with oile of exultation aboue thy fellowes In Isaie Isa 45. v. 14.15 Thus saith our Lord the labour of Aegypt and the merchandise of Aethiopia and of Sabaim the high men shall passe to thee and shall be thine they shall walke after thee the Messias they shall goe boūd with manicles ād they shall ADORE THEE ād shall beseech thee ONLIE in THEE he speakes still to the Messias is God ād there is NO GOD beside thee Verily thou art God hidden in the forme of man the God of Israel a Sauiour God heere auouches that another distīct personallie frō himselfe is God the only God God hidden which speach is verified in the Messias and cānot possiblie be verified of any pure man Goe further ād you shall finde in Ieremie the greate name tetragrammaton that incommunicable name of God giuen and by God to the Messias Behold the daies shall come saith our Lord Ierem. 33. v. 14.15.16 and I will raise vp the good word that I haue spoken to the howse of Israel and to the howse of Iuda c. I will make the SPRING OF IVSTICE to bud foorth vnto Dauid the same is also in the 25. c. v 5.6 and HE shall doe iudgment and iustice in the earth In THOSE DAIES shall Iuda be saued ād Ierusalē shall dwell confidently ād this is the name they shall call HIM By Rab. Aaron Rab. Iacob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE LORD our iust one Note heere by the waie that the poīts in Hebrew were inuented more thē four hūdred yeeres after Christ Elias Leuita Iudaeus Praefat 3. ante Massoreth Hammassoreth Genebr Chr. ad an 76. Zach. 2. v. 8 9. and therefore in reading you may take them of againe for in the poīting many texts are corrupted In an other of the Prophets Thus saith THE LORD OF HOSTS after glorie he sent ME to the Nations that haue spoiled you for he that shall touch you toucheth the apple of mine eie because loe I lift vp my hand vppon them and they shall be a pray to those that serued them Marke diligently in the begining who speakes saying that he is sent and you will find him to be the Lord of hosts HE is sent ād is sent by the Lord of hosts allso one diuine Person sending the other The same Person the Lord of Hosts doth continue still his speach and saith and you shall knowe that the Lord of hosts SENT ME. Praise and reioyce o daughter of Sion because loe I COME and will dwell in the middest of thee v. 9.10.11 SAITH OVR LORD And many Natiōs shall be ioyned to our Lord in that day ād they shall be my people and I WILL DWELL in the middest of thee and thou shalt knowe that the Lord of hosts hath sent ME to thee The same God of Israel in an other Chapter affirmes himself to be pierced by the inhabitants of Ierusalem as indeede he was in his passiō The words I put downe before Zac. 12.10 To giue the spirit of Grace is an act proper to God and they are these I will powre out vppon the howse of Dauid and vppon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and prayer the God of Israel speakes ād they shall looke vppon ME The God of Israel VVHOM they HAVE PIERCED It is cleere then that the God of Israel hath flesh ād blood by Incarnatiō how els could he be pierced Before he foretold his comming in flesh and blood Isa 7.14 A virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne and his name shall be called Emmanu-el God with vs. c. 35. v. 5. And in an other place God himselfe VVILL COME and will same you then shall the eies of the blind be opened and the eares of the deafe c. Againe the God of Israel in an other place I my selfe THAT SPAKE Isa 52.6 loe I AM PRESENT All which do manifest the ttuth of that which wee reade in Baruch This is our God and there shall none other be esteemed against him Baruch 3 v. 36.37.38 He found out all the way of discipline and deleuered it to Iacob his seruant and to Israel his beloued After these things he was seene VPPON THE EARTH and was conuersant with men THE FIFT CHAPTER Of the Introduction of Christianitie into the world 40. IN the begining of the former Chapter I proposed vnto my self a briefe discourse of the introductiō of Christianitie into the world and the propagatiō of the Church in the tymes primitiue but Atheists ād Iewes did interrupt me so that all the Chapter was spent with them Hauing there shaken them of I will now resume the subiect and will as then I said relate not dispute He that hath raised this greate building whereof I haue spoken in this Booke the Church I meane diffused in all Nations is Iesus borne at Bethlem Sonne of Marie This all doe know and confesse Pagans Iewes Atheists And this greate worke well considered doth argue in him more then was euer in any other vpon earth no one of what qualitie so euer no