one another as he gave us Commandment and we receive remission of sins by this Faith See Acts 26.15 16 17 18. where Christ saith to St. Paul I send thee to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me So that Jesus Christ is God and Man in one Person for none can forgive sins but God none can be the primary and proper object of Faith but God Faith being a part of divine moral Worship for we give honour to him in whom we believe None can be a Mediator between God and Man but he that is God and Man in one Person none can offer a Sacrifice to God for the sin of man so as to procure peace and purity of Conscience but Jesus Christ who is God and Man in one Person God of the substance of his Father begotten before the World and Man of the substance of his Mother born in the World perfect God and perfect Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting * See the Creed of Athanasius Joh. 1.1 2 3. Rom. 1.3 Gal. 4.4 Prop. 3. Jesus Christ as God-Man is our Saviour he united our Nature to his Divine Nature he was born of the Virgin Mary he kept the Law and fulfilled all Righteousness and then suffered Death for us as Man he died and by the power of his Godhead he was raised again that we might be justified by faith in him see Rom. 4.24 25. so that we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his Grace Eph. 1.7 Hence St. Paul desireth to know nothing among the Corinthians save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.1 2. Our Communion with God is by faith in the Son of God see Phil. 2.1 1 Joh. 1.3 The life which I now live in the Flesh saith St. Paul I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 So that Christ is the object of divine Worship Acts 7.59 Rev. 5.12 Of that hope which is saving and maketh not ashamed Col. 1.27 Rom. 5.5 of our sincere and greatest love 1 Cor. 16.22 of our absolute service and divine faith Rom. 14.9 18. Joh. 14.1 Oh the excellency of Jesus Christ to a believing Soul Mr. Calvin reprehends those as highly injurious to miserable Souls who by calling of God the object of Faith simply in the mean while omit Christ without whom there can be no Faith nor Access to God c. See Calv. Institut lib. 2. sect 4. Prop. 4. We in order of nature not of time believe first in Christ and by Christ in God As the Apostle Peter teacheth speaking of Christ who verily saith he was fore-ordained before the foundation of the World but was manifested in these last times for you who by him do believe in God that raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your Faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.20 21. So that Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life No man cometh unto the Father but by him Joh. 14.6 He is the Mediator as the Apostle teacheth his Son Timothy 1 Tim. 2.5 For saith he there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus Extreams come not together but by their midst from the nature of a just God unto a Sinner God in Christ is a tender Father out of Christ a consuming fire Man's way to God is by the Man-God for Christ as the Redeemer is the Mediator not the ultimate object of Faith for by Christ we believe in God Beloved in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I beseech you to consider the destructive and damnable nature of Heresie which is contrary to these Propositions which I have laid down and proved from the Holy Scriptures Heresie it denyes God it denyes his Essence it denyes the Trinity of Persons it denyes the Lord Jesus Christ it denyes his two Natures the Divine Nature whereby he is God the Humane Nature whereby he is Man it denyes his Personality whereby the two Natures subsist in one Person it denyes the object of saving Faith of Divine Worship it denyes satisfaction made by Christ unto the Father it denyes Remission of Sin Justification Adoption Sanctification and the hope of Glorification in a word what truth doth it not deny O the destructive and damnable nature of Heresie The Apostle charges the Corinthians but with one Heresie in the 15th Chapter How say some among you saith he that there is no resurrection of the dead But behold what are the natural consequences thereof how many Heresies doth that one Heresie let in or is the root of First If there be no resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen 2. If Christ is not risen then is your preaching vain 3. and your faith is also vain 4. yea and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not 5. For if the dead rise not then is not Christ risen 6. And if Christ be not risen your faith is vain and you are yet in your sins 7. Then they which are faln asleep in Christ are perished 8. If in this life we have only hope we are of all men most miserable Therefore 4thly Miserable will be the end of those that bring into the Church of Christ damnable Heresies they will bring upon themselves in so doing swift destruction the Apostle Jude pronounceth a Woe upon them and tells us v. 11 12 13. that they have gone in the way of Cain and in the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Kore that they are spots in their Feasts of Charity Clouds without Water Trees whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead plucked up by the roots raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring Stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever So likewise the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.9 17. shows that the false Teachers shall be reserved unto the day of Judgment to be punished And the Apostle Paul also sets forth the punishment of Antichrist and all his Adherents because saith he they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned that loved not the Truth but had pleasure in Unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.9 10 11 12. It will be good for us therefore to take heed for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God for our God is a consuming fire See Heb. 10.31 l2. 29 Yet Fiftly it is lamentable to think that Heresie should have such success in the World for is
being used personally because the Person sending is opposed to the Person sent Exod. 22.28 Psal 82.6 Improperly when it is attributed to Angels or Men and truly either in regard of their Office or else in respect of the revealing of the Will of God and of their Reverence Falsly either by Error or else by Usurpation and Custom as 1 Cor. 8.5 Or else by worshipping them 2 Cor. 4.4 Phil. 3.19 Exod. 7.20 Q. Be there any parts or kinds of God A. None at all because he is a most simple Essence which doth admit no composition or division and simply and in every respect of unity one and in act most infinite Q. Are there any Causes of God A. Not any for he is the Cause of all Causes Q. Is there any accident in God A. No in regard of God himself for whatsoever is in God is his Essence Q. Seeing the Essence of God is most simple in what respect doth Power Goodness Justice Wisdom and Mercy differ in God A. Not in Essence for all these Attributes in Essence are but one very thing indeed but in our weak capacity and manner of knowing in regard of us and by the effects in respect of the Creatures Q. How many sorts are there of God's Attributes A. Two the first whereof is incommunicable so that there appeareth not the least impression thereof in any of his Creatures This kind we may call absolute such is his Simplicity and which depend upon it his Immutability Eternity and Immensity The second sort is some way communicable which you may call fitly a Relative Property in that it hath relation to the Creatures such are his Power Wisdom Will Goodness Justice and Mercy Q. Be there any effects of God A. There be infinite effects of his Grace Justice Power and Mercy Q. How are the Gentiles said to be without God Eph. 2.12 seeing they adore so many Gods A. Because none of their Gods was the true God Q. But yet they acknowledged God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Answ Nor the Name of God but even God himself was altogether unknown unto them because no man knoweth God but such as confess the Father and the Son 1 Joh. 2.23 Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also Q. What use make you of the knowledge of God A. Surely this that he alone may be rightly worshipped to which purpose man was created and that we being guided by this knowledge may pray to him and acknowledge that from him we have every good thing Q. What things are repugnant to the Doctrine concerning God A. Atheism Epicurism the mad worshipping of Idols the Gentiles making of many Gods the Heresie of Manicheus making two beginnings one good another evil blasphemies against God false Opinions concerning God as that of the Anthropomorphites who make God like unto a man all doubting of God c. CHAP. V. Questions and Answers about the Trinity Quest HOw many Persons be there in that one Essence of God A. Three and those both in number and in very deed distinguished the Father Son and holy Ghost which have their subsisting in one Divine Essence whereupon it comes to pass that there be not many Gods but one God and the same Eternal Infinite and Omnipotent who is named JEHOVAH in the Scriptures and said to be most simple by reason of Essence and three by reason of Persons Q. By what testimonies of the Scripture do you prove the Trinity A. Gen. 1.1 God or Elohim created the Heavens and the Earth In which place the Learned say the Verb being of the singular Number doth signifie the most simple Essence of God and the substantive Elohim being the plural Number doth note out the three Persons Also in the creation of Man God as it were taking counsel with his Eternal Wisdom that is the Son and the Holy Ghost saith thus vers 26. Let us make Man after our Image Where he saith Let us make because of the number of the Persons and after our Image because of the unity of the Essence Gen. 19.24 The Lord rained from the Lord brimstone and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrha in which place the Person sending the rain and the Person from whom it was sent that is the Son is distinguished from the Father Q. Have you any more pregnant proofs out of the New Testament Answ 1. In the Baptism of Christ Matth. 3.16 and Joh. 1.32 the voice of the Father is heard from heaven This is my beloved Son In the same place there stands the Son by the River Jordan the holy Ghost descends in the form of a Dove and sits on Christ 2. Again in the Transfiguration there is the Son and the voice of God the Father is heard from Heaven and Christ is shadowed with a Cloud which doth signifie the Holy Ghost And further Matth. 28.19 Baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost He saith not Names but in the Name to shew the unity of the three Persons 2 Cor. 13.13 The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Q. Seeing the Scripture doth not use the Name of the Trinity doth the Church well to retain the same A. Yea no doubt for the thing it self is found in Scripture two manner of wayes first according to the letter secondly according to the sense Now fith that the sense of it and the very thing it self is found in the Scriptures the Church hath liberty to use such words as may familiarly express the thing it self Moreover we call the three Persons in God the Trinity from this word Three whereof the word Trinity is derived and is expresly set down 1 Joh. 5.7 There be three that bear Witness in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One. Whence we argue That as from One comes Unity so from Three comes Trinity Q. How doth this word Essence differ from the word Person in God A. Essence is the Nature which is not more belonging to one and less to another of the three Persons but common to them all yea one and the same and cannot be divided and is all in each one of them not without them subsisting by it self to wit the very Deity it self And therefore the Essential Properties which be in them are one in Number and of one Nature Now a Person is the subsisting in the Divine Nature or the Nature of God which having relation to others is distinguished by some incommunicatable Property for indeed the Persons are only distinguished and not servered as three men are indeed separated though they be but one in kind The reason is because the Essence of God is infinite and impartible and therefore it is all in every Person which are not severed each from other but only distinguished amongst themselves But as for the Essence
is subjectively communicated to the Humanity of Christ but only the Humane Nature was assumed of the Son of God into the same Person Heb. 2.16 Q. What is the Personal Vnion in Christ A. It is that whereby the Person of the Son of God being a Person from all Eternity existing did assume the most pure Nature of Man wanting all personal existing of its own into the unity of his Person and made it his own the properties of each Nature being preserved Or as Paul defines it Col. 2.9 whereby in Christ doth dwell all the fulness of the Godhead bodily whereof we have a manifest resemblance in the union of the Soul and the body And therefore the Apostle doth well call it a great Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 Q. How is this Union made A. Without all confusion Without all conversion of one Nature into another indivisibly inseparably The difference of the Natures by no means being taken away by the union but rather the propriety of either Nature being saved and joyned together or concurring into one Person and one subsisting as the Calcedon Synod speak in the History of Evagrius lin 2. cap. 4. And from that time that the Word did assume our Humane Nature he never left it no not in his death And to this purpose make these Verses I am that I was not I was that I am now both am I called Thou knowest me not except thou know me subsisting of both Natures See Mr. John Tombes his Exposition upon the Calcedon-Council concerning the two Natures in Christ asserted in his Book intituled Emmanuel or God-man Sect. 15. Q. By what testimonies will you prove that the Divine and Humant Nature in Christ did joyn together in one and the same Person A. Isa 7.14 9.6 Luk. 1.35 That which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Joh. 1.14 And the Word was made Flesh not by Sacramental-union in which respect Christ was said to be a Rock not by confusion of the Natures nor by commutation as Water is turned into Wine Joh. 2.14 but by assuming the flesh into the unity of this Person The Voice of God speaketh thus of Jesus Christ the Son of Mary This is my beloved Son Matth. 3.17 He that descended is even the self-same that ascended above all Heavens that he might fill all things Eph. 4.10 God sent his Son born of a Woman Gal. 4.4 Q. Why is it necessary that Christ should be both God and Man in one and the same Person A. 1. To die end he might reconcile God and Man or that he might make God and Man one 2. That he might be a fit Mediator between God and Men 2 Tim. 2.5 Heb. 8 6 by reason of his Participation and Affinity with them both 3. That he might reconcile God unto us by his death which if he had been God alone he could never have suffered if only Man he could never have overcome 4. That the work of Redemption performed in the flesh of the Son might become of sufficient price for sin whereby God that infinite good was offended For although certain actions do properly proceed from the Divine Nature and some are done by the Humane Nature yet all of them do equally receive their price and worthiness from the Divine Nature So the flesh of Christ hath power to quicken because it is the flesh of that Person who is God the obedience of the Man Christ doth Justifie because it is the obedience of that Person who is God the blood of Christ redeems the Church because it is the blood of God Acts 20.28 Q. What is the Communication of Properties A. It is such a manner of Predication whereby those things which be proper to Natures are indifferently attributed to the Person of Christ which is but one and that because Christ in his two Natures is both to wit perfect God and perfect Man to whom therefore these things are truly and indeed attributed as well those which are proper to God as those which be proper to Man Therefore it is well and truly said God or else the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary suffered was crucified and God purchased unto himself the Church with his own blood 1 Cor. 2.8 Acts. 20.28 Not simply principally and by himself as he is God but by accident and in another respect or in regard of another thing because that which is proproper to one Nature namely to be conceived born crucified to die is not attributed to his Divinity but to the Person taking the name of one namely of the Divine Nature For this word the Son of God or God which is the subject of the Proposition is the concrete and not the abstract and signifieth not the Divine Nature but the Person who is God and Man Therefore it is well said The Son of Man or Christ-Man is Eternal Almighty All-present saveth raiseth the dead giveth Eternal Life And Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended into Heaven but he that came down from Heaven both in respect of the Union seeing that the self-same Person is both Man and God for as God by reason of the unity doth account those things which belong to the Humane Nature proper to himself so as he is Man by reason of the union doth account those things which belong to the Divine Nature to be proper to it self and also because the Son of Man is a word concrete which signifies the Person of Christ being but one consisting of the Divine and Humane Nature and therefore whole Christ is every where present but not all that is in Christ On the contrary it is wickedly said That the Divinity of Christ was born of the Virgin suffered death and that the Humanity of Christ is Eternal every where present Almighty for the Divinty is a word abstract which simply signifieth the Divine Nature in Christ which is most free from all manner of sufferings Now the Predication of divers Natures by reason of the Hypostatical or Personal Union is of no force but in those things which are signified as whole and perfect for as we do not use to say the Body is the Soul or the Man is the Soul so neither do we say this God Christ is the Body of Christ or the Soul of Christ but only God is Man Q. Is the communication of Properties verbal only or real A. It is a true and real speech because the Person of whom by the trope Synechdoche as well the Divine as the Humane either names of Proprieties or Effects are indifferent and equally affirmed containeth all those things in it self truly and indeed which do agree to very God and very Man those things which be Divine as he is God those also which be Humane as the same is Man but not in respect of both Natures but according to the one and the other For then should be brought in the Eutychian Heresie of the confounding of the Natures or Properties and it should cease
