our whole Man in our Redemption Thus having said so much concerning this question I submit the determination thereof to the Judicious Reader onely adding this that if Christ did indeed take not onely his Body but the whole man by traduction from Adam we may most comfortably entertain a more evident and reasonable Argument of the Redemption both of our bodies and soules by him because hereby we may conceive our selves to be joyned and united unto Christ in a more noble tie then onely in our flesh that as he hath communicated his Divine Spirit to Man as is shewed before so our humane Spirit is communicated to him CHAP. XV. That the Spirit of God is communicated to the unregenerate and of the diversitie of the Measures and the graces therof IN the next place I am to shew how the Spirit of God is said to be communicated to men unregenerate as I promised before and this because many men are apt to beleeve that to have the Spirit of God is a grace proper and peculiar only to those that are the the Sanctified holy ones but the contrarie will appeare a none for a man may have Gods Spirit in him yea and divers common gifs and graces of that Spirit and yet remaine unsanctified and void of vertue and holines Aug. de beat vita n. 16. S. Austin saith Omnis homo deum habet nec tâ—mâ—n omnis beatus est i. every man hath God in him and yet every man is not in a state of blessednes so there is in every man a natural goodnes for every creature is good and where goodnes is there is God though this natural bonitie may be mixed with a great deale of moral pravitie and the same Spirit of God worketh in all men but yet to several purposes and with several Naz. Orat. 44. operations and in diverse degrees Spiritas spirat quando vult super quos vult quantum vult i The Spirit bloweth when it will and on whom it will so much as it will and though the Spirit of God be alwayes in man yet men doe not alwayes perceive it Aug. Confes. lib. 9. c. 4. Id. n. 88. or consider it S. Austin confessed Christus miserat spiritum in me Ego nesciebam i Christ had sent his Spirit into me and I knew it not and againe he saith â—git Spiritus Domini per bonos malos per Scientes nescientes ut per Caipham i The Spirit of the Lord worketh by good and bad by men that know it and by men that know it not as it did by Caiphas Men may have the Spirit of God and Operations of that Spirit in them and some graces also of that Spirit and yet those graces possibly shall not be operative so high as to Sanctification neither are they such high graces as divines call Gratum facientes But yet graces they are for grace is but a free gift and therfore is it called grace because it is Gratis data i freely given There may be grace in those persons who are not therby rendered favourable gracious or acceptable in Gods sight for even our natural endowments and temporal blessings and our very Creation rightly considered will appeare to be an act of Gods grace and therfore men do usually give thanks to God for their very Creation This doctrine of the great variety of graces and workings of Gods Spirit is most evidently set forth 1 Cor. 12. There are diversities of gifts and diversities of operations but the same Spirit the same Lord the same God And you may find mention of many graces there which are not saving or sanctifying graces but are Common even to reprobates as knowledge healing prophecie toungs c. Which wee know may be and are found in men not Sanctified even the knowledg and skill of manual arts are the operations of Gods Spirit in man which no divine will say are saving or sanctifying graces as wee read of Bâ—zaleel Ex. 35. 31. That he was filled with the Spirit of God in wisedome and in all manner of workmanship to devise Curious workes and to worke in Gold Silvâ—â— and brass Philosophers use to say If heaven stood still man could not move so much as his litle finger but surely if God were not Primus Motor in us to be as the soule of our soules we could not live or move and though God be in man and operateth in him yet his operations are diversified by divers degrees in some he worketh but weakly and low in others higher and stronger even to produce holines and happines but though the Spirit of God be in every man yet this Spirit is not a Sanctifier in every man as he is not Paracletus i a Comforter in every man this doctrine hath bin taught of old by the ancients Deus in est multiformiter Richard de S. Vict. de Trin. l. 2. c. 23. secundum participationem Gratiae aliis per participationem potentiae aliis vita aliis sapientiae aliis bonitatis aliis beatitudinis imanum suam parcius vel largius extendens i God is in us by distributing his graces in great diversitie some partake of power some of life only others have wisdome others goodnes others blessednes for so doth he open his hand more or less as he pleaseth The Spirit of God in Scripture is often resembled to water because as the same water falling from heaven in raine upon several Creatures produceth in them great diversitie and varietie of effects Aqua in spiâ—is alba in rosis rubra in Cyril Hieroâ— n. 18. hyacinthis purpurea i The same raine in the thorne produceth a white flower on the rose bush a red and on the hyacinth a purple Colour So doth the Spirit produce diversitie of effects in men so againe Aqua in Aug. de Mirab. script l. 1. c. 18. vite vinum â—it in apibus mel in Oliva olâ—um i Water in the vine is made wine in the Olive tree Oyl in bees honie in man blood teares c. And the like illustration is used by Epiphanius Chrysost To shew Epiph. in Ane Chrys ho. 4. Antioch that the same Spirit of the same God in some mea produceth but life or understanding in others it produceth those effects and more also as wisdome judgment counsel in others more also as faith hope charitie fortitude even to martyrdome and to blessednes the effect of Gods Spirit in Samson was seen eminently in his great strength in Solomon it was great wisdome in Moses mâ—eknes in the Prophets foresight all these are gifts of one and the same Spirit though in such great varietie and when the Scripture mentioneth divers Spirits as Esa 11. 2 Rev. 1 4 It meaneth severall gifts and graces of one and the same Spirit wee may observe that Elisha 2 Kings 2. 9. did not pray for two Spirits but duplex Spiritus that the same Spirit of Eliah might be doubled on him that is increased
Emmanuel as being one with us Let us next see what the Ancient Doctors conceived of this Union to avoid prolixity I will instance onely in St. Austin who saith Aug. in Psal 17. Christus Ecclesia est totum Christi caput corpus And upon those words My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and I cry in the day time and thou hearest not and Let this Cup passe from me and Not my will but thy will be done he saith In Psal 21. Christus dicit de te de me de illo corpus suum gerebat scilicet Ecclesiam membrorum vox erat non timebat mori sed pro his dixit qui mortem timent And again he saith in Ps 26. Omnes in illo Christi Christus sumus totus Christus caput corpus And upon those words Saul Saul why persecutest thou me he saith in Ps 30. Sic vâ—cem pedis suscipit lingua clamat calcas me in membris Christi Christus est Christus est multa membra unum corpus And in Ps 100. Christum induti Christus sumus cum capite nostro cum Christo capite unus homo sumus And in Ps 103. Omnes nos in Christo credentes unus homo sumue And in Ps 127. Multi Christiani unus Christus unus homo Christus caput corpus And in Ps 119. Omnes Sancti sunt unus homo in Christo The summe of all is That Christ and his Members are united so that they are one body and as one person for as the head and inferiour parts in one man are but one body so Christ and his members are but one Christ which the same Father calleth in Ps 36. Ser. 2. Ps 37. Christum plenum And Corpus Christi diffusnm Neither is the Church of England silent in this great mystery of our union with Christ for to shew that the grand reason and the intent and purpose for which Christ ordained the holy Supper was especially to set forth this Union of himself and members to be such as our food is to and with our bodies bread and wine unite themselves to us they grow into one body with us So she saith to faithful Communicants The Exhortat at the Commun That we dwell in Christ and Christ in us We be one with Christ and Christ with us And this also was the reason of instituting Baptisme as St. Paul expresseth it to be baptized Rom. 6. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into Christ and 1 Cor. 12. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into one body Baptisme is the mysterious sign of our entrance into Christ But the Eucharist is the mystery of Christs entring into us for so St. John maketh the like distinction 1 Joh. 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us and after him St. Austin Aug. in Joh. Tract 48. Si benè cogitemus Deus in nobis est Si benè vivamus nos in Deo sumus and indeed this union is principally meant in the Article of the Communion of Saints which in our Creed we professe to believe This Union in Scripture is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Communion The great Sacrament thereof is therefore called by St. Paul 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Communion of the body and blood of Christ and because our union with Christ doth unite us with the whole Trinity the Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 9. Our fellowship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and this is also called 2 Cor. 13. 13. Philip. 2. 1. The fellowship of the Holy Ghost the fellowship of the Spirit But there is a great difference between our common or general union with the whole Trinity and our speciall and particular union with Christ alone for with all the three Persons we are united only by the Spirit because to us is given the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of the Father and the Son But with the Son we are joyned and united in a threefold bond 1. Spiritu 2. Carne 3. Vadimonio Not onely by his Spirit in us but also in Nature for he assumed flesh with us from the self-same lump of the first man and moreover he is joyned to us in the strong bond of Vadimonie or Suretiship in that everlasting Covenant of Grace before mentioned Concerning the manner of our union with Christ one scruple is to be removed for if we say that we are really and substantially one body with him this doctrine may seem to affirm a personal or hypostatical union of us men with God such as is the union of the Godhead and manhood in Christ so we should make our body the body of God as Christs natural body is and so we make our selves God as Christ is God but this must be confessed to be intolerable blasphemy Our answer is That though Christ and his Church are indeed one body yet they are not one body natural and consubstantial but a body mystically Political as a Corporation a Society a Fraternity not Corpus continuum but Collectivum or aggregativum thus thousands of Souldiers are One Army many graines of corn are but One heap Unae quinque Minae Plaut in Pseud many pieces of money are One summe many letters and lines in one Epistle we call Vnas literas Tully calls one suit of apparel consisting of many parcels Cic. Orat. pro L. Flacco Vna vestimenta and we read Plaut in Trinum Vnos sex dies in Plautus Just so St. Austin expresseth this mystery of Christs body upon those words Psal 11. 1. Salvum me fac Domine Aug. de Unitate Eccles Cap. 13. To. 7. Sic est unus homo qui ait salvum me fac ut ex multis constet for though Christ and his members are many Ones and many Severals which are not united by any internal or natural form yet because they all have one and the same Spirit of Christ in them they are united and made one body or mystical corporation by that one Spirit of Christ of which it is said 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one Spirit ye are all baptized into one body and of these many severals it is said Ro. 12. 5. We being many are one body in Christ So a body Politick consisting of a multitude of individuals is made one Corporation by the Charter of the Prince and their own agreement but if upon dissension they be tumultuously gathered we rather call them a tumult then a Corporation Aug. De verb. Domini Ser. 26. Da unum populus est tolle unum turba est Touching the last clause of this first Proposition That the same that offended the same is punished whereby our sins seem to be charged upon Christ as if Christ himself had committed sin in whom we are assured no sin was either original or actual as is fully declared in my third Book Chap. 11. Sect. 2. Yet that this is true I am to shew in the explication of
