especially of two sorts 1. Some in respect of Christ 2. Others in respect of Christians First Those in respect of Christ are likewise three-fold 1. The benefit of the vnion of the two natures in respect of Christ is three-fold Esay 53.12 1 Pet. 2.22 1. An exemption of all sinne and corruption from Christ 2. The collation of ineffable graces into the humanity of Christ 3. The communication of the properties of each Nature to the person of Christ First We finde that although Christ appeared like a sinfull man and was numbred among the wicked yet in very deede he did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth for though In carnis assumptione condescendit mihi in culpae tamen vitatione consului◠sibi 1. To free the manhood from all sinne He assumed the true nature of man yet by reason of his pure conception and of this hypostaticall vnion hee was conceiued and liued without sinne and so as Leo saith Qui non alienus ab hominum genere alienus fuit à crimine He tooke vpon him the seede of man but not the sinne of man he vnited himselfe to our nature but he shunned all the iniquity of our nature Secondly The graces callated vnto the humanity of Christ by reason of this vnion of the two natures are very many especially these sixe 2. To inrich the manhood with these and the like speciall graces First His subsistence and that in the second person of the Trinity whereof it selfe as of it selfe is destitute Secondly An extraordinary dignity in that it is a peculiar Temple for the Deity of Christ to dwell in and the place where the Godhead shewes it selfe more manifestly and more gloriously then in any other Creature whatsoeuer for though God sheweth himselfe by his prouidence to be in all his Creatures and by his grace to be after a more speciall manner in his Saints yet is he onely most gloriously eternally inhabiting according to the fulnesse of his Deity by an hypostaticall vnion in the humanity of Christ for In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Collos 2.9 And as now in this life No man commeth vnto God but by Christ so hereafter in the next life No man can see God but in the face of Iesus Christ Thirdly A more neere familiarity with the Godhead then any other Creature whether Men or Angels either had or haue or can haue for that to all other Creatures he is adioyned onely by the presence of his grace or glory but to the humanity of Christ he hath personally vnited himselfe for euer So that as he said My Father and I are one that is one essence he may as truly say the Manhood and I are one that is one onely person for euer Fourthly An extraordinary measure without measure of habituall graces wisedome vnderstanding holinesse and the like such as dwels not in that measure in any other Creature whatsoeuer no not in the very chiefest Angels of God for to all them were giuen grace by measure but to the humanity of Christ Ephes 4 7. was giuen grace without measure Iohn 3.34 saith the Baptist euen so much as a Creature is any wayes capable of Fiftly A partner agent with the Godhead according to its measure in the workes of redemption mediation and such like Sixtly To be adored and worshipped with diuine honour not as it is considered in it selfe without respect vnto the Deity but as it is vnited with the Godhead Neque tamen creaturam adoramus Athanas Orat. 5. contra Arrianos Wee worship not the flesh alone considered but wee adore the person of Christ which consisteth of the Word and our Flesh absit sed dominum rerum creatarum incarnatum verbum deum adoramus And yet we adore no Creature God forbid but we worship and adore the Lord of all Creatures the incarnate Word God Iesus Christ saith Athanasius Nam veluti si quis nostrum c. For as if any one of vs should finde a purple roabe or a Kingly Diademe lying vpon the ground would he worship the same trow you but when the King is clothed and decked with the same he is guilty of death that despiseth and refuseth to worship and honour them together with the King that weareth them euen so in our Sauiour Christ wee doe not adore the sole and bare humanity Aug. de verbis Domini sec Joh. Ser. 58. but being vnited vnto the Deity whosoeuer shall despise to adore with diuine worship that onely Sonne of God true God and true man hee shall vndoubtedly suffer the paines of eternall death saith Saint Augustine 3. To haue the properties of each nature to bee indifferently predicated of the whole person of Christ Thirdly For the communicating of the properties we are to consider it First In respect of those properties which are common to both natures ioyntly considered Secondly In respect of those properties which are peculiar to either nature seuerally considered First The Office of a Mediator is ascribed to Christ in respect of both natures Quia totus Christus secundum diuinitatem humanitatem est Mediator Intercessor because whole Christ according to his Deity and humanity is our Mediator and Intercessor saith Saint Augustine Secondly The peculiar properties of either nature are said to be communicated when they are predicated or spoken of the whole person of Christ in the concrete and largest extent and this communicating of properties is nothing else but a forme of speech whereby those things are spoken of the whole person of Christ which indeede are proper to either one nature and not to the other for oftentimes it comes to passe that by reason of the personall vnion of these two natures each one of them doth interchangeably take the concrete names each of other in predication Acts 20.28 as when it is said That God purchased the Church with his owne bloud not that the Godhead shed bloud but because that person which was a God did shed bloud to procure redemption not which it had as God but which it had in respect of the Manhood vnited vnto it So the Sonne of man talking with Nicodemus Iohn 3.13 is said To be in Heauen not that hee was in Heauen as he was man while he was on earth but because that person which was the Sonne of man was by something that was in his person that is his Deity in Heauen So Saint Paul in the first Chapter to the Romans Rom. 1.4 Verse 3.4 doth giue vs a perfect patterne how to interpret all such alternate predications for there hee saith That the Sonne of God was made of the seede of Dauid but how not according to his diuine Sonneship or Deity which hee had from all eternity but in respect of his humane nature which was personally vnited vnto the Sonne of God And therefore though it be most vsuall in the Scripture to heare things properly appertaining to the
many times subdued and after they be committed they bee not often itterated I speake not of the ineuitable lustings of the flesh against the spirit which no strength of grace in the best men was euer able in this life to suppresse but I speake of outward enormities that are sometimes committed through the infirmities of the Saints for so Saint Augustine speaking of Noas sinne sayth Aliquando fuit ebrius sed non ebrosius Idem de peccat merit remiss l. 2. c 10. that he was once drunke indeed but he was no drunkard quia vt actus virtutis because as one act of vertue makes not a vertuous man so one act of sinne in a Saint makes him not wholly vicious sayth the Philosopher But those that plot for iniquitie and imagine mischiefe vpon their beds those that neuer seeke to resist but euer to kindle the sinders of sinne that follow after drunkennesse and hunt for opportunities and like Salomons strumpet will come foorth to meete sinne and reioyce when they find it and commit it with greedinesse I dare not not say they sinne of infirmity but I rather feare that they are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Acts 8.23 Esay 5 â—2 And therefore though they that are mighty to drinke Wine the common swearers and blasphemers of Gods sacred name the lasciuious talkers and all leaude liuers doe pretend infirmities to excuse their sinnes yet may they truely feare that these spirits of infirmities are no humane but hellish spirits wherewith they are like the woman in the Gospell Luke 13.11 most lamentably possessed Malicious sinnes haue two violent properties Fourthly For sinnes committed of malice it is obserued that they haue two violent and bitter properties 1. Wilfull 2. Spitefull First They be wilfull sinners and they doe commit their sinnes with resolute wilfulnesse i. e. with an absolute will and with a full consent for otherwise euery sinne is voluntarie or else it cannot be iniquitie Zanch. de peccat actuali li. 1. Thes 1. pag. 101. Acts meerely violent are no sinnes for those actions quae mouentur a principio extrinseco which are outwardly compelled by violence and are meerely violent without any consent of the will as if a man were dragged by force into the idols temple or a woman forced to adultery and she no wayes yeelding consent of will either before the deed or in the doing thereof wee say these things cannot bee sinnes because they are outwardly compelled by force and not inwardly moued by the will voluntati vis inferri non potest and no outward force can worke vpon the inward will Jdem ibid. but all those actions quae mouentur a principio intrinseco which proceed from within and are done with any maner of consent of will must needs bee sinnes if they be such acts as are contrarie to Gods will because they are voluntary though not wholly yet in part in respect of the flesh though not in respect of the spirit But this sinne that I am to speake of which is done of malice is not onely voluntarie In some respect but wholly in all respects with all greedinesse committed and without any maner of vnwillingnesse effected so as Satan doth no sooner tempt them to sinne but they doe as readily attempt to commit the sinne for as the godly are desirous to serue God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by constraint but willingly Examples of most wilfull sinners so doe malicious sinners perpetrate their sinnes not through any great constraint but with all willingnesse And we haue almost infinite examples of this kind the Sodomites would not be diswaded by any meanes Gen. 19.8.9 from seeking to offer violence vnto the Angels of God but still obstinately and maliciously persisted vntill they were wearied and the Prophet Dauid reporteth of the courtiers of Saul that they said our tongues are our owne and we will speake who is Lord ouer vs Psal 12.4 So the Israelites in the dayes of Ieremie being most earnestly intreated by Gods seruants to walke in the good way which is the commandements of God did most wilfully answere Ieremie 6.16 Wee will not walke therein and so are all those amongst vs that notwithstanding all the earnest admonitions of the preachers and the sweet motions of Gods Spirit that doth often times knocke and call at the doore of their hearts for amendment the infallible testimony of their owne soules and consciences that doe assure them they should not doe as they doe yet will they commit all vncleannesse all prophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen with all greedinesse But they may assure themselues How fearefull is the state of wilfull sinners Deut. 29.19 that their state is very dangerous for hee that heareth the curse of the Law and yet blesseth himselfe in his sinnes and will still confidently and wilfully goe one in his wickednesse the Lord will not be mercifull vnto that man sayth Moses neither shall the iniquitie Esay 22. of such a sinner be pardoned sayth Esayas quia in his nulla est excusatio infirmitatis sed culpa voluntatis because such sinners can pleade no excuse either of ignorance or impotencie sayth Anselmus Anselmus in heb c. 6. and therefore the Lord is mightily prouoked and most highly offended with all such wilfull resolute sinners Secondly The malicious sinners are likewise spightfull sinners Heb. 6. Examples of spitefull sinners 2. Chron. vlt. 16. i. e. such as doe despight the spirit of Grace and doe make but a mocke of Christ and of all Christian Religion Such sinners were those Iewes that mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people so as there was no remedie such sinners were those stiffe-necked Iewes who though they were not able to resist the spirit to speake in Saint Stephen yet with their stones they stopped his mouth and as he sayth did alwayes resist that spirit Acts 8. to worke in themselues 2. Tim. 4.15 Such a sinner was Alexander the Copper-smith who did not onely distaste but also withstand yea vehemently withstand the Preaching of the word of God Such were Iulian the Apostata Libanius the Sophister Pope Iulius the third and the like who scorned Christ and scoffed at all Christians and such are those in our dayes whosoeuer they be and wheresoeuer they are which not onely wilfully sinne but also most lewdly and prophanely make a mocke of Religion and with Serapion scoffe at all Preachers and either wickedly hinder the free passage of the Gospell or else secretly trample it vnder their feete And therefore being thus growne to the height of sinne to sit in the seat of the scornefull Psal 1.1 The fearefull state of spightfull sinners 1. John 5 16. and with Achab to set and to sell themselues to commit wickednesse presumptuously
me for to Waite till God deliuereth me And fetch my prison'd Soule from hence to liue at libertie IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Second golden Candlesticke HOLDING The second greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the Knowledge of GOD. EXODVS 34.6.7 Iehouah Iehouah Strong Mercifull and Gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and trueth Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne and that will by no meanes cleare the guiltie visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation YOu haue heard in my former Treatise the poore and miserable estate of distressed Man The coherence of this with the former Treatise how lamentable hee made himselfe by Sinne I am now to shew you a poole of Bethesda wherein if wee can but bathe our selues wee shall bee made perfectly whole and most comfortably deliuered from all diseases Iohn 5.2 and therefore I beseech you let this Panchrestum this medicine for all maladies be diligently acquired bee most carefully applied to euery sickned soule You shal finde it in Ierusalem i. e. in the Church of God and no where else for extra Ecclesiam non est salus no saluation is out of the Church and you shall finde it by the Sheepe-market i. e. in the place where the sheepe of Christ and children of God doe finde all prouision for their soules that is the Holy Heauenly Scripture and there if you looke you shall finde a porch ample enough for you to enter into this Bethesda in these words which I haue read vnto you The Lord the Lord God or else Iehoua Iehoua Strong Mercifull and Gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth c. And I hope you will giue the more diligent heede vnto my words Quia speciosi pedes Euangelizantium pacem because as the Pro. Esay sayth the feete of theÌ„ that bring tydings of good things are most welcome vnto vs Esay 52.7 and as the Angell sayd vnto the Shepheards Luke 2.10 I bring you tydings of great ioy which shall be vnto all people For I am now to preach and to expound that gracious Sermon vnto you here which God himselfe hath Preached heretofore vnto Moses in Mount Sinay and it containes the whole discription of Almighty God so farre forth as himselfe thought it fit Chrysost varior loc in Matth. Hom. 9. to reueale himselfe at this time vnto his people and therefore Excutite pigritiam quia non est res leuis quam audituri estis I doe must humbly craue your attention and most diligent obseruation of these things for I thinke that you can neither heart nor reade a sweeter text if God giue me grace to handle it well It is large indeed I must confesse and my allotted time is short and it is as difficult to contract much into a little as to inlarge a little into much yet seeing I cannot speake all that I would I will by Gods helpe speake a little of all as I may The Occasion of these words The occasion hereof is playne enough in this precedent Chapter Moses desired to see God God tells him he cannot because it is as naturall vnto him to be inuisible as to be a God and therefore Saint Iohn sayth Iohn 4.12 no man hath seene God at any time yet to satisfie Moses so much as was fit for his happinesse God sayth that he should see his backe-parts that is hee should vnderstand so much concerning God as the weake vnderstanding of Man could possibly comprehend for hee saw nothing at all after any visible manner but onely heard this voyce describing God and we must know that God hath nâ—ither forepart nor backepart that can be seene with any mortall eyes and therefore this phrase of seeing Gods backeparts is onely vsed quoad captum nostrum after a humane manner and it importeth thus much in effect thou shalt see that is thou shalt vnderstand or see with thine eyes of knowledge my backeparts That God is not to be seene with any materiall eyes that is so much concerning me as thy weake apprehension shall be able to comprehend For First That God is no otherwise to bee seene then with the spirituall eyes of our Faith and vnderstanding it appeareth playne because Moses here saw no visible thing but onely heard a voyce So when God appeared to Elias 1 Kings 19.11.12 there passed before the Lord a mighty strong winde but the Lord was not in the Wind then an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake and then came a still soft Voice and the Lord was in the Voyce and so when he deliuered the Law he sayth Ye saw no similitude saue a voyce therefore as God sheweth himselfe none otherwise then by a voyce so he can be seene none otherwise then by the spirituall eyes of our vnderstanding Secondly That by the backeparts of God is vnderstood By the backe-parts of God is vnderstood so much knowledge of God as we are able to comprehend so much knowledge of God as our weake apprehension can conceiue it is apparant in this place for Moses neither saw nor heard any other thing but onely this voyce proclayming these words that I haue read vnto you and therefore this is all one as if the voyce had sayd vnto him this is all that thou canst vnderstand of me that I am such and such a one as I shew vnto thee It is true indeed that I am so glorious to excellent so ineffable and so incomprehensible in my selfe that if I should shew thee my Maiestie and fully declare vnto thee mine excellencie what I am thou wert not able to comprehend it and therefore humano more loqui to speak vnto thee as a man that thou mayest the better vnderstand how farre thou mayest know me I would haue thee to looke vpon a Man and to consider how much more glorie and excellencie shineth in his face then in his backe-partes euen so thou must vnderstand that all this which I shew vnto thee concerning my selfe in comparison of what I am in the excellency of my Maiestie That we can conceiue but the least part of Gods excellencie is but as the back-parts of a man in comparison of his face and fore-parts So farre short is this that thou canst know of me to what I am and yet this least part of my excellency is so much as thou or any man breathing vpon the face of the earth is able to comprehend And therefore the meaning of this phrase to see the backe-parts of God is nothing else but the reuealing of himselfe vnto Moses so farre as Moses was able to comprehend that is a little but not neere all his properties for to be incomprehensible is as proper to God as to be Inuisible Secundum essentiam incognitus secundum maiestatem immensus His Maiestie is immeasurable Thalas apud Paulinum
there cannot be but one Iehoua one infinit eternall being that both the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Each person of the Trinity is the true Iehoua are called each one of them Iehoua as you may most apparently see if you compare the 6. of Esay and the 9. where the great Iehoua saith vnto the Prophet Goe and tell this people heare and vnderstand not see but perceiue not make the heart of this people fat with the 12 of Iohn 41. Where the Euangelist saith that these words of the Prophet were spoken of Christ when hee saw his glory and spake of him and with the 28 of the Acts 25. Where Saint Paul saith The Holy Ghost spake these words by Esayas the Prophet and if you looke into the first of the Reuelations 8. where Christ assumeth the same name vnto himselfe saying I am Alpha Omega the beginning the ending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was which is which is to come And so into the 8 of Iohn the 58. where our Sauiour alludeth vnto the same Name saying Before Abraham was I am It doth sufficiently proue each one of these persons to be an infinite God subsisting in that one eternall Essence Zanch. de natura dei l. 1. c. 13. p. 35. because it is most certaine that the Name Iehoua is so propper vnto God that it can be ascribed to none else as Zanchius saith But because many other places of Scripture are more plaine and pregnant to proue this great Mystery of godlinesse I will not insist to wring out an apparant truth from the obscurest places Chrysost hom 2 in Heb. and because as Saint Chrysostome saith Nequue ad loquendum digne de Deo lingua sufficit neque ad percipiendum intellectus praeualet Our tongues are not able to speake worthily enough of God and our vnderstandings are not sufficient to conceiue of him as we ought to doe yea and that De deo loqui etiam vera aliquando periculosissimum est It may be dangerous sometimes to speake truths of God for as Euclides being demaunded of one what God did and in what things he most delighted did most truly answere that he knew not well what he did but he was certaine he delighted not in vaine and curious persons Maxim ser 33. That it is not safe to search too farre into the seeing of God so I say that curiosity in this highest point of Diuinity is very dangerous or as Saint Bernard saith to inquire too farre into this point is peruerse curiositie to beleeue it as the Scripture teacheth is infallible security and to see him as he is is most absolute felicity therefore I will wade no further into this depth but I will exhort and desire you all Potius glorificare eum qui est quam inuestigare quid est Chrysost quo supra hom 2. in Heb. Rather most faithfully to serue him which is then curiously to search what he is Ne in hac illicite curiosi in illa damnabiliter inueniamur ingrati least in this wee be found vnlawfully curious Prosper de vocat gentium and in the other most damnably vnthankefull as Prosper speaketh CHAP. II. How God is the giuer of Being to all Creatures and the fulfiller of all his promises AND yet I must note vnto you Zanch de natura Dei l. 1. c. 18. Why Jehoua is twice repeated that here Iehoua is twice repeated not to make Moses the more attentiue as some doe thinke it for the very speech of God at such a time and in such a manner was enough in my iudgement to moue attention but rather to signifie as I take it that as he is an eternall being in himselfe so he giueth being to all things else viz. 1. To all Creatures 2. To all his promises For First In him we liue we moue and haue our being Acts 17.1.28 saith the most learned Apostle of the Gentiles euen in the streetes of Athens and of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 saith the same Apostle vnto the Romans the sole Monarchs of the whole World and so GOD himselfe saith Esay 44.24 I am Iehoua that made all things Which is all one as if hee had said As I am called the Creator because I haue made That all things doe subsist in God and created all things so I am called Iehoua Being because I gaue and doe giue their being vnto all the things that are And it is obserued that as in the Hebrew word Iehoua there is nothing but Consonants Iod He Vau Am which without their prickes that doe stand for the vowels can not be pronounced to shew how ineffable How ineffable is God and how vnexpressable the essence of God is So in the Latine word Iehoua there are contained all the vowels a. e. i. o. u without some of which no word can be spoken no name can be vttered and that in it there is nothing but vowels excepting h. which is no letter but the aspiration of the word to note vnto vs That God is the very life of all things that as the vowels together with the aspiration is the life and as it were the soule of euery word so is Iehoua the Lord God the very life and being as it were of euery Creature that can be named because that of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 Non quod illa sunt quod ipse est sed quia ex ipso sunt Not that they are the same Bern. in cant serm 4. that he is but because they haue their existence and perfection from him as Saint Bernard saith Exod. 6.3 This place of Exodus explained Secondly when God saith He was not knowne vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah it is not to be vnderstood of his essentiall being for so they knew him euen by this very name Iehouah as we may see in the fifteenth of Genesis and the seauenth verse and in the eight and twenty of Genesis and the thirteenth verse of the originall Text and so Tremellius reades it Gerard. l. 3 de nat Dei Neither is it to be vnderstood De gradibus diuinarum patefactionum Of the degrees of the diuine manifestations of God as Gerardus saith because sometimes it is the manner of the Scriptures to say that things are then when they are manifested to be Alsted Lexic Theol. c. 2. as it is said of the holy Ghost Quod nondum erat quia nondum innotuerat That he was not because as yet he had not manifested himselfe to be Iohn 7.39 for so he may be said not to be knowne vnto Moses nor vnto any man else because neither himselfe nor any of his names can be knowne of any man 1 Cor. 13. but onely in part as the Apostle sheweth And the example alleaged of the holy Ghost is mis-interpreted because
