Father and the Son under the name of Wisdom Prov. 8. 22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting I was brought forth just so doth the Psalmist express the Eternal generation of the Son Psalm 1103. Ex utero ante Luciferum genui te so was the old reading of those words in Jerome and Austin Brought forth and from the womb these words signifie that by Wisdom the Son is meant and the mention of the Womb of the Father doth signifie that this Son is of the same substance with the Father as children of the womb are of the same substance with their Parents and Before the morning Star signifieth that the Son was before time or any other Creature And that it may appear that by Wisdom the Son of God is meant the words of the Apostle will declare 1 Cor. 1. 24. where he calleth Christ The wisdom of God And as the Psalmist tells us that God made all things in wisdom So the Gospel tells us who this wisdome is viz. The Son The Word The Father created all things but he created them by the Son which St. John expresseth in these words Joh. 1. 3. All things were made by him that is by the Son or Word and this St. Paul doth clearly apply to Christ Col. 1. 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers so that even the most glorious Arch-Angels and Angels are but the Creatures of this Son of God and this Wisdom of God Finally These men that tell us That God hath not always a Son may as well tell us that God had not always Wisdom But as they dare not deny the Wisdom of God to have been from Eternity so neither can they without very great impudence deny the Word or Son of the Father to have been from everlasting I will conclude this Chapter with the words of St. Basil who thus argued against the Anti-Trinitarians out of the words of St. John k Basil Hom. 16. To him that shall say There was a time when the Son or Word was not you may answer If this speech be true which the Gospel delivereth In the beginning was the Word I pray when was that time when he was not CHAP. IIII. Of the Holy Ghost That he is one of the Three Divine Persons and that he is to be prayed unto which is shewed both both by Warrant of Scripture and by the practice of the Primitive Christians and of the Church of England wherein he is confessed in Creeds and invoked in Baptisms and Doxologies THe Macedonian Hereticks confessed the Divine Personality of the Father and the Son but they denied the Person of the Holy Ghost and there are some among us who although they will not openly deny the Divinity and Person of the Holy Ghost yet they are doubtful and suspensive therein And this because they cannot or will not finde that any Prayers in Scripture are used or directed to the Holy Spirit as they are both to the Father and the Son They finde the Son of God praying to the Father Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And Forgive them Father they know not what they do They Luk. 23. 46. 34. find also St. Stephen praying to the Son Lord Act. 7. 59. Jesus receive my Spirit For the satisfaction of such as these who are neither maliciously nor obstinately wedded to this error I will endeavour to shew both the Personality of the most Holy Spirit and also that he is to be prayed unto and both these by the evidences and precedents of holy writ and by the practice of our of our owne Church and also of the Primitive Christians First That the Holy Ghost is a Divine and distinct Person in the Trinity as well and as truly as either the Father or the Son We find that the Scriptures record and report many diverse actions and operations of the Holy Ghost which must needs be the performances of a Person for He appeared as a Dove And as fiery Tongues He teacheth He leadeth into all truth He brought into the Apostles memories whatsoever Christ had said He decreed in a Council Acts 15. He forgiveth sins by the Apostles by whom he was received and entertained for that purpose Joh. 20. 22. He is an Advocate or Comforter He distributeth gifts He spake by the Prophets and in the Apostles He calleth and maketh Ministers Act. 13. 2. And Bishops Act. 20. 28. where the very Original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I know not why our Translators rendred Overseers when in other places they Translated the very same word Bishops which is the very Text word without any alteration but only as it is formed to out English Idiom In a word this Holy Spirit is produced by St. John as a witness that Jesus is the Christ 1 John 5. 6. Secondly for Prayer We say that the Scripture doth evidently set down a Warrant and a Precedent of Prayer to the Holy Ghost which you will finde if you observe the words of St. Paul 2 Cor. 13. 13. