Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	power_n	principality_n	1,975	5	10.5828	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91721	The Racovian catechisme vvherein you have the substance of the confession of those churches, which in the kingdom of Poland, and great dukedome of Lithuania, and other provinces appertaining to that kingdom, do affirm, that no other save the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is that one God of Israel, and that the man Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of the Virgin, and no other besides, or before him, is the onely begotten Sonne of God.; Racovian catechism. English. 1652.	Smalcius, Valentin, 1572-1622.; Socinus, Faustus, 1539-1604.	1652 (1652)	Wing R121; Thomason E1320_1; ESTC R200387	94,429	183

Declare to me what proofes they alledge to evince that Christ created the heaven and the earth A. Even these where it is written That all things were made by him and without him nothing made that was made John 1. 3. And again That the world was made by him verse 10. And again That all things were created by him that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Col. 1. 16. And that God by him made the world Heb. 1. 2. Finally likewise from that passage in the 10 11. and 12. verses of the same chapter namely Thou Lord in the beginning laidst the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands They shall perish but thou abidest and all shall wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou Lord art the same and thy years shall not fail Q. What answer give you to the first testimony A. In the first testimony the words may be as well rendered all things were done by him as all things were made by him For the Greek word signifieth the one as well as the other although in English there is some difference between being made and being done inasmuch as the propriety of the language admitteth the one many times to be used where the other would not have place Again the Evangelist saith all things were done by him which kind of speaking denotetl not the first but the second cause In fine the word all is not here taken for all things simply and absolutely but is restrained to the subject matter which is a thing most frequent in the Holy Sriptures especially that of the New Covenant a singular example whereof you have 2 Cor. 5. 17. wherein it is treated of a matter altogether like to that which Iohn here speaketh of and it is said that all things are become new when notwithstanding it is certain that there are many things which have not been made new Wherefore since the subject matter in Iohn is the Gospell it appeareth that the word all ought to be understood of all those things which any wayes belong to the Gospel Q. Why did Iohn add that without him nothing was done that hath been done A. The better to illustrate those foregoing words namely all things were done by him which seem to have such force as if all those things had been done by the Word or Son of God onely though some things and those of great moment were not immediately done by him but by his Apostles of which sort is the calling of the Gentiles and the abolition of the legall Ceremonies For though these things had their beginning from the words and deeds of the Lord Jesus yet were they not brought to an issue by Christ himself but by his Apostles yet not without him for the Apostles mannaged all things in his name and by his authority as the Lord himself saith Iohn 15 7. Without me ye can do nothing Q. What say you to the second A. First Iohn doth not here say that the world was created but made by him Again he useth the same form of speech designing the second or middle cause for he saith not that he made the world but that the world was made by him Finally the word world as well as others that are equivalent in the Scriptures doth not only denote the heaven and earth but besides other significations designeth either manking as the present place sheweth where it is said That he was in the world and the world acknowledged him not or the world to come as appeareth from Hebr. 1. 6. where we read that when he bringeth the first-born into the world he saith And let all the Angells of God worship him which is taken of the world to come as appeareth from the second chapter of the same Epistle verse fifth where the Author saith For he hath not put the world to come whereof we speak in subjection to Angells But he no where spake of that world but in the sixth Verse of the former chapter Besides you have another place Hebr. 10. 