5. 23. The great mystery of uniting the soule to Christ by Faith Eph. 5. 32. and making of it one Spirit with the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6. 17. is a main Fundamentall of the mystery of Godlinesse as shall be proved cleerly before I conclude this chapter III. God the Holy Ghost is the object of a Christians divine Faith The Holy-Ghost speaking in the Holy Scriptures doth teach us to beleeve not only in the Father and in the Son but in himself also It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth 1 Joh. 5. 6. There are three that bear witnesse in Heaven but here is speciall testimony given of the Spirit that we might be moved to beleeve the spirit who is to testifie the whole truth concerning the Father the Son and himself It is the Spirit saith he whose speciall office it is to bear witnesse and therefore there is this speciall testimony given of him that the Spirit is truth and then it follows that the Spirit is one with the Father and the Son one in nature one and the same God with them both These three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. and the witnesse of God must without controversie be received unlesse we will make God a Lyer as the Apostle reasons the point from the 9th verse to the 12th The Spirit is Truth the Spirit is God therefore the Spirit is the object of Divine faith he that tells a lye to the Holy Ghost tells a lye to God Acts 5. 3 4. He that then gives the lye to the Holy Ghost gives the lye to God The testimony of the Spirit is a Divine testimony 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. the demonstration of the Spirit a divine demonstration the power of the Holy Ghost a divine power Paul saith his Preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that our faith might not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God The wisdome power testimony of the Spirit are all of them divine the wisdome of the Spirit is infallible the power of the Spirit is irresistible and therefore our most divine faith is built and doth stand fast grounded and established upon the wisdome of the Spirit because the wisdome of the Spirit is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. We read in the Prophets that all the children of God shall be taught of God Esay 54. 13. of all three persons for the Father teacheth Mat. 16. 17. Ioh. 5. 45. and the Son who came out of the bosome of his Father and yet remained in the bosome of his Father teacheth Heb. 1. 2. But the Father and the Son especially since the Ascension of Christ and the effusion of the Spirit do teach the children of God all his Elect by the holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle shewing how God doth teach his Elect after a more peculiar manner so that even babes in Christ those whom he calleth little children are preserved even in seducing times and led into all necessary truths notwithstanding all the diligence and subtilty of those many Antichrists who are industrious to deceive he saith they have an unction from the Holy one and know all things all things necessary to be knowne and beleeved for the obtaining the remission of sins c. ver 12. But more especially he shewes that the Spirit doth teach them to continue in the Son and in the Father ver 24. and therefore in the Doctrine concerning the Father and the Son as it is more expresly set downe in the 9th verse of the second Epistle of Iohn And then he shewes that the Spirit should abide constantly in them to give them cleer and certaine direction in all necessary points 1 Iohn 2. 27. But the annointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him or it Ye shall abide in Christ and abide in the truth which hath been taught you by the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Spirit is cleare and certaine for saith he the spirit is truth and is no lye Here is the peculiar teaching of God the Spirit teacheth us to beleeve in himselfe aswell as in the Father and the Son And the Spirit was sent by the Father in the namâ— of the Son for this very purpose Moreover it is evident that the Spirit doth not only teach Babes in Christ but he taught even the Apostles of Christ. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Nay the Holy Spirit did endite all the Holy Scriptures and inspire the Prophets Apostles and all the holy men of God in the writing of them The Scriptures were not written by the will of men but by the motion of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. where the motion of the Holy Ghost is opposed to the will of men to shew that the motion and will of the Holy Ghost is the motion and will of God Many other places and arguments might be superadded but for the better instruction of ordinary Readers I shall draw out my Arguments into ranke and file 1. The Spirit is God The testimony of the Spirit is the testimony of God 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. The wisedome of the Spirit the wisedome of God and the power of the Spirit the power of God 1 Cor. 2 4 5. 13. The teaching of the Spirit is the teaching of God Ihe will of the Spirit is the will of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Cor. 12. 6. 11. 2. The Spirit is the Author of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. Revel 2. 29. 3. The Spirit is the Interpreter of the Scriptures and his interpretation is cleer certaine and infallible The Spirit discovers the hidden wisedome of God the wisedome of God in a mystery the deep things of God which could not have entred into the heart of man if the Spirit had not revealed them and therefore the deep things of God â— Cor. 2. 10. are called the things of the Spirit of God ver â—4 and things which are spiritually discerned and therefore they are such things as the Spirituall man by the help of the Spirit is able to perceive discerne receive and to say with truth and comfort Now I have the mind of Christ now I know the things that are freely given me of God because the Spirit hath revealed them to me Consider the discourse of the Apostle quite throughout the Second chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians and this point will be very cleer 4. The Spirit
And I have consulted the most judicious and experienced writers upon that place though I cite but few in the margine because I have not time to peruse them againe True it is that we are not to beleeve every spirit and therefore are permitted to try the spirits whether they be of God or no 1 Joh. 4. 1. But in this tryall the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures is the suprem Judge and the Holy Spirit doth condemn all erroneous and fantasticall spirits who forsake old truths and pretend to follow New Light The holy Spirit doth constantly teach the same truth in the holy Scriptures for he doth not change his mind or contradict himself We saith the Apostle having the same spirit of Faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also beleeve and therefore speake 2 Cor. 4. 13. The same spirit doth lead all the faithfull into all truth necessary to salvation not Absolutely and at once but by degrees For we see the Apostles themselves were for a time guilty of grosse errours Mark 10. 37 41. Act. 1. 6. But the faithfull cannot obstinately hold and continue in such odious and damnable errours as do directly overthrow the foundation of Faith And for the time in which they do erre they hearken to their own spirits so farre as they are carnall and do not as they ought search and pray and wait for the direction of the Holy Spirit It is not the Spirit of Faith which speaks in them when they dissent from such as receive the publique Testimony of the Holy Ghost speaking in the holy Scriptures And therefore the Spirit teacheth us to try the spirits and doctrines of men by the Scriptures if they speak not according to this Word it is not because they have new light from the spirit but because they have no light no morning light heavenly light conveyed unto them in that point wherein they dissent or they have not as yet received it the spirit hath not as yet sealed that portion of truth to their consciences or writ it in their hearts For the spirit doth not whisper one thing in privat to my conscience and declare the contrary in his publique Testimony delivered in the Word Behold saith the wisdome of God I will pour out my spirit unto you I will make knowen my words unto you Pro. 1. 23 For this is the Covenant of God that his Word and spirit should go together and the spirit should deliver his publique Testimony Authoritatively as it becomes his supremacy and soveraignty in the holy Scriptures This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my Word c. Isa. 59. 21. And by attendance on the ministry of the Gospel in the Church of Christ we receive the Spirit Gal. 3. 2. By hearing the doctrine of Faith preached in the Gospel they received the Spirit and therefore the ministry of the Gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. And for these reasons we try the doctrines and Spirits of men by the word of God because the Spirit who is the Author of Scripture doth every where agree with himself and there is a friendly relation between the truth of the party witnessing the truth of the thing witnessed We do readily acknowledge that the world doth look upon this publique testimony of the Spirit in the word as a private testimony and are apt to scoffe at them who receive it as at men led by their own private spirit but the true reason is because this testimony of the Spirit is not manifest to them who have not the Spirit But it is so manifest to them that have had this publique testimony sealed up to their consciences that they will hold fast this testimony though it cost them their lives I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held Rev. 6. 9. The testimony which they held is no other then that publick testimony which the Spirit delivers in the Word and had privately sealed up to their Spirits They were slaine for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held according to that Word They were Martyred because they gave testimony of that truth which they had learnt in the Word of God I am willing to dwell longer upon this subject because it is Fundamentum Fundamentorum and therefore we will for our better satisfaction descend from handling the point in Generall unto some very weighty points in particular and shew how the Spirit doth perswade the hearts and consciences of men to receive his testimony in particular controversies which have been raised and disputed by men of great wit and Spirit In the great controversies between us and the Papists they do as divers Hereticks have done before them urge visions miracles traditions successions prudentiall motives and sometimes Councels Fathers and for a fairer pretence the holy Scriptures But when they are beaten off from their pretending to Councels and Fathers by our learned Whitaker Iewel Abbot Vsher Rainolds not to name Chamier and other Worthyes what lamentable shifts do they make when they are pressed to stand to the publicke testimony and judgement of the Holy Ghost delivered in the holy Scriptures We do therefore in compassion to their poor soules intreat them to hearken to the Spirit of Christ and not to the Spirit of Antichrist because the right sense of the Scripture expounded by the Scripture is the sword of Gods Spirit where with all heresies whatsoever are overcome by all those good souldiers who add the shield of Faith to the Sword of the Spirit But when men neglect the Scriptures and idolize humane inventions they spend their strength in vaine and are like the blind men of Sodome who wearied themselves to find the doore The great point of the Popes Infallible Supremacy can never be proved by the Originall Universall and Perpetuall Tradition of the Church of Christ in all Ages no nor by the unanimous consent of all learned men now living in communion with the present Church of Rome The Sorbon Doctors cannot beleeve that the Popes of Rome are not subject to the sins and passions of other men and if the succession of Popes which they brag of were to be tryed by Fame Celebrity Antiquity Consent it is most evident to all that are acquainted with pure antiquity and impartiall History that the Supremacy of the Popes and Papacy would be sufficiently condemned but if the Popes infallible Supremacy come to be tryed by the Holy Ghost speaking in the holy Scriptures the Popes and Papacy will be infallibly condemned by the Supream Judge The learned Papists do not agree concerning the Infallible Propounder of Fundamentall points for 1. Some say that the Popes proposall ex Cathedrâ is sufficient but Gal. 1. 8. 2. Others
are required to give to God the Father Ioh. 5. 23. 4. Examples every way warrantable because agreeable to these precepts are frequent in the Word Act. 7. 59. 60. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Rev. 22. 20. 5. Baptisme is administred in the name and to the honour of Christ Mat. 28. 17. 18 19 20. 6. At the day of Judgement every knee must bow to him and acknowledge him to be equall to his Father Isa. 45 21 22 23 24. 25. compared with Rom. 14. 10 11 12. Phil. 2. 6 9 10 11. 7. All that are justified do believe in him and they who do believe in him shall not be ashamed Rom. 3. 25 26. 1 Pet. 2 6 7. 8. The Apostolicall benediction so often repeated in the Epistles From whence I argue since God will not give his glory to another because he is true Isa. 48. 11. and cannot because he is just it followes that though Christ be a distinct person yet he is not a distinct God from his Father but one and the same God with him God blessed for ever Much more might be produced upon this argument That which hath been said is abundantly sufficient if God set it home upon our spirits by his own Spirit but if men will not be perswaded by these Scriptures neither would they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead In the next place I am to demonstrate the Divine Nature Person Titles Attributes Works Worship of the Holy Ghost 3. The same eternall Godhead doth subsist in the Holy Ghost who is God blessed for ever The Holy Ghost is a spirituall and infinite substance subsisting with peculiar properties and acting according to the counsel of his divine will The Apostle having distinguished betweene the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit shews that the Spirit it selfe That one Spiris l That one and self-same Spirit doth work and distribute all those excellent gifts according as he pleases 1 Cor. 12. 4. Now 1. these particularising and indigitating terms That one that same Spirit 2. The wiâ—â— of the Spirit 3. The discriminating energâ— or efficacy of the Spirit do all demonstratâ— the subsistence of the Spirit peculiarity 〈◊〉 his Subsistence When the Spirit of truth 〈◊〉 come He will guide Iohn 16. 13. he saith noâ— It but He and therefore doth not speak 〈◊〉 an Attribute but a Person He c. which is the more to be observed because thâ— word in the originall which signifies Spiritâ— is of the Neuter gender and yet our Savior speaking of the Spirit saith He to point out the peculiar subsistence or person of the Spirit When He the Spirit of Truth c. Iohn 16. 13. and therefore we ought to take speciall notice of that expression and all those notes of particularity 1 Cor. 12. applyed to the Spirit do shew that he is a particular and undivided substance one Spirit the same Spirit the self same Spirit one and the self same Spirit 1 Cor. 12. form the 4. v. to the 12. And that this spirituall particular undivided substance is a divine substance is evident because it is said that the same Spirit who doth work all in all is the same Lord and the same God 1 Cor. 12. 5 6. and Lord in the new Testament doth answer to Iehovah in the old as hath been proved above in this very Chapter when Peter drew up a charge against Ananias he puts this question to him Why hath Sathan filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God Act. 5. 3 4. The black and unpardonable sin is after a more speciall manner committed against the Godhead subsisting in the Holy Ghost and the peculiar office and dispensation of the Holy Ghost then against the Father or the Son and that sin is in some respects pronounced the most grievous sin Mat. 12. 32. If the Holy Ghost were only the Power of God as Socinians love to dream that sin would not be so highly aggravated for it is not the highest and foulest aggravation of sin to say it is committed against the Power of God The Father Son and Spirit have but one Power as they have one and the same nature and therefore the Father is said to work in the Son and by the Spirit and hence it is that Christ is called the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and the Holy Ghost is called the Power of the most High Luk. 1. 35. because the Power of the Father who is called the most High in opposition to the highest of creatures doth reside in is exercised and made manifest by the Holy Ghost and especially manifested in that Omnipotent Work of the Conception of our Lord and Saviour the very shadow of the Holy Ghost makes a Virgin to conceive this miracle speaks him God The Holy Ghost is Jehovah the great God and King above all Gods as is evident by comparing Psal. 95. 3 6 7 8 9. with Heb. 3. 7 9. The Spirit of Iehovah is the God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. The People rebelled against Jehovah and tempted him in the Wildernesse Deut. 6. 16. Numb 14. 26 27. Deut. 9. 7 24. now that is meant of tempting and rebelling against the Holy Ghost as well as against God the Father and Jesus Christ as is cleare if you compare Isa. 63. 10. Heb. 3. 7 9. with the places alledged The Holy Ghost is that Jehovah who made the New Covenant with his chosen People Ierem. 31. 31. compared with Heb. 10. 15 16. The Holy Ghost is that Jehovah who spake by Isaiah the Prophet compare Isa. 6. 8 9. with Acts 28. 25 26. we might argue in like manner from Levit. 19. 2. c. compared with Heb. 9. 7 8. and severall other places Num 12. 6. Heb. 1. 1 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Cor. 12. 5 6. The Omnipotence of the Spirit is clearly proved because he worketh all in all according to the counsell of his Will and worketh miracles which transcend not only the common course and order but the whole power of nature 1 Cor. 12. 6 9 10 11. such are the raising of the dead Rom. 8. 11. the regeneration and sanctification of our souls Tit. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 11. and therefore he is called the Holy Ghost because the Father and the Son do according to Divine dispensation sanctify us by the operation of the Holy Ghost Moreover the Holy Ghost did teach the Prophets and Apostles and lead them into all truth he overshadowed the Virgin c. Iohn 16. 13. Acts 2. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 11. and 2 Pet 1. 21. The holy Ghost is the great God and Creatour of all things Psal. 93. 3. 5. Heb. 3. The Holy Ghost is Omniscient for he knowes the deep things of God and the secrets of men he inspired the Prophets and Apostles and moved them to reveale the mysteries of faith and godlines 1 Cor. 2. 10. 11. and 1 Pet. 1. 11. 2
