perfection in them called meane or vile though not truly and indeed such For there is nothing so meane or base but as it is being it is a proofe and image of His being who created it and so though not of it selfe yet in it selfe is exceeding good Gen. 1.31 And if the order of Nature be well marked as we know that the whole Creature was brought out of not being into the meanest and first degree of being which was water Gen. 1.2 2 Pet. 3.5 so all the excellency that is in the creature is but by addition of one degree of perfection unto another which perfections taken together with their cause and originall are in their many differences first being then life after sence fourthly Reason as in a man Fifthly understanding by the onely sight of the being as in the Angels the sixth is of the received power of the Mediatour Ioh. 17.2 Eph. 1.20.21.22 Heb. 1.2 that runnes into infinity the seventh is Infinity it selfe in the simplicity of selfe being beyond which is nothing But whether these perfections of the creature come into it by addition as I have spoken or that it be so raised from nothing immediately into those perfections which it hath it is necessary that these differences of degrees be therein that that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.10 that manifold wisdome of God may be manifest in the Creature In which creature how perfect soever in it selfe no degree can bee found so excellent but that it must differ infinitely on the one side from the perfection of the Creator not none so meane but that on the other side it must differ infinitely from not being I meane that not being which it had of it selfe and in it selfe for in him it had an eternall being being eternally foreseene and appointed in him § 3. But in things that are ill you thinke this answer will not serve For though you can bee content to thinke that the glory of the divine wisdome is nothing abated in the beholding of things no not in their present being how differing soever in their degrees of perfection as it is said Psal 113.5 Who is like unto Iehova our God that lifteth up Himselfe high to sit that abaseth Himselfe low to see in the heavens and in the earth no more then the lustre and shine of the Sunne is more or lesse cleere whether it light upon the beautifull hill of Libanus or Carmell or the dirty land of Cabul yet if he know also things that are ill and that his knowledge be a causing or creating knowledge it cannot bee avoyded but that he must also be the cause of ill I answer Ill is of three kindes one naturall whereby every thing is subjected to some other thing contrary thereto whereby it may be corrupted for the destruction of that particular being that some other thing may be raised thereout according to the possibilitie of the matter and the manner of the corrupting Hitherto we may bring poysons and all those things that we call hurtfull and ill because if they be not rightly used they are harmefull to our kind which are not simply ill but onely accidentally seeing that if they be rightly used they may be helpefull to our nature as it appeares in the trocisks of the vipers flesh and other medicines as Physicke teaches So these things of themselves naturally good may be ill that is good causes of ill effects as riches and authority things civilly indifferent may bee ill if abused to pride idlenesse and the oppression of others The second kinde of ill is that of punishment which cannot justly be termed ill if you consider the use and benefit thereof as S. Paul hath taught Heb. 12. from ver 5. to ver 12. For neither can wisdome be in things civill or morall but with the judgement of good and bad neither is that judgement in the discerning of good and ill ought worth if the good be not praised and rewarded and the ill punished So that without justice and mercie in reward and punishment neither wisdome nor goodnesse can be either perfect or praised Therefore this kinde of ill because it is just that the ill-doer should beare the burden of his owne desert is no way ill but onely in the smart of the guilty sufferer deserving it So these two kindes of ill onely so called for some respects though in themselves necessary and therefore good will easily bee acknowledged to be from God The maine question therefore is onely about that ill of ills which is sinne for sinne both in regard of the effect which is punishment and in it selfe the deserving cause thereof and much more taking occasion by the Law holy and good to worke death in the sinner must needs be exceedingly sinfull as it is concluded Rom. 7.11.13 And because it is as certainely and necessarily true that finne is finne and ill is ill as it is that good is good and that the knowledge of the truth in every thing is in the perfection of the understanding it cannot bee but that all ill and finne is perfectly knowne unto the infinite wisedome Moreover whether ill be onely a privation or taking away of that good which ought to bee in the creature or whether it bee any thing of very being therein it is necessarie that the infinite wisdome know all manner of beings both according to their perfections and all their possibilities and defects But concerning the manner of this knowledge the Doctors say That because the very being of ill you remember what ill I speake of is nothing else but the privation of that goodnesse which ought to be in the creature it is knowne of God onely by the contrary goodnesse as by the definition that is to say to be a defect or privation of goodnesse Neither is it any defect in the divine knowledge to know that which is onely a defect by the contrarie perfection seeing nothing can be knowne further then according to that being which it hath And therefore they say further See Thom. Aquin. and his Comment lib. 1. Cap. 71. and lib. 3. Cap. 4 5 6 c. contra Gentes That ill inasmuch as it is such is in the number of things not being and that of things not being there can be no cause efficient but deficient and privative onely For every agent workes as farre forth as it is in actuall being to bring forth something into acte or perfection and that to a good end so that ill comes into effect by accident beside the purpose and intent of the doer Ah blessed Origen hath thy too much charity been blamed so long who art said though unjustly see the defence of Pamphilus for Origen and Ioh. Picus Mirandula de Salute Origenis to have taught that all sinners yea even the devill himselfe shall be saved at the last now thou art justified Sinne is not being it hath no cause of being but comes in by chance beside the good intent of the worker he answeres
