whereas lawfully hee might haue done otherwise These are the principall places and in a manner all of them which as farre as I am able to discerne â—aue any reasonable shew of proofe that the word may bee taken for freedome of will As for a fewe other in the former Epistle to the Corinthians it is no hard matter to answere them in a worde First where the Apostle speakes of a mans hauing power ouer his owne 1. Cor. 7. 37. will it is plaine hee meanes not free will but command ouer that freedome by which a man hath liberty to keepe or not to keepe his virgin So that this power determines and as it were ties the will to the one onely as the wordes before declare where he speakes of being firme in his heart that is as it followeth in the later part of the verse hauing decreed in his heart that hee will keepe his virgin In the ninth Chapter there is often mention of power to eate power to leade about a wife power not to labour with hands power to Chap. 9. 4. 5. 6. partake of their goods to whome they preach What is this els but a lawfull Autoritie to doe or not doe these things as in spirituall discretion they shall think most fit for the edifying of their brethren Now all that hath bin said beeing considered I thinke I may safely conclude that the worde which our Rhemists translate power vnderstanding by it free will may well bee expounded Dignitie or Prerogatiue in this Text and is neuer so vsed in any part of the new Testament that it must needs be taken for freewill Of the other worde the translation and signification whereof I am now to search out I can not say so because there are many places where it can not stand for to bee but of necessitie must bee taken for to bee made It is enough to iustifie our translation so farre as concernes the nature of the worde it selfe that it signifyeth and that often in the Scripture yea ordinarily to bee as we in this place translate it I wittingly and willingly forbeare to alledge any proofe of that I say by bringing examples because it is knowne and acknowledged by all that haue any little skill of the Greeke tongue But since both may be what reason can we bring why our to bee should be preferred before the Papists to bee made First it is certaine that all they which expound the former by dignitie excellencie and such like vnderstand by this later a present possession of Son-ship if I may so speake and not a future possibilitie Secondly they also that by it will haue autoritie or right to be meant generally are of opinion that they of whome our Euangelist heere speakes are actually and in their present estate sonnes of God by that grace which is signified in the other word though some thinke it may bee lost afterward Onely Maldonat the Iesuite fearing as it may well be thought least he should be taken for an heritike as he was somtimes accused to bee though he confesse that by the former worde right is signified yet he will not at any hand agree with vs about this latter point but chooseth rather to allow of an other exposition and that none of the best neither To them saith Maldonat that were already truely or indeede Vere us the sonnes of God he gaue right or title that they might also be his heyres Can any man perswade himselfe that the holy Ghost if hee had intended to note a â—arder and greator honour then being a sonne would not haue vsed a word fit for that purpose and namely Heyre but haue coÌ„tented himselfe with the common worde sonneâ— The Apostle Paul when hee had honoured them that Rom. 8. 17. truely beleeue in Christ with the title of sonnes and as iâ— were indued them with the spirit as an assurance of their beeing sonnes addes a farder amplification of their happiness that they were heyres also euen heyres of God and ioint heyres with Iesus Christ. Questionless if the Euangelist had meant to signifie this point of beeing heyres as distinct and superior to that of Sonnes hee would either hauespokeÌ„ as S. Paul had done before him or haue made choise of that worde that is proper to that dignitie and interest But let the Euangelist declare his owne meaning What can bee more plaine then that which followeth in the next verse which are borne not of bloud c. Ver. 13. They that beleeue in the name of Christ are borne of God Therefore are they sonnes not onely haue Power Autoritie or Right to bee as if they were not so vpon their beeleeuing but must procure that afterward in time I know not when by a second grace to bee purchast by the good vse of the former The Scripture deliuereth an other manner of Doctrine teaching vs that all euen as many as beleeue in Christ according to the Gospell are the sonnes of God by faith Yee are all saith the Apostle to the Galathians Gal. 3. 26. the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST Nay say our Papists not by faith but by charitie Faith indeede giues vs a certaine right that we may become the sonnes of God but it is charitie by which wee attaine to this honour As if our loue to God proceeded not from that spirit of his by which wee receiued faith and which teacheth and stirreth vs vp to call God Father Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit Chap. 4. 6. of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father See I pray you if there bee any difference of times in these matters wee are sonnes ere wee haue this spirit of loue And why or how doe wee or can wee loue God but in respect of his fatherly kindness to vs in Iesus Christ we loue because we are sonnes we are not made sonnes because wee loue first But I may not wade too farre in this matter which appertaines to the Doctrine heere deliuered whereas I am yet but in search for the signification of the words Wherein wee haue found two things that wee lookt for and lighted vpon a third by occasion First the worde vsed by our Euangelist translated by our Rhemists Power doth not signifie free will but dignity or prerogatiue SecoÌ„dly the other word notes our present estate vpon beleefe that we are the Sonnes of God not our possibility that we may be if we vse the grace we haue receiued well In this search the word Sonne offered it selfe to vs in its own proper signification not vsurping the place of his brother heire We are now to go forward in the like examination of two other wordes or rather phrases and to enquire what it is to beleeue in this or that and so To beleeue in Christ Secondly what is meant by Beleeuing in his name whether it bee all one with Beleeuing in him or no. Now of the former I shall need to say the lesse