and then gaue them to vs Per manus eorum By the hands of them which brought them vnto vs for he is the giuer of euery good and perfect gift Iames 1.17 and all other things are but the instruments whereby hee conuayes and sends those gifts vnto vs 1 Cor. 9.7 And therefore why should we not wholly dedicate our selues and ours vnto the seruice of God For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruits thereof And yet God may iustly say of vs Filios enutriui Esay 1.2 I haue nourished and brought vp Children but they haue despised me for though he made man and made all things for man yet cannot all these things make man to serue him as he ought to doe but that euery one of vs will follow after the lusts and concupiscence of his owne flesh which as the Poet saith Et nocitura placet placitura nocet Doth euen wound vs when it most delighteth vs. Thirdly seeing God giueth being vnto all his promises Psal 146.4 and keepeth his promise for euer as he hath done already in sending a Ioshua to giue the Land of Canaan vnto the Israelites and especially in sending Iesus Christ to giue eternall life vnto all beleeuers And that dicta Iehouae sunt dicta pura The words of the Lord are pure words That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 2 Pet. 2.4 Wee should expectare impâ—â— aâ— â—em neuer doubt of the performance of Gods promises nor say with those incredulous Athiests in the second of Peter 2.4 Where is the promise of his comming But we should beleeue them to be as sure and as certaine as if they were already accomplished For he is Iehoua that will giue them their being in their appointed time Matth. 24 3â— Heauen and Earth shall passe away but his Word shall not passe That shall be surely accomplished CHAP. IV. Of the word LORD and how many wayes it is taken and of the reasons to perswade vs to serue him I Might now passe vnto the second part but that the translating of this word Iehoua by our last Translators into the word Lord for so we reade it The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious c. must here stay me a while For searching into the reason why Iehoua should be translated Lord Why Iehoua is translated Lord. I found that the seauenty Interpreters doe translate it so in euery place and that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued signifieth I am which is the same in effect as Iehoua and also because he is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord of any thing Qui plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eadem rem habet Which hath full right and a most absolute authority ouer the same thing for Dominus primo dicebatur à domo He was at the first called Lord which was the Master of the House and had full right and authority ouer all the Houshold and wee finde that none but God alone can simply and absolutely say that he hath full right and authority ouer any thing in the World because he onely is the Maker and preseruer of all things and of euery thing Polanus Syntag. l. 2. c. 6. and therefore all other Lords are but Lords vnder him and from him and he onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of himselfe and so indeede Lord of Lords And in this respect we finde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord and Iehoua to be equiualent and to fall into the same thing That God onely is an absolute Lord. Tertul. in Apol. c. 34. Lamprid. in Alex Seuer and therefore Augustus the first founder of the Roman Empire refused to be called Lord and so did Alexander Seuerus and diuers others because they thought the name of Lord to be too high a title for so meane Creatures as they knew themselues to be But we distinguish betwixt a Lord simply and a Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some respect In the first sence none is Lord but God alone and therefore in this respect our Sauiour saith Be not you called Lords but In the second sence Dicam plane imperatoreâ—â— Dominum Tertul. quo sup saith Tertullian I may and will call the Emperor Lord and so saith Obadiah vnto the Prophet Elias Art not thou my Lord Elias 1 Reg 18.7 Because God which gaue them their rule and dominion in his stead hath also innobled them with his own names Et ego dixi dij estis And I my selfe saith God haue called you gods Psal 82.6 and haue giuen these names vnto you to be called Gods and so Lords And yet they should remember Saint Peters rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to Lord it so as to ouer-rule Gods people or as Saint Augustine saith Non dominandi superbia sed officio consulendi Not for the loue of Soueraignty but in a desire to doe them good and to imitate God himselfe Parcere subiectis debellare superbos To defend and helpe the innocent and to punish the wrong doer And so you see how Iehoua is rightly translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord because truely and absolutely hee alone is Lord of all things as the sole giuer of their being That we should feare and serue our Lord. Malach. 1.6 Psal 24.2 and preseruer of them in that being And this should incite vs to feare and to serue this our Lord for Si Dominus vbi timor If I am a Lord where is my feare The Prophet Dauid saith that the Earth is the Lords and all that therein is because he hath founded it vpon the Seas and prepared and established it vpon the flouds And so this Iehoua is our Lord because he made vs and hath giuen vs our very being and yet wee finde that hee is our Lord in a more excellent respect for as those Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 19. c. 15. which by right of warre might iustly be put to death and yet were redeemed and preserued aliue were called seruants and those that redeemed them were called their Lords so are we called Gods Seruants and he our Lord not onely because he made vs but also because when we might haue beene iustly put to eternall death for our sinnes we were redeemed and saued by the death of Iesus Christ And in this respect we finde that although the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost be each one of them our Lord as our Creator and the giuer of our Being yet is Christ generally and most commonly throughout all the New Testament called our Lord as if this name were now wholly and solely to be appropriated vnto him Why Christ is most properly called Lord. because he is our sole Sauiour and Redeemer And therefore seeing the very name of a Seruant doth include seruitium a seruice to be performed vnto our Lord and Sauiour
is omnipotent therefore Christ as man can be present where he will in the Church in the Sacrament in the midst of his enemies or in any other place where hee pleaseth whereas Sadeel on the other side sayth that if God should intend and indeuour to extend all the nerues and synewes of his omnipotencie The error of the Vbiquitaries yet can he not make one numericall and naturall Body to be in many places at one and the selfe same time which in very deede is most true as hereafter I shall shew vnto you Fourthly For the Pontificialls The error of the Church of Rome about Gods power to prooue transubstantiation Bellarmine doth most stoutly withstand vs and to establish his opinion of Transubstantiation he sayth but most falsely that God can make the true and naturall body of Christ though finite numerically one to be substantially present in all those places whersoeuer their Masse is celebrated and to be orally receiued and eaten of all those Men that doe communicate whosoeuer those Men should be and so the rest of them taught herein by that Arch-heriticke the deuil doe striue with all their might to confirme the probabilitie for the veritie they shall neuer doe of that opinion from the omnipotent power of God Augustin in Iohan. And truely this is nothing else but most cunningly to hide their true faults and false errors vnder the pretext and vayle of the power of God Miserable men herein I assure my selfe qui dum volunt esse mali nolunt esse veritatem qua condemnantur mali who while they desire to bee in error doe wholly oppose the light of Trueth whereby their errors are reproued and doe bring their subtilties and fallacies into the Church of God intruding falsehoods into the roome of Trueth and bare names accidents without any subiects euen as Ixion imbraced a Cloud for Iuno to bee receiued of vs for true and reall things and because we will not yeeld to be thus seduced and to bee made fooles they call vs Fooles and Heretickes full of Heresies and I know not as I care not what But it is easier for them to call vs then to proue vs so and they are but parties and not iudges of this controuersie and parties must not be Iudges in the same case wherein they are parties And therefore wee will not iudge of them least wee should bee iudged neither will wee giue them any other names then the members of the Church of Rome the patrons and defenders of her doctrines and such as beseemeth Modestie and Christianitie for we know the spirit of Christ is a spirit of Loue not of hatred a spirit of Meekenesse not of harshnesse and a spirit of Peace not of strife and contention but according to true reason and the iudgement of all antiquitie and especially the diuine veritie of the most holy Scripture whose propertie is iudicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallibile to giue an absolute and infallible iudgement of trueth wee will by Gods helpe discusse this poynt of the power of God because the knowledge of this poynt is so exceedingly necessary for the Church of God CHAP. II. How many wayes the power of God is to bee considered and how farre the absolute power of God extendeth FOr the second point that is how farre the power of God extendeth we must first note the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power and Authoritie for Authoritie is that which is established by right and of this our Sauiour speaketh when hee sayth Mihi data est omnis potestas Matth. 28.18 All power is giuen vnto me in Heauen and in Earth i. e. all authority ouer all creatures both in Heauen and Earth and of this I am not to speake in this place it was formerly expressed in the word Lord But Power is that facultie of doing any thing which consisteth in strength and might Wolfg. Muscul de omnipot dei as Musculus sayth and this is that which I am to speake of And it is either 1. Passiue 2. Actiue First A passiue Power is nothing else Power is either Actiue or Passiue but ens in potentia a being in power or else a power to bee such and such a thing and it is opposed to the act And this wee vtterly deny to be in God because God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vniforme hauing himselfe by himselfe alwayes alike and the selfe same manner and neuer receiuing any wayes any change or alteration being without any shadow of turning James 1.17 as the Apostle sayth Secondly An actiue power is that What Actiue power is whereby such and such acts are fully done and accomplished and this also if wee speake properly is farre from the nature of God because God is a meere and a pure act and nothing aduentitious can bee sayd to be in God But to retaine the vsuall manner of speaking for our better vnderstandings sake we say that an actiue power is in God But then we must further note that an Actiue Power is either 1. Accepta receiued Or 2. Innata inbred The first is of the Creature the second is of the Creator That subsisteth by anothers strength so long as it doth indure as our Sauiour sheweth Without me you can doe nothing because he giueth the power of working This neuer subsisteth by any other strength but by it owne proper might for euer That is particular and limited particular because no creature is so powerfull that it can vniuersally worke all things God giuing not such a perfect power vnto any man saue onely vnto his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ and limited because to doe infinite things is impossible for any creature and because those things which are possible for them to doe are not so possible vnto them as that they can performe any iot of them John 15.5 That the power of the most powerfull creatures is limited beyond the measure of the limitation giuen of God and therefore the power of Kings Monarchs Potentates yea of the very Angels and Deuils as it is giuen them from aboue so it is limited how farre it shall goe They may slay the bodyes but they cannot touch the Soules and they can for a while and in some measure execute their rage and tyrannie against the Saints of God but if they could doe as much as they would doe not a Righteous man should be left vpon the face of the Earth and therefore often times either by death or by some singular iudgement of God their power is terminated and sometimes turned to their shame and confusion The Second that is the Inbred power of the Creator is to bee considered either 1. In respect of the inward acts Operations Of God 2. In respect of the outward acts Operations Of God First The power of God considered in respect of his inward operations is that whereby God doth inwardly vnderstand loue and
he was contented to become Sanguinolentus propter te without forme or beauty for our sake Esay 52.3 Quando velauerunt faciem eius when the accursed Iewes buffeted and bespitted his glorious face yet was he alwayes gloriesissimus in se most gracious and glorious in himselfe and so the Apostles testifie that they saw his glory Iohn 1.14 as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth And yet they saw the same but in part because of the infirmitie of their Flesh while they liued here in this life But Christ is the image of the Father Heb 1.3 That God is of an incomprehensible beauty and the ingraued forme of his person and therfore God must needs be gracious and amiable yea so amiable so louely that it is no maruell the very Saints Angels do so vehemently desire to see the face of God in Iesus Christ do esteem it their chiefest happinesse to be alwaies contemplating vpon the same And the reason why all men are not inflamed with the loue of his excellent Maiestie is because they know him not they haue not tasted how sweet the Lord is Quia ignoti nulla cupido for if men did know how graecious and how amiable the Lord is they would with Saint Paul long to be dissolued that they might but see him Secondly God is not onely gracious in himselfe That God is easie to be reconciled but he is also placable reconcileable vnto vs for though God be prouoked euery day yet doth his wrath indure but the twinckling of an eye he is ready to receiue vs into his fatherly fauour Psal 77.7.8.9 if we would but be willing to be reconciled vnto his Maiestie therfore the Prophet Dauid examining this point saying Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he be no more intreated Is his mercy cleane gone for euer and is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious and will he shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure At last he concludeth Psal 77. v. 10. that it was his owne infirmity that is his vnablenesse to returne to God and not Gods vnwillingnes to be reconciled vnto him for the Lord is euer gracious ready to forgiue vs if wee were ready to receiue his grace yea hee beseecheth vs to be reconciled vnto himselfe and not wilfully to refuse his grace and fauour which he so louingly offereth vnto vs And therefore I wish to God that we had but that grace to accept his grace when it is so graciously offered vnto vs. That God is most bountiful vnto all his people Ezech. 16.7 Thirdly he is not onely ready to receiue vs into his fauour but he is also willing to inrich vs with all kinde of graces for though we be polluted in our owne bloud i. e. Loathsome in our selues and odious in his sight yet doth he wash v◠in the bloud of Christ and then indue vs with his most excellent graces faith hope and charitie and all the other vertues and good things that are in vs And though we be come naked into this World yet doth he clothe vs Job 1.21 and feede vs inrich vs and raise vs to all that we haue And in this kinde he is not onely gracious vnto the godly but also vnto the wicked for what hath any of them which he hath not receiued of the Lord It is he that filleth the Barnes of Diues as well as the Pallace of Dauid And therefore Saint Iames saith That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery good giuing i. e. Euery temporall gift Iames 1.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and euery perfect gift that is Euery spirituall grace that is giuen to bring vs to perfection is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights The difference betwixt the gifts that God giueth to the godly and to the wicked Math. 6.16 But herein is the difference he bestoweth temporall graces vpon the wicked yea many times more plentifully then to the godly for hee seeth their desire is onely set on worldly things Therefore as he said of hypocriticall Fasters They haue receiued their reward that is Acceperunt suam sed amiserunt meam They haue what they would haue though they leese thereby what I would haue giuen them which is a losse not counteruailed with any gaine So he dealeth with the Worldlings God giueth temporall riches vnto the worldlings He filleth their hearts with his hidden treasure and he giues them often times especially to most of them their hearts desire that is the riches and the vanities of this life So foolish are they and ignorant euen as it were a beast before him But to the godly who loue not this World nor the things of this World hee shewes himselfe gracious after a more speciall manner in giuing them his heauenly graces that is graces which will bring them vnto Heauen and in giuing them worldly blessings too so much as hee sees needfull and conuenient for them Because Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is 1 Tim. 4.8 and of that which is to come And so you see how God is gracious in all respects amiable in himselfe placable vnto men and liberall vnto all his Creatures and in all these respects gracious after a speciall manner vnto his elected Saints and Seruants Psal 107.8.15 O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the Children of men And that as the Apostle saith We would not receiue the grace of God in vaine i. e. That wee would not vainely abuse the good gifts and graces which our most gracious God doth so freely and so graciously bestow vpon vs. And so much for the second particle of Gods goodnesse Gracious CHAP. VII Of the patience and long sufferance of God THe third Particle of Gods goodnesse here expressed is that he is slow to anger that is How slow the Lord is to reuenge our sinnes that he is such a one that although we by our daily sinnes doe giue most iust occasions to prouoke his wrath and indignation against vs to destroy vs and to consume vs from off the face of the Earth yet the fire of his wrath is not suddenly kindled and his furious vengeance is not speedily executed But he is slow to anger full of patience long suffering and in a word such a one as reioyceth not to see the sinne committed that he may punish but still expecteth if the sinner will at any time repent and amend that he may spare him For so the Prophet saith The Lord will waite that he may be gracious vnto vs i. e. Esay 30.18 He doth tary and stay and looke if at any time or by any meanes we will forsake our sinnes that hee may stay his iudgements and be gracious vnto vs. O most sweete and