God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth And St. Paul saith That the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in Christ bodily Col. 2.9 not locally but by personal Union and this is the proper object of all Gospel-worship as I have said before And it was so in the time of the Law for the Temple was God's dwelling-place Psal 76.2 there was the only place of God's publick Worship Ps 29.2 No Sacrifice might be offered in any other place Deut. 12.26 27. for there the Spiritual worshippers had by Faith a sight of God and communion with him by Christ Psal 63.2 68.24 Towards the Temple they were to look wheresoever they were 1 King 8.29 Therefore what the Temple was to them under the Law the same is Christ to us under the Gospel therefore as the true worshippers did not worship the Temple although the false did but God that dwelleth in the Temple even so we may not worship the Temple only viz. the Humane Nature of Christ but God in it for it is the Spirit that quickneth Joh. 6.53 54. And as there was in that Temple a Vail to go into the Holiest of all where God dwelt between the Cherubims even so it is now Heb. 10. We pass through the vail viz. the flesh of Christ into the Holiest if we are led thereby to worship that Godhead that dwelleth in it This is a right conception and true worship of God For the Humanity of Christ was to the Godhead as a back of mettle to a Crystal glass for look on such a glass in its pure substance and it is transparent put a back of mettle to it and it gives a beautiful reflex So if we take up conceptions of the Godhead in its pure Essence it is transparent if we consider of God as he is Infinite Almighty Immense Eternal what is this to the Creature or our comfort If we consider him in his Power Justice Wisdom Holiness Goodness and Truth what is this to us yea all these are against us as we are sinners But if we take up a conception of God in all his Attributes as they appear to us in Christ so they make a most comfortable reflex upon us In this Glass we behold the Glory of the Lord and are changed into the same similitude from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 In this Glass we behold that Wisdom by which we are instructed that Righteousness by which we are justified that Power by which we are preserved that Grace by which we are chosen and called that Goodness by which we are relieved and supplyed that Holiness by which we are transformed that Glory to the which we shall be conformed by all which it appeareth that our right apprehension and due conception of God must spring from the manifestation of God in Jesus Christ For no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Matth. 11.27 For the Saints in the Law meditated devoutly upon his coming in the flesh many Prophets and righteous Men saith Christ desired to see the things which you see and have not seen them Matth. 13.17 Luk. 10.24 and what were these things Surely it is God manifested in the flesh as appeareth by St. Luke Luk. 10.24 Now as Aaron the high Priest was chosen from amongst his brethren and not of a stranger Exod. 28.1 even so Christ the Antitype of Aaron was taken out of the Tribe of Judah which were his brethren according to the flesh Heb. 2.17 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 7.14 And this is that which Moses said A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from amongst his brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things Deut. 18.18 whatsoever he shall say unto you Acts 3.23 But notwithstanding all this the Eutychians deny that he was flesh of our flesh although the Holy Ghost saith it again and again both by the holy Prophets in the old Testament and the holy Apostles in the New for St. Paul saith We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 Now sith he was flesh as the Eutychians confess and yet deny him to be our flesh against all these faithful Witnesses as aforesaid I now desire them to tell me if they can what flesh it was sith St. Paul knew but four kinds of created flesh viz. one kind of flesh of Men another of Beasts another of Fish and another of Birds 1 Cor. 15.39 Now which of these will you chuse If neither of these I pray assign of what matter the flesh of Christ was made for we with St. Paul know no other than these four kinds of flesh Moreover Christ is figured out by Melchisedec and his Priesthood Heb. 7. for as he was a Priest and King even so was Christ also and as he was without Father and Mother even so was Christ viz. without Father in respect of his Humane Nature and without Mother in respect of his Divine Nature Now there is no knowing of God aright but in by and through Christ as I said before for in the works of Creation God is above us in his works of Providence a God without us in the Law a God against us in Himself a God invisible to us only in Christ he is Emmanual God manifested in our flesh God in us God with us and God for us therefore in Christ God is apprehended aright and there also worshipped aright 1 Joh. 2.23 Whosoever denieth the Son hath not the Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also Who is a lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the hrist he is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son vers 22. Now as the Eutichians err in their Opinion about Christ our Mediator even so they do about the Holy Trinity also for they do not rightly understand nor believe the Unity and Trinity spoken of 1 Joh. 5.7 Now if they be three they be three Operations or three Manifestations or three Subsistances but they be not the two former therefore the latter viz. three Subsistances for St. John saith The Word was with God and was God Joh. 1.1 Now where there is one and another with him there must needs be a distinction but St. John saith it is so therefore 2dly Where there is one sending and another sent there is a distinction But the Father sendeth and the Son was sent therefore a distinction Joh. 3.17.34 for God sent his Son into the World c. Again the Father and the Son send the Holy Ghost Joh. 14.16 't is another Comforter therefore a distinct Person both from the Father and the Son Now if these have all of them viz. the Father Son and Spirit Understanding and Will then they are Persons and not Qualities for no Qualities can have Understanding and Will see 1 Cor. 12. from ver 3. to
c. But unto God the Father Son and Holy Spirit are these things only properly and truly applyed therefore they only are God by Nature 1 Joh. 5.7 There be three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and these three are one And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us understanding that we might know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and Eternal Life Little Children keep your selves from Idols vers 20 21. Now the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.14 c. CHAP. VIII Containing a brief Repetition of the present Discourse concerning the glorious Trinity and Person of Christ NOw because I would if possibly I could remove all doubtings about the Holy Trinity concerning their being three Persons and one God I will further add to what I have said some Arguments to prove that they are all three God by Nature that so I might satisfie some who must and will have their reason satisfied or else they will not believe it And because all the Opinions that I oppose in this Treatise as aforesaid seems to grant the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to be God by Nature Gal. 4.4 I will therefore take it pro confesso and reason with them by an Argumentum ad hominum And first for the better understanding of the honest and simple-hearted which peradventure may conscionably doubt whether the Son and Holy Ghost be God equal with the Father because of the late opposition that is made against it by the maintainers of the aforesaid Opinions I say I will go in this plain method and make a comparison betwixt the Father and the Son viz. as he is the Eternal Word Joh. 1.1 in several things that I find in Scripture concerning them and then I will apply these to the Holy Ghost also as you may see if you will for I hope you are not obstinate First Proposition The Father is a Spirit by Nature Joh. 4.24 therefore God Parallel to this the Son is a Spirit by Nature therefore God Proof from God's Word 2 Cor. 3.17 Propos 2. The Father is immutable therefore God Parallel to this the Son is immutable therefore God proof from God's Word Heb. 1.12 Prop. 3. The Father is invisible and immutable therefore God Parallel to this the Son is invisible and immutable therefore God Proof from Gods Word 1 Tim. 6.16 Prop. 4. The Father is everywhere present with his People therefore God Parallel to this the Son is everywhere present with his People therefore God Proof from God's Word Matth. 18.20 Prop. 5. The Father is full of understanding therefore God Parallel to this the Son is full of understanding therefore God Proof from God's Word 1 Cor. 1.30 Joh. 10.30 Prop. 6. The Father is Eternal therefore God Parallel to this the Son is Eternal therefore God Proof from God's Word Rev. 1.8 11. Prop. 7. The Father is the Maker of all things therefore God Parallel to this the Son is the Maker of all things therefore God Proof from God's Word Col. 1.16 Prop. 8. The Father governeth all things therefore God Parallel to this the Son governeth all things therefore God Proof from God's Word Joh. 5.17 Prop. 9. The Father knoweth all things therefore God Parallel to this the Son knoweth all things therefore God Proof from God's Word Matth. 9.4 Joh. 2.25 Prop. 10. The Father forgiveth sins therefore God Parallel to this the Son forgiveth sins therefore God Proof from God's Word Mark 2.10 Luk. 7.49 Prop. 11. The Father is to be prayed unto therefore God Parallel to this the Son is to be prayed unto therefore God Proof from God's Word Acts 7.50 9.6 Rom. 10.13 Prop. 12. The Father giveth what gifts he pleaseth therefore God Parallel to this the Son giveth what gifts he pleaseth therefore God Proof from God's Word Eph. 4.8 Prop. 13. The Father is Almighty therefore God Parallel to this the Son is Almighty therefore God Proof from God's Word Rev. 1.8 15. 3 4. Now to whomsoever all these things may be rightly applyed he is God by Nature but unto the Son as well as unto the Father may all these things be rightly applyed therefore the Son is God by Nature Joh. 10.30 Now all these may be applyed to the Holy Ghost also Proposition 1. The Father is a Spirit by Nature and not by Creation therefore God Even so also is the Holy Ghost therefore God Joh. 14 16 Chapters Prop. 2. The Father is Immutable therefore God Even so is the Holy Ghost therefore God Joh. 14.16 Prop. 3. The Father is Immutable and Invisible therefore God Even so is the Holy Ghost therefore God Joh. 14 15. Prop 4. The Father is everywhere present therefore God Even so is the Holy Ghost therefore God Psal 139.7 Prop 5. The Father is Eternal therefore God Even so is the Holy Ghost therefore God Gen. 1.2 Prop. 6. The Father is the Maker of all things therefore God Even so is the Holy Ghost therefore God Job 26.13 33.4 Psal 36.5 Prop. 7. The Father governeth the Church therefore God Even so doth the Holy Ghost therefore God Isa 63.11 Acts 13.2 8.26 Prop. 8. The Father knoweth all things therefore God Even so doth the Holy Ghost therefore God 1 Cor. 2.10 Prop. 9. The Father doth forgive sins therefore God Even so doth the Holy Ghost therefore God Mat. 28.19 20. Prop. 10. We may and ought to be baptized in the Name of the Father therefore he is God Even so we may and ought to be baptized in the Name of the Holy Ghost therefore he is God Matth. 28.19 20. Prop. 11. The Father giveth what spiritual gifts he pleaseth to the Church therefore he is God Even so doth the Holy Ghost therefore he is God 1 Cor. 12. Prop. 12. The Father sendeth whom he will to preach the Gospel therefore he is God Even so doth the Holy Ghost therefore he is God Acts 18.2 Prop. 13. The Father raiseth men from the dead therefore he is God Even so doth the Holy Ghost therefore he is God Rom. 8.11 Now to whomsoever all these things may rightly be applyed he is God by Nature But to the Holy Ghost as well as to the Father may all these things be rightly applyed therefore the Holy Ghost is God by Nature Now of that which hath been said concerning Christ's Divine Nature this is the sum For I have endeavoured in this Treatise to shew you in twenty Particulars that Christ is God by Nature And here I will repeat them all for your memory-sake The first is his Eternity 2. His Simplicity 3. His Immutability 4. His Invisibility 5. His Immensity 6. His Infiniteness 7. His Omnipotency 8. His Wisdom 9. His Goodness 10. His Love 11. His Grace 12. His Mercy 13. His
Long-suffering 14. His Holiness 15. His Justice 16. His Faithfulness 17. His Truth 18. His Omnisciency 19. His Omnipresence 20. His Providence over all his Creatures All these twenty Properties and Attributes belong to God only But all these belong to Christ as he is Davids Lord therefore Christ as he is Davids Lord is God by Nature who is God over all blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 c. And now I will briefly shew you how he is Davids Son according to the flesh as I have said before First He had the substance of a true Body and reasonable Soul 2. The Properties of Body and Soul in the body length breadth and thickness and circumscription And in the Soul the faculties of understanding both simple and compound as Will Affection Love Hatred Desire Joy Fear c. The Powers also of Hearing Feeling Seeing Smelling Tasting Moving Growing Eating Sleeping c. 3dly He took unto himself the blameless infirmities of mans Nature which are certain natural defects in man as Passions of Body and Mind as to be Hungry Thirsty Weary Sad Sorrowful and Ignorant of some things and Angry also to increase in Stature Wisdom Knowledge c. So that as the holy Ghost saith We see by these things that he was made like unto his brethren in all things yea in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Heb. 2.17 4.15 Now sith the Scriptures do affirm all these things to belong properly and truly to Christ as he is Davids Son and Off-spring then must he needs be Man by Nature For unto no Creature neither in Heaven nor in Earth doth the Holy Ghost apply all these things properly and literally but to man only c. If he do shew me an instance for as yet I know none and therefore why you should so much as once doubt whether he took our Nature viz. the flesh of Mary sith the Scripture affirms it so plainly again and again I cannot imagine But when I do not only hear you say you doubt but confidently deny that ever he took any flesh of the Virgin Mary This makes me to stand and admire and with St. Paul say Who hath bewitched you that you should deny so many plain and evident proofs can any Article of the Christian Faith be more plainly proved than this is surely no. Now if I did not think that the Devil had bewitched many and that Pride false Opinions and Self-love had blinded mens understandings See Mr. Greenham about the Family of Love pag. 803. I could not believe any judicious man that believes the Scriptures to be true if he will but now sit down in humility and seriously consider what hath here been said from them to prove that Christ is God by Nature and also Man by Nature can still remain doubting and unbelieving But if he be one that was once inlightned into this Truth and also professed it with us and was baptized into this Faith and yet did not receive it in the love of it and after all this advice which now and at other times hath been used by my self and others to them I say if they shall still oppose this Truth then what can I think but that if they do not speedily repent of this their dangerous Opinion of denying the Lord that bought them 2. Pet. 2.2 then that which is written in 2 Thess 2.11 will come upon them But that it may never be so is and shall be the Prayer of your very good friend which loves your Persons but not your Principles though haply not so esteemed of you that God would give you Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth that you may recover your selves out of the snare of the Devil who hath taken some of you captive at his will CHAP IX Containing an Answer to several Objections Object CHrist as Man was flesh and bones and not a Ghost as you seem to say we by our Opinion make him and this shews your Ignorance of our Opinion and therefore you sentence it as you do But doth not Paul say Rom. 8.3 he came in the likeness of sinful flesh therefore he took not our Flesh as you say he did Answ St. Paul doth not say he took upon him the likeness of flesh simply as it is flesh but of the flesh of sin or sinful flesh for he had said before Chap. 1.3 That he was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh And also again in Chap. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came c. And I pray you tell me what St Paul meaneth by these words vers 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh And then you may tell your selves what he means by these words vers 5. Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came The word flesh being the same in the 3d and 5th verse and of the same signification Object 2. From Joh. 1.14 But the Eutychians say That the Divine Nature of Christ was turned into flesh and so was made like to his brethren in all things excepting two viz. sin and earthy matter Answ 1. The Holy Ghost doth except but one thing viz. Sin if it be proper to call sin a thing Heb. 2.17 4.15 And how dare you say two Have you no fear of the curse of God coming upon you sith he saith Cursed is he that addeth or diminisheth See Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22.18 Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Prov. 30.6 Bur Secondly I answer to that of Joh. 1.14 it having the most shew of any of the Texts that I know for your Opinion therefore I will endeavour by God's help to shew you that it was never written to that end to justifie your Opinion and therefore I pray consider what St. John saith vers 1. The Word which was in the beginning was with God and was God by whom all things were made and without whom was nothing made that was made In whom was Life and the Life was the light of men for he lighteth every man that cometh into the World by whom the World was made Was in the fulness of time made a Man in a Humane Body having his Divine Majesty dwelling in him full of Grace and Truth so that we beheld his Glory saith St. John in his Miracles in his Grace and Truth in his Holy and wise Doctrine such as manifested him to be the only begotten of the Father vers 14 16. which is in the bosom of the Father mark that word is in the bosom of the Father he doth not say which was but is which must be understood of his Generation before the World was made of the substance of his Father for the term notes Generation and subsistence from his substance not Creation or making that which was the Creator into flesh that so he might be a
12.3 4. 21. Isa 7.14 and therefore much more ought we seeing we have in the Gospel the Complement of all those Prophesies Luk. 2.7 Matth. 1.25 to believe in Jesus Christ born of the Virgin but also in time and according to the course of Nature born of the said Virgin and brought forth into the World by her First a Duty following this Faith is this Thanksgiving for the Incarnation of the Son of God as we see by the Examples of the Angels praising God for this benefit Luk. 2.14 The Virgin praising God for this benefit Luk. 1.46 And the holy Priest Zachary praising God for this benefit Luk. 1.68 Secondly A Consolation following this Faith is Preached unto us by the Angels Luk. 2.10 when he saith Behold I bring you tydings of great joy that shall be to all People Hence comes First Peace with God Secondly Peace with our own Conscience Thirdly with the Holy Angels Fourthly with all the Creatures of God in the frame of Heaven and Earth The proper Name of Christ's Mother was Mary this is testified often in the New Testament Luk. 2.5 c. This Name is added for a more certain and special description of his Mother that my Faith may be the better certified of the truth of all Divine Oracles and Prophesies concerning him for this holy Woman being as Matthew and Luke testifie of the noble Race of the Kings of Judah it is clear that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ came of the Seed of David and so of Abraham according to the Promise Gen. 12. 49. Luk. 2. Again she is called A Virgin both to let us see the accomplishment of the Prophesie Isa 7.14 21. and to assure us of that as aforesaid that is That he is the only begotten Son of God conceived by the Holy Ghost and not by the ordinary course of Nature And this blessed Mother of Christ a holy Prophetess Luk. 1.48 We do willingly honour her three wayes First by thanksgiving to God for her Secondly by a reverent estimation of her Thirdly by imitation of her excellent Vertues And thus having seen by clear evidence from the Word of the Lord that our blessed Lord and Saviour as touching his Natures is very God and very Man it resteth only that we learn also by Divine demonstration that these two Natures are united in one Person Vse 2. First here then we must be advertised that there be two kinds of Unions Union in Nature and Union in Person Union in Nature is when two or more things are joyned or united into one Nature as the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost being and remaining three distinct Persons are one and the same in Nature or Godhead Union in Person is when two things are in that manner united that they make but one Person or Substance as the Body and Soul of Man meeting together make one Man Secondly This Union of Natures then here is this The second Person in the Trinity or the Son of God doth assume to it a Manhood in such order that the same being void of all Personal being in it self doth wholly and only subsist in the second Person in the Trinity or depends wholly on the Person of the Son So that now it is a Nature only and not a Person because it doth not subsist alone as in other men Thirdly This then I understand and believe here that the everlasting Son of God without any putting off of his Divine Nature without any commixtion or conversion was made that which before his Incarnation he was not to wit very Man By taking flesh by the Power of the Holy Ghost from the Virgin and an Humane Soul created of nothing both which Natures being united together in a most admirable Personal union make one most blessed Person even the most sacred Person of our only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Fourthly And our Lord Jesus Christ hath in his Humanity so assumed all the Properties of Man's Nature that he became in all things like unto us Heb. 2.17 sin only excepted for he hath so Personally united unto himself our Nature that we cannot say properly of his Passion that only the bare Humanity suffered which yet is only passible but this we are to say that the Person which is very God hath suffered in our Nature Fifthly and lastly We must not believe that the Lord Christ assumed our Nature as he did sometimes under the Law before his Incarnation take to him the form of Man and Angel for a time but retains still and for ever the very body and Soul of Man howbeit now glorified For the Apostle saith Our Mediator hot only was but also is the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 living for ever to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Rom. 8.34 Consolations following this Faith concerning Christ's pure Conception Incarnation and this unspeakable union of Natures in this one sacred Person are these First I understand and conceive he is a most fit Advocate to his Father being very God and a most comfortable Mediator for me being very Man well-acquainted with all my grievances and one I may boldly draw near unto Heb. 2.16 17 18. 4.16 Secondly I conceive also that he hath been so acquainted in our flesh with our temptations that he hath a special experience of our infirmities in his own sacred Person not that the Son of God hath need of our Afflictions and Temptations to make him Merciful unto us but for that we can best perswade our selves of his Mercy when we learn that he hath been acquainted with our Passions And now I will tell you briefly what I mean by the Properties of the Humane and Divine Nature And by the Communication or Conjunction of Properties as I said before When I say and believe that Christ did assume all the Essential Properties of Man's Nature I mean he took not only the Soul and Body of Man but also every quality and adjunct thereunto appertaining excepting sin for he had the Understanding the Reason the Will and all the Affections of Man without sin being made like his brethren in all things Heb. 2.17 Again when I believe and say That Christ did retain in his Personal Union of both Natures all the Properties of his Divine Nature I mean these and the like that he was this very Person now God and Man Eternal Almighty Incomprehensible Immutable most Perfect for these and the like be the Properties of the Divine Nature Thirdly The Communication of these Properties as the learned speak for the better understanding of some Scriptures uttered concerning this sacred Person is this when we ascribe that which is proper unto one Nature unto the other because of the aforesaid Personal Union of both Natures as when the Apostle saith God hath purchased the Church with his own blood Acts. 20.28 This manner of speaking is with respect to this Union and herein that which is proper to the Humane Nature is ascribed unto the Divine for
The truth is this That good and bad shall rise again yet there is a great difference in the rising of the one and the other for the Godly shall rise by vertue of Christ's Resurrection and that to Eternal Glory But the Ungodly rise by the Power of Christ as he is a terrible Judge and to execute Justice on them Now to the Faithful Christ is said to be the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.16 Because as in the first Fruits of Corn being offered unto God the owner had an assurance of God's blessing on the rest So here by Christ's Resurrection the Believers have a Pledge of their own resurrection Now of his Ascention into Heaven Luke saith Acts 1.9 That he was taken up the meaning is this was done principally by the mighty Power of his Godhead and partly by the supernatural property of a glorified Body which is to move as well upward as downward without constraint or violence And thus Christ ascended into Heaven really and actually and not in appearance only And he went also locally by changing his place and going from Earth to Heaven so as he is no more on Earth bodily as we are now on Earth And whereas it may be doubted If he be so departed from us at touching hit bodily Presence how that may be true that he said he would be with us unto the end of the World Matth. 28.20 The Answer is He said also That he would leave the Word to go to the Father Joh. 16.28 wherefore he must be understood to speak by a distinction True it is he was before Abraham Joh. 8.85 and so is he with the Church to the Worlds end according to his Divine Nature in Majesty Grace Vertue Power and Effectual working of his Holy Spirit Joh. 17.11 14.16 17. 16.13 But his bodily Presence is in Heaven Secondly If any doubt further Whether the Natures be not thus severed if where the one it the other is not alwayes I Answer No For the Divinity which cannot be comprehended must of necessity out-reach and yet comprehend the Humanity and thereunto be personally united It is not alwayes that of two things conjoyned where the one is there must be the other also For the Sun and his beams are both joyned together yet they are not both in all places together for the body of the Sun is seated and carried only in his Celestial Orbe in the Heavens but his beames are here beneath on the Earth In those Holy Phrases then we must remember that as Learned Men speak the Properties of both Natures must be distinguished in Christ for in such places properties belonging to one Nature are ascribed unto the other because of the Hypostatical Union of both Natures in one Person And thus far for the sense of the words of this Article where we see briefly that Christ's Ascention is an Exaltation or a receiving up of his Humanity to fit in the highest Heavens till the glorious day of his Appearance in Judgment Heb. 1.3 Now I come to the use of this Faith First When I do thus believe the Ascension of Christ I do believe also all the Effects thereof and all the Holy Adjuncts appertaining thereunto namely these two principal which the Apostle specially mentioneth Eph. 4.8 12. First that when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive By Captivity I understand a multitude of Captives as the Psalmist doth Psal 68.19 By Captives here are meant the World the Flesh Sin Satan and Death it self and whatsoever Engins and Confederates these had against Christ in his Humiliation and his Members all their dayes on Earth He so triumphed over them all on his Cross Col. 1.12 but especially in his Ascension that howsoever they may fear us otherwhile and scar us to waken us from Security yet they shall never hurt us for Christ hath taken away their sting 1 Cor. 15.55 and hath pinioned their hands behind them as Captives and set us Free if we will come unto him when he calls us by his Gospel Wherefore if we refuse now his Call our state is the more dangerous See Mr Perkins upon the Creed pag. 285. A man lies bound hand and foot in a dark Dungeon and the Keeper sets open the Prison door takes off his Irons and bids him come forth If he refuse and say he is well may it not be said he is mad and who will pity him in that case This is the state of all impenitents and contemners of the Gospel Secondly It is said also That then he gave gifts to his Church as Kings do in their triumph and his gifts were those Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the planting of the Church and the Propagation of the same and for the gathering of his Elect to the Worlds end If these were Christ's principal blessings which Christ gave his Church in his Ascension and so richly and highly to be accounted as being destinate and sent for so great a Work as the building of the Body of Christ which is his Church on Earth Eph. 4.12 Then they do not believe rightly and truly the Ascension of Christ that so basely and vilely esteem the sacred Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel of Christ and the Administration of his Sacraments as Atheists and Papists and all carnal Gospellers do Thirdly Like as our Justification is ascribed unto his Resurrection and Merit of the same So our proceeding in Grace and Perseverance may truly be attributed to his Ascension to Heaven and Intercession there for us Joh. 17. And like as he could never have risen in that Body wherein he was accursed for us unless he had been acquitted and justified from all our sins so much less could he have Ascended into the highest Heavens if he had not been pure from all our spots imputed unto him His Ascension is a clear evidence of his Righteousness Joh. 16.9 10. and consequently of our Righteousness in him and by him for which these Articles are sweetly knit together for the confirmation of our Faith touching our free Justification by Christ Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Is God that justifieth who shall condemn It is Christ which died yea or rather which is risen again who is also at the right-hand of God and maketh request for us Wherefore ever remember to reject the Doctrine of Antichrist who teacheth that Christ by his Death did merit our Justification but we once Justified do further merit our Salvation Whereas thou feest here not only the beginning but also the continuance yea the accomplishment of the whole Work of our Salvation in our Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification is wholly and only to be ascribed to the merit of Christ Fourthly We receive also by his Ascension a confirmation touching our Ascension into Heaven for in believing the one we believe the other for the Head and Members must go together We be not now coldly to