Pet. 1. 21. Rom. 9. 1. Rev. 2. 23. The Holy Ghost is Omnipresent he dwels in all Saints as in a Temple he repaires adornes beautifies his Temple and acts in every single Saint as the spirit of disobedience acts in Children of wrath we cannot flie from the presence of the spirit because he is Omnipresent Psal. 139. 7. By what hath been already written it is evident that the Holy Ghost hath the titles and attributes of God he doth performe works proper to God and that devine Honour is due unto him I shall clearly prove because it is denyed by the blasphemous wits of this discoursing age The Holy Ghost who spake by Isaiah the Prophet is worshipped by the Angels of God as is most evident by comparing Isa. 6. 3. 9. with Acts 28. 25. 26 The whole Church of God is exhorted to worship the Holy Ghost as the Great God as Jehovah as our Make to how down and kneel before him that is to give him divine worship both inward and outward because he is our God as appears by comparing Psa. 95. 3. 6. 7. with Heb. 3. 7 8. 9. The Apostle gives divine Honour to the Holy Ghost when he appeals to him as to the searcher of hearts Rom. 9. 1. and the Holy Ghost who speaks to the Churches joynes with the son of God who speaks to them also in searching of the heart and reines Revel 2. 17. 18. 23. and all the Churches are commanded to hearken to both as unto God blessed for ever Our soules and bodies are said to be the Temples of God because they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and therefore we are commanded to worship and glorify the holy Ghost with our souls and bodies for the spirit doth dwell in his Temple that he may be worshiped in his Temple The Temple is a profane place if there be no worship there and it is must be pure holy and spirituall worship and sacrifice such as the holy spirit delights in else the Temple will be defiled destroyed Compare 1 Cor. 3. 15. 16 17. 1 Cor. 6 19 20. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 18. and 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Church is blessed in the name of the Holy Ghost as in the name of God and the communion of the holy spirit is spirituall and saving as well as the speciall grace of Christ and love of the Father as appeares by that solemn Apostolicall benediction 2 Cor. 13. 14. and the beloved Disciple proclames the spirit to be the fountaine of grace and peace as well as the Father of Jesus Christ and therfore doth beg grace and peace of the Spirit of grace who doth purify and pacify our hearts for all the Churches Revel 1. 4. The holy Ghost doth regulate all Churches and Church-affaires Acts 13. 2. 4 Acts 15. 28. Acts 20 28. Baptisme is administred in the name and for the Honour of the holy Ghost Matth. 8 19 The holy Ghost doth bestow upon us and work in us those spirituall and glorious blessings which are sealed in or conveyed by Baptisme and therefore we are more especially Baptized by the holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. Iohn 3. â— 6 for we are born of the spirit regenerated washed renewed by the spirit who purifies the soule as water doth the body Titus 3. 5 6. The violation of the Honour and worship of the Holy Ghost is most severely punished Mark 3. 29. Hebr. 6. 4 Hebr. 1â— 28. 29. and therefore there is speciall care taken in the holy Scriptures both for the preservation and vindication of the honour of the Holy Ghost we must not grieve vex resist quench the Holy Ghost that is we must not displease him we must not disobey him we must obey his dictates his motions we must be quickened taught led ruled governed by him we must attribute all the glorious Titles to the Holy Ghost given him in Scripture of which we have so largely discoursed we must acknowledge him to be the Spirit of Truth and therefore must beleeve in him the spirit of supplication the spirit of grace and holinesse and therefore love him and pray to him we must either renounce our Baptisme in his Name or else we must confesse that we are obliged to beleeve in him reverence love obey glorifie him with all inward and outward worship for we are debtours to the Spirit to live to the Spirit and glorifie the Spirit of regeneration who works in us the instrument of Justification that there may be an effectuall application of Christ to our souls though Christ make the purchase the Spirit of adoption makes the assurance he seals us up to the day of redemption and therefore good reason have we to offer up our souls and bodies in a spirituall sacrifice to him for these temples were made for sacrifice Rom. 12. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 5 Now if God who will not give his glory to another because he is true and just gives all this glory to the Holy Ghost it concerns us to glorifie him If there were not all this and a great deal more to be said for the honour of the Holy Ghost yet it were an invincible argument to me if I could only say that the Holy Ghost is God and therefore to be worshipped as God with Divine worship The Holy Ghost is one with the Father and the Son one God and therefore all three are to be worshipped with the same Divine worship It were enough for such men as have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost or no Acts 19. 2. to talk as the filthy dreamers and blasphemous Hereticks of this rotten age usually doe who belch out the language of Hell against the Spirit of Grace and I cannot but wonder that subtile Iesuites Arminians and Socinians who pretend to study and search the Scriptures should say that there is nothing to be found in Scripture concerning the worshipping of the Holy Ghost That the Spirit acts according to the Counsell of his Divine will hath been sufficiently proved only it must be considered that as Father Son and Spirit have but one Nature so they have but one Will. Concerning the Peculiar and Personall properties of the Holy Ghost I shall treat when I come to speak of the distinction of these subsistences For conclusion of this chapter I am to prove that the Godhead doth subsist in Father Son and Spirit all three without any multiplication of the Godhead The Father and the Son are but one God Iohn 10. 30. I and my Father are one The Father Son and Spirit all three are but one God 1 John 5. 7. There is but one God Ephes. 4. 6. Deut. 6. 4. Isa. 44. 6. 8. Isa. 45. 21. 22. Nay there can be but one God there can be but one most Perfect being one infinite Perfection the most perfect being is the most single being and therefore Father Son and Holy Ghost are all three
am not alone but I and the Father that sent me I am one that beare witnesse of my selfe and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me v. 18. And he that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone v. 29. This point is difficult to beleeve that Christ who is man is very God the same God with the Father a different Person from the Father yet subsisting in the Father who is the only true God but as Rollock saith well though this point be most difficult yet it is most necessary and therefore we must beg the spirit of God that we may get above nature and see the Father in Christ and Christ in the Father for the naturall man doth not relish receive or perceive the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 14 Our Saviour told his Disciples that when the Spirit was poured out more plentifully upon them then they should know him to be in his Father The Father will give you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth and at that day yee shall know that I am in my Father John 14. 16 17 20. and in the sixteenth of Iohn the Spirit had convinced the Disciples of this weighty truth for they say By this we beleeve that thou camest forth from God Iesus answered them Do you now beleeve Behold the houre cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his owne and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me John 16. 30 31 32. In these and divers other places our Saviour doth declare this truth unto us that he is in his Father and if it were not a weighty truth of very great consequence and high concernment he would not insist so much upon it it is the mutuall in-subsistence and Coessential Omnipresence of the Father and the Son And the Spirit being Coessentiall with the Father and the Son must needs be in them both from whom he proceeds in the unity of the Divine Nature for it is cleare that an infinite Nature cannot be poured forth beyond it selfe because it is boundlesse and therefore when we read 1 Cor. 2. 11. What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knowes no man but the Spirit of God we may safely adde which is in God because he did proceed in the unity of the divine indivisible and boundlesse nature The Holy Ghost hath the same Nature with the Father and the Son and a Nature of infinite and boundlesse perfection cannot be communicated to any thing that is not infinite to any thing that is not it selfe because there can be no other infinite thing but it selfe there can be but one infinite and every one of the three glorious persons is one and the same infinite God upon these grouds we may answer many questions If you ask Where God was before the World was made I answer that he was then just where he is now in himselfe Dic ubi tunc esset cum praeter â—um nihil esset Tunc ubi nunc in se quoniam sibi sufficit ipse If you ask where the Father was I answer in the Son if you ask where the Son was I answer in the Father If you ask where the Spirit was I answer he was both in the Father and in the Son and they both in him God was in all three persons and all three persons in the Godhead and in one another and so they do and will remaine to all eternity because they are Coessentiall because they are one omnipresent and eternall God The Godhead is not shut up in the narrow circle of the universe the whole Godhead is in the world and the whole Godhead is out the world for the world cannot containe the true God who did create and doth uphold the world and the single Godhead cannot be divided and therefore we must not conceive that part of the Godhead is in the world and part of it out of the world but the whole Godhead is every where it is not included in any place or excluded from any place the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot containe him 1 King 8. 27. his perfection is higher then heaven and deeper then hell Job 11. 8. From what hath beene said it is most cleare that since the Essence of God is omnipresent and the selfe same indivisible Essence is in Father Son and Holy Ghost all three must needs mutually subsist in one another though the persons be distinguished they cannot be separated divided or contracted and therefore this sixth difference between created and uncreated persons is so remarkable that I need not go about to prove that humane persons are separated as well as distinguished tot sunt humanitates quot homines and it is most certaine that Angelicall persons have a limited presence because they have a finite essince But it is otherwise in divine persons for the Father works in the Son and by the Spirit the Father subsists in the Son and in the Spirit and cannot be separated from these Coessentiall and Omnipresent persons who do subsist with him as they are both from him in the unity of the Godhead I need say no more concerning Angels then what is commonly said Angeli sunt Alicuòi Definitive sunt enim in suo Vbi non per operationem vel circumscriptionem sed per Designationem Definitivam Angels are naturally somewhere though they are not in any place by extension of parts yet their finite nature is contained within certaine bounds and limits Hence it is that some learned men affirme that it is improper to say that God is somewhere because he is every-where Somewhere is a definitive word VII Created Persons have many other different Accidents besides Place of which we have spoken and â—ime or Duration of which we are to speak It will not be necessary or usefull to discourse of every particular but that which I intend to insist upon under this head is That Created Persons are distinguished from one another by an heap of Accidents and therefore it will be sufficient for the making good of this seventh Difference to show that divine Persons are not distinguished by a Congeries or heap of Accidents because there is no Accident at all in God For the being of God is infinitely perfect and singularly single as hath been proved and therefore it is infinitely below the single perfection of God to be compounded of a substance and accidents for the adorning or perfecting of his glorious being Relations are not Accidents in God The reltion of one Coessentiall person to another is agreeable to the Essence of God it is a necessary relation which did never begin to be and cannot cease to be The relation of God to the creature cannot be reall because it is such a relation as might not
well call upon him for new miracles Nay the very preservation of the Scriptures in despight of Tyrants Heretiques and Divels is a convincing miracle In a word the Testimony of the Penmen is sealed 1. By the Oath of God 2. By the blood of Christ 3. By the testimony of the Spirit 4. By the Efficacy of the Spirit The Testimony and Efficacy of the Spirit is that sweet Subject which I am now more especially engaged to insist upon the Testimony of the Spirit to the heart and conscience of every true beleever in particular is a convincing Testimony But it will be said that this is such an Argument as none can take notice of and therefore altogether insufficient to perswade other men to beleeve to whom no such Testimony hath been vouchsafed 1. I answer This is an Argument indeed whereby I cannot convince others but this is an Argument which makes all other Arguments effectual to convince me 2. The Efficacy of the Spirit in the word upon the hearts of enemies is very considerable Their minds are inlightned their judgements convinced their consciences awakened terrifyed their hearts smitten because the very thoughts of their hearts are strangely unexpectedly discovered their souls embowelled and their marrow as it were melted in their bones by this almighty spirit speaking testifying working in with the word the very letter kils them the very savour confounds them though bold Athiests scoffe at the word and do in their Jovial fits blaspeme the spirit yet sometimes their hearts quake their joynts tremble even as Belshazzars did at the very sight of the hand-writing when they do but glance their eye upon some startling Text. Their consciences do often joyne with the word and spirit against themselvs against their wils for though they be self-willed yet they are after some soule-searching Admonition self-confounded and selfe-condemned men Tit. 3. 