be abundantly true because as Hugo saith In sacra Scriptura non solum bonitas est quod praecipitur faelicitas quod promittitur sed etiam veritas est quod dicitur Whatsoeuer is said in the holy Scripture 2 Cor. 1.20 it is absolutely true without any errour and the promises of God are as sure as if they were already performed for he is yea and Amen i. e. True in himselfe true in his workes and true in all his words And this Truth of the Lord indureth for euer for He will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth neither will he suffer his Truth to faile But when we forget both him and our selues Luke 1.72 he will still be mindfull of his promise and remember his holy couenant And therefore seeing that as the Light is so excellent a thing the first-borne of all visible Creatures and the very comfort of euery afflicted heart that dispelleth all darkenesse discouereth all things and the procreatiue cause of all Creatures so is this Truth of God What we ought to doe of that transcendent excellency as that it is the best guide of our liues and the sole meanes to saue our soules It should teach vs First Comparare veritatem To purchase this Truth and to get the same vnto our selues by any meanes First to spare no cost to get that Truth Matth. It is that Treasure â—id in the field to gaine which the wise Merchant sold all that euer he had no labour is too great no cost is too deare to gaine this Truth Multa tulit fecitque puer sudauit alsit Horat. And as another saith Ardua quamuis sit via non metuit virtus inuicta laborem If the Gentiles did toyle and moyle and sweat and spare no paines to get a little measure of humane learning which did almost nothing else but puffe them vp with pride what paines ought we to take to search and seeke for this Diuine Truth which is onely able to saue our soules Secondly Retinere veritateÌ„ to let passe this truth Secondly to hazard all we haue in defence of this Truth when once we haue attained vnto the same by no meanes but to keepe it and to retaine it vnto death for so Salomon saith Buy the truth but sell it not i. e. when you haue gotten it part not from it and this is no small taske Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri But it is as difficult a thing to retaine it as it is to finde it for seeing the truth is like the light and the light is many times obscured with cloudes and darkenesse so the truth is opposed by errour and ignorance it is enuied and hated by the sonnes of men and as Tertullian saith it hath beene euer seene Juellus in Apol. ex Tertul. Apolloget Veritatem in terris peregrinam agere inter ignotos facile calumniatores inuenire That the truth was entertained on earth but as a Pilgrime and a Stranger that easily findeth enemies in euery place and scarce friends in any place and so the Booke of God and the story of times doth make it plaine how the Professors of this Truth were alwayes persecuted and the Truth it selfe sought to be suppressed by the sonnes of darkenesse Moses and Aaron were withstood by Pharaoh and resisted by Iannes and Iambres and the rest of the Sorcerers of Egypt The Prophets were so vehemently and so generally persecuted by the Iewes that Saint Stephen asketh them Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets haue not your Fathers persecuted and Christ himselfe which was borne to this end Vt testimonium perhiberet veritati That he might beare witnesse vnto the Truth John 18.37 was resisted vnto death and so all the Martyres and faithfull witnesses of this eternall Truth can beare witnesse what they suffered in the defence of Truth What is needfull for vs if we would retain the Truth And therefore if we would retaine the truth wee haue need of Patience we haue need of Courage and of a constant Resolution neuer to suffer this Heauenly Truth to bee taken from vs vntill our selues be taken out of this wretched life Let vs lay before vs the examples of the Patriarkes and Prophets of Christ himselfe of his holy Apostles and of all his blessed Martyres which thought not their liues too deare to defend this Truth let vs not be degenerate children of such worthy Progenitors as transmitted this Truth vnto vs with the losse of their liues That Truth at last will euer preuaile And though wee haue neede of Patience to suffer much in the defence of Truth yet wee may be confident that Truth will preuaile and get the victory for as no darkenesse can so swallow vp the light but that in its appointed time it will gloriously returne againe so no power of darknesse can so suppresse the Truth but at last it will appeare as the cleare day Because as the nature of errour is such Cokus de iure regis Eoclesiastico that although none be to withstand it yet as the smoake at last it will vanish of it selfe so the nature of Truth is such that although neuer so many doe oppugne it yet at last it will preuaile as Zorobabel saith and as the Comicke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time will bring out the Truth into Light at last And therefore seeing the Truth is of that inuincible power that although it may be obscured yea for a time with Christ himselfe be buried yet it cannot be extinguished nor remain perpetually intombed but that the time will come wherein nothing is hid which shall not be reuealed nothing is couered which shall not be manifested We should arme our selues with confidence and sure trust in God which according to his Truth will at last bring all Truth to light and saue all them that put their trust in him But here me thinkes I heare some saying they would willingly spend their liues in defence of Truth if they could tell what were Truth for now there are so many Religions so many Professions and so many diuersities of Opinions in the world that it is farre easier for them to spend their life then to find out what is Truth I answere that as Claudian saith Saepe mihi dubiam traxit sententia mentem curarent superi terras an nullus inesset rector He was much distracted and knew not what to resolue whether there was a Diuine prouidence or not because when he saw the most admirable course of things he said Claud. l. 1. in Ruff. Tunc omnia rebar consilio firmata Dei He thought it was vnpossible that that could proceed but from a superiour cause but on the other side when as the Prophet Dauid saith He saw the wicked in such prosperity and the Righteous hang downe their heads like a Bull-rush yea and hâ—nged many times like the wicked sonnes of euill doers
Sancta custodiens veritatem a Righteous and a holy Nation Esay 26. to hold fast this Truth of God not shewing our selues like Rehoboam that found shields of gold but left behinde him shields of Brasse to receiue the cleere Truth from our fathers and to leaue the same darkened vnto our children Secondly As the word of God is the primary and most absolute declared Truth wherein there is no possibility of error Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words So the words of men agreeable to their vnderstanding conformed to the Truth of things Iohn 8.44 are secondarily the Truth of God because as euery lye is from the Deuill though it should be vttered from the tongue of a Saint as our Sauiour sheweth so euery Truth is from God though it were spoken from the mouth of a Diuell because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth Et omne verum à quocunque dicitur à Spiritu sancto est And all Truth whosoeuer speaks it doth spring from the Spirit of God saith Saint Ambrose Euery Truth whatsoeuer whosoeuer saith it proceeds from God A sufficient reproofe for them that will not heare the Word of God but from the mouth of Saints for we are not to respect who speake or what they be that speake but what is spoken and therefore if Balaams Asse should preach me Christ I would willingly be his disciple for Saint Paul tels me that none can say 1 Cor. 12.3 that Iesus is Christ but by the Spirit of God and therefore hee did not so much care who preached nor how they preached so they preached Iesus Christ because he knew that euery truth must needs proceed from the Spirit of Truth â—hat we should say nothing but Truth And therefore this should teach vs to make much of Truth and not onely to beleeue the Truth whosoeuer speakes it but also to speake the Truth euery man vnto his neighbour whatsoeuer comes of it though it should be like Cassandra's Prophesie not beleeued or O dium parere Beget hatred as the Comicke speaketh Quia dilexit Deus veritatem because as all Truth is from God so God loueth all Truth whatsoeuer Corruit in platea veritas And yet we see Quod diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum The Truth is troden downe in the street and the faithfull are minished from among the children of men Psal 12.1 we are all like the Cretians alwayes lyars and though the godly man keepeth his promise vnto his neighbour Psal 15.5 though it were to his owne hinderance yet now we seldome think of any promise vnlesse it be for our furtherance to attaine vnto our owne desires so farre are wee from Truth But we must all loue Truth and follow after Truth if we would be children vnto him that is abundant in Truth And so much for the fift Particle of Gods goodnesse Of Gods abundant Truth CHAP. X. Of the large extent of Gods mercy and of the remission of all kinde of sinnes and the vsefull application of the whole Attribute of Gods goodnesse THe sixt Particle of Gods Goodnesse is God is mercifull to all men that hee reserueth mercy for thousands and that as I vnderstand it two manner of wayes 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely First he meaneth that his Mercy is not like a carnall Patrons loue which commonly reacheth no further then his kindred he can preferre none else Nor yet like great mens fauours which extendeth no further then their seruants their greatnesse is no greater but Miserationum Dei multitudo numerari Basil in regulis contract q. 15. magnitudo mensurari non potest The mercies of God are so many that they cannot be numbred and so great that they cannot be measured so that he hath enough in store to helpe not onely a few but also many multitudes thousands he hath enough for all being not like Isaac that had but one blessing Gen. 27.38 for he hath many blessings for euery one Secondly Gods Mercie lasteth for all times euen for euer and euer he meaneth that his Mercy is not for any set Period of time which is the property of all other things euen of the greatest Monarchs they haue but their time and when that time is gone they can do nothing which a little before seemed to be able to do all things but Gods mercies are tyed to no time but they continue froÌ„ generation to generation they are like a springing well that can neuer be dryed or like the Lampe that is fed with the oyle of immortality And this the Word reseruing doth most plainely shew that he hath mercy enough in store not onely for the fathers that beleeue in him but also for their children for their childrens children euen vnto a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his Commandements Good Parents doe leaue the best patrimâ—ny vnto their children Rom. 11.28 O then what a Patrimony doe good parents purchase vnto their children to haue the Mercies of God reserued and laid vp in store for thousands of them and as the Apostle saith of the Iewes to make them to be loued for their fathers sakes Most happy are those children which haue such fathers as doe feare God and keepe his Commandements And so much for the sixt Particle of Gods goodnesse Reseruing Mercy for thousands Forgiuenesse of sinnes our chiefest comfort Rom 4.7 The seauenth Particle of Gods goodnesse is that he forgiueth iniquitie and transgression and sinne Here is the last but not the least act of Gods goodnesse expressed For herein consisteth all our happinesse Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered And here by these three words God vnderstandeth three sorts of euill 1. By Iniquity is vnderstood originall corruption 2. By Transgression is meant the outward actuall commission 3. By Sinne is vnderstood the height of all abhomination No sinner excluded from hope of pardon The custome of sinning and the greatest sinnes For God depriues not these from hope of Pardon if these come to him with penitent hearts and therefore that none should despaire of his goodnes he sheweth that he can forgiue all these and forgiuing these he forgiueth all But here I must haue leaue to take away the vaile froÌ„ Moses his face and to looke further then the Iewish Tabernacle for as in Ezekiels vision Ezek. 10.10 Rota erat in rota Gospel was in the Law Law in the Gospell as Saint Gregory expounds it so here I finde all this to be Gospell and I see Iesus Christ in euery word for in Christ Coloss 1.14 we haue Redemption through his blood the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and so of all the rest of these Graces wee haue them all by Christ for though the Law came by Moses yet as Saint Iohn saith Grace and Truth yea Mercy and Peace and all the other good
whether visible or inuisible whether inwardly conceited in our mindes or outwardly exposed to our senses for so the Apostle saith that because the Gentiles knowing God glorified him not as God but changed his glory into the Image of birds beasts and creeping things Rom. 1.18.24 therefore the wrath of God was reueiled from Heauen against their vngodlinessse Deut. 32.17 and he gaue them vp to vile affections Deut. 7.26 to doe those things which were not conuenient for this sinne of Idolatry is so offensiue vnto God that it is tearmed a seruice of the Diuell and therefore abhominable and accursed by God and most dangerous vnto Man Secondly a perfidious tempting of God The doubting of Gods goodnesse towards vs is a most horrible wickednesse Psal 78. c. 1 Cor. 10.9 as whether hee be with vs or whether he can or will doe what he promised for vs for so the Psalmist saith that the Israelites tempted God in their hearts and spake against him saying Shall God prepare a table in the Wildernesse He smote the stony Rocke so that the water gushed out and the streames flowed withall but can he giue bread also or prouide for his people and therefore the Lord was so wroth that the fire was kindled in Iacob and there came vp heauy displeasure against Israel because they beleeued not in God and put not their trust in his helpe for God is so able and so willing to helpe his owne seruants that none can doubt thereof without horrible inâ—ignity offered him And therefore we should euer relye upon him and neuer doubt of this infinite goodnesse of God Thirdly a murmuring against God To murmure or to be discontented with God a heauie sinne Gen. 4.5 and complaining secretly as it were in our hearts that he doth either presse vs sore with heauy yoakes and punishments or that he dealeth not so gently and so louingly with vs as he doth with others for thus Caine murmured against God that he accepted the oblation of Abell better then his and thus the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.10 the children of Israel murmured against God that he had dealt hardly with them in bringing them out of Egypt to suffer hunger and thirst in the wildernesse and therefore they were destroyed of the destroyer and therefore we should beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and take heed of this muttering against God for there is no thought so secret that it shall goe for naught Wisd 1.11 Iob 13.15 Rom. 8.28 but we should with Iob in all estates put our trust in him though he kils vs knowing that he worketh all things for the best for them that loue him Fourthly an obstinate contumatious rebelling against God To refuse to obay God a fearefull sinne as when we refuse to heare his word wil not be obedient vnto his lawes but will say with the Iewes Let vs breake his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from vs Psal 2.3.4.5 for against these the Psalmist saith He that dwelleth in Heauen shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision and then shall he speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them his sore displeasure And therefore we should take heed of rebelling and refusing to heare and to obey the Word of God least the wrath of God should be suddenly kindled against vs and consume vs. To oppose the knowne truth a most horrible sinne Num. 14.37 Fiftly Blasphemy against God and the slandering of the Truth of his Doctrine especially when we oppose it fully though wee know it to be Truth most certainely as the spies that were sent to view the Land of Canaan did and therefore dyed by the plague before the Lord for this is a sinne of a malicious wickednesse and a branch of that vnpardonable sinne against the Holy Ghost and therefore we should euer take heed to oppose the Truth against our consciences Deut. 27. Disobedience to Parents a most fearefull sinne Sixtly Disobedience and dishonoring of our Parents for so the Lord saith Cursed be he that despiseth his Father his Mother and let all the people say Amen And therefore we finde heauy iudgements inflicted vpon Cham Absalon and all other like children of disobedience and the Lord requiring that vpon the bare testimony of the Parents saying This our child is disobedient and will not be ruled by vs they should carry him out of the Citie and stone him with stones till he dyed Gen. 4.10 The shedding of mans blood a most haynous sinne Seauenthly The shedding of Innocent bloud especially of those that are the sonnes of God for the voyce of blood as may be seen in Abell is such a shril piercing vndeniable voyce that it will speedily ascend to Heauen and neuer depart vntill vengeance bee powred out vpon the sinners Oppressing the poore a fearefull sinne Eightly The oppressing of the poore the fatherlesse and the Widdowes for if you hurt the Poore and they cry vnto me saith the Lord Et indignabitur furor meus I will surely heare their cry and my wrath shall waxe hot and I will kill you with the sword and your Wiues shall be Widdowes and your children fatherlesse Vntamed lusts a most odious sinne Ninthly Vnbridled wandring lusts such as were the lusts of the Citizens of Sodome and of all those that giue themselues to doe adulteries whoredomes and following after strange flesh for the Lord hateth all such lasciuious liuers and therefore destroyed of them three and twenty thousand in one day 1 Cor. 10.8 and wrought a most grieuous slaughter vpon the whole tribe of Beniamin Judg. 19.25 for that one foule abuse offered vnto the Leuiteâ— Wife Tenthly Sacriledge and prophaning of holy things for this is a robbing of God as the Prophet sheweth Mal. 3.8 Sacriledge a fearefull sinne and such a high transcendent sinne as that I could farre easier fill whole volumes of most fearefull examples of Gods vengeance executed against sacrilegious persons then finde you one man either in Diuine or humane stories that wronged and robbed the Church of God and scapt vnpunished both in himselfe and his posterity vnto the third and fourth generation Eleuenthly Continuall swearing a most dangerous sinne Continuall swearing and prophaning of the blessed Name of God for of all the sinnes forbidden in the Commandements this onely with Idolatry is forbidden with sub paena with a curse yea a grieuous curse denounced against vs if we will not shunne it for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine These and such like lewde and wicked sinners they say God absoluing will not absolue because the doers hereof haue no loue of goodnesse no care of godlinesse no sence of sinne no remorse of conscience and therefore is the Wrath of God so exceedingly kindled against these sinners sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these grieuous huge and horrible sinners that he will neuer
of themselues but as Dauid was much moued when he saw the people smitten for his sinnes 2 Sam. 2â— 17 and as Iacob halted when the Angell smote him on the thigh Gen. 32.31 so are we many times more grieued to see and more affraid to heare that our Children and the fruits of our loynes shall be punished then our selues And therefore seeing that fearefull curse of the Prophet To serue God is the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our Children Let the iniquity of his Father be had in remembrance and let not the sinne of his Mother be done away doth light so heauily vpon the Children of the wicked it should teach all Parents that loue their Children To feare the Lord and to striue more to get Gods blessing rather then the greatest patrimony vnto our Children for they may assure themselues that as the old verse saith De male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres If they haue inlarged their substance by wicked meanes it will be the onely meanes to cut off all their posterity as may be seene in Saul Achab Ieroboam and the like but the blessing of the Lord perpetuateth the same And therefore as some for the loue that they beare vnto their Children will giue themselues vnto the Diuell by committing all sinnes in oppressing others to inrich them so let vs if we loue our Children cease to sinne for this will free our selues from woe and bring the best blessing vnto them and Secondly It should teach all Children to be humbled and to pray to God with our lyturgy saying Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our Fore-fathers but spare vs good Lord spare thy people and giue vs thy grace and forgiue vs all our sinnes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen And thus I haue shewed thee O man Quid sit optimum What is the chiefest good and what we may learne concerning God that he is an Omnipotent eternall being good vnto all specially vnto his Saints and iust vnto sinners And now Quid nisi vota supersunt What remaineth but to apply all this vnto our soules to beleeue in him to loue him and to feare him and to prayse his name his blessed name for euermore for it is a good thing to sing prayses vnto our God yea and it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull Psal vlt. Verse vlt. And therefore prayse thou the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name and let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen A Prayer O Eternall God whom to know as thou art is vnpossible as thou hast reuealed in thy Word eternall life wee most humbly beseech thee to open the eyes of our vnderstanding that wee may see thee at all times in all places and in all our actions and giue vs O Lord thy heauenly grace that seeing thee wee may loue thee with all our hearts feare thy power extoll thy goodnesse and admire thy iustice to preserue vs from all sinnes and to retaine vs in thy wayes to thine eternall glory and to our endlesse comfort Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Third Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Third greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Incarnation of the WORD IOHN 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was made Flesh I Haue described in my formost Treatise O Theophilus The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises O dearely beloued of God the miserable estate of that poore man that was eiected out of Paradise and left halfe dead betweene Ierusalem and Iericho betwixt Heauen and Hell being already excluded out of Heauen but not fully thrust and intruded into Hell and in my next Treatise I haue shewed vnto thee a poole of Bethesda John 5.2 and brought vnto thee a good Samaritan that is onely able and willing to heale all thy maladies but as yet thou wantest an Angel to stirre the Waters and this good Samaritan hath not alighted and therefore I must now shew you how to apply the salue vnto the sore and how the Angel of the Couenant Iesus Christ alighted and descended from the throne of his Maiestie which is his horse for he â—ideth vpon the Heauens Psal 68.4 as vpon an horse to releeue this poore distressed and afflicted man And this by Gods helpe I shall doe out of these words The Word was made flesh for here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 7.14 the salue laid vnto the sore here is Emmanuel God with vs the blessed God which I haue described in my last Treatise vnited and made one with vs which in my first Tract I haue shewed to be so miserably afflicted and therefore we may now reioyce and be assured of our health and saluation because the Word is made flesh CHAP. I. Of the excellency of the Knowledge of Iesus Christ God hath fixed many impressions of his goodnesse in the creatures WHosoeuer will religiously and seriously obserue those manifold impressions of the Diuine goodnesse which the Lord God hath not slightly planted in the natures of all liuing creatures for a short space to be preached but hath also indelibly fixed in the memory of all ages most seriously to be considered he shall surely finde sufficient matter of reuerence loue and admiration but he shall be neuer able sufficiently to comprehend the excellency of so huge an Ocean of goodnesse within the straight and narrow compasse of his vnderstanding This were but with Saint Augustines Boy to empty the Ocean Sea with an Oyster-shell into an hole and therefore the serious and continuall contemplation of such plentifull and farre-spread goodnesse of God did so inuade and fill the thoughts of that Kingly Prophet Dauid that being as it were rauished or wrapt in an extacie at the inexplicable expression and vnconceiueable consideration of the same hee breaketh forth into these heauenly acclamations saying O Iehoua In coelis est benignitas tua Psal 36.5.6.7 O Lord our Gouernour How excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory aboue the Heauens thy faithfulnesse reacheth vnto the cloudes thy righteousnesse is like the strong mountaines Psal 147. thy iudgements are like the great deepe thou sauest O Lord both man and beast But I will not suffer my speech at this time to enter into that infinite Ocean of Gods goodnesse whereby he giueth food vnto all flesh feeding the young Rauens that call vpon him and whereby he adorneth the fields with all kinde of fruitfull trees and pleasant flowers and all flowers with sweet smels and delicate colours neither will I enter into any part or parcell of his excellent prouidence whereby he gouerneth the whole world by his wisedome sustaineth all things by his power and relieueth all things by his goodnesse for this is too large a field for me to post ouer in so short a space as is now allotted me to
