him into the fellowship of his person The second his perfect sauing of vs is likewise set downe first from his actiue obedience that is his fulfilling the righteousnesse of all the cōmandements and his passiue obedience that is bearing the cursed death which are the things whereby our-saluation is wrought for vs Secondly from the solitary manner of working these things viz. that he did and suffered all things due to this end by himselfe without leauing part of this businesse to the Saints and our selues First for his Name such as retaine to great personages they know their names and their whole style which comprehendeth all their Signiories honours and offices which they haue and beare in the common wealth and we if wee heare of some person more famous for this or that are not well till we haue learned his name how much more should we be affected toward the name of him that hath wrought the saluation of mankind Now as great men haue their proper names and styles of office honour c so Christ hath his proper name Iesus which signifieth a Sauiour and of office Christ which signifieth one annointed Names should admonish vs somewhat concerning the nature of things named by them so do these names For he was called Iesus because he was to saue his people from their sins not only from the guilt which he doth when he bringeth vs to see in him the pardon of our sins but from the power of sinne which he doth euery day yea houre while he tameth subdueth our sinne in vs preserueth vs from the rage of it and preuenteth the occasions wherupon it would swell and rage in vs and trampleth Sathan vnder our feete who is the vnquiet moouer of sinne in vs and musterer of all occasions against vs. Now he is the Christ or annointed of God because that which the priests kings annointing did signifie is accomplished in him in whose humane nature God dwelleth personally adorning it with innumerable gifts of grace and glory supernaturall as the soule doth bring forth in the body many naturall properties while it abideth therein as personally conioyned with it and thus he was annointed that he might be a fit King and Priest and Prophet to his Israel How sweete then are these names of our Sauiour so refreshing the heart as a sweete ointment doth the senses they are mel in ore melos in aure iubilum in corde We must therefore enquire after them gladly know them He were a sorrie seruant that should not care to know his maisters name to whom he belongeth What shall become of vs who professing our selues to belong to God our Sauiour know not the first letter of his name Secondly marke what kind of person our Sauiour is such a one who is the eternall Sonne of God made man that is God and man in one person the eternall Son being a perfect person from all eternitie taking our nature into the vnitie of his owne person To open it first note who is incarnate the eternall Sonne then how To the first we are sons but by grace and adoption begotten in time by the preaching of the Gospell The Angels Adam in innocencie were called sonnes but in time brought forth of nothing viz. when time began but Christ is begotten of the selfe-same spirituall essence the Father hath coeternall with himselfe Now to know how they are vnited we must consider that the three persons of the Trinitie are one but in nature which is one and the selfe same in all the three but here two natures are vnited in one person God the Sonne hauing a perfect personall being did take a soule and body not into vnion of his diuine nature but into communion of his person So that the nature diuine and humane are distinct but the personall being which onely before subsisted in the nature of God doth now subsist in the nature of man which doth no lesse essentially belong to the Sonne of God his person then the diuine nature it selfe in which before it onely subsisted The summe is God the Sonne from euerlasting a perfect person being onely in the nature of God did in his time appointed create a soule and body not hauing personall being of themselues within his owne person that his personall being might as really exist afterward for euer in mans nature with the diuine as before it had done in the diuine nature alone So that as the soule and body make vp the personal being of one man so the diuine nature and humane are one Christ after a sort This is the difference the soule hath no perfect personall being of it selfe before the body but the soule as one part and the body as another do mutually conspire in constituting the personall being a third thing which neither hath by it selfe Whereas God the Son doth not take our nature as to make vp a personall being which himselfe had from euerlasting but to receiue frō him hauing perfect being that which it selfe had not So that our nature is a part of his person not constituting any perfection in it but superadded to it as in it selfe most perfect from euerlasting to euerlasting This comparison shall serue for others of the oake and misceltoe of a sience engraffed into a tree are not more plaine in expressing how the two natures of God-man become substantiall parts as it were of one person and all similitudes here must needs be defectiue because there is nothing in nature that hath the essence and substance of any thing without the being this or that thing as