is spiritual heavenly and divine The matter of the thing present the Apostle shews plainly 1 Cor. 10.16 But for the manner of presence we have no such evident demonstration To conclude the truth is present with the signs the Holy Spirit with the Sacrament feeding our souls with the truth of Christs body and blood but the invisible working of that Divine Spirit herein is unsearchable the natural man cannot perceive it because it is spiritual Let us firmly beleeve then what we cannot conceive and rest assured in this truth that we receive in the Sacrament the very body and blood of Christ by Faith though we cannot conceive it by sense or reason CHAP. XXVII Of Reformation Truth THere is no particular Church on earth and never was so priviledged but that it may and many have faln into dangerous Errours both of life and doctrine as the examples of all both former and latter times have witnessed so that there is no Church consisting of men that may err but may need Reformation even as a material building doth need often reparation And for as much as many horrible abuses and superstitions were lately brought through the deceitfulness of some into the Church of England to the great dishonor of Almighty God the decay of piety and imminent ruine of the true Protestant Religion therefore this present Reformation was extreamly necessary and is no Innovation but a Restauration only of our Church to its ancient purity of doctrine discipline and divine worship as it was established by the noble Princes K. Edward 6. and Q. Elizabeth of famous memories Although this truth be as clear as the light Errours as shall immediately be made appear and that this present Reformation hath cast out many gross abuses that contrary to the determinations of our Church have been lately put upon us yet there are divers adversaries that either out of malice or ignorance or both do still with all their might oppose it And so I shall reduce them all under three heads The first is of those that do it of pure malice as all lewd and dissolute persons who hate all reformation whatsoever that shal hedg up their extravagant ways and give a check or stop to their loose courses among these we may reckon some Papists and other Sectaries The second is of those that do it of meer ignorance as divers civil Protestants that think no Religion so ancient as that they were bred in and strangely mistaking Church-men for the Church take up most of their religion upon their credit The third sort do it of malice and ignorance both as divers fiery spirits that think there is no way to reform the Church unless they pull it to pieces as if there were no way to cure the head-ache but to knock a mans brains out There be also divers hypocrites that can drive on a reformation for their own ends and advantages and yet are as great enemies to the truth of it as any of the former Antidote I shall endeavor to satisfie the honest Protestant that is engaged against the reformation for want of better information and would soon perhaps imbrace the truth if he were not courted with so many lyes by deceivers that abound in the world The common complaint and cry is for the Religion that was in Queen Elizabeths time again And that we have not now the same Religion The Answer in brief is that we have the same Religion still not a new And that the true Protestant Religion which was then profest is now not altered but settled being restored to its pristine purity and purged from many abuses wherewith it was but lately corrupted As First Many Popish and Arminian tenents were taught and publickly maintained that are contrary to the doctrine of our Church at first established as will appear by comparing them with the 39. Articles and the book of Homilies the nine Articles of Lambeth and other learned writings of our former Bishops Secondly Many Crucifixes Images or Idols were set up in our most eminent Churches and most eminent places of them and that partly by connivence partly by command of men at that time of most eminent place and note whereby Superstition was nourished and Idolatry committed But now these Images are contrary 1. To the Word of God expresly forbidding them 2. To the judgment of the ancient Christians Fathers and Councels with great zeal condemning them And 3. of our own Church of England as in the book of Homilies and 39. Articles may be seen Thirdly The Communion Table was altered both in name and place from a Table to an Altar from the body of the Church to the head or upper end of the Chancel contrary to express order sâ—t down in the book of Common Prayer before the communion where it is said that the Table shall stand in the body of the Church or in the Chancel and the Priest shall stand at the north side which he cannot do if he stand close up to the wall And if it might be placed according to the discretion of the ordinary yet he must have more discretion then ordinary that will make the end of a table the side as one endeavored to