this rather then they will leese their vayne and wanton pleasures So foolish are they and ignorant euen as it were beasts before him I haue read of Honorius a Roman Emperour that when one told him Rome was lost he was exceedingly grieued and cried alas alas for he supposed it was his henne so called which he exceedingly loued but when it was told him it was his Imperiall Citie Rome that was besieged by Alaricus and was now taken and lost then his spirits were reuiued that his losse was not so great as he imagined we may well thinke this to bee a simple and a childish disposition and yet our selues are worthie of the same condemnation for if we leese a little wealth a little pleasure a little vanitie things of themselues good for nothing because of themselues they can make nothing good and then as the prouerbe goeth that is too deere of a farthing which is good for nothing yet for these trifles wee will vex and fret weepe and wayle Zechar 12.11 and our mourning wil be Like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo but when we leese our soules in the desarts of sinne and when wee leese our God for sinne then with the Israelites wee sit downâ— to eate and drinke and rise vp to play Exod. 32.6 But seeing as the Emperor Seuerus sayd though wee bee all things and haue all things that the world can afford vs yet all things will auayle vs nothing without this thing because as I said before Christ is all things and all things without Christ are nothing seeing with Ixion they doe imbrace a cloud for Iuno a shadow for the body trash for treasure and a short momentarie dreame of pleasure in stead of the true and eternall rest which seeke their rest but not in Christ and seeing as hee sayth himselfe it is eternall life to know him with his father John 17.3 to bee the true and eternall God I will therefore craue your Christian patience and desire your carefull attention to hearken vnto the seuerall parts of this text and to retaine in your memories those chiefest obseruations that I shall collect from the same all I cannot and as I would I cannot I must ingeneously confesse it Nam mysterium singulariter mirabile mirabiliter singulare for it is a mysterie singularly wonderfull and wonderfully singular and indeede the mysterie of all mysteries and therefore Si profundum in profundo non reperiam humanam fragilitatem non diuinam potentiam confundo If I doe not handle the same as I ought to doe I shall but bewray mine owne humaine frailtie and no wayes impeach or disparage this diuine veritie And because as it is the first the greatest the chiefest and the comfortablest point of all Christian Religion so it hath beene and is and I feare euer will be most chiefely oppugned and depraued on all sides by all sorts of enemies and wicked Heretickes therefore as this mine introduction is somewhat large yet not to large either preparation or expectation for so great a matter as followeth after so you must giue mee leaue to insist the longer about it and not Myndus-like to suffer my porch to bee greater then my towne And if I shall seeme harsh in the prosecution and not giue full satisfaction vnto your desires and expectation you must know that they are poynts to informe the iudgement and apprehension and not to moue or to inflame the affection and therefore harder a great deale and more painefull for vs to handle them then to treat of any morall poynts of exhortation and though they be lesse delectable for the present yet are they farre more profitable for the future time especially vnto them that will most seriously consider them and most carefully remember them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was made flesh In which words as you may easily see the holy Euangelist setteth down the incarnation of this eternall Word and I for the fuller explanation of the same The whole treatise deuided into two parts must desire you to consider these two things 1. The summe and substance of this Words Incarnation 2. The chiefest cirumstances requisite for its explanation The 1. is heere fully expressed The 2. is from the other Euangelists plainely collected Touching the first here are three especiall things expressed 1. The thing that was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word 2. The thing that it was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh 3. The manner of his making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was made Or playner thus 1. Who was made 2. What it was made 3. How it was made the Word Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not created not changed but made for the Word was made Flesh and of these by Gods helpe in order CHAP. II. Of the Trinitie of Persons in the Vnitie of Diuine Essence The first branch of the first part FIrst We must consider who was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was made for the vnderstanding of which point wee must know that the diuine Essence is onely one impartible and indiuisible For so the Scripture teacheth vs Deut. 6. c. 32. heare O Israel the Lord thy God is one God and therefore know you that I am God alone and besides mee there is none other sayth the Lord himselfe 1 Cor. 4.8 and so Saint Paul sayth wee know that there is none other God but one Athanas in Symbolo Secondly So the Fathers teach vs for though the Father is God and the Sonne is God and the Holy-Ghost is God yet are there not three Gods but one God sayth Athanasius and these three are one if you consider the Diuinitie and this one is three if you consider the proprietie Nazin orat 3. de Theol. Amb. de fide l. 1. c. 2. sayth Saint Gregorie Nazianzen and so sayth Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Hillarie and all the rest Thirdly So reason it selfe teacheth vs for God is summum cns the first and chiefest being as himselfe professâ—th I am that I am and we haue learned that of the prince of Philosophers that there cannot bee but one chiefest being Quia ens vnum conuertuntur because that being one are all one Secondly God is infinite and therefore but one because that which is infinite comprehendeth all things within the circle of it selfe Thirdly If there were more Gods then one Reason sheweth that there can be but one God then they must bee either all without beginning or one must proceede from other either by creation or generation that they should be all without beginning is impossible for then it must needs follow that there should be multa principia prima disparata in vna voluntate non conuenientia many first causes and vnequall beginnings that could neuer agree and be of the same minde and will and therefore to say they should bee all without beginnings is most absurd If one be from the
other by creation then is the second a creature and therefore but one God vncreated and if one bee from the other by generation then the first gaue the second either a part or his whole substance if a part then is God partible may be diuided which cannot be said of such spirituall indiuidible substance and if the first gaue the rest his whole Essence then haue all the same Dietie and so all must be the same Godhead And so Anâ—isthenes saith it was the opinion of the best Philosophers Plures esse Deos populares vnum naturalem That although the people worshipped many Gods yet indeed there was but one onely God by Nature And therefore against the Valentinians thirty couple of gods Jrenaeus contra Valentin and all others that professe many gods it must needes follow euen from reason it selfe that there can be no more gods but one not specificall but numericall i. e. so absolutely one Tertul. l. contra Hermog e. 17. that he is one alone besides whom there can be none other and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely one for we deny all number in the Deitie vnlesse you meane in the personall proprieties and therefore Gregory Nissen saith well Quod in multitudinem extendere numerum Deitatum eorum duntaxat est Nyssen ad Eustach l. de trin qui laborant multitudinis deorum errore That to extend the number of the Deities into a multitude belongs onely vnto them which doe erroniously maintaine a multitude of gods for the Catholicke faith is this that wee should worship the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity that is Basilius Ep. 141. ad Caesarium the trinity of Persons and the vnity of Essence because all number is to be reiected from the Essence of God saith Saint Basil For the Diuine Essence is so simple and so numerically one that no diuersitie can be giuen whereby the very persons doe differ in regard of the Essence and therefore in respect of this identitie and vnitie of Essence in the three persons of the Godhead our Sauiour saith I am in the Father and the Father in me Iohn 14.10 Wherupon Saint Cyril addeth further for the explanation of the same that we may not say that the Father is from the Sonne nor contained in the Sonne nor the Sonne to be in the Father as we are said to be and to liue in God for that we are onely by the effects of his grace he in the vnitie of his essence i. e. wee are one with God by grace but the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are one by Nature so that whatsoeuer the Father essentially is the Sonne is the same and the holy Spirit is the same That the Essence of God is distinguished into three persons Gen. 1. And yet we must know that this one onely one indiuisible Essence is distinguished into three persons which we call the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost for so the Scriptures plainely teach vs as Let vs make man in our image and behold the man is become like one of vs saith the Lord himselfe to shew that in this vnity of Essence there is a plurality of persons and againe the Lord rained vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrha from the Lord out of Heauen Gen. 19. that is the Sonne rained from the Father as Iustin Martyr Tertullian Epiphanius Cyprian Irenaeus Eusebius Cyrill Sozomen the Councell of Smyrna held in the yeare of Christ 336. Socrates Eccl. hist l. 2. c. 30. wherein Marcus Arethusius against the heresie of Photinus and many others doe so expound that place And so the three men that appeared vnto Abraham and that Heauenly harmony of Cherubims saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth Esay 6. doe sufficiently declare the Trinitie of persons in the Vnity of Gods Essence Ob. But then it may bee some will say these and the like places are too obscure to confirme the truth of so great a point Sol. Why God did not fully and plainely reueile the mysteries of the Trinitie at the first I answere that God at first would not shew this great mystery vnto all lest that being so prone as they were in the infancie of the Church to fal into Idolatry they should shake off the seruice of the true God therby be drawn to worship many Gods but the more his Church did increase in abilitie to vnderstand the more did God reueile vnto it both this mystery of the Trinitie and also many other mysteries of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascention of Iesus Christ And therefore what hee obscurely shadowed in the time of the Patriarchs hee did more cleerely shew vnto his Prophets and most plainely in the time of the Apostles proclaime the same vnto all people For Christ bad them goe and baptize all men Matth. 28. in the name of the Father and of the Sonne 1. Iohn 5. and of the Holy Ghost And so Saint Iohn saith there be three that beare witnesse in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit And yet these three be but one saith the Apostle For as in one Sunne there are the body of the Sunne the Sunne beames and the heate Aug. de Trinit the beames are begotten of the Sunne and the heate doth proceed both from the Sunne and the Sunne beames but the Sunne it selfe proceeds from none Euen so in the one Essence of God there are the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the sonne is begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeds from both but the Father is of himselfe alone and as the fountaine begets the brooke Jdem de verbis Domim and both the fountaine and brooke doe make the Poole and yet all three is the same water so the father is the Fountaine which begets the Sonne and from the Father and Sonne proceeds the Holy Ghost That there are certaine similitudes of the Trinity to be seene in the creatures and yet is the Deity of all three the same in like manner the fire hath motion light and heate and yet but one fire and in the soule of man there are three faculties the vegetatiue the sensitiue and the rationall and yet but one soule and in all other creatures wee may behold certaine glimpes and similitudes that doe after a sort adumbrate and shadow out this ineffable and inexpressable mysterie for by their greatnesse we may consider the power of the Father by their beauty we may see the wisedome of the Sonne and by their vtilitie we may note the goodnesse of the Holy Ghost God left not himselfe without witnesse no not wholly of the manner of his subsistence if not to proue this blessed mysterie yet at least to illustrate it Thom. p. 1. q 32. art 1. and to proue as Aquinas saith Non esse impossibile quod fides praedicat That those things are not impossible which faith preacheth But it may be some
be the person of the other Secondly from these inward operations of these persons doe proceed the nominall relations of the one vnto the other as father Sonne and Holy Ghost which doe likewise make a true reall distinction of the persons for the Father is not a name of Essence but of relation vnto the Sonne and the Sonne is not a name of Essence but of relation vnto the Father and so the Holy Ghost proceeding is not a name of Essence but of relation to the Father and the Sonne and therefore these names are so proper to each person that the name of the one cannot be ascribed to the other But you wil say that the Sonne is called Father as Esay 9.6 Sol. he is said to be the Father of eternities I answere that the name of Father is taken two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally Ob. First Essentially and so in respect of the creatures each person of the Trinitie may be rightly tearmed Father The name of Father is taken two-wayes Secondly personally and so the first person onely is Father because he onely doth beget his sonne And thus you see that although the Diuine Essence is onely one yet that there are three persons in this one Essence not that the Essence begets either Essence or person but because the person of the Father begetteth the person of the Sonne and both Father and Sonne doe eternally spire and send forth the person of the Holy Ghost Athana 2. Dialog de Trinit But for the manner how the Father begetteth the Sonne or how the Father and the Sonne doe spire and send forth the holy Spirit I must answere as Galenus did Galenus l. 15. de vsu partium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a point farre inferior to this which is of infinite profundity How this is done if you enquire you will be taken for one that hath no vnderstanding either of your owne infirmity or of the power of the Creator And the Fathers doe often dehort vs from the curiosity of explaining the manner of diuine mysteries for that worthy Nazianzene saith You heare the generation of the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian orat 1. de theolog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we should not enquire too farre into the manner of Diuine Mysteries be not curious to know the manner You heare The Holy Ghost proceedeth be not busie to enquire how And in another place he saith Let the generation of God be honoured with silence it is much for thee to haue learned that he was begotten As for the manner how wee grant it not to be vnderstood by Angels much lesse by thee If the Fathers of the Councell of Lateran had followed the councell of this Father they had neuer gone so farre to enquire how Christ is in the Sacrament and so positiuely to conclude it to be by that vnheard vnknowne incredible and impossible way of transubstantiation And therefore if we would not erre with them or beyond them in this point farre more difficult then that let vs not be too curious to enquire how these things can be but let vs faithfully beleeue them to be a Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Diuine Essence and each person to haue the whole Diuine Essence so communicated vnto it as that all the three persons must needes be co-eternall co-essentiall and co-equall But because the second Person which is the Sonne and which the Euangelist here meaneth by the Word as hereafter I shall shew vnto you was incarnate and made flesh you must giue me leaue to insist chiefly vpon that person and to discusse these three especiall points concerning the same 1. Touching this person how excellent he is 2. Touching this name here vsed why hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word 3. Touching this worke why he was incarnate and made flesh For the first I will onely shew these three things 1. That for time he is God Three things handled touching the person of the Son co-eternall 2. For nature co-essentiall and 3. For dignity co-equall vnto his Father CHAP. III. Of the Coeternity of the Word with his Father That the Word was before he was made flesh FIrst That this Word was before he was made Flesh the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first vsed here and the second in the fourth Chapter to the Galathians doth make it plaine for that they signifie one that first was and afterwards was made that which hee was not And therefore hee doth not say that the Word was made first and then was made Flesh but that the Word which in the beginning and before all beginnings was in the fulnesse of time was made flesh And this may be further proued by almost infinite arguments as First He is the Sonne of the Father the wisedome and the power of God and therefore either the Father was without a Sonne and then he could be no Father and God was without his wisedome and without his strength or else he was neuer without his Sonne but to say that God was without his wisedome or without his strength Aug. ep 6.6 is most absurd Ergo Non ex tempore genitus est qui cuncta tempora condidit And therefore he was not begotten in time which created all times saith Saint Augustine Secondly He is God for Si Dietas verbi non nostrae est insita carni tum Christus falsi corporis vmbra fuit Either Christ is God or he is no man nor any Sauiour of man and he is no titular God but by Nature God hee is the true Iehoua which was which is and which shall be And therefore euerlasting for thou art God from euerlasting and World without end But That Christ is a true God is proued That he is a true God both apparant Scriptures and vnanswerable reasons drawne from Scriptures doe make it plaine For First from Scriptures First The Scriptures call him the true Ieheua as we may see by the collation and comparing of these places viz. Exodus 3.2.13.4.14.24.20.2 and Acts 7.30.32 1 Cor. 10.4.9 c. And so the Scriptures call him God as Gen. 32.28 Psal 45.7 Esay 7.14 Mathew 3.3 Heb. 1.8 And therefore Saint Iohn saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was God And Christ himselfe saith Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ For these words are thus to be expounded that they know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God because these two persons are but the very selfe-same Essence So Thomas saith vnto Christ My Lord and my God Iohn 20.28 And so we finde the same truth expressed Acts 20.28 Rom. 8.5.1 Iohn 3.16 1 Iohn 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 Psal 47.6 and in many other places of the Scripture which wee may
