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A90866	Theos anthrōpophoros. Or, God incarnate. Shewing, that Jesus Christ is the onely, and the most high God· In four books. Wherein also are contained a few animadversions upon a late namelesse and blasphemous commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrewes, published under the capital letters, G.M. anno Dom. 1647. In these four books the great mystery of man's redemption and salvation, and the wayes and means thereof used by God are evidently held out to the capacity of humane reason, even ordinary understandings. The sin against the Holy Ghost is plainly described; with the cases and reasons of the unpardonablenesse, or pardonablenesse thereof. Anabaptisme, is by Scripture, and the judgment of the fathers shewed to be an heinous sin, and exceedingly injurious to the Passion, and blood of Christ. / By Edm. Porter, B.D. sometimes fellow of St. John's Colledge in Cambridge, and prebend of Norwich.	Porter, Edmund, 1595-1670.; Downame, John, d. 1652.	1655 (1655)	Wing P2985; Thomason E1596_1; ESTC R203199	270,338	411

the most principal to assert the Immortality of his humane Soul and thereby to set forth this true doctrine of the Immortality of all mens soules and the Church had great reason for it because all Christians for some Centuries of years generally believing this doctrine In the fag end of the primitive times many atheistical and Ep●cur●an professors sprung up and denyed this truth obstinately and then it became an heresie and was so recorded by St. Austin as is said before under the title of the Arabick heresie and so occasioned a new article of Christs descent although it was an old Scriptural received truth to be put into the Creed I am not ignorant that in Epiphanius the Epi●u●eans are set down Epiph. haer 8. among hereticks who denyed this truth and so are S●oicks and Pythagoreans and Jewes which I take to be something unproper because none can be called hereticks except they at least professe Christianity and perhaps Epiphanius meant such Christians who in Philosophy were of those Sects or Jewes by birth CHAP. IX Of the most ancient Creed why so many additions have been made and particularly the article of Christs descent THe Reasons that move me to think that the new article of Christs descent was added to the Creed principally to set forth the Immortality of man's soule are now to be brought forth to the Readers view It was a long time before the Church-Creed went about in writing though some private men did so preserve it yet it was learned by oral tradition and so rehearsed Hil. de Synodis cont Arian n. 7. at baptismes and this is noted by St. Hilarie Fides Apostolica non scripta erat literis sed Spiritu Conscriptas sides hucusque nesciverunt Episcopi i. The Apostles Cre●d or faith was not written by letters but by the Spirit untill these dayes about the Nicene Council the Bishops did not take notice of any written Creeds and the same Father findeth fault with the writing of Creeds Fides scribenda est quasi in corde non fuerit i. Hilar. contr Const l. 3. n. 6. Faith must now adayes be written as if it had no place in mens hearts and although this symbole or Creed were not written yet it is confessed that it went about traditionally and without additions from the Apostles as Ter●●llian for his time sheweth Ab initio Evangelii Tert. Cont. Prax. d●cucurrit ante priores quosque haere●icos i. The rule of faith spread from the beginning of the Gospel and before Praxea's her●sies began And again he saith Regulam Tert. de praescr haeret hanc Ecclesia ab Apostolis Apostoli à Christo Christus à D●o tradidit i. The Church delivered the Creed as it came from the Apostles and the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God for there is nothing in that Creed but what is the expresse doctrine of Scripture Now the reason why the Apostolical rule of faith or Creed was not published then in writing is rendred by Ruffinus in Cyprian The Apostles did not deliver this Symbole Cypr in Symb. i● paper or parchment but by tradition oral to be laid up in the heart that so it might the better appear that the doctrine thereof was really from the Apostles for Infidels might have got it into their hands If it had been written and by that colour of rehearsing this Creed hypocritically migh● have undermined the Church therefore it was delivered rather vocally then in writing just as the Commander in War giveth the Word or sign v●cally and no● in writing by which friends are discerned from enemies which wate hword is called Symbolum as the Creed is that is a token or signal Thus far Ruffinus The most ancient record of the Christians Symbol● which I find written and without exception for that which is in the Constitutions of Clemens I believe is much later is in Tertullian who was a Writer as himself saith in the year after the birth of Christ 160. Tert. de Monoga which I have here inserted that the Reader may see how much hath been added to that first Creed untill these dayes as I find it in Tertullian lib de Veland Virgin principio Regula fidei una immobilis irreformabilis Tert. de Velan Virginibus Credendi in unicum Deum Omnipotentem mundi conditorem Vide Doctrinam praedicationis Apostolicae apud Irenae lib. 1. ● 2. Filium ejus Jesum Christum natum ex Virgine Maria Crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato tertia die resuscitatum à mortuis receptum in coelis sedentem nunc ad dextram Patris venturum judicare viv●s mortuis per carnis ctiam resurrectionem The onely Rule of Faith unmoveable and unreformable is To believe in one God Almighty maker of the World and his Son Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary c●ucified under Pontius Pilate the third day raised from the dead received into heaven sitting now at the right hand of the Father that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead by the resu●r●ction also of the flesh This is all in that place the same again in substance is rehearsed but in a few more words * Tert. de Praesc p. 92. Cont. Prax. p. 379. Lib. de praescriptionibus with the mention of the Mission of the Holy Ghost and the same again Lib. Cont. Praxean mentioning also the Mission of the Holy Ghost without any other considerable difference the same Father in the place above noted de praescript tells us Haec Tert. de Praescript regula nullas dubitationes habet nisi quas har●ses in ferunt i. that this rule of faith hath no doubts or dissensions among Christians but such as a e raised by heresies therefore what doubts and dissensions have been so raised is next to be considered CHAP. X. Of Heresies which occasioned ne● additions to the old Creed THat the springing up of the tares of heresie gave occasion to the Church to enlarge the Creed thereby endeavouring to extirpate those errours it may appear by these instances whereof some are undeniable and the rest very probable and have been so thought formerly by † Erasm ad facul Theol. Sorbon others 1. In the Creed of Ruffinus in Cyprian is Credo resurrectionem hujus carnis i. e. the resurrection of this flesh because the Origenists would not believe that the resurrection should be of the same body but of another new body 2. By the Nicene Fathers to the words Jesus Christ was added Unum Dominum i. One Lord against the Arians who would not confesse the Father and the Son to be but one One Lord. 3. The same Fathers added the word Homoousion against the said Arians because they would not believe that the Father and the Son were both of one Godhead or substance 4. The Article of Remission of Sins was added after that the Nova●ian hereticks refused to admit any to their Communion though they were penitents which after baptisme

