1. Sect. 1 Concerning the first it is an irrefragable argument that the Scriptures were given of God because the Prophecies in them which were before-hand concerning things to come were such perfect declarations of them as that they may rather seeme to be Histories then Prophecies Take for instance that promise to Abraham that his seed should possesse Canaan after 430. yeeres and accordingly in the selfe same day Exod. 12.40 41. were they brought out of Egypt Or the promise of Iudahs Kingdome foretold by Iacob Gen. 49.8 9 10. Of Iosia and Cyrus prophecied by name the one above 300. yeeres the other above 100. yeeres before he was borne Of the captivity of that nation and destruction of Ierusalem foretold by Daniel For seeing God alone is infinite in His wisedome and that all His workes are foreknowne to Him alone therefore can He alone declare from the beginning what shall come to passe at the last as He saith of Himselfe Isa 42.9 whereas the Angels being finite both in their wisedome and knowledge know nothing of things to come but either by speciall revelation as Gabriel foretold the birth of Iohn Baptist or by the Prophecies of the Scripture or by observation of naturall causes in their long and subtile experiences And therefore it came to passe that all the devils that mocked the heathen by their Oracles were so uncertaine in their answeres except they were informed by some of the meanes spoken of As the devil gave a certaine answere to Alexander concerning his expedition against Darius because he knew what the Decree of God was by the Prophecie of Daniel Chap. 8. 2. Another Argument that the Scriptures were given by the Holy-Ghost is that admirable consent of all the Doctrines contained therein which are delivered with that certaintie of Truth and Knowledge with that authority and power over the soule of the faithfull Reader and that in so simple and plaine a manner of writing as no other whereas in mens writings the unsetlednesse of their judgement their ignorance and doubtfull suppositions especially when they speake of their owne as seldome they doe justifies the holy Text Rome 1.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 professing to teach they shew their folly 3. Moreover the Argument or things contained in the holy Scriptures doth manifest the Author thereof the Writers for the most part shewing their Commission Thus saith the Lord and Paul an Apostle not by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Then the purport or intent of the Commission We are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God And this under such conditions as none but God alone is able to performe of acceptance eternall life or refusall eternall fire 4. The glorious and mighty workes which Almighty God gave especially to the first Writers of the Law and of the Gospel to doe and those miracles whereby He continually justified the trueth thereof the wonderous preservation and deliverances of the professors as of Daniel c. And the balefull confusion of the adversaries of the Trueth contained in the Scriptures in all ages approve that God alone is the Author thereof 5. The hatred of the devil and his continuall endeavours either utterly to deface the Bookes of the holy Scripture or upon pretext of obscurity and danger of Heresie not to reade them And againe the providence of God in preserving those Bookes and the love and delight which He hath begotten in the hearts of His Saints to reade and understand them are no lesse proofe that these holy Scriptures are the Word of God and the Testimony of His eternall Truth 6. The extraordinary calling of many of the Pen-men of the holy Bookes and the enabling of them being simple and unlettered men to write and to preach those high Mysteries which none of the Princes of this world did understand as of Amos among the Herdmen of Peter Iames and Iohn and the other of the twelve Apostles shew that the Author of that Truth and their Bookes was God alone 7. The great 1. Antiquity of the Bookes of the Law preserved so long uncorrupted for in comparison of Moses almost all the writings of the heathen all their religions and many of their Gods are but upstarts and things of yesterday 2. The great simplieity and sincerity of the Writers who sought not their own praise nor concealed their owne faults and imperfections 3. The consent of the Church which receiued the Scriptures as the word of God 4. The consent of forraine Histories writing of the same things with such uncertaintie and untruth as time and heare-say use to bring into History as of Berosus Herodotus Strabo Trogus and others are a manifest proofe that the true records of the same things are the writings which God Himselfe did dictate to Moses and the Prophets which followed after him For none but God did truely know the creation of the world and none among men did certainely record the universall flood the Tower of Babel the actes of Abraham Iacob Ioseph Moses Ioshua and others So that if the devill might vaunt as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I did indite and Homer did write In the perfection of truth might the Holy Spirit of God say as it is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God And 1. Pet. 1.21 Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost 6. And if wee beleeve that the writings of Historians and Poets and other profane Authors are indeed theirs under whose names they goe shall wee not much rather beleeve that they are the writings of God Himselfe that goe under His Name especially seeing wee know that Hee is a jealous God and neither would suffer His authority to bee abused to falshood neither would Hee give His Church to bee ever seduced by lyars and false prophets § 2. Sect. 2 And these holy Oracles God of His Goodnesse and Mercy would have to bee written from whence by their excellencie above all other they are called Scriptures or Writings 1. First that wee through patience and comfort of these Scriptures might have firme and sure hope in God and His promises Rom. 15.4 2. Secondly that nothing through mans infirmity might be forgotten of all that which ought to be in continuall remembrance 3. Lest by the wickednesse of men and the subtilty of the devil inciting them thereto the holy Doctrine of God might be corrupted from the native and true meaning and so new Doctrines and new Religions brought in in stead of that Service which we owe onely to God and that according to His owne revealed Will and Word 4. No man knoweth the thoughts of a man but onely that spirit of a man which is within him much lesse can any know the things of God but onely the holy Spirit of God The things of God of which I
