say that men might know Gods being and bounty by his works Others urge Rom. 1. 19. Act. 14. 17. The Scripture is the only means of knowing God savingly therefore it is called salvation Heb. 2. 3. See 2 Tim. 1. 10. Quid erit mundus sublato verbo quam infernus merum Satanae imperium Luther loc commun 1. Clas cap. 23. If that were true Doctrine then men may be saved without Christ or they may be saved by Christ who either know him not or believe not in him for the works of God can never reveal Christ. Solus Christus medium speculum est per quod videmus Deum hoc est cognosâ—inus ejus voluntatem Luther loc commun Clas 1. c. 1. Non solum periculosum sed etiam horribile est de Deo extra Christum cogitare Id. ibid. No man comes to the Father but by me See Iohn 17. 3. Acts 4. 12. Col. 2. Ephes. 2. 12. saith That the Gentiles were without hope and without God in the world therefore they could not conceive hope of remission of sins from the creatures Rom. 1. 20. The invisible things of God viz. his Power and God-head may be known by the contemplation of the creatures but not his mercy in pardoning sins and the hope of salvation by redemption For that power and God-head strikes a fear into a man and requires perfect obedience but doth not promise remission of sins It is true that God instructed the Heathens by his works of Creation and Providence But never any yet could instance in one of them and say assuredly that by using well their naturals he came to eternal life Zuinglius said That God did extraordinarily work grace and faith in the Heathens which opinion of his is much exagitated by the Lutherans and he is justly forsaken by the Orthodox in this point The Papists and Arminians say That God gives an universal sufficient grace to all men even to Pagans Paul Rom. 1. speaking of them all saith They became vain in their imaginations That is an excellent speech of Augustines Qui dicit hominem servari posse sine Christo dubito an ipse per Christum servari possit See Mr Burgesse of Grace Sect. 12. Serm. 120. It were a worthy work for one to collect the several places in Scripture where the relations of Christ to his Church are mentioned his various denominations also and representations are expressed they being all great props of faith CHAP. II. Of CHRIST I. His Person IN Christ we must consider two things 1. His Person 2. His Offices In his Person also we must consider two things His Natures and the Union of them His Natures are two The God-head and the Manhood The Union of them is such as is called Personal which is a concurrence of two Natures to make one Person that is an individual subsistence as the soul and body in one man I shall therefore treat of these three things The God-head of Christ. The Manhood of Christ. The uniting of these two in one Person Concerning the God-head having shewed that Christ is God even the second Person in Trinity I now will shew how he is God and why he was to be God He is God the Son the Sonne of God he calleth himself the Son and is so called of his Church Not the Father nor the holy Ghost but the Son took our nature upon him for we are admitted into the Church with this faith being baptized Into the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost He became our Saviour that he might make us sons unto his Father But consider how he is God not by Office nor by Favour nor by Similitude nor in a Figure as sometimes Angels and Magistrates are gods but by Nature he is Equal and Co-essential with his Father there is one God-head common to all the three Persons the Father the Sonne and the Spirit and therefore it is said That he was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2. 6. Loe an equality to God the Father is ascribed to him he is not God in any secondary or inferiour manner but is in the very form of God equal to him the God-head of all the three Persons being one and the same In the next place I shall shew why he must be God There are four Reasons of it 1. That he might be able to suffer 2. To merit 3. To do those things which must be done after suffering and meriting And 4. For the further manifestation of Gods love to man First I say that he might be of power to suffer what was to be suffered by our Redeemer that is the punishment due to our sins For our Redeemer must no otherwise redeem us then by being our Surety standing in our very stead supplying our room and sustaining in his own person that punishment which all our sins had deserved at the hands of Gods Justice He must be a propitiatory Sacrifice for sinne he must be made sinne for us our iniquity must be laid upon him and he must bear our sins in his body upon the Tree Christ must suffer for sin Now the punishment due to our sins was the horrible wrath of God a burden so heavy as no shoulder of any meer creature could bear it for there is no proportion betwixt the weaknesse of man and the anger of God Wherefore he was to be God that the omnipotent power of the God-head might uphold the frailty of the manhood to the end that it might not be oppressed with the weight and sink down in despair discouragement impatiency dejectednesse or the like inconveniences which had he been driven unto he had sinned and so should have lost himself in stead of redeeming us This seems to be meant by the brazen Altar upon which the Sacrifice must be burnt and which was made with wood but covered with brasse so Christ was man but the weaknesse of the humane nature was covered with the power of the Deity that it might not be consumed Wood would have been burnt with fire brasse would not man would have been swallowed up with those sufferings had not the Divine Power upheld the same Secondly He must be God that the God-head might give worth value meritoriousnesse unto the sufferings and obedience both which the humane nature performed To the end that one man might stand in the stead of all men and that God might account himself as much satisfied in his Justice by his sole and short sufferings as if all men had suffered everlastingly and as much honoured by his obedience as if all men had obeyed it was requisite that that one man should be made more excellent then all men put together and so he was made by being God and man For the humane nature of Christ in that it is personally united unto God and hath the God-head dwelling in it bodily so that the body is the body of God and more worth then all the
which space of time none of those things were consummated of which the Angell so specially prophesieth Weeks are also taken in Scripture for years not daies so that every week makes seven ordinary years so that phrase is used Gen. 29. 47. Levit. 25. 8. So it is here taken by Interpreters generally and they fill up the summe of Four hundred and fifteen years in the space of which the God of heaven would work wonderfull things which the Angel Gabriel recites here particularly Montac Appar 2. By this the times of the Messiah are past for when the Messiah came the Sacrifice was to cease and there was a sealing up of the vision and Prophets this is ceased there is now no Vision nor Prophecy among the Jews Here only in Hebrew and twice here 25. 26. verses Messias cometh a meer proper name hence made famous Iohn 1. 41. 4. 25. Broughton on Dan. 9. 25. Some Hereticks opposed Christs Deity Arius said Christ was an excellent creature but not of the same substance with the Father Paulus Samosatenus more fitly Semisathanas held Christ was but a meer man so did Ebion He was homo verus but not homo merus Augustine on 1 Iohn 1. A true man but not a meer man He was truly God equal to the Father and truly man like to us in all things sin only excepted Servetus a Spaniard burnt at Geneva in Calvins time denied that Christ was Gods Sonne till Mary bore him He said Christ was not the eternal Son of God but the Son of the eternal God If this be truly believed that Christ is the Son of God and Saviour of the world it will work a resolution to cleave to Christ though all the world forsake him nothing will make us shrink from Christ though it cost us our lives and all our comforts 2. If we believe this because it is written in the Bible in the Old and New Testament the word of truth then we must forbear what the Word forbids and give our selves to be ruled by him and expect salvation from him according to the direction of that Word then we will believe the whole Word if we believe this which of all other parts of it hath least of sense and humane reason Some Hereticks opposed Christs manhood 1. The Marcionites which held that Christ had not the true substance but only the semblance or shew of a man alledging Phil. 2. 7. but there a true not counterfeit likenesse is understood even as one man is like another and Rom. 8. 3. similitude is not referred to flesh but to sinful flesh Iohn 1. The Word was made flesh not by mutation as the water was turned into wine Iohn 2. 19. nor by confusion by mingling the God-head and manhood together but the second Person of the Trinity took a humane body and soul into his Divine Nature Secondly The Manichees which said He had the true substance of man but that he brought his body from heaven alledging 1 Cor. 15. 47. and had it not by birth of the Virgin Mary but that is spoken of the Person of Christ not of his manhood itself Thirdly The Valentinians who held that Christ had an aerial body and assumed nothing of Mary but only passed as thorow a chanel Fourthly Apollinaris confessed the flesh of a man in him but not the soul but that this Deity was in staed of his soul. See Matth. 26. 39. The whole man must be redeemed and in its own nature the soul is the principal part of man sinne specially adheres to it and it is a true rule What Christ did not assume he did not redeem Fifthly The Ubiquitaries will have his manhood every where and so they destroy the very being of his manhood Each Nature retains their several essential Properties and it is the property of the humanity to be contained in one place at once The Papists also offer indignity to Christs manhood in that they would have his body to be in divers places at once 6. Others held his body impassible His body was not immediately created by God nor did he bring it from Heaven but he was a man of our stock and nature Heb. 2. 11 16 17. he is often called the Son of man 7. The Jews look for a Messiah to come in outward pomp yet some of their Rabbins say In regio Messiae nihil mundanum aut carnale By those Arguments Iohn 5. 30. Acts 17. 2 3. 18. 28. Rom. 16. 26. one saith many Jews have been convinced So you see what the Scripture tels of the Incarnation of Christ and how he was made of the seed of David according to the Prophecy that went before Now we are to speak something of the Union of these two Natures They are united in a personal Union such I mean as that both Natures concur to the constituting of one individual Subsistence as it is evident by this that the works and sufferings proper to one of the Natures are ascribed unto the whole Person which could not be truly affirmed if both of these Natures were not conjoyned in one Person The Actions or Properties of the God-head and Manhood both could not be given to whole Christ if the God-head and Manhood both do not constitute one Person of Christ. For the second Person in Trinity did assume to it self that frail Nature so soon as ever it had a being but had no personal Subsistence in it self so that it personally subsists by vertue of its so close and near an Union with the Person of the Son and so whole Christ might be the Sonne of God and the God of Glory might be crucified and the bloud of God might redeem us and so whatsoever was done or suffered might be attributed to the whole Christ the God-head being interessed into that which the Humanity did and suffered because of this unspeakable Union betwixt them Union ordinarily and in things natural is the joyning together of two things by one common bond but this Union is not so effected but it is performed by the voluntary and powerful Act of the one of the things to be united assuming and taking to it self the other after a manner incommunicable There have been many similitudes to make us conceive how God should become man from iron thorowly fired there is iron and fire too of the soul and body which make one Person of the Scion ingraffed in the Tree of the Jewel in a Ring of a Planet in its Orb all which may something illustrate but there is as much dissimilitude as similitude in them Only there are these rules which are good to observe First There are two Natures but not two Persons Aliud aliud but not Alius alius as there are in the Trinity it is a Union of Natures yet not a natural but a supernatural and mystical Union Secondly The Scripture expresseth it 1 Iohn 14. The Word was made flesh it was not
turned into flesh as the water was made wine not by any confusion as if the Divine Nature were made the Humane or the Humane the Divine When we say the Divine Nature took our Humane Nature upon him we must not think that that humane Nature consisting of a soul and body was one entire person as it is in us for though it was particular yet it did not subsist of it self before the Union of the God-head to it Thirdly This personall Union is inseparable for when Christ appeared like man in the Old Testament that was nâ—â— an Incarnation because separable Fourthly By this means the Virgin Mary is truly called Deipara the mother of God so in Scripture she is expresly called The mother of the Lord for she brought him who was God and Man though she did not bring forth his Deity the whole Person of Christ was the subject of conception and nativity though not all that was in that Person Consider lastly The end of this Incarnation which is this God and man became one in Person that God and man might become one in the Covenant of Grace Gal. 4. 4 5. Before this man was at as great a distance with God as the apostate Angels but now by this means as he is made sinne for us so are we made righteousnesse by him not that this benefit extends to all but onely to those men who are under the Covenant and therefore Gal. 3. all the mercies which Abraham had are limited to a spiritual seed therefore as the mystery is great for the truth so for the comfort of it and why should faith think it such an unlikely matter to adopt for his children when God hath united our nature to him CHAP. IV. Of Christs Offices SO much may serve concerning Christs Natures both what they be Manhood and God-head And Secondly How they are united into one Person by a personal Union Christs Offices in the next place are to be treated of Wherein consider 1. His calling to his Office 2. The Office to which he was called or which is all one The efficient cause of these Offices and the matter or parts of them For the cause of the Lords undertaking these Offices it was the will and calling of his Father who is said to anoint him that is to say to appoint him to them and sit him for them and himself saith Him hath God the Father sealed that is to say ratified and set apart to that work as a Prince by his Seal doth give Commission to any of his Subjects to undertake such and such a work furnishing him with Authority to fulfill the same And therefore the Apostle to the Hebrews saith particularly concerning his Priesthood that he did not make himself a Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee and this calling was ratified with an Oath saying That the Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever to let us know the certainty and immutability thereof Now this observation makes to the exceeding great commendation of the goodnesse of God that he himself would take care to provide for us a perfect and sufficient helper against this our misery If we had bethought our selves of a remedy and procured it for our selves so much lesse had been the glory of his grace But when he to whom it little pertained in regard of any good he should get by it but that he counts it a benefit to manifest his grace by doing good to us when he I say bethought himself of a way to effect this work and took order to send a Person that was perfectly sufficient to work it out Now this honour is enlarged exceedingly and the glory of the work redoundeth wholly to him and then it must be confessed to be altogether of his grace It is true indeed that Justice and Mercy do meet together in this work and each shew it self in perfection for that he pardoneth our sins and saveth us Now that Jesus Christ hath deserved pardon of sin and salvation for us it is a part of righteousnesse For he is righteous saith the Scripture to forgive us but in that he himself found out a means to satisfie his Justice and after a sort to tie his righteousnesse to do this for us this is of meer mercy and grace for mercy is the beginning and first cause of our deliverance but yet mercy sees justice satisfied and so accomplisheth the whole work not with any wrong injury or offence to justice and with the help of it So we see our Lord Jesus Christ came to undertake this work the manhood of his own accord did not put himself to do it the Angels did not perswade him we did not intreat him or hire him Nay we nor any other creature had an hand in assigning him to it but the Father being offended with us and finding the way of his justice shut against us by our sins made a Covenant with the Sonne that he should undertake it and appointed it to be done by the way of taking our felsh resolving that that Person should be the raiser up of lost and fallen man to happinesse and felicity Now for the Offices themselves which Christ undertook we must learn them by the Titles which the Scripture giveth unto him These Titles are a Saviour a Redeemer a Mediator a Surety a Christ a Lord and in explicating these six Titles I shall sufficiently declare the Offices of our Lord. First I say he was a Saviour A Saviour is a Person that undertaketh to free any that are in distresse through the want of good things and the presence of evil from that misery under which they lie by taking away those evils from them and conferting those good things upon them Now he is therefore called by the name of Iesus which signifies a Saviour because he was to deliver his people from that misery whereinto Adam and themselves had plunged themselves removing those extream evils which lay on them and bringing unto them those great benefits wherof they were deprived Even among us when any City or Commonwealth is oppressed by a Tyrant who spoileth them of their Liberty and Lands and holds them in slavery and beggery if any person arise and put down that Tyrant and restore every man his Goods and Liberty free them from their miseries and restore them the free use of their Countrey and Laws this man is a Saviour of such a City so is the Lord Jesus to us Therefore is he frequently entituled The salvation of God Mine eyes have seen thy salvation and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God and our God the God of our salvation So was he figured by all the Judges whom God raised up to help his people for it is said God raised them up Saviours which saved them out of the hands of their enemies and God raised them up a
scilicet Barlow Excrcitat 6. Vide plura ibid. Communicatio proprietatum à Scholasticis appellatur non quòd unius naturae proprietas cum altera natura sed potiùs utriusque naturae proprictates cum ipsa Persona communicentur hoc est de ipsa Persona tam unius quam alterius naturae Proprietates enuntientur Sadeel de veritate humanae Naturae There is also a communication of gifts by reason of this personal union the humane Nature of Christ becomes enriched with excellent gifts and endowments as Wisdome Knowledge Holinesse yet finite and of Dignity the Manhood is exalted above all creatures whatsoever Vide Thess. Theol. Salmur part 2. De duarum Christi naturarum Hypostat unione Nestorius said Christ had two Persons Eutiches makes the natures not to be two existing in one Person but the manhood deified * A personal union but not a union of persons A Doctor in Divinity and a Frenchman having read very learnedly concerning the Trinity being much admired and desired by his Auditors to publish the same for the common good he was exceedingly puffed up thereby and used this speech O Iesule Iesule quantum hac quaestione confirmavi legem tuam exaltavi profectò si malignando adversando vellem fortioribus rationibus argumentis sâ—irem illam infirmare deprimendo improbare Lord Jesus how art thou beholding to me if I had turned my wit against thee how much hurt could I have done thee and hereupon God struck him and so took away his understanding that he could scarce learn the Lords Prayer and Creed of his own childe Matth. Paris Angl. Johan 1201. So the holy Ghost appeared in a Dove * See M. Downs Treatise The blessed Virgin Mary is truly Deipara the mother of God Sanctissimam Mariam Deiparam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genetricem Dei profitemur contra Nestorium Et utâ—unque verum sit quod nonnulli observant Leonem 1. Romanae urbis Episcopum omnium principem desertis verbis Deiparam vel Dei matrem appellasse eam rem tamen ipsam summâ cum veritate conjunctam agnoscentes eadem metipsa appellatione libenter utimur non taâ—tum quia Leo sic locutus est sed quia diu ante Leonem Elizabeth eam ita compellabat Montac Apparat. 9. Est incarnatio inchoativè effectivè totius Trinitatis sed appropriativè terminativè solius Filii ut si tres simul consuant vestem ab uno tamen ex illis induendam Mares Colleg. Theol. loc In qua ut sidentius ambularet ad veritatem ipsa veritas Deus Dei Filius homine assumpto non Deo consumpto â—andem constituit atque fundavit fidem ut ad Deum iter esset homini per hominem Deum Hic est enim Mediator Dei hominum homo Christus Iesus Sola est autem adversus omnes errores via munitissima ut idem ipse sit Deus homo quo itur Deus quâ itur homo Aug. de civ Dei l. 10. c. 11. * Anointing signified three things 1. A solemn separation of one to a work or imployment Thou shalt anoint Iehu to be King over Israel and Thou shalt anoint Elisha in thy room 2. It signifies the Lords gifting and fitting the person for that work Psa. 45. Oyl is an instrument of activity and nimblenesse You shall be anointed with the holy Ghost Saul had another heart after he was anointed by Samuel 3. Acceptation with God Cant. 1. 5. when the Lord had separated Christ to this work he proclaims he was well pleased with him Christs anointing differs from other mens 1. His was only spiritual 2. Above measure and overflowing whereas others were anointed with materiall oyl and they received the Spirit but in measure There were many glorious appearances and representations of Christ in Scripture both before and since his coming in the flesh those before were Incarnationis praeludia those since his A scension were Officii insignia Before his coming in the flesh he appeared to Abraham and others See Ezek. 9. 2 4. 40. 3. Since his Ascension there were divers visions and representations of him in the Revelation ch 1. 13. 4. 3. 5. 6. and 19. 13 14. which shew that Christ glorified hath not laid down any of his Offices Christ is a King a Father a Husband a Friend a Redeemer Shepherd and many such Titles are given to him to be props of our faith no one relation answers all our necessities 2. That every thing may lead us to him All the Promises of the Gospel have their efficacy in the relations of Christ Rom. 9. 5. Look upon them as the ground of your greatest comfort and honour 2. The knowledge of Christs relations is the only way to make your prayers effectual 3. All your relations to God are grounded only on your relation to Christ. Ismael Isaac Josias servator noster ante suam natâ—vitatem à Deo vel Angelo propriis nominibus vocati sunt Wakfeldi orat de laudibus utilitate trium linguarum Arab. Chald. Hebrâ—ic Jesus servator est vel potiùs salus id quod Christus ipse innuere videtur Joh. 4. 22. quum ait Salus ex Judaeis ex Iudaea nato alludensque proculdubio ad nomen suum Id. ibid. Nomen Jesu salutis beneficium quod ab illo expectandum denotat Cognomen Christi Officium per qâ—od illud nobis aâ—quirit confert Illud Hebraicum est hoc Graecum ut Deus vocatur Abba Pater Rom. 8. â—5 quia Iudaeorum Graecorum indiscriminatim Redemptor est Maresii Colleg. Theol loc 9. * The Angel gives this reason of his Name Matth. 1. 21. Jesus Joshua Jeshuah Jehoshuah eadem nomina sunt Hebraeis commemorantur passim in scriptis Rabbinorum Rainold de lib. Apoc. Non solùm dicitur salvator sed etiam empbaticè salus quia scilicet est foâ—s salutis nostrae unicus extra praeter quem non est salus Gen. 49. 18. Isa. 62. 11. Joh. 4. 23. Act. 28. 28. Ger h. in loc commun Pulchrè suaviter Bernardus si scribas non sapit mihi nisi legero ibi Jesum si disputes aut couferas non sapit mihi nisi sonnerit ibi Jesus Jesus mel in ore melos in aure jubilus in corde To be slaves to sinne 1. A base bondage to be at the command of every unclean motion Gal. 5. 19 22. They are called works of the flesh fruits of the Spirit 2. A dreadful bondage other masters are content to have their slaves obedience but the more we do work the more we smart Galat. Coloâ— Heb. In their death 1. There is an end of all their misery both of sinne and punishment 2. A compleating of the graces begunne in them 3. A passage from this vale of misery to heavenly glory Quiâ—imò repetant ad nauseam usque sanctissimum nomen dicant se de nomine Jesu Jesuitas festum nominis Jesu devotissimè concelebrent revolvant Psalterium
understand Hebrew And how came this Authenticall Copy and Prototype to be lost for it is not now extant How ever the Greek edition is Authentical because it came forth when the Apostles were living and was approved by them which the Ancients confirm Of the time when Matthew wrote Authors agree not Eusebius saith that he wrote in the third year of â—ajus Caesar others say he wrote after Claudeus He wrote his Gospel in the fifteenth year after Christs Ascention saith Nioâ—phorus the one and twentieth saith â—â—enâ—us in the eighth year saith Theophylact It consists of twenty eight Chapters in which the person of Christ and his three Offices of Prophet Priest and King are described The best Expositors of it are Hilary Musculus Paraeus Calvin Aquinas was wont to say That he desired but to live so long till he might see the golden-mouthed Father St Chrysostom his imperfect work upon Matthew finished Dr Featleys Preface to his Stricturae in Lyndo mastigem Mark He was the Disciple of Peter and wrote his Gospel from him in the fourth year of Claudius Caesar say some He wrote not in Latine as Bellarmine saith but in Greek Concerning the Archetypal Language in which the Gospels of Mark and Luke were written See Mr Selden in Eutichii orig It consists of sixteen Chapters in which Christs three-fold Office is also explained The best Expositors of it are Calvin Beza Piscator Maldonate Iansenius Luke He was for Countrey of Antioch for profession a Physician there is mention made of him Col. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 4. 11. Philem. 24. He was companion to Paul the Apostle in his travels and in prison He only makes a Preface before his Gospel that he may briefly shew the cause which induced him to write The best Expositors of it are Calvin Beza Piscator Maldonate Iansenius Iohn In Hebrew signifieth the grace of God he soareth higher then the other Evangelists to our Saviours Divinity and therefore as Nazianzen among the Fathers he is called the Divine by an Excellency because he hath so graphically and gravely described the Divinity of the Son and hath written also of things most Divine and Theological Melancthon called Calvin a Divine by an Excellency and then when Calvin being but a young man did most gravely treat of divine matters He hath the Eagle for his Ensign assigned him by the Ancients He was called Presbyter by reason of his age being the longest liver of all the Apostles He wrote the last of all when he returned from the Isle Patmos therefore there is something more in every Chapter of Iohn then any other of the Evangelists He alone describeth the admirable Sermon which our Saviour made at his last Supper and his Prayer It is generally thought and I think not untruly that the blasphemous heresies of Ebion and Cerinthus who denied that our Saviour was God or had any being before he took flesh of the holy Virgin his mother was one especial occasion of writing this Gospel Mr Wotton Serm. 2. on 1 Ioh. 1. 2. It consists of one and twenty Chapters in which the Person of Christ consisting of the Divine and humane Nature is described In his Gospel is described first Christs person in the first Chapter 2. His Office in the second Chapter to the twelfth 3. His death from the twelfth to the end The best Expositors of him are Calvin Beza Piscator Rollock Tarnovius Musculus Acts Luke in the Proem of it makes mention of the Gospel written by him that he might profess himself to be the Author of both It consists of eight and twenty Chapters Luke calleth his History The Acts of the Apostles though it be specially of their sufferings because even their passions were actions they enlarged the Kingdom of Christ by their sufferings The best Expositors of it are Brentius De Dieu Calvin Sanctius The thirteen Epistles of Paul one to the Romans two to the Corinthians one to the Galatians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Colossians two to the Thessalonians two to Timothy one to Titus and one to Philemon the Primitive Church unanimously received into the Canon and never doubted of their being Apostolical They have their name Epistles à forma Epistolari qua conscriptae sunt A Lapide Estius Grotius and Vorstius have done well on all the Epistles Imprimis Estius ex Pontificiis saith Voetius The Epistles are for the most part written in this order they have 1. An Inscription wherein is the name of the Writer and of them to whom he writes and his wish 2. The matters of the Epistle which are sometimes meerly religious concerning certain Articles of faith or piety of life or about the use of things indifferent or else familiar things witnessing their mutual good will 3. The Conclusion in which are Exhortations Salutations Wishes or other familiar matters There are 21 Epistles fourteen written by Paul and seven more written by Peter Iohn Iames and Iude. Concerning the time and place in which the several Epistles were written it is not easie to determine I will premise something about the order of the Epistles before I speak of them particularly Some of Pauls Epistles were written before his imprisonment some in his bonds both former and later Before his imprisonment the first of all that was written were both the Epistles to the Thessalonians they were written from Corinth the 8th or 9th year of Claudius Titus was written by Paul in those two years that he stayed at Ephesus Galatians At the end of the two years that Paul was at Ephesus the Epistle to the Galatians seems to be written 1 Cor. 16. 2. by which words the Apostle seems to intimate that this Epistle to the Galatians was written before that to the Corinthians Corinthians Paul living two years at Ephesus in the 11th and 12th year of Claudius the Corinthians wrote to him 1 Cor. 7. 1. and that by Stephanus and Fortunatus which they sent to him Chap. 16 17. by whom Paul seemeth to have written back the first Epistle to the Corinthians for in that he exceedingly commends them of Corinth It was not written from Philippi as the Greek superscription hath it but from Ephesus as the Arabick interpreter hath it as is manifest Chap. 16. 8. The second Epistle to the Corinthians and the first of Timothy strive for priority Et sub judice lis est Both of them were written a little after Paul departed from Ephesus and while he departed to Macedonia but it is not manifest which was the first First Epistle to Timothy Some think that this Epistle was written by Paul in his bonds but not rightly for he makes no mention of his bonds in it It is probable that it was written from Athens as it is in the Arabick subscription when he came from Macedonia to Greece and so it was written after the first Epistle to the Corinthians Romans The Epistle