5. where speaking of Christ he saith Wherefore entring into the world he saith sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body thou hast fitted me Where since it is apparent that the Author speaketh of that world into which Christ being entred became a Priest and made his offering as all the circumstances of the place do shew it must needs be that he speaketh not of this world but of the world to come since in the eighth chapter vers 4. he had said of Christ That if he were on the earth he would not so much as be a Priest Q. What understand you by this expression The world was made by him A. A double sense thereof may be given first that mankind was reformed and as it were made again by Christ because he brought life and immortality to men who were lost and subject to eternall death which thing Iohn upbraideth the world with namely that being vindicated from destruction by Christ yet did it not acknowledge him but despise and reject him For it is the custome of the Hebrew speech that in such forms of speaking the words make and create be equivalent with make anew and create anew inasmuch as that tongue is destitute of compounded verbs The latter sense is that the world to come which we expect by Christ is by him made as to us as the same is said to be come in respect of us although it be already present to Christ and the Angells Q. What say you to the third A. That this testimony also speaketh of Christ as of a second and middle cause and the word Create as in the Scripture used not only of the Old but also of the New Creation an instance whereof you have Eph. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship or making as the Greek hath it created in Christ Jesus unto or rather upon condition of good works And a little after verse 15. For to make in himself of twain one new man in the Greek For to create in himself the twain into one new man Besides that those words all things in the heaven and on the earth are not used for all things simply and absolutely appeareth both by the article in the Greek set before the word all to limit it and also by the collation of the words put a little after in the 20. verse where the Apostle saith That by him God hath reconciled all the things that are both in the heavens and on the earth and finally by the inspection of the very words themselves wherein the Apostle saith not that the heaven and earth were created by Christ but all the things that are in the heavens and on the earth Q. How then understand you this testimony A. That after God had raised Christ from the dead and

believe it But it is evident that these Quotations do not demonstrate the Father Sonne and Holy Spirit to be three Persons in one Divine Essence Q. Yet from such a Conjunction of those three in divine Operations it seemeth somewhat probable that they are three Persons in one divine Essence A. By no means For as to the first place although the Father Son and Holy Spirit be conjoyned in Baptism yet doth it not therefore follow that they are Persons in one divine Essence both for that it is said in the words immediately going before that all power in heaven on earth was given to the Son which cannot possibly agree to him that is a Person in the divine Essence as also because it is no new thing for the Scripture in other things no lesse divine then Baptism to joyn with God such Persons and Things as no wayes pertain to the divine Essence Of Persons you have an example in the first book of Samuel chap. 12. 18. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel And in Moses Exod. 14. 31. where according to the Hebrew it is read And the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses Of things you have an instance Acts 20. 32. I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace Ephes 6. 10. Strengthen your selves in the Lord and in the power of his might Q. But they hold he must needs be God into whose name we are baptized A. They are exceedingly mistaken for we read 1 Cor. 10. 2. that the Israelites were all baptized into Moses And Act. 19. 3. that certain Disciples were baptized into the Baptisme of John Although neither Moses were God nor the Baptisme of John a Person much lesse God Q. But it seemeth one thing to be baptized into any ones name and another to be baptized into any one A. By no means For by vertue of the Hebrew Idiotisme it is oftentimes all one to do something into any ones name and into any one as is sufficiently known Neither need we go far for any instance since the matter in hand will readily furnish us for whereas we read in some places that Disciples were baptized into the name of Christ see Act. 8. 16. Act. 19. 5. we read in others that they were simply baptized into Christ Rom. 6. 3. Gal. 3. 27. Q. What answer give you to the second Quotation A. That although divine operations be attributed to God and to the Lord and to the Holy Spirit yet can it not be rightly inferred thence that these three are of one essence Yea the contrary may be thence clearly collected namely that they cannot be of one essence since the Lord and the Holy Spirit are openly distinguished from God whom we formerly proved to be no other then the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ But because together with God mention is here made of the Lord and of the Holy Spirit this is therefore done because the Lord is he by whom God doth work all these things with the concurrent ministery of the Holy Spirit for here he treateth only of those things that appertain unto the faithfull in whom the Holy Spirit worketh Q. What answer give you to the third A. First since it is known that in the more ancient Greek copies and in the Syriack and in the more antient Latin Versions these words are not extant as the chiefest of our Adversaries do shew nothing certain can be concluded from them Again though they were extant in the Scripture yet could it not be thence concluded that there are three Persons in one Divinity For that place speaketh of no other thing then of witnessing that Jesus is the Son of God or the Christ But that this may be attested not only by such as are divine