call'd will help to strike the Nail farther into the Head of those proud and unchristian Sisera's Unbelievers I may also call them seeing they refuse to believe the true God of Israel when he speaks of his Son who under the Name of this Angel he promised should go before them Ex. 32.34 Mine Angel shall go before thee And in the next Chapter God calls him his Presence ch 33.14 or his Face God hath many Angels but in a most special manner that he calls his but God hath not many Faces 2 Cor. 4.6 only one and that is the Face of Jesus Christ in whom only is the knowledge of the glory of God for God giveth the knowledge of his glory only in him Because he is the express Image of his Heb. 1.3 the Father's Person Those two Texts in the Old Testament compared with and explained by these two in the New shew that the Lord Jesus the proper Son of God went before and guided his People in the Wilderness so pre-existed the time of his Birth of the Virgin and that it may not be said of any Creature that the glory of God is in his Face or that he is the express Image of the Person of the Father and the brightness of his glory as the Beam is the brightness of the glory of the Sun In my way towards a Conclusion I shall by the grace of God briefly bring in some few Texts which do explain and confirm the great Truths now in question some I elsewhere have taken notice of however I now shall add something to what I then said but others I shall mention which I did not before but this I shall premise In the Apostle John's Days who lived to a very Old Age sprang up some Heresiarks as Simon the first of all Cerinthus Ebion and Menander who deny'd the Divinity of Christ as now Socinians do This moved the Apostle to assert and vindicate it as in his Gospel Epistles and Revelation he hath done so fully that if there were no other Books left of the New Testament there is in them abundantly enough to certifie and confirm that Heavenly Truth as out of several places in his Writings I sufficiently demonstrated in my Book against the Blasphemies of Socinianism which he doth so plainly and so often that we must take notice how the Holy Ghost by his Pen intended chiefly and strongly to suggest to and convince Men of the Fundamental Truth of Christian Religion namely that the Lord Jesus is the proper Son of God 1 Joh. 5.5.9 10 11 12 13 20. and to the end that great Truth may make a deep impression upon the Souls of Men in one Chapter in no less than seven Verses he emphatically calls him the Son of God and v. 10 he is twice so called so twice in the 13th and that in such a manner so sensibly and with such Circumstances as denote a true proper and natural kind of Son-ship and he is so earnest upon 't may be all that time having in his Eye the Blasphemy of those Hereticks as to charge those who deny Christ to be the Son of God and believe not in him to make God a Lyar who is the God of Truth the highest Blasphemy that the Devil can infuse into Men For saith he he that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar He saith wherein Because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son And what is that Record Besides his Commission in sending him into the World and the Works attended with so many Miracles and Wonders which the Father gave him to finish and to the evidence of which our Saviour did appeal we have it in his Baptism in a most eminent and special manner for the Father bare record of him when he said from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Certainly God spoke absolutely truly and properly and not Metaphorically improperly and by a Figure not my Son according to the Flesh spiritually or only in some respect but simply my Son that is begotten of my substance and of the same Nature with me as a Son ought to be and is of the same Nature with the Father Volkel l. 5. c. 12. whose only begotten he is which is the proper signification of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which a Socinian would corrupt and render by that of Most beloved to enervate the strength of it The Priests Philosophers and Poets among the Heathen either out of Noah's or Abraham's Schools or by some other way had a kind of dark knowledge of this Truth which for want of Revelation they understood not therefore did hide it under Fables and Lies as may be that of Mercury Jupiter's Son and Messenger of Pallas born out of his Head but for Socinians who have God's Word so positively affirming this Truth 't is for them the unpardonable sin of Unbelief which sinks them into Atheism for whosoever knoweth not and worshipeth not the true God he is without God and all who deny Father Son and Holy Ghost to be the true God know not the true God poor Wretches who presume with the Line of their shallow Brain and weak Reason to fathom the deep things of God which prompts them to put several impertinent rash and blasphemous Questions how short do they fall of the Modesty Sobriety and Wisdom of an Heathen Sextus the Pythagorean who said Concerning God inquire of nothing but what thou mayst lawfully say nothing of God but what thou hast learned of God 't is better for one to lose his Life than to speak an idle word of God it is better to say nothing of God than rashly to speak of him Such Men shall at the last Day rise in Judgment against Socinians Among the Greeks Pythagoras himself made all perfection to consist in the number of three or in Trinity and Plato constituted three Principles of all things Good Understanding and the Soul or Life whereby we Christians may understand Father Son and Holy Ghost who created the World But I must go on The Centurion's Words are remarkable when he said to our Saviour Matth. 8.8 Lord speak the Word only and my Servant shall be healed just as Scripture speaks in the matter of Creation Psal 33.9 He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood Such a Word of Command we read of in Jonah And the Lord spake unto the Fish Jonah 2.10 and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry Land which last words imply a special Providence and ordering of things for the Fish might have vomited him in the middle or the bottom of the Sea but because God would save him 't was upon dry Land But to return to the Centurion whose great Faith the Lord commended he believed and was not mistaken that our Saviour might as absolutely command Distempers and Health Death and Life as he
to leave others in the natural State of sin And as in the Work of Creation so in that of Redemption the Three Persons of the most Holy Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost agreed about the Means conducing to that End The Father was to send his Son Jesus Christ Epes 3.4 in whom he hath chosen us before the foundation of the World The Son to come purchase and work Salvation for us and the Holy Ghost to apply that Purchase and make it effectual In order to this the whole Administration of this great and Glorious Work was committed to the Son Acts 10.36 Heb. 1.2 Matt. 28.18 Joh. 5.19 who thereby was made King and Lord of all and Heir of all things so all power was given him in Heaven and in Earth Hence it is that what things soever the Father doth those also doth the Son likewise Nay in this he is so fully and absolutely Plenipotentiary that the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son This Office of Mediatour and Saviour he from the Creation of the World began to administer it in the Royal part as executing Judgment upon the Wicked and saving his People sometimes by Angels at other times by himself in the shape of a Man Also his Prophetical Office even before the Flood 2 Pet. 2.5 1 Pet. 1.11 by Noah called a Preacher of Righteousness and afterwards by all the Prophets in whom his spirit was Thus from the beginning of the World he hath every where from Abel to Abraham and in Egypt the Wilderness c. been Ordering Ruling and Governing his Church and the whole World which he continues to do and will till after the last Judgment Day when having gotten all his Elect together he will introduce them into everlasting Glory all this by his own Power And this is such a work as infinitely exceedeth all Humane and Angelical Strength and Wisdom so that none but a Divine Power can perform it therefore he that doth it till all his Enemies be brought under his Feet and fully overcome must need be true Essential and Eternal God Who but he who is the true God by Nature can Baptize with the Holy Ghost John 6.33 But John Baptist according to the Testimony he had from Heaven bare witness that Christ doth as he actually did his Apostles according to the promise he made to them And in the same place John Baptist bare record that this is the Son of God Acts 2. chap. 1.5 John 1.33.34 Luk. 7.28 John 1.27 and 3.30.31 Why to call him thus if he was not really such Hereby he shews that vast difference between the Lord and himself of whom our Saviour said Among those that are born of Women there is not a greater Prophet than John the Baptist who in several places made himself a meer nothing in comparison of the Lord Jesus and here by the name Son of God he is distinguished from all Men John never call'd himself nor no Man else Son of God only this Jesus Christ and none else is the Son of God with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a but the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsemet this very same which that he is is so certain a truth that our Lord owned it before the Council of the Chief Priests and Scribes who were not so blind as Socinians are or would seem to be for though our Saviour had spoken to them not so plainly Luke 22.69 yet this meaning they understood well Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God Though he called himself Son of Man yet the last words made them to conclude that he made himself the Son of God and consequently God for none but the proper Son of God can sit on the right hand of the Power of God therefore they all presently asked him Art thou then the Son of God which was a Natural Consequence of what he had said and the Particle then is a Note of inference which our Saviour owned in these words ye say that I am That is plainly I am and ye are not mistaken which they call'd Blasphemy so would Socinians have said if they had been there for now they do so set their Hand and Seal Mark 14.64 to his Condemnation for Blasphemy and consequently that he was justly put to Death for it when truely properly and in the sense which the Jews took it he made himself Son of God which as much as in them lies is To crucifie the son of God a-fresh Heb. 6.6 and put him to an open shame Hitherto though I had occasion to do 't I have taken no notice of the Opinion of those who say St. John's Gospel to have been written by Cerinthus for 't is such a nonsensical untruth and so absurd a Forgery that I ever thought it not worth minding In John's time the Heresiark Cerinthus denyed our Saviour's Divinity which that Gospel proves as often fully and plainly as any Book whatsoever in the the New Testament as indeed that Apostle did write it a purpose to prove it and thereby to confute the Impious Heresie of that Instrument of Satan as he declares it when he saith These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God Joh. 20.3 and that ye might have life through his name To say a proof is against a thing when 't is visibly for it gives a just cause to put the question whether he or they who said so knew what they said But Drowning Men will lay hold on any thing that comes into their Hand Besides 't is a great Impiety to make a Blasphemous Heretick Author of an Holy Gospel generally owned to be Canonical and Inspired by the Holy Ghost This Holy Gospel doth confound the Enemies of our blessed Lord and Saviour's Divinity therefore they so often would have been nibbling at it not one chapter but affords strong proofs of it For not to mention here those several places out of which we have drawn strong Arguments for it How many things to confirm it did the Lord Jesus speak therein from the time of his eating the Passover till he was taken that was but short which he took to prepare his Disciples for that separation which by his Death was to follow comforting them with telling what he would and could do for them I shall take notice of that only wherein he speaks of that high point of his Divine Glory by a mutual Glorification between the Father and him Joh. 13.31 32. Now is the Son of man glorified and God is glorified in him but this is not all for if God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himself This indeed were a Blasphemy for a meer Creature to speak after this manner here is a perfect Equality of Glory they glorifie one another and are glorified one in another God shall glorifie him not without but