Sol. But to this Danaeus briefely answereth that these men say he shall be called after the manner of the Hebrewes pro vere manifestabitur Danaeus Jsagog he shall bee truely manifested and declared to bee the Sonne of God Christ was a God from eternitie but he began to be a God existing in the humanitie when he was made flesh so that he shall be called doth not signifie that he should then begin to be but that then he should begin to bee manifested what he was before Besides wee may yeeld that then he should begin to bee and to bee called a God subsisting in the humane nature for this may apparantly bee collected out of the words both of the Prophet and Euangelist for in that the Prophet sayth vnto vs a Childe is borne this is to bee vnderstood of his humane nature and in that he sayth vnto vs a Sonne is giuen it is to be vnderstood of his Diuine nature Quia natus ex humanitate datus ex diuinitate datus qui nesciret exordium natus qui sentiret occasum datus quo nec Pater esset antiquior natus qui matre esset iunior sic qui erat datus est qui non erat natus est Because he is borne in respect of his humanity and giuen in respect of his Dietie for hee was giuen which had no beginning and he was borne which should haue ending hee was giuen which was as auncient as his father and hee was borne that was younger then his mother so hee that was was giuen vnto vs and he that was not was borne vnto vs as Eusebius Emissenus sayth and therefore this Sonne that euer was a God in respect of his Diuine nature could not bee called nor sayd to bee a God existing in the humane nature vntill this Sonne was giuen to bee in carnate and till this Childe was borne vnto vs and so I say of the words of Saint Luke that hee which was euer the Sonne of God in respect of his Godhead should now bee called the Sonne of God existing in the Manhood Secondly They obiect that Saint Iohn calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ob. 2 The Word of God but God spake no words before the Creation when first he said Fiat lux Let there be light and therefore this word before then could not be To this I answere first Sol. that they doe exceedingly corrupt the Text in calling him The Word of God for Saint Iohn doth not call him The Word of God but simply the Word to shew the difference betwixt that Word of the Lord which came vnto the Prophets and Apostles and is left vnto vs in the Scriptures or that was at any time spoken by God at the Creation or since the Creation vnto the Patriarchs or any other seruant of God and this euerlasting Word which euer was and is an eternall God And therefore Saint Cyril saith Cyrillus l. 1. Thesauri That Christ is no accidentall but an eternall essentiall word That he is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Any sound of the Ayre which is breathed out of the mouth of God and is vttered by the helpe of the tongue because God hath neither mouth lippes nor tongue neither is he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any inward or inbred word or significatiue voyce of any such conceiued words because none of these is any subsistent thing but as it were an accident in the subiect which cannot be said to be in God but hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The essentiall substantiall and subsistent word as hereafter I shall more amply and plainely shew vnto you when I come to discusse the reasons why he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word Thirdly they doe obiect that the wisedome of God saith Ob. 3 Dominus creauit me initium viarum suarum ante secula fundauit me Which according to the words is thus in English Prou. 8.22 God created me the beginning of his wayes before the Worlds he established me Sol. I answere that concerning this place of Salomon I finde diuers sorts of expositions First the Iewes say that by this Wisedome is vnderstood the Law which was created to be the beginning of Gods wayes and as they say two thousand yeeres before the World was made because in the thirtieth verse they finde two iom that is two dayes which they interpret of two thousand yeeres because a day with God is as a thousand yeeres Psal 90.4 Secondly the Samosatenian Heretickes say that this place is to be vnderstood not of Christ but of that vertue of God whereby he hath wisely created and discreetly gouerneth all those things that are created Thirdly the Arians yeelding that it was spoken of the Sonne of God doe say that it proueth him to be made and created by the Father and therefore not eternally begotten of the Father That the Law was not created But against the Iewes I say that it cannot be spoken of the Law because the Law is not created but promulgated and shewed vnto vs to teach vs to know what is good and acceptable vnto God for if it were created then it must be created of nothing and must be either a substance or an accident and the breach thereof would proue to be the offending of a creature and not the Creator which is most absurd and if it were created yet that it should be created two thousand yeeres before the World was made is more absurd for that it should be then created before any time because time beganne when the World was made as Moses sheweth And therefore if the Law were created two thousand yeeres before the World was made then Moses doth not well to make Time to haue his beginning when the World beganne and therefore the meaning of those words I was Deliciae eius die die which is an Hebraisme signifying Quotidie daily or alwayes is this that Christ before all Worlds was euer and alwayes the onely ioy and delight of God in whom as he saith himselfe he was well pleased hee was fully satisfied and contented Secondly Against the Somosatenians I say that whatsoeuer is spoken of any vertue or any wisedome of God must needes be spoken of Christ Luc. 11.49 because hee is the vertue and wisedome of God as Saint Luke sheweth And therefore the same things that are here ascribed vnto that wisedome of God are else-where ascribed vnto Christ the Sonne of God as you may see Iohn 1.1 Heb. 1.2 Colos 1.17 And so Iustin Martyr Justinus in Dialog cum Tryph. and Clemens Alexandrinus doe expound this place of Salomon of the Sonne of GOD. Thirdly Against the Arians I finde diuers answeres Whether the Arians corrupted the Text. First Some thinke the Arians as they vsed to doe in other places corrupted the Text and writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Created me in stead of possessed me but I thinke this could not be because Iust Martyr that liued before the Arians were hatched and Athanasius himselfe doth reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Created me and therefore Secondly Epiphanius Saint Basil Saint Hierome and others Epiphan heres 69 Basil l. 2. contr Eunom Hieron in ep ad Cypr. doe thinke that the vulgar Edition is not well translated for that the Hebrew word which Salomon vseth should not be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a iota but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middest of the word The first is He created me and the other is he possessed me and therefore Aquila translates it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Tremellius Whether the Hebrew word bee rightly translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created Iehoua possidebat me principio viae suae or ab initio operum suorum as others will haue it And so is the vulgar Latine and our owne last English Translation The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way And if this be true then those ancient Fathers Saint Athanasius Saint Basil Saint Cyril and others that were much troubled about this place might haue easily answered vnto this obiection of the Arians if they had corrected the Greeke Translation out of the Hebrew Text. But the Iewes contend that the word in the Originall doth aswell signifie to create as to possesse as Rabbi Shelomo Iarchi vpon Genesis 14.19 doth declare for there Moses vseth the same word which Salomon vseth here and although our last English Translation reades it Possessor of Heauen and Earth yet the vulgar Latine and the Septuagint reades it Creator of Heauen and Earth and therefore Thirdly Fulgentius answereth Fulgent in resp ad hanc ob Arrian that although Salomon should say The Lord created me yet could that make nothing against the eternall being of the Sonne of God for that we may easily see Salomon speaketh here of a two-fold generation of the Sonne of GOD. That Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ First Of his Incarnation in these words The Lord created me the beginning of his wayes and then Secondly Least we should with Arians imagine that he was not before he was incarnate He sheweth that Ante colles genitus erat Before the mountaines he was begotten and brought forth i. e. In respect of his Diuinity First of his incarnation to be made man That in the first place he speaketh of his incarnation and this making of him to be flesh there followeth none absurdity for though hee speaketh in the present tense or preterperfect tense after the Latines yet is it set downe for the future tense after the manner of the Hebrewes who doe oftentimes especially in things pertaining to God set downe the future tense for the present because they are as certaine to bee done as if they were already done as Tertullian obserueth And the words immediately following To be the beginning of his wayes doth make this exposition the more apparantly true for what is it to be the beginning of his wayes Nisi quod ipse via nobis est factus but that hee was made to be the way for vs to walke in for hee was not made that hee should create new Creatures but that hee might renue those that were lost And therefore Saint Iames vseth the like speech of the godly James 1.18 saying Of his owne will begate he vs with the Word of Truth that wee might be as the first fruites of his Creatures And the Prophet Dauid vseth the like speech of himselfe Psal 51.10 when he saith Create a new heart in me O God And therefore to be the beginning of the wayes of God is to be the first fruites of those that are renued and not of those that are created for if you looke into the workes of Creation you shall heare him say Before the mountaines were setled and before the hills was I begotten Secondly of his eternall generation as he is God That in the second place hee speaketh of his eternall generation it is most manifest for hee changeth his phrase and saith Ante colles genita eram Before the mountaines was I begotten as the Chalde paraphrase hath it or Filiata eram I was sonned his sonne as some translate it for wee must note that created and begotten in the person of the Sonne of God are to bee distinguished or otherwise if we make created and begotten to be the same wee may say that the World was begotten which is most absurd And therefore seeing hee saith that this wisedome of GOD was both created and begotten and that these two words doe signifie two distinct and speciall things wee should consider in what respect hee is said to be created and in what respect he is said to be begotten and then we should plainely see that he is said to be created as he is the Sonne of man and that he is said to be begotten as hee is the eternall Sonne of God for here Salomon sheweth that he is said to be created in respect of that nature wherin he calleth his Father Lord for the Lord saith hee created me But hee calleth his Father Lord in respect of his humane nature and neuer calleth him Lord in respect of his diuine nature for he that is borne a seruant of his Fathers handmaide according to the saying of the Psalmist Psal 116.14 O Lord I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine hand-maide is also begotten of his Fathers Essence according to the saying of Christ Iohn 8. I and my Father are one And therefore though he calleth his Father Lord in respect of his humanity yet doth he neuer call him so but alwayes Father in respect of his Diuinity as I came from the Father and wee saw his glory John 1. as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father And so you see that these words of Salomon Naz. or 4. de theolog Athan. ser 3. cont Arr. Cyril l. 5. c. 4. 5. 6. 7. Thesauri Aug. l. 1. c. 12. de trinit The Lord created me are to be vnderstood of his incarnation and therefore can proue nothing against his eternall generation And this exposition of Fulgentius is confirmed by Nazianzen Athanasius Saint Cyril Saint Augustine and others And yet Fourthly Saint Hillary in l. de Synodis Aquinas l. 4. c. 8. contra gentes and Bellarmine l. 1. c. 18. de Christo doe answere that the eternall generation of the Sonne of God is sometimes called generation and sometimes creation because it is so ineffable that it cannot be fully expressed by any one word for generation signifieth a production in the same substance but with a certaine mutation of the begetter How the Word may be said to be both begotten created but creation signifieth a production of another substance but without any mutation of the
it were of the like nature with God Fourthly they affirme that although the word it selfe is not found in the Scriptures yet that the full sense and meaning of the word is plainely found Aug. tract 79. In Joh. Cyrillus l. 1. de trinit as Saint Augustine doth most excellently proue out of those words of our Sauiour I and my Father are one Iohn 10. And that it is deriued from the Scripture for it is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Lord saith of himselfe Ego sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am he that is or I am that I am Exod. 3. And therefore seeing this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their verball winde shakes no corne nor cannot derogate any thing from the coessentiality of this word with his Father they proceed against the matter And so Secondly they doe obiect against the truth of the matter declared by this Word And First they argue thus Whose wils are diuers their natures Ob. 1 and essences are diuers but the will of the Father and of the Sonne are diuers for the Sonne saith vnto his Father Father if it be possible Matth. 26.39 let this cup passe from me neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt therefore their Essence must needes be diuers Sol. That Christ as he hath two Natures so he hath a two-fold Will. I answere that the proposition is to be distinguished for whose wils are diuers hauing the same natures their natures must be diuers but in Christ there are two natures diuine and humane and therefore that his will is diuers or not the same will as his fathers is in respect of his humane nature though it be alwayes subiect and agreeable to the same we easily grant but that his will in respect of his diuine nature is any wayes different or diuers from his Fathers will we vtterly deny and we say not that the whole person of Christ but that Christ in respect of his diuine nature as he is the second person of the Trinitie is co-essentiall vnto his Father and therefore though the will of Christ as he is the Sonne of man be not the same as his Fathers will is yet that doth not proue the will of Christ as hee is the Sonne of God to be not the same as his Fathers will is because Christ hath a two-fold will the one as he is the eternall Word and the other as he is made Flesh Ob. 2 Secondly they say he that is mediator betwixt God and men is not of the same essence with God but Christ is the Mediator betwixt God and men 1 Tim. 2.5 saith the Apostle therefore he cannot be of the same essence with God Sol. That there are two sorts of Mediators I answere that the proposition is to be distinguished for it is true of such a mediator as Moses was the Messenger of God to men but it is false of such a Mediator as reconcileth wicked men to God by appeasing his wrath and making satisfaction for their sinnes for that no man can do so but he that is God by nature Now Saint Paul sheweth Christ to be such a Mediator as doth appease the wrath of God and therefore he sheweth euen thereby that Christ must needes be a God by nature and of the same Essence with his Father Ob. 3 Thirdly they say Christ is a Mediator and an Aduocate with God but he is no Mediator nor Aduocate with himselfe therefore himselfe is not of the same Essence with God Sol. I answere that the Name of God is to be taken two wayes First Essentially and so Christ is a Mediator with God Secondly Hipostatically for any person of the God-head and so Christ also is Mediator with God if you vnderstand God for the person of the Father not excluding the Sonne or the Holy Ghost for otherwise it is false because he is not onely Mediator with the person of the Father but also with himselfe and the Holy Ghost So likewise in the conclusion if you take God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the person of the Father we yeeld Christ is not God because God the Sonne is not nor cannot be God the Father And to the minor I say That Christ reconcileth vs to himselfe that Christ may bee said to bee a Mediator with himselfe if we consider the office of mediation Nam sacrificij modum non sicut vnus quidam ex nobis sacerdotibus affert seruiliter For he doth not seruilely like some of vs or any vnder the Law bring the substance of our sacrifice vnto the Priests which should first offer for themselues and then for the sinnes of their people because he hath nothing herein common with vs that he should receiue it at our hands to offer it for vs but as he is our sacrifice himselfe Cyrillus l. de recta fide ad reginas Sic sibi ipsi conciliat per ipsum in ipso patri So he reconcileth vs vnto himselfe and through himselfe and in himselfe vnto his Father as Saint Cyrill saith Fourthly they say If he be of the same essence with the Father Ob. 4 then is he essentially in the Father but he is not essentially in the Father for the Word was with God and not in God John 1.1 saith the Euangelist but to be with God signifieth not to be in God but without him as a booke held in my hand is with me though it be not in me therefore Christ is not essentially in the Father consequently not of the same essence with the Father To this Fulgentius answereth diuers wayes Sol. 1. If all that is sayd to be with God be without God Fulgent in resp ad obiect Arrianorum and all that is sayd to bee in God bee within him then are wee neerer vnto God then the Sonne of God for here you see he is sayd but to be with God and we are sayd to be in God 1 Cor. 8. for there is but one God the Father by whom are all things and wee in him sayth the Apostle but this is most absurd to say that wee are neerer vnto God then the Sonne of God and therefore it is as absurd to say that all which is with God is without God and all that are sayd to be in him to be within him Secondly Hee proueth that to be with God or with man doth not alwayes signifie to bee without God or without man for it is sayd that the vngodly reasoned with themselues Wisd 2.1 but when a man reasoneth he doth it within himselfe and not without himselfe C. 4.1 and it is sayd that the memoriall of Vertue is immortall because it is knowne with God and with men but it cannot be knowne with men vnlesse the memorie thereof be within men John 14.15 and so our Sauiour Christ sayth If any man loue mee and will
me or what similitude will you make like vnto me saith the Lord therefore we must note that although in somethings this word God is like vnto our inward word yet in many things they doe differ As First our Word hath a beginning of time when we frame the same in our vnderstanding but the word God hath no beginning Apoc. 1.8 For he is α and ω the first and the last that neuer had beginning and that neuer shall haue ending for thou art God from euerlasting and world without end saith the Psalmist Secondly our minde is before any of our words but this word God is co-eternall vnto his Father as I haue formerly declared Thirdly Athanas in Symbolo Cyrillus de trinitate Aug in Joh. our word differeth from the minde that produceth it but this word God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same essence with the Father for I and my Father are one saith our Sauiour i. e. one substance though not one person as I haue likewise shewed vnto you before Fourthly our word is an accident in the subiect of our mind but the word God is a most perfect substance and the cause of all beings in whom and by whom are all things as the Apostle saith Fiftly our word of it selfe can doe nothing at all but the word God can doe all things Sixtly our word is a dead word wanting life but in the word God there is not onely life but he is life it selfe Seauently our word is manifold for wee produce many thoughts and intelligences but the word God is onely one because God with one act doth vnderstand himselfe Aug. in Psal 61. and all things else and therefore Saint Augustine vpon the Psalmist Semel loquutus est dominus The Lord spake once expoundeth the same of the word Christ And so you see these differences betwixt the word God and the word of man he that desires to see more discrepances betwixt them let him read Athanasius in his third Sermon against the Arrians Whether the Word be a name of person or of office But here it may be demaunded whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word be a name of his person as he is God or a name giuen him in respect of his office of Redeemer as he is God and Man I answere that it is a name of his person and that in respect of his God-head onely for it is obserued that none of the Euangelists Malden in John c. 1. nor of the Apostles doth call him the Word but onely S. Iohn nor he neither doth call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word after he had said that the Word was made flesh to note vnto vs that as Saint Iohn onely was specially set a part to declare the Deitie of Christ so he onely calls him by that name which is onely proper vnto him as he is God and none else and he calls him onely so before his Incarnation to shew that he is the Word as God Why Saint Iohn vseth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and not as Man Thirdly we are to consider why Saint Iohn saith the word was made flesh rather then the Sonne of God was made flesh touching which Theophilact and Euthymius thinke that he saith The word was made flesh Hillar in l. contra Constant least that if he should haue said the Sonne was made flesh the Reader might perchaâ—ce imagine some passible or carnall thing as the Arrians dreamed as Saint Hillarie witnesseth But this reason seemes not solyd enough to me because Christ hath many other names besides this as wisedome light brightnesse and such like which signifie neither passion composition nor corruption as both Origen and Saint Basil haue obserued and therefore others doe alleadge these two especiall reasons First because this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was an acceptable and a knowne name both to the Iewes and Gentiles Secondly because it was the most proper and the fittest name that he could vse to make way to expresse that thing which hee was immediately to declare First That this name of the Sonne the Word was the best known name of Christ among the Iewes It is manifest that there was no name of the Sonne of God among the Iewes so generally vsed and so well knowne as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word as it might be easily shewed out of the Chaldee paraphrase for wheresoeuer that paraphrast thinketh the Name of God should signifie the Sonne he alwayes translates the same and reades it the word the which without doubt he did because he saw this word and name of him was vulgarly best knowne amongst them for Philo the most learned of all the Iewes the most expert in the mystery of the Trinity Philo in l. de opificio mundi though he neuer calleth Christ the Sonne yet doth he often call him the Word in many passages of his Workes Neither was his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word onely knowne among the Iewes but among the Gentiles and Ethnicks also That the Gentiles were not ignorant of this Word for it is apparant that although the way to Heauen was vnknowne vnto them yet did many of them especially of their Philosophers dispute and deliuer many things concerning the true God For Aristotle or whosoeuer he was that wrote those bookes De mundo did finde that in this rare piece of worke and frame of the world there is most excellent conueiance without confusion great variety concurring in vnitie and diuersitie of all things without disorder all which he attributeth to the powerfull working of the inuisible God of whom the said Author conceiues that for his power he is most mighty for his beauty most excellent for his life immortall and for his vertue most absolute and that as Empedocles saith from him proceeded All things that were that are and shall be here Plants men beasts birds and fish in waters cleere And entring into further consideration of Gods nature he saith that although God be but one yet we call him by many names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because we liue by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he is of an immutable nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because nothing is done by chance but according to his most certaine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man can possibly auoid him or flye from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he abideth for euer and as for that fable saith he of the three Sisters of destiny Clotho filum bainlat Lachesis net Atropos occat Clotho that spinneth Lachesis that draweth out to a iust length and Atropos that cutteth off the thred of mans life it is to be vnderstood of God onely who is the beginning mids and end of all things and to conclude he saith there is a Iustice that is neuer separated from God which is the reuenger of all transgressions committed against the Law of