vpon his words doubt of the holy Euangelists credite and doctrine that had been so many hundreds of yeares continued and confirmed by so many glorious Martyrs with their bloud and maintaitained against all the wisdom power of the world before Mahomet was euer heard of And yet what brings he but ignorance and impudency against the eternitie of our blessed Sauiour All he can say is this that if God haue a Son he must needes haue a Wifeto not vnderstanding in his wilful ignorāce that the Lord God hath no more neede of a Wife to the begetting of his Sonne then of hands to the making of this world Yea if comparison might bee made it is easier for God to beget a Sonne like himselfe which is naturall to him then to make the World which dependeth vpon his will and hath no other necessity of being Thus wee are faine to speake according to our poore vnderstanding wee knowe that God hath a Sonne how himselfe knoweth As for the Iewes we will send them to be taught of their owne country-man Iohn the Baptist whome they worthily magnifie as a man sent from God He it is d Ioh. 1. 27 sayth Iohn of our Sauiour that commeth after me which was before me whose shoo-latchet I am not worthy to vnloose But if their owne long continued and greeuous calamity with the destruction of their owne City and Temple in which they trusted be not of force to draw them frō the blasphemous errors of their wicked ancestors surely there is no possibility for any man to perswade them Therefore we will leaue them to the gracious mercie of God to be conuerted to the truth in his good time e Phil. 3. 21. By that mighty power by which he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe and commend our selues to his fatherly blessing that we may bee strengthened in faith against all the assaults and practises of Satan and his instruments and may neuer doubt of the eternity of our most glorious Sauiour but alwayes ascribe to him with his Father and the holy Spirit one true immortal inuisible and onely wise God all glorie power obedience and thanksgiuing for euer and euer Amen THE SECOND SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Iohn 1. Verse 1. 2. 1. In the beginning was the VVord and the VVord was with God and the VVord was God 2. The same was in the beginning with God IT is generally thought and I thinke not vntruly that the blasphemous heresies of f Anno 85 Ebion and g Anno 95 Cerinthus who denyed that our Sauiour was God or had anie being before he tooke flesh of the holy Virgine his mother was one especiall occasion of writing this Gospell To root out that impious conceit and to establish the faithful in an assured beliefe of our blessed Sauiours eternall God-head our Euangelist truly and with Apostolicall authority affirmeth that the VVord was in the beginning Neither doth he content himselfe therewithall but for the further instruction of them that belieue hee addes that The VVord was with God and was God yea that The same VVord was in the beginning with GOD. The first point of our Sauiours eternitie was expounded as it pleased God to enhable mee in my former exercise I am now by his gracious assistance to goe forwarde with that which followes The VVord was with God Wherein for the words themselues first wee must enquire what is meant by God then what the Euangelist woulde teach vs when hee sayth The VVord was with God 1. h Orig. in Ioa. lib. 2. Chrysost in Ioan. hom 2 God when the word is properly taken not applied to a creature signifieth either the Diuine nature in all three persons The Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost or only the first of the three The Father Examples of the former are in euerie leafe and page of the Scripture Let vs alleage one or two out of this Gospell i Ioh 4. 24 God is a spirit Not God the Father onely but the Sonne also and the holy Ghost For this spiritualnesse is a propertie of the diuine nature not of anie one person therein else should not the other two bee spirituall The k Ioh. 16. 2. time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you vvill thinke he doth God seruice Surely no man that killeth Christians for beleeuing in CHRIST IESVS can thinke hee doth seruice to the Trinity For our Sauiour CHRIST is one of the three But the idolatrous heathen and the superstitious Iewes make accompt that they performe acceptable seruice to God namely to the diuine nature when they destroy them that acknowledge the three persons to bee one God or deny that there are more Gods then one or worshippe our Sauiour Christ as God Of the later the old Testament affords vs few examples or none the new very many and to make short wheresoeuer God and the Sonne or Iesus Christ are mētioned together there by God the Father is signified l Ioh. 3. 16 So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne God what not the diuine nature For that hath no Son to giue else should the second person haue a Sonne and the third to because both the Sonne and the holie Ghost are the diuine nature or God no lesse then the Father But euery mans owne reason teacheth him that the Sonne is the Fathers Sonne So that by God which gaue his Sonne God the Father is vnderstood The same Father is also meant by the name of God when hee is mentioned with Christ m Rom. 1. 8 I thanke my God sayth the Apostle through IESVS CHRIST euen him whom in the next Verse before he had called God our Father Verse 7 Verse 9 and whose Sonne in the ver following he maketh Iesus Christ God is my witnessewhome I serue with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne Of the same kinde are all those places where there is any mention of praying to God in or thorough CHRIST For to him hath our Sauiour taught vs to pray n Luke 11. 2 VVhen yee pray saie Our Father vvhich art in heauen o Ioh. 16. 23 VVhatsoeuer yee aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you Now let vs see in whether of these two significations the word God is to bee taken in this place Surelie not in the former because then The VVord should haue beene with himselfe which is no reasonable speech For who vnderstands not that euery thing which is said to be with an other is diuerse from that with which it is sayde to bee Therefore if the VVord vverewith God the VVord was not God But the Euangelist directly auoucheth that the VVord vvas God What remaines then if by God wee will haue the Diuine nature to bee meant but that wee must confesse there are two Gods The VVord and hee vvith vvhom the VVord vvas But it is certaine in Religion and reason that there is but one God And therefore God
of reason could neuer be attained to without reuelation from God But this is not the armour a Christian trusts to Thy bulwark must bee the shield of faith borne vp and held out by some strong rest of holy scripture The word was God Saith our Euangelist By it were all things made Let Satan cast his fiery and poysonous darts against vs This shield quencheth the fury and killeth the strength of their fire and poyson As for his distinctions and respects wherby he sweats and tyres himselfe to proue that our Sauiour is but God by fauour not by nature because he is imploied in such an office not because he is eternally begotten of God his father they are sparkles that keepe a cracking with more feare then hurt and venom that raiseth a few Pimples in the outer skin with more trouble then danger Keepe thee close vnder the shield of faith and though Satan make thee stagger yet hee shall neuer ouerthrow thee Being then thus armed at all points with an assured perswasion of our Sauiour Christs diuine nature and hauing beaten the enemy that charged vs with such force and fury let vs peaceably and carefully consider with our selues what vse wee may haue of that fort which wee now possesse in safety Is this Sauiour of ours God eternal infinite in wisedome in power in holinesse in all worth and perfection Surely then may wee truely and bodly say that p Psal 89. 