go further and blasphemously deny God's Omnipresence and consequently his Infiniteness and Immensity Now God is present every where first by his Essence 1 Kings 8.27 for thereby he fills up all things the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him And whither shall I go from thy spirit Psal 139.7 8 9 10. or whither shall I flee from thy presence c. God is also every where by his Knowledge Heb. 4.13 for nothing is hidden from it for all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do God is also every where by his Power and Operation 1 Cor. 12.6 for he worketh all in all Yet for all these a Socinian * Crellius de Deo p. 278. Author denies God to be every where for he would not have him to be amidst filthy and defiled things as if his Holiness was thereby in danger of being defiled But I ask is the Sun less pure or is it stain'd for shining upon Filth and Dunghills or is it thereby infected God they would confine in Heaven which indeed is the Chief Seat of his Glory and as the Word saith Is his Throne and the Earth is his Footstool And as God in his Glory is in Heaven Isa 66.1 in his terrible Justice is in Hell so in Earth he is both in his Mercy and Justice Thus he is every where God's Eternity they dare not openly to deny but the Nature of it they very much corrupt for God's Eternity is his own Existence which is necessary and by reason of most supreme Perfection cannot not be Vorstius in not ad Thes 7. disp de Deo therefore what one of the worst of Men writes is false Inanis Logomachia c. It is an idle dispute about words for any one to deny Eternity to be the same with eternal time for Time is a Contingent and Duration but Eternity doth denote a necessary and unmeasur'd Duration therefore Crellius runs upon as bad ground when he saith That God's Eternity hath Parts when it is altogether indivisible and seeing God's Eternity is God himself Eternal it admits of no Accident and therein is no Priority nor Posteriority as 't is in time As to God's Omniscience they would confine it within certain Bounds for saith one of them * Crellius cap. 24. p. 202. 't is not extended unto things which cannot be known by Nature So he denies the Determination of future Contingents And †Praelect Theol. p. 547. alibi Socinus though he owns a Divine Prediction of some things to come yet will not attribute it to God's Prescience but only to a Divine Decree But their abominable Impieties about these Matters are plainly and abundantly to be seen in * Protest Anti-Vorst pag. 361 362. one of their Authors whose Book King James caused to be burnt here by the Hangman Against the Author and Book he published something of his own and did write to the States General to turn him out of his Place of Divinity-Professour at Leyden and to banish him for he knew it to be the Duty of Princes to suppress Blasphemy and punish Blasphemers He made an Extract written with his own Hand of some of this Man 's blasphemous Impieties and sent it to his then Ambassador in Holland by him to be presented to the said States-General Vorstius p. 112. as we find them among his Works one of which is his giving God a Body as already mention'd The 2d is this Non satis igitur p. 232. c. They who affirm God both in Essence and Will wholly to be unchangeable want a due circumspection Further p. 237. nusquam Scriptum legimus c. We read no where God's Substance to be simply Insinite but many things there are which seem to have a contrary sense Another is this Magnitudo nulla c. No Magnitude is actually infinite therefore God himself is not There are three things more of the same Stamp observed by that King p. 308 441 171. one about the Determination of future Contingents from Eternity Another for a general Science of God without the special one of things to come And the last is That many things may happen in the World without God's Fore-knowledge Thus those Wretches do meddle not only against the Persons of the Godhead but also against the Nature and Attributes of it But the Orthodox and Learned King James to suppress Blasphemy and Heresie burnt the Books that contain'd it for besides that of Vorstius he caused that of Bertius for the Apostasie of Saints also to be burnt whence we may infer That if the Authors had been within his Dominions he would have punish'd them And some Years after the Racovian Catechism which is the Socinian Gospel was by the Parliament condemn'd to be burnt They write and act against the Three Persons both singly and jointly first against the Father with denying him to have been such from Eternity for they affirm he had no Son from Eternity without which he could not properly nor actually be a Father thus by a new Relation of Paternity in time he was made that which he had not been from Eternity Secondly against the Son by denying his Divinity and Eternal Generation which is the Foundation of Christian Religion 1 Cor. 3.11 and other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Not that he is a meer Man for the Church of God is not built upon Man Matt. 16.18 but that He is the Son of the living God For upon that Truth which Peter made solemn Confession of he said Vpon this rock that I truly and properly am the Son of the Living God I will build my Church wherefore the Apostle calls him the chief corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Thirdly Against the Holy Ghost whose Divinity and Personality they also deny tho' Scripture appropriates to him as I shew'd elsewhere and somewhat lower shall speak of the Names Attributes Works and Worship proper to the only True God We know that in Scripture the Name Holy Ghost and Spirit of God are sometimes improperly taken for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost or for the Vertue of God but withal when 't is properly spoken which happens often then it signifies the Third Person of the most Holy Trinity therefore he is represented as the Father's and Son's Ambassadour whose secret Councils he knows and by whom he is said to be sent and so Faithful one that he speaks not of himself but what he hears that he speaks and he is called the Comforter Paraclete and Advocate to signify a Person and not a Vertue But as those Blasphemers are not satisfied to prevaricate against every Person of the most Holy Trinity separately they also do 't together and jointly against the Three for though the Word of God affirms that in the Unity of Nature there are Three Named the Father the Word and Holy Ghost where
by the Word John 5.7 the Son must be Understood for Father and Son are relatives and as the Father is a Person so must the Son so must the Holy Ghost yet they deny the most Holy Trinity asserted in Scriptures and confirm'd to have been the belief of the Whole Primitive Church as contained in the Apostolical Nicene and Athanasian Creeds and in the Constantinopolitan wherein the others were Comprehended and owned in the Confession of Faith of all Christian Churches in the World which was and is still made the first Article of Faith of One God in Three Persons yet against these great Lights they impiously say * Catech. Racov. Sententiam eorum c. the Opinion of these who do Attribute Divine Nature unto Christ is contrary not only to sound Reason but also to the Word of God and they do grosly err who affirm that not only the Father but also the Son and the Holy Ghost are Persons in one Godhead and †Vorstius one saith the Arguments by the Ancient Fathers and Modern Divines made use of for the Eternal Generation of Christ are either Fallacious or Frivolous and * Smalcius ad nov monst part 2. c. 22. p. 198. another calls them Ratiunculae Nugatoriae Trifling words the same in another place affirms that †Exam. 100. Errâ—r Er. 26. Christ before his Resurrection was not perfectly Christ or Son of God or God And elsewhere that Christ's Divinity consists in his sitting at the Right Hand of the Father Sessio Christi ad dextram Dei est Christi divinitas I begin to tremble when I think of what I am just now entring upon but 't is fit they should be known in their own Colours Here with Horror read how Blasphemonsly those Hellish and Abominable Monsters as are Servetus Dudithius Socinus himself and several others of those wicked Men so much admir'd by Vnitarians writ of the most Holy and most Blessed Trinity they call it Monstrum Tricipitem Cerberum Tricorporem Gerionem Deum fictitium ac Sophisticum Idolum novum Fabulosam Chymeram humanum Commentum Diabolicam Idaeam Babelis Turrim of many more I shall add the following which makes the Pen drop out of my Hand The most adorable Trinity is call'd Blasphemum dogma ex imô orcô per Filium perditionis virtute Satanae gentium Ecclesiis obtrusum I am at a stand whether or not to put this in English which though it makes my Heart ake and defiles my Pen yet to the end every one which understands no Latin may abhor such transcendent Blasphemies I say The most Holy Trinity they call a Monster a three Headed Cerberus a Geryon with three Bodies a Forged and Sophistical God a new Idol a Fabulous Chymera a Human Invention a Devilish Idea a Tower of Babel a Blaspemous Doctrine by the Son of Perdition and power of Satan drawn out of the very bottom of Hell and obtruded upon the Church of the Gentiles After this Socinians must not find it strange if I who through God's Grace am a Christian do abhor and detest those Principles which do overthrow the Christian Religion to set up a new one of their own and if I cannot be much in Charity with those who are for such Impieties and Blasphemies Tho' what I have already said be too much yet to shew how they break all Rules and do more and more sink into the Mire and if not worse yet are as bad as the Devil himself for Non audet Stygius Pluio tentare quod audet Effraenis Socinus there they will not stop for he must run fast whom the Devil drives I shall upon the matter add one thing or two more out of their Hellish Writings one of them writing against one of his Adversaries takes an occasion to fall upon Austin * Dudiâ—h Epist ad Bezam in Socin Oper. Tom. 1. p. 525. Tuum tibi Augustinum c. I shall speak to thee of thy Austin For having said many things quite contrary to the Gospel he also hath Publish'd this Eostatical Fancy of three Gods they the first drunk of this Wine afterwards they made others drunken with it so to them is happen'd what usually befals Men who when their sight is troubl'd instead of one they see three or more The same in another place saith †Epist ad Petrum Carol p. 538. Tricipitem Ter geminum c. The Apostles never knew this three Headed and threefold God nor the whole Orthodox Church this is impudently to tell this lye who can without Indignation read such things Do such Miscreants deserve to breath God's Air What that Man saith * Socin Animadv 10. in assert Theol. Coll. posnan Socinus Subscribes to when he saith Deum quidem c. The whole Vniversal Church owns that there is one God but that it doth reverence Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity no Church of God may by any means own seeing 't is altogether a Humane Invention which Divine Truth doth every way speak against After this ever since our Saviour's days the Church hath been in Ignorance and Darkness nay in a great and damnable Error about these Fundamentals of our Religion but this is not all For as to our Blessed Saviour's Incarnation or the Son of God being made Flesh they impiously Ridicule and Revile it * Ostorod Instit c. 17. p. 96. One calls it Purum c. A meer Porgery of Superstitious Men. Then the Evangelists and Apostles by whose means the Holy Ghost convey'd those Divine Truths to us were Forgers of Lyes thus they set Hand and Seal to what said that Impious Pope Leon X. the Fable about Jesus Christ hath procur'd the Church great Riches Another calls that high and adorable Mystery †Smalc Refut Graveri de Incarnâ—t Dogma c. A most Monstrous Doctrine unworthy to be receiv'd by the Christian Church And the same in a direct opposition to what St. John saith The Word was made Flesh hath this * Exam. 100 Err. Err. 49. Verbum non est Caro factum the Word was not made Flesh and to say the contrary is an Error and that vile Man thinks he can say any thing against Christ and in opposition to Scripture for in the same Book he adds Christus c. Christ from his Birth was not full of Grace and Truth Again Christ at his Death ceased to be Son of God Error 50. and therein he calls it a Fable Tanta est Fabula c. So great is this Fable of the Vnion of two Natures also a Dream of old Women Somnium anile many more such Impieties I could quote but it makes my Heart sick and amaz'd thereat strikes me with Horror and makes the Pen drop out of my Hand About the Holy Ghost they hold three Fundamental Errors First They deny him to be God though in several places Scripture simply and absolutly calls him so Acts. 5.3 4. Peter said to Ananias
Christian World Sixthly Not only they will not confine themselves within the bounds of the received Faith by the Primitive Church but do forge new Articles of Faith and cannot forbear giving ill language revilings and lies Seventhly they despise and contemptuously reject the Testimonies and Witnesses of the Doctors of the Primitive Church against all rules of decency and modesty Eighthly they take upon themselves peremptorily and magisterially to blame and condemn all Christian Protestant Churches as if they knew nothing and were nothing which in them is an effect of rashness and pride Ninethly not only they cannot forbear opposing the fundamental Principles of Christian Religion but also will not abstain from Impieties Blasphemies and abominable Expressions against the most Holy Trinity the Divinity of the Son of God who is the God of the Christians against his Incarnation c. as it hath already been plainly demonstrated such detestable things the Apostles never did against the Idols of the Gentiles for we read how the Town-Clerk of Ephesus said to the People Acts 19.37 ye have brought hither these Men which are neither Robbers of Churches nor yet Blasphemers of your Goddess the Apostles were for destroying Idolatry but therein they behaved themselves with a Christian Prudence and Modesty though in a good cause thus Paul calmly upon the account of the Altar to the unknown God Chap. 17.23 said to the Athenians whom ye ignorantly Worship him declare I unto you disputed with good arguments not with injuries according to the rule he gives his Disciple 2 Tim. 2.24.25 the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all Men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves But Lastly they are Wise in their own conceit setting up for the sole competent judges of all Controversies when alass that Reason of theirs which they so much trust to doth often fail and deceive them is very uncertain and proves a blind guide whereof I shall now give a considerable instance and therein shew their unreasonableness for calling themselves Vnitarians for the oneness of God lies in the Unity of Nature not of Persons Now I come to them and say Our Doctrine consists with it self for one of the Reasons why we confess Christ to be God is because we know there is but one true God but yours contradicts it self because ye make two Gods of different Natures when there is no true God but he that is such by Nature so if there is but one God there must be only one Divine Nature and none is God but he who hath that Divine Nature and if we worship those who by Nature are not Gods we worship false Gods and are Idolaters To make Gods of several Natures is meer Polytheism and Plurality of Gods which Scripture is so much against but to have several Persons yet of one and the same Nature doth not make many Gods so that when we affirm there is but one Divine Nature we assert the Oneness of God whilst they with affirming there are two Gods of different Natures destroy that Unity which consists in the Essence or Nature and therefore the Name Vnitarians which they call themselves by is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abusively taken they make one God by Divine Nature and another with a human Nature a great Absurdity which to any rational man must appear to bring in many Gods so multiplicity of Gods which without cause they would father upon us is justly fastned upon them Besides let it be taken notice of what kind of God they would make our Saviour to be a God not born but made a God by office and favour not by nature a God who had a beginning and shall have an end and at last be stripp'd of his Divinity a God who is not the first and shall not be the last who hath not made Heaven and Earth which the Apostle after a Prophet gives as a Character of the true God a God not such by Nature Acts 17.24 Jerem. 