be manifest in the manhood that hee in that manly being might be glorified with the glorie which is infinitely sufficient to glorifie him the head and all the members of his mysticall body as it is manifest in that 17. chap. of Iohn vers 22 23 24. 8. Mal. 3.1 Christ is called the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant therefore he is a creature so united to the Divinity that God cannot worke without him for that reason which is the first before The reason is not of force to the authority I answer The first covenant or promise which God made to mankinde was that in Paradise Gen. 3. The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent This seed of the woman is Christ our Lord which according to the Prophet should come in that Temple which was built by the Iewes after their returne from Babylon So the Sonne of God in our flesh is that Angel of the Covenant of our deliverance from the power of the Devill which came according to the time appointed So he hath the name of an Angel from his office not from his nature 9. The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee Luk. 1 35. This holy Ghost is that created Spirit of the Trinity locally moving from place to place which actually performed all those things which hitherto have beene ignorantly attributed to the third Person of the Trinity who being infinite and filling all places cannot be moved from place to place no more than the Father or the Sonne But this created Spirit might take on him the shape of a Dove Luke 3.22 of a Voice Luke 9.35 and may also change places as he saith Iohn 3.13 No man ascended up into heaven but the Sonne of man which is in heaven pag 75.75 113 116 c. Answ I have given the meaning of that text Iohn 3.13 before in the 23. chapter And as the infinite wisdome of God foresaw what diversitie of opinions would come into mens minds for hee understands their thoughts long before Psal 139.2 so hath hee left us the rule of his holy word whereby to guide us in the truth Now the writings of Saint Iohn do so cleare this question as if they had beene written in opposition to these opinions of Arius Postellus and those that are like minded I cite some few texts out of his first Epistle chap. 4. v. 10. God hath loved us and sent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation But the question is whether a created Sonne or no Saint Iohn tels us no not a created Sonne but his onely begotten Sonne hath hee sent into the world that wee might be saved by him vers 9. That Sonne or Word who is one with the Father and the Holy Ghost chap. 5. vers 7. That Sonne to whom the Father Himselfe bare witnesse verse 9.10 11. See 2 Peter 1.16.17 That Son who is very God and eternall life vers 20. what can bee more plaine or particularly described or more fully proved If Hee bee begotten then coessentiall with the Father Ergo not created If begotten then eternall for the actions of God in Himselfe are infinite and eternall See chapter 10. Ergo not created If one with the Father then also infinite Ergo not created If very God Ergo not a Creature But this spirit of the Trinity which tooke flesh of the Virgin and so became our Mediatour moved from place to place which no Person of the Trinitie could doe because they are infinite and fill all places Had this eye of the Sorbon L. Dan in Haer. Aug. cap. 85. which knew so well that God is in all places repletivè as they speake never read that Moses saith Deut. 33.26 That God rides on the Heavens for the helpe of Israel and on the Clouds in his glory And although David knew that God did continually beset him round about and that there was no place either in Heaven or in hell in the earth or Sea where he was not Psal 139. from v. 5. to 11. yet as a stag embossed takes the soyle so did his heart in his flight from Saul thirst for God saying when shall I come and appeare before God Psal 42.2 Therefore although God fill heaven and earth yet is he said to be in any place more particularly where he gives more evident proofe of his presence as at Bethel Gen. 28.16 in the Tabernacle by the Oracle and those manifest signes which I remembred above note d Thus God descended on Mount Sinai when the Mountaine did smoke and tremble and thus the holy Ghost is said to have come upon the Virgin Mary when by that wonderful work of his in her body that seed of mankind was taken of her that it might become a tabernacle for the King of glory to dwel in eternally Thus also our Lord saith of himself Ioh. 6.38 I came downe from Heaven not to do mine own wil but c. not but that he was stil in heaven c. 3.13 but because his presence in earth was now manifest in the flesh as it had not bin before 10. And these reasons are if not all yet the most I am sure the best which Postellus brings for his position It may seeme fit moreover in this place to give answer to those texts which beside these already cited may be brought for this opinion And first to that which is Gen. 3.2 c. Yea hath God said yee shall not eat of every tree of the Garden c. yee shall not dye the death But God doth know that In the day ye eate thereof your Eyes shall be opened The word Elohim God here used is of the plurall number but God is one And beside it may bee thought that the devill durst not have spoken thus of Christ his creator if Hae had beene God blessed above all Answ The reason why Christ is every where in the Scripture called Elohim is because that being eternally the Sonne of God He also received of the Father power over all things and was appointed to bee that man by whom the world should be redeemed and judged So the word Elohim though sometimes given to Angels sometime to men yet it abates nothing of the excellency of his being To the reason I answer that the devill never perswades a man to sinne but first he corrupts his opinion concerning God For hee that hath true and beseeming thoughts of God is not easily drawne to a wilfull sinne Therefore the devill doth here first perswade the woman to distrust the truth and goodnesse of God as being an enemy to him and his creature man as was said before chap. 22. But if the devill had in so many words affirmed that which Postellus doth yet we know he is a lyar from the beginning and abode not in the truth 11. Gen 19.24 it is said that the Lord rayned upon Sodome fire and brimstone from the Lord by which place though it may appeare that the Sonne is coessentiall with
so different kinds it must follow that there is not onely an infinite subordination of causes but also that there be infinite subordinations of causes of kinds infinitely different according to the different effects brought forth But this is impossible for the causes being ordained for the effect and the effect being the end of those causes that which is finite should be more noble and excellent than that which is infinite Thirdly if there be a subordination of causes infinitely of which one is moved orderly by another it must needs follow that there is no moving and consequently no causing at all for every cause being moued by that which is before or above it if there be no first cause given there can be no moving But it is apparent that in infinitie of causes there can be no first nor last and so there should be no moving nor no immediate cause of the effect Therefore there is one cause of all whith is infinite and eternall 3 If God be not eternall then either the world was a beginning unto it selfe or else it was eternally and so shall continue eternally But neither was the world a beginning unto it selfe as is proved Cap. 1 Re. 1. neither is the world eternall as shall be proved Cap. 13. Therefore God is eternall 4. And this truth of Gods everlasting being the holy Scripture teacheth every where as Gen. 21.33 And Abraham called on the name of the everlasting God Exod. 15.18 The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Deut. 32.40 I live for ever Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made thou art God from everlasting to everlasting So Psal 41.13 106.48 and Rev. 11.17 We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty which art which wast and which art to come Psal 145.13 Thy kingdome is of all eternity and thy dominion in every generation Notes a HAth power to continue infinitely the Schoolemen say Thom. contra Gentes lib. 1. cap 16. and often elsewhere Quod potest esse potest etiam non esse which you may construe That which hath power to be hath also power not to be or that which may be may also not be which seemes directly to crosse this argument But you must understand