that perished lib. 20 de civitate Dei cap. 24. and those were the Aereal Heavens or the regions of it To which I answer that the comparison in Peter is not between the Heavens that then perished and these that now are being indeed for substance still the same but between the world that then was 2 Pet. 3.6 is qui tum erat mundus 2 Pet. 3.6 that is as Beza well hath it Beza in loc aspectabilis ille terrae decor quaecunque animantia in terra degebant iis duntaxat exceptis quae in arca erant inclusa nec enim aquae in coelos redundarunt imò ne ipsa quidam terrae substantia periit sed futurae conflagrationis longe alia erit ratio ideò coelum terram id est rerum universitatem distinctè nominavit in proximo versu that visible comelinesse of the earth and whatsoever living Creatures then was upon it except onely those that were shut up in the Ark neither did the Waters then reach unto the Heavens yea not so much as the very substance of the earth perished But the matter shall be farre otherwise about burning of the world by fire therefore in the next Verse he distinctly named the Heaven and the earth that is the whole world to which the forenamed world was opposed And Beda by the Elements understands all the four Elements Beda in verba yet thinks two onely shall utterly perish that is Fire and Water and other two remain renewed that is the Air and earth called the new Heavens and the new Earth Yet what hath been said against this before shall suffice neither doth this plâ—â—se the Pontificians Others thinke onely three here meant Water Earth Aire because they cannot see how the Element of fire should be consumed by fire To which I would answer with Aquin in suplem ad 3. Aquin in supplem ad 3. part sum qu. 74. art 3. partem summarum qu. 74. art 3. respond ad 1. having shewn that the fire that shall burn the world shal be of the same species with ours he adds non tamen est idem numero notwithstanding it s not the same in all respects with ours And we see saith he that in two fires of the same species one may destroy the other major scilicet minorem the greater the lesse consumendo materiam by consuming the matter of it c. Again loco quo supra Respond ad secundum Loco quo supra Resp ad 2. the fire that shall burn and purge the world shall not have its calefactive power ex principiis essentialibus sed ex divina virâ—ute vel operatione out of its own essentiall Principles as usually it hath but from the Divine power or operation of God in it as his Instrument inabled from him to produce this effect And actio instrumenti magis manifestat virtutem moventis quà m virtutem moti the action of the Instrument rather manifests the power and efficacie of the Mover of it or Worker by it then of it self and the fire which God shall stirre up to purge the world shall have such efficacie in it from him that it shall work beyond the ordinary course of nature and shall be able to melt the Elements and that with fervent heat as S. Peter speaks yet non ad eorum funditus consumptionem sed solum usque ad eorum purgationem not to the totall or utterly abolishing of their substance but to the purging of them from their grosser attracted qualities Neither will that of Gregory hold Greg. magnus who saith in tantum accendet ignis Judicii in quantum ascenderunt aquae diluvii the fire shall burn as high towards heaven as the waters of the Flood ascended but that should be no higher than fifteen Cubits above the high Mountains which would not extend to the melting of all the Elements much lesse to the burning of the Sphaericall Heavens Dr. Willet qu. 29. in 8. Dr Willet qu. 29. in 8. ad Rom. ad Rom. there is not any visible thing that had a beginning but shall also have an ending In which he saith truth and for which the Psalmist will warrant him Psal 102.25 26. Psal 102.25.26 The Heavens are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt indure they all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed If any visible thing should escape change these were likest but not these must escape And Heavens are here taken as opposed to the Earth as Gen. 2.1 Gen. 2.1 Thus the Heavens and the earth were finished and all the Host of them Psal 8 3 Psa 8.3 When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Starres which thou hast ordained Even these heavens in which are the Moon and the Starres shall perish shall be burned with fire Thus much briefely for the former point that Aethereall Heavens shall burn as well as the Aereall But as we have seen what Heavens shall burn let us a little consider what Heaven shall not burn When I say the Aethereall heavens I mean the Sydereall and all the sphaericalls under the highest or third heaven as the primum mobile and the coelum crystallinum c. but the third heaven I mean not which is the Seat of the Blessed and which was a Creature created the first day Gen. 1.1 Gen. 2.4 Gen. 1.1 and Gen. 2.4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth Heb. 11.10 when they were created Heb. 11.10 Abraham looked for a Citie which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God This Heaven is corpus supremum immobile incorruptibile amplissimum ac totum lucidum c. First it is a body and a substance though most subtile for that in which bodies are contained its necessarie that that should be corporeall for inter locatum locum inter contentum continens there must be aliqua proportio some proportion between the things contained and the thing containing Now the bodie of Christ is alreadie in the highest heaven and ours shall be howsoever the bodies of Enoch and Eliah now be Secondly quicquid est apertibile est corpus But so was the highest heaven Acts 7.56 Acts 7.56 otherwise Stephen had not seen Christ standing at the right Hand of God if that Heaven had not been opened for howsoever I know that some think there was nulla scissura in coelis no division at all in the Heavens and that miraculum non fuit in coelis sed in Stephani oculis not in the opening of the Heavens but in the eyes of Stephen Others that he saw this in a Vision c. or mentall contemplation not with bodily eyes yet Gual hom 55. in Act. saith Gualter Hom. 55. in Acta Ego haec illi revera visibiliter apparuisse nec mentis duntaxat contemplationi objecta fuisse intelligo I do
Creatures shal be immortall or no If we give but scope to these speculations whether at length will they carry us let us therfore saith he be content with this simple or plain truth the moderation and order after the restitution shall be so fine so sweet or excellent which God will make that nothing shall appear either uncomely or unstable Therefore I have said that so farre as the Scripture holds out any light or by a rationall discourse or grounds of sound reason that a man may go so farre he may labour and est aliquid prodire tenus it will be found somewhat to go thus farre As for that sound and worthy Divine Peter Martyr we shall have occasion to scanne him more narrowly hereafter which though at his ingresse to this point he may seem to favour the most generall and received opinion yet after a large dispute of it the reader will finde him not so resolute of whose words God willing by and by though he will not conclude against it All Divines that I have read or mett withall fall but upon one of these two wayes by which the Creature is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption either abolitione or purgatione by abolition or the totall and finall taking away the Being of them or else by the purging out the drosse and corruption from such Creatures as shall remain for substance But whether of these two wayes will the better stand with the sense of the Apostles words is the grand quaere and I conceive this to be one of those abstruse points de quibus optimis etiam Theologis liceat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morari ignorare vel dissentire salvâ charitate concerning which it may be lawfull or safe even to the best Divines to demurre upon to be ignorant of or to dissent in without breach of charitie or hurt of pietie In such cases the saying of Saint Augustine is good August lib 8. de gen ad lit Cap 5. Lib. 8 de gen ad literam cap. 5. Melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis It is better to stand in doubt of such things as God hath kept secret then to strive or too vehemently to contend in such as are uncertain and onely so farre to beleeve as he seeth either light from the Scriptures for in terminis or vertually included in them or soundly deduced or collected from them for quicquid vere directe potest colligi ex Scripturis dici potest Scriptura whatsoever can truely and directly or by sound consequence be drawne or gathered from the Scripture may be called Scripture because it s vertually and implicitely in those terms in which it is not alwayes verbally expressed but may be thence deduced by sound cōsequence concluded to which amongst many others Zanch de Religio Christ Cap de Scripturis Thes 11. profound Zanchie accords in his Book de Religione Christiana cap. de Script Thes 11. and which is a commonly received truth amongst all learned Divines that are Orthodox Nihil de religione statuendum esse in Ecclesia Dei quod aut non habeat apertum in libris Canonicis testimonium aut manifesta necessariaque consecutione inde evincatur nothing ought to be determined in the Church of God concerning Religion that hath not either open proof in Canonicall Scriptures or by manifest and necessary consequence may be thence evinced but by either of these wayes a point is made good by Scripture and that may be called the Scripture by which its so made good Or else so farre as he can see sound reason or good grounds brought such as are not against the Scripture but rather fall in with it And in treating upon such intricate passages as this its wisdome for us to do as skilfull Sea-men do upon dangerous and narrow Seas they still take care to Plumbe or Sound so that they fall upon no Rocks nor Shelves and so long they sail safely though they finde not their desired Haven for the present so God willing shall we do we shall so sound the Sea of the Scriptures and plumbe the road of reason that we shall not shipwrack truth upon any Shelves of Errour and so farre the Bark of our discourse may floate safely though we accomplish not our intention for our desired Haven First then let us sound the Scriptures and see how farre they will go with us for the deliverance of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by abolition or by a totall finall destruction of the Beeing of the Creature here meant Let us begin with Psalm 102.26 Psa 102.26 speaking of Heaven and Earth the Prophet saith they shall perish This of the Prophet is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 1.11 Heb. 1.11 Ipsi peribunt they shall perish Iob. 14.12 and Iob 14 12. Vsque dum non erunt Coeli till the Heavens be no more Secondly Luke 21.33 Luke 21.33 Coelum terra transibunt Heaven and Earth shall passe away Thirdly Apocapalyp 21.1 Apoc. 21.1 I saw a new Heaven and a new earth for the first was passed away 2. Petër 3.10 Fourthly and lastly to insist upon no more places 2 Pet. 3.10 The heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the Works therein shall be burnt up These places make fair for the deliverance of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by an abolition or destroying of their Beeings an so by consequence as you have heard they cannot any longer be subject to vanitie any more mutability or corruption And from these and such like Places many learned men have concluded an utter abolition of the Creature here mentioned save onely some few of which hereafter But how the Heavens shall be set on fire the Elements melt and the Earth with the Works therein burnt up the Scriptures have not clearly discovered unto us only the penetrating School-Divines who conceived themselves more Eagle-eyed then the rest and could cast stones at an hair bredth they have rationally conjectured that all may be set on fire either per radios solares ex repercussione multiplicatos by repercussion of the Sunn beames redoubled or by collecting them into a narrower compasse as so to unite their forces more closely as in a burning glasse or per discensum ignis elementaris jussu divino by the discent of the element of fire at Gods command or injunction In these philosophicall speculations we cannot deny but that there is a rationall probability it may be a verity though we do not conclude it by way of infalibilitie for as God hath determined that the world shall be destroyed by fire so we know that he neither wants wisdom nor power how to effect it though to us he hath not clearly revealed the manner how we may say with Saint Augustine lib. 20 de Civitate Dei Cap 16. August lib 20. de Civit
to be reduced into nothing yet notwithstanding the very alteration of their nature if I may so speak shall consume and take away that which is mortall and corruptible in them that they shall begin to be others yea new Heavens According to some others the words are conceived on conditionally as thus if God so please because they conceive it absurd to think that the Heavens are subject to corruption But this condition rather hinders the sense than otherwise saith he Deinde falso coelis tribuunt immortalem statum quos Paulus non secus ac terram aliasque creaturas gemere parturire dicit usque ad diem redemptionis eo quod subjectae sint corruptioni non sponte vel natura sed quia homo se praecipitans totum mundum in ejusdem ruinae societatem secum traxit Moreover they do untruly attribute to the Heavens a state of immortalitie which Paul saith do groan and desire deliverance no otherwise than the earth and other Creatures unto the day of redemption in so much as they are made subject to vanitie not willingly or by any naturall inclination but because that man casting himselfe headlong from his happie estate in which he was Created drew the whole world to share with him in his ruine to be subject to vanity and corruption as well as he These two things then are to be holden Nunc obnoxios esse Coelos corruptioni propter hominis lapsum ita renovatum iri ut meritò Propheta dicat perituros quia non iidem erunt sed alii The Heavens are now subject to corruption by reason of the sinne of man and are so to be renewed as that the Prophet might justly say they shall perish because they shall not be the same but others others not for substance but for quality As before also you have heard that this was communior sententia the more common opinion He that would see the judgement of particulars Vossius Thesi qua supra let him but read Gerardus Joh. Vossius Thesi qua supra who herein hath saved me much labour in quoteing both the Greek and Latine Divines for this opinion with whom Calvin you hear and most of our sound Modern Divines do agree too many to be particularized in such a Cloud of Witnesses would overspread much clean Paper All of them shall wax old as a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed They shall wax old as a Garment respectu durationis or continuati temporis in regard of duration or continuance of time at least if not respectu imminutionis or defectus virium naturalium if not in respect of any impairing or deficiencie of their naturall strength in this respect a garment may be said to wax old namely in regard that its long since it was made though it be not decayed or much worse for wearing yet we say in this sense that its an old Sute because long since it was made though it appear not old in regard of decay or any deficiency in the Woof but in this sense may be as good as a new one Deut. last 7. Moses was old duratione but not immunitione as we say See Deut. last 7. Moses was an hundred and twenty years old yet naturall strength not abated And as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Now a vesture may be changed two wayes either totaliter abolendo or accidentaliter commutando either by the totall taking of it away as burning of it or casting of it aside c. as of no more use or else by an accidentall change of it as washing of it scouring of it dressing of it or colouring of it anew or the like this is to change a vesture but it is but an accidentall change of it the substance is still the same The like change is cōceived to be had in the Heavens Dyonys Carthsianus in loc Dionysius Carhusianus in verba Nec coelum nec terra peribit substantialiter sed peribunt in fine mundi quantum adesse formae accidentalis quoniam alium statum hebebunt quà m modo c. Neither shall the Heavens nor the earth perish in regard of their substance but they shall be accidentally changed in the end of the world for after the judgement day they shall be put into another state or condition then that in which they now are and not changed as Ioseph changed his garment or vesture when he appeared before Pharaoh Gen. 14.14 Gen. 41.14 Taking new for substance and casting away the old mutatâ veste so changed he his raiment To that in the Hebrews the same answer may be given seeing its but the repetition of the same thing Iob. 14.12 To that in Iob Vsquedum non erunt coeli Till the Heavens be no more So man lyeth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more I answer some more Philosophically than Theologically conceive of it thus That even as the Heavens by their own nature and Principles are such that they of themselves would never decay but be for ever even so likewise man lying down in the grave by nature or his own strength would not arise again or could so arise till the Heavens were no more or ceased to be and that they conceived would be never because the Heavens would never cease to be Secondly others that are for a totall abolition they would understand it thus that at the last day when the generall resurrection shall be then shall the visible and sphaericall Heavens totally perish and then shall man arise again and till then he shall not Thirdly and lastly most thus Till the heavens be no more not simpliciter but secundùm statum praesentem not of simply or absolutely being no more at all but no more according to that present state and condition in which they now are and to which the sin of man hath made them subject 2. Pet 3.7 2 Pet. 3.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui vero nunc sunt coeli ac terra The heavens and the earth that now are till they be no more in the same state or condition they are in now but changed for qualitie or condition into better when they shall be refined and purged by burning Even as when we see a lump of Mettall melted be it of Gold Silver Lead Tinne or any other the drosse we know is taken out and the substance is thereby refined but yet the same substance still remains so may we also conceive of the Heavens when they shall be burned and purged And thus much may serve for answer to the first Argument Luke 21.33 To the second Luke 21.33 Coelum terra transibunt Heaven and earth shall passe away Matthew hath it thus Matth. 5. Matth. 5.18 18. Till heaven and earth passe or as the Geneva perish one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
