should be set of them Was not Christ as he is called Rom. 15.8 The Minister of the Circumcision that is of the whole Jewish Nation And did he not Preach to others that were no Jewes For he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Messenger of the great Counsel as the Septuagint Render that written of him Es 9.6 and doth it not hereby appear that the Reflector writes at Random as his fancy only leads him without any warrant for there is not the least tittle in Scripture of the ten Thousand that Christ came to Preach unto Neither will I much contend about the term that the Reflector here puts upon our Lord calling him God-Man Our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed God and Man but is this term God-Man according to the form of sound Words 'T is true Christ is often called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Human Writers but never so in holy Scripture And though the Greek bears it well enough yet the Idiom of our Language will not whereupon we are forced in that case to use a Periphrasis and to say God and Man Why then should this Reflector make use of such an uncouth Word when he speaks of our most Holy and Righteous Lord which neither the Scripture nor our Language will allow him only because as he differs from men that are Rational in his opinion so he doth I say again take up a form of Speech like the Quakers differing from all other men But though this holy Man of God or rather this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Man did Preach and Speak so as never man spake yet we are told here that hardly shall we be able to prove or substantially find any thing to ground our Belief that a hundred of them were converted c. What then was there any failing in the Doctrine which he Preached or in the Spirit wherewith he spake Far be from us any such Blasphemy The work which the Father had sent him to do he perfectly fulfilled it But it was not all to be finished during the time of his Ministration some things were to be done by him while he was in the state of his Humiliation and some things after he came into the state of his Exaltation The perfect Conversion of sinners from Ignorance to the true Knowledge of the Gospel and from Unbelief to a full Considence or Assurance of Faith was not as it is the work of Gods free Grace to be consummated by Christ until he was Ascended into Heaven and set at the right Hand of his Father for then and not before was the Holy Ghost to be sent for that very end and purpose amongst many other Which powerful Act of the Spirit was first Wrought upon the Apostles that they might be instructed more fully to the Kingdom of God For even they during the time that they were with Christ and were Witnesses of what he did and taught were very defective both in Faith and Life In faith about the Death and Resurrection of Christ and about a temporal Kingdom which was their Error as it was of the rest of the Jews In Life when they were too full of Revenge in drawing the Sword as Peter or for calling down fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans as James and John Luk 9.54 It was the Spirit after the Resurrection and Glorification of Christ that was to bring all things to their Remembrance whatsoever he had said unto them It was the Spirit which should then lead them into all Truth It was the Spirit which after Christ was Glorified made them clearly to understand the Prophecies which went before of him Thus it is said Joh. 12.16 These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Christ was Glorified c. It was the Spirit which should adapt and fit them for the great Work of Converting the World which otherwise they could never have been able to bring to pass And as it began thus with the Apostles so did this Grace extend unto others in the same manner secundum modum Recipientium thus testified the Evangelist Joh. 7.39 This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should Recieve for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet Glorified These things considered we may see some cause why there were not many Converted by the Preaching of Jesus Christ Yet cannot a Conclusion be gathered from thence that there were but few then of Gods Elect among that People unless we will exclude the Apostles or at least other the Disciples of Christ from eternal Salvation who had also their failings both in Faith and Obedience because the Holy Ghost was not then given Reflector Jesus Christ saith that his Flock is small that there are but few Persons that enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that when he shall come again upon the Earth be shall not find Faith in it that all the world shall run after the Beast That the number of the Elect is very little in comparison of those that are called and consequently that the number of the called is infinitely less than that of those who are not called and that know not what the Christian Religion is Answer We had best beware what we say of our Lord Jesus Christ at any time so as to tell the World Jesus Christ saith when he hath not spoken it for fear lest that Rebuke fall upon us which fell upon the Prophets of old behold I am against you that smooth your