of serious conference or commerce they import thus much at least That all the knowledge which Iohn Baptist had of our Sauiour before he baptized him was suggested from consideration of the signe which God had giuen him not from any new internall reuelation of the Spirit altogether distinct from that reuelation by which the signe was giuen vers 33. But he that sent me to baptize with water the same said vnto me Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptiseth with the holy Ghost And I saw and bare record that this is the Sonne of God His record had not been authentique vnlesse hee had seene the Spirit descend vpon him And his coniecturall knowledge of him as of the Sonne of God before the Spirit did descend vpon him had beene altogether groundlesse without some iust presumption that this was the man vpon whom the Spirit was to descend 51. Maldonat hauing framed the like answer in effect as Iansenius doth seekes to illustrate it thus by example Albeit Iohn Baptist did no more know our Sauiour by face from other men than Samuel did the sonnes of Iesse one of which he was appointed to anoynt King in Sauls stead ouer Israel yet when our Sauiour came to bee baptized he might know him to be the Messias by some such Diuine instinct or reuelation as Samuel knew Dauid whose face he had neuer seene before to be the man whom God had appointed him to anoynt King ouer Israel But of this otherwise iudicious Commentator in his expositions of Prophesies or of the manner how Scriptures are said to be fulfilled that may bee truely said which the French Mathematician did of Cardanus his writings Ingeniose semper rarò perfectè His Expositions in this kind are alwayes acute and witty seldome exact or fully satisfactory And the very instance which he bringeth for illustratiō of this point is very vnfitting very vnlike For it is euident out of the Historie mentioned 1. Sam. cap. 16. ver 3. That although Samuel knew none of Iesse's sonnes by face yet he had distinct reuelations from God some negatiue and expresse Looke not on his countenance nor on the height of his stature because I haue refused him vers 7. Others againe as expressely assertory For when Dauid was brought before him The Lord said Arise anoynt him for this is hee vers 12. Samuel had no visible signe giuen from God whereby to know the man whom he was to anoynt from his brethren but was meerely to rely vpon such reuelations or instructions as God had promised to giue vnto him in the very act or businesse Call Iesse to the Sacrifice and I will shew thee what then shalt doe and thou shalt anoynt vnto mee him whom I name vnto thee 1. Sam. 16. 3. But God as you heard before had giuen to Iohn Baptist an expresse visible signe whereby to distinguish the Messias or him that was to baptize with the Holy Ghost from all other men God did not promise him any such new reuelations or instructions whereby to know him before his Baptisme or in the act of baptizing as he expresly promised to Samuel Nor doth the Euangelist eyther mention or intimate any such reuelations as the History saith were giuen to Samuel to haue beene giuen or made vnto Iohn Baptist before the Holy Ghost did descend vpon our Sauiour So that such reuelations or instructions as Maldonat supposeth were on Samuels part altogether necessary because hee had no visible signe giuen him but in this businesse of Iohn Baptist altogether superfluous The exhibition or production of the visible signe which God had promised him was the onely new reuelation which he was to rely vpon 52. I will not trouble you with the variety of opinions or expositions of seuerall Commentators from none of which I haue receyued any full satisfaction my selfe All of them haue omitted one poynt which in euery controuersie ought in the first place to be enquired after And it is this Whether there be not a Meane betweene the opposite or controuerted opinions The opposite opinions in this argument are two The one That the holy Ghost did descend vpon our Sauiour in Iohns presence before he was baptized by Iohn The other That Iohn did know our Sauiour before his baptisme by some speciall immediate reuelation of the Spirit Now it is not necessary that Iohn should know him by eyther of these two waies There is an apparant meane or middle way betwixt them by which Iohn might come to such knowledge as he had of our Sauiour before the Holy Ghost did in the sight of the people descend vpon him And this meane wee may suppose to bee the opening or vnfolding of some Propheticall passage whose meaning before Iohn had neyther occasion in particular to obserue nor opportunity to discerne Howbeit this knowledge of Scriptures may be called a reuelation but ordinary and mediate such as the Ministers of the Gospell may at this day haue by the helpe of Commentaries by collation of Scripture with Scripture or of historicall euents with Prophesies precedent the signes of the time being in all ages the best Commentators and as it were substitutes to the spirit of Prophesie or Reuelation Now although the Euangelist neyther mention any speciall reuelation made vnto Iohn after God had giuen him a signe whereby to know our Sauiour nor intimate any probable ground for such coniectures yet they Saint Marke especially relate such circumstances of our Sauiours comming to Iohn as might well