be more or lesse capable of his presence or participation But this participation in what degree in what manner or measure soever it be had includes no physicall composition or confusion of natures Thus much Athanasius to prevent all captious exceptions against this similitude had sufficiently expressed in the place forecited though he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ One not by the conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God One altogether not by confusion of substance but by unitie of person 5. Some Philosophers there are and have been who although they grant a Physicall composition of matter and forme in man yet they deny the reasonable soule the intellectuall part at lest to be the forme of man or any part of the Physicall compound which in their Philosophy is prerequired to the constitution of man not any proper part of his essence or nature That visible live-substance wherein the reasonable soule during her pilgrimage here on earth doth reside as in a walking prison is in these mens Philosophy or Divinity as formally distinguished by its meer organical faculties or bodily senses from all other living sensitive creatures as any of them is from another And they are distinguished each from other only by the peculiar manner of the senses or modification of their organicall faculties The reasonable soule or faculty of reason is in this opinion rather the Crowne or Diadem whereby man excells all other creatures as their King or Governour then the Physicall forme whereby he is formally or specifically distinguished from them According to this opinion there should be in one and the same man two distinct compleat natures one bodily physicall compound indued with sense and subject to mortality another rationall and immortall And these two natures make one man not by physicall composition or union of matter and forme but by a peculiar subordination of the sensitive Creature unto the rationall or of sense unto reason as true as firme and reall as the subordination of life is to sense or bodily mixture is unto life or vegetation but not by the same manner of subordination If Athanasius his philosophy were of this mould his comparison would be true quoad modum however leaving the examination of this opinion to the Schooles let us examime his comparison quoad veritatem mensuram 6 Such Philosophers as grant the reasonable soule to be a forme truely physicall and an incompleat part of mans nature do not for the most part affirme that it is propagated from the parents of our bodyes but created by God as the soule of the first man was And yet even these men who deny the reasonable soule to be ex traduce do not avouch that only the bodily part or flesh of man is conceived but the whole man who consists of a reasonable soule aswell as of a body The full and perfect conception of every living thing includes not only a preparation of the bodily substance for receiving the foule but besides this the unition of the foule whether sensitive only or reasonable with its proper body And seeing the proper nature of man consists especially in reason there can be no perfect conception of man as man untill the reasonable soule be seated in and united unto the bodily substance fitted or organized for it Whether that bodily substance were before this union endued with sense or no is not much pertinent to the point now in hand However Philosophers may dispute that case this position is proper and philosophicall Man doth beget man and woman conceives man although the reasonable soule which is the principall part of man do not take its originall or beginning of being either from the man that begets him or from the woman that conceives and brings him forth but immediately from GOD. 7 This assertion likewise is Christian and Theologicall The blessed Virgin did truely conceive and bring forth Christ Jesus God and man the sonne of God and the sonne of David albebeit the Divine nature which is the excellency of Christ did not take beginning from her but was from all eternitie without beginning yet not united to the manhood till the conception wrought by the holy Ghost in the Virgins womb though both assertioÌ„s be most true yet the grouÌ„d of this theologicall assertion is more perspicuous and firme then the ground of the philosophers assertion wherewith it is paralleld Wee Christians may give a better reason of our faith and forme of doctrine then the Philosophers can give of their opinion or manner of phrase in this point First in the conception of ordinary or meere men the bodily substance or the materiall part hath a distinct existence of its owne before it be united unto the reasonable soule and the reasonable soule likewise hath a proper existence at least in order of nature if not of time precedent to its vnion with its body Nor is the union so perfect as to make simply but one existence of both It is actually one potentially two and in the dissolution of body and soule they are actually severed there is not then so much as coexistence or existence of the one in the other But neither the substance which the sonne of God took from the blessed virgin nor the reasonable soule which was united unto it had any proper existence before their union with the divine nature The bodily substance assumed by his divine person was a part of the blessed virgines individuall nature and had its whole existence in her before its assumption but by the assumption it hath existence wholly in him not as a part but as an Appendix to his divine person That which the Philosophers or Schoole Divines say concerning the creation of the reasonable soule and its union with mans body is more remarkably true of Christs humane soule The reasonable soule say the Philosophers infundendo creatur et creando infunditur is created by infusion and is infused by creation Christs reasonable soule was not in order either of time or nature first created then assumed sed assumendo creabatur et creando assumebatur it was created whilest it was assumed and it was assumed whilst it was created Whether it were united to the body or flesh from the first moment of their assumption is an extravagant to this assertion The substance likewise which our blessed Saviour tooke from his mother was not either in order of time or of nature first conceived or prepared by any praeviall dispositions for the divine natures habitation in it and then assumed sed inter assumendum concipiebatur et inter concipieâ—dum assumebatur it was conceived by assumption and assumed in or by its conception 8. The next branch of this inquiry is what is meant when wee say the fruit of the Virgins womb was assumed by the Sonne of God This forme of speech imports thus much at the least that the son of God or the divine nature in his person
was to be partaker of flesh and bloud as we sonnes of men are So the Apostle teacheth Heb. 2. 14. For asmuch theâ— as the children are partakers of flesh and blood hee also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill This participation of flesh bloud with his brethren is but an expression of the assumption Verely saith the Apostle ver 16 he tooke not hold of the Angels but he tooke hold of the seede of Abraham The meaning of these expressions as likewise of the originall word is that albeit the Angels were created by him yet were they not so assumed or so united to his person as the seede of Abraham was and is Nor is he partaker of their nature or of any other nature besides after such a peculiar manner as he is of the humane nature by assuming the seed of Abraham Some Schoole Divines and followers of Aquinas will have the former similitude of Athanasius to consist especially in this that as the reasonable soule doth use the body of man so the divine nature of Christ doth use the manhood as its proper united instrument Every other man besides the man Christ Jesus every other creature is the instrument of God but al of them such instruments of the divine nature as the axe or hammer is to the artificer which worketh by them The most puissant Princes the mightiest Conquerors which the world hath seene or felt could grow no higher in titles then Attilas or Nebuchadnezzar did Malleus orbis et flagellum Dei hammers or scourges of God to chastise or bruise the Nations But the humanity of Christ is such an instrument of the divine nature in his person as the hand of man is to the person or partie whose hand it is And it is well observed whether by Aquinas himselfe or no I remember not but by Viguerius an accurate summist of Aquinas summes that albeit the intellectuall part of man bee a spirituall substance and separated from the matter or bodily part yet is the union betwixt the hand and intellectuall part of man no lesse firme no lesse proper then the union betweene the feet or other organicall parts of sensitive Creatures and their sensitive soules or mere Physicall formes For the intellectuall part of man whether it be the forme of man truely though not merely physicall or rather his essence not his forme at all doth uâ—e his owne hand not as the Carpenter doth use his axe that is not as an externall or separated but as his proper united instrument Nor is the union betweene the hand as the instrument and intellective part at the Artificer or Commander of it an union of matter and forme but an union personall or at the least such an union as resembles the hypostaticall union betweene the divine and humane nature of Christ much better then any materiall union wherein Philosophers or Schoole Divines can make instance 9. These and the like speculations are neither unpleasant nor unprofitable if so the Reader will not restraine the former similitude of Athanasius only to this kinde of union But after what manner to what speciall purposes or what peculiar services the manhood of Christ is the instrument of his divine nature as the ancient for the most part unanimously affirme by Gods assistance in other Articles following or in the mysticall union betwixt Christ and his members Thus much in this place and for the present may suffice that the personall union betweene the divinity and manhood of Christ though it be in it selfe more admirable then comprehensible or expressible is more proper and firme then any union which can be made by mixture by confusion by composition or compaction of severall natures into one But what Athanasius meant in that expression of taking the manhood into God may if I mistake not to my present purpose which is only to lay the general grounds of these communications of properties which Divines whether antient or moderne obserue betweene the divine and humane nature of Christ be yet further explicated by answering the maine objection that can be made against Athanasius his similitude or these illustrations of it 10. Some haply will object and it is