as the Originall Donec transeat coelum terra as the Vulgar Vsquedum praeterierit coelum terra as Beza Quod donec transeant coelum terra as the Syriack Version by Tremelius Here we have some diversitie in words but all to one and the same sense and some conceive the words not simply but cōparatively spoken as thus that the truth of the Law is so firm that even such things as seem most durable shall perish before any jott of it perish yea Heaven and Earth are not so stable as the truth of it in all the parts of it Yea so strictly doth Piscator urge this place Piscator in in verba that as he hence observes the Law to have been written of old with pricks in the Hebr. Tongue so likewise he notes that God will have such a speciall care in preserving of the Scriptures that not so much as the least Vowell or prick of it shall perish in the Hebrew tongue nor the least iota or least letter with which its written in the Greek Tongue the least Letter or the least truth of the Law of God shall not perish or be changed so wisely was it given Calvin Musc Bucer in verba Psal 102.27 To the which sense Calvin Musculus and Bucer agree Beza parallels the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza with the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 102. Iahhaloph 27. signifies sic praeterire ut etiam mutetur so to passe away as also to be changed in the passage In Luke its positively set down as likewise in the Hebrewes before cited heaven and earth shall passe or they shall perish yet it will not hence follow that they shall passe or perish totally or by the whole destruction of the substance but in regard of this their present state and condition or in regard of their qualities or outward forme The same words are also positively used Mat 24.35 caduca eorum conditio their fraile and brittle estate and condition shall passe away but that will not conclude that therefore their essence and substance shall totally and finally be abolished but that they shall not remaine in the state and condition that they are now in for ever as the Philosophers that followed Aristotle dreamed holding the heavens aeternall and inalterable but shall perish or be changed Now Ipsi peribunt they shall perish or passe away will not conclude a totall abolition of substance as I have said but alteration of their present state quality and condition no more then justus perit Esa 57.1 Esa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart now the righteous perish not so as to suffer a totall abolition of their substance but the mortall and naturall man suffers so and perisheth so as to have his naturall and mortall estate changed his present estate condition and qualities but shall arise again in the same bodies for substance 1 Cor. 15. 1. Cor 15.53 53. Oportet enim hoc corruptioni obnoxium induere incorruptam naturam For this corruptible that is this corruptible body not another for substance shall put on incorruption Verse 44. Verse 44. Seritur corpus animale excitatur corpus spirituale it is sown a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body so that though the state qualities and condition be more excellent when it is raised then when it was cast into the grave yet the substance shall be the same Apoc. 1.1 To the third Apoc 21.1 for the first heaven and the first earth was passed away and there was no more sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiit as the vulgar or abierat was passed away Saint Mat and S. Luke say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall passe away Iohn here in a vision saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away already this he spake prophetically and as foreseeing what should befall them in the end of the world but for the manner how they shall passe away we answer as before for I conceive that the same answer for substance will solve the objection and therefore we will produce Aretius assenting to the same judgment quoting also Rev 20.11 Aretius in loc from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them which might seem to argue indeed a totall abolition of them but saith he they fled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the state or condition of corruption to incorruption and they fled from their former estate from before Gods face as ashamed of that estate For you have heard how usuall it is in Scripture to attribute to senselesse or irrationall creatures that which belongs to rationall And whereas mention is made of Iohns seeing a new Heaven and a new Earth Apoc. 21.1 Apoc 21.1 revera eadem sunt solum deposita corruptibilitate In very deed they are but the same having put off their corruptible estate and condition so that you see for substance the Heaven and Earth remains yet because their qualities present state and condition are changed they are called new and such you see S. Iohn saw them thus Aretius We may in some degree illustrate it thus 2 Cor. 5.17 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ saith the Apostle he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nova creatura a new Creature Now he is not new for substance either in body or soul for he hath the same for substance which he had before God wrought any change but not for state qualitie and condition for in regard of new qualities infused into his heart and minde from God he is called a new Creature or a new man veteri illa conditione abolita as Beza Beza in loc his old condition being abolished Ephes 4.22.23.24 Thus Ephes 4.22 23 24. mention is made of putting off the old man and putting on the new man This old man is said to be corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts That is he is denominated an old man from vicious qualities and that corrupt state of nature in which he was born Ephes 2.3 Ephes 2.3 By nature we are children of wrath But the new man is denominated from new and supernaturall qualities in regard of our lapsed estate This new man after God is Created in righteousnesse and true holinesse that is which after or according to Gods Image is renewed and changed by instauration of such qualities in some good measure and degree which we lost in Adam The Scholies Schol Graec from the Greeks have it thus sensed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veterem hominem non nomina vit ipsam naturam sed operationem peccati veterem vocavit in peccatis c. he calls not nature it self the old man but the corruption of nature for our nature was of old corrupted by the filthinesse of sinne According to which Zanchie upon the place Zanchie in loc Vetus homo est vetus
naturae corruptio atque pravitas quam ex Adamo quisque hausit the old man saith he is the old corruption or pravity of nature which we all drew from Adam Et paulò post Quid vero deponere jubetur numquid suam substantiam minime verò sed vetustatem suam pravitatem naturae But what is a man bidden to put off whether or no is he bidden to put off his substance no truly but that old corruption of nature And the putting on the new man is to have new Created qualities in us from God by which we put on Christ and his righteousnesse for Christus habitat in nobis per fidem Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in the hearts of his Children by faith And thus the heavens and the earth may be called new heavens and new earth or old Heavens or the first Heavens or old earth or the first earth in regard of their severall qualities states and conditions and yet the substance remain the same in them as well as in the old man and new man This may suffice for the words that have been urged But yet there are more words behinde in the forenamed places which seem more strong then the former that have been urged and answered and the answer illustrated Apoc. 20.11 In that it s said there was found no place for them and there was no more Sea Apoc. 20.1 To the former words There was found no place for them that is saith Aretius non apparerent they would not have made any appearance before him that sate upon the great white Throne Nullibi reperirentur ne ad tribunal sisterentur nam quorum locus non reperitur illa latent occulta manent they would have beene found no where least they should have stood before Gods tribunall and they whose places are not found out they still lie hid and remain in secret Yea but I conceive not this sense to agree so well with the Greek Text it accords better with Beza's Version of that place Quorum locus non est inventus whose place was not found Apoc. 12.8 Apoc. 12.8 speaking of the Angels that fell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque locus corum amplius inventus est in Coelo Neither was their place found any more in Heaven that is they had no more any more place there for ever And if the place of the first heaven and earth should be no more found than theirs then should it never be found True it is it is not said The place scilicet where once they had been but their place where locus must be conceived of by way of relation to the locati Heaven was never found any more a place for them The Originall hath it Apocal. 20.11 Apoc. 20.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar Translation renders verbatim Et locus non est inventus eis and there was not a place found to them or for them Now a place may be said non esse inventus not to be found two wayes either viâ essendi when there is no such place and so that which is not cannot be found by reason of the defect of the thing though there were no defect in the Seeker or viâ detegendi by way of the detection of it though there be such a place yet it cannot be found out Now there is no place in Heaven to the lapsed Angels in the former sense I shall not need to stand upon this point Philosophically to shew how the Angels can be said to have been in loco physically and tanquam corpora naturalia non sunt in loco quia non habent dimensiones non sunt quanti c. but at least definitivè we say they are in loco because being but finitae creaturae finite Creatures they must needs be alicubi some where yet we usually say they are not in loco circumscriptivè because they are immateriales immateriall substances and so Heaven was the locus communis the common place to all the lapsed Angels Locus we say is immobilis per se immoveable by it selfe though the locata be moveable so that the locus or place may receive diversa locata successivè divers things placed in it successively Now though I say there be a place in Heaven and that place which they once had yet it is not now locus corum their place theirs it is not relativè formaliter by way of relation to them and formally but by way of detection Psal 37.10 that place which was theirs may be found is found and is known but other locata are and shall be placed in it Iohn 14.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 14.2 vado parare vobis locum as the vulgar I go to prepare a place for you Againe for the more plenary illustration of the answer as we have considered of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the place and of the finding of it or not finding of it so must we also distinguish of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of the locata the Heaven and the Earth it is not simply said that there was no place for Heaven and Earth Apoc. 21.1 for the first words of the Verse in Apoc 21.1 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vidi Coelum novum et terram novam I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth therefore there was some place to be for Heaven and Earth but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the first Heaven and the first Earth passed away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et locus non est inventus eis Apoc. 20.11 Apoc 20.11 and there was no place for them namely for the first Heaven and the first earth for they were made subject to corruption and vanity as we have heard by the sinne of man and no Creatures that are subject to vanity or any corruption shall any more find any place for them after Christ shall sit upon his great white Throne at the day of judgement for when man shall put on incorruption then all the Creatures that shall remaine after that day shall put on by way of analogie incorruption too To which sense Musculus upon the words accords Musc in locum Nam sicut sole adveniente fugantur tenebrae sic Christo apparente in gloria fugabitur omnis infectio elementorum corruptionis noxiae et omnia innovabantur for even as when the Sun ariseth all darknesses or mists do vanish away even so when Christ shall appeare in his glory at the last day all infection or hurtfull corruption of the Elements shall be chased away and all things namely that shall remaine after that day shall be made new or become new so that then the first Heaven and the first Earth shall be changed and become new and there shall be no more place found for them as they were at Christs comming to judgment in that state and condition that they remained in after man had sinned but a better and farre more excellent estate for
they shall then be so changed and freed from their former corruptible estate and so refined and qualified with new qualities with a new estate and condition that in this respect they may be called a new Heaven and a new Earth Esa 65.17 But let us yet drive the naile a little farther Esa 65.17 Ego creaturus sum Coelos novos et Terram novam neque commemorabuntur haec priora neque venient in animum behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde Creation is ex nihilo therefore if God create new Heavens it may be urged that the former as also the Earth shall be totally abolished and so be no more remembred nor come into his minde To which for answer first take the Geneva note Nota Genevensis I will so alter and change the state of my Church namely in the time of Christ under the state of the new Testament that it shall seem to dwell in a new world So divers conceive this Place meant of the excellent gifts that shall be in great abundance in the time of the new Testament when he shall make such a restauration as if Heaven and Earth were changed or made new Esa 25.6 7 8. this is more fully expressed Esa 25.6.7.8 where by corporall things he sets out spirituall blessings In this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things c. yet this seemes not to be the compleat sense of the place neither shall all those blessings be fully attained and in their highest perfection and degree untill God shall make a new Heaven and a new Earth after the day of judgement and when things shall have their renewing for such a new Heaven and new Earth God shall make as we learne from Saint Peter after the former Heaven and Earth shall be burnt with fire 2 Pet 3.13 and that he promised to make such and what promise finde we so plaine as this in the fore-cited place of Esa 2. if the word creation be urged farther for the new Heavens and Earth which shall be after the destruction of the first I answer Esa last 22. God saith he will make the new Heavens and the new Earth and that they shall remaine before him 2. 2 Cor. 5.17 Cor 5.17 If any any man be in Christ he is nova creatura a new Creature A new Creature not in regard of substance as we have heard but in regard of qualities divine habits or qualities which are infused into him from God they grow not out of the accursed soyl of nature but are spirituall and divine qualities created of God or by him by which man is so changed that he is called a new Creature Creation if we take it properly est motus ex nihilo adesse a making something of nothing thus God made Heaven and Earth as we have heard of nothing Gen 1.1 Gen. 1.1 or ex nihilo tali of nothing by nature apt to have any such thing produced of it as to have the body of Adam framed of earth Aquin. in loc or red earth or Eve of a Ribb taken from Adams Side Aquinas comes home to this sense upon the place having quoted that passage in Gal. 6. Gal. 6.15 15. neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new Creature ubi notandum saith he quòd innovatio per gratiam dicitur creatura where it is to be observed that the renewing of us by grace is called a Creature yea this renovation is a spirituall creation And whereas creation properly and strictly taken is a production of a thing out of nothing or of a being out of a non-being and whereas there is a two fold being esse naturae et esse gratiae the being of nature and the being of grace the first being was of old corrupted which was our being in nature which we drew from Adam Oportet ergo esse novam creationem per quâm producerentur inesse gratiae it was needfull there should be a new creation saith he by which they should be produced into the being of grace Answerable to which I cōceive that place Ephes 2.10 For we are his workemanship created in Christ Jesus to good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opus as Beza Beza Versio Vulgar factura as the Vulgar his worke or making created in Christ Jesus to good works and ne putaremus Apostolum loqui de primo opere Dei dequè prima creatione qua scilicet omnes nos creat in uteris maternis adjunxit creati in Christo Jesu c. as Zanchie in locum Zanc. in loc least we should suppose the Apostle to speake of the first work of God and of the first creation to witt of that by which we were all created in our mothers wombe he adjoyns created in Christ Jesus For duplex est creatio hominum saith he Prima et Secunda et utraquè in Christo et per Christum there is a double or twofold Creation of men the first and the Second and both of them in Christ and by Christ The former is the substantiall Creation of our Nature the latter the qualitative Creation of our Grace Aretius in loc to which Aretius also assents and more fully illustrates thus Creatura nihil confert ad suum creatorem sed id opus totum est in manu creatoris positum sic regenerandus ad sui regenerationem nihil confert c. even as the Creature brings nothing to his Creator in its Creation so he that is to be regenerated brings nothing with him that makes for his regeneration both are wholly in the Power and the efficiencie of God Regeneratio est opus regenerantis in actu primo it s also opus regenerati in actu secundo Regeneration is the worke of God in the first act it s also the worke of man in the second act In the first man is meerly Passive in regard of God who renews and heales our corrupt nature and subdues our vicious qualities by the infusion of new qualities into each of our faculties and then acti agimus being wrought upon we worke on together with God in actu secundo in the second act Gods grace is the principium a quò man is the subject on which this grace works and is the principium quod as the Schooles use to speake and then both concurre in the production of every holy action and man thus helped by Gods grace he willingly moves himselfe to what is good and by reason of this concurrance of man with God these operations of grace are properly called mans worke not Gods worke as it is thus done by man so that when a man beleeves though his faith be infused by Gods Spirit yet it is exercised by man voluntarily moving himselfe to that act of beleeving and therefore we say that its man that beleeves not the spirit in man for though this habite be
