A Cure for the Cankering Error OF THE New Eutychians Who concerning the Truth have erred SAYING That our blessed Mediator did not take his Flesh of the Virgin Mary neither was he made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh and thereby have overthrown the Faith of some By Thomas Monck Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2 Pet. 3.17 Beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness c. London Printed for the Author Anno 1673. The Author to the Reader Christian Reader THE matters contended for in this Treatise are on all hands confessed to be very weighty and necessary to our Salvation which in short are these viz. The true knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which to know is life Eternal Now these new Eutychians which here in this Treatise I oppose say That the Divine Nature of Christ which was in the beginning with God and was God Joh. 1.1 2. compared with the 14 verse was made flesh viz. by turning his Divine Nature or Godhead into flesh even at the Water was turned into Wine at Cana Joh. 2.9 which ceased to be Water and became Wine so the Eternal Word viz. God the Creator of Heaven and Earth ceased from being a Creator to become a Creature viz. Man and died for our sins as these men say as you may see in this insuing Discourse Nov this Opinion I call Erronious and Heretical and indeavour to prove it so as also impossible sith God is Immortal and Immutable yea Perfection it self and therefore cannot die nor yet be changed as I have proved in this Treatise Secondly They say in plain words That our blessed Mediator did not take his flesh of the Virgin Mary nor of David and so by Consequence he was not the true Son of David and if so how can we be saved sith all the Promises are Yea and Amen in him that was the true Son of David as the Reader may see in the insuing Discourse which is a consequence of the former Opinion Now albeit some of them that be more subtile begin to bogle and will not speak plainly to this question What the Word was before it was flesh but say they cannot tell We say he was either a Creator or a Creature sith we know no other thing that could die for us and as was said before God the Creator of all things could not die as we believe Therefore if they deny him to be a Creator then we think they must be Arrians or Socinians which two Opinions they say they abhor as false and erroneous but the other part of them say still as they all use to say heretofore That he was of the uncreated substance of his Father their Essence being one but yet they all agree in this That he that was the Eternal Word did not take his Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary as we say he did Now I can assure thee Christian Reader I have had no mind to Dispute much less to Write about these great Mysteries which I humbly believe and adore but the Opposition that these men of late have made against the Truth the great danger that I know some poor Souls have been yet are in concerning these things about God Christ as also the exhortation of the Apostle Jude which bids us earnestly contend for that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints hath ingaged me in this great Work which I confess I am not sufficient for but hope by this to open a door to some abler Pen to inlarge upon and further explain these great Mysteries that so the little children that John bids keep themselves from Idols may know them better than yet I doubt they do Now the principal things I treat of in this Book are these Four First Of the Essence of God Secondly Of the Holy Trinity Thirdly About the Person of Christ Fourthly Of the union of Natures in that one sacred Person As you may see if the Lord open your eyes as he did the two Disciples that were a going to Emmaus and that he may so do is and shall be the Prayer of the Author of this Book to God for thee And because I would be an instrument in the hand of God to keep thee from Heresie or pluck thee out if thou art in it I have thought good to open to thee in some measure the nature of that dâ—â—â—nable sin of Heresie from the words of the Apostle Peter which I will use as a Preface to this Book to the which I refer thee as also to the Book it self for thy satisfaction and shall pray that God would be pleased to make it effectual for the end intended which is Gods Glory and the Salvation of poor Souls and remain Thine To serve in what I may for the Truths sake T. M. October 19. 