our Nature had been an Eclipse of his Divine Glory Power and Greatness in laying it aside as it were to suffer in his humane Nature for our sakes that now the Father would so translate his humane Nature from that mean Estate and Condition to one more glorious that might better sute with his infinite Perfection and correspond with it But Secondly This Text most properly as it seems to me ought to be understood not of a Deprivation of Glory of the Divine Nature but only of the Exaltation of the humane Nature of Christ as if Christ should have said And now O Father glorify thou me in my humane Nature or glorify my humane Nature in taking of it into that Glory which my Divine Nature had with thee before the World was This I humbly conceive is meant by the words of our blessed Lord but take it in either sense it agrees with the Deity of Jesus Christ Secondly I come more particularly to answer the said Objections 1st Though as it is objected it may be concluded from the Words that because Christ begs this Glory of the Father therefore he had it not in actual Possession before Yet this is only respecting his humane Nature which opposes not the Truth of his Deity for though he was not yet supplied by it or glorified John 7.39 Yet he then had the Divine Nature and was in Union with it 2dly For any to say that that Glory which Christ had before the World was is only meant of God's Decree is an imposing on the Text that which it cannot bear for it doth not run parallel with 2 Tim. 1.9 because it is one thing to say that we are saved and called according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ before the World began and another thing to have Glory before the World began the one plainly shews that we were not actually called nor saved before the World was but were then in the purpose of God only and the other is positively spoken of the Glory that Christ had in actual Possession as the sense of the words import And I hope these are sufficient Answers to clear the Text of these Objections Objection to Coloss 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him First They say that this Scripture speaketh of Christ as a second or middle cause that God created all things by Jesus Christ Eph. 3.9 Answer First I do acknowledg that Jesus Christ is two ways to be considered 1st Essentially as he is God and so all things are of him and from him and created by him indifferently with other Divine Persons 2dly Personally as he is the second Person in the Godhead and so is he also in the Works of Creation for all things are of the Father by the Son through the Spirit 1 Cor. 8.6 John 1.3 Gen. 1.2 Psal 104.30 Eph. 2.18 For as the Father is of himself a Divine Subsistent so he worketh from himself and as the Son is of the Father so he worketh from the Father and as the Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son so he worketh from them both yet neither of them exist or work before each other in time but do naturally and necessarily work together for when we say the Son is the second Person in the Deity we grant the Father to be the first neither in time nor Excellency of Nature to the other Divine Persons but in respect to Preheminence according to his peculiar manner of Subsistence and incommunicable Property So also the Divine Persons have their Order or Preheminence of working according to their Order or Preheminence of Subsistence and incommunicable Property in the Divine Essence Secondly They say that all things in the Heavens and on the Earth are not used for all things simply and absolutely appeareth because the Apostle saith By him God hath reconciled all things in Heaven and on Earth and also in the words themselves it is not said the Heavens and the Earth were created by Christ but all things that are in the Heavens and on the Earth And the Sum of what they understand by the Text is that after God had raised Christ from the dead and had given Glory to him all the things both in the Heavens and on the Earth were by him reformed and reduced to another State and Condition in that he became the head of Angels and Men who before acknowledged God only for their Lord. Secondly To this I answer 1st That if we can reconcile the word Create in ver 16. so as that naturally its Signification doth import but one and the same thing with the word Reconcile in ver 20. then indeed there is some reason to acquiesce with them in their sense But as the words have different Significations so they signify to us different things 2dly Though reconciling all things to God by Jesus Christ whether in Heaven or in Earth must be understood in a limited sense yet there is not the same nor so good reason for all things that were created by Jesus Christ to be so considered For those all things that were reconciled were all things that were reconcileable by the Blood of the Cross whether in Heaven or in Earth and not all things absolutely in Heaven and in Earth for the evil Angels are not reconcilable but in ver 16. the case is much different and is to be understood simply and absolutely that by Jesus Christ all things were created for the words are positive By him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth and because we should not misapprehend the Apostle's meaning he explains himself more fully to us that they were all things both visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers And surely this cannot be meant of a Reformation or