devills also shall be saved at last But because it is not fit in this grammar of Christian Religion to trouble the vulgar eares with paradoxes you may perhaps find this question handled in that booke which is intituled Arithmetica sacra In the meane time he shall further me much therein that shall truely teach me the true and uttermost meaning of the Iubile ARTICLE VIII ⧠I beleeve in the Holy-Ghost CHAP. XXXIII § 1. THe word Ghost in English our true speech is as much as athem or breath in our new Latine language a Spirit The metaphoricall use of it as it signifies a qualitie as wee say the Spirit of meeknesse of jealousie of pride or that spirit of 7. devills which troubles and overturnes the state of the world which God doth hate above all other Psal 10.3 I meane the spirit of covetousnesse hath no place here nor yet the word spirit as it may meane any being elementall as we speake of the winde or any subtile steame raised from a moist body nor yet as it signifies those created ethereall spirits which wee call Angels but onely as our Lord speakes Iohn 4.24 God is a Spirit which as it is spoken of the God-head essentially so heere wee confesse that wee beleeve in the Holy-Ghost or Spirit that third Person in the glorious Trinity our God our Sanctifier our Comforter eternally one with the Father and the Sonne unto whose faith and service onely wee are baptized as our Saviour commanded Matth. 28.19 Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost As fast as our heavy-footed reason can follow our faith I have in the 10 11 and 12. Chapter and Notes thereon already shewed the distinct substances of the three Person in the unity of their essence so that it seemes there is nothing in this place needfull to that point but onely to bring those Scriptures which doe directly prove the God-head of the Holy-Ghost and that Hee doth proceede from the Father and the Sonne For the first you may take these Texts 1. Iohn 5.7 There are three that beare witnesse in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit and these three are one Actes 5.3.4 Why hath Satan fill'd thy heart that thou shouldest lie unto the Holy-Ghost Thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God Mark 3.29 He that shall blaspheme against the Holy-Ghost hath never forgivenesse but is in danger of eternall damnation Therefore the Holy-Ghost is God Take hereto texts brought Chap. 11. § 3. num 9. By all which Scriptures it is manifest that the Holy-Ghost is God coessentiall with the Father and the Sonne and therefore to be worshipped and glorified with the same glory with them And that He doth proceed from the Father and the Sonne these texts doe make it plaine Iohn 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of trueth which proceedeth from the Father Hee will testifie of mee And Iohn 16.7 If I depart I will send the Comforter unto you Rom. 8.9 He is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of His Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father See Rev. 5.6 and Iohn 20.22 Hee breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy-Ghost By which it is manifest that the Holy-Ghost proceedeth from Him And this is that Holy Spirit that dwelleth in us and that not onely by His graces and gifts in us nor onely as God every where present that worketh all in all but also as in those Temples which He hath sanctified for His perpetuall dwelling as it is said 1. Cor. 6.19 Know yee not that your bodie is the temple of the Holy-Ghost which is in you Neither doth the Holy-Ghost onely dwell with them whom He hath sanctified unto Himselfe but together with Him both the Father and the Son as it is said Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father and Hee shall give you another comforter even the Spirit of trueth that Hee may abide with you for ever And againe verse 23. If a man love mee hee will keepe my wordes and my Father will love him and wee will come unto him and make our abode with him And thus is the Tabernacle of God with men and thus doth He dwell among them Therefore let us remember that precept Eph. 4.30 Not to grieve that Holy Spirit by our willfull sinnes whereby wee are sealed to the day of redemption For if any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy 1. Cor. 3.17 This is the seale and pledge of our eternall hope For if the spirit of Him that raised up Iesus from the dead doth dwell in us He shall also quicken our mortall bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in us as I shewed more fully Chap. 17. § 4. num 2. Neither indeed were it any assurance of hope or comfort to know and beleeve that God the Father created all things by Iesus Christ and that Christ the Sonne of God died for the sinnes of men for so much the devills acknowledge except wee did also know and beleeve that the fruite and effect of that redemption did belong to every beleever in particular and that in the eternall purpose of God wee were created unto this hope And this faith and knowledge is wrought in us only by the Holy-Ghost as you may read Iohn 16.13.14 and Eph. 1. from verse 17. to the end Neither yet could wee have sure consolation in this witnesse of the Holy-Ghost unto our hearts except wee did certainely know that this Holy-Ghost which witnesseth these things unto us were God who cannot lie Whereof wee have full proofe by those graces which Hee worketh in us as first the knowledge of the trueth then faith to beleeve it then as living water doth he wash our consciences from sinne then as another Evangelist speaketh doth Hee as fire inflame our hearts with the love of God a hatred of sinne and a desire to walke in newnesse of life and although wee be daily assaulted by the world and the devill to whom wee are often betrayed by our owne wicked imagination ye doth He not forsake us for ever but when wee see our selves to have no strength of our selues to stand in the least temptation and so have learned not to trust in our selves but in the living God and to desire His helpe then doth He returne and comfort us in all the troubles of our mind and even in death it selfe makes us more than conquerors Oh what is man that thou shouldest take such tender care of Him or the sonne of sinfull flesh that thou shouldest so visit him Now it is impossible that any created Spirit at one time in all places of the world and that ever since God created man upon the earth even unto the last man that shall be borne should worke these different effects in the hearts of all Gods children
of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hawah or hayah whence the name is derived Ie is the signe of that which is to come as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeheweh He shall be or He will be Ho of that which is as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being or He that is and wah of that which hath bin as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee hath beene and thus is the word opened Rev. 1.8 He which was in eternitie the fountaine and eternall Father of Him which shall be in eternity by the common band of all continuance that which is in eternity And this is Hee that was and is and is to come And in the new Testament besides the places cited before in the beginning of the chapter in Math. 3.16.17 and Luc. 3.21.22 you may heare the witnesse of the Father concerning the Sonne and see the Holy Ghost comming downe on Him in the likenesse of a dove And againe Ioh. 14. vers 16.17.1 I will pray the 2. Father and he will send you another Comforter even the 3. Spirit of truth And 2 Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holie Ghost bee with you all with many other texts not needfull here to bee cited because that when we come to speake of the other Persons of the Trinitie in the Articles following some of them must bee remembred And if the adversaries testimonie be ought worth you may take hereto the Aegyptian oracle of Serapis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First God and then the Word and Holy Ghost with them Of essence one in one accord And from hence it seemes had Merc. Trism that which hee teaches in Pormand of that Light which is God the Father the word which is the Sonne and that life which is the union of them both See the other arguments inductive in the Notes a andb. Notes a BY reason we are summon'd to hearken to this truth Pref. Tho. Aqu. in his questions on the master of the sentences lib. 1. Dist 2. q. 3. brings a couple of reasons to prove a plurality of Persons in the unity of the Godhead which in effect are these 1. with the greatest happinesse there must bee the greatest pleasure and content But in the Possession of that which is good there cannot be pleasure and content without company seeing the perfection of every good thing stands in the community of the use thereof But company is not without plurality The second reason is from the perfection of the divine love and all love ever wishes well to another But these reasons prove no more a Trinity than a society of Ten and sit better for an ordinary than the high mystery in question And therefore having look't well upon his reasons and seeing that they were very poore inductions he resolves it is no way necessary to put a distinction of Persons in the Deity for the force of reasons but onely for the justifying of our Faith and for the authority of the Holy Scriptures And in the third Disc qu. 4. whether it were possible for the old Philosophers which knew not the Scripture by the knowledge of the creature onely to come to the knowledge of the Trinity hee saith that by the view of the creature they might come to the knowledge of the divine power wisdome and goodnesse as the cause is manifest by the effect and conclude that there is one God even as Saint Paul proves Rom. 1. and againe Rom. 10.18 out of the 19. Psalme But that they could not thereby attaine the knowledge of the Trinity because the Creature was an insufficient meanes to bring them to the knowledge of that high mysterie So in the 4 booke of his Summe Contr. Gentiles Cap. 1. hee determines even so concerning the incarnation and the consequents thereof So likewise concerning the resurrection everlasting life and all our hopes that depend thereon Againe in his Summe of Theologie chap. 33. hee concludes that by naturall reason it is impossible to know God in the distinction of Persons and that for these reasons 1. First it takes away from the worthinesse of our Faith 2. Faith is of things not appearing and such as exceed reason as it is said Heb. 11.1 Thirdly Infidels laugh at that which is not fully proved and therefore saith hee it shall bee sufficient to defend that our faith holds nothing that is impossible But Doctor reason must yeeld that to bee impossible which it cannot make to appeare