should be set of them Was not Christ as he is called Rom. 15.8 The Minister of the Circumcision that is of the whole Jewish Nation And did he not Preach to others that were no Jewes For he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Messenger of the great Counsel as the Septuagint Render that written of him Es 9.6 and doth it not hereby appear that the Reflector writes at Random as his fancy only leads him without any warrant for there is not the least tittle in Scripture of the ten Thousand that Christ came to Preach unto Neither will I much contend about the term that the Reflector here puts upon our Lord calling him God-Man Our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God and Man but is this term God-Man according to the form of sound Words 'T is true Christ is often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Human Writers but never so in holy Scripture And though the Greek bears it well enough yet the Idiom of our Language will not whereupon we are forced in that case to use a Periphrasis and to say God and Man Why then should this Reflector make use of such an uncouth Word when he speaks of our most Holy and Righteous Lord which neither the Scripture nor our Language will allow him only because as he differs from men that are Rational in his opinion so he doth I say again take up a form of Speech like the Quakers differing from all other men But though this holy Man of God or rather this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Man did Preach and Speak so as never man spake yet we are told here that hardly shall we be able to prove or substantially find any thing to ground our Belief that a hundred of them were converted c. What then was there any failing in the Doctrine which he Preached or in the Spirit wherewith he spake Far be from us any such Blasphemy The work which the Father had sent him to do he perfectly fulfilled it But it was not all to be finished during the time of his Ministration some things were to be done by him while he was in the state of his Humiliation and some things after he came into the state of his Exaltation The perfect Conversion of sinners from Ignorance to the true Knowledge of the Gospel and from Unbelief to a full Considence or Assurance of Faith was not as it is the work of Gods free Grace to be consummated by Christ until he was Ascended into Heaven and set at the right Hand of his Father for then and not before was the Holy Ghost to be sent for that very end and purpose amongst many other Which powerful Act of the Spirit was first Wrought upon the Apostles that they might be instructed more fully to the Kingdom of God For even they during the time that they were with Christ and were Witnesses of what he did and taught were very defective both in Faith and Life In faith about the Death and Resurrection of Christ and about a temporal Kingdom which was their Error as it was of the rest of the Jews In Life when they were too full of Revenge in drawing the Sword as Peter or for calling down fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans as James and John Luk 9.54 It was the Spirit after the Resurrection and Glorification of Christ that was to bring all things to their Remembrance whatsoever he had said unto them It was the Spirit which should then lead them into all Truth It was the Spirit which after Christ was Glorified made them clearly to understand the Prophecies which went before of him Thus it is said Joh. 12.16 These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Christ was Glorified c. It was the Spirit which should adapt and fit them for the great Work of Converting the World which otherwise they could never have been able to bring to pass And as it began thus with the Apostles so did this Grace extend unto others in the same manner secundum modum Recipientium thus testified the Evangelist Joh. 7.39 This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should Recieve for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet Glorified These things considered we may see some cause why there were not many Converted by the Preaching of Jesus Christ Yet cannot a Conclusion be gathered from thence that there were but few then of Gods Elect among that People unless we will exclude the Apostles or at least other the Disciples of Christ from eternal Salvation who had also their failings both in Faith and Obedience because the Holy Ghost was not then given Reflector Jesus Christ saith that his Flock is small that there are but few Persons that enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that when he shall come again upon the Earth be shall not find Faith in it that all the world shall run after the Beast That the number of the Elect is very little in comparison of those that are called and consequently that the number of the called is infinitely less than that of those who are not called and that know not what the Christian Religion is Answer We had best beware what we say of our Lord Jesus Christ at any time so as to tell the World Jesus Christ saith when he hath not spoken it for fear lest that Rebuke fall upon us which fell upon the Prophets of old behold I am against you that smooth your Tongues and say he saith Let these Scriptures be searched which are heaped together and it will evidently appear they say no such thing as you say of them First when Christ calls his Flock little slock he speaks not of the Elect of God all the World over as you imagine that would be contrary to the Holy Scripture which in several