Parents by the intimation of God himself to Abraham the great Patriarch of the faithful Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. This that your posterity may perform the Lord grant It shall be the hearty prayer of Yours Honours most humble Servant Edm. Porter Norw March 21. 1647. AN ADVERTISEMENT to the READER BE pleased good Christian Reader in order to the perusal of this Book to pre-understand a few things 1. That the Commentary on the Hebrews so often mentioned was long since written in the Latine Tongue by a forreigner either Johannes Crellius or some other Socinian as I am informed from a noble and Mr. Ed● Cock learned Gentleman residing in Norwich in whose hands that Latine Commentary is now extant And this English Commentary is but a 〈◊〉 of that Latine one And tha● the Tra●slator is a Doctor of Divinity as lately hath been discovered How the ●aid Doctor will quit himself from the crime of Plagiarism in concealing the right Author's name ipse viderit 2. That because this Doctor contemptu●●sly slighteth the Ni●●●● Fathers and yet ●●ledgeth Eusebius to his own design but very injuriously I have bestowed some leave in the vindication of that Learned Father perhaps more then otherwise would have been needful yet I have not used the Authority of any of them that were members of that most Religious Council except onely the same Eusebius Indeed AthanasiUs is often mentioned by me but he was no member there for although he were present as a Disputant among many others in the outward porch yet being then but in the Degree of a Deacon he had no voice or right of Suffrage in that Council But if this Doctor under the notion of the Nicenei Fathers intendeth a contempt of all those Primitive Doctors and others that since have adhered to the Decrees of that Council he must thereby dis-believe the then whole Catholick World and we with more modesty and lesse liberty professe we do not believe him nor his fellowes 3. That I have bestowed the more time in the Question of the visibility of God because this Doctor doth very prophanely slight that great mysterious apparition of God to Abraham in the shape of three men which I conceive Gen. 18. to have been purposely acted as an holy Scene to teach man That in after-times God would be really incarnate and corporally and hospitably converse with Abraham in his posterity which was performed when the Person of the Son of God became Emmanüel and is also spiritually intimated in the Gospel Joh. 14. 23. Rev. 3. 20. 1 Joh. 4. 13. And also to give a timely intimation of a Trinity of Persons in the Vnity of the Godhead For as to the Eternal Covenant of Grace before the Creation Three Persons were necessarily required as is shewed in the Preface of this Book so now because the same Covenant was renewed with Abraham when he was newly circumcised it pleased the Divine Wisdom to exhibit a glimpse of the same Blessed Trinity As also again in the Gospel when our blessed Saviour was Incarnate and then Circumcised and Baptized which Sacraments were a new Sealing of the same Covenant there was a manifestation of the Three Persons Matth. 3. the Father by a voice the Spirit as a Dove and the Son in the flesh I do not remember any other so evident Overtures and Apparitions of the Trinity as these 4. That I have so largely endeavoured the Exposition of those hard places Heb. 6. 4. and Heb. 10. 26. because the Commenter hath passed them over very slightly although the difficulties therein might well busie a Doctoral pen and brain But I conceive he knew that a true and sound Exposition would spoil his design of picking Socianisme out of this Divine Epistle to the Hebrews 5. That the Reader is not to expect Answers to Arguments against the Divinity of Christ because the Doctor useth none at all but onely his own magisterial affirmation without proof and if he had proceeded by way of Argument he could not have used stronger then had been before published in print by the said Joh. Crellius which are also as strongly answered by that Learned man Johannes Henr. Bisterfeldius 6. That whereas in my first Book and tenth Chapter I have affirmed The Article of Christ's Descent into hell not to have been mentioned in any Creed generally received till after the dayes of St. Austin I am still of the same mind Although I confesse that this Article is mentioned in that large Symbole which is rehearsed in the ninth Tome in the book called Soliloquia Chap. 32. And also in Aug. Soliloq cap. 32. To. 9. De Temp. Ser. 115. To. 10. the 10. Tome Serm. 115. De Tempore and there asserted as if it were cast into the Creed by St. Thomas the Apostle My answer is That those writings were not Austin's own but Supposititious and pinned on him by later Writers as is well known and proved by Learned men Because the same Father in his book De Fide Symbolo which is undoubtedly Aug. De Fide symb To. 3. his own disputeth quite through that Creed which was then called the Apostles Creed and this in the Presence of a grand Council of all Africk at Hippo yet maketh no mention at all of Christ's Descent And although it be true that the Doctrine of Christs descent into Hell is by the same Father very often asserted as Catholick notwithstanding as I said it was not in his time inserted into the Creed 7. That whereas in my fourth Book and 10th Chapter I have said That no old or new Anabaptist did ever to my remembrance assert two Baptismes except onely Marcion Now since the writing thereof which was finished Anno 1647. Two English Books came to my hands one printed 1646. affirmeth that Baptisme may be oft administred as well as the Word may be oft preached to one and the same person The other book printed 1638 very modestly and under Correction affirmeth That Not Scripture but the Practice and Tradition of the Ancient Church is the Onely ground whereby we are restrained from twice Baptizing the same person But I trust that the godly Reader will be otherwise perswaded when he hath perused the Exposition of Heb. 6. 4. which beginneth at the 4th Chapter of my 4th Book 8. That my design in penning this Book was both to discover the great and dangerous Heresies lurking in that Commentary And also in my way to open and set forth the very foundations of Christian Religion and to give what satisfaction I could to scrupulous men in the Doctrines and Disciplines of this Church Which hath been my practice both in my private and publick Labours for many years Especially in these our later Sceptick and Zetetick dayes of New-light wherein we have many Seekers that will never find what they pretend to Optatus thus writeth of the