that it is possible And therefore that our faith bee not set at nought by misbeleevers as being of things impossible you tye us for defence thereof to further proofe which if it be full and sufficient your third reason is nothing worth The first reason is lesse worth in it selfe For that is the glory of a Christian faith and the triumph of it over all false worships that is so surely founded in the truth of God that the Gates of hell cannot prevaile against it Therefore to speake cleerely to this question I say the word naturall reason may either meane that reason whereof a man is capable by that light of understanding which is naturally through the gift of Christ in every man Ioh. 1.4.9 the holy Scripture hath opened this light most clearely and therefore is it called the light of Grace or else it may meane such reasons as are gathered from the causes effects and rules which are manifest onely in naturall things Now although the articles of our creede by way of Induction onely may be manifest by naturall reason thus understood as S. Augustine de Civit. Dei lib. 11. cap. 26. in this very question hath made it appeare yet by that first light of understanding which wee call naturall reason because it is in every man according to the possibility of nature they may bee understood and approved by other rules than such as have their grounds in naturall things For God is not the God of nature onely but much more the God of grace and mercy and to the knowledge of these principles and the conclusions gathered thereon wee are led by better guides than Aristotle ever knew that is the holy Scripture and the Spirit of Grace who leades us to the right meaning thereof Yet how farre even Naturall light hath gone in the discovery of the great Mysteries of Divinity even of the Trinity it selfe you may judge by this of Proclus taken out of Plato as you may reade in Steuchus de perenni phi lib. 2. c. 16. These two saith hee unity and Being consisting in the Trinity the first begetting the second begotten the one perfecting the other perfected it must needs be that there is a certaine power by the which and with the which that unity gives subsistence and perfection unto that being For both the procession from that unity to being and the returne from that being unto unity must be by a middle power betweene them both For
reasonable and an immortall soule hee breathed into man a Spirit of new life and man became a living soule the epitome or modell of all the creature earthly and heavenly bodily and spirituall This truth is so plaine that Ovid the prince of all the heathen Poets for wit judgement and manifold learning read it in the booke of nature Metam lib. 1. Before the Sea the earth and heaven all hiding There was one face on all the world abiding Which men name Chaos an unordered load Wherein the seeds of things contrarie aboade But though it be granted that the first matier was meerely and purely simple yet can it not follow that therefore it was eternall except it may withall appeare that it had power to bee of it selfe without the power of the Creator But that would utterlie take away the infinite power of God if beside his power any power could bee supposed to another thing which could uphold an eternall being And seeing in all corruption everie thing returnes to those principles of which it was as in man his body to the earth and his Spirit unto God that gave it and that nothing materiall returnes to a simple and pure being but that it is still found under some forme or other it is manifest first that that first matier was not created simple but by his decree ever subject to composition and therefore secondly impossible to be eternall Concerning that eternall Spirit or life of the world in respect of which they thought it should bee eternall both before and after you shall understand more in the 24. Chap. note g § 10. yet in the meane time I answer that if that Spirit whereby the world both is and is ordered worke according to that paterne which hee sees in another it cannot follow that the world shall thereby bee for ever except it appeare to stand with that will according to which hee workes Now what that will is we understand better by his owne Revelation in his owne word than Plato and all his followers could see in all the subtilty of their understanding By which word also wee know that the last end and hope of the creature is more excellent and glorious by the change than by the continuance of the world for ever in that state wherein it is And thus the speciall reasons of that Sect are answered See more to this question if you will in Tertullian against Hermogenes 2. But it is further objected that whatsoever begins to worke which did not worke before must be moved thereto either by it selfe or by another But God is not moved that is changed from that which he was before either by himselfe nor by any other for neither can his action bee new or begun seeing his action is his being neither can hee be affected otherwise than hee was before And therefore is hee an eternall cause of the world an eternall effect as Aristotle affirmed I answer That no new motion or purpose can come unto God concerning the creature for all his workes are knowne to him from eternitie Acts 15.18 But seeing that these workes of which we speake are of his will alone they must be according to the limitation or appointment of that will so that although hee had eternally willed to create the world yet had he eternally willed when by whom and after what fashion the world and all the things therein should be created And this by one onely will and one onely action of the same will eternally The newnesse then of the world is in the actuall being of the world not in the will or power whereby it was wrought But for the better understanding of this thing you may observe a difference of actions of which some are immanent or in-dwelling in the doer and are accompted among the perfections of the thing such are the workes of the will or understanding some againe are transeunt or passing from the doer upon that which is done as the worke of the Smith upon the steele in making a sword The workes of God in himselfe are immanent neither doe these of necessitie put the outward object into actuall being as a man may conceive of a house which is not yet built or the Smith by his art or skill hath power to make a locke which hee hath not yet made So God though hee foresaw and willed eternally that the world should bee yet the effect followed not but according to the determination of that will when by whom and how the world should receive an actuall being 3. But it may againe bee said that God is an Eternall and an Almighty agent and that not in possibilitie onely but in act also for whatsoever is brought from the possibilitie of doing unto the act of doing must bee enforced thereto by a former and more powerfull agent and that actually which in God is utterlie impossible and if hee be an eternall and a powerfull agent and that actually the effect must necessarily follow and that actually for otherwise neither could the effect be answerable to the cause nor yet the cause bee said to bee sufficient and Almightie if the cause were in act and the effect in possibilitie onely therefore it seemes the world must of necessitie be eternall Answer Although God bee actually and eternally whatsoever hee may bee in himselfe yet seeing hee workes in outward things not according to any necessitie but onely according to the pleasure of his owne will the outward effect of his power must bee limited according to the circumstances of his will which I declared before Therefore this reason doth no more enforce the eternitie of the world than it doth that all the possibilities of the creature should be actually at once and that every thing created should bee eternall because the cause is eternall actuall and allsufficient But these things as they can no way stand with the possibilitie of the creature so would they utterly take away the working of all naturall causes by which the glory of his manifold wisdome is declared neither doth the all-sufficiencie of the cause bring any sufficiencie to the reason to prove the world eternall For although the creature bee an effect of the infinite power of God yet because it is not an adequate or proportionable object thereto that is wherein that power may bee wholly and onely exercised therefore is it but a forrein effect wherein that power workes onely according to the will of the worker Therefore observe here secondly a difference of agents of which some worke naturally and these worke alwayes necessarily according to their uttermost power in the diversity of things whereon they worke as the Sunne by his heat melts that which hath thin parts as butter or waxe and hardens that which hath parts more stiffe as clay Some agents againe are voluntarie and these worke not necessarily but according to the choice and freedome of their owne will as the Physician gives not to his patient all that hee can give but
he be beleeved then Gospell shall bee against Gospell faith against faith love against love hope against hope virtue against virtue and all this about the same thing that is the meanes of everlasting life So the love of God toward his creature should not bee manifest in that hee had not made man to know assuredly that which concerned him most to know So his justice should finde no place to condemne the world of ignorance and misbeleefe But all these things are absurd and not to be granted therefore this Iesus the Sonne of the virgin Mary is the Saviour of the world 3. Religion is the band or obligation of the creature unto God to serve him in hope of the excellencie of the reward So that the most excellent Religion must give hope of the most high reward Now if this Iesus whom we confesse bee the Saviour of the world the hope of the faithfull is at rest in the assurance of that hope of everlasting life in the uttermost perfection of all happinesse and joy But if this be not he who was desired before he came and beleeved on since his comming then that Saviour when hee comes must give us assurance of greater hopes and promises of greater joyes than yet wee have received But this is impossible therefore this Iesus in whom we beleeve is the Saviour of the world 4. It is necessary that the Saviour of mankinde doe love mankinde with the uttermost perfection of love so that for that loves sake he offer himselfe most willingly to the endurance of all those things whereby he may procure the salvation of man and the uttermost good which may befall him And if this Iesus whom wee confesse be not the Saviour of the world then it is requisite that the Saviour which is to come should love mankinde more and endure greater things for man than he