do but that his Geometry failed him Fourthly The Bowing used to the Communion Table was a matter of worse consequence then was commonly imagined It is the attendant on Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation It serves to nourish those Errours still in mens minds ushers in many other Popish superstitions and is the occasion of gross Idolatry Fifthly The rails wainscot and traverse courtains before the Table as if it were the Sanctum sanctorum of the Jews or a Chappel intended for private Mass or as if none were holy enough to approach neer it but the Priest also the Tapers Copes Vestments and many other things lately used though they seemed but small matters to some yet they were not the less dangerous for being little for like little thieves they crept in at our Church windows to open doors to the great ones and if these had continued by this time they would have brought in the whole Mass of Popish Idolatry and those that plead for them are but the devils pimps that seduce the people and under the name of things indifferent would lead them a whoring after Idolls Hereunto we may add that horrible abuse of Excommunication the highest censure of the Church that in the Courts Christian was made a messenger to fetch in fees and men were cast out of the Church for not comming into the Court to say no more Lastly They err as much on the other hand and are to be condemned that scornfully or basely abuse the Church and places set apart for the use of Gods Ordinances which is seldom done but in open or secret contempt of the ordinances themselves Let them among other examples remember that of Julian unckle to the Apostate who in contempt pissed against the Communion Table his bowels rotting out he voyded
Papists themselves could never yet agree about the place where the pains what or the time how long it shall last and that the infallible Doctour of the Porphyry Chair cannot resolve it nor will of his charity release them without money as they say he can for money we leave it as a heathenish and sottish invention and if there be no purgatory then pardons and prayers for the dead are of no use and howsoever the pardons of a sinful man or the man of sin cannot be of any value An Irish Gentleman and a Papist being upon a former agreement to pay a certain sum of money to a Priest for Masses said for delivering his fathers soul out of purgatory brought the money and laid it down But quoth he to the Priest be ye sure now that my fathers soul is clear out Yes I 'le warrant you quoth the Priest Nay then quoth the Gentleman by my troth I have even done a childs part if he be out let him take heed how he comes there again and so putting up his money gave the Priest the baffle Countermining one cheat with another If all Papists would serve their Priests so and Pope too it would prove the best Antidote against this Heresie For money is the fuel that feeds this fire if it be fire and not water as some learned Papists have doubted it is CHAP. XXII Of Images Truth THe worship of Images Reliques the Cross c. are not only vain unwarrantable and contrary to Gods Word but also heathenish and abominable Idolatry Errours The Papists not only erect and adore Images themselves but also accurse and condemn as Hereticks to the fire yea to hell fire all those that will not do the like 2. The Pseudo-Lutherans retain Images in their Churches esteeming them not onely as Ornaments but also as lay-mens books to edifie admonish and put them in mind of some heavenly things but yet allow them not to be worshipped doing herein like the Turks who in the sack of Constantinople seeing the Temple of Saint Sophia a goodly structure and the marble pillars enameled and filleted with the pictures of Saints were loth to deface such goodly pieces though Images are contrary to their Law and Religion but only put out their eyes Images were creeping in apace here in England and I saw once the assumption of our Lady wrought upon the Communion Table or Altar cloth as it was called in a Church held in Commendam by Bishop Goodman of Glocester which I note above all other because it is a fabulous legend that the Papists themselves scarce admit The old heathen Romans for a long time had no Images Antidote accounting it sacriledg to present heavenly things by earthly forms seeing we cannot possibly any way attain unto the knowledg of God but in mind and understanding Plut. in Vita Numae The Turks have none nor the Jews as contrary to Gods Law The ancient Christians would not suffer an Image so much as in the Church-porch so jealous they were of Idolatry stealing in The Papists think they quit themselves of Idolatry when they say they worship not the Image but the Saint or diety in the Image But the same excuse is made by Plutarch for the heathen Idolaters who were none of them so sottish to take the Images of wood and stone for Gods able to help them God forbad not only graven Images to be worshipt but also himself to be worshipt