si c●imen est nimium legi Prop●e●is Apostolis credidisse ignosce Omnipotens Deus qu●a in his m●ri possum Emend●ri non possum Id est Lord why hast thou deceived me thy poore creature I believed thine own words concerning thine own self thy servant Moses David Solomon Dani●l and thine Apostles have misled me If it be a fault to give too much credence to thy Law thy Prophets and Apostles I beseech thee to have me ●xcused if in this Faith I live and die for I can never recant this Doctrine Finally this was also the constant Profession of that learned Bishop Saint Basil for when Valens the A●ian Emperour had by a messenger threatned him with sequ●stration of his Church and banishment of his person if he persisted in this Doctrine which he called a foolish doctrine The good Bishop answered u●inam sempiter na sit Theod. hist l. 4. c. 10. haec mea insipientia id est And so say I and I pray God I may never be withdrawen from that true and most wholsome Doctrine which I have here delivered and which our new fashion rationall animalls call folly but that I may persevere in the Faith and Confession of the Godhead of Jesus Christ unto my lives end And afterwards I doubt not but I shall so continue with the Angels and Elders Revelation 5. 13. saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe for ever and ever Amen L. Deo FINIS THE THIRD BOOK Α●θρωπ●ς Θε●φόρος THE Incarnation of GOD And the MYSTERIE Of Mans Redemption unfolded Tentemus animas quae deficiunt in fide naturalibus rationibus adjuvare Ruffin in symb apud Cyp. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princes Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard 1655. THE PREFACE HAving in the second Book shewed that Jesus Christ is the onely true supream and most high God and that there is no other God but he for that we are assured that Christian Faith cannot H●l de Trin. l 7. admit of two gods And because we have learned the same in the Holy Scriptures Deut. 6. 4. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And that the Prophet calls the Son of God Esay 9. 6. The mightty God the everlasting Father and that in the Gospell the Son of God saith John 10. 30. The Father and I are one and that all his are the Fathers and all that the Father hath are his John 17. 10. Which sheweth a perfect communion in one Essence and that the Son in Godhead is no way inferiour to the Father but both are equall and therefore the Scripture with great reason doth promiscuously sometimes name the Father before the Sonne and sometimes the Sonne is put before the Father as John 8. 16. I and the Father that sent me and Gal. 1. 1. By Jesus Christ and God the Father And 2. Thes 2. 16. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father For if Christ were absolutely under and subject to the Father how could this be endured when no Prince will suffer his subject though he be never so high and honourable to write Ego Rex I and my King as Chrysostome Chrys tom 6. ser 4. n. 55. notes In this third Book I am to shew that the same Onely true and most high God was incarnate by assuming humane flesh from the Virgin Mother and in that assumed nature was called Jesus Christ and in that assumed Manhood performed the great work of Mans redemption and therein suffered death on the Cross thereby satisfying the Justice and submitting to the Sentence of God as an expiation for our transgressions and by his most holy life and perfect righteousness in fulfilling the whole Law and so performing the Covenant of God for us and in our stead as our suretie and thereby according to the Covenant Do this and live hath obtained for his whole Mysticall Body the kingdom of Heaven and everlasting life To this discourse I am lead by the pernicious doctrine of this Commenter who denied Jesus to be the supreame God and to colour this blasphemy hath most apparantly misinterpreted and transverted the holy Scriptures and wronged the ancient Nicene Fathers as hath been shewed before and particularly that most learned Bishop and ancient Church-writer Eusebius as is next to be shewed THE INCARNATION of GOD. CHAP. I. The Vindication of Eusebius whom this Comment hath calumniated and falsified VPon those words Heb. 13. 2. Some have P. 331. entertained Angels the Commenter saith Eusebius in his first Book contends that one of the Angels was the Son of God for he will not have him the most high God c. You have not onely all to becommented the Epistle to the Hebrewes and the Nicene Father but have written a loud Comment on Eusebius who never wrote or said for ought can appear that Jesus Christ was not the most high God But I am sure divers times in his most learned Books he teacheth true Doctrine quite contrary to yours when he saith Filius erat ante aeterna tempora Euseb de Demonst i. 4. 6. ● the Son of God was from eternity and also particularly condemneth this very Heresie which you have so belaboured under the name of Heresie Artemon Theodotus and Paulus Simosatenus as hath been shewed before Id hist l. 5. c. 28. lib. 7. c. 2. For this Eusebius was one of those renouned Bishops who at the N●●ene Councel against Arius decreed and subscribed the article Homossion id est that the Father and the Son are of the same essence and Godhead whereas some Arians at that Councel refused to subscribe and thereby insinuated as your selfe have done that there was a greater and a lesser God and so fell into the old heresie of Mercion who said Bas ho. 27. con sabel Soc. l. 2. c. 5. there were two Gods 2● Saint Basil notes one of the refusers was also named Eusebius who was ●ishop of Nicomedia at that time and afterwards was preferred to the Bishoprick of Constantinople and their lived and dyed an Arian but we have no writings of this Eusebius now extant The Eusebius whom you mean lived and dyed Bishop of Caesaria a man of so great learning and worth that the Emperour Constantine said he was worthy to be the Vniversal Bishop of the Sec. l. 1. c. 18. world this man at first was unwilling to have the word homo●sion put into the Creed because it was new but afterwards when he perceived that it was but the expression of that Doctrine which is really contained in Scripture when it is said The Father and I are one he accepted of it and exhibitted his own Church-Creed to the Councel and the Councel confirmed it onely adding the word Homo●sion and so published it as Socrates saith so that it seemeth the Soc. l. 1. c. 5. creed which we call the Nicene Creed