hath done But this is impossible Ioh. 15.13 Ioh. 10.15 Therefore this Iesus our Lord is the Saviour of the world 5. It is impossible that the greatest worke of God toward his creature that is the salvation of mankinde should be in vaine or that the preaching of the truth thereof should bee utterly unbeleeved But if this Iesus which the Christian faith confesseth be not the Saviour of the world then the preaching of that truth when the pretended Saviour should come will not be beleeved and so the greatest worke of God toward mankinde will be in vaine that is without glory to God and fruitlesse to man that will not receive it for the Christians know that salvation is in none other but onely in this Iesus in whom they beleeve And although the Mahumetans confesse many glorious things of Christ as that hee is the power wisdome breath and word of God borne of Mary a perpetuall virgin by a diuine inspiring that he raised the dead and did all those miracles which we affirme and that he was the greatest Prophet of all that were before him as you may reade in Cusa Crib Alcor lib. 1. Cap. 12. Gul. Postel de Concord orbis lib. 2. Mars Ficin de Rel. Chr. Cap. 12. and elsewhere Yet they neither beleeve that hee did or could dye or that it was necessary that hee should neither doe they beleeve that hee was the Sonne of God which conditions wee have before proued to belong necessarily to the Saviour of the world So that if he that shall come do come according to these conditions yet will they not receive him no more than they receive Christ of whom they speake such honourable things And concerning the Iewes although it be manifest by the word of the Scripture that the vaile shall at last be taken from their hearts that they may understand and be turned to our Lord the Saviour of the world Hos 3.5 Rom. 11.31 Yet seeing that our Lord in respect of his humilitie became unto them a rocke of offence and restored not the temporarie kingdome which they expected for his kingdome was not of this world If any other shall come in the same estate and condition they will not beleeve And concerning the idolatrous Gentiles much lesse will they beleeve if they may say that the Christians which beleeved before in such a Saviour were not saved by him therefore the condition stands sure that if this Iesus whom wee confesse be not the Saviour of the world then that pretended Saviour when hee comes shall not bee beleeved and so the greatest worke of God toward mankinde should be in vaine 6. If this Iesus in whom wee beleeve bee not the Saviour of the world then the greatest love and thankes which wee give unto God therefore is lesse lovely and lesse acceptable and the greater number of men saved by this faith is lesse willed of God than that lesse love thanks and number of them which shall hereafter beleeve the truth so the greater love shall bee despised for the lesse and the greater number misprised for the lesse but this is not agreeable to the justice of God and his love to his creature and therefore not to be admitted Ergo this Iesus in whom we beleeve is the Saviour of mankinde 7. The superexcellent or rather infinite height of that truth which wee professe in the Articles of our faith concerning God the Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier of mankinde and those unspeakeable benefits which we hope for in the life to come is such as no created understanding could have come unto except God himselfe by his word and spirit had first manifested the same unto man And seeing it is the truth of God the wisdome and goodnesse of God could not suffer that the full perfect and most cleare manifestation thereof concerning the person by whom and the time when it was to be fulfilled by his owne promise should bee by a false prophet or that a false Christ should take his honour to himselfe for so the most high truth should suffer such discredit thereby as that it should never bee beleeved But this is absurd and inconvenient And therefore this Christ in whom wee beleeve is the true Christ and the Saviour of the world 8. The whole time of the world is either for preparation to receive the Saviour when hee shall come or manifestation of him when hee is come But God hath long since ceased to prepare any people to receive him And therfore the Saviour is already come for although the Iewes expect a Messiah yet have they no countrey nor forme of Religion appointed by God to uphold that expectation for the use of the ceremoniall Law wherein the Messiah was figured was commanded onely in their owne land out of which they being now banished their ceremonies have no use See Deut. 12.1 Ios 5.5.7 Amos 5.25 Hebr. 10. Therefore this Iesus is the true Messiah 9 Neither may that argument bee omitted whereby our Lord justified himselfe Ioh. 7.18 Hee that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true Seeing therfore that our Lord sought not
nor very man but a confused effect of both natures And this third being the Theodosians held to be mortall but the Armenians bold it to be immortall and no way subject to any suffering The Cophti in Egypt hold but one nature in Christ not by commixture to cause a third being of both but interpret their meaning according to the true faith Brerewood Enquirie Cap 22. 4. But on the other side Ebion Carpocrates and Theodotion affirmed that Christ was pure and onely man begotten by Ioseph of his wife Mary as other children and that God was in him as in Peter or Paul or any other man and by a greater progresse in virtue hee came to be more righteous than other because he received a more noble soule than other men by which he knew and reveiled heavenly truths and by an assisting power of God he wrought miracles as Moses or other of the Prophets had done before This herefie the Socinians as Wentz à Budowecks doth charge them have renewed of late yet after by him it seemes they are come to yeeld unto Christ as much as Arius 5. Artemou Theodotus of Byzant or Constantinople Paulus of Samosata and Photinus held that Christ had no being before hee tooke beginning of his mother and so was onely man by nature but that God which Epiphanius expounds the Word descended into him which error Athanasius Epistola de incarnat contra Paulum Samosat holds to be all one with that of Carpocrates 6. Cerinthus to that progresse in virtue of Ebion and Carpocrates added this That Christ which hee interpreted the holy Ghost descended into Iesus the son of Mary when he was baptised in Iordan and made knowne unto him the Father whom hee knew not before and hence it came to passe that Iesus afterward did such great miracles because Christ was in him Thus of one hee made two Mediators one Iesus wherein Christ was and another Iesus without Christ for hee added that Iesus suffered and died but that Christ without any suffering flew backe to heaven as Colarbasus also after him did teach This Cerinthus is that hereticke as saith Epiphanius that troubled the Church in the Apostles time affirming that the Gentiles ought to bee circumcised and keepe the Law which heresie of his the Councell of Ierusalem determined Acts 15. 7. The hereticks called Alogiani because they denied Christ to bee God the Word hold in effect as much as the former concerning his nature but yet deny not but that for his great grace and virtue he was made the Mediator for other men But the writings of Saint Iohn they vtterlie denie because say they the other Evangelists doe no where call Christ the Word Answer But they call him and prove him to bee God as Matth. 1 23. God with us from whence is the gift of pophecie and power to cast out devils Matth. 7.22 so Marke 1.24 The devils confesse his power and him to be the Holy one of God And Luk. 1.34.35 The Angel professes that holy thing which was to bee borne of the Virgin to be the Sonne of God All his glorious miracles prove as much which were neither wrought by the power of Baalzebub as the old Iewes nor yet by magicke or by the meanes of the Cabala as the later Iewes affirmed but onely by the power of God as our Lordhimselfe proves by an unanswerable argument Luk. 11. vers 14. to 23. And these are the most famoused heresies of them who held but one nature in Christ divine as Eutyches who changed the humane nature into the divine or humane as Apollinarius who thought the divine nature was changed into the humane or one mixt nature of both these as the Timotheans beleeved or purely humane as Ebion Cerinthus Photinus and the Alogians wherein it will not be unfit that we briefly consider their reasons and see what answers are or may be made thereto § 1. And first concerning the heresie of Eutyches you may by this see how dangerous it is For if it be put that after the union of both natures the humane nature was utterly swallowed up of the divine so that the divine nature onely remayned then it must follow of necessity either that we are still in the state of damnation or that God must suffer and dye for us in the divine nature which as it is impossible so yet should wee be still in the state of condemnation For if our redemption bee not wrought for us in our owne nature the divine Iustice is still unsatisfied so wee are still in our sinne And therefore the Councell of Chalcedon held by six hundred and thirty Fathers to condemne these errours of his viz. that the natures were apart before the union as if the humanity had had any being before it was taken to the Godhead or that the beings in themselves or their proprieties were either confused or changed confessed him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one and the same Sonne in the two natures but remember the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the nature together with the proprieties thereof neither by mixture nor change of natures but as one individuall being consisting of both natures inseparably But some of the later Eutichians minced the mattier and said that unity of nature was not till after His resurrection But that both against the authority of the Scripture and reason it selfe For Hee received power of the Father to raise the dead to give eternall life to execute the Iudgement as he is the Sonne of man Ioh. 5. v. 25.26.27 all these things not yet performed And how can the heavens containe Him Act. 3.21 if hee bee onely God whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot containe Kings 8 27. or what hope can wee have of being made like unto Him if Hee bee onely God yet have we assurance that as we have borne the image of the earthly so shall wee also beare the image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15.49 The words of our Lord himselfe are yet more cleare Luk. 24.39 Handle me and see me for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me have The truth of his bodily being after his resurrection is there argued by his eating and many other infallible proofes during the time of 40. dayes Act. 1.3 And in the last two chapters of Saint Iohns Gospell all to this purpose that wee may beleeve that he that descended into the grave is even the same that ascended in the perfection of His manly being to appeare for us before the Father till the day of our redemption when he shall present us unblameable in his sight as it is said Heb. 2.3 Behold me and the children which thou hast given me see Ioh. 6.39 But see the reason of this heresie of Eutyches delivered by that second Synod of Ephesus called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which murthered the vertuous and faithfull Flavian and blasted with their stinking curs all them that should affirme that there were two natures