Devil though Arius himself have put an honest man's name to his own detestable writings Just as hereticks in old time put the name of n Evâ—g l. 3. c. 31. Athanasius to the heresies of Apoll na rius Well! if you will not be known I say but as one in o Sen. cont lib. 1. cont 2. Seneca said of a lewd person Discede ignoâ—us â—sâ— discede notus es nâ—mis i. You are of no â—â—te and yet too notoribus CHAP. III. Touching the Preface Licencing and approbation of this Commentary IN your Preface directed to the Christian Reader it should rather be to your dear brethren the Turks for it savoureth more of that then of Christianity as will be shewed hereafter you tell us that one reason which moved you to print this book is Because it hath received a singular approbation from a most learned and reverend Divine the Divine here meant is Mr. John Downam who licenced this book who as I have heard from a right worthy reverend and honourable person is indeed a right honest grave and learned man now one of the singular approbations which Mr. Downam gives of your book is that he calls it a Comment on the Hebrewes whereas you stile it a Commentary now the word Comment or Commentum being equivocal doth most usually signifie a figment an untruth or fiction and the old Logick rule is Analogum per se positum flat pro significato famosiori therefore this learned man well knowing the falsities in your Commentary as will be proved anon did justly change the word and call'd it a Comment Or if it fell from him unawares then there was a providence in it for truth hath so fallen from many unwittingly as St. Austine confesseth of himself a Aug. Conf. l. 9. c. 4. that the Spirit of truth worketh both by men that perceive it and by them that perceive it not Just so doth Socrates observe in the Writings of Libanius the Sophist who was a great admiâ—â—r of Julian the Apostate this 〈◊〉 a most Learned man intending to praise Julian said of him b Socr. l. 3. c. 19. O daemonum discipule daemonum assessor c O disciple of Demons and Companion of Demons Mirum est eum non vitasse verbum ambiguum i. â—marvâ—l saith Socrates that Libanius would not avoid such an ambiguous word which doth more usually signifie Devils then good Angels In like manner the Manichees to avoid the reproach of the name Manes their sounder which in the Greek tongue signified Madnesse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would needs have him call'd Manichaeus to signifie one that poured out Manna of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but yet they had neglected to double the N so the name Manichaeus still signified but c Aug. Cont. Faust l. 19. c. 22. Insani-fusorem i. a venter of madnesse as St. Austin hath observed So this learned Divine might shew you a cast of his learning and call your book a Comment and knowingly too I say knowingly and I have good reason for it because I am assured that Mr. Downam did find fault with many passages in your Comment as unsound and erroneous and favouring of Socinâ—anisme and gave advertisement thereof to you the namelesse authour as may appear by Mr. Downam's Letter which for the vindication of his integrity I have here inserted verbatim as it was written to a most Learned and Reverend Person the true Copy whereof your self have seen long ago Mr. Downam's Letter concerning this Commentary on the Hebrews RIght Reverend and my much honoured Lord I humbly and heartily thank you for your kind advertisement and good counsel for untill I read your Lordships Letter I knew nothing of the Printing or publishing of this Comment on the Hebrews which makes me not a little to wonder and somewhat to suspect ill dealing in that I should be made by them that have to deal in it so great a stranger to it seeing I Licenced it and live in the Town near unto them But that you may more fully understand the whole carriage of the businesse thus it was The Copy was brought unto me by a Book-seller from an unknown Author and I was desired to peruse it that if I approved of it it might be Licenced unto which I condescended and in reading I liked much of it as being Learned and well couched together with good dependence but withall misliked many passages as very unsound and savouring strongly of Arminianisme and Socinianisme yet having to deal with a Scholar I desired to be ingenuous and did not as I might have done blot out those erroneous lines and leaves but by means of a Gentleman who did mediate and act the businesse between us I wrote a Letter and by his means sent it to the unknown Author wherein I expressed the severall Points which I thought erroneous and whereâ—n I differed from him together with my Reasons which induced me so to judge and after some time I received his answer full of ingenuity yet not subscribed with any name wherein he neither defended nor excused those Points and passages against which I had taken exceptions but was contented that I should take mine own liberty in expunging what I misliked and having this power put into my hands by the Author himself I did accordingly use it and crossed many passages and divers whole folio-pages although I confesse I passed over divers things which I misliked leaving him to â—he liberty of his own judgment in points which I thought not fundamentally erroneous nor much material unlesse pressed by way of consequence Now if the Author or the Gentleman his Agent have annexed a Stet overagaâ—nst my oblâ—terations and the places by me expunged and yet notwithstanding have published the whole with my attestation I must professe that they have dealt ill with me and will do my best to repair my own right and reputation which that I may the better do I will send for the book that I may revize it and so proceed as I shall see occasion And thus have I truly given your Lordship an account of the whole carriage of this busines the which may be further cleared and enlarged if any fitting occasion shall be offered hereafter In the mean while and ever I shall remain Your Lordships in all Christian service to be commanded John Downam May the first 1646. This is all the singular approbation which Mr. Downame gave but what Christian Magistrates and the Church used to do with books which set forth such doctrines as you have done the Ecclesiasticall Histories tell us d Soz. l. 1. c. 20. Soc. l. 1. c. 5. Constantine the Great commanded the books of Arius to be burnt and threatned death to any one that should keep and conceal them Yet Arius set forth but the same doctrine that you do Just so were the books of the Manichees used at Rome in the time of Pope Leo the first about the year of our Lord 447. e Prosp
will be unfolded CHAP. XVIII The Conclusion of this first Book with a friendly Caution to the Commenter BEfore I close up this Book I desire the Commenter who denyeth the Godhead of Christ and the Works of Creation and Redemption by him to lay to his heart that saying of St. Austin Domine qui In Vita Aug. pro Cor. lanâ— lib. 3. c. 42. non amat te propter opus Creationis dignus est inferno quid dicam de to qui non amat te â—ropter Redemptionem i. Lord he that doth not love thee for thy work of Creation is worthy of hell but what shall I say of him that doth not love thee for the work of Redemption And when the same Father heard an heavenly voice saying unto Idem ibid. him Augustine amas me Dic quantum amas me i. Austin lovest thou me declare how much thou lovest me This holy man returned answer thus Si ego Deus essem tu Augustinus vellem fieri Augustinus ut tu Deus fieres i. If I were God and thou wert Austin I would desire to be Austin that thou might'st be God I do not marvel that he which denieth the Godhead of his Saviour doth labour to prove and also earnestly desire that mens souls may die with their bodies and more yet that they may be for ever annihilated or if a resurrection and judgment must needs be that hell-torments may continue but three dayes for although some School-men argue that it is better to be in the state of eternal torment then to be annihilated and so not be at all yet I am sure the Scriptures and Fathers speak otherwise as of Judas Matth. 26. 24. It had bin good for that man if he had not bin boâ—ne Then they shall say to the mountaines Fall on us Luk. 23. 30. And I doubt not but the devils whose continuance is but Misera aeternitas Aug. de Civ l. 9. c. 13. Minut. Foel p. 330. n. 102. as Austin speaks Eâ—eâ—lasting misery would willingly have an end of being wish an end of torment Minutius Foelix saith of some Malunt extingui penitùs quam ad suppliâ—ia reparari i e. They would rather be for ever dead then to be restored to a living torment and Nazianzen saith Optandum est imprâ—bis hominibus igne Naz. Orat. 10. aeterno dignis ut corpus â—orum protiâ—us extingueretur i. e. They that have earned eternal fiâ—e may wish that they may never reâ—urn from death but More perire serae †Idem poem 14. n. 42. Prosp iâ— Sent. 170. to be like the beasts that perish because as the first death taketh mens soules from them against their wills so the Second death as Prosper saith Animan nolentem tenet in corpore i. In hell the soules of the damâ—ed shall be kept in their bodies against their wills I have read of one in despair that wished that he had been a toad rather then a man and St. Ambâ—ose saith Ambr. ad virg laps n. 36. to such kind of men Beatae vos serae volueres quibus nullus meâ—us est de inseris i. Happy are the silly beasts and birds in whom there is no fear of hell yea some have been so affrighted with the thought of those infernal torments that they feared to leave this present life as Seneca reports of Mecaenas a noble but a very Sen. Epist n. 17. voluptuous Heathen that he wished Deformitatem debiâ—â—tatem crucem acuâ—am modo vita prorogetur i. That with continuance of this life he would be content to suffer deformity diseases yea and the sharp pain of the Crosse and of such despairing men St. Austin saith Si Aug. de lib. arbit l. 3. c. 6. quis dixerit non esse quam me miserum esse mallem respondebo mentiâ—is If I should hear such a man say I would rather dye then live in this misery I would give him the lie Now I heartily wish and pray that this Commenter may live to see and revoke and repent these blasphemies because I am verily perswaded that they are such of which it is said in the Gospel that he that so blasphemeth and therein liveth and Matth. 12. 32. dyeth impenitent shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come of which I shall have occasion to speak at large hereafter Now that this first Book may not swell to the Readers too much tediousnesse it shall here end for I am apprehensive by mine own reading of other mens Books as they will be of mine and as Austin said of Aug. de fide cont Man c. 24. his own Ita â—ibri termino reficitur lectoris intentio sicut labor viatoris hospitio i. The end of a book refresheth a weary Reader as an Inne doth a weary Traveller L. Deo FINIS THE Second Book Wherein is shewed THAT JESVS CHRIST is the True and Onely Supream and most High GOD. Qui stabilimenta fidei Christianae subvertere nititur Stantibus eis ipse subvertitur Aug. Cont. Julian l. 6. c. 1. Qui fidem incertam habent certam infidelitatem ostendunt Athan. Cont. Arian Orat. 1. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princes Armes in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1655. THE PREFACE HAving in the first Book transacted some of the lighter errours of this Commentary I now proceed to the weightier blasphemies therein contained and particularly to that of the denial of the Divine nature and eternal Godhead of Jesus Christ which I conceive to be that blasphemy which the Scripture saith shall never be forgiven And because the diligent discussion thereof will give a great light to the Mystery of our Saviour's Godhead I have resolved to make my entrance into that Discourse by handlingt this blasphemy as it is described by three of the Evanglists Matth. 12. 31. Mar. 3. 29. Luk. 12. 10. And because the Exposition of those places in my way may perhaps to others seem new though in truth it is not so I do here humbly submit mine own opinions therein unto the Judgment of the Church and her more Learned and grave Divines The GODHEAD OF Jesus Christ CHAP. I. Of divers doubts and difficulties concerning the sin against the holy Spirit and divers opinions thereof IF this question be loosely and negligently handled what man can be found free from this sin for every sin against God may be called a sin against the holy Spirit because as Athanasius Atha de Commu essent p. 625. noteth Contumelia unius Personae est blasphemia universae plenitudinis deitatis i. A Comumelie against any one Person in the Trinity is the blaspheming of the fulnesse of the Godhead But if you say that by this sin is meant some particular sin or blasphemy onely against the third Person I ask Did not Ananias and Sapphira thus sin Act. 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost Yet I
