could they conclude from thence that the Eucharist is a Sacrifice truly and properly expiatory The thanks which accompanies this action and gives it the name of Eucharist that is to say of an Action of Thanksgiving may be called a pure Oblation which one presents to the Lord for his goodness to us without being a propitiatory Sacrifice any more than Alms Prayers and the Preaching of the Gospel which are named also Sacrifices Secondly What necessity is there to assert that this pure Oblation predicted by Malachy should precisely be the Eucharist Heb. 13.15 16. Rom. 15.16 it's aim evidently enough is to fignifie that the Service of God should be no more as formerly tied to the Mountain of Zion but should be done in all places from the rising to the going down of the Sun not to the people of Israel only but communicated to all Nations For these Divine Authors very often employ the terms and things of the Church of their times to signifie the state and things of the Church to come as when Esaiah saith Esa 2.3 that the nations shall go up to the Mountain and Temple of the Lord to signifie that they shall make profession of his knowledge and shall serve him And when the Lord himself represents the estate of the Church to the Age to come in saying Mat. 8.11 that we shall be set at the Table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob terms which agree properly to the present Church Malachy in the same manner used the word Oblation which is properly a part of the Service which had place in the Church of his time to denote the Evangelical Service which succeeded him under the New Testament and to signifie it more particularly he called it a pure Oblation no more carnal and gross consisting of Fat and Oyl in Flower and in the blood of Beasts as heretofore but wholly spiritual and true this is the service St. Paul understands where making opposition of the Christians with the Jews he sayeth Phil. 3.3 Rom. 1.9 that we should serve God in spirit and speaking of himself he saith that he served God in his Spirit and sheweth elsewhere that his preaching was part of it where he saith Rom. 15.16 he applied himself to the Sacrifice of the Gospel of God to the end that the oblation of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost He describes it so in general in the 12th of the Romans That our service which he calls reasonable for the same Reasons for which Malachy names it pure is that we should present our bodies as a living Sacrifice holy and pleasing to God Rom. 12.1 Jesus Christ a long time since Malachy foretold exactly the same thing at the time of his complement John 4.20 23. The hour cometh saith he that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth no more in the mountain of Gerezim as the Patriarchs did nor in Jerusalem as the Jews but in every place as the Prophet said By comparing of these passages 't is easie to finde out that the pure oblation of Malachy is nothing else but the worshipping in Spirit and truth which our Lord saith and the oblation of our bodies as a living Sacrifice as St. Paul speaks and our service in Spirit as he saith and so consequently not the Mass Thirdly But they alledge from the New Testament that Jesus Christ in celebrating the Eucharist said to his Disciples Do this now to do signifieth sometimes to sacrifice but what necessity is there to take it so in this place Who seeth not that do this signifieth an action of which the Lord had spoken Now he had said nothing of sacrificing he spake not one word of that but of eating and drinking For after having given them the sanctified bread to eat the sanctified Cup to drink he adds do this in remembrance of me Wherefore then shall not we take these words do this to signifie to eat this Bread and drink of this Chalice St. Paul explains it clearly so when after having rehearsed these words of the Lord Do this every time and as oft as you drink of it in remembrance of me he adds for every time and as oft as you eat of this bread and drink of this Cup you signifie the Lords death till he come 2 Cor. 12.25 26. The connection of this Verse with the precedent evidently sheweth that to do this fignifieth eating of this bread and drinking of this Cup. Fourthly They produced also that our Lord in the 22 of St. Luke speaking of the Cup of the Eucharist saith Luke 22.20 that it is shed for us from whence they conclude that it is then an expiatory Sacrifice for our sins But I say first that although the words of the Lord in Saint Luke cannot be taken otherwise than in saying that the Holy Cup is shed for us nevertheless it doth not follow that the Eucharist is to speak properly a propitiatory Sacrifice What is not the Water of the Holy Baptism spilled for those who receive it Do you conclude from hence that Baptism is a propitiatory Sacrifice Many things make for us which nevertheless are not Sacrifices The Chalice of the Eucharist is it not useful and wholsome for us Is it not given us to communicate to us the blood of the Lord Grace and the remission of our fins It is enough to say truly that it is shed for us there being no need to change it into Sacrifice to explain this manner of speaking But without coming to this one may justifie this otherwise For since the Cup is the Sacrament of the blood of Christ which hath been truly shed as a Sacrifice on the Cross to merit the remission of our sins and since it is the custom to give to the Sacraments the qualities and attributions of the things of which they are Sacraments none ought to think it more strange that the Cup should be said to be shed for us than that which St. 1 Cor. â—0 4 Paul saith that the Rock in the Desart was Christ Secondly I say that it is not necessary to take the words of St. Luke in that sense which they produce them On the contrary it seemeth that their Belief and their Latin Interpretation licensed by the Council of Trent Council of Trent Sess 4. doth not permit them to take them so Their Belief For if the Cup of the Eucharist is shed for us since by the Cup they understand the blood of Jesus Christ contained in the Cup they must say that the blood of Christ is shed for us in the Eucharist which is directly contrary both to what they confess of the glorious and impassible state of the body of the Lord and to that which they expresly assert that the Eucharist is a Sacrifice not bloody and that Christ is offered there without the effusion of blood Their Interpreter For thus he translates these words This Chalice is the