the same purpose a Wisdome increated and a Wisedome created and although Arius affirmed as Postellus That Christ was a creature but not as one of the creatures made but not as one of other things that were made c. and therefore concluded that he held the same faith with the Church and detracted nothing from the glory of Christ when hee called him the first and chiefe creature Epiph. haeres 69. yet Postellus whether he were indeed ignorant of it or whether he dissembled his knowledge makes no mention thereof lest the name Arius might discredit the position although the difference betweene Arius and Postellus be as much as from the East to the West For though Arius held the increated Wisdome or Word to be in the Trinity yet he could not yeeld to this that that Wisdome tooke flesh and became that Saviour to whom we confesse And this was the businesse betweene him and the right meaning Fathers But Postellus held that the created Wisdome that first borne of every creature which in the fulnesse of time tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary and in that flesh made satisfaction for the sinnes of the world was hee in whom all the fulnesse of the Godhead did dwell Now by the rule of our faith both the extremities are yeelded unto that Christ is God blessed above all and that he is man as hath beene proved But this is now to be examined whether it be necessary to the beeing of our mediatour that hee be that first creature of God created before all times and ages of the world by whom all other things were afterwards made in their due times and are governed as Postellus affirmed The Authorities which Postellus brings are either forraine or else out of the holy Scripture you shall first see them of the first kind with their exceptions then his reasons with their answers and lastly those enforcements which are by him and may beside bee brought from the Word of truth 1. First he saith he is urged to the declaration of this truth by the Spirit of Christ pag. 1 3 7 c. but I say these enthusiasmes and revelations are a common claime not onely to them that speake the truth from God as the holy Prophets say Thus saith the Lord but also to them that vent their owne fantasies and heresies in stead of the truth The second authority is that of the Abisine Church which commonly they call of Presbyter Iohn out of whose Creed he cites for his purpose thus much Pag. 24. 25. We beleeve in the name of the holy Trimty the Father the Son and the holy Ghost who is one Lord three names one Deity three Faces one Similitude the conjunction of the three persons is equall in their Godhead one Kingdome one Throne one Iudge one Love one Word one Spirit But there is a Word of the Father a Word of the Soune and a Word of the Holy Ghost and the Son is the same Word And the Word was with God and with the Holy Ghost and with himselfe without any defect or division the Sonne of the Father the Sonne of himselfe and the beginning of himselfe Where in the first Article you see that Church acknowledges the Trinitie of Persons in the unitie of the Deity according to that faith which wee beleeve The second Article But there is a Word of the Father c. is altogether a declaration of this created Word of Sonne of God by whom all the holy Scriptures were given and inspired as Postel speakes But concerning that Church though Postel to make the authority thereof without exception say it was never troubled with any heresie yet it is not unlikely to have nursed that arch-heretick Arius whom all writers account to be a Lybian Besides it is manifest that they are all Monothelites and so farre forth Iacobites or Eutychians that they condemne the fourth generall Councell of Chalcedon for determining two natures to be in Christ Moreover what their learning is like to be you may judge by this that their inferiour Church Ministers and Monkes must live by their labor having no other maintenance nor being suffered to crave almes see Mr Brerewoods Enquiry Chap. 23. 21. a state of the Ministery whereto our sacrilegious patrons and detainers of those livings rightly called Impropriations because they belong most improperly to them that unjustly withhold them from the Church would bring our Church unto But see whereto this want of maintenance hath brought that Church which in the time of the Nicene Councell was of so great regard that their Patriarch had the seventh place in all generall Councels yet now as I have read have they of late yeares beene compelled to send to Rome to beg a religion and teachers from them And this is the Authority of that Church But you will say their Creed is ancient and of authority I say though it be as ancient as Arius yet what wit or judgement was in this to put such a point into their Creed which they themselves by Postels owne confession doe not understand If it were necessary to beleeve it other Churches would not have omitted it if not necessary why was it brought into their Creed But the ancient Paraphrasts Anchelus and Ionathan are without exception and where the Text is And the Lord spake unto Moses they explaine it thus And the Lord spake unto Moses by his word which all the old Interpreters and especially Rambam understand to be spoken of the created Word of God that Word of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost or the Divinitie which is appliable to the created beeings Pag. 24. The Cabalists also concurre with this interpretation and therefore call him the inferiour VVisdome the Throne of Glory the house of the Sanctuary the heaven of heavens united to eternity the superiour habitation in which God dwels for ever as his body is the inferiour habitation after he was incarnate the great Steward of the house of God who according to the eternall decree brings forth every thing in due time And these as I remember are all the authorities which Postellus cites except you will add this that whereas he writes to the Councell of Trent they of the Councell being called for other purposes did not at all passe any censure of the booke or this position which is the maine point therein You may add to these authorities many other and first out of Iesus the Sonne of Sirach Chap. 1. vers 4 5. Wisdome hath beene created before all things and the understanding of Prudence from everlasting The VVord of God most high is the fountaine of wisdome c. which agrees with that in the Creed before that hee is the VVord of the Sonne and the beginning of himselfe And againe verse 9. The Lord created her and saw her and numbred her And Chap. 24.8 9. He that made me caused me to rest he created me from the beginning before the world and I shall never faile And this authority
should bee in every thing like His brethren except their sinne therefore tooke Hee on Him whatsoever was naturall unto man the substance not the sinne the perfections not the infections But sinne was contrary to mans nature the deformitie and poyson thereof wrought onely by the Devill in man after the worke of God was perfect in him And therefore our Lord did grow in wisedome and Stature like other men as all the sonnes of Adam should have done though hee had never sinned And thus Christ tooke on him our infirmities and that for this end that Hee might beare our sinne that is might set himselfe in our stead to beare the punishment of our sinnes that by His stripes wee might bee healed And thus the Lord laid on Him the burthen of vs all Reade Es 53. But it is said 2. Cor. 5.21 that God made him to bee sinne for vs. Answere Object 2 This text is cited as that text of the Psalme in Matth. 4.6 is cited by the Devill Say that which followes Who knew no sinne and it cuts the throat of the objection But I say that Saint Paul referreth vs secretly to that sacrifice for the sinne of the High-priest in Exod. 29.14 which is there called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chattach § Sin meaning an offering for sinne as Psal 118.17 the sacrifice is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chagh the feast or holy-day by a Metonymia meaning the sacrifice proper for the holy-day For the purpose of Saint Paul in that Epistle being to prove the end of the Law in Christ referres vs to that sacrifice which shewes that the High-priest himselfe needed another Mediatour For although hee did eate the sinne offering of the people and so did beare or take away their sinne Levit. 10.17 Yet his owne sin offering he might not eat And therefore that was to be burnt without the campe as Christ did suffer without the gate Heb. 13.11 c. Moreover Iob saith 14.4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of an vncleane Object 3 Not one Whereby it is plaine that although Christ were conceived by the Holy-Ghost and so no staine or touch of concupiscence came to the body of the Virgin by that conception yet seeing the Virgin her selfe was conceived and borne as all man-kind it must ikewise follow that if Christ had his whole manly being onely from her then as shee her selfe was stained in her whole being with originall sinne so likewise that which was conceived of her Answere It is likewise written Deut. 4.24 The Lord thy God is a consuming fire And the propertie of fire is to separate all such things as are heterogeneous to part and divide Elements as experience sheweth Now although it bee plaine that the heavens are impure in His sight that Hee found no stedfastnesse in His Angels that no creature could bee a Tabernacle worthy His dwelling much lesse the body of sinfull man Yet seeing that glorious fire was able to purifie and perfit whatsoever body that was which He would vouchsafe to take unto Himselfe therefore although for the reasons in the Chapter following it was meet that Christ should bee borne of a Virgin yet not to take any holinesse from her For if it had seemed good vnto His wisedome to take His man-hood from a corrupted Rahab or a Tamar as hee did onginally yet was Hee able to sanctifie and clense it as He doth clense or take away the sinnes of the world And concerning that manly being which our Lord did take of the holy Virgin though it were the most pure in all man-kind though the vttermost puritie in all the creature as being without the sinne of the creature as I said before yet was it not of it selfe worthy to bee His pavillion but became a dwelling worthy of His presence onely because He by that assumption of it unto himselfe did make it worthy of Himselfe as Hee saith Iohn 17.14 For their sakes doe I sanctifie my selfe What is that His Divine being is perfect holinesse and thereby did He sanctifie His body which was Himselfe contrary to the wickednesse of Nestorius that that likewise might bee Holinesse to the Lord and a sufficient sacrifice sanctified by that offering of Himselfe for the sinnes of the world And this sanctifying of that Tabernacle of His manhood was figured by the Cloud which filled the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34.35 and the Temple 1. Kings 8.10.11 into which seeing the Priests could not enter because of the Cloud the Holy-Ghost signified that when God should dwell in the temple of our flesh the ministerie of the Leviticall Priest-hood must have an end b No agent can worke beyond the power of its owne nature It were a wicked and Manichean conclusion from that text which is in Matth. 