10.11 13. which Paul opposes to the true God an improper a metaphorical a dependent and without Blasphemy let it be said a Mock-god made by degrees like the Popish Wafer-god a God of about 1700 Years standing such a God they make our Saviour to be who is over all Rom. 9.5 God blessed for ever which is to make a God no God and as much as in them lies to ridicule the Godhead a God who hath not his Being of himself and is not the Author of being to the Creature which all are absurd Contradictions But I elsewhere abundantly proved our Saviour and Lord to be of the same Nature with the Father by an eternal generation Is it not very absurd and contradictious to give one the Essential Attributes of Divine Nature yet deny him Divine Nature which is inseparable from those Attributes so that where the Nature is there the Attributes must also be and where the Attributes so must also the Nature 'T is very strange that this people look upon 't as a thing impossible for God to communicate his Nature to one whom they own to have received Divine Knowledge Wisdom Power and that Divine Worship is his due which are proper Attributes of Divine Nature not really distinct but inseparable from it When men pay honour to a Person they first of all in their mind must be satisfied how in that Person is some Excellency and Dignity which deserves it and this leads them upon this account to make their Heart and Affections willing to entertain a singular Veneration for that person Hence in the third place arises a desire and resolution by some outward acts to express the inward disposition to the Glory and Honour of that Person and to let other men see and know it Now to have first such a Notion of a meer Creature such they affirm our Lord to be then in the heart to receive such impressions of rendring honour to such a person and lastly by some outward act to declare it this I say is perfect Idolatry for 't is to do for the Creature all that can be done for the Creator who unto himself alone hath reserved that Religious Worship for 't is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Out of this it appears how their Opinion sets up Polytheism and Idolatry for to affirm two Persons of different Nature is certainly to make two different Gods and wholly to destroy the Unity of the Godhead for as they own a Plurality of Persons so they do a Plurality of Natures how then can they find the Oneness of God and wherein will they make it consist Neither can they wash off the charge of Idolatry for rendring to Christ whom they say to be a meer Man and a Creature the Worship due to the most high God which to maintain they sink deeper into the mire for by one Idolatry they would defend another and by one false
not sent thee No created Angel might speak so but only the Son of God appearing in a visible Form who in several other places is call'd Angel who being the great Deliverer of his People chose what Instruments he pleased to do the work and sent them have I not sent thee This same appeared unto Manoah who asking for his Name received this answer chap. 13.18 ver 22. Why askest thou thus after my name seeing it is secret or wonderful And soon after that Angel is called God We shall surely die saith Manoah because we have seen God Which was a common Proverb among the Jews spoken of the only true God Now we find no where in Scripture that God the Father appear'd to Man in Humane shape Well though we formerly mentioned some things in relation to this yet now by the Grace of God we shall take notice of some considerable Visions relating to our point which we read in the Books of the Prophecies of Isaiah Ezekiel and Daniel which afford new matter and to shew a sweet Harmony between the Old and New Testaments we shall compare them with St. John's Vision and Revelation but briefly to speak of every one in order and by it self we shall by the Grace of God begin with that of Isaiah This Prophet who the oftner and plainest of any others Prophesied about the Messiah's or God's Son's coming into the World as in Chapters 7 9 11 40. and in many other places chiefly in the whole Chap. 53. which compared with the History of his Passion and all therein expressed in the Preter-Tense almost leaves a ground to ask which is the Prophecy and which is the History Wherefore he is by some justly call'd the Evangelical Prophet The same relates a Vision he had of the glory of God the meaning whereof the Holy Ghost hath in other places taken care to explain to us The Prophet saw the Lord sitting upon a throné and John saw one sitting upon a throne which was the Lord God Almighty Isa 6.1 2.3 4. Rev. 4.2.8 In the Prophet about the throne stood the Seraphims which had each six wings So in John round about the throne were four beasts which had each of them six wings The Seraphims cryed one to another and said holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory And the four beasts rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come and in Chap. 5.11 many Angels in this holy Consort joyn their voice with the Beasts and the Elders The Prophet heard the Voice of the Lord Isa 6.8 saying Whom shall I send and who will go for us And the Apostle receiv'd his Commission Thou must prophesie before many peoples Rev. 10.11 and nations and tongues and kings All these Circumstances are remarkable and shew how the Glory which the Prophet saw though within so great a distance of time was the same and of the same Lord God The Lord sitting upon the Trone sent the Prophet 1 Pet. 1.10.11 1 Joh. 3.24 and the Lord Jesus sent the Apostles and Prophets too for the spirit of Christ was in the Prophets and hereby we know saith John that he abideth in us by the spirit he hath given us So that he who sent the Prophets is the same who sent the Apostles and if we may believe John who two Years after he had his Revelation John 12 38 39 40 41. did write his Gospel assureth us that the Lord Jesus the Son of God is the same whom before his Incarnation the Prophet saw sitting upon the Throne and whom in his Vision he had seen in the Isle of Patmos for there he quoted that place of the Prophet Isas 53.1 Lord who hath believed our report and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed And immediately out of the same Chap. of the Prophet when he saw the Vision ver 9 10. he quotes these words though not exactly in the same order but in the same sence He hath blinded their Eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their Eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted and I should heal them And to make the thing the plainer the Evangelist named the time when the Prophet said so Joh. 12.41 These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him that is in that Chap. 6. when he saw the Vision and when he spake of him whom the Evangelist is then speaking of and if we go back few Verses before we shall find he speaks of our blessed Saviour ver 37. but though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him So then it is plain how he whose Life John in his Gospel writes the History of namely the Lord Jesus is the same Lord whose Glory Esaias saw so long before his appearing in the Flesh John 17.5 and this our Saviour might allude to when he said And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory I had with thee before the World was For if he had it in Isaiah's time we may well conclude he had it also before the World was so that glory being not Humane nor Angelical must needs be Divine and when he had a Being This farther out of the Prophet I take notice of The Lord said whom shall I send By the Singular Number to shew the â—â—eness of Essence and by who will go for us The plurality of Persons according to that in Genesis Let us make man in our image after our likeness chap. 1.26 chap. 1. Ezechiel's Vision is this the appearance of the glory of God but before is given an account of the Antecedents by a whirl-wind out of the north with a fire ver 4 5. ver 10. ver 18. ver 22. ver 24. ver 26. and a brightness then the likeness of four living Creatures the likeness of whose face was of a man of a liâ—n of an ox and of an Eagle and they were full of Eyes round about them And the likeness of the firmament over the heads of the living creatures was as the colour of the terrible crystal also there was a noise like the noise of great waters as the voice of the Almighty After this the Prophet saw above the firmament the likeness of a throne as the appearance of a saphire-stone and upon the likeness of the throne v. 27 28. was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it whose description is made in the following Verses as the appearance of fire round about from the appearance of his loins even upwards and from the appearance of his loins even downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire and it had brightness round about as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain After which the Prophet concludes thus this was
the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. Now to find out the Conformity of this Vision with that of John we must join the first and fourth Chapters of the Revelation and observe the Concomitants Fire and Brightness his eyes were as a flame of fire Rev. 1 1â— v. 16. chap. 4.2 3 6 7. and his countenance was as the Sun shineth in his strength also there was a throne in heaven and one sat on the throne And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone and there was a rain-bow round about the throne in sight like unto an Emerald And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto chrystal And round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind 〈◊〉 â—usâ— beast was like a lion the second like a calf the third had the face as a man and the fourth was like a flying eagle These circumstances do pretty well agree in both Visions and 't will appear the better if we speak of him who sate upon the Throne the Prophet saith he had the likeness as the appearance of a man and the Apostle writes chap. 1.13 in the midst of the seven candleshicks was one like unto the son of man who there appears among the Churches represented by Candlesticks as their Head but in chap. 4. we see him upon the Throne the word like and likeness is used not only by the Prophet but also by the Apostle John as also by Paul who speaking of the Lord Jesus saith He was made in the likeness of men Phil. 2.7 This after the Incarnation but Ezekiel speaks before that time and of a Vision so expresseth it by the word likeness and appearance because he who then sate upon the Throne was not actually but afterwards was to be made Man not by any Change of Substance but by Assumption of humane Nature however he describes a humane Body when he saith Rev. 1.13 14 15. of his loyns upward and even of his loyns downward which John doth in a more emphatical way when from head to foot he describes one like unto the son of man he doth not in general say like unto Man but like unto the Son of Man which name our Lord when upon Earth used to call himself by Now I say that he who sate upon the Throne was God Almighty for 't is called the likeness of the Glory of the Lord Ezekiel 1.28 And if a Person of the Godhead it relates unto the Son who afterwards was manifested in the Flesh and before under the Old Testament had appeared in the Shape and Likeness of a Man which the Father never did and of him we read no such thing Before I make an end with this Head I must take notice how because precious Stones are even beyond Gold the more valuable things in this World so when God was pleased to grant a special Manifestation of his Presence to set a value upon it always something of Jewels was offered to the eye whereby it is delighted and this not only in Ecstasies and Visions but upon other occasions thus Moses Exod. 24.9 10. Aaron Nadab Abihu and seventy of the elders saw the God of Israel and there were under his feet as it were a paved work of saphire-stone and as it were the body of heaven in its clearness The third Vision is Daniel's Dan. 7.13 Acts 1.9 one we read of Chap. 7.13 directly relating to our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven how one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven to the Ancient of Days which we find fullfilled when his Disciples beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their Sight this I shall not speak of for I mention'd it in another place only I take notice how the expression like the Son of Man doth point at that Individual Person who being the Son of God was made like unto the Son of Man for it denotes that he was something else besides the Son of Man and before he was the Son of Man or else the words behold a Man came with the Clouds had sufficiently describ'd the Person if he had been a meer Man without saying the Son of Man but by that expression which as already observed is the very name which he who often call'd himself Son of God used also to call himself by the Prophet mean'd something more than a bare Man Dan. 9.23 Chap. 2.44 and 7.14 for he being a Man greatly beloved of God by means of the great and many Revelations he had relating both to the Kingdom and Person of Christ he though at so great a distance might see the Son of God as become the Son of Man chiefly in the Vision of the 70 Weeks and in that same Chap. in his Prayer to God for his Nation he mentions Christ the Messiah V. 17. for he doth beseech to be heard for the Lord's sake which plainly implies a distinction of the Person he Prays to by him call'd Our God and of that for whose sake he prays to be heard for the Lord's sake that is for Christ's in whom God alone accepteth all our Prayers John 14.6 for none can come to the Father but by him and now this is our form of Prayer to God that he be pleas'd to hear us for the sake of his Son who is he that appeared to the Prophet in another place in the Vision of the battel between the Ram and the Geâ—â— Dan. 8. V. 15.16 for he saith behold there stood before me as the appearance of a Man who gave the Angel Gabriel the word of Command make this Man to understand the Vision but if we proceed to that Vision of his contain'd in Chap. 10.5 6. we shall find the description of a Person which doth exactly suit with that in Revel 1.13 14 15. for saith the Prophet I lift up mine Eyes and look'd and behold a certain Man clothed in Linen whose Loyns were girded with fine Gold of Vphaz his Body also was like the Bâ—ryl and his Face as the appearance of lightning and his Eyes as Lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in colour to polish'd brass and the Voice of his Words like the Voice of a multitude We may take notice how in these Visions of the Glory of God commonly appear'd a Man or one like a Man sitting upon a Throne why like a Man not as if Divine Nature in the abstract was like the human for such a wrong notion Scripture declares against but to teach how in the Godhead in the Concrete there is something or rather Person Man like Man then more than Man and something besides Man which became Christ made like a Man not in every thing a Man because no Sinner Now as the Father was never made Man so it would have been improper for him to appear in the shape of a Man but for the Son who in time was
