now he knew every thing * John 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things saith Peter unto him ‖ Ch. 2.24 25. he knew all Men and needed not that any should testifie of Man for he knew what was in Man There was no Dissembling before him * Heb. 4.13 14. for all things are and were naked and open unto the Eyes of him with whom we are to do even Jesus the Son of God who when upon Earth knew ‖ John 6.70 and 13.11 which of the Twelve was a Devil for he knew who should betray him This Record he bears of himself and we know his Record is true * Rev. 2.23 All the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the Reins and Hearts All this is very plain In the Word of God our Saviour is declared to be Almighty for ‖ John 5.19 whatsoever things the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise and †Heb. 1.3 he upholdeth all things by the word of his Power In the fore-quoted place of Rev. 1. he calls himself the Almighty Christ Jesus is also present every where another Attribute of an Infinite Being * Matt. 18.20 Chap. 28.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there I am in the midst of them and Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the World But not only all these forenamed Attributes incommunicable to the Creature such is every meer Man are applied unto the Lord Jesus also Divine Works are as the Creation of the World ‖ John 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Which St. Paul confirmeth * Colos 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones and Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him We know the Work of Creation is peculiar to God he never imparted it to any Creature for none is capable of it only an Infinite Being and Power can fill up an infinite distance between an ens and non ens a real Being and nothing between these two is an unpassable Gulf for any Creature an Abyss that can be filled up by no Man nor Angel To create is God's incommunicable Work the Name of Creator or Maker of something out of nothing belongs to God alone and seeing the World was created by the Word and that Christ is the Word that was made Flesh it followeth that Christ is God Heb. 1.2 God by his Son made the Worlds So he Rules and Preserves the World as in the fore-quoted place Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power He saith himself ‖ John 14.11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else believe me for the very Works sake He is one of the Elohim that created the World Gen. 1.1 It is also a Divine Work to raise Men from the Dead this also belongs to Christ for as the Father raiseth up the Dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom he will The words as and so do shew an Equality in the Acts our Saviour raised Jairus his Daughter Lazarus c. nay he raised himself by his own Power * John 10.18 I have Power to lay down my Life and take it up again Can any one but God give Eternal Life But ‖ Chap. 10.20 Christ gives his Sheep Eternal Life Who can forgive Sins but God only The Jews were in the Right according to their Primciples to call it Blasphemy because they believed him to be a meer Man and not God as he was * Mark 2.7 10. Why doth this Man thus speak Blasphemies who can forgive Sins but God only Whereupon immediately our Saviour to shew he was God said That ye may know that the Son of Man hath power to forgive Sins c. he proveth it with a Miracle The raising of the Dead and other Miracles done by the Apostles were not in their Names and by their Power as all Christs were * Acts 3.6 but in the Name and by the Power of Jesus of Nazareth Lastly Divine Worship and Honour is and ought to be rendred to our Saviour by Angels and Men and ‖ Heb. 1.6 let all the Angels of God worship him and * John 5.23 that all Men should Honour the Son even as they Honour the Father that is alike that signifies in the same Nature Manner and Degree but God declares ‖ Isa 42.8 he will not give his Glory to another Wherefore Christ must needs be the same as the Father of the same Nature and not a Titular God as they would make of him So they who deny him truly to be the Son of God in that are worse than the Devils which owned him to be such Matt. 8.29 which Truth hath been sealed with the Blood of Millions of Martyrs And to come to Particulars * John 3.15 16 we must believe in him we must ‖ Matt. 28.19 be Baptised in his Name and * Phil. 2.10 at his Name every Knee should bow If Christ were not God it were Idolatry to worship him yet our Blessed Saviour who was no Friend to Idolatry would not have suffered the Man in the Gospel to have worshipped him but far from forbidding he encouraged him to it and under what Notion as Son of God for he asked him ‖ John 9.35 36 37 38. Doest thou believe on the Son of God The Man answered Who is he Lord Christ replied Thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee Can we desire a plainer Declaration that Christ is the Son of God and ought to be worshipped and if he were not the true Son of God of the same Nature it had been Idolatry and Blasphemy in Thomas to call him * John 20.28 My Lord and my God God foreseeing the Devil would raise his strongest Batteries against his Son who came to destroy the Works of the Devil which therefore would have cut him off in his very Cradle and stirred up the whole Malice of Earth and Hell and to Discredit his Doctrine that Father of Lies found Instruments that defamed his Person and said he was a Samaritan a Friend to Publicans and Sinners that had a Devil and did cast out Devils by Belzebub he was the Carpenter's Son such a Fellow as they knew not from whence he was a Seducer Deceiver and Impostor I say God fore-knowing all this provided sufficient Remedies and by his Holy Spirit in his Word gave such clear and full Evidences as none but those in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds could doubt of or call to question this Truth of the Gospel * John 3.16 Chap. 1.18 That God sent his own Son into the World Moreover His only begotten Son which is in the Bosom