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you This is a Prayer and here is not only a mention of the Holy Ghost but indeed all these words Grace Love and Communion do relate principally if not only to the Holy Ghost for the Spirit is the Grace and the Love of the Father and the Son and the grace of Jesus and the Love of the Father are conveyed unto us only by the Communion and Inspiration of the Holy Spirit The Spirit is the Conduit of them and the Cement or Ligament by which our conjunction fellowship Union or Communion is wrought and by which we are joyned and united in one Mystical body or corporation with the whole Trinity and this is the meaning of that saying of St. John Baptist concerning the Baptism of Christ He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost for those that are Mat 3. 11. baptized into Christ are by this Spirit united to him in one mystical body and so become One with him and by this Union with Christ they are united with the whole Trinity and therefore there is mention of the Holy Ghost in the formal words of Baptism because our Union is wrought only by this holy Cement of the Spirit for this reason it is that the Apostle prayeth for the Communion of the Holy Ghost Communion signifieth a mutual union of the Spirit with us and of us with the Spirit Communio is as much as Counio or uni◠cum The Scriptures are so plentiful in precedents of Prayers to the Holy Ghost that you may find them at least in thirteen of St. Pauls Epistles and at the beginning of every one of them for thus we read Rom 1. 7. Grace
Peter and S. Paul but said they What if St. Peter and St. Paul be also un-sainted what must we then do They were told that then they should dedicate their Churches to the Trinity which they did and so they stood at that time quietly e De Schism Angl. p. 92. This Story is reported by Nich. Sanders in his Book De Schismate Anglorum I do therefore here exhort both my self and others also that seeing the old Saints and even the Apostles themselves are not now adays vouchsafed the title of Saints although they cannot be unsainted because that is not in mans power and that the Churches named by their names and also by the Appellation of Ecclesia sanctae individuae Trinitatis do for all this suffer wrack and are bereaved of their rights and riches and left Mat. 24. 15. desolate as if the Abomination or Desolation were come upon us and for as much as we see that none of our outward stony Temples are either Persecution-proof or Reformation-proof Let us in the name of God consecrate and dedicate our own little Chapels our private Tabernacles and Temples of our Bodies and Souls to the everlasting Blessed and glorious Trinity that so they may abide firme for ever for then their riches will continue un-sequestrable there where Theeves cannot break through and steal Mat. 6. 19. By what hath been said I trust it appears That in the God-head there are Three Persons all Coequal Coessential and Coeternal and all to be invoked worshipped and glorifyed for see how the Apostle evidently expresseth this truth 1 Cor. 12. where speaking of the diversities of gifts of the Holy Ghost yet calleth the Author of those graces The same Spirit The same Lord. The same God which St. Ambrose also accordingly 1 Cor. 12r Elegantly expresseth thus f Ambr. de Dignit hom c. 2. Ipse Deus Tria est unumquodque horum Trium Deus est omnia Tria non Dii sed Deus est i. e. God is Three and every one of these Three is God and all these Three are not to be called Gods but God To this I must add one consideration more That the constant faith and confession of this Mysterious Doctrine of the Trinity is of such near concernment that without it all our endeavours will be but fruitless Now since God hath so plentifully revealed it under the Gospel as we also read in Origen upon Job if that Book be his g Orig. in Job lib. 1. p. 420. Quicquid fecerint homines si non in fide Trinitatis fecerint sine Causa agunt a quo enim recipient mercedem i. e. Whatsoever any man shall perform except he do hold the faith of the Trinity his labour is lost for who else will give him any reward Most doleful therefore must be the condition of unbeleevers whose labours though ever so morally specious yet they are but like one that runs swiftly in a wrong way as h Aug. in Psal 31. St. Austin thinketh but yet more deplorable is the state of those who do not only not beleeve or dis-beleeve but moreover slight and also blaspheme the holy Trinity with such foul language that I think unfit to publish and which caused Gregory Naz. to break forth into admiration of the patience of God k Naz. Orat. 13. O Trinitas Longanimis quae eos a quibus proscinderis tam diu toleras i. e. That it was admirable Longanimity in the Holy Trinity to endure such blasphemers so long And this impiety is yet more hainous when it is found to be among