19. God hath layed help vpon one that is mighty more mighty to rescue his people out of the hands of sinne and Satan then Dauid was to free the people of Israell from the Philistines and all other that oppressed them Are they mighty that are against vs Hee that is with vs is more mighty Doe you not heare the Apostle as it were defying all the world in confidence of this assistance r If God saith he be on our Rom. 8. 31. side who can be against vs What though hee speakes of God the Father Is not the Sonne our Sauiour the same God of the same power Me thinkes I am encouraged by this meditation to dare Satan and to bid him battaile to his face Let him not spare to magnify the iustice of God to amplifie the grieuousnesse of my sinne to lay out to the vttermost the furiousnesse of Gods displeasure to set before me the weakenesse of my estate to recken vp as it were on his fingers the huge summes of my debt what is all this If Iesus Christ be God Though the iustice of God will not bee corrupted by feare pity bribery or flattery yet it will bee satisfied If the wrath of God be infinite against my sinne an infinite sacrifice may appease it I haue nothing to pay But he that is God is all-sufficient Å¿ Mic. 67. Will not the Lord bee pleased with thousands os Rams nor with ten thousand riuers of oyle t Heb. 10. 4. â—â— 12. Is it vnpossible that the bloud of Buls and Goates should take away sinne Yet u Act. 20. 28. hath Iesus Christ who is God by his owne blood entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs. God x saith the Apostle hath purchased the Church with his owne blood What though y Mâ—c 6. 7. the Lord will not accept my first borne for my transgression Will he also refuse the sacrifice of his owne first begotten yea * Ioh. 1. 18. of his onely begotten which is in his bosome No no he hath proclaimed him from heauen a Mat. 3. 17. to be his sonne that beloued one in whom he is well pleased Now the sufficiency of this worthy sacrifice ariseth not from the bloud of man though it be more excellent then that of buls or goates but froÌ„ the inualuable worth of the person whose blood is sacrifice Could the bloud of Isaac of Abell or of Adam while he was innocent and holy haue beene a sufficient ransome for sinne committed against the infinite maiestie of God Looke how much it lacks of infinitenesse in valew so much it lacks also of worth to make satisfaction For no finit sum can discharge an infinit debt But as God himselfe so sin against God is infinit Multiply any finit nuÌ„ ber though neuer so great that which proceeds of it wil be but finit And whatsoeuer is finite imagine it as great as you can in number or measure is no neerer infinitnes then the least point or fraction that can bee conceiued For there is no kinde of proportion betwixt them else should finit infinit be al one Because that which hath any part of it finit being compouÌ„ded of finite parts put together must of necessity it selfe be vnderstood to bee finite For the parts make the whole and that taketh it nature from these Now who knows not that the holinesse and nature of man is finit Such therfore would the whole lumpe bee if all that is or can bee in al men were gathered together into one How then can a sacrifice which is but finite make due satisfaction for sin that is infinite And that which I speake of men I would haue vnderstood also of all creatures whatsoeuer Angels or other For since their nature and worth is finit it is as farre from infinitenesse be what it will in comparison of the valew of other finite things as nothing is from all that which is from that which is not There is then nothing at all left wherein wee may haue any trust or hope of hauing satisfaction made to God for vs but onely the inualuable sacrifice of our Sauiour Iesus Christ b Heb. 10. 14 VVho with one offering hath consecrated for euer them that are sanctified c Ioh. 1. 29. Behold saith he that was sent to shew him the lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the world But whence hath our blessed Sauiour this inestimable valew I know not saith one neither will I trouble my head about it I beleeue his sacrifice was sufficient and that serues my turne without any further adoe Oh my brethren let vs not be so vnkind to our blessed sauiour so vnthankfull to God the father so contemptuous against the holy ghost so retchlesse of our owne saluation Is it not monstrous vnkindnesse to haue so incompatable a fauour done thee and not to labour to know that which is most honorable to him that did it How shalt thou worthily lift vp thy heart to praise and magnifie the Father that sent his sonne for thy redemption if thou neglect to vnderstand how glorious he was whom hee sent At the least despise not the wisedome and prouidence of the holy spirit as if hee had troubled himselfe in vain with setting his Secretaries on worke to pen the particulars of thy saluation for thy full satisfaction and comfort Well let all this goe If thou beest not ashamed of so vnreasonable vnkindnesse vnthankfulnesse contemptuousnesse yet bee afraid least thou lose that which thou thinkest
much and indeed too much for this sottish heresie It is also gathered from hence by some that the word is coeternall or equal to the Father in eternity A doctrin very true needfull to be knowne but such as was signified before when it was said that The VVord was in the beginning that it was with God Neither doth the beginning in this or the former clause note eternity but the time when all things began to be created Wherfore to shut vp the interpretation of this verse with shewing what I conceiâ—e to be intended in it by the holy ghost I am perswaded that the purpose of the Evangelist was to repeate that which in the former verse he had deliuered For if he had meaÌ„t to add a fourth point of the like kind to the other 3 in all liklyhood he would haue continued the same manner of writing by coupling this to that which went before and haue said And this was in the beginning with God If any man obiect that he doth not so in that which followeth he is already answered that in the next words the Evangelist comes to a new kinde of argument wherby he proues that which before hee had avoucht namely that the word was in the beginning was God At the least he describes the Word by outward effects towards the creatures not by his owne nature or properties Neither is this a bare repetition but a plainer instruction for the simplest that they may â—ssure theÌ„selues that the Word was in the beginning with God I graunt so much was implied before but not exprest to euery mans capacity Here the Evangelist speaketh so that all may vnderstaÌ„d him giues directioÌ„ for the interpreting of that clause The VVord was with God When was the Word with God In the beginning When as yet there was neither time nor place euen then had the Word his being with God I would gladly adde to all this that which is obseru'd by l Toletus in Ioâ—n cap. 1. Annot. 11. some as I perswade my selfe not without great likelihood that the Euangelist by his repetition would farther giue vs to vnderstand that The VVord not only was in the beginning but was then with God a worker in the creation of all things The ground of this interpretation is taken from that place in m Pro. 8. 