A Cure for the Cankering Error OF THE New Eutychians Who concerning the Truth have erred SAYING That our blessed Mediator did not take his Flesh of the Virgin Mary neither was he made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh and thereby have overthrown the Faith of some By Thomas Monck Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness c. London Printed for the Author Anno 1673. The Author to the Reader Christian Reader THE matters contended for in this Treatise are on all hands confessed to be very weighty and necessary to our Salvation which in short are these viz. The true knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which to know is life Eternal Now these new Eutychians which here in this Treatise I oppose say That the Divine Nature of Christ which was in the beginning with God and was God Joh. 1.1 2. compared with the 14 verse was made flesh viz. by turning his Divine Nature or Godhead into flesh even at the Water was turned into Wine at Cana Joh. 2.9 which ceased to be Water and became Wine so the Eternal Word viz. God the Creator of Heaven and Earth ceased from being a Creator to become a Creature viz. Man and died for our sins as these men say as you may see in this insuing Discourse Nov this Opinion I call Erronious and Heretical and indeavour to prove it so as also impossible sith God is Immortal and Immutable yea Perfection it self and therefore cannot die nor yet be changed as I have proved in this Treatise Secondly They say in plain words That our blessed Mediator did not take his flesh of the Virgin Mary nor of David and so by Consequence he was not the true Son of David and if so how can we be saved sith all the Promises are Yea and Amen in him that was the true Son of David as the Reader may see in the insuing Discourse which is a consequence of the former Opinion Now albeit some of them that be more subtile begin to bogle and will not speak plainly to this question What the Word was before it was flesh but say they cannot tell We say he was either a Creator or a Creature sith we know no other thing that could die for us and as was said before God the Creator of all things could not die as we believe Therefore if they deny him to be a Creator then we think they must be Arrians or Socinians which two Opinions they say they abhor as false and erroneous but the other part of them say still as they all use to say heretofore That he was of the uncreated substance of his Father their Essence being one but yet they all agree in this That he that was the Eternal Word did not take his Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary as we say he did Now I can assure thee Christian Reader I have had no mind to Dispute much less to Write about these great Mysteries which I humbly believe and adore but the Opposition that these men of late have made against the Truth the great danger that I know some poor Souls have been yet are in concerning these things about God Christ as also the exhortation of the Apostle Jude which bids us earnestly contend for that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints hath ingaged me in this great Work which I confess I am not sufficient for but hope by this to open a door to some abler Pen to inlarge upon and further explain these great Mysteries that so the little children that John bids keep themselves from Idols may know them better than yet I doubt they do Now the principal things I treat of in this Book are these Four First Of the Essence of God Secondly Of the Holy Trinity Thirdly About the Person of Christ Fourthly Of the union of Natures in that one sacred Person As you may see if the Lord open your eyes as he did the two Disciples that were a going to Emmaus and that he may so do is and shall be the Prayer of the Author of this Book to God for thee And because I would be an instrument in the hand of God to keep thee from Heresie or pluck thee out if thou art in it I have thought good to open to thee in some measure the nature of that dâ—â—â—nable sin of Heresie from the words of the Apostle Peter which I will use as a Preface to this Book to the which I refer thee as also to the Book it self for thy satisfaction and shall pray that God would be pleased to make it effectual for the end intended which is Gods Glory and the Salvation of poor Souls and remain Thine To serve in what I may for the Truths sake T. M. October 19. 1672 The Preface 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. But there were false Prophets amongst the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of And through covetousness shall they with fained words make merchandize of you 1. IN these words the holy Apostle shews us That as the Church and People of God in old time had their enemies the false Prophets so the Church of Christ in these last dayes shall have their Adversaries the false Teachers 2. That the work of the false Teachers will be privily to bring in damnable Heresies 3. That the Heresies will be of so destructive and damnable a nature that they which adhere to them will even in so doing deny the Lord that bought them 4. That the false Teachers in bringing in the said damnable Heresies will bring upon themselves swift destruction 5. Such shall be the success of false Teachers That many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of 6. That which shall be the moving Cause to set false Teachers a work shall be Covetousness 7. The Engine or Instrument which they shall use to carry on their work shall be feigned words 8. And lastly The condition that those will be brought into which follow them is no better than slavery they shall make Merchandize of you that you shall as it were be bought and sold into slavery I hope through the good assistance of Jesus Christ to treat of these Eight Particulars briefly as an Introduction to this Treatise First It being the main design of Satan to subvert the Kingdom of God he hath in all Ages used his utmost endeavour so to do He assaulted our first Parents even when they were in innocency and having prevailed so far that the first Covenant hath been
it not a wonder that many should follow those wayes that are so pernicious But it is as St. Paul saith when men receive not the love of the Truth that they might be saved then God in his just Judgment sends them or gives them over to strong delusions that they should believe a Lye 2 Thess 2.10 11. The Apostle tells Titus that there were many unruly and vain talke s and deceivers which it seems had such success that they subverted whole houses viz. turned them from the Faith teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake Tit. 1.9 10. insomuch that all they that were in Asia were turned away from him See 2 Tim. 1.14 15. Yea the Spirit speaks expresly that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4.1 So all the World wondered after the Beast Rev. 13.3 and worshipped the Beast and the image of the Beast and was so inamoured with their Idolaty that they say Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make War with him vers 4. For Sixthly That which is the moving Cause which sets false Teachers on work is Covetousness that which made Balaam so desire to curse the People of God was Covetousness The Apostle tells us he loved the wages of unrighteousness Jude 16. 2 Pet. 2.15 For the love of Money saith St. Paul is the root of all evil which whilst some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows l Tim. 6.10 But Seventhly When the heart is corrupt 't is no wonder if the tongue be false therefore our Apostle tells us That the Engine or Instrument which the false Teachers shall use to carry on their design of beguiling unstable Souls shall be feigned words words of deceit swelling words of vanity see 2 Pet. 2.18 19. So the Apostle Paul tells Titus There are saith he many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses Tit. 1.10 they subvert or turn away the minds of their Hearers from the Truth by false and deceitful words For evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 Therefore Eightly and lastly Let us behold with horror and compassion the sad condition of those miserable Souls that are carried away with the Error of the wicked The false Teachers saith the Text shall make Merchandize of you Is it not a cruel thing to sell a man into slavery How much more cruel is it to sell the Souls of Men and Women into worse slavery and bondage than the Egyptian bondage Better that man had never been born than to be an instrument to bring any Persons into Heresie As those that convert Sinners from the Error of their way shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 Jam. 5. ult So for those that lead them in the way of Heresie is reserved the mist of darkness for ever 2 Pet. 2.17 If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch See Matth. 15.14 False Teachers are unmerciful For as the true Servants of God labour to have the Church of Christ established in the true Faith so the Children of Belial do sell them into Perdition making them as Christ saith twofold more the Child of Hell than themselves see Matth. 23.15 Beloved I will now conclude this Preface by declaring unto you what Heresies I principally oppose in this ensuing Treatise viz. All that oppose the Essence of God the Trinity of Persons and our Lord Jesus Christ and the Union of Natures c. For this is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 CHAP. I. Of the Divine Essence Exod. 3.14 And God said unto Moses I am that I am and he said Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel I am hath sent me unto you I AM viz. I am the only true God truly subsisting and not only through the opinion of men as Idols are I am he that have an everlasting being unchangeable subsisting of it self not depending from others infinite most simple the Author and Cause of the being of all things not a borrowed changeable finite dependent and compound being c. as all the Creatures have Of this mine Essence will I give thee the highest most express and general name of all He that is Which hath remained in use amongst the Hebrews and was then first revealed by God Exod. 6.3 The French Annot. He that is which is the Name that we translate for want of another more proper the Lord God which Name God then newly revealed to Moses Exod. 6.3 See Diodat's Annotations upon the Text. The Essence of God absolutely considered is that one pure and meer act by which God is God Because through the weakness of our understanding we cannot apprehend it in any measure by one act it hath pleased God to give unto himself many Names and Attributes by the help of which we may the better conceive thereof The Divine Attributes are certain essential Properties which God is pleased in Scripture to ascribe or attribute unto himself they are also called the Perfections of God or divine Predications or Titles They are not distinguished from the Essence really but notionally that is They are not distinguished at all in God but only to us-ward according to our manner of conceiving The Perfection of his Nature is either simpleness or the infiniteness thereof The simpleness of his Nature is that by which he is void of all Logical Relation He hath not in him subject or adjunct Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself compared with Joh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in his light as he is light compared with vers 5. God is light and in him is no darkness Hence it is manifested that to have life and to be life to be in light and to be light in God are all one Neither is God subject to generality or speciality whole or parts matter or that which is made of matter for so there should be in God divers things and one more perfect than another Therefore whatsoever is in God is his Essence and all that he is he is by Essence The saying of Augustine in his 6th Book and 4th Chap. of the Trinity is fit to prove this In God saith he to be and to be just or mighty are all one but in the mind of man it is not all one to be and to be mighty or just for the mind may be destitute of these vertues and yet a mind Hence it is manifest That the Nature of God is Immutable and Spiritual God's immutability of Nature is that by which he is void of all composition division and change Jam. 1.17 With God there is no
or any thing besides what a person or thing is for the present argueth imperfection which is clearly proved thus Whatsoever it is possible for a person or thing to be which at present he is not must needs be something which will either add unto his being and make it better or else take away from his being and so make it worse or else be a thing meerly indifferent and so of no concernment unto him at all So then if a man be capable of being any thing which yet he is not for the bettering of his condition it is a cleer case that his present condition or being is imperfect for he is as yet destitute of that which should add perfection unto him If he be capable of any thing or of being any thing which yet he is not to the making of his present condition worse here the case is yet more cleer that such a man's condition is not perfect For to be obnoxious to the deprivation or losing of any good which a man enjoyeth for the present manifestly argueth weakness and imperfection Thirdly and lastly If a man be capable of being any thing which yet he is not suppose it be without any relation at all to his condition either for the better or the worse yet this also plainly argueth imperfection For it supposeth that a man hath something hath a capacity which is a meer superfluity to him and doth him no good yea which he knoweth not how to improve for his good and this as apparently as either of the former argueth imperfection So that certain it is that if the nature and being of God be absolutely and infinitely perfect he must needs be a pure and meer act all in present and actual being whatsoever it is possible for him ever to be This most intire and compleat actuality of the Divine Nature and being is I presume saith Mr. John Goodwyn in his Book entituled Redemption Redeemed pag. 48. generally subscribed by all Reformed Divines God saith Zanchy is a most pure and most simple act and no wayes capable or in any possibility of being any thing more or less than what he is And from this actuality of God he infers both his absolute immutability and infinity of his perfection It is affirmed saith Peter Martyr as with one mouth of all that are godly that God is not changed in as much as this would be a certain sign as well of imperfection as inconstancy in him The reason why God is not changed nor capable of any change whatsoever is because he is a most pure absolute and compleat act i. e. he is for the present whatsoever it is possible in any respect for him to be So that notwithstanding his ownipotency it self he hath no power to make the least alteration or change in himself either in nature will or action Upon the account of this Authors credit who interesteth all the godly in the assertion and belief of God's unchangeableness and consequently of that perfect actuality which we assert I judge it needless to make any further levy of testimonies in this behalf CHAP. II. Of the Holy Trinity First the proof of it from the Scriptures Secondly the use of it AMongst the multitude of Scriptures holding forth the Doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the Divine Essence let it at present suffice to transcribe these Texts because I shall speak more about the Trinity hereafter in the Questions and Answers And God said Let us make man in our own Image after our likeness Gen. 1.26 And the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil Gen. 3.22 Go to let us go down and there confound their language that they may not understand one anothers speech Gen. 11.7 But none saith Where is God my Maker so they say it is in the Hebrew who giveth songs in the night Job 35.10 And one cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth it full of his Glory Isa 6.3 And the Heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him and lo a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.16 17. Go therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father he shall testifie of me Joh. 15.26 The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.13 For there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one 1 Joh. 5.7 Hence appeareth first the in being of one Person in another Joh. 14.10 11. 1 Joh. 1. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me Because a Person signifying both the essence and its relative property all the persons having one and the same Essence it followeth that in respect of the Essence one Person is in another Thus John saith there are three that is three distinct Persons in respect of their relative opposition adding withal that these three are one namely in respect of the sameness of the Essence And here we may see the reason of those words of Christ Joh. 8.19 If you had known me ye should have known my Father also He that hath seen me hath seen the Father Secondly That all the Persons are equal Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 Joh. 5.18 Either the Persons are equal or else because every Person is God there would follow an inequality and consequently an inferiority in God which is inconsistent with his Perfection as I said before Thirdly That all the Attributes in that they flow from the Essence are true of every Person because every Person hath the whole Essence Fourthly That all the Attributes whether Relative Negative or Positive or if any other in that they proceed from the Essence are true of every Person because the whole Essence is in every Person The Father is Eternal the Son is Eternal the Holy Ghost is Eternal because the whole Essence is in every one of them yet there are not three Eternals but one Eternal because the Essence which is in them all is but one In like manner the Father is infinite the Son is infinite the Holy Ghost is infinite yet c. And so of all the rest Fifthly That all the works of God which concern the Creature i. e. whatsoever is besides God are wrought by all the Persons joyntly because the efficacy whereby they are what they are proceeds likewise from the Essence it self not from the manner of the Essence Moreover the knowledge of the Trinity is necessary to Salvation because saving Faith hath for its object God the Father