those that profess Christianity whereas indeed the denial of the Trinity is most truly by St. Austin accounted Judaism Into which l Aug. de Temp. Serm. 194. dangerous infidelity it is to be feared that more Christians will fall then the great endeavours of these times will convert Jews from it And this because so many Scandals or stumbling-blocks are laid in their way of which I take my self to be obliged to give some intimation to the Reader before I conclude this Treatise CHAP. VIII Scandalous practices against the faith of the Trinity by forbidding the worship of the Lord Jesus By dis-use of the Doxologies and of the Creeds in Baptism And by dissolving Episcopacy which is a disparagement of the Holy Ghost by whom Bishops were ordained Of Presbytery That is no sacerdotal Order but only an Office KIng Solomon adviseth Prov. 22. 28. Not to remove the Land-marks which our Fathers have set yet commonly in all prevailing Schisms or prosperous heresies the first act of Reformation is in removing all or very many of the former usances although they be ever so good useful and laudable St. Basil saith that in the Arian Heretical Schism a Basil de Spiâ— Sanc. ad Amphil c. 30. Omnes patrum termini loco moti sunt magna est inclinatio temporum ad Ecclesiae eversionem caligo ecclesias occupat unicus amicitiae finis est Id. Epist 1. 61. 65. ad gratiam loqui Erroris similitudo est res firma ad Seditionis societatem Quilibet est Theologus Episcopatus ad homines vernas devenit Patrum dogmata Apostolorum traditiones contemnuntur Recentiorum hominum inventa dominantur Pastores abiguntur Lupi in roducuntur Domus Oratioriae deseruntur Qui maxime blasphemant in populi Ediscopatum eliguntur Gravitas sacerdotum periit Christianorum nomine tecti sunt persecutores Nulla est apud judices iniquos cani capitis reverentia Thus he and much more also to the same purpose Concerning the abuses of those Hereticks in abolshing the good old Doctrines and Disciplines of the Church the abusing of the most Reverend Ministers and in bringing into that holy Office unlearned men and any Quicunque vult of the lowest of the people Now although the dangerous heresies of Arians and Socinians have been discountenanced both by the late Parliaments and also by the present Government and some of their writings condemned to the fire which acts are by godly men esteemed very commendable and are very comfortable unto them yet many Land-marks and excellent parcels of our Christian Religion and those things wherein the Church of England did correspond with the Primitive Church are of late in many places removed and disused as if they were either impious or Superstitious or of very little or no concernment although some of them are of very great use and necessary This is that which occasioneth many weak Christians to be scandalized so far as to be suspicious of the truth of the most high and necessary Doctrine of the most holy Trinity as namely First Concerning the God-head of Christ it might stagger the faith of many weaker Christians when they find it was commanded by order of a great and wise Council that No Declarat of the Commons in Parl. Sept. 9. 1641. Phil. 2. 10. man should bow his knee when the Name of Jesus was named
as Christ is 1 2. Chapt. The Difficulties of apprehending the Mystery of the Trinity and other Christian Doctrines Of Philosophers Jews and Christians professing their ignorance in matters of Nature and Religion 8 3. Chapt. More concerning those Difficulties and of our ignorance in Theological Doctrines of the Trinity and Predestination and of the over-great boldness of some in handling those Mysteries 16 4. Chapt. That the Doctrine of the Trinity is obscurely delivered in the Old Testament Why the Septuagint concealed it The resemblance of the Trinity in things Natural and Moral The distinct proprieties of the Three Persons and their Unity Of the use of some Words in Religion which are not found in the Scriptures 25 5. Chapt. More of Words not Scriptural Of the Word Trinity and of the Word Person Why the Trinity is called Three Persons VVhy Baptism is administred in the name of the Trinity 34 6. Chapt. Of the Scriptural VVord Hypostasis The Grammatical and Theological signification thereof VVhy the Three Divine Persons are called Hypostases That the God-head resideth only in these Three Persons and not otherwise The Ubiquity both of the God-head and of these Three Persons 43 7. Chap. Of the Holy Ghost That he is one of the Divine Persons That he is to be prayed unto is shewed by Scripture and by practise of the Church That he is confessed in Creeds and invocated in Baptismes and Doxologies 53 8. Chapt. Of Scandals hindring the faith of the Trinity 1. By forbidding the corporal worship of the Lord Jesus 2. By