all I think that can be objected against us that as wee are such is our flesh such is our bloud We are by nature men and our flesh and bloud is by nature only humane or the flesh and bloud of men but if the flesh and bloud whereof the sonne of God is partaker bee as truely his as our flesh and bloud is ours shall they not be such as he is that is flesh and bloud truely divine not humane This must in no wise be granted otherwise the sonne of God should not be as the Apostle avoucheth hee is partaker with us of the same flesh and bloud The flesh and bloud which he assumed and was partaker of are as truely humane as mans flesh bloud are and of the selfe same nature that mans flesh and bloud are of And of such flesh he was to be as truely as properly partaker as we are And yet it is necessary that the same flesh and bloud which he assumed be as truely and as properly the flesh and bloud of the sonne of God who is by nature God blessed for ever as our flesh is the flesh or our bloud the bloud of the sonnes of men Otherwise albeit the flesh and bloud assumed by him had been as truely and as properly humane flesh and bloud as ours is yet could not the son of God have beene as true and proper a partaker of humane flesh and bloud as wee sonnes of men are For no party or person can as truely and really participate with another in that which is not his owne by as perfect right as it is the others who is partaker of it with him So then the flesh and bloud of our Saviour Christ was truely and properly Caro humana non divina sanguis humanus non divinus not divine but humane flesh and bloud and yet withall as truely and properly Caro Dei and Sanguis Dei the flesh and bloud of God as it was caro humana sanguis humanus humane flesh and humane bloud more properly the flesh and bloud of God then the flesh bloud of man For eveÌ„ the whole humanity of Christ aswell the reasonable soule as the flesh was and is the humanity of the son of God God saith the Apostle Acts 20. 28. hath purchased the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his owne proper bloud Now if the Church be Gods owne not by creation only but by true purchase then the bloud by which hee purchased it was as truely his owne as our bloud or any thing within us or without us which we can owne is ours But was it Gods owne bloud after the selfesame manner or measure that our bloud is ours It was not in every respect or
after every manner his owne so as our bloud is ours yet his owne by a more proper more full and soveraigne title then our bloud is any way ours 11. Our flesh and bloud may be said to be our owne in two respects either as it is a part of our nature or an appertinence of our person In this last respect the fruit of the Virgins womb was the sonne of Gods own substance the flesh and bloud which hee tooke from her were his after a more exquisite manner or in a fuller measure of the same manner then our flesh and bloud are our owne Or if wee would speake the language of Philosophy her selfe rather then of Philosophers or of such as professe themselves to be her followers though ofttimes as wee say a farre off Our flesh our bloud our limbes are said to be our owne not so much or not so properly as they are parts of our nature as in that they are either parts or appurtenances of our persons That which is immediately next or linkt unto our person is by a more peculiar and soveraigne right our owne then any things whatsoever besides wee do possesse or are Lords of be it Lands goods or servants For whatsoever we possesse being not thus annexed unto our persons are but externalls their possession is communicable their propertie may be so alienated as others may make as good use of them as wee doe A man may be wronged in every thing that is his owne whereof he is by just title possessed but the wrongs done to a man in externalls doe not touch him so neerely as the wrongs done to his person or to any part or appurtenance of it 12. That there is a true and reall distinction betweene the natures and the persons of men or betweene things which are our owne by union of nature or by union unto our persons may thus be gathered Every part of our nature is eyther a part or an appurtenance of our person but every part or appurtenance of our person is not a part of our nature A man may suffer grosse personall wrong without paine or dammage to any part of his nature without losse of any commoditie that could be made of that wherein he suffered wrong it being in it selfe considered uncapable of wrong As in case some joynt or part of a mans body be dead and withered irrecoverably deprived of sense of paine of vitall motion it thereby ceaseth to be a part of the humane nature but it therefore ceaseth not to be an appendance or an appurtenance of his person He that should disfigure mangle or otherwise handle such a dead number any otherwise then the party whose it is were willing to have it handled doth wrong his person in a higher degree than if hee mangled or maymed his live goods or cattell and yet however he handle it he puts the living party to no paine is being as it is supposed no naturall or sensible part of his body nor could it have yeelded any commodity though it had been cut off before it was disfigured Offēces of this nature are not to be valued according to the excellency of the physicall complexion or constitution of the bodily part wounded or contumeliously handled but according to the excellency or dignity of the partie whose flesh or substance it is that is wounded or abused whether it be an entire live part of his nature or an appendix only to his person as being a joynt or member in part maymed or deprived of sense before Generally whether we speake of mens actions or sufferings undertaken for our behoofe to the losse of bloud or limbes we are not to value the one or other so much according to the physicall propertie or naturall worth of the member lost or damnified as according to the dignity of the person which voluntarily undertaketh such hard services for us And thus wee are to rate aswell the indignities and paines which our Saviour suffered in body by the Jews or Roman soldiers as the anguish of his soule in that great conflict with the powers of darknes neither according to the excellencie of his bodily constitution or exquisite purity of his soule but according to the inestimable dignity of his divine person of which aswell his immaculate soule as his undefiled bodie were no naturall parts but appurtenances only 13 Lastly that proper bloud wherewith God is said to have purchased the Church was the bloud of the sonne of God the second person in Trinity after a more peculiar manner then it was the bloud either of God the Father or of God the holy ghost It was the bloud of God the Father or of God the holy Ghost as all other creatures are by common right of creation and preservation It was the bloud of God the son alone by personall union If this sonne of God and high Priest of our soules had offered any other sacrifice for us then himselfe or the manhood thus personally united unto him his offering could not have beene satisfactory because in al other things created the Father and the holy Ghost had the same right or interest which the sonne had hee could not have offered any thing to them which were not as truely theirs as his Onely the seede of Abraham or fruit of the virgins womb which he assumed into the Godhead was by the assumption made so his owne as it was not theirs his owne by incommunicable propertie of personall union By reason of this incommunicable propertie in the womans seede the sonne of God might truely have said unto his Father Lord thou hast purchased the Church yet with my bloud but so could not the man Christ Jesus say unto the sonne of God Lord thou hast payd the ransome for the sinnes of the world yet with my bloud not with thine owne SECT 4. Of the conception and birth of our Lord and Saviour the sonne of God of the circumcision of the sonne of God and the name IESUS given him at his circumcision and of the fulfilling of the types and prophecyes concerning these mysteries CHAP. 31. The aenigmaticall predictions concerning Christs conception unfolded by degrees THat the predictions of the prophets which the Jew acknowledgeth for sacred are of divine infallible authority that according to many of these propheticall praedictions God in the person of the sonne was to become man the eternall word was to be made flesh that is to have our flesh and nature so united unto him that whilest our flesh and nature was conceived and brought forth the sonne of God was also conceived brought forth whilst the man Christ Jesus did suffer in the flesh the sonne of God did also suffer This is the briefe summe or extract of all that hath in this Treatise beene delivered This is the foundation of faith as Christian the radicall article of Christian Theologie It followes in our Apostles Creede that this only sonne of God Christ Iesus our Lord was conceived by the holy Ghost and
question but that the principles of some other sciences besids Divinity at least some principles of such sciences have beene immediately taught by God Or if any man list to move question or Controversie about this truth I could entertaine many Heathen Advocates for my opinion without any great costs or paines 4. But as it is true that the principles of Divinity cannot be knowne without illuminations more then naturall so it is certaine that since the ceasing of extraordinary illuminations or gifts of the Spirit the most of such principles or so many of them as are required to the science or facultie of Divinity cannot be distinctly knowne without the knowledge of other Arts or Sciences Most of the Attributes of God cannot be well unfolded without competent skill in Metaphysicall learning Many of his workes can never be knowne nor admired aright without the science of Philosophy nor can the offices or Attributes of Christ be taught aright without more skill in the learned tongues then common Grammarians or generall Lexicons will afford He that hopeth to attaine to the true knowledge of these principles must either use the helpe of some Lexicon peculiar to divinity or make one of his owne Easier it were to learne the termes of Law or Physick out of Thomasius or Riders Dictionary then to know the true Theologicall use or meaning of many principall termes in the Old or New Testament out of 〈◊〉 or Pagninus his Thesauras though both of them most excellent writers in their kinde And yet after a man hath attained by all the meanes aforementioned and other like helpes of Arts unto a competent knowledge of the principles there is no lesse use of good Logick in divinitie then in any other science whatsoever for the right deduction of necessary conclusions from such principles or for refuting Heterodoxall