infused by the spirit yet the spirit is not subject to any infused habits Thus briefely for the fuller illustration of the word Creation Pererius in Gen. 1.1 Pererius upon the word creavit in Genes observes it to be promiscuously used not only for production ex nihilo but also sundry times for production out of some praeexistent matter not naturally apt for any such thing as is produced out of it Barth Kecker lib. 7. systemat Physic Wolleb Christ Theol. compend lib. 1. cap. 5. canon 1. This Keckerman calls Creationem mediatam lib. 7. System Physici Woll bius in compendio Christianae Theologiae capite 5. canone 1. to the same purpose lib. 1. Creare non tantum est ex nihilo aliquid facere sed etiam ex materia inhabili supra naturae vires aliquid producere To Create is not only to make some thing of nothing but also to produce somewhat of a matter unfitting for such a production as above the strength of the nature of it or above the strength of nature so that we may see creating doth not alwayes import production out of nothing and you have heard out of the same Prophets that whereas he useth the word Creating or he will Create in one place of his prophecie he useth the word make in another and both of them spoken of the same thing If we further urge that in Esay Esa 65.17 before mentioned neque commemorabuntur haec priora neque venient in animum the former shall not bee remembred nor come into minde as if they should be so totally abolished that they should never more be seen or thought upon To which we afford a further answer that a thing may be said not to be remembred two wayes either absolutely or comparatively absolutely God cannot be touched with oblivion or any such defect so as to forget what he hath once known for Petrus Lomb. lib 1. sent dist 39. lit A. as Lombard saith well lib. 1. Sent. dâ—stinc 39. lit A. Dei scientia omninò immutabilis est nec augeri potest nec minui the knowledge of God is immutable it can neither be increased nor deminished if therefore God once knew the old Heavens and the old Earth he can never absolutely be said so not to remember them or not to come into his minde as absolutely to forget them Lom 1. lib. 1. sent dist 41. lit G. in fiâ—e And lib. 1. sent dist 41. lit G in calce Indubitanter ergo teneamus Deum semper omnia scire quae aliquando scit having argued the Point concerning Gods knowledge thus he concludes Therefore we hold it for an undoubted truth that all things which God knowes at any time he knowes them alwayes But it may be objected Ier. 31.34 Ier. 31.34 I will remember their sinne no more speaking of the sinnes of his people To which I answer where the Lord saith that he will remember their sinnes no more we cannot rightly understand it thus that he hath absolutely forgotten that ever his people had had any sins but as Mattyr well saith Class 3. locorum communium Peter Martyr Class 3. loc com cap. 9. sect 18. in calce cap. 9. sect 18. in calce Deum oblivisci atque non recordari est nolle punire neque pâ—enas de aliquo sumere In this sense for God to forget and not to remember is as much as not to punish or to take revengement upon a man I conceive that that passage in the Gospell according to S. Iohn will come up to our purpose Iohn 16.21 Iohn 16.21 Mulier cum parit dolorem habet quia venit hora ejus quum autem peperit puerulum as Beza reads jam non meminit oppressionis quòd gaudeat hominem esse natum in mundo or quia natus est homo in mundum as the vulgar A woman when she is in Travell hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world Now where it is said that she remembreth no more the anguish we must not understand it simply and absolutely as though she had quite forgot the extremitie of her pain as if it had never been but comparatively she remembers it not in regard of that joy with which she is now filled that it s passed over and that a man-Childe is born into the world Even so the Lord may be said not to remember the former Heavens and Earth and that they come no more into his minde not absolutely as we have heard but comparatively or in regard of the glorie and excellency of the new Heavens and Earth that he will make And thus much may suffice for answer to that objection I have but one branch more of the allegation to answer and then the objection is solved Apoc. 21.1 Apoc. 21.1 before alledged And there was no more Sea To which I might first answer that there is no such expresse Scripture for a new Sea as there is for a new Heaven and a new earth in particular Secondly by the Sea Sunt qui putant turbulentam hujus saeculi vitam qui maris nomine aliquoties Scriptura significatur tum cessuram significari Some suppose that by the Sea is signified the troublesome and unquiet estate of this world which sometimes is set out in Scripture by that terme shall then cease but I conceive that the word Sea is to be taken as Heaven and Earth are in the same Verse not metaphorically but literally and properly and no good reason can be shewn to the contrary Thirdly and lastly taking the word Sea properly as Heaven and Earth is taken Aug. lib. 20. de civit Dei cap. 16. I answer with Augustine lib. 20. de civitat Dei cap. 16. who doubts whether those words be so simply and absolutely to be understood Vt mare prorsus sit desiturum utpote jam deflagrationibus exhaustum exciccatum c. vel futurum sit Aquin. supplem ad 3. qu. 74. art 5. resp ad 2. remanebit quoad substantiam non quoad falsedinem commotiones fluctum sed innovatum immutatum that is whether the Sea shall then altogether cease as being exhausted and quite dried up with the flames of fire or it shall be renewed and changed so that it shall be no more raging roaring or turbulent Sea but more quiet and pleasant And Meyerus judgeth thus Meye in verba that as the Sea ad varios usus ac hominum utilitatem optimi creatoris jussu deseruit innovabitur ergò cum caeteris elementis a fervitute restituto homine liberabitur and grounds his opinion upon Romanes 8.21 As the Sea Rom. 8.21 by the command of its great Creator served for divers uses and profits of mankind so it shall be renewed with the rest of the Elements and shall be delivered from its bondage when man is
restored And for further illustration of this place that in Esa 60.19 Esa 60.19 may come up to helpe us the Sunn shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnesse shall the Moon give light unto thee but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Which place must first be conceived as the learned observe of that great light and prosperity that shall be in the Church under the state of the new Testament when both Jews and Gentiles were to have the knowledge of the everliving God and when the knowledge of the true God should be spread over the earth as the waters cover the Sea but then the aeternity and perfection of this excellency was to be compleated when God should make new Heavens and a new Earth in those glorious Mansions where a farre more glorious light then the Sunn of the firmament shall shine and whereas then there shall be dies unus perpetuus nox nulla one perpetuall day and no night at all that light and excellency that shall shine and flow out to the sonns of God in the state of the new Testament both in spirituall knowledge and divine graces is but as a glimpse of their glory and excellency which shal be compleated in the life to come And some Divines I find who call this their excellency under the state of the new Testament whether for time we referre it to the primative or Apostolique Church as some or to the middle times as others or to the latter times as a third or to all these from Christs time to the last in their severall degrees and in times when the Church had her Lucida intervalla her halcion dayes or dayes of free professing of the Gospel not in her times of the storme beating by generall persecutions or darkning by the clouds of affliction as a fourth this their spirituall excellency I say under the state of the new Testament they call typum a type or figure or resemblance of that excellency and glorious estate of the Sonns of God in the life to come wherein the excellency of their estate shall fully appeare so that the Prophets sometimes make a transition from the one to the other and promise to the Church in its compleat estate in regard of sanctity and freedome from sinne those things that shall in their height and perfection be obtained in the state of glory which you have heard in this life may be resembled or shadowed out 1 Cor. 13.9 1 Cor. 13.9 10. For we know in part and prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away And he adds in the 11. and 12. Verses when I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things for now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known We know in part parum enim ex multo cognoscimus Versio Syriac per Trem. as the Syriacke version by Tremelius for we know but a little of much we know but here after an imperfect manner in comparison of what we shall know there Our knowledge here is but compared to Childhood in regard of a perfect and well instructed man The knowledge of a Child is but small even so small and weake is our knowledge in this life in comparison of what we shall have in the life to come Here we discern Divine truths more darkely there we shall discerne them more clearly and fully And where it is here said that we know in part Non est sensus doctrinam salutis nos tantum ex parte non integram habere proinde revelationibus aut traditionibus aliis opus esse Nequaquam sed est collatio praesentis et futuri status circa cognitionem Dei et rerum divinarum Etenim summa hujus vitae scientia nihil est ad futuram perfectionem collata Paraeus in loc as Paraeus hath it This is not the meaning of the words as though the doctrine of salvation were but had of us in part and not wholly and that therfore we should stand in need of other revelations or traditions to make it out not so but collation or comparing of our estate in this life present with that which is to come cōcerning the knowledge of God and Divine things For the chiefest knowledge that we have in this life is nothing in comparison of that perfection we shall attain unto in the life that is to come We prophesie but in part in comparison of the excellent light clearnesse of judgement in Divine mysteries that we shall attaine unto then for when that which is perfect shall come then that which is imperfect shal be done away not corruptivè or destructivè but absorptivè ac perfectivè not quite abolished corrupted or destroyed but swallowed up into that knowledge which is more excellent and more perfected even as childhood is swallowed up of youth or youth into a perfect man or as Chrysostom gives it Chrysost in verb. Non abolebitur scientia ut nulla sit sed desinet esse imperfecta this knowledge which we now have in part shall not be absolutely abolished that it be none at all but it shall cease to be imperfect Even as that knowledge which a man hath in any liberall Art or Science when he is but Bachellour in Arts and when he knowes them but in part is not totally abolished when he proceeds to be Master in them but swallowed up into greater knowledge and perfected so our knowledge in part or imperfect knowledge of Divine mysteries in this life of that excellent and perfect knowledge in the next life Now vve see but as in a Glasse more darkly then more clearly And as in a Glasse the nudae species rerum apparentium as the naturall Philosophers speak the nudae species or likenesses of things are but to be seen not the things themselves Here we see Gods vvisdome in his Works his power his excellencie here vve know that his Son vvas incarnate that he made all things of nothing and the like but this vve know not perfectly till vve shall see God himself face to face and know as vve are known namely of God himself 1 Iohn 3.2 for 1 Iohn 3.2 We shall see him as he is non comprehendendo totam essentiam sed conspiciendo per modum ineffabilem habendo imaginem Dei perfectè renovatam labemque omnem totaliter deletam ac deperditam not by comprehending his whole Essence for that is beyond the sphaere of the abilitie of any Created and finite nature but by the beholding of him after an ineffable manner having the Image of God perfectly renewed in us and all spott or contagion of sinne totally taken away from us and destroyed for untill then we cannot
see him as he is Moses in this life saw but his back parts the Fathers under the Law saw him but in symbolis in certain outward signes of his presence as in the fire in the Cloud in the smoak or the like but we shall see him clearly as he is 2 Cor. 5.6 7. 2 Cor. 5.6 7. We know that whilest we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight but then we shall see what we have beleeved yea him in whom we have beleeved which whilest we have but mortall eyes of flesh and bodies subject to sinne and infirmitie you have heard vve cannot do And vvhereas it is said the Sunne shall be no more thy light by day c. but the Lord shall be thine everlasting light which farre exceeds the light of the Sunne yet vve cannot hence conclude infallibly that those Planets and naturall Lights of Heaven shall totally cease and perish but comparatively they may be said to shine no more in regard of that unspeakable splendor which God shall give in glory in the presence of all his Elect so that the Sunne shall be no more necessary to them in that manner it was whilest they vvere upon the earth But in that God shall make a new Heaven it is not probable that this new Heaven shall be lesse adorned than the old one or lesse glorious The Starres are integrall parts of Heaven they are densiores partes Orbis the thicker or more compact parts of their Orbes for if the Corpus stellarum or body of the Stars were aequae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or tralucidum equally translucent to the rest of their Orbes then would they neither receive keep or give any more light than the rest of the Orbes do Aristotle lib. 2. Arist lib. 2. de Coelo cap. 7. de Coelo cap. 7. shewes that they have eandem essentiam naturam cum Coelo the same Essence and nature vvith the Heavens eadem materiâ forma constant cienturque eodem motu they consist of the same matter and forme and are also moved with the same motion therefore if the Heavens be made new and more glorious than they are now shall not these as parts of them be so too Matth. 24.29 and if so then not totally abolished Yea but Matth. 24.29 the Starres shall fall from Heaven Apoc. 6.13 and Apoc. 6.13 the Starres of Heaven fell unto the Earth as a Figg-tree casteth her untimely Figgs vvhen she is shaken of a mightie vvinde And Heaven departed away as a Scroll vvhen it is rolled and every Mountain and Island vvere moved out of their places c. This latter allegation seems to me to have been taken from Isaiah Isa 34.4 All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a Scroll and all their Host shall fall down as the Leaf falleth off from the Vine and as a falling Figg from the Figtree And if so then these integrall parts shall be abolished for vvhen God shall shake both Heaven and earth as Heb. 12.26 Yet once more and I shake not the earth onely but also the Heaven c. and you may alledge that God by his power is as able to shake the Stars out of the Orbs of Heaven as the winde the Figgs from the Figtree or Leaves from the Vine To these allegations I would give satisfaction in order concerning the Starres and Planets of Heaven for as for the bodie of Heaven we have answered already First then to the allegation Matth. 24.29 The Starres shall fall from Heaven The Ancient Divines have differed upon the sense of these vvords so also have the Modern And how the Sunne and Moon shall be darkned we may more easily conceive then how the Starres shall fall for they may become so either by great and fearfull Ecclipses or nubium obtectione or innatae lucis privatione or majoris luminis obscuratione by being deprived of their innate light or by being obscured by some greater light as by the glorious coming of Christ Chrysost exposit 1. 2. But by whether of these two later Chrysostome is not at one with himself as may appear in Expositione prima secunda Yet Astrologers say that Sol Luna simul Ecclipsim naturalem pati non possunt Secondly its observable that in the Prophets vvhen any great fearfull day of the Lord by executing of his terrible judgements upon any people or Nation vvas at hand they expressed it by these termes all which judgements vvere specimina quaedam extremi judicii certain examples and patterns of the last and great judgement as upon those of Tyrus of Babylon of Aegypt of the Jews Idumaeans or the like For Tyrus and Zidon and the Coasts of Palestine vvhen God threatens recompence to them for what they had done to his Church which he takes as done to himself If ye recompence me c. he saith Ioel 3.15 Ioel. 3.15 The Sunne and the Moon shall be darkned and the Starres shall vvithdraw their shining which shall be signes of Gods wrath and anger so that the Creatures Lamps of light should be suspended from yeelding that comfortable light and Service unto sinners vvhich formerly they did For Babylon Isaiah 13.10 Isai 13.10 The Starres of Heaven and the Constellations thereof shall not give their light The Sunne shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine For Aegypt Ezekiel 32.7 8. Ezek. 32.7 8. And vvhen I shall put thee out I will cover the Heaven and make the Starres thereof dark I vvill cover the Sunne vvith a Cloud and the Moon shall not give her light All the bright Lights of Heaven will I make dark over thee and set darknesse upon thy Land saith the Lord God Ioel 2.10 For the Jews Ioel 2.10 The Sunne and the Moon shall be dark and the Starres shall withdraw their shining Esa 34.4 5. For Idumaea Isa 34.4 5. amongst the rest of the Enemies of the Church of God they were to be punished and then saith he all the Hoast of Heaven shal be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a Scroll and all their Host shall fall down as a Leaf falleth from the Vine c. Musc in loc Thirdly concerning the Starres falling from Heaven Musculus is of opinion that they shall fall indeed quid opus est disputare de modo quo ventura sunt haec signa to what end should we despute of the manner how these signes should come to passe saith he Of the same judgement is Bucer and some others Bucer in verba Yet judicious Calvin Calvin in loc and many other learned Divines are not of this judgement that the Starres shall really be separated from their Orbs. Stellas non reipsa casuras intelligit sed secundùm hominum sensum ideò apud Lucam tantùm praedicit