Scholler No Monarch none that euer liued hath euer donne the like to vnite I say so maay Nations for so long a tyme in so obscure a Creede by such meanes as he hath donne These things wee see are donne they are vndeniable let vs looke on the begining to see how and if wee keepe a setled eie on our Master and his proceedings wee shall discouer that he was indeede the God of nature conuersing here visiblie amongst men 41. His doctrine was of Sanctitie of Saluation of the power and the knowledge and prouidence and soueraigne will of God Of the last end and chiefe Obiect of mans Being Of the perfection of the next life in immortalitie and the dispositions thereunto Of the horrour and effects of sinne and of the goodnes of all vertue whereof he did exhibite himself a diuine forme and example to the world by practising them all in the heroicke and most perfect manner Reflect vppon his cariage in his passion the bitterest in all respects that euer man suffered and you will finde his behauiour in each particular to be diuine In his rule there is no vertue wanting so perfectly did he comprehend what morall Philosophers could neuer attaine vnto and beyond all these he teacheth Faith relying on the prime Verity Hope reposed in Gods infinite Mercie and Charitie louing the diuine Goodnes for it self Whatsoeuer in speculation men knew cōcerning God the highest Obiect he deliuered it more cleerelie all discouering further his prouidence mercie and iustice about man and which is furthest out of our sight the Sacred Mysterie of the Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost subsisting in one infinite Nature and communitie of blisse Moreouer he did looke into mens thoughts and discouer what he pleased Matt. 9. 26.1 in the presence and to the confusion of those who sought occasion to traduce him Luk. 18
of sinne out of the soule so that it cometh in to the Church purer then the Sunne and there findes the breade of life breade of Angells the medicine of immortalitie the fouÌ„taine of all good and consummation of Sacraments the holie Eucharist to feede vppon Euery where there are Altars wherevppon is Sacrificed vnbloodilie the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinne of the world according as IESVS our high Priest Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech did institute and ordaine In the way to these Altars are Tribunalls wherein those doe sitte who can open Heauen to the PeniteÌ„t where the Priest doth forgiue trespasses comitted against God Heauen approuing the Sentence of a man I will giue to thee Peeter Matt. 16. 18. the keies of the kingdome of heauen Whatsoeuer you shall loose in earth shall be loosed also in heauen whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them Ioan. 20. and whose you shall retaine they are retained Heere are the Doctors Euangelists Prophets and Pastors of whom wee reade in S. Paul Heere are Isaies Kings and Queenes Abrahams Starrs the Temples of the Holie Ghost and Gods Elect. All Tribes and People and tongues all Nations all the ends of the Earth doe come hither and adore in this Mount of our Lord in this House of God Heere the Holie Ghost still abideth illuminating directing Sanctifying and before him a hundred thousand harts burne euer in the flames of diuine loue Here some are weeping for their sinnes others meditating on the Passion others teaching and instructing the people others defining in generall Councell others conuerting Nations others adoring the souueraigne will of God others suffering for his sake In the Quire innumerable tongues are imployed daie and night in the praise of their Creator and Redeemer And round about are Watchmen that neuer hold their peace Lift vp thine eyes o IERVSALEM round about and see all these are gathered together they are come vnto thee Thy somes are come from a farre and thy daugthers are risen from thy side See and abound let thy hart maruaile and be dilated for the multitude of the Sea is conuerted and the streingth of Gentiles comes vnto thee Enlarge the place of thy tent and stretch out the skinnes of thy Tabernacles spare not make long thy cords and fasten thy nailes behold thou doest penetrate to the right hand and to the left thou art dilated to the East and to the West and to the North and to the South The Gentiles doe walke by thy light and Kings in the brightnes of thy rising Kings are thy nourcing Fathers and Queenes thy Nources The children of them that humbled thee come crouching now aÌ„d adore the stepps of thy feete Thy God hath established thee his throne as the dayes of heauen and hath made thee the pride of worlds a ioy vnto generation and