Tongues and say he saith Let these Scriptures be searched which are heaped together and it will evidently appear they say no such thing as you say of them First when Christ calls his Flock little slock he speaks not of the Elect of God all the World over as you imagine that would be contrary to the Holy Scripture which in several places speaks of them as of a great multitude But it is certain he speaks it only of his Apostles who were his peculiar care above all others as is plainly to be seen in my Antidote 2. Christ never said that there are but sew Persons that enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But speaking of the narrow Way that leadeth to Life he saith sew there be that find it meaning probably sew there be of the Jewish Nation at that time that were so wise as they should be to find it Metapha canibus investigantibus For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sagaciter depichendo as it is written at large in the aforesaid Antidote 3. Christ saith not as you say when he shall come again upon the Earth he shall not find faith in it The words that you harp upon in this particular though jarringly are those in Luk. 18.8 When the Son of man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth And now consider how great a difference there is between your words and the words of our Saviour First he saith not when he shall come again upon the Earth For the
they say were then used what do they signifie but the same sense which we who are and must be their Adversaries in this and many other Points of our Christian Profession do and always have acknowledged viz. That there is a change in these outward Elements being turned from a common to a sacred Use after they are Consecrated and set apart according to the first Institution Which certainly was the meaning of the Antients in this Case and no otherwise as shall appear hereafter from very good Authority though 't is true their Zeal did oftimes lead them to many strains of Rhetorick in a just magnifying this great and holy Mystery But will any man that is wise conclude thereupon that to be their Judgment which is now and hath been since their times vainly precended and thrust upon them by the Church of Rome meerly upon the account of their florid Elocutions Hyper bolies and high Expressions used by them to quicken Communicants to their Duty when they come to the Lords Table For our parts we cannot so conclude for then we should condemn our selves who often do the same thing to the same good end and purpose as they did yet abhor this unscriptural Doctrine of Transubstantiation A Doctrine it is that overthroweth the very nature of the Sacrament For unless there be an outward sign really continued in it such as Christ instituted to Represent and assure the Grace he principally intended to the Faith of those that come worthily unto it it is and must be utterly annihilated Neither can it be said that the Accidents of Bread and Wine do remain as a Sign when the Substance is vanished For there can be no Resemblance nor Analogy between those Accidents which have nothing in them of Nourishment and the Body and Blood of Christ whereby the Souls of True Believers are in and by that Sacrament really nourished and strengthned Nor can it be denied that in every Sacrament it is meet and requisite that there be an Analogy or convenient Agreement between the outward Sign and that spiritual good thing which is signified by it This being so may it not be proved to the Teeth of our Adversaries that they are in an Error in this Point and that they vainly pretend to make that to be an Article of Faith which a ma◠may Consute by his fingers ends A Doctrine which like the Eutichian Heresie of old disanuls the Verity of Christs Human Nature For it hath fancied such a Body unto Christ which in one and the same moment of time may be in many thousands of places viz. wherefoever the Massing-Priests shall please to Consecrate their Host which clearly contradicts not only Nature and Reason but the plain word of-Scripture which saith Heb. 4.15 Christ was in all Points temp'red like as we are yet without sin neither will it help them to say as they do weakly enough Christ's Body is now Glorisied For first Christ spake this word This is my Body at his last Supper when he was here upon Earth 2. It is the Crucified Body of Christ which is Represented in the Sacrament not the Glorified 3. Christ's Body is not by being Glorified so devested of its natural Properties as to cease from being a Body and if by being in Glory it be made ubiquitary a Property only belonging to the Divine Nature then shall our Bodies be so too in Heaven which I think no man will say For these Vile Bodies shall be made like unto Christ's Glorious Body Phil. 3.21 It would be too great weariness to my Reader if I should lead him into a consideration of the many gross Absurdities which arise from this upstart Doctrine that which hath been here in short alledged against it is enough to shew the Vanity of it And so long as the Abettors thoroof continue in it all who will be faithful to the Gospel of Christ and his Church must protest against them But we have say they the word of Christ himself