Lord Jesus by reason of his priestly Office which is one of the three belonging to his Mediatorship to be call'd the Lamb Rev. 7.17 Chap. 22.1 3. now this Lamb is in â—he midst of the Throne which is the proper Seat for Almighty God then God and the Lamb sit together upon â—he same Throne so there is but one Throne for God â—nd the Lamb but God is jealous of his Glory which â—e hath solemnly declared he never will communicate â—o another who is not God or to a meer Creature Isai 42.8 between them that are inequal the Throne is excepted â—hough Pharaoh was willing to raise Joseph to the greatest Honour above any one in his Kingdom over the which â—e made him absolute Ruler yet he made this exception between him and Joseph only in the Throne will I be greater â—han thou if Christ be not God Gen. 41.40 there would be an infinitely greater difference between the Father and him â—han there was between Pharaoh and Joseph and God is â—o less jealous of his Honour than Pharaoh was of his But to return to John Rev. 1.17 he in his Vision knew â—he Son of God therefore when he saw him in â—hat Glorious and dreadful sight amidst Fire and â—lame he fell at his Feet as dead and the Lord himself to confirm him in his Opinion and that he was not mistaken when he thought he knew him said I am he that liveth and was dead so all the Glorious things spoken of and perform'd in the Book are rendered to him who liveth and was dead the true Son of God who sent Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel and all the Prophets who being subordinate to him as the Head and great one received â—ll their Commissions from him and were all Acted and moved by that Holy Spirit of his for as after his Ascension he sent the Comforter the Holy Spirit to his Apostles so before his Incarnation as well as now he Administred his Office of Mediator Ruled and Govern'd his Church which he could not have done except he had had a Being and Existed before he was Born of the Blessed Virgin Mary Hereupon our Litigious Adversaries may happen to Cavil and say such great and Fundamental Truths as these ought not to be grounded upon Visions and Prophecies I consess if we had no other proofs I in some degree would allow of the Objection but they know we have so many plain and clear of another kind that these we make use of not for want of others but bring them in as over and above the full measure my inclination leads me far enough from being one of those who would dive into the Secret things of God which I know belong nâ—â— to us but those that are Revealed do I own that oâ—â— must be endued with the Spirit of a Prophet before he caâ— understand a Prophecy till it be accomplish'd but wheâ— it is fulfilled though but in part then it becomes a History if not wholly yet in part and that part helps towards knowing what remains 't is an intolerable presumption in some which we hear of too often to dispoâ—â— of those times and seasons which God reserves in his owâ— Hand whereby they would Limitate the Holy one 〈◊〉 Israel when to a certain Year and time they pretenâ—â— rashly to fix very great and considerable Events which God twice complains of by his Prophet Jer. 49.19 and 50 44. who will appoint 〈◊〉 the time I think they have enough to study in the Revealed Will of God without diving into his Secret one bâ—â— what I have done is of a quite different Nature and 't is most certain how all Types and Prophecies relating 〈◊〉 the first coming and Sufferings of Christ the Messiah 〈◊〉 we consult Scriptures we shall find to be fulfilled he saiâ— unto his Disciples Luke 22.37 Jo. 19.30 the things concerning me have an end and upon the Cross he declared it is finished Now the Prophets out of what they heard and saw having foretoâ—â— who the Messiah that should come was what he wouâ—â— do and Suffer and for what end we ought to neglect nothing that may clear up to us that whole important maâ—ter As under the Law there were Prophecies and Vision about these high and adorable Mysteries so there weâ—â— Types and Figures of the same of which I formerly mention'd some and shall now add one thing more of Godâ—â— Son's Incarnation God was in the Cloud in the Tabernacle and in the Temple thus God's Dwelling in theâ—â— sented his Dwelling with us in our Human Nature upon which account the Prophet calls him Immanuel or Goâ— with us no doubt but that the Infinitely Wise God whâ— doth nothing in vain had some special meaning when hâ—â— chose to Dwell in the Cloud which as we read 1 Kings 8.10 11 12. filled thâ— House of the Lord so that the Priests could not stand to Minster because of the Cloud for the Glory of the Lord fill'd thâ— House of the Lord and in that place Solomon took Notiâ—â— how the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness a God full of Infinite Light Brightness Majesty and Glory to dwell in thick darkness I see no Reason whâ— the same may not Dwell in a Humane Body especially â—eing it is written a body hath thou prepared me and also 〈◊〉 Tabernacle of God is with men Rev. 21.3 alluding to the Tabernaâ—â— wherein he dwelt and farther the Lord Jesus's Flesh 〈◊〉 Humane Body is by the Apostle call'd the Vail Heb. 10.20 Exod. 34.30 33. which â—â—aceal'd and if I may so say contain'd his Divine Perâ—â— and Nature wherein the Apostle alludeth to the Vail 〈◊〉 Moses when he came down from the Mountain he put a â—â—il on his Face for the People could not look upon the â—â—ightness of it but were afraid to come nigh him If â—â—en could not behold the Glory of God only in some â—eams of reflection upon Moses's Face for having been â—while with him upon the Mount and having seen only God's Back parts not his Face his Goodness not his Glory â—uch less could the World have look'd upon that Divine â—ssential Glory of his Son come out of his own Bosom â—od having a mind to Communicate and Converse with â—ankind it had been impossible for Men to behold that Glory in open Face and not Die therefore God out of â—is Infinite Mercy to condescend to our Weakness did as it â—ere conceal it in a Body and put on the Vail that is his â—Resh to this purpose the Apostle saith Colos 2.9 in him dwelleth â—â—l the fulness of the Godhead bodily or in his Body but â—aving spoken of the Cloud and of the Tabernacle we â—ust say these few words about the Temple when our â—aviour said to the Jews John 2.19 21. destroy this Temple and in three â—ays I will raise it up again the Evangelist observes that â—e spake of the Temple of his Body so his
Baptist no mention at all of them till after their Birth only John Baptist's was foretold not long before but not a word of any thing he did before he was Born 1 Cor. 10.4.9 as we read of Christ that He was the Rock that follow'd the People in the Wilderness that he was tempted by them c. And in what the Angel said to Zacharias of the Birth of a Son mention is made of our Saviour Luk. 1.16 by the name of the Lord God of the Children of Israel many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God and who this Lord God is 't is imply'd in these words He shall go before him that is the Lord their God in the spirit and power of Elias Now that John Baptist went before the Lord Jesus To prepare the way of the Lord and make straight the way for our God that is the God of Israel it appears out of Isaiah Isai 40.3 compar'd with Malachy 4.6 fulfilled Matth. 3.3 Mark 1.3 Luke 3.4 John 1.23 Wherein we see how the four Evangelists take notice of the Prophecy and fullfilling thereof in relation to our blessed Saviour all which proves him to be true God by Nature and consequently that he had a Being before he was Born of the Virgin Upon this point the Harmony of two Prophets with the Evangelist is so considerable that some things more I must observe about it The true God of Israel speaks by Malachy chap. 3.1.7 10 11 12 14. c. and in a Chapter which is much to our purpose at several times calls himself The Lord of Hosts who is the same that ver 1. saith Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me This is a Prophecy about John Baptist Messenger to the Lord of Hosts before whom he was to prepare the way observe first he that speaks and will send is the Lord of Hosts he that is to be sent is his Messenger and he that is to come is the Lord of Hosts who speaks and will send his Messenger before me in Person not by Proxy We know John Baptist prepared the way not before God the Father of whom in Scripture we never read that he was to come into the World but before the Lord Jesus Christ his Son whose fore-runner he was therefore Jesus Christ is plainly the Lord of Hosts who is the true Eternal God who under the name of Shiloh and Messiah was to come and actually did few Months after John Baptist's Birth chap. 4.2 In the last Chap. is renew'd the promise of Christ's coming under the name of the Sun of Righteousness that should arise with healing in his wings and of John Baptist under the name of Elijah ver 5. Matth. 17.12 13. Luk. 1.16 before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord that is of Christ who call'd John by the name of Elias because said the Angel he shall go before him that is in the foregoing Verse The Lord God of Israel spoken of Christ whom John went before in the spirit and power of Elias that is with the same fervent Zeal which Elias was acted by and in that Spirit saith the Prophet He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children Mal. 4.6 Which are the very words by the Angel spoken to Zacharias Malachy calls Christ who was to come Luk. 1.17 The Lord the Lord of Hosts a peculiar and proper Attribute of the Almighty and Eternal God and the Angel names him the Lord God of Israel Let to this the other Prophet's Testimony be joyn'd Isai 40.3.4 5. The voice of him that cryeth in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord c. which is Parallel to the other and by which John Baptist is design'd for unto himself he apply'd it he whose way he was to prepare Joh. 1.23 is call'd the Lord and our God that is of Israel at whose coming the glory of the Lord shall be revealed The Lord God of Israel was to come himself and when he was come his Glory was reveal'd the Son of God under the name of Jesus Christ came himself and when he came the Glory was reveal'd therefore Jesus Christ was the true God of Israel this Truth depends upon the Evidence of two Prophets and of an Angel as related by an Evangelist whereunto is joyned the Testimony of Zacharias who at that time as express'd was filled with the Holy Ghost out of all this it will appear that no Person was ever better designed nor his Titles more plainly describ'd than is in those places the coming in the Flesh of Christ the true Son of God and who he was Another place which I think doth Evidence Christ's Divinity Jo. 10.15 is this As the Father knows me even so know I the Father There is a great Emphasis in the words as and even which implies in the same manner nature and degree the comparison shews a parity in Persons or else it had been enough to have said the Father knows me and I know the Father If the Son knows the Father only in part then the Father knows the Son but in part which to assert is Impiety but if the Father knows the Son perfectly so the Son also knows the Father perfectly and as no finite Creature can perfectly know the infinite God so he that perfectly knows the infinite God must himself be infinite God such is the Lord Jesus his own Son When Thomas answered Jo. 20.28 My Lord and my God he answer'd him who spake to him that is Christ so then Thomas owned him for his Lord and his God he knew out of the Law and by what Christ had taught him that there is but one God Matth. 8.2 and 9.18 and 14.33 and 15.25 and 20.20 and 28.17 therefore he would not have called him his God and worshipped him as such if he had not believed him to be the true God of Israel To this I shall add that our Saviour who was no Friend to Idolatry suffered himself at several times as may be seen in the Margin to be Religiously worshipped that is as God and never hindred any from it but if he had not been God he would never have permitted any one to worship him as such So under the shape of a Man he had been by Abraham very long before Gen. 18.1 for we read how the Lord or Jehovah appeared to him in the plains of Mamre in ver 1. 't is positively said Jehovah but in 2 we read three men stood by him whereof one was the Lord attended by two Angels at which sight that Father of Believers bowed himself towards the ground and addressed his Speech only to one My Lord saith he if I have found favour in thy sight c. and by the Discourse that afterwards happened it plainly appears the same was the true Eternal God who promised Sarah should have a Son