generation thou art a crowne of glorie in the hand of our Lord and the Diademe of a kingdome in the hand of thy God 50. This Church the SPOWSE of Iesus Christ holding in her hand the BOOKE OF GOD doth contemplate and behold therin as in a glasse her OWNE SELF she beholds there her owne greatnes her owne proportion her owne face And such is the rare puritie and perfection of this glasse shee beholds there also her doctrine her inwarde composition her life and sowle The proposition of the Obiect is supernaturallie made vnto her in most cleere and euident circumstances And by the infallible operation of the All-teaching Spirit she is directed in her act By these two powerfull certaine meanes she is so constaÌ„tly setled in her faith that if the world shrink vnder feete shee will not leaue the truth Repeate now the first Chapter and reade there in PROPHECIE that which worlds of people since haue beheld with their EIES and still do reade I saie and consider it diligentlie to the end you may see how one is verified in the other that Prophecie in this Church and this Church in that Prophecie And hereby you will vnderstand at leingth by gods grace both that Prophecie and this Church to be from one and the same cause and prime author whose prouidence and power are so vniuersallie eminent that none can frustrate his designe or hinder an euent which he foretold and therfore both diuine and both from God 51. From this Church and from no other I take my direction for eternitie My owne witte might runne amisse I might mistake in the estimation of the Spirit in mee if I went alone And I were mistaken manifestlie if I followed any that swarued from the Spirit of this communitie And an other communitie like this the world neuer sawe The consent of so many worlds of people in an obscure Creede is an euident argument of a supernaturall cause vniting their vnderstandings It was ouer the world before Constantine and yet all Princes were against it in this consent and consequently of a diuine Spirit mouing them For all these Nations were neuer much lesse all this tyme of sixteene hundred yeers actualy subiect to any one Prince or State and the light of nature doth vnite many in one principle or Conclusion but by way of euidence which is not here in our Creede Further wee knowe that Schollers neuer yet agreed so generallie in things subiect vnto the naturall power of their vnderstanding neither can any man aliue finde out or assigne and defend against a Scholler any naturall cause of this vnitie in beleefe The infinite miracles illustrious and vndeniable in this Church are an euident argument that the Author of nature is in it changing the common course of things to the astonishment of the world thereby to drawe the eies of all vppon this Companie where they may see and learne the seruice of their Creator The vniformity of this Companie of Gentiles to the descriptioÌ„ made before in Prophecie and the Reprobation of the Iewish Nation left now without Temple without Sacrifice without Prophet without miracle without any argument of Gods presence and true seruice amonge them are an euident argument that this Companie and the Messias Church described in the Scripture are all one VVherefore worthily did our predecessors and wee doe worthily rest in the communion of this companie And since mortall man with his industrie caÌ„ goe no higher nor better resolue himself in diuine and heauenly â—â—â—ires being heere arriued he meetes with Gods prouidence to conduct him to securitie Is a man moued to beleeue by example aÌ„d consent here are worlds in our communion and this so ample as the like is no were to be fouÌ„d Is he moued with Miracles here are infinite The blinde see the lame walke the deade arise and of this wee haue as greate euidence as man can desire Is he moued with the common and vniforme resolution of the learned heere are generall Decrees made in Councells Oecumenicall by the wisest of all the world the prime Schollers and grauest men comming