doctrines or quelling impertinent or frivolous questions But the Principles of Divinitie being once known the dilatation or deduction of them into forme of Art or science and the establishment of Orthodoxall conclusions may be made as certaine and perspicuous by Logick as the like can be in any other science For the use not of usuall or vulgar but of exquisite Logick is in no Art so necessary as in Divinitie The method for constituting any Art or science from principles knowne is two-fold the one direct and positive by affirmative syllogismes or by demonstration à Priore the other by reducing conclusions contradictory ad impossible that is by discovering their manifest contradiction or irreconcileable opposition unto some fundamentall principles of the same science Now what conclusions or opinions they be in particular which contradict either those theologicall principles that concerne the nature and attributes of God or the personall union of two natures in Christ his Propheticall Sacerdotall or Royall function shall by the assistance of his grace be discussed in the second 〈◊〉 of the Catholique Church Of this in the meane time I rest perswaded that it is neither too much learning that hath made this present age more mad then the former nor any greater measure of Gods Spirit than may be found in others which makes many among us more bold then their brethren then their Fathers in Christ in determining greatest mysteries of Divinitie CHAP. 4. Of the agreements and differences betweene Theologie and other sciences in respect of their Subjects that the true historicall beliefe of sacred Historians is aequivalent to the certaintie or evidence of other sciences BUt in every science oportet discentem credere Every yong Scholar is bound to beleeve his teacher and must take some principles upon trust untill hee be able to try them himselfe Yet as he is no perfect Artist or no master of Science who cannot see the evidence of principles or Maximes and the connexion betweene them and the conclusions issuing from them with his owne eyes so neither doth he deserve the name of a Divine or Teacher of this facultie whosoever he be that cannot in the first place discerne the truth of the Maximes or principles or cannot in the second place make demonstration of the coherence or non-coherence or of the discord between them and such conclusions as are rightly inferred or meerely pretended from them But the best is that as a Carpenter may have skill enough to measure the timber which he buyes or a woodward the wood which he sells or every good husbandman the quantitie of the ground which he tills and yet all their skill put together will not halfe suffice to make a Mathematician so may all of us be in our callings good Christians or true beleevers and yet no true Divines but more unapt to be Teachers in this facultie than an ordinarie Carpenter to write a Comment upon Euclide or a Husbandman to set forth a treatise of Cosmography Thus farre the faculty or science of Divinitie holds exact correspondencie with other sciences properly so called and the practise of Christian men in their severall callings beares the same proportion unto true Divinitie which manuall Arts or trades doe unto those sciences unto which they are subordinate 2. A difference notwithstanding there is betweene Divinitie and other Sciences but I cannot say whether the faculty of Divinitie come short of other Sciences properly so called or rather exceed them in that wherein they differ The difference is this The totall subject of other Sciences of some at least may be exactly known in this life though not by any one man yet by all that may seeke after it But this subject of Divinitie can never be exactly knowne by any one man nor by any succession of men though all of them should study no other Art besides the knowledge of God of Christ untill the worlds end From this incomprehensible amplitude of its subject it is that many principall points in Divinitie points necessarie unto salvation must be beleeved only even by Divines themselves wee may not endeavour or hope to know them untill wee be admitted into that everlasting Schoole And it is a great part of our profession or of our proficiency in it to know what questions belong to this present inferiour Schoole and what they be which must be reserved unto the high Schoole Everlasting 3. But other true Sciences there be and in their kinde truly Noble whose just challenge unto both these titles no man gainesayes no man questioneth which have their peculiar problemes as well as unquestionable principles or conclusions It is not yet resolved by Geometricians whether the Quadrature of Circles be possible or whether the continued protraction of lines not parallel make their coincidence necessary Astronomers are not yet agreed whether there be so many severall Orbes as there be Planets or how many spheares above the Planets or whether these Orbes or Spheares be they few or more be concentrique It is controversed whether not the Planets only but those which we call fixed starres doe move in the firmament as fishes doe in
to the prey chap. 11. ver 8. Their horses also are swifter then the Leopards and are more fierce then the Evening Wolves and their horsemen shall spread themselves and their horsemen shall come from farre they shall flye as the Eagle that hasteth to eate And so Moses long before had threatned this people Deut. 28. 49. The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee from farre from the end of the earth as swift as the Eagle fleeth c. And this prophecy was most exactly fulfilled in the Conquest oppression and destruction of this Nation by the Romanes and their Allyes especially the Italians Spanish Germane and British with other of these Westerne Nations And our Saviour in the forecited place foretels the fulfilling of this prophecy of Moses upō the Jews of that present age For all that our Saviour had said in that 24. of Matthew was to be accomplished according to the literall sense in that age current for so he saith ver 34. Verely I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Now it is evident that this gathering together of the Eagles was to be fulfilled before those signes of his comming to judge Jerusalem were to bee exhibited ver 29. Our Saviours prophesie then cannot according to the literall sense refer unto his comming to finall judgement but unto his comming to visite Jerusalem and the Nation of the Jewes of whom as he intimates some few should bee strangely reserved others remarkably plagued and so to be plagued by the Romanes whose ensigne was the Eagle Those whom God had forsaken or appointed to the slaughter within that age current were as we say dead in Law whithersoever they fled the Romane Eagles which God had authorized to be his executioners of the heavy Judgements there denounced would be more swift then they more sagacious then they were subtill And albeit these wandring Corps did take the Temple for their Sanctuary and make Jerusalem and it the last seat of that deadly warre yet even there should these Eagles or Vultures be gathered against them and teach their young ones to suck their blood And indeed if a man would accurately observe the processe and successe of the warre against them by the Romans it would appeare to have beene begun and ended rather by such secret instinct or presage as the Eagles have of great slaughters then by rationall project or humane consultation 13. To this expression of the literall meaning of the forecited place S. Luke directs me who of all the three Evangelists mentioneth the immediate cause or occasion of our Saviours proverbiall speech Luke 17. 37. And they answered or replyed and said unto him where Lord The meaning of the interrogatory is where shall the place or seate of these strange Calamities be and to this he answers Wheresoever the body is there will the Eagles be gathered together The importance of his answer is whithersoever these sons of death shall repaire thither will the executioners of Gods wrath be gathered together to wit the Romans who should not spare such as did resist or seeke to save their lives by hostility or strength and yet be ready to spare such as would submit themselves unto their mercy Thus much in my apprehension was intimated ver 33. Whosoever shall seeke to save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it I tell you in that night there shall be two men in one bed the one shall be taken the other shall be left Two women shall be grinding together the one shall be taken and the other left And they answered and said where Lord c. This I take to be the literall meaning of this prophecy As for the mysticall parallel to this literall if this afford any such that cannot elsewhere bee so fitly handled as in the Article of Christs comming to judge the world both quick and dead Now according to the mysticall sense we are I take it to understand by the body the bodies of the Saints deceased and then to make the Allegorie or proportion such as the Scripture alwaies maketh hansome and comely the Eagles must not be such as Iob describeth either Vultures or of Vultures kinde but Iovis Aquilae which as Philologers tell us do not use to feed on dead Corps or slaine flesh These are fit emblemes of the swift ministery of Celestiall Angels in gathering or summoning the bodies of deceased Saints from the one end of the Earth to the other SECT 3. That the incarnation of God and of God in the person of the Son instiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was foretold praefigured c. in the Writings of Moses Of the hypostaticall union between the Sonne of God and seed of Abraham CHAP. 20. That God according to the literall sense of Scriptures was in later ages to be incarnate and to converse with men with the seed of Abraham especially here on earth after such a peculiar manner as wee Christians beleeve Christ God and man did THat which in the first place we are to know concerning Christ and him crucified is that he was to be both God and man And this we are to learne from the sacred Oracles whether in the literall or mysticall sense in this order First from such Oracles as teach us that God was to be incarnate and to converse with men more humano after an humane manner here on earth Secondly from such divine Oracles as instruct us that God was to be incarnate and thus to converse with men in the person of the Sonne Thirdly from such as foretell the manner of the incarnation and of the permanent union betweene the sonne of God and the humane nature 2. To dispute with the Jew or other Infidell who acknowledgeth the truth of the old testament without some manifest ground of the literall sense were but to beate the aire For there can bee no concludent allegoricall or mysticall sense unlesse it be grounded on the literall And of all the branches of the literall sense none is so evidently concludent against the Jew the Arian or Photinian whether ancient or later to wit the Socinian as that which for the most part is least observed or most slenderly prosecuted by such as seeke to confute the Jew or other Infidells or heretiques which subscribe unto the literall sense of the old Testament The best Topick or seate of arguments for this purpose must bee borrowed from those passages in the Old Testament which according to the plaine literall or grammaticall sense cannot without blasphemy or literall solaecisme bee applyed to any person but God to any besides the God of Israel and yet cannot be meant of God himselfe according to the punctuall literall sense save only as he was to be incarnate or to have his conversation amongst men after a more peculiar manner then in the ancient times of the world he had And these places be for number many perhaps more