think no sober Divine will pronounce Ananias Orig. in Eze. ho. 1. absolutely damned Origen saith Deus non punit bis * Idem in Maâ— Tract 8. Ananias Sapphira in hoc seculo recipiebant peccatum suum ut muâ—diores exirents i. God punished but once for once sinning Ananias and Sapphira received the punishment of their sin in this world that they might depart cleaner to the other world The Jewes resisted the Holy Ghost Act. 7. 51. and amongst them was St. Paul Act. 8. 1. yet the holy Martyr S. Stephen prayed for them Simon Magus so basely esteemed of the Holy Ghost that he offered money for it yet St. Peter invited and exhorted him to repentance not despairing of his conversion and the Church Primitive invited those hereticks to her Communion and fellowship whose special heresie was the denying the Godhead of the Holy Ghost as the a Naz. Orat. 37. Eunomians and Macedonians whom the Church did therefore call b Sec. l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. enemies of the Holy Ghost and those that did come in to the Church she entertained c. 35. and reconciled them and pronounced Peace unto them If every particular offence against the third Person be indeed this unpardonable sin what shall become of many Preachers who howbeit they be learned and well-meaning men yet many times they erre in delivering false glosses and expositions upon Scriptures and Isychius saith Qui aliena docent in Spiritum blâ—sphemant Isych in Levit c. 10. sic peccant qui Prophetarum dogmata non interpretantur ad intentionem Spiritûs i. They blaspheme the Spirit who interpret doctrines of the Prophets otherwise then they intâ—nded St. Austin saith Donatistae Aug. Epist 53. peccant in Spiritum quia â—xufflant baptisma Catholicae Ecclesiae i. The Donatists sin against the Spirit when they renounce the baptisme which they received in the Church-Catholick because that baptisme was administred to them in the Name of the Holy Ghost and yet both Austin and the Church did perswade many of them to return to the Communion of the Church and also entertained them To quench the Spirit 1 Thess 5. 19. and to grieve the Spirit Ephes 4. 30. surely are sins against the Spirit the meaning is c Aug. de gen l. 4. c. 9. Ne contrista eos in quibus est Spiritus i. Do not vexe afflict or grieve those in whom the Spirit of God is and yet how many have been and still are quenched by afflictions and Prisons lest the Spirit of truth in them should detect the foul practices of men nay the holy Martyrs did pray for their very afflicters whereby it is evident that they despaired not of the possibility of their Conversion and Salvation Some expound this unpardonable sin to be when we resist the motions of Gods Spirit after we are enlightned and so sin with knowledge stubbornly and rebelliously because it is said Heb. 6. 4. It is impossible fur those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift c. if they fall away to renue them again to repentance Upon this place misunderstood Novatus and his Cathari grounded their heresie that such as fell into sin after baptisme could not be received into the Church though they repented as we read in Epiphanius Epiph. hae 59. But did not David commit adultery and murther knowingly did not Peter deny Christ not ignorantly but timerously both of them after illumination but neither of them unpardonably Do not the most holy Christians upon earth even the Elect and after regeneration fall into grievous sins and such men as are called just are said to fall seven times Prov. 24. 16. for there is not found in any mortal man any such high degree of grace as to preserve flesh and blood impeccable so that if this exposition were true who shall be saved Christ saith That servant which knew his Lords will and did it not shall be beaten with many stripes which St. Austin thus expounds Non sempiternam Aug. in exp Epist ad Rom. n. 96. sed severiorem disciplinam significat i. It signifies a more severe but not an eternal punishment You see the question concerning this sin growes very difficult and indeed it is as Athanasius calleth it Athan. to 3. p. 687 625. Tenebricosa p ofunda sententia an intricate and profound sentence but yet very advantagious to be râ—ghtly understood that so we may avoid it The Lord give us understanding by whose assistance I will endeavour to unfold these two Questions First What particular sin that is which is called the blasphemy against the holy Spirit and Secondly Why that sin is especially said to be unpardorable CHAP. II. What the sin against the holy Spirit is and â— Question what is meant by blasphemy TO blaspheme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to speak ill of to deprave to defame to speak against the Spirit of God to traduce and asperse it opprobriously as the Pharisees did Matth. 12. for when Christ had cast out a Devil by the power of his Godhead or Divine Spirit the Pharisees said it was done by the spirit of Beelzebub for what greater obloquie or blasphemy can be invented then when God is called Devil The Pharisees knew that this wonderful work was done by some power in Christ which was more then humane and therefore they knew it must proceed either from God or from the Devil and therefore as St Hilarie noteth Quia humanam infirmitatem haec Hilar. in Mat. Can. 12. tanta ejus opera excederent confiteri Dei nollent dicunt ex Beelzebub esse i. Because this work exceeded humane infirmity and the proud Pharisees would not acknowledge it to be from God therefore they said it was frâ—m the devil So in effect they called God Beelzebub and Christ a Conjurer and this was a blasphemy in the highest degree This Pharisaical blasphemy spread far and near both among Jewes and Heathens and amongst these it was a common received errour that Christ was a Magician as Eusebius notes There was in the first age after Euseb de Demonst l. 3. c. 2. Christ * Hier. Epist exeg 62. Ambr. in symb n. 21. Lact. de Instit l. 5. c. 3. one Apollonius of Tyana a notorious Magician that did many strange feats amongst the rest when he was convented before the Emperour Domitian in his Consistory to be punished presently he vanished out of sight this Apollonius is by Hierocles in Eusebius compared with Christ as being equal to him for miracles insomuch that the Emperour †Lamprid. in Alex. c. 7. Alexander Severus in his Lararium or house-Chappel set up the image of this Magician with the images of Abraham and Christ and worshipped them all and some heathens exâ—olled this Magician far above Christ as we read in St. Austin and because in the dayes of Origen Aug. Epist 4. some Egyptian Magicians like Mountebanks in the
open Market-place cured diseases raised spirits presented to their view Magical banquets and seemed to release those that were possessed by devils therefore Celsus said that Jesus performed his miracles by art Orig. Cont. Cels lib. 1. n. 32. magick I say seemed onely for we learn from our Saviour that one devil is not cast out by another and Satan is not divided against himself and although when ignorant people imploy one Witch to help them against another some present ease may seem to be procured yet indeed as Austin observeth Non exit Aug. l. 83. quaest qu. 79 n. 88. Satanas per infimas potestates sed in intima regreditur regnat in voluntale corpori parcens i. Satan is not dispossessed by any infernal power but retireth himself into the more inward parts of the possessed and though he spare the body yet he â—yrannizeth more in the soul and maketh his possession stronger Because this is a dangerous apostasie to seek to or to attribute the work of God to him therefore Christ used divers arguments against it and so did the Ancient Fathers Origen Athan. Euseb Austin and others which having but touched I omit to avoid digressions The greatest difficulty in this question is what our Saviour meant by the words holy Spirit or holy Ghost when he said The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven for the understanding whereof I will lay down a few Considerations to the Reader that from them he may gather the true meaning of that hard saying First That in Christ there are two natures 1. His Godhead or Divine nature by which he is called God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. 2. His humane nature or manhood made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1. 3. The first of these is called Forma Dei the second is called forma Servi both are Philip. 2. 6 7. mentioned Philip. 2. 6. Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal to God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant Secondly Consider that there are two spirits in Christ 1. His soul or humane spirit of which he saith Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Luk. 23. 46. Secondly his Divine Spirit of which it is said If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is noni of his Rom. 8. 9. Thirdly that according to his two natures there are two filiations in Christ for 1. He is called the Son of man the son of David 2. He is called the Son of God Fourthly That according to those two natures two spirits and two sonships the Scripture mentioneth two kinds of blasphemies against Christ thâ— one against him as he is the Son of man and this is pardonable Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him Matth. 12. 32. The other unpardonable But Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost â—t shall not be forgiven him Ibid. Fifthly That the appellation Holy Spirit in Scripture is taken two wayes 1. Pro deitate essentiae omnium personarum Paâ—ris Filii Spiritûs i. For the Godhead or divinity of all the Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost because all are one God as Matth. 12. 28. John 4. 24. 2. It is taken Personaliter i. properly for the third Person alone as Baptizing them in the Nâ—me of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28. 19. and this distinction is acknowledged by divers late Divines of the Reformed Churches a Polan l. 3. c 6 Polanus b Bucan l. 3. p â—â— Bucan c Tilen p. 141. Tilenus and d Melan. in loc Com. de Spirit Ph. Melanthon From these plain and confessed Considerations I extract these two Propositions 1. That it is no inconvenience to affirm That those words hoâ—y Spirit or Holy Ghost in that place do signifie the Godhead of the second Person Jesus Christ 2. That to deny the Godhead of Jesus Christ is that blasphemy which in the Gospel is said to be unpardonable And this is my Conclusion which hereafter I hope I shall evidently demonstrate to the Readers satisfaction CHAP. III. That the Godhead of the Son is called Spirit and holy Spirit that the words Ghost and Spirit are of the same signification LEt it not seem strange that the appellation of one person is given to another for as in this place the Godhead of the Son is called the holy Spirit so in another place the Godhead of the Son is called the Everlasting Father Esa 9. 6. For unto us a child is born his Name shall be called wonderfull counsâ—llour the mighty God the everlasting Fâ—ther In that he saith a child is born it must needs be meant of the Son of God and the Son is called the everlasting Father because he is God for the Godhead of every person being but one in all is may be called the everlasting Father and so the holy Ghost is the everlasting Father also because the holy Ghost is God and yet this doth not confound the three persons or their severall and distinct prâ—prieties and personalities for albeit every Person is the everlasting Father in respect of men and of creatures because all concurred in the creation yet onely the first Person hath this Personall proprietie to be the Father of the sâ—cond Person and so the Father of God as the Son is the Father respectu Creaturarum i. in respect of the creatures so the first Person is Father of God and of Man as that in the Poet if it were in the singular number might illustrate Hominum sator atque deorum a Virg. Aene. l. 1. so God the Father is the Father of God the Son that is the Father of the Person of the Son but not the Father of the Godhead of the Son b Pater Personae non essentiae Pater Filii non deitatis We in our Creed confess the Son to be God of God that is God the Son of God the Father but we do not say Deitas de deitate Godhead of Godhead Neither could the Son of God call God the Father his Lord and his God but onely because the Person of the Son assumed the humane nature and form of a servant as St. Augustino hath observed upon that saying Ps 22. 10 Thou art my God from my mothers belly c Pater est Deus Dominus Filio quia in eo est forma servi De ventre matris Deus meus es tu Ps 22. 10. Sed antâ— omnia secula Pater est i. The Father is the Lord and God of the Son because the Son assumed the form af a servant therefore it is said in the Psalme Thou art my God from my mothers belly but the Father may be said to be his Father from eternitie As every Person is called a Father so as is said so also every Person is called Holy because the Godhead is holy
accepit à Patre non Filio verbo accepit sed carni and again n Quae Christus possidet ut Deus ea postulat ut Filius hominis Those things which Christ is said to have received of the Father he received not to himself as he is God the Word but by reason of his assumed flesh and such things as he required to his manhood he possesed before by his Godhead and in this sense onely is the Son of God said to be anointed and so only is he called Christ o Ath. orat 2. cont Arian n. 5. Vnctus est non ut Deus sed ut homo Heb. 1. 9. erat p Theod. Decret l. 5. n. 17. Luke 2. 52. Ath. ser 4. cont Ar. n. 8. n. 22. Erat Verbum Filius unigenitus ante incarnationem sed non nominaetur Jesus Christus nisi post incarnationem saith Theodoret He was anointed not as God but as man he was the Word the Son the Only begotton before his incarnation but is not named Jesus Christ till his incarnation so when it is said he increased in wisdom it is meant of his humane nature not of his Godhead as Athanasius expounds it Profecit non verbum sed caro So again Omnia mibi traditae sunt à Patre Nam antea non erat homo so again God hath made Jesus both Lord and Christ Acts 2. 36. God cannot be said to make him but onely in respect of his incarnation for otherwise the Father is said to beget him but not to make him So again The Father giveth life to the Son that is to his flesh and as he is Man So Christ is said to receive the Spirit without measure that is his humane nature received the Divine Spirit for in him the Godhead dwelt bodily so The Father is greater then I That is as I am Man and he hath given him a Name still as he was Man and in this sense onely is Christ said to be Deified for nothing was in Christ before his Incarnation that could receive any new Title of God because his pure divine Nature was so before neither could that Title be really and properly ascribed to any other God because there is no God but he and therefore Epiphanius doth truly affirm Ante Epiph. haer 69. incarnationem non dicit Christus Deus meâ—s i. Christ did not say My God before his birth of the Virgin because he hath no God but onely in consideration of incarnation CHAP. X. How those words which signifie the abasing and minoration of the Son of God are to be understood of his delivering up the Kingdome and end thereof and of his subjection to the Father AS no Title of Majesty Exaltation or Deification could be newly added to the Son of God except he had humbled himself to incarnation So neither could any tearms or words of minoration and subjection be put upon the same Son of God if he had not determined before and actually afterward performed the assuming of flesh for by his incarnation he became capable of such infirm passions and thereby is as shewed Tert. cont Marc. l. 2. before he is said to be born to grow to weep to pray to thirst to suffer to die and yet to be truely called Deus mortuus Though dead yet God nevertheles S. Hilary upon these words The Father is greater then I saith Pater est Hil. de Trin. l. 9. n. 3. John 14. 