Renovation of all things in Heaven and Earth because the good Angels never wanted such Reformation neither were all Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers either of evil Angels that are invisible or of wicked Men on Earth then renewed or so reduced by Reformation as that Christ became their Head and was so acknowledged by them For though Christ became the Head of his own Church yet the World did not know him in such a manner as to own him for their Soveraign Lord and to yield true and sincere Obedience to his Laws for under the Conduct of Satan the Dragon Heathen Empire made head against Christ and all that professed his Holy Name And tho something may be said that in the Reign of Constantine the Great there was a mighty Reformation made in the Empire of the World yet this cannot answer the Import of the words For by him were all things already created they were not to make in future times but they were already done
Angels but He took on Him the Seed of Abraham This is meant of his Incarnation as the 14th Verse which relates to this more fully shews and then if His assuming our Nature is put in opposition to his taking on Him the Nature of Angels it is a clear Demonstration that he preexisted his Incarnation in some other Nature than either of these And to imagine that the Holy Apostle who wrote by the Holy Ghost should affirm that the Son of God did not assume the Nature of Angels if he had before existed in it would be an Imputation of Absurdity to him yea to the Holy Ghost which is Blasphemy From all which it is apparent that Christ did not preexist his Incarnation in the Nature of Angels but as it must follow in the Divine Nature of God Secondly I come to prove the Deity of the Son of God by his Eternity First Scripture is John 1.1 In the Beginning was the Word First this Text is not to be understood of the preaching of the Gospel by Jesus Christ or John the Baptist for this was not a Mystery fit to be set as a frontice-piece to John's Book nor is there any such Intimation in the Words and therefore it preceded that beginning Secondly He speaks of that Beginning in which all Things were created ver 3. which shews that he did not only precede the preaching of the Gospel but the beginning of the Creation and therefore he was from all Eternity Second Scripture is Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and his Name shall be called Everlasting Father or Father of Eternity as is confessed by our Adversaries See Biddle's Confess Article 3. If we read ver 7. and compare it with Luke 1.31 32 33. we may see that this Text is applied to our Lord Jesus Christ and if he be the Author of Eternity he must Himself be Eternal Third Scripture is Col. 1.17 And he is before all things And so as that in ver 16. All things were created by Him in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible which could not be said of Christ unless he were the Eternal God existing from all Eternity Fourth Scripture is Rev. 1.17 18. Fear not I am the first and the last I am He that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore This Scripture cannot be applied unto any other but Jesus Christ who was dead and is alive again for though it was the Angel that spake yet it was as representing the Person of Jesus Christ and therefore whatsoever he saith in his own Person must be applied to him and this is manifested in ver 8. I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the Ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty And in ch 2.8 where the Angel speaks the same words but not in the same Person he did before saying And unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write These Things saith the First and the Last which was dead and is alive again Yea and in all the Epistles to the Seven Churches of Asia he doth not only dictate them as from another but also the same Description that John gives of the Angel the Angel applies to the Son of God ch 2.18 So that these Words I am the First and the Last do relate unto Jesus Christ and as nothing can be first or preexist the Creation but the Divine Nature So our Lord Jesus Christ as being the first must preexist all things in the Nature of God Fifth Scripture to prove the Eternity of the Son of God is John 17.5 And now O Father glorify Thou me with thy own Self with the Glory which I had with Thee before the World was If the Son were in Glory with the Father before the World was he was then existing before Time and therefore from all Eternity Coessential with the Father Fifthly The Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ is proved by his Works First from John 2.19 21. Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up But he spake of the Temple of his Body We read of many mighty Works that were wrought by the Holy Apostles but not in their own Names or by their own Power saith Peter Acts 3.12 Why look you so earnestly on us as though by our own Power or Holiness we had made this Man to walk And Moses for saying Must we fetch Water out of this Rock was shut out of the Land of Canaan Num. 20.12 19. For though God had given such power to Men yet he expected the Glory should be given to him alone as the Apostles did to Jesus Christ ver 16. And surely if our Lord Jesus had not been God equal with the Father in Nature he had offended in assuming that Power to Himself which is to be ascribed to none but God Who is said to have raised him the third Day Acts 10.40 So that the same Power which is ascribed to God the same doth our Lord Jesus assume unto himself and this demonstrates him to be of the same Nature Second Scripture is John 1.3 All things were made by Him and without Him was not any thing made that was made And therefore the Word or Son of God ver 14 18. is the Eternal God and Creator of all Things Third Scripture is Col. 1.16 17. For by Him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by Him and for Him And he is before all things and by Him all things consist It is not neither could it be said that all things were renewed by the Son of God for the good Angels had no need of it and the Devils were not neither were Men save only a select Number in part but not wholly renewed for this cannot be until our Bodies are raised up from the Grave and reunited unto our Souls Nay the whole Creation was never yet renewed but is groaning under the bondage of Corruption and waiting to be delivered into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Rom. 8.19 c. And therefore this Scripture as it must of necessity be taken in its literal Sense so fully asserts the eternal Power and Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ that I know not how its Authority can be evaded for if all things were created and are upheld by him and that because as the Apostle gives the reason that he was before all things then he must be the eternal God Co-creator with the Father Fourth Scripture is Heb. 1.10 And thou Lord in the Beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens were the Works of thy Hands The word And connexes this Verse with the preceding Words and makes it relate to ver 8. as if we should read it thus But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever And to the
Testimonies to prove that there is but one God the Creatour and Former of all Things CHAP. III. Sheweth that there is a Plurality of Divine Subsistences FIrst from Gen. 1.1 In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth The word in the Hebrew is Elohim Gods or Almighties in the Plural Number I find an Exposition of this Text by Mr. William Streat which because it giveth much Light I shall present the Reader with the material part of it The Author reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Almighties and in Page 2. In Mr. William Streat's Book called The dividing of the Hoof. Pag. 1. speaking of the opposition of Elohim Almighties which is a Noun Plural to the word Bara he created says thus God's Phrase in a Dialect of his own transcending all humane Arts purposely to amaze them in the Mystery of the Trinity is one Thing Mans ordinary means of discovering earthly Things by Grammatical Rules in humane Learning is another This Hebraism is not used by Moses the Almighties Secretary Penman of sacred Truth joyning a Verb Singular to a Noun Plural for Contradiction but for Interpretation Therefore the word Bara he created is most fittingly and significantly joyned to a Noun Plural Elohim Almighties because titling himself in a Plural Number he might give us to understand a Plurality of Persons which are the three Persons in the Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost who wrought together in the Work of Creation And the Author further adds Page 3. that the Holy Trinity is here to be understood and that because the word God is not to be found in the Singular Number El nor in the Dual as Elohaim but in the Plural Elohim as comprehending the three Persons in the Deity But some may say that the word Elohim proves rather three Gods than three Divine Persons in one Godhead But note that this is corrected by the Verb Singular which betokens the Three to be One in Essence And surely there is something in this Hebraism because it answers so well to that which follows ver 26. And God said Let Vs make Man in Our Image after Our Likeness c Mark the words Us and Our signify more than One Person And though some may object that the Angels are here to be understood yet this cannot be for the Works of Creation were never attributed to any Creatures And as there are other Texts Gen. 20.13 and ch 35.7 Josh 24.19 2 Sam. 7.23 see the Dutch-Annotations in which the Hebrew word Elohim Almighties is found in the Plural Number as likewise the word Makers Job 35.10 Eccles 12.1 So also in our English Translation there is a Concurrence in several other places of Scripture with this of Gen. 1.26 as in ch 11.7 where the Lord said Go to let us go down and there confound their Language And Isa 6.8 The Lord said Whom shall I send and who will go for us c. Which places denote a Plurality of Persons in the Godhead CHAP. IV. Asserteth the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ by his Names THAT the Father is God is universally owned by all Christians And therefore Having made some little Preparation I now come to prove the Deity of the Son of God That our Lord Jesus Christ is not only Humane but that he is also of the very same Spiritual Essence Nature and Substance of God the Father And First I shall take notice of those Names or Appellations which are given to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures for he is frequently called by those Names which are properly applicable to none but God As Mighty God Isa 9.6 7. applied to Christ Luk. 1.31 32 33. Most Mighty Psal 45.1 to 8. applied to Christ Heb. 1.8 Almighty Rev. 1.8 with ver 17 18. Jehovah Jer. 23.5 6. These are proper Names of God and are applied to Jesus Christ who is often called God in the Holy Scriptures as John 20.28 My Lord and my God and Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen And though others may be called Gods Yet unto us there is but one God 1 Cor. 8.6 And what ever some may think that would turn the current of Scripture another way yet I cannot conceive that Jesus Christ should be so frequently called by the highest Appellations God hath in a relative Sense only and not as proper Names belonging to him as a Person subsisting in the same Nature nor do I believe that his Name Immanuel which is God with us Matth. 