Christs soule and bodie were the common nature and substance of a man without being this or that man Againe there is nothing in nature which being this or that can communicate that being it hath with another as the Sonne of God doth his personall subsistēce with this body and soule which were alwaies without any being but in him Our great Sauiour then is God-man Were be not man he could not die nor haue right to redeeme vs as being not our kinsman with many such like cōsiderations were he not God his obedience and sufferings wold not be of value God hath redeemed vs with his bloud Againe man could not sustaine the curse and those powers of darknesse fearefully assailing it hence it was that Christ man was not swallowed vp because the Godhead did support it as one man may be planted in some standing so impregnably that he may beare the assault of a whole army so how strong was this man which God had created within himselfe This must aboue all be thought of this as the rocke The naturall Son of God is our Sauiour Mat. 16. What shall the gates of hell do against him The vse of this is first to consider his infinite loue that hath not abhorred the Virgins wombe that hath made our flesh and bloud a substantiall part of his person If great men vouchsafe but to be free of some worshipfull Company if they condescend
power is sin but also to call on them or trust in them as being some secondarie diuine powers although inferior to God The Angel-worship among the Colossians did not defer thus much as if they had bene the chiefe diuine powers and yet is condemned Nebuchadnezar did not enact that he should be worshipped as the highest God yet because he would haue honour in some degree diuine Daniel did decline it as flat idolatrie Againe this distinction with which they would salue their fact may be turned vpon them as making against themselues For therefore these may not be called vpon neither may be trusted to religiously because they are secondarie workers of things vnder God who is the principall agent Secondly we see what may confirme vs in assured hope to receiue our requests namely to thinke that God hath the kingdome ouer vs that he is powerfull and glorious There is a respect betweene Kings and their people which bindeth them mutually one to another Hence it is that we promise our selues protection maintenance in our life the benefit of subiects from them because we are their subiects and they haue the kingdome ouer vs. That God who by reason of this obligeth sinful men to seeke the weale of all their people because they haue receiued a kingdome ouer them himselfe will not faile on the same ground to procure all good to vs who liue vnder the regiment of his grace Yet because it is not enough that God should haue the regall authoritie ouer vs vnlesse he had the power also of working all things for our weale therefore this is ioyned Thine is the power What were subiects the better to be vnder a gracious Prince but weake hauing as short hands to do them good as a large heart to wish it them So should it fare betwixt God and vs if he were not almighty able to subdue all things to himselfe our faith were shaken For we cannot expect the treading of Sathan vnder our feete the quickning of vs in our soules to euery good worke the iustifying the protecting of vs we cannot expect these things from one who hath not all power Thirdly had God the right to helpe vs had he the power also yet were it a thing that made not for his glorie respected not the aduancement of his honor our beleefe might wauer which now it need not do it being Gods honour to performe all good things for his chosen Honor is with men the spurre of actions haue men right and power to effect this or that notwithstanding if it conduce not to their honor and glorie they will not moue a finger to it But now there is nothing that wanteth to our assurance while we know that we are such to whō God hath right such for whom he hath all power such whom to protect and blesse with all things spiritual and corporall is his great glory The case standing thus how can we doubt of receiuing the things we aske at his hand in the Name of his Christ Amen True it is we thus flie to thee ô Lord be it according to our desire An asseueration wish or expressing of earnest longing to obtaine all the things in this prayer aboue named A TREATISE VPON THE SIXE PRINCIPLES Written by that faithfull seruant of God Maister PAVL BAINE sometime Preacher of Gods word at S. Andrewes in Cambridge ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Robert Milbourne 1619. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE Question VVHat dost thou beleeue concerning God Answ There is one God Creator and Gouernor of all things distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost All necessary knowledge which man is bound to know may be reduced to two heads The knowledg of God Iohn 17.1 This is life eternall to know God and the knowledge of himselfe heathens acknowledging their nosse teipsum the chiefest wisedome Now the knowledge of God is first in order as who is the first sampler after which man was created for we were made after his likenesse as also in whose affectionate knowledge the blisse of the creature consisteth Concerning God three things are set downe to be beleeued first the vnitie of his diuine nature secondly his operation or working without himselfe thirdly his distinction of persons For the first beside the euident testimonies of Scripture on which our faith is builded we may by reason demonstrate this truth First to vnfold it then to prooue it God is one not in beginning and kind in which regard all men may be said one nor in consent as the multitude of beleeuers were said one Act. 4. But one in nature the spirituall essence of God which is eternall knowing all things past present and to come almightie c. being but one and no more in number as this elementary lightsome body of the Sunne is but one so that spirituall nature of God which is a light to which is no accesse is but one singular nature which is not nor cannot be multiplied Sound reason teacheth that God is infinitly perfect aboue all that man can imagine but were there many gods that had euery one seuerally their diuine nature as there are many men and Angels that haue seuerally their distinct humane and angelicall natures in them then we might conceiue a more perfect God then any viz. such a one as had in himselfe the perfection of all the other This therefore doth teach vs how to conceiue of the diuine nature not as the heathens did who thought it multiplied as the nature of other creatures but as of one singular essence which admitteth not any other by it as hauing it in selfe all perfection which can be found in the diuine nature Secondly we see hence the incomparable vnity which the Father Sonne and Spirit haue as who haue euery one the selfe same nature To this we must looke that we may in our owne measure expresse it in being of one heart thinking and affecting the same things Father I pray thee that as thou and I are one so these may be one one mysticall person The second thing is his working without himselfe that is his voluntary bringing forth the whole creature visible and inuisible in nature and being different from his owne For as man and woman do some works within their owne nature as propagating their like some without as build houses make other artificiall deuices so God hath his worke within his diuine nature as the eternall begetting of his Sonne breathing of his Spirit as also his workes without his nature such as he doth voluntarily of his owne accord hauing had libertie of will not to haue made them or otherwise to haue framed them then they are Now first he is said the Creator which implieth two things First his giuing a being to all these things we see and to all spirituall natures which are not seene with the eye when they were not at all in the nature of things Nothing can make it selfe and therfore as seeing goodly buildings
in cities peopled we gather that there were excellent workmen so beholding this earthly habitation with the furniture of it we may conclude there was some most wise and mighty Spirit that framed these things The second thing in creating is that God doth continue the kinds of things and vphold the being which he giueth them For nothing that is not this or that by nature can longer continue to be so then the working of the cause lasteth which first brought it to be so As water is not hote by nature therefore longer then fire is vnder which first made it warme it will not continue in heate but by little and little draw to coldnesse So the aire is darke and therefore as the Sunne maketh lightsome day so longer then it abideth the day lasteth not So things not hauing of themselues their being kinds law of propagation but receiuing these things from God longer then he vpholdeth them in this estate they could not endure but would returne to nothing whence they were produced A man when he hath made an house doth leaue it it standeth without him because he giueth an artificiall order onely not the substantiall being which the matter of the building hath in it selfe not from the builder But did man giue the being essentiall as well as order artificiall were he withdrawne the whole frame would be dissolued as if he stirre any thing that moueth not of it selfe where his motion stayeth the thing so mooued doth stay likewise Secondly it is said the Gouernor that is he moueth them to such ends as are pleasing to him A wise housholder ordereth his whole familie A wise King keeping in his Court doth by his authority and lawes rule the remotest parts of his countrey So God Father of all the family in heauen or earth King Lord of all the creatures he in the heauens which is the court of his Maiestie doth by his power lawes Spirit of grace rule heauen earth hell for hell is but a prison to the great God But how fareth it then that such wicknednesses are committed Answer There is nothing simply euill but onely in regard of the inferiour instrument who is willing but not able to peruert the diuine order and therefore these euils we see are like two faced pictures which seeme on one side beautifull women on the other vglie monsters So looke at the lewdest workes as from God they are most beautifull as from the sinner monstrous as in the crucifying of Christ the cursed Iew wrought despitefully but God most graciously Ob. He that is a Creator gouernour which sometimes he was not is changed but God now is thus and before the world began he was not and therefore he is changed The first part is false