places speaks of them as of a great multitude But it is certain he speaks it only of his Apostles who were his peculiar care above all others as is plainly to be seen in my Antidote 2. Christ never said that there are but sew Persons that enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But speaking of the narrow Way that leadeth to Life he saith sew there be that find it meaning probably sew there be of the Jewish Nation at that time that were so wise as they should be to find it Metapha canibus investigantibus For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sagaciter depichendo as it is written at large in the aforesaid Antidote 3. Christ saith not as you say when he shall come again upon the Earth he shall not find faith in it The words that you harp upon in this particular though jarringly are those in Luk. 18.8 When the Son of man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth And now consider how great a difference there is between your words and the words of our Saviour First he saith not when he shall come again upon the Earth For the
his new Birth but both were alike Interessed in Gods Grace and Favor 'T is true Esau was Prophane in the Act of despising his Birth-right but so was Judah in the Act of Incontinency c. And he was one whom God hated i. e. did not love as he loved Jacob yet I will not stretch my censure of him so far as to account him a Son of Perdition as Judas the Traitor is Luther on Gen. 17. is very positive for the Salvation of Ismael though it be written of him that he being Born after the Flesh persecuted him that was Born after the Spirit and for ought I see we may be as confident of the Salvation of Esau Certain it is his Father Isaac a holy Man loved him entirely from his very Infancy nor do we find that he ever displeased his good Father by any undutiful Carriage towards him except only in his linking himself with the Daughters of Heth nor by forsaking the True God and falling off to Idols And seeing Isaac had so great Affection to him Strangers that knew him not should not condemn him for a Reprobate But Esau according to your words must be not only a Type of the Reprobate but also of the most excellent Thing in the World to wit The Righteousness of Jesus Christ under which a Jacob a Sinner obtained the Blessing of God What Sense or Truth there is in these words let the wise Reader judge The bare reciting them is to me a clear Refutation of them Only a man would think that you who can set out Idea's of the true Sons of God so roundly with Characteristical Signs and Figures drawn at large out of holy Writ which is easie to be done by any man studious in searching the Scripture but not so easie to find all those Excellencies in any the very best of men for a quis requisivit may suffice to bring down their vaunting Pride in that matter and to shorten your Rolls wherein you glory with much Insultation a man I say would think that you should with a seraphical strain of Holiness magnifie the Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ and not dwindle or shrink up that most excellent thing as you call it in so poor jejune unedifying exemplar as Esau was one whom the holy Spirit of God we may well believe never intended to such an Honour But what a stout way is this of enervating all the Arguments of your Adversaries who hold the opinion that is truly Evangelical If bold words without Sense Truth and Reason will do it you have done it to purpose But let us search a little further into your Folly that it may be made manifest unto all men Reflector Those Promises in Ex. 34. and Numb 14. are conditional and only appertain to them that obey the Commandments of God and that repent as David did Answer It is much that you do not call them fine Promises as you in Derision do in the 26 Page of your Book So light account do you make of that which concerns the comfort of poor Sinners but any thing that may lead them to a Despair of their Salvation you aggravate to the uttermost Who ever doubted of this that Gods Promises of mercy are conditional and only appertain to them that obey his Commands But if you mean here by such an Obedience as the Covenant of works did require you make the Gospel of no Effect And who then can be saved Are you your self so exact in keeping Gods Commandments that you may lay a just claim to the Crown of Life by a rightful desert and need not the Passion of thy Redeemer I have that charitable opinion of you that you are not guilty of such a Pharisaical Arrogance Be you then so charitable as not to lay on mens shoulders such Burdens which you your self will not nay cannot touch with one of your fingers Had you confuted St. Paul concerning this very Scripture which you have alledged you would have given a better Interpretation of it than your words seem to carry with them I mean more agreeable to the Tenor of the New Covenant read but what is written by him Rom. 4.3 4 5 6.7 8. and then if you please tell me your mind what you think of obeying Gods Commandments But it is well that you have added Gods Promises belong to those that Repent which is indeed Evangelical but whereas you say they ought to Repent as David did instancing in many of his words taken out of the 32 Psalm not at all to your purpose It is true what David did in Sincerity let every man look to it that he follow his example therein but can you or any man else come near unto him in Holiness Zeal Humility c The examples that are given us in Scripture of the Piety of Gods Eminent Servants are