good and to bring them vnto the true sauing knowledge of their Sauiour but as God by his true Prophets did foreshew the comming and incarnation of this Word so would Sathan play the Ape and by his Prophets teach them like as Oedipus Seneca in Oedipo blindly seeking his Father did vnfortunately slay his Father by seeking thus after Christ to worship himselfe in stead of Christ and so to offer sacrifices vnto Diuels as the Apostle saith and not to God Thirdly They might by the continuall tradition of their Elders retaine some reliques of that promise made vnto Adam That the seede of the woman should come Gen. 3.15 and breake the Serpents head for wee finde by their rites and ceremonies their Priests and Sacrifices and such like that they had a kinde of corrupted Diuinity still remaining amongst them and that they did conceiue some thing by these outward things that should expiate their sinnes and appease the wrath of God for them Fourthly Their owne great diligence That the Phylosophers were wonderfull diligent to attain vnto all kinde of knowledge might bring no small knowledge and vnderstanding of diuine things vnto them for they were exceeding great searchers of all antiquities and most wonderfully greedy of all kinde of knowledge and learning and therefore they did search into the Oracles of the Caldeans Aegyptians and Hebrewes that so much as they could they might find out the truth both of humane and diuine things And so Theodoret Clemens Alexandrinus and Iustin Martyr doe plainely affirme that Plato read the Bookes of Moses and the Prophets and both Saint Ambrose and Eusebius say that Numenius a Platonist was wont to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Plato was none else but Moses in the Graecian Tongue And Saint Augustine himselfe saith That Plato learned the Diuine Scriptures from the Prophet Ieremie Aug de Doct. Christa l. 2. c. 28. Jdem de ciuit Dei l. 8. c. 11. when the Iewes were in their captiuity at Babylon but I finde he retracted this opinion in his eight Booke and eleuenth Chapter De ciuitate Dei for there by the computation of their yeeres and times wherein both of them liued he findes that Ieremie dyed almost a hundred yeeres before that Plato was borne the captiuity being in the time of Cyrus and Darius Kings of Persia and Plato borne but a little before Alexander King of Macedon yet there he denies not but that Plato by his industry when he trauelled into Egypt might by some Interpreters learne the Scriptures for as yet the Septuagint had not translated them into the Greeke Tongue and yet Aristobulus as Eusebius citeth him saith that certaine parts and parcels of the Scriptures were translated by others before the Septuagint out of which Plato might learne many points of the diuine Truth Or if this knowledge was not had out of the Hebrew Bookes yet might hee learne much as Herodotus did in other points from the Egyptian Priests for it is not likely that the Egyptians had lost all knowledge of Diuinitie but that still there remained some reliques of that verity which Ioseph and the Children of Israel when they dwelt in Egypt did spread and leaue amongst them Psal 105.22 for God sent Ioseph to instruct the Princes of Pharaoh and to teach his Senators wisedome not onely to prouide foode for their bodies but also for the happinesse of their soules All these things being well considered it seemeth not absurd vnto me to say that Plato and other learned men among the Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the knowledge of this truth concerning this eternall Word Nay they could not be ignorant of the same That the Gentiles expected the comming of a Messiah for it is well knowne that the Gentiles did expect the comming of the Messias as well as the Iewes though for want of the Diuine Oracles they had not the knowledge of many particulars of his comming so well as the Iewes had And therefore he is called Expectatio gentium The hope and expectation of the Gentiles And so those many multitudes that became Proselites of the Iewish Religion those Sybils and Prophets Zoroastres Baalam and others that prophecyed of his comming Numb 24.17 and those Magi that came from the East To worship him as soone as euer he was borne doe sufficiently proue that the Gentiles expected the comming of this Word Math. 2.1 c. before hee was made flesh And therefore seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was most chiefly knowne or likeliest to be knowne both among the Iewes and Gentiles and that the Euangelist desired to apply himselfe to both Nations that he might winne and gaine the more to Christ he vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saith The Word was made flesh And Secondly The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the fittest word that hee could choose to make way for him to expresse what hee meant immediately to declare for he intended presently to say that all things were made by him but he could not call him by whom all things were made by any fitter terme then the Word because all men did know that God made all things by his Word for by the Word of the Lord were the Heauens made Psal 32. when God spake the Word and they were made hee commanded Psal 148.5 and they stood fast And so you see these few obseruations touching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word here vsed by the Euangelist to expresse the person that was made flesh Now seeing this Word What a shame it is for vs to be ignorant of this Word now already incarnate is the chiefest Word in the World and was the Word best knowne to all the best men of the World Kings Priests Prophets Phylosophers Orators and the like it should put vs euer in minde neuer to neglect the knowledge of this Word for what a shame is this to vs that we are so full of idle words yea of leud and wicked words and this Word God should be so strange vnto vs and that the very Heathens knew it euen before he came into the World and we should be so ignorant of it now after hee is come and is preached throughout all the whole World that they were so diligent to finde him out and we so negligent to accept him offered vnto vs and preached euery where to euery one of vs without doubt they shall rise in iudgement against vs and condemne vs. And so much for this Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here vsed and why that word is here chosen by the Euangelist CHAP. VII Of the chiefest Causes why this Word was made Flesh THirdly We are to consider why this Word was incarnate and made flesh Touching which I say that First Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why the Word was made Flesh the impulsiue cause in respect of vs was our most wofull miserable case and condition wherein we lay all depriued
nothing to helpe our selues no not so much as to imagine which way to doe our selues any good God of his meere loue was moued through his wisedome to finde out this meanes of vniting the Word with our Flesh that we might be vnited vnto God againe O that wee would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psal 107.8 and shew the wonders that he doth for the Children of men That wee would offer vnto him The sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing and shew forth his prayses from one generation to another Seuenthly Because hereby is shewed the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell for that the Fathers vnder the Law did see these things darkely and beheld Christ through the grates and lattices i. e. vnder the types and shaddowes of the Law as it were with Moses in foramine petrae through the holes and clefts of the rocke to behold a few glympses of the glory of God but we with open face may see him as in a glasse for now the vayle is taken away from Moses his face Cant. 2.14.15 all types are now accomplished all ceremonies are abolished and all the mysts of darknesse The difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell errours and Heresies are now especially dispersed for that not onely the day-starre hath appeared but also the Sun of Righteousnesse hath risen and shineth ouer the face of the whole world and this great mystery of godlinesse is and hath beene long preached vnfolded and most plainely shewed vnto the Gentiles as the Apostle sheweth Heb. 5.11 And therefore it is a shame for vs if we be dull in hearing and vnapt to vnderstand all necessary truthes for though the Iewes of old might be excused for their ignorance because they sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of Death yet are we without excuse because the cleere light of truth is continually preached vnto vs and therefore it will be our condemnation if we loue darknesse more then light Iohn 3.19 and desire rather to be still groping in the twy-light of morality i. e. the precepts of morall men then to walke in the true light of Diuinity which is the Doctrine of Iesus Christ And yet such is the misery of our dayes and the dulnesse of our people that as the Church of Rome teacheth implicite faith to suffice a man for his saluation i. e. to beleeue what the Church beleeueth though he know no more what that is then Baalams Asse vnderstood her owne voyce Numb 22. 31. So many amongst vs whom God hath indued with sufficient capacities to vnderstand many mysteries of faith if they would apply their desire diligence to learne them are contented with confused or at the best very generall notions that Christ died for them and that they hope by him to be saued That many men are very ignorant of the chiefest points of Christianity and if you enter into the particulars concerning his person they presently frame vnto themselues false and erronious conceits thinking perhaps Christ to be a man by an humane person and so are Nestorians or to be a meere man and so are Arrians or to haue his natures confounded and so are Eutychians or else the properties of these natures confused and so are Lutherans and so are wrapped in many monstruous Heresies not for want of meanes but for want of desire or diligence to vnderstand these truths But if any will be such that is not looke vpon the light for feare of blinding his eyes let him take heede of that fearefull saying Qui ignorat ignorabitur He that will not know Christ 1 Cor. 14.38 shall not be knowne of Christ and yet I meane not that euery one especially of the meaner vnderstandings should labour for perfect or exquisite knowledge herein or more then their capacities are able to comprehend for as we must not be too carelesse so we may not be too curious in these vnsearchable mysteries but my meaning is that men should not satisfie themselues onely with inuolued implicite faith or some generall notions concerning Christ but should labour euery man according to the measure of vnderstanding that God hath giuen him to learne and know in some competent measure the particular mysteries of our faith And so much for the first part of this Treatise the summe and substance of the words Incarnation Part. 2. PART II. The chiefest circumstances that are requisite to be knowne for the vnderstanding of this mystery of the words Incarnation CHAP. I. Of the Ancestors and family from whence Christ descended And what we may learne thereby SEcondly the chiefest circumstances concerning the words Incarnation are especially these three First His family from whence he was descended Secondly His natiuity whereby hee was declared And Thirdly His testimony by which hee was approued vnto the world to be the true Messias First for the family from whence Christ should descend It was prophesied long before Matth. 1. that the Messias should come of the seed and linage of Dauid and the Euangelists say that Christ was borne of a Virgin Luke 1.27 whose name was Mary First of a Virgin to fulfill the prophesie of Esay Chap. 7.14 And that he might be conceiued without sinne because hee was to redeeme vs from sinne Secondly of a Virgin called Mary that the verity of the Story might appeare most manifest and that the certaintie of his pedegree might be the more easily shewed Ob. But it may be obiected that Christ was to be like Melchisedecke without Father and without mother and therefore the Sonne of Mary is not likely to be the Christ because he hath a mother Sol. I answere that some affirmed Melchisedecke to haue both a Father and a Mother Hieron ad Euagr. and is thought by Saint Hierome and diuers others to be Sem the Sonne of Noah but he is said to be without Father and without Mother because by that name and in that place where be is said to haue come and to haue blessed Abraham there is no mention made of his Father or of his Mother or of his beginning or of his ending but for mine owne part I answere as I shewed before that this Melchisedecke was Christ himselfe and that he may be truly said to be without Father and without Mother if we vnderstand the same aright for that as God hee hath no Mother and as man hee hath no Father because Ioseph was but his legall and not his naturall Father But you will say then Ob. that hee could not come of the seede of Dauid because Mary was the Daughter of Ioachim Aug. contra faust Man l. 23. c. 3. 4. Luke 1.36 a Priest of the Tribe of Leui as the Manichees and others haue affirmed because the Scripture saith Behold thy Cosen Elizabeth which was the wife of Zacharias the Priest To this diuers men doe diuersly answere for Sol. Origen thinketh that they were Cosens not in respect of
Quem dixerunt regem Iudaeorum erat Creator Angelorum quem viderunt paruum in praesepio erat immensus in coelo Whom they had called King of the Iewes was the Lord and Maker of the Angels and whom they saw little and poore in the cratch was rich and immeasurable in Heauen Quod non capis quod non vides Fulgentius ser de Epiphania Thom in hymn Animosa firmat fides Praeter rerum ordinem Their faith did shew them that he was their God And so that starre which sent forth these three fore-named beames of light into the hearts of these Wise men did send from thence by reflection three other beames of light for our instruction for here we see this starre wrought in them First Illumination and Faith in their hearts What effects the Starre wrought in the Wise men for when they saw him they beleeued in him Secondly Confession and Inquisition in their Mouthes for when they lost him they made diligent search and inquisition after him saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes Deut. 6.16 Thirdly Diligence and Obedience in their Actions for they made hast to goe vnto him and when they came they came not empty-handed but they brought vnto him Gold Frankinsence and Myrrhe Aurea nascenti fuderunt munera regi Thura dedâ—â—e deo myrrham tribuere sepulchro And so herein these Wise men were wise indeed not because they had all the wisedome of the Gentiles but because they did thus seeke and find him In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Oh that it were so with vs that wee did know him beleeue in him goe vnto him search and seeke him and offer him our selues and ours to doe him seruice Pro myrrha lachrymas auro cor porrige purum Pro thure ex humili pectore funde preces And we shall not neede to fetch gold from Ophire What we shold offer vnto Christ but the gold of a pure Faith which will abide the fiery tryall neither shal we need to goe to the Apothecaries to buy their Frankinsence or Myrrhe but the sweet perfume of deuout prayers and the bitter teares of godly sorrow for out vngodly sinnes these are the most acceptable sacrifices vnto Christ And as the fore-named witnesses which were primitiae Martyrum the first fruits of his witnesses both of the Iewes and Gentiles doe testifie this truth vnto the world so to these are added the testimony of Iohn the Baptist for he was sent to beare witnes of that light Iohn 1.8 and he testified and bare witnesse of him that he was that Lambe of God John 1.29 which taketh away the sinnes of the world And because we should the better beleeue him and his testimonie herein he sheweth how he came to know him to be the true Messias euen by the testimony of the Spirit of truth for I knew him not saith he but he that sent me to baptize with water i. e. the holy Ghost said vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost and I saw saith he and bare record that this is the Sonne of God Iohn 1.33 And then the testimony of all the Euangelists the Apostles the Fathers the Martyres and all the holy Men of God which haue testified and sealed this truth vnto vs some with their words some with their workes and some with their deerest blood That God himselfe testified Christ to be his sonne Matth. 3.17 Secondly if these testimonies of the creatures be not sufficient to proue Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the Eternall Sonne of God we find God himselfe the Creator of Heauen and Earth testifying the same for though the testimony of Iohn was sufficient Iohn 5.35 to satisfie any man because he was aburning a shining light in whom the Iewes themselues were willing to reioyce for a season as our Sauiour witnesseth yet Christ needed not to receiue testimony from man John 5.36 because he had a greater witnesse then that of Iohn euen the Father himselfe which sent him he bare witnesse of him and with an audible voyce he proclaymed the same twice from heauen saying first at the Riuer Iordan and then on Mount Thabor Matth. 7.5 that he was his Beloued Sonne in whom hee was well pleased John 5.36 And these are sufficient witnesses Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words as the Psalmist saith Or if any Athiest will not beleeue these Diuine Oracles let him beleeue his owne eyes If he will beleeue neither Angels Men nor GOD let him beleeue himselfe Matth. 7.16 for the very workes that I doe testifie of me for the workes of euery man doe testifie of him what he is because that is a sure rule of our Sauiour By their fruits you shall know them But then you must not vnderstand their workes as they are reported to bee for so wee are and may be many times deceiued for Iohn came Matth. 11.18 neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a Diuell and our Sauiour came eating and drinking and they said behold a Glutton and a Wine-bibber And the Prophet Dauid saith They laid to his charge things that hee neuer knew So the Christians of the Primitiue Church that were as carefull as men might possible be for their liues to leade a strict and an vpright life yet is it incredible almost to thinke what wicked reports were raised of them and therefore not the workes of man as they are by enuy or malice bruited to be for what will not enuy say but as they are in deed and verity doe manifestly shew what any man is and therefore Christ saith vnto the Iewes If you were the sonnes of Abraham Iohn 8.39 you would doe the workes of Abraham and Saint Iames saith Iames 2.18 Shew me thy Faith by thy Workes for the workes of a man truely considered is an infallible argument to shew what he is so the workes that our Sauiour did while he did liue on earth doe sufficiently proue him to be both God and Man and so his very enemies testified saying He hath done all things well Mark 7.37 he maketh both the deafe to heare and the dumbe to speake and those that doubted of him whether he was the true Messias or not said Iohn 7.31 When Christ commeth will he doe more miracles then these which he hath done and the works that he doth now raigning in heauen doe sufficiently proue him to be the Maker Preseruer Heb. 10.12.13 and Redeemer of men for he sitteth on the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 1 Cor 15.35 Matth. 11 6. making intersession for his Saints and ruling till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete And therefore I conclude as I began that the Word was made flesh and blessed is he that
others will haue this phrase to signifie his abode conuersation here among men thirdly others will haue it to signifie the state and condition of the dead as if the comparison were made betwixt those parts of the earth wherein the liuing doe inhabit and that place wherein the dead are buried and so they doe expound that place of Esayas that hee was cut off from the land of the liuing and so cast into the land of the dead Esay 53.8 which they say the Apostle vnderstandeth by the lower parts of the earth and fourthly others say that he descended into the place of the damned not to suffer Iohn 19.30 because that was finished on the Crosse nor to fetch any Fathers out of Lymbe but to signifie and to shew not onely by words but also by presence that seing by his death and Passion the wrath of God was appeased Satan was to haue no more power ouer the Elect which hee held captiue that he was now made Lord of all and that all power was giuen vnto him and a name aboue all other names Collos 2.15 and not onely to declare the same vnto them but also to subdue them and to spoyle principalities and powers and as my Text saith to leade captiuitie captiue And this is the exposition of most of the ancient Fathers for mine owne part I am of Zanchius minde Laâ—ch in Ephes c. 4. that in the word descendit all these foure expositions may bee comprehended because he descended into his mothers wombe to be conuersant here among men into his graue and into Hell and our very Creede expresseth all these foure he was conceaued by the holy Ghost i. e. in his mothers wombe there is the first hee was borne of the Virgin Marie and hee suffered vnder Pontius Pilate there is the second he was dead buried there is the third and he descended into Hell there is the fourth and these be the foure degrees of his humiliation That Christ descended into Hell and this the Apostle seemeth plainely to vnderstand by the antithesis by the coherence and by the scope of the words because hee saith that hee ascended to the highest part of Heauen and therefore this also that he descended into the lower parts of the earth is literally to bee vnderstood that he descended into Hell because no place of the earth is lower then Hell Secondly Touching the exaltation of Christ Saint Paul setteth downe two things 1. He describeth the Person ascending he which descended 2. He expresseth the action he ascended He which ascended is the very same person which descended First he saith that it is he which descended that hath ascended i. e. he which was made man which suffered was buried he ascended and who is he but God the Sonne the second Person of the Trinitie for so our Sauiour saith I went forth from the Father and I came into the world and againe I leaue the world and I goe to the Father and therfore it is the very self same Son of God and none other which both descended and ascended And so by these few words we finde two great heresies quite ouerthrowne first of them which say hee brought his body from Heauen because the Apostle doth not say he which ascended descended though this be true being truely vnderstood for he ascended God and Man which so did not descend but as God alone therefore he saith he which descended he ascended secondly hereby is ouerthrowne the heresie of Nestorius which said our Sauiour consisteth of two persons for if he which descended is the very same that ascended then it is apparant that by his descention That in Christ there cannot be two persons i. e. by the assumption of our nature hee is no other person then he was before but still remaineth one and the selfe same person and that the humane nature doth adde nothing vnto the Sonne of God for the constituting or perfecting of his person for otherwise he that ascended had bin another and not the same which descended for hee had descended a simple person and ascended compounded hee had descended an imperfect person and ascended perfect which is most hereticall either to say or think And this is the cause why we affirme that the person of Christ cannot be said to bee compounded of two natures tanquam ex partibus as of two parts Christ still remaineth a most simple person i. e not compounded but as hee was before the assuming of our nature so also now hee is still a most simple and a most perfect person bearing our nature as on â—â—areth on his garment but neuer to put it off againe because it is assumed into the vnitie of his person and so Saint Augustine saith that Christ descended like a naked man and when he ascended he ascended the same person but clothed with our flesh and therefore as he is not another man that taketh on a garment so the Sonne of God is not another person because he tooke vpon him the garment of our flesh and if the humane nature assumed did neither change nor perfect nor compound the person of the Sonne of God because he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other then by the same reason it cannot be said that Christ tooke man vpon him i. e. a humane person as Nestorius taught But therefore he vnderstood not the same How Nestorius was deceiued about the person of Christ because on the one side hee held that true philosophicall principle that the actions are of the persons and not of the natures and on the other side he held another principle which is also true if it be truely vnderstood that of contrary effects there must bee contrary efficient causes and hee saw that in Christ there were diuers and contrary actions and therefore he did thence conclude that in Christ there must needs be diuers persons whereof the one should be passible and the other impassible and so he made that hee which descended was not the same but another that ascended for he considered not quod idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest diuersa pugnantia opâ—rari secundam diuersas in eo naturas that the same subsistent or person may worke diuers and contrarie acts in respect of the diuers natures that are in it as a man according to his soule doth vnderstand and according to his body hee doth not vnderstand in respect of his soule he is immortall and in respect of his body hee is mortall and so through his ignorance hee hath abused these true philosophicall principles being truely vnderstood to denie the truth of the Scriptures and to wrong the person of the Sonne of God but the Fathers truely explaining the sayd principles did confute his error and confirme this truth that he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other But from hence it is apparant that the word descendit is not to be taken in