28. major Filio respectu hominis assumpti sed Filius non est minor Patre respectu Deitatis The Father is greater then the Son in regard of the Sons assumed Manhood but the Son is not less then the Father in respect of the Sons Godhead For in consideration of the Divinity of the Son he saith The Father and I are one John 10. 30. They are one and that not onely in will or concurrence of consent as the Arians would have it but in Godhead for as the same Father answereth them Quasi divinae doctrinae inops sermo sit nec dici à Domino Hil. de Trin. l. 9. p. 185 potuerit Ego Patâ—â— unum volumus i. The Divine Scriptures wanted not words but Christ would have said The Father and I consent in will If he had so meant So St. Ambrose faith of his praying Christus vogat Ambr. de fide l. 3. n. 22. c. 3. ut Filius Hominis imperat ut Deus i. Christ prayed as he was the Son of Man for as he is God he commandeth And again he saith of the death of Christ Christus Id. de incarn l. c. 5. n. 25. moriebatur non moriebatur secundum hominem secundum Dium i. Christ died for he was a Man Christ was immortall for he was God So the minoration of the Son of God Fulâ—entius saith Exiâ—â—ni Fulg. de grat c. 2. n. 3. Phil. 2. 7. io fuit acceptio formae servilis the making of himself to be of no reputation was by assuming the form of a servant just as a King doth condescend below himself in the disguise of mean apparell But the principall doubt is how Christ can be believed and said to be the true onely supream and eternall God and all one with the Father in the Unity of Godhead seeing the scripture tells us I Corinth 15. 24. 1 That Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24 25 28. 2 That Christ shall reigne till he hath put all his enemies under his feet 3 That then the Son himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him For how can it stand with a supream God and an eternall King to deliver up his Kingdome and so to reign but for a limited time untill and then to become a subject 1 For answer hereunto I say first that Christs delivering up the Kingdome to the Father doth not imply any resignation or annulling of his own interest nor excluding of himself or abdicating his own dominion but a communication of that power which he received as he was man to his Father who is the same God with him For as he is said to deliver the Kingdome to the Father so the Father is said to have delivered all things to the Son Luk 10. 22. All things are delivered to me of my Father and Matth. 28. 18. All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Yet no man will say that the Father by this gift excluded himself from his own dominion still God is Lord of all things but by this gift he communicated his Domiuion to the Man Christ and yet reserved it to himself Now what is this Kingdome that shall be delivered the Kingdom of Christ is his Church his Saint his Elect and what kind of delivering is here meant were not the Church and Saints and Elect Gods Kingdom before and how are they said to be delivered up to the Father who never had been out of his hands
quos tales fore ante mundum conditum sciÌ„ebat praescientiam vincente bonitate i Christ died for his enemies for tyrant-persecutors for witches and conjurers for those that hated him for those that crucified him and for those whom he foresaw before the world that they would be such yet his foreknowledge did not hinder his goodnes toward them but that he offered to them the benefit of his death Now if yet any man desire to know upon what ground the unregenerate man can lay claim to any benefit by Christ I answer that the reason and ground of this claime is because the unregenerate mans nature is taken into Christ as well as the regenerate mans and I say moreover that the Spirit of Christ is communicated to the unregenerate man as truly as it is to the regenerate man although with a great deale of diversitie in operation as shall be shewed hereafter That the Spirit of God which is the spirit of Christ is communicated to men unregenerate the Scripture evidently declareth for if the Spirit of God doe fill heaven and earth as the Prophet Jeremie saith Jer. 23. 24. Who can imagine that the same Spirit is not in man which is in Creatures inferior to man and the Gospel saith Joh. 1. 9. He enlightneth every man that commeth into the world Therfore unregenerate men are not without the light of the Spirit of Christ and againe Act. 17. 28. In him wee live and move and have our being for infinitenes of Gods Spirit doth include all ereatures Deus est in Creaturis intra extrà supereminens Hil. de Trin. lib. 1. circumsusus infusus Saith Hilarie i. God is within us and on our outside and over us and round about us whersoever any life or motion or but being is there is God for God is not only a being of himself but he is the Essentiator that communicateth being to all Creatures Eusebius giues this excellent reason of it Eus de praep l. 15. c. 11. If there were not saith he one lively power which insinuateth it self into every creature in the world this vast universe could not be so rightly and prudently ordered by such uniforme and mutuall correspondence of one part with another when the whole consisteth of such contrarietie of parts S. Paule in his sermon at Athens Act. 17. above mentioned approveth of the saying of an heathen poët who said that men are the off-Spring of God he said so no doubt because even heathen's confessed that our very being is from him and our soules and motions are actuated by his Spirit It is worth our observing that as the genealogie of S. Matthew deriveth Christ from Mat. 1. Luc. 3. men descending downe from Abraham so S. Lukes Genealogie deriveth men from God by ascending upward and whereas S. Mathew useth the words begate and the Son S. Luke useth not these words in the Original because men are not the natural Sons of God so as they are of their carnal parents but yet they are of God so as â—s said in effect S. Mathews Genealogie deriveth the flesh of God from man and S. Luke deriveth the Spirit which is in man from God this was the Doctrine of the ancient Fathers S. Besil saith Omnia Basil cont Euno lib. 5. creata participant de creatore nam mâ—sâ—ra essent si a creatore dirimerentur i. all Creatures participate of the Creator for most miserable would the Creatures be if they were Dionis de diu no. c. 3. served disjoyned from their Creator Dionysius Areop saith Deus est in Omnibus rebus sed extra omnia i God is within all Creatures and yet he is also on the Theod. de Prov. Ser 10. n. 27. Clem. Rom. Recog l. 8. outside of those Creatures and Nulla mundi pars deo destituta est i no part of the world is destitute of God and againe Deus est intra nos sed infidelibus dormit absens dicitur quia non creditur i God is within us men and is even in infidels although he is said to sleepe or to absent himself from them because they Fulg. ad Thras l 2 n. 8. doe not with faith apprehend him Fulgentius also saith Deus adesâ— ubâ—que per potentiam sed non ubique per gratiam substantialiter nullibi deest i God is every where by his power his substance or Godhead 〈◊〉 no where absent though his grace Sanctifying grace he id ibid. n. 9. meanes be not eveâ—y where and 〈◊〉 Substantialitèr ubique est 〈◊〉 i Th◠〈◊〉 trinitie is every where by their substances and Godhead for when it is said â—oh 14. 23. Wee will come unto him anâ— makâ— our abede with him The meaning is that the Father and the Son will manifest their gratiousnes and propitiousnes to be present then when their Godhead is never absent the divine Spirit alwayes filling all things hence it is Atha cont Apollinar n. 22. that Athanâ—siu dâ—th call men 〈◊〉 as he called Christ Deum Carnigerum i. as God the Son beareth man's flesh so the Sons of men beare his Spirit in them From hence it is that both Saint Cyprian and Saint Cyp. ser De Resur Aug. de Civit. l. 4. c. 12. Austine say from the Confession of Heathen Philosophers Deus est anima Mundi Mundus est Corpus Dei i. God is as the Soul of the World and the World is as the Body of God and of the presence of God in Men. The same Father saith Deus implet populum Aug. de Civ l. 17. c. 12. suum pâ—pulus plenus est Deo suo i. God doth fill his people and the people are filled with their God This truth was seen and confessed by the wiser Heathens Prope à te Deus est tecum est intus est i. Seneca ep 41. Ovid. God is near thee he is with thee yea he is within thee and Est Deus in nobis agitante calescimus illo id est God is in us and produceth those warm Spirits in us And because there is but one God and that one God is now Incarnate and beareth the Name of Jesus Therefore it must needs be the Spirit of our Lord Jesus which is thus said to be in Man even in the unregenerate sort of men whereby all Mankinde have at least a common interest in this Jesus This truth is of so great concernment and evidence that it could not easily be denied and therefore both Heathens and some Hereticks because they could not gain say it sought onely to deprave it by an impious suggestion For the Stoick Philosophers perceiving that there was something of Divinitie in Man said That the Soul of Man was a part of God and are therefore by Epiphanius reckoned amongst the number of Epiph. haer 5. haer 66. Theod. diu decret l. 5. Hereticks and so said also the Manichees and before them so did Marcion teach us as Theodoret
or heightned in him to greater power and efficacie and whereas David prayed Psal 51. 11. take not thy holie Spâ—rit from me it will not follow that David feared he should be left destitute altogether of the Spirit of God but that it might remaine with him in some degree at least but he prayed for the Continuance and Manifestation of Gods help and assistance by the Spirit in the same manner as before he had it because as Prosper observeth Cessatio auxilii pro absentia accipitur i God Pros ad Dem. n. 59. is said to depart from man when he withholdeth his help albeit God is essentially alwayes present so when he withdraweth one grace yet he may manifest his presence by some other grace for every man hath not every grace of the Spirit S. Hierom in one of his exegetical Epistles upon these words 1 Cor. 15. 28. That God may be all in all saith Adhuc Deus est nisi pars Hier. Epist 147. n. 30. in singulis ut sapientia in Solomone patientia in Job post erit omnia in omnibus cum Sancti omnes virtutes habuerint i In this life God is but a part in men as wisdome in Solomon patience in Job but in the next life God will be all in all for then his Saints shall be induced with all vertues And wheras it is said Joh. 7. 39. The holie Ghost was not yet given Yet wee are sure that it was given before both to the Prophets and also to the Apostles but the meaning is as S. Austin expounds it Non quia nulla datio antea sed quia non talis quae de Aug. de Trin. lib. 4. c. 17. n. 72 Linguis legitur i Not as if there had bin no gift of the Spirit before but because the Spirit was not before given in that kind and manner as it was at the feast of Pente cost and so doth S. Cyril resolve the same doubt Cyril Hieros Cat. 16. Spiritus idem descendebat in Pentecoste qui anteà sed tum Copiosiùs i It was the same Spirit that descended at the Pentecost which came before but now it came more Copiouslie Thus are God and man united he taking our flesh and we receiving his Spirit upon this consideration S. Cyprian saith Cum Corpus â— terra Spiritum possideamus Cyp. de Orat. Dom. n. 82. e caelo Ipsi câ—lum tâ—rra sumus i Man is the union of heaven and earth because our bodies are from the earth but we possesse a Spirit which came from heaven CHAP. XVI That the Spirit of God is given to men nâ—â— sanctified how those are said to be Gods anointed who were not anointed with Oile that our King is Gods anointed somthing concerning the Kings touching and Curing the diseased BUt why should we doubt to affirme that the Spirit of Jesus our only Lord God is communicated even to men unregenerate and that in such men this Spirit doth manifest it's presence in some lower degree by some common graces which doe not sanctifie them in whom they are seeing that we find in Scripture that both heathen and wicked Kings are called Gods anointed for Esa 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus yet this Cyrus both lived and died an heathen So King Saul though an Israelite yet a wicked man is called 2 Sam. 1. 14. The Lords anointed Now we know that Vnction doth not alwayes signifie only an External or Ceremonial anointing with Oile but it signifieth also the inward gift and inhabitation of the Spirit of God for wee find that those men are said to be Gods anointed whom we cannot find to have bin externally anointed with Oile for so Christ is said to be anointed Psal 45. 7. Yet not with external Oile so also Abraham Jsaac and Jacob Psal 105. 