it cannot be The Angels have an efficient cause and end and they do as much stand indebted to God for their being and continuance as the poorest worm and would no more have been without God nor continue to be then the silliest Gnat but God is altogether Independent of himself by himself for himself he hath no causes but is to himself in stead of all causes He is what he is without any help from any other thing as himself shews in his Name I am that I am There are many things which have a beginning from some other thing there must be something therefore that is of it self or else we should wander infinitely a self-essence and subsistence Gods being is neither ab alio ex alio per aliud nor propter aliud We should acknowledge God to be a Necessary and Independent Essence 3. God is wholly one Deut. 6. 4. Gal. 3. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Hos. 13. 4. Mal. 2. 10. All creatures are subject to multiplication there may be many of them and are many many Angels Men Stars and so in the rest Not one of them is singular and only one so but one might conceive that there should be more for he that made one of them can make another and another and as many as he pleaseth but God is simply one singular and sole Essence there neither is nor can be more then one God because he is the first and best Essence and there can be but one first and one best He is Infinite and there can be but one Infinite because either one of them should include the other and so the included must needs be finite or not extend to the other and so it self not be Infinite There was a first man and a first in every kinde of creature but not any Absolute first save God one Eternal and one Incomprehensible saith Athanasius in his Creed There can be but one chief Good which we desire for it self and all other things for it say the moral Philosophers and this must needs be God for no infinite Good can be conceived but He. Some places of Scripture simply deny other gods and others exclude all but this one God Though there be gods many and Lords many that is that are so called and reputed by men who deceive themselves in their own imaginations yet to us in the Church there is but one God Zech. 14. 9. after Christ shall come the Gentiles with the Jews shall all worship one and the same true God That which is perfect in the highest degree can be but one because that one must contain all Perfections that which is omnipotent can be but one if one can do all things what need is there of many gods if there were more gods then one we might and ought to do service to more then one to acknowledge them praise and love them and be at least in minde ready to obey them If they should command us any thing we might lawfully seek to them for what we need and give thanks to them for what we received But the Lord professeth himself to be a jealous God and cannot endure any Copartner in worship The Romans refused Christ because they would have had their gods with him and he would be worshipped alone without them He is one God Not numerically as one is a beginning of number for that is a quantity but transcendently as Ens and unum are counted only one solely and alone God there cannot be two Infinites in Essence for then one should not have all the other hath in it God is Infinite for of his Greatnesse there is no end Secondly Others would be imperfect or superfluous he being Infinite and Perfect Thirdly From his Absolute Lordship and Dominion over all He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords My God said Luther to the Pope will make your God know that you are too weak for him If there were two Gods there would be a strife between them as between Caesar and Pompey who should be the greater and chiefest of all God may be said in a special manner to be one two several wayes 1. For the Purity and Simplicity of his substance which is not compounded with any thing else For that is most truly and properly one which is nothing but it self and hath no other thing mixed with it God is so pure and simple an Essence that he is not compounded so much as of parts 2. From his Singularity because there are no more Gods but one God is not only One but he is also the only One. He is such a one as hath no Copartners in worship Both which Titles are expresly ascribed unto God in the Scriptures Both that he is One and that he is the only One. God is not only Unus but also Uniâ—us or to use St Bernards word Unissimus If that word may be used he is of all things the Onest Socrates and Plato in their definition of God ascribe to him Unity with particular respect unto his singularity Pythagoras his advice to his Scholars was to search the Unity There is a threefold Unity First of Persons in one Nature so there is one God Deut. 6. 4. The second of Natures in one Person so there is one Christ 1 Cor. 8. 6. Thirdly of sundry Natures and Persons in one quality so there is one Church Cant. 6. 8. The Socinians reject these three Unions because they so far transcend reason and they receive not those things which their reason cannot comprehend The more we content our selves with God only the happier we are he is the only infinite Riches Wisdom Goodnesse how happy are they that have him in quo omnia spend all thy pains in getting him 2. If he be your enemy there is none else to rescue you he is God and there is none else he will destroy and none shall be able to deliver out of his hands 3. It shews the wickednesse of those which set up other gods besides the true God The Epicure makes his belly and the covetous man Gold his god Some worship stocks and stones this is a great dishonour to him the Papists worship the Crosse Invocate Saints and Angels make a god of the Pope The Heathens were guilty of Polytheism they worshipped many gods they had their Dii majorum and Minorum gentium Hesiod reckons up thirty thousand gods They had their Dii mortui Idols Mortales men and Mortiferi lusts The Romans had their Capitol full of gods yet the Geese preserved it whom Augustine thus derides Dii dormiebant anseres vigilabant The Manichees said there were two gods The Tritheites that there were three The Heathens multiplied gods because men cannot be happy without Associaâ—â—s they thought God could not see Isa. 55. 8 9. This is the very first of all Gods Commandments Thou shalt have no other gods before me If there were more for us not to acknowledge adore and honour them were a
haâ—endi eandem Essentiam Subsistentia in Schools signifies a being with an individual property whereby one is not another Person say some is a Law term it is any thing having reason with an individual property A Person is such a subsistence in the Divine Nature as is distinguished from every other thing by some special or personal property or else it is the God-head restrained with his personal property Or it is a different manner of subsisting in the God-head as the nature of man doth diversly subsist in Peter Iames Iohn but these are not all one It differs from the Essence as the manner of the thing from the thing it self and not as one thing from another one Person is distinguisht from another by its personal property and by its manner of working We have no reason to be offended with the use of the word Person if we adde a fit Epithete and say The Father is a Divine or Uncreated Person and say the same of the Sonne and holy Ghost The word Person signifies an understanding Subsistent 2 Cor. 1. 11 Persona quasi per se una This word doth expresse more excellency then the word subsistence as one doth import for it is proper to say that a beast doth subsist but it is absurd to say a beast is a person because a Person is an understanding subsistent Dr Cheynels Divine Trin-unity The personal property of the Father is to beget that is not to multiply his substance by production but to communicate his substance to the Sonne The Sonne is said to be begotten that is to have the whole substance from the Father by communication The holy Ghost is said to proceed or to be breathed forth to receive his substance by proceeding from the Father and the Sonne joyntly in regard of which he is called The Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Sonne both Gal. 4. 6. The Father only begetteth the Sonne only is begotten and the holy Ghost onely proceedeth both procession and generation are ineffable When Gregory Nazianzen was pressed by one to assign a difference between those words Begotten and Proceeding Dic tu mihi said he quid sit generatio ego dicamquid sit processio ut ambo insaniamus Distinguere inter Processionem Generationem nescio non velâ—o non sufficio Aug. In the manner of working they differ for the Father worketh of himself by the Sonne and through the holy Ghost the Sonne worketh from the Father by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost worketh from the Father and the Sonne by himself There is so one God as that there are three Persons or divers manners of being in that one God-head the Father Son and the holy Ghost 1. Whatsoever absolutely agrees to the Divine Nature that doth agree likewise to every Person of the Trinity 2. Every Person hath not a part but the whole Deity in it self A Person is one entire distinct subsistence having life understanding will and power by which he is in continual operation These things are required to a Person 1. That it be a substance for accidents are not Persons they inhere in another thing a person must subsist 2. A lively and intelligent substance endued with reason and will an house is not a Person nor a stone or beast 3. Determinate and singular for man-kinde is not a Person but Iohn and Peter 4. Incommunicable it cannot be given to another hence the nature of man is not a person because it is communicable to every particular man but every particular man is a person because that nature which he hath in particular cannot be communicated to another 5. Not sustained by another therefore the humane nature of Christ is not a person because it is sustained by his Deity 6. It must not be the part of another therefore the reasonable soul which is a part of man is not a person That there are three Persons in the Deity viz. Father Sonne and holy Ghost is manifest by expresse Testimonies of Scripture Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man in our image after our likenesse Deus qui loquitur ad Deum loquitur Ad Patris Filii imaginem homo conditur nomen non discrepat natura non differt Hilary lib. 5. de Trin. Vide plura ibid. Gen. 19. 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomâ—rrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven The Lord rained from the Lord the Son from the Father Mercer on the place saith Sed efficaciora in Iudaeos aut alios qui Trinitatem negant argumenta sunt proferenda Num quid saith Hilary de Trin. non verus Dominus à vero Domino aut quid aliud quà m Dominus à Domino vel quid praeter significationem Personae in Domino ac Domino coaptabis memento quod quem solum verum Deum nosti hunc eundem solum justum judicem sis professus Adime filio quod iudex est ut auferas quod Deus verus est Vide plura ibid. Psal. 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy foot stool Rabbi Saadia Gaon on Daniel interprets this of the Messias Vide Grotium in Matth. 22. 42. It is of Christ that he speaks so Peter Paul and Christ himself shew Mat. 22. 43. and the Pharisees acknowledge it since he cals him His Lord although he ought to descend of his race and should be called the son of David Psal. 33. 7. there three are named the Word the Lord and the Spirit Isa. 6. 3. Holy Holy Holy But this truth is most clearly taught in the New Testament Matth. 3. 16. Luke 3. 22. The first Person in the Trinity utters his voice from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne The Sonne is baptized in Iordan the holy Ghost descends in the shape of a Dove upon Christ. Pater auditur in voce Filius manifestatur in homine Spiritus Sanctus dignoscitur in Coâ—umba Aug. Tract 6. in Joh. Adde to this the History of Christs Transfiguration described Mat. 17. 5. Mark 9. 7. Luke 9. 35. In which likewise the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven This is my beloved Son the Son is transfigured the holy Ghost manifests himself in a bright cloud Matth. 28. 19. The Apostles are commanded to baptize in the Name of Father Son and holy Ghost Cameron thinks that is the most evident place to prove the Trinity But that it is as apposite a place as any for this purpose 1 Iohn 5. 7. For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost The Arrians wiped this place out of many Books 2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all The Arrians Samosateâ—ians Sabellians Photinians and others deny the Trinity of Persons in one Essence of God Servetus a Spaniard was burnt
manhood from the stain of sin wherewith those are polluted which are begotten by carnal generation though the holy Ghost could as easily have sanctified the substance of a man as of a woman to frame of it the humane nature of Christ. 2. To shew the greatnesse of his love to man by transcending the course of nature for his restitution and that the making of the second Adam might no lesse commend the power of God then the making of the first for it is no more beyond the power of nature to produce a man of a Virgin then to frame a man of the dust of the earth This is a great mystery God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. The second person did assume humane nature to it so as these two make one person Iohn 1. 14. Rom. 1. 3. The second person I say for it is not proper to say that the Divine nature was made flesh but the second person though the second person have the Divine nature in him and is God For though God was made flesh yet it was not the Divine nature in all the persons that was incarnated but the very person of the Son subsisting in the Godhead The Schoolmen have divers curious questions 1. Whether it was convenient for God to be incarnate 2. Whether it was necessary for the repairing of mankinde that the Word should be Incarnate 3. Whether God should have been Incarnate if man had not sinned Aquinas part 3. quaest 1. Artic. 1 2 3. That Christ should have come although man had not sinned will scarce be made good The Scripture acknowledgeth no other cause of Christs coming in the flesh but to save sinners and redeem them who are under the Law and so subject to the curse Matth. 1. 21. 9. 13. 18. 11. Gal. 4. 5. Christ was born of a Virgin but such a one as was espoused to a man Luke 1. 27. and that for these reasons 1. To avoid the infamy and suspition of immodesty 2. That her Virginity might be the better evidenced viz. He bearing witnesse to whom it specially belonged to understand how things were and who was most worthy to be beleeved in that matter 3. That she might have a most intimate helper in bearing all other cares and troubles 4. To represent our spiritual conjunction with Christ for we are espoused to him and yet we ought to be virgins cleansed from all pollution both of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. see 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 14. 4. The place where Christ was born was Bethlehem which signifies a house of bread the best place for the Bread of life and in Ephratah a most fruitfull place In the year 3967. say some others say it is uncertain in what year In the 42 year of Augustus his reign For the moneth there is great difference also Epiphanius thinketh he was born in the 6th of Ianuary Beroldus at the middle of September Clemens Alexandrinus at the Spring-time Others at the 25th of December Scaliger objects that the winter time was not fit for a Master of a Family to undertake so long a journey with his wife to be taxed also that Shepherds are not wont in the night time to watch their flocks at that time of the year Vossius de Natali Iesu Christi Dr Drake in his Chronology gives probable grounds why Christ was not born in December but rather about August or September God of purpose concealed the time of Christs birth as he did the body of Moses as well foreseeing how it would have been abused to superstition had it been exactly known Interpreters indeed render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vigilare or excubare but it may be better translated sub dio agere It properly notes to live in the fields as the original of the word shews which agrees to the day-time as well as to the night In England saith Vossius we have travelled both before and after the Nativity of Christ. For the day of our Saviours Nativity it is not certain this was the day which we celebrate Some learned Divines gather from the computation of the time when the Angel saluted our Lords Mother being the sixth moneth Luke 1. 26. that this cannot be the day though 't is true the tradition is ancient Scultetus thus concludes the fourteenth Chapter of his Delit. Evang. Tacâ—nte Scriptura taccamus nos Christum servatorem in tempore natum adoremus et si in quo temporis puncto natus sit ignoramus A late Writer saith that opinion of the Romans is true which held that Christ was born on the 25 day of December and undertakes to demonstrate it As for the day saith scaliger Unius Dei est non hominis deâ—inire This Jesus of Nazareth perfect God and man is that Messiah promised of old What ever was said of the Messiah was accomplished by him and him alone The first Christians beleeved in him Luke 1. 68. Christ much instructed his Disciples in this great truth Luke 24. 25 26 27 44 verses The Apostles proved this great doctrine Acts 18. 24 27. 26. 22 23. 28. 23. Arguments that prove this Jesus to be the Messiah All the times of exhibiting the Messiah delivered in the old Testament are expired Acts 13. 32. See 1 Pet. 1. 10. The old Testament speaks of a twofold coming of Christ in a state of humility and glory The Jewish Rabbins could not reconcile these two the Talmudists distinguished of a twofold Messiah Ben-Israel or Ben-Ephraim and Ben-David The Prophets speak not of several persons but of several states of one person See Ezck. 37. 24. Gen 49. 10. The power of ruling and authority of judging is departed from Iudah and hath been a long time Therefore Shiloh the Messiah is come Hag. 26 7. 9. The outward glory of the first Temple was greater all the vessels of the first Temple were beaten gold Dan. 5. 2 3. of the second brasse but Christ honoured the second Temple by his own Presence Doctrine and Miraâ—les 〈…〉 Jews confesse that there were five things in which the latter Temple was inâ—â—â—â—â—ur to the former First Heavenly fire came down visibly on their Sacrifices They had the Ark of the Covenant The Cloud a witnesse of the Divine presence Urim and Thummim And lastly a succession of Prophets which the latter Temple wanted Rain in loc de lib. Apoc. tom 2. Praelect 134 135. Dan. 9. 24 26. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression That is The time that the Jews were to live in their own land and enjoy their own worship after their return out of Captivity We are wont to apply the seventh number to daies that a perfect week should comprehend seven full daies So Dan. 10. 2. Levit. 23. 15. The Prophecy cannot â—e understood in this common and usual manner so Seventy weeks rise but to Four hundred and ninety daies within
Father the condition of satisfying his Justice and to us the condition of being accepted into favour notwithstanding our sin upon our conversion to him The Lord most good is exceeding willing to imbrace the condition yea he did offer it to Christ upon that condition that his justice might be duly satisfied some other way without mans ruine he would save him only man stands off and is not willing to return to God again and Christ hath more to do to perswade us to accept of favour on his terms then to perswade him as it were to accept us on those terms yet he doth perswade win and draw all those to it to whom the benefit of this Covenant redoundeth therefore is he a Mediator of the New Covenant Christ is the treasury of all that riches of grace which God in his eternal pleasure intended to bestow on his elect 1 Iohn 5. 11. Ephes. 1. 22. Acts 3. 15. It was Gods great plot to make Christ Canalis gratiâ— to all the reasonable creatures to the creature fallen the channel of the grace of Reconciliation to the Angels the channel of the grace of confirmation Reasons why God would have all deposited in the hand of a Mediator 1. Man fallen could receive no good thing from God immediately the change of the Covenant brought in a change of the government Ioh. 5. 22. All must come to us by vertue of a Covenant God dealt with man at first in a Covenant-way Adam and Christ were both heads of the Covenant 1 Cor. 15. 47. God appointed them 2. Nothing can be conveyed to us without a paiment in reference to the old debt and a purchase in reference to the new benefit onely a Mediator could do this There is more righteousnesse required to justifie man fallen then Adam had in innocency or the Angels have in heaven that answered but the precept of the Law yours must answer the curse you are bound to the precept as a creature to the curse as a transgressour and there is more holinesse required to your sanctification not only a conformity to God in his Law but a destroying of the old Image All the holinesse of the Angels could not mortifie one sin Christ had an instrumental fitnesse for the Office of a Mediator to answer all Gods ends which were either I. Principal which respect God First The manifestation of his own excellencies to the creature 1. His manifold Wisdom is declared in the Gospel 2. His Love to take a humane Nature to an actuall Union with the Godhead 3. The Mercy of God was never before discovered 4. His Justice in bruising his own Son 5. Soveraignty for Christ to be his servant Secondly The Communication of his Goodnesse to the creature the ground of communication is union there is the fullest union betwixt God and Christ. II. Lesse principal In reference to man so God hath two ends Reconciliation and Communion Luk 2. 14. 1. Reconciliation 1 Tim. 2. 6. a price every way answerable to the wrong God hath sustained by sin 2. Communion Christ in his bosom the seat of love and secrecy by Christ we have a manuduction to God He was near to God whom he would accept and near to us whom we may trust he pleads with God for us and treats with us for God he was faithful to him and merciful to us tender of his honour and our salvation There is a controversie between the Papists and us An Christus sit Mediator secundum utramque naturam Bellarm. Tom. 1. de Christo Mediatore c. 1 3 4. 5 6 7 8. Aquinas part 3. Quaest. 26. Art 2. say Christ is Mediator only as man not as God they urge that Text 1 Tim. 2. 5. we say Christ as God-man is Mediator Christ cals himself the Sonne of man is he not therefore the Sonne of God In Christo solus Deus non est Mediator nec solus homo sed Deus homo saith à Lapide in 1 Tim. 2. 5. The God-head concurred with the manhood in all the acts of Mediatorship and that place 1 Tim. 2. 9. proves that Christ qui fuit homo which was a man is our Mediator but not qua homo as a man The Papists say that Saints are Mediators to God see 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one Mediator say they of Redemption but of Intercession there are many The Papists make the Saints Mediators of Satisfaction Redemption is nothing else but the paiment of a price of Satisfaction See Iohn 14. 6. Ephes. 2. 18. 3. 12. why may not the Manichees so defend their two principles although it be said there is one God they may elude it by saying there is but one good God and the Scriptures are to be understood of him but there is another evil God No man saith Sadeel against the Papists must expect integram salutem à Christo diviso We are to understand that place 1 Tim. 2. 5. exclusively one and but one as in the former part of the verse there is one God one and but one Vide Estium ad loc You may as well say an intercessor of mediation as a Mediator of Intercession for Intercessour and Mediator are both one The Papists received this from the Gentiles the devils their gods which were reputed of the lower sort were made as means to come unto the higher whence they were called also Dii mediâ—ximi that is Gods only for Intercession as if Neptune would speak to Iupiter he made Mercury his means and intercessour Mr Deering upon the 4th Chapter to the Heb. v. 14 15 16. Christ is also called a Surety of the new Covenant Now a Surety is a person that undertaketh some thing therefore it is used of a person that undertaketh to see another mans debt satisfied and it is applied to those which present a childe to be baptized because they undertake to do that for the childe which is specified in the charge to use the means there mentioned of bringing them to believe and repent I say a Surety undertaketh some things He that is a surety in case of debt undertaketh the debt he that is a surety of any covenant undertaketh to see the covenant performed and undertaketh to and for both parties that one may not doubt of the other in regard of any insufficiency or other hinderance So Christ is a Surety in his Fathers behalf to us that he should undoubtedly pardon us if we turn let us not be farther carefull about that but only strive to believe and he will deserve remission of sins and do that for us which shall without fail procure his Father to accept and pardon us Again he undertaketh for us too that we shall repent and turn to him and he will cause us to come to him and will make a sufficient Atonement He undertaketh I say that there shall be a sufficient Atonement made and that we shall turn to him and for him that he shall accept the attonement so
really wrought by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. 13. 4. Because there are real effectual comforts and graces derived to us from hence Rom. 6. 4. Phil. 3. 10. Secondly It is not an essential Union 1. Because the Union is mystical not personal the two Natures in Christ are essentially united because they are made one person it is a Union of persons our persons are united to Christ yet not a personal Union we make not one person but one body with Christ and not one body natural but mystical 1 Cor. 6. 17. 2. Those that mingle and confound the persons make the mystical Union higher then the personal the personal Union did not confound the Natures make the man God Object The whole Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. and we are made partakers of the Divine Nature Answ. We must not apply that to Union which is proper to Communion Communion is the common union of all the members with Christ. It is folly to apply that to one part which is proper to the whole body Head and Members is Christ mystical the parts are of the body but not the body There is a great deal of difference between the Divine Nature as it was in Christ and as it is in us Col. 2. 6. compared with that of 2 Pet. 1. 4. He had the fulnesse of the God-head we are only partakers of the Divine Nature the God-head dwels in him personally in us spiritually 1 Iohn 4. 16. there is a likenesse wrought in us to the Divine Nature This Union between Christ and us is 1. Real though he be in Heaven we on earth because the same Spirit that dwels in him dwels in us it is not only notional nor moral as betwixt friends 2. Mutual I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine and total whole Christ God and man is ours and the whole man soul and body must be his Psal. 45. 10. therefore we are said To eat his flesh Drink his bloud 3. Spiritual Christs Spirit is communicated to us and abides in us 4. Operative where Christ dwels by his Spirit he casts out Satan and takes possession of the soul and furnisheth it with his graces repairs his Image in us communicates his life to us gives us strength to bear crosses 5. Intimate Iohn 17. 21. Cant. 8. 12. it was not enough to say My vineyard but my vineyard which is mine 6. Strong and inseparable Death dissolves marriage not this Union Rom. 8. 34 35 36 37 38. It brings us nearer Christ by vertue of this mystical Union with Christ the dead bodies of the Saints are raised up at the last day This Union with Christ is one of the deep things of God one of the great mysteries of the Gospel Ephes. 5. 30 32. Our Saviour in his preaching began with the Doctrin of Repentance Mat. 4. 17. then went to that of Sanctification in general in the fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of Matth then he proceeds to the Doctrin of Faith sixth seventh and eighth Chapters of Iohn and lastly to his Union with the Saints fourteenth fifteenth and sixteenth Chapters of Iohn There are three mystical Unions not to be understood by a creature 1. The Mystery of the Trinity wherein three distinct Persons make but one God Deut. 6. 4. 2. Wherein two distinct Natures make one particular person so there is one Christ 1 Cor. 8. 6. 3. When two distinct Natures and Persons are united by one Spirit so there is one Church Cant. 6. 8. How to know whether I am united to Christ. I have then received the Spirit of Christ 1 Iohn 3. 24. Rom. 8. 26. He walks in the Spirit lives by the Spirit is led by the Spirit Two Rules to know that Christ is then first A Spirit of Mortification he 1. Helps thee to subdue thy darling sins 1 Iohn 3. 8. 2. Helps thee to overcome thy secret spiritual sins the power of natural conscience may keep under grosse sins but what power have you to subdue contempt of God impenitency hardnesse of heart pride envy Secondly Christ is also a Spirit of Sanctification 1 Pet. 1. 2. 1. In renewing the inward man That which is of the Spirit is Spirit 2. In transforming the outward man 1. He is willingly ignorant of no truth 2. He lets it break forth into practice 3. Layes out whatever is dear to him for Christ as Nehemiah Esther Benefits which flow from our Union with Christ 1. Reconciliation God looks not upon us as enemies Luk. 2. 14. 2. Union with the holy Trinity God the Father Christ dwels in God and God in him 1 Thes. 1. 1 2. The Spirit he is said to abide in them and they in him 3. He hath an interest in all Christs relations Iohn 17. I go to my Father and your Father my God and your God this gives boldnesse and accesse to the throne of Grace 4. The Promises come to be yours by your union with Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. they are made with Christ and with you in him he is Primus foederatus say some yet others say Christ is Mediator of the Covenant but not a party with whom the Covenant is made I will forgive their iniquities c. this they say is not made with Christ who knew no sinne Besides they urge that it is expresly said I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel c. And all spiritual priviledges 1 Ioh. 5. 12. this is the ground of all imputation of righteousnesse 5. We are presented to the Father through Christ he not onely presents your services but persons Exod. 12. 29. Heb. 7. 24 28. Eph. 1. 6. Phil. 3. 9. The end or intendment of this Union 1. To be the highest exaltation to his people that their persons are capable of the Angels are not so united to Christ as the Saints they are his servants not his members 2. That this might be the foundation of all Communion betwixt Christ and the soul he is the head we the members by vertue of the hands union with the head are all living operations He is the foundation we the building He the stock we the branches He the Husband we the Spouse by vertue of this conjunction he looks for duties from us there is a living in him a bearing fruit in him and we for priviledges from him we partake with him in his Righteousnesse Victories Graces Inheritance Directions to preserve our Union or Conjunction with Christ He is united to us by the in-dwelling vertue of his Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. 1 Iohn 3. 24. 4 13. and by faith Iohn 1. 12. 1. Do not grieve Gods Spirit Ephes. 4 23. Delicatares est Spiritus sanctus Tert. if he counsel rebel not 2. Maintain thy faith beleeve strongly against all doubts and apprehensions of thy own unworthinesse the Spirit comes by faith Gal. 3. and it is kept by it faith is the bond of union on our part as the Spirit on Gods 3. Use the
all 2 Cor. 5. He became sinne for us and his righteousnesse is imputed to us that phrase is repeated eleven times of Gods imputing Christs righteousnesse to us Faith is said to be imputed for righteousnesse but not as a grace or quality in us for that faith is but one grace but the Law requires an universal righteousnesse even an entire conformity to the Law of God by faith in Christs bloud we obtain Justification 2. To justifie is to absolve or pronounce righteous we cannot be so from our own righteousnesse which is imperfect the Scripture cals Christ our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 5. 18. as Adams sinne was made ours by imputation we being in his loins so Christs righteousnesse is made ours we being in him the second Adam * Piscator and Mr VVotton make Justification to be nothing but the Remission of sins and imputation of Righteousnesse and the Remission of sins the same thing a man being therefore accounted righteous because his sins are not imputed to him and they deny that the Scripture ever saith Christs righteousnesse is imputed to us Mr. Baxter in his Aphoris p. 186. confesseth that the difference between Justification and Remission of sins is very small Mr. Gataker in Mr. VVottons Defence pag. 58. and also in his Animadversions upon the Disputes between Piscator and Lucius and in his Answer to Gomarus seems to distinguish between Justification largely taken and Remission of sins The righteousnesse by which we are justified and stand righteous before God is not our own righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ Phil. 3. 8 9. 2 Cor. 5. 21. not the righteousnesse of Christ as God the second Person in Trinity but as Mediator God-man In which there are two things 1. The perfect holinesse of his humane nature Heb. 7. 26. 2. The perfect righteousnesse which he performed in doing and suffering according to the Law this is imputed to us Christs active obedience his good works and holy life could never have been meritorious for us nor brought us to heaven if he had not died for us therefore our Justification and obtaining of heaven is ascribed to his bloud as if that alone had done both Rom. 5. 9. Heb. 10. 19. Revel 5. 6 9 11. his intercession and prayers had not been meritorious for us if he had not died for us The parts of Justification First Imputation of Christs righteousnesse that is God accounting his righteousnesse ours as if we had in our own persons performed it Rom. 4. 6 9 23. as there is a true and real union between us and Christ so there is a real imputation of Christs righteousnesse to us Cant. 6. 10. Revel 12. 1. a soul triumphs more in the righteousnesse of Christ imputed then if he could have stood in the righteousnesse in which he was created The imputation of Christs righteousnesse was first rejected by the Jesuites Carl. Consens Eccles. Cathol contra Trid. de gratia c. 5. Secondly From thence there follows a forgivenesse of sins 2 Cor. 5. 19. Psal. 32. This is called hiding ones sins Blotting them out Burying them in the Sea Dan. 9. 24. Some say not imputing of sinne and imputing righteousnesse are not two parts but one single act there is the term from which and to which There are two sorts of contraries such which have both a real being as white and black in colours 2. Privatively as light and darknesse darknesse hath no being but the absence of light so sinne and righteousnesse are two contraries but sinne hath no being for then God should be the authour of it introduction of light is the expulsion of darknesse not imputing sin and imputing righteousnesse is one thing else the Apostles Argument say they would not hold Rom. 4. 6. where he alledgeth Psal. 32. He brings that place which speaks of not imputing sinne to prove that we are justified by Christs righteousnesse imputed This they esteem their Argumentum palmarium saith Gomarus Thus they argue Paul here proves by the testimony of David that Justification is an imputation of righteousnesse either by his words or by words that are equipollent not by his own words therefore he proves it per verbornm aequipollentiam and consequently those speeches to impute righteousnesse and forgive sins are equipollent but a thing may be proved also saith Gomarus by force of consequence and M. Gâ—taker saith the Argument is weak Christ dying is the deserving and satisfactory cause to Gods Justice whereby we obtain Justification and Remission of sins Some Hereticks hold God was never angry with man only men were made enemies by their own sins and do therefore conclude that satisfaction by Christs bloud as by way of a price is a falshood and all that Christ did by dying and suffering was only as an example to teach us in what way we are to obtain remission of sins and therefore according to them Justification is a pardoning of sin without Christ as a Mediator Arguments to the contrary 1. Christ is called a Redeemer Rom. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 30. and Iob I know that my Redeemer liveth He is a Redeemer and we obtain our Justification by this Redemption therefore he is the meritorious and deserving cause of it he hath redeemed us by his bloud and we are bought with a price 2. He is a Mediatour 1 Tim. 2. and he is the Mediatour of the New Testament These things are implied in that 1. That God and men were equally disagreeing God was alienated from men and men from God 2. Christ came that he might pacifie God angry with us and convert our hearts who were rebels against him 3. The means by which this was done the death of this Mediator as appeareth Heb. 9. 15 16. 3. From those places where Christ is called a Propitiation 1 Iohn 2. 1. in allusion to the Mercy-seat Exod. 25. 17. Numb 7. 89. Two things are implied here 1. That God was exceeding angry with us for our sins 2. That Christ did pacifie him by his bloud The Mercy-seat was called also the Oracle because God answered by it and the covering because it covered the Ark in which were laid up the Tables Christ is compared to this both in regard of his Prophetical Office because God doth by him declare his will as also in regard of his Priestly Office because by this God is pleased 4. From the places where Christ is said to be a Sacrifice Ephes. He gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice and in the Hebrews Christ was once offered whence note 1. That Christs death is a true Offering and Sacrifice 2. It was done in the dayes of his flesh for the destruction of sin 5. All those places must needs prove Christ to be the meritorious cause where Christ is said to take away our sins and the punishment from us Isa. 53. He bore our iniquities 2 Cor. 5. 21. When were we justified seeing Justification is a change not of our quality but state