10 11. And though the malice of some men bee too strong for their wit reason and conscience yet it is not too strong for the spirit in the Word all the powers of Hel in them are over-powred by this good Spirit all the strong-holds of Sathan batterd and they themselves so confounded that they seeme to be even damned already they thinke themselves in Hell above-ground when they are stung and bitten they fall into the passion of the heart and are taken with such Hellish convulsion-sits that they do even foam at mouth and gnash with their teeth they are cut to the soule and tormented in their conscience they cry and howle and fight against the Spirit but all in vain for even they are out-witted and over-powred who are not converted by this stinging Efficacy of the Almighty Spirit What shall we say to these things If Idols have been overthrown Oracles silenced Divels convinced by the Majesty of the Spirit in the holy Scriptures and so over awed by the Spirit that they have been forced to confesse nay beleeve these truths at which they tremble then surely those bold theists are worse then devils who do not tremble at the Word because they do not beleeve the Spirit 3. Look upon a soule in its Agony and Pangs in its Throws and conflicts at its first conversion or in its After-throws upon some sadrelapse and observe how the wit is captivated reason conquered conscience confounded heart broken and will turned nay all the powers of corrupt nature overpowred and overturned by the word and spirit of God And then you must needs cry out O the divine Efficacy of Scripture which turns a Lyon into a Lamb a Goat into a sheep a man a Beast a Divel into a Saint and perswades Philosophers and Courtiers Emperours and souldiers Publicans and Harlots Mariners and Politicians to embrace a Religion and run a course clean contrary to the carnall and Divelish wisdome of their proud reason contrary to the stubborn resolutions of their perverse wils in a word contrary to their very nature education custome contrary to dictates of policy and reasons of state contrary to their passions lusts interests friends CoÌ„panions O victorious spirit What aileth what aileth thee O thou man of war and pride thou Secretary of nature Advocate of the Devil to hâ—ng the head and weep to resigne thy estate lay down thy Commission and thy Armes burn thy Conjuring-books and sacrifice thy dearest life in the maintenance of that truth which thou hast formerly contemned I must cry as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the power of the Word Behold the Efficacy of the Spirit in the word conquering and triumphing over the subtilty and obstinacy the pride and malignity of carnal men The promises of God are better then all the proffers of Sathan the divel shewes us the glory of the world the Scripture shewes us the vanity of the world and the conscience is convinced by the word and Spirit that the reversion of Heaven is infinitly better then the possessions of earth all the kingdomes of the world and glory of them are not worth one dayes Communion with Jesus Christ nay one dayes comfort from the Gospel and Spirit of Jesus Christ. Good reason have we then to beleeve the Spirit Angels admire and Divels tremble at the Majesty of the word Saints beleeve obey adore the Majesty of the Spirit speaking in the word of truth and life of grace and glory The Familists might learn by this sad discourse to beleeve the Spirit of God speaking in the word of God and not beleeve their own natural carnal phantastical spirits which contradict the word and spirit of God The Familists did learn of the Papists to call Orthodox Protestants Scripture men to scoffe at them as Scripture-wise and to say as Stapleton and divers others do that the most diligent conference of Scriptures is the ready way to the most damnable errours That the fountains of Greek and Hebrew are neither pure nor necessary and the like And yet Howlet in his Epistle to Queen Elizabeth did lay the sin of the Family of love to the charge of the Protestants But Dr. Raynolds our learned Champion in his conference with Hart doth vindicate the Protestants and make it evident that such as were godly and learned in the Scripture did detest Harry Nicolas that imp of Sathan and master of the Family of Love therfore they could not lay the Families sinto our charge as if we did foster that venemous vipers brood I keep to the Doctors own expressions that you may see how the zeal of that meek Moses was enflamed in this contest which did march into the field with Papists to strengthen their hands against Protestants The Anabaptists likewise might learn from hence to make the spirit speaking in the word the Judge of their pretended Revelations if they were not too conceited of their own inventions and apt to fall in love with the dreams of their own feaverish brain with their weak arguments but strong delusions The
Arminians the constant enemies of the Grace of God should consider that the Pelagians the advocates of Free-wil and corrupt nature were confounded with those plain Scriptures which were urged by the Councels of Carthage Milevis Orenge and Holy Augustine in his fragrant works The Socinians the enemies of the onely true God Father Son and Holy Ghost should consider that the Arrians were overthrown by the Scriptures in the Nicene councel and by the godly Pastours of the Church who instead of broken Scriptures which the Arians urged with as much fraud as the devil did Mat. 4. produced plain Scriptures and the whole Series of both Testaments and so did invincibly refute their blasphemous errours The Libertines who claym a liberty of publishing damnable Heresies and blasphemies under pretence of Prophesying might learn that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty true liberty but no where else for he who protends to speak by the Holy Ghost and yet denies Iesus to be the Lord doth at once blaspheme Christ and the Holy Spirit and is an Anti-spiritual Lyar an Antichristian Blasphemer and hath neither Father Son nor Spirit dwelling in him For he who speaks by the Spirit doth acknowledge Jesus to be the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 3. And he who denies the Son hath not the Father Who is a lyer but he who denies that Iesus is the Christ He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son whosoever denies the Son the same hath not the Father 1 Jo. 2. 22 23. In like manner every Spirit which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4. 2 3. This is that Vorstian liberty which hath undone so many Nations already and is now Idolized in England under the name of Liberty of Conscience by such as have neither Conscience nor liberty Reverend Dr. Sibbs did exceedingly cry out against this kind of Liberty in his time He would not have way given to Vorstian lawlesse licencious liberty of prophesie that every one so soone as he is big of some new conceit should bring forth his abortive Monster for then the Pillars of Christian Faith will soon be shaken and the Church of God which is an house of Order will beâ—ome a Babel an house of Confusion The dolefull issues of which pretended Liberty we see in Polonia Transylvania and in Countries neerer hand I might proceed but this is sufficient for a taste and if I should but name all the errours of this age and not confute them I should abuse my Reader and therefore I desire to stop in time and beseech all that are spiritually minded to heaâ—ken to the Spirit speaking in the word Beloved beleeve not every spirit but beleeve the Holy Spirit who is the Author of the Scriptures the Author of Faith the Iudge of Controversies the interpreter of the Scriptures the Doctor and comforter of the Elect and he will lead you into all necessary truth for your present edification and everlasting Salvation The Holy Spirit will assure you that the Scriptures of truth were all written by his own Authority and you may safely set to your seale when you have received the infallible testimony of the Holy Ghost We are witnesses of these things saith the â—postle and so is the Holy-Ghost also Act. 5. 32. We shall never receive the word as the Word of God with joy reverence submission and assurance of Faith specially in times of â—ffliction and temptation unlesse we receive the witnesse of the Spirit and ground our Faith upon the wisdome and evident demonstration of the Spirit When we look upon the word of God and consider 1 The wonderfull consent of all those Holy and selfe-denying men that penned it 2. The marvellous fulfilling of all the strange Prophecies in the fullnesse of time appointed by God 3. The Admirable Providence of God in preserving the Scriptures notwithstanding all the rage and malice of Hereticks and persecutors 4. The supernaturall Miracles wrought for to confirm it 5. The Harmonious testimony that the Church Martyrs Saints have in all ages given to it 6. The Antiquity Majesty Efficacy of it 7. The divine and heavenly matter contained in it 1. Mysteries above reason 1 Cor. 2. 9. 2. Commands contrary to our corrupt nature sent to all Nations and even to the greatest and proudest of men 3. Threats beyond the strength of man to inflict or the capacity of man to comprehend an hard heart a seared Conscience and yet a trembling Spirit a reprobate mind and sense a spirit of madnesse giddinesse horrour or slumber an everlasting worm eternall fire torments with the devil and his Angels 4. Promises and rewards beyond the power of man to bestow or wisdome of Angels to comprehend 1 Pet. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 10. 5. The fall corruption Redemption Salvation of man wonderfully declared in the Holy Scriptures the inward frame and disposition of mans heart his secret thoughts and most intimate projects his reserved wishes desires ends and purposes undenyably discovered for his conviction even to admiration and amazement 1 Cor. 14. â—5 then the reason of man is even confounded the obstinacy of mans heart subdued all the pride of humane glory stained and the Scriptures appeare to be the word of God But now all these Arguments and many more which I could name will not be effectuall for our regeneration and conversion untill the Spirit be pleased to set all home upon the heart by his own irresistible efficacy and seale this truth to the Conscience by his own infallible testimony But when the Spirit speaks to and works upon our spirits then we do assent and consent to all the proposals of God our very thoughts are captivated and subdued unto the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Our Conscience is convinced swayed and undeniably obliged to beleeve what is promised allow what is commanded our will made willing to chose both the affections to embrace both our whole man to follow after both according to the directions of God for performing what is commanded and obtaining of what is promised Rom. 7. 12. 22. Psa. 119. 106 112 113 127 128 167 173 174. I must acknowledge my absolute total and universal dependance upon the infallible wisdome infinite truth power majesty greatnesse and goodnesse of the Holy Spirit and confesse that he hath soveraigne Right and divine authority to reveale and prescribe whatsoever he pleases upon the rewards and penalties of everlasting life and death And I am obliged to beleeve and embrace al that the Spirit teacheth without any contradiction though it seeme never so improbable to my carnall reason and be really contrary to my corrupt affections ends and esianes The spirit teaches me how to apprehend and judge of spirituall things after a spirituall manner for the spirit teaches me what to approve and
what I should disallow Phil. 1 9 10 19. I must choose what the Spirit approves and then prosecute what I have chosen with care hope desire and embrace what I attaine to with love and delight and in a word rest satisfyed with the love of the Father the grace of the Son and the communion of the Spirit as my al-sufficient and satisfactory portion for evermore Psal. 17. 15. Psal. 63. 5. Faith is that Grace which enables and enclines us upon the divine testimony of the Spirit to depend on Christ for righteousnesse and life according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace The divine Testimony of the Spirit is the true ground of justifying Faith but Historicall Faith which may be in Devils Jam 2. and Temporary Faith which may be in Reprobates Luke 8. are not truly grounded on the Testimony wisdome Authority Revelation or demonstration of the Spirit We read of a Revelation of flesh and blood Mat. 16. 17. And the demonstration and Revelation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 10. 14 15. Ephes. 1. 17. A man who hath nothing but sense and Reason in him may have an Historicall or a Temporary Faith but he who doth upon the divine Testimony of the Spirit beleeve that Iesus is the Christ he is born of God of the Spirit of God and hath the witnesse in himself 1 Joh. 5. 1. 6 10. For the regenerate and they only have a spirituall understanding in them to know him that is true when he is revealed unto them by the Spirit of truth 1 Joh. 5. 20. 1 Cor. 2 14 15. Deut. 29. 4. For the Demonstration of the Spirit is not understood by us untill we are renewed in the spirit of our mind so that we can look upon the Divine truths testifyed by the Spirit with a spirituall eye and discern them after a spirituall manner 1 Cor. 2. 14. And therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is not received but by our renewed Spirits Rom. 8. 16. Before we are Regenerate we receive divine truths only because we judge them reasonable or because we find them in the Scriptures and we beleeve the Scriptures upon an Humane Testimony and therefore only with an Humane not a Divine Faith But the Spirituall man beleeves all upon the testimony of the Spirit and doth constantly beg the direction of the good Spirit O thy Spirit is good saith David teach me lead me quicken me by thy Spirit Ps. 143. 10 11. Finally this good spirit discovers to a man before he beleeves 1. His want of Christ 2. The worth of Christ. His want of Christ by reason of 1. His hainous sins which are inexcusable damnable 2. His Spirituall wants which are innumerable 3. His present misery and slavery which are unspeakable unsupportable The worth of Christ because he is an All-sufficient Saviour and only Saviour the Spirit discovers the treasures of Free grace the mysteries of Divine Faith which even Angels admire the unsearchable riches of Christ the fulnesse of God able to satiate the soule with heavenly glorious everlasting happinesse and even infinite content Then the soule is convinced by the Spirit of God not onely of the truth but goodnesse of the Covenant made by God with man in Christ and that there are better things laid up for beleevers in Christ then any are or can be bestowed by Sathan upon his greatest Agents and dearest favourites the darlings of the flesh and world and upon this account the soule is perswaded by this demonstration of the spirit to close with Christ and deny itself to have no ability wisdome righteousnesse will of its own but to seek wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption in Christ. 1 Cor. 1. 30. In a word to deny its own will and take the will of Christ for its rule and compasse to do or suffer any thing for Christ to lose or sell all for him The good spirit perswades us 1. To prize Christ highly even above all the kingdomes of the world and glory of them 2. To beleeve in Christ stedfastly 3. To love Christ deerly better then our selves or dearest friends better then worldly treasures sensuall joy or any carnall contentments whatsoever 4. To follow Christ fully that we may enjoy him eternally as our Crown our happinesse our heaven And to this end and purpose to set up the word of God in our Consciences as our only rule for to direct us 1. In all points of Faith 2. In all parts of worship 3. In all passages of our life and conversation that we may cast out the world the Devil nay flesh and self and all to make roome for Christ. Now when the Spirit hath by its own evidence testimony authority wisdome and efficacy wrought Faith in the soule to carry it into the armes of Iesus Christ Christ doth bid it welcom embraces kisses it and takes this young beleever by the hand and puts him into his Fathers bosome And when we are thus brought to beleeve in Father Son and Holy Ghost then we are fitted and prepared to worship and obey all three glorious persons as one God blessed forever And therefore I may now proceed to speak of the worship of all three and then of our obedience to all three 2. This grand Mystery of Faith hath an effectuall influence into our Gospel-worship He takes the name of Father Son and Holy Ghost in vain and doth not make that Holy use which he should of the Titles Properties workes and Ordinances of all three who doth not with Knowledge Faith Reverence sincerity and spirituall joy worship all three for this is true Gospel-worship And therefore I would intreat my Reader diligently to consider what I have delivered in the fourth and fifth chapters of this Treatise concerning the divine Nature Titles Properties works of all three in order to worship for the glory of the thrice illustrious and yet single God head and then if he will study the scope of the first Table of the Holy Law of God and the substance of Gospel-worship he will acknowledge that every one who beleeveth in all three persons will find his Faith obliging and inclining him to worship al three glorious persons as one God blessed for ever 1. God the Father is to be worshipped under the Gospel as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him I have touched this point already and because it is not much controverted by our grand enemies I shall not insist long upon it All the knowledge of God which we gain by the Scriptures of truth is revealed to us on purpose for our direction in the worship of God we must not worship God according to our own devices but according to that discovery which God hath made of himselfe to us in his Holy word not onely in respect of his divine nature as when our