indeed set for our Imitation and let our Souls drive our sluggish Hearts hard after them to the uttermost of our power yet let us do what we can we shall not overtake them neither is it I think I may say required of us that we should for Copies must ever be more excellent than the Apographa that are to follow them otherwise they cease to be Copies Nor doth God command that there shall be in all that are ordained to eternal Life the same degree of Faith spiritual Wisdom and Mortification but as the Apostle faith of Alms 2 Cor. 8.12 so may it well be said of all that we do in the work of our Salvation if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not As a Father deals with his Child whom he loveth so will God deal with all those that shall be Heirs of Salvation what Quality soever they be ofâ— He accepts of the Will for the Deed you and above the Deed. Only let every poor sinner whose heart God hath touched with Remouse see that his mind be fully bent not barely to will but to do so far as he is able that which is acceptable unto God Praying also with all the earnestness of his Soul for Gods Assisting Grace herein For saith the Apostle Phil. 2.13 it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure Reflector Remission of sins belongs to those whose Heaâ—ts are without Guile and Maliee Answer Do you not know that the Heart of man is deceitful above all things It is not safe therefore trusting to your own Heart of which it seems you have some Confidence because you speak so much of the Hearts of Gods people of whom you reckon your self no doubt to be one that they are free from all Guile If I thought yours were so I would as I have heard a good man make the offer to another change Hearts with you and give you all the money in my Purse to boot But let it be as you say for I confess it to be a truth that
whom you have fancied to be culled out of your Thousands and Millions when it is clear the good Spirit of God speaks it expressy of Adam and his Ofspring as they generally Issue from him in their several Generations Are you then and your Complices sit to meddle with the Holy Scripture when you understand it no better Better surely were it for you if it were as a sealed Book unto you rather than be permitted to wrest it so perniciously to your own destruction There is a Truth I confess in what you here say But seeing you cannot but know that these words of the Apostle from whence you gather this your abundant Favor for one probably of your own gang are of so large an extent as hath been said and that to take them in his sense were utterly to overthrow your damnable Doctrine which rather than you would do you would pervert them to your own private shallow Interpretation since it is so may it not well be said without any offence either before God or Man you are fitter to be a Hewer of wood c. as the Gibeonites were than to divide the Word of Truth to Gods People Had the Apostle here written where Sin abounded Wrath did much more abound this it seems would have gone down easily with you as according to your Palate But blessed be the good Spirit of God whose word it is and blessed be the Hand that first wrote it it is a word of Mercy a word of strong Consolation to the whole Church of God The Magnitude and Redundancy of Divine Grace being infallibly by the abundance of sin made the more conspicuous as the more desperate a bodily Disease is the more is the Virtue and Excellency of the Medicine that Cures it made the more famous and to be extolled Let therefore that word stand firm and stedfast against you which you in your eleventh Paragraph of objections have made light account of viz. that the Grace of God is exalted far above his Judgments and Severities that there where sin has abounded Grace has much more abounded for the solution hereof is not so easie as of many more though you have pretended so of it to your Reader Reflector As to the Salvation of the Children of Heathen Parents or others that is a sealed Book which God doth not permit us to open Answer It is well that you have that Charity for Children yea for the Children of Heathen Parents as well as of others so as not to reckon them among your Thousands and Millions whom you have marked to Destruction for your only Design you say Pag. 27. in this whole Discourse is to speak of men deceased above an Age ago still you shuffle and after they had the exercise and use of Reason It is well I say But you here add the Salvation of such Children is a sealed Book which God doth not permit us to open I will not much argue with you about this though I might nor inquire by what Authority you call the Salvation of Children more than of others who have had the exercise and use of Reason a sealed Book which God doth not permit you to open Possibly you may dream of the Limbus Infantum where Children are kept from the Pains of Hell not having the Pain of Sense but only the Pain of Loss Which Limbus no man could ever open no not the Pope himself for though it is said he hath the Key of Purgatory yet the Key of this place appointed for Children is not it seems committed to his Custody But is the Salvation of Children as you say a sealed Book and is not the Book of Gods Universal Judgment and the Lambs Book of Life sealed Books likewise Yet you dare it seems without Gods Permission yea contrary to Gods express command in Scripture to open these Books and give your Judgment forsooth of them as you please And what is this but to anticipate the Judgment of the great Day The Apostle