1672 The Preface 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. But there were false Prophets amongst the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of And through covetousness shall they with fained words make merchandize of you 1. IN these words the holy Apostle shews us That as the Church and People of God in old time had their enemies the false Prophets so the Church of Christ in these last dayes shall have their Adversaries the false Teachers 2. That the work of the false Teachers will be privily to bring in damnable Heresies 3. That the Heresies will be of so destructive and damnable a nature that they which adhere to them will even in so doing deny the Lord that bought them 4. That the false Teachers in bringing in the said damnable Heresies will bring upon themselves swift destruction 5. Such shall be the success of false Teachers That many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of 6. That which shall be the moving Cause to set false Teachers a work shall be Covetousness 7. The Engine or Instrument which they shall use to carry on their work shall be feigned words 8. And lastly The condition that those will be brought into which follow them is no better than slavery they shall make Merchandize of you that you shall as it were be bought and sold into slavery I hope through the good assistance of Jesus Christ to treat of these Eight Particulars briefly as an Introduction to this Treatise First It being the main design of Satan to subvert the Kingdom of God he hath in all Ages used his utmost endeavour so to do He assaulted our first Parents even when they were in innocency and having prevailed so far that the first Covenant hath been
Son and Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ God-Man Note this No man is saved without the knowledge of the Father No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 No man is saved without the knowledge of the Son Whosoever denyeth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 Joh. 2.23 He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Joh. 5.23 No man is saved without the knowledge of the Holy Ghost Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 Even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Joh. 14.17 God heareth none but such as call upon him in the Name of Christ None can call upon God in Christ but such as are taught and assisted by his Spirit We cannot Worship God aright without the knowledge of the Trinity As God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is of the object of Faith so is he of the object of Divine Worship Baptism is an act of Worship and sign of the Covenant but we are baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 God hath committed all Judgment to the Son that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Joh. 5.23 Believers are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 6.19 The Lord of the Temple is worshipped in the Temple We worship the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity All Obedience is to be performed unto God the Father Son and Holy Ghost To him that elected us that gave Christ to redeem us that created us that brought Israel out of Egypt that in a word doth all for us is all obedience to be performed But God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and that as God the Father Son and Holy Ghost elected us gave Christ to redeem us created us c. Therefore unto God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is all obedience to be performed The plurality of Persons in the Trinity is of great use for the confirmation of the truth unto us John asserts that great Truth of Jesus Christ being the Son of God and Saviour of all them that believe not only from the testimony of one God but from the testimony of that one God who is three Witnesses for there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5.7 To the same purpose is the Argument Christ useth disputing against the Scribes and Pharisees proving the truth of what he had spoken concerning himself being the Light of the World because it was averred by the Father and him as two Witnesses It is also written in your Law that the testimony of two men is true I am one that bear witness of my self and the Father that sent â—e beareth witness of me Joh. 8.17 18. The knowledge of the Trinity tends unto the Consolation of Believers Paul affectionately desirous that the hearts of the Colossians might be comforted sheweth two special means thereof viz. The acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father See Mr. Norton's Orthodox Evangelist p. 33 34. and of Christ with the full assurance of understanding and Brotherly-love Of God i. e. of God and of his Attributes of the Father i. e. of the Persons the first of which is the Father of Christ i. e. of his Person and Office so some without repugnancy to the Analogie of Faith or the words of the Text. Lastly The knowledge of the Doctrine of the Trinity is requisite to our Communion which as our Union is with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.13 Matth. 28.19 Though the perfect manner how one Person is of another is incomprehensible and unutterable in this life the perfect knowledge thereof being reserved unto glory yet so far hath God revealed himself unto us in his Word in this life as that we may and ought to attain unto some distinctness yea unto such distinctness as is held forth in the Scriptures of Truth which is the measure of Faith and not to rest in an implicite Faith concerning this Mystery of Mysteries Secret things belong to the Lord our God but these things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever Deut. 29.29 Upon which last words viz. To us and to our Children they say the Hebrew hath extraordinary Pricks to stir up our attention to the matter here spoken of To be wise above what is written is not wisdom but