manifestation of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 19. That of the Psalmist Psal 97. 1. fals under the same line of observation The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles rejoyce This literally implies that the earth whether generally taken or restrained to the Land of Jewry should have better cause to rejoyce and the multitude of the Iles new occasions of greater gladnesse then in former times they had knowne When then was this new matter of joy and gladnesse there promised to all the earth and her inhabitants to begin to beare date or bee in esse From that point of time wherein the Lord began to raigne after another manner then before he had done The raigne of the Lord over all the earth and over all the Ilands of the earth if wee consider him only as God was from the beginning of the world and so shall continue without change or alteration World without end The raigne of the Lord then in this place foretold must be the raigne of God incarnate or of Gods being made King And those holy men of God which thus speake did by the spirit of prophecie foresee those dayes which Abraham saw and rejoyced to see Now the beginning of these joyfull dayes was from the time wherein the Lord did loose the Prisoners did deale his bread unto the hungry did open the eyes of the blinde and raysed them that were bowed downe with his owne hands or with his owne voice For so the Author of the 146. Psalme a little before paraphrased doth conclude that admirable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or triumphant song of the God of Israel The Lord shall raigne for ever even thy God O Sion unto all generations All the former workes of mercy and piety towards miserable men were but praeludia or portending documents of his future raigne or oecumenicall Kingdome shortly after to be established CHAP. 25. That the former Testimonies do concludently inferre a pluralitie of persons in the unitie of the Godhead and that God in the person of the sonne was to be incarnate and to be made Lord and King BUt if the Lord God of Israel were to serve under the sins of this people or to bee made a servant for their sinnes if he were to be annointed King not over them only but over all the earth besides it will bee demanded unto whom he was to be a servant and who after this his service was to make or Crowne him King Surely being God he was not to be a servant unto man or Angell if he that was God must be a servant he must be a servant to him who is and truly was God If he that was truly God were to be annointed King and to be enthronized hee must be annointed by him alone who was as truly God These considerations enforce us and when God shall give them hearts to take these and the like into serious consideration will perswade the Jews that however the God of Israel be one yet in this unity of the Godhead or divine Majestie they and wee must acknowledge more then an unity or identity of persons What it is to be a person and what manner of distinction is betweene the persons in the blessed Trinity are points which I never had minde to dispute More Scholarum since I first knew the Schooles or bent my studies to know Christ but was alwayes ready to admire what I knew not to expresse Nor could I ever well understand the language of such as thought themselves able to instampe these high mysteries with Scholastick formes of words but have taken more delight and comfort for these thirtie yeares and more in rehearsing daily as I am bound by oath evening and morning the Collect appointed by our Church for Trinity sunday with the Hymne annexed unto it in the ancient liturgies then in all the varietie whether of Schoolemen or of such polite writers as seeke to adorne and beautifie their ruder expressions of this great mystery And I have ingaged my selfe not to meddle with this point untill by Gods assistance I have finished the rest of these Comments and then by way of meditation or devotions only Thus much notwithstanding the former considerations and the very fundamental grounds of true Christianity inforce us to grant that in the divine nature though most indivisibly one there is an eminent ideall paterne of such a distinction as we call betweene party and party a capacity to give a capacity to receive a capacity to demand and a capacity to satisfie Capacities sufficiently different for the exercise of justice and love not ad extra only but within the divine nature it selfe If there were but one party or person in the divine nature the remission of mens sinnes without satisfaction had beene more proper and pertinent then remitting of them upon satisfaction For one and the selfe same party to demand satisfaction of himselfe and to make it to himselfe especially by way of punishment or disgracefull affliction is so unconceivable to reason it selfe that it is altogether uncapable of admiration to reason sanctified or enlightned by grace 2. But this is that which some moderne heretiques labour to prove to wit That God did not exact satisfaction for our sinnes of our Saviour Christ Iesus that it had beene exact cruelty in God to have laid the burthen of all our sinnes upon him who knew no sinne But how then is Christ said to have taken away our sinnes God say these man did freely remit them without satisfaction and Christ did take them away by setting us a paterne of holinesse and of patience in affliction That is in such sort as a Physitian might be said to have taken away an epidemicall disease by prescribing a recipe which every one after might make for himselfe and be his owne Apothecary Briefly they thinke that God cannot be excused from cruelty but by denying all true and proper satisfaction made to him by Christ But it is an oversight usually incident to men enclouded in grosser errours to object that unto their Adversaries as an inconvenience or absurd consequence which is such only according to the objecters owne tenets but most true and consonant to their principles whom they oppugne if these might be taken into due consideration Thus some greate Clearks in the Romish Church but none of their wisest men object against us that we make God a Tyâ—anâ— by teaching that he hath given us a Law which is impossible for us to fulfill The objection is unanswerable according to their principles who teach that a man cannot be justified or absolved from the sentence of death denounced by the Law without perfect inherent righteousnesse or fulfilling of the Law But the same objection no way toucheth us who teach that albeit we must still be doing that which is good yet after we have done all we can suppose much better then either they or we doe we must still deny our selves and renounce not the works
which we have not done but the good works we have done and wholly relie upon the mercies of God in Christ who once for all suffered for our sinnes and daily absolves us from them so oft as in sincerity of heart wee confesse our sinnes and implore his propititation for them Unlesse we knew the fulfilling of the Law whether by habituall or actuall righteousnesse or by doing those things which wee ought to doe or leaving those things undone which we ought not to doe to be impossible for us in this life our reliance on God in Christ could not be so firme or so perpetually constant as the doctrine of our Church so it be rightly imbraced will make it 3. The Socinians wandâ—r in the like but much grosser â—â—st of errours wounding one another whilest they shoot at us who are sufficiently armed against their poysoned arrowes by the armour of God on the right hand on the left to wit the distinction of persons in the blessed Trinity Indeed were there but one party or capacity in the divine nature which were the only party or person offended their arguments for remission of sinnes after their way would conclude against us who presse a necessity or convenience of satisfaction unto God But their strongest Arguments fall either wide or short of all such as maintaine this distinction of parties or persons in the divine nature For if the sonne of God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were truely God from eternity and remained God after man did make himselfe the servant of Satan he might without wrong to any man to any party without wrong to himselfe for volenti non sit injuria voluntarily take the forme of a servant upon him and in that forme or low condition of man make perfect satisfaction per translationem paenae for all our debts for all our sinnes and our debts being fully paid restore us to the liberty and priviledge of the sonnes of God He both might and did truly purchase that peculiar dominion over us which he hath over all men an absolute dominion of punishing all Gods ungracious and of crowning all his thankfull and faithfull servants This dominion as it is peculiar to Christ was purchased by true and reall satisfaction made unto God 4. But what it was for Christ the sonne of God to take upon him the forme of a servant or wherin this condition or forme of a servant did properly consist are points which neither the Arian nor the Socinian did ever take into serious consideration If the Socinian would yet doe so he might clearely see that his former objections could not reach us but must rebound upon himselfe For the man Christ Jesus being so just a man as we beleeve and he grants he was unlesse he had been more then man truly God and truly a servant withall it could not have stood with the goodnesse of God nor with any rule of justice divine or humane either to have punished him for our sakes as we say God did or to have suffered him to undergoe such hard and cruell usage at the hands of wicked and sinfull men as the Socinians confesse he did undergo without murmuring or complaint But this is a point which cannot be orderly handled untill we come to the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour which was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or period rather of his servitude or of being in the forme of a servant which was the Basis of his humiliation And albeit I purpose not in that place to dispute whether God could possibly have freely remitted our sinnes without any satisfaction a question to which no wise men will take upon them to give a peremptory answer whether negative or affirmative yet I shall by Gods assistance there make it cleare that no other meanes of manner of remitting out sinnes of absolving or justifying us or of bringing us to glory which either the Socinian or the wit of man can imagine could have been so admirable to sober capacities as that way and manner which the Scripture plainly teacheth and that in briefe is this 5. The divine nature in the person of the Father requires satisfaction for the transgressions of man against the eternall Law and unchangeable rule of goodnesse or those positive Lawes which he had given in speciall to man The same divine nature in the person of the sonne undertooke to make satisfaction for us in taking our nature upon him and Hee having by right of consanguinity the authority and power of redeeming us the same divine nature in the person of the holy Ghost doth approve and seale this happy and ever blessed compromise This ineffable accord betweene the divine persons in the unity of the Godhead concerning the great worke of mans redemption is most exactly parallel to that accord which some of the Ancient have excellently observed betwixt them in that work of creation as hath beene before expressed in that article Not to repeat nor to adde to that which was there delivered but to continue these present discussions concerning the eternity and person of the sonne of God 6. Some there have beene and are who granting all that wee have said or can desire to bee granted concerning the incarnation of God or Trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead further demand why God rather in the person of the sonne then in the person of the father or of the holy Ghost should bee incarnate or made flesh But might not these men some perhaps will say as well have demanded why God the Father did make the world rather by the sonne then by himselfe or by the holy Ghost Or why this title of Him by whom all thing were made should be peculiar to God the sonne And to this question it would be a satisfactory answer to say that we must believe that the world was so made because the Scripture which is the only rule and guide of faith doth so instruct us or because the persons of the blessed Trinity for reasons best knowne unto themselves alone would have it to be so and so to be written But many arguments there be well observed by the ancient and better explicated by moderne Divines some of whose works are extant in print others worthy of the presse unto which I shall be as farre from adding as from detracting These reasons alone abundantly satisfie all the desires which I ever had to be informed in this point First seeing the blessed Trinity was pleased to have satisfaction made for the sinnes of mankinde and by this satisfaction to exhibit an exquisite paterne of justice and equitie Secondly seeing mans sinne did especially consist in rebellion the satisfaction was according to the rule or paterne of equitie and justice to be made by most exquisite obedience Now the most exquisite obedience that can bee performed is from a sonne unto his father or from a servant unto his Lord. Hence it pleased the eternall wisedome and sonne of God to take not the
nature of man only but the forme of a servant for a while upon him to make the most perfect and abundant satisfaction by the most exquisite obedience of which both the state of a sonne and condition of a servant was capable 7. The stone of offence whereat the Socinians who account themselves good Christians and doe not deny Christ to be the Sonne of God doe so much stumble is in part the very same with the prejudice which the Arians had of the orthodoxall truth whose breach or disruption in the Canon of the ancient Catholique faith the first Nicene Councill sought to repaire not by addition or superstruction of any new Articles of beleife but by a gentle diduction or dilatation of that sense which was included in the Apostles Creed or in the ancient rule of faith I beleeve in one God c and in one Lord Iesus Christ the only begotten sonne of God begotten of his father before all worlds and againe very God of very God begotten not made being of the same substance with the Father c. It is not improbable that the Arians and their followers might take offence or pick a quarell at this Title of being the only begotten son of God before all worlds the rather because some of the most ancient and not a few middle-age writers do seek to groūd this article upō that divine oracle Ps 2. Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee as if hodiè in that place did not literally and punctually referre to any peremptory day or time circumscriptible by remarkable circumstances or notable historicall events but were put for bodiè aeternitatis which implyes no time but an indivisible interminable duration And if the allegation were true in this sense there could be no question betweene professors of Christianity about the eternall generation of Christ Jesus as he is the sonne of God But so it often falls out that some one impertinent allegation or weake proofe being too much stood upon doth provoke or embolden such men qui ita veritatem amant ut velint esse vera quaecunque amant to deny the generall truth for whose confirmation weake and impertinent proofes are brought albeit the same truth might be most strongly prooved from many other irrefragable testimonies of Scripture That the Psalmist Psal 2. speakes of our Saviours resurrection from the grave is most cleare from the Apostles testimonie and in what sense it was fulfilled whether in the literall onely or in the mysticall or in both whether according to the plaine literall sense it tooke aswell retrò as antè or have any especiall reference to what is past shall by Gods assistance be discussed in the explitation of that great Article I dare not in this place use the former authority to proove the eternall generation of the sonne of God 8 That hee should bee the onely begotten Sonne of God otherwise then by his begetting from the dead unto glory and immortalitie or that he should be so before the World from all eternity may seeme to imply a contradiction in terminis For the Father must be before the sonne unlesse we take these termes as termes meerely relative not as importing any substance or persons All termes meerely relative quà tales are simul naturâ coaevall for standing Abraham though an ancient man was not Isaacs Father before Isaac was his sonne But if wee respect the persons or substances betwixt whom such relations stand the person of the Father is alwaies before the person of the sonne according to precedence of time or if we consider not the persons or substances but that which they call proximum fundamentum relationis that act or operation from which such relations do immediately result so it is true that generans est prior generato Begetting or to beget hath priority or precedencis though not of time yet of nature of being begotten But if the Sonne of God be coeternall to his Father there can be no place for either of these precedencies or priorities nor for any thing truely proportionable to them seeing in eternitie there is nihil prius nihil posterius no prioritie no succession How then can Christ Jesus be conceived to be the onely sonne of God begotten of his father before all worlds if to be before all worlds be as much as to bee from all eternitie or in eternitie To this wee answer that where the truth of the matter is unquestionable men soberly minded should not wrangle about the strict proprietie of words especially in mysteries whose comprehension far surpasseth mans capacitie and are even to blessed Angels ineffable or unexpressible in any punctuall or proper phrase The truth which the Nicen Fathers sought to establish was this that Christ Jesus was not made the Sonne of God before all worlds but was the sonne of God very God of very God from all eternitie coeternall and coequall to his Father For so they expresse themselves Hee was begotten and not made The manner of his eternall generation or begetting they seeme to resemble to the generation or production of light For so they say light of light very God of very God c. Now that light which the splendid body of the sunne diffuseth through the ayre but especially through caelestiall bodies is coevall with its Fountaine which produceth or begetteth it For it was never held a solecisme to call Lumen filiam lucis to say light is the daughter of the sunne But however it shall please men to expresse the manner of the Sonne of Gods Eternall generation the former inductions that Peter est prior filio naturâ et tempore that the person or substance of the Father hath alwayes precedency both of time and nature in respect of the person and substance of the sonne or that generans is prius naturâ generato to beget hath alwayes precedence of nature though not of time of being begotten are true onely in temporall generations or successions All men and other generable creatures since the world began have beene moratall de facto The first man was but conditionally immortall And albeit he might have lived for ever yet had he a beginning of life in time and so were his sons or successors to have albeit they had been borne immortall or both borne and begotten before he did subject himselfe and them to mortality by sinne If immortall creatures could have sonnes or successors by nature they were to be immortall by nature otherwise they should be a kind of monsters or an equivocall brood If then he who possesseth eternitie have a true and proper sonne which the word only begotten implyes after what manner soever he be his son though by a manner altogether unconceivable to us that son must be coeternall to his Father For the truly eternall God to have beget or produce a sonne which is not eternall but everlasting only à parte pòst is as unconceivable to reason as that an immortall Father should beget a mortall or