in the Image If we make an Image of the true God to worship then we fall either 1. into Idolatry by worshipping the Image or 2. Errour and Heresie by ascribing to God a bodily shape which he hath not Abulensis in Deut. cap. 4. The Images of Saints are not to be worshipt because the Saints themselves are not to be worshipt The worship of Angels is expresly forbidden Col. 2.18 and the Angels themselves forbid it Rev. 19.10 22.9 with this Reason because they are our brethren and fellow servants Much less the Sains whose greatest honor is to be but as the Angels Mat. And the liveliest picture of Christ is in the Scriptures there he is painted before our eyes Gal. 3.1 A man may look upon a Crucifix as long as he lives and never the wiser never the holier In the Bible you have a speaking picture of Christ in a distressed brother a living Crucifix in the holy Supper a more lively Image of his death passion then any painter can devise and shew us those holy Mysteries that a picture can never do Images though not worshipped yet are not useful but hurtful in the place of Gods Worship the picture of Christ is so far from putting us in mind of him that it draws our minds from him tying our imagination to a corporal object Few pray before an Image but they pray likewise unto it a secret belief stealing into their minds that when they look upon it they think it hears them August Enarrat in Psalm 113. And therefore another says it is Diabolicae deceptionis inventum one of the Divels Arch-cheats CHAP. XXIII Of the Church Truth THe Church is the body of Christ or the Church is the whole company of Gods Elect called and gathered by his holy Word and Spirit out of all mankinde from the beginning to the end of the world into one fellowship with Christ and communion one with another And although many are called and but few chosen many are joyned unto the Church that are not united unto Christ hold outward communion with the Saints that have no inward fellowship with the Son of God yet we are in charity to account all those for members of the true Church that are outwardly called and accordingly make profession of the true Faith until the Lord the searcher of all hearts who alone knoweth who are his do make the truth appear as he shall do at the great day of his appearing Errours Adversaries to this truth are 1. Those that say there is no true Church upon earth as the Seekers do 2. Those that would have the visible Church to be voyd of sin and sinners as the Anabaptists Familists Brownists and all Separatists 3. That will have the true Catholick Church to be a mixt company of good and bad together as the Papists do 4. The same Papists to the great contumely and reproach of Christ advance their Pope to be head of the Church 5. To uphold their Antichristian Synagogue among many other they maintain three special errours that are the very props and pillars of the same sc That the Church cannot err That the Church is alwayes visible That the Word and Sacraments are not proper marks of the true Church 6. The Anabaptists abuse the communion of Saints in the Church to bring in a community of goods in the civil state and make all things common The word Church Antidote Chyrch or Kirch we borrow of the Duch among whom it is commonly taken for Gotteshause Gods
AN ANTIDOTE Against HERESY OR A Preservative for Protestants against the poyson of Papists Anabaptists Arrians Arminians c. and their pestilent Errours Shewing the Authors of those Errours their grounds and reasons the time when and occasion how they did arise with general Answers to their Arguments taken out of holy Scripture and the Ancient Fathers Written to stay the wandering and stablish the weak in these dangerous times of Apostasy By RICHARD ALLEN M. A. sometime Fellow of Penbrooke Colledge in Oxford Pro. 23.23 Buy the Truth and sell it not London Printed by John Macock and are to be sold by Nathaniel Brooks at the sign of the Angel in Cornhil TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords and Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT Grace and Peace be multiplyed Right Honorable DIfferences in the Church have always caused differences in the Commonwealth and differences in the Commonwelth do commonly widen those differences in the Church Differences in Religion did cause these unhappy and unnatural Wars and these Wars have not ended but encreased them For notwithstanding the Solemn League and Covenant to extirpate all Popery Heresie Schism c. and in pursuance thereof your late pious Ordinance to stop their farther growth besides the excellent labours of many learned men yet Heresies are encreased above number like the unruly waters the more they are stopt the more they rage and swell And indeed Heresie Prophaness Barbarism and Atheism it self have always and in all places followed war as close as famine or pestilence do times of war and confusion being as fit times for the envious man to sow his tares in as times of peace