the Beasts mark they renounce the Dragon and his Angels all his pomps vanities worship and all the furniture of his worship all the errours and Idols of the false Prophets though they lose their trading the comforts of their life yea and life it selfe This is the Lambs mark 9. These Redeemed Virgins make a publike profession of their faith in and love to the Lamb and his Father they have the marke of both in their forehead and they cry aloud their voice is like the voice of Thunder Rev. 14 1 2. Rev. 5. 12. They are not ashamed or afraid to acknowledge Father Son and the holy Spirit the only and adequate object of divine Faith and Worship and the sole cause of Justification Sanctification Redemption Peace and Glory for all this is held forth to us clearly in this Book of the Revelation and there is a speciall blessing promised to such as read and heare the words of this Prophesie and keep those things which are written therein â—Rev 1. 3. And amongst other blessings they have the blessing of victory and triumph vouchsafed them they get victory over the Beast over his Image his Marke and the number of his Name Rev. 15. 2. They defie the Romane errours and Idols and are armed with faith and patience against this cruelty and Tyranny of Antichrist They cannot be enticed by any rewards seduced by any subtilties terrified by any threats to embrace any doctrine or forme of worship derogotary to the honour of the Father the Lamb or the holy Spirit for the Spirit doth in this Book teach the Churches to come in to Christ and defie the Beast and the Churches hearken to the Spirit as the Fountain of truth grace peace and glory This is the mystery of Gospel-worship we must beleeve love adore obey the Father the Lamb and the Spirit of Grace and Peace the Doctour and Comforter of all Christian Churches throughout all the foure quarters of the world East West North South that so the promise Isaiah 43. may be exactly fulfilled Rev. 7. 9 10. A great multitude an innumerable multitude of all Nations cry Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. The Kingdoms of the World must become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. Rev 11. 15. And when the Divell and his Angels who deceive the World accuse the Brethren and blaspheme Christ are cast forth then there is a loud voice in Heaven Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ for the Accuser of our Brethren is cast down c. Rev. 12. 9 10. In a word when the Redeemed Virgins and noble Conquerours come to sing their triumphant Song that Song doth contain the Scope of the Law and the substance of the Gospell for they are to sing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. Rev. 15. 3. And they who sing are such as do keep the Commandements of God and the testimony of Iesus Rev. 12. 17. And the testimony of Jesus is the Testimony of the Spirit delivered in the Word to the Churches of Christ Rev. 2. 7 11. all three persons do deliver the same testimony 1 Ioh. 5. 7. but the Son and the Spirit do most eminently joyne in delivering their testimony Rev. 2. 11 18 29. Rev. 3. 1 6 7 13 14 21 22. Rev. 19. 10. The Spirit doth encourage them to beleeve his Testimony and follow the Lambe and the Martyrs are slaine for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held Rev. 6. 9. and they overcome by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony Rev. 12. 11. The testimony of the Spirit and the testimony of Iesus Rev. 12. 17. And when the Spirit hath encouraged them to love Christ better then their lives Rev. 12. 11. and they have overcome by the testimony of the Spirit and the bloud of the Lamb then the Spirit doth pronounce them blessed Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit Rev. 14. 13. The Church is begotten instructed perswaded governed upheld comforted by the holy Spirit as Babylon is the habitation of Devils and the hold of every foule spirit Rev 18. 2. It is the Spirit which wooes the Church and perswades her to be the wife of the Lambe and to make her selfe ready for the marriage And the Spirit and the Bride say come Rev 22. 17. And that we may look upon this whole Prophesie as comming from the Spirit as well as the Lamb the Angel assures us that the Testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of Prophesie Rev 19. 10. The love of the Father and the grace of the Lord Jesus is communicated to us by the holy Spirit and therefore although the grace of the Lord Iesus is alone expressed in the close of this Booke of the Revelation yet the love of the Father and Communion of the holy Spirit must needs be understood according to the Prayer in the beginning of the Book Rev. 1. 4 5. Grace c. 3. The Spirit is worshipped in this Book of the Revelation Grace be to you and peace from the seven Spirits Rev. 1. 4. It is not agreeable to the Christian faith to pray unto Angels and beg grace and peace of them They do not hold the Head who worship Angels Col. 2. 18 19. Angels are our fellow servants and do forbid us to give that worship to them which is due to God only and they refuse to be worshipped because it is contrary to the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 19. 10. And I fell at his feet to worship him and he said unto me see thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Iesus worship God This is the testimony of Jesus Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4. 10. The Book of the Revelation doth containe divers cleare testimonies against worshipping of Angels I am of them saith the Angel that keep the saying of this Book worship God Rev. 22. 9. And therefore that place Rev. 1. 4. must needs be understood of the holy Spirit For God will not give his glory to another and good Angels will not take it from him but protest against this Will worship as Idolatry The Holy Ghost is called seven Spirits by an usuall Metalepsis of the effect for the cause he doth pour forth various gifts seven is a note of Perfection and the holy Spirit one and the same Spirit is given to all the seven Churches every Church hath so much of the holy Ghost as is necessary and it runs as if every one of the seven Churches had seven Spirits because every one hath enough of the Spirit for their Sanctification and Salvation The Apostle therefore begging
holy in life We can never understand the Presence Institution and mind of Christ in this Ordinance unless we beleeve the cursed condition of men in their naturall estate the divine nature and person of Christ the greatness of the price that was paid for the satisfaction of Gods justice and appeasing of Gods wrath who did not spare his own Co-essential Son but manifested his hatred against sin and love to his Elect in not sparing his Son but breaking his body and shedding of his bloud that we might be redeemed by the bloud of God this is the mystery which is made sensible in the Sacrament and is really evident to the eye of faith Gal. 3. 1. And whosoever looks upon these great mysteries of the Gospel as fancies and doth not beleeve them to be reall things truly exhibited really presented to beleevers in a Sacramental mystical spiritual way in this Ordinance hath not yet learnt the truth as it is in Jesus and is not prepared for such high Communion We Christians do not come with hungry and thirsty soules longing after farther Communion with Christ for mortifying of our lusts and encrease of all our graces by his spirit untill we beleeve this grand mystery of Faith and we are then experimentally acquainted with the mystery of Godliness when we have been made drink into one Spirit with Christ and his Members when we look upon him whom we have pierced by our sins and acknowledge him to be the natural and Co-essential Son of God there can be none of those fiduciall breathings after Christ Penitential meltings before him or obediential closings with him as is evident by our ninth Chapter untill we do in some measure beleeve this mystery of Faith and understand the substance of the Covenant of grace which is sealed in this Sacrament by God and must be actually renewed by every good Communicant our Meditations Faith Love Repentance Joy Thankfulness will not be rightly placed or exercised if this grand mystery of Faith and Godliness be rejected by us 6. I might argue from all the Offices of Christ they who do not beleeve the divine nature of Christ do utterly disable Jesus Christ from being a Mediatour a Priest a Prophet a King for the saving of his people to the uttermost They who deny the divine Essence and Person of Christ do deny his satisfaction to be all-sufficient in our behalf They depose Christ from that spirituall and heavenly kingdom which he hath by Nature and render him uncapable of that Mediatory Kingdom which is delegated to Christ God man by the Decree of the Co-essentiall Trinunity But I have said enough of that in the former part of this Book I pass on to enquire what civill respect is due to such as do deny the divine Nature of Christ and his holy Spirit That one Text to my apprehension 2 Ioh. 9. 10 11. containes a very full and satisfactory answer Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds But that this point may be more clearly stated and all mistakes prevented be pleased to consider 1. That such Points of Religion and Worship as are necessary to be known and beleeved for the maintenance of Christian spirituall saving Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost are clearely delivered in the holy Scriptures of truth 2. That if men who were formerly unblameable in their life and conversation be seduced into any errour which doth contradict or subvert such Fundamentall Points they ought to be instructed with the spirit of meekness in a Christian and brotherly way 3. They are to be admonished with all faithfulness and meekness of Wisdom twice or thrice that they may understand the importance of the truth which is denyed the danger of the errour maintained the sad consequences of both that if their conscience be not feared they may return from their beloved and damned errours 4. If after all this meekness patience and forbearance all Christian instructions and brotherly admonitions they do as men that are judicially blinded for sinning against conscience 1. Persist in their errour 2 Reject and revile the truth of God in these high and necessary Points 3. Fall from the grace of God frustrate the grace and Covenant of God evacuate the death of Christ depose Christ and his Spirit from their Throne and Godhead 4. Seduce and poyson others Mat. 21. 38. 5. Deny and overthrow the foundation of divine Faith Hope Love and Justification by Faith and the Adequate object also of all Christian Faith Evangelicall Worship and sincere Obedience These bold Atheists for they deny the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost may without any scruple be rejected from Christian Communion For there is certainly some lust or other which hinders them from seeing the truth or professing that they do see it and therefore it may be taken for granted that these men are obstinate self-condemned men men that combine with their Wills and Lusts against their own conscience and cleare shining Scriptures And therefore these men cannot complaine that they are punished for their conscience when they are indeed punished for sinning against their conscience because they are condemned by their own conscience But it will be said that there are scarce any such men to be found as I have described To which I answer Be pleased but to consider what hath been delivered in this very Chapter already and compare it with the foregoing Chapters and with the many blasphemous Pamphlets which do pass up and down without controule in this licentious Age in which men adventure upon the very language of hell under pretence of exercising their Christian Liberty and speaking according to their New Light and this Point will be too cleare For we do already grant that no man ought to be troubled for following the dictates of his conscience rightly enformed but for following of pernicious errours which are contrary to his own conscience unless he be judicially blinded by God for his customary sinning against light of conscience in former times 2. Nothing is more common then for men to speak out of the abundance of that naturall Atheisme which lurkes in their hearts contrary to the dictates of their naturall conscience 3. Though conscience may be quiet whilst men are exercising their wits to maintaine some errour which is contrary to those mysteries of faith which transcend naturall reason and are repugnant to the corruption of reason especially if they are engaged in multitudâ— of business connived at by such as sit at sterne and do thrive and prosper in the world Yet conscience will find a time to speak when it may
Socinus the Uncle and the Nephew brought from thence They who are acquainted with Ecclesiastical Writers can readily declare what difficulties they wrestled with and what persecutions they did undergo rather then they would consent to any Syncretisme with the Arians when it was obtruded or yeeld to any agreement when it was offered to them upon plausible and tempting conditions They who have read the Acts of the Nicene Syrmiensian and both the Ariminensian Councels Athanasius Hilary Epiphanius Nicetas Socrates Sozomen Theodoret Augustin know this to be as cleare as if it were written with a Sun-beame Was there not an Anathema denounced against Liberius by great Hilary for yielding to such a Syncretisme with the Arians as Acontius did propound for an Accommodation between Christians and Socinians pardon the harshness of that expression I am not in passion or in haste but follow the example of the Orthodoxe Doctors of the Church who did use the name of Christians in opposition to the Arians to shew that they did not acknowledge the Arians for to be Christians because they denied the true Christ who is God-man the only Mediatour and Saviour of his people from their sins Melancthon and Bucer were men of great prudence modesty and moderation as well as piety and learning but they never offered to conclude a peace with any of these new Arians they would not admit any into Christian Communion with them unlesse they would subscribe the Confessions of faith received in the foure first general Councels They who deny the Godhead of our Saviour and the holy Ghost are Antichristian Antispiritual men their Idolatry in worshipping Christ whom they look upon as a meere Creature their impiety in denying worship to the holy Ghost their horrid blasphemies to the dishonour of Christ and Christianity their poysoning of soules disturbing of Christian Societies should be laid to heart by all Christian Magistrates all Ministers and Members of Jesus Christ and therefore this Acontian Syncretisme is abominable Upon these and divers other considerations I was desired to make a report to the Reverend Assembly concerning the danger of translating and Printing of Acontius in English the heads of the report were briefly these The Report made to the Reverend Assembly March 8. 1647-48 By Mr Cheynell We humbly conceive THat Acontius his Enumeration of Points necessary to be known and beleeved for the attainment of Salvation is very defective 1. Because in the Creed which Acontius framed there is no mention made either of the Godhead of Iesus Christ or of the Godhead of the holy Ghost And 2. Although Acontius doth acknowledge Christ to be truly the Son of God yet he doth not in his Creed declare him to be the natural Son of God That these points are necessary to be known and believed for the attainment of salvation is in our judgement clearly expressed in the holy Scriptures 1 Joh. 5. 7 20. compared with Joh. 17. 3. We do therefore conceive that Acontius was justly condemned because he maintains that the points of Doctrine which he mentions are the only points which are necessary to be known and beleeved and did not hold forth or mention the points aforesaid as necessary to salvation And we esteeme him to be the more worthy of censure because he lived in an age when the Photinian Heresie was revived and yet spared the Photinians though he condemned the Sabellians Finally Acontius doth cautelously decline the Orthodox expressions of the Ancient Church in the foure first generall Synods and doth deliver his Creed in such general expressions that as we conceive the Socinians may subscribe it and yet retaine the worst of their blasphemous errours The promises being humbly presented we leave it to the judgement of this Reverend Assembly Whether Acontius his Stratagems was a Book fit to be translated into English and recommended to the Parliament Army and City to direct them how to distinguish truth from errour in this juncture of time Upon these few heads of the Report I discoursed somewhat affectiontely and freely according to the weight and moment of the Point in Question And thereupon the reverend Assembly did unanimously desire the Prolocutor to perswade me to print something about that Argument as soone as the heat of our employment at Oxford was over for the satisfaction of the Kingdom I am very willing to obey the Commands of that Assembly famous for learning and piety even to the admiration of those great Schollers whose hearts were once espoused to another Interest If the debates of that Reverend Assembly upon severall Articles of Faith were printed and published to the world all ingenuous enemies of piety would blush at the remembrance of those bitter censures which have been passed upon men of whom this Age is unworthy But I must hasten for my Book begins to swell beyond its just proportion and I am called away to another service which cannot be performed at any other time Acontius hath invented very pretty diversions instead of Excuses to abate our zeale against the most dangerous errours he saith that Hereticks do not intend to make Christ a lyar the controversie between them and us is not concerning the truth but concerning the meaning of the words of Christ. To which I answer that he who beleeves the words of Christ in the sense of Antichrist and rejects the sense of Christ and his Spirit is not a Christian but is indeed and truth Antichristian The sense of Scripture is the Scripture and therefore if men be permitted in these great and weighty Articles to impose a new sense upon the Church of Christ they do clearely impose a new Creed a new Gospell upon us and deserve that Anathema Gal. 1. 8 9. though they should pretend to Apostolical authority or Angelical purity Although we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now againe if any man preach any other Gospell unto you then that you have received let him be accursed Grotius in the daies of his modesty refused to sollicite in the behalfe of the Socinians and professed that he did not know a man in the grand Assembly in Holland that would not pronounce the Socinians accursed The distinguishing question which was then put was the old question Do you beleeve that Christ is God by nature If you do not you are an Arian and if you be an Arian you are no Christian. Acontius reckons up some things as necessary to beleeve which are expressed in Scripture some other things which are necessarily inferred from what is expressed but he doth not reckon up the Godhead of Christ or the holy Ghost in his Catalogue of things that are plainely expressed or necessarily inferred as is most evident by his whole discourse in his third Book which is now in English Finally the Socinians take away
