Mr. HOWARD's SERMON Preach'd Before The Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of the City of LONDON AT THE Cathedral Church of St. PAVL upon Trinity-Sunday Anno Dom. 1700. Levett Mayor Jovis 20 die Junii 1700. Annoque Regni Regis Willielmi Tertii Angliae c. Duodecimo THIS Court doth Desire Mr. Howard to Print his Sermon Preach'd on Trinity-Sunday last before the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of this City at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's Goodfellow The TRINITY Asserted A SERMON PREACH'D BEFORE The Lord-Mayor and Aldermen of the City of LONDON AT THE Cathedral Church of St. PAVL upon Trinity-Sunday Anno Dom. 1700. By JOHN HOWARD M. A. Rector of Marston-Trussel in Northamptonshire LONDON Printed for J. Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry 1700. To the Right Honourable Sir Richard Levett Lord-Mayor of the City of London My LORD IN Obedience to the Order I receiv'd from your Lordship and the Court of Aldermen I have now Publish'd the Sermon lately preach'd before you with the Addition of some Things which through the Straitness of my Time were then omitted and do most humbly present it to your Lordship I should not have thought it fit for Publick View after so many Excellent Discourses as have been printed within a few Years in Defence of the Doctrine of the Trinity neither would I have ventur'd to preach to such an Auditory upon so Great and Venerable a Mystery if the Time to which I was confin'd by a Particular Providence had not requir'd it But as that Providence will I hope Justifie me in Choosing such a Subject so the Authority of your Lordship and your Honourable Brethren will Vindicate me in Publishing my Discourse upon it I pray God convince those Vnhappy Men in our Days who have deserted the Faith they were baptized into and deny the Lord that bought them for I am sure a meer Man could never do it that they may escape the Destruction he hath threaten'd to them And that the same God would continually bless your Lordship and give Success to your Pious Endeavours to suppress Error and Wickedness in an Age and Place that need all your Authority and Zeal to that End is also the hearty Prayer of My LORD Your Lordship 's most Humble and Faithful Servant John Howard 1 JOHN V. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one BEFORE I speak to the Doctrine contain'd in these Words it will be necessary to say something towards the removing an Objection that hath been made against them as if they were not a Genuine Part of this Chapter because they are omitted in some Greek Copies In Answer to which It might be enough to satisfie unprejudic'd Men to say that they are in the Best and most Ancient Greek Manuscripts and have been constantly retain'd in the Vulgar Latin as several worthy Authors assure us and they might more easily be left out in some Copies by an Oversight in the Transcribers than fraudulently inserted into others Yet because it hath been said by some who would have the World think so that this Verse was added in Opposition to the Arians I must say farther that this could not be De Vnit Eccles because we find it quoted by St. Cyprian before â—rius his Time And indeed the Orthodox as they had no need to do this having the Scripture so plainly and fully on their side in many other Places so they must have ventur'd such an Hazard in it as no wise Men would expose themselves to For the Detection of such a Forgery which they would have Reason enough to fear would have done a great Injury to their Reputation and to a Cause which they valued more than their Lives It is therefore more Reasonable to suppose that the Arians raz'd this Verse out of such Copies as they could come by for their desperate Cause did more need the miserable Supports of Fraud and Sacrilege and the Men were fitter for the Practice of them Socr. Hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 32. And some of the Ancients complain of their corrupting several Places of Scripture and particularly of this Epistle and there is no Expression in it they could take more Offence at than this Hist Tripart l. 12. c. 4. though there are several others that plainly condemn them and their impious Doctrines Besides these Testimonies the Verse it self doth I think sufficiently assert its Right to this Place by the Agreement it hath with the foregoing and following Verses The Apostle's main Design in this Chapter is to prove that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God that is the Eternal Son of God of the same Nature with the Father as well as Man as I shall prove in the following Discourse and this he doth by the Witnesses mention'd at the 6 7 and 8 Verses But the Water and the Blood in two of those Verses whether we understand them literally as they came out of our Saviour's Side when his Body was pierc'd upon the Cross or in a figurative Sense for his Holiness and Sufferings can prove no more than the Truth of his Human Nature nor the Spirit that is join'd with them if it be meant of his Soul which he yielded up to the Father upon the Cross as some understand it And if we take it for the Spirit of God as it was given to our Saviour in an extraordinary measure it doth not necessarily prove any more than the Excellency of his Person as a Man and that he was highly in Favour with God the Father Though there are other Things to be said indeed concerning the Spirit that infallibly prove the Divinity of Christ which will more properly be spoken of him as he is mentioned in my Text. Now if nothing more had been said by the Apostle in this Place than what is asserted concerning these Three Witnesses in the 6 and 8 Verses they would have afforded us but a dark Proof at the best of what he mainly intends but his adding Three more at the 7th Verse puts the Matter out of all doubt I might further shew the Agreement between this and the other two Verses and how Defective the Sense of this Place will be without it but I hope what hath been said already is sufficient to prove the Divine Authority of these Words and I am so far from thinking the worse of them for the Violence done to them by sacrilegious Hands in some ancient Copies that I cannot but have a greater Veneration for them in that they have suffer'd a kind of Martyrdom in that Glorious Cause which they assert In speaking to these Words I shall I. Endeavour to shew you what these Three are that are here mentioned II. Give some Account of the Record they bear concerning the Messias I. I shall endeavour to shew you what these Three are in the following Particulars 1. Every One of these is the Great and Most High God 2. They are not