monstraverint ubera lacrymis suis te voluerint retrahere contemne lacrymas conculca pedibus parentes nudusque fuge ad crucem Christi Vox Hieronimi impiahaeâ— Diabolica vox Lutherus a Lib. 2. de Monach. cap. 5. Ante revelatam Evangelii lucem putabatur sanctissimum vitae genus esse Monachum fieri sed profectò perdite viximus quotquot in monasteriis viximus Iam lucente verbo una hora plus boni facimus quam toto umpore vitaeâ—in Caenobiis Luth. in Gen. 19. * Lib. 2. de Monachis c. 5. The famous Armachanus wrote seven Books De paupertate salvatoris yet proves that he was not a beggar He wrote also Contra fratres mendicantes and should have been canoniâ—ed but for the Friers Dr Fcatlâ—ys Case for the Spectacles c. 8. From that time forward the Monks of this order have been alwayes imployed in the inquisition Phil. 2. 20 21. Next to the title of God Christ values that title of being head of the Church Rom. 4. 13. See M. Lockyers Church-Order from p. 29. to 62. Mr Firmine last Book pag. 82 83. The Apostles could not at that time go by this rule upon the hearing of a Sermon a thousand perhaps profest to be satisfied in that Doctrine and that they would live and die in it I am verily peâ—swaded that were the union and communion of the people of God rightly known there is no Saint in any part of the world but where ever he comes might demand upon the profession of his faith and his voluntary subjection to the Gospel his right in the Ordinances hear the Word with them pray with them receive the Sacrament with them Mr. Martiall on Rom. 12. 4 5. See more there See Mr. Hilders on John 4. 22. We know what we worship and Mr. Bals Trial of the Church-way Haec communio est inter Deum hominem inter sanctos Angelos homines electos inter sanctos homines in Coelis sanctos homines in terris seu inter Ecclesiam trium hantem militantem denique inter omnes cives Ecclesiae militantis Alsted Theol. Cas. c 8. See Dike on Philemon Our Communion is with the Saints as with Christ the Head in two things we receive the same Spirit and walk in the same way Ephes. 4. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 12. Communio sanctorum in co est fita quod singuli electi capiti suo per fidem sunt insiti caeterisquâ— corporis illius membris arctissimè per Spiritum uniti Alsted Theol. casuum The Papists make the Pope a god in divers particulars 1. In that they make the Scriptures subject to him in that no man is bound to beleeve the Scriptures unlesse he determine that they be so 2. In that they make him able to dispense with the oaths and vows which no Scripture dispenseth withall 3. In that they make his Decrees to binde the conscience with the same necessity that the Scripture doth 4. In that they give to him the Keyes of Purgatory The Fathers hyperboles this way followed by Luther gave occasion to this a Dr. Hill on Ephes. 4. 15. b That is partaker of one and the same Spirit and so united by the Spirit There is a union between Christ and his people 1. In reference to imputation so that what Christ did is accounted theirs 2. In reference to inspiration they have the Spirit dwelling in them 3. In reference to compassion 4. In reference to vindication what injury is done to them is looked on as done to him Some say the actions of the Saints are of infinite value as the obedience of Christs humane nature because of the hypostatical Union and that they are so one with Christ that they can sinne no more then Christ can sinne Not imaginary Ephes. 5. 30. We reade of Christs being in us our being in him 1 Co. 1. 13. Col. 1. 27. Rom. 8. 10. of Christs dwelling in us and our dwelling in him 1 Ioh. 3. 24. of Christs abiding in us Ioh. 15. 17. and our abiding in him Christs living in us and we in him Gal. 2. 20. The hypastatical union A spiritual or mystical union This union non mutat naturas nec miscet personas sed confoederat mentes consociat voluntates I may know that I am one with Christ also by my faith Ephes. 3 17. I may know I have that by two principal effects of it 1. It purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. not only the wayes and outward man 2. It is an operative vertue Gal. 5 6. sets all graces awork From our union with Christ flows 1. Spiritual life 2. Spiritual acting 3. Spiritual growth 4. Spiritual duty Ioh. 15. 5. Col. 2. 19. Eph. 4. 15 16. Omnis communio fundatur in unione Christ will do nothing unlesse we be united to him whatever he doth he doth as a head a root Ioh. 15. 4. As by the personal union he meriteu all things for us so by this union of persons he dispenâ—eth all to us We should labour 1. To get into Christ. 2. To grow up into him That consists 1. In being emptied more and more of our own righteousnesse and going to Christ for acceptation of our persons 2. In going to him for strength in duty and acceptation of our services 3. In doing all for Christ and his glory 4. In going to Christ for a rule in all our actions 5. In doing all out of a principle of love to Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14. 6. In making Christ the reward of our services to serve Christ for Christ. See Mr Pembles Vindiciae Gratiae pag. 42 43. Vocatio alta secreta Aug. Efficax vocatio Rom. 8. 30. Solenne vobis est profitert facultatem credendi resipiscendi ex mera Dei gratia dari Sic olim Epicurus verbis Deos posuit resustulit 〈…〉 ed Pelagius post Ecclesioe censuras professus est Dei gratiam quo artificio propemodum imposuerat Augustine adeò ut ipse Augustinus professus fit se gavisum esse quod dogmata ejus aut recta essent aut correcta Quibus tamen diligenter expensis advertit tandem haec ab eo ita disserta esse tantum ut frangeret invidiam affectionesque declinaret Nam sola suafione hortatione gratiam Dei circumscripsit Twis contra Corvin c. 9. Sect. 7. Vide plura ibid. Isa. 53. 1. Trahit Deus volentes Praebet vires efficacissimas voluntati The Arminians say Effectual Calling is nothing but holding out an object and using arguments Those are special places against them Rom. 9. 15 16. Jam. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 3. In praeparationibus tam regenerationi quà m generationi propriis agnosco successionem at ipsam regenerationem instantaneam esse judicant Theologi sicut generationem instantaneam esse tradunt Philosophi Twis contra Corv. Tam essicax tam potens Dei operatio optimo jure dici potest irresistibilis si terminum barbarum nuper malis avibus excogitatum liceat aut
vers 14. 1 Pet. 3. 15. Christians should be ready to give an answer to every man which doth ask them a reason of the hope which is in them the foundation is that which is first and surest laid and hath an influence into all the building Men should do all upon trial and solid conviction 1 Thess. 5. 21. 1 Ioh. 4. 1. The Papists would have the people take things upon trust they say those places concerne the Doctours of the Church not the people but compare the 20 and 21. vers in the Thessalonians and 1. vers with 6. in Iohn and we shall see the contrary This trial is profitable First Because truth then will have a greater force on the conscience Secondly This is the ground of constancie 2 Pet. 3. 17. Thirdly Hereby we shall be able to maintain the truth Matthew 11. 19. The Scriptures are fundamentum quo the fundamental writings which declare the salvation of Christians Iohn 5. 37. Christ fundamentum quod the fundamental means and cause which hath purchased and doth give it Iohn 4. 42. The person we must build on is Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. He is called the foundation of foundations Isa. 28. The doctrinal foundation is the written Word of God which is not only the object and matter of our faith but the rule and reason of it Hold Christ as your Rock build on him the Scripture as your rule and the reason of your believing this is general there are some particulars First Some things are simply necessary It were a notable work for one to determine this how much knowledge were required of all Secondly Not absolutely necessary Some make the foundation too narrow some again too wide some say that if a man nean well and go on according to the light he hath though he know not Christ he shall be saved Others say that all are bound to know distinstly the Articles of the Creed Fundamental truths are all such points of Doctrine which are so plainly delivered in Scripture that whosoever doth not know or follow them shall be damned but he that doth know and follow these though erring in other things shall be saved All the principles of Religion are plain and easie delivered clearly in 1. Scripture they are to be a rule to judge of other Doctrines 2. They are very few say some reduced to two heads by Iohn Baptist Mark 1. 15. and by Paul 2 Tim. 1. 13. 3. In all principles necessary to salvation there hath been agreement among all the Churches of Christ Ephes. 4. 5. though they may differ in superstructures Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditur Catholicam est Vincent Lyrin These Fundamentals said a Reverend Divine now with God are twelve three concerning God three concerning Man three concerning the Redeemer three concerning the means of attaining good by this Redeemer Concerning God 1. There is one God which is an Infinite Perfect and Spirituall Essence 2. This one God is distinguished into three Persons or manners of subsistence after an incomprehensible way which we believe but cannot perfectly understand The Father begetting the Son begotten and the holy Ghost proceeding 3. This one God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost is the Maker Preserver and Governour of all things by his Wisdom Power Justice Providence Concerning man 1. That he was made by God of a visible body and an immortal and spiritual soul both so perfect and good in their kindes that he was perfectly able to have attained eternal life for himself which was provided as a reward of his obedience 2. That being thus made he yielded to the temptations of the Devil and did voluntarily sin against God in eating of the Tree forbidden and so became a childe of wrath and heir of cursing an enemy to God and slave to the Devil utterly unable to escape eternal death which was provided as a recompence of his disobedience 3. That he doth propagate this his sinfulnesse and misery to all his posterity Concerning Christ. 1. That he is perfect God and perfect Man the second Person in the Trinity who took the Nature of man from the Virgin Mary and united it to himself in one personal Subsistence by an incomprehensible Union 2. That in mans Nature he did die and suffer in his Life and Death sufficient to satisfie Gods Justice which man had offended and to deserve for mankinde Remission of sins and Life everlasting and that in the same Nature he Rose again from the Dead and shall also Raise up all men to receive Judgement from him at the last Day according to their Deeds 3. That he is the only sufficient and perfect Redeemer and no other merit must be added unto this either in whole or part Lastly Concerning the Means of applying the Redeemer they are three 1. That all men shall not be saved by Christ but onely those that are brought to such a sight and feeling of their own sinfulnesse and misery that with sorrow of heart they do bewail their sins and renouncing all merits of their own or any creature cast themselves upon the mercies of God and the only merits of Jesus Christ which to do is to repent and believe and in this hope live holily all the remainder of their life 2. That no man is able thus to see his sinnes by his own power renounce himself and rest upon Christ but God must work it in whom he pleaseth by the cooperation of his Spirit regenerating and renewing them 3. That for the working of this Faith and Repentance and direction of them in a holy life he hath left in writing by the Prophets and Apostles infallibly guided to all truth by his Spirit all things necessary to be done or believed to salvation and hath continued these writings to his people in all ages Observe those places Act. 15. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Let a man hold this that there was nothing but death in the world till Christ came and that he is come to save sinners Ioh. 17. 3. Secondly There are practical places 1 Cor. 6. 9. Titus 3. 8. Let us 1. See our selves dead without Christ and wholly trust in him 2. Let us be exemplary in our lives and conversations There are other Fundamentals which are only comparatively necessary that is expected from one man which is not expected from another and more from those that live in the Church Have these six Principles of the Apostle not only in your heads but hearts 1. That a man is dead in himself 2. That his remedy lies out of himself 3. Know the Doctrine of the Sacraments 4. The Word of God 5. Have some apprehension of the life to come 1. That there is a passage from death to life 2. That there is a fixed and irrevokable estate after this life 6. Hold the Doctrine of Faith so that Christ may live in you and you be delivered up into that forme of Doctrine lay hold on
his den the Director of nature her self herein must be something above nature which is God 3 Others adde these Reasons to prove that there is a God 1. The heroick motions and prosperous success of some famous men in undertaking and acting those things which exceed the common capacity of humane nature the gifts of minde in Aristotle Achilles Alexander 2. The hainous punishments inflicted on particular men families and Kingdoms for great offences some of which were wonderfully brought to execution when by their power and subtilty they thought they could escape the Magistrates Sword 3. There are vertues and vices therefore there must be some law There can be no eternal reason in the things themselves If we speak of Atheists strictly and properly meaning such as have simply denied all Deity and denied it constantly Tullies sentence is most true that there was never any such Creature in the world as simply and constantly to deny God The name of an Atheist in this sense is nomen ociosum a name without a â—â—ing If we speak of Atheists in a larger sense for such as have openly though not constantly denied the Divinity of such professed Atheists there have not been past two or three If we speak of Atheists in the largest sense meaning such as denied Gods providence justice goodness though they have done it but weakly rather upon some suddain passion then any settled resolution their number hath scarcely amounted to a score I mean of such open Atheists as have made any publike profession of their Atheism though but even in these secondary points Those Atheists that denied a God spake what they wished rather then what they thought or else they opposed the Heathenish gods or to shew their wit Diagoras the chiefest of them did Potius Gentilium Dâ—os râ—dere quam Deum negare He rather derided false gods then denied the true 〈…〉 he was not a meer Atheist appeareth in that he thus began his Pâ—emâ— Quod a numine suâ—â—no reguntur omnia It is reported of him that at the first he was very devout and a great worshipper of the gods but having committed some certain money unto a friends keeping and afterwards demanding it again his friend loath â—o forego such a booty forswore that he had received any whom when Diagorasâ—aw â—aw notwithstanding his horrible perjury to thrive and prosper and no Divine judgement to fall upon him he presently turned Atheist and enemy to the gods and then labored by all means to bring other men to like impieties Athenians also condemned Protagoras for an Atheist yet not for denying God but for seeming to doubt of him Because in the beginning of his Book he propoundeth this Probleme De diis quidem statuere nequeo neque an sint necnâ— For this the Athenians banished him and decreed That his Books should be publiquely burned Theodorus who for his notable prophanenesse was sirnamed Atheos though at the first he was noted of Atheism yet at the last he fell into Autotheism professing himself a god as Laertius reporteth though carrying God in the name he was an Atheist in his opinion saith Fuller in his prophane State of this Theodorus A Pope dying said Now I shall be resolved of three things 1. Whether there be a God 2. Whether the soul be immortal 3. Whether there be an Heaven and Hell Some indirectly deny God by denying his providence as Epiâ—urus who denied not Gods Essence but only his Providence He granted that there was a God though he thought him to be such an one as did neither evil nor good But God sitteth not idle in Heaven regarding nothing that is done upon the Earth as the Epicure conceiteth he is a most observing God and will reward and punish men according to their actions First This serves to blame and condemn the miserable corruption of our evil hearts which are so farre over-run with Atheism though this be the very first Truth which God hath engraven into the soul of a man That there is a God yet we weakly hold this conclusion for all sinne may and must be resolved into the ignorance of God and Atheism Haereticus disputat contra fidem malus Christianus vivit contra fidem Aâ—g We should be humbled for our thoughts of Atheism for saying in our hearts thâ—t there is no God the Devil in judgement never was an Atheist because of the sense he hath of Gods wrath Iam. 4 19. we should take notice of and bewail this foul vice There are few Atheists in opinion more in affection and most of all in life and conversation Titus 1. 16. We should beware of opinions and practices that strike at the being of God 1. Opinions that tend directly to Atheism 1. To think men may be saved in all religions Ephes. 4. 4. Micah 4. 4. 2. To deny the particular Providence of God and exempt humane actions from his determination 3. To hold the mortality of the soul. 2. Practices which seem most contrary to the being of God 1. Hypocrisie that is a real blasphemy Revel 2. 9. Psa. 10. 11 12 13. an hypocrite denies Gods omniscience and omnipresence 2. Epicurism this comes from and tends to Atheism Psal. 14 2. 3. Scoffing in matters of religion and applying of Scriptures to prophane occasions 2 Pet. 3. 1. Secondly We should oppose this Atheism and labour to grow more and more in the knowledge of God and to strengthen our Faith in this principle That God is meditate and ponder of his Works and be perfect in those Lessons which the common book of Nature teacheth pray to God to clear the eye of our minde and to imprint a right knowledge of himself in us The Papist is a make-god and the Atheist is a mock-god The Papist deludeth his conscience and the Atheist derideth his conscience Popery comforteth the flesh and Atheism suppresseth the spirit As the Heathen Emperors took upon them the Title of god so doth the Pope Dominus Deus noster Papa His Decrees and Canons are called Oracles Oracle signifieth the answer of God Rom. 3. 2. and 11. 4. And his decretal Epistles are equalled to the Canonical Epistles Deal with thy heart as Iunius his Father dealt with him he seeing his son was Atheistical he laid a Bible in every room that his son could look in no room but behold a Bible haunted him upbraiding him Wilt thou not reade me Atheist Wilt thou not reade me And so at last he read it and was converted from his Atheism The often meditating in the Scriptures will through Gods blessing settle us in these two great Principles 1. That there is a God 2. That the Scripture is the Word of God That God which made Heaven and Earth is the only true God we must beleeve that this God which we reade of in Scripture is the only true God so it is not enough to believe there is a God but that the Scipture of the Old and New
recovered Prov. 27. 1. God is most Simple Ens simplicissimum Simplicity is a property of God whereby he is void of all composition mixtion and division being all Essence whatsoever is in God is God Simpleness is the first property in God which cannot in any sort agree to any creature God is Simple because he is free from all kindes of composition which are five 1. Of Quantitative parts as a body 2. Of essential parts matter and form as a man consists of soul and body 3. Of a genus and difference as every species 4. Of subject and accidents as a learned man a white wall 5. Of act and power as the spirits Every creature is subject to composition and consequently to division All things which are created are made by joyning together more things then one in one and so they consist of divers things Some have a more grosse and palpable composition of parts both essential and integral as a man of soul and body and the body of flesh bloud bone and such parts The Spirits which have not so plain a composition are yet compounded of substance and accidents sustained by that substance and inherent in it for the substance of an Angel and his faculties and qualities are different things his life is one thing his Reason another his Will another his Power Wisdom Nimblenesse other things So the soul of a man and all created things are made up of many things conjoyned in one God is absolutely Simple he is but one thing and doth not consist of any parts he hath no accidents but himself his Essence and Attributes are all one thing though by us diversly considered and understood If he did consist of parts there must be something before him to put those parts together and then he were not Eternal Isa. 43. 10. In God to be to will and to doe are the same Iohn 15. 26. compared with Iohn 14. 6. and 1 Iohn 1. 7. compared with 1 Ioh. 1. 5. where to have life and be life to be in the light and be light are the same God is therefore called in the Abstract Light Life Love Truth Iohn 14. 6. 1 Iohn 4. 8. This is one Reason why God is so perfect because he is Ens Simplissimum In every kinde a thing is so much Perfect by how much it is more Simple and Pure Whence the same Hebrew word signifieth both Simple and Perfect 2. No Accidents are in God when we affirm that God is good and gracious we mean it not as when we say so of men in men they are Qualities Vertues in God they are his Essence 1. We should be simple as Doves Matth. 10. 16. Simplicitas Columbina non Asinina Carthusian Eph 6. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 12. It is called godly sincerity which God worketh and which is pleasing to him Simplenesse and Simplicity of heart is the main thing in Christianity Eph. 6. 5. Col. 3. 22. 2. Here is matter of joy and comfort to the good Mercy and Love are Gods Essence Isa. 54. 8. and of Fear and Terror to the wicked because Gods Anger and Justice are his Essence and he is Unchangeable God is Living He is often called the living God in opposition to dead Idols Turn from Idols to serve the living God Gen. 16. 14. 24. 62. 25. 11. Deut. 5. 26. Ruth 3. 23. Iud. 8. 19. Isa. 3. 10. Ier. 10. 10. Ezek 3. 11. Dan. 4. 34. Matth. 16. 76. Acts 14. 15. He is called Life 1 Iohn 5. 18. The fountain of Life Psal. 36. 9. He hath his name in Greek from life He saith often of himself I live as if he should say I alone do truly live and he often adds for ever Deut. 32. 40. The Oath which the Father 's used is most frequent The Lord liveth Jer. 5. 2. and 12. 16. for they swore by him who truely and alwayes lives He himself swears by nothing but by his Life and Holinesse Iud. 8. 24. Ruth 3. 3. This Oath is used fourteen times in Ezekiel Zeph. 2. 9. Jer. 46. 18 22 24. Isa. 49. 18. Deut. 32. 40. Numb 14. 21 28. God is called the living God 1. To distinguish him from the false gods of the Gentiles which were dead and senslesse stocks Acts 14. 15. 1 Thess. 1. 9. 2. To represent unto us the active Nature of God he is all life 3. To direct us to the Fountain or Well of Life from whom all Life is derived unto the creature by a threefold stream 1. Nature God is the Author of the life of Nature Gen. 2. 7. Acts 17. 28. We could contribute nothing to natural life 2. Grace he is the Author of that life Iohn 1. 2. Ephes. 4. 18. 3. Glory he is the Author of the life of glory Rom. 2. 7. A reasonable life to which God resembleth his is a power to perform variety of regular and limited actions to a certain known end and that out of choice and councel Gods life is his power of working all things according as seems good to himself after his own councel for his own glory to say he liveth is to say he doth perpetually work The life of God is an essential Property of the Divine Nature whereby it is and is conceived of us to be in perpetual action living and moving in it self and of it self Life in things bodily ariseth from the union of the body and the soul together and in things that be not bodies but spirits from the perfection of the matter and qualities of them Our own life is a power by which we are able to produce lively actions Gods life is that power whereby he is fit to work or produce all sorts of actions suitable to the perfect Essence of his Divine Majesty Or it is that whereby he knoweth willeth and affecteth and can doe all sort of actions beseeming his excellent Nature Reasons First From the Effects of life God understands wils loves therefore he truly lives for these are all the Properties of livers therefore Aristotle often concludes from this that because God understands all things he lives a blessed Life Secondly Those things live which move and stir themselves God doth all things by himself he is the first and perfectest cause of all therefore he most properly lives and that a most blessed life Thirdly From his Name Iehovah he is Iehovah who is by himself and most perfectly and of whom all things are which are and live God therefore so lives that he is the author of all life to all livers and therefore he is called our life Deut. 30. 20. Iohn saith of Christ in him was the Author of life and Acts 3. Ye have killed the Author of life Amongst the creatures which are subject to our sense there is a threefold kinde of life Two more imperfect the third more perfect The former is the life of Vegetation or growth by which things are able to doe what is requisite for the attaining
reason to his Mistress How can I do this great evil though they were alone God was present Two Religious men took two contrary courses with two lewd women whom they were desirous to reclaim from their ill course of life the one came to one of the women as desirous of her company so it might be with secrecy and when she had brought him to a close room that none could prie into then he told her that all the bolts and bars which were could not keep God out The other desired to accompany with the other woman openly in the street which when she rejected as a mad request he told her It was better to do it in the eyes of a multitude then of God 2. This serves to confute the Lutherans who hold Ubiquity to be communicated to Christs body and therefore they say his body is in the Sacrament and every where else because it is assumed by God but this is false for the reason of Gods Omnipresence is the infiniteness of his nature and therefore it can be no more communicated to the body of Christ then the Godhead can for his humane nature might as well be eternal as every where Christs body is a finite creature and though it be glorified yet it is not deified It is an incommunicable attribute of the Deity to be in many places at one and the same time Totus Christus est ubique but not totum Christi whole Christ is every where but not the whole of Christ Totus Christus est homo sed non totum Christi whole Christ suffered dyed and rose again but not the whole of Christ that is both Natures 3. Let us esteem God a greater good then any creature friends are distant one from another God is with us in our journies and families He onely is the object of Prayer for he is every where to hear thee and so are not Angels God himself comforts his people by promising his gracious presence Gen. 46. 4. Exod. 3. 12. Iosh. 1. 9. Isa. 43. 1. 4. No man by wit or policy flight or hiding himself can escape the hand of God for he is every where present Amos 9. 2. 5. This is a terror to the secret devisers of wickedness their plots are discovered God is Eternal Eternity is a being without limitation of time or a being without beginning ending or succession Time is the continuance of things past present and to come all time hath a beginning a vicissitude and an end or may have but Gods Essence is bounded by none of these hedges Time is Nunc fluens but Eternity is Nunc stans a standing moment First he is without beginning he is before time beyond time behinde time as it were and above all circumscription of time From everlasting to everlasting thou art God He is what he is in one infinite moment of being as I may â—peak I am Alpha and Omega Rev. 1. 8. In the beginning God made all things and he that made all things could not have a beginning himself What hath no beginning can have no succession nor end We cannot properly say of God that he hath been or that he shall be but he is To him all things are present though in themselves they have succession He is an everlasting King everlastingly powerful and glorious as the conclusion of the Lords Prayer sheweth He is called the King eternal 1 Tim. 5. 17. and the eternal God Rom. 16. 26. the Maker of times Heb. 1. 2. he inhabiteth eternity Isa. 67. 15. God onely is properly and absolutely eternal Angels and mens souls are said to be eternal à posteriori or à parte post God à priori à posteriori ex parte ante post since he hath neither beginning succcession nor end The Scripture confirms this Eternity of God divers ways 1. With a simple and plain asseveration Gen. 21. 33. Isa. 40. 28. and 57. 15. Dan. 6. 26. Rom. 16. 26. 2. By denying to him time and succession Iob 36. 26. Isa. 43. 10. Psal. 90. 5. 2 Pet. 3. 8. 3. By attributing to him eternal properties and operations his mercy is said to endure for ever Psal. 103. 17. and 136. 1. Eternal counsel is attributed to him Psal. 133. 11. Eternal Kingdom Exod. 15. 18. Eternal power Dan. 6. 26. Rom. 1. 20. Eternal glory 1 Pet. 5. 10. his Dominion is an everlasting dominion Dan. 7. 14. his Righteousness is everlasting Psal. 119. 142. and his truth 4. By a metaphorical description days and years are attributed to him but most distinct from our days and years Iob 10. 5. Dan. 7. 9 22. He is called The ancient of days Psal. 102. 28. thy years are not consumed 1 Sam. 15. 29. he is called eternity it self Christ is called The father of Eternity Isa. 9. 6. most emphatically to signifie that he is Eternity it self and the Author of it The French stile God in their Bibles l' Eternel because he onely is perfectly Eternal Reasons 1. God is the best that is therefore it must needs follow that he is an eternal Essence for that which is eternal is better then that which is not 2. Else he should depend on something else if he were not eternal and then he were not God 3. If he were not eternal he must have a beginning and then something else must give it him and so be better then he 4. God created all things even time it self Heb. 1. 2. he is therefore before all things and without beginning Rom. 1. 2. and whatsoever was before time must needs be eternal 5. He is the Author and Giver of eternal life to those that have it therefore he must needs be eternal himself for whatsoever can give eternity that is eternal Object If God were eternal where was he before the world was and what did he before he made all things and why did he make the world no sooner then a few thousand years since Answ. These are curiosities but for answer as he was of himself so was he in and with himself He is that himself to and in himself which to us our being time and place are found to be 2. He injoys himself and his own happiness 3. He made the world no sooner because it did not please him Object Is not the Creation of the world past with God when he made it in six days and the day of judgement to come Answ. Gods acts are twofold 1. Immanent terminated in himself Ephes. 1. 9 these have no succession God plotted not nor devised one thing after another 2. Outward in and upon the Creature as Creation Providence Vocation Sanctification Glorification Phil. 1. 6. there we must distinguish between the action it self and the work Gods act in Creating is the act of his will that such a Creature should stand up in time Creatio is but Essentia Divina relatione ad Creaturam Aquinas But if we consider opus the work it self so the Creatures have a