For the Apostle saith Verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he-took on him the Seed of Abraham Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People By all which it doth appear that he took flesh of the Virgin Mary I touch this matter the more because not long since I communed with some men who very confidently did affirm that the eternal Word did not take any flesh of the Virgin Mary And they also boasted that there were many Men and Women in England of their opinion concerning this matter For although they do grant that Christ as Man was really flesh yet they deny the matter of which it was made to be of or from the Virgin Mary but say that it was Heavenly matter viz. the Divine Nature was turned into Flesh in the Virgins Womb even as the Water at Cana was turned into Wine Joh. 2.7 Now I will by God's help in this ensuing Discourse demonstrate the falshood of this their Opinion for it denyeth Christ to be the true Son of David according to the flesh contrary to all these Texts Gen. 26.4 22.18 2 Sam. 7.12 Psal 132.11 Acts 2.30 all which prove him to be the true Son of David according to the flesh As also St. Matthew and St. Luke reckon his kindred and generation from Adam Abraham and David c. Moreover Christ came not only to die for our sins but also to be an example unto us and a perfect pattern of good living as shall be declared afterward more fully For how could he more set forth his exceeding love to us than in dying for us For greater love than this hath no man than to bestow his life saith Christ speaking of his own death Now the Deity suffered no infirmity or change which is impossible wherefore it was necessary that he should take our Nature upon him who came to heal our infirmities and to teach us to cure them through Faith in well-doing If he had taken them in any other nature then the example of his life would not have been teachable unto us for if he had been tempted in any other nature or died how could we learn to withstand the Devil and to overcome his temptations by Christ's example wherefore there was no way like this to redeem man He is Wisdom therefore he took the wisest way c. Now that you may the better understand these great Mysteries concerning God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2.2 I will put that which I have said into Questions Answers that so through God's blessing you may see this great Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.15 and believe it As also add more to this that I have here said for your comfort by way of Vse and Application and so leave the Work to â—he blessing of God and your serious consideration CHAP. IV. Questions and Answers about God Quest WHat things are we to know concerning God Answ 1. What God is 2. What a God he is or how he is affected towards us Quest What is God A. God is an Essence Spiritual Incomprehensible Almighty Immortal Infinite Love it self Mercy it self Justice it self Holiness it self Purity it self Goodness it self Wisdom it self Long-suffering it self Bountifulness it self which is the Father who from all Eternity begat the Son Coeternal with himself and of the same substance with the Father and the Son not made nor created but begotten of the Father from all Eternity Joh 4.24 1 Tim. 1 17 Jam. 1.17 Acts 1.8 Jer. 23.24 1 Joh. 4.8 16. Exod. 34.6 7. Mat. 5 44. and the Holy Ghost proceeding from them both the Father and the Son the Creator and Conserver of all things the Redeemer and Sanctifier of the Elect. Which is no definition for he that is super-substantial and incomprehensible cannot be defined but such a description as sufficiently containeth all such things as in this life are necessary for us to know for the service of God and our Salvation Q. Is there one God only or whether be there more A. One only Deut. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord thy God is One Lord. 1 Sam. 2 2 Isa 41.4 44.6 Mat. 12.32 And so 1 Cor. 8.4 We know that an Idol is nothing in the World and that there is no other God but One. And seeing the true God is most high Eph. 4.6 1 Tim â— 5. and most infinite actually therefore there can be no more but One God because there can be no more but one that is above all neither any more but one infinite And this one God is manifested to us by such testimonies as cannot deceive to wit by Miracles Prophesies and other things which by his Omnipotence may be done Q. How is God said to be One A. Neither by a genus nor species but in Essence and in Number or in regard of his Nature because there is one only Essence of God and that indivisible Q. Why doth the Scripture make mention of Elohim or Gods joyning that word as well with the plural as singular number A. Not to the end that it should make a multitude of Gods or divide the Essence but to distinguish the Persons because though there be one Person of the Father another Person of the Son and another of the holy Ghost yet the Father is not another thing or another God distinct from the Son and the holy Ghost the Son is not another thing or another God distinct from the Father and the holy Ghosh neither is the holy Ghost another thing or another God distinct from the Father and the Son because the Nature of God is but one and indivisible although the Father be one the Son another and the holy Ghost another And therefore they are not of divers Natures of another and divers Substance not conjoyned or knit together in one Substance as men which have one common essence not only of the like substance but of one and the same substance have the same Essence the same Eternity the same Will the same Operation the same Power and the same Glory Phil. 2.6 Q. How many wayes is the Name of God taken in Scriptures A. Two wayes properly for the Substance Essence and Nature and improperly Now it is taken properly or for the Essence when it is taken without the distinction of any one of the Persons as Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit where God is taken for the whole Essence of the Deity as is also the Name Jehovah Or else personally when there is joyned unto the Name of God the name of the Person as God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost Or when the Father is opposed to the Son who is very God and the second Person in the Trinity as Rom. 7.25 I thank God by Jesus Christ So Rom. 8.3 the Father is called God the word Father
Samosatenus who taught That the Son did no more subsist in God than Wisdom Justice and Goodness 3. Of Arrius who denyed that the Son was begotten of the Essence of the Father that he was co-eternal co-equal and according to his Person of the same substance with the Father 4. Of Servetus who affirmed that the word Person is no otherwise to be taken then as in Comedies the name of a Person is used for the habit and the distinction of the office 5. Of the Tritheitarites who do transform the three Persons into three distinct and several Essences They deny the Son of God according to his Essence to be of the same substance with the Father and the Son to be God of himself 6. The blindness of the Jews who do affirm an Essence altogether without distinction And here I will Answer to some Objections made by divers Hereticks Object 1. If there be divers Jehovahs there must be divers Essences but Gen. 19.24 the first is true for Jehovah did rain fire from Jehovah that is the Son from the Father therefore the Son is a distinct Essence from the Father A. The Learned say it is an Hebrew phrase signifying that God did miraculously rain fire of himself from Heaven Again the word Jehovah is taken sometimes personally it is therefore a distinction in the Persons not in Essence Obj. 2. There is one life of the Father and another of the Son Joh. 5.26 therefore another Essence A. First that place is to be understood of a power communicated to Christ as he was Mediator Secondly Although the Son be from the Father in respect of the origination of his Person yet is he of himself if he be absolutely considered and therefore hath the same life with the Father Obj. 3. They who have distinct Operations have distinct Essences but the Actions of the Trinity are distinct Ergo. A. The Proposition is true if it be understood of natural and external action but if of internal and personal actions it is not true for these do not take away the unity of Essence since that the same Essence in number is wholly in every Person Obj. 4. Each Person hath not one and the same power for the Father can beget the Son the Son cannot beget ergo they have not the same Essence A. They have all one natural power but not personally as there is one Nature but not one Person Obj. 5. The Essence of the Father is communicated to the Son by Generation therefore there is one Essence in the Father another in the Son because there is one Essence begetting and another begotten A. We must distinguish betwixt Generation and Communication for the Person begets and is begotten but the Essence neither begetteth nor is begotten but communicated Obj. 6. If the Father and Son have one Essence it must follow that the Father was incarnate which is absurd Ergo. A. The Essence of God absolutely considered was not incarnate but the second Person and although the Person of the Son include the whole Essence of God yet for the proper manner of subsisting it is distinguished from the Father Obj. 7. If the Father and Son have one Essence the Son should be Mediator to himself A. The Son is properly Mediator betwixt us and his Father not absolutely betwixt us and the Divine Essence And the office of Mediator dependeth upon the most free Ordination of God Note CHAP. VI. Questions and Answers about Christ Quest 1. WHat doth this word Christ signifie A. It signifieth Anointed because he was anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows Joh. 1.14 Psal 2.6 110.4 Isa 61.1 as we reade in Psal 45.8 And indeed he is that King that only Priest and Prophet which was promised unto mankind Q. 2. Doth his name Christ signifie his Nature or his Person A. His Person subsisting in both his Natures and not this or that Nature alone for it is a name concrete as the Grammarians speak and not abstract Q. 3. What do you call a word concrete and what an abstract A. This word concrete in the discourse of Christ is said to be that which signifieth the nature together with the subject and doth comprehend in his signification both the thing and the subject wherein the thing is that is to say it doth define the Person of Christ as he is the Son of God because the Son of God doth not simply signifie the Nature of God but the Person of the Son of God So the Son of Man See Bucan Institut Theolog loc 2. or pag. 14. when it is spoken of Christ signifieth the Person and not his Humanity simply But this name abstract is a word that signifieth the Nature simply as the Divinity of Christ the Humanity of Christ Q. 4. How many things are especially necessary to know Christ and which be they A. Two his Person and his Office Q. 5. What is Christ A. He is the only begotten Son of God Joh. 1.14 Tit. 3.4 5. Heb. 2.16 Luk. 1.31 Luk. 1.35 Heb. 2.16 Heb. 2.14 Mat. 26.29 27.50 Heb. 2.17 4.15 who of his meer love towards mankind did create unto himself of the Seed of the Virgin Mary being Sanctified by the Holy Ghost and by creating assumed and did personally and inseparably for ever unite a true humane Body indued with a reasonable Soul And so being true God became true Man like to us in all things sin only excepted Q. 6. What things are we especially to consider in the Person of Christ A. Four 1. That Christ is God 2. That the same Christ is Man 3. That he is God and Man in one Person 4. The Phrases and the usual Speeches which are affirmed of Christ in the Scriptures Q. 7. By how many and by what kind of testimonies do you prove that Christ is God A. By three 1. By apparent and manifest sentences of Scripture wherein the Divinity of Christ is averred 2. By his Works which were altogether Divine 3. By the worship and honour which was yielded unto Christ both of the Saints that believed and of the Angels Q. 8. Shew some pregnant testimonies whereby you can prove that Christ is God A. I shall Isa 9.6 This is the Name whereby they shall call him speaking of the Messias to wit the Mighty God the Father of Eternity Jer. 23.6 The Name whereby the Branch of David shall be called shall be the Lord our Righteousness Judg. 6.11 c. That Angel which appeared to the Holy Patriarchs call himself Jehovah In the New Testament Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Joh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Rom. 9.5 Christ being God was of the fathers according to the flesh of his Mother who is God for ever 1 Joh. 5.20 And we are in his Son Jesus Christ who is very God and life Eternal 1 Tim. 3.16 God is manifested in the flesh In which places Christ is absolutely called God and the name Jehovah so given
him not by a Trope or Symbolically by reason of the presence of God as Exod. 17.15 It is given to the Altar Psal 24.8 It is given to the Ark. Jer. 33.16 It is given to Jerusalem Q. 9. Which be the testimonies of the second sort A. The works which none can do but God alone which are ascribed to him to wit to create and preserve to redeem to blot out iniquities to search the heart to hear our prayers to quicken to judge moreover the Miracles which he wrought by his own power according to that Prophesie Isa 53.5 6. unto which also even Christ himself sendeth us and for the working whereof he gave power to his Apostles moreover those Attributes which do agree only to the Nature of God and ascribed unto him as Eternal Almighty Infinite King of Kings Saviour and the rest testifie him to be God by Nature See these Scriptures following Joh. 1.3 5.17 Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.23 1 Cor. 1.30 1 Thess 1.10 Matth. 9.6 9.4 Mar. 2.8 14.13 Joh. 14.14 5.27 5.22 10.25 Matth. 11.45 10.8 Mic. 5.2 Joh. 1.1 17.5 3.31 Phil. 3.21 Matth. 18.20 28.20 Rev. 19.26 Matth. 1.21 Acts 4.12 Q. What is the third kind of testimonies A. The worship and honour which is performed unto Christ namely Invocation Adoration Faith Hope Psal 72.11 All the Kings of the Earth shall worship him all People shall serve him Isa 11.10 and Rom. 15.11 12. All Nations shall call upon him and trust in him Rom 14.11 Phil. 2.10 Psal 2.12 Blessed are they that put their trust in him every knee shall bow unto him And Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Acts 7.39 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit All which do prove that he is true God Q. Why is it necessary that Christ the Redeemer should be God A. For two causes especially whereof of former is the greatness of the evil wherewith all mankind was overwhelmed which could be taken away by no creature The later is the greatness of the good Mat. 19.17 which could be restored by none to man again but by God who alone is truly good Q. What is the greatness of the evil A. It standeth in Four things which be these The greatness of man's sin the infinite and unsupportable weight of God's anger the power of Death the tyranny of the Devil which to take away to abolish to appease to overcome none was able but God alone Q. What is the greatness of the good which could be restored by no creature A. The restoring again of the Image of God therefore Christ 1 Cor. 1.31 is made to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Col 3.10 not only by revealing and teaching of them but by performing and restoring of them Q. Why is he called the Word A. Because it is he that spake the Word and all things were made Q. According to which Nature is he called the Image of God Col. 1.15 A. Not according to his Humane Nature alone as man is said to be made after the Image of God but especially according to his Divine Nature but manifested in the flesh 2 Tim. 3.16 or so far forth as God hath truly manifested himself in Christ whereupon he is called The brightness of the Glory of the Father Heb. 1.3 and the Character or ingraven form of his Person because he is not some vanishing representation but ingraven and durable Q. Prove that Christ is very Man A. I will Gen. 3.15 The Seed of the Woman is promised which shall break the Serpents head Gen. 22.17 God promised Abraham that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed 3 Sam. 7.12 It is promised to David that his Son must sit upon his Throne and Reign for ever Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall Conceive and bring forth a Son Besides all this the History of the Gospel doth plainly prove that Christ was conceived * Luke 1.31 2.7 21. 22.20 Heb. 2.4 Mat. 26.38 4.2 Joh. 19.29 19.34 Mat. 27.50 9.36 Joh. 2.17 11.33 35. Mat. 26.37 38. Acts 1.9 11. born circumcised had a true Body and Soul was hungry thirsty shed his blood that he died and that he had all the Properties and Affections of man's Nature yet without sin that he ascended visibly and locally into Heaven and thence that he shall come again to Judgment Q. Why must Christ needs become Man A. 1. The Justice of God required it should be so that the disobedience committed in our flesh might in the same be repaired Rom. 5.17 18 19. Heb. 2.14 2. The reason of our Adoption for it pleased the Son of God to take the Nature of Man upon him and to become our brother and so by that means to become our nearest kinsman and most near allied unto us that we being made his members might be made the Sons of God Gal. 3.16 and that he might have right to redeem and ransom us Hence is matter of comfort in every kind of temptation Therefore the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 2. 17. 4.5 saith He took not upon him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham and in all things became like to his brethren that he might have compassion of his brethren 3. For the confirmation of our Resurrection for in that Christ took on him our Nature and hath raised it up and given unto it immortality and hath exalted it in Heaven by vertue of that Communion which we have with him shall we be raised up at the last day and this our vile body shall be made conformable to the glorious Body of Christ Phil. 3.21 1 Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all are dead so in Christ shall all be made alive Q. Why was neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost incarnate but the Son A. 1. Because it was meet that the World should be redeemed and all things restored by him by whom all things were created or that man should be redeemed from death by him by whom he was first created and should have been brought unto life eternal if he had not sinned 2. It would have been unconvenient that there should be two Sons one in the Divine Nature another in the Humane Nature 3. It was the Eternal Decree of the Father whereby he purposed to save mankind by his Son Heb. 2.10 Q. Whether is Christ God and Man divided or joyned together A. Joyned and uniced but not divided Q. By what kind of Vnion A. Not by inhabitation only as God dwelleth in the Saints Joh. 17.21 not by consent only as the Faithful are one in the Father and the Son not by Mixture as when Water is mingled with Wine not by Combination as two boards be joyned together lastly not by Composition whereby of the mixture of two things there ariseth a third but by Personal Union which as it 's said the Greeks call Incorporation because neither the whole Deity nor any part of it
