this put us in mind to be humble here and to rest in hope that the eternity and the eternall joyes of heaven are such as neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor mans heart conceived And let us labour to walke by faith and not by sight as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. 7. So much for the Doctrines There be also two questions which here offer themselves to be discussed The first is What time of the yeare the world was created and which day moneth were the first of the world without the knowledge of this we cannot exactly tell how long it is since the world was created The second is How long it is since that first beginning wherein God created the heavens and the earth For Moses doth carefully set them downe untill his time and so also doe the succeeding Prophets which sheweth that this knowledge is not to be neglected For the first question Some hold that the world was created in September in the time of the Autumnall equinoctiall Others that it was created in the Spring time and in March when the day and night are equall and of one length in all the world Both these opinions are maintained by reasons and arguments produced out of Gods Word but the reasons which are brought to prove the latter opinion I conceive to be more strong and solide and therefore I doe incline to beleeve that the world was created in the Spring time and not in Autumne and that others may be better confirmed in this truth I will propound the reasons on both sides and will answer the one and confirme the other The maine Arguments which tend to prove that the world was created in September are foure especially The first because September was from the beginning observed and accounted for the first moneth of the yeare both by the Israelites and Forefathers and also by the Egyptians and other Nations For Exod. 12. 2. it appeares that March for a speciall reason was made the first moneth to the Israelites because in that moneth they came out of Egypt And that till then both they and the Egyptians accounted September the first moneth I answer that the Egyptians did erroneously begin their yeare in Autumne and the Israelites living with them did for civill respects follow their account And therefore when they were to depart out of Egypt God did both reach and command them the right observation in Abib or March Exod. 12. 2. and called them to the true ancient and originall forme of beginning the yeare in the Vernall equinoctiall which is in Abib that is March Yea the Caldeans and Persians who were of better credit then the Egyptians did alwaies from the beginning account March the first moneth of the yeare therefore this Argument is of no force Secondly they argue that September was the moneth wherein the yeare of Rest and the yeare of Jubile did begin by Gods appointment as appeares Levit. 25. 9. for on the tenth day of that moneth God commanded the Israelites to sound the Trumpet of Jubile in all the land and so to begin their yeare of Jubile and Release Therefore that is the true beginning from the creation I answer to this two waies First that as the yeare of Rest was not the first but the seventh and the last of the seven and the yeare of Jubile was the next year after seven Sabbaths of years So the Lord did still follow the number of seven and would have it begin in September because it was the seventh moneth and not the first by the order of creation Secondly the moneth of September when all the fruit is taken from the ground and men begin to sow and plant for the next yeare is the fittest time for to begin the yeare of Rest and of Jubile wherein every man was to re-enter into his land which he had sold as appeares Vers. 10 11. and this was the cause of beginning in September not because it was the first moneth of the world and of the yeare reckoned from the creation but because it was the fittest for men to give up the land empty to the owners when they had gathered in the corne and fruit and cleared the ground and so this Argument is of no force Thirdly they argue That the time wherein all things naturally come to prefection is most likely to be the time wherein God created the world and all things therein perfect in their kind and that is Autumne and September as experience teacheth Therefore it is most likely to be the first moneth from the creation This Argument is divers waies defective First the state of the world in the creation was far different from that state of things which now is ever since mans fall and corruption Then all times were both Spring and Harvest and trees did both blossome and beare perfect fruit at all times of the yeare Therefore no certaine Argument can arise from this ground Secondly if any time be more perfect then another and retaine perfection from the creation it is most likely to be the Spring time for in the Spring all things begin to revive and shoot forth of the earth as they did in the creation then are the fields most fresh and green and full of beautifull flowers as in the state of innocency And as for Summer and Harvest they doe but ripen things which the Spring hath quickened and nourished and hasten them to corruption and not to perfection causing them to die and wither Yea verily if the earth had not been cursed for mans sin it would now bring forth in the Spring not onely flowers and blossomes and Spring fruits but also all other kinds of fruit Therefore this is a weak Argument As for their fourth Argument which is Cabalisticall drawne from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth in September agreeing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth in the beginning in the same letters I have answered it before and shewed that they differ in one letter to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore it is but a fallacie But now for the beginning of the yeare naturally in the moneth of March which is called by the Hebrewes Abib and Nisan as being the moneth in which the world was created and that the world was created in the Vernall equinoctiall when day and night were equall in all the world divers of the Ancients affirme and hold as Athanasius Ambrose Theodoret Cyril Damascene Beda and others and with them many judicious and learned Divines of later times doe concurre as Junius Polanus and others Their reasons are very strong forcible and convincing which cannot be gain-said First they prove it out of the Scriptures Gen. 8. 13. where that moneth is called the first of the yeare by account from the creation wherein the waters were dried up from the earth and it began to bring forth fruit for Noah and the
the body of Divinity First I will begin with the Creation and will labour to unfold the nature of it in generall And then I will proceed to the handling of all the speciall works therof every one distinctly by it self in particular Secondly I will passe from thence to the works of Gods actuall providence under which comes the government and preservation of the world and of al things created and the ordering and disposing of every thing to the proper end of it More especially the fall of man into sin misery and guilt of damnation And the Redemption of man from misery and his Restauration to grace and glory by the application and fruition of Redemption and by true spirituall union and communion with Christ the Redeemer and with God the Father in him by the inhabitation of the Holy Ghost Thus much for the generall Doctrin of Gods outward works laid down in this Text and for the division of them in their severall heads and kinds unto which all the particular outward works may be reduced FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OF THE CREATION OF THE VVORLD GEN. 1. 1. In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth IN this Chapter the historle of the Creation is most plainely and succinctly written by Moses and the workes of the six dayes are distinctly laid downe according to the order wherein God created and made all creatures in heaven and earth In the second Chapter some things which were but more briefely and generally laid downe in the first Chapter to wit the creation of plants herbes and trees and of birds and beasts and especially of man and woman and the creation of the garden of Eden with other circumstances are more plainely and fully related And therefore I have made choice of those two Chapters the words whereof doe give us ground and occasion to handle the doctrine of the creation and to discusse of all points therein needfull to be knowne for the glory of God and our own profit and comforts In the whole history comprehended in these two Chapters the Spirit of God offers to our consideration two things First the creation as it is a worke of God together with the severall parts and degrees of it Secondly the creatures produced by that work even the whole world and all things therein contained that is the heavens and the earth all the host of them Creation is here described First generally according to the common nature of it as it concernes all creatures and is the making of them all Secondly it is distinguished and described particularly according to the severall parts and branches thereof as it concernes severall kindes of things created First Creation is described generally by the name the Author or cause and by the time and forme of it throughout this whole Chapter Secondly it is distinguished into two branches or degrees The first is simple or absolute and immediate creation which is a making of something out of nothing The other is secondary creation that is a making of perfect things out of an imperfect matter which was before created of nothing and was of it selfe most unfit for any such substantiáll forme and being as was raised out of it Simple or absolute creation which is a making of things out of nothing is laid downe in the first verse And that is here distinguished into two particular branches according to the number of the things created the Heaven and the Earth The first is the creation of the highest heavens and all the host of them as the spirit of God by Moses expounds himselfe more plainely Chap. 2. 1. This was a most perfect creating and making of things perfect in nature forme and being out of nothing and that in an instant The second is the creating of the earth that is a rude imperfect masse and confused Chaos or deep which was without forme and void and fit for no substantiall forme or perfect being as yet neither could subsist but by the spirit supernaturally susteining it For so the word Earth is expounded in the next verse even to be that rude masse and deep which he made of nothing that it might be the common matter of all the inferiour visible world and of the creatures therein conteined The second maine branch of creation which I call secondary or mediate creation and which is a making of things perfect out of an imperfect matter created of nothing is laid downe historically throughout these two Chapters where the creation of the severall kindes of creatures in the six dayes is described particularly And this hath also two particular branches The first