that sin shall never be forgiven for if this sin cannot at all be remitted by repentance in this life why was the Church so offended with Novatus for not admitting penitents to his Atha ib. pag. 624. Communion who in time of persecution for fear had denied Christ and yet if there be a possibility of remission after this life why is Origen so condemned for affirming that the punishment of the damned shall have an end Again he saith 〈◊〉 those who were ignorant of the Godhead of Jesus and so did not believe or confesse it shall not be pardoned what will become of his own Disciples Ausim dicere ne ipsos b●atos Discipulos Atha ibid pa. 265. perfectam sententiam de ejus Divinitate habiusse antequam Spiritus sanctus in die Penticostes eos visitasset i I dare bouldly affirm that the blessed Disciples of Christ had not a perfect opinion of their Lords Godhead untill the holy Spirit descended on them at the Feast of Penticost for we read Math. 28. 17. that after his resurrection some worshiped him but some doubted Heathens Turks Jewes and Arrians do unto this day blaspheme the whole Trinity and therefore do certainly blaspheme the Holy Spirit yet if any of these should be converted to the true faith and with a penitent confession and with teares should come to the Christian Church renouncing their blasphemies and desire admission thereinto and to be instructed and then baptized what Christian would be so hard-hearted as to deny them St. Austin goeth yet further Aug. in Exposit Epist ad Rom. n. 96. Si ex eo numero hominum quibus Dominus crimen peccati in Spiritum Sanctum objecit veniret ad ecclesiam ad fidem Christi paenitens salutem cum lacrimes pos●ens quaero utrum quisquam tanto errore esset ut neget ad baptismum admitti aut frustra admissum esse contendat i If any one of those very Pharisees unto whom particularly Cbrist objected this sin against the Holy Ghost had been converted to the Christian faith and with repentance and tears had desired that saving doctrine I demand whether any one would be so ignorantly nice as to deny him leave to be baptized or to affirm that if he were baptized it would not profit him Certainly if Julian or Arrius who by divines are said to have sinned this sin had so offered themselves to the primitive Church in their times they had not been refused for we know that Novatus and his sect were therefore condemned by the Orthodox because they refused to admit such as had denied Christ as is said before The conclusion and resolution of this question by Aug. Epist 50. n. 31. St. Austin is this that this sin is unpardonable only in this case viz. If such a sinner continue in duritia cordis usque ad finem vitae hujus and again Aug. Enchirid cap. 83. n. 58. Si in hac obstinatione mentis diem extremum clandit i If such a blasphemer continue and persevere in this hardnesse of heart and obstinacy all his life time and in it depart this life then will there be no hope of forgivnesse And for this reason onely this grand sin Vid. infra may be called in the Apostles words 1. John 5. 16. A sin unto death Not because it doth alwaies necessarily bring to that sinner eternall death but because it Aug. Epist 50. ● 31. will do so if that sinner live and die in this sin obstinately and impenitently of which saying I shall more largly speak here after in its due place of this sin when it doth necessarily bring the sinner to eternal damnation the same Saint Austin saith very truly as I conceive Non probatur ab aliquo commissum nisi cum de corpore exierit i none can be properly said to have committed the sin unto death untill the sinner be actually dead because if he repent before his death then the sin canot be said to be unto death Finallie neither this sin or any other Apostasie except it be final is so absolutely unpardonable but that forgivenes may be obtained through Christ if the sinner seeke pardon with true repentance But whether any repentance may be had by such who have once fallen into this grand sin is the next thing to be enquired CHAP. IV. An exposition of Hebr. 6. 4. that the word Inlightned signifieth baptisme Anabaptisme is inhibited as both unprofitable and also sinful BEcause no sin how great soever can be said to be absolutely unpardonable if the sinner wil truly repent him of it and that there is no case or condition in this life wherin sinfull man should despair and cast of all hope of pardon therefore divers * Calvin l. 3. 3. 24. Instit Polan p. 339. Buc. p. 155. divines tell us that the reason why it is said of this sin that it shall never be forgiven is because when it is once committed it is ever after accompanied with final impenitentie and that by the just judgment of God such apostates are punished with final and Eternal blindnes and that they cannot possiblie repent and for this doctrine they alleage the saying of S. Paul Heb. 6. 4. It is impossible for those who were once enlightned if they fall away to renue them to repentance Whether this be the true meaning of those words or not it will better appeare if we diligentlie by way of exposition examine them together with the context both before after Which I will not presume to undertake or performe by mine owne single judgment but will call in the assistance of former expositions by the auncient Fathers upon that place where we read as followeth For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift c. If they fall away to Renue them againe to repentance The Apostle having in the former verses told those Hebr●ws that they should not expect that he would new lay the foundations of Christian religion which had bin done to them before wherof one was 〈◊〉 and its Doctrine for if they must be alwaies n●w rounded in Christian religion as oft as they fall into ●in then should they be as often baptized that if they fell a second and third time they should as often be baptized and therby re●●ored to their former estate by so many several baptismes This is the e●position of Theophilact Si iterum e●● in primordiis religionis insti●ueret Theoph. in locum ru●sus baptizaret po●iqu●m denuò ●apsi essent baptizaret a●que ●te●um per ●ujusmodi● iterationem essent multi baptismi verum ho●●bsurdum non oportet iterari baptismum i If the Apostle must new lay the foundations of religion in his disciples as oft as they fall into sin then must he new baptize them and if they fall againe he must baptize them againe and againe but ●f so then there would be many Baptismes which were absurd for Baptisme may

