That God is Infinite Jerem. 23 24. 2. Kings 8.27 and 2. Paralipom 2.6 and 6 18. Psal 138 Heb. 139 7. Esa 66.1 do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. Acts. 7.47 48. The most high dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as the Prophet saith Heaven is my throne and the earth is my foot stoole what house will you build me saith the Lord or where is the place of my rest Job 11.7 8 9. Shalt thou by chance find out the ways of God and shalt thou at length find out the Almighty he is higher then heaven and what wilt thou do he is deeper then Hell and how wilt thou know him his measure is longer then the earth and larger then the Sea 4 That the nature and judgements of God are incomprehensible Rom. 11.33 Exod. 33.20 1 Tim. 1.17 O profound riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how incomprehensible are his judgments and his waies past finding out for who is he that hath known a thought of the Lord or who hath been his Counselour 1. Tim. 6.15 16. The blessed and onely powerful King of Kings and Lord of Lords c. Hath only immortality and inhabits an inaccessible light the which no man hath or can see 5. That God is Soveraginly good Exod. 34.6 7. Lord God ruler Merciful Pitiful Patient and of great compassion and true who keeps mercys for thousands who takes a way iniquity and sin Psal 135. Heb. 136. 1. The Lord is good and his mercy indureth Eternally Matth. 19.17 There is one good viz. God or as our bibles are translated there is none good but one viz. God 6. That God is most just Jerem. 12.1 In truth Lord if I dispute with thee thou art just Psal 10. Heb. 11. 8. The Lord is just and hath loved justice his face hath seen equity Psal 118. Heb. 119. 137. Lord thou art just and thy judgment is right 7. That God is Infinitely wise Psalm 146. Heb. 147. 5. Our Lord is great and his Vertue great and there is no numbring of his wisdome Rom. 11.33 O profound riches of the Wisdome and knowledge of God Rom. 16.27 To God onely wise be honor and glory for ever through Jesus Christ 8. That God is all powerful Gen. 17.1 Gen. 1â— 14 35.11 and 48.3 God appeared to Abraham and said to him I am the Lord all powerful Matth. 19.26 To God all things are possible Luk. 1.37 Nothing shall be impossible to God Ephe. 3.20 To him who by his power which Acts in us can do in all abundance above all that which we can ask or think to him I say be glory in the Church in Jesus Christ in all ages world without end Amen 9. That God hath created all things Gen. 1.1 Acts 14.14 God created in the beginning the heaven and the earth Acts. 4.24 Lord who hath made the heavens and the earth the Sea and all things which are there Acts. 17.24 God hath made the World and all things which are in it Rom. 11.36 Of him and by him and for him are all things to him then be glory eternally Amen Gen. 18.25 Job 38.41 Psal 103. Heb 104. 21. 135. Heb. 136. 25. 144. Heb 145. 15 16. 146. Heb 147. 8 9. Prov. 16.1.4.33 20.24 21.1 Isa 45.6 Jer. 10 11 12 13 23. Amos 3.6 Matt. 6.26.28 29 30. Ephe. 3.9 God hath created all 10. That God governes all things according to his good pleasure Matt 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing nevertheless one of them shall not fall to the ground without your father And even the hairs of your head are all numbred Acts. 17.25 26 28. God gives to all life breath and all things and hath made all humane kind of one to inhabit the whole space of the earth determining ordained seasons and the bounds of their habitation c. in him we live have motion and are Rom. 11.36 From him and by him and for him are all things Esa 45.6 7 I am the Lord and there is none other forming light and creating darkness making peace and creating evil I am the Lord doing all these things CHAP. III. Of the Creation nature and corruption of man 1. That God created man at the beginning after his own Image GEn. 1.26 27. Furthermore God said let us make man according to our Image and similitude and let him have dominion over the fishes of the Sea and over the Birds of the heavens Gen. 2.7 8 15 17. and over the beasts and over all the earth and over every creeping thing creeping upon the earth God then created man according to his own Image and likeness he created him according to the Image of God 2. That man is fallen from his happiness by his disobedience You have the History of it in the third Chapter of Gen. and 7 Eccles 30. God hath made man right and he hath intangled himself with infinite questions 3. That by the disobedience of the first man all his posterity have been subjected to sin and death Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entered into the world and by sin death And so death is come upon all men in that all have sinned 1 Cor. 15.22 All die in Adam 