my self my Being is absolutely necessary every way perfect altogether pure single and infinite I do therefore conclude as Hierome That the very nature of God is being it selfe and therefore he ever was and cannot cease to be he cannot borrow his Being from any thing who gives Being and wel-being to all things The absolute and independent necessity of the Divine-Being doth demonstrate its eternity and therefore all the differences of time are untied by the Talmudists to connote the Eternity of God in that text Exod. 3. 14. according to that excellent Commentary made by the Apostle Rev. 1. 8. God is the Almighty which is and which was and which is to come Hence it is that some have thought fit to translate that text Exod. 3. 14. according to the full scope of the Future amongst the Hebrews I am that I am that I was and that I will be For the Future amongst the Hebrews points at all differences of time past present and to come but others observing the strict and proper signification of the Future translate it thus I will be that I will be The Angel of the waters doth unite all differences of time in that gratefull acknowledgement Rev. 16. 5. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged thus And Iesus Christ who is one and the same God with his father is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 3. 8. The Rabbines upon Exod. 3. 14. expresse themselves after this manner The blessed God said unto Moses say unto them I that have been and I the same now and I the same for time to come c. or as others more agreeable to the Chaldee Paraphrase I he that is and was and hereafter will be hath sent me unto you But enough of that it is now time to conclude that this first and independent Being cannot be measured in it self because it is infinite nor in its causes for it hath no causes but is from it self of it self by it self and for it self for as the Apostle saith All things are of him and through him and to him to him be glory for ever Amen CHAP. III. God hath sufficiently and graciously revealed himself in his holy word for our edification and salvation THis incomprensible God who is of himself and for himself cannot be made known to his creatures but by himselfe Men and Angels cannot know him any further then he is pleased to reveale himself unto them The word of God is pure and perfect it doth fully discover Gods mind and our duty The Scriptures direct us in all points of faith in all parts of worship and in all passages of our life and conversation there is the whole body of Religion and the only right way to salvation sufficiently and graciously revealed unto us by God himself for God is the Author Object End of true Religion and is the only happinesse and salvation of his chosen People and therefore God alone can direct us how to serve and enjoy his own blessed self in an acceptable and comfortable way for his glory and our own everlasting satisfaction The Jesuites tell us that the Scriptures are but a partiall Rule and that we must be beholding to some unwritten word or tradition for the proofe of some points which are necessary to be known and beleeved for our everlasting salvation Some instance in the Doctrine of the Trinity others in the Worship of the Holy Ghost The Papists do generally acknowledge that it is necessary for the attainment oâ— salvation to beleeve the number of the Persons of the Trinity and their consubstantiality because no man can be saved who doth not believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost in all three as in the only true God one and the self same God blessed for ever but some of them deny that this mystery is sufficiently revealed in the written word and therefore I shall make it my businesse to confute them and all that adhere unto them in the following Treatise The saving knowledge of God in Christ is revealed by the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures of truth nay Father Son and Holy Ghost do all joyne in revealing to us the saving mystery of faith and godlinesse that by the grace of Christ the love of God and Communion of the Holy Ghost we may have a glorious fellowship with all three as one God the only true God whom to know is life eternall John 17. 3. we are taught by the father to come to Christ for salvation John 6. 45. we are taught by the son Iohn 1. 18. Heb. 1. 2. we are taught by the Spirit Heb. 3. 7. Rev. 2. 29. and 1 Iohn 5. 6. the Spirit doth beare witnesse after an especiall manner to this saving truth it is the spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth yet all three and therefore the whole Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit do joyn in bearing record and their record is written for it stands upon Record in the Gospel and their Record is a saving Record and there can be no other Record produced to prove that Christ is our Saviour 1 Iohn 5. 7 11 12 13 20. Iohn 20 31. if we study the Scriptures beleeve apply them worship and act according to them we shall be saved by our faith in the written Trinity in Father Son and Holy Ghost without the help of any unwritten tradition whatsoever for the holy Scriptures are able to furnish the Man of God unto Perfection and make the simple wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. Cyrill in his Book of the Trinity and Person of Christ put forth not long since by Wegeline saith that he would not speak or think any thing of God but what is written in his Word Clemens Alexandrinus saith that we ought to make good every point in question by the Word of God because that is the surest nay that 's the only Demonstration he speaks of Theologicall Demonstration nothing can be embraced with a divine faith but that which is delivered to us upon Divine Testimony and we are to seek for the Testimony of God nowhere but in the written Word of God and therefore Basil disputes after this manner Whatsoever is not in the written Word of God is not of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin and therefore it is a sin to obtrude any Doctrine upon the conscience as an Article of faith which is not written in the Word of God Putean is bold to say that if Basil his meaning was according to his words he was a Hugonot that is as we use to say a Puritane When I read what the Papists write on this Argument I stand amazed at their blasphemies and am unwilling to stain my paper with the repetition of them they who have read Canus Hosius Costerus Eckius Gautierus Charronaeus Stapleton and the rest of that
as referred to the divine Essence which is common to all three Persons we say it is the same power But when we look upon power in a singular notion as it is communicated after a singular manner to this or that person we say this person is equall to that in power the Father equall to the Son the Spirit equall to both to note the distinction of the Persons and not the distinction of the Power because the self-same Almighty Power is communicated to the severall persons in a severall way Power is in the Father of and from himself that is not from any other Person the same power is communicated to the Son but it is communicated to him by eternal generation and to the Spirit by eternal procession the â—ame power then is communicated to different coequall persons in a different way as we shall more fully declare before we conclude this seventh chapter 3. The Uncreated Persons are sufficiently distinguished by their number The nature of God is the first Entity the first Unity and therefore it is uncapable of number because it is most singularly single and actually infinite It is not proper if we speak strictly to say that God is one in Number we should rather say that God is one and an only one Deus non est unus Numero sed unicus But the Persons of the Godhead are three in number the Scripture speaks expressely of three These three 1 Iohn 5. 7. If any man in Athanasius his time asked how many persons subsist in the Godhead they were wont to send him to Iordan Go say they to Iordan and there you may hear and see the blessed Trinity or if you will beleeve the holy Scriptures read the third chapter of Matthew the 16 and 17. verses for there 1. The Father speaks in a voice from Heaven and owns his only begotten Son saying This is my beloved Son c. 2. The Son went down into the water and was baptized 3. The Holy Ghost did visibly descend upon Jesus Christ. In the fourteenth of Iohn we have a plain Demonstration of this truth I saith the Son will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Iohn 14. 16 17. May we not safely conclude from hence that the Spirit is a distinct Person Another Person from the Father and the Son for the Text is cleare the Son will pray and the Father will give Another Comforter we know the Holy Ghost is not Another God he is the same God with the Father and the Son and therefore we must confesse that it is meant of Another Person he shall give you Another Comforter even the Spirit of truth verse 16 17. And againe in the 26. verse of the same Chapter But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth What can there be more expresse or cleare The Scripture teaches us to reckon right and we see the divine Persons are reckoned three in Number One Person is not another there are diverse Persons there are three Persons the number numbred the Persons numbred are named by their distinct and proper names the number numbring is expressely set down in sacred Records We are not more exact in any accounts then we are in reckoning of witnesses whose testimony is produced in a businesse of great consequence and high concernment Now in the great question about the Messiah witnesses are produced to assure us that Iesus Christ the Son of the Virgin and the only begotten Son of God is the true Messiah the only all-sufficient Saviour of his people from their sins And there are three Witnesses named and produced for the proof of this weighty point Now one Person that hath three names or two Persons and an Attribute of one or both Persons cannot passe for three Witnesses in any fair and reasonable account we are sure God reckons right and he reckons Father Son and Holy Ghost for three Witnesses and he doth not reckon these three and the Godhead for foure as they do who dream of a Quaternity because these three are one and the same God blessed for ever Let us then be exact in observing since the Holy Ghost is so exact in making of the account In the eighth of Iohn the Pharisees object that our Saviour did bear record of himself and did conclude from thence that therefore his record was not true Iohn 8. 13. Our Saviour answers in the next verse Though I beare record of my self yet my record is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me And it is written in your Law that the testimony of two men is true I am one that beare witnesse of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me It is most clear and evident by this discourse that our blessed Lord did make a fair legall just account for he cites the Law concerning the validity of a testimony given in by two witnesses and then he reckons his Father for one witnesse and himself for another I am one saith he and my Father is Another I and my Father make two sufficient Witnesses in a just and legall account There is Another saith he that beareth witnesse of me and I know that the witnesse which he witnesseth of me is true Iohn 5 32. There is Another saith he he doth not meane another God for when he speaks of his power and Godhead he saith I and my Father are one Iohn 10. 30. Christ and his Father are one God but Christ and his Father are two distinct Persons for they are reckoned as two distinct witnesses and one Person must not be reckoned for two witnesses There is Another that bears witnesse Iohn 5. 32. and the Father himself v. 37. bears witnesse of me Well then Christ is one witness the Father is another and the Holy Ghost is a third witness 1 Iohn 5. 7. we see the Holy Ghost speaks as plainly in this point as we do when we teach a child to tell one two and three For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one If we peruse the Scriptures diligently as we ought we shall finde that these Witnesses are three Persons who are one and the same blessed God They are one in nature though three in subsistence to shew that these three Persons are not to be reckoned as three men are who have three distinct singular natures really divided and separated for these three glorious Persons subsist in one another and have one and the same single undivided and indivisible nature and they are three Witnesses three Persons truly distinct Iohn 1. 14 18. cap 5 3â— cap. 14 16. IV. The divine Persons are distinguished by their inward and personall actions The Father did from all Eternity communicate the living Essence of God to the Son in a
most wonderfull and glorious way Now it is cleare that the Father did not beget himselfe and therefore the Son is another Person truly distinct from the Father and yet equall to the Father because he is begotten in the Unity of the same Godhead and hath life in himselfe John 5. 26. the living Essence of God who is life it selfe being communicated to him by an eternall generation The unbegotten Father is clearly distinguished from the only begotten Son But I dare not say as some do that the Father is Active and the Son Passive in this eternall generation because this generation is eternall For nothing which is eternall can be truly said to be in a Passive Power to any thing much lesse can it be said to be in a Passive Power to be The Son hath life in himselfe is life it self hath life essentially and as he is the same Essence with the Father is of himselfe and hath all that is essentiall from that very Essence but that Essence is communicated to the Son by the Father and therefore the Son is said to receive all from the Father But then we must consider that the Son receives nothing from the Father as from an externall cause but as from an intrinsecall Principle rather the cause for the Son doth not depend upon the Father as an Effect upon its Cause And I call the Father an Intrinsecall Principle of the Sons Subsistence because the Father doth beget the Son of and in himself in the unity of the same Godhead their Divine Nature is one and the same and their Persons are Coequall and Coeternall because they are Coessentiall This is the very Mystery of Mysteries which corrupt and wanton Reason derides but prudent Faith admires and adores The Socinians tell us that they cannot beleeve that the Father did beget a Son of his owne substance because God is eternall and unchangeable the single essence of God is indivisible and being most singularly one is incommunicable part of the Divine Essence could not be communicated say they to the Son because the essence is impartible indivisible and the self same whole Essence cannot be communicated because it is most singularly one and therefore incommunicable Essentia quae est una Numero est incommunicabilis To this grand Objection I shall return a plain Answer out of pure Scripture and deliver it in certain Propositions or Conclusions that the Answer may be more direct cleare and satisfactory Conclusions concerning the eternal generation 1. The Father did beget his Son the Father himself bears witnesse to this truth and his witnesse is full and clear and true Jehovah hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal. 2. 7. Nay the Father declares this truth to men and Angels as a Practicall truth that they may direct and regulate their worship according to this Mystery The Apostle proves that Christ is more excellent then Angels because he hath a more excellent Name then they For unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son Hebr. 1. 4 5. Here 's a double proof of the point he hath a more excellent name because he is the Son of God in a peculiar sense and hath the divine nature communicated to him as shall be fully proved ere we conclude this point for the name of Son is not an empty Title he hath the divine nature of his Father in him Now that he is the Son of God is testifyed again and again saith the Apostle verse 5. And he begins the sixth verse thus And again c. You see how he doth inculcate this point how he beates upon it again and againe and the reason is because this truth is Fundamentall both of Faith and Worship as is most evident in the sixth verse of that chapter And again when he brings in the first-begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Hebr. 1. 6. You see this Mystery of the unbegotten Father and the only begotten Son is held forth to men and Angels in order to worship that their worship may be directed to Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God and to God the Father as the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. God declared this truth after a glorious manner from heaven that it might be more diligently considered And lo a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved Son Matth. 3. 17. when he was baptâ—zed and the like we read of when he was transfigured in the presence of the Disciples in the holy Mount And the Apostle doth take notice of these solemne declarations from heaven and layes them down as Fundamentals of the Christian Religion 2 Pet. 1. from the 16. verse to the twentieth All the glorious Miracles wrought by our Saviour Iohn 5. 36 and his resurrection from the Dead bear witnesse to this fundamental truth that Christ is the first begotten and the only begotten Son of the living God be pleased to compare Acts. 13. 32 33. with Romans 1. 4. and it will be evident that he was not made but onely declared to be the Son of God at the time of his Resurrection 2. The Father did beget his Son from all eternity before his works of old I saith the Son who is the wisdome of the Father was set up from everlasting when as the highest part of the dust of the earth was not made when he prepared the heavens I was there c. Prov. 8. from 21 verse to the 31. his goings forth were of old from the dayes of eternity Micah 5. 2. Iohn 1. 1. 2 3. he was with God he was God before the beginning he had glory with his Father before the world was Iohn 17. 5. Relata simul sunt 3. The Father did beget his Son in the unity of the Godhead the Scripture speaks expressely that Christ is the Proper or Naturall Son of God he spared not his own Son or his Proper Sonne Rom. 8. 32. God is the Father of Christ his own Father Iohn 5. 18. the Iewes did well understand the importance and force of that expression for say they in that he said God is his own Father he hath made himself equall with God and therefore that Phrase doth import that he is the Naturall and Coessentiall Son of God else he could not be Coequall with his Father Iohn 5 18. Philip. 2. 6. All those Texts which prove that Christ is God and that there is but one God do prove that Christ is the Naturall and Coessentiall Son of God God hath but one Coessentiall Son to whom he hath given to have life in himself Iohn 5. 26. because the Divine Nature which is life it self is communicated to the Son by this eternall and ineffable generation It is proper to living