they would have us possess is real For to believe a thing which is not a possession but a dream and an error 't is the heritage of the wicked to whom the wise man gives nothing for his possession but the winde Truth is ample and specious and can receive possession Error on the contrary is a nothing which cannot properly be said to be possessed by any Untill then they do shew us the truth of the things which they believe 't is in vain for them to boast of their possessing them That which is not is not possessed The feild of which one alledgeth the possession in the Court is a thing which appears and of whose existence no body can doubt Here the purgatory the Sacrifice of the mass the all powerfulness and infallibility of the Pope the transubstantiation of the eucharist and in short all their pretended possessions are things which our sense perceives not and which our reason cannot find out That very thing then of which they pretend a possession obliges them to shew the truth of it by the Scriptures since it doth not appear in nature For to alledg the possession of a thing which one cannot make out to any one is evidently to mock the world 't is to pay it with illusions and chimaeras So 't is clear notwithstanding this allegation that our adversaries are obliged to ground the Articles which they lay down upon good and clear doctrins of Scripture and for us who will not receive them t is sufficient for the justification of our refusal that no part of them can be found in that authentique instrument of the revelation of God which both parties acknowledg to conclude then it remains that to prove our faith by the Scriptures we are only obliged to shew that the things we lay down and firmly believe in religion are taught in the scriptures and that those which we do not believe are not taught there CHAP. V. That the new method was unknown to the Lord his Apostles and the holy fathers and that it is contrary to the procedure which the Lord and his Apostles took in disputing with their adversaries BUt it behoveth us now to consider in the second place what proofs we ought to furnish our selves with to ground our belief upon the Scriptures For these Methodists dedemand of us formall passages these are their terms where that which we would prove be expressed in so many words If you produce any thing of it where the same thing is signified but in other words and from whence with the light of discourse 't is very easie to conclude it they cry that these are dreams and Chimaeras and in short they will not acknowledge any thing for the Doctrines of Scripture but what they read precisely there for example they do not think that the belief of the holy Trinity is a doctrine of the Scripture because they do not meet with the very word there though the thing which signifies it be evidently set down there This is all the cunning of this brave Method with which they boast to gagg the Ministers and subdue all the enemies of the Church but if this pretended meanes of overcoming the heretiques be as lawful and as powerful as they seem to believe it how comes it that neither Jesus Christ nor his Apostles nor the ancient Doctors of the Church have ever taught it their disciples or imployed themselves against those of their adversaries who disputed by Scripture Matt. 4.6 When the Tempter alledged to our Lord that verse of the Psalmes he shall give his Angels charge over thee to perswade him to cast himself down from a high pinnacle how comes it to pass that he answered him not according to this abridged method that the passage was not formal Matt. 12.2 3 4 5 6. and when the Pharisies imployed the ordinance of the Sabbath against his disciples plucking the ears of corn why he give himself the trouble to justifie their Action by the example of David and the priests why did he not tell them in one word that the passage was not formal how happens it that his Apostles in so many books which they have left us have not not given us at least some notice of so wonderful a secret Why did not the holy fathers make use of this to resolve those infinite reasons that the heretiques pretended they had drawn from the Scriptures Sabellius alledged I and the father are one Arius the Father is greater then I Eutychis the word hath been made flesh the first to prove that the person of the son is the same with that of the father the second to shew that the substance is different the third to establish the mixture of these natures The ancients were so shallow as to write great books to explain these passages and to resolve the sophisms of these heretiques Where was their judgment if they could as they pretend make voyd all the difficulty in one word only by saying that the passages are not formal and that the consequences are nothing but Phantasies Read the Books of Irenaeus against the Gnostiques of Justin against the Jewes of Tertullian against Marcion Apelles Hermogenes and others of Athanasius Hilarius Basil Gregory Chrisostome and an infinite number of others against the Arians of Cyril against Nestorius of Theodoret and Gelaze against Eutychus of Hierome Augustine Prosper against Pelagius and in short all the writings which the Christians have composed against the Heretiques sixteen hundred years since you will find that none of them have ever answered to any of the arguments propounded by their adversaries that which the methodists now a days answer to ours that the conclusion is not in formal terms in Scripture Who will believe that the Church hath been ignorant for the space of so many ages for so excellent a means of gagging its enemies and that these honest men whom one may call without offence not the most accomplished and learned of our age should alone be advised of that in our dayes which the lights of the world have not yet been able to discover and that poor truth should have sighthed so long in the bonds of consequences expecting its liberty onely from the sword of these new Alexanders But the Lord and all his servants hath not only permitted that to their adversaries which ours deny us viz consequences and reasonings upon Texts of Scripture but made use of it themselves to establish truth as well as to refute errors The tempter promising the Son of God all the Glory of the world if he would worship him the Lord checked his impudence by that Scripture which saith Matt. 4.9 10 6 7. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve and when he desired him to throw himself down from the pinnacle he answered as it is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God unusefully if you believe these methodists since neither the first of these passages denieth expressly in
which these two parties should be agreed it is clear that their debates will never be decided since it hath its birth from that same thing which this method wants to determine it For if in their common principle there should be found any such decision of their controversies they would not enter into contest about it for example the Methodists will not let any one make use of any one thing in Scripture to prove that the Pope is not the head of Church if there be not some passage which saith expresly that the Pope is not the head of the Church Who sees not that t is to flie the decision of the controversie and desire the continuation of it for ever for to demand of me to determine it is a condition according to all the appearance of reason impossible to be done it being not credible that the adversaries who acknowledge with me the Divinity and truth of the Scriptures should bare me down that the Pope is the head of the Church though it denies it formally and in so many words If we desire then to end our differences we must absolutely renounce this Method and proceed that very way which they so unjustly condemn by proving all our conclusions by the principles so well known to both parties and those are by the grace of God the oracle of the old and new Testament determining doubtful things by certain clearing the obscure by evident and perswading those