sleep or security And now for composing these differences The Italians in a proverbial speech use to say that Hard to Hard never makes good stone-wall Meaning that in any difference there must be some yeelding or else there can never be any firm uniting In matters of Religion I have vâ—ntured to do something my calling thereunto engaging me with extream longings to see peace and truth settled amongst us These poor labors I humbly present unto your Honors hoping your Honors will take in good part what is intended to a good end though perhaps it may come much short of it and accept the work though small seeing the smallest stone will help to repair the greatest breach Your Honors humbly devoted RICHARD ALLEN monster that neither of the Swords yet could tame or cut off But when I heard the most horrid Blasphemies and saw the monstrous Heresies that every day new-sprang up to the high dishonor and displeasure of Almighty God the reproach of his truth saddening the hearts and dejecting the minds of his people the enemy in mean space riding in triumph and treading down all before him Setting aside all doubts and fears at last I finisht and publisht this small book partly inclined thereunto to yeeld some account of my late unpleasing leisure but chiefly for discharge of my duty and a double engagement that lay upon me 1. As a Christian being all bound as the Apostle exhorts us Jude 3. To contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints 2. As a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which we are bound more specially to defend and not to give place to false teachers No not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel may continue Gal. 2.5 Besides the solemn Covenant to extirpate all Heresie Schism and Prophaness and whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine And now right worshipful I present you with it such as it is being engaged also thereunto by the many favors and kindnesses I have received of you whereof be pleased to tak this as an acknowledgment I hope it may prove some help to discover the manifold sleights and impostures of false Prophets and Deceivers that are entered into the world that privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them And many follow their pernicious ways but my prayers are always for you that yee may ever escape their snares Your Worships much obliged Nephew Richard Allen. A TABLE OF THE HEADS OR CHAPTERS Chap. I. OF the holy Scripture Page 1. Chap. II. Of the Blessed Trinity Page 14. Chap. III. Of the Creation Page 26. Chap. IV. Of Providence Page 29. Chap. V. Of the Fall of Man and Original Sin Page 35. Chap. VI. Of Freewil Page 40. Chap. VII Of the Person of Christ Page 44 Chap. VIII Of the Office of Christ Page 48 Chap. IX Of the Death of Christ Page 50 Chap. X. Of the Resurrection of Christ Page 54 Chap. XI Of Predestination Page 56 Chap. XII Of Vocation Page 64 Chap. XIII Of Justification Page 73 Chap. XIV Of Sanctification Page 78 Chap. XV. Of the Moral Law Page 84 Chap. XVI Of Good Works Page 87 Chap. XVII Of Death and Burial Page 90 Chap. XVIII Of the Resurrection of the flesh Page 94 Chap. XIX Of Glorification in Heaven Page 96 Chap. XX. Of Hell Page 98 Chap. XXI Of Purgatory Page 99 Chap. XXII Of Images Page 102 Chap. XXIII Of the Church Page 106 Chap. XXIV Of the Sacraments Page 115 Chap. XXV Of Baptism Page 119 Chap. XXVI Of the Lords Supper Page 126 Chap. XXVII Of Reformation Page 134 Chap. XXVIII Of Toleration Page 143 The Preface GOD never wrought miracle to convince Atheism because his ordinary works convince it For the Invisible things of him even his eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen and understood by the works of the Creation Rom. 1.20 And indeed never any people was heard of so barbarous but did acknowledg a God and though otherwise rude and voyd of all civility yet did profess and practise some Religion The very nature of man it self so far abhors direct Atheism that the Heathen made them Gods of wood and stone rather then have none at all and gave Divine Honours not to men only like themselves but even to base and vile creatures rather then be without a Religion The Devil then not able to root up this perswasion of a Deity so deeply and strongly fastened in the hearts of all men by nature from Atheism he turned to Heathenism from denying to multiplying the heavenly Deity and with a multitude of false Gods abused the world almost 4000. years But When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son a light to lighten the Gentiles who with the beams of his glorious truth so scattered this universal fog of Paganism that those lying vanities were shortly discovered mens consciences convinced of their former gross ignorance and turned from dead Idols to serve the living God And now this old Serpent is put to a new shift which the Father of lies was not long to seek of but driven from Heathenism betakes himself to Heresie for the worship of false Gods setting up false worships of the true God wherein he multiplied so exceedingly that now there are as many false worships as before were false Gods To trace this crookeâ—