15. are called Gods anointed yet we find not that they were anointed with Oile but these holie ones are therfore said to be anointed because the Spirit of God was in them which is the true and reall unction wheras external ointment is but the signe therof in like manner because Cyrus an heathen is called Gods anointed and yet was never anointed with Oile it must needs follow that his unction was internal and that he was therfore called Gods anointed because God had put his Spirit into him Iâ—say his Spirit although not working so high as to Sanctification in Cyrus but yet a Spirit of wisdome and kingly fortitude and of skill and knowledg politicall and militarie To enable him to governe which gifts are the effect of Gods Spirit And this is the exposition which the ancients give concerning those forenamed unctions first for Christ Euseb us saith Non apparet Christum unctum fuisse communi oleo sed divino Eus de Dem. lib. 5. c. 2. Spiritu i It can not appeare that Christ was anointed with common Oâ—le Ceremonialie but he was anointed with the divine Spirit and so saith Athanasius Oleum Ath. Orat. 2. Cont. Arian Opt. lib 4. Atha Orat. Cont. Aria n 8. Christi est Spiritus sanctus i The Oile of Christ was the holie Spirit and just so saith Optatus and what this unction of Christ was and wherin it consisted is shewed by the same Athanasius upon those words God of God unitio verbi cum carne vo catur unctâ—o i The union of the Godhead with the manhood was Christ's unction Now for the anointing of meere men and that without any infusion of Oile Eusebius saith Dei Spiritus Eus de Dem. l. 4. c. 15. est dei Oleum i The Oile of God is the Spirit of God and he tels further in the same place that Abraham Isaac and Jacob are called Gods anointed Propter divinum Spiritum cujus participes erant i By reason of Gods Spirit with which those holie patriarks were indued and to the same purpose S. Basil saith Spiritus Basil hom de Bapt. n. 14. sanctus est unctio in nobis i our unction is the holie Spirit which is in us For so it is said also of our Saviour expresly Act. 10. 38. God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the holie Ghost The appellation of Christ and of Christian is from this unction and we use to say of infants when they are baptized that they are made Christians which signifieth anointed not because of the old Ceremonie of Crisme or anoâ—â—ting with Oile which with us hath bin long agoe disused but as Dionysius formerlie when it was in use gave the reason unction and Christian signifie deificam Spiritus communionem Dionys Areop eccleâ— her c. 2. i The communication of the divine Spirit because wee beleeve that God with the external Sacrament conferreth the inward grace which beleife the ancients did represent by their anointing the baptized with Oile Now if it may app are that by vertue of such an internal Unction of which I spake in Cyrus some unregenerate men have actually exercised and performed
and againe he saith Tota civitas dei est unus homo in Capite Corpore i Id. in Psal 131. The whole Citie of God is one man in the head and in the bodie being as one corporation And concerning Christs Prayers and the Churches Prayers the same Father saith Ad deum clamaâ— Caput in Corpore Id. in Psal 142. Corpus in Capite i Christ prayeth in his Church and his Church prayeth in him for otherwise how could wee say to God Abba Father and this neareness and intire unitie betweene God and man in Christ is principallie from this ground that because there is but one God and that one God is in all men therfore doth he make al to be one and also men with Christ are Commembers Aug. cont mendacium c. 2. n 77. Chrys in S. Theophaniam to 6. n. 59. as S. Austin cals them i. fellow members of his bodie because wee with him were made of one blood as we read Act. 17. 26. for as S. Chrysostome noteth Deus ideo incarnatus ut ingeret opus cum opifice i God was therfore Incarnate that therby he might unite the Creature with the Creator all communicating both in flesh and in Spirit hence all Christians are called one anothers brethren and sisters because all have the same Spirit of one heavenlie Father Anima fratris est Hier. n. 41. soror tua S. Hierom saith i Thy brothers soule is thine owne sister a sister but it is only in Christ because the same Spirit of Christ is in both upon the same grounds it is that Christ becomes so neare of kindred to us men that he takes upon himself the names of other Men to implie an â—dentity with Man for 1 Cor. 15. 45. he is called Adam and the Prophets call him David Jer. 30. 9. Ezech. 34 23. Ose 3. 5. And this long after Adam and David were dead and is therfore meant of Christ for when David is called a Man after Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13. 14. Act. 13 22. which is very hard to be said or understood of any sinfull man but de Aug de Dule quaest q 6. n. 89. Christo intellige and nullus nodus erit i if you will understand it to be spoken of Christ there will be no difficultie at all So also I think that saying Num. 23. 21. He hath not beheld iniquitie in Jacob is meant of Christ who is called Jacob with as greate reason as the other posteritie are called by the name of their patriarch Israel and Iacob very frequently in Scripture and namely Psal 41. 7. Because the Creator at the first intended this union to be a ground and preparative of mans redemption therefore he extracted all mankind even the woman also out of one Man that so all might come into the unitie of Christ which is the reason that is alleaged by Prosper and that theâ—eby christs obedience active and Prosper De Provid n. 39. passive might be in stead of all Adâ—m and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not believe there were any 〈◊〉 although he knew the earth was scated in the midst of the woâ—â—d Aug. de Civ l. 16 c 9. l aâ—â— de fal Rel. l. 3. c. 24. but it was least he should grant that the e was any one man in the whole world which came not out of the loins of Adam Now as all Mankind hath its interest in Christ so more especially hath the Church whâ—ch is joyned to her head in a more sweet and loving matâ—imonâ—all bond Matth. 22. 2. The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Certain King which made a marriage for his son and this is set forth more Emphatically Eph. 5. 30. For wâ— are member of his body â—f his flâ—sh and of his â—ones this is a great Mystery but I spâ—ak conâ—â—â—ning Christ and his Church For the union of Christ and his Church doth not onely consist in this that Christ assumed the flesh of his holy ones for so he did of all nor in that he communicates hi Spiâ—it to his Elect â—nd holyenâ—s for so also he doth to all But in that he gives to his Church his Divine Spirit with all the sweetnesse of his love and goodnesse and with such high graces as make her lovely acceptable and gracious in the eyes of her Lord and head This great mystery of Mans Redemption by the Incarnation of God was imitated early at the Creation of the woman It is observed by S. Ambrose that at Ambr. de Paradiâ—o n 9. the Creation of the Man it is not said God saw that it was good but when it is said Male and Female created he them Gen. 1. 27. Immediately it followes God blessed them and verse 31. It was verâ— good and this because from the Womans fruitfulness the Redeemer was to come and this is the meaning of St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 15. She shall be saved in child-bearing That is by the Son of God now born of a woman if she continue in the Faith and for the comfort of all sorts of men unto whom the benefit of the Gospell and with it the inestimable benefit of Christs death is offered the Gospell hath set forth our Saviour descending from the first man and extracted through holy and unholy Ancestors through Jews and Gentiles by noble and ignoblâ— births as appeareth in the Genealogâ—â—s of S Luke and of â— Matthew where there is mention of â—amar and of 〈◊〉 a Moabiâ—â— and Gentile to shew that all sorts of men have an interest in Christ for all men in the world were united with Christ himselâ— also in the loyns of Adam Before I clâ—se this Book I think it very pertinent to the business in hand to explain that place Heb. 7. 9. which our Commenter hath most slightly passed over yet warily because if he had rightly expounded it it had clâ—aâ—ly made against his blasphemy the words are these Levi 〈◊〉 Tithes in Abraham For he was in 〈◊〉 of his Fatâ—â—r when Melchiâ—edech met him The collection from these words is that therefore Meâ—chisâ—aechs and so Christs Priesthood is greater then Leviâ—â— Pâ—iâ—stâ—ond But against this Argument it may be objected that Christ was also in the loins of Abraham at that time as well as Levi for thâ—n 〈◊〉 was not begot and therefâ—re in this respect both Levi and Christ paid tithes in Abraham and neither are to be for this cause preferred before the other except we can shew that Christ was not then in the loins of Abraham Secundum aliquem modum in some manner as Levi was For answer hereunto S. Austine thought it sufficient to say that the difference between â—â—vies and Christs being in the loins of Abraham was this Christus Aug. de Gen. ad lit l. 10. c. 19 non 〈◊〉 secundum animam seâ— Levi ficit i That Christs Soul was not derived by propagation from Abrâ—haâ— as Lâ—viâ—s soul was But this answer will not satisfie because it is uncertain to us
the world Clemens Alex. and Naz. Observe that the very Clem. Alex. Paed. l 1. Naz. Orat. 40. heathens called a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i light onlie because he was indued with the light of a reasonable soule much more may those be said to be Inlightned who are indued with the Spirit of Illumination from God Ephe. 5. 8. Ye were darknes but now are light in the Lord and. 1 Joh. 1. 5. God is light for the baptismal regenerating Spirit is the Spirit of God Eusebius noteth in the life of Constantine the Great Post baptismum sibi visus est luce Euseb de vita Con. l. 4. n. 45. plenus quasi numine siderari i Assoone as he was Baptized he seemed to himself to be full of light as if he had bin assisted by some heavenlie power people had such a conceit of Baptismal illumination that Nazianzen reporteth of his reverend Father that as he Naz. Orat. 19. came out of the Baptismal font to them a visible light seemed to shine round about him But I proceed CHAP. V. That the word renuing doth in this place signifie baptisme those that fall after baptisme have yet left to them a second remedy and that is repentance VVE have seen that those that fall into sin after baptism must not expect a release or remedy for their sins by any second or new baptisme the words which follow as some do dangerously understand them at the first veiw seem to exclude such sinners from the second remedy of repentance which is surely an erronious conceit as will appear presently If they fall away it is impossible to Renew them again unto repentance the plain meaning of these words is That those which fall into their old unregenerate and carnal course of living after they have once been renewed by baptism must not expect to be restored to their regenerate and former integrity innocency and cleanesse and freedom from the guilt of their sins by another new baptisme for a second baptisme cannot acquit them of their sins so as their first baptisme did repentance which signifieth amendment of life is not obtained by a second renovation by baptism for that cannot â—enue them so as to make them appear clean and puâ—ged from their sins in the sight of God water once washed in is accounted foul afterwards the Philosopher could say of a fowle Bath Qui hic lavant ubi lavantur St. Ambrose said of Pilates washing in vita Diog. apud Laert. Ambr. non diluit sed in quinavit in psa 61 they that wash in foul water had need to wash again a second baptism is so foul that it addeth a new pollution as will appâ—ar hereafter Indeed God by one baptism wherewith his Regenerating Spirit doth concur doth renew men unto repentance or amendment and newnesse of life but if afterwards we fall away by polluting our selves with new sins let us not so flatter our selves as to imagine that we can be restored and renewed by a second baptismal renovation for no such renewing is to be expected There are two remedies prescribed by God for assoilment from our sins the first is Baptism Act. 22 16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins The second remedy is Repentance Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be bloâ—ted out To renew them to repentance If the Apostle meant that it were impossible for those that fall after baptism to repent it may be wondred why he did not say It is impossible to repent and why he should use two words Renâ—w Repentance for repentance it self is a renewing Renewing is a generall word may be distributed into two sorts First there is a renewing Sacramental and baptismal when a man is baptized or illuminated and thereby initiated to a new state and way of living according to new rules of life Secondly there is a renuing Moral when a man once illuminated or baptized having falne into greivous sins yet by grace given changeth his wicked course of sinning to a careful and conscionable new way of living according to direction of the Gospell Hence I collect that the meaning of these words is That he that hath once been renued by baptismall illumination to repentance or amendment of life if such a man fall he cannot the second time be renued by a second baptismal renuing a second baptisme will not acquit him of his sins but yet he is not excluded from a morall renuing by leaving his sinning which is called repentance briefly though he may be renued yet it may not be by a new baptism though he may repent yet his repentance is not to be wrought by a second baptism For the right understanding of this exposition I here lay down to the Readers view these few plain propositions First a man that after baptisme falls into sin though ever so great yet by the Grace of God may repent and be recovered Secondly a man baptized that is falne in his old carnal living may be renued and possibly may become a new man and a new creature for a sinner after baptism may he renued because he may repent Thirdly the reader may take notice that in this place the words Illuminated and Renue are of the same signification So that the meaning is that he that is once by baptism illuminated cannot again by baptism be illuminated and he that is once by baptism Renued cannot again by baptism be renued to repentance Fourthly a man may once be enlightned and baptized and thereby renued to amendment of life and repentance and freedom or acquitment from his sins past and this by the Spirit of God in the laver of regeneration and by the vertue of Christs death But after this one renuing by baptisme he cannot again be renued to resipiscence newnesse of life and acquitment from his sin by a new baptism To renue them Al though a sinner cannot be renued more then once by the Sacramental renovation of baptism yet there is another way left open for renuing and that is penitentiall renovation and acquiring new Spirituall Graces and this way is and ought to be frequently iterated as it is said 2. Cor. 4. 16. The inward man is renued day by day and to this we are exhorted Ephe. 4. 23. Be renued in the spirit of your mind that is by excluding our sins and by acquiring new and higher graces So that when our Apostle saith It is impossible to renue them he cannot possibly mean that renuing is absolutely impossible but onely that renuing by a new or second baptisme is indeed impossible When St. Peter desired John 13. 9. That not onely his feet but his head also might be washed he had this answer He that is washed needeth not save to wash his Aug. de fide ad Pet. Diac. c. 36. n. 74. feet which place is by Saint Austin urged again rebaptization Baptisma semel dandum est non iterandum Baptisme