disuse of the Doxologies and Creeds even in Baptismes 3. By dissolving the Order Episcopal ordained by the Holy Ghost Of Presbytery That it is no Scriptural order of Sacerdocy St Jerom's Epistle to Euagrius explained 63 9. Chapt. More of Scandals 1. By scandalous Ministers 2. By dis-use and abuse of the Lords Prayer Of Christs Earthly Kingdome and his corporal return before his coming to the last Judgment That prosperity in unjust causes is no sign of Gods approbation Of the Regal Stile Gratia Dei Something concerning publick Thanks-givings 78 10. Chapt. Of Millinarians and their imaginary fifth Monarchy That it is an Heresy against the faith of the Trinity Mr Mede's Argument for Christ's Earthly Kingdome is answered That Christs Kingdome shall last after the final Judgement and continue for ever 87 Sect. 2. Of Christ's Kingdom over all the World and every Creature That it ceased not at his death That neither the Roman Consistory nor the Presbyterian Vestry can be called Christs Throne How it is in this World and yet not of this World That the Policy of Christ's Kingdome is altogether unlike and divers from worldly Policy 96 Sect. 3. Of Christ's Kingdome and Acts in Heaven Of his Melchisedechical Priest-hood there The manner of his Intercession Advocateship and Mediatorship for us in Heaven That it is not by Sacrificing or praying for us there What Priestly Act he there performeth 110 Sect. 4. Of Christ's Session at the Right hand of God The difference between the Right hand of God and the Right hand of the Father with the abuses of that Article VVhy Christ withdrew to Heaven Of the re-building of Ierusalem and the Temple Of the Jewish Monarchy and their Pseudo-Messiah or the great Antichrist 122 Sect. 5. The signification of the Jewish feast of Atonement and of the High-priests entring the Sanctum Sanctorum and of the Mercy-seat sprinkling of blood Scape-goat and Jewish Sacrifices why God disliked them The signification of the Altar Of Jewish and Christian Liturgies 135 11. Chapt. More concerning Millinarism The dreadful and bloody Consequences thereof Of new Millinarian Saints and the Meek VVhat Earth or Land is promised to the truely Meek The Title of Saint unduely placed is an abuse of the Holy Ghost The Conclusion 146 The Preface HAving formerly discoursed concerning the absolute Godhead of Jesus Christ and shewed that he is the only and most high God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Divines use to say and the I am i. God absolutely and independently for an Antidote against the late Socinian commentary on the Hebrews It seemeth requisite and seasonable to consider the same Lord Jesus in his Relative Personality as he standeth in relation to the Father and so is the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father In the contemplation whereof I shall be necessitated briefly to discourse the Sacred Doctrine of the whole blessed Trinity and each several Person thereof And because this profound and mysterious Doctrine is far above the reach of our Natural reason and comprehension and therefore to be not only Reverendly but also Warily and Circumspectly handled it being confessed both by Heathen and Christian Writers a Tacitus Sanctius reverentius visum est de actis Deorum credere quam scire and b Cicero De Potestate Deorum timide pauca dicamus i. e. it seemeth more reverend to believe the power of God then to presume to pry into it and to speak sparingly and timerously thereof because as Origen saith c Orig. in Eze. hom 1. De Deo vera dicere periculosum est i. e. It is dangerous to speak of God albeit we speak nothing but the Truth I therefore do here most earnestly implore the assistance of the Father of Lights to illuminate the hearts both of the Writer and Reader that from him we may receive all needful evidence for our apprehension and for our faith in the holy Trinity which now we are to discourse of and to shew that there are Three Persons in the Godhead and that they all are Coëssential Coëqual and Coëternal Errata Page 5. l. 17. r. patre p. 9. l. 9. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 17. l. 19. r. Salvianus p. 21. l. 16. r. ipse p. 23. l. 9. r. Abulenses p. 24. l. 9. r. 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therefore how it can seem reasonable to any man that understandeth Baptism and especially to our learned Teachers that one should enter a Covenant in Baptism of beleeving when the things to be confessed and beleeved are not at all rehearsed or mentioned And yet more strange it is that although they have changed the old form of singing with the signe of the Cross into singing with the signe of the Covenant yet the words of the Covenant are not at all by them rehearsed Whereas it is evident in Scripture that a confession of faith and so a Covenant of beleeving is required in Baptism for when the Noble Eunuch desired Baptism he was first required to beleeve and thereupon made a confession of his faith thus I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Act. 8. 