the naturall desire of the soule no way sinfull the Deity infinite in power and in regard of the unity consenting thereto it must follow of necessity that our Lord was raised againe from the dead 5. Contrary causes must have contrary effects The devill by the sinne which he wrought in Adam had caused death to prevaile over life in all mankind Therefore Christ who came to destroy the workes of the deuill must cause life to prevaile over death But this could not be done in the members before it was perfected in the head Therefore Christ being dead must of necessity bee the first fruits of them that are raised from the dead And if it were necessary that Christ should first rise Ergo it was impossible that He should not rise See Log chap. 26.11.1 6. If Christ our Lord had not beene raised from death a then had it beene impossible that any of His beleevers should bee raised againe by the power and merit of His resurrection 1. And so the naturall desire of the soule to dwell with the body should be created in vaine 2. So the debt being paid the prisoner should ever be detained 3. So the afflictions of the Saints which they have suffered in body should be in vaine as cold hunger nakednesse reproach and shame imprisonment stripes yea and death it selfe willingly sustained for the love of God should be without reward But it were against the justice of God to cause the body and soule to suffer together and not to glorifie them both together 4. So also the death of Christ should not be meritorious and effectuall for the procuring of all that good which might and ought to come thereby both to Himselfe and all His beleevers For although the soules of the faithfull for the merit and full satisfactions sake of His death being separate might enjoy an eternall though not a full happinesse without the body yet the body should be left eternally to the power of death and so the workes of the devill should not be destroyed by Christ 5. So also the body should be created in vaine if to sorrow onely without the hope of happinesse 6. So God should lose His right in His creature if Hee were not Lord both of the living and of the dead both of the soule and of the body 7. So the one sinne and disobedience of Adam should be more powerfull to condemne mankind then the everlasting and most perfect obedience of the Sonne of God should be to save it But all these things are impossible And therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 4.25 That Christ was delivered to death for our sinne and raised againe for our Iustification For if Christ be not raised againe then are we yet in our sinnes 1. Cor. 15.17 not that any addition was made by His resurrection to that satisfaction which He made by His death but because the resurrection of Christ is a sure and manifest proofe of His conquest over sinne death hell and all the power of the devill and that His suffering and death was a full and sufficient sacrifice whereby the wrath of God against sinne was fully satisfied so that we are now justified in His sight whereas if in the conflict of our Redeemer with death and hell He had been overcome then could we have had no faith nor hope that our sinne by His death had beene done away But now knowing that He hath overcome death and is returned to life againe in all the troubles and sorrowes of this life and in the agonies of death wee may be secure as the feet or toes that are lowest under the water may hope at last to come to land because they know that their head being above the water the body cannot be drowned 7. Now concerning that impossibility of Saint Peter it stands thus It is impossible that the Scripture being the declaration of Gods trueth made by Himselfe 2. Pet. 1.21 2. Tim. 3.16 should faile But it hath beene declared by the Scripture that Christ should be raised againe from the dead Therefore it was impossible that He should still be held under the power of death The text cited by Saint Peter is found Psal 16.10 to which you may adde the types of the old Testament whereby the death and resurrection of our Lord was signified as that of Noah Gen. 9. ver 20. c. When our Saviour being as it were drunken with the love of His Church and desire of mans salvation tooke our state upon Him and for us became subject to the death of the Crosse when being seene by the Iewes those Chumits in the nakednesse or infirmity of our estate He was set at nought by them that thought that their Messiah could not die Iohn 14.34 But when Noah our Rest and Comforter awaked out of His grave He brought on them that destruction which was foretold as the punishment of their hardnesse of heart and unbeliefe See Psalm 41.10 Dan. 9.26 So the Ram taken by his hornes in the bush Gen. 22. was the type of His death and Isaac taken alive from the Altar the figure of His resurrection Ioseph also taken out of the dungeon to be ruler over all the land of Egypt To the same purpose was the law of the two goates Levit. 6. the one slaine for a sinne offering the other sent alive into a land of separation to make an atonement for all iniquity transgressions and sinne of the people So by the two Sparrowes Levit. 14. He that was like to the solitary sparrow on the house top Psalm 102.7 shed His blood for the cleansing of our leprosie yet by the other that was sent alive into the open ayre His resurrection was figured Sampson the Nazarite asleepe in Gaza signified our Lord in the sleepe of death for the love of His Church yet waking and having opened the gates of death He carryed them away and ascended in triumph to the top of the mount Iudg. 16.3 And because the strong gates of death are carryed away we are assured that all they that sleepe in the dust of death shall rise to give an account of their workes Beside these types you have also the prophecies of the old Testament as Psalm 68.20 That to Him belonged the issues of death both to passE out of death Himselfe and also to bring out His from thence Esay also Chap. 53. after He had declared His sufferings and death proves His resurrection by His dividing the spoile with the strong Our Lord also foretold His resurrection Himselfe in Mat. 12.49 and Luk. 18.33 and the b infidelity of Thomas made it certaine unto all Vpon all which texts we may firmely conclude with Saint Peter that it was impossible that our Lord should be held in the bands of death 8. And why the third day was appointed for His resurrection a reason or two are rendered Hee rose not before that none might doubt but that He was certainely dead See the 27. chap. for His death and buriall Neither was it