is applied to a Man S. Basil saith Baptismus est similitudo Basil de Bapt. lib. 1. n. 18. Crucis mortis sepulturae r●surrectionis i Baptisme is the similitude or representarion of the Crosse death burial and resurrection of Christ He that will have two Baptismes doth implie a similitude of two deaths Christ died but once and wee in our Baptisme dyed with him Christ dieth no more nor we by Baptisme can dye any more with him Theophilact so expoundeth Theoph. in loc these words He that will be twide Baptized doth therby make a representation of two Deaths and two Crucifyings of Christ And put him to an open shame Because it is ignominious and a great undervaluing of that one most precious and alsufficient Sacrifice of Christ to Imagine that his once dying is not Satisfactorie to the Justice of God for all our sins both before and after Baptisme Therfore it must needs follow that it is also Ignominious to his said death for any Man to represent or apply two deaths of Christ to himself by two Baptismes for as his once dying is a sufficient redemption so one application of it to our selves by one Baptisme is a sufficient application If therfore by sin we fall away from the benefit of Christs death by suffering sin to live and raigne in us having once died unto sin Sacramentally by Baptisme we must returne to the benefit therof by repentance and mortification of sin and not by a new or second Baptisme For the earth which drinketh in the raine c. vers 7. 8. Here is a second reason alleaged against re Baptization 2. Reason taken from the similitude of the earth with Man for the earth which hath bin watered by raine from Heaven and dressed by the husbandman if it bring forth good fruite answerable to its watering and dressing it is a signe that the blessing from God still continueth on it Even that blessing wherwith it was at the Creation blessed when it was said Gen. 1. 11. Let the earth bring forth grasse and the fruit tree But if after this watering and dressing it beareth only weeds thorns and briers then a new watering will not help it but make it worse by giving a new and fresh aliment whereby those Weeds and Thorns will be increased and grow stronger watering is not a meanes to kill them or to extripate them So that Christian whose soule hath been watered with Baptismall Grace and dressed with holy doctrines of repentance and faith toward God and hath been instructed in the certainty of the resurrection and of Judgment eternall and yet for all this bringeth no fruites of Righteousnesse and Holinesse but contratily aboundeth luxuriantly in all manner of carnall v●ces let him not think that these weeds and thorns of his soul can be mortified or killed by a second baptismall watering Which if it should be applyed would rather accumulate higher and increase his sins then diminish them even as rain doth weeds because such a second Baptism will be accounted ●s a second crucifying the Son of God and shaming him by undervaluing his own most precious death so as it is before said and as the Earth being cursed B●ing●th forth thorns and thist●●s G●n 3. 18. So that baptized Ambro. in loc One who bringeth forth no better fruit is nigh unto cursing and like unto Thornes his end is to be burnt He saith but nigh unto Cursing not yet altogether accu●sed and whose end is to be burnt yet not presently thrown into the fire for as St. Ambrose expounds it Combustio non crit nisi quis in fin●m permane●t in peccatis suis In this exposition of this Scripture all this while the reader doth not find any imposibility of repencance of renuing or of remission and pardon of the grand blasphemy the impossibility here mentioned ●s only an impossibility of renovation and rep●ntance by a second baptism If this exposition be admitted it will quit us of a great deal of trouble which some Expositors have occasioned and thereby much perplexed many mens mindes How well or ill other writers of late have expounded this place I take not upon me to censure nor am I so wedded to this as to propose it Magisterially but with submission to my Superiors this may be true though others are not false for the Character which St. Austin setteth on the Mosaicall Scriptures and Aug. confes lib. 12. c. 31. 32. their Expositors may serve for all other Scriptures Cum alius dix●rit hoc sensit Moses quod ego et alius dicit imò illud quod ego cur non utrumque dixero sensisse id ibid. utrumque verum est and again he saith Moses sensit quicquid veri hic potuimus invenire et quicquid nondum possumus invenire whatsoever truth may probably be gathered out of a Scripture agreable with the faith and profitable may with humility be submitted unto as if it were the true meaning of that most wise Spirit by whom it was inspired who hath so composed the Scriptures in such a temper as may be sutable to the various senses of men although some see more in them then others have discerned my humble prayer shall be with him Domine nec fallar in Scripturis nec fallam ex eis i Aug. confes l. 11. cap. 2. The Lord grant that I may neither be deceived in the meaning of Scriptures nor by Scriptures deceive others CHAP. VII A review of those words Heb 6. 4. and some doubts cleared ●concerning the former Exposition what moved the Apostle to handle the Doctrine of Baptism and so strictly to forbid Anabaptisme in this Epistle to the Hebrews THe summe of the former Exposition is That if a man fall from baptismall Grace he must nor expect a restoring thereunto by a Second baptisme this place being the chief in Scripture by which Anabaptism or Rebaptization is expresly inhibited though something obscurely It would now be inquired whether this Word Inlightned in this place may not signifie those that are instructed or chatechised onely and not those that are baptised and this because some think that instruction in the Christian doctrine is here principally meant for that the custome of the Church was that in Adulto baptism which was the baptizing of people when they were in yeares of discretion catechising ever went before baptism To this I answer that in the Ancient Church language it cannot appear to me that any were called Illum●nati i the Inlightned before they were actually baptized although they were ever so exactly instructed and known to be very learned in Christian Doctrine for we find that many were chosen and compelled to be Bishops before they were baptized as Eus●bius Naz. orat 19. 20. Soz. l. 7. c 8. Ruffin hist l 2. c. 11. Soz lib. l●b 6. c. 〈◊〉 Bishop of Caesaria in Ca●padocia who was the Predecessor of St. Basil and after him Nectar●us was chosen Bishop of Constantinople by Theo●osius