for our Warrant for hath not he said This is my Body and may not we without offence say as he hath said viz That it is his Body Yea and one of them none of the meanest as I find it reported of him by a late Writer thus vannteth out his Considence that if God should ask him at the Day of Judgment why he held so he will boldly say Tu docuisti thou hast taught me But is it true that the Spirit of God hath taught him to say so and will he like a dull Schollar 〈◊〉 poring still upon the Letter of his Lesson never labouring to understand the right sense and meaning of it of which gross neglect what account he and his Fellow-Ignaro'es can be ablo to make at the time of publick Examination would be considered by them And is it not say they again possible with God to make good his own word by changing the Substance of the Bread into the Substance of Christs Body though we see it not Wherein they seem to be like the Stoick Philosophers that were of old who proposing things strange and uncouth in foretelling future Events pleaded for themselves saying nihil est quod Deus essicere non possit there is nothing which God cannot bring to pass But as Cicero answered them well in his second Book de divinatione Vtinam Sapientes Stoicos effecisset I wish he had made the Stoicks wise Men So may we wish that these of the Roman Church had more Wisdom in their knowledge of God and his Word than it appears yet they have For us we will not we dare not and God forbid we ever should deny this Attribute of Omnipotency to the great God Creator of Heaven and Earth he hath himself spoken it not once but twice i. e. not once but many times once in the Law and a second time in the Gospel without Retractation That Power belongeth unto him But to argue a posse ad esse will be acknowledged by all to be very Illogical and in this case it is inconsistent with found Divinity For we are taught by the Holy Scripture that Gods Will and Power are ever joyned together only his will makes way for the exerting his Power his actual Power I say which is of the same Latitude and Extent with his Will Our God is in Heaven saith the Psalmist P. 115.3 and doth whatsoever he will not whatsoever he can do So Job What his Soul desireth even that he doth Job 23.13 He can at an Instant overturn the whole course of Nature and Reduce all things to a Chaos by his absolute power or annihilate them but he doth not because he will not There is no doubt but what Christ said is true and what he said he is able to bring to pass for being God equal with the Father we confess with Holy Job he can do all things But the Question is not of the truth of these words nor of his Power in fulfilling them but of the Sense viz.
House of God Dedicated to his holy Worship and therefore ought to mind us both of the Greatness and Goodness of his Divine Majesty certain it is that the acknowledgment thereof not only inwardly in our Hearts but also outwardly with our Bodies must needs be Pious in it self profitable unto us and edifying unto others We therefore think it very meet and behoveful and heartily commend it to all good and well affected People Members of this Church that they be ready to tender unto the Lord the said acknowledgment by doing Reverence and Obeisance both at their coming in and going out of the said Churches Chancels or Chappels according to the most antient Custom of the primitive Churches in the purest times and of this Church also for many years of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth The receiving therefore of this ancient and laudable Custom we heartily commend to the serious Consideration of all good People not with any intention to exhibit any Religious Worship to the Communion-Table the East or Church or any thing therein contained in so doing or to perform the said Gesture in the Celebration of the holy Eucharist upon any opinion of a corporal Presence of the Body of Jesus Christ on the Holy Table or in the mystical Elements but only for the Advancement of Gods Majesty and to give him alone that Honour and Glory that is due unto him and no otherwise And in the practise or omission of this Rite we desire that the Rule of Charity prescribed by the Apostle may be observed which is that they which use this Rite despise not them which use it not and that they who use it not condemn not those that use it If this be the Canon that the man means as I believe it is I do appeal to all men that are able to discern between Truth and Error what jost exceptions can be taken against these words is it not evident that they carry in them a sound of much Piety towards God much tenderness of Spirit towards the People of God in perswading them with meekness of Wisdom to consent unto that pious Course there propounded for the advancement of Gods Majesty And what can be more Christian like spoken than that which is there added in the close desiring that the Rule of Charity prescribed by the Apostle may be obseryed which is that they who use this Rite viz. of reverential Gesture in the publick Service of God despise not them who use it not and that they who use it not condemn not those that use it What imposing then is here upon People a cringing to the East It