and doctrine to bee decided not by the Church or any humane voice except they speake according to the word of the Scripture 1. For seeing the Holy-Ghost is the chiefe judge in all controversies on whose infallible sentence wee may safely relye and that the Scriptures are His immediate word therefore from thence are wee to expect His immediate answere whereas the Church speakes not from God immediately but as a meane conueighs unto us the voice of the Scripture 2. Beside this the Church may erre the Scripture cannot erre 3. The Scriptures shine by their owne light the Church by the light and Doctrine of the Scriptures 4. The Scriptures are alwayes at hand to be resorted unto the Church never all assembled nor a Councill scarce once in an age and they that vaunt most of the name for the most part have least of the true Church And therefore the Prophets send us to the Law and to the Testimonies and our Lord to search the Scriptures See 2. Peter 1.19 Object 2. By this meanes making it lawfull for every one to reade and interpret the Scriptures you set open a doore to all manner of heresies to enter into the Church and make every private spirit a judge and an interpreter of the sence of Scripture Answer Though every one may and ought to read the Scripture for comfort and instruction yet the interpretation of the harder places belongs especially to the Pastours and Doctors appointed by the Church thereto and if any private man doe interpret according to the former rules yet cannot that interpretation be said to proceed from a private spirit although the man be private For the holy Spirit is the common author of all light and understanding And the meanes whereby He useth to teach is the holy Word the common light of all the faithfull And this may seeme sufficient to have spoken of the Author and use of the holy Scriptures and what they are then of their sufficiency purity easinesse and interpretation And blessed is that man that meditates in them day and night that he may finde by them the full assurance of his hopes and live in obedience and thankefullnesse to the Author and finisher of his faith ARTICLE IX ⧠I beleeve in the holy Catholike-Church CHAP. XXXV A Certaine Iew famed for his riches was once asked by a great lord of the Turkes how it came to passe that the Turkes the Christians and the Iewes did so peremptorily hold every one their owne faith that they could not be withdrawne therefrom The Iew suspecting his wealth to be aimed at answered as their manner is by a witty parable A rich man quoth he had three sonnes that obserued him with great respect because of his wealth he to hold them all in their obedience oftentimes profest among them that he should be the heire of all his estate to whom at his death he should bequeath a ring which he used to weare But in secret he caused Mammurius the Goldsmith to make for him two other rings so like it as Numaes ancylia were not one more like another At his death he called each of his sonnes apart and gave to every one of them one of these rings and withall the possession of all his goods so every one holds his claime quoth he and it is nor yet knowne how the controversie will be ended This is the present state of the Church not onely among these three sects named but likewise among all the sects of Christianity yea of all religions whatsoever For there is none among the Pagans but he hath this hope that his soule shall be happy if he serue his god as he ought And having determined those questions which concerne God and our Mediator it followes that in this second part of the Creed we consider those benefits and priviledges which belong unto the Church by that which our Saviour hath done and suffered for it But that we mistake not we shall best be guided by the holy Scripture both for the use of the word and for the knowledge of the thing The word Ecclesia as it signifies in the originall the house of religious exercises or a tumultuous assembly as in Act. 19.32 or a combination of wicked men as in Psalm 26.5 hath no use here but more properly it signifieth an assembly or multitude of people professing the true worship of God such as were the Churches of Corinth Ephesus and others planted by the Apostles and Apostolicall men in a City or Kingdome as we thinke that Ioseph of Arimathea planted the faith in this Island and so established a Church here Every faithfull family is likewise a Church Romans 16.5 and the Church representative as the Synedrion among the Iewes is also so stiled in Matth. 18.17 But because among all these Churches there may be hypocrites unholy and carnally minded men which we cannot count within our Creed and beleeve that they are the holy Church therefore the Church may be taken not onely for the visible but also they whose Mediator our Lord Christ is unto eternall life as he saith Iohn 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given mee From whence it will easily appeare what this holy Catholike or universall Church is which here we doe beleeve to wit that number of holy men which God out of all nations of the world hath predestinated unto eternall life If we cleare the sence of the words and answere such doubts as arise thereabout we shall afterward easily approove the Article And first concerning the title of holinesse given to the Church Object 1. It may be objected that seeing it is said Psal 14. that among all the Children of men there is none that doeth good no not one how can any Church among men bee called Holy Answere Not by any inbred holinesse in themselues but because the righteousnesse of Christ their Saviour is imputed unto them for their justification before God as it is said 1. Iohn 1.7 The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth us from all sinne then because the Spirit of sanctification dwells in them and makes them zealous of good workes that they also may bee holy even as Hee which hath called them is Holy and that according to the Law or rule of a sanctified life according to which they ought to live and count it their present misery that they are still subject unto sinne and so in their spirit they serve the Law of God though in their flesh the law of sinne See Rom. 1.25 But so many of this Church as are already freed from this bondage of corruption in the assurance of eternall blisse waite in hope for the redemption of their bodies so that both in body and soule they may serve the living God Object 2. But why doe you call them holy men Obiect 2 Can neither Women nor Children be heires of eternall life Answere As the word Homo in Latine signifies any of the race of man-kind