the Emperour immediately after the resignation of Nazianzen and then Nectarius was not baptized So was St. Ambrose before he was baptized chosen and compelled to be the Bishop of Millaine surely St. Ambrose and the other also were perfectly instructed in Christianity and known to be learned before they were chosen to those high p●aces especially in such a learned age of the Church wherein they li●ed and yet St. Ambrose after he was so chosen is stiled but Catecumenus and was never called Illumina●us untill he was baptized And yet we find that those who were baptized in their infancy were then called Illuminat● before they were Catechised For St. Cyrils Catechismes are therefore called Catech●sis Illuminator●m because they were imploied for the instruction of such as had been baptized in their minority and were therefore called both catecumeni because they were yet under the Catechiser and also illuminati because they had been baptized So that it is apparant that some were called Illuminates who were not sufficiently instructed and some were called Catecumeni who never had been baptized and therefore were not called Illum●nati St. Cyril saith Antebaptismum Catecmenus eras nunc fidelis vocaris Cyril Hiero. n. 4. i before baptism they were called Catecumens but after baptism if they were once admitted to the Eucharist they were stiled Fideles i the faithful but in case they had been baptized and not yet admited to the Lords Supper then their appellation was Neophyti i New plants yet both the Fideles and the Neophyti Paulin in vita Amb● n. 1. were called Ill●minati St. Ambrose would fain have declined the office of a Bishop after he was chosen and alleadged for himself that the Scripture forbad that such a man as he was should be a Bishop for he was not so high as a Novice or Neophyte 1. Tim. 3. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for said he if a Neophite who hath been baptized may not be a Bishop much lesse may I who am inferior to a Neophite but in the rank or form of the Catecumen● not baptized and therefore inferiour to all that are baptized In a word the appellation of Illuminates was not given them because of their light of knowledge but onely because they had received the light of Grace baptismal In the next place I am to shew some reasons why our Apostle doth thus forbid second Baptismes and what occasioned him to handle this doctrine in this Epistle which is scarce found evidently any where else in Scripture especially to be so offensive and sinful as is here set ●orth to this query my answer is that the Apostle had great and weighty reasons so to do partly because of the Hebrewes or Jews unto whom he wrote and partly because of the Gentiles unto whom this doctrine would be needful as well as to the Hebrewes as will appear anon First For the Hebrews and particularly the Sect of the Pharisees in which St. Paul had himself bin brought up and accurately instructed The Heb●ewes in their legal religion used divers and frequent washings and Baptismes whereby they thought themselves to be acquitted of any former pollution and indeed God had commanded some washings whereby as by a tipe and figure of outward washing he signified what purenesse of life he required of his servants Exod. 19. 10. Sanctify the people and let them wash their clothes and of sanctifying the Priests he saith Exod. 29. 4 Thou shalt bring Aaron and his sonnes to the dore of the Tabernacle and shalt wash them with water and Exod. 30. 15. Aaron and his sonnes shall wash their hands and their f●et at the brazen laver when they goe to Minister that they dye not which washing was actually performed Exo●us 40. 31. To these Scriptural washings the Scribes and Pharisees added more traditional washings as we find in the New Testament thereby imaging that any pollutions attracted by touching any unclean thing were done away Matth. 15. 2. The Scribes and Pharisees said why do thy Disciples transgresse the tradition of the Elders for they wash not their hands when they eat And those traditional washings are called Baptismes Mar. 7. 3. The Pharisees and all the Jews when they come from the Mar●●t except they wash their hands oft they eat no● So they washed cups pots brazen vessels the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i unlesse they Baptiz● and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 4. 1. i baptismes of vessels and so again Luk. 11. 38. the Pharisee marvelled rhat Christ washed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suteable hereunto St. Ambrose speaketh Judaei baptizant Cali●es i the Jewes baptize cups Besides Amb. de Initiandis cap. 4. n 30. Epiph. hae ●7 there was a special sect of Jews before the birth of Christ mentioned by Epiphanius and called Hemerobaptistae qui quotidie etiàm hieme in aqua mergerentur cred●ntes se sic ab omni culp● ablui i the Hem●rohaptists were every day dipped in water even in winter also bel●eving that thereby th●y were purg●d from their sinnes Now these traditional practises and erroneous opinions of the Jewes occasioned the Apostle to write this passage especially in this Epistle directed to the converted Hebrews This reason is rendred by Theodoret upon that place Theod. in loc Docet judaeos qui crederent ne existimarent sanctissimum baptismum ●sse similem baptismis judaicis illi enim non solvebant peccatum sed corporis sordes purgabant hinc frequentèr adhibebantur Baptismus autem noster unus est i he teacheth the believing Jews that they should not think our most holy Baptisme to be like to the Jewish-baptismes for by their sins were not remitted but onely the body was cleansed therefore their Baptismes were often reiterated but our Christian baptisme is but one the like reason is given by Theophylact i fortasse Theoph. in loc ills Hebraei ut qui legi affixi erant multos baptismos judai●● more etiam in Gratia predicabant i perhaps those converted Hebrewes held this dangerous opinion that although they fell into foul sins after Baptisme yet that a new Baptisme would acquit them from all their pollutions as they were once made believe rhe Jewish Baptismes did Therefore the Apostle giveth the Hebrews this seasonable and profitable monition to prevent their unreasonable presumption of sinning upon a false conceit that their new sins might be remitted by a new baptisme and this conceit was also amongst Christians who were Gentiles as is next to be shewed Secondly this doctrine against Re-baptization was useful to succeeding ages of Christians among the Gentiles by reason of abuses which probably would arise amongst them as may reasonably be thought were foreseen by the Apostolical Spirit For who is now ignorant of the great troubles and controversies that have bin in the Church about Clino-baptisme adulto-baptisme Rebaptization of Hereticks and Schismaticks paedobaptisme and to this day about Anabaptisme Such doubts in a matter of so great