Son and Holy Ghost be Jehovah yet the Jehovah or Lord who spoke to him was the Son who is the Word of the Father by whom the Father speaks As we read the People of Lystra Act. 14.12 could in their Heathenish way make a difference between Paul and Barnabas calling this last Jupiter and the first Mercury which with them were Father and Son because Paul was the chief Speaker I shall here omit what elsewhere I asserted how the Name the Word is the Son of God's proper Name to say that the Lord God the Son doth testifie of himself that 't is he who spoke in the first beginning of all Isa 52.6 Therefore my People shall know my Name therefore they shall know in that Day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. And he further having said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 17.5 Heb. 1.6 addeth Hear ye him And Paul When he bringeth in the first begotten into the World which can be no better understood than of the sending of the Son upon Earth to preach Grace to our first Parents Gen. 3.8 John 14.9 Isa 63.9 and the Presence or Face of the Lord from which Adam and his Wife hid themselves is none but God's Son in whom the Father is seen So that 't is more than probable that here according to the Jerusalem Interpreter the Son of God the Lord commanded Adam to appear to be try'd as indeed presently after passed a Sentence upon him his Wife and the Serpent and hereunto agree some of the Rabbies for by the words the Lord walking in the Garden * Nachmanides one understands the appearing of Schechina in that place and R. Abba explains it of the withdrawing of the Schechina out of the Garden because of Adam's Sin the Son of God who at the beginning of the World in the Garden pronounced Judgment and therein acted the part of a Judge did so afterwards upon Cain for his Brother's Death of whom 't is said Gen. 4.16 that he went out from the Presence of the Lord and Bechai saith it must be from no other than from Schechina Also Enoch the seventh Man from Adam Prophesied saying Jude 14.15 Behold the Lord cometh with ten Thousands of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all which was effected when by the Flood the whole Posterity of Cain and that of Seth only eight Persons excepted Noah with his Family in the Ark were destroyed So afterwards against the Egyptians Cananeans and other wicked People and so it shall continue to the latter end of the World till the last and Universal Judgment be over After the Flood there was wickedness and cause of Judgment found in Noah's Family as appears by the Curse thundered against Canaan Ham's Son As to this Curse before I proceed farther I must take notice how it seems strange that Ham should commit the Sin yet the Curse be pronounced not against him but against his Son which to clear some think and 't is very probable that the young Man first saw his Grandfather's Nakedness and went and told his Father of it for we must believe upon that occasion Noah to have been moved by the Spirit of God for being Drunken and Asleep when he was uncovered he could not of himself know what had happened before he awoke A Curse was pronounced against Canaan and a Blessing upon Japhet and Ham where Noah said The Lord God shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. Gen. 9.26 27. This Lord God is the same who in the Garden judged our first Parents Now these words of Noah * Onkelos Jarchius Nachman Bechai several Rabbies do unanimously interpret of Schechina's dwelling in the Family and Posterity of Shem And Bechai saith something more for he adds That the Schechina dwelt not in the second Temple built by Cyrus of the Posterity of Japhet but only in the first built by Solomon who descended from Shem. Upon God's Words to Abraham Thou shalt be a Blessing Gen. 12.2 chap. 15.1 v. 5. Rakenatensis saith they relate to Schechina and after the Victory over the four Kings this same Son of God promised him his Protection and to be his exceeding great Reward a numerous Posterity the Possession of the Land of Canaan with Old Age to end in a quiet Death v. 7. And the Covenant then made with him v. 15. was a Declaration of his eternal good Pleasure that contained Promises of his future coming into the World to be a Blessing to all Nations namely Christ the Messiah which in due time were performed Luke 1.72 73. Gal. 3.16 17. v. 29. as by Zacharias 't was taken notice of so by Paul to the Heirs according to the Promise which shews that God's Covenant with Abraham contained Spiritual as well as Earthly Eternal as well as Temporal Promises and that the Law neither derogated from the Eternal Will and Testament nor disannull'd of the Promise the other Apparitions of the Schechina unto Abraham Isaac and Jacoh which make a part of what I now am upon I elsewhere sufficiently enlarged Israel upon his Death-Bed mentions him under the Name of Shiloh in that Solemn Prophecy Gen. 49.10 chap. 28.12 13. that he should be of the Tribe of Judah The Vision of Jacob's Ladder reaching both Heaven and Earth and the Angels of God ascending and descending on it is by * Rakenat in h. l. one of the famous Jewish Doctors explained of God Holy and Blessed and of his Schechina whereby indeed Heaven and Earth God and Man were joined together and as I love not to follow nice only solid Notions I shall not take notice of the Opinion of those who say there were six Steps in the Ladder whereof the three lowest signified the three degrees of his Humiliation and the three uppermost those of his Exaltation In the other Vision of Jacob Gen. 31.11 12 13. when he saw the speckled Rams 't is not said he saw rather heard for the Angel spake unto him I am the God of Bethel which †Commen in Thorah p. 41. col 1 2. Bechai doth truly interpret El the Mighty God and also Bethel the House of God that is the Son in whom the Father dwells or Schechina as * Rakenat f. 63. col 3. another hath it Scripture speaks of three Houses of God first of Solomon's Temple secondly Christ's Humane Nature thirdly the Church The same Rabbi saith That the Word Righteousness which is in the Name of Melchisedec doth relate to the Schechina whose Type we know him to have been 1 Kings 8.10.13 Zachar. 6.14 Isa 8.14 1 Tim. 3.15 p. 45. col 2 for I cannot be of the Opinion of two Eminent Modern Divines Cunaeus and Altingius who affirm Melchisedec to be the Son of God himself who at that time after the Victory appeared to Abraham in Man's Shape and blessed him For seeing by David and Paul the Office and
God himself Psal 68.8 David witnesseth that Mount Sinai was moved or trembled at the presence of the God of Israel now certainly the Son is the Presence or Face of the God of Israel Heb. 12.26 v. 18. and he whose Voice then shook the Earth This is the same to whom in the same Psalm he saith Thow hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for Men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them which being compar'd with Ephes 4.8 shews it to have been spoken of Christ Now in the Tabernacle which was set up for the glory of God Schechina or the Son of God not only appeared sometimes but continually dwelt therein Levit. 9.23 24. chap. 1.1 Num. 1.1 Ex. 25.22 upon all occasions manifesting his Glory thence he rendered his Oracles and called unto Moses to speak unto him so that whensoever God spake unto Moses Aaron and their Successors ever it was from that place according to his own appointment R. Kimhi saith that according to the Psalm 82.1 God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty Schechina is always in the midst of the Congregation of Israel The Inscription over the Ark was this The Name of the Lord of Hosts sitteth among the Cherubims they call'd it the Glory of Israel Psal 4.22 therefore after it had been taken by the Philistines 't was said The Glory is departed from Israel Now by the Glory and Name of the Lord the * Bechai in Leg. p. 88 89. Masters of the Cabbala always understand the Messiah who is God the Face of God King David and the Mouth of Jehovah which to apply we must take notice of what John saith And we beheld his glory Joh. 1.14 the glory as of the only begotten of the Father chiefly in his Transfiguration He as said before Acts 7.2 1 Cor. 2.8 Hebr. 1.3 Matth. 19.28 25.31 is the God of Glory and the Lord of Glory also the brightness of the glory of the Father he hath in Heaven the Throne of his Glory By vertue of the Covenant made in Sinai between God and the People God in a most eminent way between the Cherubims dwelt among them as he continued to do after the Ark was lodged in the Temple he taught them either immediately by himself or by his Prophets provided for an delivered them from their Enemies and it hath been the constant Tradition of the understanding Jews †Bechai in Thor. p. 88 c. 4. that the Name of the God who dwelt in the Temple was the Schechina and as he ever was with Moses upon all occasions to help and strengthen him So after his Death he said to Joshua Josh 1.5 As I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee as both a Prophet to guide and direct and as a King by his power to defend him If we may look back to the ground of this series of Divine Dispensations we must know that from Eternity God Father Son and Holy Ghost decreed to bring many Sons unto glory Heb. 2.10 as the Apostle calls it which the Son undertook to execute and so under the Old Testament he at several times and to several Persons declared and revealed this Will and Pleasure of God made and renewed the Promises but as the chief part of that great and glorious Design which all other means were to depend upon was the satisfaction to be given Divine Justice by the Death of the Mediator so other things before were only preparations and dispositions in order to 't to which purpose the Mosaical Law was instituted therefore as the execution was only at and after the Death of the Testator till which the Testament is of no force ch 9.9 10. so before that time under the Law was shed the Blood of Calves Goats Lambs c. instead of the Testator's till the fulness of the appointed time when that precious Blood was shed upon the Cross This I shall add how God's Covenant was for Glory and Eternity but the Law was a Medium or means as the Deliverance out of Aegypt to bring them into a Land where God in a most eminent and excellent way might dwell among teach and make himself well known to them in and by the Son who is the Wisdom and the Power of God about this the Psalmist well observes Ps 147.20 He hath not dealt so with any Nation As indeed he through the Spirit of God was so exact an observer of things relating to the Messiah whom according to God's promise he knew should come out of his Family that our blessed Saviour after his Resurrection referred his Disciples not only to the Law of Moses◠and to the Prophets but also to the Psalms Luke 24.44 to know the things concerning him for therein are spoken of his God-head Eternal Generation Covenant with the Father his Humanity Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension into Heaven distribution of gifts among Men his Kingly Prophetical and Priestly Offices and his Victory over his Enemies All this I brought in to shew how according to the Doctrine of the Antient Jews the Schechina or Meniah was the Son of God had a Being and acted from the beginning not of the Gospel but of the World and thus in the Godhead they made a distinction of Persons And if Socinians will own the Lord Jesus to be the Christ then either with the antient Jews they must own him to have been and acted from the beginning of the Creation and so to have had a Being long before his Birth of the Virgin or else they must joyn with the Modern Jews deny him to be the Messiah and thus proclaim themselves to be no Christians nay Idolaters and such as neither know nor worship the true God for he that owns not and worshippeth not Father Son and Holy Ghost doth not own nor worship the true God but they plainly deny the Holy Ghost and in effect deny the Son which is very hard and unworthy Because the Son of God for our sake was pleased to take upon him our Humane Nature some Men unthankfully and impiously go about to strip him of his Divine On our behalf he humbled himself and for that some Men undervalue him as if their Eye was Evil because he is good We reckon several Ages of the Church whereof every one affords Demonstrations of the Son of God her Head's Presence and Actings for her The first is of her Birth and Childhood from the Creation to the Flood the second her first Infancy from the Flood to Moses when she began to gather a Youthful Strength by means of God's special Favour to and Presence among them in that signal and eminent way of the Son of God's dwelling in the Sanctuary which David calls Goings and Actings when he saith Ps 68.24 v. 7 8. They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my