Reasoned with Faelix of Judgment to come Act. 24.25 and adviseth yea warneth us 1 Cor. 4.5 To judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who is to be the Judge of Quick and Dead Much less should we judge so rashly as to determine of the Number of Gods Elect and that with so peremptory a Sentence as to exclude the major part of Mankind from all hope of Salvation which is the deadly Venome that runs through your whole Discourse It had been good indeed if this your Book had been so sealed that it might have been bound up in everlasting silence never to come forth rather than to do that mischief which it is like to do among poor and weak Christians who have always been apt to despond and not only them but among such as are Prophane to strengthen some in their Atheism which groweth over-Rampant in this Generation and others in their Epicurism and Debaucheries who will be ready to say Seeing there is little or no hope of Mercy for us when we die let us take our Pleasure while we may Eat Drink and be Merry Reflector It is sufficient for us Mortals to know that none is or can be saved but by Jesus Christ But we must not go about to determine whether none are saved but who have known Jesus Christ Answer For us Mortals a word that you use once and again here in your Discourse because you would like your good friends the Quakers take up a form of speech differing from that which is common Otherwise you might have said it is sufficient for us poor Creatures which would have pass'd for current better than your word Mortals For the time will come when this Mortal shall put on Immortality wherein the same Truth shall be known by us then which we now know And do not they that are now Immortal know this that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of the World as well and better than we But I must tell you it is not sufficient for us Mortals as you call us to know this for God hath been graciously pleased to Illighten us poor Mortals and those that are Immortal too to know that none can be saved by Jesus Christ but those that are in Covenant with God Why then do you by affirming so gross an Untruth lessen that knowledge which the Spirit of God in Scripture hath given us saying It is sufficient c. Why indeed but because you was loth to extend the work of Salvation so far as to reach to those Thousands and Millions which you will have to be damned for they also may for ought you know be in Covenant with God as well as your self Men may guess at your meaning Don Doctor though you speak it not out as you ought to speak it You say further we must not go about to determine whether none be saved but who have known Jesus Christ Was there ever such a Don known before that will take upon him so imperiously to judge the
World and yet be guilty of so shameful Ignorance in the Fundamentals of our Christian Faith Doth not our Lord himself tell us it is eternal Life to know him And must we not then determine that none can be saved but those that know him know him I say either by an acquired knowledge in the use of holy Means or by an inspired knowledge without them as many Millions in the World I doubt not have attained through Grace and may also for the time to come more and more one of these must be absolutely necessary to Salvation seeing our Saviour hath spoken the word it is eternal Life to know him Go then and learn better to know Jesus Christ if thou thy self wilt look for Salvation by him Reflector All other passages seem to carry with them some kind of probability and likelihood but they are not convincing and their Solution is very easie in a word they are nothing so forcive as those which are alledged for the contrary Opinion viz. that for one that shall be saved many hundred Thousands shall be damned Answer Passages you call them A pretty word for a mystical Man at Maudlin Hill Fair where he comes with his Hocas Pocas and Heipass to turn substantial Arguments into Shadows or by a nimble sleight of hand to close them up in a narrow Pinfold of Passages to delude the People But seeing you will have them called Passages it is fit you should be paid for your Passages with a Demonstration of your cunning or of your folly Your cunning in hiding that which would have laid you open to the Eyes of all your Spectators or your folly in your vain glorious Boastings and Triumph that you make by insulting over the poor Truth your Captive telling the World those Passages for it are not convincing and their Solution is very easie and nothing so forcive as those which are alledged for your great Diana the contrary opinion Nevertheless you say they seem to carry with them some kind of probability and likelihood which is more than any that are wise will say of your Opinion as for Zuinglius and his followers whom you reckon among the rest I shall leave them to be swinged by you as I hear you have threatned me and do so pay them soundly for they well deserve it But what will you say to that where it is objected that that man to whom God hath given the Grace to pardon all those that have offended him hath a tacite Promise that God will forgive him all his sins That it is extreamly to lessen the ends for which Jesus Christ came into the World to admit that he only came into the World to Redeem one man of a Hundred of a Thousand or of ten Thousand or indeed of a hundred Thousand c. that it is not to be believed that Jesus Christ at the Right hand of his Father does intercede for one of a hundred Thousand of all Mankind c. Are not these Passages