and we that have beene ruled but with an iron rod in the time of the Law able to breake all the kingdomes of the earth to powder have now the golden scepter of grace stretched out over us to guide us thorow the paths of righteousnesse in this world unto the land of everlasting happinesse in the world to come And therefore let us praise the Lord all wee Heathens and sing unto him all we nations because Jesus Christ that is the Anoynted Saviour as well to us Gentiles as to the Jewes is conceived by the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Marie and this sufficeth for his two names Iesus Christ It followeth His onely Sonne our Lord. Where you see that everie good Christian professes to beleeve how that Jesus Christ is first the Sonne of God secondly his onely Son and thirdly our Lord of these in order And first of the first his Sonne First he is the Sonne of God which when you heare Beloved you must take heed that you doe not understand it onely as he was man conceived by the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Marie as followes afterward to be handled in the description of his manhood when we shall come to those articles for so he is usually stiled the Sonne of man as well as of God but here he is to be beleeved the Sonne of God from the beginning before ever he became man or ever man was or indeed before the world was A Sonne Qui non in temporibus esse coepit sed ante saecula sempiternus incomprehensibiliter à patre genitus as Cyril speakes Which had not his beginning in transitorie and fleeting time but was begotten by his Father before all worlds as it is in the Nicene Creed God of God light of light verie God of verie God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made as there followes so that as the Father is eternall so is the Sonne eternall too as saith Athanasius in his Creed Now if any should be inquisitive to know Quomodo aeternus aeternum as S. Augustine speakes how one eternall should beget another seeing according to our naturall reason that which begets is before that which is begotten I might answer as in my former Catechisme about the name of Father Generationem ejus quis enarrabit Who shall declare his generation Esay 53.8 seeing the Angels thereof are ignorant and it is unknowne to the Prophets and therefore Non à nobis discutiendum sed credendum as S. Augustine It is rather to be beleeved than disputed or inquired into too farre but yet because the Lord hath given us many earthly comparisons both in his word and works by which wee may make some resemblances and attaine unto some glimpse of knowledge in those things that are heavenly therefore with the same Father wee will expresse it as plainly as we can to your apprehension and conceit entreating you with him that if there be any thing that you cannot thorowly and plainly understand that yet you would beleeve considering as the Prophet saith That untill you beleeve you cannot understand as S. Augustine reads it Esay 7.9 Intellectus enim est merces fidei as he further saith Understanding is the reward of faith and therefore seeke not to understand that thou mayest beleeve but beleeve first that thou mayest understand afterward Nay thou shalt understand if thou firmly beleevest if not in this life yet in that which is to come when thou shalt see face to face and know as thou art knowne Well then Quomodo aeternus aeternum sayest thou How doth one eternall beget another S. Augustine shall answer for mee Quomodo flamma temporalis generat lucem temporalem Even as a temporall flame or fire doth beget a temporall light where the begotten light is coequall in time to the begetting flame neither being before nor after other so that where there is a flame you may be bold to say there is light and where you see such a light there you may be sure is also a flame or fire so that Ex quó incipit flamma ex illo incipit lux Looke where the flame begins then also the light even at that verie instant of time And therefore as S. Augustine goes on Da mihi flammam sine luce do tibi Deum Patrem sine Filio Shew mee a flame without light and I will beleeve that God the Father may have a time to be without a Sonne but not else but as the light from its verie first beginning begets shining so God the Father from all eternitie hath begot this Son which in some places of the holy Scripture is called the Word of God In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God c. Joh. 1.1 In other places Sapientia Patris The wisdome of the Father as Luk. 11.49 Sometimes Virtus potentia Dei The vertue and power of the Lord other times Brachium fortitudo Domini The arme and strength of the Lord and the like All which shew him to have his verie essence and being with and from God from the verie beginning of eternitie even before all times in this onely to be distinguished from the Father that the Father is of none whereas the Sonne is of the Father and the Holy Ghost is from them both being but one God howsoever three persons so that as learned Mr. Hooker saith The substance of God with this propertie to be of none doth make the person of the Father the verie selfe-same substance in number with this propertie to be of the Father maketh the person of the Sonne the same substance having added unto it the propertie of proceeding from the other two maketh the person of the Holy Ghost so that howsoever in the God-head there be three persons yet wee acknowledge but one God for the Father is God the Sonne God and the Holy Ghost God and yet not three Gods but one God as Athanasius in his Creed and therefore this one God howsoever but one in substance and essence when hee was to make man seemes to distinguish himselfe into persons by saying within himselfe Let us make man in our image according to our likenesse Gen. 1.26 in which words and those immediately going before Et divinitatis unitas personarum pluralitas aperte ostenditur The unitie of the God-head and pluralitie of persons is plainly and evidently shewne For whereas the next words before are And God saw that it was good he presently added saying Let us make man c. which adding of a verb of the plurall number to a noune of the singular number shewes plainly as well a pluralitie of persons as singularitie of essence in the God-head And so likewise doe the two nounes of the singular number Image and Similitude shew evidently Non in Deo esse plura exemplaria That there are not in God more patternes and samples to be resembled than one according to the image and