of the infinitie of the power goodnesse and will of God would build up the infinite of the world at lest concerning the extension or space thereof And although the answers heretofore made to the arguments above may seeme to answer his reasons sufficiently yet I suppose you may better understand whatsoever is to bee said hereto if you have well perused that which is said in the second and eighth Chapter In the meane time you may doe well to remember who measured the water in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with his span Esay 40.12 And if all these things were made in number weight and measure Sap. 11.17 It may well follow that the world cannot be infinite in any of these 7. But the infinitie or uncertaintie of number hath most doubt because it is said Heb. 1.2 11.3 That God hath appointed Christ to bee heire of all things because that by him he made the Worlds But the word World answers to two words in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first signifies oftentimes the frame of the whole creature as in Matth. 25.34 but not alwayes for sometimes it signifies the world of the wicked onely as Iohn 14.17 sometimes of the elect onely as Iohn 3.17 sometime an age or time of the world and the people of that age as S. Peter 2. Epist 2.5 saith that God spared not the old world and againe 2. Pet. 3.6 The world that then was perished by waters to which meaning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in that text of Heb. 1.2 doth most directly answer So that the ages there spoken of may well receive interpretation by the dayes of the creation by which God foretold what should afterward come to passe as it is said Esay 46.10 and elsewhere * See Brocard◠Mystica in Gen. So then the first day of nature when darkenesse was upon the deepe signified that time when the wickednesse of man was great on the earth and the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually And although they had the light of reason in them yet because they did not walke according to that light therefore God brought the floud upon the world of the ungodly The second day wherein was the division of the waters by the firmament of heaven meant that time when God separated his Church from the people of the world and parted them by the firmament of his Covenants first of circumcision given to Abraham afterward of the ceremoniall Law by Moses which worke of the second day is therefore not praised as good because the Law workes wrath Rom. 4.15 And because these ceremonies were not able to give life to the doers of the same for Moses might not bring Israel into the land of promise Deut. 34.4 Esay 66.3 Gal. 2.16 19. 30.10 The third day signifies the third age or state of the Church when the earth that is these worldly rites by the lively interpretation of the Prophets who unfolded their meaning and taught the people of their times to have hope in him that was to come brought forth the herbe and fruit tree yeelding seed unto everlasting life The fourth age of the Church was that time wherein the Sun or righteousnesse did shine and brought in that new light that true light which lightens every man that come into the world of his Church that Sun which gave shine unto the Moone the Apostolike Church and to the Stars those Doctors whose knowledge zeale and constancie gave light in that darke night of persecutions and heresie which did ensue And these and such other are the ages even untill the great Iubile of which the Apostle speakes in that place Heb. 1.2 which is brought for the proofe of many worlds So this Democritan fancie may vanish 8. Concerning the infinitie of multitude in the different species or kindes of things the Cabalists have an opinion that although they rise to an excessive number yet they must needs be definite and that according to the difference of words in all the possible change and joyning of the letters for if either the things were not different according to the signification of words or that the words had not their meaning according to the difference of things that wisdome who both made the things and gave words to expresse their differences should seeme disproportionable and wanting on one side or on the other neither could that word be verefied Gen. 2.19 which saith And whatsoever Adam called every living creature so was the name thereof The opinion is delivered in the booke which they call Iezirah the author of the tradition they make Abraham the Patriarch the description of Iuda an ancient Rabbine the collection of the number is of Fr. Georgius in his 244 Probl. tit 67. and this * You may see also the comment of Postellus on that booke and Archangels apologie of the Cabala pag. 548 c. is the number 1124002590827719680000. that is one thousand one hundred twentie foure millions of great millions two thousand five hundred and ninetie great millions eight hundred twenty seven thousand seven hundred and nineteene millions fixe hundred and fourescore thousand But although the possible combination of letters be so different as they make it yet the reason holds not for the actions and passions as well as the proprieties of things must be expressible with all the differences of times past present and to come and that either alone or with others Besides wordes expresse the defects of things the vices also and imaginations of the minde which are neither created beings nor alwayes true Moreover although Adam had power over all words yet it appeares not that hee had knowledge also of the nature and differences of the heavenly and spirituall creatures so that the words may perhaps fall short of the number of different beings But because they will not be out bidden they six this number to the combination of consonants it seemes for the different species to which if you adde the different vowels above or below as the manner of that writing is you shall have a number so great as may equall all the individuals of all the specialls that ever have beene or shall bee hereafter which by Patricius must needs be infinite for thus he reasons Panarch lib. 19. from three infinities essentiall potentiall and actuall a fourth infinite must needs proceed at least of number for otherwise the effect should not bee answerable to the cause The infinite essence hee supposes the Father the infinite power the Sonne and the infinite worker the Holy Ghost And by these three are three Trinities brought out of spirituall creatures or Angels as he by Psellus understands the Chaldaean wisdome whether well or ill it skils not much For we are taught Ioh. 1.3 That By the word all things were made and without him was nothing made that was made But to his reason Can an infinite Being bring forth an effect without