would not confesse the blood of Christ to be as it is the Blood of God and upon this misconceit he said at the Councill of Eph●sus that he could not call the Man Cbtist God for it he should it would follow that he must call him Bim●strem ●rim●strem Deum id est A god of two Soz l. y. c. 33. or three mon●ths old not considering that those sayings are not incongruous to be said of that Person who is Emmanu●l God and Man Saint Anselme also writing upon those words And hath counted the blood of the Covenant unholy Doth thus expound them Qui i●a vilipenderi● ut eum ad Ansel in loc salutem sufficere non credat nec Cenus humanum emundan●em id est to count the blood of the Covenant unholy or common is to thi●k so vi●●ly and meanly of it as if it were not of sufficient worth and value to redeem and save Mankind CHAP. XIV That the remedy of Repentance is not absolutely taken away from them that have sinned this grand sin in denying renouncing Christ that such possibly may repent that this sin is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with finall impenitencie the Conclusion of this Exposition IN all that our Apostle hath said in this place of sinning this grand sin by treading under foot the Son of God counting the blood of the Covenant common and vile casting away our confidence in Christ drawing back from him doing despite unto his Spirit of grace and all this wilfully and after knowledge received and although he hath affirmed that besides Christs all sufficient sacrifice once offered on the crosse there is none other sacrifice for sin either possible or to be expected yet after all this grand Impiety and Apostacy it is ●not said nor intimated that the sinner who so sinneth cannot repent repentance is not quite and absolutely taken away nor is the sinner wholy left to desperation without all remedy For albeit he who doth renounce the Profession of Christ plenarily and totally can find no other Saviour Redeemer or Sacrifice for sin and so long as he continueth in this totall Apostasie he can reasonably expect none other issue but a fearfull judgement of condemnation and fiery ind●gnation yet nothing hindreth but that this Apostate may return to his former faith and profession and repent of his Apostasie for although this rejecting or renouncing Christ may for a time be totall and plenary yet it doth not follow that it shall be finall seeing that those Jews who for a time did so eagerly and spitefully renounce and deny Christ that they also crucified him yet they were by St. Peter exhorted to repentance Acts 2. 38. yea and they did actually repent and were baptized and continued afterwards stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine Wherefore the summe of all this threatning is That he who renounceth Christ can find no other Saviour but if he will be saved he must needs return to that Christ by repentance whom he formerly rejected Another Saviour cannot be found but repentance may be found for that is not absolutely taken away and by it reconciliation may be obtained The onely thing which maketh this grand sin to be absolutely unpardonable is impenitency obstinacy obduratenesse and perseverance therein untill death and in this case onely is that saying to be understood It shall not be forgiven neither in this world neither in the world to come In this Sence onely did the anci●nt Expositors understand Aug. in expos Epist ad Rom. n. 96. those words St. Austine saith Quid restat nisi ut peccatum in Spiritum Sanctum quod non remittitur nullum intelligatur nisi perseveran●ia in nequitia cum desperatione indulgen●iae i No sin against the Holy Ghost is to be conceived unpa●donable but perseverance in that wickednesse and desperation So Theophilact writing upon those words If we sinne wilfully Theoph. in loc c. Tells us they are to be understood De permanen●ibus sine paeni●entia i. It is meant of such as continue obdurately without any repentance he addeth Si non p●rmaneamus veniae certe locus est u●● sunt igitur qui tolli paenitentiam clamant i. If we will leave and forsake that sin certainly there is pardon to be found away with them who from these words Theod. in loc gather that such sinners cannot repent Theodoret also gives the same Exposition upon these words There remaineth no more sacrifice N●quaqu●m prohibuit paenitentiam sed dixit non esse secundam crucem i. The Apostle doth not deny repentance or inhibit such sinners to be admitted amongst the number of penitents He onely saith there is none other sacrifice or second Cross And before him S. Ambrose upon those words Amb. in loc A fearful looking for of judgment saith Aliud te expectat judicium nisi per paenitentiam renovatus fueris In hoc paenitentiam non excludit Apostolus nec prepititationem quaefit per paenitentiam nec dejicit per desperat●onem non ita est inimicus nostraesalutis uon enim dixit non est ultrà paenitentia neque dixit non est r●missio sed Hostia inquit ultra non est hoc est non crux ●ecund● quicunque paenitentiae medicamentum neglexerit ignis aemulus devorabit eum i. Unless thou repent judgement waiteth for thee he doth not denie possibilitie of repentance nor reconciliation by it he doth not cast the sinner downe to desperation he is not such an enemie of our salvation for he doth not say there remaineth no repentance nor there is no hope of pardon onlie he saith there remaineth no more sacrifice that is there is no other Redeemer to be Crucified for thee but only Christ whosoever in this case shall neglect the Medicine of repentance fiery indignation will devour him As yet we find not that this grand blasphemie is absolutely unpardonable or that this blasphemer can not by Gods mercie repent It doth not appeare that such sinners are wholie left to final impenitencie and desperation but we find the contrarie that some have repented and returned to the Lord their God CHAP. XV. Whether such Blasphemers as are before mentioned Question may upon their Repentance finde mercie two sorts of Repentance First Legall Secondly Evangelicall of Judas and his Repentance the difference between penitencie and resipiscencie Objections out of the Old Testament cleared Why temporall pressures are not alwayes withdrawn upon true Repentance IT being granted that the greatest sinners and most impious blasphemers possibly may have the grace of repentance it would be next inquired whether such sinners upon their confession repentance and amendment may at all find and obtaine mercy and pardon so that their repentance shall not be fruitless The ground and reason of this inquirie is taken from some passages in Scripture where we find that some who are said to have repented yet have not bin releived for of Judas it is said Mat. 27. 3. When he