the god of this world hath blinded Their eyes c. 2 Cor. 4.3 The end of the Scriptures is the instruction of the Church Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written were written for our learning and one necessary mean to attain this end is the perspicuity and plainness of the Scripture for if it were dark or doubtful how should it instruct us In vain is it called a Light if it be dark in it self and to no purpose are we sent to learn it if it be so to us The Scriptures are an instrument to beget Faith Joh. 20.31 Rom. 10.17 And the first step or degree of faith is knowledg which the Scriptures could not beget if they were dark difficult or obscure Object But S. Peter says there are many things in S. Pauls Epistles hard to be understood which unlearned men wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Sol. If any thing be hard in one place either it is such as the ignorance thereof will not hazard our salvation or else it is explained and made easie in another place And by unlearned men the Apostle understand not men wanting humane learning as the liberal arts and sciences c. but men unlearned in the Scriptures themselves such as most times the learned and wise men of the world are For it is known that men otherwise unlearned simple aâ—d ignorant coming in humility the fear of God and love of truth using prayer reading comparing of Scriptures c. have attained unto a sufficient measure of saving knowledg For the Scriptures discover themselves by their own proper light one place expounding and opening the meaning of another August de Doct. Christ .l 2. c. 2.9.24 all things are seen by the light but light by it self Lastly Those books that we commonly call Apocrypha are not of divine authority because they were not written by the Prophets or men divinely inspired as the other Scriptures were that are therefore called the Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 12.26 Our Saviour divides all Canonical Scripture into Moses and the Prophets Luk. 16.29 But none of those books were written by Moses or any of the Prophets nor dictated by the Spirit of God but savour of a prophane and lying spirit as containing matter and stories both vain foolish and fabulous very often contradicting themselves and also the known Word of God as in the books of Tobit and the Maccabees the Stories of Bell and the Dragon are specially to be found The Jews received none of those books in their Canon neither by any of the primitive Christians or ancient Fathers were accounted for Canonical and what account the learned Papists themselves make of them may appear by Arias Montanus who in the front of his Bible hath these words There be added in this Edition the books written in Greek which the Catholick Church following the Canon of the Hebrew reckoneth amongst the Apocrypha CHAP. II. Of the Blessed Trinity Truth THere is but one living and true God everlasting and in the unity of this Godhead there be three persons of one substance power and eternity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost Errours This one point of Christian Religion is the very basis or foundation of all the rest and if this be shaken the rest must needs totter and fall to the ground and therefore the devil hath raised up such furious adversaries to oppugn it with strange and monstrous blasphemies as of old did Simon Magus Cerinthus Ebion Manes a Persian a man according to his name furious and mad and such like at this day the adversaries to this doctrine of the Trinity are all the enemies of Christ and his divinity as the unbeleeving Jews all Mahometans Turks Moors and such miscreants among Christians only such as have suckt their principles from the schools of those Infidels They stand marshalled all in two Regiments 1. The first is of those that deny all distinction of persons in the Godhead making the Father Son and Holy Ghost but several names only of one and the same person in regard of some distinct actions or offices This Heresie was commonly ascribed to Sabellius but Noetus a disciple of Montanus hatcht it and Simon Magus layd the egg long before at this day it is revived by one M. Erbury a late Chaplain of the Army who taught That there is but one person in the Godhead and when we read of the Father Son and Holy Ghost we must not take them for so many distinct persons but only as so many appearances of God unto men And truly if M. Erbury had been that Sorcerers own disciple he could not have devised a doctrine more like his as it is recorded by St. Augustin lib. de Haeres ad Quodvultdeum cap. 1. There be others that admit a distinction of these 3 persons but deny the equality of them That the Son and Holy Ghost are not God equal with the Father of one substance and eternity with the Father This was the Heresie of Arius