is truly and properly eternal therefore Immutable for he is truly eternal who is always the same without beginning change or end 4. If God should change then either he must change for the better and then he was not best and perfect before or for the worse and then he is not best now If he should be changed it must be from some other thing stronger then himself and there is none such Nothing without him can change him because he is omnipotent and nothing within him for there is no ignorance in his minde inconstancy in his will nor impotency in his power Object God doth repent Gen. 6. 6. 1 Sam. 15. 11. 2 Sam. 24. 16. Psal. 135. 14. Ier. 26. 13. 18. 8. to repent imports a change Answ. God is not said properly to repent but after the manner of men not affectivè but effectivè God doth that which men use to do when they repent they forbear to do what they have done and do the contrary change their actions Gods repenting of the evil in those places is a putting on a resolution not to do the evil he had threatned or not to persist in doing that which he had begun to do There is a change in the creature but no change in God either in respect of his nature or decree therefore in other places it is said he doth not repent that is not change or alter his minde God wills a change but changeth not his will The change is in us not God as houses and trees seem to move to them which are in a Ship but the Ship moves and they stand firm One may with the same will continuing immutable saith Aquinas will that now this thing be done and after the contrary but the will should be changed if one began to will what he willed not before Object God promiseth and threatneth some things which come not to pass Answ. Those threatnings and promises were not absolute but conditional and howsoever the condition was uncertain in respect of men yet it was most certain in respect of God His promises are made with condition of faith and obedience Deut. 28. 13. and his threatnings with an exception of conversion and repentance Psal. 7. 2. Object God is reconciled with men with whom he was offended before Answ. The object is changed God is still the same as the Sun which was troublesom to sore eyes is pleasant to them being healed the Sun here is not changed but their eyes Object Why are Prayers or means if God be Immutable why do I pray or hear Answ. God Immutably wills both the end and the means and therefore as he wills thy pardon so he wills thy prayer Object God created the world and so Christ was incarnate and made man now he that was made something he was not before or did make something he made not before seems to be changed He is a man he was not so once he is a Creator he was not so from eternity Answ. Christ did onely assume and take to himself an humane nature he was not changed into it Creation is nothing but Gods will from eternity that the world should exist in time so that the creature hath something now which it had not before but Gods will hath not God is not changed any way though he change his actions according to his good pleasure 1. This is terrible to wicked men God is unchangeable which hath threatned to curse them and bring destruction upon them they must change or else there is no repealing of the curse The wicked hope he will change the godly fear he will change 2. It comforts the godly to whom he hath made many promises Numb 23. 23. Heb. 13. 5. He is constant and will perform them He told Adam That the Seed of the woman should break the Serpents head He was long but sure for it was fulfilled at last His Covenant is everlasting Isa. 55. 3. I am God and change not therefore you are not consumed Mal. 3. 6. we should labor for Gods love it is a free hold and like himself Immutable whom he loves once he loves for ever Gods people shall never fall from Grace never be wholly overcome of Temptations 3. We should imitate Gods Immutability in a gracious way be constant in our love to God and men in our promises and good purposes as the Martyr said Rawlins you left me and Rawlins you finde me we should pray for the establishment of our faith and patience 4. We should admire the glorious nature of God for what an Infinite glorious God must he be which hath had all that happiness and glory from eternity 2. Worship the true God because he is immutable and we shall be so hereafter being made most like to him Psal. 102. 27. 5. It confutes the Eutichians and Ubiquitaries which held That the God-head became flesh Can a Spirit be a body and both visible and invisible CHAP. VI. That GOD is Great in his Nature Works Authority a necessary Essence Independent wholly One. GOd is exceeding Great 1 Kings 8. 42. 2 Sam. 7. 22. Psal. 95. 3. and 96. 4. and 99. 2 3. and 145. 3. Tit. 213. God is great and greatly to be praised and who is so great as our God He is great 1. In his Nature and Essence 2. In his Works 3. In his Authority His name is Great Ier. 10. 6 11. Iosh. 7. 9. his power is Great Psal. 147. 5. his acts are great Psal. 111. 1. his judgements are great Exod. 7. 4. he is great in counsel Ie r. 32. 19. and mighty works Deut. 32. 4. There is a double Greatness 1. Of quantity or bulk and that is an attribute of a body by which it hath very large bodily dimensions as a mountain is a great substance the Sun a great body and this cannot be found in God who is not a body but an Immaterial Essence 2. Of Perfection Worth and vertue and that is abundance of all excellencies and largeness of whatsoever makes to perfection of being and this is in God He is so perfect every way that he stands in need of nothing God is absolutely and simply perfect because he hath all things which are to be desired for the chiefest felicity He is perfect 1. In the highest degree of perfection simply without any respect or comparison 2. He is perfect in all kindes 1 Iohn 1. 5. Iohn saith he is light in which there is no darkness that is Perfect and pure without the least mixture of the contrary the author and cause of all perfections in all the creatures they are all in him but more perfectly and in a perfecter manner God is most absolutely perfect Iob 22. 2. Psal. 16. 2. Matth. 5. 48. The words in Scripture attributed to God which signifie this are 1. Schaddai which is as much as One sufficient to help himself or one that gives nourishment to all other things and
and the Gospel that of his mercy 2 Cor. 3. 8. it is called his glorious Gospel Luke 2. 14. All his works set forth his glory both those of creation and preservation or providence Psalm 19. the whole creation must needs shew forth his glorious power and wisdom the sound is said to go over all the world that is All creatures must needs gather that if the Heavens be such glorious Heavens the Sun so glorious a Sun how much more must that God be a glorious God who is the author and worker of them The whole Platform of saving the Church by Christ sets forth Gods glory principally Phil. 2. 11. Luke 2. 14. glory to God in the highest In some works the excellency of Gods power in others the excellency of his wisdom patience but in this all the Attributes of God shine out in their utmost perfection 1. His wisdom that all the three persons of the Trinity should joyn in one work to one end wherein mercy power grace justice patience all meet together 2. Power in upholding Christ to undergo the weight of Gods vindictive Justice 3. Free-grace to do all this without any motive in the world but himself nothing was foreseen in them and some rather then others were saved 4. His revenging Justice and Wrath here were manifested as much as they be in Hell it self 5. His Holinesse he can have no communion with those that are unclean 6. His Majesty none may be admitted to speak or come nigh to him but in the mediation of Christ. The Gospel is The glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1. 11. that is The glory of all the Attributes of God doth appear in the Gospel more brightly then in all the works which God hath made Mr. Burrh God is glorious in all his works upon the hearts of believers he puts a glory upon them so that in this sense he is effectually glorious Ephes. 5. a glorious Church and Psalm 43. The Kings daughter is all glorious within this glory is grace when God makes one holy heavenly minded meek zealous hereafter we shall have glorious bodies and souls God made all things for his glory for of him and to him are all things Rom. 11. All the unreasonable creatures are for Gods glory 1. In that they are serviceable to man for herein God is glorified in that they can accomplish those ends for which they were made and that is for man Gen. 1. the Sun and Stars are for him as well as creeping things These creatures are for a twofold use 1. To give him habitation and to be means of his corporeal life 2. To be continual quickners of him to praise Gods glorious power and wisdom God is said Acts 4. not to leave himself without witnesse the reasonable creatures are made chiefly for his glory because they know and love him That God is Glorious appears 1. God hath made many of his creatures glorious Dan. 10. 8. so there is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon the King clad with gorgeous attire and being arrayed with the Ensigns of his Soveraignity is glorious so Solomon 2. This glory shall continue for ever because God hath it from himself and deriveed it not from another He is a perfect being independent all things are under him the inferior cannot work without the Superior There is a double glory in things 1. Inherent in themselves which is partly visible as that of the Sun partly intelligible an excellency in a thing which affects the understanding 2. From without given by others so there is a kinde of glory and excellency in some precious stones which affect a man with a kidde of wondering so in an Angel a great shining as in that which appeared to Zachary so in the vision that Paul saw and when God appeared to Moses There is an inward glory standing in being worthy of highest esteem and an outward glory standing in being highly accounted of God is worthy to be esteemed above all and is so by the Saints The chiefest and highest cause of any benefit shewed to us is not our selves but the name of God even his glory and the clear declaration of his own excellencies Ezek. 20. 9. 14. 22. Psalm 25. 1. Ezek. 36. 22. Reas. 1. The thing which induced God to make all things must needs be the cause of all other benefits bestowed after the creation now he made all things for himself and his own name for neither had they any being nor could they have any before and therefore could not be any moving cause to their own creation therefore neither of any other thing 2. All creatures are nothing and lesse then nothing in comparison of God therefore he could not by them be moved to work any thing but doth it for his own names sake Things mean and trifling are not fit to be the highest end of an excellent work God is most high and glorious and all creatures are lesse then nothing before him therefore himself must be moved by himself not by them chiefly to do any thing for them for as God hath no efficient material or formal cause at all but is to himself instead of all these because he is of himself so neither can he have any final cause but himself for if he have any other end then himself that is his own glory he were some way dependent upon some other thing which is impossible If it be objected How is it said then that God doth this or that for Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake as often Moses presseth him in his prayers The Answer is he looks upon them still in subordination to his own name so that they are motives but in reference to his name and no otherwise He glorifieth himself and aimeth at his own glory in keeping covenant and promise with them Gods glory is the end of predestination both reprobation Prov. 16. 1. and election Ephes. 1. 5 6. of the creation and administration of all things Rom. 11. 36. of all benefits obtained in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. and should be of all our actions 1 Cor. 10. 35. Quest. Whether the infinite glory which God hath as God be communicated to Christs humane nature Answ. That being a creature cannot have that glory which is due to the Creator It is true Christ is infinitely to be glorified because he is God and man but not therefore his humane nature Our Divines distinguish between a glory meerly divine and a Mediators glory which is next to Divine far above all creatures Object Christ prayed for the glory which he had before the beginning Answ. Christ had it in decree and predestination and that was not Gods essential glory which is a property for he requires he may have it now which could not be if he had it from eternity We glorifie God not by putting any excellency into him but by taking notice of his excellency and esteeming him accordingly and making manifest this our high esteem of him There
their subjection so should these Others understand it of the Ministersdwho are called Angels because they are the Messengers of God and so they compare this place with that Eccles. 5. 6. Before the Angele there is He notificative by which is signified the high Priest before whom vows were made Levit. 27. 8. Some interpret it generally of all good men for we ought to be as so many Angels The fourth is What is the meaning of those places Acts 7. 53. Gal. 3. 19. â—earned Iunius renders the words Acts 7. 53. You have received the law in the midst of the ranks of Angels viz. who f accompanied God their Sovereign Lord when himself came to deliver the Law The same answer may be made as it is by the same Learned Writer among Angels they attending God when he ordained and delivered it It seems improper that Angels in the plural number g should have been imployed in speaking of the Law For without extraordinary guidance of God many speakers at once would have bred confusion of sounds and by an extraordinary guidance one would have sufficed There is no necessity to ascribe the delivery of the Law of the Decalogue to Angels Exod. 20. there is not so much as a word of the Angels in the whole matter The earthquake thunder lightening on mount Sina were raised by the Angels saith Cameron who can easily change the state of the elementary Region The fifth What is the meaning of that story Iude v. 9. Michael striving with the devil The Apostle aggravates the sins of those who speak evil of Dignities by an argument from the greater to the lesse the Archangel durst not do so where you have the chief cause Michael which is as much as who is like God and then you have the adjunct he is the Archangel that is a chief among the Angels therefore it cannot be meant say some of Christ because Christ is expresly distinguished from him 1 Thes. 4. 6. Now what this dispute was and where the Apostle had it it is hard to say but that there was such a thing done is plain The matter of the strife was Moses dead on mount Nebo Deut. 34. 6. which is added either by Samuel Ioshua or Ezra Some make this to be the body of Christ and therefore called Moses his because he prophesied of it Very likely the dispute was that it should not be buried to occasion idolatry the Archangel rails not on him but leaves him to God Now Deut. 3. 44. where it is said the Lord buried him that is to be understood by the means of the Archangel and no man knew his burial that divine honour might not be given him and the devil might say how fit it was such a man should be solemnly buried The sixt What is meant by the voice of an Angel 1 Thes. 4. 15. where the Apostle describes the great and glorious coming of Christ to judgement from some circumstances which commend his power and Majesty the Lord himself shall come down in his own person with a shout 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that voice which marriners and souldiers use when they call one another to put to their strength so that it is no more then a great command of God that all be ready Matth. 25. like that There was a voice Behold the bridegroom comes or like that Ioh. 5. All that are in theeir graves shall hear his voice So it shall be the instrument to raise them up as it was Lazarus for this may be compared with Matth. 24. The voice and the trump of God are all one that is a great noise expressed by this Metaphor so that it should go to all in their graves The seventh Whether they have any efficacie in our conversion Though they be sent Heb. 1. for the salvation of those that beleeve yet they have no efficacious power on the heart of man for it is God only that can turn the heart and therefore it is a wicked opinion of some who give God no more efficacie in moving the heart to conversion then good Angels have which can be but by perswasion It is true in the Scriptures you may reade of their admonishing and comforting so an Angel comforteth Elias and Christ himself as he was man Ioseph was admonished in a dream but then you must know this was a sensible appearance or like it viz. in dreams But now you may reade of the devil tempting in Scripture Iudas and David without such a way the change of our hearts is to be ascribed to God The eighth Whether the Angels need Christ as a Mediator Some say no They never sinned and therefore need not a Mediator to reconcile them to God 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 2. 16. A mediator is where two parties do disagree As for that place say they Ephes. 1. 22. He hath reconciled all things in heaven and earth some do mean by those things in heaven the souls of those departed the Greek word signifieth briefly to recollect the things which were more largely spoken and so a sweet consent of all things together As by sin God was angry with us so were the Angels for they hated whom God hated but by his death it is otherwise But though Angels needed not such a reconciliation as supposeth a breach of peace yet they needed such a one as consists in the continuance of that peace which they had before The Lord hath now so fully revealed himself and his excellencies unto them and his love and favour and the necessity of their being obedient that they cannot but continue to obey and serve him they were not so far inlightened and sanctified at the first creation but that then in respect of themselves there was a possibility of sinning as well as of those that did sin but now they are so confirmed by the clear sight they have of God that they cannot be willing to sin against him The Angels by Christ obtained 1. A glorious Head Men had a head at their creation Adam The Angels stood by vertue of their personall Covenant 2. From his becoming their Head they are confirmed in grace they were created perfect but mutable Iob 4. 18. 3. By Christ their nature was elevated above what it was in it self Electio sive hominum sive Angelorum extra Christum intelligi non potest Aâ—optati sunt in silios Dei propter Christum 4. They have an honourable imployment by this means they serve Christ in his humane nature The Angels which abode in the truth are called good Angels not only in respect of the righteousnesse which God bestowed upon them at their creation but also in respect of the obedience which they performed and â—â—eir confirmation in that good estate The causes why they abode still in the truâ—â— are the firm and unchangeable decree of God 1 Tim. 5. 21. his free grace Phil. 2. 13. wherewith they were holpen and their own free choice of will
Saviour had spiritually so he would corporally or externally manifest his power over Devils This possessing was nothing but the dwelling and working of the Devil in the body one was demoniack and lunatick too because the Devil took these advantages against his body and this hath been manifested by their speaking of strange tongues on a sudden The causes of this are partly from the Devils malice and desire to hurt us and partly from our selves who are made the slaves of Satan and partly from God who doth it sometime out of anger as he bid the Devil go into Saul or out of grace that they may see how bitter sin is Vide Voet. Thes. de Energ Quest. 5. The meaning of Christs temptation by Satan and how we shall know Satans temptations Matth. 4. The Devil carried Christs body upon the pinacle of the Temple It is hard to say whether this were done in deed or vision only although it seem to be real because he bid him to throw himself down headlong but now this was much for our comfort that we see Christ himself was tempted and that to most hideous things Satan was overcome by him Damascene of old and some of our Divines say That Satan in his temptations of Adam and Christ could not have accesse to their inward man to tempt them therefore he tempted Adam by a Serpent and audible voice and Christ by a visible Landskip of the world Satans temptations say some may be known by the suddennesse violence and unnaturalnesse of them All these are to be found in the motions of sinne which arise from ones own heart original sinne will vent sinne suddenly Isa. 57. 20. Violently Ier. 8. 6. and it will break forth into unnatural lusts blasphemies against God and murders against men Mark 7. 21 22. Mr Liford saith if they seize upon us with terrour and affrightment because our own conceptions are free it is very difficult to distinguish them When thoughts often come into the minde of doing a thing contrary to the Law of God it is an argument Satan is at hand The Devil tempts somâ—â—o sinne under the shew of vertue Iob. 16. 2. Phil. 3. 6. Omnis tentatio est assimilaâ—â—â—â—oâ—i say the Schoolmen Some under the hope of pardon by stretching t 〈…〉 ds of Gods mercy lessening of sinne propounding the example of the multitud 〈…〉 eâ—ting before men what they have done and promising them repentance hereafter before they die The difference between Gods temptations and Satans they differ First In the matter the matter of Gods temptations is ever good as either by prosperity adversity or commandments by chastisements which from him are ever good but the matter of Satans temptations is evil he solicits us to sinne Secondly In the end the end of Gods temptation is to humble us and do us good but of Satans to make us dishonour God Thirdly In the effect God never misseth his end Satan is often disappointed A question is made by some Whether Satan may come to the same man with the same tentation after he is conquered Mr Capel resolves it that he may part 1. of Tentation cha 7. pag. 132 133. It is also a question An omnia peccata committantur tentante Diabolo John 8. 41 44. Every work of sin is a work of falshood and all falshood is from the Devil And likewise it is questioned Whether man might not have sinned if there had not been a Tempter To that it is answered he might for Satan fell without a tempter the angelical nature was more perfect then the humane 2. Nature is now so depraved that we cannot but sin Iam. 1. 14. Non eget daemone tentatore qui sibi factus est daemon saith Parisiensis Fourthly What is meant by delivering up to Satan 1 Cor. 5. 5 Some with Chrysostome think it was a corporeal delivering of him so that he was vexed of him by a disease or otherwise and that they say is meant by destruction of the flesh and so expound that Mark 6. They had power over the unclean spirits that is not onely to expel them but to put them in whom they pleased but this is not approved therefore others make it to be a casting out of the company of the faithful and so from all the good things that are appropriated unto that condition and therefore to the destruction of the flesh they expound to be meant of his corruption for so flesh is taken in Scripture Sixthly Whether the Devils may appear 1 Sam. 28. He which appeared was 1. Subject to the Witches power therefore it was not the true Samuel 2. If Samuel had been sent of God he would not have complained of trouble no more then Moses did Matth. 17. 3. The true Samuel would not have given countenance to so wicked a practice to the Magick Art 4. True Samuel would not have suffered himself to be worshipped as this did 5. Saul never came to be with the soul of Samuel in blisse yet he saith 'to morrow shalt thou be with me 6. God refused to answer Saul by Prophet Vision Urim or Thummim therefore he would not answer him by Samuel raised from the dead 7. True Samuel after his death could not lie nor sinne Heb. 12. 23. He said Saul caused him to ascend * and troubled him if he had been the true Samuel Saul could not have caused him to ascend if not he lyed in saying he was Samuel and that he troubled him If God had sent up Samuel the dead to instruct the living Why is this reason given of the denial of the Rich mans request to have one sent from the dead because if they would not believe Moses and the Prophets They would not believe though one rose from the dead In so doing the Lord should seem to go against his own order The souls of Saints which are at rest with the Lord are not subject to the power or inchantment of a Witch But Samuel was an holy Prophet now at rest with the Lord. Bellarmine answereth That Samuel came not by the command of the Witch but by the command of God and that rather impeached then approved Art Magick which he proveth because the Witch was troubled But the Scripture expresly teacheth that her trouble was because it was the King who having lately suppressed Witches had now in disguised apparel set her on work and so deceived her Bellarmine objecteth The Scripture still calleth him that appeared Samuel as if it were not an ordinary thing in Scripture to call things by the names of that which they represent or whose person they bear the representations of the Cherubims are called the Cherubims And things are often called in Scripture not according to the truth of the thing or Scriptures judgement thereof but according to the conceit and opinion of others The Angels which appeared to the Patriarchs are called men Gen. 18. the Idols of the Heathen are called gods Gen. 25. because
the humane nature are men as much as other men Isa. â—8 7. Acts 17. 28. 3. Totall privations are equal all men are spiritually dead Though the seed of all evil be in every mans heart by nature yet even among natural men some are better or rather less wicked then others as one weed is less noxious then another This corruption shews it self less because of restraining grace 1. In moral and civil men whose lives are void of gross offences as amongst the Gentiles Cato Aristidâ—s the just among Christians Paul unconverted and the young man who said he had kept all the Commandments of God from his youth up 2. In such who reverence God and his Ministry as Herod was better then Ahab who hated Micaiah 3. In such as are loving and abhorre all malice and quarelling then the malicious who are like the devil Matth. 9. to whom it is a torment not to vex and torture men 4. Such as are of a true and plain heart 5. Such as preferre the publick good before their private Yet such though comparatively good are not good in a saving way 1. Because their heart is not renewed all this while 2. They are not for the powerfull exercise of all duties 3. They have not a zeal to reclaim others 4. They understand not the injoying of God in all his Ordinances Yet 1. Their condemnation will be lesse 2. God bestows more blessings on them 3. They have more peace CHAP. III. Of the Propagation of Original sin and Conclusions from it HOw Original sin is propagated Nihil est peccato originali saith Austin ad praedicandum notius nihil ad intelligendum secretius that is Nothing is more known then that original sin is traduced and nothing more obscure then how it is traduced It is propagated from the soul as well as the body Gen. 5. 3. Iohn 3. 6. Ezek. 18. 20. A spiritual substance cannot take taint from a corporal This conceit led some learned Fathers into that errour that the soul comes from the seed they conceived not the conveyance of original sin but so The scruple a long time stumbled S. Austen too he knew not how else to answer the Pelagians D. Clerk on Eccl. 12. 7. When we say the soul by conjunction with the body is desiled with sin we mean not that the body works upon the soul and so infects it as pitch doth desile with the very touch but that at the same instant at which God gives the spirit puts it in the body Adams disobedience is then imputed to the whole person and so by consequent corruption of nature and inclination unto evil the pain of sin by Gods just appointment follows God is a Creator of the soul in respect of the substance so it is pure but he is also a Judge and so he creates the soul not simply as a soul but as the soul of one of the sons of Adam in which respect he forsakes it touching his Image which was lost in Adam and so it is deprived of original justice whence followeth original sin Corollaries from Original sin We must make it part of our businesse daily to consider of this natural corruption that we may be daily humbled in the sense of it and to beseech God to help us against it to keep it down yea to bestow his grace upon us to mortifie the deeds of our flesh We have three great enemies The world That by profit pleasure enticeth us 2. The devil He makes use of the things of this world to draw us to sin he can but solicit us to sin cannot compell the will 3. Our own slesh and corrupt nature is our worst enemy it is an inward and constant enemy Iames 1. 15. we must therefore every day give a hack at the old man Prov. 4. 23. Ier. 4. 14. use the ordinances to this purpose 1. Prayer Pray in faith out of a sense of our own misery and a confidence that God is able and willing to help us 2. The Word That is the Scepter by which Christ rules the sword of the Spirit Iohn 17. 17. There is a purging vertue in the promises 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. The Sacraments 1. Baptism It is not only for what is past Rom. 6. 3. we must make constant use of that to crucifie sin 2. The Lords Supper There Christs death for our sins is lively represented and it is a strengthening ordinance 2. Look to the outward seuses Iob made a Covenant with his eyes David saith Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity 3. Keep the heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. Ier. 4. 14. Mat. 15. 19. Those that are regenerate should often think of their estate by nature what they were before conversion 1 Cor. 6. 11. Ephes. 2. 5. Titus 3. 3. Paul much presseth Christians in all his Epistles to look backward what they were by nature and he himself often tels us what a great sinner he was before his conversion Reasons 1. To prevent spiritual pride What hast thou which thou hast not received God hath therefore left the remainders of spiritual death in us to keep down pride it 's one great branch of the Covenant of grace They shall remember their evil waies and loâ—th themselves for their abominations 2. To exalt the doctrine of Gods free-grace The godly know by experience the corruption of nature and therefore reject that conceit of free-will 3. That you may admire the love of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14. we need preventing as well as subsequent grace 4. That we may not be altogether without hope for our friends that are dead in sin since God hath quickened us who were so Secondly Be thankfull to God if he have bridled it in some good measure in our selves and ours Paul is often on this and pity those that are in the state of nature Thirdly If we have run into any loathsome crimes we should repent of them and turn to God that we perish not in them Fourthly There is no reason for any one to boast of his natural birth though never so high unlesse he partake of the new birth Ephes. 2. 3. we all enter into the world equally naked vile helplesse our continuance in the world is equally uncertain and when we dye we shall carry nothing out of the world 1 Tim. 6. 7. See Eccles. 2. 22. 5. 16. Isa. 10. 3. Fifthly It informs us of the great condescension of Christ that he would assume our nature and purge it and of the difficulty and excellency of the work of Regeneration the plaister of sanctification is as large as the sore of original sin it daily eats up the proud slesh From the Apostles time to Austens for three hundred years and more saith Moulin Enodat Gravis Quaest. de peccato Originali Ecclesiasticall Writers wrote not so accurately of original sin and therefore seem sometimes more prone to Pelagianism which Austen l. 1. in Iulianum c. 2. excuseth because saith he