1.23 was given to him but as a suitable and descriptive Name of both his Natures as real God in our Nature He took Flesh upon him Heb. 2.16 and Phil. 2.6 7. He thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant c. Here are the two Natures of Christ asserted his Divine Nature which only can be equal with God and his Humane both which do appropriate his Name Immanuel to him and if his Names are proper to the Nature of God we must then either admit of Jesus Christ to be of the same Nature or deny his Names to be proper to him Secondly I shall prove the Deity of the Son of God by three particular Scriptures that relate to God in the Old Testament and which are applied to Jesus Christ in the New whereby it may appear that respecting his Divine Nature he is one and the same with God First Scripture is Zech. 14.3 Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those Nations as when he fought in the day of Battel Ver. 4. And his Feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the East c. Ver. 5. And the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee This Text for its natural Affinity with the rest of the Chapter cannot be allegorized without gross Absurdity but must be taken in a literal Sense of the coming of Christ with all his Saints And it well agrees with what the Angel told the Disciples saying that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into Heaven Then returned they to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet This sheweth that Christ ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives and that thither he shall descend again and so it agrees with the Prophet And as to the coming of the Saints with the Lord or Jehovah God this also is applied to Jesus Christ 1 Thess 4.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him chap. 3.13 At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints So that he who is by the Prophet Zechariah called
most high God and as such cannot be separated from him And therefore to ascribe the Conception of Christ to the immediate Power of God is to attribute it unto God for all his Attributes are so many descriptive Appellations of him And therefore seeing that the Power of the Highest is the Highest himself and that the Holy Ghost is this Power which came upon Mary and overshadowed her then the Holy Ghost must be God And he cannot be otherwise understood for no created Spirit could produce a Child in the Womb of the Virgin Mary Secondly It appears that the Holy Ghost is God by the Works that our Lord Jesus accomplished by him First He was anointed with the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel Luk. 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor c. With the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him Heb. 1.9 John 3.34 Secondly Jesus Christ cast out Devils by the Spirit of God Mat. 12.28 But if I cast 〈◊〉 Devils by the Spirit of God then the Kingdom of God is come unto you Thirdly Our Lord Jesus offered up himself unto God through the Spirit Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God Now if our Lord Jesus Christ have the same Nature in the Unity of Essence with God the Father why should he then attribute that Power by which he cast out Devils and performed his Ministerial Office in preaching the Gospel and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for us unto the Spirit if he were but a Creature For thus to exalt the Creature would much eclipse his own Power and Glorious Deity And therefore I cannot think that all those glorious Things should be attributed to the Holy Spirit unless he were a Divine Person subsisting in the Nature of God And forasmuch as God hath said that He will not give his Glory to another there cannot be any Colour of reason to deny the Deity of the Holy Ghost unless we deny the Deity of Jesus Christ And seeing that his Deity is so plainly proved that none can deny it if they open their Eyes to the Light of the Holy Scriptures and that the Deity of the Holy Ghost doth so naturally flow from it that none can reject the one without the other there is ground from hence as well as from the preceding Evidence of the Holy Spirit 's Deity to believe that he is a Divine Person in the same Nature and Essence together equal with God the Father and the Son Fifthly The Deity of the Holy Ghost is proved by the Divine Worship that is given to him As the Scriptures do demonstrate the Holy Spirit to be a Divine Person subsisting in the Nature of God so to worship God adequately aright we must include the Holy Spirit for whether we worship God indefinitely yet as the one Nature and Spiritual Substance of God is the Nature and Substance of each Person we therein do worship each Person or whether we worship a Person by peculiar Attributions proper to that Person yet as the one Nature and Substance of the Deity is the Nature and Substance of that Person we therein do worship the Deity So that we can neither exclude any one Person in the worshipping of the Deity or the Deity in the worshipping of any one Divine Person if we know what we worship John 4.22 ch 8.19 ch 14.7 8 9. But 1st To prove that the Holy Ghost is to be worshipped with Divine Worship I shall cite Matth. 