is the creating of things out of the first rude confused matter which was without forme and void and full of darknesse such was the creating of the foure elements 1. Fire called light 2. The Aire called the firmament 3. The Waters or the Seas 4. The Earth or drye land The second is the creating of things perfect out of the second matter which was beforehand formed and disposed into the forme and substance of elements such was the creation of the Sunne Moone and Starres in the heavens and of the foules in the aire and fishes in the sea and beasts on earth which were all created of the second matter that is of the matter of the elements brought into forme There is besides these branches of creation another particular creation mixt of simple and secondary creation namely the creation of man who in respect of his body was made of the dust of the earth by secondary or mediate creation and in respect of his soule was created by God as the Angels were immediatly of nothing by a simple absolute and immediate creation This is also described First generally in this Chapter verse 26 27. and also distinctly and particularly Cap. 2. 7. And as this history doth describe the act or worke of creation both generally and particularly in all the bâ—anches thereof so also all the Creatures or kindes of things created The Creatures are here distinguished according to the time and order of their creation Some of them were created in the first beginning of time in the first moment wherein time first began to wit the highest heaven with the inhabitants thereof the Angels and the earth that is the rude masse or first common matter of the inferiour world and all the creatures therein Some of them were created in the progresse of time or in times distinct even in six severall dayes to wit all the rest of the creatures and they are distinguished by the time and order of their creation Some were created the first day some the second and the rest severally in the rest of the six dayes and they are described by their severall names and natures as shall appeare hereafter when they come to be handled distinctly CHAP. I. Of the Creation in generall What the Hebrew word signifieth Of the Author Time Object and Forme of the Creation A description of
commandement bringing all things to passe out of meere nothing or that which was as nothing made of nothing without any instruments toile labour alteration or delay for the revelation of himselfe and for the communion of his goodnesse and glory This description truely gathered from this text and this historie is in whole and in every part confirmed by other testimonies of Gods holy infallible Word First creation is an outward act or work because it is not within God himselfe but his making of things and giving to them a being different from his own essence Secondly it is Gods first outward act because it was the giving of the first being to all kindes of creatures in which and upon which hee exerciseth all other outward works these two points are manifest and need no further proofe But as for the third point the Author or first cause God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost wee have manifest proofe of it in Scripture able to satisfie any reasonable mind First that the Lord Jehovah the only true God not Angels is alone the Creatour of all things Holy Job testifieth saying that hee alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea Job 9. 8. And Isa. 44. 24. I saith Jehovah am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe Secondly that all the three Persons are equall in this worke and as they all are one God so are one Creatour of all things it is manifest Job 35. 10. Where the Creatour of all things is called in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my makers that is more Persons than one even three Persons in one God and Psal. 149. 2. Let Israel rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them that made him and Eccles. 12. 1. Remember thy Creators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Isa. 54. 5. The Lord thy makers is thine husbands the Lord of hostes is his name For the Father in particular there is no doubt all confesse him to be the Creatour and so the Scriptures testifie Prov. 8. 22 23. and Heb. 1. 2 3. For the Son also we have plaine texts that by him all things were made and nothing without him John 13. 10. and Joh. 5. 17 19. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 10. And as the Spirit is one God with the Father and the Sonne so his hand wrought with them in the Creation as appeares Gen. 1. 2. Where it is said the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters that is cherished the rude masse as the Hen doth her egges by sitting on them and so gave forming vertue to them so the Hebrew word signifieth and Job 26. 13. God is said by his spirit to have garnished the heavens and Job 33. 4. The spirit of God hath made me saith Elihu and Psal. 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord that is the Sonne were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth that is his spirit Fourthly for the time of the Creation we need not stand much upon proofe of it This Text sheweth that it began in the beginning or first moment of time And in six dayes it was perfected and fully finished as the rest of the Chapter sheweth It was of old that God founded the earth and made the heavens as the Psalmist testifieth Psal. 102. 