he offered up himselfe as there followes verse 27. see also the ninth Chapter of the same Booke to the same purpose vers 24 25. c. And thirdly a Prophet to teach and instruct us in the way of godlinesse and salvation for of him was it said I will raise them up a Prophet among their brethren like unto thee and I will put my words into his mouth and unto him shall they hearken Deut. 18.15 18. Yea the Spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith the Prophet Esay of him because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken hearted Esay 61.1 And therefore it is likewise said of him This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare yee him Matth. 17.5 And therefore seeing he is thus anointed to become all these things unto us let us faithfully beleeve and put our trust in him in this anointed one and we also in an inlarged sense shall be made with him and by him spirituall Kings Priests and Prophets our selves for he being Prince of the Kings of the earth and loving us and washing us from our sins in his bloud hath made us also Kings and Priests unto God his Father Revel 1.5 6 verses First Kings to beare rule over our owne hearts and to master our owne rebellious thoughts wils and affections that so sin may not reigne in our mortall bodies nor we obey it in the lusts thereof as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 6.12 but as kings and conquerours may fight a good fight and overcome the corruptions of our owne hearts that without resistance will in the end destroy our soules Secondly Priests to offer up to God many spirituall sacrifices As first of Prayer for so saith David Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice Psal 141.2 Secondly of thanksgiving as the Apostle Let us therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruit of the lips Hebr. 13.15 Thirdly of Almes which is an acceptable sacrifice and pleasing unto God as the same Apostle affirmeth in the very next verse viz. 16. And therefore S. Paul else-where calleth an offering and contribution of the Saints an odour that smelleth sweet and a pleasant and acceptable sacrifice unto God also Phil. 4.18 Fourthly of broken and contrite hearts and soules unto the Lord which as David saith are sacrifices unto God such as he will not despise Psal 51.17 And lastly to offer up our whole soules and bodies to the service of God as S. Paul exhorteth saying I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you give up your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable serving of God Rom. 12.1 And after we have thus beene Priests in offering up all these pleasing and acceptable sacrifices unto God we shall in the last place become Prophets also in applying that knowledge wee have to the benefit and good of others as S. Peter was commanded when hee was converted himselfe to strengthen his brethren Luk. 22.32 And therefore seeing wee have all these great and speciall benefits and blessings by this anoynted one Christ Jesus let us comfort our selves and rejoyce in this name too accounting it the greatest honour unto us that could befall us to be called and stiled Christians according to it for what is that else but anoynted ones that is men set apart and consecrated to these high and honourable offices in the Church of God before expressed And therefore let us be sure to carrie our selves in our lives and conversations answerable to this name by our carefull performance of the former duties lest otherwise it be said of us as of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead Revel 3.1 But if wee walke worthy of this name which we have taken upon us why then we have great cause to comfort our selves and rejoyce in it as Theodosius the Emperour did who thanked God more for that hee was a Christian than fâ—r that hee was an Emperour because as he said the glorie which he had by the one would vanish but the benefits he enjoyed by the other hee knew would continue for ever and this sufficeth for the two names as they are distinguished first Jesus then Christ One observation more from them as they are conjoyned and then I have done and that shall be this that Jesus is an Hebrew and Christ a Greeke name which may intimate unto vs that hee came into the world as well to be a light unto the Gentiles as to be the glorie of his people Israel as old Simeon prophesied of him in his Nunc dimittis Luk. 2.32 The Greeke name Christ belonging to the Gentiles and the Hebrew name Jesus to the Jewes so that now all nations may challenge an interest in the worlds Messias none excluded none exempted for the whole world of people were anciently divided but into these two names and nations of Jewes and Gentiles They only being termed Jewes which were of the seed of Abraham and all nations else that derived not their pedigree from this line were called and accounted by a more generall name Gentiles as might be plentifully proved out of many passages of the holy Scriptures if it were a thing to be doubted or questioned Now then I say in that the Messias being borne of Jewish parents and kindred according to the flesh had yet a Gentile name conferred and bestowed upon him it shewes plainly his verie names significantly speaking so much that hee is come to be a Saviour and Redeemer unto all nations even to the one as well as to the other to the Gentile as well as to the Jew bringing salvation with him unto all men as S. Paul speaketh Tit. 2.11 which was verie happie and welcome newes brought into the world at the incarnation and birth of Christ for before this time the golden scepter of grace was not stretched forth to all nations nor to all countries nor the Chancerie Court of mercie holden generally in all the world but in a corner as it were and in one family or kindred of the Jewes alone till the fulnesse of time came in which this Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgine Marie for from the calling of Abraham out of Urre of the Caldees it was onely in that one family increasing sometimes in Canaan sometimes in Aegypt sometimes in the wildernesse travelling and last of all in Canaan againe settled where it grew till it had filled indeed that whole land but yet still it was confined within that nation and people of the Jewes and within that little Kingdome of Canaan which was scarce an handfull in respect of the whole world whose Metropolitan Citie was Jerusalem the glorie and joy for the time of the whole earth for there it pleased the great King of heaven and earth to