things which they reject as false by the connexion and dependance which they have one with another that they confess them true This is the true Method which one ought to follow in all disputes and which indeed all masters of all Sciences have followed those of Philosophy Civil-law Physick and others St. Augustin defended it a long time against the calumnies of the Donatists who because he took it upon himself to dispute against them accused him of being a Logician †Aug. contr Crecon l. 1. c. 13. and under this pretence shunned him as a dangerous man He shewed at large that the Lord * The same chapt and 14 17 18. Aug. tom 6. l. ◠cont Circon Gramat c. 15. G. and his Apostles made use of this Method and were Logicians if this is to be a Logician to reason and from a clear thing to prove a thing that is obscure and willing to propose to us a Pattern of a wise Disputant see how he describes him First he endeavours saith he not to be cheated himself for want of discerning truth from falshood and this he cannot obtain without the help of God Then being willing to unfould for the instruction of others that which he hath in himself he first considers what it is they already know for certain to the end that from thence he might conduct them to the things they know not or would not believe shewing them these follow from those which they hold either by reasoning or faith so that by the truths which they consent to they may be constrained to confess and approve those which they had denied and by this means the truth which seemed false to them at first would be discerned from the false being found conformable to the truths which they knew before Hitherto St. Austin who could not more clearly Authorise the procedure which these new Disputants now condemn with so much injustice and passion CHAP. VII That the procedure of the methodists is the same which the Arians and other Heretiques held formerly against the antient Fathers ANd though it be a thing most unworthy those praises which they give ordinaryly to antiquity to expose a novelty to the view of the world and that on the other side t is not much honour to be thought to be esteemed the father of an invention so impertinent and so contrary as well to the practice of the Lord of his Apostles and of the holy fathers as to the common sence and reason of men nevertheless to take from them in this place all subject of vain glory I will farther advertise the readers that those of our adversaries which at this day make use of this method are not the first authors of it For I find at the bottom of it that t is an old and superannuated wrangling of the Arians and other antient heretiques who to flie the searching and decision of the truth demanded of the Catholiques of their times in the same manner formal passages where the consubstantiality of the son and other points may be expressly read this we learn by the books of the fathers In St. Athanasius the question being concerning the word consubstantial used by the Council of Nice to express the truth of the eternal divinity of the Son say the Arians is not writ And in a dialogue printed among his works though in my opinion t is none of his leave these Sylogisms say they and give us a Demonstration by writing that the Son is the true God a Atha Ep. de Synod-Arim Seleue. T. p. 911 Part. ultim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Dialog cont Arim. p. 126. In St. Austin the Count Pascentius an Arian by Religion pressed likewise this only Doctor with whom he had the presumption to enter into Conference to shew him the word consubstantial in the Scripture not suffering him to draw it from thence by reasonings b Ep. 174.178 Aug. St. Augustine having else where proved the Divinity of the Holy Ghost by these places of the Apostle which say that we are his temple so that if he were not God he would have no Temple Maximinus an Arian Bishop against whom he disputed answered that the truth is not concluded by arguments but proved by certain testimonies c Id con Mixim l. 1 6 fol. 444. G. and in a dialogue published under the name of S. Vigil but in my judgment t is certainly Pope Gelaz's the Arian who is brought in there disputes exactly as our Methodists do now He would have one shew him the word Consubstantial expresly and properly so writ and that it be proved not by any reasonings but by the naked and pure propriety of the words Let them read it to me saith he so properly laid down or let them depart from their Confession d Dial. inter Atha Sabell Arian inter Cassand opera p. 475. Eutichus the head of another Heresie who confounded the two natures of the Lord disputed in the same manner demanding in what Scripture t is set down that Jesus Christ hath two Natures e In Act. cont chalced p. 115. A. so that one ought not to wonder if Scholarius hath long since observed that many Heretiques made use of this praetext viz. desire that they would shew them all things expressly by the Scripture f Scholar orat Henet 3. concil flor p. 590 E. CHAP. VIII That the Fathers have rejected this pretended method as impertinent and that by their examples we can retort them upon our Adversaries WHat do the Holy Fathers
of necessity and whither he will or no form it self * Id contr Crescon-Gram l. c. 20. Now every man who is in his right senses may know certainly if he gives a convenient attention whither the propositions which one first layes down to conclude something from whither I say those propositions be in the Scripture or not For as to the consequence of things themselves it is of necessity so evidently inevitable that no body can contradict it as for example since every man is composed of soul and Body if you grant that Jesus Christ is a man t is not possible but you must confess also that he hath a Soul and Body so if you know that the Scripture puts this proposition as 't is very easie to know whither it doth or not you cannot without renouncingsense and reason deny that the conclusion is also in the Scripture So all this fear which they give us of the incertitude of conclusions drawn from Scripture by reasoning is but a vain Chimera which passion alone hath made them produce to Authorise this redicule Method by which they pretend to reduce men not to discourse and without which they know well enough t is not possible for them to defend their Faith Dial. inter Sab. Pbot. ar and Athon p. 476. For to apply to them that which one of the Fathers above named said of the Arian they know very certainly that if rejecting their Method we would once prove our belief by consequence from Scripture t is very easie to overcome them and so the defiance and fears of this danger carries them to demand of us proofs consisting in Nude and formal words Shall I repeat hear the impertinent objections which they make to us upon this subject that if we believe that which our reason concludes from the Scriptures our Faith will then begrounded upon reason as if our reason in this dispute should declare the proposition from which we draw a conclusion and not the faculty of the spirit with which we draw it certainly upon this account one might say also that our Faith is grounded upon the sense of hearing since the Apostle teacheth us that Faith comes by hearing But where is there a