holy mount in their Humane bodies from Heaven therefore Christ was not the first that entred into heaven with humane body because if the two former brought their bodies along with them from heaven it is likely they carried the same bodies along with them to heaven sol Answ That this Argument hath contain'd in it three Articles or petty questions First whether Moses and Elias appeared unto our Saviour with true real and substantial humane bodies 2ly whether they were the very self same Humane bodies and earthly tabernacles wherewith they were invested and cloathed during their peregrination and pilgrimage here on earth Thirdly whether brought these their bodies from Heaven Though I may easily grant that they appeared to our Saviour in true real and substantial Humane bodies as may easily be concluded and confirmed from those bodily and corporal actions that they performed on the mount speaking and discoursing with our Saviour face to face concerning his death and departure that he was to accomplish at Jerusalem And though I easily grant in a second place that those true and real bodies were the same bodies wherewith their soules were cloathed whiles they were on earth for had their bodies bin others they could not properly have been said to be Moses and Elias yet cannot I so easily grant in the third place that they brought their bodies along with them from Heaven Full well I know that it was an opinion embraced by many yea very many of the Ancient Fathers that the bodies of Henoch and Elias are reserved and kept alive in a third mansion house distinct and separate both from Heaven and earth which they call Paradise and that they shall returne and bodily appear on the earth before the day of Judgment yea and John the Divine and the Prophet Jeremie too whose death is not read of saith Hyppolitus If this opinion be true then doubtlesse Moses and Elias brought not their bodies from Heaven along with them to the holy mount But leaving that opinion as we found it concerning Moses the Scripture plainly concludeth concerning him that his body went not to Heaven together with his soul Deut 34.5 6. there we read So Moses the servant of the Lord died in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he that is either God himself or an Angel of God buried him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth Peor but no man knoweth of his Sepulcre unto this day And this as I conceive accasioned that grave and solemne dispute and controversie according to St Judes Ecclesiastical tradition and relation v. 9. of his Epistle betwixt Michael the Archangel the devil about the body of Moses The devil urging as I conceive the necessity of the revelation of the place of sepulture thereof that by that meanes he might yeeld the Jewes a copious and abundant occasion of committing Idolatry who he well knew were apt enough by nature to honour God's faithfull servant too much and to neglect his Lord. Contrariwise the Arch-Angel pressing home the expediencie and necessitie of the concealment of it's place of burial for the prevention and disappointing of the occasion and introduction of Superstition and Idolatry Wherefore if the body of Moses went not together with his soul to heaven but as the Scripture teacheth remained on earth then surely could he not bring it along with him from heaven when he appeared on the holy mount and why may not the same be said of Elias that his body by the hand of God's omnipotencie had as sudden a restitution at his soul's descent from Heaven the very case of the soules of God's elect at the resurrection as it had dissolution at it's evection and transportation thither Sure I am whatsoever other men thinke the conceipt and opinion of the sons of the Prophets was that his body was not carried up into heaven but rather that the spirit of the Lord had taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley which made them so earnestly to sue unto Elisha That fifty strong and able men might goe and make search and inquisition after him 2 King 2.16 And these sons of the Prophets as I conceive were no plain or simple men but even Prophets themselves as man and son of man are all one in Hebrew phrase belonging and appertaining to the Schole or Colledge of Elias and Elisha whom a great Antiquary and Chronologer from prophane writers calleth by the name of Elulaeus Armagh Chron One objection remaineth that may be made that seems somewhat weighty and ponderous it is this Arg 4 Christ had his messengers and fore-runners his servants the Prophets going before his face to prepare his way before himself bodily and personally oppeared in flesh and blood here on earth to gather his Church and enter upon his Kingdome of grace what hurt then if we suppose some Saints and holy men of God corporally went before him as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-runners and messengers before he himself personally and in his Humane body entred