whose chief undertaking was against the Son of God and his eternal generation and of Macedonius who denyed the Godhead of the holy Ghost They are both revived at this day among us that of Macedonius by one M. Biddle who not questioning the Godhead of the Son a point as he professeth wherein he is not yet so well resolved denies only the Godhead of the holy Ghost granting no more but that he is an excellent creature and chief of all the ministring spirits One M. Best not fearing that fearful judgment that befel Arius who burst asunder in the midst like Judas the traitor that his bowels gushed out hath notwithstanding revived his Heresie and in these times of general and desperate Apostacy hath found many favorors and followers Now the fountain of all these impure waters was Simon Magus an impious sorcerer and the conduit that conveyed them to our times almost was Mahomet an impudent impostour For about the year 630. or as others please 670. that vile and lewd Arabian began his cursed book called the Alcoran and therein amongst a multitude of other impure follies impious fables and lyes he raked also together coÌ„mended to his barbarous followers all those Heresies and Blasphemies against the Trinity Out of this filthy puddle Michael Servertus a Spaniard a man better read in Mahomets cursed Law then in the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ suckt his Heresie about the year 1530. for denying the eternal Son of God he was burnt at Geneva and out of his ashes arose that monster Socinus But to pass by particular persons the first Country that made defection from this truth was Transylvania a Country bordering upon the Turks from whom they received this point of their Religion for to gratifie or comply with those barbarous neighbours they abjured their Faith in the holy Trinity about the year 1593. denying the Son and holy Ghost the contagion of this pest is now spread into most places of Christendom The devil hath devised
God everlasting one living and true God with the Father and the Son For first he is called expresly both Lord and God 1 Cor. 12.5 and 6.28 the mighty God Isai 40.13 18. and Isai 6.9 compared with Acts 28.25 26. Psal 95. compared with Heb. 3. Levit. 26.12 13. compared with 1 Cor. 3.16 6.19 2 Cor. 6.16 where he is called the Lord our God the Lord our maker Our bodies are the temples of the living God 1 Cor. 3.16 and the temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.16 Now if we were commanded to build him a temple of wood and stone it were a clear proof of his Godhead because this service is only due unto God how much more seeing our selves are called his temple August lib. 1. Cont. Maxim Arian Divine attributes are given to him 1. Omniscience 1 Cor. 2.10 Omnipresence Psal 136.7 Eternity Heb. 9.14 But above all that which God takes to himself as a peculiar mark to be known from all false Gods even to foretel things to come Isai 41.23 is ascribed to the Holy Ghost 2 Sam. 23. 2. Acts 1.16 1 Tim. 4.1 Such works are ascribed to him as are proper only to God As of 1. Creation Job 26.13 33.4 Of Preservation Gen. 1.2 Of Regeneration Sanctification John 3.5 Tit. 3.5 1 Cor. 6.11 Also he raiseth the dead Rom. 8.11 And therefore the second general Councel held under Theodosius the great condemned Macedonius in these words If he were created how doth he create How doth he sanctifie How doth he give life c. for these are not the works of a creature but the peculiar works of the great and mighty God Lastly The very name of Spirit sheweth his nature for as the Spirit of man is of the nature of man so the Spirit of God is of the nature of God not a part as the spirit of man is a part of him but the whole Godhead for the Divine Essence is not compounded of parts And whereas he is called the Spirit of the Son as well as of the Father and is said to be sent or come by and from them both from hence appears clearly the essential Union that is between them that all three are but one God The Catholick Faith then is this That we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance The Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet they are not three Gods but one God For the Godhead of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost are all one the glory equal the Majesty co-eternal In this Trinity none is afore or after other none greater or less then other and he that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity Athanas Symb. CHAP. III. Of the Creation Truth IN the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth and all things therein both visible and invisible Man he formed of the dust of the ground not corrupt and sinful as now he is but according to his own likeness or image in true holiness and perfect happiness Errours There were anciently many Errours about the Creation that now we do not hear of the Masters whereof were Simon Magus Cerinthus Marcion Manicheus and divers others At this day first the old Anthropians or Anthropomorphites are new risen they conceived grosly because it is said man was made after the likeness of God that therefore God had a body in shape like mans body Epiphanius imputes it to their rudeness sparing to call them Haereticks but rather Schismaticks So the Messalian Haereticks of old thought that God might be seen with bodily eyes mistaking that saying of our Saviour Mat. 5. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God This Errour is maintained at this day by those that affirm that Adam was created after the likeness of God in personal shape and that God hath a personal shape the which he can make visible when he please Ofiander taught that man was made like unto God by influence of the divine substance an Errour borrowed of the Manichees and Priscillianists For Mâ—â—â—s taught that the body of man was made of the substance of the Prince of darkness but his foul was part of the Divine substance From the same stock sprang that doctrine of one E. Avery who published in print Anno 1647. That the reasonable soul in all mankind is God himself With these rank the Familists who say That Adam was all that God was and God all that Adam was The Papists also have their Errours concerning the Image of God in Adam original righteousness the place of Paradise tree of life c. Antidote Man was made after that the heaven and earth were finisht as a creature partaking of both in his soul heavenly in his body earthly a little model of the whole Creation And it is said he was created after the likeness or Image of God not that the body of man is like God in shape and proportion for God is a Spirit and hath no body or bodily members no visible form or lineament and therefore is called the invisible God Col. 1.15 But man is like God 1. In the grace majesty and comeliness of his body excelling the other creatures and after a sort resembling the Divine Majesty 2. In his soul Because 1. It is immortal like God 2. It is endued with understanding and will like God and adorned with Divine graces as wisdom knowledg righteousness and true holiness and that these are the more special and principal parts of the Image of God in man appears Ephes 4.23 Col. 3.10.3 Man is like God in his dominion over the other creatures given him in his first Creation Gen. 1.28 being in that regard a petty God to other creatures as Magistrates are to other men Psal 82.6 Lastly The very name of Image doth clearly evince that the soul of man is not God himself nor any part of the Divine substance because nothing is the Image of it self or can be said like it self And the souls of wicked men shall perish for ever in hell Mat. 10.28 And therefore the soul of man is no part of the Divine substance but an immortal nature created of nothing by the power of God and breathed into the body CHAP. IV. Of Divine Providence GOD having made the world of nothing did not leave it to it self Truth but doth stil by his Almighty power and wisdom sustain and govern the same preserving all things that are and disposing all things that are done freely and according to his own good pleasure so that nothing is or comes to pass rashly or by chance but according to the counsel of his heavenly will Errours Adversaries to this truth are 1. Atheists and Epicures that deny all Providence holding That all things were created and are dayly acted by chance and fortune 2. Stoicks and Stoical Patrons of fate and destiny that have devised a certain chain
not his power it is Gods grace that makes us his servants not our own will More testimonies might be brought but whom these few will not suffice thousands more will never satisfie Cui pauca non sufficiunt plura non proderunt Concil Arausic cap. 25. Object But if it be so God may seem unjust to require that of us in his Law that we are not able to perform Sol. Not at all for in our first Creation God gave us sufficient abilities which we lost by our own voluntary fault according to that Eccles 7. God made man upright but they have found out many inventions It is not unreasonable then or unjust with God to require his own of us again though we have prodigally lost or mispent it Object If man hath no power in himself to do good to what end then are exhortations admonitions precepts promises or any preaching Sol. They are not in vain but the means ordained of God to soften our hearts and bend our wills to his Will St Paul saith God worketh in us both the will and the deed and yet ceaseth not to exhort us unto both Our Saviour invites us often to come unto him and yet faith No man can come unto me except the Father draw him Ioh. 6.44 CHAP. VII Of Christ his Person Truth IN this miserable and forlorn plight the merciful God left us not to our selves hopeless and helpless but sent his Son to take our nature upon him that being perfect God and perfect man he might fully satisfie for our sins and redeem our souls from death and hell Errours The enemies of Christ are of two sorts 1. The enemies of his person 