the Doctor there to speake of a thing which is in the power of being whereto it hath not yet attayned as a kernell is in power to become a tree in which the power of being is passive importing a privation of the being to come But in this place power to be meanes an actuall power not privative but positive whereby the thing which hath the power shewes by the actions the power which it hath as of the understanding to applie it selfe to this or that The passive power can no way be in God The second is a power of absolute perfection without which he could not be God b Impossible necessarily See the rule of this consequence Logono Cap. 18. n. 7. Cap. 26. n. 1. c Infinite causes Re. 2. That which is infinite in power may worke in a time finite not that which is infinite in number onely which is here meant That God is Infinite CHAP. III. INfinitie cannot here be meant of multitude for the more that multitude is increased in any kind the more the dignities of one are abated Neither yet can this infinitie be of quantitie for infinity cannot be in quantity no more than eternity can be in time a Neither is God a body which onely is capable of quantity yet is not infinity of extension denyed in as much as he fils all places infinitely beyond all place as the Prophet Esay speaks Chap. 40.12 That he measures the waters in his fist and the heavens in his span Neither is God infinite privatively in regard of any defect or want of being because he hath the complement of all perfections in himselfe But he is infinite negatively because there is no limit or bound to be set to his being to his perfection or superabundance in goodnesse wisdome power truth and glorie The reasons are these 1. Whatsoever is supersupreme or highest in all degrees of perfection must needs be infinite because there is nothing above it which may limit or restraine it But such is the being of God above which it is confessed that nothing can be thought more excellent Therefore God is infinite 2. Being taken absolutely that is simply by it selfe without any limitation must needs be infinite because infinite things by infinite meanes may be partakers thereof But such is the being of God that is absolute and simple for neither is his being from another as the cause thereof seeing he is eternall neither yet in another as a forme in the matter for so something should be more excellent than he as every totall is more excellent than any part thereof or as the accident in the subject for so something should be before him and also be more worthy than he as every subject in regard of the accidents Neither yet is he for any other as the end thereof for as all things are from him and by him as the first cause so are they for him as for their first and chiefest end and secondly for themselves to finde themselves happy in him as farre as they are capable as the Apostle concludes Rom. 11.36 Of him through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Therefore God is infinite 3. If the being of God be not actually infinite then should it be inferiour to the possibilities of the creature for mans understanding though actually finite yet admits the possibility of an infinite actuall being as was shewed in space and in numbers Chap. 1. Re. 6. But it is impossible that the being of God should be inferiour to those possibilities which the creature can reasonably give unto him for so the activitie of the understanding should be created in vaine if there were no being actually infinite to be apprehended thereby So also the effect that is the understanding should be extended beyond the being of the cause that is God if it could conceiue any excellency of being goodnesse wisdome c. greater than his Therefore it is necessarie that God be infinite You may see more Reasons Chap. 10. and there also the ground of this discourse 4. The authorities of Scripture are these Psal 143.3 Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible Psal 93.3 The Lord is a great God a great king above all Gods Psal 104.1 O Lord my God thou art exceeding great thou art clothed with majestie and honour Note a God is not a body pref The proofe of this see in the ninth chapter That God is infinitely good CHAP. IIII. THings in their being are the object of our understanding that we may know the truth of their being and therein is the understanding perfected But things as farre as they are good are the object of our
Pythagorean fancy was builded But to the doubt I answer That it would have beene as great if the world had been made ten thousand times the whole age of the world before and no greater if it should have been made as much after the present age for as if you suppose an infinite space wheresoever you shall set a pricke or point therein it must needs be in the middes thereof so time how long soever yet compared to eternity can be no more then as an indivisible centre therein And therefore S. Paul takes up this question Act. 17.26 That God hath assigned the seasons which were ordayned before and hee that puts not all things in his power to do both what he will and as he will and when he will denies him to be God Now let us see the reasons for the Christian faith that b the world is not eternall or everlasting but made by Almighty God as the Article affirmes § 3. By the world you can understand no other thing than this frame of the whole being of things beside the Godhead whether heavenly or earthly understanding bodily or mixt ethereall or elementall with all the causes and effects proprieties actions or other actions that belong to everie one of them But the word Eternall signifies diverslie For our purpose either it may meane an age or state of long continuance as the land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and his seed for an eternall or everlasting possession Gen. 17.8 which eternitie must be limited either to that age of the world before Christ or at the farthest to the uttermost age and time of this world after the desolation determined shall bee fulfilled and they brought to their owne land againe And this must needs bee the uttermost eternitie of that promise concerning the letter as of the everlasting Covenant of Circumcision Another taking of eternitie may bee in that being which hath a beginning and no ending as our hope is of the state of the soule and everlasting or eternall life after the resurrection So the promise of the everlasting possession of Canaan was a type and Promise that heaven should bee our eternall inheritance whereof we have already assurance yea deliverie and seisure in that the Canaanite the devill is driven out from thence by Iesus our unconquered Captaine Apoc. 12.7 8. c. A third and chiefe meaning of eternitie is that which hath neither beginning nor ending And so we say that God onely is eternall In the first signification the world is eternall in that state wherein it is and hath continued from the creation which wee hold and so shall continue unto the dissolution which wee hope for In the second signification also it may bee said to bee eternall as concerning the most excellent and noble parts thereof as the Angels and men restored from corruption and in them the second Ideas or formes of all the creatures But the last degree of eternitie is utterlie denied to the actuall being of the world and that for these reasons following 1. Whatsoever is eternall must also bee infinite both in the being and the manner of being because there could bee nothing before it by which it might receive any kinde of limit or bounds any defect or lesnesse of being But c the world is not infinite in the being thereof