persons but even by such as are no persons at all appeareth by the following words wherein the Apostle saith that there are three that bear witnesse on the earth the Spirit the Water and the Bloud Now when he saith that the former three are one that this is meant of their being one in testimony and agreement but not in essence is apparent by the following verse where the like expression is found and must be taken in such a sense Q. I perceive by your former discourse that there is but one Person in the divine essence and therefore I would now know how the knowledge hereof is very conducible to salvation A. You will easily perceive that if you consider how pernitious the opinion of the Adverse Party is For first that opinion may easily undermine and weaken the belief of one God whilest one while it confesseth but one God another while acknowledgeth three Persons every one whereof is that one God Secondly it obscureth the glory of that one God who is only the Father of Jesus Christ whilest it transferreth it to another who is not the Father Thirdly it may easily pervert the way of salvation whilest it taketh away the difference between the first and second cause thereof and suff●reth us not rightly to acknowledge who is the prime Author of our Salvation and how God manageth the same by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit In sine it greatly hindreth Aliens from embracing the Christian Religion whilest it delivereth such things as are opposite to divine Truth and sound reason From all which inconveniences that opinion is free which holdeth that there is but one Person in the divine essence Of the Will of God Q. YOu have explained to me the things that pertain to the essence of God explain now those things also that concern his Will A. Those things that concern the Will of God are partly such as all men in generall are and ever have been partakers of them partly such as properly belong to those who are to obtaine eternall life Q. What are those whereof all men in generall have ever been partakers of A. They are three in number first the Creation of heaven and earth and all the things that are therein Act. 14. 15. Secondly his care and providence over all things in particular Mat. 10. 29. Lastly the remuneration of them that seek him that is yeeld themselves obedient to him Heb. 11. 6. Q. Why is it necessary to believe that God created heaven and earth A. There are two principall causes thereof The one that God would have us believe it And therefore in the Scriptures both God and his Ministers do so frequently and clearly admonish us thereof as amongst other testimonies you have it in Isaiah chap. 44. 24. I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth out the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self And in Moses Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth And in David Psal 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as

an heap he layeth up the depth in store-houses Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the Inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast And in the Acts chap. 4. 24. Thou Lord art he who madest the heaven and earth and seas and all that in them are And in the Acts chap. 4. 24. Thou Lord art he who madest the heaven and earth and seas and all that in them are And again chap. 17. 14. God who made the world and all the things that are therein he being Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands The second reason is because unlesse we be perswaded thereof we have no ground to believe that God hath any care of particular men and so will not be induced to yeeld our selves obedient to him Q. I perceive by this answer of yours that I have no reason to ask why God taketh care of particular men and rewardeth those that obey him wherefore explain to me those things that concern the Will of God as it properly belongeth unto them who shall obtain eternall life A. They are those things that he hath discovered by I●sus Christ Of the knowledge of Christ CHAP. I. Touching the Person of Christ Q. INasmuch as you have said that those things have been discovered by Jesus Christ that concern the will of God as it properly belongeth unto them who shall obtain eternall life I would entreat you to declare those things to me concerning Jesus Christ which are need full to be known A. I am content First therefore you must know that those things partly concern the Essence partly the Office of Jesus Christ Q. What are the things that concern his Essence or Person A. Only that he is a true man by nature as the holy Scriptures frequently testifie concerning that matter and namely 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one Mediator of God and men the man Christ Jesus And 1 Cor. 15. 21. Since by man came death by man also came the Resurrection from the dead And indeed such a one God heretofore promised by the Prophets and such a one the Apostles Creed acknowledged by all Christians confesseth Jesus Christ to be Q. Is the Lord Jesus then a meer man A. By no means For he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and therefore is from his very conception and birth the Son of God as we read Luke 1. 