13.38 The tares are the Children of the Devill to thinke that any of man-kind should bee begotten by wicked sprights yet such fancyes hath the devill hatched in some mens mindes to dishonour this most glorious worke of God the Incarnation of his sonne And although it appeare by the manifest authoritie of the holy Scripture that man was that speciall creature of God whereabout to speake as a man Hee tooke most care Let vs make man in our image Gen. 1.26 Hee hath made vs not wee our selues Psal 100. Thy hands have made mee and fashioned mee Psal 119.73 and Psal 139. almost wholely to this purpose yet hath Postel in his Booke de Nat. Med. told vs of the Alani a people among the Tartars which saith hee was begotten by Spirits Thus also hath he disgraced the noble Nation of the Hungars beside other particular persons among whom our British Merlin But beside the generall truth of this rule doth not common experience shew that different kinds bring out that which is neutrall as the kindes of Horses and Asses Mules which ingender not to bring out their like because nature will not endure so great a disgrace as to have her kindes multiplied contrary to kind Moreover seeing every thing brings forth the like as a Man a Man a Lion a Lion Fire Fire c. What possibilitie is there that a spirit should beget any thing but a spirit as it appeares in the workes of the devill in our fantasies and affections by which secondly hee may also cause vs to worke on that which is in our power not in his I know that in the vegetable where much seed is hermaphroditicall in planting in grafting and the like one kind may be bettered by another but not in perfect animalls much lesse in man I know also what poore shifts there bee to prove the possibilitie of these monstrous generations the fancy of Incubus and Succubus and of the devill stealing the seed from a dead body and such like But that pretious seed dyes instantly except it be received into the proper vessell And when the body is once dead and that soule gone which kept the whole and every part and parcell of the body in life that which was for
and a soule which two together doe make a whole and perfect man 2. If either the Word or a supercelestiall understanding had beene in a sencelesse body then could not that body have felt either paine without or much lesse inward griefe But the soule of our Saviour was heavy unto death Mat. 26.38 Therefore Hee had a humane soule 3. A thing of one kind cannot bee given as a fit ransome for a thing of another kind but a body must bee given for the ransome of a body and a soule for the ransome of a soule Therefore that Christ might be a sufficient Redeemer it was necessary that He should have both an humane body and a humane soule 4. If either the created Deitie of Arius or the supercelestiall spirit of Apollinarius had beene in Christ in stead of the humane soule then could He not have given His soule for His sheepe But Hee was that Good Sepherd which laid downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His owne soule or life for His sheepe Iohn 10.11 Therefore He had a humane soule 5. If Christ had not had a soule by the departure of which His body was dead then had not He by His death destroyed him that had the power of death Hebr. 2.14 neither had he triumphed over death by His resurrection neither had Hee beene a sufficient sacrifice and redemption for them that were dead in trespasses and sinnes and so had His comming beene in vaine But all these things are impossible Therefore Hee was in all things like His brethren except their sinnes Hebr. 2.17 6. If Christ had had either a life-lesse body or sensitive onely and in stead of the humane soule either a created deitie or a supercelestiall spirit then had He beene neither God nor man and so an unmeet and insufficient Redeemer of the world For neither had such a body beene perfect man neither is a supercelestiall spirit nor a created deitie perfect God Yet had Apollinarius his reasons though hee erred from the truth and by his reasons it seemes that he had most reverent thoughts of Christ For thus he argues 1. Mans soule is the seate of sinne of anger concupiscence and the like But these things could not be in Christ Therefore neither the humane soule in which onely they dwell Answere Anger sorrow compassion ioy and such motions of the soule are either ordinate which are subject to Wisedome and the rules of the divine Iustice expressed in the Law of God and these were in Christ and were not sinfull But the inordinate affections onely are sinfull and could not bee in Him which knew no sinne 2. Two perfect things in their perfection could not possibly become one Therefore that the God-head with the man-hood might become one Mediator it was necessary that the man-hood should bee assumed imperfit otherwise the Mediator had been two persons Answ This argument was answered before Note g Chapter 24. § 8. Yet in briefe I say that the word perfect hath a two-fold meaning For the God-head tooke the Man-hood unto Himselfe perfect that is According to those parts wherein the perfection of the Man-hood doth consist of Body and Soule But as our Lord in His child-hood did grow in Age Stature Wisedome c. So before His birth did he grow from state to state till the full time of naturall birth And thus the Man-hood was assumed imperfect that is Not yet having attained unto that perfection whereto it was destinate in the Birth the Youth the Manly age and state Therefore that feare of Apollinarius of two persons in Christ was needlesse For beside this that the Humane nature was both conceived and taken to the Divine in one instant nothing in mankind can be called a person till it be living and that it be per se sola of it selfe which seemes not to be before the birth But this is without doubt that that which is sustained or hath the being in another can no way of it selfe be accounted a person But it is manifest that the Humanity of Christ is sustained onely in His divinity You know the received opinion touching the originall of the Soule § 3. Though by all these heapes of Arguments which you may read from Chapter 21. to this place I have beaten out the braines of that beggerly Brat of Ebion which affirmed that our Lord was begotten by Ioseph of his wife Mary as all other children yet you may see how the stinke of that carcase doth rise vp against this Article that He was borne of a Virgin so dangerous a thing an heresie is in matters of Faith But for answere to those reasons that are brought hereto you may reade the Note g § 4. on the 24. Chapter before And although it bee proved by infallible arguments that is to say from authority of Holy Scripture and reasons drawne there-from that our Lord Iesus was both conceived and borne of a Virgin that Hee might be free from originall sinne whereto all the race of man-kind is subject which are begotten and borne according to the common law of humane generation yet would I not be understood in any thing which I haue said thereto to speake contrary to that which the Apostle hath Heb. 13.4 That marriage is honourable among all men for whom it is necessary But notwithstanding the reasons that Christ must be borne of a Virgins the mind will still be asking how He could bee truely man and yet His mother a Virgin Seeing wee have derested the heresies of Valentine Apelles and all such madnesse Whereto I answere That the mysterie of the Gospel is as the treasure of the unsearchable riches so of the manifold Wisedome of God into which the Angels desire to looke Eph. 3.8.10 1. Pet. 1.12 And therefore the pure and simple truth of God being delivered unto you by His holy Apostles and Prophets and after being made manifest by such proofes as reason cannot except against it may seeme an unreasonable thing yet further to require satisfaction for the possibilitie thereof For to an infinite power all things are possible And as our Saviour was conceived so also was Hee borne and His mothers Virginitie saved As He came to the Apostles when the dores were shut Iohn 20.19.26 But you say His body was then changed and made Spirituall He being raised from the dead I confesse it But yet that power by which He hid or made Himselfe invisible Luke 4.30 Iohn 8.59 and 12.36 by which He walked on the waters Iohn 6.14 by which He filled the world with wonders and that before His body was raised from the dead Beside it is not unreasonable for us to thinke that as the woman by whom sinne was brought into the world was brought out of the side of Adam so that man by whom the satisfaction for our sinne was made might likewise bee brought out of the side of the Woman For as it was sufficient for our redemption that our ransome was paid in our whole and perfect nature taken of the