similitude whereof man was made but adding a pronoune of the plurall number to these nounes of the singular as our image and our similitude it clearely demonstrates a pluralitie of persons as well as the other did but one God for if there were but one person as the heretique Sabellius would inferre he had not said our image but mine nor our likenesse but only my likenesse The same likewise viz. the pluralitie of persons in the God-head is further proved in another place of the same booke of Genesis and that is chap. 19. vers 24. where it is said Then the Lord rained upon Sodome and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven now if there were but one person in the God-head what Lord should this be that should thus raine fire and brimstone from the Lord but Lord being twice named it doth plainly shew the Sonne to be hee that rained Quoniam à Patre genitus Because he is begotten of his Father And the Father to be him from whom hee rained because hee is not à Domino sed ingenitus not from the Lord being unbegotten but the Lord raining from the Lord must needs be the Sonne from the Father who à quo habet esse ab illo habet operari looke from whom hee hath his essence from him also hee hath his operation and therefore it is said that by him were all things made Ioh. 1.3 And yet further Ego Paterunum sumus I and my Father are one saith Christ himselfe Ioh. 10.30 And againe this is life eternall to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 both which places shew plainly a pluralitie of persons though but one God But you will say that howsoever these places and the like may be sufficient to prove a Dualitie or that there are two persons in the God-head as Father and Sonne yet they doe not prove a Trinitie or that there are three persons in the same as we are farther taught to beleeve and therefore you desire proofe of this also for the better strengthening of your faith in that point which I am content to yeeld unto though it were more proper when wee shall come to that article of beleeving in the third person of this blessed Trinitie that is the Holy Ghost But if this be sufficiently proved now that labour may be spared then hearken therefore for you farther satisfaction in this point to that which followes when Abraham sate in his tent doore in the plaine of Mamre in the heat of the day it is said that the Lord appeared unto him and he lift up his eyes and looked and loe three men stood by him and when hee saw them hee ran to meet them from the rent doore and bowed himselfe to the ground and he said Lord if I have now found favour in thy sight goe not I pray thee from thy servant Gen. 18.1 2 3. Here you see three appeared yet Abraham speakes but as to one saying Lord and thy and thee all in the singular number Yea the Text it selfe expresseth these three to be but one Lord saying That the Lord appeared vers 1. and yet three appeared vers 2. Secondly the Prophet David saith God even our owne God shall blesse us God shall blesse us and all the ends of the earth shall feare him Psal 67. ult where hee names God thrice to shew a Trinitie of persons and then concludeth with All shall feare him expressing these three persons to be notwithstanding but one God Thirdly the Prophet Esay speaking of the Seraphims praising the Lord sayes they did it after this manner saying Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts the whole world is full of his glorie Esa 6.3 where by crying thrice holy they demonstrate a Trinitie of persons and by saying Lord God and his glorie in the singular number they declare also the Unitie of the same And these proofes shall serve out of the Old Testament in the new likewise we finde sundrie to the same purpose and we will begin with S. Paul first who saith That of him and through him and for him are all things to him therefore be glorie for ever Amen Rom. 11. ult where having named him thrice hee shewes the three persons and adding to him and not to them be glorie hee likewise manifestly teaches but one God And againe hee shewes the Trinitie in another place verie plainly though not the Unitie viz. when he sayes The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all 2 Cor. 13. ult where the three persons are expressely named which is as much as we looke for at this time having plentifully proved the Unitie before S. Iohn likewise saith There are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Ioh. 5 7. where both Trinitie and Unitie are apparently expressed as also in the Revelation Holy holy holy Lord God Almightie which was and which is and which is to come Revel 4.8 And lastly our Saviour himselfe likewise to manifest the same unto his Church in after ages commands his Apostles at his last farewel from them on earth to goe unto all Nations and to baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 which should never have beene done if these three Persons had not beene one and the same God Now then to finish this point if you understand these things give praise and thankes unto God that hath made you capable of such high and hidden mysteries by enabling you so to doe if you doe not understand yet faithfully beleeve and it may be a meanes to save your soules And in particular for the present Article in hand beleeve the confession of Saint Peter which hee made unto Christ himselfe demanding of his Disciples who he was Simon Peter answered for all the rest Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Matth. 16.16 So say you every one for himselfe I beleeve in Jesus Christ the Son of God The next circumstance is that he is unicus his onely Son And in Jesus Christ his only Son So that he is to be beleeved not onely to be his Son but his onely Son too for thus the holy Scriptures declare him and therefore it is our parts so to beleeve him As first where it is said The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 And againe No man hath seene God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him verse the tenth of the same Chapter But if Christ be Gods only Son how then are we also called his sons will you say unto me yea and the Angels likewise are termed his