deceitfull vanities And withall he doth not conceive of the worthlesnesse of these trifles who suffers his heart to be deceived with the same 2. Errour He is in a strong and palpable errour concerning them imagining them to be of more power and ability to profit him then in truth they be he overprizeth earthly things and imagineth riches to be a strong tower and castle of defence 3. He puts his trust in riches and dreams that he shall be so much the more happy by how much the more rich yea that he cannot be happy without riches 2. The effects of it 1. The evils of sin which slow from it generally it is the root of all evil it will make a Judge corrupt as 1 Sam. 8. 3. a Prophet deal falsly with the word of God as Ieremiah complains it will make a man to lie deceive and couzen in his dealing it will make a woman unchast More particularly 1. It choaketh the Word of God 2. It causeth that a man cannot serve God for it is impossible to serve God and mammon It causeth that he cannot desire heaven nor set his heart on the things that are above it sets a quarrel between God and man for the love of the world is enmity to God 3. The evils of punishment that ensue upon it Paul saith It pierceth a man through with many sorrows They fall into perdition and destruction they shall be damned Covetous men are ranked in Scripture with whoremongers drunkards How shall I know that my heart is Covetous 1. If a man be alwaies solicitous in caring about the things of the world our Saviour describes covetousnesse by carking and divisions of heart this is to minde earthly things 2. If joy and fear do depend upon the good successe of these outward things rejoyce when riches increase but are dejected otherwise 3. If a man be quick in these things and dull to any good thing 4. If the service of God be tedious to thee because thou wouldst fain be in the world When will the new moon be gone 5. If he be distracted in Gods service if their hearts run after their covetousnesse 6. If one esteem those that are rich for riches sake 7. Nigardise Prov. 11. 24. Eccles. 6. 7. Means to mortifie this sin 1. Be affected with your spiritual wants Psal. 102. 2. Let the heart be deeply sensible of the want of Christ and his sanctifying power in the heart these outward things are such great wants unto thee because spiritual wants are not apprehended Rom. 7. ult 2. Labour for spiritual delights and joy Psal. 4. 6 7. 3. Consider the shortnesse of thy own life Iames 4. 13 14. 4. These outward things cannot stand thee in stead at the day of judgement Riches cannot deliver a man from death much lesse from damnation 5. Remember that God requires the more of thee Salomon therefore saith he hath seen riches kept for the hurt of the owners As you increase your revenews so you increase your account you will have more to answer for at the day of judgement 6. Christs Kingdom is not of this world therefore he calleth upon his disciples to prepare for a Crosse. 7. Meditate upon the word of God prohibiting covetousnesse and turn the precepts thereof into confessions and prayers To apply the reproofs threatnings and commandments of the Word of God agrinst any sin is a common remedy against all sins and so also against this 8. Seriously consider of Gods gracious promises for matter of maintenance in this life that you may trust in God Psalm 34 10. and 84. 11. and 23. 1. Heb. 13. 5. Be as much for the world as thou wilt so thou observe three rules 1. Let it not have thy heart Austen speaks of some who utuntur Deo fruuntur mundo use God and injoy the world 2. Do not so eagerly follow it that it should hinder thee in holy duties 3. Let it not hinder thee from works of charity One compares a covetous man to a swine he is good for nothing till he be dead Cruelty Cruelty is a great sin Gen. 49. 6 7. 1 Sam. 22. 18 19. Psal. 124. Rom. 3. 15. The bloud-thirsty men shall not live out half their dayes Bloud defiles the Land Seven things are an abomination to God the hands which shed innocent bloud is one of them Halto Bishop of Mentz in a time of famine shut up a great number of poor people in a barn promising to give them some relief But when he had them fast he set the barn on fire and hearing then the most lamentable cries and screechings of the poor in the midst of the slames he scoffingly said Hear ye how the Mice cry in the burn But the Lord the just revenger of cruelty sent a whole army of Mice upon him which followed him into a Tower which he had built for his last refuge in the midst of the river Rhene never leaving him till they had quite devoured him The Romans were so accustomed by long use of warre to behold fightings and bloudshed that in time of peace also they would make themselves sports and pastimes therewith for they would compell poor captives and bondslaves either to kill one another by mutual blows or to enter combate with savage and cruel beasts to be torn in pieces by them In the punishment of certain offences among the Jews there was a number of stripes appointed which they might not passe Deut. 25. 23. So doth the Lord abhor cruelty under the cloak of justice and zeal against sinne This Law was so religiously observed amongst the Jews that they would alwayes give one stripe less unto the offender 1 Cor. 11. 24. The highest degree of cruelty consists in killing the bodies of men and taking away their lives for revenge lucre or ambition murder and cruelty cry in Gods ears The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth unto me Gen. 4 10. Reasons 1. It is most directly contrary to the love and charity which God would have to abound in every man love doth no evil to his neighbour 2. It is most contrary to the Law of nature which ought to rule in all mens lives to do as they would be done to we abhor smart pain grief hurt losse of limbs of life 3. This sinne is contrary to the sweetnesse of humane nature which God hath pleased to plant in it in the very frame of the body in regard of which it is justly termed inhumanity and savagenesse and to the graciousnesse and gentlenesse that is in God 4. It is a sinne against the Image of God as well as against his Authority for he hath pleased to imprint a kinde of resemblance of his own excellent nature upon man more a great deal then upon any other creature of this lower world A Fox is a cruel beast as well as a Lion for though he kill not men yet he kils Lambs and Pullen and if he were big and
and all the rest are nought for they came from Satan and serve to set him up in mens mindes and to quench the respect and fear of God Division All creatures in their natural estate are severed and divided one from another 1. They are divided from God the only and chiefest good 2. From the Angels 1 Cor. 11. 10. 3. One from another Isa. 19. begin 4. From themselves We are joyned to Satan and comply with the Idols of our own hearts Ezek. 14. begin 1. The nature of this division is not only local as that of Reuben Judg. 5. 15 16. by the river Iordan or in externals but spiritual which is the worst as spiritual union is the best This makes the difference in mens mindes judgements wils consciences Acts 26. 9. Iohn 16. beg divided in the very ends they propound and the means that lead to those ends and the rule The causes of it are sad the lusts and sins of our own hearts the just indignation of God These sins especially 1. Idolatry Iudg. 5. 8. 2. Covenant-breaking Levit. 26. 25. 3. Pride Ier. 13. 9. compared with 14. 4. Hypocrisie Isa. 10. 6. 5. Apostasie Arguments against division and falling into parties First Divisions are a judgement of God upon a Nation Zech. 13. 14. Secondly Consider the several sins that falling into parties puts men upon 1. It puts them on great thoughts of heart Iudg. 5. 15. 2. Men break forth into bitter censuring and reviling of those which are not of their own party Prov. 21. 24. Iames 4. 11. they set up their own will in opposition to God 3. It causeth men to be glad to hear evil one of another and take up any report for truth Nehem. 6. 6. and glad of any mischief that shall befall them Ezek. 25. 6. 4. This layes upon men a necessity of joyning with any to oppose that party though they be never so contrary in religion or affection Thirdly Falling into parties is a certain way of ruine 1. In the just judgement of God Hos. 10. 2. 2. In the nature of the thing Iudg. 5. 5. In cause of religion every subdivision is a strong weapon in the hand of the contrary part Hist. of Councel of Trent lib. 1. pag. 49. Two earthen pots floting with this Inscription Si collidimur frangimur If we knock we crack were long ago made the embleme of England and the Low countries but may now be extended to all Christians We shall finde in our English Chronicles that England was never destroyed but when divided within it self our civil divisions brought in the Romans the Saxons Danes and Normans Though our Civil and Ecclesiastical breaches be very great Lam. 2. 13. yet God can and will heal all the breaches of his Saints 1. Because he hath promised to do it Isa. 2. 4. 11. 6 7 8 9 13. 30. 26. 32. 18. 33. 20. Ezek. 28. 24. Ier. 32. 39. Zeph. 3. 9. Zech. 14. 9. 2. Christ hath prayed for it three times in Iohn 17. viz. 21 22 23. verses 3. Christ died to make his people one Ephes. 2. from 14. to the later end See 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 8. to the end There are some cementing or reconciling graces faith repentance charity Col. 3. 14. and humility There is much talk of peace and unity peace with truth or peace and holiness are joyned together in Scripture We should pray to Christ to heal our divisions that he would make us one we should put on love which is the bond of perfectnesse Col. 3. 14 15. See Phil. 3. 14 15. Drunkennesse Drunkennesse is a great sin Isa. 28. 1. Deut. 32. 32. Prov. 23. 29 30 31. The Scripture condemns it Be not drunk with wine saith the Apostle Salomon forbids to keep company with a wine bibber the Prophet denounceth a woe to the drunkards of Ephraim Drunkennesse is one of the fruits of the flesh and a drunkard one of those whom Paul excludes from heaven Nature condemns it it trampleth under foot at once the whole Law and Gospel too First For the Law it violates each Commandment The first the drunkard makes his belly his god he cannot exercise knowledge of God love fear confidence remembrance of sin or any vertue It breaks the second Commandment it is a direct breach of our vow made in Baptism and renewed in the Lords Supper for this is one of the works of the Devil which we then renounced Again it hinders a man from praying reading meditating or doing any good and religious duty It breaketh the third Commandment because it is an abuse of one of Gods creatures and so takes Gods name in vain it causeth that one can neither see God in his works nor do any works to his glory nor shew forth thankfulness for benefits nor patience in crosses and because it fils the mouth full of foul and desperate oaths The fourth he is unfit to sanctifie the Sabbath and if one be drunk on the Lords-day it is a great prophanation of it for it is farre from a holy work The fifth it makes one despise Parents Magistrates all Governors it makes him abuse Wife Children Servants and all his Inferiours it makes him lift up himself above his equals and despise all in comparison of himself The sixth it is a hurt to his own body and breeds vile diseases dropsie fever rednesse of eyes makes him rail revile quarrel and kill and commit all insolent injuries and hazards himself to untimely death Gal. 5. 21. The seventh for it fils heart and tongue and all full of filthinesse it inflames the body to lust a drunken Lot will commit incest Rom. 13. 13. The eighth it is a wasting of time and goods and a robbing of a mans self and family it often enciteth to cozenage and beguiling it is grosse injustice The ninth it makes him full of bragging and boasting and backbiting his tongue is as full of vanity as his head of vapours The tenth it fils the minde full of leud imaginations and exposeth him to Satans suggestions Perkins on Revel 2. 14. shews that Popery breaks every Commandment Mr Paget in his admonition touching Talmudique allegations pag. 422. to 436. shews how the Jewish Rabbins break every Commandment It is against the Gospel it oppresseth the heart and takes away reason that a man grows hard-hearted and fils men full of presumption There was a street in Rome called Vicus sobrius the sober street but is there a village in England that may be called Villa sobria the sober village If a man though he loaths drunkennesse should to symbolize with wicked company drink immoderately yet it is drunkennesse it is true he is not ebriosus an old soaking drunkard yet he is â—brius he hath committed the sinne of drunkennesse There is a two-fold privation of reason 1. Aptitudinal when a man drinks so immoderately that there is a disposition to disturb reason yet because he is of a strong brain and
Vine he sate upon the Well he went from Iericho toward Ierusalem He opened his mouth and taught them he touched the Leaper saying I will be thou clean he did sleep He cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost So he took upon him the very nature of man and was made in all things like unto us but without sinne 6. He had likewise the affections of a man His soul was heavy to death he sighed in his Spirit he was straitned in his Spirit and testified that one of them should betray him he mourned and wept for Lazarus he looked upon them angerly he cried out I thirst Joy Luk. 10. 21. Anger Mark 10. 14. Grief Mat. 26. 38. Love Mark 10. 21. Ioh. 11. 5 13. Zeal Ioh. 2. 17. Fear Heb. 5. 7. as in a man were found in him Now there are divers good Reasons why Christ was to be Man First He was to be a Mediator a middle person betwixt God and Man and therefore was to take upon him mans nature that he might familiarly converse with man and acquaint them with the whole counsel of his Father and therefore the Apostle saith There is one Mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Iâ—sus And St Iohn That which we have heard and have seen and have looked upon with our eyes of the word of life He must be man that he might converse with men and be subject unto their senses and so was a fit person to interpose himself and make concord betwixt God and man Secondly He was to be man 1. That he might satisfie Gods justice in suffering for man the things which mans sins did deserve and which were to be inâ—â—â—cted upon man according as it was threatned In the day thou sinnest thou shalâ— dye Mans nature had sinned mans nature must suffer for sin that as by a man came sin and so death so by a man might come righteousnesse and the resurrection from the dead The Godhead was too strong to suffer for it is not possible that the excellent Essence of God should endure or bear any punishment any evil any misery without which yet mans sins could not be expiated therefore did the Godhead cloath it self with flesh that he might suffer in the humane nature that which it was impossible it should suffer in that high and superexcellent nature The Manhood was too weak to bear and overcome in suffering and to deserve by suffering The Godhead was too strong to bear or suffer wherefore the Godhead was to borrow weaknesse as I may so say of the manhood and to lend power to it that that great work might be done which could not be effected without a wonderfull concurrence of exceeding great weaknesse and exceeding great power The Justice of God required that the same nature should be punished that had offended Rom. 8. 3. He could not else have suffered the penalty Gen. â— 24. See Heb. 7. 27. 9. 22. Without shedding of bloud there could be no expiation of sâ—â— there must be active obedience performed in our stead to the Law Gal. 4. 4 5. else he could not have communicated to us Union is the ground of Communion Ephes. 1. 21. Titus 3. 4. 2. That he might honour and dignifie the nature of man by advancing it farre above all Principalities and Powers yea above every name that is named and so God might declare his infinite and unsearchable grace to that frail and feeble nature which came of the dust by making it the chief of all his workmanship and head over all Therefore hath he attained by inheritance a more excellent name then Angels being called the Sonne of God in carrying as I may term it the humane nature to the Divine that nature was exalted above all other natures A woman of some place is dignified by matrimony with a King above all those that were her superiours before so that now of all natures next to the Divine nature the humane nature by being so nearly united to it is become the most excellent and glorious nature So God willing to shew the height and length the bredth and depth of his love which passeth all understanding hath thus glorified the seed of Abraham even above the nature of Angels for he took not the nature of Angels but took the seed of Abraham Thirdly This was done to foil crush and confound Satan so much the more in causing that nature which he envied supplanted and polluted to become so pure perfect and glorious and to triumph over him and lead him captive and tread him under foot and make a shew of him openly The Lord would punish Satan in his envy and make him feel the effect of his power and goodnesse in doing so very much against him by a man to fulfill that that The seed of the woman should crush the serpents head and to cause him to fall from heaven like lightening before the second Adam how much soever he gloried as it were in his conquest over the first Adam Last of all The Lord pleased to do this for our greater consolation and assurance that we might know without all doubt we should finde him a faithfull and a mercifull high-Priest For in that he suffered temptation he knows how to succour them that are tempted Christ was to be a man of sorrow and to have experience of infirmities that by bearing our sorrows he might be fitted to relieve and succour us in all our sorrows for he that hath indured any misery himself is made more tender in compassion and more able in knowledge to afford comfort unto them that must after taste of the same afflictions He knows the weight of sin the intolerablenesse of Gods wrath the violence of Satans temptations and the trouble of being wronged and abused by men We can bring no misery to him but what himself bare or the like so now we are assured to finde him most pitifull to us that for our sakes was content in our nature to be most afflicted You see now that Christ was man and why he was to be so Consider how he was made man and that was wonderfully miraculous above the course of nature and beyond the common custom that he might be wonderfull in his entrance into the world who was to be wonderfull in the course of his life For he was not made of the seed of man by copulation as other persons are but a Virgin did conceive and bring forth a Son Mary descended by direct line from David and Abraham a mean and contemptible maiden whom no man regarded because she was poor she was a chosen vessel to be the Mother of our Saviour and the holy Ghost did over-shadow her and the power of the most High come on her to frame a man in her womb of her substance as you have the Angel telling Ioseph in the first of Matthew and Mary in Luke 1. 35. This was so done 1. Say some of our Divines To free the
that all the labour and pains for the effecting of the agreement lieth upon Christ and he hath done it all God would not trust us for he knows that we cannot satisfie his Justice nor would ever turn to him Christ saith well I will cause them to turn We would never trust God through the conscience of our sins which knowing him to be angry doth bitterly accuse but Christ undertaketh let us not fear he will pacifie him and free us onely let us turn So you see the reason of this Title a Surety of the new Covenant For Christ could not be a Mediator by any other means but by being a Surety seeing without him neither could God in Justice accept us nor would nor could we yeeld him satisfaction or turn to him It is a Question between the Papists and us An Christus aliquid sibi morte meruerit The Papists say Christ merited something for himself viz. Corporis gloriam nominis exaltationem the exaltation of the Name Jesus wherein he was despised that men should bow to it and all the good things he was possest of after death The Scripture seems to oppose this Isa. 9. 6. Zech. 9. 9. Iohn 17. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 30. He suffered for our sins and rose again for our justification He went to the Father to prepare a place for us to intercede for us and that we might sit together with him in heavenly places The Surety quà Surety cannot do or suffer any thing for himself but for those for whom he is a Surety All that Christ did was for us he was a Prophet and Priest for us The humane nature when it is united to the Godhead is worthy of all the glory Bellarmine urgeth that place Ephes. 2. 8 9 10. His humiliation is not held to be the meritorious cause of his exaltation but his exaltation is described as a following reward of his humiliation By the name Jesus Christ is meant Jesus himself as Estius confesseth see Act. 3. 16. 5. Now follows the Title Christ to be considered the word signifies Anointed John 1. 41. 4. 25. Quis nescit Christum ab Unctione appellari August Anointing is pouring oyl upon a thing or person this oyl was used to Kings as Saul David Salomon Iehu Ioash and to Priests as to the High-priest at the time of his admission to succeed in his Fathers room and to all the Priests when they were first admitted unto their function for them and theirs and it was also used to Prophets sometimes and to holy things that were to be consecrated to God Thus the Tabernacle and other instruments were anointed It served to set these things apart to cause God to accept them for his own use and so to design those persons to those offices assuring themselves and others that God would accept and assist them in their places that he did give them Authority and would give them gifts fit for that place Now therefore our Lord Jesus is called Christ because he was anointed with the Spirit The oyl of gladnesse above his fellows as the Apostle speaketh in which Title are comprehended three special offices of his a Priest Prophet and King Christ had the wisdom of a Prophet the holinesse of a Priest and the power of a King He was a King to take away our Rebellion a Prophet to take away our ignorance a Priest to take away our guilt Some were Priests and Prophets so was Samuel Some a Priest and a King so was Mâ—lchisedech some a Prophet and a King so was David none but Christ was a Priest a Prophet and a King Trismegistus a great King a great Priest and a great Prophet There is a difference between the anointing of the Kings Priests and Prophets of the Old Testament and the anointing of Christ. 1. In the efficient cause they were anointed mediately by other Prophets and Priests Christ immediately by God himself 2. In respect of the matter they were anointed with external oyl he with internal that is invisible of the Spirit 3. In respect of the end they were anointed for an earthly and worldly Kingdom he for an heavenly and eternal 4. In respect of the effect Christs anointing profits us the anointing of the Spirit descends from him as the Head upon us his members Ioh. 1. 16. He was anoin ted 1. Extensivè so as King Priest and Prophet 2. Intensivè others were but sprinkled Psal. 133. Now for his priestly function it is the first in order of nature though in time of executing it be not first For God must be first reconciled unto the creature by the taking away of sinne afore any good thing can be done to him or for him He is called our Priest Psal. 110. 4. A great high Priest in the house of God Heb. 2. 17. 3. 1. A faithful high-Priest Heb. 2. 17. A high-Priest of good things to come Heb. 9. 11. Our Advocate 1 John 2. 2. A Ransom 1 Tim. 2. 6. The Lamb of God John 1. 29. The Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Revel 13. 8. A Propitiation Rom. 3. 25. Our Peace Ephes. 2. 14. The Kingly and Prophetical Office are both grounded on his Priestly Office the end of this was to apply the fruit and benefit of all though Christ entered upon all his three Offices at once This Priesthood must be considered in its properties and parts The properties of Christs Priesthood are these 1. It is not a Typical but a Real Priesthood in which not the shadows of things which cannot take away sin are offered but the thing which it self was the complement of all the shadows so it differs from the Aaronical Priesthood for it was but a type for the time being 2. This is an eternal Priesthood not to be determined sooner then this whole world must determine Christ is called A Priest for ever See Heb. 7. 24. 8. 6. The vertue of this Priesthood began with the first sinner that was pardoned and continues to the last by him are all accepted that are accepted and without him none were nor can be accepted The Fathers that lived before he was offered enjoyed the benefit of his offering as well as we that live after neither was the fruit any other or lesse to them then to us because that bloud was reputed by God as shed from the beginning and the Priesthood a Priesthood that hath no end in regard of the efficacy of the Sacrifice 3. It is a holy Priesthood Heb. 7. 26. 9. 14. It behoveth us to have an holy Priest separate from sinners the high-Priest offered for his own and the peoples sins but Christ was stricken for our iniquities He was holy in his Nature harmlesse in his Life undefiled in both All the Sacrifices of the Law were to be without blemish the Priests were to be without corporal blemishes a type of Christs moral holinesse 2 Cor. 5. ult 4. It is an unchangeable Priesthood because it was made not
after the Law of a carnal Commandment but according to the power of an indissoluble life This Priesthood receiveth not any alteration in regard of the person sustaining it not in regard of it self for as there is one Priesthood so one Priest The Levitical Priests died and the son succeeded the Father so that though the Priesthood continued and was of long continuance yet the Priest did not continue but our Priest continues one as well as the Priesthood so it is an unchangeable Priesthood and therefore compared also to Melchisedech of whom we hear once for all and no more a shadow of the unchangeablenesse of the Priesthood of Christ who therefore is called of that order for Melchisedechs Priesthood was never derived but Christ was likened to it and he resembled Christ in it You have the Properties of the Priesthood consider its parts The Acts to be done by the Priest are parts of the Priesthood The parts of the Priesthood of Christ are two 1. To expiate or make propitiation for sin or to perform the work of our Redemption and to apply it for thus he doth expiate He performeth it by two things the offering of his own self once for all to his Father as in all the sufferings of his life so in the last and worst of all in the Garden and on the tree whereon he bare our sins and was made a curse for us according as it is written His Person was the Priest God and man The Sacrifice was the humanity the Lamb of God that sin-offering trespasse-offering burnt-offering of a sweet savour acceptable unto God and the Altar which consecrated the Sacrifice was the Godhead by vertue of which merit was added to the sufferings of the humanity so he purged our sins by himself and made his soul that is himself a Sacrifice for sin And besides this Offering of himself he first took upon him the form of a servant that is was made obedient to his Fathers will to keep the Law in all things as one of us should have done and that in our stead He was made under the Law for us and hath brought in eternal righteousnesse For we must not alone satisfie God for our unrighteousnesse but also perform perfect righteousnesse else we could not be admitted into his favour wherefore the Sacrifice of the Law was first washed and then the parts laid on the Altar in the burnt offering And though Christ considered as a creature his humanity must needs be subject to his Father yet in such sort and manner by being made under the Law given to Adam as the Prince must be subject to his Father but not in the quality of Groom or Squire that were an abasement to him and more then could be required of him but for some offence Now this work of Christ whereby he offered himself to his Father 1. Is perfect and exact obedience to the Law as if he had been a son of Adam alone not God and man 2. In suffering of his wrath and curse and just punishment as if he had not fully kept nay as if he had fully broken the Law I say this offering did satisfie his Justice and make as it were perfect recompence and amends for the sins of mankinde God was as much honoured and his Law as much magnified in that it was so performed and he so obeyed by this one Person so great and worthy as if all men had perfectly obeyed that Law in their kinde and the Justice of God in hating sin and perfection of his authority in binding to punishment those that would not obey was as abundantly demonstrated in that so admirable a Person suffered for it as if all mankinde had suffered to all eternity Socinus saith The dignity of the Person makes nothing to the value of the suffering Grotius replies Poenam hanc inde fuisse aestimandam quod is qui poenam ferebat erat Deus etsi eam non ferebat qua Deus citat Act. 20. 28. 1 Cor. 2. 8. The dignity of the whole Person saith he contributes much to this estimation therefore it is emphatically called in Scripture The bloud of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. The bloud of Christ Heb. 9. 14. The bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God 1 John 1. 7. Grot. de Satisf Christi c. 8. Now after the making of this satisfaction follows the application of it For the sin-offering was not alone killed but also the bloud of it sprinkled upon the offerer and no man was esteemed purged from his sinne till the bloud of the Sacrifice was sprinkled upon him Therefore David saith Wash me with hysop and I shall be cleaner then snow and we are said to be chosen to life through the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ that is to say the giving of the vertue and merit of Christs death unto us signified by that sprinkling Now this application of the sufferings and obedience of our Saviour to us is done in time and severally and particularly to and for each when he pleaseth to bestow himself upon him and it is inseparably and immediately joyned in time and nature with justifying faith which at what time he workethin us at that time he maketh all he hath ours and in present possession giveth us his flesh and bloud that is to say the merit of his Passion and the work of our Redemption which in that flesh and bloud he accomplished This is the first part of his Priesthood Redemption the second is Intercession whereby he pleadeth our cause in the presence of his Father partly having done it already in the day of his flesh he offered up prayers for us and partly for ever when sitting at Gods right hand he intercedeth for us that is presents himself with the merit of his life and obedience as ours done in our behalfe and imputed unto us to take away the stain of our sins and to cause the Lord to accept us and our prayers and services and passe by all our sinnes and offences Christ appeareth in Heaven for his people 1. As an agent a Lieger Embassadour so Paraeus interprets Heb. 9. 24. Christs agency in Heaven is a continual Intercession which should it cease but for a moment what should become of his people here upon Earth Should Christ cease to appear in Heaven for us as he must do if he should come and abide here upon earth a thousand years together for he cannot in his Humane Nature appear both in Heaven and Earth at the same time all that time Heaven must be without an Agent an Intercessour 2. As an Advocate 1 Ioh. 2. 1. appears for us 3. As an Attourney Revel 3. 4. As a Solicitour M. Brinsleys Christs Mediatorship Christs Intercession consists in these particulars 1. Christ represents our Persons to God the Father before the throne of grace Heb. 9. 24. He appears as an Attorney for his Client Exod. 28. 12 29. He tenders all his sufferings to God in our