because the termes of Creator and gouernor put no reall change inherent in God but imply a chang in the creature For as the Sunne enlighteneth the earth euery day and changeth the face of the creatures without being it selfe changed so God createth and gouerneth Vses First we see here a ground of thankfulnesse to God we count an vnthankfull child a monster of men because he is vnthankfull to them by whom he receiued his being but how much more grosse is our vnthankfulnesse to God whose instruments onely our parents were in bringing vs forth Secondly we see hence what cause we haue to walke in feare for we moue haue being liue in him If one should haue vs so ouer a riuer that if his hold should ceasse we could not but drowne forthwith ô how would we feare to prouoke him who had vs at such vantage but thus it is with God that if his power vphold not we should come forthwith to vtter nothing Thirdly we see what a leud part it is not to acknowledge God Not to acknowledge a King in his gouernment yea not to be readie to take the oath of allegiance we disclaime it in any as a part vnworthie a subiect so not to subiect our selues to the liuing God is a part vnworthie any creature The last thing to be beleeued is the distinction of this one God in regard of persons into the Father Sonne and holy Ghost for the conceiuing whereof foure things are to be noted First that these respects of God begetting begotten and proceeding do not make any composition as diuers essentiall parts of one thing but distinction onely as East West North South so distinguish the heauens that they are not essentiall parts whereof they are compounded Secondly it is to be obserued that these three though there is order of precedency in nature as the Father before the Sonne the Sonne before the Spirit yet they are all coeternal in time as fire is in naturall consideration before heate or light yet in time they are altogether Thirdly it is to be noted that there are said three persons not three Gods for neither tres dij nor triplex Deus are fitly spoken because the one multiplieth at least in appearance the diuine essence the other resisteth the diuine simplicitie Three persons therefore there are hauing all one and the same diuine nature as if Thomas Iohn and Mathew could be supposed to haue one singular soule and body common to them all entirely possessed of euery one Fourthly we must know that no carnall thing is to be thought of the generation natiuitie procession but the mysterie is altogether spiritually to be conceiued but this mysterie is in regard of clearer knowledge reserued till we shall be like Angels In the meane while aspici potest introspici non potest lest that befall vs which happeneth to them that looke full against the Sunne viz. lest our eyes be dazeled The second Principle Q. VVHat dost thou beleeue concerning Man and concerning thine owne selfe Answ All men are wholly corrupted through Adams fall and are become slaues of Sathan and guilty of eternall condemnation The knowledge of man followeth which standeth in these foure points First to know how he was in his state of creation which is passed ouer and is left to be gathered by the contrary Secondly what is his estate as he is fallen Thirdly what by grace Fourthly what it shall be in glorie The three last are opened in this and the questions following The second estate this answer vnfoldeth setting downe our miserie first in respect of our corruption secondly in respect of punishment The corruption is set downe by three circumstances first from the parties corrupted all secondly from the quantity of it wholly thirdly from the first author of it Adams fall The latter of punishmēt hath two branches First our thraldome vnder Sathan Secondly our guilt of damnation euerlasting First then it is to be marked that no creature coming of Adam is exempted from corruption Rom. 5. In whom all haue sinned We saith Paul of the Iewish people are by nature the children of wrath as well as others For like as the roote like will be the branches and who can bring any thing cleane
from that which is vncleane So that the Virgin Mary is not exempted who neither was conceiued nor yet liued without corruption who was more blessed in beleeuing on God her Sauiour then in bearing his flesh within her belly Christ indeed was free For though he was in Adams loynes yet he was not of Adam but miraculously framed by the holy Ghost and so as he was exempted from the ordinary line of generation so likewise frō the corruption which was a consequent of it Secondly it is to be noted that we are not in part but wholly corrupted there is nothing in vs sincere and vndefiled So that looke as a man who hath a leprosie ouergrowing him from top to toe so are wee The imagination of mans heart is euill yea onely euill continually Gen. 6.5 8.21 Therefore the Scripture maketh vs voide of all strength to good Rom. 5.10 We cannot thinke a thought as of our selues Nay full of enmitie against all righteousnesse Rom. 8. The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God prone to all euill Rom. 3. We are in a word dead in sinne and trespasses Eph. 2. Which doth let vs see how the Papist is deceiued who dreameth of a power in the will vnto good if it be loosed awakened as in a man asleepe or fettered there is power to go and