perilous sin and folly To be wise according to what is written is sobriety To be wise up to what is written though alas we have all great cause to cry God be merciful to us all herein is our Duty No where saith Augustine throughout the revealed Will of God is the truth sought out with greater labour no where is our finding out of the truth fruitfuller no where do we err with greater danger 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the knowkedge of God I speak this to your shame saith St. Paul To this agrees the saying of Dr. Hall in his Collections pag. 407 408. How to conceive of the Deity in our Prayers in our Meditations is both the deepest Point of all Christianity and the most necessary so deep that if we wade into it we may easily drown never find the bottom so necessary that without it our selves our services are prophane irreligious We are all born Idolaters naturally prone to fashion God to some form of our own whether of an humane body or of admirable light or if our mind have any other more likely and pleasing Image First then away with all these wicked Thoughts these gross Devotions and with Jacob burn all your strange Godds under the Oak of Shechem ere you offer to set up God's Altar at Bethel and without all mental representations conceive of your God purely simply spiritually as of an absolute being without form without matter without composition yea an infinite without all limit of thoughts Let your heart adore a spiritual Majesty which it cannot comprehend yet knows to be and as it were lose it self in his infiniteness Think of him as not to be thought of as one whose Wisdom is his Justice whose Justice is his Power whose Power is his Mercy and whose Wisdom Justice Power Mercy is himself as without quality good great without quantity everlasting without time present every-where without place containing all things without extent And
Long-suffering 14. His Holiness 15. His Justice 16. His Faithfulness 17. His Truth 18. His Omnisciency 19. His Omnipresence 20. His Providence over all his Creatures All these twenty Properties and Attributes belong to God only But all these belong to Christ as he is Davids Lord therefore Christ as he is Davids Lord is God by Nature who is God over all blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 c. And now I will briefly shew you how he is Davids Son according to the flesh as I have said before First He had the substance of a true Body and reasonable Soul 2. The Properties of Body and Soul in the body length breadth and thickness and circumscription And in the Soul the faculties of understanding both simple and compound as Will Affection Love Hatred Desire Joy Fear c. The Powers also of Hearing Feeling Seeing Smelling Tasting Moving Growing Eating Sleeping c. 3dly He took unto himself the blameless infirmities of mans Nature which are certain natural defects in man as Passions of Body and Mind as to be Hungry Thirsty Weary Sad Sorrowful and Ignorant of some things and Angry also to increase in Stature Wisdom Knowledge c. So that as the holy Ghost saith We see by these things that he was made like unto his brethren in all things yea in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Heb. 2.17 4.15 Now sith the Scriptures do affirm all these things to belong properly and truly to Christ as he is Davids Son and Off-spring then must he needs be Man by Nature For unto no Creature neither in Heaven nor in Earth doth the Holy Ghost apply all these things properly and literally but to man only c. If he do shew me an instance for as yet I know none and therefore why you should so much as once doubt whether he took our Nature viz. the flesh of Mary sith the Scripture affirms it so plainly again and again I cannot imagine But when I do not only hear you say you doubt but confidently deny that ever he took any flesh of the Virgin Mary This makes me to stand and admire and with St. Paul say Who hath bewitched you that you should deny so many plain and evident proofs can any Article of the Christian Faith be more plainly proved than this is surely no. Now if I did not think that the Devil had bewitched many and that Pride false Opinions and Self-love had blinded mens understandings See Mr. Greenham about the Family of Love pag. 803. I could not believe any judicious man that believes the Scriptures to be true if he will but now sit down in humility and seriously consider what hath here been said from them to prove that Christ is God by Nature and also Man by Nature can still remain doubting and unbelieving But if he be one that was once inlightned into this Truth and also professed it with us and was baptized into this Faith and yet did not receive it in the love of it and after all this advice which now and at other times hath been used by my self and others to them I say if they shall still oppose this Truth then what can I think but that if they do not speedily repent of this their dangerous Opinion of denying the Lord that bought them 2. Pet. 2.2 then that which is written in 2 Thess 2.11 will come upon them But that it may never be so is and shall be the Prayer of your very good friend which loves your Persons but not