of wonder in regard of the strangenesse of some accident beheld as the people were amazed at Christs miracles and doctrine 2. An amazement of horror when a man stands agast and astonished at the greatnesse of some evil befalling him or like to befall him and so was our Saviour taken with the highest degree of fear even amazement Mark 14. 33. It was not such a fear as did drive him out of his wits or take away from him the use of reason but such as did even surcharge his soul and so afflict him that as we use to say he knew not what to do nor how to bear it these two passions put him in an agony that is to say an extraordinary great strife or wrestling The infinite wrath of God due to him for our sins as much as if he had committed them for the surety is as much liable to the paiment of the debt as if he had in person borrowed the mony himself for himself did discover it self to him in all extremity procuring to him the extreamest sorrow that might be because he felt the tediousnesse of it for the present and the extreamest fear that might be because he feared the continuance of it for the future not with a fear of reason that did doubt of the event of his sufferings but with a passion of fear which the beholding of a terrible thing so terrible as Gods infinite anger will stirre up in a creature though he be never so sure to escape it and hence came that extream conflict which dissolved his flesh and made him sweat bloudy drops whilst his faith and obedience strove against his fear and sorrow to keep him from murmuring or impatient fits from all repenting of his having undertaken the work from all doubting or despairing of Gods love or unwillingnesse to go through with the work but to hold his heart still in the highest pitch of obedience which he shewed saying Matth. 26. 39. Not my will that is natural desire not resolute purpose be fulfilled but thine Hence the Schools distinguish of a double will in Christ 1. His Divine will so as God he desired the same thing with his Father 2. Humane and that is either Voluntas desiderii naturalis the bent of nature to its own conveniency or Veluntas desiderii rationalis deliberati his sanctified judgement submitted the desires of humane nature to the will of God Here is no repugnancy but a diversity of wills Christ is to be considered under a different relation in the first part of the prayer he speaks as man in the second as Mediatour see Matth. 26. 42. Heb. 4. 16. 2. If we consider Christ as man there is no repugnancy of wills we must distinguish between the innocent vellieties of humane nature and the resolutions of reason This prayer was conceived 1. With submission If it be possible not my will 2. Drawn forth upon convenient reason If it be objected How could this stand with Christs holinesse the Law requires a conformity in the first motions and the very inclinations of the heart It may be answered 1. That Christs sufferings were rather appointed by Gods Decree then his Law 2. Suppose Gods Decrees were a Law to Christ as they were to him being a Mediator yet positive Laws blot not out natural affections Though Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son yet he was to have a natural affection to save his life Christ was indeed obliged to this and it was a duty in him to declare 1. His bitter sense of Gods wrath Psal. 90. 11. 2. The reality of his humane nature by abhorring what was destructive to it 3. To shew his esteem of Divine consolation Now Gods Justice was satisfied now his Name was honoured with an obedience as honourable to him as all the service of all the men in the world could have been Thus did our blessed Saviour suffer in the garden from God alone Then follows from the Jews his Apostles and friends and his enemies and the common people His Apostles one betraies him sels him for ready money and for a little too the price of a slave thirty silverlings so many half crowns in all three pound fifteen shillings Lo the goodly price at which the Pharisees and this Iudas valued him O infinite indignity But what did the other disciples Most of them left him and fled The Shepherd was smitten and the flock was scattered they afforded him no more assistance then a company of sheep would to him that tended them if theeves come to murder him but runne one this way another that and left their Saviour all alone in the same sort did all his friends that had received so many and great benefits from him by his miraculous cures of themselves or their friends they all disappeared not one would open his lips to defend and justifie him against the leud aspersions that were cast upon him but one of his disciples among all the rest denies him forswears abjures him Now for his enemies the Pharisees first they send their ministers and servants with the Traitor to take him who coming to the place laid violent hands upon him and binding his hands behinde him like a thief they carry him away to them that had appointed them that service Secondly Themselves hire false and perjured wretches to bear witnesse against him of many things and when that course would not take effect at last upon his own most true holy and constant consession that he was as indeed he was the Son of God in solemn manner with pretended gravity and grief and with rent garments the high Priest stands up and condemns him of blasphemy and unto death to which sentence each of the Elders gave his suffrage Then the servants buffet him with their gracelesse hands spit on him with their slovenly mouthes and mock and jest at him with their petulant tongues and thus they passe away the time abusing him all night till in the morning early the high Priests quickly up for a bad businesse bring him to the Civil Governour and there accuse him of the falsest crimes that might be Sedition and Treason as if he forbad to pay Tribute moved the people and sought to make himself a King besides his blasphemy in counterfeiting as they interpreted it to be the Son of God Now see what he suffers from the Gentiles and Jews both together Pilate to rid his hands of him sends him to Herod Herod intertains him with mocks and taunts and sends him away scoffingly araied in purple Pilate dares not loose him but to please the people and asswage their rage by a little yielding causeth him to be sorely scourged with rods according to the manner of the Romans till his back was all gore bloud and his skin and flesh torn with wounds and wailes and then clapping a Crown of piercing thorns upon his head he brings him forth in this fashion to be gazed upon by the people who all shouting
woodden thigh or dry arm to the body of a natural man For they want life sense and motion and receive no influence from the Head they are as is commonly said in the Church not of the Church 1 Iohn 2. 19. Hence arose the distinction of the Church into Visible and Invisible The Invisible Church consists only of those who are endued with true faith and holinesse but these are known to God and Christ alone 2 Tim. 2. 19. Iohn 10. 14. therefore in respect of us that Church which alone truly and properly is the Church on earth is called Invisible The Church is a society of men not as men for so a number of Turks or a nest of Arians might be the body of Christ but as beleevers and therefore the Church as the Church cannot be seen but beleeved Bellarmine himself saith Videmus coetum hominum qui est Ecclesia sed quod ille coetus sit vera Christi Ecclesia non videmus sed credimus and what say we more That is the visible Church which consists of men professing the true Faith and Religion any way whether in truth or counterfeitly and falsly of good and evil of elect and reprobate This Church is mixt whence it is compared to a great house in which there are not onely vessels of gold and silver but also wood and clay some for honour some for reproach 2 Tim. 2. 20. To a field in which there are Tares as well as wheat Matth. 13. to a net in which fishes of all kinde good and bad are gathered See Dr Featley against Fisher about the visibility of the Church Iacksons raging Tempest on Matth. 8. 23. p. 25. Dr Taylor on Rev. 12. p. 294. Mr Baxters Infants Church-membership pag. 176. Par. on Rom. 11. vers 4. pag. 160 161. Again The Church is either Particular viz. a company of the faithful which is contained in some particular place 2 Cor. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 16. 19. Col. 4. 15. Or Universal Catholick which consists of all that every where call upon the name of God 1 Cor. 1. 2. The Apostle cals it The general Assembly Heb. 12. 23. It is General 1. In respect of time it had a being in all times and ages ever since the giving of the promise to our first parents in Paradise 2. In respect of the Persons of men it consists of all sorts and degrees of men Act. 16. 34. 3. In respect of place because it hath been gathered from all parts of the earth specially now in time of the New Testament Revel 5. 9. 4. In respect of Doctrine therein professed This name Catholick is not given to the Church in Scripture but was imposed by men yet consonant to the Scripture The Church was first intituled Catholick in opposition to the visible Church of the Jews Act. 10. 15 34. the full importance of this term Catholick is set down Revel 5. 8 9. This Catholick Church is called Holy 1 Cor. 14. 33. Revel 11. 2. because Christ the Head of it is holy Heb. 7. 26. and he makes the Church partaker of his holinesse Iohn 17. 19. because it is called with a holy calling and is separated from the world 2 Tim. 1. 9. because the holy Word of God is committed to it Rom. 3. 2. Object But the Church doth not only contain in it those that are holy but also hypocrites and such as are openly wicked How therefore is it holy Answ. Hypocrites and prophane persons are but in name and outward profession of the Church indeed and in truth they are not those which are truly of the Church are holy and therefore the Church is rightly called and is holy 2. Although the visible hath good mingled with evil yea almost overwhelmed with their multitude yet it is deservedly denominated from the better part As we call that a heap of corn where there is more chaff then corn It is the priviledge as well as duty of Gods people to be holy Deut. 26. 18. 28. 9. it comes in by way of Promise Reward Priviledge Revel 20. 6. The Reasons of this are taken from the Cause the Nature and Effects of Holinesse First From the cause of it it flows from Union with God Iohn 17. 17 21. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 4. 14. Secondly The Nature of Holinesse consists in a likenesse and conformity to God Be ye holy as I am holy Levit. 26. 44 45. There is a four-fold Holinesse 1. Of Dedication so the vessels of the Temple and Tabernacle were holy 2. Of Exemplification so the Law being the Epistle or exemplification of Gods will was holy Rom. 7. 12. 3. By Profession as 1 Cor. 7. 14. 4. By Participation or Communion The people of God are holy all these wayes 1. They are dedicated to God Rom. 1. 1. 2. By Exemplification They are the Epistle of the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. By Profession 4. By Participation Thirdly If we consider the Effects of Holinesse 1. Upon our selves it is the end of our Election Ephes. 1. 14. of our Vocation 1 Thess. 4. 17. Redemption Luke 1. 74. 2. Upon others even the Enemies of it wicked men 1. Affectation the hypocrite affects it that there are so many pretenders to it though but in shew discovers the dignity of it 2. That awfulnesse which it strikes in the hearts of wicked men Saul stood in awe of Samuel Herod of Iohn Baptist Mark 6. 20. 3. Envy it works this in the worst 1 Iohn 3. 17. Quest. Whether every one which sincerely professeth the belief of this Article of the holy Catholick Church be bound to beleeve that he himself is a true lively member of the same Church Answ. No all men are not bound to beleeve that they are actual or real members of the Catholick Church for none can truly beleeve thus much of himself but he that hath made his election sure and is certain that his name is written in the book of life A note mark or character is that whereby one thing may be known and differenced from another That which is proper to a thing and peculiarly found in it may serve as a note or mark of distinction The marks of the Church are An entire profession of the Gospel and saving truth of God the right use of the Sacraments Holinesse of conversation the sound preaching of the Word of life servent and pure calling upon Gods Name subjection to their spiritual guides mutual communion in the Ordinances of Worship Christian Fellowship with all Saints and true visible Churches of Jesus Christ. All these are proper to the Church but not perpetually to be found in it noâ— alike pure in all ages Where all these notes are to be found purely the Church is excellent for degree pure and famous where any of these are wanting or impure the Church is so much defective or impure though it may be pure in comparison of others But all these things be not of equal necessity to the being of a
I have shewed in my first Book of the Scriptures Secondly It tends to the extream dishonour of Christ 1. In making other Intercessours 2. In making each man his own Saviour by his own works 3. In feigning a Purgatory Thirdly It tends to the damnation of mens souls 1. In drawing them to put confidence in their own works 2. In making them content with lip-labour in stead of prayer 3. In mocking them with counterfeit confession 4. In teaching them to commit Idolatry 5. In teaching them the doctrine of venial sins and that these may be pardoned without either confession or contrition There is a double way of advancing Antichrist First In way of Worship and Superstition Some conceive that course was taken here formerly when there was so much cringing and bowing toward the Altar Secondly By publishing and maintaining the Doctrines of Popery the most refined Doctrines conditional Decrees Free-will Auxilium sufficiens omnibus ad salutem media scientia in God and Universal Redemption in Christs intention final Apostasie These are the Jesuites Doctrines Arminius had it from them Christians that have cast off Popery should be so farre from returning again to Babylon that they should pray for the destruction and utter ruine of that man of sinne and with confidence expect the accomplishment of the Prophecies in that kinde The End of the sixth Book THE SEVENTH BOOK OF OUR VNION And Communion WITH CHRIST And our Spiritual Benefits by him and some special Graces CHAP. I. Of our Union with Christ. HAving handled the work of Redemption in the Nature and Person of it Now I shall speak of the Application of it by the holy Ghost That is a special part of Gods Providence whereby those things which Jesus Christ hath purchased are by the operation of the holy Ghost made effectual to all those for whom they were appointed Four things are considerable in it 1. The foundation of it 2. The efficient cause or worker of it 3. The persons who shall be made partakers of it 4. The parts of this work 1. Union and conjunction with Christ. 2. Communion with him The ground work of it lies in three things 1. The donation of God the Father Iohn 6. 39. All that my Father hath given me shall come to me 2. The intendment of Christ in all the work he wrought Iohn 17. 19. For their sakes do I sanctifie my self that is separate my self to the work I undertook 3. The Fathers accepting it done for them as heartily as if they had done it in their own persons 2 Cor. 5. 19. 2. The efficient cause of it the holy Ghost that is the third Person in the Trinity who is equal to the Father and the Son The making of man was in some respect appropriated to the Father redeeming him to the Son the making it effectual and applying it was the work of the holy Ghost 14 15 and 16. Chapters of Iohn I will send the holy Ghost The Comforter he shall lead you into all truth Convince you of sinne righteousnesse and judgement There is no one branch of our partaking of Christ but what is totally ascribed to the holy Ghost The sending of the Gospel is by the holy Ghost they are the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost Faith Union with Christ and Communion with him in all his Offices are from the holy Ghost the Spirit teacheth governeth comforteth Reason Because no inferiour person could effect it Ephes. 1. 19 20. Thirdly The Persons to whom this work of application belongs or who shall be made partakers of Christ but the Decree of Election and Reprobation have been handled already There are a certain number whom God hath appointed to come to life by Christ the Spirit of God will make the means effectuall to all his Fourthly The parts of this work 1. Union and conjunction with Christ. 2. Communion with him 1 Ioh. 5. 12. I shall first speak of our Union with Christ. Christ is said to dwell and abide in us and we are said to be Christs to be partakers of Christ to be cloathed with Christ and abide in him The Spirit of God sets it out in five similitudes 1. Of food made one with the body Ioh. 6. 5 6. 2. Of Head and Members Ephes. 1. 22 23. 3. Of the foundation and building Ephes. 2. 20 21 22. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6. 4. Of the stock and branches Ioh. 15. 4 5 6 7. 5. Of the Husband and Wife Ephes. 5. 31 32. We must be one with Christ as we were one with the first Adam say some two wayes 1. Naturally as we bore his image 2. Voluntarily as we consented to his Covenant so with the second Adam 1. Naturally by receiving of his Spirit 2. Voluntarily consenting to his Covenant Though it is not easie to conceive how we can be said to have consented to his Covenant but as being in him and so his consent did include ours The Union begins on Christs part he layes hold on me by his Spirit Rom. 8. 9. Phil. 3. 12. Gal. 4. 5 6. 1 Iohn 4. 13. This Spirit works a principle of faith in us that layes hold on Christ and accepts him for our Head and Husband for ever Iohn 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 17. He will take Christ 1. With all his Offices for a Lord as well as a Saviour 2. With all his graces 3. With all his inconveniences Christ with poverty with disgrace with the stake There is a three-fold Union between Christ and a Believer 1. Mystical with Christ as a Head the fruit of that is intimacy 2. Moral with Christ as a patern or example 3. Judicial with Christ as a Surety whereby we are concerned in every act of Christs mediation the fruit of this is interest This Union between Christ and us is wrought by the Spirit Ephes. 4. 4. He unites God and us and us one with another He works it by the Ministery of the Word 1 Cor. 1. 9. Iohn 6. 44 45. and a religious use of the Seals 1 Cor. 12. 13. Rom. 6. 3 5. 1 Cor. 10. 16. Some make our Union with Christ to be only a relative Union others an essentiall personall Union as if we were Godded with God and Christed with Christ. I would not be too bold with those expressions of Nazianzen because I see they are abused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First There is more then a relative Union as that place 1 Cor. 6. 17. forcibly proves 2. These Reasons 1. This Union is set forth by similitudes which shew a real Union Iohn 15. 1. 1 Cor. 12. Head and Body 2. Because our Union with Christ is compared to the Mystery of the Trinity and is like to the Union of the Persons in the Divine Nature Ioh. 6. 57. 14. 20. 17. 21 22 23. We are one not in the same kinde or degree of Union nor in so high and glorious a manner 3. Because it is not a Union founded only in terms of Scripture but
freely to consent and resist every such motion The Romanists plead for the power of mans will but Protestants for the efficacy of Gods grace If the Question be moved Whether free-will may resist grace It is apparent naturally in the unregenerate it may resist according to that Acts 7. 51. But if the Question be moved of them that are called according to Gods purpose Whether they resist the grace of their calling then removing the humour of contention the truth will easily appear The Question is Whether nature in this case doth resist the omnipotent power of God Deo volenti salvum facere nullum resistit hominis arbitrium There is a twofold resistance of the will say the Schoolmen 1. Connata born with it there is possibility to sinne in the best creatures as creatures 2. Actualis The Spirit of God by an Almighty Power overcomes this Psal. 110. 3. The Arminians have revived the old Pelagian heresie they say they magnifie Gods free grace and it was free grace for God to give Christ to be a Saviour and to send the Gospel to a place but then ask them about Gratia discriminans why Simon Peter receives the Gospel rather then Simon Magus they say God determines no mans will but because Peter receives it and the other rejects it it ariseth wholly from his determining himself then Christ should do no more in his own and Fathers intention for a sav'd then a damned person No man hath power to receive Christ when he is offered unlesse it be given him from above Object Why then doth the Lord exhort us to receive him or complain of us and threaten damnation if we receive him not Answ. The Lord useth these reproofs and exhortations as a means to work upon them whom he purposeth to save 2. To shew that some work is to be done on our part though not by our own strength it must be done à nobis though not ex nobis So the Papists argue from Gods commands God would not command us to do good works if we had not power to do them When our Saviour saith Make the tree good and then the fruit will be good He doth not imply that it is in our power to do so but only sheweth what our duty and obligation is See Rom. 7. 15. Gal. 5. 17. God gave the Law for these ends 1. To shew man his duty the obligation that lies on him I may put my debter in minde of his debt though he be turned bankrupt 2. To shew him his disability 3. To shew him the misery he should be in if God would urge this debt on him to discharge it himself 4. To shew the riches of his grace in providing a means to satisfie his justice and also the exceeding love of Christ in fulfilling the Law for him Object The Arminians say How can the will be free when it is determined How can omnipotent grace and free-will stand together and some talk of a Libertas contrarietatis when one can will good or evil This is a great controversie as between the Jesuites and Dominicans so between us and the Arminians Answ. The freedom of the will doth not consist in this that it is free and indifferent to choose either good or evil For so God and the good Angels should not be free seeing they cannot will any thing but that which is good There is no true liberty but unto that which is good because it is a perfection to be able to sinne is an imperfection 2 Cor. 3. 11. Ubi non est Spiritus Domini non est libertas arbitrii August A power to stand or fall was not a part of Adams liberty his power to fall came from his mutability not liberty It is a Question An faciâ—nti totum quod in se est ex naturae viribus dentur insallibiliter auxilia ad salutem supernaturalia Whether God will give supernatural grace to him that useth well his natural abilities Let any man use the power that God gives him and he shall have more There is not such an infallibilis nâ—xus that God hath bound himself in the use of our natural abilities to adde supernatural graces Mr Fâ—nnâ—r on Ezâ—k 18. 31 32. A man in his natural condition can doe nothing but what is offensive to God No man ever yet by the right use of naturals obtained Evangelical grace that is a vain power which is never reduced into act It is a Question An naturae viribus possit aliqua vera tentatio superari Whether a man by strength of nature be able to conquer corruption or resist temptation Before Conversion we cannot resist sinne as sinne but exchange one sinne with another We cannot discern good from evil sinne is connatural to us Ier. 8. 6. No more are we able to resist temptation without grace All temptations are to draw us to the enjoyment of some temporal good or to the declining some temporal evil by leaving God Till a man be perswaded that God promiseth a greater good and threatneth a greater evil then the world can do he cannot resist such temptations we are saved by faith and stand by faith We had need all to pray Lord lead us not into temptation and keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins See Ephes. 6. 10. Some speak of reconciling Free-will with Gods Decree Grace and sin Others of the Concord of it and Gods Prescience and Providence Tully thought Prescience and Free-will could not stand together and therefore that he might assert the freedome of mans will he denied the Prescience of future things Atque ita dum vult facere liberos facit sacrilegos CHAP. IV. Of Saving Faith FAith in the New Testament is taken 1. For the Doctrine of faith Iude vers 3. Such are sound in the faith that are Orthodox This is the Catholick faith 2. For the habit or grace of faith whereby we receive Christ and accept him for our Saviour so it is often used in the Scripture Faith in its general nature is any assent unto some truth upon the authority of him that speaks it and the general nature of divine faith is to assent to the truth because God sayes it Our assent and perswasion of the truth in matters of Religion may be either humaâ—e meerly because of custome education and the authority of the Church or divine being enclined and moved thereunto because of divine authority Many Protestants have no more then a humane faith It is the Religion of their Fathers and of the place where they live In the grace of Faith there are three things 1. An act of the understanding an assent to the truths of Christ that he is such a one in respect of his Natures Offices Works as the Scripture reveales him 2. An act of the will consenting that Christ should do for me what the Lord sent him to do for poor sinners 3. A siducial assiance and dependance on him The Soc man by faith
ordinary custome among the Romans It is a gracious sentence of God the Father on a believer whereby for Christs sake he cals believers his children and really admits them into the state and condition of children He cals us sons Gal. 3. 26. 4. 4 5. and admits us into the state and condition of sons I will be their Father and they shall be my children It is amongst men a remedy found out for the solace of a father which hath no childe by taking one to the right of an inheritance who by nature hath no claim to it 1. There is the election of him that would have him 2. The consent of the adopted 3. He called him Son in the Court when the Lord makes believers his children he thus adopts them There is a difference yet between divine and humane adoption 1. Man puts not a new nature into the party adopted God when he adopts he makes them new creatures 2. Man is moved to this many times by some perfection or apprehended excellency in the party so Pharaohs Daughter because she saw Moses a fair childe took him for hers but it is not so with God there is no good but what he works Ezek. 16. 6. 3. They adopted for their comfort and because they had no sons on whom to bestow their inheritance but God infinitely delighted in his own natural Son and he needed not us he hath his Angels to glorifie him How this Adoption is wrought It is done by applying of Christs Sonship to them The applying of Christs righteousnesse to us makes us righteous and the applying of his Sonship to us makes us the sons and daughters of God Christ being the first-born is heir and all Gods people co-heirs with him Rom. 8. 16 17 18. What Benefits have we by it All the whole work of our Redemption is sometimes exprest by it Iohn 1. 11. The glory of heaven is laid down in this one word Rom. 8. 15. We groan that we might receive the adoption of Sons The Benefits thereof are brought to two heads 1. We are really cut off from the family from which we sprung old Adam sin hell we are now no more in a sinful condition 2. We are ingraffed into Gods family and have all the priviledges of a natural son By the Law of the Romans one might do nothing to his adopted childe but what he might do to his own begotten Son By this means 1. They receive the Spirit of Sanctification Rom. 8. 15. 2. They have the honour of sons Iohn 8. 35. 3. They have the boldnesse and accesse of sons May cry Abba Father they may come to God with open face as men freed from condemnation Ephes. 3. 12. 4. They have the inheritance of sons Rom. 8. 27. they have a double right to heaven Titulo Redemptionis Adoptionis Three things will shew our Adoption 1. Likenesse to the Spirit of Christ thou wilt be holy as he is 2. Thou wilt bear an awful respect to God the childe honours the Father 3. There is the Spirit of prayer the childe comes to the Father to supply his wants CHAP. VI. Of Iustification THis word is used in Scripture sometimes to celebrate with praise Luke 7. When they heard this they justified God 2. To commend ones self being puffed up with the thoughts of our righteousnesse so the Lawyer willing to justifie himself 3. To be freed as he that is dead is justified from sin 4. It is taken for the declaration of our Justification as some expound that Was not Abraham justified by works Justification or to justifie in Scripture is not to infuse in a man righteousnesse by which God will pronounce him righteous but is taken for Gods absolving of him in the Court of free-grace not laying his sins to his charge and withall giving him the right to eternal life because of the obedience of Christ made his It is a judicial act Psal. 143. 2. 2. It is opposed to condemnation a Law term Prov. 17. 15. Rom. 8. 33 34. taken from the Courts of Judicature when the party accused and impleaded by such adversaries is acquitted There is a great difference between Vocation and Justification Vocation precedes Justification follows Justification praesupponit aliquid viz. Faith and Repentance Effectual Calling ponit haec non autem praesupponit The Doctrine of Predestination is handled in the ninth Chapter of the Romans and the first of the Ephesians of Justification in the third and fourth Chapter of the Romans of the first sinne of Adam in the third of Genesis and fifth of the Romans of the Lords Supper in 1 Cor. 11. of the Office of Ministers 1 Tim. 3. of Excommunication 1 Cor. 5. of Assurance â— ep Iohn Some say Justification hath a twofold notion Sometimes to justifie us to make us just thus God did make Adam just and justified him by making him a perfect holy good creature this is called the Justification of infusion But properly it is a Law term and to justifie is to declare one just and righteous Thus we are said to justifie God that thou maist be justified when thou judgest we do not make but pronounce him just Justification is a judicial Act of God the Father upon a beleeving sinner whereby his sins being imputed to Christ and Christs righteousnesse to him he is acquitted from sin and death and accepted righteous to eternal life In which description there are four things 1. The Authour who it is that justifieth God the Father Rom. 3. 29 30. 18. 33. it is God that justifieth and it is done by God as a Judge of the quick and dead 2. The object of it who it is that is justified a believing sinner Rom. 3. 16 17. Iohn 8. 21. 3. The matter of it the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to him the righteousnesse of Immanuel of God made man 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is the Lord our righteousnesse 4. The form it is a sentence pronouncing or declaring us free from sin and death and accepted of God There is an imputation which ariseth from inherent guilt so our sins were not imputed to Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. 2. Which is founded in a natural Union so Adams sinne is imputed to us but neither the filth nor guilt of Adams sinne were conveyed to Christ he came of Adam in a singular dispensation by vertue of that promise The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head 3. By way of voluntary susception Christ submitted to our punishment he was made sin by Covenant by treating with his Father The debt of a believing sinner is reckoned to Christ and the obedience of Jesus Christ is really reckoned to a believing sinner The result of which exchange is the acquitting of a sinner from sinne and death All the punishments due to us for our sins are reckoned to Christ by vertue of those transactions between God and him Christ became our Surety God layed on him the iniquity of us