22. the Prouerbs where this same Word is described by the name of wisdom There first his eternal Being is described Verse 30 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his waie I was before his works of old I was set-vp from euerlasting c. This description is continued to the end of ver 26. In the 27. the holy Ghost proceeds to shew vs that the same wisdome was with God as a nourisher when hee prepared the heauens when he set the compasse vpon the deep c. Yea it may be somewhat more particularly applyed Salomon sayth when he prepared the heauens I was there To that answereth this of our Euangelist This was in the beginning with God His nourishing as some expound it his creating or ordering of all things the holy Ghost heere expresseth at large in the words following By him were al things made The conference of these two places seemes to warrant this exposition as we haue seene I wil not striue much about it so wee apply this repetition to the strengthening of our fayth Concerning our Sauiour Christs eternall God-head doubtlesse we attaine to the principall thing intended by the holy Ghost And of that point what Christian can doubt though he would neuer so faine Dost thou not perceiue that the holie Euangelist deliuers it with aduise and deliberation It is not a matter that hee hits vpon but a point chosen by him to begin his Gospell withal It slips not from him at vnawares but is repeated vpon good aduisement Certainly this doubling of the point makes it manifest that the holy ghost would haue vs view and consider it throughly on al sides It is neither of small importance that it need not to be learned nor easie to be beleeued that it need not to be taught but once Wherefore is it propounded and repeated but that it might be vnderstood and remembred Vnderstood that no hereticks deceiue vs remembred that our hearts faynt not Hee that is God Almighty hath redeemed vs who shall bee able to hold vs Captiues Let vs not be afraid to defye sin hel death and the deuil himselfe n Rom. 8. 31. God is on our side who can be against vs Hauing thus expounded these two verses and finding in them some poynts which concerne the admirarable Doctrin of the most glorious and holy Trinity so many things also beeing spoken euery where in this gospel of the Father the Son and the holy Spirit I haue thought it necessarie both sor your instruction and the discharge of my dutie to bestow the rest of this hower in opening that blessed mystery Wherein according to the example of our Euangelist the whole course of the scripture I will content my selfe with the Euidence of the word without the curiosity of schoole diuinity It shall be sufficient for vs vnderstand that the scripture affirmeth that there is one God and three persons though we can see no reason how it can be so And farder in shewing that the three persons are indeed distinct one from another and not diuers respects of one and the same I will not stand vpon their nature in themselues so much as vpon those effects which beeing ascrib'd to them in the Scripture cannot as in shall appeare bee performed by anie one person Our Euangelist deliuers the point of our Sauiours diuine nature in a few words here in the beginning of the Gospell Hee proues it at large by many wonderfull works of his through the whole course of his writing This shal be my example and warrant Yet I would not haue any man think that I either condemne their paines and care who haue laboured to explaine these mysteries by the light of reason or affirme that the points themselues cannot stand with reason They are indeed aboue reason but yet not against reason As the light of nature cannot discerne them so it cannot disproue theÌ„ And the chiefe end of them that endeuoured to discusse these maters in some sort by reason was rather to stop their mouths that would not beleeue theÌ„ to inforce theÌ„ to beleeue Now this course in this place and auditorie I trust is needlesse I am sure with the greatest part it would be bootlesse For how many or rather how few are there heere present that are able to examine or conceiue the subtill arguments that haue been deuised and vsed in these questions Neither are wee to settle our faith by the waight of humane reason but to ground it vpon diuine authority Now to the matter Wherein that I may proceede the more orderly and be the more easily vnderstood First I will speake of the vnity of
Ver. 22. the Father and God the Sonne are indeede two persons but not two Gods Wee see then that the Father is truely and really a distinct person from the Sonne who though hee be neither made nor created by the Father yet is begotten of him and so hath not his being of himselfe but of his father and therefore in the manner of his being is distinguisht from the Father So is the holy Ghost or spirit from both of them You wil aske me by what he is distinguisht from them I answere Ver. 23. by his proceeding from them First it is manifest he is distinct from the father because he is not of himselfe in regard of his person as the father is Secondly although he agree with the Sonne in that each of them hath his being from a Third namely the Father yet in the particular maner of his being he is distinguisht froÌ„ him For the Sonne is begotten by the Father so hath his being but the holy Ghost is not begotten but proceedeth From whome doth the holy Ghost proceed From the other two persons the Father and the Sonne Of his proceeding froÌ„ the Father our Sauiour m Ioh. 15. 26. speaks distinctly and plainely The comforter shall come whom I will send you from from the Father the spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Therefore also hee is called the spirit of the Father It is not you that speake n Mat. 10. 2â— saith our Sauiour but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you Now that he also proceedeth from the Sonne it may thus appeare All things o Ioh. 16. 15. saith our Sauior that the Father hath are mine And speaking to the Father he p Ioh. 17. 10. saitâ— All thine are mine The later of these two Texts may be vnderstood I grant of those things that are as wee speake without God but because it hath vsually beene applyed to proue this point I thought fit to alleadge it You will reply that all the Fathers is not the Sons That personall property whereby he is the Sonne is not the Fathers but the Sonnes that by which the Father is the Father is not the Sonnes but the Fathers Whatsoeuer else the Father hath the Sonne hath also But that the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father is not the personall property of the Father and therefore the Sonne hath that and so with the Father as it were by breathing produceth the holy Ghost who therfore is called the spirit of the Sonne and of Christ q Gal 46. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts If any man r Rom 89. haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not Christes It is not said indeed that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne as it is that he proceedeth from the Father but since he is called the spirit of the Sonne as wel as of the Father wee truely gather that hee proceedeth no lesse from the Sonne then from the Father though the one be exprest and the other be not To conclude then we see what the properties are by which the persons are distinguisht among themselues The Father begetteth neither is begotten nor proceedeth the Sonne is begotten but proceedeth not the holy Ghost neither begetteth nor is begotten but proceedeth All these 3. He that begetteth He that is begotten and He that proceedeth are all one and the same God to bee blessed and praised for euer and euer Amen Therefore are all 3 absolutely equall in all matters appertaining to the nature of God only there are 2 things wherein the Father hath as it were some praeeminence among the persons The one I noted by the way before that He is of himselfe so is neither of the other but both are of him The other is that the father is the first in order in these respects he is sometime called by Diuines the fountaine vâ—rse 25. of the Trinitie And whereas it is said in that Creed ofteÌ„ named that None of the 3 persons is afore or after other the meaning is that none of them is in time afore or after Verse 26. other all being eternall as the next verse sheweth saying that All 3 are coeternall that is alike eternall The Sonne also hath the like preaeminence aboue the holy Ghost For both he is in order before him beeing the second and the holy Ghost is of him as well as of the Father But these praeeminences concerne the persons which are distinct not the diuine nature which is wholly absolutely one as by which these 3 persons are one God To whome be all glory c. THE THIRD SERmon vpon the first Chapter of IOHN Verse 3. By it were all things made and without it was nothing made that was made Verse 4. In it was life c. ALL true knowledge of things ariseth either from an vnderstanding of their inward nature or from a consideration of their workes and actions The former teaching vs the hidden causes is the pefecter but the harder the later shewing vs the secret nature by the manifest effects is the lesse perfect but the more easie That nothing might be wanting whereby any man might be drawne or perswaded to the acknowledging of our Sauiour Christs Godhead our Evangelist hath both laid open the mystery of his nature and set out to all mens viewe the wonderfull glory of his workes Hast thou a desire to fill the depth of thy vnderstanding with the profouÌ„d knowledge of his eternall being Behold sufficient matter of continuall meditation and study In the beginning was the word and the word was with God c. Will not thy capacity or leasure serue thee to sound the depth of these bottomelesse mysteries Behold a shorter and easier meanes of knowledge by which thou maist see the glorious Sonne shining in his workes whome in his naturall brightnesse thy dazled eies cannot looke vpon If thou canst not perfectly comprehend the infinitnesse of his light yet thou shalt certainely discerne that it is infinite And with this desire and hope lette vs come to the expounding of this verse Wherein we are first to vnderstand what it is that our Euangelist here teacheth Secondly to see how it proues our Sauiour Christes diuinity In the former part I will speake of the clauses of this verse seuerally then I wil consider the matter of them ioyntly both together By him were al things made that is to speake plainly He made all things I am not ignorant that Å¿ Erasmus ad hunc locum some meÌ„ cast more doubts then need because the word Him in the greeke may bee referred either to God or to the Word and therfore they thinke it meete and needful so to translate it that it may be certainly and necessarily by the very translation restrained to the Word so that in their opinion we must say t Istud not IpsuÌ„ It not Him For mine owne part I will not striue
action But what needes any farther proofe x Gen. 1. 26. 27. then Moses himselfe affords vs in this verse Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female Do you marke the same word thrice vsed concerning the making of man And yet who knowes not that y Gen. 2. 7. The Lord God made the man of the dust of the ground Would Moses haue called that making of man by the name of Creating if to Create were to make of nothing Surely man was not created being made of the dust if there be no creating where there is matter of which he is to bee made So it is also affirmed by Moses * Gen. 21. that God created the great whales what of nothing Nothing lesse It is well knowne and recorded euen there by Moses that the water brought them forth I wil say more There is no one place in the history of the creation where the worde Creating maye be taken I doe not say must bee but may bee taken for making of nothing except perhaps the first verse In the beginuing God created heauen and earth only here may the word be so vnderstood because by heauen earth the first matter of all things may be conceiued which only was created of nothing all things else of it As for the greeke both the vse of it in al kind of writers speaketh for me who can imagin that they who did not beleeue that euer there was any creation shoulde deuise a needlesse word to signifie such a thing as they neuer dreamt of and if at any time they speake of such a question they expresse themselues by adding some worde to make as to make of nothing or without any pre-existent matter or such like What then Doe wee deny the thing because wee say there is no word that necessarily signifieth To make of nothing God forbid We haue taught and can easily proue if neede be that all things besides God haue had a beginning of their being Then were they ether made of nothing which indeed is most true or of God him-himselfe as the matter of them But the later is meerely vnpossible For neither is God of any bodily matter as we see those thinges to be a Iob. 4. 24. God is a spirit and whatsoeuer is of his substance is the same God with him infinit in power and being whereas all creatures are finit in both Therefore when we meditate on the glorious worke of creation wee must drawe our thoughts from the cogitation of these things which we see feel heare smell and tast and conceiue aswell as we can that there is nothing but God How then came all these to be the world and the creatures therein God made them Of what Of that first matter which was without forme couered all ouer with darknesse But whereof was that first matter made Of nothing That is when as yet there was nothing at all but the in comprehensible maiestie of God in his eternall being it pleased him to wil that all these things should be and by this will of his according to this will all and every one of these Creaturs took their being First as God had from all eternity purposed and willed that first matter or lump had its being simply of nothing as all reason shewes vs. For how is it possible to coÌ„ceiue or imagin that that which is the first matter should haue any other matter before it of which it might be made Therefore b Arist Physâ—â— lib. 1. the Philoso phers being ignorant of the creation were inforced to make this first matter eternal and this was the conceipt I. ucret de natura rerum lib. 1. of them all that did not acknowledge God to bee the maker of that matter So then if you aske me what that was which was made of nothing I say the first matter of all things and in which all creatures were contained If any man be afraid least this opinion should deminish the glory of God in creating the particulars hee must be put in mind that both the matter it selfe was made by God of nothing that all the creatures were made of it by no lesse infinit power then the lumpe it selfe was made If Adam in his first estate if all the Angells of God had beene created before this lumpe and that being made by the Almighty power of God had beene brought vnto them c Gen. 2. 