is fit I should say something to the last but as shortly as I can In order to it I shall resolve all into one Argument as before I did about Jesus Christ The Syllogism is this He is True and Eternal God whom Scripture gives to the Names Attributes Works and Worship of God but all these Scripture attributeth to the Holy Ghost therefore the Holy Ghost is True Eternal God To begin with the first I say the Names of the True God are simply and absolutely given to the Holy Ghost * 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not saith Paul that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you The latter part explaineth the first the dwelling of God alone doth make and constitute the Temple of God and those very same whom he calleth the Temple of God he calleth the Temple or Dwelling of the Holy Ghost We have another when Paul said to Ananias * Acts 5.3 4. Why hath Satan filled thy Heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and in the next Verse Thou hast not lied to Men but unto God Whom he before called the Holy Ghost he now called God these last words tend to exaggerate and aggravate the greatness of his Sin The name of Jehovah is also attributed to the Holy Ghost for the Lord said * Numb 12.6 He will make himself known to and speak by Prophets Now if we compare this with what Peter saith * 2 Pet. 1.21 Holy Men or Prophets of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost we shall find that Jehovah who promised to speak by Prophets is the Holy Ghost which moved them to speak The Attributes of the True God do also belong to the Holy Ghost as first Eternity 't is said * Heb. 9.14 Christ thorough the Eternal Spirit offered him so doth Omniscience for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God also Omnipresence he is every where * Psal 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy Spiri c. That is I can go no where from it and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you so he doth in every Believer for * Rom. 8.9 he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his as for Almightiness all his Works do demonstrate it Also the Works of the True God are attributed to the Holy Ghost as the Creation of the World * Psal 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Breath Spirit of his Mouth and * Job 26.13 By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens the Preservation is represented by his ‖ Gen. 1.2 moving upon the face of the Waters or laying upon as a Hen doth to preserve her Chickens But as the proper Attribute of the Holy Ghost is to be Holy and Sanctifier the great Actor in the high Mystery of Regeneration and applying of Salvation the Work whereof is altogether Divine so to clear it we shall come to some Particulars as teaching of the Prophets who by him were moved as already observed out of St. Peter Now 't is said * Heb. 1.1 God spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets then the Spirit that spoke by them is God ‖ 1 Cor. 12. from Verse 4 to 12. The diversities of Gifts are of the same Spirit the difference of Administration of the same Lord and the diversities of Operators of the same God Now this distribution of Gifts whither of Wisdom of Knowledge of Faith working of Miracles of Pongues c. all these worketh that self-same Spirit dividing to every Man severally as he will 't is all his Free Gift and that there may be no mistake about the word Spirit the Apostle in that place V. 3. calls him the Holy Ghost The Government of the Church which is the Work of God is also attributed to the Holy Ghost for * Acts 13.2 the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the Work whereunto I have called them which Institution of Ministers in the Church made by the Holy Ghost is also mentioned in another place * Chap. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers that Commission is in the Name and by the Power of the Holy Ghost Thus also the Works of the True God are attributed unto the Holy Ghost when he is called * John 15.26 the Spirit of Truth ‖ Rom 8.15 Spirit of Adoption †Chap. 1.4 Spirit of Sanctification or of Holiness and the * Tit. 3.5 Spirit of Regeneration our Blessed Saviour himself owneth that ‖ Matt. 12.28 he cast out Devils by the Spirit of God Thus Honour and Worship due to the only true God is also rendred to the Holy Ghost Thus St. Paul calls * Rom. 9.1 upon him as a Judge of his Conscience and Searcher of his Heart In ‖ Matt. 28.19 Baptism he is called upon as well as the Father and the Son and that which in Scripture is said about * Chap. 12.31 Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven and ‖ 1 John 5.16 which we are forbidden to Pray for doth sufficiently convince how the Holy Ghost is to be worshipped with no less Piety Honour and Adoration than are the Father and the Son This short Scheme which upon occasion may be enlarged I at this time have drawn against the Blasphemous Heresies of Socinians that by the Paw the Reader may know the Lyon and so to give People warning of the Danger and Nature of the Poison which strikes at no less than to overthrow the Fundamentals of True Christian Religion Thus if Men having been forewarned stand upon their Guards they may by the Grace of God be able to avoid the Evil and Occasion of it As to the other Points wherein they Err especially about Matters of Grace as that the Causes of Predestination are not in God but in us that he doth not predestinate to Salvation any particular or certain Persons and that Predestination is mutable and may be frustrated These and others I now omit only give this hint to shew how they are broke loose against the Person and Grace of our Blessed Saviour in them we find united and concentered the Damnable Errors of the two great Heresiarks Arrius and Pelagius even against Scripture Reason and Authority the Belief of the True Christian Primitive Church That which now remaineth for me to do is directly to address my self to several sorts of Persons First To the Clergy-men both to the Sound and Unsound part thereof whom God hath set to be Watchmen over Israel his People they cannot be Ignorant of God's Charge to them and how strictly God will require at their Hands the Blood of those that shall Perish thorough their Faults It is the Duty of them all whither Superior or Inferior and ought to be their diligent Care