Some say it was an eternal transaction before all time onely manifested to us by the Spirit There are four set periods of Justification First In Gods purpose which reacheth as far as the eternal transactions between God and Christ such as were set down in the Lambs book Secondly When Christ did in the name and stead of sinners perform that which was the matter of their justification but in neither of these periods was the soul translated out of the state of nature into the state of grace Thirdly Actually at that moment when we come to own Christ as a Saviour by beleeving Fourthly When the Spirit which translates the soul out of the state of nature into the state of grace makes it known to the soul. Others say there are five as it were periods or degrees of Justification 1. When the Lord passeth a sentence of Absolution on men at their first Conversion immediately upon their Union with Christ Act. 13. 38 39. 2. He that is justified fals into daily transgressions therefore there must be a daily imputation and application of the death of Christ Iohn 13. 10. 3. There is a high act of justification after great and eminent fals though there be not an intercision yet there is a sequestration such cannot then plead their right Davids sinne of adultery and murder made a great breach upon his justification therefore he prayes God Psal. 51. To purge him with hysop to apply anew the bloud of Christ. 4. There follows a certification a sentence passed in the soul concerning mans estate 1 Iohn 5. 9. Rom. 8. 33 34. 5. Justification is never perfected till the day of judgement Act. 3. 19. then sentence is passed in open Court before men and Angels Of preparatory Works to Justification The 13th Article of the Church of England saith Works done before the grace of Christ or Justification because they are not done as God hath commanded them we doubt not but they are sins Matth. 7. A corrupt tree brings forth corrupt fruit Heb. 11. Without faith it is impossible to please God Tit. 2. 9. To the defiled all things are defiled Whether these Works without faith merit ex congruo Potest homo nondum reconciliatus per opera poenitentiae impetrare mereri ex congruo gratiam justificationis Bellarm. l. 5. de grat lib. arbit c. 22. The Papists say one must dispose and sit himself by Alms and Repentance to partake of Christ this they call Meritum ex congruo and then say they one receives primam gratiam See 2 Cor. 3. 5. Rom. 9. 15 16. We confesse that God is not wont to infuse saving grace but into hearts fitted and prepared but he works these preparations by his own Spirit See B. Dav. Determ of Quaest. 34. Whether Works with faith deserve grace ex condigno We say not as Bellarmine chargeth us that the Works of the regenerate are simply sins but in a certain respect The Papists say after one is made a new-creature he can perform such Works as have an intrinsecal merit in them and then by their good Works they can satisfie for their smaller offences Secondly They have such a worth that God is tied say some of them by the debt of justice Others say by the debt of gratitude to bestow upon them everlasting glory Some say they deserve this ex natura operis Others say Tincta sanguine Christi being died with the bloud of Christ This is a damnable doctrine throws us off from the Head to hold justification by works Our good Works as they flow from the grace of Gods Spirit in us do not yet merit Heaven 1. From the condition of the Worker though we be never so much enabled yet we are in such a state and condition that we are bound to do more then we do or can do Luk. 17. 7. We cannot enter into Heaven unlesse we be made sons Come ye blessed of my Father and the more we have the Spirit enabling us to good the more we are bound to be thankful rather then to glory in our selves Againe we are sinners the worker being a servant sonne sinner cannot merit 2. From the condition of the work those works that merit Heaven must have an equality and commensuration as a just price to the thing bought but our works are not so Rom. 8. 18. those sufferings were the most glorious of all when Paul was whipt imprisoned ventured his life he doth not account these things considerable in respect of Heaven See Rom. 8. 18. Iam. 3. 2. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Rom. 7. 24. 11. 35 36. Ephes. 2. 8. and D. Sâ—lat on Rom. 2. p. 118. to 185. They say The Protestants so cry up Justification by grace that they cry down all good works at least the reward of them we say there is a reward of mercy Psa. 62. lat end Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum Aug. Bona opera suxt occultae praedestinationis indicia futurae foelicitatis praesagia Bernard de gratia libero arbitrio Extra statum justificationis nemo potest verè bona opena satis magnificè commendare Luther More hath been given in this Land within these threescore yeares to the building and increase of Hospitals of Colledges and other Schools of good learning and to such like workes as are truly charitable then were in any one hundred years during all the time and reign of Popery Dr. Willet confutes the calumny of the Romanists charging our Doctrine of justification by faith only as a great adversary to good Works For he proves that in the space of sixty years since the times of the Gospel 1000000lb lb hath been bestowed in the acts of piety and charity Whether we be justified by inherent or imputed righteousnesse We do not deny as the Papists falsly slander us all inherent righteousnesse 2 Cor. 5. 17. nor all justification before God by inherent righteousnesse 1 Kings 8. 32. But this we teach That this inherent righteousnesse is not that righteousnesse whereby any poor sinner in this life can be justified before Gods Tribunal for which he is pronounced to be innocent absolved from death and condemnation and adjudged unto eternal life The Church of Rome holdeth not this foundation viz. the Doctrine of Justification by Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11. 1. They deny justification by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse yea they scorn it and call it a putative righteousnesse 2. They hold justification by inherent righteousnesse that is by the works of the Law Gal. 5. 4. The Papists place the formal cause of justification in the insusion of inherent righteousnesse The opinion is built upon another opinion as rotten as it viz. perfection of inherent righteousnesse for if this be found to be imperfect as it will be alwayes in this life the credit of the other opinion is lost and that by consent of their own principles who teach that in justification men are made
eat the Bread and drink the wine which signifies the particular applying of Jesus Christ with all the benefits of his mediation to ones own soul. Whether Christ be corporally present with the symboles in the Eucharist Corpore de Christi lis est de sanguine lis est Lis est de modo non habitura modum Christ is ascended into heaven and he is contained there Acts 3. 21. till he come to Judgement therefore he is not there under the shape of bread and wine See Matth. 26. 11. Iohn 16. 7. Acts 3. 21. 2. All the circumstances about the first Institution of the Sacrament do declare that Christ was not bodily there especially Christ eating and drinking of it himself which Cloppenburg Peter du Moulin and D. Featley hold urging Matth. 26. 29. Mark 14. 25. for that purpose Those words say they necessarily imply that before he uttered them he had drunk of the Cup which he gave to them Aquinas also holds this and the Fathers likewise saith Peter du Moulin The nature of the action saith Peter du Moulin in the place last quoted required that Christ should communicate to shew the Communion he had with us as also he did partake of our Baptism Matth. 3. 16. from whence cometh the custome of the Church that the Pastor first communicates and the people afterwards When the publick Authority of this Land were for the Papists subscription was not urged upon such violent and bloudy terms unto any Articles of their Religion as unto that of the real presence D. Iack. Epist. to the Read For the same Christ was not visibly at the Table and spake and yet invisibly under the bread and wine he did not eat and drink himself The end of the Sacrament is a remembrance of Christs death Do this in remembrance of me and You shew forth his death till he come Now how can there be any remembring of him when he is present His corporal presence and eating is made unprofitable Iohn 6. though Christ said his flesh was meat indeed yet he did not mean that it should be eaten and and drunk corporally the flesh profiteth nothing but his words are Spirit and Life Our Union and Conjunction with Christ is inward and spiritual which consists in Faith and Love it is true we are united to his body but not after a bodily manner It is against reason and sense We believe Christ to be present spiritually in the hearts of the Communicants sacramentally in the Elements but not corporally Real is 1. Opposed to that which is imaginary and importeth as much as truely 2. To that which is meerly figurative and barely representative and importeth as much as effectually 3. To that which is spiritual and importeth as much as corporally or materially The presence of Christ in the Sacrament is reall in the two former acceptions of real but not in the last for he is truly there present and effectually though not carnally or locally Doctor Featleys Transubstantiation Exploded Really and corporally are not all one that which is spiritually present is really present unlesse we will say that a Spirit is nothing The bloud of Christ is really present in Baptism to the washing away of sinne Christ is really present to the faith of every true believer even out of the Sacrament Downs Defence against the Reply of M. N. We deny that Christ is so present in the Sacrament under the forms of bread and wine as that whosoever receive the Sacrament do truely receive Christ himself The Papists say Christs natural body is present we that the merit and vertue of his body broken upon the Cross and of his bloud shed upon the Cross is present to the believing soul in the Sacrament The body of the Sun is in heaven in its sphere locally and circumscriptively but the beams are on the earth And when the Sun beams shine into our house we say here 's the Sun though it be the beams not the body of the Sun So the Scripture saith of the Sacrament This is my body Christ ascended up into Heaven as for that exception he is visibly in heaven but invisibly here it answereth not those testimonies which prove he is so there that he is not here Mat. 28. 6. q. d. he could not be in both places at once an angelical argument Aquinas saith It is not possible by any miracle that the body of Christ should be locally in many places at once because it includeth a contradiction by making it not one for one is that which is not divided from it self It is impossible say the Papists according to the course of nature but not absolutely impossible by divine miracle it may be Consubstantiation overthroweth the grounds 1. Of reason the body of one and the same man cannot be present in many places all together but must needs remain in some definite and certain place 2. Religion because Christ was taken up into heaven there to abide till the end of the world It was above a hundred years before Transubstantiation They did adore Christ as co-existent with the bread which perhaps gave occasion to Averroes to say That Christians did adore their God and then eat him Averroes his resolution was Quandoquidem Christiani adorant quod comedunt sit anima mea cum Philosophis The quarrel between Luther and Zuinglius was about Christs presence in the Sacrament which Luther held to be by way of Consubstantiation which how it could be unlesse the body of Christ were every where Zuinglius and others could not conceive Luther being pressed therewith he and his followers not being able to avoid it maintained that also But how By reason of the hypostatical Union and Conjunction thereof with the word For the word being every where and the humane nature being no where severed from it How can it be say they but every where The humanity of Christ according to its Essence or natural Being is contained in one place but according to its subsistence or personal being may rightly be said to be every where Zanch. Misc. Iud. de Dissid Coen Dom. and D. Field lib. 3. c 35. of the Church The Papists constant Doctrine is That in worshipping the Sacrament they should give unto it Latriae cultum qui vero Deo debetur as the Councell of Trent hath determined that kinde of service which is due to the true God determining their worship in that very thing which the Priest doth hold betwixt his hands This is artolatry an idolatrous worship of the bread because they adoâ—e the host even as the very person of the Sonne of God It is true they conceive it not bread but the body of Christ yet that doth not free them from bread-worship for then if the Heathen did take his stone to be a God it did free him from idolatry Hence saith a Jesuite If the bread be not turned into the body of Christ we are the greatest
unworthily and the scandal given to others Our hearts are deceitful Ier. 17. 9. sinne is deceitful Satan is full of stratagems The holy Ghost often warns us Be not deceived Let no man deceive you James 1. 26. Of all deceit self-deceit is the worst Vers. 28. Examine himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is borrowed from civil affairs For among the Athenians before any were admitted to any office or place of Magistracy they were examined whether they were fit or no. And so let him c. Do it in Christs manner and to his end Eccl. 5. 1. 1 Sam. 16. 5. 2 Chron. 35. 6. The Church of Christ in all ages have required solemn preparation for the Sacrament as the Liturgies and Directories of Reformed Churches shew In the Primitive Church there was rather an excesse then defect Zanchy observes that it was the occasion of instituting of Lent because of their coming to the Sacrament at Easter The ancient Fathers and primitive Christians the night before they received sate up and prayed which they called their vigiliae Reasons First Because of God the Lord and Master of the Feast Iob 13. 11. Prov. 23. 1. Observe five things in that Parable Matth. 22. 1. The King comes to see his guests God observes what hearts we come with into his presence 2. He makes diligent enquiry takes notice of every one personally there was but one without the wedding garment and he could not lie hid 3. Mark his impartiality as soon as he espies him he saith Friend how caâ—â—est thou in hither 4. How inexcusable those are that abuse the Ordinance when he was charged that had not the wedding garment he was silent 5. The rigour and indispensablenesse of the sentence v. 13. Secondly Because of the Feast it self being heavenly and for the soul. At this Ordinance we have the highest and most solemn intercourse with God that we have in any Ordinance we renew not the Covenant in prayer and reading the Word Thirdly Christs practice before his institution doth teach as much in that he washed his Disciples feet Iohn 13. Fourthly Our hearts are naturally prophane and wicked and indisposed to this duty if we were so perfectly holy as we should be we should be ever ready for holy performances but our hearts gather soil exceedingly Purge out the old leaven before you come to eat Christ our Passeover that was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. What he meaneth by the old leaven he telleth you in the next verse it is the leaven of malice especially that we must be carefull to purge out According to our preparation will our profit be if one come fitly it is a means of a great deal of good Communion with God sealing the Covenant the Lord and we are made friends under seal partaking the body and bloud of Christ. It is like our evidences in the time of trial when our Land is questioned 2 Chron. 30. 3. our hope in the Resurrection lies in this Iohn 6. 54. it seals our initiation and exhibits our growth in Christ. A Sermon will confirm but one particular grace as patience or the like but the Sacrament confirms the body of graces and a man receives an influence of grace into his whole soul. The Apostle in the Conclusion of the 1 Cor. 11. appoints this as a great remedy to prevent the judgement of God for their abuses about the Sacrament to judge our selves 1. Self-abasing will follow self-judging 2. Justifying God Rom. 3. 4. 3. Sin will be bitter to such an one 4. He will not judge others Rom. 14. 3 4. A childe of God may receive unworthily 1. By coming carelesly and negligently to the Sacrament 2. By coming in the guilt of any one sin unrepented of Fifthly Because of the danger of coming unprepared Matth. 22. the Devil will enter into â—s as into Iudas Luk. 22. 3. compar'd with Iohn 13. 27. If we receive not Christ we receive Satan Cyprian saith of the Lords Supper Pâ—tro remedium Iudae venenum 1 Cor. 11. 17. 27 29 36. The staying away will not prevent the danger Matth. 22. those that would not come to the Supper when invited were destroyed as well as those that came without the wedding garment Not to come is to starve our souls to come unworthily is to poison them One is said to be guilty of the bloud of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 27. that is a murtherer of Christ divers wayes 1. Christ is really present though not corporally and locally he looks upon the injury done to the Elements as done to himself if one wrong insignia majestatis the Kings coin or the like it is treason 2. The same bent and disposition of heart that carries a man to prophane the Elements would carry him to crucifie Christ Christ is sacramentally united to the bread and wine 3. In the Sacrament Christ is set forth as crucified Gal. 3. 1. Isa. 53. 6. our sins crucified him he whose heart is not affected with such an object allows the deed of the Jews is an accessary post factum 4. There is a great resemblance between Iudas his act and yours 1. He was a Disciple so thou a Christian. 2. He did betray Christ for a small matter Zech. 11. 10 11. so thou preferrest a base lust before him 3. He betrayed him with a kisse thou at the Sacrament 5. Thou wouldst make Christ die in vain Christs death is useful for satisfaction and sanctification satisfaction of Gods wrath and sanctification of our hearts we trample his bloud under our feet as unholy that is common Vers. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgement to himself Damnation if he be a reprobate and impenitent hypocrite judgement though he be regenerate and a true beleever M. Hilders God punisheth this sin in his children with inward and outward chastisements The Lord abhors the like offence in the Sacrifices Mal. 1. 7. This worthy receiving is not a legal worthinesse Secundum absolutam dignitatem wherein one can plead that the thing he doth deserves the thing he would have but an Evangelical worthinesse Secundum divinam acceptationem The original of all our worthinesse is the change of the Covenant Exod. 12. 43. Every man by nature is under the Covenant of works he that was uncircumcised might not partake of the Jewish Passeover Circumcision notes two things 1. A change of the Covenant 2. Sanctification of a mans nature Col. 2. 11. He that was uncircumcised was out â—of Abrahams Covenant and unregenerate This change of the Covenant comes by the change of your Head your union with Christ Gal. 3. ult Corpus Christi non edunt qui de corpore Christi non sunt We must seriously examine our state whether we be in the state of grace 2 Cor. 12. 5. The children of God mistrust their own searching and desire God to search them Psal. 139. lat end Thou must be a new
like Paracelsian Physick if it do not cure it will kill 4. None do lose such high services Matth. 7. 22 23. they do not the work of the Gospel with a Gospel-spirit and out of a Gospel principle 5. Satan will insult and triumph over none so much as Gospel-sinners Matth. 12. 43 44. 6. The worm of conscience will not feed so fiercely on any Mar. 9 43. when he compares his former hopes with his present irrecoverable condition because no sinners had those helps nor were raised to those hopes Ponder on your own sins what they are and what they have deserved Look on original corruption the foul sea of all wickednesse which is called a body of sinne Rom. 6. 6. A Law in our members Rom. 7. 23. Consider that thou hast a naughty nature whereby thou art averse from God and goodnesse and extreamly prone to all sin Psal. 51. 5. Isa. 48. 8. all men in every part are under the guilt and power of it Rom. 3. 16 23. 2. Humble thy self Labour to be base for this though thou hast not committed such foul sins as others yet if God should leave thee to thy self and thine own evil heart thou wouldst soon be as bad as the worst 3. Call to minde likewise the grosse actual sins thou hast committed before or since thy calling Wast not thou given to all manner of pollution before the Lord gave thee knowledge of him and since thy calling 4. Consider thy continual daily slips and infirmities thy sins of omission and commission how apt thou art to be angry impatient thy carnalnesse in good duties and distraction in the performance of them thy forgetfulnesse of God and thy later end 5. Consider also whether there be not some unknown secret fault that thou hast not yet repented of and pray to God to discover it to thee Lastly Call to minde what sins thou hast committed since the last Sacrament and bewail them Meditate also on the sufferings of Christ for these grosse sins and daily iniquities His great abasement Psal. 22. 6 7 14. to 19. v. Isa. 53. 3 4 5 6 7. to the 11. v. He was born like a beggar lived like a beggar the Devil tempted him he was falsly accused betrayed by one of his Disciples denied by another forsaken by the rest He was amazed with fear and incompassed with sorrow Mark 14. 34. Two of the most tormentful passions was in an agony and did sweat drops of cloddy bloud in such abundance as it fell to the ground was condemned mocked spit upon whipped with rods after the manner of the Romans crowned with thorns laden with the Crosse nailed on it stretched and retched in all his joynts He suffered much in his body but his chief sufferings were in his soul Isa. 53. 10 11 12. He took our soul as well as body and came to redeem it that being the chief part Quicquid induit Christus obtulit He suffered 1. As a publick person as the second Adam Rom. 5. 14. 2. For our sakes and benefit Isa. 53. he is said six times to bear our iniquities 3. Not only for our good but in our room Heb. 7. 22. not onely nostro bono but nostro loco 1 Tim. 2. 6. Mat. 20. 28. for otherwise he should have suffered no more then other men the Martyrs suffered for the good of the Church Col. 1. 24. 2 Tim. 2. 10. 4. He took upon him the burden of our sins by way of imputation 1 Pet. 2. 24. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Smite on your brests and say For my worldlinesse anger all these evils befell my Saviour Lord for thy mercy sake in Christ pardon and heal me Shall I pollute my body with uncleannesse when Christ suffered so bitter things Shall I ever be angry again O Lord by thy grace I will not Let me have thy power to kill these sins See the strictnesse of divine justice and the dreadfulnesse of Gods wrath God spared not his own Sonne and when his Fathers wrath lighted on his soul he was much troubled and the great evil of sinne it caused Christs humane nature to be â—â—raid Matth. 26. 38. The desert of sinne is seen in Christs suffering 1. In respect of the person who suffered for it Gods only Son who never provoked him Iohn 3. 16. Rom. 8. 31. 2. In respect of the penalties he underwent for sinne it made him to cry sweat and pour out strong supplications Isa. 53. 10. The Law shewed the filthinesse and evil of sinne by the many Sacrifices and aspersions of bloud which it required but they were of beasts and their bloud but the Gospel shews the demerit of sinne more fully and how odious it is to God since Christ must die to expiate it and also the abundant love both of the Father in delivering his own Sonne to death for the salvation of sinners Iohn 3. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. Rom. 8 32. and of Christ in taking upon him our nature and in exposing himself to so much misery here on earth and at last to an accursed death for us Phil. 2. 7 8. We are to remember Christ in the Sacrament 1. Because the Lord will have in the Sacrament of the New Testament the great end of the Passeover to be accomplisht Exod. 12. 14. 2. That we may answer the goodnesse of Christ to us he hath us alwayes actually in remembrance Exod. 28. 21 29. 3. Because if we have any benefit by this Sacram nt God must remember Christ for us 4. Upon our actual and affectionate remembrance of Christ depends all our benefit by this Sacrament We have dispatched the examination of our sins in the next place our graces are to be examined The graces that must be tried and examined are our Knowledge Faith Re 〈…〉 Love and hungring after Christ the truth growth or wants of them 〈…〉 examined The truth of them 1. Knowledge The words examine shew forth discern and judge all betoken knowledge We must get Knowledge 1. Of the Law of God 2. Of the Doctrine of Redemption by Jesus Christ. 3. Of the Nature Necessity and Use of the Lords Supper We must know our estate by nature and by grace 1. Because otherwise we cannot be thankful to God for his benefits as we ought 2. In the Sacrament Christ is offered and the Covenant sealed By nature we are dead in sin and bondslaves of Satan by grace we come to be children of God and heirs of salvation We must know what the elements and actions in the Sacrament signifie That the bread signifies the body of Christ and the wine his bloud that the breaking of bread betokens the crucifying of Christ that the giving of the bread and wine notes the action of God the Father offering Christ to all and bestowing him effectually upon every worthy receiver the receiving of the bread and wine signifies our receiving and feeding upon Christ by faith 2. Faith is required in those that come worthily to the
1. p. 60 Vertue what in God what in men l. 2. p. 172 Violence l. 4. p. 382 Virgin The Virgin Mary why called Deipara the mother of God l. 5. p. 404 Visiting two-fold l. 9. p. 768 Unbelief l. 4. p. 383 384 Vivification l. 7. p. 537. to 540 Understanding What Gods Understanding is l. 2. p. 160 161 Differs from ours many wayes l. 2. p. 161 What our Understanding is and its sanctification l. 7. p. 540 541 Union Union of two natures in Christ described l. 5. p. 403 〈…〉 04 Our Union with Christ l. 7. p. 486 487 Not only relative nor essential or personal l. 7. p. 487 488 Three mystical Unions l. 7. p. 488 Marks of our Union with Christ and Means to preserve it l. 7. p. 488 489 Unkindeness l. 4. p. 385 Unsetledness ibid. Unthankfulness ibid. Vocation or effectual calling l. 7. p. 489. to 492 Vow What a religious Vow is l. 8. p. 740 How it is distinguished from an Oath ibid. Its ends and uses l. 8. p. 741 Rules to be observed in Vowing and the manner of it l. 8. p. 740 The Popish Vows of perfection continence and poverty condemned l. 8. p. 742. to 745 Uranoscope what l. 3. p. 262 Usury l. 4. p. 386 Vulgar The Vulgar Latine Edition not authentical l. 1. p. 76. to 80 W WAter a necessary element its nature and use l. 3. p. 239 Whales a great work of God l. 3. p. 252. 262 Will. What it is l. 2. p. 164 Its properties and how distinguished l. 2. p. 165 The meaning of that Petition in the Lord Prayer thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven l. 8. p. 644 645 The Will of man is desperately evil l. 4 p. 309 310 A double Will in Christ l. 5. p. 430 The sanctification of the Will l. 7. p. 542 543 Willet commended l. ◠p. 116 Windes a great work of God l. 3. p. 248 Wisdom Wisdom what l. 2. p. 〈…〉 Wherein seen 〈…〉 Godlinesse is true Wisdom l. 2. p. 163 164 The grace of Wisdom l. 7. p. 589 590 Witchcraft a great sin l. 4. p. 387 Witness-bearing False-witnesse against ones self or other evil l. 7. p. 845 846 Whether the use of Witnesses be necessary in Baptism l. 8. p. 672 673 Word Why the Scripture is called the Word and why the Word of God l. 1. p. 5 Why the Word of God was written l. 1. p. 84 Works Works of God distinguished l. 3. p. 216 Whether Works without faith merit grace ex congruo and with faith ex condigno l. 7. p. 516 Good Works flowing from the grace of Gods Spirit in us do not merit heaven l. 7. p. 516 517 Protestants no enemies to good Works ibid. World how divided by Philosophers and how by the Scriptures l. 3. p. 235 Worship Worship what is required to it l. 9. p. 769 What to the matter and manner l. 9. p. 770. to 773 We must not Worship God under any form or picture l. 9. p. 771 How humane inventions in Worship have been brought in l. 9. p. 771 772 The several kinds and parts of Worship l. 6. p. 573 The manner of Worship l. 9. p. 774. to 780 Preparation to Worship wherein it consists l. 9. p. 775 776 To the Word Prayer Sacraments Vows ibid. False Worship what l. 9. p. 781 782 True Worship abused l. 9. p. 785 786 Worship solemn and common l. 9. p. 789 Z ZEchary when he wrote and who best interpret him l. 1. p. 40 Zephany when he wrote and who best interpret him ibid. ERRATA REader I suppose if thou hast published any thing thy self thou art not ignorant that it is almost impossible though one be never so carefull and diligent to free a Book wholly from errours in a large Treatise consisting of many Marginal Quotations it is more difficult to avoid them I might apologize likewise for my self my absence twice while the Book was printing my reading much of it by Candle-light and my having but one Copy the making use of divers Books besides my own for the composing of it must needs render it a harder province also to observe those faults that have passed I do not approve of all those things I alleadge as viz. p. 731. It cannot then be called the Lords Supper since it is rather a Break-fast By this reason it should be necessary to eat before we receive the Sacrament yea to receive it in the evening Nor that p. 757. in the sixth and seventh Commandment are otherwise c. Nor that p. 861. of the Jews being called by Vision I mention not false Interpunctions figures misplacing of things or the omission or change of a letter Some things are twice in the same page p. 124. à Jove principium p. 482. IN Epist. Dedicat. p. 2. l. 23. and our Deborah Epist. to the Read p. 1. l. 13. I treat not l. 25. fewer p. 2. l. 7. dele the last Sanctification p. 4. l. 28. wolves and asses p. 5. l. 7. last labour Prolegom p 3. l. 27. dele first most l. 42. Apostles m. Protectori p. 10 m. controversam p. 12. m. Statut. 10. l. 10. errours and discover the danger of them and that he termed heresie c. l. 21. Tort Tort. p. 13. l. 35. nec nos l. 42. Roffens m. called Masters or Heirs Judg. 18. 7. IN the Book p. 4. m. scavoir p. 9. l. 30. conversatio mel m. alius aliqua p. 11. m. non persuadent sed cogunt p. 27. m. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 63. l. 20. Talitha p. 67. l. 37. osculamini m. splendidius p. 67. l. 27. that which follows after possessed me dele p. 80. l. 2. the Interpretation p. 86. m. ordinatè p. 96. l. 19. necessary p. 1◠12. m. annis Mayerus in Philol. Sac. ut sciunt qui in Commentariis Hebraeis versati sunt sacris c. p. 125 m. determinatur à sagittante p. 142. m. dele non p. 161. l. 47 the object of the last is all things possible of the first only c. p. 164. l. 42. Gods will is taken c. p. 178. l. 45. dele Iob 35. 8. l. 46. make it 1 Sam. 24. 19. p. 179. l. 4. dele Mark 6. 3. p. 183. m. eluceat p. 201. m. fruenda p. 205. m. respiciens p. 217. m. Ames coron p. 222. m. dele Electio completa c. p. 251. l. 14. disserentium p. 257. m. susi ineri p. 260. l. 15. dele Ierech p. 263. m. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 268 l. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 273. m. not more p. 281. m. bono p. 288. l 35. out p. 304. m. Vide plura ibid should be after cap. 2. p. 306. m. eramus p. 313. m. sin◠hoc p. 329. l. 18. dele Rom. 1. ult p. 334. m. dele Amos 9. 3. p. 344. l. 4. one hath written a book of 3 c. p. 354. l. 16. all men p. 357. m. log p. 359. l. 10. that he might be able
pur Theol. Scriptura est instrumentum sacrum quo doctrina divina ac salutaris à Deo per Prophetas Apostolos Evangelistas sideliter perspicuè aâ— plenè in libris canonicis veteris aâ— novi Testamenti est tradita Walaeus loâ— commun Vide Traictâ— de L'escriture Saincte par Mestrezat â— 9. What power of humane understanding could have found out the incarnation of a God that two Natures a finite and an infinite could have been concentred into one Person that a Virgin should be a mother that dead men should live again Dâ— Taylor on Rom. 8. 9. 10. The Person and Offices of Iesus Christ the Mediator are both altogether wonderful Isa. 9. 6. 1 Tim. 2 5. 3. 16. God and man united in one Person to unite God and man in one Covenant The purity and integrity of the Law shew the Divinity of it Mat. 22. 37. 5â— 7. ch per tot and the sublimity of evangelâ—cal mysteries Eph. 3. 8 9 18 19. 1 Cor. 2. 7 9. Rom. 11. 33. The holinesse and purity of the Law of Moses in that it accuseth and condemneth all men of sin and prescribeth perfect righteousness Herein it surpasseth the laws of all Countreys Common-wealths Kingdoms what soever Mr Perkins How to live well Triplex ratio est qua nobis innotescat sacrorum librorum authoritas Prima Ecclesiae testimonium eos libros approbantis recipientis commendantis Secunda interna Spiritus Sancti persuasio eam ipsam authoritatem cordibus nostris insâ—ulpâ—ntis certâ—que persuadentis Tertiâ— ipsorum librorum ut ita dicam genius Summum gradum obtinet testimonium Spiritus inâ—imum verò testimonium Ecclesiae Chamierus de Canone l. 1. c. 1. John 7. 18 and 5. 41. and 8. 50 54. All other writings teach a man to place felicity at best in himself and in his own vertue These lift up to God and bid him place his felicity in him Philosophers set their own names to the Books which they wrote against vain-glory and therein sought it themselves There are Lumina orationis in the Sermons of the Prophets which surpasâ—e the eloquence of all the Heathen a Augustine was so delighted with the Oratory of Ambrose that he contemned the Scripture as neither learned nor eloquent enough yet aâ—terward wheâ— he saw his own shallownesse he admired the profundity of Gods holy oracles and held the stile of them very venerabâ—e b Licet tam verba quam res â—manuâ—nâ—ibus suis Spiritus Sanctus dictâ—vit attemperavit tamen se cujusque amanuensis sâ—ylo â—ujusque saeculi dialecto unde alius est Iesaiae alus Amosi stylus Alia Mosis alia Jobi alia Davidis alia Ezraei Haggaei Danielis c. Dialectus Amama Anti-Barb Bibl. l. 3. Totus sermo â— medio sumptus est vulgatus usitatus quamvis altiori grandisono genere uti poterat Christus tamen humili contentus est Lege Geneseos librum quà m sunt omnia submissâ—â— Equidem arbitror nullam linguam adeò inaffectatam esse adeò â—implicem familiarem Hinâ— Dialogismis narratiunâ—â—lis similitudinibus plena sunt omnia Biblia Humâ—redus de Interpretatione linguarum l. 2. p. 268 269. c Hoc ego ingenuè prositeor caput illud 53. Isa. ad â—idem Christianam me adduxisse Johan Isaac contra Lindan Augustine heard a supernatural voice saying Tolle lege tolle lege He fiâ—st fell upon that place Rom. 13. 12 13. Confess 8. c. 12. d Scriptura simpliciter absque probatione omnia dicit affirmat in aliis libris probantur omnia quae ibi dicuntur per rationes argumentationes Biblia affirmant Deum creasse coelum terrâ—m affirmat mundum habuisse principium nihil probat hoc significat illum qui loquitur in Biblâ—is dicit ista verba esse tantae Authoritatis quod ei debet credi simplici verbo fine aliquo probatione Raimund de Sabund in Theol. naturali e Moses multum dicit sed nihil probat * Vide Voeâ— Thes. de Ratione Humana in Rebus Fidei prâ—cipuè Vedel Rationale Theol. lib. 2. cap. 6. lib. 3. cap 17. per totum Est Divinatio ergo sunt Del. Tâ—lly The fore-telling of future things is an evident sign of a Divinity and for that cause this kinde of prediction is called Divination as if to tel what events are to happen were a proper sign of a Divinity or Deity See Sr Walter Rawleighs Ghost l. 1. c. 12 If there be a God he ought to be worshipped he cannot be worshipped unlesse he manifest himself unto us as he hath done in the Scripture Vide Kimedoncium de Scripto Dei verb. l. 2. c. 16. The Lord is therefore careful to set a Star or Sclah to the fulfilling of predictions thirty times in the New Testament it is said Then was fulfilled that which was fore-told by such a Prophet Idoneum testimonium Divinitatis veritas Divinationis Tertullianus Apolog. c. 10. f Cyrus was prophesied of an hundred years before he was born Isa. 44. 28. Iosias three hundred before his birth 1 King 13. 2. g The Oracles of the Gentiles needed Delio natatore the swimmer Apollo to expound them Verba oraculorum fermè ambigua quae facâ—lè interpretationem ex qualicunque eventu acciperent Cicero de Divinatione 2. Utrum eorum accidisseâ— inquit verum oraculum fuisset Grotius do veritate Religionis Christianae lib. 4. * The predictions of the Prophets differ much from the devillish Prophecies of the Heathen Deu. 17. 15 16 Psalm 2. The Promises and Threatnings exceed the limits of any mortal power to bestow or inflict everlasting life and death and to assure the accomplishment this is the only reason The Lord hath spoken or The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do it h Primum quodque verissimum Tertul. The Jewish Nation was the most ancient of all therefore the Scripture which was delivered to them Cameron de verbo Dei i Between Orpheus his writings which was the Heathens ancientest Poet and Moses are at least five hundred years B. Andrews Moses antiquissimus fidelissimus Historicus Erpenius Vide Vossium de Philologia l. 10. Simson Parascev ad Chron. Cathol c. 1. k Mr Burroughs on Hosea Hoc primum est omnium canticorum quae fuisse unquam facta vel cantata sive in sacris sive in exoticis literarum monumentis proditum sit Sims Chron. Cathol par 10. l See the powerfull working of it in Pharaoh Foelix those in Acts 2. 37. 41. See Rom. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 3. 14. 25. Isa. 11. 6 7 8 9 Heb. 4. 12. Ps. 19. 7. m Non movent sacrae literae sed non persuadent cogunt agitant vim inferunt Legis rudia verba agrestia sed viva sed animata flammâ—a aculâ—ata ad imum spiritum penetrantia hominem totum potestate Mirabili transformantia Picus Mirandula ad Hermolaum Barbarum n They did as it