child that doth not see that it is grounded upon the divine word which we hear and not upon the ear with which we hear the ear is the Organ which receiveth this word but the cause which moves us to believe it is the truth which is there and not the ear CHAP. XII That the faith which we add to the truths drawn from Scripture by reasoning is grounded upon Scriptures and not upon reason Rom. 10.17 REason in like manner or to use another tearm less equivocal understanding seeth in Scripture that which is there that conceives discerns and believes it But that which makes it believe it is the Authority of the Scripture in which it hath seen it and not the action which it hath made use of to see it As when the Apostle saith that Jesus Christ is a man you conclude then that he hath a Soul the ground of your conclusion is the saying of the Apostle and not the faculty or act of your reason All that your reason hath done is that it hath found in the Apostles words that which is really so Now this is not to give us Faith but to receive it and to do that which is not onely permitted but commanded If it teacheth any thing of its own growth if it makes its inventions pass for Oracles t is but just to be condemned For usurping that which belongs to God onely but if that which reason believes and perswades others to hath been taught by the word of God if that was there before she believed it that which she hath seen there and that which she hath done to the end that others might see it there cannot be imputed as a crime to her as if she attributed to her self in doing this to be the foundation of our Faith This is all which we require for her in this place that she may have leave to open her eyes to mind and see that which God hath propounded in his word We do not pretend to the gift of revealing new secrets to humane kind nor the priviledge of making articles of Faith We only beg that they would not take from us that which nature hath given to all men the faculty of seeing that which is exposed to our eyes and to understanding that which is said plainly to us and from thence conclude that which evidently follows Rom. 3.10 11 12. Hebr. 4.15 John 3.16.18 It seemeth to us that one may very well judge though he be not altogether a prophet that the Scriptures which tells us that all men have sinned except our Lord saith also that John James and Peter have sinned and that which tells us that all those who believe in Jesus Christ shall not perrish hath also said to us that Paul and Peter presupposing that they believe shall not perish Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 Exod. 20.14 and that which sayeth that cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words written in the law sayeth also to us that he who commits adultery is cursed by the law since 't is written thou shalt not commit adultery Our adversaries will pardon us if we say that to deprive us of the judgment of such consequences t is to endeavour to take from us not onely the light of the Prophesie or the Spirit of perticular revelation things to which we never pretended any thing but the sense and nature of men and to transform us into Geese CHAP. XIII That t is sufficient that one of the propositions be in Scripture to infer a conclusion of divine truth BUt they produce another difficulty upon this point let it be so say they let the consequences take place then when that is done we can receive no conclusions for divine but those which one draws from two propositions both of which are layed down in Scripture if one be not drawn from the word of God but from sense or humane reason we cannot receive that which follows from it unless it be for a humane truth that is to say doubtful and uncertain because in arguing the conclusion alwaies follows the weakest part as Logicions have observed for example if you dispute thus he who hath created the heavens and the earth is the true and eternal God worshiped heretofore by the Isrealites Now Jesus Christ hath created the heavens and the Earth he is then the true God worshiped heretofore in Israel they will make no difficulty perhaps to receive this conclusion for a Divine truth and worthy of an intire and certain belief because the two propositions from which it follows are both of them in the Scripture as we shall see hereafter But if you reason thus a Body which is in heaven is not at that time in the earth now the Body of Christ is in heaven therefore it is not
Religion which he hath given us to obtain this consists in Faith and Charity that the Father appeased by his Obedience receives to mercy all those who knowing their misery and repenting of their Sins do confide in his bounty and believe in his promises that he pardons them gratis all their faults and treats them as if they had never offended and these being animated and enlivened by Faith live afterwards holily and Christianly in Piety towards God and Charity towards their Neighbours according to the Gospel of Christ For he wills that all his Faithful love and serve God with one love and soveraign adoration and that they have a true Charity towards all men carefully keeping themselves from violating their dignity Life Chastity Estates or Honour neither in Deed Word nor Thought every one subjecting themselves to their Order and Laws of their Civil Societies and to the state of the Country where they live but that they entertain a particular amity with the rest of the Faithful cherishing them as their own Brethren uniting themselves to them that so there may be but one Body in Religion and that for this end there be amongst them Pastors and Supervisers who have the overlooking of their Communion administring to them as well the divine Doctrine as the holy Sacraments which the Lord hath left as tokens of his grace and marks and seals of his Covenant having commanded that his faithful Servants should be baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost for the remission of their sins and that they should eat the Bread and drink the sanctified Wine in commemoration of his Death and communication of his Flesh and Blood We believe that although the truth of these things is most clear yet men are so blinded by the Passion of their malice that they would never understand them if the HOLYSPIRIT true God eternally blessed with the FATHER and the SON did not inlighten their understanding opening their hearts that the light of this heavenly Doctrine may enter in and that God affords them this grace of his own good pleasure giving it when to whom and in what measure it seemeth good to him We believe that to those who shall have believed and lived according to this holy doctrine God will give his Salvation preserving them and taking care of them and when they depart this Life gather their Souls into his repose expecting the last day in which having raised their Bodies will lift them up with Jesus Christ their Head into an incorruptable Heaven there to live eternally in his Glory but the Wicked and incredulous shall perish being punished with the Devil and his Angels in the torments of Hell Reader if thou art conversant in reading the Holy Bible say in thy Conscience whether it be not too great a boldness to deny that these things are clearly contained there onely hearing