your Principles though haply not so esteemed of you that God would give you Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth that you may recover your selves out of the snare of the Devil who hath taken some of you captive at his will CHAP IX Containing an Answer to several Objections Object CHrist as Man was flesh and bones and not a Ghost as you seem to say we by our Opinion make him and this shews your Ignorance of our Opinion and therefore you sentence it as you do But doth not Paul say Rom. 8.3 he came in the likeness of sinful flesh therefore he took not our Flesh as you say he did Answ St. Paul doth not say he took upon him the likeness of flesh simply as it is flesh but of the flesh of sin or sinful flesh for he had said before Chap. 1.3 That he was made of the Seed of David according to the flesh And also again in Chap. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came c. And I pray you tell me what St Paul meaneth by these words vers 3. For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh And then you may tell your selves what he means by these words vers 5. Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came The word flesh being the same in the 3d and 5th verse and of the same signification Object 2. From Joh. 1.14 But the Eutychians say That the Divine Nature of Christ was turned into flesh and so was made like to his brethren in all things excepting two viz. sin and earthy matter Answ 1. The Holy Ghost doth except but one thing viz. Sin if it be proper to call sin a thing Heb. 2.17 4.15 And how dare you say two Have you no fear of the curse of God coming upon you sith he saith Cursed is he that addeth or diminisheth See Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22.18 Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Prov. 30.6 Bur Secondly I answer to that of Joh. 1.14 it having the most shew of any of the Texts that I know for your Opinion therefore I will endeavour by God's help to shew you that it was never written to that end to justifie your Opinion and therefore I pray consider what St. John saith vers 1. The Word which was in the beginning was with God and was God by whom all things were made and without whom was nothing made that was made In whom was Life and the Life was the light of men for he lighteth every man that cometh into the World by whom the World was made Was in the fulness of time made a Man in a Humane Body having his Divine Majesty dwelling in him full of Grace and Truth so that we beheld his Glory saith St. John in his Miracles in his Grace and Truth in his Holy and wise Doctrine such as manifested him to be the only begotten of the Father vers 14 16. which is in the bosom of the Father mark that word is in the bosom of the Father he doth not say which was but is which must be understood of his Generation before the World was made of the substance of his Father for the term notes Generation and subsistence from his substance not Creation or making that which was the Creator into flesh that so he might be a
broken and thereby the Will of Man depraved though God hath provided by the new Covenant of his Grace and Mercy to save through his Son Jesus Christ all those that do believe in him yet Satan and his instruments have not ceased in all Ages since the first discovery thereof to make opposition against it When God was pleased to take his People by the hand to bring them out of Egypt and by his Servant Moses to direct them in the way of his Covenant there wanted not a Balaam to cast a stumbling-block before the Children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication See Rev. 2.14 Numb 25.1 2. When Elijah the Prophet of the Lord taught Israel the knowledge of the true God the Prophets of Baal sought to teach them the Idolatry of Baal 1 King 18. When Jeremiah the Prophet of the Lord taught the People obedience according to the Word of the Lord then Hananiah spake in opposition to it in the presence of all the People Jer. 28.11 It would be too long to recite every particular mentioned in the holy Scriptures wherein the opposition is recorded which false Prophets have made against the Truth of God and against those that God hath been pleased to send to declare it If we consider the work that false Prophets and false Teachers do and the way they take to effect it we shall find it is a most desperate design they are engaged in it is no less than bringing in of damnable Heresies such as being retained do overthrow the Faith and even make shipwrack of a good Conscience See 2 Tim. 2.18 1 Tim. 1.19 What can be worse than to set up for a God that which is not God and for Divine Worship that which the true God never commanded See Jer. 10. Matth. 