I conceive yet he will have the reason why the matter of the Heavens is not combustible or obnoxious to the Element of fire to be because they differ per corruptibile incorruptibile as corruptible and incorruptible and the qualities of Heaven non sunt eum ignis qualitatibus generis ejusdem they are not of the same kinde with the qualities of fire as in part you have heard before but what reall difference he can assigne between the Philosophers quinta essentia and his incorruptible I have not as yet understood seeing the Philosopher meant that the matter of the Heavens was incorruptible because it was a quintessence the difference is onely verball Secondly we read not that the Sun and Moon shall fall from Heaven or the rest of the Planets as Saturn Iupiter Mars or the like but the Stars which is conceived to be meant of the fixed Starres Now when Heaven is shaken why these should be loosened from their eight sphaere more than any of the Planets out of their severall Orbs in nature we can give no reason Thirdly and lastly if what Aristotle writes in l. 2. Arist lib. 2. de Coelo de coelo be true that stellae coelumque eandem habent substantiam that the Starres and the Heaven it self have the same substance and that they differ but densitate raritate in density or raritie of the parts of that substance and that as Scaliger speaks Exercitat 61. Scalig. de subttl ad Card. exer 61. de subtilitate ad Cardanum si sidus be coelum suum densum coelum be sidus suum rarum if the Stars be the Heaven made thick or thickened and the Heaven be the Starres rarified or made thinner for he likes not the illustration of the old Philosophers who compared them to knots in Timber Non admittenda veterum Metaphora qui Stellam in coelo velut in tabula nodum arbitrabantur the Metaphor of the Ancients saith he is not to be allowed of who supposed a Star in the Heavens to be like a knot in a Plank or in the Timber Yet may not a man as well say that nodus is tabulá sua densa and tabula is nodus suus rarus as he the other except a man were now and then delighted to make singularitie a subtiltie and if so how that quantum continuum should be so separated as to have the partes densiores to fall and the partes rariores of the same substance to remain after them in natural reason cannot well be conceived therfore the school-divines were moved to judge that the Starres should have no reall removeall by falling à situ or from their scituation but that their falling from Heaven should be after some other manner And the Scriptures sometimes speak of things not as they are in themselves but as they appear unto men as Matth. last Matth. last 2. 2. an Angel is said to rowl away the stone from the Sepulchre Mark last 5. yet Mark last 5. this Angel is called a young man not that the Angel was so but because he did appear so unto others having assumed that shape and so was in a visible forme And thus the Schoolmen think that then shall be such a terrour upon the Creature and men so perplexed at the comming of this great and fearfull Judge and the Sea roaring the earth trembling the Heaven shaking that the Starrs of Heaven shall be thought to them to fall yet not existentiâ but apparentiâ say they Dionysiê° Catthus in verb. and so Dionysius Carthusianus upon the place They shall fall from Heaven not from their existence in their sphaeres but in appearance unto the Inhabitants of the Earth Except you had rather say that the Starres quoad statum corruptum according to their corrupt state by the sinne of man should have their corruption to fall from them being burned as the Heavens shall be And howsoever that of Aquinas in his sense be true in supplemento ad 3. Aquin. suppl ad 3. part summ qu. 74. art 1. in corp partem sum qu. 74. art 1. in corpore that res corporalis subjectum infectionis culpae propriè esse non possit tamen ex culpa quaedam incongruitas c. that is infectio or impuritas though things corporeall cannot properly be said to be the subject of infection by fault yet by the fault of another namely of man for whose use in some sort they were made there may be a certain incongruitie infection or impuritie from their first estate put upon them the which if it were not removed would keep them from a better a more perfect estate therefore will God purge them in the fire at the last day For purgatio mundi ad hoc erit ut removeatur à corporibus dispositio contraria perfectioni gloriae quae quidem perfectio est ultima rerum consummatio Aquin. suppl ad 3. qu. 74. art 4. in corp c. Aquin. supplemen ad 3. partem summ qu. 74. art 4. in corp the purging of the world by fire is to this end that from the corporeall Creatures may be removed that disposition now in them which is contrary to the perfection of glory which perfection truely is the last atchievement of things that can be attained unto Now come we to the last allegation for the liberation of the Creature by totall abolition 2 Pet. 3.10 2 Pet. 3.10 The Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up To which I answer as in part before that though the Heavens be thus burned up yet it will not follow that the substance of them shall totally be annihilated but that their esse accidentale tale their accidentall estate be renewed their corruptible qualities shall be changed and that impuritie they became lyable to by the sinne of man shall be taken away that so they may be reduced to a better estate Mettall we know that is melted or dissolved in the fire is not totally destroyed quoad substantiam in the substance of it but the drosse and baser qualities of it purged out Thus we conceive it to be with the Heavens when they shall be dissolved so that neither will this last allegation evince an asolute abolition of the substance of the Heavens And thus much in answer to the Arguments or Allegations for the liberation of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by way of totall abolition I now come to the second which you have heard in part is sententia communior the more common opinion not onely of the Fathers both of Eastern and Western Churches but of Modern Divines as also of the Schooles And because I have formerly referred you to Vossius where you may see them nominated particularly as also the places in them I shall not need here againe crambem recoquere to make mention of them being so many
he may bestow it upon other parts of the world then onely those which that Doctor names And howsoever many Individuals of every species have and shall perish so likewise have parts of the Elements perished though not the tota so the species of severall Creatures shall continue as long as the Elements that now are shall and why then by the gift of immortalitie may not these species continue of which many Individualls have perished as well as the Elements from whom parts have so much and so often perished His fifth Those Creatures that shall be delivered shall be glorified and immediately passe from their corruptible estate into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God but the unreasonable Creature not thus Ergo. I answer To be glorified properly is incident to the rationall Creature he onely shall enter into the glory of God in the third Heaven and have the Image of God perfectly renewed in him Secondly the Creature may come into the glorious libertie of the Sons of God and yet be not thus glorified but sutable to its nature immortalized dono gratuito as we have heard and have an Analogie to glorified bodies Again where he saith they fall into corruption and their life and spirit is extinguished with them c. true to all that shall not be renewed this shall come to passe but whether God shall not renew the species of them is adhuc sub judice and to affirm he shall not is but to begge the question and to conclude that for a certaintie which is in controversie And whereas he renders this reason why the Heavens and earth shall rather be restored then the rest of the Creatures namely because they have been from the beginning to the ending subject to vanitie after man had sinned but other Creatures that succeed by generation but a while I answer this had been some reason against the Individuals of the species but against the species none for the species of the Creatures have been as long subject to vanity as they though not their successive individualls His sixth If any such Creatures restored then either the same that were before or some other of the same kinde newly created But neither of these Ergo. I answer this will fall to be handled in the fourth and last ranke of Creatures but in all probabilty not those that are already perished in individualls Secondly we say they shall have a renovation or restauration not a new Creation for substance but shall be renewed in their qualities state and condition as we have heard before His seventh and last Argument produced against the most generally received opinion is this Nulla promissio facta est there is no promise made for the restitution of any such Creatures as there is for Heaven and Earth Ergò they shall not be restored To this I answer that there is a promise as I conceive in generall though not so particularly as for Heaven and Earth For this I conceive a promise as also do many others in that the Scripture saith the Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.21 into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and before the Creature was made subject to vanity But Heaven Earth and man were not all the Creatures that were made subject to vanity Peter Martyr to the same purpose in 8. P. Martyr in Rom. 8. ad Rom. quamvis enim Scriptura harum Creaturarum mentionem seorsim expresse non fecerit satis tamen est quod in genere Creaturas restaurandas significaverit nequè unquà m quicquà m exceperit saith he Although the Scripture make no mention of the Creatures severally and expressely as it doth of Heaven and Earth yet its sufficient that it hath signified that the Creatures shall be restored in generall or indefinitly neither any where hath it made any exception Thus have you seen the Arguments and reasons of that laborious and learned Divine answered upon which reasons and Arguments he dissented as much following Bucan from the most generally received opinion Let us now come to the fourth and last ranke of the Creatures the Heavens the Earth and Mankinde this last ranke many of the School-Divines fall upon which Peter Martyr also mentions in oct ad Rom. thus P. Mart. in 8. ad Rom. Scholastici saith he putant homine qui praecipua est pars Orbis terrarum renovato etiam Creaturas esse restituendas quae sententia verissima est colligitur enim ex dictis Pauli quòd autem ad partes attinet tantum Coelum Elementa hominum corpora putant esse relinquenda The Schoole-men saith he do suppose that man who is the chiefe part of the world being renewed the rest of the Creatures also shall be restored which sentence is most true for it s gathered from the sayings of Saint Paul but concerning what Creatures they think that Heaven the Elements and the bodies of men shall be restored for they thinke that not the Earth onely but also the rest of the Elements shall remain Beda indeed saith glossa in 2. Beda in gloss in 2 Pet. ult Pet. last quòdignis duo ex toto consumet duo verò in meliorem restituet faciem c. that the fire shall totally consume two of the Elements and renue or purifie other two Others thinke quod manebunt omnia quoad substantiam sed mutabuntur quoad imperfectionem sed duo retinebunt propriam formam substantialem scilicet Aer Terra sed in igne aqua non remanebit forma substantialis sed ad formam Coeli commutabuntur sic tria Elementa Ignis Aer Aqua dicentur Coelum quamvis Aer retineat eandem formam substantialem quam nunc etiam habet quia et nunc etiam Coelum dicitur c. That all the Elements shall remaine for substance but shall be changed from their imperfection but yet two of them that is to say the Aire and Earth shall retain their own substantiall forme but in the fire and water that substantiall forme shall not remaine but shall be changed into the forme of Heaven and so three of the Elements Fire Aire and Water shall be called Heaven although one of these that is to say the Aire may retaine the same substantiall forme which now it hath and because now the Aire is called Heaven And this they would collect from Apoc. 21. Apoc. 21.1 1. because mention is made onely of Heaven and earth but others reject this opinion because say they repugnat Philosophiae quòd corpora inferiora sint in potentia ad formam coeli cum materiam non habent ejusmodi this is repugnant to Philosophie that bodies sublunary should be in capacity to be informed by the forme of Heaven when as they are not of the same matter with the Heavens for so Aristotelians as you have heard It may also resist Theologie in the most generally received opinion for if two of the foure Elements
Creation may be said to groan and expect when all the species of the Creatures which God created do so And though every Individuall be afflicted for our sakes of the severall species yet it will not necessarily follow that every particular should be restored but the severall kindes or species in so many Individualls as God shall think in his wisdome fitting for then I say every Creature may be said to be restored Peter Martyr in class 3. Pet. Martyr clas 3. loc com cap. 17. sect 24. Idem etiam in 8. ad Rom. loc commun cap. 17. sect 24. as also in cap. 8. ad Rom. when he said that by all sometimes some parts may be synecdochically meant true but still the question remains whether it may be so taken here or no for the whole Creation or every Creature groaning or is subject to vanitie cannot here be meant synecdochically and if the Creature be as large as for any thing to the contrary in the Text seems to me then that will not serve here for it s not said that some creatures shal be delivered or some of the whole Creatiō but having mentioned the whole Creation he adds for a remedy to this The Creature shal be delivered what Creature that which was made subject to vanitie this shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption not all onely of one species or kinde The instances brought by that famous Divine Iohn 10.8 1 Cor. 6.12 Iohn 10.8 1 Cor. 6.12 All that came before me c. All things are lawfull for me are meant onely of an all in such a kinde all false prophets not all Prophets and all things indifferent not all things in any kind without exception Again saith he when Paul saith the Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption posset generaliter intelligi de mundo quod ille non amplius cogendus sit renovare creaturas per novam generationem non tamen ex eo sequitur omnes creaturas quod singulas species attinet esse renovandas they are his own words It may be generally understood of the world that it shall no more be compelled to renew its Creatures by any more new generation yet notwithstanding it will not follow from that that all Creatures that belongs to every species should be renewed True I grant if no more be intimated by the Creatures liberation than a cessation from generation which is by corruption of some other pre-existent matter for its a commonly received truth amongst Philosophers From Arist lib. 1. Arist lib. 2. de gen cor text 17. de gen cor text 17. that generatio unius est corruptio alterius yet this axiome is not to be understood formaliter but causaliter because these two do tend ad diversos terminos but the Apostle saith that they shall have more then a liberation from generation by way of precedanie corruption for they shall also be delivered into the glorious liberty of the children of God as we have observed before And in the conclusion Peter Martyr will not absolutely determine for the most generally received opinion Neither yet for the last rank of the Creatures as Dr. Willet inclines to with some others but Pii igitur animi esse censeo neutram partem pertinaciter affirmare nihil enim habemus alterutram in partem satis certò definitum I judge it to be the part of a godly minde therefore to affirme neither opinion obstinately his reason is because we have nothing certainly enough defined or determined for either opinion true if he mean expressely and in particular otherwise we might again make use of his owne words in 8. P. Mart. in 8. ad Rom. ad Rom. satis tamen est quòd in genere creaturas instaurandas significaverit neque unquam quicquam exceperit though the Scripture mention not their restauration expressely or in particular yet it s enough notwithstanding that it hath signified the Creatures to be restored in generall neither hath any thing any where excepted And if we demand which of the ranks of the Creatures or out of which this renovation shall be he answers loco quo suprà Hoc tamen ausim dicere exillis creaturis quae interierint tantum homines esse excitandos à mortuis De aliis vero creaturis post diem judicii conservandis à coelo terra quarum Scriptura non meminit nihil dicendum arbitror Notwithstanding this I dare be bold to say that of all those Creatures that are already dead or such as have perished before the day of judgement onely men shall be raised again from death but of other Creatures that shall be conserved after the day of Judgement which Creatures the Scriptures have not mentioned I suppose nothing is to be said In particular and expressely they are not mentioned as you have heard but in generall you have heard himself say and without exception which saith he satis tamen est notwithstanding that other Creatures be not so expressely named as heaven and earth is c. yet it s enough they are promised to be delivered in generall and no exception any where made of other sort of Creatures that they shall not be restored any more than of heaven and of earth But how many Individualls God shall renew of every sort that is left to his wisdom and good pleasure as it was when he preserved the severall species at the time of the Flood Paraeus dubio decimo in 8. ad Rom. Paraeus dub 10. in octavum ad Romanos judgeth quòd sit probabile res corruptibiles plerasque omnes abolendas esse its probable saith he that all corruptible Creatures for the greatest part of them shall be abolished for man as you have heard shall stand in need of no ordinary use of them as formerly but God in his wisdome can preserve so many as may I say continue the severall species amongst which there shall be talis concinnus orde so fine so sweet an order and such a disposall of them that there shall neither be redundancy nor deficiencie Tale fore temperamentum concinnum ordinem ut nihil deforme vel fluxum appareat as you have seen before out of Calvin upon the place Calvin in loc there shall be such a moderation and fine order amongst the Creatures that shall be restored that nothing shall appear either foul or superfluous or ill-favoured or unstable which is enough for us to know in this life Now for the use of the Creatures that shall be restored though it shall not be for any common necessitie as before yet may it be for an use of ineffable excellency wherein the multifarious wisdome of God in regard of the Objects upon which it s shown may appear and remain as upon record in the severall and great variety of the species for ever Vt delectationi visionis intellectualis addatur delectatio visionis sensualis ut Ioan. de combis lib. 7. comp Theol.