as you call them convincing Or is there no force in these that follow viz. that God is slow to Anger ready to Pardon and shew Mercy yea plenteous in Mercy as the Scripture often speaks of him that the work of God and his natural Inclination is to do good to his Creatures and to pardon them their sins that he never punishes but with Regret and Unwillingness and that to Destroy and to Chastise rigorously it is his work but it is his strange Work and his Act but his strange Act. That if Jesus Christ would have us to pardon seven times yea seventy times seven our offending Brother there is no likelihood but that God should be much more merciful since he commands us Mortals to be so and if God promises to give a new Heart to all those whose sins he pardons who will believe that God should pardon an infinite number of Persons but that he should only give a new Heart to a few c. What is there nothing now forcive in all this Surely it may well be said of you Bishop Hall as it hath been heretofore applied with too much derision to an Eminent Holy and Learned Prelate of our Church viz. that you are an irrefragable Doctor But above all I am amazed to see those two Important Considerations to be thus sleighted by such a man as you are who pretend to rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God by Jesus Christ Both which you intersert among other Objections against you in this manner First that it is extreamly to lessen the ends for which Jesus Christ came into the World to admit that he came to Redeem only one Man of a Hundred of a Thousand or of ten Thousand or indeed of an hundred Thousand c. 2. That it is not to be believed that our great Redeemer and Advocate at the Right Hand of his Father does Intercede but for one of a hundred Thousand of all Mankind These are such things as would make any Mans Ears to tingle that should hear them But for you you make nothing of them and their Solution with you is as the rest are very easie Certainly were it not that you were too much doting upon your general Damnation a word peculiar to your own fancy for I believe it was never used by any in the World before you neither was it an unhappy Eslip of your Pen or Spirit which came from you unawares for you repeat it again and again in your pernicious Pamphlet as if you would that the world should take special notice of it were it not I say that you had been too precipitant in running on upon that foot of Account you would with earnest Prayer have besought God to guide you with his good Spirit that you might not err in this weighty Point which Prayer it is much to be doubted you have neglected because you have erred in the matter most grosly Yea and now when you may if you will perceive that your Foundation on the Holy Scripture is mislaid and that all the Batteries which you make from thence will Recoil upon your self with shame and sorrow you should do your utmost Endeavour to Retract your uncharitable Aspersions and to find out some other sense of those places of sacred Writ which hitherto have been by you and others but ill understood and worse Interpreted as your own words are in another Case Saint Austin I am sure gave this Advise Lib. 2. Cap. 3. De Cons Evang. where treating of some difficulties in the Evang. Genealogies hath these words Hoc facile posset occurrere Homini Religioso qui quodlibet aliud quaerendum potius judicaret quà m Evangelistam crederet esse mentitum i. e. to a man truly Religious this Consideration would easily offer it self that it would become him to judge that some other sense then yet appears should be inquired out rather than to doubt that a Quill of the Holy Dove should drop the least spot of Error in the written Oracles of
the Woman nor by the Report that she made of him to the men of Sychar that she was such a Convert as you imagine And if it were so she was not the only Convert in that City for it is said v. 4.1 that many believed because of his own words and the confession that they made of him was much more signal than any thing we read of the Woman how then did he come thither to convert that one Woman But let all be granted that you say of this matter what is it to your purpose eve just nothing it will signifie rather against you that he went thither to open the Treasures of Mercy and Grace to the poor despised Samaritans Is this your Reflection then of any value 4. Presupposing that the Children of Israel were as great in number as the Sand on the Sea-shore yet but a Remnant of them shall be saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.27 Presupposing and why so Was not the same Promise made to Abraham Gen. 22.17 Totidem verbis and repeated again by the Apostle Heb. 11.12 Why then should any man speak doubtfully in this Point I confess it is a proverbial form of Speech used commonly to signifie an innumerable Multitude Judg. 7.12 Is 48.19 but is it not clear hereby that when any thing is mentioned in Scripture that may tend to the enlarging of Gods Mercy towards the World it is by you but lightly regarded as it hath been noted before whereas any thing that may but seemingly advance your general Damnation that must be stretched to the uttermost So here an innumerable multitude that may signifie the Elect of God in some sense is ushered in with a doubtful presupposing as if the thing were uncertain Well but this being so what will follow thereupon Nothing at all to serve the present Turn for can any man infer from hence directly that not above one in a Million shall be saved eternally