37. so he was baptized As for the reforming of great Fonts into little Basons and the like lesser matters wherein how much the amendment is better then the supposed fault or defect we dispute not but we are heartily sorry that in many Congregations the Incumbents do often refuse to baptize at all except it be the children of the Rich of their own fraternity Fourthly We have also lost the grave and venerable Order Episcopal which may justly seem to argue a dis-belief or a disparagement of the Holy-Ghost of whom it is said Acts 20. 28. Spiritus sanctus posuit Episcopos for if it be indeed beleeved that the holy spirit did plant or place them it must also be believed that some contrary Ghost or anti-Anti-spirit it is that supplanteth them Our Lord Jesus himself now since he sate at the right hand of God in Heaven yet there sitting is called a Bishop 1 Pet. 2. 25. The Shepherd and Bishop of our souls and the chief Shepherd 1 Pet. 5. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the great Shepherd of the sheep Heb. 13. 20. The Appellation of Pastor belonged only to Bishops in the Primitive Church but but now every young Curat though but an intruder will write himself Pastor too arrogantly St. John in his Revelation saw four and Rev. 4. 10. twenty Presbiters so is the original fall down before this great Bishop but our new Revelations have shewen us twenty four Bishops falling before Presbyters I suppose that the greatest adversaries of Episcopacy will not deny the Title of Bishop to be a scriptural word as it is and not an extraordinary or temporary word or appellation as some others are but a positive and fixed name and office and if it be indeed so planted by the Holy Ghost in the holy Scriptures men should be afraid to raze it out if they consider that Moses charged his Israelites neither to add nor diminish ought from the word that he had Deut. 4. 2. taught them and so St. John at the very close of the Gospel hath left a terrible threatning which surely extendeth to all holy writ If any man shall add to it God shall add plagues to him Rev. 22. 18. And if any shall take away from it God shall take away his part out of the book of life The greatest Sticklers and Dogmatical opposers and enemies to Episcopacy for I meddle not with Authoritative power are those men who would have Presbyters to be the Supream Sacerdotal order but I firmly beleeve that in the Scripture the word Presbyter was not intended to signifie any order at all of Sacerdocy but only to signifie a jurisdictive Authority annexed to the two only Orders of Bishop and Minister for Bishops are therefore called Presbyters in the Scripture because of their jurisdiction only Presbyter is an appellation of the Office or work of a Bishop but not of his Order as St. Paul doth evidently distinguish them 1 Tim. 3. 1. If a man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good Work Here is 1. The Office or Work 2. The Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Afterwards inferior Ministers were called Presbyters and that very early in the Primitive Church And now all Ministers are generally called Presbyters which is improper and abusive except there be first a faculty of some part of the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction annexed to the Minister which jurisdiction in due form should be derived on them by grant of the Superiour Order of the Bishop for although it is very true that in the Primitive Church a new Order was set up and called Presbyters and placed between Bishops and Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet this Order was onely Ecclesiastical but not Scriptural For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Presbyter in Scripture is promiscuously used to signifie both Ecclesiastical and civil Governours because it signifieth only a jurisdictive Authority and not a sacerdotal Order In the new Testament Presbyters of the people Mat. 21. 23. and 26. 47. and 27. 1. are mentioned And Presbyters of the Church Act. 15. 4. 6. and 1 Tim. 5. 17. And Tit. 1. 5. in all which places our English renders the word Elder But Beza varies in in the Translation of it for when it is said of the Laity he renders it Seniores i. e. Elders But when it is said of Ecclesiastical persons there he renders it Presbyteri i. e. Presbyters In the old Testament we find but two Sacerdotal Orders viz. 1. The High-Priest Aaron and his Successors 2. Inferior Priests called the Sons of Aaron So in the new-Testament we finde but two Orders of Sacerdocy viz. * Bishops the inferiour Ministers or Presbyters are both called Sacerdotes by St. Augustin de civ l. 20. c. 10. 