15.9 And if also we take notice of the way that false Teachers take to effect their purpose viz. to bring in Heresies into the Church it will be found to be carried on with much subtilty the Text tells us they do it privily We must not think that false Teachers do teach no truth at all but rather together with the Truth which in part they deliver they mix with it certain Errors of so destructive a nature to it that the Truth is overthrown by the Error The false Teachers mentiomed Acts 15.1 would not say that the Disciples ought not to believe in Christ for Salvation yet what they taught amounted to the same which was That except ye be circumcised after the maner of Moses ye cannot be saved See Gal. 5.1 2 3 4. All the false Teachers are not said to deny the Resurrection but some denyed it others said it is past already See 1 Cor. 15.12 2 Tim. 2.18 Therefore Secondly When we do consider seriously to what danger Heresie doth expose us we had need to pray to God that he will keep us that we be not led away with the Error of the Wicked and so fall from our steadfastness but rather that we may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ See 2 Pet. 3.17 18. For there be many Errors which are not so dangerous as Heresie there may be error in Knowledge and also in Practice which yet are far short of Heresie Alas we know but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Luk. 17.10 And for Practice when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants we have done but what was our duty to do But Heresie is a work of the flesh Gal. 5.19 20. 't is reckoned up with Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness with Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Wrath Strife Sedition with Envyings Murders Drunkenness and such-like Can this be good that is martialled in the midst of these For when the holy Spirit by the Word of God sets forth the nature of Heresie he compareth it to Leaven 1 Cor. 5.6 7. Gal. 5.9 Because Leaven is of such a nature that it makes all the lump to savour of it So Heresie if it be not truly removed it gives all that imbrace it participation of its sowr relish Likewise it is compared to a Gangreen 2 Tim. 2.17 which is a Venom of such an eating nature that except a member be cut off the whole will be destroyed unless it be speedily stopped before it hath taken too much root in the part infected with it So it is with Heresie if it be not speedily stopped it will grow to such a head that the Heretick though he be condemned of himself yet he will not be turned but must be cut off see Tit. 3.10 11. For Thirdly The nature of Heresie is such that it opposeth the Doctrine of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ See that famous place in the Epistle of Jude vers 3. Beloved saith the Apostle when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints vers 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares which were before of old ordained to this concondemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Here we see the damnable nature of Heresie it denyes God and our Lord Jesus Christ and so takes away the object of saving Faith for saving Faith hath for its object God and Christ yet so as we first believe in Jesus Christ God-Man a Saviour unto all them that do believe in him and by Christ we believe in God see 1 Pet. 1.21 the Father Son and holy Ghost a God and Father unto all them that believe Now because things are best seen by their contraries I will lay down four Propositions which every true Christian owns or ought to own and every Heretick denyes in part or in whole whereby you may clearly discern the destructive nature of Heresie to all true Religion and Piety Prop. 1. God the Father Son and holy Ghost is the object of saving Faith No man was ever saved without this Faith no man ever called upon God but by the help of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 As no man can say that Jesus is the Christ so neither can any man say that God is God but by the holy Ghost neither did God ever hear any man that called upon him for Salvation but for his Sons sake Prop. 2. Jesus Christ God-Man is the object of Faith and therefore he is to be believed in Ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 14.1 So likewise his Apostles taught Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thine house Acts 16.31 testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ yea we are commanded of God to believe in Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his Commandment That we should believe on his Son Jesus Christ and love
it not a wonder that many should follow those wayes that are so pernicious But it is as St. Paul saith when men receive not the love of the Truth that they might be saved then God in his just Judgment sends them or gives them over to strong delusions that they should believe a Lye 2 Thess 2.10 11. The Apostle tells Titus that there were many unruly and vain talke s and deceivers which it seems had such success that they subverted whole houses viz. turned them from the Faith teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre sake Tit. 1.9 10. insomuch that all they that were in Asia were turned away from him See 2 Tim. 1.14 15. Yea the Spirit speaks expresly that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4.1 So all the World wondered after the Beast Rev. 13.3 and worshipped the Beast and the image of the Beast and was so inamoured with their Idolaty that they say Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make War with him vers 4. For Sixthly That which is the moving Cause which sets false Teachers on work is Covetousness that which made Balaam so desire to curse the People of God was Covetousness The Apostle tells us he loved the wages of unrighteousness Jude 16. 