one of Gods Secretaries a man beyond all exception declares in these words Isa 59.21 My spiritte that is in thee and my words that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth ād out of the mouth of thy seede c. saith our Lord from this present and for euer Thus he And the title of it is This is my couenant with them He doth not say my precept the Church of the Redeemer saith our Lord. 28. The first answeare is that the place concernes not the Church of Christ but onelie the Prophets of the Iewish Church But this is against the text it self which doth speake very manifestly of the Church of the Messias as you may see by the words that immediatelie goe before They of the West shall feare the name of our Lord v. 19.20 and they of the Rising of the Sunne his glorie when he shall come as a violent streame which the Spirit of our Lord driueth and the Redeemer shall come to Sion and to them that returne from iniquitie in Iacob saith our Lord. As if he had said when the Messias come into the world a Redeemer to Sion and to those that returne from iniquitie an Israel for when all Nations haue entered into the Church the Iewes will acknowledge our Sauiour too as I haue declared in the former booke Rom. 11. ◠and the Apostle doth also confirme out of this place both East and west that is the world will beleeue And this is my couenant with them the Beleeuers the Church My Spirit that is thee and my words c. The text aboue cited is by S. Ierome translated out of the Hebrew which in his time had noe points into latine thus Time bunt qui ab occidente nomen Domini qui ab Ortu solis gloriam eius quum venerit quasi fluuius violentus quem Spiritus Domini cogit VENERIT Sion Redemptor eis qui redeunt ab iniquitate in Iacob dicit Dominus Hoc foedus meum cum eis dicit Dominus Spiritus meus qui est in te verba mea quae posui in ore tuo non recedent de ore c. 29. The second answeare is that the promise is conditionall and the sense this that God will keepe the true doctrine of Saluatiō in their mouthes if they followe the Scripture and forsake not the truth in their hartes This answeare doth change the sense of allmightie God for it addeth the condition of following the Scripture wheras the promise and couenant of allmightie God is absolute and without condition as were the rest of the promises of sending a Messias and calling the Gentiles and the promise our Sauiour made of sending the holie Ghost after his ascension It taketh also the true sense awaie for the couenant is of effecting the Churches perseuerance in teaching and professing the sacred truth and adhering to his word and this you take awaie And the rest which you leaue is not the sense of God nor of the words as they are in the bible nor any priuiledge at all but a thinge which to Athiests and diuells you doe graunt for you confesse they doe teach true as longe as they teach the word of God 30. I demaund of you here whether you thinke in your conscience that God can continue the visible profession of the faith or no You cannot denie that he can doe it if he will for his wisdome and power are infinite and nothing can be but so as he pleaseth to effect or to permitte and if you denie this you denie that which in your Creede you doe professe Now graunting that he can doe it why doe not you beleeue that he will and doth seeing that he hath obliged himselfe therevnto by promise and couenant as the Scripture doth testifie It is a verie hard case when a mā dares not stand to the plaine words of Scripture and to their immediate sense which they doe offer especiallie a sense which is honourable to God and beneficiall to the Church but will add conditions of his owne as if God could make no couenant vnles he were his lawier to giue him counsell But omitting your trickes as foolish and vngrounded and contrarie to Gods honour and veracitie and wisdome I will putte you in mind of one thing which our Sauiour said touching the prophecies of himselfe and his mysticall bodie the Church Luke 24. v 44.45.46.47 All things saith he must needs be fulfilled which are written in the lawe of Moyses and the prophets and psalmes of me Thē he opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures and he said to them That so it is written and so it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the deade the third day and penance to be preached and remission of sinnes vnto all natiōs begining from Hierusalem Heare you haue heard this preaching of the Gospell to all Nations particularlie by Christ inserted among those things which he said must needs be fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the couenant which I haue cited is in the prophet and toucheth this preaching particularlie whie doe you then oppose your selfe to Iesus Christ and saie it neede not be fulfilled it must not needs be 31. The third answeare is that God according to the couenāt doth keepe the true doctrine and sauing faith in the harts of the predestinate though they doe not alwaies professe it This will not serue your turne wee speake of profession of preaching the word of God of professing the true faith this God hath promised to continue and this makes men seene and heard of others this makes a noise in the world that all Natiōs may heare and come vnto the Church where continuallie