the Emperour immediately after the resignation of Nazianzen and then Nectarius was not baptized So was St. Ambrose before he was baptized chosen and compelled to be the Bishop of Millaine surely St. Ambrose and the other also were perfectly instructed in Christianity and known to be learned before they were chosen to those high pâ—aces especially in such a learned age of the Church wherein they liâ—ed and yet St. Ambrose after he was so chosen is stiled but Catecumenus and was never called Illuminaâ—us untill he was baptized And yet we find that those who were baptized in their infancy were then called Illuminatâ— before they were Catechised For St. Cyrils Catechismes are therefore called Catechâ—sis Illuminatorâ—m because they were imploied for the instruction of such as had been baptized in their minority and were therefore called both catecumeni because they were yet under the Catechiser and also illuminati because they had been baptized So that it is apparant that some were called Illuminates who were not sufficiently instructed and some were called Catecumeni who never had been baptized and therefore were not called Illumâ—nati St. Cyril saith Antebaptismum Catecmenus eras nunc fidelis vocaris Cyril Hiero. n. 4. i before baptism they were called Catecumens but after baptism if they were once admitted to the Eucharist they were stiled Fideles i the faithful but in case they had been baptized and not yet admited to the Lords Supper then their appellation was Neophyti i New plants yet both the Fideles and the Neophyti Paulin in vita Ambâ— n. 1. were called Illâ—minati St. Ambrose would fain have declined the office of a Bishop after he was chosen and alleadged for himself that the Scripture forbad that such a man as he was should be a Bishop for he was not so high as a Novice or Neophyte 1. Tim. 3. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for said he if a Neophite who hath been baptized may not be a Bishop much lesse may I who am inferior to a Neophite but in the rank or form of the Catecumenâ— not baptized and therefore inferiour to all that are baptized In a word the appellation of Illuminates was not given them because of their light of knowledge but onely because they had received the light of Grace baptismal In the next place I am to shew some reasons why our Apostle doth thus forbid second Baptismes and what occasioned him to handle this doctrine in this Epistle which is scarce found evidently any where else in Scripture especially to be so offensive and sinful as is here set â—orth to this query my answer is that the Apostle had great and weighty reasons so to do partly because of the Hebrewes or Jews unto whom he wrote and partly because of the Gentiles unto whom this doctrine would be needful as well as to the Hebrewes as will appear anon First For the Hebrews and particularly the Sect of the Pharisees in which St. Paul had himself bin brought up and accurately instructed The Hebâ—ewes in their legal religion used divers and frequent washings and Baptismes whereby they thought themselves to be acquitted of any former pollution and indeed God had commanded some washings whereby as by a tipe and figure of outward washing he signified what purenesse of life he required of his servants Exod. 19. 10. Sanctify the people and let them wash their clothes and of sanctifying the Priests he saith Exod. 29. 4 Thou shalt bring Aaron and his sonnes to the dore of the Tabernacle and shalt wash them with water and Exod. 30. 15. Aaron and his sonnes shall wash their hands and their fâ—et at the brazen laver when they goe to Minister that they dye not which washing was actually performed Exoâ—us 40. 31. To these Scriptural washings the Scribes and Pharisees added more traditional washings as we find in the New Testament thereby imaging that any pollutions attracted by touching any unclean thing were done away Matth. 15. 2. The Scribes and Pharisees said why do thy Disciples transgresse the tradition of the Elders for they wash not their hands when they eat And those traditional washings are called Baptismes Mar. 7. 3. The Pharisees and all the Jews when they come from the Marâ—â—t except they wash their hands oft they eat noâ— So they washed cups pots brazen vessels the original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i unlesse they Baptizâ— and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 4. 1. i baptismes of vessels and so again Luk. 11. 38. the Pharisee marvelled rhat Christ washed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suteable hereunto St. Ambrose speaketh Judaei baptizant Caliâ—es i the Jewes baptize cups Besides Amb. de Initiandis cap. 4. n 30. Epiph. hae â—7 there was a special sect of Jews before the birth of Christ mentioned by Epiphanius and called Hemerobaptistae qui quotidie etià m hieme in aqua mergerentur credâ—ntes se sic ab omni culpâ— ablui i the Hemâ—rohaptists were every day dipped in water even in winter also belâ—eving that thereby thâ—y were purgâ—d from their sinnes Now these traditional practises and erroneous opinions of the Jewes occasioned the Apostle to write this passage especially in this Epistle directed to the converted Hebrews This reason is rendred by Theodoret upon that place Theod. in loc Docet judaeos qui crederent ne existimarent sanctissimum baptismum â—sse similem baptismis judaicis illi enim non solvebant peccatum sed corporis sordes purgabant hinc frequentèr adhibebantur Baptismus autem noster unus est i he teacheth the believing Jews that they should not think our most holy Baptisme to be like to the Jewish-baptismes for by their sins were not remitted but onely the body was cleansed therefore their Baptismes were often reiterated but our Christian baptisme is but one the like reason is given by Theophylact i fortasse Theoph. in loc ills Hebraei ut qui legi affixi erant multos baptismos judaiâ—â— more etiam in Gratia predicabant i perhaps those converted Hebrewes held this dangerous opinion that although they fell into foul sins after Baptisme yet that a new Baptisme would acquit them from all their pollutions as they were once made believe rhe Jewish Baptismes did Therefore the Apostle giveth the Hebrews this seasonable and profitable monition to prevent their unreasonable presumption of sinning upon a false conceit that their new sins might be remitted by a new baptisme and this conceit was also amongst Christians who were Gentiles as is next to be shewed Secondly this doctrine against Re-baptization was useful to succeeding ages of Christians among the Gentiles by reason of abuses which probably would arise amongst them as may reasonably be thought were foreseen by the Apostolical Spirit For who is now ignorant of the great troubles and controversies that have bin in the Church about Clino-baptisme adulto-baptisme Rebaptization of Hereticks and Schismaticks paedobaptisme and to this day about Anabaptisme Such doubts in a matter of so great
Godhead is there called the Holiâ— Spirit or Holie ghost as hath bin shewed before in my Second book and this blasphemio consisteth in the denial of the Godhead of Iesus Christ wherby his allsufficient Sacrifice is undervalued and the Son of God is troden underfoot as being esteemed but a creature and a meer man and therby becometh contemptible and his Blood even the blood of the Covenant is esteemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i But common ordinarie unholie blood no better then the blood of another ordinarie common man and not Sanctified and ordaineth for that great and high mysterie to be offered as a full and sufficient expiatorie sacrifice for the sins of the world according to the Covenant of God For he that denyeth the Godhead of Christ must needs think that his blood is but common blood as other mens blood is and therfore not of sufficient worth and value to redeem the world more then another mans blood is and indeed if his blood be no better then the blood of another man and if it be not the royal blood of God Act. 20. 28. It hath not it can not redeeme us Now whether the sin mentioned in this place be absolutely unpardonable and altogether remediless will better apeare by a diligent exposition of that text as it stands in relation to the context both before and after it For if we sin c If everie sin which is committed after we knew and professed the Christian religion should be unpardonable what man could be saved seeing the most righteous men fall and therfore doe daylie pray forgive us our trespasses therfore this saying can not be understood of every sin but suerlie here is one special grand and capital sin meant and what that is the words going before and following doe declare For verse 5. it is said in the Person of the Son of God Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldst not but a Vide. Psal 40. bodie hast thou prepared for me That is because the Legal sacrifices or the blood of bulls and goates could not redeem man therfore an humane bodie was prepared for the Son of God that in that assumed humane nature he might in man's stead beare the curse and suffer death which man had merited And because we who are but meer men weak and sinfull can not by our selves performe the will and law of God without performance wherof no man can be saved therfore the Son of God came in our stead to performe the whole law so as was required and willed of God as it is said vers 9. Then said I loe I come to doe thy will o God So that both the active obedience of Christ in doing the law and his passive obedience in suffering the punishment of our transgressions are here set forth in these words vers 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the Offering of the body of â—esu Christ once for all That is by Christs performing the will or commandments of God in our stead and through the Sacrifice of himself on the Altar of the Cross for our sins his mystical bodie or Church is Sanctified for it is said vers 12. This man Christ Offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever and again vers 14. hâ— one offering he hath perfiâ—ted for ever them that are Sanctified and then we are exhorted vers 22. Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith and vers 23. Let us hold fast the Proâ—ession of our faith without wavering If we sin there remaineth no more sacrifice c Having shewed what the foundation of our Christian religion is namely Jesus the Son of God God Incarnate and in his humane nature performing the covenant law and will of God both actively and passively for us and in our stead and requiring that we should have a full assurance of faith of the truth of that Doctrine without which faith Christ will not profit us he now shewes the sad consequences of rejecting this doctrine by Apostacie or falling away from our Christian religion in these words There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement So that the sin here meant is Apostasie that is forsaking Christianitie as Julian did esteeming of Christ but as of an ordinarie Coman man and therfore distrusting the sufficiencie of his blood and death as not an equivalent price and ransome for man's redemption The truth of this Exposition will better appear by the words following wherein this particular sin is evidently expressed and is called verse 29. Treading under foot the Sonne of God counting the blood of the Canant unholy or as it is in the Originall a common thing and doing despight unto the Spirit of Grace Now to tread under foot is to vilipend and undervalue Christ as esteeming him not sufficient to take away or satisfie for our sinnes to count the blood of the Covenant unholy or Common is to esteem of the death and blood shedding of Christ to be of no more vertue and power then the death and blood of another Common man and they that so basely undervalue Christ as to think and to account him but a meer man do despight unto the Spirit of Grace What is the Spirit of Grace in the Sonne of God but his Divine Spirit and Godhead even that Spirit from which all Graces flow which are called the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ So they who have no higher estimation of Christ then of a meere man do despight unto his Divine Nature his God-head for what greater spite can be then to un-God him the word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to despite in effect is all one with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Matthew and the Spirit of Grace here is the same which is there called the Holy Spirit which doth signifie the God-head of Christ as hath been shewed before For if he that despised Moses Law died without mercy verse 28. Yet Moses was but a mere man and so but a Theod. in loc fervant to this our God Quanâ—ò morte dignior est qui Mosis Deum habâ—t despicatui i. What shall become of him that despiseth the God of Moses and the saving Doctrine of Christ who is the Onely Eternall God Moses propounded life as a reward to them that should perform the Law Christ did perform that Law in mans stead to mans behoof and benefit and offereth to men the benefit of that performance and with it life eternall onely with this condition of believing on him Therefore that man which will not give credit to this joyfull-Evangelicall offer must expect to perish eternally for if Christ be rejected absolutely and salvation through him despised and not hoped for or expected There is no other sacrifice for our sins possibly to be found nor any other Name by which we can be saved By what hath been said it appeareth that these words If we sinne in this place signifie the sinning of the