Coessentiall Trin-unity of these heavenly witnesses And divers other learned and judicious men conceive that these words were blotted out in the time of Constantius and Valens the Emperours who were sworn enemies of the blessed Trinity and professed Patrons of Arrianisme 7. The Hereticks did blot out those words Ioh. 4 24. God is a spirit as Ambrose assures us and therefore this practise of expunging such words in the Scripture as did refute their errours was too common amongst the Hereticks of old as we might prove by witnesses enough if that were our businesse 8. These words 1 Ioh. 5. 7. are to be found in copies of great antiquity and best credit 9. This Text is cited by the Ancient Fathers by Athanasius in his dispute with Arrius at the counsell of Nice and Arrius never denyed it for to be Scripture which certainly he would have done if there had been any doubt made of it in the Primitive times It is cited by Cyprian also in his book de Vnitate Ecclesiae Paxillus in his booke de Monomachia proves by an induction of the learned Doctors of the Church both before and since Athanasius that the Doctrine of the Coessential Trin-Unity of these heavenly witnesses was generally received by all that were esteemed Orthodox and pious in the Church of Christ. Calovius also in his Fides Patrum ante Concilium Nicenum gives in a Catalogue for the satisfaction of all that desire resolution in this weighty point 10. These three heavenly witnesses are one in Power nature and Will all three bear witnesse to the same truth and their testimony is divine 1 Joh. 5. 9. And the truth which they bear witnesse to is a fundamentall truth a saving truth that we may beleeve on the Sonne of God and have eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12 13. And if the authority of any one of these three heavenly witnesses be called into question all may be questioned upon the same grounds because their testimony is of equall authority their testimony is personall and divine and if the testimony and authority of these witnesses were not divine our faith which is built upon their testimony and authority would not be a divine Faith Quale est testimonium talis est fides All three heavenly witnesses joyne with one consent and Will in propounding this fundamentall truth and therefore if we do not beleeve and embrace it we give the lye to all the three witnesses in heaven 1 Joh. 5. 10. And if we do beleeve that Jesus is the naturall Son of God in and by whom all beleevers have eternall life then we must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is one God with his Father the true God and eternall life 1 Joh. 5. 20. Christ is God Attributivè Joh. 1. 1. Subjectivè Act 20. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 16. This one proposition That Iesus Christ is the naturall and proper Son of God is that Fundamental Confession of Faith upon which the Christian Church is built Mat. 16. 16 17 18. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God This is the Rock upon which Christ hath so firmly built his Church that the gates of Hell shal never prevail against it or this fundamentall truth We are all built upon Christ through the Spirit for an habitation of God Eph. 2. 20 21 22. Father Son Holy Ghost all three joyn in laying this foundation and all three are one and the self-same great God who is the only true God blessed for ever as hath been fully proved already in this book and therfore I may be the briefer in the discussion of this weighty point The Form of Baptism doth contain in it a short Creed or Rule of Faith Mat. 28. 19. And when the ancient Fathers speak such high things of the Creed they understand it of this short Creed which is part of Canonicall Scripture and not of that form which is commonly callled the Apostles Creed In like manner when they expound Eph. 4. 5. One Lord one Faith one Baptism they say there is one Faith and one Baptism because the sum of our Faith is contained in the forme of Baptism When Epiphanius hath reckoned up all the Heresies in his Anaceph he opposes this one Scripture Mat. 28. 19. to them all to shew that he looked upon the Doctrine of the Trinity as a Breviary or at least prime fundamentall of the Christian Faith and Eusebius Pamphilus doth the like I might produce many pertinent places out of Irenaeus Tertullian Athanasius Basil Nazianzene Augustin others to make good this useful observation That the prime Fundamentall of the Christian Faith is contained in the Form of Baptism and founded on Mat. 28. 19. It were easie to shew upon what occasion other Articles were added to the publique confessions of Faith in the most renowned Churches in severall ages And it is as easie to prove that the Doctrine of the Coessential Trin-unity was for the matter and substance if not in expresse terms in terminis terminantibus as we say constantly maintained 1. In publique Confessions of Faith composed explained confirmed by the first Generall Councels published by the decrees and edicts of pious Emperours and ratifyed by their civil sanctions from time to time I need not instance in the Nicene Creed or that Creed which was composed by Athanasius who studied this point defended suffered for it above forty yeers The Confession published by the Synod of Constantinople doth not differ in substance from the other Creeds concerning this grand mystery of the blessed Trinity I am not willing to expatiate upon this Argument because I should then be engaged to cite very many testimonies of the Ancients which would swell up my book beyond its due proportion But if any man desire to read more upon this Argument for his own satisfaction and hath not so much time as to peruse the ancient Records he may read Master Parkers book de Desc. ad inferos more especially his fourth book The learned Sermon of Reverend Doctor Vsher concerning the unity of Faith who gives a brief aud satisfactory account of the ancient Confessions of Faith with a special reference to Baptism Doctor Voetius Gomarus and the rest who have written de Symbolo Apostolico or of the mystery of the Trinity The jugling of the Arrians is so plainly set forth in the most faithfull writers of Ecclesiasticall story that I need not relate how they made use of their interest at Court and all their carnal policy in every considerable place to pack Councels forge or corrupt Creeds seduce all sorts of men who were led more by interest then Scripture and then to evade or comply with subtile distinctions mentall reservations equivocations and such unworthy shifts for to save themselves from censure in a time of Reformation 2. The Catechismes of the Ancients hold forth this doctrine the Catechumeni were trained up in the knowledge of it Lucian who lived in Trajans time
and perseverance victory and triumph This is the life of God or that godly life to which the Ephesians were all strangers till they had learned the truth as it is in Iesus Ephes. 4. 20 21. And how come we to be quickned to this Godly life but by being begotten of the Father Iam. 1. 17 18. borne of the Spirit Ioh. 3. 6. and hearing the voice of the Son of God Ioh. 5. 25 26 When we have learnt of the Father and are drawne by the Spirit we come unto the Son who is the way the truth and the life Ioh. 6. 44 45. Ioh. 14. 6. And how is this Spirituall life maintained but by the Supply of the Spirit of Iesus Christ Philip. 1 19. Let us take the whole frame of a godly life to pieces and view every part and Spring and wheel and pin and then put it together againe and then we shall be able to judge what effectuall influence these three Coessentiall persons considered as one and the same God or as three distinct persons subsisting in the single God-head have into the Practicall Mystery of Godlinesse and Power of Religion The Doctrine of Godlinesse containes 1. Our Faith in God 2. Worship of God 3. Obedience to God 1. Our Faith in God I have spoken of this grand Mystery of Faith and shewn that it is necessary to be known and beleeved in the eight Chapter at large But I shall now treat of it in a more practicall way Adam in his Innocency was bound for to beleeve in the Father Son and Holy Ghost who are one Almighty God Creator Upholder and Governour of Heaven and Earth Self-sufficient and All-sufficient blessed in and of himselfe the only cause and adaequate object of the blessednesse of his creatures Adam was created by all three after the Image of all three for God said Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse Gen. 1. 26. and therefore we cannot conceive but that all three were revealed to Adam that he might know and beleeve in all three surely Adam was better Catechized then Jews Turkes and Pagans are in this great point and therefore did know beleeve and Worship all three There is no question but he entred into Covenant with all three and therefore beleeved in all three I cannot beleeve that two of the Divine Persons had no worship or service from Adam their creature before his fall And doubtlesse Adam knew whom he beleeved and whom he worshipped as his Almighty Creator and All-sufficient God Adam under the first Covenant was bound to beleeve in the second Person as God but not as God-man the Mediatour betwixt God and sin full man Adam did owe the right of subjection to all three from whom he received the Honour of Dominion The world was made for man man for the honour and glory of Father Son and Holy Ghost Adams originall righteousnesse did incline and enable him to beleeve in all three and surely Adam understood that severe rebuke which was given him presently after his fall Gen. 3. 22. And the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us But because I will forbeare disputes I will not proceed further upon this Argument The Faith of Christians delights to exercise it selfe upon God the Father Son and holy Spirit God the Father is pleased to be our Tutor to condescend so far as to teach us and oportet discentem credere Schollers must beleeve their teachers It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learnt of the Father cometh unto me Ioh. 6. 45. We must beleeve the Record that God the Father gives of his Son 1 Ioh. 5. 10. When we look upon God as the father of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ look upon him as our God and Father in Christ these neer and deare relations do encourage us to beleeve him and beleeve in him to beleeve his truth to beleeve his love his fatherly tender bowels do perswade and even constraine us to fix our beleife and place our confidence in God the Father The heires of Promise have good encouragement to beleeve their Father who gives them all they have and hope for when he declares the immutability of his Counsell in a faithfull promise and confirmes it by an unchangeable Oath Heb. 6. 17 18. Surely the Father will not deceive his owne children of their Inheritance which he hath made over to them by promise and Oath this is the ground of all our hope and comfort we may safely cast Anchor here Heb. 6. 18. 19. In the Old Testament the Covenant runs in the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but in the New Testament it runs in the name of Christ there we read the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but here we read God our Father the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that is our God and Father in Christ and for Christ our Father because Christs Father Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ Ephes. 1. 2 3. We cannot but look up with Faith and confidence to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and our Father as the fountaine of all blessing the fountain of grace and peace and glory This deare Fatherly relation of God to Christ and in Christ to us is sometimes darkly intimated and but hinted and sometimes cleerly fully expressed to encourage our Faith The Disciples were very sad because they heard our Saviour speak of going to his Father go saith Christ to my brethren and say unto them Ioh. 20. 17. What should Mary say for their consolation was it enough to tell them my Lord is alive and calls you his brethren no that were too darke an intimation and therefore our Saviour gives her her message in words at length Go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Joh. 20 17. here 's an Evangelical ground of faith hope and comfort in the time of the saddest distresse The great Argument used to encourage poor trembling beleevers to come to Christ when they have interrupted their fellowship with God the Father Christ and the Holy Comforter by any grievous wounding sinne is this If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous God is a Father both to us and our Advocate therefore renew the sense of your justification by faith at a Ihrone of Grace you see our faith is encouraged in the saddest tryals by this Argument The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is the Father of mercyes and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. the fountaine of grace and peace Rom 1. 7. Gal. 1. 3. Iesus Christ make it his oâ—â—inesse to perswade poor tempted soulâ—s to beleeve that
is the Author of Faith he gives us supernaturall light and spirituall eyes 1 Cor. 2. 8 9 10. Ephes. 1. 17 18. He that beleeveth on the Son of God hath the witnes in himselfe The Spirit is called the witnesse 1 Ioh. 5. 6. 10. And the Apostle assures us that none can say with faith and full perswasion of heart that Iesus is the Lord till he hath been taught to say so by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor 12. 3. They who are sensuall and have not the Spirit Iude ver 19. do slight the testimony of the Spirit because the world cannot receive the Spirit or the things of the Spirit It is a naturall mans pride and folly to account those things below him which are above him for he doth account spirituall wisedome foolishnesse wheras indeed it is too excellent for him to understand because he is a meer naturall sensual man but these spirituall things are spiritually discerned he doth not receive them he cannot know them 1 Cor. 2. 14. This is the true reason why men do not beleeve in the Spirit and adore the Spirit because he is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Ioh. 14. ver 17. But saith Christ to his Disciples ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Ioh. 14. in the selfe-same ver and Act. 5. 32. 5. The Spirit is the Supream Judge of truth even of controverted truths in matters of Religion we need not speake of a Private judgement of Discretion such as spirituall men may passe by the help of the Spirit and word of truth nor of that Publick and ministeriall judgement which may be passed in greater or lesser Synods where Pastors and Elders are assembled by the Ordinance of Christ and therefore may pray in faith for the direction and assistance of the Holy Ghost in all their Ministeriall determinations But I speak of the supremacy and Soveraignty of Iudgement which belongs to the Holy Ghost True it is that Christ is King and head of the Church and therefore he is our master Doctor Lawgiver Mat. 23. 10. Iam. 4. 12. But the Father hath sent the Spirit in the name of Christ to teach us the meaning of the Word of Christ and to lead us into all truth and holinesse by the holy Scriptures of truth The Spirit did indite the whole Scripture and it is agreeable to the light of nature that he who made the Law should expound it This Holy Spirit is a publick Spirit he governes the whole body of Christ the whole Church and speaks in the whole body of the Scriptures every part thereof and if we do compare one place of Scripture with another we shall by comparing of Spirituall things with Spirituall come to understand the saving wisdome which the Holy Ghost teacheth which things we speak saith the Apostle not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things with Spirituall 1 Cor. 2. 