prove this Truth For this Gospel was written by him at the Request of the Elders of Ephesus and other Christians as we are assur'd from good Authority in Opposition to the Ebeonites and Cerinthians who denied the Divinity of our Saviour and whosoever reads it may see the Apostle makes it his main Business to assure the World that he is God This he affirms at the very beginning of his Gospel and records many of our Saviour's Sayings by which he asserted it and several of his chief Miracles by which he prov'd it that are omitted by the other Evangelists And if this appears to have been his chief Design in this Gospel as certainly it was who can doubt of his Meaning in the Place before-mention'd which is near the Conclusion of it where he saith These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Now this with the other Citations which I mention'd before will clear the Sense of those Expressions in this Chapter of my Text Ver. 1. Ver. 5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God And who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God that they assert him to be God as well as Man And therefore this is the Doctrine which the Apostle proves in the following Verses as I said before and I hope have now made it more evident to you The last Name which I shall mention as given to Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 render'd the Word under which Name St. John saith Chap. 1.1 that he was in the beginning that is before the World was created as appears not only from the same Expression us'd in that Sense in the first Chapter of Genesis but because all things are said to be made by him ver 3. which supposes he was before them and because Time began with the Creation of the World therefore the Word which was before it must be Eternal And the Apostle here expresly affirms that the Word was God and that this Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and was the only-begotten of the father v. 14. the same person whom John the Baptist bare witness of namely Jesus Christ as in the following Verses And the Notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is understood of a Divine Person who together with God the Father made the World was well known amongst the Jews as appears from many Places in the Chaldae Paraphrase where the Word is added to explain the Sense more fully when there is only God or Lord in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Bishop of Worcest Vindic. of Trin. p. 128. and it is render'd by such a Term as several Learned Men assure us is us'd there to signifie the Word only in the Sense of a Person And I think any indifferent Reader would understand it of a Personal Word in many if not all those Places wherein it is found and particularly in these It is said in that Paraphrase Gen. 6.6 It repented the Lord with his word that he had made man upon the earth Then shall the word of the Lord be my God Gen. 28.21 Ex. 19.17 Lev. 26.46 Deut. 1.30 Moses brought forth the People to meet the Word of God These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the Lord made between his word and the children of Israel The word of the Lord your God which goeth before you he shall fight for you according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes The word of the Lord the God is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 Chap. 31.6.8 Job 42.9 10 12. a jealous God The word of the Lord thy God will go before thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee The word of the Lord accepted the face of Job And the word of the Lord turn'd the captivity of Job c. So the word of the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning Now to be chosen by Jacob as his God to meet his People to be a Party in a Covenant between himself and them to conduct his People and fight for them to accept of Job's Person to turn his Captivity to bless and enrich him and to be a consuming Fire a jealous God do all suppose a Person and some of them plainly assert that he is God The ancient Jews therefore who had a great Veneration for this Paraphrase and were oblig'd to read it constantly with the Hebrew Text did believe from these and many other Places in it that there was a Divine Substance called the Word by whom God made the World So Philo the Jew speaking of God the Father of all mentions another Divine Person Quaest Solut. De Agricult whom he calls the Word and his Only-begotten Son by whom he made the World From whence we may conclude that St. John first received the Notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Jews and he speaks so briefly of it at the Beginning of his Gospel because it was commonly known to them Tho' it is true also that many of the Heathens had receiv'd the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Second Person in it either from ancient Tradition or the Scriptures which were read by several Learned Men amongst them But Plato was especially noted for it therefore when Amelius who was one of his Followers read this Gospel of St. John he challeng'd this Notion of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it was taken from Plato But there is no Reason to think he receiv'd a Notion from any Heathen which he knew was better understood by the Jews and was well acquainted with those Places of Scripture upon which it was grounded Now St. John doth not only call Christ the Word in that Place and in my Text but mentions him also as the Word of Life at the beginning of this Epistle and speaking of him Rev. 19.13 he saith His name is called the word of God Neither is St. John the only Writer of the New Testament who applies this Name to Christ but St. Luke seems to use it in the same Sense Luke 1.2 when he speaks of the Apostles as eye-witnesses and ministers of the word for that Word of which they were Eye-witnesses was our Lord himself And this Sense of that Place is more probable because St. Peter uses the same Expression with respect to Christ and saith of himself and the other Apostles that they were eye-witnesses of his majesty 2 Pet. 1.16 And in the Epistle to the Hebrews this Divine Word is mention'd and the Omniscience of God attributed to him The word of God is quick and powerful Heb. 4.12 and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart That is he perfectly sees the