28.19 Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost What is our being Baptized in the Name of the Holy Ghost but our Acknowledgment of our Faith in him and our yielding of due Obedience and Worship to him as well as to the Father and the Son 2dly The Holy Ghost is worshipped with Divine Worship Isa 6.1 2 3 8 9 10. compared with Acts 28.25 26 27. The Prophet saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple Ver. 2. About it stood the Seraphims Ver. 3. And one cryed unto another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory And the Lord bad the Prophet ver 9. Go and tell this People Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Now the same Lord that spake to the Prophet and was worshipped by the Seraphims is said to be the Holy Ghost in Acts 28. and from thence it appears that the Holy Ghost is to be worshipped with Divine Worship and therefore he is God CHAP. VI. Wherein is proved the Vnity of the Holy Trinity FOrasmuch as it is manifestly declared in the Holy Scriptures of Truth that there is but one God and that the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God it must then consequently follow that these three are but one God And first this is farther shewed and declared to us by our being Baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 for as these three are ranked together as Divine Persons so there is no reason to think that they should differ in their Nature seeing we ascribe the great work of Salvation to all of them And surely if Christ and the Holy Spirit were instrumental in our Salvation only as Creatures under God the Father they would not be ranked together with him as the efficient Cause For the Holy Angels though they are all Ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation yet are we not required in any Church-Ordinance to acknowledg their Service in honour to them Heb. 1.14 1 Cor. 11.10 For though we are exhorted to such a Holy Behaviour as that we might not prevent or disturb them in their Ministerial Work and Office yet the Glory of all is to be given to God alone viz. to Father Son and Holy Ghost and the reason to me is plain because the Angels are of a lower Nature otherwise it were not irrational to believe that if the Angels were equal in Nature to Christ and the Holy Spirit though lower in Office they should have a share proportionable in the Attributions of Protection and Salvation Besides the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are ranked together because these three only are Omniscient and Omnipresent Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord not only the Father but also the Son and the Holy Spirit For they created all things as hath been shewed and therefore they know all things He that teacheth Man Knowledg shall not he know And whither shall I go from thy Spirit c. Or whither shall I flee from thy Presence c. And
before So that I see not the least grounds wherefore they should impose such an unnatural sense upon the words but that they must of necessity be understood of the Creation of all things in Heaven and Earth by Jesus Christ And though they make this Exception that it is not said the Heavens and the Earth were created by him but only the things contained in them yet this omission cannot be an Exclusion of them nor hinder what is asserted in the Text but that it remains a sufficient proof of the Deity of Jesus Christ Objection to Heb. 1.10 This Author to the Hebrews doth not refer the Creation of Heaven and Earth unto Christ but only the abolishing of them Answer First I do affirm that the Creation of Heaven and Earth must of necessity be applied to Jesus Christ because the word and in the beginning of the Verse is a conjunctive word that joins this Verse to the Words going before which relate to the Son of God so that as in ver 8. we read But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever So also by virtue of the Conjunction with ver 10. it is proper to understand the Text as if the Apostle should instead of the word and have said But unto the Son he said Thou Lord in the Beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth c. And this Conjunction is put for the same purpose for in Psal 102.25 from whence this Text is taken there is none of it Secondly There can be no reason assigned wherefore the abolishing of the Heavens should only be referred to Christ when it is not by virtue of a Conjunction immediately annexed but of one annexed to the Creation of them which doth preceed and therefore that of the Creation is primarily to be referred to the Son of God Objection to those Scriptures wherein the Deity of Christ is proved from that Divine Worship and Adoration which is given to him Forasmuch as all the places that testify concerning Christ's divine Honour do also testify that this Divine Honour was given to him at a certain Time and for a certain Cause it is plain that the Divine Nature of Christ cannot thence be collected And whereas it is said Isa 42.8 I will not give my Glory