one generation followes an other with the Gospell the doctrine of Iesus Christ the words of God in their mouth Isay 59.21 Harke Puritan the Scripture thunders this in my couenant with them saith our Lord my Spiritte that is in thee ād my VVORDS that I haue putte in thy MOVTH shall not depart out of thy MOVTH and out of the MOVTH of thy seede ād out of the MOVTH of the seede of thy seede saith our Lord from this present and FOREVER Reflect vpō these words This is my couenant with them the Christian Church saith our Lord My Spiritte which is in thee in thy hart and my words he saith not this or that poīt but generallie my words which I God haue put into thy mouth shall not out whēce of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede c. till when For euer I was about to make an end heere of this part but I cānot for beare adding one sentēce more out of the same prophet in an other Chapter next but one where he declares the perpetuall visibilitie of the Church by reason of the continuall noise which her Pastors make and shewes in part the vse of the foresaid assistāce Vppon thie walles Hierusalem
you must consider that the eie of faith ād the corporall eie may both finde their obiects in one and the same thing Wee reade the Scripture ād beleeue the sense The Apostles saw our Sauiour and beleeued he was the Sonne of God The faithfull assēbled when the holie Ghost came amongst them were visible and yet they where the Church First therefore in a word I will declare that the Church of God which soeuer be is visible secondlie I will shewe you the greatnes of it which is the thing I principallie doe intend in this Chapter thirdlie the durance or perpetuitie that you may frame in your vnderstanding the true conceipt of the Church of God 3. And first touching the visibilitie or to speake yet more generallie touching the sensible perceptibility of the thing wee speake of it is cleere that that which makes a continuall noise Visibilitie and is alwaies speaking and in all mens eies and cannot be hid is a thing sensible vnto men that haue eies and eares and if this thing be in all Nations and at all tymes it is sensible to all the world Now this is the condition of the Church of God Psal 18. v. 6. Isa 52. v. 10 which soeuer it be which I prooue thus by Scripture He hath put his tabernacle in the Sunne saith Dauid and Isaie Our lord hath prepared his holie arme in the eies of all the Gētiles and all the endes of the earth shall see the saluation of our God They of the west shall feare the name of our Lord and they of the rising of the sunne his glorie when he shall come as a violent streame 59. v. 19.20 21. which the spirit of our Lord driueth and there shall come the Redeemer to Sion and to them that returne from iniquitie in Iacob saith our Lord. This is my couenant with them saith our Lord. My spirit that is in thee and my words that I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seede and out of the mouth of the seede of thy seede saith our Lord 62. v. 6. Mat. 5. v. 15 See S. Aug. enar in ps 47. from this present and for euer Vppon thy walls Ierusalem I haue appointed watchmen All the day and all the night for euer they shall not hold their peace You are the light of the world a cittie cannot be hid situated on a montaine 4. I omitte the allegation of more authorities because hereafter I shall speake more of this matter and these fewe declare and prooue manifestlie the truth of that which I said I goe therefore on to the chiefe point intended in this Chapter which is to shewe Gods eternall and inuiolable ordinance about the Churches vniuersalitie Vniuersalitie Gal. 3. And to begin with Moyses wee haue in him the promise of an ample Posteritie to old Abraham Father of Beleeuers made by God himselfe and expounded by S. Paul of the Church of Christ Gen. 22. v. 17. I will blesse thee and I will multiplie thy seede as the starres of heauen and as the sand that is in the sea shore thy seed shall possesse the gates of their enimies and in thy seed shall be blessed all the Nations of the earth This did God then confirme with an oath and proceeding in the promise 28. v. 14. confirmed it againe to Iacob afterward thy seed shall he as the dust of the earth thou shalt be dilated to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south and in thee and in thy seede all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed Next in the psalmes wee heare God the Father saying vnto his sonne our Sauiour Psal 2. v. 8 aske of me and I will giue the Gentiles for thine inheritance and thy possession the ends of the earth and the Prophet adds in an other psalme all the ends of the earth shall remember and be conuerted vnto our Lord 21. v. 28.29 and all the families of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight All Natiōs whatsoeuer thou hast made shall come and shall adore before thee o lord 65. v. 6. 