for it is concluded already Chap. 3. that God is infinite and of infinites there can bee but one Chap. 8. cons 2. And in the manner of being it cannot bee infinite for in all things brought forth there is either quantitie contrarie to infinitie or time contrarie to eternitie there is defect or failing by reason of corruption and death there is abatement or lesning because that in everie kinde one particular is not so excellent as another in understanding memorie strength beauty continuance or one vertue or other Therfore the world is not eternall 2. If the world bee eternall then eternity must either bee the whole essence and convertible with the essence of the world or else it must agree thereto as the essentiall forme or as a propertie or as a common accident Eternitie is not the essence of the world for so should it belong to everie part thereof essentially for everie part is partaker of the essence of the whole But this is most false in all experience neither is it the essentiall forme thereof for even from thence would it follow that the world were not eternall inasmuch as having matier and forme it must needs presuppose an efficient cause who both created the parts and disposed the matier for the forme it cannot be a propertie thereto for all properties proceed from the composition or joyning together of the matier and forme But composition takes away eternitie for the reason aforesaid neither is it an accident nor yet appropriate thereto by accident as any relation for all such by the order of nature are after that subject whereto they belong whether they be immediate accidents or relations depending thereupon Therefore the world in the actuall being is no way eternall 3. Whatsoever hath parts must needs bee compounded and whatsoever is compounded or put together must needs have parts that were once asunder and so cannot bee eternall à parte ante And againe everie compound by that power whereby it was made may be resolved into those parts of which it was made whether the parts bee essentiall as body and soule to a man or entyre as stones timber iron glasse c. to a house But the World hath parts ethereall elementall incorruptible and corruptible animall vegetable minerall c. Ergo the World is not eternall 4. All reall truth is verified first in the things of actuall being that is in the individuals Secondly in the notions or apprehensions of the things in their intentionall or common being either speciall or more generall But if the world be eternall that eternity can agree onely to the common being and not to the particular or individuall beings as to this man that horse that tree c. So the truth of the worlds eternity shall be intentionall onely not reall so common intentions onely may bee true where there is no individuall But this is most false and impossible therefore it is most false that the world is eternall 5. The whole World consisting of all the parts thereof is either a body or not a body If our sence from whence all our discourse proceeds be judge it is a body Now every body in regard of the extent thereof is finite is of parts which may bee measured either one by another in halfs quarters c. or else by common measures of inches yards myles pints gallons c. It hath likewise shape or figure and dimension by length bredth depth without which it could not be a body But if the world be eternall then must it bee both finite it regard of the extension and infinite in the continuance so infinitie shall be more powerfull in a forrein subject
that is in continuance to make it infinite then it can be in it owne proper subject that is in measure to make it unlimited so also infinitie shall bee powerfull in the contrarietie of good and ill to make them eternall and weake in the littlenesse of extension So also the world being eternall must be for this end that it may bee that which it is as God Whereby it would follow that the end of the worlds being could not bee one but contrarie to it selfe in generation and corruption in good and ill and all other contrarieties that are now therein But all these things are impossible therefore the contrary is necessary See Log. Cap. 26. n. 1. 6. Eternitie cannot admit before and after so that one eternall should be before another eternall But if the world be eternall this must follow necessarilie for every generation is with the corruption or taking away of that forme which was in the matier before and every corruption is of something that was generate before So each of these eternals must bee each before another and so neither of them eternall and yet the eternity of the world brings in these contradictions inasmuch as generation and corruption have beene ever since the world was Therefore the worlds eternity is impossible 7. If the world be eternall that eternity shall be rather ill than good because the longer the continuance of the world is the greater is the encrease of wickednesse and ill more than of that which is good at least because of the continuance of good and ill the worlds eternitie shall be both good and ill And yet because every worldly good hath a beginning and an end in time and that every privation or taking away of any good eternally must needs be an eternall ill that eternity of the world shall bee neerer to ill than to good both because of the positive ills and the deprivations of the goodnesses that are therein Moreover seeing nothing which is corrupted returnes to be the same in number which it was before generation shall bee good and availeable to the maintenance of the species onely not to the restoring of the actuall or individuall Beings But Corruption shall bee powerfull both against the individuall and therein against the species also And so the worlds eternity shall bee much nearer to ill than to good and a bringing in of all these inconveniences Therefore it is not eternall 8. If the world be eternall then neither was there any first man neither can there be any last without which lastnesse there cannot be any generall resurrection of men nor place to containe them So this eternity of the world must be the greatest ill as being that which brings in an impossibility of the greatest good that is the hope of the resurrection and everlasting life the end of all our hopes But it is impossible that this hope of man should bee frustrate as it will appeare further in the 38. chap. Therefore the world is not eternall 9. And if you looke backe on the things that have beene already spoken concerning the dignities of the Godhead in the nine first chapters you may from thence make a great supply of arguments to this purpose thus God is chap. 1. And He is being essentially with all the perfection of being infinitely eternally actually not in possibility of being any thing that hee is not and therefore God is the perfection of being and convertible the perfection of being is God Now termes convertible cannot possibly belong to forrein beings as to guide a shippe at Sea cannot belong to any but to man alone Therefore being cannot belong to any thing but to God alone primarily and of it selfe but onely Analogically as it hath received the Being from Him Therefore if the world be not God which the foole cannot say in his heart the world is not eternall 10. God is eternall chap. 2. and eternity belongs essentially to God alone chap. 8. If then the world be not God then can it not be coeternall with Him For as it is not possible that there should bee more Gods chap. 8. n. 7. so it is not possible that there should bee more eternals than one Therefore the world is not eternall So you may reason from the simplicity