hauing made mans peace through the bloud of his crosse hath reconciled all things both in heaven and earth unto God Col. 1.20 For certainely if the Angels be for man as it is said Heb. 1.14 then can they not possibly have the perfection of their blessednesse but by man Let us therefore with reverence and thankfulnesse come unto that great mysterie of our Religion That God was manifest in the flesh The incarnation of God is the dwelling of the Godhead in the manhood in one person wherein the being of the Godhead and manhood remaine together everlastingly without separation yet in cleere distinction of their severall beings and so without commixtion to cause a third being but that each continuing truly that which it is in it selfe the Godhead according to his eternall decree without any change of it selfe in time tooke to it selfe the manhood that by himselfe hee might reconcile all things to himselfe and bring them to that estate of happinesse and glorie to which they could never have come if God had not so manifested himselfe in the flesh The internall actions of the eternall Deity are all infinite eternall and necessary to be that which they are But whatsoever God doth worke without himselfe in the creature it is onely according to his owne holy pleasure and will But yet seeing his actions upon the creature are the expressions of those perfections which are in himselfe of goodnesse of wisdome of power of glorie c. and that to this end that the creature may bee blessed in him and by him according to that measure of happinesse which he of his goodnesse hath appointed thereto therefore those reasons which are drawne from the dignities of God are of no lesse force for the truth of God in the creature then they were for the manifestation of the truth in himselfe And therefore as by those dignities which by the authority of his word are due to him wee have approved that truth which the holy Scripture teacheth us to beleeve of him both concerning the unitie of his being and the Trinitie of the Persons so let us endeavour in the proofe of this great question And although the great masters in the schoole have given ouer these questions as utterly beyond all proofe or testimony of humane understanding See Thom. Aquin. praef in lib. 4. cont Gent. yet seeing this is that maine point in our most holy faith whereby it differs most from all infidelity and false worships seeing it is that one thing wherein the ground of all our future hope and comfort doth consist if ever the understanding of a Christian held it selfe bound to doe service unto his faith most of all it is bound to give attendance herein I may somtimes use the word of necessity in the conclusions following yet understand me not as if I laid any necessitie or constraint upon God to doe or to suffer but the necessitie that I meane is in the consequence of the reason when the conclusion doth follow necessarily upon the grounds that are laid downe before 1. For although happines be only in the enjoying of that which is good and the greater the good is the greater is the happines but if the good be not enjoyed and possessed it causes no happines at all yet an infinite good is no way to bee come unto or possessed by that which is finite except by the voluntarie motion and inclination of it selfe it doe apply and give it selfe unto that which is finite And because every good spreads it selfe acccording to the power of it selfe upon that which is capable of it the greatest goodnesse is ever with the greatest communication of it selfe therefore the infinite goodnes doth also extend it selfe according to the possibilitie of the creature to be possessed and enioyed thereby which cannot be till it have applied it selfe to something in the creature of which the rest of the creatures being partakers may also thereby be partakers of the infinite goodnesse Now if God who onely is infinite goodnesse had dwelt in the being of the Angels though that had beene made knowne to man yet because man doth not communicate with the Angels in nature or by any merit or service towards them he had had no benefit thereby whereas the Angels by the appointment of their ministerie to mankinde in their continuall presence and succour and that helpe which the soule hath by them in the delivery thereof out of this prison of the body and in the conducting of it unto the Divine presence have in iustice a reward for their service sake and a kinde of interest in all that good whereof man by their ministerie is made partaker 2. Moreover when man had sinned the law of justice required that the satisfaction should be made in that nature that had sinned so that if the Mediatour had taken on him the nature of Angels the satisfaction therein had not beene avayleable for the sinne of man 3. Thirdly the whole creature hath interest in man and man in the whole creature so that God by taking on him the nature of man hath blessed therby the whole creature as you may understand by the answer which is made Cha. 17. to the 5 Object § 4. But if he had the nature of Angels neither man nor the other elementall creatures had had hope of any restoring See Rom. 8.19 c. to 23. 4. Lastly if the deliverance of man had beene made in the nature of Angels the restoring had beene as unsufficient so also man had lost of his dignitie and honour thereby for man before his sinne was bound and subjected to God alone but then had hee beene subjected and bound to the nature of Angels And although man by his sinne nay even our Lord himselfe by his suffering for sinne was made somewhat lower then the Angels yet being raised from the dead the manly nature is exalted far above all principalitie and power and might and every name that is named in this world or in the world which is to come Ephes 1.20.21 Whence it will follow necessarily that God would dwell in the nature of man not in the Angels as you may understand by these Scriptures Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same ver 16. Hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but hee tooke on him the seed of Abraham And for their attendance is it not said Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall bee heires of salvation Compare herewith Psal 34.7 and 91.11 and conclude with Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3.23 All things are yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods The questions before are neere to this as all the Articles of our faith are necessarie consequents one of another therefore let us briefely see by that which is already proved what we can gather to this conclusion 1. Either the whole race of mankinde must be