think that these things appeared unto him visible in very deed and were not onely represented to the contemplation of his minde Damas lib. 2. orth fid cap. 6. Again Damascene lib. 2. orthodoxae fidei cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coelum est ambitus visibilium invisibilium creaturarum Heaven is the compasse or circuit both of visible and invisible Creatures Keckermannus lib. 2. Kecker lib. 2. Syst Phys cap 1. Systematis Physici cap 1 Spiritus non potest corpora ambire concludere A Spirit cannot compasse about or shut up bodies within it This is that which the Philosophers call Coelum Empyraeum which is suprema excellentissima illa Coelorum series Thronus gloriae divinae domicilium electorum Angelorum atque hominum as the same Author lib. 2. cap. 5. de partibus Coeli Idem Auth. lib. quo supra cap. 5. This is the highest and most excellent order of the Heavens or rank of them the Throne of Gods glorie and the abiding place of the elect Angels and men And presently after he calls it partem corporis coelestis part of the bodie of Heaven See the like from Augustine lib. 22. de Civitate Dei cap. 4. Aug. lib 22. de civit Dei cap. 4 shewing Coelum beatorum esse corporeum the heaven of the blessed to be corporeall This is called coelum coelorum the Heaven of Heavens Deut. 10.14 Deut. 10.14 and is farre above all other Heavens Ephes 4.10 that is above all the sphaericalls This is immobile ac incorruptibile immoveable as seated above the primum mobile and is the place of ease and rest of Gods Elect. Incorruptible as having no privation to concomitate that most pure pleasant and exquisite matter of it or no contrarietie of qualities to make opposition or corruption in it full of light also and therefore is called of the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ob plurimum splendorem aut plurimam lucem because of the abundance of light that is there farre above that of fire Some do think that Aristotle had a glympse of this Arist lib. 1. de coelo cap. 9. because 1 lib. de Coelo cap. 9. he mentions quaedam entia collocata supra mundum ac Coelum eaquè immutabilia et impatibilia beatissimam vitam sempiterno aevo degentia c. certain beings placed above the visible Heaven and visible world being immutable and impassible living there for ever a most blessed and contenting life yea and some also do think that the ancient Poets had learned somewhat concerning it when they so often speak of the Mansions of their gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had such shining and glorious Mansions full of light But of this no more save only that we may conceive that it is the most ample of the Heavens and yet cannot contain its Maker 1 Kings 8.27 The Heaven nor heaven of Heavens cannot contain him I now come to the latter point how righteousnesse can be said to dwell in the new Heavens that he shall make and the new Earth For this passage hath matter worth inquiry in it Some interpreters do with such places as travellers do with deeps or boggs in high-wayes when they come at them they wisely passe by them or say little to the openings of them to give the reader satisfaction Others that note some-what yet come not home to the mark Others perceiving this have taken up more resolution and I much doubt if they have not over shott the marke To let passe those of the first ranke For the second I will mention Musculus Musc in loc in the which nullum peccatum nulla injustitia locum habebit no sinne no unrighteousnesse shall have any dwelling in them which is true but the text seemes to aime at some what more as not onely negatively not to dwell but positively for righteousnesse to dwell in them Bullin in loc Bullinger thinks per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or alterationem that justitia is put for justi righteousnesse for righteous men this we grant for two Reasons First because righteousnesse as inherent is a quality and therefore cannot be supposed without some subject Secondly because the new Heavens and Earth are subjecta insensibilia insensible subjects and therefore not inherently capable of such qualities therefore some other subject and what but just men but how these can be said to dwell in the new Heavens which are sydereall and in the new Earth is more difficult to conceive Dr. Willet qu. 34. Dr. Willet qu. 24. in 8. ad Rom. in Oct. ad Rom. is bold to affirme that though the Heavens onely are now the seat of the blessed soules yet both the new Heavens and the new Earth shall be then the habitation of the righteous and so righteousnesse may be said to dwell in them for which opinion he quotes Bucan loc 39. qu. 17. Bucan loc 39. qu. 17. by which Author he is much ledd in this point as also Origen in Matth. 5.5 the meeke shall inherit the Earth not this visible Earth but the other which eye hath not seen his reason is because he there speaks of a blessednesse which is not to be found in this Earth Psa 114.16 he might also have alledged Psal 114.16 the Heaven even the Heavens are the Lords but the Earth hath he given to the children of men But to this last Bellarmine answers truely and herein agrees with our Orthodox Divines lib. 6. de amissione gratiae cap. 3. he gave the Earth to the children of men Bellarm lib. 6. de Amist grat cap. 3. dum mortales sunt et egent Aere ad respirationem et fructibus terrae ad alimentum whilst they were mortall and stood in need of Aire to breath in and nourishment from the earth to live upon For the other that the meeke shall inherit the Earth we know it may befall them in this life as a temporall blessing though not without some intermixture of disturbance this place seemes to me to have bin taken from Psal 37.11 the spirit of God being pleased to make use of it again by the Evangilist But the meeke shall inherite the Earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace And verse 9. Evill doers shall be cut off but those that waite upon the Lord they shall inherite the Earth whereupon Calvin notes the Antithesis between the two members Calv. in loc the wicked that shall be cut off and the Godly that waite upon God to be delivered from under the Crosse he assignes the haereditary right of the earth so to them that intellgit sic victuros ut Dei benedictio ad mortem eos usque prosequatur he understands they shall so live that the blessing of God shall follow them even unto their death this then he understands of a temporall inheritance when they are mortall And though they be often driven from place to place in the Earth in hac
tamen inquietudine non eripitur ista terrae possessio cujus meminit David quià et certò sciunt se legitimos esse mundi haeredes unde fit ut tranquilla conscientia pane suo vescantur et quamvis inopia laborent Deus tamen ipsorum necessitatibus in tempore succurrit c. Yet in this their unquietnesse that possession of the Earth which David mentions is not taken from them because they know assuredly that they are the lawfull Heires of the world viz. in a spirituall right whereupon it comes to passe that they eate their bread in quietnesse of conscience and though they be sometimes in want yet God in good time sends supply to their necessities So then these grounds in the judgement not onely of the aforenamed Authors but of divers others will not clearly bear out his opinion to hold the new Earth for an habitation of the righteous as well as the Heavens seeing it is verified of a temporall inheritance here and therefore onely and necessarily cannot involve that sense he would put upon it by Origens astipulation Yet this I will say that if the new Heavens be to be an habitation for the righteous this would in my judgement be a better Argument against the motion of the Heavens that they should no more move after the day of judgement then any he hath yet produced Secondly I will say that if by the Creature to be delivered we were sure that onely Heaven and Earth were to be understood c. then may these be said to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Children of God when they shall have liberty to live in these both in the new Heavens and in the Earth and then need not the most accurate and pearcing Interpreters so much perplex themselves about the understanding of this place But this is to be delivered into the liberty of their glory passivè passively to be injoyed of them not activè actively for the Creatures to injoy it He urgeth also Revelations 14.4 they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth shall visite the Earth also and shall go and come as it pleaseth God I answer that though they follow the Lamb whithersoevever he goeth yet except it can be proved that he goeth on to the earth as well as in Heaven the quotation will not help him and Verse the 5. these are said to be without fault before the Throne of God absolved by divine judicature these followed the Lamb in this life in persecutions troubles afflictions yea many of them unto death it self hunc eundem sequuntur in vitam aeternam quò prior ipse abiit as Aretius in loc this same Lambe they follow also into aeternall life whither he himselfe is first gone before them Aretius upon the place in Peter thus Aret. in loc Nova habitatio novos requirit incolas these Heavens being made a new habitation they require the Inhabitants also to be new And a little after Nova terra mansio erit justorum the new Earth shall be a dwelling place for the righteous And Bullinger in 1 Pet. 3.13 Bullin in 1 Pet. 3.13 Novi enim Coeli parantur justis justitiae ergò studendum est iis qui novi Coeli velint esse incolae the Heavens are prepared for the righteous therefore it behoves them to study righteousnesse which would be the inhabitants of these new Heavens these men seeme to me to be of this judgement that when the sphaericall Heavens shall be made new they shall also be for the righteous as well as the highest Heaven is now and that their glorious habitation shall then extend as low as the face of the Earth but whether the new Heavens and the new Earth which God shall make after these be burnt up shall have eundem situm the same situation or place that they have now is questioned by some Dionysius Carthusianus in 5. Dionys Carth. in Matth. 5.18 Matthaei verse 18. thinkes that they shall be changed not onely quoad qualitatem but also quoad situm c. not onely in their qualities but also in their situation yet alledgeth no reason for it But this I would observe by the way that if they shall go and come from Earth to Heaven and from Heaven to Earth again as God shall please as saith Dr. Willet loco quo suprà Dr. Willet loc quo supra then may the Creatures upon the Earth serve for some use of contemplation for the which he would find no use before Now this I say that if God shall enlarge the seat of the blessed and shall make the new Heavens a like glorious to the highest Heaven to contain all the bodies of his Elect as well as the soules though its very probable that the highest Heaven is more spacious for those then Hell for the innumerable number of the bodies of the damned though there shall want no compasse for either but both shall have such confines as God in his wisedome shall appoint the one for joy the other for pain and misery then may the spacious liberty of the saints glory extend to the earth as to the one term of their continent as the top of the highest Heaven is the other and so righteous meÌ„ may be said to dwell in both as living within the scituation of both as theÌ„ in part of their glorious liberty D. Willet concludes thus Dr. Willet loc quo supra But here we must not be too bold to wade without ground how the Saints shall be disposed off whether some to heaven some to earth whether the same shall be sometime in heaven sometime in earth or how else as it pleaseth God we leave these as great mysteries not revealed yet thus he adds But that the Saints shall then be upon the earth we are certain out of Scripture as hath been shewed But I should rather conceive it within the Continent of these as parts of their libertie if inlargement of their glory be granted then upon the Earth as upon the subject matter if the site of it remain where now it is and to the places he grounds upon I have answered and will adde to them one more Apoc. 5.10 Apoc. 5.10 And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign upon the earth not corporeally with the Geneva note Nota Genesis Others of our modern Divines conceive it of the spirituall reign in this mortall life over sinne Sathan persecuters opposers and the like Rom. 6.6 Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the bodie of sinne might be destroyed And Vers 12 Vers 12. let not sinn reign therefore in your mortall bodie that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof No but reigne you over it upon the earth and not it over you Aretiê° in loc Aretius upon the place thus Commemoratis Christi beneficiis pollicentur gratitudinis ergò constantiam in confessione intelligo enim haec ab eis dici
in persona militantis ecclesiae quae regnat super terram praestando Deo constantiam sub cruce mortificando carnem suam opprimendo peccati concupiscentiam praescindendo peccandi occasiones c. having rehearsed the benefits of Christ in token of thankfullnesse they promise constancy in their confession For I conceive these things to be spoken of them in the person of the militant Church which Church reignes upon the Earth in performing constancy to God under the crosse by mortifying their flesh by oppressing the concupiscence of sinne by cuting off the occasions of sinning c. Thus saith he they reign 1 Thess 4.17 That passage in 1 Thess 4.17 hath holden many off from falling in so fully with the Doctors resolve as to set it down for a certainty And therefore Aquinas upon the place in Peter Aquin. in 2 Pet. 3. with some of the School-Divines considering this of Paul to the Thessalonians will by no meanes fall in with his resolve nor such as pitch upon it Non quòd justi habitaturi sunt in mundo inferiori post judicium sicut nunc not that the just shall dwell in this inferiour world after the day of judgement as they do now but it shall be pars habitationis saith he a part of their habitation sicut Rex non manet in coquina tamen dicitur pars habitationis suae even as a King abideth not in his Kitchin and yet notwithstanding it s called a part of his habitation To which I say thus that though his resolve may have some ground of reason yet his instance doth not well quadrate to the matter in hand For if a King should build a Pallace and have a Kitchin in it and then it be said in quibus it would conclude both Others therefore thus In which dwells righteousnesse that is Jesus Christ say they who is called our righteousnesse Ier. 23.6 Ierem. 23.6 and this is his name by which he shall be called Dominus justitia nostra the Lord our righteousnesse but to this I say that where he is there shall his elect be also Iohn 14.2.3 I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also as if he had said if I goe I mean not to reign alone but I will also receive you that have suffered with me that ye may also reign with me 2 Tim. 2.12 2 Tim. 2.12 Christus non discessit a nobis ut nos desereret sed potius ut nos secum in Coelos tandem attolleret as Iunius Iun in suis Annot. Christ did not depart from his to that end that he might forsake them but rather that at length he might take us up into Heaven together with him quae doctrina ad totam ecclâ—siam pertinet as Beza Beza in loc which doctrine belongs to the whole Church Hic de extremo judicii die loquitur quo tandem veniet ad suos colligendos as Calvin here saith he he speakes of the last day of judgement in the which at length he shall come to gather up all his c. and then shall they all be both in body and soule where he himself is And Apoc. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sitt with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his Throne Sedere cum Christo est regni illius esse consortem saith one to fitt down with Christ on his Throne is to be partaker of his kingdome with him so that if he dwell in the new Heavens we shall also dwell there with him as in the inlargement of glory or the place of his glorious presence Beza in 2 Pet. 3.13 Lastly Beza resolves thus upon the words Neverthelesse we according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwells righteousnesse Having mentioned other expositions he concludes thus vel deniquè supplendum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nos ut ita convertas sed Coelos novos et terram novam expectamus nos in quibus habitat justitia nimirum Christi ut explicat Paulus Phil. 3.9 Phil. 3.9 or else finally saith he we must supply the sense with this word we that thou mayst thus read But we look for new Heavens and a new Earth in which we righteousnesse dwells even the righteousnesse of God by faith Phil. 3.9 as Paul hath it and Ephes 3.17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 1 Thes 4.17 1 Thes 4.17 Paul speaking of the resurrection and the order of it saith verse 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord In aeterna beatitudinis gloria Hemingius in loc as Hemingius hath it in eternall glory and blessednesse Aquinas long before him gave the same sense ostendit beatitudinem sanctorum Aquin. in loc quià semper erunt cum Domino eofruentes here he shows the blessednesse of the Saints because they shall alwayes be with the Lord injoying of him Theophylact to the same sense Theophylact. in loc perpetuò sunt apud hunc mansuri they shall continually abide with Christ whom they shall meete in the Air. Estius to the same sense Estius in loc speaking of meeting Christ in the Air he saith indè in Coelum cum eo subvecti perpetua praesentia fruituri sumus semper cum eo regnaturi from thence we shall be carried with him into Heaven where we shall injoy his perpetuall presence and reign with him for ever To which I will adde that not the Earth but the Heavens are the place where our inheritance is described to be and that by him that purchased it and best knew the scituation of it 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.18 c As ye were not redeemed with corruptible things neither were ye born of corruptible seed verse 23. so neither is there provided for you a corruptible inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.4 God having begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead he adds to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us that fadeth not away like flowers or garlands so that we shall never be weary of the joyes of Heaven though they indure for eternity but they shall be as fresh and new and Ephes 2.6 Ephes 2.6 he hath raised us up together and made us sitt together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in caelestibus as the Vulgar in heavenly places in Christ Jesus we have the like word Eph. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.3 in coelestibus in Christo in Coelis Beza in loc as Beza hath it in both places But to the former And made us sitt together in coelestibus id est lâ—cis as Beza in Heavenly places yet our selves as yet actually sitt not in those places in person but in our Head Cujus spiritu coepimus peccato mori vivere Deo donec in nobis opus suum perficiat idem qui inchoavit by the power of whose Spirit we have begun in this life to die unto sinne and live unto God whilst the same that hath begun the worke perfect it in us we sitt with him now in spe afterwards in re he being our head he will draw up all the members to him But in none of these places is any mention made of the Earth Zanchiê° in loc as for the Saints to have any inheritance on it Though vertually we be risen are in heavenly places in our head Christ Jesus yet in us these benefitts of resuscitation together with him and this sitting in heavenly places suum habebunt complementum cum nostra corpora resumptis animabus excitabuntur à mortuis ac resurgent ad vitam immortalem vitaque fruentur sempiterna shall have their full accomplishment when our bodies resuming their souls shall be raised up again from the dead then shall the whole man sitt together with Christ in Heavenly places such places shall be their aeternall inheritance not upon the Earth Neither would the Patrons of that opinion a constant dwelling upon it but at sometimes But if we respect these new Heavens and Earth for the place where the righteous shall dwell as a part of their inlarged inheritance yet I conceive that the Earth is more fitly put here for the terminus or boundary of their liberty than the subject upon which they shall trample a live And to me that place in Peter is very considerable 1 Pet. 1.4 where the inheritance is set out by many excellent Epithites and the place of it described to be Heaven and not any part or portion of it mentioned to be upon the Earth Thus have I expressed my thoughts upon this point also according to that small Talent God hath given me and have also made answer to such places where the Earth is mentioned in which it will appear that they are not so clear for the opinion for which they have been quoted as the quoters of them have opined I will therefore at length wind up all with that saying of Bellarmines lib. de amissione gratiae cap. 3. Non est de rebus quae pendent à divina voluntate al quid esserendum nisi Deus ipse in Scripturis sanctis tale aliquid revelaverit we may not affirme any thing in those matters that depend upon Gods divine will except God himselfe have revealed some such thing unto us in the holy Scriptures so farre as they have given me light I have gone and as farre as I could wade upon the firme bottom of reason I have adventured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finis
