THE MYSTERIES OF The Christian Faith ASSERTED and VINDICATED IN A SERMON Preached at S. Laurence-Jewry in London APRIL the 7th 1691. By the Right Reverend Father in GOD EDWARD Lord Bishop of Worcester LONDON Printed by J. H. for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1691. A SERMON Preached at S. Laurence-Jewry APRIL the 7th 1691. 1 TIM I. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief IF these Words were to be understood without any Restriction or Limitation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners they would overthrow the great Design of the Gospel and make its Excellent Precepts Useless and Ineffectual For to what purpose should men be put upon the severe Practise of Repentance Mortification and a continued Course of a Holy Life if the meer being Sinners did sufficiently qualifie them for Salvation This indeed would be thought a Doctrine worthy of all Acceptation by the greatest Sinners but it could not be a faithfull saying being not agreeable either to the Nature of God or Revelation of his Will by Christ Jesus But S. Paul speaks of such Sinners as himself had been i. e. such as had been great Sinners but had truely and sincerely repented Of whom I am chief What then Must we look on him as the Standard and Measure of such Sinners whom Christ Jesus came to save What will then become of all those who have been Sinners of a higher Rank than ever he was It 's true in the Verses before the Text he sets out his Sins as a humble Penitent is wont to do with the worst Colours and deepest Aggravations Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but yet he adds that he obtained Mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief How then is S. Paul the Chief of Sinners Are Sins of Ignorance and Mistake the greatest of Sins for which Christ died Is there no Expiation for any other by Jesus Christ What will become then of all such who sin against Knowledge and Conscience and not in Ignorance and Unbelief Can none of these hope for Mercy by Christ Jesus although they do truely Repent But the Blood of Christ is said elsewhere to cleanse us from all Sin not while we continue in them but if we repent and forsake them And Jesus Christ is said to be a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but for the Sins of the whole World And therefore this Expression of S. Paul notes his great Humility and deep Sense of his own Sins but doth not exclude others from the hopes of Pardon whose Sins have other Aggravations than his had For if we leave out the last words as peculiar to his Case yet the other contain in them a true Proposition and of the greatest Importance to Mankind This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners This you may say is a matter out of all doubt among all such who hope for Salvation by Christ Jesus for all are agreed that one way or other we are to be saved by him But there is great Difficulty as to the Way of saving sinners by Christ Iesus whether by the Doctrine and Example of the Man Christ Jesus by the Power he attained through his Sufferings Or by the Eternal Son of God's assuming our Nature and suffering in our stead in order to the Reconciling God to us and making a Propitiation for our Sins These are two very different Hypotheses or Notions of Christ's coming to save Sinners and the former seems more Easie to be understood and believed and the other seems to have Insuperable Difficulties in point of Reason and to run our Religion into Mysteries which expose our Faith and make Christianity appear Contemptible to Men of Sense and Understanding Is it not therefore much better to embrace such a Scheme of it as will have the least Objection against it that so Men of Reason may not be tempted to Infidelity and Men of Superstition may not under the Colour of Mysteries bring in the most Absurd and Unreasonable Doctrines These are plausible Insinuations and would be apt to prevail on considering Mens minds if they were to form and make a Religion that might be most accommodated to the Genius and Humour of the Age they live in And truely no Men by their own Authority can pretend to a Right to impose on others any Mysteries of Faith or any such things which are above their Capacity to understand But that is not our Case for we all profess to believe and receive Christianity as a Divine Revelation and God we say may require from us the belief of what we may not be able to comprehend especially if it relates to Himself or such things which are Consequent upon the Union of the Divine and Human Nature Therefore our business is to consider whether any such things be contained in that Revelation which we all own and if they be we are bound to believe them although we are not able to comprehend them Now here are two Remarkable Characters in these Words by which we may examin these different Hypotheses concerning the way of Salvation by Jesus Christ. I. It is a faithfull saying and therefore must be contained in that Revelation which God hath made concerning our Salvation by Christ. II. It is worthy of all Acceptation i. e. most usefull and beneficial to Mankind Now by these two I shall proceed in the Examination of them I. Which is most agreeable to the Revealed Will of God II. Which doth offer fairest for the Benefit and Advantage of Mankind I. Which is most agreeable to the Revealed Will of God For that we are sure is the most faithfull saying since Men of Wit and Reason may deceive us but God cannot When the Apostles first preached this Doctrine to the World they were not bound to believe what they affirmed to be a faithfull saying till they gave sufficient Evidence of their Authority from God by the wonderfull Assistance of the Holy Ghost But now this faithfull saying is contained in the Books of the New Testament by which we are to judge of the Truth of all Christian Doctrines And when two different Senses of Places of Scripture are offer'd we are to consider which is most Reasonable to be preferr'd And herein we are allow'd to Exercise our Reason as much as we please and the more we do so the sooner we shall come to Satisfaction in this matter Now according to Reason we may judge that Sense to be preferr'd 1. Which is most plain and easie and agreeable to the most received Sense of Words not that which is forced and intricate or which puts improper and metaphorical Senses upon Words which are commonly taken in other Senses especially when it is no Sacramental thing which in its own Nature is