not a principall and an Analogicall sense The true reason that may be given for it is that the wisedome of God did thus fore-ordaine it that so this great mystery of the eternall Word 's becomming flesh might bee foreshadowed as well by verball character as foretold by expresse propheticall testimonies delivered by way of propositions or prefigured by reall types in the Law or in matter of facts in sacred history CHAP. 29. Of the true meaning of this speech the word was made flesh Whether it be all one for the Word to be made flesh and to be made man or whether He were made flesh and made man at the same instant BUt it being granted and I hope sufficiently proved that the incarnation of the Word is the very life and kernell of the Gospell that the Patriarchs and Prophets did solace themselves and taught their childrens children to doe the like in all their perplexities by assured hope of this great mystery in the Lords good time to be revealed yet the curious fancies of captious wits have been and will bee ready to question though not the matter or mystery it selfe yet the manner of our Evangelists expression of it the Word was made flesh To be made flesh is to be made a substance and the Word which is said to be made flesh was more then a substance the everliving essence the life and light of men before he was manifested in the flesh Doth he still remaine so So we Christians are bound to beleeve Yet might the Jew or meere heathen artist have liberty to oppose us they would find matter of argument to this or like purpose whensoever one substance is truly made another the former substance ceaseth to be what it was before For the truth of this generall rule instances are plentifull in all sorts of substances which are said to be made what they were not before when one simple Elements is made another when the water becomes a vapour it ceaseth to be water when the Vapour is made a cloud it is no longer a vapour when the cloud resolves into raine it is no more a cloud when of the Elements any third body is made whether perfectly or imperfectly mixt they cease to be what they were they lose both their forme and names Nor skils it whether one substance be made or becomes another which before it was not by course of nature or immediately by the finger of God or by the exercise of his miraculous power For it was a true miracle and a great one that pure water should be immediately made perfect wine and yet the water being made wine did cease to be what it was before it was no longer a simple Element but a true mixt body Now the Word as all Christians grant was an everlasting Essence more then a substance before it was made or became flesh How then can wee Christians mainteyne that it still remaines the same it was without any reall alteration or change whether substantiall or accidentall To this objection wee reply as before wee have done in other cases that multitude of instances how many soever cannot make up a perfect induction if in any one pretended for grounding a rule or proposition absolutely universall there be the least diversitie or dissimilitude of reason Every such diversity or disparity acquits the instance in which it is found for being comprehended under the rule or law otherwise universall Admitting it then to be universally true of all other substances or Essences in the World besides Whensoever one is made or becomes another which before it was not that substance which is made another doth lose it selfe or ceaseth to be what it was Yet this universall rule will not reach the instance now in debate concerning the Word 's being made flesh The reason is plaine not from the manner of this miraculous work but from the nature or supereminency of that everlasting substance or Essence which was miraculously made flesh All other Essences or substances which are capable of being made or becoming what they were not are capable of change or alteration in their substances They do not either lose their owne names or suffer the names of other substances to be put upon them untill they have put off their owne natures or lost possession of themselves The law of nature ties evē livelesse substāces more strictly not to change their names untill they be conquered or overcome by others then the laws of Heraldrie ties Nobles or Gentlemen not to alter their ancient Armes or names which they seldome do unlesse upon conquest or some marriage or alliance beneficiall or advantagious to their house or Family But the Word of God which endureth for ever was and is as unchangeable as God himselfe was and is from eternity more then all things Essence or being it selfe As all things were made by him so he might when he pleased bee made flesh or man without any change or alteration in himselfe either whilst all things were made by him or whilst hee were made this particular It is then the preheminence or superexcellency of his nature or Essence which exempts him from the former generall rule or pretended induction 2 For the more commodious expression as of divers other supernaturall mysteries or matters spirituall so of this great mysterie especially the the fittest resemblance which can be made of thē must be borrowed not from experiments or inductions in matters physicall but from cases of civill use or consequence Mutations accidentall there may be many physically accidentall in one and the same substance without any alteration in the substance in which such change is made Yet such changes of accidents properly inherent for the most part either adde some perfection to the substance or detract somewhat from it But for a person already invested with honourable names or titles and with realities answering to them to invest himselfe with realities or titles of an inferior rank is no disparagement to his former dignities Thus many Princes by birth and of great possessiōs sometimes take the names or titles of Knights are solemnely made Knights created Earles sometimes made Gentlemen of Venice and some Kings of this Land have beene made free of particular Companies or Corporations under their royall jurisdiction and so made without any impeachement or diminution of their royall titles but only to the grace or advancement of that order whereof they were made Knights or of those Societies and Corporations whereof they were made free And thus although the Word who before the beginning of time was with God was truely God was in the fulnesse of time made flesh this can be no impeachment to his Deitie or Divine person but an unspeakable exaltatiō or advancement of the humane nature which he took upon him And herein we poore miserable men so wee would be thankfull for it have a preheminence of the Angelicall nature in that the son of God God blessed for ever did vouchsafe to become one of our
order and ranke in such a manner as he is not of theirs 3 The resolution of the second Quaere depends upon another more questioned point which I have no minde to dispute and lesse to be tyed to other mens conjectures or voluntary determinations of it without warrant of Scripture or any certaine deductions from it warrantable by reason The point questionable is briefely this whether the humane soule of our blessed Lord was infused into his body immediately upon his conception which as the sacred Text to my apprehension imports was in a moment and immediately upon the blessed Virgins assent unto the Angels message If at the same instant or moment of time the humane soule was inspired into his body the Word was not made flesh before he became man If otherwise the holy seed did after the conception grow by degrees into a live sensitive reasonable substance though neither after the same manner nor by the same meanes yet according to the same measure of time as other Infants do The case is unquestionable that the sonne of God or the Word was made flesh before he was made man For he was not made man before the inspiration or creation of the reasonable soule but even from the very first moment of his conception the Womans seed was hypostically united to the Word or sonne of God The flesh and blood which he tooke of the blessed Virgin became the flesh and blood of the sonne of God from the first moment of their assumption Nor can this opinion be justly charged with any suspition of errour or other difficultie as conteyning nothing which is not exactly parallel to that which wee beleeve concerning the union of his body with the Divine nature in his person after his body was separated from his soule His body in that interim of separation or of its rest in the grave was as truely the body of the son of God as it had beene whilst it was living His soule likewise was as truely the soule of the sonne of God during the divorce as it was whilst it retayned union with its body And whether the blood which was shed from his most pretious body on the Crosse were gathered againe into his veines a point not to be pryed into by mortall men or how ever it pleased him or his heavenly Father to dispose of it yet I think I may say that not a drop of it but remaines unto this day the true blood of the sonne of God it lost no union nor degree of union with his divine person it still retaines the power and efficacy of cleansing or sanctifying our nature 4 Some I know there be who think all others to speake and think unworthily of Christ unlesse they grant that his soule was not only infused into his body in the first conception of it but that it was withall endued with all manner of knowledge which Hee afterwards had Yet to binde any man to beleeve or acknowledge either of these the latter especially is to lay more upon us then God hath in his written Word or in the booke of his Creatures tyed us unto if so these men will give us leave to use the spectacles of reason in reading either booke For if our blessed Saviour during all the time he was in his mothers womb had the perfect use of sense and reason his condition of life had beene more wearisome then in any part of his pilgrimage here on earth it was for he was as mortall and as subject to sad impressions in the womb as he was in the strength of his age and death had beene more welcome to him then such close imprisonment if the excercise of reason or Contemplation had beene as free there as it was when he was endued with libertie of sense and locall motion The only reason I can conceive any man should pretend either for the infusion of the reasonable soule into his body at the first conception or that the reasonable soule whether then or at the time wherein other infants become capable of it shouâ—d be endued with such a measure of actuall or explicite knowledge whilst he was in his mothers womb as afterwards it was must be grounded on the hypostaticall union betweene the womans seed and the word of God But if any reason thus grounded could infer either part of the premisses it would aswell inferre that his knowledge as man should have beene infinite from his conception This I think no Christian wil affirme for the personall union of the divine nature with the humane doth not endow it with the reall titles of the divine Otherwise Christs strength as man should have beene infinite from the womb and his body should have beene every where And it would be lesse unreasonable to say that his body is at this day infinite and his humane nature every where then that his wisdome or knowledge as man should have beene infinite or as great whilst he was in the womb as now it is If the divine nature did not communicate his infinity to the humane nor make the sonne of God so compleat a man for strength of ability of body from the womb as at thirtie yeares he was it exceedeth the bounds of my capacitie to imagine what reason those men have for their opinion who think our blessed Lord Saviour did not as truely grow in wisdome and knowledge as he did in strength or stature of body The Scripture is alike literall for both Luk. 2. 