to another it is meant as is presently added nor my Praise to graven Images God speaketh of them who have no Communion with him and to whom if any Glory and Honour be ascribed it redounded not to him But he saith not that he will not communicate his Glory with such a one as Christ which is dependent of him and subordinate to him for by this means no Diminution of his Glory is made since the whole is referred to him Answer First Though some places that testify concerning Christ's Honour do also testify that this Honour was given to him as at the time of his Exaltation and because he had a Name given him above every name Phil. 2.9 10. Yet the Divine Nature of Christ may be collected from his Divine Honour and Worship given to him For the time and cause of the Exaltation and Honour of Christ's humane Nature by Donation doth not hinder the truth of his Divine Essence from the Divine Honour ascribed to him because such Honour and Worship is not nor cannot be simply conferred on Christ as Man but by virtue of his Divine Person and this appears from what is already proved that God only is to be worshipped with Divine Worship even Him only who is God by Nature Secondly To Isa 42.8 they say That God's not giving his Gloty to another is an exclusion of Graven Images but they will not allow it as a total Exclusion of all others Answer It 's true that Graven Images are excluded and so also are all others whatsoever that are created Beings for the words themselves import that besides Graven Images he will not give his Glory to another viz. Nature nor Person So that even the Son himself if he had not an uncreated Existence subsisting in the Nature of God he would be excluded from Divine Glory and therefore the Divine Glory ascribed to him proves him to be a Divine Person As to the rest of those Scriptures that I have cited to prove the Deity of Jesus Christ by the Divine Honour and Adoration given to him I have not met with any that have assailed them and therefore I hope that no material Objection can be made against them CHAP. II. Wherein is answered some Objections that are inferred by our Adversaries from divers Texts of Scripture against the Deity of Jesus Christ OBjection from Mark 13.32 But of that Day and that Hour knoweth no Man no not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Son but the Father From this Scripture some do conclude that Christ is not God because he knew not all things Answer The Humanity of Christ might not know all things until they were revealed by his Divine Person as it did not know of that Day nor Hour for the Divine Person had not yet revealed it and though the Humanity of Christ which is not the Divine Person of the Son but is only a part of Christ's Person is here called the Son yet this impedes not the Text of this Exposition for the Humanity of Christ is sometimes put for his Divine Nature John 13.13 Objection from Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ From whence is formed this Syllogism He that was made Lord by another he if he be a God was also made a God by another But Jesus of whom it is certain that he is a God was made Lord by God Therefore he was also made a God by him Answer This Syllogism may be confessed as it is reconcileable to the Human Nature of Christ for as he was Man he had a Name given him above every Name and a Lordship or Kingdom and Authority to execute Judgment and was called Lord Phil. 2.8 9. Isa 53.12 Joh. 17.27 29. And so also as he did officially minister the Power of God and was one to whom the Word of the Lord came he may be called God Joh. 10.35 36. Heb. 1.1 and in this Sense he may be said to be made a God by the Father but as this is not the proper or supream Godhead and Lordship of Christ because it is not natural nor essential so doth it not oppose his natural essential and supream Godhead and Lordship as he was God from all Eternity Objection from Colossians 1.15 where Christ is said to be the First-born of every Creature The First-born must always be contained in the number of them of whom except the Parents it is said to be the First-born and consequently Christ must be comprehended in the Number of Creatures whose First-born he is said to be Answer Christ's being the First-born of every Creature neither includes him
needless for the Holy Ghost to frame the Body of our Lord or else that the Divine Nature of the Son of God was idle Will you grant then which by this your Reason must needs follow because Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost therefore God the Father was idle and not the prime Worker of this marvellous Conception What is here cited out of this learned Man sufficiently shews the Weakness of this Objection against the Deity of Jesus Christ CHAP. IV. Wherein is answered some Objections against the Scriptures that prove the Deity of the Holy Ghost OBjection to Matth. 28.19 Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost It cannot be rightly inferred that because the Holy Spirit is here ranked with the Father and the Son therefore he is equal to them by this account when the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.21 saith I charge thee Gr. I obtest before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without Prejudice doing nothing by Partiality joyning the elect Angels with the Father and the Son this would imply that the elect Angels are equal with the Father and the Son Answer There is not the same reason to imply from this of Timothy that the elect Angels are equal to the Father and the Son as there is for the Holy Spirit 's Equality with them from Matth. 