and actually took possession of his Kingdome of glory Answ Be it granted that Christ had his messengers and fore-runners before he came personally himself to plant his Church to gather his Saints together and to enter upon his Kingdome of grace yet hence it follows not that he had any that did fore-run him bodily before himself bodily and personally entred into his Kingdome of glory A necessity there was of the Antecedent but no necessity at all of the Consequent For the better and clearer Demonstration of my sense and meaning in this Answer we must observe and mark that the whole my stery of man's redemption is grounded and established on a threefold foundation First on God's eternal purpose before all time Secondy on his free promise at the beginning of time Thirdly on his mercifull performance in the fulness of time The first is God's eternal purpose before all time of this we must conceive thus that God to whose eternall knowledge all things are present and nothing past or to come foreseeing man's fall before all time purposed to send his Son Jesus Christ into the world to redeem him Ephes 1.9 Act 2.23 The second is God's free promise at the beginning of time when immediately upon the fall of Adam God promised Christ unto him saying unto the serpent I will put emnity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed He that is to say Christ the seed of the woman shall break thy head and thou shalt bruise is heel This promise of Christ the woman's seed was the Gospel and the only comfort of Adam Abel Henoch Methuselah Noah and the rest of the godly Fathers till the time of Abraham At the time of Abraham this promise was turned into a covenant with Abraham and his seed and oft times repeated That in his seed all Nations should be blessed Gen 12.3 and 18.18 and 22.18 which promise and
11. Sect 4. Arg. 4 The fourth Argument may be drawne from the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Assumption of our Humane nature into the same personal union of the Son of God the Humane nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is onely that small bit lump portion of mans nature in general which God according to his eternal decree purpose before all time Eph 1.11 3.11 And promise and performance in time Gen 3.15 Esay 9.6 Joh 1.14 Galat 4.4 did vouchsafe and condescend in free grace and mercy to assume and take unto himself and so to become married thereunto in the unitie of the same person unto all eternitie Surely this is the summe and sense of these promises Gen 3.15 The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head And Hos 2.19 saith the Lord I will betroth thee unto mee for ever yea I will betroth thee unto mee in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies which gracious and most precious promises though made by God to his elect in Christ and are in an inferior secondary and subordinate degree and measure â—â—lfilled and discharged in all and each and every one of them for not one of them but in due time by Christs grace shall tread down Satan under his feet Rom 16.20 not one of them but is betrothed and espoused to Christ in righteousness for ever yet howsoever primarily and in the first place are they principally and completely fulfilled in Christ himself in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen For he is that in the primest sense according to the Apostles exposition Gal 3.16 the seed of the woman that doth bruise and batter the serpents head and thorough death destroy him that had the power of death that is to say the Devil His flesh his blood his humane nature it is in the first highest and sublimest sense that is betrothed and espoused unto the Lord in righteousness for ever and in him was this promise chiefly and principally fulfilled when God was manifested in the flesh when the word was made flesh and dwelt among us Joh 1.14 This is the sense and meaning of that soul-gladding expression and promise Esay 9 6. Unto us a child is borne unto us a Son is given c. In which words the holy Spirit joynes and marries God and man together in the unitie of the same person to all eternity for what is this child that is borne but the man Christ Jesus And what is this Son that is given but the eternall Son of God Who so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh 6.16 The same is the sense and meaning of that expression of wisdome it self Prov 9 1. Wisdome hath built her a house c Who or what is this wisdome But the eternal Son of God himself Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God 1 Cor 1.24 And what is this house that is built but his humane body even the same of which Christ by his eternal spirit speakes unto his Heavenly father Psal 40. according to the translation of the 70. A body hast thou prepared me The same of which he speaketh to the Jewes in another place Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will build it up Joh 2.19 This is that holy