God in the Sanctuary Where the Prophet speaks of the Son of God Who went up before his People in the Wilderness and at whose presence the Earth shook the Heavens dropped and Sinai it self was moved The third Age of the Church is from Moses to Christ's coming which was fill'd up with variety of considerable Dispensations And this fourth which is her present Age hath been is and shall be attended with very notable Periods began at the coming in the Flesh of the Son of God and it we may call her Manhood when the Food of Milk and Ceremonial Ordinances ceased and she began to be fed with strong and substantial Meat when the Manna discontinued and the true Bread came from Heaven to nourish us the Shadows yielded the place to the true Body and all legal Stars disappear'd at the rising of the Sun of Righteousness And this Age of the Christian Church shall continue till the last Day when the fifth Age shall begin never to have an end this shall be the Age of Perfection and of Eternal Glory He who now is the Head and King of the Church was so from the beginning and shall be such for ever Now the Apostle saith that Christ is the head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and the Saviour of the body and none else and that Body which was from the beginning of the World never was without a Head for without it it could not be a Body both to animate and rule it for that is the Head's Office according to that famous Prophecy of the Meisiah's Birth Mic. 5.2 in Bethlehem Out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler of Israel To come forth Gen. 17.6 Gen. 25.25 and 38.28 signifies to be begotten and born either by the Father or by the Mother and unto me that is for me to reveal my Glory saith the Father who there speaks Now absolutely the King and Ruler of Israel is the God of Israel such is the Son I heretofore mention'd the Text in Zechariah 2.8 For thus saith the Lord of Hosts after the glory hath he sent me unto the Nations c. which affords matter of observation more than I took notice of at that time Here speaks the Lord of Hosts which is a Title never attributed to any but to the Essential Infinite and Eternal God The Lord of Hosts in the place declares he is sent a thing in Scripture never said of God the Father but in many places 't is asserted of God the Son and by the Son himself for how often doth our Saviour say that the Father sent him so that to be sent is a Property of the Son therefore the Son must be the Lord of Hosts here said to be sent And as to come answers to being sent so in consequence of that Mission the Lord saith I come Sing and rejoyce v. 10. O Daughter of Zion for lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord which was literally fulfilled after the Birth of the Son of God These words Lo I come are a confirmation and farther declaration of what David had said long before when God desired no more Sacrifice and Offering nor required Burnt-Offering Ps 40.6 7. nor Sin-Offering that is when the Ceremonial Law was drawing to an end Then said I the Son Lo I come and Christ declared He came from the Father and in the Father's Name As to the other part I will dwell in the midst of thee it was fulfilled at that time when John said of the Son The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us Joh. 1.14 Let us admire at that Holy Scripture Harmony earthly Jerusalem was the Figure of the Church whose Head King Saviour and Preserver the Lord Jesus is and ever was For I saith the Lord will be unto her a Wall of Fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her v. 5. This coming of the Lord of Hosts shall not only be cause of Song and Joy to the Daughter of Zion but also many Nations shall be joyned unto the Lord in that Day and shall be my People and I will dwell in the midst of thee v. 11. and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee This is a Prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles at or a little after the time when the Lord of Hosts should come to dwell in Sion which was fulfilled when after the Son of God's coming into the Flesh and his dwelling among the Jews after his Death and Resurrection the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles and the Christian Church formed Here we must take notice of how this Prophet Zechariah was one of the two whom God made use of to exhort and encourage the Children of Israel Ezr. 5.1 2. returned from the Babylonian Captivity to build the second Temple which was to stand till the coming of the Lord of Hosts and King of Zion as this Prophet calls him chap. 9.9 As also did Haggai the other Prophet who besides named him the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come And I will fill this House with glory saith the Lord of Hosts that is the Presence of the Messiah Son of God was to fill with Glory the second Temple which at that time they were about building upon which account the glory of that latter House was to be greater than that of the former the Lord Jesus who called it his House having with his Presence often sanctified it and been the chief glory thereof which soon after it lost by his Death when the Vail of the Temple was rent and about forty Years after the whole was quite destroyed by the Romans when according to our Blessed Saviour's Prophecy there was not one Stone left upon another that was not thrown down and what he said was attended with a Character and Evidence of his Divine Authority and infallible Truth in these Words Matth. 24.35 Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Words shall not pass away but most certainly shall be fulfilled This same Prophet in the next Chapter as indeed in many other places of his Vision doth yield Matter enough upon this point As in Job we read of Satan coming before God with malicious Insinuations against that Holy Man and to obtain leave to do him mischief so here we find the Angel of the Lord to judge between Joshua the High-priest and his Adversary Satan who appeared there to oppose and resist him This Angel of the Lord whom elsewhere I at several times have had occasion to speak of is the Lord himself for in the 2d verse 't is said And the Lord said unto Satan Zech. 3.1 2 the Lord rebuke thee O Satan Twice the Lord answers this other Expression And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 9.24 Brimstone and Fire from the Lord and certainly
took on him the seed of Abraham The following Argument is also in mode and figure 't is thus all Goodness is Essentially in God alone but Jesus Christ is Essentially good therefore he is Essentially God The Major Proposition I thus explain by Essentially is meant Primarily Originally and in its Nature God is Independently sole good in and of himself and is the Author of all Goodness Metaphysicians among the Proprieties entis of a Being which by a Virtual Reciprocration do result from and are converted with the ens or being reckon three by them called Incomplexe or spoken without disjunction to distiguish them from the Complexe which are attended with a disjunction The three are Vnum one which implies a Negation of a Division for ens when multiplied ceases to be one Verum true is the second which imports a relation to the Mind as Bonum good which is the third doth to the Will Now if according to this every created Being is one true and good in its self how much more transcendently must it be so with the ens entium Being of Beings as the Philosopher calls the first Cause of all that is God infinite who is Essentially One True and Good But because the question is now about the last and that Goodness of his is so fully and universally known in this place I shall say no more to demonstrate it Therefore I come to the proof of my Major namely That all Goodness is Essentially in God alone and to be short out of so many Texts of Scripture I shall bring but one which is home and to the purpose the words are our Saviour's Matth. 19.17 There is none good but one that is God Essentially and absolutely meant what goodness there is in the Creature being all derived from him This I take for granted and so come to prove my assumption how Christ is Essentially Good If all things that the Father hath be his as he saith they are then certainly that Divine Attribute Essential Goodness is included and as he hath the Nature so the inseparable Attribute of that Nature è converso if the Attribute then the Nature Of Divine Goodness there are two Proprieties one that it is diffusive and communicative of it self the other that 't is most desirable In two ways God doth communicate his Goodness first inwardly which Communication is natural and necessary whereby God the Father hath from all Eternity by Generation communicated his Nature and manner of Subsisting unto his Son and both to the Holy Ghost by spiration The Second way is Free and Voluntary whereby God hath communicated his Goodness unto his Creatures which makes David to say Psal 119.68 Acts 10.38 Thou art good and doest good Thus Peter observes about our Saviour that he went about doing good Now this Goodness of God hath in several ways been communicated to his Creatures as in the Creation and Preservation of the World in the work of Incarnation Adoption and Eternal Happiness in every one of which relating to Salvation our Saviour hath been an Efficient and Meritorious Cause and hath together with the Father communicated his Natural Divine Goodness in these several branches or kinds thereof first in Grace whereby God in himself is altogether lovely and therein doth favour and benefit his Creatures The second is Love whereby God takes pleasure in what he likes doth it good and unites it unto himself this love the word speaks of Joh. 3.16 when it saith God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son And doth not Scripture say also that his Son Ephes 5.25 Ephes 3.19 Jo. 15.13 1 Joh. 4.8 gave himself for us and this love of his for us is so great that the Apostle saith It passeth all knowledge and greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends In few words God is love Furthermore Mercifulness is another branch of God's Goodness exalted in so many places of Scripture that I take it to be unnecessary to insist upon 't And was not Christ all along full of tender Mercies and Compassions towards poor sinners which among his own unbelieving Nation got him the Name of a Compassionate and merciful Nature and all the rich Graces of the Father as Paul calls them are conveyed to us in by and with Christ Lastly God's Patience is another part of his Goodness which is highly commended in Scripture and O the wonderful Meekness Forbearance and Patience of Christ who by the Preaching of his Gospel doth invite sinners to Repentance and as it were doth beseech them to be reconciled unto God and though by too many he be slighted and rejected yet he still waiteth That same in several places of Scripture is the Character given of him and in part for that Meekness Gentleness and Patience he is called a Lamb. But to come to the second Attribute of Goodness 't is what in its Nature is appetibile desirable or what all desire We know the Summum bonum the supreme good is Summoperè appetibile Supremely desirable but can any in Heaven or Earth be more desirable than the Lord Jesus who is the chiefest among ten thousand Songs 5.10 ver 16. Hagg. 2.7 and altogether lovely called the desire of all Nations This demonstrates him Essentially to have in him that Divine Goodness which is inherent to and inseparable from Divine Nature and consequently to be Essentially God Before I leave off this I must answer an Objection which might happen to be made against this great Truth of Christ's being essentially good 't is drawn out of the same Chapter which already I have made use of wherein the Lord speaks to one who came to him for Counsel about his Salvation and by him as a Prophet to be taught the way to Heaven Good Master said he What good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life The first part of our Saviour's Answer was Why callest thou me good As if he disproved his calling him so but that was not the Lord 's Meaning who denies not himself to be good for he saith not I am not good or thou art mistaken to call me so but he lays hold upon that occasion to teach the Man that he is God As if he had said Thou ownest me to be good and so I am but that 's not enough thou must also believe me to be God because there is none good but one that is God the meaning is essentially good and of himself and seeing in that sense Christ is good he must needs be God and that 's the same Argument which here I prosecute thus it runneth Thou shouldest not call me good except also thou be perswaded that I am God These two Propositions are convertible God is essentially good and he who is essentially good is God So if in that sense Christ be good then he is God The Hammer of the Word Jer. 23.29 for so 't is
commanded his own Soldiers and Servants for we read in several places how the Lord Jesus with speaking the Word to Diseases Winds and to Devils he rebuked them so that they could do no otherwise but to obey which proves his Divine Power and so his Divine Nature for none but God hath a Divine Power Upon this ground after the miraculous Work of curing the Impotent Man who had been sick 38 Years there our Lord compares his miraculous Works to his Father's when he said John 5. My Father works hitherto and I work The word my in the place is very emphatical to shew that his Works and the Father 's were wrought by the same Divine and Infinite power which meaning they understood well enough whence upon good grounds they concluded he had said God was his Father in a strict and proper sense and made himself equal with God In another place we read of some of the ten Men that were Lepers whom the Lord Jesus had cured Luk. 17.15 who when he saw that he was healed returned back and with a loud voice glorified God he turned back to Christ the great Physician to give him Thanks and Praises v. 16. and worship him upon his Knees for we must look upon him in that posture since our Saviour told him Arise go thy way v. 19. And by that Act he paid him a Divine Honour and by comparing v. 18. with v. 15. we shall find Christ to be the God whom the Man glorified for the Evangelist's and the Lord's Words are the same tend to the same purpose and the Object of the Glory given is the same There are not found said the Lord that returned to give glory to God that is to me who healed them save this stranger Farther to go on upon the matter let us observe how the Apostle speaking of Christ by his Name Jesus saith We have a great High-priest that is past into the Heavens Heb. 4.14 Jesus the Son of God The last words are put in to give us a proper and distinguishing Character of the Person whom he speaks of as indeed in the place this is added to make a difference between Jesus Christ our Blessed Saviour and the Jesus he had nam'd before v. 8. whereby he meaned Joshua for in Greek 't is the same as Joshua in Hebrew and here we see plainly how the Name Son of God proper to Christ doth distinguish him not only from Joshua Son oâ— Nun but from every other Man in the World as being his proper Name tho' never so good or great in God's Favour We must know that Joshua in bringing into Canaan the Children of Israel was the Type of Christ's bringing God's People into the Heavenly Land of Promise therefore in relation to that Office his Name was changed by Moses Numb 13.16 for his Name before was Oshea We must also take notice how those two great Servants of God had two several shares and acted two different parts which both parts thereby Typified were perform'd by the Lord Jesus their Antitype for Moses brought the People out of Egypt but introduced them not into the Land of Promise which Joshua did yet brought them not out of Egypt but our Blessed Saviour is the Author and will be the finisher of both our Deliverances from the bondage of Sin the Curse of the Law and from the power of Hell and also he will lead us