1. Bishops 2. Ministers who are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So St. Paul reckons them more then once as Phil. 1. 1. The Bishops and Deacons and so 1 Tim. 3. 2. 8. So St. Jerome in that Epistle to Evagrius which hath been so tugged and stretched to make it speak for the Presbyterian design doth propound this sure rule concerning Ecclesiastical Orders a Hier. Epist 84. To. 2. Sciamus traditiones Apostolicas sumptas de veteri Testamento i. e. What the Apostles have delivered or written concerning Ecclesiastical Orders was by them taken from the patterns of Sacerdotal Orders in the old Testament which certainly is true because the same Immutable God is the Authour of Orders both in the old and new Testament St. Jerome goes on thus b Id. ibid. Quod Aaron filii ejus atque Levitae in Templo fuerunt hoc sibi Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi vindicent in Ecclesia i. e. That which Aaron and his Sons and the Levites were during the Temple The same may Bishops Presbyters and Deacons claim in the Church But every learned man knoweth that the Levites were not Priests therefore those that St. Jerome calls Presbyters must needs be the same that St. Paul calls Deacons or Ministers Now if Presbyters must be the highest Order in the Church by the same proportion Aarons Sons sholud have been the High-Priests in the Temple but
Hoc praestat timor Dei ut alios timores contemnamus and St. Ambros speaking of the burning of the Martyr Laurentius saith e Ambr. Serm. 19. n. 41 Maâ—or slamma intrinsecus est The fear of God overcometh all humane fears and the fire of Gods Spirits within us wherewith our hearts burn is more ardent then the flames of Tyrants as cruel Antiochus was told by a Martyr f Ioseph de Macab Ignis tuus frigidus est O Magister crudelitatis i. e. That the Tyrants fire was but cold in respect of this Heavenly flame Thus doth the Scepter and Kingly power of Christ appear most in our weakness and this is the method of his Kingdom in this world But of the carnal domineering insulting ruffling and ranting Kingdom which Millinarians dream of Christ saith My Kingdom is not of this World SECT III. Of Christs Kingdom and Acts in Heaven of his Melchisedechical Priest-hood there The manner of his intercession Advocate-ship and Mediatorship for us in Heaven That it is not by sacrificing or praying for us there What Priestly act he there performeth WE are next to inquire whether Christ since his ascensioÌ„ hath any Kingdom or Dominion in HeaveÌ„ what he hath done there all this while for the English Socinian Commenter on the Hebrews tells us that this Epistle is a The Preface a. 3. the History of Christ in Heaven which is true in part although himself have depraved it but so are also other parcels of Scripture as may thus appear in his ascension he was attended and proclaimed King by Angels as Justin. Origen Jerom. Ambros and Chrysost understand these words Ps 24. 7. Lift up your Psal 24 heads O ye gates or O ye Princes and the King of glory shall come in for although as he is the Son of God or God the Word he was in Heaven before yet his humane nature was not there before his ascension as is well expressed by b Ruf. in Symb. apud Cyp. Ruffinus Ascendit ad Coelos non ubi verbum Deus ante non fuerat sed ubi verbum caro factum ante non sedebat being there he is said to have a Throne and that for ever and Heb. 1. 8. ever Ps 45. 6. a Throne is Kingly but this Throne is also on the right hand of God so it is the highest Throne thence he is said to give gifts unto men Eph. 4. 8. as The Holy Ghost at Pentecost was by him shed Act. 2. 3. So he gave Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Eph. 4. 11. to those more gifts are added Gifts of healing helps in government diversities of tongues 1 Cor. 12. 28. besides many other sanctifying graces to holy men and women He â—hewed himself to be in Heaven and at the right hand of God to the Protomartyr Act. 7. 56. out of Heaven he spake to Saul and restrained him from persecuting Act. 9. He is called a Priest an High-Priest and a Bishop he maketh intercession for us in Heaven Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. He is our Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1. And our Mediator 1 Tim. 2. 5. c. What Act of Priest-hood and what kind of intercession Christ performeth for us in Heaven and what is meant by his session at the right hand of God we will inquire anon but first his Kingly authority is to be shewed After the Passion and Resurrection of Christ and before his ascension he said All power is Mat 28. 