Baptisme That the principal scope of that place is against the presumption of Anabaptisme or a second Baptisme Chapter V. That the word Renue is to be understood onely of Page 16 renovation by a new Baptisme That sinners after Baptisme may have the remedy of repentance but not by a new Baptisme The distinction of renuing 1 Baptismall 2 Morall or penitentiall Four Propositons by which the meaning of these words is collected In what sense sinnes originall or actuall are said to be taken away in Baptisme Chapter VI. How a second Baptisme is said to be a new crucifying Page 19 of Christ That it is ignominious to the All-sufficient sacrifice of Christ That a second Baptisme doth no good but much harm it aggravates sins even as rain maketh weeds to grow that these words do not prove an impossibilitie of repentance but onely an impossiblitie of renewing by a new Baptisme Chapter VII A review of those words Heb. 6. 4. and some Page 25 doubts cleared That none were anciently called illuminate but onely the Baptized That Catechising was not then called illumination What moved the Apostle to handle the Doctrine of Baptisme and so strictly to forbid Anabaptisme in the Epistle to the Hebrews rather then in other Epistles Chapter VIII The distinction of Baptismes into true and false Page 30 The formes of Pseudobaptismes among Hereticks That after their dipping a true Baptisme may be administred and yet cannot be accounted Anabaptisme The Novatian Baptisme was a true Baptisme Saint Cyprian is in part excused Chapter IX That the Disciples of Ephesus Acts 19. who Page 34 said they had been baptized to Johns Baptisme were notwithstanding then Baptized by Saint Pauls appointment yet that this example doth not warrant Anabaptisme because Johns Baptisme was then out of date and Null Johns too late Baptisme compared with the now Jewish Circumcision and both found unlawfull Chapter X. Of true Christian Baptisme that it may not Page 38 be twice ministred No Heretick maintained two Baptismes but onely Marcion What Marcion was the reason why he multiplied Baptisme The reasons why Novatians Donatists and the late Anabaptists rebaptized answers to their reasons Of baptizing Infants of Saint Cyprians error and Athanasius his ludicrous Baptisme Chapter XI That the ancient Church allowed but one Baptisme Page 46 is shewed by the then frequent deferring it till ripe years or old age That their delaying was mostly for carnall respects The danger of delaying Baptisme The Story of a Jew Anabaptist An example upon an Arian Pseudobaptisme The summarie meaning of that Scripture and the Exposition concluded Chapter XII A full Exposition of Heb. 10. 26. The particular Page 52 sinne against the Holy Spirit is shewed to be the blasphemous denying Christ to be God What is meant by accounting his blood common or unholy The unsufficiencie of legall sacrifices and the sufficiencie of Christs sacrifice Chapter XIII Of severall degrees of this sin of denying and rejecting Page 57 Christ and salvation by him First some deny him outwardly onely by compulsion and terror of torments Secondly Others wilfully uncompelled Thirdly Others both willfully and also after-knowledge as Arius Julian and this Commenter The concurrence of Theophilact and Saint Anselm in the sence of this place Chapter XIV That the remedy of repentance is not absolutely Page 61 taken away from them who have sinned the grand sin of denying and renouncing Christ That such possibly may repent That this sin is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with small impenitencie The Conclusion of this Exposition Chapter XV. Whether such blasphemers if they repent may Page 64 possibly find mercy The difference of repentance Legall and Evangelicall The repentance of Judas The difference of Repentance and Rescipiscence The Conclusion that true repentance is never totally rejected Objections out of the Old Testament answered Why temporall pressures are not alwayes removed upon true repentance Chapter XVI A full and large Exposition of 1 John 5. 16. Page 70 That the Fathers called some sins Veniall and some Mortall albeit every sinne in its own nature and merit is mortall or deadly What is meant by a sinne unto death and a sinne not unto death That sins are not equall Chapter XVII The judgement of the Fathers and ancient Expositors Page 74 concerning sinne unto death The Discipline of the Primitive Church correspondent to their judgement That the greatest sinnes may be and actually have been pardoned The true sence of the Fathers in calling some sinnes veniall and some mortall Chapter XVIII The meaning of those words I do not say he shall pray for it That the praying or not Page 79 praying mentioned is to be understood of the living and not of the dead The practice of the Church in praying for penitents The manner of Ecclesiasticall or outward pennance shewed in the pennance of the Lady Fabiola In what case God forbad praying for sinners in the Old Testament Chapter XIX That no condition of any grand sinner is so desperate Pag 83 during life but that he may be prayed for in this sence that he may have the grace of conversion Certain Propositions of Divines concerning the matter now in hand are examined The practice of the Synagogue and Church in praying for all Mankind the concurrence of the Church of England therein praying even for Heathens Idolaters Persecutors and Hereticks Chapter XX. The meaning of those words I do not say he Page 89 shall pray for it set down positively and conclusively The difference between praying for the Person and praying for the sin The different prayers for a sinner penitent and a sinner not yet penitent The practice of this Church in praying for persecutors and yet against them The prayers of Christ and Saint Stephen explained The case of Alexander the Copper-smith Chapter XXI A Recapitulation of the former Expositions of Page 94 those foure places That finall impenitency cannot be called the Grand sinne The difference of repentance required for the inferiour and unknown sins Of the Solifidian doctrine The particular sin of misbelieving the Incarnation of God censured with Charitie The conclusion of this fourth Book FINIS Errors of the Press In the Title page line 12 for 1647 read 1646. In the advertisement to the reader p. 3. l. the last to Joh. Hen. Bisters●ldius add and published An. 1639. In the preface p. 12. l. 29 r. only In the 1. Book p. 18 l. 10 r your word is p. 28. l. 7. r. mortuos p. 29 l. 18 r. one Lord p. 30 l. 38 r. Nicetas p. 33 l. 41 r. a dead p. 34 l. 32 r. Sentence p. 47 l. 19 soul r. joul p. 51 l. 29 pro r. per in the margin In the 2 Book p. 3 l. 8 fur r for p. 6 l. 27 Lucan r. Bucan p 8 l. 33 Ehat r. That p. 12 l. 16 aith r. saith l. 18 sod r. Son l 23 conjicietur r. conjicietur p. 17 l. 19 r. how can p 18 l. 37 Olympus r.