rendred this Close or Shutting up of the former Dispensations especially of the Iewish one is call'd by the same Holy Writer the World to come Heb. 2. 5. And the very Iewish Writers fre-frequently give this Denomination to the time of the Messias This according to Daniel is the time of sealing up the Vision and Propâ—ecy Dan. 9. 24. i. e. of ratifying and verifying all the Visions and Prophecies