occasion him to call to minde a peculiar passage concerning Christs Baptisme mentioned by the Prophet Isay which otherwise perhaps had not beene thought of or whose meaning although hee had thought of it Iohn could not for the present haue vnderstood without such Comments or Expositions as the manner of our Sauiours comming to Baptisme did make vpon it Now the testimonies of the Scripture long before written especially the Propheticall testimonies or predictions of things to come are no way superfluous eyther where new reuelations though made by God to following Prophets viua voce or visible signes are giuen or promised but rather subordinate and concurrent that is to speake more plainely as well all new reuelations made by the Spirit whether viua voce or otherwise as all visible signes or wonders which God doth promise or worke are to be examined and authorised by his Word already written specially by the predictions of the Prophets And all new reuelations or visible signes or wonders which haue beene are or shall be if they proceed from God or the spirit of Truth are alwayes true Commentaries or expositions of some part or other of the written Word and pledges withall of some greater Mystery to come afterwards to bee fulfilled for their good to whom such reuelations or signes are giuen and made 53. The historicall relation of Saint Marke whose circumstances might leade Iohn and now may leade vs vnto
Christs messenger or preparing his wayes more then 600. yeeres before either of them was borne would suggest or imply a great deale more then it could do vnto any other man not so well qualified or instructed as Iohn was and not so well acquainted with the particular passages of Scripture whereon Iohns faith was grounded nor with the signes of the time by which his faith in the Messias was confirmed Now for your better edification in this poynt giue mee leaue to breake this portion of the Bread of life which I haue in hand into three parts The first The generall meanes by which euery mans faith or beliefe in Christ is wrought or grounded or by which it is or may be confirmed The second shall be the vnfolding of those particular places of Scripture on which Iohns beliefe was grounded as also the signes of the time by which his faith before his imprisonment or before the framing of this question was ratified and confirmed The third What correspondency concord or consonancy the particulars heere mentioned and those places of Scripture whereunto our Sauiour in this answer referres Iohn or the signes of this very time wherein this answere was made haue vnto the other parts of Scripture or signes of the time by which Iohns former faith had beene established and confirmed Of these three in their order by Gods assistance 25. Concerning the first poynt we all beleeueand know that Gods Word is the only rule on which our faith must be grounded by which wee must be builded vp as the house by line or leuell In this generall we and the Church of Rome agree The first breach or poynt of difference betwixt vs and them is Whether this Word of God by which the Temple of God must be raysed be partly written and partly vnwritten Wee say that the whole rule or Canon of Faith is written or contayned fully in the Bookes of the Old and New Testament They grant these Bookes to contayne part of the rule but the other part which in effect they make the principall is as they say contayned in vnwritten traditions of whose truth or true meaning the visible Church for the time being is the sole Iudge This indeed is the roofe or couering of their Edifice which as elsewhere we haue shewed and by Gods assistance shall more fully shew hereafter doth vtterly raze or ouerthrow the foundation it selfe whereon they would seeme to put it to wit the written Word of God and the truthes concerning Christ contayned in it But our purpose is not at this time to shew you in what manner they ouerthrow the foundation of Faith or Word of God but rather the manner how our faith is grounded on it 26. Now though it be true which we lately said that faith must bee grounded onely on the written Word this saying notwithstanding must be restrayned vnto the time since GODS Word vnto his Church or people by his appoyntment was committed vnto writing Wherefore you must remember or take notice that there was a time wherein no part of Gods Word was written for Moses was the first that committed Gods Words to writing the first that made a Register or Record of what God had spoken vnto the Patriarkes Now the beliefe of the Patriarkes was grounded on Gods Word though then vnwritten after the same manner as ours is on the written Word For as you will easily conceiue it is not the writing of Gods Word which makes it to be the ground or rule of faith Yet heere happely you will demand To what other end then was it written To this we answer That the writing of it by such speciall Registers as God had appoynted for that purpose and the strange preseruation of the Records written by them is to vs an infallible argument that what they haue written is the Words of God not the words of men And this to know that the words which wee beleeue or giue credence vnto in matters concerning our happinesse or saluation are the words not of any mortall man but of the immortall God is the first ground of faith 27. Vnto the