5. Among the Prophets Isaie In the latter daies the mountaine of the house of our lord shall be prepared in the top of mountaines and shall be raised aboue the little hilles Isa 2 v. 2.3 and all Nations shall flowe vnto it and many people shall goe and shall saie come and let vs goe vp to the mount of our lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies and wee shall walke in his paths And againe vppon thee o Ierusalem shall our lord arise and his glorie shall beseene vppon thee and the Gentiles shall walke in thy light and kings in the brightnes of the rising 60. v. 2.3.4 5. lift vp thine eies round about and behold all these are gathered together they are come vnto thee thy sonnes shall come from a farre and thy daughters shall arise from thy side then shalt thou see and shalt abound and thy hart shall wonder and be enlarged when the multitude of the sea shall be conuerted vnto thee the strengh of Gentiles shall come to thee After him Daniel I beheld in the vision of the night and loe with the clouds of heauen there came in as it were the sonne of man Dan. 7. v. 13.14 and he came euen to the auncient of daies and in his sight they offered him and he gaue him power and honour and kingdome and all people tribes and tongues shall serue him his power is an eternall power that shall not be taken awaie and his kingdeme shall not be corrupted The like is in the rest I adde onelie Malachie which is the last and neerest to our Sauiours tyme from the rising of the sunne euen to the going downe Mal. 1. v. 11 great is my name among the Gentiles and in euerie place there is sacrificing and there is offered vnto my name a cleane Oblation because my name is great among the Gentiles saith the lord of hostes 6. As the old Testament so the newe doth establish the foresaid vniuersalitie of the Church and our Sauiour doth giue commission vnto his disciples and to their Successors to raise such a one All power saith he is giuen me in heauen and in earth going therefore teach yee all Nations Mat. 28. v. 19.20 baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the sonne ād of the holie Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you and behold I am with you all daies euen to the consummation of the world Going into the world preach the Gospell to all creatures And in another Mar. 16. v. 15. he declares the issue of the foresaid propheticall speaches against such as would haue imagined they were cōditionall speaches onelie These are the words which I spake to you Luk. 24. v. 44.45.46 when I
name among the Gentiles and in euery place there is sacrificing and there is offered to my name a cleane Oblation because my name is great among the Gentiles saith the lord of hosts The Iewes acknowledgment in fine Ose 3 5. The childrē of Israel shall returne saith Osee immediatly after the words aboue cited of their Desolation and shall seeke the lord their God and Dauid their King and they shall dread at the Lord and at his goodnes in the last daies And Isay In that day the residue of the howse of Israel and they that shall escape of the howse of Iacob shall not adde to leane vppon him that striketh them Isa 10. v. 20.21.22 but they shall leane vppon our Lord the holy one of Israel in truth the remnant shall be conuerted the remnant I say of Iacob to the strong God For if thy people o Israel shall be as the sand of the sea the remnant there of shall be conuerted Consummation abridged shall make iustice ouer flowe Our blessed Sauiour foretold vs of it too whose speach the Iewes haue seene verified allready in part and therefore they might beleeue him in the rest Luk. 21. v. 20.24 When you shall see Ierusalem compassed about with an armie then knowe that the desolation therof is at hand c. There shall be greate afflictiō vppon the lande and wrath on this people And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led into all Nations and Ierusalem shall be trodē of the Gētiles till the tymes of Natiōs be fullfilled 37. In findinge out the Person of the Messias there is no difficultie for he was to come with miracles and by his workes to declare himselfe He that will take directions out of ould Scripture for to finde him must attende vnto the circumstances there determined as when from what place in what maner he was to come And he may find him thus without more adoe Looke out one borne at Bethlem before Ierusalē was ouerthrowne whose cariage was humble Mich. 5.6 Dan. 9. v. 26.27 Zach 9. v. 9. 