of His being proved chap. 9. n. 6.7 and from the other dignities of God which are proved to belong to Him in the chapter before no lesse from those things which are denyed to belong to Him as to bee matier bodily compounded c. chap. 9. But in this plenty and plainnesse of the matier I take onely that one which followeth 11. If God bee almighty and one then it is not possible that any thing can be but by his power alone But it hath beene proved that God is almighty chap. 6. and one chap. 8. n. 7. Therefore the world is by his power alone But if it be obiected that by his eternall power hee brought out the world eternally yet must it needs bee that hee created it either of nothing or of some matier that was not eternall or else that hee made it of a matier that was eternall To say that God from all eternity had created the world either of nothing or of a matier not eternall would imply a manifest contradiction To say that hee made it of a matier which was coeternall to himselfe would enforce that the world were consubstantiall with God or rather that it were God For seeing his being is most simple and one entyre being without parts and is not communicated but whole and all and that eternity as all his other attributes was proved to be God essentially it cannot bee but that the world must be God if it be eternall Or if that impossibility could be avoyded yet to say that God had eternally made the world of eternall matier would necessitate him to an action without himselfe which would take away the infinite freedome of his will his glory and perfection which hee hath in himselfe Or if it bee said that the world is eternall without or beside any action of God upon it but of it selfe alone beside the endlesse absurdities contradictions and impossibilities that would follow thereby It would directly enforce that there is no God For if the power by which the world is and workes if the wisdome manifest in the ordering causes therein if the truth goodnesse continuance and other attributes of worldly things had any other originall than God then must it of necessity follow that God is not infinite in these dignities of power wisdome truth eternity goodnesse c. when so great effects of these things are altogether without Him And to deny unto God the infinity or perfection of these dignities were utterly to deny his Being and to make him unworthy to bee that which Hee is contrary to all that hath heretofore beene proved 12. The holy Scriptures every where teach this truth Gen. 1. 2. chap. Iob. 38. and many places in that
that word was made flesh that is tooke on him the whole nature of man body and soule and dwelt among us and we saw on the holy mount Mat. 17.2 c. 2 Pet. 1.18 the glory thereof that is of that flesh or man as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of the Father And againe Col. 1.16 By him that is the Sonne were all things created which are in heaven and which are in earth things visible and invisible all things were created by him and for him and in him all things consist 1 Cor. 8.6 There is one God the Father of whom were all things and we by him Eph. 3.9 God hath created all things by Iesus Christ And Heb. 1. v. 1.2 God hath spoken unto us in these last dayes by his Sonne whom He hath made heire of all things by whom also he made the worlds By all which texts it is cleere which S. Paul hath Rom. 11.36 of him through him and for Him are all things That is that God the deliverer which should come out of Sion vers 26. And thus have these Apostles explained that which is written Gen. 1.1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth which word in the whole body of the old Testament as wisemen have observed is almost never spoken but of the Person of the Mediator onely I suppose then that it is plaine enough which is spoken by our Lord Iohn 5. v. 19. The Sonne can doe nothing of Himselfe save what he seeth the Father doe for whatsoever things He doth the same things doth the Sonne in like manner That is whatsoever the eternall Godhead ordeined in his everlasting Counsell and decree to bee done that same doth the Sonne execute and performe in the creature answerably and brings forth every thing in time according to the possibilities and opportunities of the creature For as the wiseman saith Ecclus. 18.1 He that liveth for ever made all things together or at once So the Psalmist as also the other Scriptures tels us by whom and in whom Psal 104.24 In wisdome hast thou made them all that is in our Creator and Saviour So then it being cleered by the text of the holy Scripture that the creation of the world was of God the Father in Christ by Christ and for Christ it will easily follow how necessary it was that He our creator by His eternall Spirit should offer himselfe to God for the sin of his creature as it will further appeare when I come to that article Notes a EVery tenne thousand yeares You may reade the position in Aug. de Haer. cap. 43. and the refutation thereof in his 20.21.22 bookes de civit Dei But the Cabalists for the renewing of this lower world put seven thousand yeares and no more for the restoring of the whole creature both heavenly and earthly they put fifty thousand yeares You may read the opinion and partly see their reasons in Leo Hebr. de Amore. pag. 500. c. b The world is not eternall The most famoused opinions that have beene concerning the worlds eternity are these One that which the Christian faith doth hold according to the truth of the holy oracles of God and the voice of Reason as you have heard and to this truth the Stoicks are said to haue consented The second opinion is that of Plato and his followers who held that the world had a beginning in time but of an eternall matier and that the continuance thereof should bee eternall For seeing generation and corruption is onely by the change of formes the matier still remaining one therefore they thought that as that forme which is purely without matier was incorruptible and eternall So likewise must matier bee which of it owne nature is utterly without forme And because matier is greedy of all formes how differing or contrary soever Therefore it is ever subject to change Neither is the heaven it selfe utterly freed from all power of Change because of that matier whereof it is in which the power of Change is ever hidde Therefore the world is not eternall in respect of any power in it selfe either to the production of formes or the continuance of it selfe under the same formes but first in respect of the vnformed matier and most of all in respect of that Spirit or life whereby it is guided and ordered as by the internall causes and in respect of the divine will and goodnesse as the outward principle and the end which will as it cannot repent to have done good in giving being unto the world and the things therein contained so can it not will contrary to it selfe and cease to doe good in the continuance of the creature in that being which it hath You may reade more to his purpose in Plot. Ennead 2. lib. 1. and his commentator Marsilius Ficinus The third opinion is that of Aristotle that the world was eternall and from God as an eternall effect of an eternall cause For because it seemed to him impossible and if you looke no higher than nature alone it is indeed impossible that any thing being can come out of nothing therefore matier must needs be eternall and therewith generation and corruption without which nothing is brought forth And because these two could not be thought to be without the moving of the heavens as the cause thereof therefore both the heavenly bodies and motion