35. where the Angell thus speaketh to the Virgin Mary The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that Holy Thing Generated shall be called the Son of God That I may omit other causes which you shall afterwards discover in the Person of Jesus Christ and most evidently shew that the Lord Jesus ought by no means to be reputed a meer man Q. You said a little before that the Lord Jesus is a man by nature hath he not also a divine Nature A. At no hand for that is repugnant not onely to sound Reason but also to the holy Scriptures Q. Shew me how it is repugnant to sound Reason A. First because two substances indued with opposite properties cannot combine into one Person and such properties are mortality and immortality to have beginning and to be without beginning to be mutable and immutable Again two Natures each whereof is apt to constitute a severall person cannot be huddled into one Person For instead of one there must of necessity arise two persons consequently become two Christs whom all men without controversie acknowledge to be one and his Person one Q. But when they alledge that Christ is so constituted of a divine and humane Nature as a man is of a body and soul what answer must we make to them A. That in this case there is a wide difference for they say that the two Natures in Christ are so united that Christ is both God and Man Whereas the soul and body in a man are so conjoyned as that a man is neither soul nor body For neither doth the soul nor the body severally constitute a Person But as the divine Nature doth by it self constitute a Person so must the humane by it self of necessity also constitute Q. Shew how it is also repugnant to the Scripture that Christ should have a divine Nature A. First because the Scripture proposeth to us but one God by nature whom we formerly demonstrated to be the Father of Christ Secondly the same Scripture witnesseth that Jesus Christ is a man by nature as was formerly shown Thirdly because whatsoever divine excellency Christ hath the Scripture testifieth that he hath it by gift of the Father John 3. 35. John 5. 19 20 21 22 23 26 27. John 10. 25. Iohn 13. 3. Iohn 14. 10. Acts 2. 33. Rev. 2. 26 27. 2 Pet. 1. 17. Finally because the Scripture doth most evidently shew that Jesus Christ doth perpetually ascribe all his Divine acts not to himself or any Divine nature of his own but to the Father who seeth not that such a Divine nature as the Adversaries imagine in Christ would have been altogether idle and of no use Q. But they endeavour to assert that Divine nature of Christ from the Scriptures A. They endeavour indeed sundry wayes but whilest thy are labouring either to evince from the Scriptures the things that are not there or to draw wrong conclusions from the things that are there they have very ill successe Q. What are those things that they labour to evince from the Scriptures touching Christ that are not there A. His being from Eternity which they go about to prove from the Scriptures by two sorts of Arguments the one taken from those places wherein they think this being of Christ from eternity is expressed the other taken from those places wherein although it be not expressed yet they suppose it is here implyed Q. What are the places of the Scripture wherein the being of Christ from Eternity seemeth to be expressed A. They are those wherein the Scripture testifieth of Christ that he was in the beginning with God Iohn 1. 1. was in heaven Iohn 6. 62. was before Abraham Iohn 8. 58. Q. What answer you to the first A. In the quoted place there is nothing concerning Christs being from Eternity since mention is here made of the beginning whereas a beginning is opposite to Eternity Besides the word beginning every where in the Scripture is wont to be referred to the subject matter as you may see Dan. 8. 1. Iohn 15. 27. Iohn 16. 4. Acts 11. 15. 1. Iohn 2. 7 24. Since therefore the subject matter here is the Gospel which Iohn undertook to describe without question by the word beginning he understood the beginning of the Gospel This will further appear if you compare Mark 1. 1. Luke 1. 2. Luke 3. 23. where according to the truth of the Greek the words ought to be rendered

given glory to him all the things both in the heavens and on the earth were by him reformed and reduced to another state and condition in that he became the Head of Angells and Men who before acknowledged God only for their Lord. Q. What say you to the fourth testimony A. That it is not here said that the Son made the world but God made it by the Son Now that the word world may not only signifie that which is past and present but also that which is to come is confessed And that it is here spoken of the world to come is evident from hence namely that the same Author affirmeth that by him whom God hath appointed heire of all things the world was made For Jesus of Nazareth was not appointed heire of all things before God had raised him up from the dead which is apparent because then at length all power in heaven and earth was given to him by God the Father in the donation of which power and not in any other thing that inheritance of all things is contained Q. What answer you to the fifth A. This testimony doth not expresly speak of Christ but of God But forasmuch as this divine Author doth apply it unto the Son of God it is to be considered that the words expresly speak not of one thing but of twain chiefly The one whereof is the creation of heaven and earth the other