house that divine and Heavenly Temple So Christ and his Disciples call it Joh 2.19 25. In which dwelleth all the fulness of the Goahead bodily Colos 2.9 The sacred rendevous or meeting place wherein God and man meet together to hold an enterparle and treaty after a long and mortal enmity and hostilitie and to conclude both to the glory of God and joy of men and Angels an everlasting peace That holy and heavenly Herald St Paul thus trumpeteth out and proclaimeth to the world that agreement and reconciliation 2 Cor 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself In this personal union God shews himself to be reconciled to our Humane nature takes upon him to renew it by deriving his righteousness and holiness through the humane nature of Christ as through a channel or pipe of conveiance to as many of the sin-sick sons of Adam as he endues with true faith to receive it The Humane nature of Christ is that little leaven that leaveneth the whole masse and lump of all true believers by meanes of that is he made to us of God wisdome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor 1. ult To redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a pâ—â—uliar people zealous of good workes Tit 2.14 For if the râ—ot be holy so are the branches and he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are one saith the Apostle Heb 2.11 And the same Apostle saith Colos 1.19 That it pleased the Father that in Christ all fulness should dwell And another That of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Job 1.16 Now then if the flesh and blood of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was the first of all other that the eternal Son of God vouchsafed and condescended to betroth and espouse to himself in righteousness and true holiness for which cause that holy thing that was borne of the Virgin was called the Son of God Luk 1.35 Shall we think that the same flesh and blood being thus gloriously deck't and trim'd with the robes of most full and perfect righteousness and holiness as the bride fitted and prepared for the bridegroome after it had finished it's course here on earth was not first of all others led home by the bridegroom the eternal Son of God to his own Fathers house so to enter into the Kings pallace Ps 45.15 and to be made partakers of his glory even his own glory Luk 24.26 which he had with the Father before the world was Job 17.5 especially since Christ himself so plainly avoucheth and declareth That no man hath ascended up into heaven but he that came downe from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven Joh. 3.13 The summe of this Argument may be recollected and rendred in this Enthymeme Christ's humane body was the first that had the grace honour of Assumption and personal union into the Divine nature and therefore it alone had the first honour and dignity of evection and exaltâ—tion unto glory Arg. 5 A fifth Argument is afforded us from those places of Scripture wherein the Apostle calls Christ the head of the Church Eph 1.22 And hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church that we may grow up in him in all things which is the head even Christ Eph 4.15 Christ is the head of the body Coloss 1.18 Now I suppose there is no man so headless so sensless so sottish but that he very well knoweth and understandeth where the site the place the position of the head in the body naturall
Henoch Deus à terrâ subduxerit God withdrew Henoch after an unusual manner from the earth And of him saith the Author of the book of Wisdome Chap 4.10 He pleased God and was beloved of him so that living amongst sinners he was translated The same saith the wise Syracides Ecclus 44.16 So doth Paul By faith Henoch was translated that he should not see death Heb 11.5 Answ I grant that Henoch was translated for so saith the Scripture but concerning the manner how and the place whither Adhuc sub Judice lis est there is the question for in the Scripture we read of a translation to grace as well as of a translation to glory 1 Coloss 13. The Apostle saith That God hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deer Son And yet notwithstanding all this he hath not as yet transported us both body and soule into the glorious Kingdome of Heaven That Henoch's translation should consist in the evection and exaltation of his Humane body into Heaven I can hardly grant for this as I conceive would quite evert and overthrow that assertion of the Apostle that Christ is the first fruits of those that slept 1 Cor 15. and that other of the same Apostle That Christ in all things hath the preeminence Coloss 1.18 Yea and that saying of Christ himselfe also Joh 3.13 No man hath ascended up into heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven And if I must needs erre concerning one I will rather chuse to detract something from the honour repute of Henoch then derogate the least jot or title from the glory honour