to be a speech by Synechdoche viz. wherein a part is taken for the whole or the whole for a part Q. But those Titles which belong to the Office of Redemption are they to be attributed to the Natures severally asunder or to the Person A. To the Person as Christ is a Mediator Pastor Priest according to both Natures although each of them in that work retaining his own proper efficacy or operation Q What is the Effect of that Personal Vnion A. The bestowing of gifts whereby the Humane Nature in the Person of Christ is adorned and whereby it excelleth all other Creatures in Wisdom Goodness Holiness Power Majesty and Glory which the old Fathers call the Deifying of the Flesh the Schoolmen Habitual Grace of the Communion of Properties which is mutual one of another and the reciprocation of the Names altogether distinct Q How manifold is the state of Christ A. Two-fold one of Humiliation whereby he willingly undergoing the burdens reproaches and punishments of our Nature did humble himself to the death of the Cross the Divinity in the mean while according to Irenaeus resting or hiding it self that he might be crucified and die The other of Exhaltation whereby after his death his Humane Nature did lay aside all the infirmities of it but not the Essential Properties and was wonderfully exalted above all Creatures unto the greatest honour yet not in any case match'd and equalled to the Divine Nature of Christ Phil. 2.7 9. Q. What are the Doctrines contrary to this A. The first Heresie of Macedonius and Valentinus who affirmed That Christ brought with him a Celestial body from Heaven As also of Apelles who said His Body was aiery his Flesh star-like and that he passed from the Virgin as Water from a Pipe 2. Of the Marcionites who feigned unto him an imaginary Body 3. Of Apollinaris who denyed that Christ did assume a reasonable Soul but that his Divinity was unto him instead of his mind 4. Of Eunomius who affirmed Christ to be meer man and that he was called the Son of God by Adoption And of Ebâ—oni who said that Christ was born by Humane generation 5. Of Nestorius who taught That as there be two Natures in Christ so there are two Persons and that the Divinity is present with the Humanity by circumstance and combination but not by Personal union Therefore he denyed that Mary was the Mother of God or brought forth God and affirmed that Man not God was crucified of the Jews 6. Eutyches Heresie contrary to the former for he taught that the Humane Nature after the Union was indued with the properties of the Divinity viz. the Divine Nature was turned into flesh 7. Of the Manichees who avouched that Christ had but one only Will and not two a Divine and a Humane Will 8. Of the Vbiquitaries who attribute to the Humanity of Christ the Essential properties of the Divinity altogether forgetting that saying He that taketh away the Properties taketh away the Nature and on the contrary He that attributeth the Proprieties attributeth the Nature and of whatsoever the Essence cannot be affirmed no more can the Essential Proprieties thereof be affirmed of the same Now I have here briefly given you an account of these Eight Opinions about Christ as aforesaid And by these you see St. Peters words fulfilled 2 Pet. 2.1 But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable HERESIES even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernitious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of Acts 20.28 For St. Paul saith Take head therefore unto your selves and unto all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood for I know this that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them So Isa 9.21 saith That Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses and both against Judah Also Herod against Pilat and Pilat against Herod and both against Christ even so here is the Eunomians or Socinians or Bidelians against the Eutychians and both against Christ for the one denyeth his Divine Nature and the other his Humane contrary to Matth. 22.45 and Rev. 22.16 I am the root and off-spring of David and so by consequence both deny the true Christ For the Devil knoweth there is no Salvation for us without Faith in him who is David's Lord and David's Son Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 And now Brethren that I may as the Apostle Paul saith Acts. 20.26 be clear from the blood of you all for I have and will declare unto you all the counsel of God that I know touching this matter but as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.9 So say I for we know in part and we prophesie in part for now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the Error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness For some of you have been as brands pluck'd out of the fire Jude 23. I mean out of the Eutychian Heresie which doth not only deny Christ to be truly David's Son but saith That he that was truly David's Lord and Creator was mortal and died contrary to 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only Wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen And now because the right knowledge of Christ and union of his Natures is so absolutely necessary to Salvation I will add some Questions and propound them for the Eutychians consideration CHAP. VII Containing Questions Answers about the Union of Natures in Christ Quest 1. WHy must Christ become Man and take our Nature viz. the flesh of the Virgin Mary Answ Because the Justice of God required that seeing in that Nature God was offended in that Nature should a satisfaction be made to God for the offence Now sin was committed in Man's Nature Adam sinned first and in him all his Posterity therefore Christ took Man's Nature that so he might suffer death and so make satisfaction to his Father for Men's sins Q. 2. Is there no way appointed of God to remit our sins but by shedding of blood A. No so saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there is no remission Q. 3. Can Christ considered as he is the Eternal Word Joh. 1.1 and very God 1 Joh. 5.20 die A. No for God is immortal and
cannot die 1 Tim. 1.17 for he only is without beginning and without end Q. 4. But although God as God cannot die yet cannot he change himself from a Creator to a Creature and so die A. No for saith the Holy Ghost Mat. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not Jam. 1.17 Neither is there any shadow of it Q. 5. Did Christ take our flesh and not our sin A. Yes for the Holy Ghost saith He was made like unto his brethren in all things sin only excepted Heb. 2.17 4.15 Q. 6. How could he take our flesh and not our sin also sith all other men partake of both A. All other men came from Adam and by Adam as a procreant cause Rom. 5.12 but Christ came from Adam but not by Adam viz. being made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 even as Eve was made of a Man Gen. 2. but not begotten as Cain and all other men are Matth. 1.18 Q. 7. How could Christ properly be the Son of Man and so the Son of David and of Abraham and Adam if he did not take the very flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary the Daughter of David as St. Luke in his third Chapter saith she was A. He could not for God had sworn with an oath to him That of the fruit of this Loyns according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne Acts 2.30 Q. 8. If so whether then is not that Opinion heretical and damnable that denyeth Christ to be the true Son of David A. It is because there is no Eternal Salvation to be had in any other Acts 13.38 39. Q. 9. Whether if Christ had been a Creature only although an Angel or Man could he have overcome death A. No for as he was Man the Jews did destroy the temple of his body Joh. 2.19 but as God he raised it up again the third day as he told the Jews he would do Joh. 10.18 Q. 10. Whether if Death and the Grave had kept Christ Prisoner for ever could any have been saved A. No so St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. For then they which are asleep in Christ are perished Q. 11. Whether doth not this absurdity follow the Eutychian Opinion that if Christ be only God then he could not die as aforesaid if only Man then he cannot raise himself from the dead A. It doth unavoidably follow upon their Opinion Q 12. Whether such a Doctrine which by its natural consequences maketh the death and resurrection of Christ impossible or else in vain ought not to be abandoned by all Christians A. Yes doubtless it ought for it destroyeth the Faith of Gods Elect utterly if believed Q. 13. What must we do with those Brethren that are ignorant of these bad consequences as aforesaid A. Instruct them in the true Faith concerning Christ's death and resurrection Q. 14. But what must we do if they be obstinate and will not repent A. Then after the first and second admonition reject them Tit. 3.10 Q. 15. If Christ before he came from Heaven was of the uncreated substance of the Father their Essence being One then will it not follow that the Father was made flesh at well as the Sou sith you say it was the Essence that was made flesh not the Person of the Son took it into Personal Union as we with the Scriptures say he did Heb. 2.14 16. Q. 16. If it were possible for the uncreated substance to make it self into Flesh which by nature is a Spirit and spiritual substance Joh. 4.24 Then how could he receive nourishment from the Virgin as you say he did and grow in her womb Q. 17. If he be of the uncreated substance how could he grow in Wisdom as he did sith the uncreated substance is wisdom it self Prov. 8. Q. 18. If Christ be only of the uncreated substance then how could he be ignorant of the day of Judgment Mark 13.32 Q 19. If he was only of the uncreated substance then how could he be anointed by the Holy Ghost Luk. 4.18 Acts 4.27 Q. 20. If he be only of the uncreated substance then whose Will did he obey when he said Not my Will but thy Will be done Luk. 22.42 For the Essence is one in the Father and the Son Joh. 14.9 11. Q. 21. Why did Christ die as you say he did if he was only of the uncreated substance Did he die to satisfie himself viz. as God Answer fairly and do not now when you see all these gross absurdities follow your Opinion as the natural consequences of it say you cannot tell what he was before he was made flesh in the Virgins womb for then you worship you know not what Joh. 4.22 with the Samaritans and so you are Idolaters as they and the Athenians were Acts 17.22 23 c. Some Objections Object 1. Peradventure some may say These absurdities will follow upon your own Opinion as well as ours for you say he was God by Nature as well as we and there is but one God by Nature Gal. 4.8 Answ 1. Not so for we alwayes distinguish betwixt the Essence of the Son and the Person saying The Essence is one with his Father but not his Person therefore we say his Person was begotten not his Essence and we also say that his Person took Flesh of the Virgin Mary not the Essence and therefore it was the Person of the Son that was born of her not the Father nor the Spirit for although the Essence of the three be one yet the Persons be distinct as 1 Joh. 5.7 So that the Eternal Word the Son of God did never pray to his Father as I remember till he became our Mediator no more than the Holy Ghost doth pray to the Father which for himself you know he doth not but Christ did pray for himself which could not be for his Godhead but for his Manhood which is a Creature and therefore ought to perform homage to God the Creator For we alwayes distinguish betwixt the Natures which you deny therefore we say it was his Humane Nature that was ignorant of the day of Judgment for with his Divine Nature he knoweth all things Joh. 2.25 And by virtue of it he could and did forgive sins which two things viz. To search the heart and and to forgive sins none but God can do therefore we cannot conceive how he could become our Saviour and Mediator except he had these two Natures in one Person for if he had not took our Nature and so appeared before God in our stead bearing our sins in his own body as St. Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.24 And so St. Paul saith Was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 for else Justice could not have punished him 2. If he had been put to death in the flesh which we say only died which distinction you deny but we with St. Peter say he was put to death in the flesh but
quickned by the Spirit which we call his Divine Nature for as he did bear our sins so also our punishment for sin which was death but by his Divine Nature he overcame it as aforesaid 1 Pet. 3.18 Obj. 2. Peradventure some will object against these things as I have before laid down saying He may be the Son of David although he did not take of the flesh of the Virgin Mary and so by consequence the flesh of David inasmuch as he was born of the Daughter of David for it may be read Born of a Woman as well as made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 as also Rom. 1.3 born of the Seed of David A. We say with you He was born of the Seed of David and so of the Virgin Mary But yet so as he was also made of the Seed of David and of a Woman Which thing you deny viz. that he was made of the Seed of David and if so then he was not properly the Son of David although born of a Daughter of David no more than Bethsheba's Child was Vriah's which was begotten of her by David which you know was David's and not Vriah's Child although she was his Wife for no man is properly the Son of such a man except he partake of the substance nature or flesh of that man But you say Christ did not do so therefore he was not by your Opinion the Son of David Obj. 3. But no Child say they doth take any thing from his Mother but only nourishment therefore Christ did not A. Who told you so not God's Word and do you know by experience how bones do grow in the womb but if your Opinion be true why then doth God forbid his Children to marry their Sister by the Mothers side how is she kin to him if she was begotten by another father But God saith your Opinion is false as you may see Levit. 18.9 c. Some Queries to the Eutychians Query 1. Whether doth not the Eutychian Opinion in denying the two Natures in Christ viz. the Divine and Humane by consequence deny the Lamb the Priest and the Altar mentioned in the Law to be types of Christ contrary to the Analogy of Faith Answ They do for Christ as Man is the Lamb as God the Altar and as God-Man the Priest Q. 2. Whether doth the Holy Ghost apply these three to Christ in the New Testament yea or nay A. Yes he doth apply them for he is the Lamb or Sacrifice for sin Joh. 1.29 Heb. 9.26 10.10 and the Altar Heb. 13.10 and the Priest Heb. 5.6 For as the typical Lamb was without blemish even so was Christ saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.18 2.24 Secondly The Priest was sanctified or set apart to offer a Sacrifice acceptable to God even so was Christ Joh. 17.17 Thirdly As the Altar did sanctifie the Sacrifice even so did the Godhead of Christ the Humane Nature Heb. 9.14 Query 3. Whether doth not the Eutychian Opinion make the threefold Offices of Christ of none effect or deny them all A. Yes for the Divine Nature cannot be anointed to be Priest Prophet and King Query 4. Whether can any man come to the Father but through Faith in these threefold Offices of Christ A. No for what the Tabernacle or Temple was to them under the Law that is Christ to us under the Gospel And as God manifested to them in the Temple was the proper object of worship to them even so God manifested to us in Christ is the proper object of worship to us for the Flesh or Humane Nature of Christ is the medium or mean by which we have access to God in all our Worship This is proved Heb. 10.19 20 c. Some Arguments to prove the Opinion of the Eutychians heretical and dangerous Argum. 