the meanes 2. Doth reason onely dictate this Doth not the Scripture say also the same For if Christ bee therefore the first-borne from the dead 1. Cor. 15.20 that Hee may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firsting or having the first place or preheminence in all things Col. 1.18 Is not the argument also good Christ is ascended that Hee in all things may have the preheminence And if the dead bee therefore raised againe by the vertue of Christs resurrection who was therefore raised up by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 Iohn 5.21 doe they not also ascend by the vertue of His ascension So that before the Ascension of Christ our head there was no ascension for any of the members It was the word of our Lord Himselfe Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven But I heare one whisper against this that the soule is not said to ascend without the body and therefore the soules might bee in heaven though they ascend not So the cavill is onely about the word Ascend But the reason For it is said Actes 2.34 David is not ascended up into heaven And this was spoken by Peter after Christs ascension So that although Davids soule was not in heaven before but went with Christ at his ascension yet David is then said not to have ascended Al. Hume Rej. to Doctor Hil. But had this man well considered the circumstances of this text in the 25. verse David speaketh concerning Christ and so as it followeth in the 29.30.31 he would have taken this text from David as S. Luke doth when he saith David is not ascended that is this Scripture doth not at all belong to David concerning any ascending or descending of his but to Him alone of whom David speaketh Psal 100. The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand The like speech to this is that of our Lord Luke 22.42 Not my will but thy will be done And yet it is said of Him Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy will O my God Thy law is written in my heart So the will of God was done as the first moving cause of our salvation the wil of Christ was done as subordinate not as the first cause See Heb. 10.9 So 1. Cor. 15.10 Not I laboured but the grace of God which was within mee And yet who knowes not the labours of Paul to have beene above all the rest of the Apostles 2. Cor. 11.23 ad finem yet he of his owne motion laboured not for the Church but persecuted it So David ascended not as the first fruits of them that slept but Christ ascended so by vertue of whose ascension David and all the rest of the faithfull shall ascend But not to fight with the shadow I take the word at the manifest meaning that David is not ascended and from thence conclude against themselues That if David had not ascended before Christ nor yet ascended with Him much lesse were the faithfull soules in heaven before Christ but that the soule of David dwells and must still dwell in Paradise with Daniel and the rest of the faithfull till the end bee Dan. 12.13 But if they will needes have the soule of David in heaven not formaliter as all the faithfull soules are in respect of the heavenly joyes which they have in Paradise but locally then I say it must needes have ascended For if the soule being in one place is not in another and if heaven be upward in respect of the earth then when Dauids soule went into heauen it must needes be said to ascend or goe upward as Luke 2.15 speakes of the Angels and Solomon Eccles 3.21 speaketh of the spirit or soule There ore this is but a poore shift such as they must needes bee driven unto that oppose the trueth Yet thus he holds it sufficient to mocke at the direct word of our Lord which is Iohn 20.17 I have not yet ascended to my Father For if He had then must there be two ascensions as they beleeve one of the soule alone and another of the body and soule together 3. Yet it is said Iohn 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe to prepare a place I will come againe and receive you to my selfe By which it is plaine that none could goe to heaven before Christ our Lord had gone and prepared a place for them which was not done before His death and ascension 4. Moreover it is said Heb. 9.8 the way into the holyest of all was not yet open while the first Tabernacle was yet standing Whereto if you take that which is verse 24. Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven it selfe it will bee manifest that there was no entrance as not into the holy of holies so much lesse into heaven before that Christ by His death had opened it as our Church confesseth in the hymne of Ambrose When thou haddest overcome the sharpenesse of death thou didst open the Kingdome of Heaven to all beleevers Whereupon it must necessarily follow that the soules of the faithfull were not in heaven properly so called before the death and resurrection of Christ 5. To this purpose you may also bring that which is Ephe. 4.8 When Hee ascended up on high He led Captivitie captive Now what was this captivitie or multitude of captives Were they reprobate You will not say it If the Elect then it followes necessarily that they were not in heaven before the ascension of Christ except you will bring them downe from thence to fetch up Christ in triumph but then had they not beene captives if already triumphing in heaven then had not the conquest of Christ over death and him that had the power of death beene so glorious if hee had had no captives to lead in triumph And therefore Esay 53.12 after the suffering of Christ describes His conquest thus I will divide Him a portion with the great and He shall divide the spoyle with the strong The faithfull soules therefore being held under the power of death though free from His tyranny and torment as it is said Sap. 3.1 The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God and no torments shall touch them whereby Christ having bought them of God and payd their ransome brought out of all power of their strong enemie out of the shadow of death into the everlasting light of Paradise in all the libertie and ioy of the understanding to view the Wisedome of God in His most glorious workes as you may read further a little below Sect. 8. Numb 3. Sect. 7. Sect. 7 Now having shewed the different interpretations of this Article and as I thinke fully proved that the soule of Christ went not to heaven properly so called before His resurrection but that it was glorious and blessed among His Saints in happinesse and so in heaven formaliter as they speake It is fit that wee draw toward a conclusion which
their lives given as a prey Ezechiel Daniel and they that were signified by the basket of good figges Iere. 24.5 were carryed away for their good The Christians likewise were safe at Pella in the destruction of Ierusalem Euseb Ecclesiast hist lib. 3 Cap. 5. So He delivereth from the noy some pestilence Psalm 91.3 c. and in the dayes of famine those that wait on Him shall have enough Psal 37.19 So these things are testimonies unto us both that there shall be a judgement and that the godly shall be saved and the wicked condemned 12 And as if nature if selfe had imprinted the acknowledgment of this judgement in every mans mind so there was never any man c that confessed the resurrection but did withall confesse this generall judgement And therefore though every other Article of our Creed have been impugned by some hereticke or other yet never any gainesayd this I meane since those errours were stilled in the Apostles time See 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. But whether it be that every man acknowledging the justice of God as no man can confesse him to be God whom he doth not beleeve to be just and a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him Hebr. 11.6 or whether it be that the testimonies of the holy Scripture are so cleare in this point as that they have stopped the mouthes of all heretickes the thing it selfe is most certaine to be as it may appeare by the texts of Scripture already cited and by these also that follow Psalm 9. vers 8. The Lord hath prepared His Throne for judgment He shall judge the world in righteousnesse He shall minister judgment unto the people in uprightnesse And Psalm 50. vers 3 4 5 6. God shall come A fire shall devoure before Him Hee shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that Hee may judge His people c. Psalm 96.13 The Lord commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with His trueth As it is also Psalm 98.9 Eccles. 11.9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement And Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee ill Reade hereto 2 Pet. 3. Chap. from vers 7. to 15. and Reu. 20. Chap. from vers 11. to the end § 6. Sect. 6 Thus it being manifest that the judgement shall be it must also appeare that our Lord Iesus must bee that judge Whereto though I have said that which may be sufficient at the beginning of the Chapter yet because it is our speciall hope and comfort that He shall be our judge that was our Creator that hath so dearely bought us that hath been our Mediator that doth evermore preserue us from the power of the enemy let us both begin and end with this lest the conscience of our owne sinnes and the remembrance of that fearefull time should cause us not to long for that comming For if God be very terrible in the assembly of His Saints Psalm 89.7 how much more in that gloomy day when He comes to render vengeance with devouring fire before Him and to repay His aduersaries to their face and to passe on them that fearefull sentence that shall d never be reversed and from which there is no appeale But lift up your heads you that are little in your owne eyes and tremble at His words for that is the day of your redemption and God Himselfe will come and save you And because He is God He knowes the secrets of your hearts and sees your reverence and your feare before Him and your acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse And because He is man and hath had experience of sorrowes and passed under the burden of unjust and cruell judgement and hath for us endured the Crosse and shame that we might be delivered from the wrath to come therefore lift up your heads and receive the reward of your faith and patience and the end of your hopes the eternall saluation of your soules and bodies 1. For if our Lord having suffered such things for us and having overcome in all His sufferings having ascended into heaven to be our continuall intercessor for us should not then give unto us that everlasting life which He hath purchased for us His sufferings and intercession should be altogether in vaine and our faith in Him which He hath wrought in us by His holy Spirit should be utterly void and those promises which Hee hath giuen us in His holy Word should faile of their trueth and performance But all these things are impossible And therefore our Lord Iesus shall come to give reward unto His seruants both small and great Revel 11.18 and to cast out the unbeleevers out of His kingdome 2. In things that are orderly disposed for an end nothing may be omitted of those things that are necessary for the attainement of that end The end of our Lords incarnation and sufferings concernes either God or man Concerning mankind euerlasting life in all happinesse and joy is that great end for which our Saviour was incarnate died and rose againe and shall raise us up at the last day And by His judgement of mercy and compassion on us shall deliver unto us the seisure and possession of that eternall happinesse Therefore our Lord Iesus shall be judge of the quicke and the dead Concerning God it is necessary that in His love to His Father and zeale to His honour Hee take vengeance on them that have offended the infinite justice and despised that mercy and pardon which hath beene offered unto them and still have continued in their sin and followed it with greedinesse Therefore in this respect also our Lord Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead 3. And seeing our Lord Iesus hath undertaken that honourable enterprise viterly to destroy the workes of the devill it is necessary that He leave nothing unperformed which doth belong to the accomplishment thereof Therefore Hee shall judge those Angels which are reserved in chaines of darknesse unto that day and bring upon them that destruction which they sought to bring upon all man-kind And shall also reward those servants of His which have continued faithfull in His service whether they be Angels or men 4. None is so fit to judge betweene two as hee that hath interest in both parties and knowes the worthinesse of them both and that not onely in his understanding but also by his experience of them both But man-kind is to be judged for that which hee hath done contrary or according to the will of God Therefore seeing our Lord Iesus is very God and very man as it hath beene prooved Hee shall be the judge of the quicke and the dead 5. In every orderly and just judgement both the Iudge and the sentence ought to be manifest and knowne to all them that