preeminence of Christ Sure I am that St Chrysostome is so far from avouching the body of Henoch to be in Heaven that he condemneth it of curiositie to enquire what is become of him or to what end he was translated Hom Heb 22. Jer 21.6 Ob But of Henoch the Apostle saith that he was so translated that he should not see death Heb 11.5 Sol The same saith Christ of every true believer Joh 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shâ—ll never see death yet every one that believes in Christ and keeps his saying is not forthwith corporally translated to eternal life It is plain and manifest that these words of Christ cannot be understood of the exemption from corporal but of the evasion of eternal death as plainly appeares by the Jewes answer to our Saviour v. 52. Abraham is dead and the Prophets are dead yet those holy men of God believing in Christ are truly said by Christ not to see that is not to feele the sting of death because in the midst of death by true faith they have a sight of eternal life Job 8.5 6. saith Christ to the Jewes Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my daies and he saw it and was glad As in the former sentence not to see is not to feel so in the latter to see is by faith to enjoy Arg 2 A second Argument may be taken from the example of Elias of him the Scripture testifies That he went up by a whirle-wind into heaven 2 King 2.11 The wise Syracides likewise celebrates him with this Encomium That he was taken up in a whirle-wind of fire and in a chariot of fiery horses Ecclus 48.9 He was taken up in a whirlewind of fire saith the Apocriphal book by a whirlwind into heaven saith the Canonical and what though shall we hence infer that therefore he was transported body and soul into the emperial Heaven without dissolution it doth not follow we well know that whatsoever is lifted up from the earth that doth encircle and encompasse the earth in Scripture phrase is called by the name of heaven for from hence the name of heaven is deriv'd for that it is hoven up above or from the earth saith Mr Verstegan In the Scriptures we read of the fowles of heaven Job 35.11 By that can be meant nothing else but the air as plainly doth appear from Gen 6.7 and Math 6.26 compared together In the Scriptures likewise we read of the Stars of Heaven Gen 22.17 By Heaven there can nothing els be ment but the Celestial orbs for as the Emperial Heaven that hath no need of Sun Moon or Stars or any of those petty or inferiour lights as St John witnesseth in his Revelation Chap 21.23 The City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb was the light thereof In the Scripture likewise we read of a third Heaven whither Saint Paul was rapt which by Paul 2 Cor 12.4 Joh Apoc 2.7 And Christ himself Luk 23.43 is called Paradise And again by Christ himself Abraham's bosome Luk. 16. And his fathers house wherein are many mansions Joh 14.2 So that Elias according to this Trimembred distinction may be carried into Heaven and yet be elevated no higher and passe no further then the air yet if this Answer seems too poor hungry and starvling be it granted that Elias was transported into the highest and Emperial Heaven yet as Paul speakes of himself and of his own rapture into the same place so may I say of Elias whether it was in the body I cannot tell or whether it was out of the body I cannot tell God knowes Still I thinke the safest way will be that nothing may be derogated from the prerogative of Christ To conclude that his spirit returned unto God that gave it yeelding over his body into the hands and secret wisdome and councel of God to be disposed of and resolved as he thought good And why may we not say that the body of Elias upon his spirits returne into the hands of the father of Spirits was resolved into its mother earth by the power of God even by the same omnipotent power by which Humane bodies were prepared and accommodated for the holy and heavenly Angels that appeared to Abraham Lot and others certainly they had true bodies as appeares by their eating drinking the washing of their feet and the performance of other Humane Actions and this is the opinion of Michael Psellus the best Doemonist that ever wrote saith Joh Luaovicus vives both concerning Angels and Devils as he derives it from the great St Basil in his book of the operation of Devils which immediately after the execution dispatch and finishing of their embassage and dispensation were by the same Almighty power of God either annihilated or resolved into their first principles Arg 3 The third probabilitie is raised from the example of Moses and Elias who at Christ's Transfiguration on the holy mount are said to have appeared unto Jesus and to have spoken unto him of his discease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem Math 17.3 Marc 9.4 Luk. 9.30 31. The objection as I conceive may be thus formed and fashioned Moses and Elias appeared in glory to Jesus on the