19. as the creatures were to Adam it had not bin possible for them I will not say to haue made these other inferior creatures but so much as to haue deuised the forme and workmanship which noâ— they see and wonder at in the meanest creatures But of this point in the second part when I come to shew that the Creation of all things is a certaine proofe of our Sauiours Godhead It remaines that wee expounde the last words All things What need they any exposition may some man say For who is so dull that he vnderstands not what is meant by them what can be meant but absolutely All things without exception Surely it is certaine that the Euangelists meaning is so and a man may well maruell that there should be any question made of it yet such hath bin the malice of Satan and the miserable shifting of Hereticks that I thinke no one text in this whole Gospell hath bin more strangely or diuersly interpreted I will touch some of the errors point at other and stand long vpon none We presse the generalitie of the words All things which comprizeth whatsoeuer hath any being Would you think it possible that these words â—eing so large should bee stretcht too farre Yet haue they bin most absurdly For by them Macedonius who denied the Godhead of the holy Ghost laboured to establish his blasphemous heresy If all things saith hee then the holy Ghost too vnles he be nothing Why dost thou not multiply thy absurdities and say asmuch of the Father and the Sonne himselfe too For if it seeme absurde to thee as it is to containe the Sonne vnder these generall tearmes because hee is the creator or maker how canst thou imagin such a blasphemy of the holye Ghost who is also a Creator with him being one the same God At the least thou canst not exempt the Father of whom there is no more mention in this clause then of the holy spirit But d Ambroâ—â—â— spâ— S. cap 2. â—y ril lib. 1. m I â—â— cap. 5. Chryâ—â—â—â— in Ioa. â—om 4 Groâ—or◠〈◊〉 oraâ— Thcoâ— 5. the Euangelist that I may not spend too much time in these fancies hath answered for himselfe where he restraineth this to the things that were made VVithout him was made nothing that was made Whatsoeuer was made was made by him but the holy Ghost being God as hath bin shewed hath an eternall being and was neuer made though he proceed from the father and the Sonne As Macedonius
father There was a man of Beniamin The new Testament is full of the like examples some of them wee heard before a few more will suffice There Ioh. 5. 5. 2. 1. was a mâ—â— there saith our Euangelist speaking of the poole at â—ethesda There was a man one of the Phaâ—ises Aâ—â— 5. 1. 10. 1. A certaine man named Ananias There was a certaine man in Caesarea I mâ—ght rehearse many more of the same kinde but these are more then enow and by this I thinke wee haue sufficient warrant to conclude that the holy Ghost in this History of Iohn speakes as hee doth ordinarily in other places of the like kinde without any intent to signifie his nature of whom he speakes and this is the simplest and Plainest interpretation of these former words The later Sent from God offer these two things to our consideration who sent what this sending was What needs any question of the former may some man say Doth not the Euangelist speake plaine enough and tell vs that God was the sender Hee was sent from God But we learned in the beginning of this Gospell that the worde God somtimes signified the diuine nature which is but one and the same in all three persons sometimes some one of them And we haue here the more reason to make this inquirie because one of the persons namely the second is he of whome Iohn was to witnes Not to vse more words then neede wee are directed by Iohn himselfe to vnderstand this of GOD the Father This I prooue by this our Euangelist in this present chapter where he reports part of the Baprists tesimonie touching our Sauiour in this sort He that sent mee to baptize with water he said vnto me vpon whom thou Ioh. 1. 33. shalt see the spirit come downe and tarry still on him that is hee which baptizeth with the holy Ghost Who is this that sent Iohn to baptize Not the diuine nature For he is distinguisht from the Sonne and the holy Ghost who can it be then but the Father God the father gaue Iohn a token whereby he should know the Sonne that was the Messiah the comming downe of the holy Ghost and his abiding on him S. Mathew sets out the point as distinctly The second Person is in the water newly baptized the third sits vpon him in the likenes of a Doue the first proclaimes him from heauen This is that my Sonne Mat. 3. 17. that beloued one in whome I am well pleased As if hee should in plaine tearmes haue said to Iohn This is hee of whome I sent thee to beare witness The like distinction for the Father and the Sonne wee haue in Saint Luke where Zachary the father of Iohn prophecying Luke 1. 76. of his sonne sayeth that hee shall be called the Prophet of the most high namely of God the Father as it appeares by the speech of the Angell Gabriell to the virgin Mary Hee shall be called the Sonne of the most verse 32. high Then followes Iohns office Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord namely the Lord Iesus for whome Iohn prepared the way But how did God the Father send him Surely hee may well bee said to haue bin sent in regard both of his person and of his office His person as it is wel knowne I will but point at the particulars was after an extraordinarie manner from GOD as I saac was giuen to Gen. 18. 10. Abraham and Sarah by him His father and mother were both striken image and she also barren insomuch Luke 1. 7. that when shee was conceiued with childe contrarie to her expectation and beyond all likelihood and naturall possibilitie shee hid her selfe fiue monethes till shee might bee more sure of that which to Ver. 24. 36. many would seeme vnpossible and to take away too much occasion of speech from the common sort For his office it was assigned him by GOD and notice also of that Assigâ—ment giuen to his father before the child was conceiued Hee shall goe before him saith the Angell in the spirit and power of Elias Neither was he only thus foreappointed for this excelâ—ent office but when the time came that hee should enter vpon it he receiued a speciall commission and warrant from God for the execution thereof The worde Luke 3. 1. 