them named do you not as soon perceive that these Divine Books and especially those of the New Testament are full of them How hard is it to find one verse which layes not down some of these instructions Nevertheless because they will have it so we verifie them Article by Article and to the end that they should not as t is their custome wrangle with us about words we will produce passages of Scripture in those very words into which the Interpreter of our Adversaries hath translated them and then say a little upon every point contenting our selves to mark the rest in the Margint For if we should gather together all the places of Scripture where these Doctrines are positively laid down or hinted we must transcribe almost all of them and as to the Scripture it self we suppose the truth of it without disputing it in this Treatise where the business is only to prove that the Articles whose belief we esteem necessary to Salvation are all found in the Book which we hold for the Rule and principle of our Faith For that is sufficient to bring to nothing the calumny of these new Disputants who to convince the Scripture of imperfection and constrain us by the same means to have recourse to the Authority of their Church crying incessantly that we our selves who make so much account of Scripture cannot prove by it all the things which we believe necessary to Salvation CHAP. II. Of the Essence and Nature of God Of his Qualities and Works 1. FIrst then as to the Article of the Essence and Divine Nature the Scripture layes down at the first word that there is one God in saying that he created the Heaven and the Earth in the beginning and speaks of him every where as of a thing whose being and subsistance every one knows and understands holding them not only for impious and irreligious but for meer fools and sense-less creatures who think there is none Psal 13. Heb. 14. 1. The Scripture makes him Act and speak in infinite wayes and manners from the beginning to the very end teaching not onely that he is but that there is none besides him who truly is all the rest not being but in him and by him So long then as there are passages in Scripture which attribute to God some quality action or word and of this kind there are an infinite number they are so much the stronger and evident proofes of this truth See Duet 4.39 6.4 â—sa 45.5.6.21 John 17.3 and many other places Heb. 11.6 It behoveth him that comes to God to believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him Act. 17.27 28. God is not far from any one of us for in him we live move and are 1 Cor. 8.6 We have one God who is the Father from whom are all things and we in him Exod. 3.14 The Lord said to Moses I am that I am then he said thou shalt tell the Children of Israel he that is hath sent me to you Esaiah 37.16 Lord of Armies the God of Israel who art set upon the Cherubims thou art alone God of all the Kingdoms of the earth thou hast made the Heaven and the earth Esaiab 43.10 11. There was no God formed before me nor shall be after me I am I am the Lord and there is none other Saviour but me Psal 89. Heb. 90. 2. Before the Mountaines were made and the earth and world were formed from age to age thou art God 2. That Godis Eternal Gen. 21.33 See Ex. 15.19 Job 36.26 Psal 9. Heb. 10 8.37 38. Heb. 90.2 Abraham c. called upon the name of God Eternal Psalm 101. Heb. 102. 27 28. The heavens shall perish but thou shalt be permanent and all of them shall wax old as a garment and thou shalt change them as a vesture and they shall be changed but thou art the same thou art and thy years fail not Rom. 16.26 Esai 41.4.43.10.44.6 and 48.12 1 Tim. 1.17 Re. 1.8 By the commandment of the Eternal God 1 Tim. 6.16 God onely hath immortality 3.
4. The Lord of David and other Beleivers living under the old Testament is the eternal whom they worshipped at it appears by all the books of the Old Scripture I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other before me Exod. 20.2 3. Thou art our Father and Abraham hath not known us and Israel hath not known us Lord thou art our Father and our Redeeemer Isai 63.16 Now Christ is the Lord of David as Jesus Christ himself remarks alledging these Words from Psal 109 Heb. 110. 1. The Lord hath said to my Lord sit thou at my Right Hand He is then truely the eternal 5. He whom the Isralites tempted in the Wilderness is the eternal Now Jesus Christ is he whom the Israelites tempted in the desert 1 Cor 10.9 Let us not tempt Christ as some of them have tempted him and have been destroyed by the Serpents He is then this same eternal worshipped by Israel 6. He of whom David spake in the 101 Psalm Heb. 102. vers 26 27 28. Is the eternal the God of Israel as it appears through all that Psalm and perticularly by the 25. verse where he calls him his strong God in the Hebrew text which quality he had care of not giving to any other then to the Lord eternal Now Jesus is he to whom David spake in that place as the Apostle in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews vers 10. witnesseth in applying to him the words of the Psalmist already recited here above Chap. 4. Sect. 3. It followes then that Jesus is truely this same eternal 7. In a Word the Lord protesteth in Isaia that he would not give his glory to any other Isai 42.8 and 48.11 Now the Father eternal hath given this glory to Jesus Christ as he himself saith in St. John The Father c. hath given all judgment to the Son to the end that all might honor the Son as they honor the Father John 5.22 23. It follows then that Jesus is none other then the Lord eternal 5. That the Son of God sent for us is not the same person with the Father Now although this eternal worshipped by the Israelites and the Son sent for us be one and the same God as we have already shown and that theyave by consequence one and the same substance essence or nature nevertheless these two persons are distinct one from the other and are represented to us so in the Scripture one being called the Father and the other the Son For since he who begets is not the same person with him that is begotten nor he who sendeth the same person with him that is sent the Father and the Son are of necessity two persons since the Father hath begotten and sent the Son Psalm 2.7 where the Father speaks to Jesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth us in Acts 13.33 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Gal. 4.1 4. God hath sent his Son John 3 16. It remains then that we say that the Father and the Son are two persons although they are one and the same divinity which is the belief of every true Christian 6. That the Son of God is made man in the fulness of time taking our flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary John 1.14 The World hath been made Flesh and dwelt amongst us and we have seen its glory Rom. 8.3 Phil. 2.6 Heb. 2.17 Rom. 13 4. glory I say as of the onely issue of the Father full of Grace and Truth Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of time is come God hath sent his Son made of woman made under the Law that he might Redeem those who were under the Law 1 Tim. 3.16 Without contradiction the secret of Piety is great viz. God is manifested in the Flesh sanctified in the Spirit Luk. 1.30 31 32 33 34 35. Mat. 1.18 The Angel said unto her fear not Mary For thou hast found favour before God And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall call himself the Son of the Soveraign and the Lord shall give him the Throne of David his Father c. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Vertue of the Soveraign shall over shadow thee or in-shadow thee therefore that also which shall be born of thee Holy shall be called the Son of God CHAP. V. Of the Sufferings Actions Glories Merits and Doctrine of Christ the Mediator 1. That the Son of God manifested in the Flesh hath been crucified in Judea by the Sentence of Pontius Pilate ACt. 2.23 Acts 4.10 and 10 39. Jesus of Nazereth being delivered by the determinate counsel and Providence of God you have taken crucified and killed him by the Hands of wicked men You have the History of it at large in the 27. of S. Mat. in the 15. of S. Mark the 23. of S. Luke and the 19. of S. John which is known enough to every one 2. That the Son of God did rise the third day from the dead 1 Cor. 15.3 4. Before all things I have given you that which I had also received viz. that Christ is dead for our sins according to the Scriptures that he hath been buried and is risen the third Day according to the Scriptures You have the History of his Resurrection at large Acts 2.24 31. and 10.40 and 13.30 17.31 Rom. 4.25 6.4 8.33 14.9 2 Tim. 2. Mat. 28.6 Mar. 16.6 Luk. 24.5 John 26.9 3. That the Son of God is ascended into Heaven and that he reigns there in a Soveraign power The History of it is described in St. Mar. 16.19 Luk. 24.51 and more at large Act. 1.9 Eph. 1.20 21 22. 1 Cor. 15.25 27. Eph. 4.10 Phil. 2.9.10.11 Heb. 2.9 God hath raised Christ from the dead and hath made him sit at his Right Hand in Heavenly places above all Principalities and Powers Vertue and Dominion and every Name which is Named Not only in this World but in that which is to come And hath put all things under his Feet 1 Pet. 3.22 Jesus Christ is at the Right Hand of God swallowing up death to make us Heirs of life eternal being gone to Heaven to whom the Angels Powers and Dominions are subject 4. That the Son of God shall come at the Last Day to Judge the World Mat. 16.27 Mat. 24.30 Luk. 17.24.30 21.27 Acts 1.11 17.31 Rom. 2 16. 1 Cor. 4.5 2 Cor. 5.10 1 Thes 4.16 1 Pet. 4.4 5. Rev. 20.11 12 13. The Son of God shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall render to every one according to his works Acts 10.42 Jesus hath commanded us to preach to the people and to Testifie that 't is him who is ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead 2 Thes 1.6 7 8. This is a just thing with God that he renders affliction to those who
in the word of doctrine For the Scripture saith thou shalt not tie the throat of the Ox that treadeth out the corn and the work man is worthy of his hire 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Do you not know that those who do Sacrifices Gal. 6.6 eat the things which are sacrificed and they who are busied at the altar partake with the altar so likewise our Lord hath ordained that those who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel See the verses 7 8 9 10. Of the same Chapter 8. That the Faithful ought to reject the Ministers who preach any other thing then the Gospel of Jesus Christ Gal. 1.8 If we our selves or an an Angel from Heaven should preach other wise then we have preached to you let him be accursed So as we have said before now also I say again if any one preach to you any thing but that which you have received let him be accursed 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not all spirits but try the spirit whether they are of God For many false Prophets are come into the World 2 John verse 10. If any one comes to you and brings not this Doctrine do not receive him into your house nor salute him CHAP. IX Of the holy Sacraments Baptism and the Eucharist 1. That Christians ought to be baptized in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost MAt Mark 16.16 28.19 Go and teach all men baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Examples of this are common in the books of the New Testamentperticularly in the Acts of the Apostles where we read that those who believed the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and received it were baptized Acts 2.38 41. and 8.12 13. and 9.10 and 10.47 and 16.15 2. That Baptism gives remission of sins and the Grace of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.38 Peter said to them repent and be every one baptized and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Rom. 6.3 Mar 6.16 1 Pet. 3.21 Ehh. 6.26 Know you not brethren that all of us who have been baptized in Jesus Christ have been baptized in his death for we are buried with him in death by baptisme so that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father we also should walk in newness of life Gal. 3.27 You all who were baptized in Christ have put on Christ Col. 2.11 12. You being circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of Flesh viz. by the circumcision of Jesus Christ being buried with him by baptism in which also you are risen together by the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead 3. That the Faithful ought to eat the bread and drink the sanctified wine in commemoration of the death of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.23 c. I have received from the Lord that which also I give you that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread and having given thanks he brake it and said take eat this here is my Body which shall be given for you Mat 26 26 27 28. Mar. 14.22 23 24. Luk. 22 17 18 19 20. do this in remembrance of me Likewise also he took the chalice after he had supped saying this chalice is the New Testament in my blood I do this every time that you drink of it in remembrance of me For every time that you shall eat this bread and drink this chalice you will shew forth the Lords death till he comes c. Let a man then try himself and so eat of this bread and drink of this chalice 4. That the bread and wine of the Eucharist are the communication of the Body and blood of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communication of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of the Lord. CHAP. X. Of the Holy Ghost Of the necessity of his light to have Faith Of his Nature and Person 1. That the malice of man is so great that of himself he neither understands nor believes the heavenly Doctrine preached by the Apostles of Jesus Christ nor can he live in piety according to the Gospel JOhn 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee that who is not born again cannot see the Kingdome of God John 6.44 No one can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him Rom 8 7. The wisdome of the flesh is an enemy to God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor in truth can it be 1 Cor. 2.14 The Animal man doth not comprehend the things which are of the Spirit God for they are to him folly and he cannot understand them in as much as they are discerned spiritually 2. That the Spirit of God which gives to men the graceof understanding believing the Gospel and of living according to the Doctrine of the Lord. 1 Cor. 2.7 8 9 10. We speak the Wisdome of God which is a mistery which is hid c. Which none of the Princes of this World hath known for if they had known if they had never crucified the Lord of glory but as it is written the things which the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard and which are not entered into the heart of man are those which God hath prepared for those which love him but God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit Matth. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth I thank thee that thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding and hast revealed them to little Children Matth. 11.17 Thou art blessed Simon Son of Jonas for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee viz. That Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God but my Father which is in heaven John 1.12 13. Those who believe in the name of God are not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but are born of God Acts 16.14 The Lord opened the heart of Lydia to understand the things which Paul said Phil. 1.29 It is given to you for Christ not onely to believe in him but also to indure for him Phil. 2.13 'T is God that worketh in you to do and to will according to his good will Ezech. Jer. 31.33 and 32.39 11.19 20. And I will give them a heart and will put into them a new spirit and I will take away the heart of stone from their flesh and will give them a heart of flesh that they may walkin my commandments and keep my judgments and do them and that they be my people and that I be their God 3. That the Holy Ghost is a person distinct from the Father and the Son John 14.16 17. I will pray the Father saith our Lord Jesus Christ and he shall give you another comforter to
abide with you eternally viz. The Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it neither seeth him nor knows him but you know him for he shalld well with you and be in you and verse the 26. The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name shall teach you all things and shall inspire into you all things which I have said Matt. 28.19 Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost This appears because he proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son When the Comforter shall come saith the Lord which I will send to you from my Father the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from my Father that shall witness of me John 15.26 If I go I will send to you the Comforter Joh. 16.7 and ver 13 14. When the Spirit of truth shall come he will teach you all truth for he will not speak of himself but will say all which he shall have heard and will tell you things to come he shall gloryfie me for he shall take of mine and shew it unto you 4. That the Holy Ghost is God Acts. 5.3 4. Peter said to Ananias Ananias why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost c. Thou hast not lied unto men but God This is proved evidently because the proprieties and works of the true God are attributed to him in the Scripture as first His presence in all places Psal 138 Heb 139. 7 8. Where shall I go back from thy Spirit or where shall I flee back from thy face if I go into heaven thou art there if I descend into hell thou art present there Secondly his presence in the persons of all the faithful Rom. 8.9 You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in you 1 Cor. 6.19 1 Cor. 3.16 Know you not that you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you 2 Tim. 1.14 The Holy Ghost dwells in us Thirdly His knowing all things 1 Cor. 2.10 11. The Spirit searcheth all things yea even the deep things of God for what is it in men which knows the things of man except the Spirit of man which is in him likewise no man hath known the things of God except the Spirit of God John 14.26 The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost which the Father will send in my Name shall teach you all things see also John 14.13 Fourthly His knowledge and prediction of things to come 1 Tim. 4.1 The Spirit saith expresly that in the last times some shall revolt from the Faith Fifthly His all powerfulness 1 Cor. 12.11 One and the same Spirit doth all things distributing to every one particularly according as he will Sixthly His right of having a Temple an evident sign of his Divinity 1 Cor. 6.19 Do not you know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you the which you have of God Seventhly His vertue of creating Job 26.13 His Spirit hath adorned the heavens Job 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life Luk. 1.35 The Angel answered and said to Mary The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Vertue of the Soveraign shall over shadow thee and therefore the Saint which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Eighthly That t is he which teacheth the faithful of Jesus Christ which is a work of God as it appears by Isai 54.13 alledged by the Lord John 6.45 They shall be all taught of God 1 Cor. 2.10 God hath revealed to us heavenly things by his Spirit and verse 12. and in John 16.13 The Spirit of truth shall teach you all truth Ninthly That he subsisted before the creation of all things Gen. 1 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the waters 5. That the Holy Ghost is that same God which is called the Lord or Eternal in Scripture This appears clearly For since there is no other God but the Lord Eternal as we have already proved by Scripture the Holy Ghost being God as we have shown it must necessarily be concluded that he is the same Lord eternal since otherwise he would not be God Moreover this is proved most evidently thus he who hath instructed sent and inspired the ancient Prophets of the Old Testament is the true eternal God worshipped heretofore in Israel as it appears through all their prophecies now it is the holy Spirit which hath instructed sent and inspired them 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God being inspired by the holy Spirit have spoken 'T is he perticularly Acts. 1.16 who hath foretold that which we read in David Psal 40. Heb. 41. 10. 'T is he who spake by Isai Acts. 28.25 and commanded him to say that which we read in the 6 Chap. verse 9. of his prophecy 'T is he Heb. 9.1 8. who gave to Moses the ordinance which we read Levit. 16.2 'T is he Heb. 10.15 who spake in the 31 Chap. verse 32. of Jeremy 'T is he lastly Heb. 3.7 who saith in the 94 Psal Heb. 95. 8. that which we read there it follows then of necessity that he is the same Lord Eternal whom the Faithful under the Old Testament adored Thus have we clearly proved the Doctrine of the Trinity That there is three of them the Scripture teacheth it expresly 1 John 5.7 There are three which gives witness in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one Matt. 28.19 Teaching all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13.13 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Spirit be with you all Amen And when the Lord Jesus was baptized these three persons were manifested distinctly the Father crying from heaven this is my beloved Son in whom I have taken delight the Son receiving the baptism in his humanity the Holy Ghost descending from heaven upon hm in form of a dove Matth. 3.16 17. And that these three persons are one and the same divinity appears by what we have all ready said Now that the Father is the true eternal God adored by the Israelites all the Scripture saith it and the words alone of Jesus Christ John 17.3 sufficiently teacheth it were speaking to the Father this is life eternal saith he that they should know the only true God That Jesus Christ is likewise the true eternal God and that the Holy Spirit is so also we have proved here above Since then that all the Scripture professeth that this eternal Lord is one only God as we have also justified one must then of necessity conclude that these three blessed and glorious persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are but one and the same God which is that which the Church nameth the doctrine of the