on a Tree This curse of God Christ was willing to undergo to free us from the eternall curse of God which mans sinne had deserved Esa 53.3 4. Esay 53.3 4.5 10. He is despised and rejected of men Vir dolorum a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief c. Surely he hath born our grief and carryed our sorrows c. Vers 5. Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed And Verse 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sinne in this sense he was made sinne for us and thus became Author of Salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5.9 Heb. 5.9 But not every one who walk according to their own lusts and then tell of Christ of the merits of Christ the mercies of Christ and the like have Christ often in their mouthes but seldome in their mindes often in their words but seldome in their workes such walk not as they have Christ for an example but as enemies to the Crosse of Christ 2. As he was willing so likewise he was able to undergo the punishment for us Thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty so he did indeed when he laid it upon Christ Acts 2.24 Acts 2.24 It was not possible that he should be holden of the pains of death Iohn 2.19 Iohn 2.19 Solvite templum hoc c. Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up again for I have power I have abilitie and strength so to do Iohn 10.18 Iohn 10.28 Potestatem habeo deponendi eam potestatem habeo rusus eam assumendi I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it up again 3. And lastly hoc praesupposito this being praesupposed that man should not be saved except Gods infinite justice was satisfied and actually in the fulnesse of time was to bee done then none but one of an infinite value as was his Son could have made this satisfaction or have paid this price no meer Creature Man or Angel could have done it So that being brought to this point though Christ was innocent yet was it thought fitting in the wisdome of his Father that he should suffer Rom. 3.25 Rom. 3.25 God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Secondly though the Creature was innocent and kept that station wherein God had set it and placed it and was not Created in any gift of reason by which it was inabled to receive conceive or obey any positive Law yet was God an absolute Lord over it and having neither determined nor made any absolute promise to the contrary might dispose of it as he in his great and over-ruling Wisdome thought fitting and God having given it to man for a Possession in the state of innocency when man sinned God as you have heard did not onely punish the person that offended but his Possession also and being absolute Lord over the Creature he was not bound to conserve it in that integrity in which he first created it but as it was subject to mutability in it self so likewise might he change it as in his wisdome he would And though the Creature as we have heard had not propensity to be changed from the better to the worse yet the soveraign Lord of it can be touched with no injustice in making this change and as the creature was punished and made subject to vanity for the sin of man so man is in some sort punished by the Creatures some of them runne wilde live out of his compasse will not obey him other some obey him but by constraint unwillingly others rise up against him to destroy him some by venome and some by violence many times God arms the Creature against man to revenge himself of his disobedience and how often have we instance of this in the Book of God yea even by insensible Creatures as the Elements either Fire Water Earth or Ayr by Fire as Genes 19.24 Gen. 19.24 Brimstone and Fire were rained upon Sodome and Gomorrah Gen. 7.4 out of Heaven By Water Gen. 7.4 I will cause it to raine upon the earth forty dayes and forty nights and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from the face of the earth By the Earth Numb 16.32 Num. 16.32 33. The Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their Houses and all the men that appertained to Korah and all their Goods and Verse 33. the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the Congregation By the Ayre corrupted Deut. 28.22 Deut. 28.22 where amongst other Plagues God threatned to plague the disobedient Israelites with Blastings Aere corrupto as the Vulgar reads it with corrupt Aire Thus we see how by all the Elements God can punish man If we take a short view of the sensible Creatures that are made subject to vanity by reason of the sinne of man we shall finde them to appear in a great number letting passe the noisome qualities of divers Herbs and Plants that God hath often armed with vengeance to punish man whose sinne occasioned the bringing of them within the common course of corruption First let us begin with the Lion which is accounted the King of the Beasts of the field and stoutest of any When David let me say in carmine lugubri or in his Elegies for Saul and Ionathan would much magnifie them he said 2 Sam. 1.23 2 Sam. 1.23 that they were Leonibus fortiores stronger then Lions 2 Sam. 17.10 1 Sam. 17.10 when Hushai would set out the valiant among the souldiers of Absolon he saith And he also which is valiant whose heart is as the heart of a Lion c. By these God hath punished man whom he once made Lord over them 1 Kings 13.24 1 Kings 13.24 a Lyon met the disobedient Prophet and slew him 2 Kings 17.25 2 Kings 17.25 when the King of Babylon had carryed the Israelites Captives and had sent the Gentiles into their Possessions so it was in the beginning of their dwelling there that they feared not the Lord therefore the Lord sent Lions among them which slew some of them So that the Idolatrous Gentiles felt the smart of Gods revenging Hand within his Land as well as did the Idolatrous Jews and ignorance of worshipping the true God proved no shelter to save them from his stroke These instances are remarkable out of the holy Story how many more might I adde out of humane Stories written by men of great judgement and credit to shew how God in other ages hath done the like Sebast Munst in Cosmogr de terris Asiae Majoris lib. 5. in ipsa calce Sebastian Munster in his Cosmographie writing de terris Asiae Majoris tells us of the City of Sana and the Countries thereabout and that in the Inlands more remote
quaecunquè usquam unquam extiterunt extant aut extabunt as Beza upon the place Beza in loc whatsoever hath doth or shall have existence John 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.3 Omnia per ipsum facta sunt all things were made by him and by faith we understand that they were made by the word of God not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.1 by the substantiall word of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here in the Heb by his potentiall or mightie word of his power jussu Dei as Paraeus Paraeus in loc by Gods command How often have we a dixit Deus Gen. 1. God said Deus that is Pater Filius et Spiritus sanctus et sic deinceps in opere creationis Iunius annot in loc as Iunius hath it God that is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and so all a long conceive the word God in the worke of Creation for this was a worke of the whole Trinity as the fathers constantly teach us Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa the works of the Trinity to without are undivided Psal 33.9 Ps 33.9 dixit et factum est he said and it was done Thus by the word of his power he made the world but the things that are seen were not made of things that do appear non ex apparente Beza et jam existente materia as Beza not of any matter that we now see to appeare oris non existent non ex materia aliqua visibili Paraeus in loc sed ex nihilo as Paraeus to the same sense Paraeus in loc not of any visible matter but of nothing did God make the world so that the usuall axiome of the naturall Philosophers came far short in this Ex nihilo nihil fit of nothing perexistent nothing can be made not in their way by the ordinarie production of Creatures successively by way of generation but by creation it s otherwise of which they were ignorant The second opinion is for the deliverance of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by way of mutation and repurgation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum qualitates and not a totall abolition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum substantiam and the most are of this judgement that the heavens and some other Creatures shall not perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly or quoad esse substantiale but quoad esse accidentale their corruptible qualities shall be changed but not the substance totally destroyed or annihilated Voss Thes Theol. de mundi fine Thes 3. and to this also Vossius in Thes Theolog Thes 3. de mundi fine agrees and doth acknowledge and that truly as all men of any extent of reading know that this is Communior sententia the more common opinion non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 periturum sed esse renovandum that the world shall not simply and totally be abolished in its parts but renewed for the truth of which he quotes this subject we are now upon Rom. 8.20 21. Rom. 8.20 21. To the former of the senses he names we have said somewhat already and to the second God willing we shall in due time Yet thus he concludes Thesi qua suprà Gerard. Ioh. Voss Thesi qua supra Quocircà nec eorum sententiam praefractè rejicere audemus qui mundum secundùm substantiam periturum esse arbitrantur praesertim cum nihil de eo antiquitùs Synodo ulla sit definitum quidam praestantes sanè viri de eo dissentiant Therefore we dare not stubbornly or obstinately reject their opinion who judge or suppose that the substance of the world shall perish especially seeing nothing is defined or determined by any ancient Synode concerning this point whether way the Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption and truly there be divers excellent and worthy men that dissent yea and I have said may dissent salvâ charitate without breach of charity in this point and I shall desire to be moderate in it and wish the reader to go no further a long with me herein then he if he be judicious can either see light of Scripture for or sound and well grounded reason to induce I had rather saile in these straits placidâ rationis aurâ then turbido affectationis vento with a sweet and pleasant gale of reason then with a strong winde and stormie blasts of affectation as ready to judge every man that herein differs in judgment from me I rather say with the Poet vel his utere mecum vel ede tua either make use of these with me or else give better grounds of thy own farther to instruct me The former I hope shall do thee no harme the latter would do me much good and because I shall fall in with those learned men that have given their judgements for a liberation of the Creature by mutation and repurgation rather then by totall abolition of the materiall or visible Creature I thinke it will better satisfie to give answer to the arguments brought for the contrary opinion or to such places in sacris from whence some learned men have grounded it before we produce any witnesses for the second which God willing we will do as briefely as the matter will admit of To the first Psalm 102.26 Responsio Argum digladiantibus pro sententia totalis abolitionis Heaven and Earth shall perish repeated Heb. 1.11 Ipsi peribunt they shall perish and Job 14.12 Vsque dum non erunt Coeli Till the Heavens be no more To the places in order Having spoken of the Earth and Heavens in the foregoing Verse he adds They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Neque antiquitas nâ—que tam pulcher coelorum ornatus eximent ab interitu as Calvin in locum Calvin in loc Neither can antiquity nor that goodly adorning of the Heavens that have so stood for so many thousands of years keep them still safe or exempted from destruction And he further adds upon the fame place that which most of Divines know to be true Calvin loco quo supra Non uno modo exponunt interpretes coelos perire that is that all Interpreters do not understand this perishing of the Heavens after the same manner quidam simpliciter intelligunt de mutatione quae speciâ—s quaedam erit interitus Et si enim non sunt redigendi in nihilum ipsa tamen naturae alteratio ut ita loquar absumet quod mortale est ac corruptibile ut alii esse caeli incipiant ac novi Secundum alios subaudienda est conditio si deo ita placuerit quia absurdum esse existimant coelos corruptioni subjici c. Some men understand it simply of such a change as is a kinde of corruption or destruction for although the Heavens be not
fore signa in Soli Luna Stellis sensus ergò est tantam fore machinae coeli concussionem ut Stellae ipsae cadere putentur c. his meaning is not that the Starres shall fall indeed but they shall seem to fall in mans apprehension and the reason he renders is in Luke 21.25 where he onely foretels that there shall be signes in the Sunne the Moon and the Starres the meaning therefore is that there shall be so great a concussinn or jumbling or shaking of the Fabrick of Heaven that the Stars themselves may be thought to fall Some of the Rabbins think that men shall be so perplexed that they shall verily think that the Starres are a falling from Heaven and take no comfort from any light of those golden Firebals as I may terme them Others think that the fierie Meteors shall fall in such abundance at that time that the Starres of Heaven shall be thought indeed to fall which yet shall but be Stellae cadentes such fierie meteors as we call falling-Starres The School Divines that are Aristotelians for their Philosophie are much bent against the reall falling of the Stars from their Orbs which though they must needs grant with the Text that they shall fall yet they dispute the modus or manner how and will not be brought off naturall reason in the contemplation of a miraculous and supernaturall work to grant that the Starres shall fall à fitu from their scituation in their Orbs any more then the Orbs themselves seeing that they are parts of them and therefore have distinguished about the manner of their falling as God willing we shall hear True it is if we respect Gods absolute power and miraculous and supernaturall way of working he can pull the knots out of the Timber and yet the rest of the substance remain Thus God can cause the Starres to fall from their Orbs and yet the Orbs remain And as you have heard he can more easily do this then the violent winde can cause the Figges to fall from the Figtree And if with Musculus Bucer and some others we should go this way I cannot conceive the consequence in Divinitie to be of any great danger Now if we go a Philosophicall and rationall way to work as do the School Divines then we must rather incline to their non separation à situ as keeping us within he sphaer of naturall reason above which Divinity often goes For first if they should fall then must their fall of necessitie be towards the earth and if so then shall their motus be deorsum downward which is contrary to their naturall motion which we know is motus circularis a circular motion as the motion of the Heavens is from which the Philosopher proves that Coelum est corpus simplex Arist lib. 1. de Coelo text 8. because it hath motum simplicem a simple motion and that circular keeping an equall distance from its Center Not rectus a straight motion such as have the Elements nor compositus a compound motion such as mixt bodies and Elementary have For from the motion the Philosopher would conclude that the matter of the Heavens is quinta quaedam essentia a certain quintessence and not ejusdem materiae cum inferioribus of the same matter with these inferiour bodies Indeed many of the ancient Philosophers before Aristotles time were of opinion that the Heavens were of Elementary nature he was the first that made this opinion famous in the Schools that the Heavens were of a quintessence differing from the nature of the Elementary bodies And divers Divines there are that opine the heavens to be of the same matter with sublunary bodies as well as did many of the Ancient Philosophers Averroes lib. 1. de coelo text 7. Averroes lib. 1 de coelo text 7. would needs be so subtile that he would allow no matter at all to be in the Heavens but this opinion is so grosse that its contrary to common experience and sense The greatest argument by which the Philosopher would prove his quintessence is this quaecunque materiâ communicant Arist de gen corruptione lib. 1. cap. 1. text 1. ea ad invicem transmutantur At coelum inferiora ad invicem non transmutantur Ergò And quae non sic transmutantur dissimili constant materia Those bodies that commumunicate in the same matter may be changed one into another as Elementary bodies we see are which are in a capacitie of the successive receiving of more forms than one But the Heavens not so but their matter is in potentia tantum ad formam suam primo à Deo inditam Onely to their first forme which God first gave them and this was never changed since the first Creation as the forms of other sublunary Bodies have been and thus he thought it should still continue that the Heavens should be eternall and immortall and never be dissolved Again it was conceived that if the matter should be the same both of the Heavens and the Element of Fire contiguous to it or next unto the sphear of the Moon that then the Element of Fire might kindle in the sphear of the Moon and so Heaven might suffer from the fire and the fire from it c. Scalig exer 61. To which Scaliger makes answer Exercitat 61. Coeli verò forma non agit in haec inferiora per univocas qualitates cum his inferioribus qualitatibus The forme of Heaven works not upon these inferiour bodies by such qualities as are univocall with these inferiour qualities And the naturc of the Elemenrary fire is so pure that it burns not nor consumes any part of Heaven nor is hurt by any part of Heaven but is rather conserved and nourished by the circular motion of it therefore need not the contiguitie to the sphaere or concavo Lunae be feared Scalig exer 9. Scaliger exercit 9. Non enim Coelo inimicus est cui obesse profectò nequit ulla vi it s no Enemy to Heaven which in very deed it cannot hurt by any force it hath And he adds in Coelo nulla est affectio ejusdem generis cum iis affectionibus quae in igne insunt in Heaven there is no disposition of the same kinde with those dispositions that are in the Element of fire Non erit item effectio contrariorum therefore there is not the effect of contraries Contraria namque sub eodem genere sunt Nemo igitur qui sit bonus metaphysicus dixit materiam coeli ab ignis qualitatibus destrui posse c. Contraries are under the same genus true say the Logicians either proximo or remoto therefore none saith he that are expert in Metaphysicks will say that the matter of the Heavens can be destroyed by the qualities of fire The reason the Peripatetiques urge is because they are not of the same common matter but that he sleights but with no great strength of Argument as farre as