13. The Holy Ghost speaking to us in plain places doth discover to us all that is necessary to be knowne and beleeved for our eternall salvation and doth thereby give us so much light as that we may sufficiently understand hard places if we pray as we should compare and search the Scriptures as we ought in the Spirit of Faith and modesty Iam. 1. 5. Ioh. 5. 39. Mat. 7. 7. 1 Ioh. 5. 14. Rom. 2. 2. 3. and practise what we know before Ioh. 7. 17. Phil. 3. 15 16. for we shall at least learne so much wisedom as not to expound hard places of Scripture in any sense that is contrary to the mind of the Spirit cleerly delivered in plaine places of Scripture If we expound hard places according to the Analogy of Faith cleerly delivered in other places though we should mistake in the application yet the Spirit doth so far interpose as to keep us from falling into heresie And if we meet with no plaine places to expound an hard place by there is then no danger of heresie because all things necessary to salvation are set downe cleerly in the plaine places of Scripture This conference of Scriptures is an excellent means to bring us acquainted with all Book-cases the determinations which the Spirit hath made in Scripture and left there upon Record in those sacred Rolls which are the treasury of the Church for the direction of the Saints And whether we make use of this ordinance in our private reading or in the publique ministry the spirit doth deliver his judgement authoritatively and infallibly in the holy Scriptures and we may come to be acquainted with the mind and judgment of the Spirit by both Ordinances Thine eyes shall see thy teachers And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying This is the way this and not that behold a cleere direction walk ye in it continue and go forward in it do not forsake it when we are wavering and even turning out of our way on one hand or the other when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left then even then doth the Spirit resolve us and put us out of doubt when we are disputing and even yielding up the truth in a controversie we have a cleer certain and infallible direction from the holy Spirit Isa 30 20 21. The Holy Ghost doth exhort the Jewes to compare the dimmer light of the Prophers with the cleerer light of the Apostles that so the Sun of righteousnesse may shine in its strength with its healing beams into their hearts and then tels them that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private interpretation because Prophets spake as the Apostles also did not as the will of man did move or the fancy of man direct but according to the mind and will of the Holy Ghost And therefore since all the Scriptures were endited all are to be expounded by the Holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures thus compared for the Holy Ghost did move all the Holy men Apostles as wel as Prophets to write and teach them what they should write And though we have no extraordinary revelations now by a voice from the excellent glory for our direction yet we have that which is better the writings of the Prophets and Apostles to compare together the Prophesies be darke yet they are sure more sure then those voices which may be more easily counterfeited though the Prophesies be dark yet the Spirit who did endite them will if you compare them with the writings of the Apostles give light to both and deliver his judgement as cleerly in all necessary points as if it were written with a Sun-beame this I take to be the scope of the Holy Ghost in that excellent discourse 2 Pet. 1. from the sixteenth verse to the end of the chapter
and laboured more abundantly then any in this service 5. Peter did never claime or exercise any such power over the Princes and Kingdomes of the world as the Pope doth Lu. 22. 25 26. Mat. 20. 25 26. 6. If Peter had desired and usurped any Supremacy over the rest of the Apostles he had thereby degraded himselfe and been last of all Mark 9. 34 35. 7. If the vices of Popes may make them Supream or their errours infallible we are able to prove that by fraud violence and such like black arts they have usurped a power over the consciences of men to lead them â—nto Heresie Antichristianisme Atheisme For by endeavouring to prove their Infallibility by the Scripture and then venting grosse errours as infallible truths upon the authority of the Pope and Church they have tempted some to beleeve neither Church nor Pope nor Scripture The Pope hath told them that they had as good beleeve nothing as not beleeve all and therefore it is to be feared that too many beleeve nothing at all Let us then to the Law and the Testimony and let Christ and his Spirit be heard speake in them and we will proceed to tryal with the Papists upon what points they please We will try all their new Tutelar Gods whether Angels or dead men or their breaden God in the Masse by the 1 Command Their picturing of God and worshipping of him by pictures by the Second Commandment Their Superstitious benedictions Magicall Incantations exorcismes and all those helps to salvation which salt wax spittle bells can afford by the third Commandement and so I might proceed to the Holy-dayes Masses c. or try their Popes usurpations the cruelty of their Inquisition their allowance of Fornication forbidding to marry their equivocations rebellious concupiscence by the Second Table We will by the Gospell of Christ try the Doctrine of Justification by workes their publick prayers in an unknowne tongue their denying of the Testament of Christs bloud to the people we will examine whether there be more sacrifices of Christ then one whether they that dye in Christ rest from their labours I might proceed to examine their Doctrine concerning the Offices and benefits of Christ concerning the nature and use of faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments and the rest of the points in controversie between us and the Papists And truly when I do read such questions as these I cannot but thinke of those Texts 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 3. Now the Spirit speakes expresly c. the Spirit doth so expresly condemne these seducing and erring Spirits that whosoever will be perswaded by the evident demonstrations of the Spirit and be over-ruled by his positive definitions in Scripture will confesse that the Papists were very wise in offering to be tryed by unwritten Traditions or the Pope and his adherents in all points in question It is clear that the Popes have taught for Doctrines the Commandements of men He that reades the Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians 1 Cor. 14. Chap. the second Chapter to the Colossians the second Chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and the plainer places of the Book of the Revelation will acknowledge the Spirit doth speake expresly The Pope must therefore be beholding to his School-men to defend his Doctrine and to his Canonists to keep up his Discipline and pretend no more to Scriptures or pure Antiquity for his Justification If the Anti-Scripturists would but hearken to the Spirit speaking in the Scripture they would say the Spirit hath magnified both Law and Gospel and made them honorable precious and glorious in our eyes I will not insist upon those many convincing arguments whereby the Scriptures are undeniably proved to be the word of God but humbly desire all men to consider whether the true reason why those Arguments do not effectually perswade obstinate men be not cleerly this because men do undervalue the testimony of the Holy Ghost and resist vex grieve or quench the Holy Spirit whose office it is to seale up this and all other saving truths to our consciences and hearts True it is that the law of God is written in our hearts by nature but our nature is corrupted and we are blinded with pride passion prejudice with selfe conceitednes and selfe-love and therefore it is requisite that the wrath of God should be revealed from heaven against pleasing gainfull sins nay unnaturall sins Rom 1. 18. to the end of the Chapter Moreover it is to be sadly considered that the Gospell is not written in our hearts by nature nor can it be found out by any artificiall Demonstration but it is discovered to us by Divine Revelation Rom. 1. 16 17. I know many learned men have used the testimony of humane Authors in a Secondary and subservient way to confirme our Faith in this point but it is cleer that we must rest our Faith upon the Authority of God in this and all other points or else our Faith will not be a Divine Faith God sweares by himselfe because he is the greatest and doth bear witnesse to himselfe in his word Nay to his Word in his Word because he is the truest for he is indeed the prime truth the onely Infallible Truth And hence it is that the Scriptures are called the testimonies of God and the testimony of the Spirit is so often produced 1 Pet. 1. 11. Act. 5. 32. 1 Ioh. 5. 6. It is no shame to adhere to the Testimony of God in the weightiest point Psal. 119. 31 46. Hence it is that the Penmen do so often shew their Commission and cry thus saith the Lord. And hence it is that God doth so often own the Scriptures for his word This is my word saith God this came from my inspiration saith the Spirit 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 21. This is my writing saith Iehovah I will own it and stand to it I have written to him the great things of my Law saith God Hos. 8. 12. The Scriptures are the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. They contain the counsel of God Act. 20. 27. God hath given us sufficient assurance that the Law was written by his own finger and all other books by his specâ—al command and inspiration All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. 16 Prophecyâ—ame not in old time the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it came not at any time by the will of man but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. Our Saviour gives a full testimony to Moses David the rest of the Penmen of the Psalms and all the Prophets Luk. 24 44. God hath sealed the testimony of the Penmen by miracles on men and divels we need not expect new miracles to confirm this Old-Testament ancient Gospel both are confirmed by the old miracles which stand upon Record in both But if any man preach a New Gospel we may
grace and peace from this Co-essentiall Trinunity the Father the seven Spirits and Iesus Christ doth sufficiently instruct us in this mystery of Evangelicall Worship Some object that then the Spirit will be set before the Son but the answer is easie that there is a Metathesis in the words and it is observable that the Son is sometimes named before the Father 2 Cor. 13. 14. and sometimes the Spirit is named before the Son as Rev. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1 2. and sometimes the naturall order is observed the Father is named first the Son second and the Holy Ghost third The naturall order is not overthrown when the Father is named after the Son or the Spirit before the Son Nor is the equality of Persons overthrown when the naturall order is observed And therefore that objection is not considerable Naturall worship is due to the Holy Ghost because he hath the same divine nature with the Father and the Son That divine Faith is due to the Spirit hath been proved at large That divine love is due to him is cleare Rom. 15. 30. I beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit The Spirit is the Author and object of all those graces which are called divine ex parte objecti faith hope and love Rom. 15. 13 16 30. In a word Instituted Worship is due to the Holy Ghost by vertue of both Sacraments Mat. 28. 19. By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Mat. 3. 11. Ioh. 5. 5. In hearing of the Word we must hearken to the Spirit with the self-same attention devotion as we do to the Father and the Son Heb. 3. 7 8. compared with Ps. 95. The holy Ghost forbids us to harden our hearts against himself speaking in the Word Acts 7. 51. We grieve the Spirit when we resist the Spirit and will not put our seale to the Word by a Spirituall assent and fiduciall consent and hinder the Spirit from sealing up our Election and Redemption to us For though Christ makes the Purchase yet the Spirit makes the assurance 1 Iohn 3. 24. Iohn 14. 16 17. Iohn 15. 26. In Prayer we are to call upon the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rev. 1. 4. because the Holy Ghost is God 1 Cor. 12 6 11. Act. 5. 3 4. I cannot but wonder at them who say that holy and spirituall worship is not due to the holy Spirit when the truth is we can give no worship at all to the Father or the Son untill we are enabled by the holy Spirit Rom. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 13. 14. And when by the Communion of the Spirit we have Communion with the Father and Son in Gospell-worship we are the Temples not only of the Holy Ghost but of the Co-essentiall Trinunity of Father Son and Holy Ghost all three do dwell in us walk in us and abide in us For when we receive the Spirit of truth he abides with us dwels in us perswades and enables us to love God the Father and the Lord Jesus and then all three Co-essentiall Persons make their abode with us as is clearely held forth to us Ioh. 14. 16 17 23. 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 1 Cor. 3. 16. Ephes. 3. 16 17. But if a man have not the Spirit of Christ he hath no saving interest as yet in Iesus Christ. Rom. 8. 9. because he is not as yet the Son of God by Regeneration or Adoption he is not a member of Jesus Christ he is not the Temple of the Holy Ghost He doth not worship this Co-essentiall Trinunity as he ought to do in Spirit and in truth He who hath the Spirit in him doth worship the Spirit in spirit and truth because the Spirit is the Power of the Highest even as Christ is the Son of the Highest a Personall Power Luk. 1. 32 35. compared The Spirit is the spirit of Elohim Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of Iehova Isa. 11. 2. The God of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 2 3. The spirit of God and the spirit which is God 1 Cor. 2. 11. 12. Acts 5. 3 4. This point hath been sufficiently proved in the fourth Chapter and therefore I need say no more considering that the Socinians have no Arguments which are considerable when compared with these plaine places of the Holy Scriptures and those many places and proofes which have been formerly produced in this Treatise If any desire to have their Arguments such as they be answered at large he may read Mr. Estwicks learned Treatise concerning the Godhead of the Holy Ghost lately published I proceed to the third part of Godliness which is Obedience 3. Obedience is due to the Father Son and Holy Ghost all three Co-essentiall Persons because they are Co-essentiall because they are one God blessed for ever 1. Obedience is due to God the Father This truth is generally acknowledged by all that are not Atheists the Iews and Socinians subscribe to it If we do acknowledge God the Father to be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him the inference will be immediate cleare and strong that we ought to honour and obey our heavenly Father For how shall God put us among his Children unless every one of us say unto him my Father my Father I do obey thee and will not depart from thee But I said how shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant Land a goodly Heritage of the hosts of Nations And I said Thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turne away from me Jer. 3. 19. And when God speaks to them as to Children they presently submit Return ye backsliding children And I will heale your backslidings they presently reply Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Ier. 3. 22. A Son honoureth his Father if then I be a Father where is mine honour Mal. 1. 6. Mal. 2. 16. Mat. 12. 50. Mat. 23. 9. When God is considered under this endearing relation of a Father we yeeld a filiall obedience unto God we performe a foederall obedience a sincere and Evangelicall obedience I saith Jehovah will be your God I will be your Father Having these Promises saith the Apostle let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the feare of God 2 Cor. 6. 16 18. 2 Cor. 71. 1 Pet. 1 14 17 18. As we are to worship God in this Fatherly relation Mat. 6. 9. Gal. 4. â— so are we to obey him also Whosoever shall do the will of my Father c. Mat. 12. 50. That all three Co-essentiall Persons are our Father hath been proved already in this very Chapter pag. 326 327. and that