medium reconciliationis â—o he is to â—â—e Angels medium confirmationis clevationis say the Schoolmen Col. 2. 10. A Head notes eminentiam In ordine naturae as Christ was man he was below them In ordine gratiae he was above them â— Influxum 3. Guâ—ernationem l In bono confirmatio non tollit bonorum Angelorum liberum arbitrium Bernardus triplicem ostendit è sacris literis libertatem quarum unam vocat libertatem à peccato 2 Cor. 3. 17. alteram vocat libertatem à miscria Rom. 8. 20 21. Tertiam appellat libertatem à necessitate hoc est à coactione necessitas enim hic non opponitur voluntario sed coactioni Caâ—mannus The standing of the Angels and Saints in heaven consists in manutoâ—entia perpetui infiuxus bâ—atiâ—iâ—i say the Schoolmen Wheresoever the good Angels are though imployed about the affairs of this lower world yet do they still see and enjoy the vision of God Bishop Hâ—lls Invis world l. 2. Sect. 2. Conâ—ectâ—ries from Angels Let us not by our ill carriage thrust away our guard One Angel would quickly destroy all the wicked if God should charge him to do it See Elton on Colos. 1. and Cameron on Act. 12. Objectant nobis Iudaei quod Saducaei libros Mosaicos agnoscerent pro divinis ubi saepius commemoratur ut Angeli apparuerint Verùm verisimile mihi sit Saducaeos eludere haec solitos cujus ratio nunc gemina occurrit Una est ut per eas non aliud intellexerint quà m qualitates à Deo product as in imaginatione ejus quem de re aliqua velit edocere Altera est ut putarint Deum producere spiritus quando eorum opera uti velit postâ—a eos destâ—uere ac producere quidem separandâ— quiddam ab anima mundana quod postea redeat in naturam generalem Voss. de Orig. progres Idol l. 1 part altera c. 6. m Superbi sunt nec noverunt Moysis sententiam sed amant suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est Aug. Confess l. 12. c. 25. They have a glory which flows from their own obedience as they stood in integrity and an additionall glory as they have received a commission from Christ to be the Saints guardians Heb. 1. 14. Some Angels fell from God John 8. 44. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude 6. n There is but one word Dajiva in the Syriack for the raven ink and the devil because commonly he appears to men in some black and terrible shape Weemes o Quia civitatem Accaron invocatus à civibus à muscis liberarat Cornel. à Lap. They have figurative names likewise in the Scripture as Lion Scrpent Dragon the Accuser of the Brethren It is written in the law of Mahomet That God created the Angels of the light and the devils of the flame Dr. Stoughtons Happinesse of Peace He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one Matth. 13. 19. which notes a special wickednesse God is called by the Prophets in the Old Testament The holy One because He is infinitely and altogether holy so the devil because he hath the most wicked nature is called the wicked one 1. They fell of themselves and made themselves wicked 2. They persist in their wickedness 1 Joh. 3. 8. 3. They labour to make others wicked like themselves they are wicked subjective effectivè p Verisimile est ex superbia Daemones esse lapsos quod Filium Dei contempserunt se ei voluerunt anteferre Lutherus in primii cap. Gen. 26. Doctor Ames q Downam Mr. Ball. r Mr. Caryl on Job 4. 18. Some bring that place Isa. 4. 12. that is literally meant of the Assyrian King It is probable the Devils sin was pride seeing man was enticed to offend with an argument drawn from the promise of excellency Gen. 3. 4 5. Vide Voet. disputat de natura operationibus Daemonum Diabolus volint se parificasse Deo is Peter Lombards expression Austin saith the sin of the Angels was quod ab illo qui summè est aversi ad scipsos conversi sunt The devil would not yield to this that the second person of Tâ—â—nity for the salvation of mankinde should become flesh and that in him the nature should be advanced above that of Angels Bishop Down of Justif. c. 1. Some say his sin was Envy but that rather followed and was a kinde of punishment Post peccatum superbiae consecutum est in Angelo peccante malum invidiae secundùm quod de bonum hominis doluit etiam de excellentia divina Aquinas parte 1 Q. 63. Art 2. He is called the envious man he envied 1. That mankinde should be restored when they were cast off 2. That the nature of man should be taken into glorious union with the Son of God and that thereby the image of God should be repaired s Some collect from Joh. 8. 44 that the devils fell the first day See Mat. 25. 41. Rev. 12. 9. 20. 2. t Hoc est Angelis casus quod est Hominibus mors Damascen Four things aggravate the devils first sin 1. If we consider their nature they were Spirits spiritual substances and so had the greater power and advantage against sin they might more easily have kept themselves pure because their natures were so simple a great deal of the power of mans temptation rose fâ—â—m the flesh the fruit was beautifull to look on and pleasant to the taste 2. They sinned noâ— having any tempter or soliciter without there was no tempter till they themselves became tempters therefore they fell by the meer freeness of their will every sin the more it hath of will in it the greater it is 3. They were indued with a great deal of knowledge and so sinâ—d against more light 4. They were highly exalted above man in their creation The Angels are not by propagation one from another but were created all at once so that of them some might fall and others stand but men descend by generation from one stock or root and therefore the first man falling and corrupting his nature derived to all his posterity a sinfull nature Vide Amesii medullam l. 1. c. 11. His malice is against all mankinde but especially against the Saints Gen. 3. 15. Rev. 12. 8. 1. Because God hath set his love upon them 2. Because they are members of Christ his Kingdom was set up in opposition to Satans 3. Because they bear the image of God 4. They conquer him here and shall judge him hereafter Hence the devil is compared to a serpent what subtilty did he shew in beguiling of Eve Leonem agit saevit Draconem agit fallit Diabolus metuendus magis cum fallit quam cum saevit Aug. The strength of a temptation lies in the repetition of the motion Luther was so often tempted to self-murther that he durst do nothing but repeat the Commandment Thou shalt not kill He tempts first by inward suggestions for being
is said to be a stone cut out without hands Dan. 4. 34 35. See Heb. 8. 2. 9. 11. There is a twofold nativity of Christ one eternall and incomprehensible as he is the Son of God The other temporall and miraculous as he is the sonne of man both are contained Gal. 4. 4. Caeterum ex matre sine patre nasâ—i grandi hoc mysterio non carebat Alioqui cur fuisset turpius patrem babere quam matrem cum praestantior sit vir quam faemina Sed nefas erat ut homo quisquam diceretur ejus pater qui patrem baberet Deum Lod. Viv. de Veritate Fidei Christianae l. 2. c. 10. The holy Ghost did as it were cast a cloud over her to teach us that we should not search overmuch into the mystery of the Incarnation Mr Perkins on the Creed Christ was not begotten speruâ—atically nor of the substance of the holy Ghost but operatively by the power of the holy Ghost He was the activum principium as the Virgin Mary was the passivum principium Descendens itaque de caelo sanctus ille Spiritus Dei sanctam Virginem cujus utero se insinuaret elegit At illa divino Spiritu bausto repleta concepit â—ine ullo attactu viri repente virginalis uterus intumuit Quod si animalia quaedam vento â—â—â— aura concipere solere omnibus notum est cur quisquam mirum putet cum Spiritu Dei â—uâ— facile est quicquid velit gravatam esse Virginem dicimus Lact. Divin Institut l. 4. de vera Sapientia Men have been generated four waies saith Austin 1. Without either man or woman as Adam was 2. Without woman as Eve was 3. Without man as Christ was 4. With man and woman as all other men were Matth. 2. 1. Vide Scultet Delit. Evang. cap. 10. Certè de vero natali Christi anno tot â—â—rè sunt sententiae quot Chronologi Scultet Delit Evang. cap. 14. Vide plura ibid. In the year of the world as among twenty eight differences we pitch upon with Luther and Lucidus 3960. Dr. Prid. History Vide Grotium in Luc. 2. 8. Montacut Orig. Eccles. partem prâ—orem p. 47 48. Appar XI Mr. Bryan on 1 Sam. 12. 16 17. See Master Moâ—kâ—ts Christmas The Christians grand Feast pag. 10 11 12. a Wilhelmi Lanâ—i de Ann. Christ. l. 2. c. 2. Scepter Regia potestas Merc. Majestas Imperâ—â—â— Cunâ—us They had no Kings in many years afore Christ. After the captivity it was turned into a Common-wealth Ephes. 2. 12. Whilst it was governed by their own Laws the Scepter continued Shiloh Christ pacis fâ—licitatis author Mic. 5. 5. Ephes. 2. 14. Vide Raimundi pugionem c. 4. p. 12. b Non dubium est epithetou Messias attestantâ—bus Chaldaeis Paraphrastis ambobus Mercetus in loc Vide Paul Fag â—unotat in Paraphras Chald. Rivetum Ainsw Cattw in loc Montac Apparat. 2. The highest Heresies have risen from misguided zeal Arius upon detestation of Gentilisme least he should seem to acknowledge more Gods then one by confessing a coequality of Christs Divinity with his Father denied the Deity and Sabellius in detestation of Arius fell into the other extream and denied the distinction of Persons Symmons Quemadmodum Iesu Christo orbi revelato Gentibus exhibito secundum promissiones Patribus factas exorti sunt statim Antichristi multi qui se opponerent Dei excelso brachio ac titulum nomen sibi illud usurparent quod Dei unigenito debebatur ita etiam cum recens adhuc nasceretur aut etiam paulò antequam de Virgine carnem sumpsisset multi in Iudaea oriebantur qui novas religionum sectas instituerent se etiam pro Messia venditarent Inter caeteros haeretici quidam quod Baronius observat regnanto Herode Idumaeo prodierunt qui ipsum pro Messià in Scripturis praedicto reputabant cui regnum Israelis in aetenitatem promissum olim fuerat eo quod secundum vaticinium Jacob regnum in eo recesserat de Ju. a. Montac Anal. Exercit. 3. Sect. 4. Some held that the God head was converted into the humane nature The Marcionites thought that Christ took onely a fantastical not a true body God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. Vide Spanhem Dub. Evangel part 1. Dub. 30. Manichaeus Christum veram habuisse carnem negavit Photinus purum fuisse hominem asseruit Arius quoad divinam naturam Patri consubstantialem aequalem non credidit Sabellius Personam à Patre distinctam negavit Apollinarius animam rationalem ei ademit Nestorius Deum hominem duplicem personam constituit Eutyches divinam humanamque naturam confudit Valentinianus non fatetur Christi corpus ex Virgine substantialiter sumptum sed fingit de Coelo depositum Fulgentius ad Transim lib. 1. See of the Jews conversion Mercer on Amos 9. 9. 14. on v. 20. of Obadiah Capel Spicil ad Matth. 17. 3. Joh. 3. 14. Drus. ad difficil loca Gen. 8. 1. Unio importat conjunctionem aliquorum in aliquo uno Aquinas par 3. quaest 2. art 9. Places of Scripture which speak of the Union of both Natures John 1. 14. Col. 2. 9. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Heb. 2. 14 16. Uniri hypostaticè Deum hominem nihil est aliud quam naturam humanam non habere propriam subsistentiam sed assumptam esse à verbo aeterno ad ipsam verbi subsistentiam Bellar. de Christo lib. 3. cap. 8. Unionis istius modus talis est ut â—acta sit quemadmodum habetur in actis Synodi Chalcedonensis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est sine mutatione verbi item 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est sine naturarum confusione divisione separatione est enim arctissima ac prorsus indissolubilis Ravan Bibliotheca sacra ad verbum unio From this Union of two Natures in one Person ariseth a kinde of speech or phrase peculiar to the Scriptures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the communication of properties when the property of one Nature is attributed to the whole Person denominated by the other Nature as when Paul saith Act. 20. 28. That God shed his bloud 1 Cor. 2. 8. That the Lord of Glory was crucified And when Christ saith Ioh. 3. 15. that he talking with Nicodemus was then in Heaven Communicatio idiomatum ex unione orta non est alternata idiomatum infusio aut permixtio in Naturis Sed est modus alternationis idiomatum naturarum propria alternatim tribuens humana Deo divina homini Christo non juxta utramvis sed juxta illam naturam cujus sunt propria Sic Filius Dei factus est Davide ad Rom. 1. 3 Sed non secundùm utramvis naturam promiscuè sed ut sequitur ibidem secundùm carnem Nempè secundum istius attributi capacem sic pari passu Christus est immensus insinitus aeternus at secundùm naturam perfectionis istius modi capacem Deitatem
cum adjectione Meshiach Jehovah unctus Domini Dan. 2. 2. cui Luc. 2. 26. respondet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est que haec appellatio in N. T. libris tritissima Aaron and his sons were anointed and the high-Priests in succession ever after but the inferiour Priests only at the first time The high-Priest was anointed alwayes with sacred oyl the confection of which the Lord himself appointed in the Law One Prophet may seem to have been anointed but there seems not to be any certain proof of anointing any Prophet Whether the Kings had the holy oyl poured upon them or no it is doubtful yet it seems rather it was by 1 Kings 1. 39. This outward Ceremony or Type expressed two things 1. That God did of his good pleasure assign and depute that person to that Office 2. That God would certainly assist him with gifts fit for his place if he were careful to seek the same at Gods hands Unctio antiquitus in V. T. oleo fiebat quod quia secundum naturalem efficientiam tum fragrantia reddebat corpora tum agilia accomodum erat duabus rebus naturalibus significandi quarum una est personae ad munus aliquod divinum obeundum sanctificatio consecratio alterum adaptatio seu donorum ad illud necessariorum collatio Armin. Thes. Pub. decimâ— quarta Christ as man first received Gratiam habitualem which did perfect his humane nature in it self These personal excellencies in Christ were Dona virtutes qualifying gifts for his office and sanctifying graces 2. Gratiam capitis as the Churches head John 1. 14. Not as if that of the Papists were true it is therefore perpetual because continued by the Priest still who they say offers up the body of Christ in the Masse as a Sacrifice to God but 1. Because by his once offering he did fully accomplish that which was needful for his Church so that he needs not to be offered again 2. Because the fruit is eternal thy pardon shall be for ever thy grace for ever Christs priestly actions were transient but the benefit endureth for ever 3. He continually exerciseth his intercession 4. He admitteth of no successour and this is one main reason why the Apostle maketh him a Priest for ever because there is no Successour as there was in Aarons order therefore to hold Priests Sacrifices and Altars is to make void the office of Christ and to deny his Priesthood The great relief the Jews had against sin committed was in the priestly Office The high-Priests great work was to make Atonement for the sins of the people for reconciliation Levit 16. 14 21. Heb. 2. 18. when Christ died upon the crosse he then offered up himself a Sacrifice and made atonement to God the Father all our sins were laid upon him But Christ did all in a more transcendent and eminent way then any high-Priest did before the high-Priest though he offered up a Sacrifice to God yet himself was not made a Sacrifice The parts of Christs priestly function are two Satisfaction and Intercession the former whereof giveth contentment to Gods justice the later soliciteth his mercy for the application of this benefit to the children of God in particular B. Usher of Christs Incarnation Some say there were three things in the priestly Office 1. Ostensio a representation of ones person Exod. 28. 12 29. The high-Priest did bear the names of the children of Israel on his shoulders to shew that Christ represents you to his Father every day and on his heart to shew Christs tender affection to you Heb. 9. 24. 1 Ioh. 2. 21. 2. Oblatio an offering of a Sacrifice the Priests offered Sacrifices Christ in a way of obedience voluntarily laid down his body and soul which was equivalent to all the persons in the world Heb. 9. 14. 3. Intercessio Heb. 7. 29. the Priests burned Incense Those things which God hath promised and Christ purchased shall be bestowed by the Intercession of Christ. When the Priest went into the holy place he sprinkled it with bloud Christs Intercession is his most gracious will fervently and unmovably desiring that all his members for the perpetual vertue of his Sacrifice may be accepted of the Father Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. Vide Aquin. part 3. Quaest. 22. Art 1 2 3 4 5 6. Alwayes when the Scripture speaks of the redemption of Christ it cals him God Acts 20. 28. because therein the efficacy of his redemption lay but when that speaks of Christs intercession it cals him Sonne Heb. 4. 14. 7. ult because Christs interest and favour with God was the great ground of his acceptance with him A compleat Priest must have 1. Fulnesse of righteousnesse so had Christ habitual righteousnesse active and passive righteousnesse 2. Fulnesse of interest in God so had Christ Matth. 3. ult therefore he was able to reconcile us unto God 3. Fulnesse of compassion must be a pitiful high-Priest 4. Fulnesse of merit in his Sacrifice The obedience of Christ did in a far higher degree please God the Father then the rebellion of Adam did displease him For there the vassal rebelled here the equal obeyed B. Bils Full Redemption of mankinde by the death of Christ. His death was an act of obedience he died in obedience unto his Fathers will or to the agreement between his Father and him Matth. 26 54. Ioh. 10. 18. 17. 4. Phil. 2. 8. As there is a Covenant of grace between God and us so there was a Covenant of redemption between God and Christ. Non intercedit per humilem deprecationem ut vulgò loquuntur per modum suffragii sed potius per modum jurisdictionis atque per efficacissimam perfectissimi sui meriti repraesentationem Maresii Hydra Socin expugnata lib. 1. cap. 17. Joh. 17. 24. Christ doth not in Heaven kneel upon his knees utter words or put up a supplication unto his Father for us that is not agreeable to the glory to which he is exalted but appearing in the sight of God for us as a publick person he willeth and desireth that the Father would accept his satisfaction in the behalf of all that are given unto him Vedel de Deo Synagogâ— l. 2. cap. 11. Vide plura ibid. Quid potuit cogitari convenientius quam ut imago Patris increata creatam reparareâ— imaginem Filius naturalis Patri accerseret Filios adoptivos Rivet Disp. 13. de satisf Christi Vide Grotium de satisfactione Christi c. 4. Mors peccati poena est Rom. 5. 12. 6. 2. quam nemini infligit Deus nisi aut peccatotori aut peccatoris Personam referenti Rivet Disput. 13. de satisfactione Christi Ex 1 Pet. 2. 21. iâ—eprè Sociniani colliguâ—t Christum exemplarem saltem servatorem esse quâ— doctrinam ammâ—tiatam mortalibus non actionibus solum sed passionibus sanguinis sui effusione obsignavrrit adcóque in utroque genere exemplo praeiverit Quasi verò alli fines
Father 2. Civilly so men Act. 16. 30. 3. Possessively so a Master over his servant the husband over his wife When this Lord of lords Lord Paramount came into the world Augustas Caesar by a strict Edict commanded that no man should give or receive the title of Lord. Ps. 110. ult Lu. 24. 26 He is called Enosh calamitous man Ps. 8. 5. the Apostle expounds it of him Heb. 2. 5. See Psal. 22. 6. 69. 1. 2. Christ speaks that there of himself say some He did this as our Surety as our Sacrifice so he bare our sins Psal. 40. 12. 69. 5. compared with v. 9. was liable to our debt Gal. 4. 4. 3. 13 Dan. 9. 26. there was a commutation of the person not the debt Isa. 53. 6. He had a negative ignorance though not a privative in his understanding Isa. 7. 15. on this ground he is said to grow in knowledge Luke 2. 52. was troubled in Spirit John 11. 33. His Spirit was spent after labour his strength weakned Psal. 22. 14. all the creatures were against him the good Augels withdrew themselves from him in the three hours of darknesse and approv'd of the judgement the evil Angels set on him John â—4 30. He was whipt and buffeted as a slave The chief Magistrates in Church and State condemned him the souldiers mocked and pierced him God himself had a great hand in Christs sufferings Isa. 53. 16. The same Greek word translated Deliver and Betray is used of God Rom. 8. 32. Jude ver 26. Matth. 16. 21 23. The Priests Mat. 27. 2. and Pilate Matth. 27. 26. and of the people John 19. 11. Acts 3. 13. God ordained Christs death Acts 2. 23. 4. 27 28. 1 Pet. 2. 20. Some say God foreknows but doth not by a certain and immutable Decree predetermine The Apostle Acts 2. mentions his determinate counsel in the first place and in Acts 4. his hand to note his concurring power and his counsel to note his pre-ordaining will 2. A great part of Christs sufferings was immediately inflicted by God Mat. 27. 46. Gal. 3. 13. 3. Christ ascribes the cup to God John 18. 11. Gal. 4. 4 5. Rom. 5. 19. He was obedient in the humane Nature alone not in the divine Dr Hampton * Amariâ—â—iâ—aâ— mortem dulcem nitidam candidam acceptabilem reddit dum audis Iesum Christum Filium Dei suo sanctissimo contactu omnes passiones ipsam adeò mortem consecrasse ac sanctificasse malediâ—â—ionem benidixisse igâ—ominiam glâ—rificasse paupertatem ditasse ita ut mors vitae janua maledictio benedictionis origo ignominia gloriae parens esse cogaâ—tur Luther loc com primae Class c. 6. We should look unto Christ whom we have pierced and on all his sufferings as brought upon him by us nothing will make sin so hateful nor Christ so dear Vulnera Christi rutilantia sunt Biblia practica these lead us to all duties of holinesse The proper object of faith in justification is Christ crucified The Angels love Christ because of the excellency and glory of his person but not as made sinne for them Dignites Personâ— primò conducit ad acceptationem Unde enim fit quod Persona Iesu Christi in nostram omnium vicem admittitur nisi quod Persona jam multò dignior paenam luit atque si omnes in mundo homines plecterentur Secundò ad meritum Tertiò ad compensationem Sanford de Descensu Christi ad inferos l. 3. p. 108. Et in â—ascendi sâ—rte in vivendi instituto in mortis genere nihil nisi humile abjectum sordidum infimumque spectavit cogitavit Quid Deo immortali minus conveniens aut decorum quam è Caelo in terram descendere Hoc paruâ— Immò in ventrem Virginis mortalis se insinuare ibique naturam humanam mortalem omnibus hominis infirmitatibus obnoxiam assumere Hoc ille fecit Quid vero honesto homini magis probrâ—sum contumeliosum indignum quam servili supplicio que latrones tum puniri solebant animam quafi criminosam per vim exbalares Hanc ille etiam sustinere infimâ— abjectionis ignominiâ— extrema notam voluit Salmas Epist. 2. ad Bartholinum de cruce Sugit ubera qui regit fidera August Vagit infans sed in coelo est puer crescit sed plenitudinis Deus permanet Hilar. â— 10. de Trinit Mark 6. 3. * Baronius thinks he made yokes alluding thereto in that he professeth my yoke is easie Mat. 11. 30 Dr Prid. Introduct for reading all sorts of Histories c. 7. p. 51. 2 Cor. 8. 9. a Pope Nicolas the third and others maintain'd that our Saviour Christ was a very beggar and lived here in the lowest degree of beggary that can be which Pope Iohn the 22. condemneth for an heresie Mr Gatakers answer to Mr Walkers vindic p. 40 41. b Mat. 8. 20. Luke 4. 29. Mark 3. 6 7. John 8. 59. The Psalmist expresseth Christs trouble by roaring Psal. 22. 1. The Apostle Heb. 5. 7. by strong crying and tears Those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 26. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are emphaticall see them opened in my Greek Critica Tanta sudoris copia ut non corpus humectaret solum sed etiam in terram caderet Non sudor aqueus sed sanguineus nec guttae sed grumi cui exemplo quod unquam auditum simile nedum aequale Chamierus Tom. 2. l. 5 c. 13 Vide Sandfordum de Descensu Christi ad Inferos l. 3. p. 203. ad finem a An agony is the perplexed fear of one who is entring into a great and grievous conflict Timor quo corripitur is qui in certamen descendit Arist. Irenaeus saith the year of his age wherein he suffered was about the Fiftieth which he voucheth to be an Apostolical tradition The ground of his opinion was Iohn 8. 57. The common received opinion is That he suffered being thirty three compleat and in the beginning of his thirty four Scaliger addeth one year more and placeth his Passion in the beginning of his thirty five Non timeretur ille qui potest nocere nisi haberet quandam eminentiam potestatis cui de facili resisti non possit ea enim quae in promptu habemus repellere non timemus In Christo fuit timor Dei non quidem secundum quod respicit malum separationis à Deo per culpam neque etiam secundum quod respicit malum punitionis pro culpa sed secundum quod respicit ipsam Divinam eminentiam prout scilicet anima Christi quodam affectu reverentiae movebatur in Deum à Spiritu sancto acta Aquin. part 3. Q. 16. Art 6. b That is not â—ound that one drop of Christs bloud was enough to redeem the world Pope Clement the sixth first used that speech That one drop of Christs bloud was enough to save men and the rest was laid up in the
contrary with grace Jer. 4. 14. Dan. 4. 27. Mat. 3. 9. * 1 Thess. 4. 10 1 John 3. 14. Mandatum novum dicitur quia excellentissimum quod nunquam antiquari debet Rivet Rom. 13. 10. See 1 John 4. 20. 3 17. Mat. 7. 12. Non est aliud peccatum aequè buic Sacramento adversum atque discordia Contrarium est enim nomini rei hujus Sacramenti nomen est communio res unitas cordium Luther de praeparatione cordis pro susciptenda sacra Eucharistia Ex conviâ—andi ritu in locis sacris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christianorum traxerunt originem quarum non apud Apostolos solos sed patrum etiam cruditissimos crebra sit mentio Coena nostra de nomine rationem sui ostendit Vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id quod dilectio penes Graecos est Tertul. Apolog. Dilher Elect lib. 1. cap. 12. Cùm ex charitate diligatur proximus propter Deum quanto aliquis magis diligat Deum tanto etiam magis ad proximum dilectionem ostendit nulla inimicitia impediente Sicut si aliquis multum diligeret aliquem hominem amore ipsius silios ejus amaret etiam inimicos sibi Aquin. 2a 2ae Q. 25. Art 8. Fuller Mountag Def. of tithes ag M. Selden c. 2. Lutherus quadam concione ait Eum ad coenam Domini optimè dispositum venire qui pessimè fuerit dispositus eum dignè manducare qui indignitatem suam agnoverit 2 Tim. 2. 1. Grace is an instinct put into the soul after union with Christ and with God by him The Familists say Grace is Christ himself working in us that there are no habits of grace we do not believe and repent but Christ in us there is a seed in a man 1 John 3. 9. Grace is called the new-creature the inward man the Spirit and grace are distinguished Gal. 5. 22. 2 Pet. 3 18. This duty suits with our present state we are in a state of progresse and edifying 1 Thess. 4. 1. Prov. 4. 18 * There are four helps to grow in grace by coming to the Sacrament 1. Be sure you bring truth of grace with you God will spie you out if you want the wedding garment 2. Act your graces your faith repentance love to God thankfulnesse 3. Look upon Christ sacramentally â—ye him in the elements see him there crucified before thee that thoumaist receive out of his fulnesse 4. Urge God with that promise Hos. 4. 5. pray him to let the dew of his grace fall on thy heart Aquinas part 3 Qu. 80. Art 8. resolves this Question Utrum cibus vel potus praeassumptus impediat sumptionem hu jus Sacramenti Here is a real though a spiritual presence of Christ. Sacramental 1. Love Cant. 1. 4. call to minde the highest act of Christs love in dying for us when enemies 2. Sorrow in considering how our sins wound Christ. Hope long for sweet communion with Christ in heaven the Supper doth not only seaâ— comfort but glory There is a union of mysteries The Elements specially represent his humane nature but the Sacrament gives us a right to his whole person Act. 20. 28. Look on him as a compleat Saviour Isa. 44. 24. Col. â— 9 and come with your whole hearts to whole Christ Act. 8. 47. Jam. â— 9. There is a desertion in point of sanctification as well as consolation when God leaves us in the duties we perform Vide Ames de consc l. 4. c. 28. Post Scrmonem celebrandae S. Câ—nae locus prâ—â—serâ—im dum servebat primus ille Christianorum zelus singulis heb lomadis interdum etiam diebus communicantium nec enim unquam explicabantur sacramenta super mensam Dominicam quin multi ad eam accederent Moâ—nayus de sacra Eucharistia l. 1 c. 4. Nunquam in Primitiva Ecclesia Eucharistiae Sacramentum celebrabatur qum omnes qut adessent eidem communicarent Si qui nollet communicare eo die quo conventus fidelium agebatur quod propriâ— conscientia nonâ— um satis examinata probata cum à communione prohiberet aut quod sibi odâ—i aut simultatis adversus fratrem conscius esset si aliara quamcunque causam non communicandi haberet non solebat cum aliis ad Synaxim convenire Simpl. Verin Epist. de libro postumo Grot. p. 108. * In Primitiva Ecclesiae Apostolicae vicina flagrame persecutionum incendio fingulis diebus Christiani communicabant Gerh. loc commun de sacra â—oena c. 24. Tempus communicandi esse debet frequentissimum plane quotidianum Baptismus autem non iteratur quia generationi quae unica est respondet Eucharistia vrò saepius iteranda est quia cibo alimontae cujus frequens usus reperitur respondet Maldonati Summula Quaest. 24. Artic. 1. Constat ipsos Apostolos Christianos quotidiè communicasse Act. 2. quotidiè communicabant sicut orabant pâ—ulò post ubi crevit Christianorum negligentia coeptum est solis diebus Dominicis communicare Id. ibid. Art 2. Cur vetus Ecclesia credidit omnem sidelem omni die communicare debere quod ultra decimum saeculum videmus durasse bodierna autem ac Romana putat sufficere si semel in anno communicatum fuerit Quta nimirum illa nullum usum nec ullum fructum Sacramentorum constituit in videnda audienda eorum actione sed totum posuit in participatione vera corporis sanguinis haec verâ— contrarium sumit Simplicii Verini Epist. de libro Postumo Grotii Parker of the Crosle part 1. chap. 3. Gillesp. in his Aarons Rod Bloss Book 3. c. 8. p. 437 438 M. Bowles de Pastore Evangelico l. 4. c. 5. Burrh in his Gospel-worsh p. 264 265. a B. Buckeridge M. Paibody b Sir William Temple â— Institut l. 4. Sect 37. D. Burgess saith the gesture of kneeling in the act of receiving was never any instituted Ceremony of the Church of Rome nor is it at this day Bellar. l. 2. de missa c. 14 15. saith it was only for the conveniency of putting the Hoast into the mouth of the receiver and not for adoration of the Eucharist Vide Dilher Electâ— 2. c. 4. M. Down of sitting or kneeling at the Communion Respondâ—o nos Dei gratia melius ac sanctius in Christi schola fuisse institutos quà m ut putemus aliquam esse religionem Eucharistiam de geniculis sumere Ita sumunt vicini in Anglia fratres neque nos si quando cum iis communicamus eodem ritu samere â—â—get totaque res apud nos ita libera censetur ut quanquam stantes sacro â—pulo vescamur ipsi pro fratribus tamen habeamus colamus etiam qui vel sedentes vel ingeniculati Eucharistiam accipâ—â—cut Itaque si nihil à nobis aliud Latini postâ—lassent quam ut Sacramentum de geniculis simpliciter sumeremus fateor nullam nobis ab â—is discedendi futuram fuisse causam satis idoneam quando quod