all because we were all in him originally that upon the breach of the commandement of God Gen. 2.17 we should be lyable to death both of body and soule Neither was this onely threatned at the beginning but ever since written as it were by the finger of God in every mans heart their owne consciences accusing or excusing them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men by Iesus Christ Rom. 2.15 16. Therefore there shall be a judgement 6. It is necessary that the judgements of God done in this world doe appeare to be just For shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Genes 18.25 But many of His judgements are yet hid and unknowne and of them that are knowne yet the faithfull doe not alwayes see the reason thereof and so the praise which is due unto God for His justice therein is lost But it is necessary that the equity and justice of God be manifest to all that His workes may be magnified and He acknowledged to be just in His words and pure in His judgements Psal 51.4 Therefore it is necessary that there be a revelation of the righteous judgement of God in the world to come 7. No perfect judgement can be made of any thing till the full end thereof doe appeare so that although the life of man be ended and a particular judgement passed upon him yet because many things succeed in the time to come which depend upon those things which he hath done in his life therefore it is necessary that there be a finall judgement at the last day when those dependances also shall have an end For in respect of these dependances a man may bee said to live after his body is dead and that in divers respects As in his fame either good or bad which oftentimes is very false but at the last judgement the trueth shall appeare then in his writings as the holy Prophets and the Apostles live in those Oracles which the Holy-Ghost gave out by them So Arius and other Heretickes live yet in those venomous opinions which they broached and other vaine people doe hold after them So parents live by the example of their life to the instruction or corruption of their children Maxima debetur pueris reverentia So by their correction and precepts to them in the feare and nurture of the Lord or by the neglect thereof to their destruction Doe you not heare me ye foolish and wicked parents know you not yet that you shall answere for that wickednesse of your children which they shall doe through your default And if there be any other way whereby a man may be said to live as in the furthering of good lawes So a man lives in his buildings or in the havocke of that estate which his Ancestors disposed to the use of his children in new fashions daily devised worse and worse and if there be any other thing which remaines for example either good or bad after death it is necessary that it be enquired of and rewarded in the last judgement 8. If there be not a generall judgement in which the blessednesse of the faithfull both in soule and body shall be perfected then the sufferings of Christ and those glories that followed thereon should be to no end seeing He being in Himselfe God blessed above all neither suffered nor did any of all that which was wrought in His manhood for any increase of happines to Himselfe for that was impossible but that the benefit thereof might be manifest in us But this cannot be till the generall judgement For then shall the wicked see that there is a reward for the righteous Then shall they know that there is a God that judgeth the earth Psalm 58.11 Reade hereto Wisd Chap. 5. 9. All the dignities of God have heretofore beene proved to be infinite therefore also His justice which should be defective if it had not given a perfect rule according to which all judgements ought to be guided and if it did not examine all judgements thereby to ratifie or cancell them And because not onely the administration of publike justice is with judgement but also every particular action whereto the will doth consent therefore it is necessary that there be an universall judgement wherein all judgements and actions of men shall be examined and rewarded From this justice also it followeth that it ought to be well with the good and ill with the wicked And because for the most part it falles out contrary in this life therefore it is necessary so to be in the life to come See 2 Thess 1.5 6 7. 10 And because judgement is not fully executed according to justice in this world upon many offenders in great and grievous and hidden sinnes and that especially on great persons who live as they list oppresse others and hold themselues beyond the compasse of all lawes And moreover because in this state of mortality man is not able to endure that punishment which is due to His sinne therefore is it necessary in the justice of God that such sinnes being not repented of should be openly and fully punished in the world to come as it is said Esay 30.33 Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared He hath made it deepe and large the pyle thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it Therefore there shall be a generall judgement 11. And if you will admit of an argument inductive it may easily be admitted that there shall be a generall judgement at the end of the world by that severity which God hath so often shewed and doth shew against sinners to put men in remembrance of that great day As the drowning of the world for their cruelty in the dayes of Noah The overthrow of Sodom for their unnaturall lust The captivity of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar for their idolatry And at last the utter casting off of that nation for their unbeliefe The publike calamities of Plague Warres Earthquakes and overflowings of Waters to the overthrowing of Cities and Countreys famine and death every houre attending on every man in his greatest security are so many summons to every man to think on that day For as the pilgrimage of Israel in the wildernesse was the type of our pilgrimage in this world so their punishments were types unto us 1 Cor. 10.11 But there is no type but of some thing which is to be indeed So that the destruction of the people in the wildernesse were both to them and especially to us on whom the ends of the world are come an assured argument of this great judgement at the last day And as the carcasses of them that were disobedient fell in the wildernesse whereas the rest enjoyed the promised land So all those punishments that were remembred bring to the faithfull an assured hope that God will deliver them For Noah and Lot were saved from destruction Ebedmelech and Baruch had