1. That Doctrine or Opinion that saith Christ was not the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 which was promised of God to break the Serpents head is a dangerous Arg. 2. That Opinion that maketh the Tabernacle or Temple Lamb Priest and Altar ordained of God for Divine Worship till Christ came in the flesh no true types of him is a dangerous Opinion But such is their Opinion Therefore dangerous Arg. 3. That Opinion which in it self or the natural consequences depending thereon maketh void all the promises of God concerning man's Salvation by Christ must needs be a very dangerous Opinion But such is their Opinion therefore dangerous The Reasons appear plain to every impartial Reader in all these three Arguments But here I will add That either the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 was God which was justly offended with Adam for his sin Or else it was the Man Christ which was made of a Woman Gal. 4. But it was not God that was made of a Woman therefore Man And now for you to say that God the Creator of all things in Heaven and in Earth Col. 1.16 made himself a Creature or was made so is false as I said before and also impossible sith God is Perfection it self And to say that he passed through the Virgins womb as Water through a Conduit as some Hereticks have said is also false And to say he had an imaginary body and not a real body as some Hereticks have said is also very false as appeareth by his death and resurrection As to the proof of the second Argument That the Lamb the Priest and the Altar were types of Christ see what is already said in the Questions and Answers as also the Scriptures thereunto annexed Which cannot be applyed to him viz. Christ except you with us grant the two Natures to be in one Person If you can shew us how you do it As to the proof of the third Argument That your Opinion doth deny all the Promises of God I prove it thus That Opinion that denyeth Christ to be the true Son of David denyeth all the Promises of God concerning mans Salvation But such is your Opinion Therefore c. 2ly That Opinion that denieth the proper signification of the Sacraments viz. Baptism the Lords Supper must needs be a dangerous Opinion but such is your Opinion therefore dangerous The reason of the minor Proposition is because it denyeth the two Natures in Christ which are lively set forth by the Sign and the thing signified by these Sacraments 1. For as all the Ordinances of God's instituted Worship as Sacrifices under the Law c. so all the Sacraments under the Gospel seem to have immediate relation to Christ as God manifested in the flesh For you may observe they consist of two parts the one Natural the other Spiritual the one External the other Internal the one as it were the Body the other the Soul of it the one representing the Humanity the other the Divinity of Christ so that every Ordinance of Worship is as it were a representation of Christ incarnate 2. The Divine Essence or Godhead in Christ seemeth to be the proper object of all Worship for Christ saith
12. If the Father Son and Spirit be all Creators of Heaven and Earth then are they God by Nature but they are all Creators of Heaven and Earth therefore God by Nature Gen. 1.16 2dly If they all know the thoughts and search the heart of man then are they God by Nature but they all do so therefore 3dly If they may all be ultimately sinned against then are they God by Nature but they may be so therefore 4thly If we may worship them with Divine Worship then are they God by Nature but we may worship them with Divine Worship therefore 5thly If we may be baptized in their Name then are they God by Nature but we may yea ought to be baptized in their Name therefore God by Nature Matth. 21.19 20. The reason is plain because we expect the remission of our sins in his Name into which we were baptized as also promise to worship him in Spirit and in Truth for God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Now albeit St. John saith speaking of Christ I and my Father are one Joh. 10.30 He doth not by this saying deny the three Persons for in that he saith we are he teacheth us that he and his Father be not one Person forasmuch as ARE cannot be spoken of one Person properly and in that he saith ONE he declared that he is of the self-same substance with his Father Oh the exceeding deepness and power of God's Word which is as a two-edged Sword for with these two syllables Are and One it confoundeth two Heresies viz. the Arrians and Patripâ—ssions and Sabellians which wrest that saying of Christ He that seeth me seeth the Father also Joh. 14. which must be understood of their Essence and not of their Persons as appeareth by these words I go to prepare a place for you saith Christ and if I go I will come again which plainly proves a distinction of the Person vers 2 3. If we may not believe St. John that there be three that bear record in heaven viz. the Father the Word and the Holy Ghosh and these three are one 1 Joh. 5.7 to be a Unity and Trinity as aforesaid then these absurdities will unavoidably follow That if the Father be both the Son and the Holy Ghost as he is if their Persons be one as well as their Essence is one which is indivisible Isa 44.6 I am and there is none besides me Then the Father was he which took our Nature upon him Heb. 2.16 the Father was tempted of the Devil he suffered hunger and thirst he was buffeted and and scourged of the Jews and put to death by wicked hands he also came down in the likeness of a Dove and also of fiery Tongues he begat himself he is greater than himself he sent himself into the World he gave himself a Seat at his own right hand he is the express Image of himself he is greater than himself But if our English Eutychians cannot see these things as aforesaid to be blasphemy against God the Father yet I hope you will see them to be great absurdities for they are the natural consequences of your Opinion for you say it was God that died in the likeness of Man and to prove this you wrest as you do other Scriptures Phil. 2.6 8. for you say He that was in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal to God and you say He put himself in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a man he 〈◊〉 himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross wherefore God also hath highly exalted him c. Now if the Godhead was turned into flesh as Water was turned into Wine as you say it was and there can be but one God by Nature both you and we say and I hope believe then if the Father be that one God For to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 1 Cor. 8.6 Then I pray consider of your Opinion as also the bad consequences that depend upon it For if you shall still be obstinate and deny that the Eternal Word did ever take any flesh of the Virgin Mary into Personal Union with it self as we say it did but will still say and believe that the Eternal Word viz. God the Creator of Heaven and Earth did make himself a Creature viz. Man and so died for our sins Then how you can acquit your selves from being rightly called blasphemers of the Eternal God which is only Immortal and Immutable as I said before I cannot yet tell because of the reasons aforesaid c. Now forasmuch as I understand by some late Conferences I have had with our English Eutychians that they deny or at least doubt of God's Omnipresence and with the Anthropomorphites think of God as if he were some old Man sitting in some one place on a Throne as Kings use to do and so with the Papists and Socinians think that one may see from his right hand to his left as Dr. Owen saith in his Answer to Mr. John Biddles Catechism Now you may see by this how one Error begetteth another For first they deny the Divine Essence of the Eternal God to be Infinite Immense and as the Prophet Jeremiah saith To fill Heaven and Earth Jer. 23.24 And as Solomon saith The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him how much less this House which I have built 2 Chron. 6.18 But they not minding such Scriptures as these or else not understanding of them but reading some other Scriptures which speak of his coming down from Heaven to see Sodom c. Gen. 18 19 chap. As also because man was made in his Image and that he hath hands and feet c. Therefore they cannot tell how he should properly be a Spirit or Spiritual substance Joh. 4.24 and therefore cannot understand the blessed Trinity as I said before And indeed without this be granted the Trinity cannot be proved to be three Persons and yet but one God as we say and believe as aforesaid for although we distinguish the Persons in the Godhead yet we do not separate them because the Essence is Infinite and Omnipresent Psal 139.7 Whither shall I fly from thy Presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there Amos 9.2 3 4. And to give you one instance what we mean when we say they are distinct and not separated from the Essence of God we mean after this manner as when we-say there are three Faculties in the Soul of Man viz. Understanding Will and Memory now these three Faculties are distinct yet not separated from the Soul for the Soul acts wholly in these three yet not three Souls but one Soul even so is the Eternal Godhead in the Father Son and Spirit and yet but one God but this
Creature and so die this was impossible sith God cannot die nor yet be changed as I have oft said and proved in this Treatise from 1 Tim. 1.17 Jam. 1.17 and many other places of the Holy Scriptures Thirdly John doth not say he was begotten flesh of the Virgin Mary but made flesh for saith he The Word was made Flesh even as St. Paul saith Rom. 1.9 made of the Seed of David and came of the Fathers according to the flesh Chap. 9.5 and made of a Woman Gal. 4.4 And so as St. Peter saith He came out of the loins of David according to the flesh Acts 2.30 for so God had sworn to David Psal 132.11 For Solomon was but a Type which came out of his loins 1 King 8.19 All these Texts do expresly teach us that Christ had a Humane Nature which is termed the flesh as it is frequent by the word flesh to understand a man or Humane Nature See Rom. 3.20 No flesh can be justified in his sight which must be understood of men also Chap. 11.14 Isa 57.7 Gal. 2.16 Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him c. Fourthly Consider this word raised up according to the flesh out of the loins of Divid which plainly sheweth that there was another Nature which was Davids Lord Matth. 22.44 which was not raised up out of his loins which was God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Else why was it not said of him without this distinction as of Solomon Thou shalt not build the House but thy Son that shall come forth out of thy loins 1 King 8.19 He doth not say according to the flesh neither is this distinction made concerning any man but only Christ which was Emmanuel God and Man in one Person or God with us Matth. 1.23 From whence I infer That He who is so David's Son according to the flesh raised out of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh made of the Seed of David according to the flesh and of the Father's according to the flesh As that he also is Davids Lord and the Son of God God over all blessed for ever is consubstantial with his Father as touching his Godhead and consubstantial with us as touching his Manhood but such is Jesus Christ therefore God by Nature and Man also And now I hope I have Answered your great Objection and also told you how he is truly called the Son of God as being in the bosom of his Father and also how he is truly called the Son of Man and so the Son of David as being made of a Daughter of David which Mary was See for proof of this Luke the 3d Chap. And now what hath been said in Answer to this Objection if heeded by you will Answer all your Objections from Joh. 3.15 and Joh. 6. from the 50 verse to the 64. For John saith No man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of Man which is in Heaven which proveth the union of Natures in one Person otherwise he could not be in Heaven and Earth at one time Now I hope you will not say with the Socinians your Adversaries that after his Baptism he ascended immediately up into Heaven and there received his Commission from his Father to preach the Gospel as Moses did his in Mount Horeb concerning the Law Exod. 20. And yet if Christ hath but one Nature as you say with them he had not then I pray tell me if you can Whether the Eternal Word was ever called Man or the Son of Man properly before the Holy Ghost overshadowed the Virgin Mary and so he was born of her or made of her according to the flesh for it is the Person viz. the Word that is said to come down from Heaven as appeareth Joh. 6.62 What if ye shall saith Christ see the Son of Man viz. Christ's Humane Nature ascend up where he viz. his Divine Nature was before For as he is the second Adam he was not there before as appeareth by what St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 15.46 The first Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual The first Man is of the Earth Earthy the second Man is the Lord from Heaven As is the Earthy such are they also that are Earthy and as is the Heavenly such are they which are Heavenly And as we have born the Image of the Earthy we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly So that by this comparison the natural Man was before the spiritual which cannot be meant of the Eternal Word which St. Paul calleth the Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 For so considered as he is the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 1 Pet. 3.18 he was before Adam or else he could not have Created him and all other things which he did Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 So then as the natural Adam was the first Man that God Created so the second Adam viz. the Humane Nature of Christ was the first Spiritual Man that was raised from the dead and so ascended up into Heaven and was glorified and so is the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 And the first-born from the dead for as St. Paul saith He was the first fruits of them that sleep and so because of the Personal Union is called the first and the last even he that was dead and is alive and behold saith he I live for evermore and have the keyes of Hell and Death Rev. 1.18 Now the Name Almighty which is applyed to Christ Rev. 1.8 must needs be meant as he was Davids Lord Psal 110.1 And as St. John calleth him Davids Root But when St. Paul calleth him the second Adam it must be as he is his Son or off-spring for the true Adam is never properly in all the Scripture applied to God viz. the Divine Nature for you know Adam signifieth Earth viz. the Matter which Man was made of And as for the term Heavenly it is as truly applyed to the Saints as to the Humane Nature of Christ for vers 48. As is the Earthy such are they also that are Earthy and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly Which St. Paul applyes to the Saints after their Resurrection vers 44. It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body So that Paul doth not run the Parallel betwixt the Natural body and the Spirit viz. the Creator as aforesaid For if you observe him he calleth the second Adam Spiritual also vers 46. and calleth the Saints Heavenly vers 49. Now will you say because the bodies of the Saints after their Resurrection are Spiritual bodies therefore their bodies are Spirits Surely no. Even so albeit the second Adam after his Resurrection is called Spiritual that therefore his body