12. v. 10. Isa 49.6 and actions wōderfull who was refused by the Iewes and put to death and hath beene acknowledged followed ād adored by the Gentiles euer since and this is he And in him to whom these fewe circumstances do agree are verified all the Prophecies and all other circūstances foretolde as you will find if you runne them ouer Moreouer that all the circūstances heere named agree pūctuallie to Iesus the sonne of Mary euery Iewe euery Gentile knoweth Neither is it possible now to make them agree to any other since God cannot deceaue nor time runne backe nor that be vndone which is already donne 38. The later Iewes except also against the Deitie of the Messias beleeuinge that he was to be pure mā Wee beleeue that in God there are three Persons in proprietie all distinct in substance and nature one And that the second of these diuine Persons the Sonne and Word coeternall with the Father did for redemption of mankinde assume and vnite vnto himselfe the forme of man or humane nature So that the same Person hauinge two natures is reallie God by reason of his diuine nature the God of hosts the God of Israel the onely God and By reason of his humane nature he is reallie also man In Iesus therefore the Messias Coll. 2.9 Phill. 2.6.7 our Sauiour doth dwell the fullnes of the God head corporally And he when he was in the forme of God thought it no robberie himselfe to be equall to God but he exinanited himselfe takinge the forme of a seruant made into the similitude of men Heb. 1. v. 3.4 and in shape found as man Who beinge the brightnes of the glorie of the eternall Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the figure of his substance and carryinge all things by the word of his powre makinge purgation of sinnes sittteth on the right hand of the Maiestie in high places beinge made soe much better the Angells as he hath inherited an more excellent name aboue them Coll. 1. v. 16.17 In whom were created all things in heauen and in earth visible and inuisible whether Thrones or Dominations or Principalities or Potestates all by him and in him were created and he is before all and all consist in him Thus far the Apostle now heare a peece of S. Iohns deuinitie Io. 1. v. 1 2.3 In the begininge was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word This was in the beginninge with God All things were made by him and without him was made nothinge 1 Io. 5. v. 7 There be three which giue testimony in heauen the Father the Word and the Holie Ghost and these three be one This great mysterie wee are taught in the schoole of Iesus Christ And though it be very high as concerninge the subsistence of the Deitie in it selfe yet is it easilie defended against all the aduersaries of our fayth No Iew Pagan or other that doth refuse our Creed being able to prooue that he who hath made other things frutefull Isa 66. v. 9. hath not a supereminent fecūditie in himself or that God being intellectuall doth not produce a Word infinite as his intellection and equall to himself and consubstantiall Or that these two diuine Persons Father and Sonne by their comprehensiue mutuall loue doe not produce a third Person immanent also and infinite as the loue and therfore in substance all one with the Father and the Sonne though distinct in proprietie as proceeding from them both 39. But wee are heere briefely out of the Prophets whom the Iewes receaue to declare the diuinitie of the Messias And this wee can easilie for though the old Scripture hath not all mysteries so cleerlie God reseruing vnto himself the reuelation of some till he came in Person yet there is enough for our purpose I will here onely repeate a part of that I finde The places are so forcible that they cannot be auoided and therefore the Iewes haue ēdeuoured to corrupt the text but too late for the cause was wonne on our side longe before and the auncient Rabbines are for vs. Ps 2. v. 6.7 I saith the Messias am appointed Kinge ouer Sion c. and the lord said to me King of Siō Thou art my Sonne I this daie of eternitie haue begotten thee And Dauid The lord said to my * his Word Paraphr Chald. the Messias Antiq. Heb. Ps 109. v. 1.7 v. 3. Psal 44. and cited allso by to this purpose by the Apostle Hebr. 1 lord sitte on my right hand an honour importing equalitie with thee the begining in the daie of thy strength in the brightnes of holy things from the wombe before the daie starre I begat thee And Thy throne o God for euer and euer a rod of equitie the rod of thy kingdome thou hast loued iustice and hated iniquitie therefore thee God thy God hath annointed