4. That all men are from their nature defiled by sin and subject to death Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and have need of the glory of God Eph. 2.23 We have all conversed sometimes in the concupiscences of our flesh executing the desires of the flesh and of our thoughts and were from nature children of wrath as others and in verse the fifth we were dead in sin 5. That this corruption is in men from their birth Psal 50. Heb. 51. Behold truly I have been conceived in iniquity and my mother hath conceived me in sin John 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh Job 14.4 Who can make man clean who is conceived of filthyness is it not thou only CHAP. IV. Of the Mediator of his person and natures 1. That God by his mercy hath sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save humane kinde JOhn 3.16 God hath so loved the world that he hath given his onely Son to the end that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Rom. 8.3 That which was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weak through the flesh God having sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Jesus Christ hath been made to us by God wisdome justice sanctification and redemption 2. That the Son sent for us John 3 13. comp with John 662. 1 Cor. 10.9 subsisted before he took humane flesh in the womb of the Virgin John 1.1 2. In the beginning was the Verb or the word as our Bibles have it translated and the Verb was with God and the Verb was God he was in the beginning with God and vers the
a flict you and to you who are afflicted deliverance with us when that the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from Heaven with the Angels of his power and with the flame of fire doing vengeance upon them that know not God 2 Tim. 4.1 Jesus Christ shall judge the living and dead at his coming and raign 5. That the Son of God is dead for oursins and bath Redeemed us in suffering death for us 1 Peter 3.18 Rom. 4.25 Gal. 1.4 Christ hath suffered once for our sins the just for the unjust that he might lead us to God Isaiah 53.5 He hath been wounded for our iniquities he hath been bruised for our sins The discipline of our peace is upon him and we are healed by his stripes Rom. 3.25 God hath propounded Jesus Christ a propitiator propitiatory by Faith in his blood to demonstrate his justice for the remission of sins past through the forbearance of God Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Heb. 9.12 Revel 5.9 when he was made a curse for us for it is written cursed is he who hangs upon a tree 1 Tim. 11.5 There is God and one Mediatour Moyenneur between God and men viz. Jesus Christ man who hath given himself as a ransome for us all 1 Peter 1.18 19. Mat. 20.28 You have been Redeemed from your vain conversation which was given to you by your Fathers not by things corruptible as by Gold or Silver Act. 20.28 but by the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and spot Rom. 5 8. Luk. 22.19 John 10.11 15. 10 51 52. 2 Cor. 5 15. Gal. 2.20 Heb. 2.9 1 Pet. 2.21 4.1 1 Joh. 1.16 God certified his love to us in this that although we were yet abandoned to sin according to time Christ is dead for us Rom. 8.32 God hath not spared his own Son but hath given him for us all Eph. 5.2 Christ hath loved us and delivered himself for us an oblation and sacrifice to God an Odour of a good smell Tit. 2.14 Jesus Christ hath given himself for us to the end he might Redeem us from all iniquity and cleanse us to be to him an agreeable people given to good works 1 Peter 2.24 Christ hath born our sins in his Body upon the Tree Heb. 1.3 Joh. 1.29 1 Joh. 1.7 to the end that being dead to sin we might live to justice by whose bruisings we have been healed Hebrews 9.28 Christ hath been offered one time to abolish the sins of many 2 Corinthians 5.21 God hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us to the end we should be made the justice of God in him Isaiah 53.4 5. Truely he hath born our greifs and himself hath carried our Sorrowes and we have esteemed him as leprous and stricken of God and abased and verse 6. The Lord hath put upon him the iniquity of us all and verse 11.12 This same is my just servant in justifying many by his knowledge and even he shall bear their iniquities therefore I will part to him many and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath given his soul to death and hath been reputed amongst the wicked and even he hath born the sins of many prayed for transgressors 6. That the Religion of the Lord consisteth in Faith and Charity 1 John 3.23 Behold the command of God that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he hath commanded â—s CHAP. VI. Of the Justification of man by the Grace of God and of the