is the abolition of the things created Now that this Author doth not referre the first unto Christ is from hence apparent namely because he proposed to himself to demonstrate not that excellency of Christ which he hath from himself but that which he obtained by inheritance and whereby he was made better then Angells as appeareth from the fourth verse of this first chapter of the Hebrews of which kind of excellency since the creation of heaven and earth neither is nor can be it is evident that this testimony was not alledged to prove that Christ created the heaven and earth Since therefore the first cannot be referred to Christ it is apparent that the latter only pertaineth to him and that therefore because God will abolish both the heaven and earth by Christ when he judgeth the world by him Wherein the excellency of Christ shall so far surpasse that of Angels that the very Angels shall therein minister to him Which latter speech since it could not be understood without the words going before wherein mention is made of the heaven and earth inasmuch as it is joyned to them by the word they the author was therefore necessitated to repeat them also For if other sacred Writers do in that manner cite testimonies of the Scripture when they are pressed with no necessity much more ought this Author so to do when he was necessitated thereunto Q. Where do sacred VVriters do so A. Amongst many other testimonies you have that of Mat. 12. 18 19 20 21. Where it is very evident that the 19. v. only pertaineth to the purpose of the Evangelist since his intention was to shew the reason why Christ would not have himselfe be made manifest Again Act. 2. 17 18 19 20 21. where also the 17. 18. ver only make to the purpose of the Apostle which is to shew that the H. Spirit was poured out upon the Disciples and in the same ch v. 25 26 27 28. where it is clear that the 27. ver only is ꝑertinent to the businesse in hand since the Apostle intendeth to prove that Christ could not be detained by death Finally in this very ch to the Heb. v 9. where it is apparent that these words Thou lovedst righteousnesse and hatedst iniquity are not pertinent to what the divine Author goeth about to prove namely that Christ is made better then Angels Q. With what testimony do the adversaries go about to prove that Christ conserveth all created things A. From that place Heb. 1. 3. where it is said That Christ upholdeth all things by the word of his power Q. What say you to this testimony A. That the word all in this as well as in other places doth not designe all things without exception but is referred to those things only that pertain to the Kingdom of Christ as the Article in the Greek set before the word all to limit it doth sufficiently declare shewing that it is to be understood only of all the things of a certain kind Besides the Greek word which is by the English Translators rendered upholding ought to have been rendered carrying which hath rather the signification of ordering and mannaging then of conserving as that which is annexed namely by the word of his power seemeth to intimate Q. By what testimony prove they that Christ brought the children of Israel out of Egypt A. Out of Iude's Epistle vers 5. Iesus having saved the people out of Egypt did the second time destroy them that believed not Q. What answer make you hereunto A. That the word Iesus is extant in no Greek copie but instead thereof the word Lord is here read so that this testimony no whit proveth what the Adversaries intend Q. But whence prove they that Christ was with the Israelites in the wildernesse and conducted them and did good to them A. From that passage of Paul 1 Cor. 10. 4 They all drank the same spirituall drink for they drank of the spirituall rock that followed them but that rock was Christ As also from the 9. ver of the same chap. where the Apostle saith Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them tempted and perished by Serpents Q. What answer give you to these places A. As to the first the Apostle doth not at all say that Christ was in the wildernesse with the people of Israel and did good to them For though he write that the Rock whereof the people drank was Christ yet doth not he therefore assert that Christ was indeed there because those words of Paul may be figuratively taken Now whereas he calleth that Rock spirituall this doth nothing advantage the cause of the adversaries since that Rock may be called spirituall although it were Indeed materiall for the same cause that the meat was called spiritual namely in that it contained in it a mystical sense as in the Revelation John saith That the great City where our Lord was slain is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Rev. 11. 8. Moreover in that he faith that the Rock followed them it is to be understood of the water issuing out of the Rock and following the people through the wildernesse which before was destitute of running water or at least of such as was potable To which Isaiah ch 43. 20. doth allude where he saith The beast of the field shall honour me the Dragons and the Ostriches for I have given them waters in the wildernesse and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people my Chosen As for the second testimony namely Let us not tempt Christ as some of them