the very least sin is liable to eternall death except it be confessed and in this life in some measure repented But I proceed CHAP. XVII Whas is meant by a sin unto death the judgment of the Fathers and the Ancient expositdrs therein and the discipline of the primitive Church therunto correspondent that the greatest sins both have bin actuallie and so may be pardoned in what sence the Fathers called some sins venial and some Mortal THere is a sinne unto death I do not say he shall pray for it If any words in the whole sacred Scripture will bear this exposition and make good this Doctrine That there is any sinne at all which once committed cannot possibly upon any terms or condition whatsoever be remitted not upon confession or repentance and forsaking and renouncing it and after it adhering to Gods Truth and his Precepts and that even to death and martyrdome nor upon all these together This saying is most likely to bear it A sinne unto death and not to be prayed for which words require a very diligent Explication being of so great weight and concernment Lord Jesus send thy Light and thy Truth A sinne unto death This sin unto death I conceive not to be intended of any particular sin whether it be absolute Atheisme or the blasphemy of Arâ—us denying the Godhead of Christ or of Eunâ—mius denying the Holy Ghost or totall Apostacie from Christianity or Adultery Idolatry witchcraft murther sedition or any of these grand sins mentioned Gal. 5. 19. such as the Fathers do usually â—in som sence call sins Mortall Mortiferous and Capitall My reason is because it may be made apparant by Scriptures and the Records of the Church that particular men who have sinned these sins severally have bin by Gods mercy and his castigations reduced to renounce their errours and to forsake their sins For many of those sins were seen in King Manasses 2 Chron 33. Who yet was converted and humbled himself greatly and God was intreated and we know that many Heathens Atheists Apostates and â—rrians have Paulinus in vita Ambrosii n. 3. Athan. to 2 page 448. n. 17. bin reduced to Confession of their sins and to repentance of their Arrianismâ— and those who have not bin actually reduced yet during their naturall lives were in a condition reducible if grace sufficient and prevalent had bin given so that their conversion was not absolutely impossible Beza finding fault with distinction of sinnes into Beza in loâ— veâ—iall and mortall as the Schoolmen sometimes use it for which he had good reason affirmeth that it is absurd to say that mortall sins are utterly left without all hope of pardon and yet he thinketh the sinnâ— unto death here meâ—tioned to be that sinne against the holy Ghost and that it is lethiferous and that the commitrers thereof cannot possibly repent which I dare not assent unto but yet he most truly affirmeth that if those who have once committed that sinne against the Holy Ghost would and could repent Certè veniam consequerentur i. certainly they would and might obtain pardon Thus he Vnto death The old Exposition of the Fathers and ancient Expositors surely is the truest and plainest and being received will quit us of many unnecessary doubts and anxiâ—tics and is most agreeable with the Analogie of Faith particularly with the Article of forgivâ—nâ—sse of sinnes and coâ—respondeth best with the justice and mercifulnesse of God for thus they write A sinne unto death is any grand or capitall sinne such as is before mentioned out of Gal. 5. 19. in which a man liveth continueth and dieth impenitently And that it is therefore onely so called a sinne unto death because it is obdurately and impenitently continued and persevered in unto the end of our life and expiration of our souls So Oâ—cumâ—nius saith Solum hoc peccatum ad mortem Oâ—â—um in loc est quod ad paeâ—tentiam non respicit id est Onely that sinne is a sinne unto death which never is repented Beda â—n loc And Beda saith Peccaâ—um ad morâ—em peccatum usque ad tempora mortis protractum diximus râ—cte posse intelligi est de tali magno peccato quale David commisit si proâ—ractum sit usque ad mortem id est A sinne unto death may truely be understood of a sinne continued in untill the time of our death such a great sinne as David committed if we persevere in it till death So doth Saint Hierome understand it Peccâ—tum ad Hier. in Evag. objurg n. 41. moâ—tem est cum tempus râ—â—â—ssionis in vitio inueniâ— id est A sinne unto death is when death cometh and findeth us continuing in sin So doth Saint Austine expound this very Text Peccatum Aug. Retract l. 1. c. 19. ad morâ—â—m est si in hac perversitate finierit â—anc uiâ—â—m id est The sinne unto death is when a man continueth in sinne obstinately and therein endeth his life and in another place he just so expounds the sin against the holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven Non absurde intelligunt â—um peccare in Spiritum â—sse sine Aug. de fide oper c. 16. n. 79. venia reum aeterni peccati qui usque ad finem vitae â— oluerit credere in Christum id est It is no inconvenience â—o understand it thus that he sinneth against the Holy Spirit and shall not be forgiven for ever who will not at all believe in Christ as long as he liveth Just so Lyra and both glossâ—s expound it Ad mortalem i. usque ad morâ—em vitae quod in hac vitâ— non corrigitur est finalâ—s impaenitentia si quis perseveret in eo usque ad finem vitae inclusivè i. unto death signifies to the end of our life natural that sin which is not amended in this life it is finall impenitencie when a man persevereth in sin unto the end of his life inclusively not repenting at the time of his departure but dieth impenitent By all which it appeareth that in the judgement of these Expositors the sin unto death is some of those grand sins in which a man liveth and dieth impenitently and that it is not called the sin unto death in respect of the sin it self but for the sinneâ—s continuance therein unto his death for the same sin which in one man is a sin unto death and shall never be forgiven in another man proves a sin not unto death but is repented of and so is pardoned that this is the judgment of St. Austin I have divers times shewed before and especially in that place alleaged by me before pag. 201. cap. 14. whâ—reafter after a long discourse concerning the sin called the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit he concludeth That no sin against Vide supra â— 14. the Holy Ghost is unpardonable but only in case a man doth obstinately persevere in it without any hope or desire of pardon or care of
The whole Church prayeth that faith may be given to Infidels and S. Austin saith Sacerdos ad altare hortatur populum orare pro incredulis i. The Preist at the very altar in time of the â—olie Euchâ—rist exhorted the people to pray for unbeleevers and from this practise of the Church Catholick he reproveth the Pelagiâ—ns who affirmed that men by their owne power without assistant grace might perform the will of God This Doctrins saith he frustrateth the devotion of the Church for why should she pray for that which is not by grace or the gift of God And just so Prosper argueth Prosp Respon act Genuens n. 30. against them If faith be not the gift of God Frustra orat Ecclesia pro non creden ibnâ— ut credunâ— i. In vaine doth the Church pray for infidels that they may beleeve if faith were not the gift of God Neither were these prayers put up for heathens or wicked and prophane men Only at such time when they were about to be converted or when they seemed to incline to Christianitie but even then whilest they were at their worst Fulgentius prayeth thus Domine Fulg. vel Paul Diac. de incar n. 2. Opt. lib. 3 malâ—s bonos facito i. Lord make them good who are now wicked and Optatus expounding that place 1 Tim. 2. 2. saith Paulus orandum praecipit pro regibus gentilitèr viventibus i. Paule appointed heathen Kings to be prayed for even whilest they lived in their heathenisme So the Church prayed for hereticks and persecutors whilest they continued both hereticks and persecutors Athanasius saith Populus Alexandrinus Orat Atha de populo Alex. n. 19. pro Constantio Artiano and Persecutore i. The people of Alexandria prayed for the Emperor Constantius who was both an Arrian and a persecutor and Epiphanius prayed for Iohn an heretical Bishop of Ierusalem in these Epiph. Epist ad Ioannem n. 31. words Domine praesta Joanni ut rectè credat i. Lord grant unto Iohn a right belief for surely there is very great cause to pray for the conversion of such whose heresies and persecutions doe endanger the very being of the Church and Chrysostome presseth this duetie of praying for such because saith he it is an act and Chrys serm d. Cruce latr n. 48. Machar hom 18. signe of far greater Charitie to pray for our enemies then for our friends finallie the Holie man Macarius said Sancti Orant prototo genere Adae i. Holie men use to pray for the whole generation of Adam In those bookes de vocatione Gentium which goe under the name both of S. Ambrose and also of Prosper the custome of the Church in praying for all sorts of men is fully set forth Supplicat ubique ecclesia deo Amb. de voc Gent. l. 1. c. 4. Prosp n. 53. non solum pro Sanctis jam regeneratis sed pro Omnibus infidelibus inimicis Crucis Christi pro Omnibus idolorum cultoribus pro omnibus qui Christum in membris ipsius persequuntur pro Iudaeis pro haereticis pro schismaticis quid autem pro ipsis petit nisi ut relictis erroribus convertantur ad fidem c. i. The Church doth now every where put up supplications to God not only for her owne holie and regenerate members but for all infidels and enemies of the Cross of Christ for idolaters persecutors Iewes hereticks schismaticks and thus she prayeth for them that they may be converted from their errors to the true faith The like is found in the Epistle of Bishop Caelestinus written in the behalf of Prosper and Hilarie and is amongst the works both of Austin and of Prosper setting forth not only Aug n. 72. Prosp n 62. what kinds of men were prayed for but also what prayers were used Obsecrationum sacerdotalium sacramenta quae ab Apostolis tradita in toto mundo at que in Omni Catholica ecclesia uniformiter celebrantur praesules humani generis agunt causam apud divinam clementiam precantur ut infidelibus donetur fides ut idolaatriae libenâ—tur ab erroribus ut Iudaeis lux veritatis appareat ut haeretici resi piscant ut scismatici Spiritum redivivae Charitatis accipiant ut lapsis paenitextia remedia conferantur c. The holie Rites of sacerdotal prayers descending downe from the Apostles times are uniformly celebrated in every Catholick Church in the world the prelates are the Orators to God in the behalf of all mankind they pray for infidels that faith may be given to them for Idolaters that they may be delivered from their errors that the Jewes may embrace the truth that hereticks may recant and scismaticks may recover the Spirit of Charitie that all lapsed sinners may have the remedie of repentance Lastly upon all these precepts and presidents both of the Scriptures and the Church primitive the Church of England with great pietie and prudence prayeth also for all men yea for her Enemies In the Letanie and Collect on good-friday persecutors and slanderers that they may find mercy and forgivenes and for the conversion of all Iewes Turks in fidels and hereticks This I trust is sufficient if not to much to set forth that any sinne though ever so great during his life time may be prayed for at least so far as that he may have the grace of convension from his sin * Orandum est pro bene malè viventibus ut bonus perseveret malus convertatur Aug. ad frat in Erem hom 42. And upon these grounds and reasons I would make no scruple at all to pray for the repentance of that partie whom I know to have committed that sin of which it is said It shall never be forgiven because I am fully persuaded that the threatning there is conditional viz. It shall never be forgiven without conversion and repentance as I have shewed before and therfore if I knew any man who had committed thaâ— sin in that high degree as it is described by Beza viz. He who ' is inlightned with the knowledg of Gods truth so that he Beza in 1 Joh. 5. 16. can not be ignorant though he would yet upon set purpose doth maliciously oppose and resist God purposely and knowingly I see no cause why I should doubt to pray for grace and the conversion of such an heinous sinner whilest he is yet aliue No man living is debarred from the prayers of the Church as you have heard no not the lapsed or excommunicated nor those that are therby delivered to Satan for even that most severe censure was intended for their Conversion and Salvation only as S. Austin noteth u. Ecclesia non Aug. de Civit. lib. 21. c. 24. Orat pro diabolo i The Church prayeth not for the apostate Angels and withal he there professeth that if he did certainly know those men that were predestinated to hell fire which no man can know without an especial revelation then indeed he would