right grounding of our faith in this first poâ—nt two things were euer required The first prediction or fore-telling things to come The second was the euent or experiment answering to the prediction Yet is it not the prediction of any euent that shall fall out though for a long time after that can argue the prediction it selfe to haue beene Gods words or the fore-teller of such euents to bee a Prophet For the Astronomers can fore-tell you the Eclipses of the Sunne or Moone for many yeeres before they fall out or happen yet no man takes their skill as an argument that they are true Prophets or that they are enlightned by the Spirit of God by which the Scriptures were written or the mysteries contayned in them were fore-told But if an Astronomer could as distinctly fore-tell what kinde of weather euery moneth or euery day for two or three yeeres following should bring with it as hee can fore-tell what day or houre the Sunne or Moone shall be eclipsed or in what degree or measure eyther of their bodies should be obscured or hid from our sight you would conceiue of him as a man more than ordinary and that he could not know this by ordinary skill or art no not by the blacke art it selfe or by dealing with the Deuill He that could certainely fore-tell all the particular changes of weather or the alteration of States and Kingdomes or the seuerall Eclipses or illuminations of Gods true visible Church heere on earth for the next Generations that are to come might iustly challenge the reputation of a Prophet or Messenger sent from God at the hands of all such as had heard or read his predictions before the truth of them was sealed by their manifest vndoubted euents What then is the reason why the certaine and known prediction of some euents whose truth afterwards becometh visible and manifest vnto the world as the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone or the coniunction of Planets which shall fall out some forty yeeres hence or more should not as infallibly argue the assistance of the diuine Spirit or reuelations immediately made from God as the fore-telling of all change of weather or matters of greater consequences doe as matters of States or Kingdomes or Gods visible Church The reason is because God by his euerlasting Decree hath appoynted the Sunne and Moone their constant and certaine course and priuiledged them from all impossibility of impediment or disturbance in their seuerall courses which eyther man or infernall spirits can attempt against them whereas by the same euerlasting Decree Hee hath ordayned such variety or inconstancy in the ayre or other inferiour Elements as no wit of Man or Deuill can comprehend all the possible changes of weather which may happen within some few yeeres following For though Satan and his angels be enstyled Prince of the Ayre
Heauen and Earth should be as visibly enthronized in Sion as Dauid had beene and that hee should begin to erect a Kingdome which was neuer to haue an end this was a wonder worthy to bee taken notice of by all the world Now that this God of Sion by whose protection Moses had led Israel out of Aegypt vnder whose conduct Iosuah brought them into the Land of Promise that hee who had anoynted Dauid King should himselfe be anoynted King ouer Sion was the true and literall meaning of the Psalmist in this and the like places of which hereafter Of this ranke is that Prophesie of Isaias chap. 40. vers 5. with which Iohn Baptist was well acquainted for hee had his Commission from it The glory of the Lord shall be reuealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Such an open distinct and full sight as these words literally import supposeth an obiect truly visible and within ken of ordinary and common sight God in his glory is altogether inuisible to flesh and bloud and though he had taken visible shape vpon him in the Heauens yet so hee had still remayned inuisible to men that haue their habitation here on earth That vnto them hee might become visible and that they might see his glory together so see it as they were seene of it that hee might see them and they see Him with the eyes of flesh He tooke vp our flesh for his Tabernacle and walked and talked amongst vs in more visible and audible manner than Hee did in the Campe of Israel than He did with Moses in the Tabernacle of the Congregation This which Isaias heere speaketh from the mouth of the Lord the Lord himselfe did after vtter with his owne mouth and yet with the mouth of man to wit that hee which had seene him had seene his Father because the glory of God was manifested in Him And when the Prophet saith That the glory of the Lord should bee reuealed and that all flesh shall see it together it is in this speech included that this glory of God should bee reuealed or manifested in the flesh The best interpretation of the Prophets words that I can commend vnto you must bee from Saint Iohn chap. 1. v. 1 14. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst vs and wee beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth This blessed Apostle might perhaps say of himselfe and some few others in a peculiar sort Wee saw his glory and the glory which wee saw was as the onely begotten Sonne of God for hee with Peter and Iames had seen him transfigured on the Mount But all that saw the man Christ Iesus at his Baptisme with their bodily eyes did so see the glory of God reuealed from Heauen And he was so seene of all flesh Some of all sorts though not all of euery sort did see him baptized and heard him declared from Heauen to be the Sonne of God Some then present were Pharises others Sadduces some Iewes others Gentiles some Publicanes some Priests and Leuites some Samaritanes others Galileans Not at that time onely though the Prophets words be especially meant of that time but euer after all flesh might haue seene the liuely characters of those glorious attributes of Saluation which the Prophets and Psalmist had appropriated to the God of Sion to make distinct and reall impression in the man Christ Iesus These two attributes of glory and saluation are of so neere alliance of such equiualent vse that whereas the Prophet had said All flesh should see the glory of God Saint Luke expressing his meaning saith All flesh shall see the saluation of God chap. 3. vers 6. He supposeth as the Prophet meant that the glory of GOD should bee manifested in the saluation of men This glory or saluation of God was then reuealed and became visible to flesh and bloud when God became man and tooke his generall attribute of saluation as his proper name being called Iesus Finally that saluation of God which Simeon saw with such delight at our Sauiours Circumcision all flesh did or might haue seene at his Baptisme 47. But to returne vnto the Testimony of the Psalmist With thee is the Fountaine of life which containeth the mysticall signification of the waters which miraculously issued out of the rocke The best Interpretation of both places is deliuered by Saint Iohn by way of Comment vpon our Sauiours words Iohn 7. 38 39. Hee that beleeueth on mee as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Riuers of liuing water This intersertion or parenthesis as the Scripture hath said stands like the tongue in a ballance doubtfull to whether part of the Sentence wherein it is contayned it inclineth Some Interpreters would draw it to the first part Hee that beleeueth in mee as saith the Scripture that is in such wise such sort and measure as the Scripture requireth out of his belly shall flow Riuers of liuing water Others would draw it to the later part and render it thus Hee that beleeueth in mee out of his belly shall flow Riuers of liuing water as the Scriptures hath fore-told Though both interpretations may be true though both may stand with the generall Analogy of faith yet the later in my opinion is more pertinent and more consonant to the true intention of this place But then it will be questioned What Scripture hath said that which our Sauiour here doth to wit that riuers of liuing water should flow from such as beleeued in him The very expresse words are no where else to be found in Scripture for they are as most of our Sauiours are when hee speakes of greatest mysteries parabolicall Their importance or reall sense is expressed by Saint Iohn in the same place This hee spake of the Spirit c. Now if by the riuers of liuing water our Sauiour meant as Saint Iohn telleth vs hee did this plentifull effusion of his Spirit the same Scriptures which fore-tell the plentifull effusion of the Spirit whether in termes plainely literall or emblematical fore-tell likewise the riuers of Liuing water which were to flow from true beleeuers The manner of our Sauiours expression of the Spirits effusion by riuers flowing out implyeth it should be powred out in such a plentifull measure as would be not onely sufficient to satiate the soules of them that thirsted after it but in a measure ouer-flowing to the Saluation of others And such were these admirable gifts of the Holy Ghost which after our Sauiours Ascension were bestowed vpon his Apostles and Disciples The Scriptures which particularly fore-tell this plentifull effusion of the Spirit are many these following are if not the principall yet the most apposite to our present Argument Ioel 2. vers 28 29 and 32. And it shall come to passe afterward
that I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your Sonnes and your Daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dreame dreames your young men shall see visions And also vpon your seruants and vpon the hand-maides in those dayes will I powre out my Spirit And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall bee deliuered for in Mount Zion and in Ierusalem shall bee deliuerance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call And againe Isaias 44. vers 3 4. I will powre water vpon him that is thirsty and Flouds vpon the dry ground I will powre my Spirit vpon thy Seed and my blessing vpon thine off-spring And they shall spring vp as among the grasse as Willowes by the Water-courses The first words of this later Prophesie were literally and historically fulfilled in the baptisme of Iohn the later part of it is as it were an Euangelicall explication of the mysticall sense of the former words And Iohn Baptist might from this place alone easily collect that although hee might powre water vpon mens bodies though hee did plunge or wash such as are compared to dry Land in the waters and by this externall Sacrament ingraft them in the stocke of Abraham yet he could not powre out the Spirit of God or bestow the blessing of increase vpon them This hee knew must be