speake are either such as concerne Himselfe or us Himselfe as that in His being He is a Spirit Eternall infinite in Wisedome c. In essence one in Persons three in His dispensation towards us that in the fulnesse of time the Eternall Sonne should dwell in the Tabernacle of our flesh that in our nature and for us he might make satisfaction for our sinne that we might be restored againe to the favour of God which wee had lost by our transgression and so have hope of the full enjoying of those benefits which come unto us thereby as the resurrection of our bodies and eternall life both in body and soule And because it was impossible for us to understand those things except God Himselfe had revealed them unto us therfore it was necessary that He should vouchsafe the certaine and immutable knowledge of them by His Holy Word 5. No Kingdome can bee ordered according to Iustice wherein the Lawes are not manifest and to bee knowne of every subject that will know them But Christ is that King that is to raigne in iustice Esay 32.1 Therefore it was necessary that the lawes and ordinances of His Kingdome which peculiarly is His Church should be so published that every one both small and great might take knowledge of them 6. No punishment is due but for some offence and where no law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 So no reward is due but either in justice for some merit above dutie as the merit of Christ on our behalfe or else in mercie by promise for the carefull performance of that which is due But neither duty nor punishment nor merit nor mercie can either appeare or be such where no law is Therefore it was necessary that God by His Word should both shew what duty He did require of us and what punishment was due to the breakers of His law and what reward was due to the observers as the law declares And moreover because no man in this state of corruption by originall sinne is able to performe the law of God as he ought in perfect righteousnesse Therefore it was also necessary in this impossibilitie on our parts to make it knowne how wee might bee delivered from the punishment by the mediation of another as the Gospel shewes 7. And because so great a benefit as the deliverance of mankind from the thraldome of the devill was never to bee forgotten therefore it was necessary not onely that the Church should bee prepared unto the expectation thereof and dayly put in mind by such lively signes as the sacrifices were the true meaning of which they were taught by the Prophets but also when the time came that the promises should bee fulfilled that the Church should be throughly informed and confirmed in the trueth thereof by the powerfull doctrine and glorious miracles which were done both by the authour and finisher of our faith and by those who were eye-witresses of all things which they testified to the world Therefore it was necessary that both before the comming of Christ the Church should be catechised unto Christ by the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets and after His comming bee fully instructed by the Apostles and Evangelists the Holy-Ghost evermore working in the hearts of the elect that the things which were taught should be beleeved § 3. Hath it indeede beene the practise of the devill by his principall agents the persecuters of the Church to deface the Holy Scripture and to put out their remembrance among men Histories affirme it Neither can the Father of lies hate any thing so much as the trueth nor the enemie of man-kind endeavour any thing so earnestly as to defact that by the knowledge whereof man may find the way to eternall life yet great was the trueth and prevailed Then by hereticks he would corrupt it but yet the trueth prevailed Then hee would keepe it from us in an unknowne tongue but yet the trueth appeared and every man may reade in his owne tongue the wonderfull workes of God English and Germanes and French and the rest yet the devill had one tricke more in his budget that seeing hee could neither deface nor corrupt nor conceale the bookes of Holy Scripture in a forraine tongue whose vulgar use is vanish't among men he would shuffle in other bookes among them that so we might not discerne the true Mother from the false And if any question grew about the Child traditions which wee must receive with equall affection of piety must decide it Strange Divinitie Did the Church deale thus of ancient time For you onely are wise you onely will be the people Shew the custome of the Church you claime to Fathers shew it from them Saint Athanasius in Synops. divides the bookes of the Old-Testament as wee into Canonicall and not Canonicall The Canonicall he accounts all as wee save Esther the not Canonicall he accounts the booke of Wisdome Esther Iudith and Tobit The books of the New-Testament all Canonicall hee numbers as wee the foure Gospels the Actes the seven Catholike Epistles fourteene of Saint Paul among which following Saint Peter Second Epistle 3.15 he puts that to the Hebrewes and the Revelation Epiphanius also Lib. de Mens pond accounts the Canonicall bookes as Athanasius but puts Esther among them he accounts Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus to be apocryphal Ierom. in Prol. Gal. accounts the Canonicall bookes of the Old-Testament as Epiphanius and as the manner of the Hebrewes was of old they count the books according to the number of the Hebrew letters 22. as the knops nuts or almonds on the golden candlestick were 22. for the Lamentations was one book with the prophesie of Ieremiah and the 12. small prophets made but one Booke and as five of their bookes were double that is Iude and Ruth 2. of Samuel 2. of Kings and 2. of Chron. Ezra and Nehem. in one booke so are 5. of their letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the end of words are thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in Summe they speake of their bookes altogether the Law and the Prophets as Luk. 16.29 and 31. and 24.27 Aces 24.14 and 26.22 and 28.23 And yet some-what more particularly the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes and this division of the bookes of the Holy Scripture our Lord also allowes Luke 24.44 But in this last division the bookes are numbred 24. first of Moses 2. Foure of the former Prophets as they call them Ioshua Iudges Samuel and Kings 3. Foure also of the later Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and the Booke of the 12. small Prophets 4. The Kethubim or holy writing contained 11. bookes the 5. Poeticall that is the Psalmes Proverbs Ecclesiastes Iob and the Canticles three which they called Megilloth volumes or rolles Ruth Lamentations and Esther among which the booke of Canticles is sometimes accounted and 2. halfe Chaldee which were last written Daniel Ezra with Nehemiah and the Chronicles And these holy writings they divided