first and the last the same is read of Christ Revelat. 1. v. 17. Fourthly Isaiah 35. vers 4 5 6. God himself shall come and save us then shall the eyes of the blind and ears of the deaf be opened then shall the lame leap like a hart and the tongue of dumb shall be loosed which things are repeated of Christ Mat. 11. 5. Fiftly Zac. 12. 10. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced which John chap. 19. 37. attributeth to Christ Sixthly Psal 68. 19. Thou hast ascended on high and led captivity captive and received gifts for men which same is repeated of Christ Ephes 4. 8. From all which testimonies they argue thus in as much as those things which were spoken of God under the Law are spoken also of Christ under the Gospel It appeareth that Christ is the God of Israel and consequently God by nature Q. What answer you hereunto A. It may be so answered to all these passages that it may be apparent that the divine nature of Christ cannot thence be collected for what things are spoken of God under the Law may for another reason be spoken of Christ under the Gospel as they are indeed spoken namely for the great and intimate conjunction between God and Christ in respect of dominion power and office all which the Scripture of the new covenant every where testifieth that Christ hath obtained by the donation of God now if the Scripture deliver such things of Moses as that he brought Israel out of Egypt Exod 32. 7. and that he was the redeemer of that people Acts 7. 35. and so of others the very same things that are elsewhere written of God himself when in the mean time neither Moses nor those others had so great conjunction with God as intervened between him and Christ much more deservedly may these things which are primarily spoken of God be accommodated to Christ by reason of that most singular and strict conjunction that is between them Q. I perceive that Christ hath not a divine nature but is a true man now tell me of what avail unto salvation the knowledge hereof will be Answer From the knowledge of this that Christ is a true man a sure and well grounded confirmation of our hope doth follow which by the contrary opinion is exceedingly shaken and almost taken away Q. How so An. Because it followeth from the adverse opinion that Christ is not a true man for since they deny that there is in Christ the person of a man who seeth that they with one and the same labour deny him to be a true man in that he cannot be a true man who wanteth the person of a man but if Christ had not been a true man he could not dye and consequently not rise again from the dead whereby our hope which resteth on the resurrection of Christ as on a firm basis and foundation may be easily shaken and well nigh thrown down but that opinion which acknowledgeth Christ to be a true man who conversing in the world was obedient to the Father even unto death doth assert and clearly determine that the same died and was by God raised from the dead and indued with immortality and so in a wonderfull manner supporteth and proppeth our hope concerning eternall life setting before our eyes the very image of that thing and assuring us thereby as it were with a pledge that we also though we be mortall and dye shall notwithstanding in due time rise from death to come into the society of the same blessed immortality whereof he is made partaker if we tread in his steps Question I understand the things pertaining to the person of Christ proceed I intreat you to his office Answer Very well you must know that the Office of Christ consisteth in being our Prophet King and Priest Question Where is he called a Prophet in the Scriptures Answer There is a singular testimony hereof cited by power Acts 3. verse 22. out of Moses Who said to the Fathers the Lord your God shall raise up a prophet to you out of the middest of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear according to all the things whatsoever he shall speak unto you Deut. 18. 18. Question Wherein consisteth his propheticall office Answer In perfectly manifesting and confirming the will of God to men Question Whence appeareth it that Christ hath perfectly manifested the will of God to men Answer From hence namely in that Jesus himself did in the most perfectest manner learn it of God in the heavens and was magnificently sent from thence to publish it unto men and did accordingly declare it unto them which is most apparent from those appellations that in the Scripture are attributed to him whilst it calleth him the VVord or Speech of God the Image of the Invisible God the Brightnesse of the Glory or the Image of the Person or Substance of God and whilest it affirmeth that the whole fulnesse of the God-head or of Diety doth dwell in him bodily that is the who I will of God is intirely and solidly discovered in the doctrine of Christ Q. VVhence is it written that Christ was in heaven and was sent down from thence A. Joh. 6. 38. I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me and lo what if you should see the son of man ascending where he was before and Chap. 3. 13. No man hath ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven the son of man who is or rather was in heaven and below vers 31. he that came from above is above all he that is or rather was from the earth is earthly in the Greek is of the earth and speaketh of the earth he that came from heaven is above all And what he hath seen and heard that he testifieth and Chap. 8. 