they have the qualities and conditions which are convenient for them since it is to them who are such 2 Thes 1.6 7. that God promiseth these things in his Grace Thirdly Moreover they say that this retribution of God is a work of his Justice 't is a just thing before God saith the Apostle That he giveth affliction to those who afflict you Heb. 6.10 and to you who are afflicted deliverance with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with the Angels of his power and elsewhere God is not unjust to forget your work and charity which you have shewed towards his Name in as much as you have ministred to the Saints and do minister 2 Tim. 4.8 Psal 112.9 2 Cor. 9.9 Mat. 6.1 Dan. 4.24 9.16 Ezech. 18.19 21. in the Version of the 70. Deut. 24.3 Eccles 44.10 and again in another place The Crown of Justice is kept for me which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but also to all those who love his coming But I say first that this word Justice according to the phrase of the Hebrew Language signifieth very often benignity and liberality and just likewise benign and gracious as in the 112 Psalm alledged by St. Paul He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness endureth for ever from whence it comes that Alms which is an act of gratuity and beneficence is called Justice in the 6th of St. Matthew In this sense who seeth not that retribution of life eternal to the faithful is truly an act of the Divine Justice that is to say of his Grace and benignity that 't is an Alms which he giveth us Secondly I say that it is just that God should give life eternal to those who have believed and obeyed not that they have merited but because hehath promlsed it As 't is also a justice to keep ones word in accomplishing that which one hath promised Nohem 9. although one hath promised it but upon meer gratuity without being obliged to it by the merits of him to whom one promiseth it In fine in comparing the cause and case of the faithful with that of the wicked who afflict them the one having manifestly the right on their side and the other the wrong it is yet in this respect for the Justice of God to maintain the one and condemn and punish the other But this is not to say that considering throughly the persons and works of the faithful in themselves and without this comparison there is nothing in them which to speak properly merits the Heavenly Glory with which the Father will one day Crown them gratis according to the saying of the Apostle Rom. 6.23 that life eternal by Jesus Christ our Lord is a Grace of God But there is no need to insist much upon this Article since that amongst our Adversaries themselves there are found great and celebrated Authors who openly reject this Doctrine being far from pretending that it is in the Scriptures some disputing that the good works of the faithful are not meritorious by reason of the works themselves but only by reason of the Promise and Divine acceptance as Scotus and Vaga Others that supposing the Promise of God yet they are not such that the hire is due to them by Justice See Bellar. of Justif l. 5. c 16. but only by the liberality of God as Durandus so Cardinal Bellarmin reports it CHAP. IX That praying to Saints departed is not taught in the Scriptures 1. LEt us now consider of praying to the Saints departed for which there is found neither Command nor Example in all the Writings of the Old and New Testaments and they alledge for its foundation nothing but passages very far fetched as for example that wch Jacob said being upon his death-bed Let my name be called upon these Children Gen. 48.16 that is upon Ephraim and Manasseh which is not a Command to invoke him after his death but a declaration by which he adopts them willing that they might be called by his name as if they had been his proper Children as all the Learned party of our Adversaries confess Nic. d'Lyra Pintus Eman. Sa Pagnin Arias Montauus and 't is the same manner of speaking which is found in Esai in the fourth Chapter where he brings in women which say to a man Isai 4.1 only let thy name be called upon us Secondly But say they the faithful under the Old Testament make mention of the Saints departed in the prayers which they put up to God Have remembrance of Abraham Exod. 32.13 Isaac and Israel thy servants to whom thou hast sworn by thy self saying I will multiply your seed as the Stars in Heaven We do not deny that it was permitted them to produce to the Lord the Promises which he made to their Fathers as it is lawful for us to put him in minde of that which he hath done for us in Jesus Christ of which these first were the figures But the question is whether we may and ought to address these prayers to deceased Saints which cannot be drawn from this allegation by any good reason Thirdly Moreover Mat. 22.30 they discourse thus Our Lord teacheth us that the Saints departed are as the Angels of God in Heaven Gen. 48.15 now Jacob invoked an Angel It is then permitted us to invoke the Saints A feeble a pitiful reasoning For first the Lord speaks of the state of Saints after the Resurrection and the Question is of the condition they are in now before the Resurrection Secondly The Lord compares them to Angels not generally and in respect of all the conditions of their beings for upon this account they must conclude they will have no bodies after the Resurrection since the Angels have none but only in respect of these things viz that they will not marry Maldon upon this passage as St. Jerom and after him the Jesuit Maldonat remarks in the Resurrection saith the Lord they shall neither marry nor be given in marriage but shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven And as to the Angel which Jacob invoked who knows not that 't is the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Gen. 48. 15 16. the eternal Son of God The God saith he before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac have walked the God who fed me from my youth to this day Cyril Alex Thesaur l. 3. the Angel who hath defended me from evil bless these Children St. Cyril of Alexandria hath so amply defended this truth against the Arians who would as our Adversaries at this time bend these words to a created Angel which we have no need to insist upon any longer to clear Fourthly They argue again thus We pray the faithful living here below with us to pray to God for us as St. Paul commanded the Romans Rom. 15.30 Coll. 4.3.1 Eph. 6.9 1 Thes 5.25 2 Thes 3.1 1.