is a Spirit as the Papists think even so albeit the Saints bodies are called Heavenly doth that prove that the original Matter they were made of came from Heaven You will surely say No. Even so say I of the body of Christ For the main design of the Apostle in all this Chapter was to prove the Resurrection of the dead as appears by vers 13. But if there be no Resurrection of the Dead then is not Christ risen And vers 17. If Christ be not raised your Faith is vain you are yet in your sins then they also which are faln asleep in Christ are perished And vers 22. For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive c. Now where there are divers Opinions they may be all false there can be but one true and that one Truth oft-times must be fetched by piece-meal out of divers branches of contrary Opinions c. For although the Lord hath made all Nations of one blood and commanded them to seek the Lord Acts 17.30 yet if you divide them into thirty parts saith Mr. Perkins nineteen of them be Heathens and Pagans then there remains but eleven and of these five be Turks and Mahometans then there remains but a sixth-part of the thirty and of these six How few do believe in God aright God knows they be very few as for the twenty four parts of the thirty they do not own Christ to be their Saviour no not so much as in Profession as to the other six-parts it is true they all confess him to be the Son of God and in some sense their Saviour also Yet so as by some of their Opinions they by just consequence deny him either in his Divine Nature or in his Humane or else in the Union of Natures and so by consequence deny the true Christ and of them that do profess him to be both Davids Lord and Davids Son also yet of them how few do love him and keep his Commandments Luk. 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say The Lord grant for his Sons sake that I and you may be of those Sheep that will hear the Voice of the true Shepherd and so follow him and will not follow a stranger Joh. 10. Where shall I begin to wonder at thee O thou Divine and Eternal Peace-maker the Saviour of Men the Anointed of God the Mediator between God and Man in whom there is nothing which doth not exceed not only the conceit but the very wonder of Angels who saw thee in thy Humiliation with silence and Adore thee in thy Glory with perpetual Prayers and Rejoycings Thou wast for ever of thy self as God of the Father as the Son the Eternal Son of an Eternal Father not later in Beginning not less in Dignity not other in Substance begotten without diminution of him that begat thee while he communicated wholly to thee which he retained wholly in himself because both were Infinite without inequality of Nature without division of Essence when being in this estate thine infinite Love and Mercy to desperate Mankind caused thee O Saviour to empty thy self of thy Glory that thou mightest put on our shame and misery Wherefore not ceasing to be God as thou wert thou beganst to be what thou wast not viz. Man to the end thou mightest be a perfect Mediator betwixt God and Man which were both in one Person God that thou mightest satisfie and Man that thou mightest suffer that since Man had sinned and God was offended thou which wert God and Man mightst satisfie God for Man None but thy self which art the Eternal Word can express to us this great Mystery how God should be manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory and we in him c. CHAP. X. Containing the use of the whole Treatise NOw as aforesaid I will further add to that that I have said something by way of Vse and Application and so leave the whole to the blessing of God and your serious Consideration Vse 1. Concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God 1 Tim. 3.16 we must know that it is a great Mystery and therefore here observe First Who is Incarnate The second Person in Trinity First for that God by him created Man and therefore by him must we be recreated and redeemed Secondly for that he is the Essential Image of God to restore the Image of God lost in Adam So this I believe the whole Godhead is not incarnate Joh. 1.14 Luk. 1.35 nor any Person but the Son the Person of the Son I say subsisting in the Godhead Secondly This I must say and believe that he was a perfect Man in every respect like to Adam sin only excepted subject to all unblameable and general infirmities which appertain to the whole Nature of Man as Passions of Body and Mind Thirdly This I must believe and avouch that it was necessary that he should become Man first to satisfie God in that Nature we offend Secondly for that not one else could fulfil Righteousness which the Law required of us but he Thirdly for that our Redeemer must die for our sins Fourthly He must be a Mediator and make Requests and speak to God and Man for Reconciliation Man before the Fall could speak to God face to face but now he cannot nor may not come neer but in the face and favour of Christ whose face is to be found in the Gospel Duties which follow this Faith First Draw near to Christ and cleave unto him for we see he is come near us and become our Emmanuel Isa 7. Secondly Here is a Patern and President for us of unspeakable Humility Psal 22. Isa 53. Phil. 2.6 7. There is a secret Pride in all the Sons of Adam till God change their hearts and this Pride the less we discern it the more it is and the more we discern it the less it is This I observe touching this Incarnation of Christ That his Conception by the work of the Holy Ghost was wonderful for it was done in the Womb of the Virgin that albeit he took of her very flesh which came of sinful Adam yet was the flesh of Christ I mean his Humane Nature Body and Soul without sin To prevent that original corruption which comes to Mankind by natural Propagation the great Wisdom of God provided That his Incarnation should be by the immediate work of the Holy Ghost without any natural Generation or Means of Man on Earth or Angels in Heaven or Earth Heb. 2.14 I proceed on to speak of the Birth of Christ He was born of the Virgin Mary and of the Union of Natures Divine and Humane in this one Person This I believe indeed for so did the Patriarchs and Prophets of old because of the Divine Oracles which God gave them concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God Gen. 3.18
that this sacred Person which did this great Work with his own blood is very God But here we be also to observe that there is no Communication of the Essential Properties of these Natures but in the concrete only as Logicians speak not in the abstract as we may say truly and according to the Doctrine of Godliness that God died for us but we may not say therefore the Deity died for us And here beloved I will shew you once more why our Mediator must be very God and very Man and that these two Natures must thus admirably be united together and his Conception so pure First briefly for the first He must be very God First because he hath received a Charge from his Father which did require an infinite Power to wit by his Merits and Vertue to save the Elect or Believers for it was needful that his Price should over-prize our sins Secondly If he had not been very God he could not have overcome death Rom. 1.3 4. Thirdly for that it behoved him also to overcome and kill sin and death in us even in our Consciences Joh. 5.24 25. and to quicken us Rom. 8.11 by giving us the Spirit of Faith to apprehend all his Merits and to apply the same unto our selves Now who can give the Holy Ghost but God himself Luk. 11.13 Joh. 3.7 8. Lastly He was to loosen and destroy all the accursed works of Satan in us Secondly And for the second Point He must be very Man First that God might declare his unchangeable Justice and hatred of sin and his unspeakable Love and Mercy to the Elect the first he sheweth in punishing sin in his own Son the second he declareth in that he punisheth not our sins in out selves but in another Secondly That we might conceive rightly of the Brotherly Affection of our Mediator towards us and how that he which sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one Thirdly For that God had confirmed it with an Oath that the Messias should come of the loins of David Psal 133. 89. and of the Seed of the Woman according to the Gospel preached in the beginning in Paradise Gen. 3.15 Thirdly For the third Point This I believe and avouch briefly That Salvation could not have been obtained for Man unless the Nature of God and Man were united together in one Person First Because otherwise this work had not been performed by blood of the Son of God and so it had been insufficient for us Secondly Because the Humanity of Christ could never have born that punishment for sin Thirdly Salvation thus obtained could never have been maintained but that these Natures be thus knit together for that Christ is and must be the pledge of our Reconciliation for ever Psal 110.1 Matth. 22.44 Fourthly By this means we have as it were kindred with God in Jesus Christ who is become our Emmanuel God with us or God manifest in our flesh Matth. 1.1 Tim. 3.16 Fourthly For the fourth and last branch of the Question I say and believe that it was necessary our Lord and Saviour should be pure without the stain of sin in his Conception and that the Holy Ghost in this great Work did so provide First For that the most glorious and Divine Nature of God could never else be united unto the Humane Secondly For that a sinner could never have been accepted to make this Atonement or to offer up any Sacrifice for sin Thirdly For that he could not have Sanctified others unless he were the most Pure and the most Holy One of God in himself Heb. 2.11 10.9 10. Thus then the Lord Jesus Christ our most blessed Saviour and Redeemer hath taken to himself of the whole mass of mankind he took I say one Portion thereof and did perfectly sanctifie it by the power of the Holy Ghost and out of it derives perfect Holiness and Sanctification upon all his Elect by imputation of his Merits for their Justification and by his Holy Spirit working in them inherent Righteousness and Sanctification that so they may serve him continually in this life and for ever And here I will also shew you the use of this Article which we reason'd so much on in our Church-meetings when we were upon the Creed viz. I believe that he was crucified dead and buried All the Evangelists testifie with one accord that this was the form of his Execution he was crucified on a Cross and to fill him with pain his hands and feet were fastened with nayls unto the Cross Acts 3.18 Gal. 3.1 Phil. 2.8 And all this was done to accomplish God's Eternal Decree manifested before by the Prophets The brazen Serpent was a picture of this Numb 21 Joh. 3. For so he saith himself As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up that all that believe in him perish not but may have life everlasting And again Joh. 12.32 And when I shall be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto my self Of this the Psalmist Prophesied saying They pierced my hands and my feet Secondly That we might in Conscience be resolved that Christ came under the Law Gal. 3.13 and suffered the Curse thereof for us and bare in his own Body and Soul the extremity of the Wrath of God for us And albeit other punishments were notes of God's Curse yet was the death of the Cross in a special manner above the rest accursed by vertue of a particular Commandment and special Word pronounced by God himself fore-seeing and fore-shewing what manner of Death Christ our Lord should die Thirdly The Apostle assureth us that in this form of Execution we may behold how Christ did undertake all the Malediction due unto all the Elect or Mankind himself for he saith Gal. 3 13. That he was made a Curse for us And again in the like prhrase 2 Cor 5. â—1 He was made sin for us By which manner or speaking we may not fear that any manner of reproach is offered the Son of God For both Sin and the Curse following are his by imputation Though in regard of himself he was no sinner yet as he was our Surety he became sin for us and consequently the curse of the Law for us in that the Curse every way due unto us by imputation and application were made his Instructions and Consolations which follow this Faith First We learn here with bitterness to bewail our sins for Christ suffered here the Wrath of God not for any offence that ever he committed but all for us and therefore just cause have we to mourn for our own sins which brought our Saviour to this low and base estate If a man should be so far in debt that he could not be freed unless the Surety should be cast into Prison for his sake nay which is more be cruelly put to death for his debt it would make him at his wits end if there were left but
special Instructions to guide and direct us in the whole course of our life Thus far I have declared my Faith concerning the Passion of Christ under Pontius Pilate and now I will shew you what I believe concerning his Death I do believe that he died I believe his death was not a fiction or imaginary death but a true death indeed according to the Prophesies which were before delivered concerning him Isa 53. He was cut off from the Land of the living Dan. 9. The Messiah shall be cut off The Types and Sacrifices of Lambs daily in the Temple did fore-shew and preach the death of the Lamb of God The accomplishment and truth of the Types and Prophesies are recorded faithfully Joh. 1.29 ch 19. Mat. 26 27 Chapters Mark 15. Luk. 23.26 First He died to satisfie the Justice of God for the Elect that he might free them from death and from the fear of death as it is written Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death him that had Power over death that is the Devil and that he might deliver all them which for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Secondly He died to fulfil all the Promises of God from the beginning Gen. 3.15 Thirdly I say his death was voluntary and an accursed death First voluntary for so he speaketh Joh. 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down of my self Secondly It was an accursed death for so it is written Gal. 3.13 Christ was made a curse for us and how He sheweth it in the words following Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree As if he should avouch in effect that Christ's death was accursed that is that it contained in it the first death that is the separation of Body and Soul for that for a time he did apprehend and undergo the wrath of God due to Man for sin yet was he never out of God's favour for in the midst of his loud cryes he calls God his God Matth. 27.46 He was never so oppressed of death as the damned are For as he suffered the bodily death without any corruption of body so be suffered the extream pangs of the Soul but not as forsaken of God more than in his own apprehension and feeling Fourthly The Comfort and Use we have of this Faith or the Blessings we reap by the death of Christ are many and very precious never to be forgotten of true-hearted Believers 1. This voluntary and true obedience of Christ unto death even this accursed death is our Righteousness before God as it is written Rom. 5.19 As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one Righteous many are made Righteous In this Righteousness of Christ's Death lyeth the chief matter of all our felicity and rejoycing as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing but in the Cross of Christ There is no one thing more recommended in so many and so evident Prophesies than this So by the Death of Christ I am freed from the second Death 2. By this Faith in Christ crucified and dead for us I behold to my exceeding comfort a divine proportion between the infinite debt of God's Elect and the satisfaction done by the death of Christ unto God's Justice for the same as infinite as the debt 3. I see the unspeakable love of God to his Elect continually preached unto me and manifested as before mine eyes Joh. 3.16 4. I see that God's Divine Justice is satisfied by Christ's Death in the same Nature which offended him Gen. 3.15 Heb. 2.14 to mine exceeding great consolation 5. My trembling Conscience by this Faith is quiet and pacified for I feel hereby that the pollution of my Conscience is done away because my heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ Heb. 9.14 and the scorching heat of it is abated by this Water of Life which streams unto my heart from the side and heart of Jesus Christ Zach. 12.10 11. 13.1 6. The first Death by Christ is turned into a blessing and made unto me a gate of Life So that now I may truly say That the day of Death is better unto me I being in Christ than the day wherein I was born 7. The Death of Christ doth ratifie his last Will and Testament unto me Thus it pleased the Father to make authentical and to seal unto me the Covenant of Grace Heb. 9.16 8. By his Death he hath not only taken away the condemnation of sin Rom. 8.1 for us but also hath broken the power and infection of it in us The act of Christ's Death is past but the vertue and powet thereof endures forever When we have Grace to deny our selves and to put our trust in Christ and by Faith hold him fast in our hearts then as Christ himself by the Power of his Godhead overcame Death Hell and Damnation in himself for us so shall we by the same Power of his Godhead and Grace dwelling in us Eph. 3.20 Gal. 2.21 2 Cor. 13.5 crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5.25 26. 9. The Death of Christ ought to be to all impenitent Sinners the greatest Motive to move them and turn them unto Christ and to humble them because they have pierced him by their sins This I say ought to cause them to mourn for him as the Prophet Zechary speaketh Ch. 2.10 whom even they themselves and not the Jews only have wounded Isa 53. wherefore if this move them not their case is dangerous 10. Be ready if thou beest a Believer to lay down thy life for Christ if need so require as he hath done for thee and to die rather than to do any thing which thou knowest manifestly to be contrary to his Will Of this mind were all the Martyrs and Faithful People of God in all Ages 11. To give some special Instructions if it be doubted what the Altar was whereon Christ offered his Sacrifice because the Papists avouch it to be the Cross I believe rather that Christ himself was the Priest the Sacrifice and the Altar as I said before the Sacrifice as he is Man the Priest as he is both God and Man the Altar as he is God For the property of an Altar is to sanctifie the Sacrifice as Christ saith Matth. 25.9 Now Christ as he was God sanctifieth himself as he was Man Joh. 17.19 For their sakes sanctifie I my self And this he did First By setting apart his Manhood to be a Sacrifice unto his Father for our sins Secondly By giving unto his Sacrifice merit and efficacy to be a meritorious Sacrifice wherefore the Wooden-Cross was not his Altar as Papists have imagined 12. The Prophet Haggai saith that the second Temple built by Zerubbabel was nothing in beauty unto the first which was built by Solomon For it wanted