25. that is in the first beginning of times And reason tells us that time being a circumstance and inseparable companion of creatures visible must of necessity begin together with their being Yet one thing is worthy to be noted in the time namely That whereas God was able in the first moment to create all things as he did the highest heavens and the rude masse which is called the earth in my Text and which was the common matter of all the visible world yet he did distribute and divide the creation into divers acts which are distinguished one from another by the effects that is the creatures made and by the severall times and dayes also wherein they were performed Which point wee will insist upon as it well deserves when we come to the several acts performed particularly in severall dayes of the Creation The fifth point in the description is the generall object and effect of creation to wit all things and the first being of them For here the object and effect concurre and are altogether the same The world and all things therein and the first matter of which they were made as they are the onely things about which the act of creation is exercised so they are the object of creation And as they are things made by the creation so they are effects of it Now this generall object and effect as it is truly gathered from the enumeration of all the kindes of things created which are numbred in this Chapter and the next and is plainely expressed in the description so it is abundantly testified in all the Scriptures as Isa. 44. 24. and Coloss. 1. 16. and Exod. 20. 11. where all things in heaven and earth visible and invisible are said to bee made created and formed by God Yea the first rude matter it selfe out of which the inferior world was made is here in my Text said to be created by God And this is confirmed by reason drawn from the nature of God and his Name Jehovah For God as this Name signifieth is an absolute essence of himselfe and the first being of all and the Author of all being Therefore every thing which is or hath being must needs be of him and be his creature The sixth point in the description is the matter out of which God created all things under which we comprehend two things First the matter improperly so called or Terminum à quo from whence God brought the first being of all things immediately And that was either negative even nothing or their not being at all or positive their being in Gods eternall purpose onely This was the first matter which God had to worke upon in the first immediate act of creation Secondly the matter properly so called that is either the rude masse made of nothing which was without forme and void or the foure Elements which had in them no forme or being of the things created and so were as nothing in respect of that being which God gave to every particular thing which he made of them For proofe of this we have a plain testimonie Heb. 11. 3. where the Apostle saith By faith we underst and that the worlds were framed by the word of God So that the things which are seen were not made of things which doe appeare Here it is plaine that hee speakes 1. Of creation in generall in that hee saith The worlds were framed 2. In that he denies the visible world to be made of any naturall things which doe appeare to any sense hereby hee shewes that their first matter was made of
THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION AS IT IS WRITTEN BY MOSES in the first and second CHAPTERS of GENESIS plainly opened and expounded in severall Sermons preached in London Whereunto is added a short Treatise of GODS actuall Providence in ruling ordering and governing the world and all things therein By G. W. Batchelour of Divinity and Pastour of St. Iohn Evangelist LONDON Printed for John Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup neare St. Austins-gate in Pauls Church-yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND NOBLE Lords FRANCIS Earle of BEDFORD Robert Earle of Warwick William Viscount Say and Seale Edward Viscount Mandevilc Robert Lord Brooke John Lord Roberts and the rest of the Honourable Lords Committees in the upper nouâ—e of the high Court of Parliament Grace and Peace with multiplicity of all Blessings temporall and eternall Most Noble LORDS THat which the learned Doctours of the Jews doe say of their Masorah to wit That it is an hedge or defence to the Law We Christians may more truly say of our weekly Sabbath the Lords day that it is the hedge of defence to true Christian Religion For as their Masorah which was their Annotations upon all the Scriptures of the old Testament shewing the genuine reading and signification of every word in the Hebrew text with what pricks vowels and accents it ought to be and was anciently written and read by Moses and the Prophets and by tradition from Ezra and other succeeding Fathers in all ages delivered over unto them did serve as an hedge and fence to keep the Scriptures of the old Testament pure from all corruption and alteration so that if any Scribe did in writing any copy of them omit or adde one word or letter or alter and change any vowell point or accent his errour might easily by the notes and rules of their Masorah be discerned and amended So the Lords holy weekly Sabbath being rightly observed according to the Law of God and the first institution and sanctification of it that is First by cessation and rest from all worldly cares and all secular affairs in respect wherof it is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath that is rest and cessation Secondly by devoting it only to the worship and service of God and by sanctifying it with preaching reading and hearing