seemes not new but falshood is as ancient as the devills apostacie and no antiquitie can make it trueth And if you looke to the authorities of Scripture brought before to this point in the Chap. § 1. and consider well the reasons in Chapter 11. you shall see how rotten this opinion is and how justly the clause And from the Sonne was added by the Latine Churches as they declare it in that Councell of Florence spoken of before So that falshood which some write to Paulus of Samosata that the Holy-Ghost is not any divine subsistence but onely the working and grace of God in the hearts of men and that which they write of Servetus that it is onely a certaine vigor or strength whereby every thing created is mooved naturally at the sight of the same authorities and reasons will vanish as mist before the wind Those childish fantasies of the Elleasites or Sampseans of which you read in Epiphanius Haer. 30. and Haer. 53. would trouble your hearing § 3. So the onely heresie which is yet remaining Sect. 3 is that which concernes the propriety or working of the Holy-Ghost Concorning whom some affirmed that He was not given sufficiently to the Apostles and that therefore further revelations were necessary to be made by them that had greater measure of that gift The Cataphryges or disciples of Montanus and the Manichees must needs be chiefe herein For if they had held that the gifts of the Holy-Ghost had beene given to the Apostles sufficiently their fancies of their new Comforters to teach them more then was needfull had never beene hatcht And among these Tertullian was most too blame who having once detested the Montanists di afterward both follow their errour and defend it But if that Holy Spirit should leade the Apostles into all trueth yea and shew them the things to come as the promise was Iohn 16.13 What further sufficiencie would these Hereticks require They might say the Disciples were ignorant of many things after the Holy-Ghost was come upon them for Peter accounted the Gentiles uncleane Act. 10. Answere But they were not ignorant of any thing that was needfull for the Church to know as S. Paul saith Actes 20.27 That he had declared unto them all the Counsell of God so according to the dispensation of the times which God had appointed the Gentiles were taken into the fellowship of the Faith For though they were commanded to preach repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes to all Nations yet the preaching must begin at Ierusalem Luk. 24.47 from Esa 2.3 Therefore they preached not to the Gentiles till the time was come and then Philip was sent to preach to the Eunuch Actes 8.26 and 29. and Peter to Cornelius Actes 10. and Barnabas and Paul euery where but with this condition first to offer the word of reconciliation to the Iewes and after to the Gentiles because the Children must first be fed See Marke 7.27 and Actes 13.46 So concerning the declaration of things to come Agabus foretold the famine Actes 11.28 that the Church in time might provide for due reliefe So the prophecyes of Saint Paul 2. Thes 2. and 1. Tim. Chap. 4. of Peter 2. Epistle Chap. 2. and 3. and Iohn Rev. all are no lesse lights for the knowledge of the true Doctrine and Church of Christ in these dayes than the prophecyes of old were for the knowledge of Christ when He should come and the benefits which the faithfull should receive by Him unto the Church which was before His manifestation in the flesh And if the Providence of God bee upon all His creatures His speciall mercy and compassion upon His chosen so that Hee never leaues them destitute of that which He knowes to be fit for them can any but Pepuzians and such franticks thinke that God will bee carelesse of His Church for whose sake He gave His onely Sonne to die Or can any man be such an Infidell as to thinke that the instruction of the Holy-Ghost who is God blessed above all is not sufficient to guide the Church according to the rule of trueth the Holy Scripture in the right way to everlasting life Therefore follow that rule and pray for that guide and let the follies of these Enthousiasts for ever vanish The second supply Of that inestimable gift of God the holy Scripture which Hee by His holy Spirit hath given to the Church CHAP. XXXIIII THough for Adams sinne God did hide His face from man except when either in justice Hee did punish his sinne or in mercy declare the meanes and give assurance how he should be freed therefrom as it appeares in Adam Cain Abraham Moses and the Prophets untill the time came that the promise of the redemption was fulfilled Yet by His holy Word hath He so fully provided for the direction and comfort of His Church and every one of His children therein that there is nothing in the whole course of mans life whether in things that are to be done or left undone or in things that are to be beleeved or not to be beleeved in whatsoever it is fit for us to expect any direction or comfort from God immediately wherein He hath not most particularly declared His holy will It was a wonderfull grace and favour beyond all other men unto Moses that whensoever he went into the Tabernacle he might talke with God face to face as a man converses with his friend Is not the same grace vouchsafed to us who not onely in the Churches but even in our private chambers or in the open fields may talke with God and receive His answere in His word And lest any man may pretend ignorance or want of skill how to present himselfe unto God all manner of formes of thankes of of praise of prayers are set out in the Scripture and all summ'd up in that forme which our Lord hath taught us And that we may come boldly unto the Throne of Grace and be assured to find helpe in the time of need we shall in His Word not onely receive His owne Answer but likewise see by examples how holy and devout men have sped in the like cases Thus we may speake to God and heare His speech to us in all places at all times either alone or with others the holy Angels joyning in our conversation and our selves never destitute of the fruit thereof And because the holy Scriptures are the foundation of all our faith therefore it must first appeare That these Scriptures are the very Word of God Himselfe § 1. Then how necessary it was and behovefull for the Church that God should vouchsafe thereto the know ledge of His Word § 2. Thirdly to shew what these Scriptures are § 3. Fourthly to justifie their perfection or sufficiencie § 4. Fiftly to shew that they are come unto us in the integrity as they were at first delivered to the Church § 5. Then to speake of their easinesse to be understood § 6. And lastly of their interpretation § 7. §
understanding and light of Nature given us withall His Word as a greater light whereby our lesser lights might become more shining That He hath given unto us not onely an inward Word to wit our naturall understanding but also an outward word as a most illustrious Commentary both of declaration and amplification of that text whereby we may the better understand whatsoever wee ought to understand without it But how then cometh it to passe that all men have not Faith And how is Faith said to bee the gift of God The first answered Rom. 1.21 and Ephe. 4.18 For hardnesse of their heart who when they knew God did not glorifie him as they ought therefore their imaginations became vaine and their foolish heart was full of darknesse And for this cause is Faith also said to bee the gift of God First in respect of that knowledge whence it doth proceed which knowledge is His gift Secondly because it is the onely worke of God to make that knowledge to become fruitfull by laying it so unto mans heart that the hardnesse thereof may be removed that when wee know God to bee good and just wee also beleeve and worship Him as wee ought Thirdly and most especially because that God oftentimes pardoning the ignorance which men have of Himselfe and the creature doth so enlighten the heart with His Holy Spirit that it is suddenly framed without any previant knowledge to faith and obedience The trueth whereof neverthelesse doth not any whit impugne that which I say That God hath given unto every man so much understanding as to know what he ought to beleeve and to be satisfied for the reasons of his Faith if he could open his eyes to see in the middest of what wondrous light he were placed This point is manifest both by many Scripture-authorities and by many reasons which I omitt But taking this as either granted or sufficiently prooved that God hath given us light of understanding whereby to yeeld a reason of the Hope that is in us a reason I say even of every Article of our Faith let us with holy reverence come unto the thing in question and see what reason wee have for our defence I will therefore a while forbeare to use the authoritie of holy Scripture not that I esteeme the waight or evidence of any reason comparable thereto but onely perceiving by that talk I had with you that you had read the Scripture as one of those whom Peter noteth 2. Epist 3.16 Not intending to wrangle about your wrested interpretations I will first propose the evidence of reasonable proofe and afterwards bring in the assent of holy Scripture that you may perceive in what wondrous cleare light you strive to