not see sin in such pretty black Saints Now albeit in the prayers of our Saviour and the Protomartyr S. Stephen the words run Forgive them Father Luc. 23. 34. Act. 7. 60. and Lord â—ay not this sin to their Charg without any explicit and overt mention of their Conversion and repentance yet we are not so to understand them that those grand sins should absolutly be pardoned without any conversion or repentance but that the prayers for forgivenes must presuppose and implie an inclusive prayer for the meanes leading to forgiveness which are faith conversion repentance and amendment as if our Saviour had said Father Open their eyes that they may know and confess me and adhere to me and repent and so that their sin may be forgiven and never laid to their charg So S. Chrysostome understandeth Chry n. 48. Fulg. n. 14. the words of Christ for saith he upon these words hinc tria quinque millia conversa and so Fulgentius noteth upon S. Stephens prayer Paulus converticur per orationem Stephani i. That these prayers did implie the conversion of these sinners for by vertue of them 3. and 5. thowsands yea and S. Paule was converted and this is cleerly expressed in S. Peters sermon Act. 3. 17. 19. as an exposition of our Saviours words And now brethren I wot that through ignorance ye did it repent ye therfore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out to signifie that the blotting out of sins ever presupposeth repentance Finally wheras some object that we may nor pray for the Conversion of the malicious enemies of the Church because they say S. Paule did not pray for Alexander the Copper smith mentioned 1 Tim. 4. 14. but said The Lord reward him according to his work To this we say First It doth non appear that S. Paul did not at all pray for his conversion Secondly S. Paul did not hereby forbid prayer for him Thirdly That as those words are no prayer for his conversion so neither are they accounted by the best expositors any imprecation but an Apostolical commination and a leaving of him to the judgment of Theoph. in Loc. Theod. in Loc. Anselm in Loc. God Theophilact expounds it thus Reddat pro reddet verbum pronunciantis est non imprecantis and so saith Theodoret and Anselm i. He saith the Lord reward him for the Lord shall or will reward him it is not the wish but the forewarning of the Apostle and therfore S. Ierome to express rather the meaning then the letter of those words for reddat reades Reddet ei Deus i. God will reward him which is no more then is said of other sinners Heb. 13. 4. Whâ—remongeâ—s and adulterers God will judg CHAP. XXI A recapitulation of the former Expositions of the foure places That finall Impenitencie cannot properly be called the grand sinne The difference of Repentance required to the grand sinne and to other inferiour and unknown sinnes The danger of misunderstanding the solifidian doctrine Of the misbeliefe of the Incarnation of Christ censured with Charitie The Conclusion IT is now high time to ease the Reader and to release him from my tediousnesse and to draw to a conclusion by summing up what hath been delivered concerning this grand sinne against the Holy Ghost in the Expositions of all those difficult places of Scripture the breviate whereof I do here represent in a few conclusions First To that saying Matthew 12. 31. It shall not be 1. forgiven The meaning is that it shal not be forgiven to that man who liveth and dieth in that blasphemie impenitently Secondly to that saying Heb. 6. 4 6. It is impossible 2. to Repentance The meaning is that they cannot be restored to newnesse of life and remission of sinnes after Baptisme by any new or second Baptisme but yet Repentance is not impossible as a second remedy to them that have fallen after Baptisme neither is it during life absolutely denied Thirdly To that saying Heb. 10. 26. If we sinne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the 3. truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne The meaning is he that wilfully rejecteth Christs onely and all-sufficient sacrifice for sinne by accounting his blood Commoâ— that is by esteeming it to be but the blood of a meer man a meer creature and therefore to be no better nor of more worth then the blood of another man and in this blasphemous conceit and infidelitie liveth and dieth that man must look for nothing but judgement of condemnation and fiery indignation because there is none other sacrifice for sinne possibly to be found but Christ crucified who then was and is and ever will be Emmanuel Fourthly to that saying 1 John 5. 16. There is a sinne 4. unto death I do not say that he shall pray for it The meaning is that whosoever shall commit the grand sinne and in that sinne shall persist continue and persevere obdurately stubbornly and impenitently his whole life time and die therein without repentance and without speciall revocation recantation or retraction therof that man must needs perish everlastingly All prayers for that man so living dying will be unprofitable for his souls health For though whilest he liveth we may pray for his conversion and perhaps beheard for ought we know yet to pray for his pardon and salvation immediately without praying for and desiring his conversion as being necessary in order to his pardon and salvation is a foul abuse of Gods Truth and righteousness Fifthly That if all these Expositions prove true and 5. be so found and approved by the Christian Reader then my former conclusion will necessarily follow that neither this sinne which is called the sinne against the holy Spirit nor any other sinne how great soever is absolutely unpardonable but upon speciall and particular repentance thereof the sinner may finde mercy and forgivenesse From this doctrine of the necessity of repentance to go before forgivnesse some divines suspect that the grand and onely unpardonable sin is final impenitence because it is true that this grand in is pardonable if it be timely repented and as true that when it is accompanied with final impenitence it shall never be forgiven and indeed such a conceit did fall from the pen of Saint Hierom Impenitentiae crimen solum est quod Hier. Epist 4. 8. n. 9. veniam consequi nou potest i. impenitence is the only fault which cannot obtain pardon To this conceit the answer is that impenitencie cannot be called properly the sin unpardonable because of it self it is not alwaies to be called a sin for impenitency is blamlesse where no sin is the holy and unspotted quire of heavenly Angels as they are impeccant so are they not penitent and yet offend not thereby But impenitency in grand and capital offenders is a weighty and an aggravating circumstance then when it is the perpetual concomitant of sin and a consequent finally it makes the
Saint Austine therein and the Authors submission thereof to the Reader That because God was to be Incarnate only in the Person of the Sonne and not in the Person of the Father therefore the ancient Fathers said that God was seen in the Person of the Sonne onely and not in the Person of the Father Chapter VII The Incarnation of the Sonne of God is shewed against Page 22 the Commenter That a meer Man may be said to be Incarnate and so may Christ be truly said and much rather because the soul of Man may exist without a body and the Godhead of Christ really did exist from Eternitie without a Body untill his assumption of a temporary shape and his Incarnation in an ever durable Body That the Scripture calleth him that denieth Christs Incarnation a deceiver and an Antichrist Chapter VIII That the Son of God was to be Incarnate necessarily Page 27 by vertue of the Covenant although God could have saved Man by his Power without the Incarnation Of that curious question viz. What God did before the Creation That God was never solitarie though alwaies but One. Of the Everlasting or Eternall Covenant between the Persons of the Father and the Sonne before the world Chapter IX Of the Covenant between God and Man divers Page 33 times renewed The first words of the Covenant about the Tree of Knowledge before the fall The second words of bruising the Serpents head since the fall The same Covenant with Abraham and afterwards with Moses in more words The outward signes of the Covenant viz. Sacrifices circumcision Tabernacle and Leviticall rites That the Legall and Evangelicall Covenant are but one The words of the Evangelicall Covenant Why it is called a new Covenant the Covenant of Grace and of works a better Covenant and a Testament of Christs suretie ship The reason why Christ was circumcised and Baptized Chapter X. That as our state condition now standeth Page 38 man cannot be redeemed and saved but through the Incarnation Obedience and death of the Sonne of God That our salvation is not wrought by the request and verball intreatie of Christ nor by the power onely of God without satisfaction of his Justice The distinction between Christs satisfaction and his merit How Gods just Sentence was fully executed on man and his Law perfectly performed by man Chapter XI That Christ was a Person fitly qualified to stand Page 41 in stead of all Mankind The mutuall unity of Christ and Mankind in that Christ tâ—oke his flesh from Man and Man received the Spirit from Christ That from this mutuall unity it is that Christs Obedience both Active Passive with great justice and equitie may be imputed to Mankind Chapter XII What interest the unregenerate man hath in Page 54 Christ That the Divine Spirit of Christ is communicated to the unregenerate and therewith some common graces That the Doctrine of the Church declareth the benefit of Christs death to be offered to all men good and bad That God is essentially present in every creature though not commugnicating his sanctifying Grace to every one The Stoicks error concerning the souls of Men. Apollinarius his Heresie concerning the soul of Christ Chapter XIII The Heresie of Valentinus and others concerning Page 59 the Body of Christ compared with the Heresie of Apollinarius concerning Christs Soul That the Arguments proving the derivation of the flesh of Christ from mans body do as well prove the traduction of his soul That the soul of man by nature is Carnall The doctrine of the Church of England doth not clearly determine the originall of Christs soul That if the traduction of souls be granted it will argue a greater nearness and conjunction of God and Man Chapter XIV The question of the propagation of the soul of Page 63 Christ and of other mens souls discoursed the difficultie thereof shewed out of Saint Austine and his inclination and reasons to believe traduction rather then a dayly new creation of souls The judgement of the Western Church herein alledged by Saint Hierome That the opinion of Traduction is not inconsistent with Christian Faith But if it be granted it argues a nearer relation between Christ and us then otherwise the Author leaves it undetermined with submission to the judicious Reader Chapter XV. The Ubiquitie of the Spirit of Christ Of the Page 67 diversitie of the Graces thereof In what degree and measure the Spirit with its common Graces is communicated to men unregeneraâ—e How the one Spirit of God is in Scripture represented as if there were more then one how it is said to be withdrawn or not yet given when it is alwayes present That the union of God and man is hence concluded Chapter XVI That the presence of the Spirit doth not alwayes Page 71 sanctifie is proved from the unction of Heathen Kings How such are called Gods annointed though they were not ceremonially annointed with oyl of Christs Vnction and the appellation of Christians Vespatians touching and curing the infirm thereby The King of Englands cures and unction Of the gift of healing mentioned 1 Cor. 12. 9. Whether it be utterly ceased Chapter XVII The union of Christ and his Church further Page 76 shewed Why Christ is called Adam David and Jacob Why all mankind was extracted out of one man Why Saint Austine denied that there were any Antipodes The difference between Christs union with all mankind and his more speciall union with his Church An Exposition of Heb. 7. 9. Touching the difference of Levi and Christ who were both in the loins of Abraham which place is purposely obscured by the Commenter The Table THE FOURTH BOOK Containing a discussion of this Question Whether the blasphemie of denying Christs Godhead which is the sin against the holy Spirit be absolutely unpardonable with full Expositions of certain Scriptures in the Hebrewes and other places which concern that sin Chapter I. THe question stated The judgement of Page 1 some late Divines therein and their grounds That to affirm it absolutely unpardonable seemeth derogatory to the infinite mercy of God in Christ and the grace of repentance The efficacie of true repentance Chapter II. That this sinne possibly may be pardoned upon Page 5 the sinners repentance That Gods threatnings are not to be understood as absolute but as conditionall That therefore his threatnings are not alwayes executed and yet his Truth not violated That threatnings are intended for provocations to repentance an observation upon Theodosius The judgement of the Fathers concerning those threatnings Chapter III. That the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or Page 8 God-head of Christ is then onely unpardonable when it is accompanied with finall impenitencie a short Exposition of Matth. 12 31. Chapter IV. Whether the grace of repentance be absolutely denied Page 11 to those who have once sinned this sin The judgement of some Divines herein A full Exposition begun of Heb. 6. 4. concerning final impenitencie That the word inlightned is there meant of