of the word prayer meditation and other works of piety and exercises of true Religion in which respect it is called the Lords day that is the day of the Lord Christ consecrated to his honor and to the service and worâ—hip of God in his name It is most certainly as we find by experience a strong hedge and fence to true Christian Religion by which true piety and the true knowledge and worship of God and true Faith in Christ are upheld maintained increased and continued among all Christian nations from generation to generation Without observation of this weekly Sabbath and keeping this day of the Lord Christ holy by holy assemblies the publik and private worship of God the knowledge of Christ the memory of our Redemption by him and of his finishing and perfecting that great work and resting from it in his resurrection the publike preaching reading and hearing of the word and all other exercises of Christian religion which are the most effectuall ordinary meanes of grace and furtherances to eternall life and blessednesse would undoubtedly grow out of use and at length utterly decay and vanish This consideration did move me to insist more largely upon this subject and to make many Sermons upon that Text Gen. 2. 2 3. which briefly relates the first institution of the Sabbath on the seventh day in the first weeke of the world and Gods blessing and sanctifying of every seventh day in every week to be an holy Sabbath to his people Out of which Sermons first publikly preached to mine owne peculiar flocke I did afterwards compose this Treatise at the importunity of some of my best affected hearers and imparted severall written copies of it unto divers of them having at that time no hope to get it licensed for the Presse For by Gods speciall providence I having handled the doctrine of the Creation out of the 1. Chap. of Genesis was by my order of preaching and expounding of that Scripture led along and brought to this Text concerning Gods sanctifying of the seventh day at that very time when a book of liberty for sports on the Lords day was by the Bishops in every Diocesse sent to every Parish Church and commanded to be publickly read by every Minister in time of divine Service in the audience of all the people And because I proceeded to handle this subject as the order of my text did lead me and durst not balk that part of Gods word I was three severall times convented before my Ordinary and admonished under paine of suspension to proceed no further in this doctrine not for any errour which could be objected against any part or passage in it but only because the times would not beare it And because I did not hold it fit nor safe for me to obey man rather then God by concealing from my flock any part of Gods truth and shunning to declare unto them the whole counsell of God I have undergone the high displeasure of that Primate to whose jurisdiction my Church doth belong who upon divers false informations of catchers which have bin imployed to entrap me in my words that they might have something wherof to accuse me hath caused me to be convented before the Kings Majesty and the Lords of his Honourable Privy Counsell and hath charged and accused me to be a Preacher of factious and seditious Doctrine and for many years the great troubler of the City of London Wherupon I was committed close prisoner for two and twenty weeks and through close custody was by sicknesse brought neare unto death and could not obtain so much liberty as to be confined to the limits of my brothers house for the safety of my life upon bayle of a 1000 pound given untill by the testimony of fifty five Neighbour Ministers of best report in and about the City I was declared to be innocent and free from all the crimes of which I was accused Now blessed be God for your happy Assembly in this most hopefull Parliament by which I have been eased of my strait bonds and the times are so changed that this Treatise and divers others of my labours are licensed to passe by the Presse into the publik view of the world I should not have dared to commend it to the sight and grave Judgement of your Honours If your godly Zeale for the sanctifying of the Lords day and for the honouring of the name of the Sabbath which appeared most evidently to us all who of late were present at the time when that scandalous libell intituled Sunday no Sabbath was most accurately and judiciously sifted and examined by your Honours and justly censured and condemned to the fire had
actions on earth The wordes of our Saviour Luk. 24. 39. shew that Spirits have not flesh and bones Therefore Angels being spirits have no such bodies united to them as those wherein they appeared 4. Corollary That Angels are confined to the places in which they are and are in places definitively though not circumscribed and measured by them as bodily things are Angels being pure spirits doe not consist of parts as bodily things doe neither have they any bodily quantity or dimension as length breadth height and thicknesse and so they cannot bee compassed about nor measured nor limited by any bodily space but yet they are definitively in their places that is there and no where else and their substance together with bodily substances may be in the same place as the whole soule of man is in the whole body and is wholly in every part of it and no where else so it is with Angels 5. Corollary Seeing Angels are by creation the proper and naturall inhabitants of the highest heavens which is a most spacious place compassing about the whole visible World and more large and capacious then all other places as Solomon doth intimate 1 Kin. 8. 