bee blinde And because I know not what your opinion is concerning God for he that denieth the God-head of Christ may as well denie the God-head absolutely that being one step toward the question I will proceed orderly and give you also a reason of our faith concerning that matier taking this onely as granted which is rife in every mans knowledge that both the termes of Contradiction cannot bee affirmed of the same subject that is that one and the same thing cannot be both affirmed and denied of the same subject at one time and in the same respect But first by the name of God know that I meane an Eternall Being infinite in goodnesse in power in wisedome in glorie in vertue and onely worthy of endlesse love and honour My reason is thus If there be not a Being which had no beginning then of necessitie that which was first existent or begun must be a beginning unto it selfe by causing of it selfe to be when it was not But this is impossible that any thing should be a cause and not be for so should it both be and not be therefore there is an eternall Being which is the beginning middle and end of all things and Himselfe without beginning and this eternall Being wee call God My reason is plaine to bee understood and remember what I have said that I may goe on Whatsoever is without beginning is also without ending because it hath no Superiour which might bring it to nothing therefore God is eternall Againe whatsoever comes to nothing is corrupted by his contrarie but nothing can be opposite to God therefore He is Eternall Or else I might thus reason 2. Being and Not-being are such contraries as one of them cannot spring out of another for every thing for the preservations sake of it selfe doth represse and corrupt the contrarie Seeing then that there is Being which could not possibly raise it selfe out of Not-Being it followes that Being had a primacy or priority before Not-Being and therefore of necessitie must be eternall for otherwise there was a time wherein it might be said that Being is not Being and so Not-Being should have beene first and contradictories might have stood together but both these are impossible therefore there is an eternall Being and this eternall Being wee call God Furthermore wee know that the greatest excellency or perfection of every thing is in the nearenesse or likenesse thereof unto the first cause But every thing is more excellent in the Being therof then in the Not-Being Therefore Being was before Not-Being and for that cause Eternall Now Eternitie is an infinite Continuance Therfore whatsoever is Eternall must of necessitie be Infinite and this Infinite being we call God Moreover whatsoever hath Infinite continuance hath Infinite Power to continue infinitely and this omnipotent or endlesse power we call God I might reason likewise of His Goodnesse of His Wisedome Truth Glory c. But one shall serue in stead of the rest and I will take His Wisedome for my example and prove unto you that likewise to be Infinite and that not onely in existence but in action also And first that hee is wise God is most worthy to be such as He is but if He were not wise He were not worthy to bee God Ergo he is wise Now marke how these depend one on another In God is Wisedome which by reason of His Infinitie is also Infinite and by His Eternitie is also Eternall so that there is no time wherein it may be said that this infinite Wisedome is not infinitely exercised for then were it not eternally infinite Therefore His wisedome is infinite not in existence onely but also in action Againe the Wisedome of God is such as hath no defect or imbecillitie therein But if it were not infinite both in action and in existence a man might finde defect therein and imagine a more Infinite wisdome then that is but this is impossible So might I conclude of all the other dignities of God But I haste to the purpose and I thinke that you will not unwillingly grant what I have said but understand the rest All the Dignities of God being actuated or brought into working require of necessitie an Infinite Object whereon they work because they themselues are
infinite but nothing can be Infinite but God alone therefore it followeth that these Dignities are objected or exercised in God alone And this is that Eternall Sonne begotten before the worlds in whom the Father resteth or as the Prophet speaketh His beloved in whom His soule delighteth which cannot be applyed to any creature without which God is happy in Himselfe Therefore saith the Apostle that in Him dwelleth the Godhead bodily How is that Not in His manly body eternally for His humane body tooke beginning of the flesh of the Virgin when the fulnesse of time came but yet bodily that is as essentially or substantially as the body of a man is substantiall to the man For every dignitie of God being infinite in action as was proved must of necessitie produce such as it selfe is As for example the Wisedome of God or His Infinite Vnderstanding must have an Infinite intelligible or understandable object which is produced thereby by an infinite understanding So that ye must know of necessitie and marke three Termes as I will a while call them the Terme from whence the Terme whereto or wherein and the middle Terme betweene them I will for your capacitie which I know not to be much exercised in these matiers make a comparison meet for your understanding When the minde or understanding of a man conceiveth any understandable object there is you know first the power of understanding in the mind it selfe secondly the object understood and thirdly the discourse or action of the understanding whereby that object is apprehended Now give me leave to tell you what differences you must make betweene the understanding of God and the understanding of man in this comparison First the minde of man being finite the understanding is notable to view all that which can be understood thereby at one time or with one action of understanding but must conceive of one thing after another whereas the Vnderstanding and Wisedome of God is such as at one sight seeth himselfe and every thing else past present and to come and this not once onely but even continually because it is eternally infinite Secondly the intendment of man worketh nothing in the thing conceived to make it either to bee if it be a meere conceit or to be other then it is if it be existent but the understanding of God is by reason of His power so active as that it causeth that wherein it is exercised both to be and that according to his manner of apprehension or understanding of it which understanding is by His Infinitie so infinite and by His Eternitie so continuall as that of necessitie there must be a subsistence or a Person wherein it is exercised which must also be Infinite and Eternall And this is that glorious Sonne of God who is thus begotten or produced eternally both before the world was even as hee is now and shall not cease to be produced after the world shall cease eternally Thus you see two of the termes spoken of From whence and Wherein now you must know the middle terme betweene them The terme Whence is the Wisedome intelligent God the Father The terme Wherein is the Wisedome intelligible God the Sonne The middle terme is ipsum intelligere which in my Comparison I called The discourse it selfe which also in this must needes be Infinite For an Infinite intelligible cannot be conceived of an Infinite intelligent but by an Infinite action of the understanding and this is that Holy-Ghost which as you may easily understand must of necessitie proceed from both the Father and the Sonne and be also infinite and eternall and therefore God Now because they are all Infinite and of Infinites essentially there can bee but one therefore are these three in Essence or Being one but in Subsistence or cleare distinction of Persons three Vnderstand my comparison which I made I will yet cleare the matier further for your conceiving If you take in a mirrour the light of the Sunne and reflect it directly thereon againe in the Sunne it is one in the glasse another and yet the reflection of the beames is also a third but for all this there is but one nature and Word of light which comprehends all three so is it in this Tri-Vnitie of which I speake My leisure serues me not to dilate these things but I hope you are able to understand what I say therefore I will proceede It is said that Powers are knowne by their actions and actions are limitted by their objects I know the meaning of it and it is not unfit in this place But to my reason The Power of God is infinite and by His infinite Wisedome He knoweth it to be infinite but God could not know that His Power were infinite unlesse He were able thereby to bring forth an infinite action and every infinite action must of necessitie be exercised in an infinite subject For whatsoever is received is received according to the capacitie of the receiver therefore there is an infinite subject wherein the power of God is exercised that is the Sonne of whom I speake And here againe behold the Tri-Vnitie an infinite power the Father an infinite action the Holy-Ghost an infinite subject the glorious Sonne all three one infinite Being Returne to your comparison As the understanding of man could no way know his owne power but by his actions neither can there be any actions of understanding where there is nothing to bee understood no more is it possible to be in the Deitie Now understand that as I have reasoned from the Wisedome and Power of God so might I reason from all His other Dignities so that for one reason which I have brought I might have brought you fiftie But I shew you the way if you be guided by the Spirit of Truth how you may strengthen your selfe in the way of Truth therefore I will goe on and shew you yet more plainely by more familiar reasons An infinite power is not more weake then a finite but every finite creature which we can cast our eyes unto doth by nature produce his like as much as in it is as a man begetteth a man trees bring forth seed whereof their like in nature may spring and in like wise every other thing Therefore the infinite Power of God begetteth His like also which is the Sonne the image of the invisible God the first begotten of every creature Col. 1.15 But none can be like unto God in His Being who is not very God therefore Christ the onely begotten of the Father is also very God Maruail not that I make this argument from the creature to the Creator for in this very point of the Power and Godhead the Holy-Ghost Himselfe teacheth me to reason of the invisible things of God by the things visible Rom. 1.20 And hereby also learne to help your ignorance and put away your wonder how God should be one and yet three See you not how the understanding the Sun-light also is one