is most ample in setting it forth in his Admirable Sublime and Divine Introduction to his Gospel Which all the Wit of Mankind can never make tolerable Sense of if they deny Christ's being the Eternal Son of God and it is he that hath preserved those Conferences with the Jews wherein he asserts his own Divinity S. Paul was a Stranger to him while he lived but at the same time when he was so zealous to perswade the Gentiles to the Worship of God and not of Creatures he calls him God over all blessed for evermore And when he saith that the Eternal Power and Godhead are known by the Creation of the World he attributes the Creation of all things to Christ applying to him those words of the Psalmist Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heaven the Work of thy hands Which cannot be understood of any Metaphorical Creation And after the strictest Examination of Copies those will be found the best which have that Reading on which our Translation is grounded And without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the Flesh. So that God's being manifest in the Flesh is made a great Part of the Mystery of Christianity But here arises a Difficulty which deserves to be consider'd i. e. If there were nothing in the Christian Doctrine but the Way of Saving sinners by the Doctrine and Example of Christ there would be little Objection to be made to it since the obtaining Eternal Life is certainly the best thing can be proposed to Mankind and the Precepts of Christ are Divine and Spiritual Plain and Easie to be Understood and Agreeable to the Reason of Mankind but many other things are imposed on Men as necessary to be believed concerning Christ Jesus as to his Divinity Incarnation and the Hypostatical Union of both Natures which perplex and confound our Understandings and yet these things are not only deliver'd as Mysteries of the Christian Faith but the Belief of them is required as necessary to the Salvation of Sinners whereas if they are Revealed they are no longer Mysteries and if they are not Revealed how come they to be made Articles of Faith The Scripture knows of no other Mysteries of Faith but such as were hidden before the Revelation of them but since they are Revealed they are plain and open to all mens Capacities and therefore it is a great Injury to the Plainness and Simplicity of the Gospel to impose such incomprehensible Mysteries as Necessary Articles of Faith and it is Abusing the Credulity of Mankind to make such things necessary to be believed which are impossible to be understood But those who have ever loved to Deceive and Abuse the rest of the World have been always fond of the Name of Mysteries and therefore all such things are to be suspected which come under that Name For all such Points which will not bear Examination must be wrapt up and Reverenced under the Name of Mysteries that is of things to be swallow'd without being understood But the Scripture never calls that a Mystery which is Incomprehensible in it self though never so much revealed This is the main force of the Objection which I shall endeavour to remove by shewing 1. That God may justly require from us in general the Belief of what we cannot comprehend 2. That which way soever the Way of Salvation by Christ be explained there will be something of that Nature found in it and that those who reject the Mysteries of Faith run into greater Difficulties than those who assert them 3. That no more is required as a Necessary Article of Faith than what is plainly and clearly Revealed 1. That God may justly require from us in general the Belief of what we cannot comprehend It is to very little purpose to enquire whether the Word Mystery in Scripture be applied to such particular Doctrines whose Substance is Revealed but the manner of them is incomprehensible by us for why may not we make use of such a Word whereby to express things truely revealed but above our Comprehension We are certain the Word Mystery is used for things far less difficult and abstruse and why may it not then be fitly applied to such matters which are founded on Divine Revelation but yet are too deep for us to go to the bottom of them Are there not Mysteries in Arts Mysteries in Nature Mysteries in Providence And what Absurdity is there to call those Mysteries which in some Measure are known but in much greater unknown to us Although therefore in the Language of Scripture it be granted that the word Mystery is most frequently applied to things before hidden but now revealed yet there is no Incongruity in calling that a Mystery which being revealed hath yet something in it which our understandings cannot reach to But it is meer Cavilling to insist on a Word if the Thing it self be granted The chief thing therefore to be done is to shew that God may require from us the belief of such things which are incomprehensible by us For God may require any thing from us which it is reasonable for us to do if it be then reasonable for us to give Assent where the manner