2. The enemies of his office Of the first sort were Simon Magus Cerinthus Marcion Samosatenus Arius Nestorius and such Monsters whereof some denyed his Divinity others his Humanity Some the purity of his conception others the truth of it some confounded the two Natures denying their distinction others denying their union divided the person of one making two some said he took tne body but not the soul of man others that he took an aetherial or spiritual not a true body and such like They are seconded at this day by the unbeleeving Jews Turks and all Mahometans Antitrinitarians New-Arians Anabaptists Familists Socinians particularly by Mr Paul Best and others who deny the Divinity of Christ affirming That he was but a meer man some fear not to say He was a sinful man some That he was God but not from everlasting the Son of God but not before his incarnation God by merit office or excellency of gifts not by nature and generation The Anabaptists say he brought his flesh with him from heaven and took it not of the Virgin The Familists turn the Incarnation of Christ into an Allegory holding That every one of their family is Christ and the taking in of their belief is the Incarnation Having discourse once with one of them he would not say Christ came or was come but is now come in the flesh Christ is now come in my flesh said he and now I speak Christ speaks to you So also Mr Erbury By flesh saith he is not meant the humane nut are but the coming of Christ is the manifestation of the Godhead in the flesh of Saints Antidote Against these hellish Blasphemies we oppose these heavenly Truths First That our Lord Jesus Christ is very God Isai 9.6 Vnto us a child is born c the Mighty God Rom. 9.5 of whom Christ came who is God over all blessed for ever 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifest in the flesh Rom. 1.4 Declared mightily to be the Son of God c. Secondly Christ is very man and had a true body taking flesh of the Virgin Mary therefore often called the son of man And 1 Tim. 2.5 The man Christ Jesus Isa 7.14 A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son Mat. 1.20 She was found with child by the Holy Ghost Gal. 4.4 He was made of a woman 1 John 1.1 The Word of Life which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes and our hands have handled He had a true body then his humanity was obvious enough to all the senses If Christ be not God why do you adore him It is plain Idolatry to worship Christ if he be not God Cyril Alexand Cont. Eunom The second Nicene Councel Charged Nestorius with Idolatry because he affirmed Christ was a meer man yet adored him S. Paul condemns serving the creature Rom. 1.25 and yet professeth himself Servant of Jesus Christ Rom. 1.1 Therefore Christ is no meer creature or man Ambros lib. 1. de fide ad Gratian August c. 7. Arrians then Socinians Mr. Best and the rest that deny Christ to be God and yet grant that he ought to be adored what do they differ from Turks and Pagans that worship the creature Rom. 1.22.25 Professing themselves to be wise they become fools and change the Truth of God into a lye This then is Argument enough against the Arrians Socinians c. to prove the diety of Christ because according to their own divinity he ought to be served worshipped and adored The Heathen that knew God and yet glorified him not as God Rom. 1.21 And the Arrians Socinians c. that glorifie Christ as God and yet acknowledg him not for God are a like vain in their imagination and their foolish heart is darkned CHAP. VIII Of Christ his Office Truth THe Office of Christ being God and man is to mediate between God and man and reconcile them together again God who is angry for sin and man who is guilty of sin This Office is three-fold For 1. as a Prophet he doth instruct his Church 2. As a Priest he makes satisfaction and intercession for it 3. As a King he gathers and governs it Adversaries are those that affirm 1. Errours That Christ is Mediator only in respect of his divine nature So Osiander 2. That he is Mediator in respect of his humane nature only So Stancarus And of this opinion are the Papists who most wickedly set up other Mediators also besides Christ even Saints and Angels whom they pray unto to intercede for them But the Papists are enemies to every part of his Office 1. To his Kingly Office in that they make the Pope head of the Church 2. To his Priestly Office in that they set up other Mediatours and Intercessours besides Christ and other satisfaction for sin besides that which he hath made 3. To his Prophetical Office in subjecting his holy Word to the Authority of the Church Judgment of the Pope a sinful man and equalizing traditions and humane inventions with the same Against these Errours we teach Antidote and are taught 1. That there is but one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 He maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 Heb. 7.25 The Saints do not hear us or know our wants Isai 63.16