the worke of him that sent him who had bestowed some portion or measure of the Spirit or blessing here mentioned vpon him as a sure pledge or experiment of the like blessing to bee bestowed on others specially on such as had beene partakers of his Baptisme From the same place likewise Iohn might easily gather that the baptisme of water wherewith hee himselfe baptized was in order of time to goe before the baptisme of the Spirit which was mystically prefigured by it and fore-told by our Sauiour in the fore-cited place Iohn 7. vers 38. though as we said before in a figuratiue or allegoricall sense which Saint Iohn in the next words after vers 39. hath expounded vnto vs This spake hee of the Spirit which they that beleeue on him should receiue For the Holy Ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified Iohns meaning is the Spirit was not powred out in such plentifull measure as this place of Isay and that other of the Prophet Ioel did import For after our Sauiours glorification all such as were baptized with water were likewise baptized with the Holy Ghost most of them filled with the Spirit of Prophesie or gift of tongues enabled to conuey the words and waters of life vnto the soules of others All this was fore-signified by the holy Ghosts descending vpon our Sauiour at his comming out of the water For his baptisme was a prefiguration of his death and resurrection and by his resurrection he was really declared to be the Sonne of God and fulfilled the Psalmists prediction Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Psal. 2. Which prediction was further ratified and the meaning of it determined by the voyce from heauen This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased The same truth thus often declared aswell by predictions as by matters of fact or reall euent was finally testified by the descending of the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles and Disciples So that another Branch of Saint Iohns meaning or if you will another shoote of the former branch is That the holy Ghost at the time when our Sauiour vttered those words Hee that beleeueth in me c. did not appeare as an authentique witnesse to ratifie his Doctrine His testimony concerning our Sauiour was reserued till our Sauiours glorification after which it was publique frequent and visible Iesus saith Saint Peter whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Sauiour for to giue repentance to Israel and forgiuenes of sins Act. 5. v. 30 31 32. And we are his witnesses of these things and so is also the holy Ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him This giuing of the holy Ghost in visible maner was that baptisme of Christ which was opposed to the baptisme of Iohn and that the world might know and beleeue it came immediately from Christ and not from Iohn nor from the Apostles or from the Sacrament which they administred it was giuen to some and these by condition Gentiles before they had beene partakers of Iohns baptisme or any Mosaicall rite or Sacrament Act. 10. 44 47. While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word Whence he concludeth Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the holy Ghost aswell as we Saint Peter tooke more special notice of our Sauiours words from this experiment in Cornelius and his family than hee did from the holy Ghost descending in clouē tongues vpon himselfe and his fellow Apostles which had beene baptized And as I began to speake the holy Ghost fell on them as on vs at the beginning Then remembred 1 the Word of the Lord how that hee said Iohn deed baptized with water but yee shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost Acts 11. 15 16. Saint Peters beliefe in this point was grounded vpon our Sauiours words and confirmed by this experiment Iohn Baptists beliefe of the same conclusion was grounded vpon the Prophet Isaias predictions Iohn did foretell the same truth which our Sauiour did before he was acquainted with him or knew him by face and yet Iohns knowledge or beliefe of this mysterie was confirmed by a visible signe by the descending of the holy Ghost Concerning which and the maner how Iohn came to know our Sauiour before he baptized him with the signes of the time that did accompany or ensue vpon his baptisme we are in the next place to make enquirie 48. From the former Dialogue betweene the Priests and Leuites and Iohn Baptist concerning his office and ministery of Baptisme you may obserue that Iohn was carefull to preuent two inconueniences First the false opinion which the people had conceiued of him as if he had bin the Messias himselfe and secondly to preuent all suspition of compact or collusion betweene Iesus of Nazareth whom he afterward proclaimes to be the Messias and himselfe And vnto this suspition both parties had beene more lyable if they had beene aswell acquainted before our Sauiours baptisme as afterward they were Not to speake of our Sauiours knowledge who knew all things for Iohn the Baptist hee had a true prenotion or distinct beliefe of these generals or indefinites 1. That the time wherein the Messias was to bee manifested vnto Israel was now approaching 2. That the Messias was to repaire vnto the place where hee baptized there to bee declared or manifested vnto Israel 3. That the Messias after his manifestation was to