52. Iesus increased in Wisdome and stature and in favour with God and man I make no question but that such as deny his growth in wisdome do this out of a religious feare lest they should speake or conceive any thing of Christ which might be thought either to derogate from his greatnesse or from his goodnesse This feare or zealous care is in the generall very good but hath small ground in this particular For were it either well grounded or well guided it would rather teach us not to deny that Jesus did grow in wisdome and goodnesse then to be peremptory in contradicting others which hold the affirmative Simple nescience can be no sinne in any Child nor in any man unlesse it be of those things which he is bound to know But proficiency in wisdome and knowledge is in the sonnes of men a praise worthy perfection which I should be as unwilling to deny unto my Lord and Saviour in his infancy or his youth as to rob him now of any royall attributes since he was made King That he was without all staine of sinne the most holy Sanctuary of the most holy and blessed God from the womb I stedfastly beleeve but that he had the same measure oâ— knowledge at his circumcision at his presentation in the Temple which he had and gave proofe of when his Parents found him in the Temple disputing with the Doctors or no greater measure of this knowledge at his baptisme then he then had or as great as his baptisme as
since his resurrection and ascention he hath I shall crave pardon for making these or the like any points of my beleife If any man be otherwise minded I grudge him not the libertie of his opinion but will confesse my ignorance when he shall shew me any expresse Scripture or any deduction out of Scripture which shall not inferre aut nihil aut nimium 5 It sufficeth me to beleeve and know that my Lord was so qualified with all grace even whilst he lived in the forme of a servant that he was alwaies more ready to understand and comprehend whatsoever it pleased his heavenly Father to impart or signifie unto him then chrystall is to receive the light of the Sun or any glasse the shape of bodies which present themselves unto it and more ready withall to doe whatsoever he knew to be his Fathers will he should do then we are to eate when we are hungry or to drinke in the extremity of â—hrist There was in him even in his cradle a docilitie or capacitie both for learning and doing his fathers will truely infinite in comparison of other children yet this capacitie was actuated by degrees This I take it is as much as wee are bound to beleeve concerning his growth in wisedome and this wee cannot deny to be contained in the hypostaticall union of which we are without curiositie to say somewhat in the next place CHAP. 30. Of the hypostaticall and personall union betwixt the Word and the flesh or betwixt the sonne of God and the seed of Abraham THe manner of the union between the sonne of God and the seed of Abraham is a mystery that one of the blessed Trinity only excepted most to bee admired by all and least possible to be exactly expressed by any living man of all the mysteries whose beleefe we professe in this Apostles Creed And for this reason my former resolution to avoid all Schoole disputes about the relations in the Trinitie and each severall persons peculiar properties ties me to the like observance in this present point And in my yonger dayes I had a greater desire to learne more exquisite rules of Logick or other good arts out of School-disputes in these two kindes then can be found in the professors of such arts themselves then I have in these declining yeares to learne divinity from them 2. The particulars which the most subtile amongst the Schoole-Divines exhibite concerning the manner of the hypostaticall union are well summed up by the learned and judicious D. Field in whose computation they amount to more then I shall have occasion in this place to make use of and are withall of so high a pitch and straine as surmounts my aime or levell for this time which is only to shew how truly how justly how consonantly to the knowne rules of reason in other cases we Christians beleeve and acknowledge such a peculiar union between the sonne of God and the sonne of David that whilest the sonne of man was conceived borne crucified and raised from the dead the son of God likewise was conceived borne crucified c. Now for justifying these and the like expressions the sonne of God was conceived was borne was crucified c. whether we finde them in the Creed or in the Apostolick or Evangelical writings whence they issued into this Creed wee can have no better ground or fundamentall resemblance then that of Athanasius As the reasonable soule and flesh make one man so God and man make one Christ yet this illustration or expression of the manner of this mysticall union is excepted against by some great Divines and by Cardinall Bellarmine by name yet excepted against not as false or impertinent but as defective But if every resemblance of this or other sacred mystery which is any way defective were lyable to exception the Church should doe well to give a generall prohibition that no man should attempt to make any For all will come short of the mystery which we seeke to expresse by them or of so much of it as we shall know in that eternall Schoole It was the Cardinals fault to stretch Athanasius his expression further then he intended it or not to allot it a certaine extent within which it is most divinely true 3. The like comparisons sometimes hold firme and true only quoad veritatem non quoad mensuram according to the truth not according to the measure of the same truth As when we beseech our heavenly father to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us or when our Saviour enjoynes us to be mercifull as our heavenly father is mercifull the meaning is not that the measure of his mercies towards us should be but equall to our mercy or kindnesse towards men our fellow servants and yet the meaning of our Saviours injunction is that we must bee as truly mercifull and charitable towards others in some degree as God is infinitely mercifull towards all Sometimes the like comparisons are firme and true quoad veritatem quoad mensuram both according to the truth and the same measure of truth but not quoad modum at least not quoad modum specificum proximum sed quoad modum genericum aut remotum true they may be sometimes according to the same manner and yet not in all respects or according to the selfe-same particular manner And such is this comparison of Athanasius First it holds quoad veritatem unionis As it is not the meere inhabitation of the reasonable soule in the body but the peculiar union of these two parts which makes a man so is it not the internall presence or peculiar inhabitation of the Deity in the manhood but the true and reall union of these two natures which makes one Christ Infernall spirits may by Gods permission take up their lodgings in the bodies of men may be confined within them and use them as their instruments yet by such residence in them men neither become Divels nor divels men nor doe they make any one realitie or third thing in part or whole distinct from both 4. The former comparison doth not hold secundum omnem modum that is though the Godhead and humanity of Christ be as truly as properly and really united as the reasonable soule and the humane body are yet the manner of the union is herein different The reasonable soule and the body being two distinct natures each having their proper existence though imperfect and incompleat doe by their union make one perfect compleat nature Their union is made by physicall or naturall composition Now in all such unions or compositions each part ingredient must abate or lose somewhat there must be a mutuall fashioning or fitting of the one to the other But the Deitie or Godhead as it is all things else so it is fitnesse it selfe and cannot be fashioned or fitted to any creature as being not subject to any shadow of change or alteration The creatures may be fashioned or fitted to
as they did certifie him of the distinct place of his birth This they learned out of the Prophet Micah Chap. 5. ver 2. 3. That of our Apostle Hebrewes 1. ver 1. is exactly verified in respect of the article now in handling The Prophets and holy men of God or God by their ministery spake of our Saviours conception and birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not at sundry times onely or in severall ages of the Fathers but piece-meale or by scattered predictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sundry wayes sometimes literally and plainely sometimes mystically or aenigmatically But in this later age he hath spoken unto us by his Sonne or in his Sonne For even the historicall passages of his conception and birth though delivered unto us by his Evangelists spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his very conception his birth and actions as well as the words uttered by him have their plaine and full language and if wee take them as set downe by the Evangelists are as the putting together of all what the Prophets had spoken scatteredly or represented by broken pictures or portions of truth After that maine head or fountaine of Prophecies was opened and had his course drawne by God himselfe not by any Prophet I will put enmity betweene thee and him c. Every succeeding age especially from the deluge addes some new rills or petty streames unto it the full current of which is conspicuous only in the Gospell CHAP 32. Saint Lukes narration of our Saviours conception and birth and its exact concordance with the Prophets TO begin with S. Lukes narration of his cōceptiō Cap. 1. ver 26. In the 6. month the Angel Gabriel was sent frō God unto a Citie of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the virgins name was Mary In these few lines wee have the exact Chorographie of those generall or more obscure descriptions which Isaias and Ieremiah had made of the place of his conception and in the words following wee have the particular and most exact survey of all Gods promises made to David or related by other Prophets concerning that sonne of David who was to rule over Iacob for ever When Saint Luke saith in the words forecited the Angel Gabriel was sent in the sixth moneth this may referre either to the time of Iohn Baptists conception as in all probability it doth ver 36. Behold thy Cosin Elizabeth shee also hath conceived a sonne in her old age and this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren Or it may referre unto the sixth moneth of the yeare according to the ancient and civill accompt of the Hebrewes for untill the time of Israels deliverie out of Egypt the moneth wherein Iohn Baptist was conceived which answeres for the past part to our September was the first moneth in which as most later Divines are of opinion the world was created The moneth Abib which answers unto March with us became observable to the Israelites from their deliverance in that moneth out of Egypt and continues in their Ecclesiasticall accompt the first in order In the same moneth the conception of our Lord and Saviour was denounced by the Angell and our deliverance by him from the powers of darknesse afterwards accomplished and well deserves the title of the first moneth since his conception and passion but in whether of these two respects or whether in both the moneth wherein the Angell was sent be termed the sixt moneth is no matter of such moment or consideration as the tenour of his message ver 31. 32. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus Hee shall be great and shall be called the sonne of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David When the Angell said He shall be great and his mother shall call his name JESVS it is implied that as yet he was not great that he had not the beginning of that greatnesse which is here promised And may it not be as rightly implied that when hee saith Hee shall be called the sonne of the highest as yet he was not the sonne of the highest but first to brooke the name of Iesus and then first to be made and called the sonne of God when he was become great and had received the throne of his Father David But it is not without observation that the Angell saith not Hee shall be the sonne of the highest nor doth hee say that the blessed Virgin his Mother should bestow this name upon him as shee did the name of Iesus The intent and meaning of the holy Ghost in this place is that this fruit of the Virgins womb who was to be named Iesus by his mother from his circumcision should be called the sonne of the highest not in regard of his future greatnesse as man or as he was the promised sonne of David but by reason of his peculiar assumption or union into the person of the sonne of God who was Davids Lord before he was conceived and was publiquely to be declared the sonne of God by his resurrection from the dead At which time and not before hee tooke the especiall government of that Kingdome upon him which had so often beene promised to the sonne of David This meaning of the holy Ghost the Evangelist doth open unto us ver 33. Hee shall raigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end 2. Unlesse this holy of holyes who was now to be borne of the blessed virgin Mary had beene the sonne of God before this time hee should in reason be called the sonne of the holy Ghost For unto the virgin Mary demanding how this should be seeing shee know not a man ver 34. The Angel answered The holy Ghost shall come upon thee c. An Emphaticall expression of that which we beleeve in the Creede That the holy Ghost should worke his conception Now hee who is Author of the conception of any person which before such a conception had no existence is in propriety of speech to be reputed the Father of the party or person conceived But this very person whom we now adore under that name or title of Christ Iesus our Lord being before all World 's the true and only sonne of God albeit the holy Ghost was the Author of his conception as man a more principall cause and Author of his conception then any mortall Father is of his mortall sonne yet was not the fruit of the virgins womb to be reputed the sonne of the holy Ghost but of him alone who was the true and only Father of that person unto whom the fruit of the Uirgins womb was by the operation of the holy Ghost personally united The holy Ghost was not then the cause or Author of any new person but onely espoused or betroathed the humane nature of Christ which
then actually made Christ and Lord. Unto these two offices of everlasting Priest and everlasting King hee was not actually anointed or fully consecrated untill his resurrection from the dead Was not then the Sonne of God Lord before his resurrection Yes being God from eternitie hee was also Lord from eternity So we are taught by Athanasius The Father is Lord the Sonne is Lord and the H. Ghost is Lord. Whosoever is truely God is also truely Lord. And in this acception of Lord as there be not three Gods but one God so there be not three Lords but one Lord in the blessed Trinitie The Father is the onely God the onely Lord the Sonne is the only God the onely Lord the holy Ghost is the onely God the onely Lord. But whether this title of Lord as it is here inserted in this article of the Creed import no more then that the Sonne of God is the true and onely Lord with the Father and the holy Ghost or whether it were not before his birth in some sort peculiar to the Sonne is a point neither cleare in it selfe nor easie to be cleared because the ancient Translators especially the Greeke and Latine render the three originall words Elohim Iehâ—vah or the name of foure letters however it be pronounced and Adonai promiscuously by Lord. And yet these three words in the originall have their severall significations or importances To omit the word Elohim About the name of foure letters there is much contention how it should be pronounced yet all agree that it 〈…〉 and essence of God is his most proper name and admits no plurall The proper signification of the name Adonai is as much as Dominus or Lord. 4 The reason as I take it why the Greekes and Latines have usually but one expression of both names is because the ancient Hebrews did not pronounce the name of foure letters unlesse it were in the Sanctuary or in solemne benedictions Nor did they write it so as it might be pronounced that is with any proper vowels but either with the vowells of Adonai or of Elohim Not the Greekes and Latines onely but the Chaldee paraphrase sometimes reads Adonai where wee read Iehovah or the name of foure letters And thus it doth not from mistake of the Hebrew vowells which in the time of Onkelus the later of the two Chaldee paraphrases were not exprest And God said to Moses I appeared to Abraham unto Isaac and Iacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne to them Exod. 6. 3. Or as the Caldee by the name Adonai c. Wherfore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burthens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage c. Some good writers in the interpretation of this place observe that albeit Abraham Isaac and Iacob were in high favour with God yet they wrought no miracles as Moses the first among the sonnes of men did And hence they infer that Moses did worke all his miracles in the power and vertue of this name whether Iehovah or Adonai which was first manifested unto to him 〈…〉 many interpretations of this place Fagrus best approves this Although God were knowne to Abraham as Omnipotent and All sufficient to performe whatsoever he hath promised yet was he not knowne unto Abraham or other of the Patriarks by that name or title which did import the instant performance of what he had promised unto Abraham This was immediately imported in the name of foure letters or in those descriptions which God there gave to Moses of his nature and essence or of his present purpose towards Israel in the 3 of Exod. ver 14. I am 〈◊〉 I am c. 5 And the 〈◊〉 paraphrase it is probable did use the name Adonai in stead of the name of foure letters as most pertinent and most significant to this purpose For it properly pertaines to him who is not onely in himselfe Almightie or All sufficient but Lord of all to dispose of Kingdomes and inheritances to depose greatest Lords and advance meanest servants If the name of foure Letters were to the ancient Hebrews as Drusius with some others will have it ineffable this was a true character of his incomprehensible nature which they properly signifie Nor doth the usuall substitution of Adonai for the want of foure letters want matter of more than grammaticall observation This practise was a literall Embleme or Character of that which our Evangelist hath exprest in words assertive Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him In this declaration or exposition of God whose incomprehensible nature was charactred by his ineffable name made by the Sonne of God incarnate there was a greater improvement of mans knowledge of God in respect of that knowledge which Moses and the Prophets had than there was in Moses his knowledge of God in respect of Abrahams Isaacs or Iacobs Moses and his Successors did see the performance of that which the name of Iehovah or Adonai first revealed to Moses did import to wit deliverance from their bodily Enemies and in that deliverance they had a pledge of far greater blessings promised which yet they did not receive For as our Apostle testifies Heb. 11. 39. Though Moses amongst others through faith obtained a good report yet hee did not receive the promise that is the blessing promised nor was the nature of man capable of this blessing promised untill that God who was first revealed unto Moses under the name of Iehovah was made Lord and Christ 6. It had beene a question more worthy of Drusius his paines then all the questions which he makes concerning the name of foure letters whether the name Adonai were not in some sort peculiar to the Sonne of God or to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was to be made flesh That this name Adonai is so peculiar to the Sonne of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is I dare not affirme For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth no where to my remembrance denote any other person in the blessed Trinity besides the Sonne Whereas the name Adonai is an expression which many times referres unto the Trinity or Divine nature And in this extent it must be taken when it is substituted for the ineffable name of God unlesse some speciall circumstances restraine it to the Sonne But in many passages of the old Testament both names are exprest according to their proper consonants And in all these places the name Adonai referres only to the Sonne as the name of foure letters denotes the Father As in that 110 Psalm where we read The Lord said unto my Lord it is in the originall Iehovah said unto my Lord Adoni or Adonai And in this place the name of foure letters referres onely to God the Father But so doth not the name Adoni