especially circular must be also eternall and herewith time which is measured by the motion of the heavens But what this eternall matier should bee the Philosophers went into divers opinions Heraclitus thought it to be fire Archelaus ayre Empedocles all the elements and among the rest one one thing and another another as you may reade in Aristotle where hee refutes them in Tull. Acad. q. lib. 4. and especially in Plutarch de placitis Philosophorum and from him in many other Aristotle himselfe from Hesiod and they that had beene before him cals it Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In theogonia First was the Chaos then the earth which word if they borrowed not of Moses his Tohu which signifies empty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sometimes meanes to bring to nought nor of that which seemes to come from thence Chohus whereby as Festus saith the old Latines called the world yet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they meant by it confusion and no way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a countrie or an appointed place Sometime this matier is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mud For so the conclusion of earth and water is best understood and fittest for generation of earthly things as Ovid delivers the opinon and cleeres it by comparison of the overflowing Nilus Metam lib. 1. All other Creatures tooke their different birth And figures from the voluntary Earth When her cold moisture with the Sunne did sweat And Slimy Marishes grew big with heat So when seven-mouthed Nyle forsakes the plaine Anantient channel doth his streames containe And late
By which texts it is plaine that the Saviour of mankind must bee both man and God dwelling in man and the second person of the holy Trinitie which we call the Sonne Notes a THe subject no other than the termes For the understanding of this see my second part of Logonomia Introduct Sect. 4. numb 11. b Hee tooke on him the humanitie If it bee most true which is said Col. 1.19 that all fulnesse should dwell in him yea all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodilie how can it bee but that if Christ dwell in our flesh all the persons likewise must bee incarnate For all the Persons together make but one infinite fulnesse of the Deitie And therefore 1. Tim. 3.16 it is spoken without any distinction of Persons that God was manifest in the flesh Answer To become man was a personall proprietie of the Sonne of God for the incarnation was not of the Godhead wherein the Persons are one but of that subsistence according to which the three Persons are distinguished So that as in the Trinitie there be three persons in one nature so in the mysterie of the incarnation there is one person in two natures Now why the person of the Sonne and none other could become man the reasons before doe make it plaine And although it bee most true that all the Persons together are but one God in the infinitie or fulnesse of the Deitie yet is it as true that the infinite fulnesse of the Deitie is in all and every person alike as the fulnesse or perfection of mankinde is in every man equally Neither is that in Tim. spoken without distinction of the persons for it followes immediately He was justified in the Spirit What is that but that the Spirit of God the holy Ghost did justifie his doctrine and Gospell as most true in causing the hearts of all the faithfull to beleeve it But it is most manifest that the witnesse is neither the thing witnessed nor the person in whose behalfe the witnesse is given Neither was this witnesse of the Holy Ghost onely but also of the Father from heaven 2. Peter 4.17 1. Iohn 5.9 10 11. Compare herewith if you please the note g on Chap. 24. § 9. Object 1. In the end of which Chapter you may see other objections fully answered Our Lord. CHAP. XXIIII That this Jesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary whom the Christian faith confesseth is the Saviour of the world THat reverend and fearfull name of God is a name of glory but the word Lord importeth the title of that right which he hath in his creature And how justly this belongs to our Lord Christ may appeare by that interest which he hath in us both by the right of our creation and of our redemption and of all the benefits which we hope thereby What right he hath in us for our creation it hath appeared in that wee are his workemanship Chap. 13. § 9. Now it remaineth that we make it manifest that he alone is our Mediatour and that besides him there is no other for if the Saviour of the world must of necessitie be man that hee might satisfie the justice of God for the sinne of man as we have proved Chap. 20. and likewise that he must be God that hee may be able to heare and to save all them that come unto him as was manifest Chap. 21. and that the Sonne of God tooke on him our flesh that by him the love of God might be manifest to the creature as it was proved Chap. 23. If there can be but one Sonne of God as it was shewed Chap. 12. and the note thereto it must follow of necessity that there can be but one onely Saviour of mankinde which Saviour is our Lord Iesus the Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary as it is further manifest by these reasons following 1. It is necessary that all the dignities of God bee magnified in the creature according to the uttermost greatnesse which they can have therein But if this Iesus whom we confesse be the Saviour of the world then all the dignities of God are magnified according to the uttermost extent of greatnesse which it is possible they should have in the creature and that without any abatement or lesning in any one of them for his mercy is magnified to the uttermost in pardoning the sins of many for the merit of one his justice and love in this that he spared not his only Son but gave him to death for a satisfaction for the sin of mankinde his glory in that the creature once sinfull and mortall is made partaker of glorie and immortality his wisdome that out of the greatest ill the destruction of the creature by the malice of the devill he hath brought the greatest good that is the exaltation of the creature beyond that state of happinesse wherein it was created Chap. 18. § 2. and so in the rest But if this Iesus bee not the Saviour of the world as the Iewes affirme if when that other Bar-Coziba of theirs shall come he preach the same doctrine and doe the same glorious miracles which our Lord hath done though it be impossible that God should suffer the world to be so mocked then the same most high and glorious truth should bee both preached and confirmed by a most false and lying Prophet who should professe himselfe the Saviour of the world and was not yet neverthelesse seeing our Lord was the authour and manifester of that truth he shall have the honour to be beleeved and the falshood shall dwell with that other to come But if he shall preach any other doctrine than this which wee have received then neither can the dignities of God bee magnified in his greatest and most excellent worke in the creature that is in the salvation of mankinde as was shewed before neither can his Scriptures bee of absolute authority when another manner of Saviour shall come than they have described unto us but both these things are utterly impossible and therefore this Iesus whom the Christian faith confesseth to be our Lord is the Saviour of the world and beside him there is no other 2. If this Iesus whom wee acknowledge bee the Saviour of the world then the expectation of the most excellent and virtuous men is quieted and at rest in the assurance of his heavenly promise But if this bee not hee but that the Saviour is yet to come for wee have already proved that man having sinned should be restored by a Saviour that should bee both God and man then since that time that Christ the Sonne of God and the virgin Mary came wee that have beleeved in him are in the greatest errour that may bee and all our hope in God through the satisfaction of Christ must bee ashamed all our beleefe in his word is vaine and all the virtues the constancie love and patience of the Martyrs is perished so that when that pretended Messiah shall come he shall not be beleeved or if