Nature of Faith 1 That God appeased by the Sacrifice of the death of his Son received into Grace all those who believed in him pardoning their sins and treating them as if they had never sinned â—Ohn 3.18 He who believeth in 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ shall not be condemnâ—d but he who doth not beleive is alâ—eady condemned John verse 24. Verily verily I say â—nto you that he who hears my word â—nd believes in him who hath sent me â—ath life eternal and shall not come â—nto condemnation but is passed from â—eath to life John 6.40 This is the will of â—im that sent me that who ever â—eth the Son and believes in him â—ath life eternal and therefore I will raise him up at the Last Day Romans 3.21 22 23 24. Noâ— the justice of God is manifested withâ— out the Law having witness of 〈◊〉 Law and Prophets viz. the justice 〈◊〉 God by the Faith of Jesus Christ foâ— all and upon all them which believâ— in him for there is no difference sinâ— all have sinned and have need of thâ— Glory of God being justified gratâ— by his Grace by the Redemptioâ— which is in Jesus Christ whom Gâ—â— hath Propounded a Propitiator bâ— Faith in his blood Romans 4.5 To him who workâ— eth not but believeth in him whâ— justifieth the wicked his Faith 〈◊〉 counted to him for Righteousnesâ— according to the good will of thâ— Grace of God And verse 23 24 Now that this was imputed to Abrâ—ham for righteousness was not oâ—ly written for him but also for us tâ— whom also this shall be imputed viz to us who believe in him who hatâ— raised from the dead our Lord Jesâ—â— Christ Romans 10.9 10. Rom. 5.1 If thou confesseth the Lord Jesus Christ witâ— thy mouth and believest in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Ephesians 2.8 By Grace are you faved through Faith and this is not of your selves for it is the gift of God not by works least any man should boast For we are his workmanship being created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them 2 Corinthians 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their forfeits to them 1 John 1.19 If we confess our sins he is Faithful and Just to pardon our fins and cleanse us from all iniquity 1 John 2.12 If any one hath sinned we have an Advocate with the Father viz. Jesus Christ the Just For t is he who is the Propitiatory for our sins and not onely for ours but for those of the whole World 2. That those who believe in God and know him truely give themselves to Sanctification and good works James 2.26 As the Body without the Soul is dead so Faith without works is dead 1 John 2.3 By this we know that we have known him Gal. 5.24 viz. If we keep his commandements he who saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him 1. This is proved clearly thus who is begotten of God gives himself to holiness and good works and doeth no more the mystery of iniquity 1 John 3.10 By this is manifest the children of God and the children of the
Heb. 13.18 the Ephesians the Colossians the Thessalonians and the Hebrews and therefore why should not we demand the same office of the Saints departed But first who seeth not that although this reason should be pertinent it always concludes much less than that they would have it for it hints only that it behoveth to pray to the departed Saints as S. Paul prayed the Romans the other faithful whilst they lived Now he prayed them only to pray to God for him He did not kneel down before them although absent to make this request to them he erected no Statues to them he constituted no Images to them he did not prostrate himself before their Representations nor did he offer them lighted Tapers or make Vows to them nor did he pray them to command our Redeemer to defend him against the Enemy to receive him at the hour of his death and to heal the inaladies of his nature nor is there any wise Christian that will do or demand such things of a living man upon this account it will follow that all the Prayers where our Adversaries demand these things of the Saints departed are unlawful their own Reasons as much esteemed as they are permits them only to require the Saints to pray to God for them But in the second place who seeth not the extreme impertinence of this discourse We pray the living Saints to pray to God for us we may then use the same towards them that are dead I pray you what is it that gives them ground to argue so What! is there not a difference between these two we see the one we speak to them and hear the answers they make to our requests whereas the other are separated from us by a great and almost infinite distance without being able to know for certain whether they hear any of our words without having any mutual and reciprocal commerce with them We do not doubt that as we thank