into Heaven and Glory for he who hath began in and for us that good Work will perfect it to him upon a surer ground we may apply what Naomi said of Boaz Ruth 3.18 He will not be in rest until he have finish'd the thing Now when we are upon the Name Joshua Jesus or Saviour I am put in mind of that excellent place generally granted to be spoken of the Messiah whom none but Jews will deny to be Jesus Christ Isa 63.1 I am mighty to save 't is absolutely said mighty of himself not through the help of any one else v. 3. For in the place he saith I alone have trodden the Wine-press and of the people there was none with me No meer Man ever spoke after this rate for there as God he by the Mouth of the Prophet speaks of himself with this compare Zephaniah 3.7 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save One Saviour and that in both a mighty one Now mark how in a very different stile the great Apostle Paul speaks of himself I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me such a manner of speaking the Lord Jesus never used but it seems Paul doth point at the quoted place of the Prophet when he saith that Christ is able to save to the uttermost them who come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 Here is a might to save not only in part or only some but fully and to the uttermost therefore the Name Jesus was given him by the Angel Thou shalt call his Name Jesus Mat. 1.21 for he shall save his people from their Sins His People that is the Israel of God for they are not all Israel Gal. 6.16 Rom. 9.6 which are of Israel Now the Lord Jesus is not only said to be a Saviour which in his capacity of Mediator may be called his proper Name so that every one may know whom we mean thereby This is the Character of God Isa 43.11 I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour For in that absolute way in Scripture none but God is so call'd but also in the Abstract Christ is said to be Salvation for he is the spring of it Neither is there Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 which yet Socinians would lodge in every Man who can be saved if he will but in the Word God and Saviour go often together and as to the thing are never asunder and as Christ is Saviour so he is God St. John who better than all Socinians knew who God is and who Christ is in his Writings doth often joyn God and Christ when he commended God's Love to us he meaned certainly the true God by Nature of him he saith 1 John 3.16 Thereby we perceive the Love of God because he laid down his Life for us None but the Patripassian Hereticks will say That God the Father laid down his Life for us but God the Son hath as in the next Chapter he thus explains it In this was manifested the Love of God towards us chap. 4.9 because God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him so the God who laid down his Life for us is the only begotten Son of God Who as is said in the next Verse Was sent to be the propitiation for our sins v. 10. this was the end of his coming and thus the laying down of his Life was a propitiatory Sacrifice of himself for our sins St. Paul saith Now
concernment to be known that in one and the same chapter 't is thrice mentioned and in every one of those Verses 't is applied to Christ who is directly pointed at in these words This was he of whom I spake and he it is who coming after me and this is he of whom I said ver 34 Now the Testimony or Record is this is the son of God by Nature not by Grace for if only in this last relation it had been unneccessary for therein had been no preference for John was such and this is the plain Result of the Circumlocution by him used before he cometh after me and he is preferred before me of which he giveth the reason for he was before me Here is a Comparison between John and Christ wherein Christ hath the preference not because he came after but because he was before John let the Dignity be contained in the words he is preferred still the reason of it is that though he came after yet he was before him do not to come after and to be before relate to time For here the words relate to their Birth now we must believe that in these two Phrases he comes after me and he was before me there is Truth Reason good Sense and no Contradiction in the same respect he cannot be said to come after and be before but it must be in a different one which is this and if they can let them assign another he comes after me into the World as ver 10. that is he was born after me which is the plain Truth for the Angel Gabriel Luk. 1.36 six Months after Elizabeth had Conceived foretold the Virgin Mary our Saviour's Birth so that according to the usual Course of Nature the Lord Jesus was born six Months after John and in that sense he came after him But how was he Born before him seeing in relation to his Temporal Generation he was after It must be in regard of a Generation of another kind for no Man hath or can have but one Natural Generation and can be born but once what else then may it be but an Eternal one by vertue of which Christ in his time was before John For saith John he was not is before me to shew how the question is about time And if in one sense Christ had been but six Months before John as he was born six Months after then in that sense we may well conclude for hundreds and thousands of Years and so to Eternity Our blessed Lord and Saviour to give an Example and to condescend to the frailty of our Nature thereby to draw Men to himself by degrees was lowly and humble yet without any prejudice to his Right which when questioned he maintained and upon several occasions asserted though sometimes to the danger of his Life He could tell the Jews Joh. 6.38 ch 8.14.23 I came down from heaven and though I bear record of my self yet my record is true for I know whence I came and whither I go 'T is a special Prerogative of God to bear Record of himself again Ye are from beneath I am from above ye are of this world I am not of this world And as he told them ch 10.38 that if they believed not his word yet they should believe his works which were so Glorious and Miraculous and clear Demonstrations of his Divine Nature and Power he said that Lazarus's Sickness was for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby Son of God simply and absolutely is God in that case he spake of himself for by raising Lazarus as he did from the Dead he thereby was Glorified and he that was Glorified was God Son of God for as there was but one Glory so there was but one God Glorified This verse ought to be compared with the 40. where Christ said to Martha Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldst see the glory of God That is his own Glory by her Brother's Resurrection which he was just upon going to essect so in the other case of the Man that was Blind from his Birth he said to his Disciples that He was born blind chap. 9.3 that the work of God should be made manifest in him Which happened when he by his own Divine Power gave him his Sight and was thereby Glorified as God We must observe how the Son of God absolutely taken as 't is here is God as well as the Son of Man is Man And the Lord Jesus doth explain the first part for the glory of God by the last that the Son of God be glorified which shews it to be the same or equivalent Thus in another place our Saviour interprets the Phrase making himself God chap. 10.33.36 by saying I am the Son of God with calling himself Son of God in his and their Sense he certainly thereby made himself God which they called Blasphemy but he deny'd it to be so though he owned he had call'd himself God and in the very sense that they had taken it Because our Lord sometimes call'd himself Son of Man they would take advantage of it but when he did it was to point at the Promise made to our first Parents that the Woman's Seed should bruise the Serpent's Head and to teach Men how they ought to look upon him as being that same Seed who was come not to conquer Kingdoms as at that time the Jews fancied but to execute the Promise of bruising the Serpent's Head Joh. 10.36 when he called himself Son of Man he spoke the truth but he thereby denied not that he was the Son of God for sometimes he call'd himself by that Name and to confirm this great and fundamental Truth there stands upon record and shall to the Worlds end the famous Confession of Peter in his and of all the Apostles Name upon a solemn occasion Thou art the Son of the Living God a truth which came not out of his own Head or out of any humane Principle but was from Heaven immediately revealed unto him namely that Jesus Christ was by Office the Messiah and by Nature the true Son of the living God Now if he had been Son of God only by deputation there had been no need of Revelation but at that time 't was necessary to let Men know how he is such by Nature and to refute the wrong Notions which the Jews had of our Saviour God thought fit to inform them better with declaring his Divinity and this is one of those Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Luk. 8.10 which the Lord Jesus said to his Disciples It was given unto them to know wherein he plainly declared how in and after his teaching in Religion were Mysteries not to be known but by the Gift of God and Revelation And I think he was a competent Judge of such things and when he call'd himself Son of God he could also tell whether or not he was so which to
in himself yea and shall straightway glorifie him That state of Humiliation was near come to an end and the time was at hand when he was again to be glorified with the Father with the Glory which he had with him before the World was God's Glory is a Divine Glory and who can be a Copartner to that Divine Glory but he who is God himself certainly not a meer Son of Man but he that is God as well as Man If we compare this Text with another he still goes on upon the Reciprocal Glorifying of one another Joh. 17.1 Father glorifie thy self that thy Son also may glorifie thee I now say nothing of Verse 5. of the same Chapter because I elsewhere sufficiently enlarg'd upon 't This is very clear yet some will not believe what they say they can't comprehend and thereby deny what God hath revealed Ps 107.8.15.21.31 Oh that instead of it men would often praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to the Children of men I heretofore as I hope have sufficiently beaten down the vain Idol of their own Reason and demonstrated how idle and frivolous a thing it is in Religious Matters except it be enlightned and sanctified by Revelation All the Skill and Learning of the Chaldeans which in the sight of Men was very considerable would have done Abraham no good towards the true Knowledge of God without Revelation but God appearing and speaking to him made him know him well and in the true manner which his own Reason could never have led him into as Revelation did His Faith was grounded upon the Declaration and the Promise so as the Apostle saith Heb. 11.8 He went out not knowing whither he went guided not by his Reason but by Faith as indeed Matters of Religion do far exceed the Eye of human Reason this makes the great Apostle who had so many Revelations to call the Gospel not Mystery but Mysteries in the plural when he saith Let a man so account of us 1 Cor. 4.1 as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God so Faith he calls a Mystery and so the Incarnation of the Son of God he calls the Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.9 and a great one too for great is the Mystery of Godliness and this should admit of no Dispute for there he saith without controversie but against Paul and the whole Christian World Socinians are pleased to make a great one VVhat he calls a Mystery is this v. 16. Rom. 11.25 God was manifest in the flesh Also he calls a Mystery The blindness that in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come more Mysteries there are in our Religion whereof God himself is the greatest Now as men about these matters must not presume beyond what is written so they ought not to neglect or slight what God hath revealed in his Holy Word about it for the Knowledge and Practice thereof is necessary to Salvation The Lord Jesus saith the Apostle 2 Thess 1.7 8. shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that ignorance of God after what he hath been pleased to reveal of himself is unexcusable and wilful whosoever knoweth not God in Christ Theanthrope God and Man knows him not at all as he ought therefore shall be liable to his Judgment My people saith the Lord Hos 4.6 are destroyed for Lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee and therefore the People that doth not understand shall fall v. 14. Indeed after the great Light which God hath given us concerning the fundamental Points of Christian Religion about the Most Holy Trinity the Person and Offices of our Lord and Saviour there is no ground of pretence to an Excuse left for any that hath the Word of God in his House and can read it when he pleaseth Therefore God hath graciously done his part sufficiently and clearly declared his Will and Mind which 't is Man's Duty to follow and conform to but as to some he gives Grace to do good others he leaves in their Natural Refractoriness and Aversion from it for 't is Grace to seek for Grace 't is Grace to receive it and Grace to use it well so he hath not been wanting in giving Rules and Directions to encourage those who do well and punish them that do evil which agrees with his Justice and his Truth and as he hath ordered the things so he hath appointed those who must execute it among which as 't is in every Station of Men some do their Duty and some not which is a preparatory matter for a Judgment to come But to bring home the thing upon us can any one who hath lived any competent time be so blind as not to have seen and taken notice of God's great Mercies to this Nation which with an humble and thankful Heart I admire at how gloriously and universally hath the Light of the Gospel shin'd among us How many effects of God's gracious and wise Providence hath the Nation had experience of How plentiful and powerful hath the preaching of the Word of God been in this great City which may well be called the Jerusalem of the Gentiles and so proportionably in most if not in every part of the Kingdom So that God might justly expostulate with us as formerly he did with his People Isa 5.4 What more could have been done to my Vineyard that I have not done in 't Even of late when our Holy Religion and Liberties were in so great a danger of being swallowed up by Popery But what Returns to God have we made for all this Have we with the Psalmist so much as said or thought Ps 116.12 Deut. 32.15 What shall we render unto God for all his Benefits towards us Rather like Jeshurun we kicked but with this difference that he kicked when he was waxed fat but we do when we are grown lean Prosperity is apt to make one wanton but Adversity should make us humble Tho' we thank God Idolatry doth not now sit upon the Throne yet it walks bare-fac'd up and down in the Streets which one would have thought that like the Man whom God by a Prophet speaks of 1 Kings 20.42 he had appointed to Destruction should have been forced to abscond and hide her Face after she had visibly aimed at no less than the ruine of the Protestant Religion in the whole Kingdom but instead of that whilst violent and cruel Persecutions are raging abroad against Protestants Popery keeps its ground and daily her Priests by Herds are seen to slock to some places where against the Law they are received to the great Scandal of Religion and shame of those who suffer it whereby they contribute towards maintaining and promoting of Idolatry and