2 Pet. 2.15 For the love of Money saith St. Paul is the root of all evil which whilst some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows l Tim. 6.10 But Seventhly When the heart is corrupt 't is no wonder if the tongue be false therefore our Apostle tells us That the Engine or Instrument which the false Teachers shall use to carry on their design of beguiling unstable Souls shall be feigned words words of deceit swelling words of vanity see 2 Pet. 2.18 19. So the Apostle Paul tells Titus There are saith he many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses Tit. 1.10 they subvert or turn away the minds of their Hearers from the Truth by false and deceitful words For evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 Therefore Eightly and lastly Let us behold with horror and compassion the sad condition of those miserable Souls that are carried away with the Error of the wicked The false Teachers saith the Text shall make Merchandize of you Is it not a cruel thing to sell a man into slavery How much more cruel is it to sell the Souls of Men and Women into worse slavery and bondage than the Egyptian bondage Better that man had never been born than to be an instrument to bring any Persons into Heresie As those that convert Sinners from the Error of their way shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 Jam. 5. ult So for those that lead them in the way of Heresie is reserved the mist of darkness for ever 2 Pet. 2.17 If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch See Matth. 15.14 False Teachers are unmerciful For as the true Servants of God labour to have the Church of Christ established in the true Faith so the Children of Belial do sell them into Perdition making them as Christ saith twofold more the Child of Hell than themselves see Matth. 23.15 Beloved I will now conclude this Preface by declaring unto you what Heresies I principally oppose in this ensuing Treatise viz. All that oppose the Essence of God the Trinity of Persons and our Lord Jesus Christ and the Union of Natures c. For this is life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 CHAP. I. Of the Divine Essence Exod. 3.14 And God said unto Moses I am that I am and he said Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel I am hath sent me unto you I AM viz. I am the only true God truly subsisting and not only through the opinion of men as Idols are I am he that have an everlasting being unchangeable subsisting of it self not depending from others infinite most simple the Author and Cause of the being of all things not a borrowed changeable finite dependent and compound being c. as all the Creatures have Of this mine Essence will I give thee the highest most express and general name of all He that is Which hath remained in use amongst the Hebrews and was then first revealed by God Exod. 6.3 The French Annot. He that is which is the Name that we translate for want of another more proper the Lord God which Name God then newly revealed to Moses Exod. 6.3 See Diodat's Annotations upon the Text. The Essence of God absolutely considered is that one pure and meer act by which God is God Because through the weakness of our understanding we cannot apprehend it in any measure by one act it hath pleased God to give unto himself many Names and Attributes by the help of which we may the better conceive thereof The Divine Attributes are certain essential Properties which God is pleased in Scripture to ascribe or attribute unto himself they are also called the Perfections of God or divine Predications or Titles They are not distinguished from the Essence really but notionally that is They are not distinguished at all in God but only to us-ward according to our manner of conceiving The Perfection of his Nature is either simpleness or the infiniteness thereof The simpleness of his Nature is that by which he is void of all Logical Relation He hath not in him subject or adjunct Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself compared with Joh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in his light as he is light compared with vers 5. God is light and in him is no darkness Hence it is manifested that to have life and to be life to be in light and to be light in God are all one Neither is God subject to generality or speciality whole or parts matter or that which is made of matter for so there should be in God divers things and one more perfect than another Therefore whatsoever is in God is his Essence and all that he is he is by Essence The saying of Augustine in his 6th Book and 4th Chap. of the Trinity is fit to prove this In God saith he to be and to be just or mighty are all one but in the mind of man it is not all one to be and to be mighty or just for the mind may be destitute of these vertues and yet a mind Hence it is manifest That the Nature of God is Immutable and Spiritual God's immutability of Nature is that by which he is void of all composition division and change Jam. 1.17 With God there is no