so forth if he be waked and set at libertie But the life of God in which all the power vnto good was grounded is gone from vs. Ephes 4. They were estranged from the life of God through ignorance now twixt them and vs by nature there is no difference Ob. Man hath by nature some knowledge of God and his dutie to God and man Answ None at all that is true and sauing but such as may shew the ruines of time in him make him more inexcusable Secondly we must labour to haue conscience of this our total defilement I know in me there dwelleth no good thing for it humbleth vs and maketh vs haue no confidence in the flesh but haue all our reioycing in Christ Iesus and know that what good thing we do it is in him and through him The third thing to be marked is that sinne wherewith our nature is defiled is as a loathsome corruption in it it is the death of the soule which maketh it rot in filthie qualities as odious before God as the stinke and filthie sauour of a dead corps is in the nostrils of man Yea it doth putrifie the body and make it mortall fretting it through often before it be discerned as a moth doth a garment which must the more affect vs. Were we with Iob from top to toe couered with biles it would grieue vs but our whole spirits being fraught with more filthie corruption thē which breaketh out at the eye mouth eare c. we are not touched The fourth thing through Adam teacheth vs whence our miserie is deriued euen from our first parent whose sinne we are guiltie of and whose corruption is propagated vnto all his posteritie For if parents rebelling against earthly Princes their children are tainted and disinherited much more is this iust with God And as we haue the guilt of his fault so we cannot be free from his infection Parentem proles sequitur Like egge like bird as often men hauing the falling sicknesse and be get children hauing the same diseases which must make vs further bewaile our condition Were we descended of one that had bene executed for treason and so were pointed at as a traiterous brood without inheritance in earth had we but with our nature the stone or falling sicknesse from our next parents we would bewaile our vnhappy natiuities The second part of our misery first teacheth vs that all of vs by nature are slaues of Sathan To be a slaue or vassall is hard but to be the diuels vassals most miserable Hence it is we are said to be in his power and in the kingdome of darknesse and he to be the god of this world For looke as a man is seruant to whom he yeeldeth himselfe voluntarily to obey so are we as who reuolting from God haue voluntarily enthralled our selues to Sathan For as the soule leauing the body the body dieth so God leauing the soule not in regard of the presence of power but of grace the soule forthwith dieth Againe as a iailour hath from the King chiefe Iusticer power ouer his prisoners so hath Sathan as being iaylour executioner to Gods iustice power ouer vs which must make vs still see our miserie Woe to the sheepe whom the wolfe gouerns were we slaues seruing vnder the Turke in his gallies how would it grieue vs but thus one might be more free then the Turke himselfe Were we as the Israelites in Egypt wee would lament but to be thralled to him that like a roaring Lion seeketh to deuoure vs is much more intollerable Lastly marke that we are subiect to eternall death death endlesse and easelesse both of soule and body the soule is dead while we liue we feele it not because wee are dead the body is mortall tending to death for as a moth is in a garment so lieth sin in vs corrupting our body by little and little without ceassing till it be dissolued In death the soule is gathered to those Apostate spirits who keepe it imprisoned in hell till iudgement then at the great day soule and body hauing sinned together shall suffer together euerlastingly If a man sinne against the maiesty of an earthly mortall Prince he is punished with temporary death or perpetuall imprisonment if he could be supposed to liue alwaies he should lie in for euer how much more deseruedly are we subiect to eternall death who haue sinned against an eternall God Which still moueth vs to take notice of our estates and lament them while there is hope If our bodies were in such case threatning death would we not be touched if we were condemned to die as malefactors would we not wring our hands to thinke on such miserie How much more shold it mooue vs to thinke that we are subiect to euerlasting death which hath already seized vppon vs in the spirituall death of our soules and mortalitie or dying states of our bodies The third Principle Q. VVHat meanes is there for thee to escape this damnable estate Answ Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God being made Man by his death vpon the Crosse by his righteousnesse hath perfectly alone by himselfe accomplished all things that are needfull for the saluation of man The answer setteth downe two things first the author of saluation secondly his perfect sauing of vs. In the first there are two things first who it is viz. Iesus Christ secondly what kind of person he is after a sort compounded viz. the eternall Sonne of God God with the Father and Spirit and man also that is God the Sonne hauing such a soule and body as we haue for the essentiall nature of them assumed to