2. of God came to Iohn the sonne of Zacharias in the wildernesse It is to no purpose to spend time in seeking how this worde came whether by any inward motion of the spirit onely or by some outward vision also wee may safely be ignorant of such matters hath not pleased the holy Ghost to reueale in the scriptures yet if wee may lawfully ghesse it seemes most likely that it was without any such outward shew because the Euangelist makes no mention of it in setting downe the History This last sending onely is thought by some to bee signified in this place If they had said no more but chiefly I should ensily haue assented to them Now they say onely I doubt whether they haue any sufficient warrant so to restraine the holy Ghosts words or no and therefore thinke it most conuenient to allow them as large an extent as they will reasonably beare You looke perhaps that I should now proceede to deliuer the Enangelists meaning and accordingly to adde such proofe and exhortation as may helpe vs forward in the embracing of the Gospell But I thinke it fittest to forbeare that for a time till I haue expounded the other part of the verse that I may take all together It followeth then to speake of the name and why the Euangelst records it The name as it soundeth in our language hath little resemblance of the originall whence it commeth Which if any man thinke a fault let him take heede that he doe not rashly condemne the holy Ghost who in the Greeke hath had small care to expresse the Hebrew sounds following continually the custome howsoeuer not answering the originall tongue Shall I need to bring any particulars for proofe of that I say Looke ouer the new Testament and wheresoeuer you finde the name of any Prophet where the Greeke differs from the Hebrew you haue an example of that which I affirme Begin with Moses if you will and so goe forward to Malachy You shall finde that the holy Ghost keepes one and the same course in naming of them without respect of their significations or sounds The reason of this is that the parties were wel known to the Iewes by those names according as the 72. Interpreters had translated them after the manner of the Greeke tongue Other languages Except perhaps the Flemâ—sh by the same warrant haue iustly taken the same liberty and not doubted as they needed not to fit the He. brew and Greeke names to the fashion of their seuerall tongues So that if any man shall either curiously affect or superstitiously obserue the nature and sound of those names which
for your better satisfaction the prophecies of him and the performance of them witnessed in the scripture A voice cryeth in the wildernes saith the Prophet Esay Prepare yee the way of the Lord make Isai 40. 3. straight his pathes Malachy speakes somwhat more Mal. 3. 1. plaine Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before mee What voice what messenger was this Let S. Mathew shew vs This is hee viz. Iohn Mat. 3. 3. Baptist of whom it is spoken by the Prophet Isaias saying The voice of him that cryeth in the wildernes c. The like hath S. Marke who begins his Gospell with the testimonie Mark 1. 2. of Malachy the last of the Prophets and applies it to Iohn Behold I send my messenger c. S. Luke also Luke 3. 4. beares witnes to the same truth that the ioint consent of al the 4. may be seene our Euangelist S. Iohn reporteth the same thing from the mouth of Iohn Baptist himselfe who being asked by the Priests Leuites sent from the Iewes what he said of himselfe answered I am Ioh. 1. 23. the voice of him that cryeth in the wildernes Make straight the way of the Lord. If there bee any man whome this colud of witnesses cannot perswade though hee deserue not any farder instruction yet let him hearken to our Sauiour affirming that this Iohn was that Elias of whom Malachy prophesied saying Behold Mal. 4. 5. I will send you Elias the Prophet before the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord. If ye will receiue Mat. 11. 14. it saith Christ This is Elias which was to come So had the Angell Gabriell prophecied of him before to his father Zacharie Hee shall goe before him Christ in the spirit and power of Elias There can possibly bee no doubt then but that hee which was in such extraordinarie sort sent from GOD both could and would testifie according to the truth hee had receiued by reuelation from him who imploied him in so worthy a seruice Is it not strange then yea almost more then incredible that the Iewes for whose sake principally if not only a messenger of such credit and authoritie was sent should so distast the chiefe point and the very substance of his Message I intend not to make any long discourse of the matter because I shall haue more iust occasion thereof at the 11. verse Yet I can not paste it ouer wholly in silence At his circumcision all that heard Luke 1. 60. Ver. 63. Ver. 64. what had happened that his mother against the liking of her kinred and freinds would needs haue him named Iohn that his father tooke writing tables and set downe the same name that therevpon he was restored to the vse of his speech hauing bin dumbe at the least 9. or 10. monethes all I say that heard these things were striken with feare and wonder saving one to another What manner of Child shall this be Now the time was come that they might cast off that feare and satisfie themselues concerning that their wondring He was growne to mans estate hee betooke himselfe to the worke of his calling hee perswaded and exhorted all men to repent he shewed them the Messiah he spake plainely of him as no prophet euer could that no man could doubt whom he meant Behold the Lambe of God Ioh. 1. 29. What could they desire more If the autoritie of the speaker might preuaile with them All men held Iohn Mat. 21. 26. for a Prophet If the warrant of his Doctrine were lookt for the people were generally of opinion that hee had it from heauen So that the Pharises Scribes durst not say the contrary for feare of the multitude What then Did hee speake obscurely and darkely after the manner of prophecies Hee pointed to the person with his finger This is hee of whome I said After mee commeth a man which is preferred before Ioh 1 30. me Hee declared his office in plaine words Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of Ver. 29. the world I may well take vp the complaint of the Prophet I say against this people in the like case What Isai 5. 4. could the Lord haue done more for them then he did Iohn Baptist came neither eating nor drinking but leading so austere a life that the very Heathen were moued with reuerence toward him Herod feared Iohn knowing Mark 6. 20. that hee was a iust man and an holy and reuerenced him and when he heard him did many things and heard him gladly But it was a small matter for the Iewes to make little accompt of Herods iudgement concerning the Baptist it was much they should not beleeue a man whom they thought to be sent from God Especially considering the end of his sending which Verse 7. wee haue set downe in these two next verses The same came for a witnes to beare witnesse of the light c. In the former whereof wee are first to speake of his office both in the generall that he came for a witnes and in the particular that hee was to beare witness of the light Secondly we must consider the amplification of this his office by the end That all men through him might beleeue and in the next verse by a deniall of the contrarie thereto he was not the light and a repetition of the office but was sent to beare witnes of the light In the first part there is no neede of any long exposition of the words they are so plaine onely somwhat must be said of the last of them a witnes The Greeke worde doth not signifie a partie that is to bee witnes but rather the testimonie it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hee must giue Therefore our Rhemists take aduantage to make the text as hard and vnpleasant as they can Hee came for testimonie say they For testimonie What English should a man pick out of such a strange kinde of speech Surely if any thing can reasonably bee made of it wee must vnderstand Testimonie for testimoniall as if the Euangelist had meant to tell vs that Iohns comming was for testimoniall But hee had no such thought For hee came not to haue any testimony of this or that from other men but to giue testimonie himselfe to other So that neither the worde testimonie may bee put for testimoniall nor if it might could it serue to expresse Saint Iohns meaning Which is nothing else but that the Baptist came to beare or giue witnes The phrase is somewhat diuers in the two clauses but the sense is absolutely one and the same May wee then so expound our Popish translation of the Rhemists This man say they came for testimonie that is to giue testimony Indeede that is the thing that our Euangelist would haue vs know but the English will not beare it For testimonie For to giue testimonie But such strange and new