word choraiham their dung hath the derivation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chor that hole from which it comes out and the word Sheyenaiyehem their changes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shanah to change meanes their urine which they should drinke and pisse out and then drinke in againe whereby the railing Rab-scaeb would be as bitter as he could But for the first of these the margent hath a more mannerly word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dzoatham that which comes from them and for the second by way of exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meimei raghleihem the water at their feete and these are read for the words in the line Translators have little or nothing to doe with the Keries of the first kind in them of the last they usually take the word in the margent In the second kind they take the word in the line or that in the margent indifferently because the Keries or marginall words are both of the ancient Iewes and learned Christians held to be of divine authoritie as they in the text as you may see it made manifest by Henry Ainsworth's Aduertisement n. 7. where by sundry examples he shewes that the word which in one Prophet is put in the margent is by another put in the text Moreover the most ancient translators even from the 70. which were almost 300. yeeres before Christ if that which is now extant be any remnant of it and that Chaldee of Ionathan who is said to have beene the disciple of Hillel which lived as some write 100. yeeres before Christ and all that have followed after these have translated sometime after the margent somtime after the line often-times have noted both as you may see in many instances in the place cited And that which is above all the Pen-men of the new Testament use in some places the word of the margent for that in the line So that Galatinus with his late Rabbins may still sleepe upon the pillow of their owne dreame For nothing of the Talmud was gathered together till about the yeere of Christ 150. when one Rabbi Iudas compiled into one volume the expositions on the law and the Prophets which other Doctors had written some before some after Christ which Booke hee called Mishna a copie or second reading and divided it into Six Sedarim or orders Some 200. yeeres or more after him Rabbi Iohanan or Iohn gathered the Talmud or Doctrinall of Ierusalem out of the writings of such Rabbins as wrote after the other and this Talmud is but a commentary on the former Mishna After him likewise about the yeere of Christ 500. Rabbi Asse made a further collection of the Babylonian Talmud of speciall use among the Iewes Both these Talmuds are full of fables and idle fictions to the depravation of the trueth of God But about the yeere 1200. Rabbi Moses ben Maimon thence called Ra M Ba M and Maimoni gathered out that which was good and any way availeable for understanding the rites and ceremonies of the Law and left out those fooleries of which the Talmuds were full and therefore Postellus said rightly of him that hee is Instar omnium For further knowledge of which things you may read Galatinus H. Ainsworth Shickard P. Ricius and others Now if neither the Talmud nor the Mishna were extant of so long time after Christ how could the writings there cited being in private hands bring in any publike corruption into the text of the Scripture which long time before that had beene delivered safe and intire into the hands of the Church of the Gentiles But although it be yeelded unto that either the Masôrites or the Talmudists or the Cabalists by any private notes of theirs or their expositions have corrupted either the text or native meaning thereof yet doth it not therefore follow that the Nation of the Iewes have accepted these corruptions much lesse that they hold them of divine authoritie as they doe the marginall Keries and yet much lesse can it be made to appeare that the Translators of the Christians have at any time accepted of any such notes no more then we heretofore accounted the notes on the Geneva Bibles to bee Canonicall Scripture But you will aske when those Keries or marginall readings for they are alwayes read for the Cethib or word written in the text came to the Holy Scripture Answere The most voyces are for Ezra that he having care of the Ecclesiasticall policie and especially of the integritie of the Holy Scripture in conferring the copies and the differences among them noted such as hee thought fittest and that the Copies might not differ any more began that Masôreth of which I spake But Galatinus Lib. 1. Cap. 8. saith that this is a lewd lie of the later Iewes for then they should not have beene called corrections of the Scribes but of Ezra yet hee confesseth that they were long before the time of Christ seeing Ionathan the Author of the Chaldean translation doth often-times translate according to the margine yet will he not have Ezra the Author of them for then he durst not I thinke so saucily refuse them or for them the Cethib as errours and corruptions of the text as hee doth But Shikkard as he cites the common consent of the ancient Hebrewes puts it constantly upon Ezra That with much care and diligence he got divers copies of the Scripture compared them with those that were authenticall and noted them as you heard 1. But if there were any copies that were authenticall what needed this superfluous diligence 2. Beside what could 70. yeeres of the captivitie doe to corrupt so many copies when they had in the captivitie so many Prophets As Daniel Ezechiel Ezra beside so many worthies as you read of in Daniel and Ezra and Ieremiah among them that were left at home Especially seeing a copie may continue many seuenty of yeeres as you read in Rambam of one of 700. yeres in his time and Cunaeus cites the Chronicle called Iuchasin concerning a Bible written by Hillel betweene whose times were 900. yeeres and yet more the learned Patrick Young assures us of a beautifull Copie of the whole Scripture written by Tecla in the time of the first Councell of Nice at this time extant in his Majesties Library Praef. in epist. Clementis ad Curinthios 3. And that which is most of all to proove that Ezra was no Author of the Keries in the Bookes of the Scripture written before his time is this That as almost none of the Scripture written before him so none of the Bookes after the captivitie except perhaps Malachi are without them Did not Ezra Daniel Zachary Haggai know their owne meaning Were they not able to expresse it Yes You will say then what needed those Keries in their Bookes of the Chronicles and those that beare their owne names written by themselues I speake not this to uphold that fancie of Galatinus that these corruptions of the Scripture as he the admirer of himselfe