should carry vs vp vnto God because God is loue and loue brought downe God vnto men Huc me syderio descendere fecit olympo Hic me crudeli vulnere fixit amor And therefore no maruell that loue should carry vs vp into Heauen Aug. in Psal 83. p. 376. d. 1. wherefore Saint Augustine sayth that by loue we doe either ascend to Heauen or descend to Hell quia amando Deum ascendis in Coelum amando seculum descendis vsque ad abyssum because by louing God wee ascend to Heauen and by louing the world we descend downe to Hell Saint Gregory saith these wings are 1. The contempt of worldly things 2. The desire of heauenly things And this may well stand with Saint Augustines saying because as the same Saint Gregorie saith tanto ab inferioribus disiungimur quanto superioribus delectamur by how much the more earnestly we loue heauenly things by so much we are ascended and sequestred from earthly things And therefore if you would ascend 1. Iohn 2.15 Colos 3.2 then loue not the world nor the things of this world but set your affections on those things that are aboue and because our life is iust like a clocke that vnlesse his waight be alwayes wynded vp will soone stand therefore wee must be euer winding vp our affections and weaning them from these worldly things and with Noahs doue neuer suffer the soales of our feete to rest vntill our hearts and soules returne to him that gaue them vs. Thirdly for the signes whereby wee may know whether we haue ascended or doe ascend towards Heauen or not I might shew you many How we may know whether our hearts ascendeth to Heauen or not but now take this for all if things aboue our heads shew greater vnto vs then they did before and things beneath vs lesser that is an apparant argument that we ascend and grow higher and higher for so Saint Gregorie saith if a man were aloft in the cloudes it would appeare vnto him quam abiecta sunt quae iam alta videntur how base are the things of this earth which to a man on earth doe seeme so great for then hee should see mountaines no bigger then Mole-hills and the Sunne which before while hee was on earth did seeme but instar pilae pedalis like a footeball hee should now finde it to be a great and immens glorious body all bodies aboue him would seeme greater and all below him would seeme lesser euen so if our hearts and affections be ascended vp to Heauen then surely the things of this world doe seeme vnto vs but as they are indeede damnum stercora Dung and drosse Phil. 3.8 or as nothing and worth nothing as Nazianzen saith and the things of Heauen are the onely desires of our hearts and the delights of our soules but if folia venti lilia agri the vanities and the pleasures of this world the Titles of Honour and the confluence of wealth be the desires and delights of our hearts then certainely wee are fast bound in misery and iron wee are fastened and fettered here on earth and it may bee with Golden chaynes but fast inough from ascending vp to Heauen I will not iudge of any by this rule you may all iudge your selues if you doe highly esteeme of the preaching and Preachers of Gods Word If you make much of them that feare the Lord and loue good men and a good conscience and make none account of this world nor of the things of this world then is your heart ascended vp to Heauen but if not Nudus humi iaces Thou lyest poore and miserable fettered here in earth a flaue and captiue of the Deuill and hast neede to cry and call for Christ to lead captiuitie captiue which is the second part of my Text. And so much for the Ascention of our Sauiour Christ Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. Of the victory and triumph of Christ ouer our enemies of our deliuerance from them and of our restoring into the seruice of God againe SEcondly Touching the victory and triumph of Christ set downe in these words Thou hast led captiuity captiue we must vnderstand that this is taken two wayes 1. Passiuely 2. Actiuely And I say first Passiuely because our enemies must be vanquished before we can be deliuered and therefore How Christ ouercame death Hell sinne and Satan First This phrase may be taken Passiuely for the World Death and Hell and all other enemies of Mankinde which Christ hath conquered and led captiue that they should not raigne and rule ouer his seruants any more And thus Saint Augustine doth expound it saying Quid est captiuauit captiuitatem vicit mortem mortem procurauit diabolus ipse diabolus de morte Christi est captiuatus What is he led captiuity captiue but he ouercame death for the Diuell had procured death for sinne and now the Diuell himselfe is captiuated by the death of Christ For as Victors were wont to doe to leade in triumph those Tyrants that opprest their subiects or those enemies that they had vanquished being fast bound with chaines with their heads and feet bare for their greater shame and reproach so the Psalmist alludeth vnto the same when he saith Coloss 2.15 Thou hast led captiuity captiue and the Apostle doth more cleerely expresse it when hee saith that Christ hauing spoyled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly tryumphing ouer them in it Quest But here it may be demaunded how are they captiuated when as the Diuell compasseth the earth like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure And so doth the world still oppresse vs 1 Pet. 5.8 our flesh lusteth against the spirit and Death still raigneth ouer vs all I answere that Christ hath destroyed their Power Resp hee hath taken away their strength and hee hath quite subuerted the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and taken away the sting of death and yet they compasse about not as hauing any power ouer vs but as a Lyon tyed will teare vs in pieces if he can catch vs within his clawes so will sinne and Satan if wee yeeld vnto them for though Christ ouercame all our enemies yet hee hath not quite taken them out of our wayes but left them as it were aliue though bound that we might still beware to come within their reach if we would escape their teeth and therefore wee say that sinne is so taken away that it doth not raigne ouer the Saints though perhaps through their negligence it doth often wound them so Satan is bound though like a bridled horse he often fumes against vs and sometimes bites vs too 1 Cor. 15.54 if we beware not of him and so death is swallowed vp into victory and the sting thereof is taken away so that it can neuer hurt the Saints of God though it layes them stil into a sleepe because they shall all awake at the last day But if sinne and
Thirdly for a sensible and a well-pleasing suffering of all afflictions wants pouertie losses persecutions malice contempt contumelies pouertie death it selfe and that not for any game of worldly good for so worldings suffer much losse of sleepe labour and toyle to get a little wealth the drunkard many a fall and some hurts for the loue of his pleasant wine and the enuious man many a blow and some wounds perhaps to wreak his malice vpon his aduersarie and yet in these men which doe thus suffer much that they may doe euill nec miranda nec laudanda est patientia quae nulla est admirandâ— duritia neganda patientia Aug in l. de patientia c. 5. their patience is neither to be admired nor to bee commended because it is a suffering for ill ends but our suffering must be for to shew vnto the world that rather then we will in the least degree dishonor God or make shipwrack of our faith and good conscience we are most willing to indure whatsoeuer shall be imposed vpon vs. All these kindes of diuine patience the holy spirit of God worketh in the hearts of the godly to make them patiently to waite for good Iob. 1.22 and quietly to suffer all euill and all this without grumbling or charging God foolishly CHAP. III. Of the formes wherein the holy Ghost appeared and why and how the Apostles are said to be filled with the holy Ghost FOr the third that is The gifts of edifying the Church how giuen how God bestoweth these gifts vnto men we must vnderstand that as his gifts be diuers so he doth diuersly bestow them for First those gifts which are giuen for the edifying of his Church he gaue them after two speciall manner of waies 1. Abundantly and visibly in the infancie of his Church 2. Sufficiently and inuisibly euer since First the Scripture tells vs Acts 2.1 2 3 4. that when the day of Pentecost was come they were with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heauen as of a mightie rushing winde and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as of fire and it sate vpon each of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost and beganne to speake with other tongues as the spirit gaue them vtteranee Out of all which we may chiefely obserue these three speciall poynts 1. Who were filled 2. With what they were filled 3. The effects of their filling First Saint Chrysostome saith that all the companie both of men and women were filled with these graces Cyprian ser de spiritu sancto Saint Cyprian saith the whole multitude of the beleeuers that were gathered together were replenished with this spirit Saint Augustine Saint Gregorie and Lorinus saith that all the Apostles and Disciples were filled with the holy Ghost Hieron in epitaph Paulae but Saint Hierome and Theod. Beza and others do affirme that none but the Apostles onely were replenished with these gifts howsoeuer the matter is not great it deserues not contention though it may afford discussion for mine owne part I thinke all that were there Who were filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost were not replenished because it is said many of the beholders wondered and others derided at this there sudden alteration which certainely they would neuer haue donne because there had beene none to doe it if they had bin all filled and I cannot easily yeeld that the Disciples were filled with these gifts because the promise of sending downe the holy Ghost was onely made vnto the Apostles as we may easily collect out of the fift verse of the first Chapter and because Saint Peter with the other Eleuen doe onely stand vp to answer for themselues as we may plainely see in the fourth verse of the second Chapter and especially because some antient copies haue bin found which doe expressely say that all the Apostles were filled with the holy Ghost And 1 Cor. 13.32 God can blesse or preserue his seruants in the midst of the wicked This sheweth how the spirit of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets and that as God can powre downe his plagues vpon multitudes of men and yet preserue one free in the midst of thousands as the Prophet Dauid sheweth so he can powre down his spirit vpon one in the midst of millions of men and hee can bedewe that one with his grace like Gedeons fleece while all the rest are drie Iudges 61.38 and destitute of the same which doth exceedingly commend the wise dispensation of almighty God and affoord a great comfort vnto the Saints of Christ that although they liue in the midst of a most crooked and peruers generation yet they may see how God can preserue them as the lilie in the midst of the thornes and indue them with his grace when all the rest of the world flowes with sinne Secondly they are sayd to bee filled with the holy Ghost where we must obserue these two things 1. The thing wherewith they are sayd to be filled 2. The filling of them with that thing First they are said to bee filled with the holy Ghost and we finde that the name of the holy Ghost is taken two wayes 1. For the essence of the holy Ghost 2. For the effects and gifts of the holy Ghost First it is taken for the essence of the holy Ghost as by the spirit of the Lord were the heauens made That the holy Ghost is a true God by nature and in this sence all creatures are filled with the holy Ghost because they liue and moue in him for the spirit of the Lord filleth the world and containeth all things saith the wise man And yet some haue bin so bolde as most impiously to affirme that the holy Ghost was but a created qualitie or a godly motion in the hearts and mindes of righteous men But the very works of the holy Ghost as creating all things as Iob sheweth the spirit of the Lord hath made me Iob. 33. and the breath of the Almighty hath giuen me life and as the Prophet Dauid more expressely affirmeth saying that by the spirit of the Lord were the Heauens made and all the Host thereof by the breath of his mouth Psal 33. and here assuming on him visible formes and sitting vpon each one of the Apostles onely and none els which no created qualitie could possibly doe and especially the comparing of Esayas words with the words of Saint Paul will sufficiently confute this damnable error and most manifestly shew vnto vs this holy spirit to be the true and eternall God Esay 6.9 for whom Esayas calleth the Lord of Hosts which said vnto him Goe tell this people heare yee indeede but vnderstand not and see yee indeed but perceiue not Saint Paul calleth the holy Ghost saying well spake the holy Ghost by Esayas the Prophet saying Goe vnto this
wallow and therefore beholding the goodnesse and seueritie of God on them to whom hee giues no grace seueritie but towards thee to whom he bestoweth his gifts goodnesse if thou continue in this goodnesse doe thou praise thy God and pray for them that for his sake that is ascended vp on high and hath led captiuitie captiue God would be pleased to bestow his gifts and graces vnto men that so all men may ascribe and giue all praise and glory vnto him which was and is and shall be through him which was dead and is aliue and liueth for euermore Amen A Prayer O Most gracious God which hast giuen thine only Sonne Iesus Christ to die for our sinnes to rise againe from the dead to ascend vnto Heauen to prepare a place for vs and to send vs thy holy spirit to fill our hearts with all heauenly graces which are necessarie for the gathering of thy Church and the sanctifying of our soules to prepare vs vnto eternall life we most humbly beseech thee to giue vs that grace to be truly thankfull vnto thee for all thy graces Increase our faith stirre vp our hope and kindle our loue both towards thee and towards all men for thy sake and because all graces are begotten increased and preserued by the hearing of thy Word and receiuing of thy blessed Sacraments we pray thee O Lord to giue vs grace to heare thy Word attentiuely to beleeue it faithfully and to receiue thy Sacraments worthily that so being filled with thy spirit we may despise all worldly vanities and haue our conuersations in Heauen while we liue on earth and at last bee receiued into that Kingdome which thou hast prepared for them that loue thee through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Seuenth Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Seuenth greatest Light of Christian REIGION Of the duty of CHRISTIANS 1 THESSAL 5 2◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brethren pray for vs. I Haue shewed thee O man The coherence of this Treatise with all the other Treatises how man behaued himselfe towards God offending his Maiesty with hainous sinnes and I haue shewed thee what God hath done for sinfull man how hee sent his onely begotten Sonne to be made man to suffer paine and sorrow and to die a cursed death for man thereby to ouercome all our enemies sinne death and hell to arise from the dead to assure vs of our deliuerance to ascend into heauen to prepare a place for vs and to send his holy and blessed Spirit into the hearts of men to fit them with the gifts and graces of the same to prepare them for heauen that the poore man might bathe himselfe in the poole of Bethesda and be made perfectly whole that the wandering sheepe might bee reduced and brought home vpon this mans shoulders and that sinfull man might be reconciled and revnited vnto God againe And therefore now Quid nisi vota supersunt what remaineth sauing onely prayers to render thankes vnto God for this great kindnesse and to aske those things that hee requisite for vs and to teach vs how to doe the same I haue chosen to treate of this short Text Brethren pray for vs. It is a Text independent either of precedent or subsequent matter and it containeth points of piety points fit to bee preached and fitter to bee practised by your sacred Maiesty by the worthiest Nobles by vs Priests by all men and therefore da veniam Imperatâ—r I humbly craue attention but a short time to dilate vpon this short Text Brethren pray for vs. I may say of it as Saint Hierome said to Paulinus of the Catholike Epistles of Saint Peter Saint Iohn Saint Iames and S. Iude Eas breues esse pariter longas that they were short in words but full of matter for herein our blessed Apostle as was said of that famous Hystorian Verborum numero sententiarum numerum comprehendit in this paucity of words hath couched plenty of matter the parts are two The diuision of the Text. 1. A most friendly compellation Brethren 2. A most Christian request or exhortation pray for vs. Out of the first I note two things 1. His affection whereby we are taught to liue in vnity 2. His discretion whereby wee may obserue a Christian pollicy not such as is abusiuely though commonly so termed in the world but such as is ioyned with true piety And in the second I obserue likewise two things 1. The action pray which is a worke of piety 2. The extention for vs which is an act of charity And so you see that from this short Text we may learne 1. Vnity 2. Pollicy 3. Piety 4. Charity Brethren pray for vs. CHAP. I. Of the diuers sorts of Brethren and how this teacheth vnitie FIrst Brethren is verbum amoris a word full of loue Of the vnity of brethren but it is diuersly taken in the Scripture For First Aug. ser 61. de tempore sometimes Omnem hominem per fratrem debemus accipere saith Saint Augustine we ought to vnderstand euery man by the name of brother as he that hateth his brother i. e. he that hateth any man is a man-slayer Secondly Sometimes it signifieth those of the same nation as Moses went out vnto his brethren Exod. 2.11 and saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew one of his brethren Thirdly Sometimes cognatos Scriptura dicit fratres Aug. l. 1. locut de Gen. Math. 12.4.7 Mar. 3.32 the Scriptures calleth our kinred by the name of brethren as behold thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee Fourthly Sometimes it is put for the sonnes of the same parents as Heua bare againe his brother Abell and Caine said Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4.2.8.9 v. Fiftly 1 Cor. 1.26 Sometimes we vnderstand those of the same religion and profession as you see your calling brethren Et sic fratres dicti Christiani and so all Christians are called brethren saith Saint Augustine and so Saint Paul meaneth in this place Brethren pray for vs for otherwise he was an Hebrew of the seed of Israel of the Tribe of Beniamin 2 Pet. 1.10 and they were Grecians of Thessalonica the Metrapolitane City of Macedonia built by Philip king of Macedon and so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. ser dom in monte fol. 343. of his victories obtained in Thessaly in which respect also he called his owne daughter Thessalonica as Suidas saith but they were all Christians and therefore brethren and therefore the deerer one to another because Christian brethren Quia maior est fraternitas spiritus quam sanguinis because the fraternity or brother-hood of Christians which is in respect of the Spirit that begetteth vs with the same immortal seed in the wombe of the same mother the Church to bee brought forth and brought vp as children to the same Father which is in heauen is a great deale more excellent then the brotherhood of flesh and bloud Nam