28. For if we rightly consider these two Scriptures we may easily see that they are not Parallels but that the Holy Spirit and the elect Angels are joined together with the Father and the Son upon far different accounts the one are ranked together not as Equals with the Father and the Son but because they are ministring Spirits that have their Eyes on the Church of God and behold the Order and Discipline of it whose Work and Office is to attend upon it and be familiar about it 1 Cor. 11.10 Psal 34.7 Insomuch that we ought to be very careful of speaking or doing any unseemly thing that might hinder the Ministration of those blessed and Holy Spirits Now for this cause Paul exhorteth Timothy to observe those things as in the Presence of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Angels and therefore they are ranked together and not as Equals in Nature and Divine Worship for they refuse to assume that Glory which is peculiarly proper to God alone Rev. 22. So that this Text relates to the Inspection of Angels into the Obedience of the Saints in the way of which Protection is ministred to them by the Angels who are said to encamp round about those that fear the Lord Psal 34.7 Or else the Apostle shews by ranking these three together that the Angels are Witnesses to this Charge though in all things else they cannot be unless they could search the Heart and try the Reins And why may not the Apostle take them in as Witnesses as Moses did who called Heaven and Earth viz. God Angels and Men joining them as Witnesses against Israel that he had set before them Life and Death c. Deut. 30.19 But the Holy Spirit Matth. 28. is not ranked together with the Father and the Son only as a ministring Spirit or as one that beareth Witness together with them in any matter but to be equally honoured with them both for in this Ordinance of Baptism wherein we worship God in acknowledging what he hath done for us in order to Salvation we are commanded to ascribe it to the Father Son and Holy Spirit And there is reason for it For though the Father had accepted the Merits of his Son on conditions of true Faith and Repentance yet if the Holy Spirit had not undertaken to work these Conditions in us we had been lost so that we are obliged both from the Work it self and the Command of God to attribute the same Honour to the one as to the other and herein chiefly lies the Difference of this Text from that of Timothy because this commands Divine Worship to be given to the Holy Ghost together with the Father and the Son which declares his Divine Nature Objection to Isa 6.9 10. compared with Acts 28.25 26 27. To these two Scriptures I have met with Biddle's Objections stated and answered ready to my Hand by Mr. Estwick in his Confutation of Biddle's Confession of Faith Page 307. whose Words I shall prefer rather than my own Biddle In the one place the Lord said in the other the Holy Ghost therefore the Adversaries do conclude the Holy Spirit is the Lord. This arguing is very frivolous for at this rate I may conclude that Moses is the Lord compare Exod. 32.11 Israelites are called God's People ver 7. God calls them the People of Moses and Isa 65.1 I am found of them that sought me not Rom. 10.20 Isaiah is more bold and saith I was found of them that asked not after me therefore Isaiah is the Lord. God is said by his Power to save us 2 Tim. 1.8 9. Paul attributes the same to himself 1 Cor. 9.22 and to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.16 therefore Paul yea Timothy is God If the Adversaries say these things are otherwise ascribed unto the Lord than to the Men aforesaid I answer it is more than the Texts themselves hold forth which neither express nor intimate any such thing If they say that if not in these yet other Texts and the Nature of the thing it self doth sufficiently teach it I reply that I can make the same Answer touching the Lord and his Holy Spirit but it is well that there is such an Intimation in the Texts themselves for in the one the Lord spake to Isaiah in a Vision in the other That the Holy Ghost spake them by Isaiah to the Fathers These two are different since Isaiah only heard these Words in the Vision for had the Fathers been there why should God bid Isaiah go and tell them to the People Paul ascribes these Words to the Holy Ghost to intimate only that whatsoever was spoken in the Scripture was recorded by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit and so spoken by him Answer Your Elusions to avoid the strength of the Argument are vain and your Examples taken out of the Scriptures are fallacia parium are unlike to this in hand Sometimes an Instrument speaks in the Name of the great God that sent him This is your Evasion therefore it must be so taken Isa 6. compared with Acts 28. this is a plain Fallacy Exod. 32. Moses calleth the Israelites God's People in Covenant with him and God calls them the People of Moses being under the Curse of the Law by reason of their Idolatry and because he was God's Instrument to bring them out of Egypt and to conduct them in the Wilderness it is apparent to every one and the Text holds it forth that they were otherwise God's People and otherwise the People of Moses he being a finite distinct and separate Substance from the