God for their happiness they pray for ours wishing the triumph of the Church which they know fights yet upon the earth under the Ensigne of their Christ But 't is to mock the world to conclude from hence that we may and ought to speak to them as we do to persons here below which are of our acquaintance That which Elisha knew by the revelation of God concerning what his Servant Gehazi had done being absent 2 King 5.16 and Daniel that which Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt Dan. 2.19 Acts 12.34 And St. Peter what Ananias and Saphira had contrived sheweth that the Lord can if he pleaseth discover the thoughts of our hearts and the words of our mouths to the Saints who live in heaven that which we have called in Question but not that he will and doth it in effect which is the point of this Question whereof we ought to be assured to be able to address our prayers to them It cannot be proved by the knowledge which the Angels have of the repentance of sinners Luke 15.10 Heb. 1.14 For the Angels being ministring Spirits which God sends to serve because of those who shall receive the inheritance of Salvation 't is not strange that they should know that which happens to us whereas we read not any thing like this of the Souls of the faithful that are deceased Apoc. 14. but only that they rest from their labours And after all although we should be assured that the Saints should understand us there would always be indiscretion in these prayers since there is neither Command nor Example in the Scriptures for them Joyn to this the evident peril we should be put into by this practice of giving to the Creature that which appertains to the Creator For Nature hath her self imprinted this Opinion in our hearts that 't is a divine thing to penetrate into the secrets of men and to know what the absent do and say it is not possible for us to converse with the Saints whom we do not see without allowing them a kinde of Divinity as it appears but too much in the practice of the Adversaries the most part of whom and above all those of the minute people praying to the Saints have towards them incitements to devotion and a respect altogether like that which they have to God when they pray to him But 't is sufficiently seen that this praying to deceased Saints cannot be proved by the Scriptures CHAP. X. That Veneration of Images is not Commanded in Scripture nor any way taught there 1. AS for their Images and those of Jesus Christ and the holy Virgin it is still much less possible to establish the Veneration of them by Scripture Exod. 25.18 19 20. since instead of Commanding it they disprove and forbid the service of all Images and Representations in general Nevertheless let us see what Rome alledgeth for this designe She then alledgeth the Cherubims which Moses made to cover the forepart of the propitiatory Numb 21.8 1 King 6.32 35. 7.25 29 36. and the brazen Serpent which he lifted up in the Desart and the Cherubims the Palm-trees and the Buds of Flowers spread which Solomon caused to be carved upon the Doors of the Temple and the Molten Oxen upon which he set the Laver of Brass and the Figures of Lions and other Creatures with wch he inriched its Basis Tertull. striking at Idolatry Tertul. de Idolol c. 5. in a Book which he hath expresly made objects the same thing in favour of them who defended it resolves the Question learnedly according to his ordinary custome But to keep my self to my business what doth all this make for the veneration of Images First they were not the Representators of God nor of any person whom he had imployed in any eminent Service of his Church Secondly These Images were made some for Types and sacred Symbols as the Cherubims of the Ark and the brazen Serpent the others for the ornament and inriching of the Temple only as the Palms the Oxen and the Lions of Solomon none to be honoured and worshipped which was so contrary to the intention of these Divine men that the people offering Incense to the brazen Serpent Hezekiah to stop the abuse 2 Kings 18 4. made no scruple to break it in pieces So all that one can lawfully conclude from the last part of this allegation is not that it is permitted or allowed to kiss the Images by devotion to be uncovered and prostrate before them and to render them worship in honor to Christ and his Saints which our Adversaries think and practice but that one may carve Pictures of Creatures and Flowers upon the Doors and other parts of the Temples to adorn and inrich them Council of Trent Dâ—utri 2 for which we never contested with any one But for the Cherubims and the brazen Serpent the instance they bring of it is quite out of our purpose First because that these Types have no place any longer in the Church Jesus Christ