as if done to himself and consequently will punish the Magistrate for hindring them from worshipping those false Gods when they believe them to be true ones Good God! What Times are we come to that such things are suffered to be Printed and go unpunish'd The Magistrate may not punish those who dishonour the true God when they ought to punish those who dishonour false Gods Thus Papists do well to punish those who despise their Wafer-God but those who despise and blaspheme the true Son of God the Lord Jesus must not be meddled with These abominable Lines of Idolatrous Theology I read a second nay a third time thinking I had been mistaken at the first reading A Man who dares to write such things will say any thing else In another place he denies or at least doubts of God's care of his Church or of his power to defend it For he saith pag. 61. If the Pagan Emperours had been for promoting by force what according to their Sentiments was the true Religion they had utterly extirpated the very Name of a Christian A great mistake in him for several of them as Maxentius Diocletianus and many before and Julian the Apostate through cruel Persecutions did all they could towards it but God suffered them not and he never will for our Saviour hath promised Matth. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church Thus they make little of the Church if at Man's pleasure it may utterly be destroy'd whereunto answers their making Religion to be meerly a Priest-craft as they term it also the Author makes no difference between acting for a good or for a bad Cause and so alters the Question which is not Whether every Magistrate may in matter of Religion punish every Opinion contrary to his own But whether a true Christian Magistrate be bound to suppress what overthrows the Fundamentals of true Christian Religion pag. 81. Therefore his Instances of Gallio of the Town-Clerk of Ephesus and of Felix are not to the purpose I suppose he will own the Christian Religion to be now the true one in opposition to the Pagan or to the Jewish in as much as relateth to the coming of the Messiah that one must oppose not Truth but what is contrary to 't therefore the Persons named are not fit Patterns to be imitated by Christian Magistrates Gallio was a Deputy of Achaia Acts 18.12 17. there to maintain the Roman Authority wherefore he prudently would not meddle nor trouble himself with a Difference about Religion among the Jews which was not his business A Town-clerk wisely took care to avoid giving the Romans cause to say that in a tumultuous and seditious way chap. 19. without a just cause they had gathered together to disturb the Government which thereupon might have call'd them in question As for Felix he was the Roman Governour who minded to enrich himself and not to decide Matters of Controversie about Religion among the Jews a Covetous Man who hoped that Money should have been given him of Paul ch 24.26 So these Examples hold no proportion with the Duty of a Christian Magistrate to act against those who would overthrow Christianity And why should not the Magistrate take care of the good of the Souls as well as of that of the Body of the Subjects and punish Soul-destroying Errors and Practices Among the Jews a stubborn Son upon this Accusation by the Parents before the Elders how that he was a Glutton and a Drunkard Deut. 21.20 was stoned to Death and shall they who among Christians Blaspheme God be unpunished Of two contrary Propositions if one be true necessarily the other must be false 't is so of two Opinions in Religion if the Doctrine for the Most Holy Trinity and Divinity of Christ be true as it is then its contrary must be false And do not God's Laws bid us to follow adhere unto and be for the truth so as to promote it Every one in his Station ought to be against what is contrary to 't And to say the truth as this is the interest of Religion so 't is become the Magistrates concern to mind it upon his own account for that sort of Men with open Mouth and plainly tell him he hath nothing to do to meddle with their Religion whether true or false nor tho' Blasphemous and Idolatrous And on the other side this Author would influence the Members of Parliament who are for Penal Laws against their Blasphemies with suggesting that thereby they may happen to act against themselves which cannot be except they were of the same Principles with them thus he speaks pag. 43. Therefore it shews the greatest Indiscretion in those who tho' they have a share in the Legislature yet are subject to the Laws themselves to consent to any persecuting ones because they cannot be sure but that they are contriving Rods for their own Backs They cannot forbear ever calling Persecution any thing tending to restrain them the cause must be examined to find out the true Name of the thing 't is not the manner but the cause of Death that denominates one a Martyr 't is Justice not Persecution to punish Idolatry and Blasphemy and make use of a restraining Power Herein the Protestant Maxims differ from the Popish that these require a blind Obedience and will not admit others to speak for themselves but Protestants do We cannot approve the Socinians Latitude in advising and encouraging every one to read all manner of Books stuffed with Heresies and Blasphemies pag. 119. which is as dangerous as to put a Cup full of Poison into a Child's Hand or of one who knows not what it is Must every Ploughman or other Ignorant Person who neither knows nor understands the things of himself explain matters of Salvation or be Judge thereof In God's Name let every one read Scripture for all therein is excellent and good no Poison therein as in some Mens Books and therein let them be instructed and when Difficulties occur advised and directed by sound and knowing Men But chiefly upon the reading of the Word let them often be upon their Knees to beg of God to guide them by his Holy Spirit Some are not able to discern a Fish from a Serpent which commonly lies hidden in those unsound Books and by reason of natural corruption some would be apt to choose the worse I know that when the necessary means prescribed in God's Word to inform and make us understand have been used then every one must apply it to himself not of himself for that application is the Work of God's Spirit every one is not able to understand only those whom from above 't is given to pag. 120. 'T is not out of any mistrust of the Goodness and Truth of our Cause as he seems to insinuate that we would not have those that are not sufficiently instructed in the Grounds of it Converse either with the Heretick Persons or
is this Let their table become a snare befor them Ps 69.22 and for welfare a trap in English the Sense is lame in the latter part of the Verse therefore 't was necessary thus to supply it and that which should have been for their Welfare let it become a Trap. The other Text is this For my love they are my adversaries but I give my self unto prayer Ps 109.4 in the latter part of the Verse the words give my self unto are not in the Hebrew only but I prayer which is no sense in English David is not Prayer nor an Iniquity the Judge therefore it should be supplied which the Translatours have well done Now to be even with this Author these two things I leave for him to prove first That this is not the Idiom of the Hebrew Language the second That the Words supplied to make out the Sense in these places are against the Analogy of Faith or the Scope of God's Spirit therein and I give him a long time to consider upon 't But enough of this As to their politick Reasons against the Magistrate's Authority in point of Religion and for a general Naturalization whereby they at once would blow up an English Birth-Right with the Seven Years Apprentiship and bring in all Foreigners to engross the English Trade unto themselves and sow the pernicious Tares of Heresie Blasphemy c. among us with more liberty for they are also for a general Toleration in all these I say their Policy is no better than their Divinity as might easily be demonstrated Indeed to Tolerate some Opinions about indifferent Circumstantial Things can contribute towards Peace and Union do much Good and no Harm but 't would be very pernicious concerning Fundamental Errours God Christ and Religion must not be sacrificed to Interest and other Worldly Considerations Yet if Pagans and Mahommetans would not disturb the Government they would be content to bring them in as already we have the unbelieving Jews whose Conversion I earnestly pray for whom upon the account of Trade and of something else they are so fond of that a great Care must be had to give them no Distaste for fear they would be gone when they are as glad to stay here as some seem afraid lest they should go as if here they were the Pillars of Trade but some think there is cause to believe the contrary I can remember how in Cromwell's time they sent over Manasseh Ben-Israel to get leave to come and settle here he offered 200000 l whereupon Cromwell call'd some Divines for Advice Whether in Conscience he might Receive and Tolerate those that disown and are professed Enemies to Christ They answered He might because it might afford some occasion for their Conversion Then he sent for Lawyers to know because long before they had been Banish'd whether according to Law he might do 't The Answer was He might as long as he and the Parliament who are the Legislative Power were agreed But last of all he summon'd some of the chief Merchants to have their Opinion about it in relation to Trade but these broke the Neck of the Business for they represented how that Nation being cunning would to the prejudice of the English by crafty means engross Trade wholly unto themselves whereupon there was an end And it must be owned that Cromwell and his Counsel understood well enough the Nations Interest in point of Trade neither doth it appear why the same Reasons should not be now as good as they were at that time since 't is the same People which still follows the same steps as any one may see that will take notice of it But enough of these Human Considerations I wish every Man would seriously lay Hand upon his Conscience and in earnest mind what account they can give God who certainly soon or late will call them to 't of the Talents he hath committed and of the Authority he hath put into their Hands what good they have done and what evil prevented or punish'd to answer the Giver's Ends I say my Horse is to carry me my Oxe to Plough my Ground and my Dog to watch about my House or to follow me all these answer my Ends or else I put them off and may not every one else as well as I reasonably put this Question to himself For what End hath God brought me into the World Certainly not to please my own Fancy follow my own Humour or satisfie my own Lust and Passion but in my station to honour and serve him that 's the Work and the one needful thing For saith our Saviour Luke 10.42 Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all things shall be added unto you God is the good Master who will take care of our Concerns if we neglect not his but do follow the Apostle's Rule to do all things for the Glory of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The same Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them the Jews in the Wilderness also tempted so I say let none of us tempt Christ as did the Jews in his time who still asked for a Sign after he had given them several Must he every Day give them new Signs and work new Miracles to prove himself to be the true and proper Son of God That unbelieving Nation in the highest degree tempted him when they said Matth. 27. If he be the Son of God let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him to be the Son of God But he to prove himself to be the Son of God did more and a greater thing than they desired for after Death to raise himself as he did out of the Grave was more than if he had come down from the Cross when alive Was not our Blessed Redeemer sufficiently tempted upon Earth by the Jews that he must be tempted again now when he is in Heaven The Jews tempted him in his State of Humiliation and now Socinians do when he is Glorified The Jews would then have had him to come down from the Cross and now the Socinians would have him to come down from Heaven to prove himself to be the Son of God yet against them he hath from Heaven provided a Witness since his Ascension I mean Paul as we read Acts 22.14 15. Before I make an end I neither can nor must forbear to say how it affords too much matter of sad Thoughts in those who are concern'd for the Cause and Interest of the Eternal Son of God and of the Protestant Religion to see here Heresie Blasphemy and Idolatry as good as Tolerated and Unpunish'd and abroad the Professors of the true Christian Religion unjustly and cruelly persecuted In France against all Edicts Engagements and Promises in their Lives Liberties and Fortunes most barbarously in the Valleys of Piedmont the Vaudois which we may well call that Mother Church