27. Hence it followeth that the Angels are many in number more then can be numbred by man and so in respect of man innumerable For we must not thinke that God who in the creation replenished the Sea with fishes the aire with birds and the visible heavens with innumerable starres and the earth with beasts and creeping things and commanded man to multiply and replenish the earth wouldleave the bestand most glorious place of all not fully replenished with inhabitants glorious Angels who were created at the first in their full number undoubtedly therefore there must be many farre more then man can number And this the Prophet Daniel saw in a vision and testified Dan. 7. 10. where hee saith that a thousand thousand ministred to the Lord Christ and ten thousand thousand stood before him Also in the Gospell wee read that there was a Legion that is six thousand divels in one man Mark 5. 9. And if there be so many divels that is evill Angels in one man then surely the whole company or multitude of those evill Angels must be many And the whole company of Angels in the first creation of which some onely did fall and become Divels must needs much more bee innumerable And if that conjecture and opinion of learned men be true to wit that the Angels which sinned and were cast downe from heaven are as many in number as all the elect of mankind which have beene are or shal be to the end of the World and that they shall fill up the glorious mansions and supply the roomes and places of the lost Angels then surely the multitude of all the Angels which God created must needs bee great and innumerable farre exceeding our capacity 6. Corollary Sixthly the highest heavens being the place of rest and not of motion which is proper to visible and corporeall things and being the place where God hath appointed that the eternall rest or Sabbath shal be kept Therefore the Angels which were created to bee the naturall inhabitants of those glorious heavens were not made to move with bodily motion as bodily creatures doe their coming from heaven to earth is not a passage through the whole space between heaven and earth which would require a long time but as it is with the mindes and thoughts of men they are now here exercised about things present and in a moment of time in the twinckling of an eye they are in the remotest parts of the World or in the highest heavens and yet passe not through the space betweene so it may well be and we may with good reason conceive that the Angels which are of a purer and more heavenly substance then our soules and more nimble and active then the mindes or thoughts of men are by nature can in a moment bee present here on earth and in the next moment bee againe in heaven But howsoever or by what way soever they descend and ascend it is most certaine that they are the swiftest of all things created and so much the Scriptures shew clearly in many places where they describe Angels with wings and call them Cherubins and Seraphins yea some one of them with many wings which are instruments of flying and of swiftest motion as Gen. 3. 24. Ezech. 10. 1. 19. and 11. 22. and Isa. 6. 2. Also we read that on a suddaine even in an instant a whole multitude of the heavenly host have descended from heaven and beene present on earth Luk. 2. 13. And the Angell of the Lord is said to encampe with an heavenly host round about them that feare God Psalm 34. 7. not by being here resident and abiding on earth out of their proper place of abode but by standing before God in heaven and beholding his face that they may bee ready in a moment when hee gives the watch word to present themselves on earth there to deliver his elect and to destroy their enemies as our Saviour doth intimate Matth. 18. 20. 7. Corollary Seventhly seeing the highest heaven is the proper place of Angels and this is the order which God did set in the creation that all creatures should keep their station and not leave their dwelling Hence it followes that it is against nature and contrary to the order of creation that many Angels are excluded and shut out of heaven even all the evill Angels And it is a thing above nature even the supernaturall grace and gift of God and a thing purchased and procured by the infinite power excellency and dignity of Christs merit and mediation that the elect and holy Angels should bee made ministering spirits and sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation as the Apostle saith Hebr. 1. 14. And here now occasion is offered to discourse about the sin and fall of the Divell and evill Angels how contrary it was to the law of nature that they should forsake their station sin against God and not stand in the truth and to the order which God set in the creation that they should leave their dwelling and exclude themselves out of heaven and be cast downe into Hell Also here is occasion given to shew that the elect Angels come to minister for the elect through the supernaturall power and efficacy of Christs mediation that Christ by supernaturall grace and benefits given to the heavenly Angels hath obliged and bound them to himselfe to obey him as their head and to minister for the good of his little ones But these things come more fittly to bee handled after the creation when wee come to discourse of the confusion of the World by the Divels Apostasie and mans fall and of the restoring of mankind and the renuing and perfecting of the World by Christ. Now these Doctrines thus opened and proved are of great