doubt draw in their Horns nay some of them take upon them to Travel abroad in the Capacity of Governours to young Noblemen and Gentlemen though in a high degree infected with that Plague yet these things are not taken notice of though of such a Nature as deserves strictly to be look'd and narrowly inquired into And God knows what Judgments this is like to bring upon the Nation as if before we had not Sins enough to answer for but there must be this new Addition However we have some Law against Blasphemy and Socinianism which makes great Noise and spreads too much God knows whose Fault it is with the Royal Prophet we must say Psal 119.126 It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law We want no Presidents nor Examples out of Scripture to shew how 't is the Magistrates Duty to punish such Enormities for as they have the Sword to defend the Innocent so 't is to punish Malefactors of which there can be no greater than Blasphemers As of the two kinds of Treasons that which is against the Prince's Person is in a higher degree and greater than that against his Government so the Blasphemy against God's Works and Providence may be called less than that which is immediately against his Nature and Persons God requireth of Magistrates and so they in Conscience are bound to provide that Subjects be rightly instituted in his True Religion and consequently to have every thing removed and punished that is contrary thereunto This course was taken by the good Kings of Judah as Asa Jehoshaphat Hezechiah and Josiah so since Christ's Coming good Christian Emperors did so hence to suppress Hereticks the Councils of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Calcedon were summoned by the Emperors Constantine Theodosius Martian c. as to the Blasphemer mentioned in the Old Testament He was stoned by God's immediate command Levit. 24.14 Here Worstius's Book De Deo was in King James's Time burnt by the Hangman as some Years after the Racoviensis Catechism was by order of Parliament condemned to be Lastly I come and address to all and every particular Subject of whatsoever Rank and Quality whither Noble or Ignoble High or Low Rich or Poor Young or Old and earnestly desire them as they are tender of the Glory of God of their own Salvation and of the Welfare and Prosperity of their Religion and Country not to suffer themselves to be mislead and seduced by those Ravenous Wolves who do not come in Sheeps-cloathings for they deal above-board but like Roaring Lyons with such keep no company and as much as possibly you can avoid all Communication * 1 Cor. 5.11 no not to eat as St. Paul saith which if you do you tempt God as much as one who would lye a bed with another that hath the Plague yet think himself in no danger of it * Rom. 16.17 18. Now saith the same Apostle in another place I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have received and avoid them This is both Warning and Command and Beseeching against the Enemies of the True Doctrine he taught the reason he gives in the next Verse For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own Belly and by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple Let the Simple beware of such Deceivers This Advice in such cases he gives the Simple as being most of all in danger of being seduced but to the Learned and Clergy in the Person of Titus he saith that which I wish them to mind * Tit. 3.10 11. A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself What the Holy Apostle saith he backs with a Reason Here I cannot forbear with all due Respect in God's Name to declare to Kings Parliaments and to any that have a Hand in the Civil or Ecclesiastical Government that in case they every one in their Station and to the utmost of their Power do not go about to restrain and suppress that Damnable and Antichristian Poison they thereby become accessary to the Blasphemy it is their Duty and in their Power to oppose it which to neglect is to encourage it for Impunity is an Encouragement to Crimes and they must know God at one time or other will require it at their hands and these few Lines I have written shall rise up in Judgment against them Let them remember and apply Mordecai's words to Esther Esther 4.14 If thou altogether holdest thy Peace at this time then shall Deliverance arise from another place but thou and thy Father's House shall be destroyed But to return to those whom I am Addressing to I say to them Mistrust the Deceitfulness of Sin the Craftiness of the Devil and the Weakness and Corruption of your own Hearts As you are to avoid their Discourses so have nothing to do with their Books this I speak chiefly to the Ignorant and Unlearned who must never read them but in the Works of sound Divines that refute them but be very frequent in reading the Word of God which can afford both Offensive and Defensive Weapons against such Enemies therein you may find strong and full Proofs with Demonstrations of the Divinity of our Blessed Saviour of the Holy Ghost and of every other high and necessary Point of our Faith for therein God hath not left himself without a Witness against all Opposers and Blasphemers whatsoever This against such Deceivers and Antichrists as St. John calls them in his second Epistle I shall now conclude with what the same Apostle saith in the same place If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine 2 John 10.11 receive him not into your House neither bid him God speed You see he forbiddeth to wish them well in the following Verse he gives the reason For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil Deeds makes himself Accessary to his Error and Guilt This Holy Apostle not only gives us this Rule but also his own Example in the case of Cerinthus another Heretick in his time who denied Christ to be God or Son of God We have it related out of Polycarpus by * Lib. 3. cap 3. Ireneus and ‖ Lib 4. Hist Eccles cap. 14. Eusebius How at Ephesus St. John being gone to wash himself in a Bath as soon as he heard Cerinthus was there he went away abhorring the place and this he added He feared the place wherein such an Enemy of the Truth had Bathed would fall and he no sooner came out but the House fell wherewith Cerinthus and all others within it were killed Now to him * Rev. 19.13 16. whose Name is called the Word of God and who hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords * 1 Tim. 6.14 15. To the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Blessed and only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords To ‖ 1 Cor. 1.24 Christ who is the Power and Wisdom of God even that Wisdom that speaks thus * Prov. 8.22 23. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his Works of Old I was set up from Everlasting from the Beginning or ever the Earth was To him be Honour and Power Everlasting Amen FINIS