18. given unto me in Heaven and in Earth These words are weighty The giving is meant only of a gift to his humanity thus That all power in Heaven and Earth which was naturally in the Son or Word before his incarnation is now by the God-head even his own God-head communicated to his humane nature being personally united with his divine nature so that now the Emanuel or Christ or the Word made flesh hath all power in Heaven and Earth the whole power of the God-head is in him There is nothing done by God either in Heaven or Earth but what Jesus Christ doth because there is none other God but that God which he is for he is the one and only God The Father and the Spirit are with him but one God whatsoever the Father doth he doth it by the Son and whatsoever the Son doth he doth it from the Father and by the Spirit and whatsoever the Spirit doth he doth it from the Father and the Son Christ saith The Ioh. 5. 17. Father worketh and I work this because the works of one are the works of both He saith again I can of my self do nothing 30. this he said because the Father and the Son are one therefore the works of the Son are the works of the Father also This is to be understood of the Essential or Absolute works of the God head but not of the Personal or proper works of each several person he saith again The Son can do nothing of himself but what he 19. seeth the Father do This is not so to be understood as if the Father did first perform a work to be as a Sampler or pattern for the Son to work by and then the Son after him should perform such another work but that the very same individual work of the Father is also the work of the Son for example The Father made the world so did the Son make the same world If this work be not the one and self same work of the Father and the Son then as Austin argueth a Aug. in Ioan. tract 20. Da mihi alterum mundum quem fecit Filius you can not shew me two worlds one of the Fathers making and another of the Sons making Indeed before the incarnation of the Son all the power in Heaven and earth was in the pure God-head residing in the Father Word and Spirit But since the Word or Son was incarnate all that power is communicated by the same God-head to the Son incarnate who is thereupon called Christ and Emanuel There is now none other King of glory but that God which is in Christ St. Iude calls him both The only Lord God and our Lord Iesus Christ Iude 4. Ioh. 5. 22. 27. therefore himself saith That the Father hath committed all judgment to the Son that is to Christ and this Son shall therefore in the end in his assumed and visible nature judg the world If it be said that his humane nature is a creature and therefore must always be subject to his God-head we answer that it is true but nevertheless the Emanuel i. e. The Divine and Humane Nature joyntly govern all things for so the body of a King is subject to the soul or will of the King yet the King consisting of a Body and Soul with both ruleth If it be said that the Father and the Holy Spirit do also reign and govern all things as well as the Son though neither the Father
be with you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ This is a Salutatory Prayer as Expositors new and old generally agree and herein the Holy Ghost is in the first place and chiefly intended for he is that Grace and Peace which proceedeth from the Father and the Son The Holy Ghost is the very goodnesse and sweetnesse of the God-head as we are taught by St. Austin a Aug. de Trin. lib. 6. cap. 10. Spiritus est genitoris Genitique suavitas For without this Grace and Peace by the Communion of the Holy Ghost the Almighty God-head would be uncomfortable yea and terrible unto us If it be demanded why the Holy Ghost is not so particularly and openly mentioned in that Prayer as the other persons are by the words God the Father and the Lord Jesus In this we are resolved by the same Father writing upon these words b Aug. Exposit in Rom. Non adjungit spiritum quia spiritus est donum dei Gratia Pax sunt donum Dei i. e. He doth not expresly mention the Spirit because it is implied for the Spirit is the gift of God and so are Grace and Peace The Spirit and his Graces are not separated but they go together so that by mentioning Grace and Peace from God he must mean the Spirit of Grace and Peace for the Spirit is expresly called The Peace of God Phil. 4. 7. because it is also there said To pass or excell all understanding therefore it must be a Peace infinite and so must be God who excelleth all humane comprehension and that the graces of the Spirit are called the Spirit it self is evident by the words of St. John Rev. 1. 4. who there calleth seven Graces of the same One and Only Spirit because every one may be called Spirit Seven Spirits In a word The Invocation and Prayer to the Holy Ghost is meant in St. Pauls other Epistles where the very same form of words is used viz. Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father c. which the Reader may at his leisure observe in perusal of all these places besides the formerly alledged viz. 1 Cor. 1. 3. And 2 Cor. 1. 2. Gal. 1. 3. Eph. 1. 2. Phil. 1. 2. Col. 1. 2. And 1 Thes 1. 1. And 2 Thes 1. 3. And 1 Tim. 1. 2. And 2 Tim. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 4. Philem. 3. To all these pâ—ecedents we may farther add the Baptismal form of words to which we are strictly obliged which are thus set down In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost which words many Divines doubt not to call a Prayer and Invocation of the Three Persons although it is more also as Ph. Melancthon and Beza upon those words In the name tells us it is Invocato patre filio Spiritu i. e. That it signifies the Invocation of the Father Son and Spirit and so saith the Interlineal Gloss in Lyranus and many others To these we subjoin the Practice of the Church in glorifying all the Three Divine Persons in her Doxologies which I trust none will deny to be Prayers when we say Glory be to the Father c. which certainly is a Prayer as much and as full as Hallowed be thy name Of these Doxologies St. Basil saith in the behalf of the Church Catholick and against Anti-Triâ—itarians c Basil Epist 387. Nos glorificamus sicut Baptizamur In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus i. e. We glorifie God in the same form of words that we are baptized withal that is we glorifie all the Three Persons equally and alike And that the same Father esteemeth the Doxology to be a Prayer is clearly declared by him in another place where he thus adviseth d Constitut Ascet In precibus incipe a glorificatione i. e. he would have us always to begin our Prayers with a glorifying of God Another practice and usance of the Church present was grounded upon that place in the Scripture Act. 15. 28. for because at the very first Christian Council the stile of their Decree is thus set down It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us therefore in After-Counsels they began with a Prayer and Invocation of the Holy Ghost particularly saying Veni Creator Spiritus which was also so used with us and at the laying on of hands in conferring Ecclesiastical orders and in many parts of our English Liturgy and particularly in the Letany a Prayer is specially and singly addressed to the Person of the Holy Ghost thus O God the Holy Ghost proceeding c. which Letany I think all sober well advised Christians and uninterested in Schism will acknowledg to be an holy charitable Pathetical and Heavenly Prayer and besides our praying to the Holy Ghost the Church confesseth her faith and beleeving in the Holy Ghost as well as in the Father and the Son in the Symbols Apostolical Niâ—ene and Athanasian which Creeds are acknowledged also by other reformed Churches Moreover although we should pass by and lay aside all that is before alledged and that no more could be said for Prayer to the Holy Ghost but only this that the Apostle tells us of a Temple of the Holy Ghost This may be enough to satisfie the humble Christian for 1 Cor. 6. 19. doubtless that Person to whom a Temple is lawfully piously and Christianly erected the same Person may with the same Piety and Christianity yea and must be prayed unto and Ipse Deus Templum aedificavit Spiritui sancto nam Deus corpora nostra aedificavit Aug. de Symb. To. 9. lib. 1. c. 4. worshipped in that Temple and therefore the Holy Ghost certainly should be worshipped and prayed unto whose Temple all holy people are as we read 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which Temple far excelleth all other worldly Temples it being a Temple made by God himself and made of the members of God And if we should build a Temple to Sacrilegi essemus Templum faciendo creaturae Etiam Angclo excellentissimo Aug. Cont. Serm. Arianor To. 6. n 18. any Creature though the most excellent Angel or Arch-Angel it must be confessed to be Idolatry and a sacrilegious robbing God of that glory and houour which is his peculiar and of which he saith Isa 42. 8. My glory will I not give to another In a word The bodies and souls of true Saints are not that Temple of the Holy Ghost which will continue and stand ever when all other mundane Temples although called by the names of Saints will be utterly demolished When King Henry the Eighth had un-Sainted the stubborn Saint Thomas Becket and had demolished his Shrine and Altar and secured all the rich Furniture Jewels Gold and Silver thereunto belonging Some Irish Romanists inquired to what Saints Patronage they might now for security dedicate their Churhces Answer was made that they should chuse St.