Admit that the Remnant of the Israelites who were delivered from the Sword of the Assyrian which is the proper meaning of the Prophet in that place were a Type of Gods Elect among that People to be saved by Christ as some imagine what 's this to all the Elect of God all the World over Yea and when the whole Nation of the Jewes is restored again to their former Glory as there is no doubt but they shall be it may as well be concluded to be a Type of universal Redemption which the Arminians will be ready to catch at so that then there shall be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as your word is or rather no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Reliquiae but all the whole Race of Mankind shall be saved which is an opinion not to be warranted by the word of God 5. Christ had but very few names in Sardis Rev. 3.4 Ergo. A most Incongruous Ergo must this be accounted by all men but it is of the same kind as the rest are and therefore there need no more be said unto it but only to fix a non sequitur upon it unless we may say you wrest the Scripture from the right understanding to a Reprobate Sense 6 Of the ten Lepers that were healed there was but one that returned to give Glory to God From hence if any thing may be gathered in reference to Eternal Salvation it may be said which nevertheless must not be said that there shall be a Decimation of all Mankind at the last day one amongst then to be saved or rather it may be you would have it there shall be then a Centuriation of Millions of men that shall then be culled out for Salvation which will amount to your reckoning but that you reckon as we say without-Book i.e. without the Records which are laid up in Archivis far out of your reach 7. There is incomparably a far greater number of common Stones and Pebbles than there is of Diamonds Saphirs and Pearls And yet Jesus Christ makes use only of such as these in the Building and Structure of his house Grant all that you here say viz. that Jesus Christ makes use only of Precious Stones for the Building of his House yet what stone is there layd which is not of his own squaring framing polishing yea of his Creation And surely since he will have his house of a large Extent we may believe he will create materials answerable thereto for Number as well as for Quality Yea and rather than fail he will take them immediately out of the Quarry of corrupt Nature into his own hands to fit and smooth them for his purpose of Pebbles and common stones he can make them Agates Saphirs Carbuncles and what not 8. Few Persons find the way that leadeth to the Kingdom of Heaven and Life Everlasting strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leads thereto and few there be that find it This we may believe you make the main Pillar of your Building But this Pillar is already removed and set in its right place The removal whereof hath made your whole Building to shake for when your Scripture-Evidence so you call it in your Title-Page hath proved to be invalid as to your purpose your cetera that there follows is but as a Spectrum to fright inconsiderate people or as a single simple Cypher signifying nothing Behold here good Readers what strong and nervous Arguments the Reflector hath used to maintain the Doctrine of his general Damnation and how easily as he would make us believe they do enervate and weaken all that may be said against it Who will not now rather think that the man hath been given up to a spiritual Blindness not being able to discern that Truth and Reason which are so clear against him contraria juxta se posita magis Illucescunt The Triarii being thus routed and the Commander having advanc'd yet farther with a Party of the same Spirit forcing the holy Scripture to wait upon him in his Salleys against the Gospel of our Saviour We are now to see whether the other Weapons of his surreptitiously taken out of that Sacred and Celestial Armarium be well managed by him and what Edge they carry in them to do him Service or rather disservice to Christ and his Church These are they that are produced in the 10th and 11th Pages of his Book where he thus fluttereth Reflector Of ten Thousand to whom that Holy God-Man Jesus Preached hardly will you be able to prove or substantially find any thing to ground your Belief that a hundred of them were Converted whereof the greatest part thought that Jesus Christ was come into the World not to establish a spiritual Kingdom in it made up of Saints and faithful Souls but to erect an earthly Empire and to set up Tabernacles in it Answer First for the reckoning that is here made of the ten Thousand to whom Christ preached concerning whom I will not contend only it may be demanded why such a scant number