6. That we shold pray euery where Act. 10.30 the precept of Christ the practise of Christians our manifold necessities teach vs to pray in euery place with Moses vpon the mountaine with Elias vnder a Iuniper tree with Cornelius in our Chambers with Dauid in our beds with Daniel in the Lions denne and with all Christians in all places yet for publique prayer the chiefest seruice of Almighty God I say the Church is the fittest place Chrysost in act 3. hom 9. and the onely place appointed by GOD and MAN for this is doctrinae sedes domus sancta saith Saint Chrysostome the schoole of Diuinity the seate of Doctrine an holy house a house of God and the gate of Heauen it is domus orationis the house of prayer The Church is the fittest place for publique prayers saith our Sauiour here were the Arke of the Couenant the Tables of the Testimonies the Cherubims the Mercy seate and all the visible signes and tokens of the presence of God and therefore Christ himselfe frequented the Temple the Disciples were there daily lauding and praising God Luke 24. and all the Christians of the Primitiue Church did vse to pray and preach in the Church Act. 2.46 and this they ought to doe for these speciall reasons First Gualterus in Act. That out of many people they might gaine the more vnto Christ for as it is good fishing in the Sea where there are fishes innumerable so it is good preaching where we see a good company of people there is hope of gayning some where we see so many and therefore it is good for all men to frequent the Church Secondly Lucas Lossius in Act. postill that they might make a publique confession of their faith before the people to shew that they were not ashamed of the Gospell and profession of Iesus Christ they were not like vnto Nicodemus that came to Christ by night Iohn 3. but durst not come by day for feare he should be seene of the people they would not serue him in corners but they would professe him openly that he likewise might receiue them openly before his Father which is in Heauen Thirdly Bulling that we might learne and know how vnbeseeming priuate conuenticles be and how vnfitting it is for Christians to haue such secret meetings except onely in time of persecution and on the other side to shew how commendable yea and how honourable it is for vs to ioyne our selues vnto Gods publique Congregation Fourthly That they may shew their charity and their vnity one with another by their meeting in the same place with the same affection and for the same purpose Ioel. 2.16.17 Fiftly that they might the sooner and the easier obtaine their requests at the hands of God to haue their sinnes forgiuen the iudgements of God auerted and their necessities relieued for so we finde that publique prayers made in the Church of God doth best and soonest obtaine these things in a double respect Publique prayers will soonest obtaine our requests in a double repect 1. Of the place 2. Of the Company For First though Enter praesenter deus est vbique potenter God in respect of his Essence and omnipotency is present euery where yet he is said to be more especially present in some places rather then others in some speciall respects as he is said to be in Heauen more properly then in any other place not in respect of his Essence which the Heauen of heauens cannot containe but in respect of that glorious manifestation of his excellency and that fruition of his presence which is there more cleerely shewed then in any other place so he is euer ready to heare vâ— and to grant our desires in the Church rather then in any other place not because he cannot or will not heare vs in all other places but because there is a blessing annexed by his promise to the publique place of the deuotion not in regard of the dignity of the place but because it pleased God to promise to heare the prayers that are made in that place in a more speciall manner then hee doth the prayers that are made in any other place whatsoeuer as you may see most plainely in the 1 Kings 8. 1 Kings 8. Secondly in respect of the company which doe gather themselues together into this place wee may more easily obtaine our requests in the Church then in any other place Nam si duo magna possunt quanto magis plures For if the prayer of one righteous man auaileth much or the prayer of two or three when they are gathered together in his Name as our Sauiour saith then how much more shall the prayers of a multitude of Gods seruants doe And therefore we should neuer excommunicate our selues vpon any occasion from this publique place of deuotion but we should euer frequent the house of God Psal 122.1 and weare out the thresholds of his doores remember what the Prophet saith I was glad when they said come let vs goe vp into the house of the Lord and be ashamed of them Chrys hom 2. in 2 Cor. 1. Qui toto anno vix semel in Ecclesia conspiciuntur which are scarce seene in the Church once a yeare such as are our Recusant Papists that despise our Church and refuse our Congregations and our proude Professors that thinke the Ministers more bound to come to them vnto their owne houses then themselues are to come to the house of God and so all idle and lazy Christians that a short little way or a shower of raine or some such like the least impediment will easily detaine them from the Church of God and specially if there be no Sermon they can reade and they can pray at home But alas haue they such a promise to be heard at home as in the Church Ambros Ser. 19. in Psal 119. Esay 29.39 or shall they not rather be condemned for staying at home and neglecting the Church for such are worse then the very Iewes because they drew neere vnto GOD with their lippes and honoured him with their mouthes but these giue him neither speech nor presence in his house of seruice they may say they pray and they beleeue but they giue no good example vnto others neither doe they shew their faith by their good workes as we are exhorted to doe and therefore they may well feare the wrath of God to fall vpon them for this contempt for to be out of the Church vpon the appointed day and time of prayer without exceeding vrgent extraordinary occasion is in my iudgement like Saint Peters being out of the ship or Shemies being out of Ierusalem the one may sinke for his rashnesse the other die for his forgetfulnesse and so may these perish for their negligence if the Sonne of God bee not more mercifull vnto them then the sonne of Dauid was to Shemei and therefore visite not your friends in the time
ouer them as a iust punishment of their iniquitie yea sometimes hee makes good Kings to become burthensome vnto a land as hee did Dauid when hee numbered Israel for the sinnes and wickednesse of them that dwell therein and on the other side hee makes euill men good Kings and gouernours for the loue that hee beareth vnto all faithfull people or if still they continue euill hee will soone take them off if the people truly and faithfully serue him and pray vnto him for their Kings continually as they ought to doe because God hath promised to heare the prayers of the faithfull and to graunt vnto them their requests And as we are inioyned to pray for our Magistrates so here the Apostle sheweth that we ought also to pray for our Ministers for himselfe and the rest of the Apostles and all other Preachers of Gods Word pray for vs and this is praeceptum breue leue vtile a short request but one word pray you cannot forget it and it is easie for the poore may doe it as well as the rich and as the distich saith Aeque pauperibus prodest locupletibus aeque Aeque neglectum pueris senibusque nocebit It is as good for you that doe it as it is for vs for whom you doe it and the neglecting of it will preiudice you as much as vs and therefore pray for vs. Heb. 13. And I find the Apostle requesteth this diuers times therefore no doubt but for diuers reasons First you should pray for vs because we pray for you yea Three speciall reasons to moue vs to pray for our Ministers oftentimes when you doe not and sometimes when you cannot pray for your selues as Pharaoh sheweth when hee sent to Moses and Aaron that they should pray for him and it is peccatum non orandi a sinne of not praying in vs Exod. 9.28 when we neglect it as Samuel sheweth God forbid that I should cease to pray for you and so sinne against God and therefore lege talionis 1 Sam. 13.23 you are bound to pray for vs. Secondly you should pray for vs for the good of your selues for weake Ministers are the destruction of the people Iereboam made all Israell to sin because he made Priests of the meanest of the people for if they fall and perish many perish because as Saint Peter saith 2 Pet. 2.12 many shall follow their damnable waies And if you looke vpon all sorts of men you shall finde that they should be the most absolute of all men in all good parts for euery eye is vpon them therefore the Law requireth they should be men without blemish and euery man is to be taught by them and therefore the Priests lippes should preserue knowledge Or if you consider all degrees of men they haue all neede of them and they are necessarie vnto all to correct the bad to confirme the good to teach the people and to assist the princes for who should speake in Sermons Parliaments or any other Assemblies to preserue pietie to increase charitie and to iustifie the rights of Princes and to vindicate the same against the gaine-saying of Corah but we that are to teach euery soule to feare God to loue their neighbours and to be subiect vnto the higher powers And yet wee see regale Sacerdotium that royall Priest-hood which should be vpheld by Kings to be assistants vnto Kings to gouerne Gods people in all piety and honestie to become almost vulgare Sacerdotium a laicke presbyterie of a strange concretion or a popular Priest-hood full of all prying curiositie contradiction but I hope this will serue to shew how behouefull it is to haue wise discreet and faithfull Ministers euen for the good of all the people for like Priests like people if we be ill we make many ill because as the people of themselues haue not any grace to doe good they know not how to doe it vnlesse we teach them so they haue not much wit though it be alwaies propense to euill to doe many euils quia non nisi ex magnis ingenijs magni errores because strange plots can neuer proceede from meane wits but you see what cruell combustions the bloodie wittie Iesuites doe make in all the world to erect their Popish Monarchie and what foolish factions our own giddie wittie Puritan-Priests haue made amongst our selues to bring all things to an anarchie and therefore for your owne sake you should pray for vs that are your teachers that wee may be such as may be good for you to teach you in all honestie and godlinesse Thirdly you should pray for vs that by your prayers wee may be helped to discharge that great charge which is laid vpon vs for we are bound to beare one anothers burthen and to helpe one another in all necessities But of all the men in the world we are in the strangest state and therefore haue most need of all assistance For 1. Our worke is the greatest which we are to doe 2. Our danger is greatest whatsoeuer we doe First our worke is not collectio pecuniarum The great charge of preachers a trading in the world to get wealth or a hunting after our owne preferment but it is cura animarum a charge of soules the greatest charge in the world a burthen saith Moses yea such a burthen Angelicis humeris formidandum as would make Angels shoulders to shrinke saith Erasmus and therefore Saint Paul cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is sufficient for these things for wee are not onely to Preach in season and out of season that is volentibus et nolentibus to them that are willing and to them that are vnwilling as Saint Augustine expounds it because that to the willing it comes in season whensoeuer it comes and to the vnwilling it comes out of season come when it will but we are also to be an example of good life vnto all others and to liue like Gregorie Nazianzen qui fecit ea quae docuit Ruff. in vita Nazian seipsum minime condemnauit contraria agendo quam docebat which did the things that he taught How vprightly we should liue and did not condemne himselfe by liuing contrarie to his teaching The life of Preachers should be a most vpright and a sincere life without all offence quia inter seculares nugae nugae in ore sacerdotis sunt blasphemiae Bernard l. 2. de considerat ad Eugen. because those things which are but trifles or small sinnes among secular men they are great and horrible vntolerable sins among the Preachers of Gods Word nam ibi criminosior culpa est vbi honestior status for the more honourable is our calling the more odious is our offending and the Lord saith I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and therefore what care and what diligence ought we to haue to looke to our selues vt nihil faeditatis in nobis appareat Leuit. 10. that we might abstaine
the offender 37 Curious questions not to be discussed 627 RA. RAge of the Iewes against the dead corps of Christ 482 Christ onely raised himselfe from the dead 552 RE. Regenerate men haue a double being 6 Repentance the best meanes to reuiue our dying soules 51 52 Repentance killeth sinne 82 God no respecter of persons 91 God easie to be reconciled 191 Men cannot repent when they will 242 Christ would not reueale himselfe vnto the world all at once 259 Certaine resemblances of the Trinity seene in the creatures 273 Christ how he reconcileth vs to himselfe 297 How the word God resembleth our outward and inward word 308 God reuealed many things concerning himselfe to the Gentiles 313 The Deuils reuealed many things concerning God to the Gentiles why 313 315 Christ would not reueale his seruants shame 466 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Regeneration not needfull vnto Christ 364 To receiue the outward Sacraments and not the grace of the Sacraments is nothing worth 681 Heretickes receiue neither Christ nor the Sacraments of Christ 682 Worthy receiuers of the Sacraments receiue Christ and all his graces 682 We may receiue Christ without the Sacraments 680 Request of the thiefe how soone granted 487 What small things God requireth of vs. 99 To relye on God in afflictions how safe 489 Redemption foure-fold 500 To redeeme vs how dearely it cost 50 Our redemption paraleleth our creation 557 Resurrection of Christ shewed by the Angell 543 Resurrection of Christ manifesteth the conquest of Satan deliuerance of men and Christ to haue ouercome all his enemies 551 Resurrection of Christ the third day foreshewed 553 How ascribed to each person of the Trinity ibid. Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 556 Certainty of Christs Resurrection shewed in his rising the third day 557 Resurrection of Christ the third day is a patterne of our condition 544 Resurrection of Christ sought to be hindered by the high Priests 563 Resurrection of Christ beleeued of vs for three respects 566 Proued many wayes 567 c. Resurrection of Christ a patterne to teach vs how to rise from sinne 587 A cause of great ioy 598 An assurance of our resurrection to eternall life 598 Resurrection of Christians twofold 586 Relapsing or often falling into the same sinnes how dangerous 549 RI. Riches haue destroyed many men and what euill they doe 73 Riches or pouerty whether best ibid. No man truly Rich. â—81 Christ truly rich ibid. God loueth righteousnesse 90 The more righteous we be the more subiect to be afflicted 434 Christ to rise againe for three reasons 550 Typicall Testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 Christ himselfe shewed that he should rise the third day ibid. To rise from the dead greater then to descend from the Crosse 562 We should rise truly from sinne and from all sinnes 591 592 Ro. Rossensis his parable to Henery the eight of the axe that came to the trees for a handle 589 SA SAcraments a most excellent meanes to beget grace 679 They shew all that the Scriptures teach ibid. Euery sacrifice should be perfect 341 Sacriledge what a fearefull sinne 241 Saints preserued from sinne by the power of God 178 More glorious in aduersity then prosperity 207 They alwayes prayed to Christ 283 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ 288 His words the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Salomons posterity for his sinnes were finished in Iechonias 399 Saluation how we ought to thirst after it 488 Saluation by none but by Christ 501 Rabbi Samuel what he saith concerning Christ 579 Sanctification what it is 208 Samosatenian heresie 363 Satan how said to ascend 910 He lifteth vp the wicked to destroy them 612 His subtilty to deceiue the people 644 He ought to be spied before he comes too neere vs 13 He is the Father of sinne 14 He suggesteth sinne diuers wayes 12 He laboureth to conceale the light either of preaching or of applying Gods word 18 How he handleth the wicked at the time of their death 80 He cannot doe what he would 178 How he alwayes laboureth to vilifie the person of Christ 304 His insolency against Christ 322 His enuy against Christ and why 493 494 Without satisfaction no sinne can be pardoned 163 SC. Holy Scripture wholly true 215. 216 The best warrant for all Preachers 606 Scourging of Christ how grieuous it was 475 Christ how scoffed vpon the Crosse 481 SE. To search too farre into Gods essence is not safe 124 Seede of the parents the substance of the whole man 340 Seed of the man whether it falleth into the substance of the childe 340 God seeking after vs should make vs to seeke for him 181 God not to seene with any materiall eyes 117 Wee shall not see Gods essence in heauen but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 All men are euer seeking something 524 Godly men seeke onely for God â—25 Many seeke him amisse 526 Many seeke Christ amisse ibid. How we ought to seeke for Christ 526 521 c. That we cannot seeke for God vntill God doth seeke for vs. 529 Why the wicked seeke not God 531 Sensitiue facultie soone defileth the reasonable soule 17 Christ not sent by way of command 301 Seneca what he said 66 Sentence of Christ his condemnation 478 Senate of Rome lothe to derogate from the worth of Augustus 504 To serue sinne a most grieuous slauerie 22 Seruetus his heresie 343 To serue God the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our children 253 It procureth all blessings to vs. 132 Not to serue God heapeth all plagues vpon vs. 133 We were redeemed and preserued that we might serue him 132 It is the onely way to perpetuate our posterities 399 Late seruice God will hardly accept and why 587. 588 The seauen words of Christ vpon the Crosse 486 SH Shamefull handling of Christ how it grieued him 450 Shame of sinne cast off wee are almost past hope of goodnesse 20 Shedding of mans blood what a heauie sinne 240 Shepherds why first informed of the birth of Christ 412 SI Sight of sinne is no sinne 15 Sicknesse of the soule how worse then the sicknesse of the body 63 A signe why giuen by Judas 461 Signes how we may know whether wee bee ascended any thing towards heauen or not 632 Signes of a faithfull teacher 466 Similies expressing how the word alone assumed our flesh 327 A simile of Damascus and Theodorus shewing how the two natures of Christ though vnited doe remaine inconfused 388 Sinne is so vgly that at the first the sinner himselfe would faine conceale it 18 To be resisted at the first 23 It blindeth vs that we cannot perceiue it's vglinesse 42 At last it tormenteth the consciences of all sinners 42 How vgly and loathsome it is 47 Euerie sinne payeth the same wages 46 Sinnes the diseases of the soule 63 It extinguished all knowledge of God
may be said two waies 167 In what sence God willeth sinne 167 Will of Christ two fold 296 301 To doe the will of God will sooner bring vs to know God then to heare his word 571 Wings wherewith we flie to heauen what they be 631 Wine how deceitfull it is 45 Why wisedome is ascribed to the Sonne 273 By the wisedome whereof Salomon speaketh Prou. 8 22. what is meant 285 How hard for the wisedome of God to please foolish man 3â—0 Christ how said to be with God 297 Not as we are said to be with God ibid. To be with God and in God how the same 298 Witnesses of the birth of the Messias 411 WO. Woe trebled to the inhabitants of the earth 46 Christ why borne of a Woman 334 Women why three went together vnto the Sepulchre 519 Why they were all three called by the same name ibid. They were a type of the Church and of euery christian soule 520 How sorrowfull they were ibid. How distinguished and knowne one from the other 521 How they signifie three properties of the Church â— 521 How fearelesse they were in seeking Christ 521 How they laboured to increase the numbers of beleeuers 522 How peaceably they came to the graue 522 Many women were made instruments of great goodnesse 532 Word of God diuided into two parts 12 That the word was before he was made flesh 278 The word GOD no accidentall but an essentiall word 285 The word how he may be said to be created and begotten 289 Words of Dauid this day haue J begotten thee how vnderstood 290 Words of the Apostle he is the first borne of euery creature how vnderstood 290 Words of Saint Luke be shall be called the Sonne of God how vnderstood 248 Words of Salomon the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Words of Christ my Father is greater then I how vnderstood 300 Words of Christ I came not to doe mine owne will how vnderstood 301 Words of Saint Paul then the Sonne shall be subiect to the Father how vnderstood 301 Words of Christ I came from aboue how vnderstood 344 345 Words of the Apostle God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh how vnderstood 346 Words of our Creede he descended into hell how vnderstood 580 581 c. The seauen gratious words that Christ spake vpon the Crosse 486 Christ called the Word because he declareth his father vnto vs. 322 How God can expresse himselfe with one word 307 Why Christ is tearmed the word ibid. How the word GOD resembleth our outward word 308 How it resembleth our inward word ibid. How it differeth from our word 309 Whether it be a name of Christ his person or hâ—â— office 310 Why Saint Iohn vseth the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 310 The word why made flesh 317 318 Why the Word rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost 322 The word onely assumed our flesh 326 How said to be made flesh 368 c. All the world without Christ will auaile vs nothing 263 Philosophers striue to proue the world to be eternall 136 World made by God proued 137 World diuided into his seuerall ages 402 To flie the world the next way to finde Christ 571 Workes of our vocation to be followed 13 Outward workes of God common to each person of the God-head 145 274 They are transient and voluntarie ibid. Inward works of God are euerin doing 275 They are necessary and incommunicable i. e. proper to each person 275 Worke of the incarnation how common to the three persons and how proper to Christ the Word 326 God worketh one contrary out of another 351 Workes of Christ testifie him to bee the true Messias 417 Workes of any man testifie what he is ibid. Workes requisite to expresse thankfulnes 507 God worketh all the good that is in the Saints and how God worketh our willingnesse to doe good 530 Good workes what they be 670 God worketh foure wayes with meanes without meanes with weake meanes contrary to meanes 147 Workes of God proue the power of God 159 Our best workes haue need of mercy 185 Workes of mercy of two sorts 232 Outward workes of mercy chiefly sixe 232 God worketh diuers wayes 237 Wormewood wherefore good 527 Worth of the sufferings of Christ how to bee considered 502 Wounds of Christ why reserued by him 572 WR Wrath of God feared by Christ 545 Wrath of God quite turned away by our repentance 195 YO YOuth described and the miseries thereof shewed 69 ZE. ZEno what he said of the Word 312 IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FJNJS