maximè cupiant conservare â—â—itaque plantae animalia petrae metalla obluctantur resistunt pro se quaeque ne perdantur esse desinant c. Truely we see all things to be so Created of God that they have a speciall to conserve themselves therefore even Plants living Creatures that have sense and motion Rocks Metalls do wrastle and resist striving every one of them for themselves against their destruction And a little after Quumque ea videamus reniti ne perdantur pereant veniat nobis in mentem qualis illis insitus sit appetitus is aurem naturalis est ideò in universum frustrari non potest c. when as we may see how they resist destruction least they perish we may call to minde what an appetite or desire is put into them by nature and in so much as it is naturall it shall not lie frustrate for ever Chrysost Chrysostome saith facta est propter nos corruptibilis propter nos etiam immortalitate donabitur The Creature became corruptible saith he because of us and it shall also be rewarded with immortalitie because of the same And again saith the same Father Si affliguntur nostra causà quum apparebit nostra foelicitas unà etiam instaurabuntur If the Creatures be afflicted for our sakes when our foelicity shall appear they shall be restored together with us Chrysost de reparand laps ad Theod. And lib. de Reparandis lapsis ad Theodorum he shews that post diem judicii omnia sunt renovanda after the day of judgement all things shall be renewed And Apoc. 21.5 Apoc. 21.5 qui insidebat throno dixit ecce nova facio omnia and he that sat upon the Throne said behold I make all things new Some suppose this to be meant of the Kingdome of Christ under the new Testament after the abolishing of the old Ceremonies of of Moses and to be taken from the Prophet Isaiah Isa ult 22. having foretold the calling of the Gentiles and how he would take of them for Priests and Levites he adds For as the new heavens new earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name continue c. but as I have said before this is not the compleate sense of the place though all this do quadrate to the Kingdome of Christ for as God will make new his Church here which is the cheifest part of his Creature next to the Angells so will he also make the rest of the Creatures new at the day of judgement To which Aretius assents upon that place in Apoc. 21.5 Aretius in loc Loquitur autem Dominus de totius Creaturae renovatione in qua principalis habetur ratio Ecclesiae suae Ideò eandem sententiam Apostolus 2 Cor. 5.17 ad novam Creaturam in sanctis applicuit Si quis est in Christo nova est Creatura vetera praeterierunt ecce nova facta sunt omnia The Lord in this place speaks saith he of the renewing of the whole Creature in which principall respect is had to the Church of God therefore the Apostle applies the same saying to the new Creature in his Saints 2 Cor. 5.17 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Meyer in verb. Meyerus just to the same purpose having spoken of the forenamed passage in Esay he saith Omnia satis regno Christi per Apostolos propagato verum et hic vterquè vates altius prospexit nempè ad regenerationem futuri seculi quandò plenissimè renovato homine omnia restituentur et in melius commutabuntur All things here spoken by the Prophet Esay do fitly agree to the Kingdome of Christ propagated by the Apostles but yet in this saying both prophets that is both Isaiah and Saint Iohn looked a little higher or a little beyond this to witt to the new birth of the world to come when as man being fully renewed all things shall be restored and changed into a better estate Theophylact. in loc ad Romanos Theophilact in locum ad Romanos haec mundi machina et creata omnia immutabuntur in melius The frame of the world and all things that are created in it shall be changed into a better condition Chrysost Chrysostome sets it out by two similies first thus Nutrix diù laborat alendo infante at cum ille adoleverit et regnum aut principatum nactus fuerit illa quoquè praeclaris honoribus afficietur The Nurse for a long time undergoes great paines in nursing or nourishing a poor Infant but when the Infant is grown hath obtained a Kingdom or Principality then the Nurse also is rewarded with excellent honours so the Creature that hath suffered much slavery under us and for us when we shall be glorified and brought into a better estate they shall be lifted up to a better estate also they shall then be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonns of God The second simile is this Reges enim quo die volunt filios suos inangurari curare solent non solùm ut illi singulari apparatu pompa prodeant verùm etiam ut servi illorum quà m honestissimè culti instructique incedant In the dayes that Kings would have their sonnes inaugurated they take care that not onely they come forth most gallantly apparelled and in pompe but that their servants also that attend upon them be handsomly adorned and provided for even so likewise when Christ which is the King of heaven shall come in his glory to judgment then the just that are his Sons shall receive a Kingdome and the Inheritance prepared for them and then omnes creaturae ornamentis admirabilibus insigni splendore illustrabuntur all the Creatures that as their servants wait upon them shall be decked with admirable adornings and goodly beautie Now we may further know that the species of of the Creatures may be called All the Creatures as well as the Indvidualls may of the severall species Gen. 2.1 Gen. 2.1 when Heaven and Earth were finished the species of the Creatures when as yet they had not multiplied nor increased in Individuals are called omnis exercitus illorum all the Host of them Gen 2.19 And Gen. 2.19 the severall species of the Beasts of the Earth and of the Fowls of Heaven Moses calls omnes bestias agri omnia volatilia coeli every beast of the field and every Fowle of the Aire or all the Beasts of the field and all the Fowles of the Aire And in the same Verse they are called every living creature whatsoever Adam called every living Creature that was the name thereof So I conceive that all Creatures may be said to be renewed when their severall sorts Gas Olevian in cap. 8 ad Rom. or
motu observato numerato for time is not simply from motion but from motion observed and numbred and so are dayes moneths hours years c. yet we must know that time is twofold internum or exterrum tempus internall or externall time internall time is nothing but duâ—atio creaturae à principio ad finem the duration of the Creature in its being from the beginning to the end of it and this internall time or duration those Entities have quae non comparentur ad motum Solis that are not measured by the motion of the Sunne for the Sunne was but framed the fourth day as you may see Gen. 1. from 14. Gen. 1. from 14. to 20. Kecker lib. 1. System physici cap. 7. to 20. where Keckerman observes the ground of this distinction of time and the necessitie of it Lib. 1. Systematis Physici cap. 7. for then saith he begun but the tempus externum which was to be from the Sunne and that but quoad materiale neither the formale temporis externi was not to the world before God made man to observe and number it which was not till two dayes after Again if there be not an internall as well as an externall time in which later sense the naturall Philosophers commonly handle time then he shews that corpora illa omnia quae erant creata tribus primis diebus in tempore non creabantur quod si tum ab aeterno quod absurdum c all those bodies that were created in the three first dayes were not created in time which if so that they were not created in time then it would follow they were from eternity which were absurd to affirme Arist lib 4. Physic cap. 11. Aristotle lib. 4. Physicorum cap. 11. defines that tempus externum to be mensuram motùs per prius et posterius for time is successive and Ens fluens If we object with the naturall Philosopher that tempus est motus accidens inseparabile time is an inseparable accident of motion and therefore if motus be continuus then tempus too if motion be continuall then also must time continue too I answer as before it may so continue quoad materiale or quoad rem mensurantem but not quoad formale or ordinem mensurandi for it shall not it need not then to be observed for any distinction sake as now by men whilest they are mortall But it may be again objected that tempus propriè dictum habet ut initium sic etiam finem that time properly so called that is externall time commonly handled by the naturall Philosophers as it had a beginning so should it also have an ending I answer it is true though Aristotle thought it should be perpetuall because he held the motion of the heavens naturally to be so for if motus yet not observatus if there be motion yet it not observed time externall hath his end And in this sense Dr. Willet saith true for so they shall not be for times c. But for motion I would have this observed that not every kinde of motion but that which is violent involuntary or slavish or for the benefit of base objects shall cease otherwise Apoc. 14.4 Apoc. 14.4 the glorified Saints shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth therefore shall have some kinde of motion but not as opposed to their Heavenly rest wherein they rest from sinne death slavery and misery Again the Heavens the Sunn and Moon moved in those five dayes or at least in the time before man was created and so by consequence before he had sinned As then you have heard there was no externall time observed from their motion neither then could their motion be any slavery to theÌ„ neither then were they coÌ„pelled to serve any base objects or wicked and rebellious men but their motion was sutable to their nature then and why may it not also be the like after externall time shall cease therefore from the cessation of externall time we cannot infallibly inferre the cessation of all motion but onely probably or as a service of common necessity To the second motus est causa efficiens generationis et corruptionis c. motion is the cause efficient of generation and corruption but when these shall cease then motion may cease also true if these were the sole ends of motion but motion was also for other ends beside these And to this Peter Martyr answers thus Ratio quidem ista probabilis est at non necessaria poterit enim ille Coelestis motus etsi non generationi et corruptioni tamen alii alicui negotio quod nos ignoramus inservire that reason truly is probable but not necessary for though the motion of the Heavens serve not for generation and corruption yet may it serve for some other thing unknown to us And as a new Heaven so a new Earth shall remaine yet not for any common use of necessity so much D. Willet grants qu. 31. D. Willet qu. 31. in 8. cap. ad Rom. ad 8. Rom. the Earth shall not then yeeld fruite for the use of men as now yet may it remain for some other use For himselfe grants qu. 34. qu. 34. that the heavens by the continuall sight of their great glory shall serve to stirre up the Saints to praise and magnifie their glorious Creator if now the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shew his handy works Psa 19.1 Psal 19.1 much more then if as the Prophet hath it and as this Author grants it then also to take place as well as in the Kingdome of Christ the light of the Sunne shall be increased seven fold Isa 30 26. Isa 30.26 yea and the light of the Moon as the light of the Sunne as you have heard His third Argument The faithfull wait for the adoption to wit the redemption of their bodies other Creatures are not capable or partakers of adoption Ergo neither of the redemption of their bodies to immortality I answer this is the weakest Argument brought into form of any other Thus all Creatures that shall be renewed shall be partakers of adoption and redemption of their bodies to immortalitie But the irrationall and insensible not so Ergo. First I answer Rom. 8.23 that this Text is not pertinently alledged for it makes an expresse distinction between the rest of the Creatures and the faithfull that had the first-fruits of the Spirit Not onely they but we c. To the major proposition thus the major is false if properly taken strictly and eminently For first adoption if we take it properly and eminently for adoption spirituall is beneficium Dei per quod nos propter Christum in filios recipit haeredes Coeli aeternaeque vitae cum ipso facit Amand Polan lib. 6. Syntag. Theol cap. 38. Amandus Polanus lib. 6. Syntagmat Theolog cap. 38. Adoption is favour or benefit from God by the which for Christs sake he
receives us to be sonnes and Heirs of Heaven and of life Eternall he makes us together with him Now all Creatures that shall be renewed shall not have this priviledge this is proper onely to the Sons of God Rom. 8.15 Rom. 8.15 those that have the Spirit of Adoption can crie Abba Father thus cannot any Brutes doe which are not capable of any such testimonie they are never called children that God hath given Christ to Heb. 10.13 Heb. 10.13 as the adopted Sonns of God are They are never called all one with him or his Brethren as the adopted Sonnes of God are And as no divine so neither any humane or civill adoption of any irrationall or insensible Creature between which you may see the difference in Amesius his Medulla Theologiae lib. 1. cap. 28. Amesiê° lib. 1. Medul Theol. cap. 28. Secondly redemption if taken spiritually and properly for redemption by price or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depenso by a price paid to God by which we are redeemed from the guilt of sinne Gods wrath the Devill and eternall damnation to be put into the state of grace here and eternall felicitie hereafter of such redemption they were not the subject neither could they sinne nor be subject to Hell fire and therefore need no such redemption but there is a corporeall and metaphoricall redemption taken for liberation or freedome from any state of slavery or temporall misery and for such a redemption the Creature looks as you have heard before Romanes 8.21 the Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption c. Thirdly I answer that if we take the terms of the Proposition conjunctim as thus adoption and redemption then there may be in it fallacia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or plurium interrogationum whether the Creatures may be said to be adopted and redeemed the one you have heard they cannot yet thother in some sense as put for freedome or liberation from slaverie or corruption or vanity they may Again if we consider the word redemption sejunctim in its selfe then there is in it fallacia homonymiae as the Logicians terme it which ariseth a similitudine significationis in terminis and therefore is numbred one of the fallacies in dictione for it either signifies redemption spirituall or corporeall and metaphoricall as you have heard and how they cannot expect the former yet do they the latter in the sense you have heard Fourthly and lastly if no Creatures shall be redeemed but such as shall be partakers of Adoption and Redemption in its spirituall sense then shall neither the Heavens nor the Earth be renewed which is contrary to what he grants for these were not capable of adoption neither of redemption spirituall and proper but metaphoricall or a kind of freedome liberation And as for the terminus ad quem or the redemptioÌ„ of their bodies to immortality Chrysostome answers Chrysost that as the Creature was made corruptible because of us so propter nos immortalitate donabitur as you have heard theÌ„ so for us shall the Creature be rewarded with immortality Petr. Martyr in 8. ad Rom. And Peter Martyr denies not but that there may be analogia quaedam a certain analogy or likenesse between our glorified bodies Aug lib. 20. de civit Dei cap. 16. and the Creatures made immortall For Aug. had said lib. 20. de Civit. Dei cap. 16. that the Elements should put off such corruptible qualities as they had when our corruptible bodies were framed of them and should then put on other qualities which should be sutable corporibus nostris immortalibus glorificatis to our immortall and glorified bodies For though they shall not be immortall in such a glorious joyous comfortable and unspeakeable manner as we shall that have immortall souls or spirits by nature and they not immortall by nature but dono gratuito yet shall they have such an immortality as is sutable to their nature as a gift from God unto them they shall no more be changed be subject to vanity corruption or the like This to the third His fourth they were not ad immortalitatem condita made for immortality To which I answer if we respect their nature they are not immortall as are Angels and Spirits because their nature is elementary and being mixt bodies they consist of contrary qualities and therefore are corruptible and dissoluble into their Principles and therefore not so made for immortality as never to have change or corruption befall them conditione naturae Secondly Peter Martyr as he acknowledgeth saith that ista immortalitas liberale et merum sit donum Dei non potest pendere à modo vi aliqua naturae that immortality by which the Creature becomes such is meerly the free gift of God it cannot depend from any manner 1 Tim. 6.16 and force of nature 1 Tim. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God onely hath immortality c. dico cam complecti aeternitatem id est principium finem existendi secludere as Lambertus Danaeus in locum Lam. Danaeus in loc I say that that immortality comprehends aeternity that is it secludes both the beginning and the ending of existence that which is properly immortall from it self is eternall as well à parte antè as à parte post paulò post nec Angeli nec humanae animae per se sunt immortales id est sua vi potestate proprià sed quatenus à Deo in sua natura sustentantur conservantur tales permanent neither Angels nor the souls of men are immortall by themselves that is by their owne force and power but as they are sustained and conserved in their nature from God they remain such August lib. de immortalitate animae Aug. lib. de immortal animae And though the Angels and souls of men be immortall by nature yet this immortalitie and aptnesse of nature for it we have from God God onely is immortall ex se independenter of himself and independently Angels and the spirits of men secundario ac dependenter ac ab ipso secondarily dependently and from God Iam. 1.17 God is immutable Iam. 1.17 with him there is no variablenesse but the Angels lapsed and the soul of Adam sinned these were both mutable God is immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels and men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God onely immortall by essence Angels and men by participation or communication as they have their nature sustained from a better Principle Aman. Polan lib. 2. Syntag. Theol. cap. 16. as Amandus Polanus lib. 2. Syntagm Theolog. cap. 16. and Peter Martyr saith Vis enim illa Dei qua coeli elementa restituentur ad immortalitatem conservare etiam potest reliquas orbis partes that power of God by which the Heavens and Elements shall be restored to immortality is also able to conserve the rest of the parts of the world so that immortalitie being the meer gift of God