he be beleeved then Gospell shall bee against Gospell faith against faith love against love hope against hope virtue against virtue and all this about the same thing that is the meanes of everlasting life So the love of God toward his creature should not bee manifest in that hee had not made man to know assuredly that which concerned him most to know So his justice should finde no place to condemne the world of ignorance and misbeleefe But all these things are absurd and not to be granted therefore this Iesus the Sonne of the virgin Mary is the Saviour of the world 3. Religion is the band or obligation of the creature unto God to serve him in hope of the excellencie of the reward So that the most excellent Religion must give hope of the most high reward Now if this Iesus whom we confesse bee the Saviour of the world the hope of the faithfull is at rest in the assurance of that hope of everlasting life in the uttermost perfection of all happinesse and joy But if this be not he who was desired before he came and beleeved on since his comming then that Saviour when hee comes must give us assurance of greater hopes and promises of greater joyes than yet wee have received But this is impossible therefore this Iesus in whom we beleeve is the Saviour of the world 4. It is necessary that the Saviour of mankinde doe love mankinde with the uttermost perfection of love so that for that loves sake he offer himselfe most willingly to the endurance of all those things whereby he may procure the salvation of man and the uttermost good which may befall him And if this Iesus whom wee confesse be not the Saviour of the world then it is requisite that the Saviour which is to come should love mankinde more and endure greater things for man than he hath done But this is impossible Ioh. 15.13 Ioh. 10.15 Therefore this Iesus our Lord is the Saviour of the world 5. It is impossible that the greatest worke of God toward his creature that is the salvation of mankinde should be in vaine or that the preaching of the truth thereof should bee utterly unbeleeved But if this Iesus which the Christian faith confesseth be not the Saviour of the world then the preaching of that truth when the pretended Saviour should come will not be beleeved and so the greatest worke of God toward mankinde will be in vaine that is without glory to God and fruitlesse to man that will not receive it for the Christians know that salvation is in none other but onely in this Iesus in whom they beleeve And although the Mahumetans confesse many glorious things of Christ as that hee is the power wisdome breath and word of God borne of Mary a perpetuall virgin by a diuine inspiring that he raised the dead and did all those miracles which we affirme and that he was the greatest Prophet of all that were before him as you may reade in Cusa Crib Alcor lib. 1. Cap. 12. Gul. Postel de Concord orbis lib. 2. Mars Ficin de Rel. Chr. Cap. 12. and elsewhere Yet they neither beleeve that hee did or could dye or that it was necessary that hee should neither doe they beleeve that hee was the Sonne of God which conditions wee have before proued to belong necessarily to the Saviour of the world So that if he that shall come do come according to these conditions yet will they not receive him no more than they receive Christ of whom they speake such honourable things And concerning the Iewes although it be manifest by the word of the Scripture that the vaile shall at last be taken from their hearts that they may understand and be turned to our Lord the Saviour of the world Hos 3.5 Rom. 11.31 Yet seeing that our Lord in respect of his humilitie became unto them a rocke of offence and restored not the temporarie kingdome which they expected for his kingdome was not of this world If any other shall come in the same estate and condition they will not beleeve And concerning the idolatrous Gentiles much lesse will they beleeve if they may say that the Christians which beleeved before in such a Saviour were not saved by him therefore the condition stands sure that if this Iesus whom wee confesse be not the Saviour of the world then that pretended Saviour when hee comes shall not bee beleeved and so the greatest worke of God toward mankinde should be in vaine 6. If this Iesus in whom wee beleeve bee not the Saviour of the world then the greatest love and thankes which wee give unto God therefore is lesse lovely and lesse acceptable and the greater number of men saved by this faith is lesse willed of God than that lesse love thanks and number of them which shall hereafter beleeve the truth so the greater love shall bee despised for the lesse and the greater number misprised for the lesse but this is not agreeable to the justice of God and his love to his creature and therefore not to be admitted Ergo this Iesus in whom we beleeve is the Saviour of mankinde 7. The superexcellent or rather infinite height of that truth which wee professe in the Articles of our faith concerning God the Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier of mankinde and those unspeakeable benefits which we hope for in the life to come is such as no created understanding could have come unto except God himselfe by his word and spirit had first manifested the same unto man And seeing it is the truth of God the wisdome and goodnesse of God could not suffer that the full perfect and most cleare manifestation thereof concerning the person by whom and the time when it was to be fulfilled by his owne promise should bee by a false prophet or that a false Christ should take his honour to himselfe for so the most high truth should suffer such discredit thereby as that it should never bee beleeved But this is absurd and inconvenient And therefore this Christ in whom wee beleeve is the true Christ and the Saviour of the world 8. The whole time of the world is either for preparation to receive the Saviour when hee shall come or manifestation of him when hee is come But God hath long since ceased to prepare any people to receive him And therfore the Saviour is already come for although the Iewes expect a Messiah yet have they no countrey nor forme of Religion appointed by God to uphold that expectation for the use of the ceremoniall Law wherein the Messiah was figured was commanded onely in their owne land out of which they being now banished their ceremonies have no use See Deut. 12.1 Ios 5.5.7 Amos 5.25 Hebr. 10. Therefore this Iesus is the true Messiah 9 Neither may that argument bee omitted whereby our Lord justified himselfe Ioh. 7.18 Hee that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true Seeing therfore that our Lord sought not