a mislike of Iohn and his ministery into any mans hart Did he nourish any such conceit or incline any man to the retaining of it It is true indeed that Iohn was to execute his office only in Iewry and not to seeke out the Iewes in the seuerall Countries where they were dispersed But this doth not proue that his ministery therfore belongd not to them There was great reason why he should abide in those parts There was our Sauiour to bee borne there to bee baptised by him there to be showne to the people That was the lande in which the people to whoÌ„ Iohn was sent had their ordinary and proper dwelling And though many were dâ—sperst here and there yet this was the generall rendez-vous to which all were to resort for the worship of God the expectatioÌ„ of the Messiah If their worldly affairs occasions held theÌ„ir other places that they â—aÌ„e noâ— to heare Iohn preach veâ— was Iohns ministery in respect of the common end therof as free for them as for any other of the Iews whatsoeuer that they might haue beleeued And shall any of them that haue perisht through their own default or shal any Proctor for them open his mouth to blame the iustice or deny the mercy of God in prouiding for their saluation What dost thou climing vp to heauen and prying into the hidden counsaile of God to accuse him or excuse them Iohn was sent to beare witnesse that all men might beleeue Did he not accordingly shew himselfe to all that would see him Did he forbid or discourage any man from hearing If at any time he seem'd to driue men from him it was to driue them to Christ I graunt he was meane in his apparell homely in his diet solitary in his conuersation sharpe in his reproofes But he was faithfull and painefull in his ministery Though hee rebuked many that came to his baptisme yet the refused none that confest their sinnes It was not his purpose to with-hold baptisme from any man but to prepare all men that they might bee fit receiuers of it But what spend I time in defending of Iohn These mens quarrell is not to him but to God Alas poore wretches Whome do they prouoke How will they be able to maintaine their quarrell Nay rather O desperat miscreants O prophane blasphemers Was God in fault that they beleeu'd not Did he not promise them often that the Messiah shoulde come Did he not send his Angel euen Gabriell to foretell the precise time of his comming Did hee not prouide that Iohn should preach vnto them That hee might Mal. 4. 6. turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers least he should come and smite the earth with cursing And as if all this had beene a small matter did hee not take order that his promises should be left in writing to the ende that all men might know them Where was the fault now that these things were not knowne and beleeued Many of them could not read these prophecies But God had made euerie one of them capable of skill to read If their parents neglected the meanes or if themselues reguarded not the knowledge shall God beare the blame of their sinne and folly Will you except against the hardnesse of the points as they are deliuered in the prophecies of the olde Testament Nay rather condemne the hardnesse of their hearts that would not vnderstand that which as for those times was plainly and manifestly taught There was none so simple or ignorant amongst them but he had heard of the Messiah None almost so carelesse but lookt for his comming None so desperate but hoped for some good by his comming Why then did they refuse him Refuse him said I Nay why did they denie him disgrace him hate him persecute him murther him Because they knewe him not Did they not know him But they might haue done if they had beleeued Moses and the rest of the Prophets that testified of him But let all them goe Admitte they Ioh. 5. 46. had giuen no tokens by which the Messiah when hee should come might be knowne I will vrge none but Iohn Baptists testimony or rather I will not vrge it but name it Iohn is sent to them as it is generally knowne amongst them after an extraordinarie manner his father and mother being very olde and she all her life time time verie barren An Angell brings his father a message from God that his wife should conceiue and appoints him to call the child Iohn The father makes doubt of this promise is threatned and stricken with dumbnesse thereupon which according to the Angels threatning continues till the child be born The eight day after when hee is to bee circumcised the mother names him Iohn the kindred except against it because none of their Auncestors or stocke haue beene so called His fathers opinion is required Hee makes signes for a payre of writing Tables and confirmes his wiues direction by his consent thus written His name is Iohn Presently hereupon his mouth is opened and his tongue loosed and by the spirit of prophecy hee breakes out into a psalme of prayse and thankesgiuing to God These things are noysed all about those parts and there is great muttering among the people with wonder at the child what manner of man hee will prooue To increase this admiration the course of this childes life is yet more extraordinarie hee withdrawes himself from the company of men and liues in the wildernesse many yeares together at the last about the thirteth yeare of his age as it were vpon a sodayne He comes into all the Coasts about Iordan preaching the baptisme of repentaÌ„c for the remission of sins In a short time his fame growes sâ— great that the Rulers of the Iewes are halfe of opinioâ— that he is the Messiah yea there wanted nothing buâ— his owne word to make him beso acknowledged Heâ— cleares it and sayes plainely I am not the Christ No many dayes after this message euen the next day while these thinges were fresh in memorie hee tell them directly that Iesus whome also hee shewes them being now present with him is the Messiah after whom they inqure Consider now I beseech you a little the strange and wilfull blindnesse of this people Iohn the Baptist was a man in that credit and fauour with them that hee might haue beene taken for the Messiah if hee would haue taken the office vpon him Hee tels them he is not the man he assures them vpon his reputation that Iesus is hee to whome hee doth so much submitâ—e himselfe that hee holdes not himselfe worthy to vntie his shooe Tell mee nowe and speake boldely so thou wilt speake reasonably whosoeuer thou art what canst thou saye against the Lorde in this case Deuise a more likely meanes if thou caâ—st to perswadâ— them by Doth Iohn want authoritie to moue them All men held Iohn for a Prophet Lackes