13 14 16 Here is the freewill of the Elect but Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love c. Ephes. 1. 3 4 5. Our thankfulnesse should be shewen for this free Grace to all three Persons in our thanksgiving believing obeving as is cleare from these places and so our prayers should be answerable to our faith love and thankfulness and therefore it is observable that in the very same Chapter the Apostle makes his addresse after this modell That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdome and Revelation in the acknowledgement of Christ Ephes. 1. 17. and so 2 Thes. 2 16. Rev. 1. 4 5. 2 Cor. 13. 14. many other places may be urged which containe the mystery of faith worship and obedience and if Christ and his Spirit be not alwaies named in them yet the benefits of Christ the gifts graces fruits comforts of the spirit which are named do direct us to both Moreover when the name of God is used indefinitely all three Persons must be understood to be comprehended in that essentiall Title because they are one and the same God Finally one Person doth subsist in another and the same honour is due to all three because all three have the same divine Nature which is single because infinite and therefore there is enough discovered to prevent all scruples in the upright-hearted and Cavils in the contrary-minded Read the third and fourth Chapters of the Epistle to the Colossians and there you will see a very pregnant proofe of this point Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse humbleness of mind above all these things put on charity let the peace of God rule in your hearts do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him What ever you do do it heartily as to the Lord. And then the summe of all their requests is That they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God This takes in the full scope of Law and Gospell whatever belongs to faith worship or obedience whatever is just and equall or well-pleasing unto God Col. 3. 20. Col. 4. 1. And the Epistle to the Ephesians runs parallel with this to the Colossians Ye are elected and therefore ye must be holy before all three Coessentiall Persons by whom ye were elected ye must beleeve the Word of truth as the truth is in Iesus that ye may be sealed with the Spirit and filled with all the fulnesse of God ye must bow your knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ you must study the unity of Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God ye must keep the unity of the Spirit ye must grow up into Christ in all things ye must not grieve the holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption but maintaine a fruitfull fellowship with God in Christ by the communion of the holy Ghost for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousnesse and truth ye must be filled with the Spirit giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ ye must do whatsoever is right or equall Ephes. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is right just and equall Put on the whole armor of God take the sword of the Spirit the shield of Faith pray alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Peace be to the Brethren and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity I need make no inferences the words are so plaine that they prove the point in terminis terminantibus as we use to say Consider the discourse of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans where the Apostle hath even lost his reader in the depth of this Mystery of the eternal counsel of Father Son and holy spirit he puts this question to all the busie disputants who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour and concludes that of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen We have mercy from him faith and repentance from him by an effectual vocation according to his purpose of election Rom. 8 28 29. Rom. 9. 11. 15. 16. 18 23 24 29 30. Rom. 10. 20. Rom. 11. 2 5 6 7 29 30 32. 36. We have mercy grace and glory from all three and therefore all honour and glory be to all three for ever Amen And the Apostle doth beseech the God of patience and consolation the God of hope and the God of peace to fill them with all joy and peace in beleeving that they may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost who is the God of hope comfort and peace for the Kingdom of God doth consist in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and if wee serve Christ who is God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. in these things we shall be acceptable to God and approved of men Rom. 14. 18. The fruits of the spirit in us are markes because fruits of our election by God The Apostle writing to the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ begs grace and peace for them from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ remembers their work of faith labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father and then concludes their election of God because the Gospel came to them in power and in the Holy Ghost for they received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost The Apostle exhorts them in every thing to give thanks because it is the will of God in Christ Jesus and bids them beware of quenching the Spirit and beseeches the Spirit who is undeniably the God of Peace and by special office our Sanctifyer and Comforâ—er to sanctfy us wholly The very God of peace sanctify you wholly c. And the Apostle discourses in like manner in the second Epistle to Timothy God saith he hath given us the spirit of power of love and of a sound mind saved us and called us with an holy calling according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began And tells us that every one who doth pretend to be elected or presumes to call upon Christ and claim an interest in him must depart from iniquity be sanctifyed
Holy Ghost above a world is not as yet acquainted with the mystery of Faith or the Power of Godliness he hath neither Father Son nor Spirit in him CHAP. X. Christians who have a lively sense and sweet experience of this grand mystery of Faith and practicall mystery of Godliness are afraid to hold Communion with such as pretend to be Spirituall Christians and yet deny the divine Nature and distinct subsistences of Christ and his holy Spirit IT is observed by a great States man That he who follows Truth too neere at heeles may have his Teeth heat out but I had rather lose my teeth than not teach and profess the truth He who presses this point in this Licentious Age wherein Scepticks in the highest points are called Seekers and Hereticks good Christians had need beg the promise of the Father that he may be endued with vertue from on high that is a magnanimous and more then an Heroicall spirit to preach the truth We must not feare the face of man in the cause of God if the Devill might set up his Church in England wherein Heresie is instead of a Preacher profaneness and ungodliness instead of Ruling Elders yet I must be bold to say that these Seekers whom the Reformers called Libertines are as the Fathers called them but Nullifidians and Atheists professed Atheists for They are Atheists who will not beleeve and adore the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost and such are the Seekers whom I am to deale with who deny the Lord Christ to be God and I shall easily discover that this is Atheisme whether reigning Atheisme or no let the Socinian Seekers and Deifyed Atheists judge Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he who abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son The second Epistle of Iohn the ninth verse Who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Iesus is the Christ He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 Ioh. 2. 22 23 24. He who hath not the true God Father Son and holy Ghost for his God is an Atheist for if he do acknowledge a false God a false God being no God it must still bee granted that no man can bee excused from Atheisme by his acknowledgment or worship of any thing that is not God I speak of such speculative Atheisme as doth commonly run into practical Atheism and may consequently end in direct and down-right Atheisme or at least such affected Atheisme as will permit that Radicall and Seminall Atheisme which was borne with them to sit quietly in their hearts as on a Throne so that they have no actuall belief of the true God which doth amount to an historicall beliefe much lesse any that can effectually over-power or dethrone their natural Atheisme And yet I beleeve these Atheistical Libertines can never fully blot out all the natural notions of a Godhead written in their hearts by the finger of God though many of them have made a very unhappy progress in this devillish study for the devils themselves have not attained to any Atheistical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devils beleeve and tremble but enough of that the Socinians are Atheists Interpretativè at the least It is not enough for Christian Communicants to attaine to the first principle of natural Theology and confess that there is a God but they must acknowledge the first principle of Christianity which is indeed Supernatural Divinity and acknowledge that Father Son and holy Ghost are the only true God for else we go no farther then Pharaoh that grand Seeker did when he asked who is Iehovah that I should obey his voice Exo. 5. 2. or then the Samaritans and Athenians did who worshipped they knew not what Ioh. 4. 22. Act. 17. 23. The Turks the Pagans the Jews do acknowledge that there is a God unless then we do intend to hold Church-Communion with Pagans Jews Mahumetans we must require somewhat more of those whom we admit unto Christian Communion than a bare acknowledgment that there is a God or that the Father is God For he who doth deny the Godhead of the Son doth deny the Father also and consequently hath no God at all for his God as hath been proved already from the ninth verse of the second Epistle of Iohn and 1 Iohn 2. 22 23 24. He that honoureth not the Son as highly as he honoureth the Father he doth not honour the Father who sent his co-equall Son to give us life Ioh. 5. 21 23. We must acknowledge the Son to be equall to the Father for this redounds to the glory of God the Father Phi. 2. 6. 11. We can have no Christian and spiritual Communion with God the Father but in his natural Son and by their Coessential Spirit as is manifest by comparing these Texts together 1 Ioh. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rev. 1. 4 5. Mat. 28. 19 20. Ephes. 2. 18 22. 1 Cor. 12. 3 6 8 11 13. and by the full scope of all my practical Discourse in the ninth Chapter of this Treatise This is life eternal c. Iohn 1 7 3. 1 Iohn 5. 6 7 11 12 13 20. When Saint Paul doth enlarge the bounds of Christian Communion as far as he can he writes thus Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours 1 Cor. 1. 2. We cannot maintaine any Christian Communion with such as deny the Godhead of Christ for they must as Francis David and David George c. did deny that Christ is to be worshipped with divine faith and love because as they blaspemously said he hath not the same divine nature with God the Father or else they must say as Socinus who wrote against Francis David said that Christ is to be worshipped with divine worship and then they will if you put their principles together as you may see them together in that Racovian Alcoran the Racovian Catechisme be found to be even the very best o◠them but a pack of Blasphemous Idolaters With whom We ought not to hold Communion For whilst they do blasphemously affirme that Christ is a meere man in glory and the Son of God only in a metaphoricall not any proper sense We must draw these conclusions The best of the Socinians maintaine 1. That Jesus Christ our Lord is but a meere man in glory a very Creature and no more and therefore they are blasphemers and so are all they who say that they are as much God as Iesus Christ for these are high swelling blasphemies such as the Deified Atheists of the Family of love with whom I feare Mr. Fry hath had too
the right foundation of faith hope worship justification as hath been proved lay a wrong foundation they bring in a new Christ a meer man and a new Gospel a new Iudge in the highest matters and mysteries of Religion their own reason which they might infallibly know to be not only fallible but corrupt They deny the true causes and means of salvation the right application of them Their impiety in not worshipping of the Spirit Their Idolatry in worshipping one whom they esteeme to be a meere man and refusing to be washed and purged with the bloud of the Covenant will justifie all that reject them and their Confederates from Christian Communion I am not at leasure to handle the Magistrates duty in this point nor are many of them at leasure to consider all that is fit to be considered in that weighty point but for the present satisfaction of such as know not how to study in these busie times I shall point at some unquestionable truths for the ending of that unhappy and fatall Controversie in the Church of Christ. 1. There is no warrant given in the Word to any Minister of the State or Officer of the Church to molest oppresse or persecute any man for Righteousnesse sake he who doth persecute a man for following his conscience when rightly informed by the Word and Spirit of the Lord Jesus doth certainely persecute the Lord Jesus Christ. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I am Iesus whom thou persecutest it is a fit Text to be preached on this twenty second of February 1649. But I am now learning another Lesson which is to suffer persecution patiently for righteousnesse sake and pray for such Benefactours who do besides their intention and against their will make Christians happy by endeavouring to make them miserable in their outward man by an unexpected persecution Yet I could not but take notice of the seasonablenesse of this truth and put down the day the moneth and the yeare as the Prophet did Ezek. 8. 1. And it came to passe in the sixth yeare in the sixth moneth in the fifth day of the moneth as I sate in mine house and the Elders of Iudah the Princes of the people sate before me c. The great Statesmen were at leasure now in the time of the Captivity to hear the Prophet if they would have heard beleeved obeyed before they had never gone into Captivity for the misusing of the Prophets and despising of their message was the sin against the most Soveraigne remedy and when there was no other remedy then God sent them away Captive c. 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. Let all such consider this who are poasting on in the high-way to Captivity 2. No man ought to be punished for following his mis-informed conscience untill he hath been better informed and spiritually admonished as we have formerly shewn twice or thrice and is so unconscionable as to despise good information reject prudent and faithful admonitions contrary to the doctrine of godliness and all good conscience for of such a man the Apostle saith not only that he is perverted but he is subverted Tit. 3. 10. 3. The Ministers of God the Civill Magistrates and the Ministers of Christ and all Church-Officers whatsoever must joyne together and uphold one another in the discharge of their several duties that they may be in a capacity to revenge all disobedience and execute the judgement that is written Rom. 13. 4. 2 Cor. 10. 6. I Cor. 4. 21. Deut. 13. 10 11. 4. Heretical Seducers Blasphemous Apostates and Idolatours of whom we have discoursed at large are Wolves that subvert whole houses Tit. 1. 11. Churches Gal. 5. 10 12. Act. 15. 24. States and Kingdomes and therefore they must be driven from the sheepfold lest the very vitals of Christianity be corrupted Religion destroyed many soules poysoned God extremely dishonoured the Church and State endangered as is fully declared unto us in the holy Scriptures of truth 5. God doth work by these Legal terrours and executions of vengeance sometimes upon the party punished the false Prophet converted by the spirit of God working in this great Ordinance doth in the day of his visitation confesse the justice and charity of those Officers who did stigmatize him with wounds in his hands Zach 13. 6. as M. Cotton doth observe in the ninth Chapter of his Answer to Mr Williams pag. 20 21. Moreover it is most cleare that God doth make use of the Magistrate as his Minister and Instrument for the overawing of the people by inflicting exemplary punishment on such as do speake lies in the name of the Lord blaspheme the name truth person of Christ and seduce or thrust men away from the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost Deut. 13. 6 8 9 10 11. The Morall equity of this Command is very evident for the punishing of such as do entice men from the true Religion because there is a reason given which is of general and perpetual equity Thou shalt stone him Because he hath sought to thrust thee away from Iehovah thy God It is now certainly as great a fault to seduce men from Father Son and holy Ghost nay a greater fault now because it is a sin committed against clearer light And it is of generall and publique concernment to have such great examples made in a nation to make the generality of men affected with an awfull regard of the truth goodnesse Majesty and Justice of God For this is Gods ordinance to strike the people with such a reverence as shall at least restraine them from this sin And all Israel shall heare and feare and shall do no more any such wickedness Deut. 13. 11. The Lord is acquainted with the frame of our hearts and spirits and he doth propound such remedies as are proper suitable to our distempers and he who doth ordaine such remedies will make them effectual by his own Spirit who doth often sanctifie legal terrours and outward afflictions and makes them subservient to spiritual purposes and therefore these outward weapons are spiritually used and are of a spiritual efficacy according to the Counsell of Gods will When the Magistrate as a Minister of God draws the Sword in the cause of God for the honour of God according to the Ordinance of God expressed in the thirteenth of Deuteronomy compared with the thirteenth of Zachary and the thirteenth to the Romanes the Sword that is thus drawn is not the Sword of Gideon only the Sword of man but the Sword of God And it is certainly most proper to restraine them by the Sword who will not be restrained by any other Ordinance of God men that have seared consciences have strong passions and exemplary punishments will work effectually upon the passion of feare in a self condemned man when no spiritual Physick will work upon him because all wholsome admonitions are rejected by him Carnall men are ready to