State of our Souls knows all our Thoughts distinguishes between what is good and evil in them he can awaken our Consciences to feel Remorse for Sin and work what Change in us he pleases And then it follows Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open'd unto the eyes of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning whom we speak or with whom our present Business is and that is Christ who is the Subject of this latter part of the Chapter and mention'd as well before as after these Verses I have read to you 2. The Perfections of God are ascrib'd to the Word or the Son Some of these I have occasionally mention'd in speaking to those Names which are given to him in Scripture and therefore shall now speak more briefly to them His Eternity was hinted to under the Name of the Word at the beginning of St. John's Gospel and the Name Jehovah doth also imply it but there are several Expressions more full and plain to this Purpose Isa 9.6 Rev. 1.8 17. The Prophet Isaiah calls him the everlasting father and he himself saith I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending which is and which was and which is to come And again I am the first and the last the same which God saith of himself Isaiah 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God So Christ asserts his Eternity Joh. 8.58 when he saith Before Abraham was I am where he uses the very Term by which God made himself known to the Israelites Ex. 3.14 which denotes his Eternity This appears also from those Places in the Gospel where Christ saith he came from God from Heaven c. The Infinity of Christ is also asserted by himself when he saith Mat. 18.20 Chap. 28.20 Joh. 3.13 Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them When he tells his Disciples I am with you alway even unto the end of the world and when he affirms No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the son of man which is in heaven where we are plainly taught that at the same time Christ was upon Earth he was also in Heaven and therefore fill'd all Places And it is remarkable that he here calls himself the Son of Man to assure us that he who was Man was also the Eternal and Infinite Son of God and so was one and the same Person in two so distinct Natures The Omnipotence of God which we had Occasion to take Notice of in our Saviour before is attributed to him by the Apostle Heb. 1.3 who saith he upholds all things by the word of his power and plainly intimated in that Promise of Christ Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name Joh. 14.13 that will I do that the father may be glorified in the son For he must have all Power who can do whatsoever his People shall desire Yea he hath expresly told us Rev. 1.8 that he is the Almighty His Omniscience of which we had before a remarkable Proof out of the Epistle to the Hebrews where he is called the Word of God is also attested by St. John where he saith of some of our Saviour's Followers Joh. 2.24 25. that Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men and needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man It is acknowledg'd by St. Peter in these Words Lord Joh. 21.17 thou knowest all things It is affirm'd by St. Paul when he saith In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 Rev. 2.23 and it is asserted by himself in these Words I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works In a word he hath all the Perfections of God the Father for he saith All things that the father hath are mine Joh. 16.15 So that the Essence the Attributes and the Glory of God do belong to him And St. Paul assures us Col. 2.9 that in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily None can deny that Christ is meant in this Place for the Apostle is speaking of him here for many Verses together He mentions his Name several times and immediately before these Words And it is evident that they ascribe all the Perfections of the Deity to Christ as plainly as any can do The Word bodily indeed that is here added is capable of different Interpretations but whether we take it for wholly and entirely as it may well be meant or essentially and personally because it was usual with the Greeks as it is with us to call a Person a Body it doth not only confirm what was said before but denotes the hypostatical Union of the Divine and Human Nature in Christ Or if we will allow it to be only meant in the Body or together with it though in this Sense it adds nothing to the Character of his Divinity before given yet it can detract nothing from it On the account of these Perfections in Christ Col. 1.15 he is call'd the Image of the invisible God the Brightness of his Father's Glory Heb. 1.3 and the express Image of his Person Phil. 2.6 he is said to be in the form of God and equal with him 3. The Works of God are also attributed to the Son He tells us himself that what things soever the father doth these also doth the Son likewise Joh 5.19 And as it is said in the beginning of St. John's Gospel that he made all things so the Apostle affirms that God made the Worlds by him Heb. 1.2 not as an instrumental but a principal efficient Cause The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there render'd the Worlds properly signifies Ages but because Time was created together with the World and it is the Measure of all material things therefore it is sometimes us'd siguratively for the World the Creation of which is ascrib'd to Christ again Ver. 10. in these Words Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thine hands The Sense of which Place is express'd more fully and particularly by St. Paul when he saith Col. 1.16 17. By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist The Works of Providence are also his for he is said to uphold all things Heb. 1.3 and this he could not do without infinite Wisdom and Power to supply every Creature with what is necessary to maintain its Being He forgives sins against God Luk. 5.21 which none but God