only Relatively For then we should make such a distinction as is inconsistent with the Catholick Faith and therefore it is gross Ignorance in this Objector and all his Complices to dream of such a matter But because there seems to be a necessity that this Mystery be explained I shall therefore endeavour upon this occasion so far as I can be able to reach the Sence of the Spirit of God in it revealed in holy Scripture to open it here more largely It is not to be doubted there is nothing more intelligible than God because he is the first the Perfectest and Truest Being the first mover which ordereth all things but receiveth no order from any the purest Act the highest sublimated Elixir the Supreamest Entity the most sovraign and simple Essence without any the least imaginary Metaphysical Composition at all Yet is our Understanding of him whether we be in the Body or out of the Body whether in this Life or that which is to come so short and so shallow of a total Penetration into his Essence that we must let that alone for ever Job 11.7.8 Zophar's Question to Job will put us all to a Nonplus canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection It is high as Heaven what canst thou do Deeper than Hell what canst thou know We read Gen. 32.29 how God Rebuked Jacob for his inquiring after his name Tell me I pray thee saith he thy name and he said wherefore is it that thou doest ask after my name Yet to let him see what he was without telling him any name He Blessed him there So when Manoah Judg. 13.16 would be inquisitive in the like kind he met with the same Repulse Why askest thou thus after my name seeing it is secret or wonderful and accordingly he made it known in his wonderful Work which he then wrought And verily to talk much of Gods Name I mean of an appellative distinctive Notamen is not cannot be safe the way of Negation is indeed and must be accounted the best and safest for us to take in speaking of God that is to shew not what he is but what he is not Numb 23.19 1 Sam. 18.29 After this manner did the Prophets of old speak of God Balaam the false Prophet as well as Samuel the true could say God is not a man that he should Lye nor the Son of Man that he should Repent It will not become us boldly to gaze upon the glorious Excellency of God or to break into his Pavillion rather it is our Duty to settle our Thoughts upon those negative Expressions of him viz. that he is Immortal Invisible Infinite Immense Incorporeal Unchangeable c. And whosoever he be that shall presumptuously ask Who is God or what is his Name He may be answered God is not such an one as thy self But he is such an one as will Reprove thee for thy unreverend and rash Intrusion into the Secret of his Soveraignty He hath no Compeere either in Nature or in Honour being Vnissimus Deus One alone and none besides him Es 45.6 c. neither hath he any proper name at all such names being used among us for distinction sake and for the avoiding of Error in mistaking one for another which danger is not Incident to the one only True God 'T is true we read of names of God in Scripture but they only shew the Essential Properties of God being Numina rather than Nomina for Numen Incomprehensibile est Deus was the saying of old sed omnino absque nomine But Christ hath a proper Name given him and he is to be known by it unto his Church for ever Undoubtedly therefore it ought to be used with Reverence by all those that receive Comfort and Benefit by the Sense and significancy of it Which Duty should be done according to the Tenour of the aforesaid Canon upon these two Considerations First because that for our sakes our Lord Jesus made himself of no Reputation 2. Because a sort of wretched men in the World about us set on by the Devil Conspire together to make him of no Reputation also First for our sake he made himself of no Reputation great Reason therefore that we should account him worthy of all Honour Not only that which is spiritual in captivating every Thought to the Obedience of his Gospel but that also which is of the Body in the outward Deportment of it for he hath bought it with a Price a great Price even his dearest Blood as well as the Soul It was no Robbery for him to be equal with God for he was and is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory the Character of his Person yet Saint Paul tells us he emptied himself and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross Now Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior said holy Bernard sweetly the more Humility appeared in him it is but meet that the more honour be ascribed unto him Admit that it be not a duty of the Text to use Genu-slexions at the mentioning of his Blessed Name when we are employed in the publick Exercises of our Religion yet since the Father hath even upon the account of his Humility highly exalted him and given him a name above every Name it well becometh the Church upon the same account in a Conformity to that divine Pattern according to her poor strength and ability by all ways and means to exalt him likewise This then I conceive may somewhat stop the mouth of Contradiction against the Religious Canon of our Church requiring all Persons to Bow at the Name of Jesus for why she hath learned it of the Father whose Example is without Controversie in this case worthy of Imitation to exalt him because for our sake he made himself of no Reputation Again is not our Lord now as it hath been Prophecied of him Is 53.3 despised and rejected of men Do not Jews Turks and Infidels blaspheme his worthy Name by which we are called Are not Socinians those cursed Hereticks as unwearied now in their malice against him to lay his honour in the dust as the Arrians were of old Is not the Precious Blood of this Immaculate Lamb of God shed to take away the sins of the World in many places beslavered with the impious Mouths of execrable Swearers And are not some wretched people risen up among us in these days who out of a Luciserian Pride pretend that they are as well and as truly God as Jesus Christ because they have their Being in God and are partakers of the Divine Nature What then should the Church do but out of a detestation of these horrid Impieties and out of a tender regard to the Honour of her Lord give a signal Testimony of her duty in commanding all