veritat cap. 20. And if the Heavens declare the glory of God why may not these also when they are renewed Aug. in lib devidendo Deo August in libro de videndo Deo because the corporeall eye non potest ad essentiam divinam pertingere cannot reach to the Divine Essence though we shall see God face to face yet when we are glorified we are but still finite Creatures idcircò ne oculus congrua delectatione distituatur ornatum Coelorum mirificum rerum jam instauratarum pulchritudinem illi tum esse offerendam ut habeat non solùm undè se oblectet gaudeat sed etiam unde Dei potentiam infinitam sapientiam admiretur therefore least the eye should be destitute of light congruous or convenient for it he offers to it the wonderfull adorning of the Heavens and the beautie or fairnesse of the Creatures that are restored that man may have not onely wherewith he may delight himselfe but also may rejoyce also whence he may admire the power and infinite wisdome of God To which Peter Martyr saith Probabilia quidem sunt ista fateor sed ea sacris Scripturis non confirmantur I grant saith he that these things are probable but are not confirmed by holy Writ True it is that they are not clearly and in terminis confirmed in holy Writ But first we have seen what hath been alledged for the renovation of the Creature And secondly if so God will have uses for it Thirdly if the particular uses be not clearly made known to us in this life yet it will not thence follow that therefore God hath no use for them at all and though it be also true that they shall see God himselfe face to face the glorified bodie of Christ and an infinite company of the glorious bodies of the Saints brighter then the Sunn and therefore you may say cannot be so much delighted with the looking upon any of the Creatures renewed as with these I answer take it for granted that they cannot be so much delighted because the objects are not so eminent in degrees yet it will not follow that therefore they may have no delight by these at all for this may delight them that they see the poor Creatures their old and quondam servants freed from vanity slavery and misery and now restored to liberty and from that corruption they fell under by reason of their former disobedience and impiety this I say as rationall and probable But it may be objected that the Saints in the highest Heaven or in the Heaven of Heavens shall have no occasion to contemplate these seeing in their Fathers house there are so many Mansions Iohn 14.2 Iohn 14.2 and joy unspeakable and glorious I answer it is true that there is such joy even in that place yea greater then the heart of man can conceive for eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it as yet ever entred into the heart of man what joy God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 1 Cor. 2.9 Yet as when a man would shew his friend some stately fabrick the manner of the contriving of it and his severall roomes he doth not onely show him his treasury of Plate his lodging chambers curiously adorned with all variety his bedding hangings stools chaires or such like furniture his severall Cubberds of richly wrought plate seilings playsteings of his Chambers stately Windowes hewne c. but for varieties sake he shewes him such as with which he cannot so much be taken as his Hall Buttery Kitchin and such like places even so likewise from Heaven God may show the Sonnes of glory sometimes for varieties sake the Creature renewed the severall species of them the wonderfull order amongst them c. wherein the great variety of Gods Wisedom may appear though the somtimes-contemplation of these be much inferiour for content to those unspeakable joyes in the seat of the blessed yet I say the variety of Gods Wisdom may appear in them This I say as not irrationall or altogether against reason but probable because the Scriptures are not so clear in this particular therfore we may not be so resolute as to dedicate or affirme it in any higher nature or like some Article of faith of infallible certainty I may not wade so farre but onely give a probable conjecture in this speculation leaving the judgment of the rationalty of it to the judicious and considerate reader and this I conceive is to deale moderately and not with so much confidence and resolution as laborious D. Willet which I name with reverence hath done in his resolve upon this passage as God willing we shall shew hereafter but upon how much better grounds judicet lector let the reader judge 1 King 10.3 4 5. 1 Kings 10.3 4 5. When the Queene of Sheba came to the Court of Solomon she did not onely hear his wisdome and see the house which he had built with both which she was delighted in an high measure shee must also have showne unto her the meate of his table the sitting of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparrell his cup-bearers and the assent by which he went up to the house of the Lord and there was no more spirit in her when shee had seen all this shee was astonied now all these things though shee was wonderfully delighted with them and elevated in her thoughts even to admiration yet we may conceive that the objects were not equally delectable the meat on his table could not raise her to so high a pitch of admiration as the hearing of Solomons wisedome in resolving all her hard questions and the seeing of the house which he had built and the assent by which he went up to the house of the Lord yet for varieties sake those of inferior delight were shewed her as well as those that were superior or transcendent Thus God may deale with his Elect in the injoying of those unspeakable comforts of the highest Heaven and then sometimes contemplating from thence objects of inferiour delight here below for varieties sake and for the contemplating of the great variety of the wisdome of God in the severall sorts of Creatures as you have heard Again secondly let us take another instance from the Angels which seemes to quadrate more to our purpose for illustration they we all confesse are in glory in the seate of the blessed and in those unspeakable joyes the Elect shall attaine unto they behold the face of God and the glorious body of Christ and the great variety of spirituall delights there to be found yet do they desire to behold also other varieties Ephes 3.10 the Apostle having spoken of the Calling of the Gentiles into consociation of one Church together with the Iewes and those Gentiles out of so many severall Nations and Languages having made a promise to Abraham his Seed of the Messiah having made a Covenant with him and given him
a signe of Circumcision to confirm it gave a law to his posterity to guide them and in all these the Gentiles excluded from the Church as without God in the world and without hope of Salvation Ephes 2.12 13 2 Ephes 2.12 13 14. 14. at that time namely when you were in your carnall estate of Gentilisme ye were without Christ namely as a mediatour for you being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world As if he had said Ye had nothing to do with the Laws and immunities which belonged to Israel nothing to do with the promises made to them Psa 147.19 20. Ps 147.19 20. He sheweth his word unto Iacob his Statutes and judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation as for his judgements they have not known them But now in Christ Jesus saith Paul ye that were farre off sometimes are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the partition wall or the middle wall of partition between us And that Christ should be the Head to both being both God and man that so few of the Jewes should be called to imbrace Christ and such abundance of these Gentiles who were without such Covenants such promises as they had without Law without Circumcision without any good works c. and yet by the voice of the Gospell these should be called by faith in Christ that faith freely given from God these should be saved and be made fellow-Citizens with the Saints and one body with the faithfull in Israel this was such a point of Gods wisedome and so admirable and such a way of collecting a Church and out of so many severall Languages that the Apostle cries out Rom. 9.30 31. O altitudo divitiarum sapientiae c. Rom. 9.30 31. The Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse c. This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that multiformis as Beza with the vulgar or multivaria that manifold wisdome of God which is now made known by the Church to the Angels for they see aliquid novum tanquam in speculo priùs sibi incognitum some new thing as in a glasse which formerly was unknown to them And they may be said to know this per Ecclesiam by the Church non instrumentaliter subjectivè docentem sed objectivè indicantem the Angels seeing such a Church now gathered Yea 1 Pet. 1.12 1 Pet. 1.12 this is such an admirable thing namely that the greatest part of the world that so many Gentiles that for so many years had lived in darknesse and in the way to death should now be called to make up one Christian Church with the Jewes and be under one Head with them that desiderant Angli introspicere the Angels desire to behold it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek to bow down so as to peepe into any thing Now the Angels in Heaven injoy unspeakable comforts as you have heard and yet they desire to peepe into or to looke into the manifold wisedome of God showne here upon Earth in calling the great varieties of Gentiles to make up one Church of Saints with the Jewes why then may not the Elect in Heaven with the Angels sometimes desire to contemplate the wonderfull wisdome or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multifariam sapientiam the manifold wisedome of God in the great varieties of the renewed species of the Creatures that are below them But Thirdly it may be objected that it will be ultrà sphaeram activitatis oculi ullius corporei beyond the ability of any bodily eye to behold from the seat of the blessed at any time any Creatures here upon the Earth To this I would answer thus Acts 7.56 Acts 7.56 that if Stephen here in a mortall body could from Earth behold Christ standing at the right hand of God when the Heavens were opened why cannot the Saints in immortall bodies see from Heaven down unto the Earth for God can as well make way thorow the medium from Heaven to Earth as he did from Earth to Heaven Calvin in loc Calvin in locum data Stephano nova aâ—ies quae per obstacula omnia usquè ad invisibilem regni caelâ—stis glo iam penetraret a new sight was given to Stephen at that time by which his eye was strengthened beyond the ordinary ability of nature so that he could pearce through obstacles even to the invisible glory of that heavenly Kingdome otherwise though the Heavens were wide open yet the ordinary ability of mans fight or the naturall strength of it were not of sufficient power to behold an object at such a distance It s needlesse therefore to dispute much de visu naturali of naturall sight cum facillimum Deo fuit Stephani oculos insolita acie donare Gualt Hom. 55. in Apost Act. as Gualter saith Hom. 55. in Acta Apostolorum when as it was an easie thing to God to give unto the eyes of Stephen a sight above ordinary such shall the sight of glorified bodies be farre more excellent then that we now have in these frail and mortall bodies And this shall serve for the fourth point I now come to the fift and last namely the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God or the children of God into which the Creature is to be reduced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in libertatem gloriae into the liberty of the glory of the sonnes of God What we are to understand by the sonnes of God we may easily perceive by that which we have heard already the Elect people of God predestinated to life called justified and glorified But what we are to understand by the liberty of their glory that must be inquired into Theodoret. Theodoret referrs it to the time in which the Children of God shall come to this liberty and no doubt but the deliverance shall then be when they come to theirs For as Estius observes from Verse 20 Estius in loc they were made subject under hope under what hope sub spe liberationis in illud tempus quando filii Dei quibus subservit suam libertatem consequentur under the hope of deliverance at that time when the sonnes of God to whom they have bin subject and done service shall obtain their liberty the object of their hope was this deliverance into the glorious liberty of the children of God The time may be granted and yet this glorious liberty not fully explained for that is but the circumstance not the thing it selfe Chrysost Chrysostom by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek would understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in libertatem propter libertatem that as they were
made subject to vanity because of man sinning so should they also be freed by reason of mans freedome yea and not onely so but also brought into this glorious liberty ut gloriam filiorum Dei cumulet atquè illustret as Paraeus Paraeus in loc that thereby he may add to and more illustrate the glorious liberty of them which liberty of glory shal be so great as that for their sakes these shall be set at liberty also I close with the judgment of those which is also related by Estius who say that they shall be delivered in imitationem gloriosae libertatis filiorum Dei vel ad exemplum to an estate imitating the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God For as their glorious liberty exempts them from any more corruption toil misery or the like so likewise shall their deliverance exempt them so that it may be called deliverance into their glorious liberty because it shall be a liberty suting to their nature or analogically a glorious liberty as the liberty of glory properly is sutable to the rationall nature of the Children of God As the liberty of the glory of Gods sonnes shall exempt them from the fore-named vanities so also shall their libertie exempt them so that thus they may be said to be delivered into the libertie of the glory of the sons of God though not into the glory of their libertie properly and eminently so called as you have also heard Thus by the help of that good hand of God upon me I have finished this fift and last Point also which is all I promised in the Frontispiece of this Work And if I may have leave to speak without prejudice experience hath taught me thus much that it is opus arduum ac dificile hard in its selfe and painfull to me and troubleous what it might have bin to great wits I dispute not only I dare avouch it for a speculation worthy of such Two things more there are upon which I would gladly expresse my thoughts as being appendices or pertaining to the fore-going Argument The former what Heavens they are which are to be burnt and purified by fire The second which I conceive more difficult which as yet I have not seen clear satisfaction in is this in what sense righteousnesse may be said to dwell in the new Heaven and in the new Earth which God shall make The former question I move because I find divers of the Pontifician Divines binding too much upon Aristotle in his dispute against Plato and upon Gregory the great that hold stiffely that the Coelum Aereum not Aethereum is it that shall be burned with Fire the Airie Heaven not the Sidereall Sphaericall or that above the Element of Fire because this they conceive to have bin more corrupted then the other for this Aereall Heaven Bellar. tom 3. lib. 6. de Amiss gratiae cap. 3. not the Aethereall you have Bellarm. pleading Tom. 3. lib. 6. de amissionè gratiae c. cap. 3. Nequè enim de Coelo sidereo sed de Aereo sermo est Estius in 2 Pet. cap. 3. Estiê° in 2 Pet. cap. 3. Aqu. in 2 Pet. cap. 3. Aquinas in eundem locum who also fore-seeing the objection of Heavens whereas the Aire is but an Heaven answers that by the Heavens in Peter is meant the Aire et dicitur Aer Coeli pluraliter propter diversas regiones Coeli Aerei propter ejus plura hemisphaeria And the Air is called heavens in the Plurall number because of the divers Regions of it and because it hath more Hemisphers in it than one as naturall Philosophie teacheth yet in Scripture we read but of three Heavens 1. The Coelum Aereum Matth. 6.26 as Mat. 6.26 Volatilia Coeli the Fowls of the Aire 2. Coelum Aethereum or the Heavens sidereall above the Element of Fire Deut. 17.3 Deut. 17.3 or any of the host of Heaven 3. Coelum altissimum or sublimissimum or beatarum sedium the highest Heaven or seat of the blessed Esa 66.1 Coelum ipsum mihi solium Isa 66.1 Heaven it self is my Throne Now the sidereall Heaven is often called Coeli or Heavens in the Plurall number as Matth. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.16 et aperti sunt ei Coeli and the Heavens were opened to him Thus Acts 7. Acts 7.56 56. Stephen saw the Heavens opened Psal 8.1 Psal 8.1 who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal 19.1 Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God c. The highest Heaven above all these is called Coelum tertium 2 Cor. 12.2 the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 this is Gods division of the Heavens who made them Now for as much as I remember the Coelum aereum or Airie Heaven is still called Coelum in the singular number when it stands in oposition to the rest Matth. 6.26 Psa 104.12 as Matth. 6.26 and Psal 104.12 Volatilia Coeli the Fowls of Heaven 1 Kings 18.45 1 Kings 18.45 the Heaven was black with clouds Levit. 26.19 and Levit. 26.19 your Heaven c. and not Heavens And though it be true that Philosophers do place the meteora aquosa as nubes c. the watery meteors in medio Aere in the middle region of the Air such meteors as are the Clouds c. and so might be called Heaven in regard of that region yet that region which is infimus Aer the lowest region in which the Birds do fly is also called Heaven c. but the Scripture terms but the totum corpus Aereum by the name of Heaven for as farre as I can remember therefore when Heavens are mentioned somewhat more then the Aire onely is to be understood Again both the fore-named regions may be termed Heaven because they are partes similares ejusdem Aeris or Coeli Aerei simular parts of the same Aereall Heaven and therefore receive eandem denominationem cum toto the same denomination with the whole Secondly Saint Peter speaking of the world to be destroyed by fire makes a difference between the Heavens and the Elements whereof the Aire is one 2 Peter 3.10 2 Pet. 3.10 the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise or with a great hissing and then it followes The Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also with the works that are therein shall be burnt up Where we see a plaine difference made between the Heavens as one thing and the Elements as another Aquin in loc Estius in loc neither can the skill of Aquinas or Estius upon this place by all their evasions avoid it The former by saying that since the world was destroyed by water Aer erat spissior c. the Aire was thicker and therefore stood need of purging as the other did not The latter by considering with Augustine that a comparison is here made between the Heavens that now are Aug lib 20. de civit Dei cap. 24. and those