40. Now you seek to kill me a man who hath told you the truth which I have heard from God and below v. 42. If God were your Father you would love me for I came out from God and am come for neither did I come of my self but he sent me and chap. 13. 3. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he came out from God and goeth away to God and chap. 16. 27 28 30. Ye have belived that I came out from God I came out from the father and came into the world again or rather on the contrary I leave the world and go to the Father now we know that thou knowest all things and needest not that one ask the hereby we believe that thou camest out from God and chap. 17. 8. And they have known indeed that I came from thee and have believed that thou sentest me and if any man have a desire to know when Christ was in heaven with God the same Evangelist shal tell him that he was in the beginning with God Joh. 1. 2. namely when the Gospel first began to

held concerning any private offence whether against God or against others for so equity it self perswadeth and Christian Love altogether requireth Q. How are they publickly to be Corrected A. By words or deeds Q. How by words A. In such a manner as that they be publickly reproved by all in the Church of Christ of which thing Paul speaketh 1 Tim. 5. 20. and 2 Cor. 2. 6. Q. How by deeds A. When we either avoid their company or refuse to eat with them although we do not yet count him for an enemy but admonish him as a brother or when we cast him out of the Church of Christ and no longer acknowledge him for a brother Q. Where is it written concerning this matter A. Touching the first manner 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Thes 3. 6 10. Touching the latter 1 Cor. 5. 14 15. and Mat. 18. 17. Q. Why is such correction observed in the Church of Christ A. That the transgressour may be healed and reduced into the way and others may be stricken with fear and kept untainted and that scandall may be removed out of the Church of Christ and the Word of God not evill spoken of and finally neither his Name nor Glory be profaned Q. What danger is imminent over such men A. Even this that being cast out of the Church and consequently out of the Kingdom of Christ there remaineth nothing for them nothing but destruction since this Excommunication is no other then that binding whereof Christ speaketh Mat. 18. 18. Verily Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in the Heavens and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in the Heavens Q. What is the power of binding and loosing which the Church hath A. It is the declaring and denouncing according to the Word of God who is unworthy to be of the Church of Christ Q. VVhat is that manner of keeping order in the Church of Christ which chiefly concerneth them that govern A. They are bound not onely to observe those Offices which appertain to others more diligently then all the rest but also continually to excite others to the discharge of them respectively to oversee the Church to observe the carriage of every one to be instant in season and out of season to reprove rebuke with all long-suffering and doctrine as you have it 2 Tim. 4. 2. yet must these things be done with such caution as the Apostle sheweth fit to be used namely that they do not chide an Elder but admonish him as a Father a junior as a brother the elder women as mothers the younger as sisters with all chastity 1 Tim. 5 1 2. CHAP. IV. Of the Invisible Church of Christ Q. WHat is the Invisible Church A. Such as put their confidence in Christ and obey him and therefore are his Body Q. VVhy call you that society of men Invisible A. because It is not exposed to the sight of men who are not able to penetrate into the hearts and tell who sincerely believe or not But with the heart it is believed to righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. and by Faith men are ingrafted into the Olive of the Church and made members of Christ Rom. 11. 19 20. Q. Can it not by outward actions be known who is a member of the Church A. By the outward actions may easily be known who is not a member of the Church of Christ for the Apostle saith that the works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5. 19. and such men walk in the works of the flesh But it can hardly be known by the outward actions where true Faith is for outward actions proceeding from a corrupt heart may carry the same appearance with those that flow from a heart which is sincere In short he that is evill-minded may put on the outward garb of a good man but it is otherwise in a good man who never laboureth to put on the garb of an evill man Q. I now understand all the things that pertain to the knowledge of God and Christ declare further if any thing else pertaineth to the knowledge of this saving way A. I have already abundantly opened every thing to you It will be your part having well understood and considered them to imprint them in your mind and institute your life according to the prescript of them And the Lord God give you his assistance thereunto to whom in as much as he hath been pleased graciously to help us in bringing this Conference to an end be praise and glory through Jesus Christ for ever and ever Amen FINIS