is not expresly disavowed where is that unlawful Canon which is said to be obtruded upon the Church Yea where is that Popish Superstition which hath been and still is mouthed out in these times against Convocations of the Clergy the Clergy Where It will certainly be sound one day to be in the Pens in the Tongues in the Hearts of those that make these causeless uncharitable invectives It is not in the Clergy it is not in their Assemblies nor in their Administrations Oh but to the Bowing at the Name of Jesus he hath some what more to object he will not he saith let that go so He will smite it first with his Tongue rather than confess with his Knee or his Tongue that Jesus is The Lord. And what can he or what doth he say but the same nauseous Crambe which his old Acquaintance of the Separation have said before him Quae omnia protrita prostigata sunt as it hath been said by a Learned man in another case like unto this The Convocation in Amo 1603 doth indeed order that when in time of Divine Service the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned due and lowly Reverence shall be done by all Persons present as it hath been accustomed Testifying by these outward Ceremonies and Gestures their inward Humility Christian Resolution and due acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ the True and Eternal Son of God is the Only Saviour of the World in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and Promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully and wholly comprised And is this now to be accounted any so great a Crime in that Synod to make such a Canon that they must be condemned as if they were unworthy to be called Gods Clergy Had they done any thing to the Dishonour of our Lord could they have had a heavier Sentence past upon them It is he saith a Dishonour to the Father and the Holy Ghost to Prefer the second Person before them being co-equal in Glory And therefore may the Lord Jesus Christ account himself dishonoured by this Bowing to him seeing the Father and the Holy Ghost have not the same Honour done unto them These are his chief Objections as for the rest they are so Ridiculous and Prophane that they deserve not a Refutation but to these I return briefly 1. If we did believe that our Lord Jesus took upon him the person of a Man when he was made of a Woman and that we do thereupon ascribe unto him this Honour we should in so doing Dishonour him For first we should deprive him of his highest Honour which is of being God equal with the Father 2. We should thereby derogate from the Father and the Holy Ghost of which he will never approve it being of dangerous consequence to all the three Persons it being also written that we should honour the Son even as we honour the Father Yea then we should believe a Quaternity of Persons contrary to that which is Revealed and Believed ever since the Gospel hath been Preached and Written wherein I consess we should sin sadly But this we do not That therefore cannot be imparted to us in this case nor in any other 2. We do not ascribe this Honour to Christ as he is the second Person in the Trinity the Son of the Father For then indeed we should be partial in the Worshipping of our God presenting one person before another and consequently should be guilty of Idolatry in framing an Imagination of our God in our Hearts otherwise than it is written But thirdly this Honour we do ascribe to Christ as he is Mediator between God and us and no otherwise not exalting him thereby above the first and third Persons but because we would exalt him above every Name that is named among all the Creatures of God either in Heaven or in Earth and we believe in so doing we do not offend It will be said we do give more Honour unto the Name of Jesus than we do to the Name of the Father and of the Holy Ghost It must be answered Jesus we know is a proper Name given to our Saviour at his Birth as all we of the same nature have but there are no such Names given to the Father and the Holy Ghost Neither are the three Persons to be distinguished by Names and Titles but
only Relatively For then we should make such a distinction as is inconsistent with the Catholick Faith and therefore it is gross Ignorance in this Objector and all his Complices to dream of such a matter But because there seems to be a necessity that this Mystery be explained I shall therefore endeavour upon this occasion so far as I can be able to reach the Sence of the Spirit of God in it revealed in holy Scripture to open it here more largely It is not to be doubted there is nothing more intelligible than God because he is the first the Perfectest and Truest Being the first mover which ordereth all things but receiveth no order from any the purest Act the highest sublimated Elixir the Supreamest Entity the most sovraign and simple Essence without any the least imaginary Metaphysical Composition at all Yet is our Understanding of him whether we be in the Body or out of the Body whether in this Life or that which is to come so short and so shallow of a total Penetration into his Essence that we must let that alone for ever Job 11.7.8 Zophar's Question to Job will put us all to a Nonplus canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty unto Perfection It is high as Heaven what canst thou do Deeper than Hell what canst thou know We read Gen. 32.29 how God Rebuked Jacob for his inquiring after his name Tell me I pray thee saith he thy name and he said wherefore is it that thou doest ask after my name Yet to let him see what he was without telling him any name He Blessed him there So when Manoah Judg. 13.16 would be inquisitive in the like kind he met with the same Repulse Why askest thou thus after my name seeing it is secret or wonderful and accordingly he made it known in his wonderful Work which he then wrought And verily to talk much of Gods Name I mean of an appellative distinctive Notamen is not cannot be safe the way of Negation is indeed and must be accounted the best and safest for us to take in speaking of God that is to shew not what he is but what he is not Numb 23.19 1 Sam. 18.29 After this manner did the Prophets of old speak of God Balaam the false Prophet as well as Samuel the true could say God is not a man that he should Lye nor the Son of Man that he should Repent It will not become us boldly to gaze upon the glorious Excellency of God or to break into his Pavillion rather it is our Duty to settle our Thoughts upon those negative Expressions of him viz. that he is Immortal Invisible Infinite Immense Incorporeal Unchangeable c. And whosoever he be that shall presumptuously ask Who is God or what is his Name He may be answered God is not such an one as thy self But he is such an one as will Reprove thee for thy unreverend and rash Intrusion into the Secret of his Soveraignty He hath no Compeere either in Nature or in Honour being Vnissimus Deus One alone and none besides him Es 45.6 c. neither hath he any proper name at all such names being used among us for distinction sake and for the avoiding of Error in mistaking one for another which danger is not Incident to the one only True God 'T is true we read of names of God in Scripture but they only shew the Essential Properties of God being Numina rather than Nomina for Numen Incomprehensibile est Deus was the saying of old sed omnino absque nomine But Christ hath a proper Name given him and he is to be known by it unto his Church for ever Undoubtedly therefore it ought to be used with Reverence by all those that receive Comfort and Benefit by the Sense and significancy of it Which Duty should be done according to the Tenour of the aforesaid Canon upon these two Considerations First because that for our sakes our Lord Jesus made himself of no Reputation 2. Because a sort of wretched men in the World about us set on by the Devil Conspire together to make him of no Reputation also First for our sake he made himself of no Reputation great Reason therefore that we should account him worthy of all Honour Not only that which is spiritual in captivating every Thought to the Obedience of his Gospel but that also which is of the Body in the outward Deportment of it for he hath bought it with a Price a great Price even his dearest Blood as well as the Soul It was no Robbery for him to be equal with God for he was and is the Brightness of his Fathers Glory the Character of his Person yet Saint Paul tells us he emptied himself and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross Now Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior said holy Bernard sweetly the more Humility appeared in him it is but meet that the more honour be ascribed unto him Admit that it be not a duty of the Text to use Genu-slexions at the mentioning of his Blessed Name when we are employed in the publick Exercises of our Religion yet since the Father hath even upon the account of his Humility highly exalted him and given him a name above every Name it well becometh the Church upon the same account in a Conformity to that divine Pattern according to her poor strength and ability by all ways and means to exalt him likewise This then I conceive may somewhat stop the mouth of Contradiction against the Religious Canon of our Church requiring all Persons to Bow at the Name of Jesus for why she hath learned it of the Father whose Example is without Controversie in this case worthy of Imitation to exalt him because for our sake he made himself of no Reputation Again is not our Lord now as it hath been Prophecied of him Is 53.3 despised and rejected of men Do not Jews Turks and Infidels blaspheme his worthy Name by which we are called Are not Socinians those cursed Hereticks as unwearied now in their malice against him to lay his honour in the dust as the Arrians were of old Is not the Precious Blood of this Immaculate Lamb of God shed to take away the sins of the World in many places beslavered with the impious Mouths of execrable Swearers And are not some wretched people risen up among us in these days who out of a Luciserian Pride pretend that they are as well and as truly God as Jesus Christ because they have their Being in God and are partakers of the Divine Nature What then should the Church do but out of a detestation of these horrid Impieties and out of a tender regard to the Honour of her Lord give a signal Testimony of her duty in commanding all