of what God hath revealed is not comprehended then God may certainly require it from us Hath not God revealed to us that in six days he made Heaven and Earth and all that is therein But is it not reasonable for us to believe this unless we are able to comprehend the manner of God's production of things Here we have something revealed and that plainly enough viz. that God created all things and yet here is a Mystery remaining as to the manner of doing it Hath not God plainly revealed that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead and must we think it unreasonable to believe it till we are able to comprehend all the changes of the Particles of Matter from the Creation to the General Resurrection But it is said that there is no Contradiction in this but there is in the Mystery of the Trinity and Incarnation It is strange Boldness in Men to talk thus of Monstrous Contradictions in things above their Reach The Atheists may as well say Infinite Power is a Monstrous Contradiction and God's Immensity and his other unsearchable Perfections are Monstrous Paradoxes and Contradictions Will Men never learn to distinguish between Numbers and the Nature of Things For three to be one is a Contradiction in Numbers but whether an Infinite Nature can communicate it self to three different Subsistences without such a Division as is among Created Beings must not be determin'd by bare Numbers but by the Absolute Perfections of the Divine Nature which must be owned to be above our Comprehension For let us examin some of those Perfections which are most clearly revealed and we shall find this true The Scripture plainly reveals that God is from everlasting to
his Will and Pleasure to inflict the most severe Punishment without any Respect to Guilt And surely such a Notion of God cannot be worthy of all Acceptation 3. Which tends most to strengthen our Hope of Salvation by Christ Jesus If we believe that he suffer'd for our Sins then we have great Reason to hope for the Forgiveness of them although they have been many and great if we sincerely Repent because the most prevailing Argument for Despair will be removed which is taken from the Iustice of God and his declared Hatred of Sin and Displeasure against Sinners If God be so much in earnest displeased with the Sins of Mankind and his Justice be concerned in the Punishment of Sinners how can they ever hope to escape unless there be a way for his Displeasure to be removed and his Justice to be satisfied And this the Scripture tells us is done by Christ who died that he might be a Sacrifice of Atonement to Reconcile us to God by his Death as S. Paul expresly affirms And by this means we may have strong Consolation from the Hopes of Forgiveness of our Sins Whereas if this be taken away either Men must believe that God was not in earnest displeased with the Sins of Mankind which must exceedingly lessen our Esteem of the Holiness and Iustice of God or if he were so displeased that he laid aside this Displeasure without any Atonement or Sacrifice of Expiation And so as many as look on God's Iustice and Holiness as necessary and essential Attributes of God will be in danger of sinking into the Depths of Despair as often as they Reflect seriously on the Guilt of their Sins But on the other side if we believe that while we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son then we may have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and have Reason to believe that there will be no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus by a lively Faith and sincere Repentance then they may with Comfort look up to God as a Reconciled Father through Jesus Christ our Mediator then they may with inward Satisfaction look beyond the Grave and stedfastly hope for that Salvation which Christ purchased on Earth and will at last bestow on all such as Love and Obey him To which God of his Infinite Mercy bring us all through Iesus Christ. For This is a faithfull Saying and worthy of all Acceptation that he came into the World to save Sinners FINIS Lately Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Church-Yard A Sermon Preached before the Queen at White-Hall Febr. 22. 1688 9. upon 1. Pet. 14. verse 18. A Sermon Preached before the King and Queen at White-Hall March the 23d 1689 90. upon Ecclesiastes 11. verse 9. Christian Magnanimity A Sermon Preached in the Cathedral Church at Worcester at the Time of the Assizes September 21. 1690. upon 2 Tim. 1. verse 7. A Sermon Preached before the Queen at White-Hall March the 1 st 1690 1. on Luke 6. v. 46. All Four by the Right Reverend Father in God Edward Lord Bishop of Worcester The Bishop of Worcester's Charge to the Clergy of his Diocese in his Primary Visitation begun at Worcester Septemb. 11. 1690. Quarto Ver. 13. 1 Joh. 1.7 Ch. 2. v. 2. Phil. 2.6 7. Act. 12.22 Joh. 6.32 33. 38.50.58.62 Joh. 8.58 v. 59. Joh. 10.30 v. 31. v. 32 33. v. 36. Matt. 3.17 Matt. 26.63 v. 64. Mark 14.62 v. 64. Matt. 26.66 Luk. 22.71 Joh. 17.5 Joh. 1.1 2 c. Rom. 9.5 Rom. 1.20 Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.2 10. 1 Tim. 3.16 Discourse of the Word Mystery c. p. 5. Observations on Dr. Wallis his four Letters p. 4 Psal. 90.2 Revel 1.4 c. 11. v. 17. Bifterfield c. Grell p. 50. Petâ—v de Trinit l. 3. c. 9. §. 15. De Consol. l. 3. S. Joh. 4.24 Socin Prael c. 11. Cajetan in 1. q. 22. art 4. S. Joh. 17.3 1 Cor. 6.6 Socin ad Eutrop. p 96 c. Wick c. 11. Catech. Racov. p. 65. 1 Cor. 8.5 Gal. 4.8 Smiglec de Divin Verb. Incarn Nat. p. 45. Nova Monstra c. p. 42. Joh. 3.16 v. 13. 1 Joh. 4.9 v. 10. Rom. 8.32 John 1.14 ch 3. v. 16. Luk. 3.22 Joh. 13.21 Matt. 26.37 38. Mark 14.33 34. Luk. 22.44 1 Pet. 2.24 3.18 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.19 Heb. 9.15