a full answer to the argument of Postellus so had you need to remember it because it may helpe to the understanding of some places of Scripture which may seeme to make for this conclusion 6. But if such a created Mediatour be as had power to execute the eternall decree and to create therest of the creature the Angels and man and all this visible world from him it may stand well with the justice and honour of God and the love of that Mediatour toward man to offer himselfe for man when hee had sinned whereas otherwise if no such created Mediatour bee then God the party offended must first seeke the attonement and seeing man was not able must likewise make satisfaction to himselfe for the sinne of another against himselfe But this stands neither with the honour of God nor the rule of Iustice Answ Intire affection hates all nicity And so God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that the world through him might be saved And if the onely begotten Sonne be onely that second person of the Trinity what Son is that created Mediatour And so farre is it from dishonour to God to seeke and save that which was lost as that without his mercy and pitie on man in his misery the worke of God in the creature had beene in vaine But concerning that satisfaction which was made for sinne although it had appeared that it was utterly impossible to bee made by one that was onely man Chap. 19. yet was the satisfaction made onely in the manhood of our Saviour dignified and sustained by his divinity unto the endurance of all that punishment which was due to our sinne as it is manifest by the Prophet Esay chap. 53. Col. 1.22 1 Pet. 2.24 and yet for all that is our Saviour the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Re. 13.8 yet is the blood of his sacrifice upon the Crosse called the blood of the everlasting Testament Heb. 13.20 because that by the eternall spirit he offered himselfe for us unto God Heb. 9.14 That he in his manhood might present his Church unto himselfe God blessed for ever holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 So that the redemption of man is the worke of the whole Trinitie the Sonne by the holy Spirit offering himselfe unto the Father accepting this obedience a ransome for the world And because the Sonne offered himselfe by the eternall Spirit therefore is not our Saviour a created Mediatour as Postellus supposed for no creature can be eternall And malgre all the power of hell it was an eternall Gospell Revel 14.6 Written in the Volume of the Booke of the eternall Decree Psal 40.7 Heb. 10.7 to the everlasting comfort of the faithfull That the sacrifice for sinne was appointed before there was a sinner 7. Now before I come to those Texts of Scripture which Postel urges directly hereto it will not bee unfit to let you see how he favours his owne opinion by those Scriptures which he interprets unfaithfully as where it is said Deut. 32.39 There is no God with me as Esay interprets it I am God and there is none else he makes the sense pag. 104. he is the created wisdome before which there was no other God created for he is worthily called God saith he for his union with the Deitie And againe pag. 115. for that which is Prov. 8.23 I was set up from everlasting he will have it that this divine wisdome was created not from everlasting for then it could not be a creature but before any ages were numbred by men So to that of Saint Iohn Cap. 1. The Word was with God he addes as it followes in the Abisine Creed and with the Holy Ghost and with himself argues that whosoever is with another must be different therfrom for the most part inferiour indignity I have answered concerning the authority of that Church the collection of inferiority in dignity followes not neither doth this text prove the unity of any such creature with the Creator as hee inferres but rather the difference of persons in the unity of the Godhead for so it followes in the Text And that Word was God I say nothing of other Texts which by allegoricall and forraine interpretations he would bring to his purpose such as that pag. 93. where by the firmament Gen. 1.6 he will understand this Mediator who parted the hidden waters of the Deitie from the manifest waters of the creature whereby it would follow that the Chaos or waters the light and darknesse were created before this Mediator see Gen. 1.13 His argument from that Spirit which moved upon the waters Gen. 1. brought pag. 29. is answered before Reason 3. I impute it no fault to him that he pag. 62. confounds those Texts of Iohn 12.28 and chap. 17.5 Charity sees no mistakings where they make not against the truth But his collection is ill from that text Glorifie me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was to conclude either that the creatures were distinct in him whom he cals God man meaning the created Mediatour or for any other to suppose that the glory of God the Sonne was any whit lessened by the taking of our flesh onely it was shadowed for a time under the Cloud of his humanity except that at some times a glimpse therof appeared in his glorious miracles For first if that eminent being of the creatures in the distinction of their severall beings were not in God the Sonne that second Person of the Trinity but in this created Mediator it would follow that the wisdome of God were not infinite nor yet essentiall unto him when the knowledge of the creature in that manner of being must come unto him by a creature contrary to that which hath been proved Chap. 5. 8. And therefore to avoid this inconvenience hee is compelled to say pag. 74. that that second being of all things taking the equivalent being which they have in the Father for the first is not onely in the eternall wisedome but also in the wisdome created Whence it followes that the Creature by the same manner of being shall bee both in the Creator and in the created Mediator But the reason for otherwise the Angels could no see God The position is false the reason insufficient and answered before then to thinke that the Sonne had lost or abated any thing of his infinite glory because he prayes that he may be glorified as before the world was stands neither with the truth For so neither had the glory beene infinite if once ended nor he coessentiall with the Father neither yet accords it with the circumstance of the Text. Therefore understand it according to the truth That Christ the Sonne of God in his manly being having glorified the Father on earth and finished that worke which he had given him to doe Verse 4. prayeth vers 5. that the infinite glory which was darkned under the forme of a servant Phil. 2.27 might
and a soule which two together doe make a whole and perfect man 2. If either the Word or a supercelestiall understanding had beene in a sencelesse body then could not that body have felt either paine without or much lesse inward griefe But the soule of our Saviour was heavy unto death Mat. 26.38 Therefore Hee had a humane soule 3. A thing of one kind cannot bee given as a fit ransome for a thing of another kind but a body must bee given for the ransome of a body and a soule for the ransome of a soule Therefore that Christ might be a sufficient Redeemer it was necessary that He should have both an humane body and a humane soule 4. If either the created Deitie of Arius or the supercelestiall spirit of Apollinarius had beene in Christ in stead of the humane soule then could He not have given His soule for His sheepe But Hee was that Good Sepherd which laid downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His owne soule or life for His sheepe Iohn 10.11 Therefore He had a humane soule 5. If Christ had not had a soule by the departure of which His body was dead then had not He by His death destroyed him that had the power of death Hebr. 2.14 neither had he triumphed over death by His resurrection neither had Hee beene a sufficient sacrifice and redemption for them that were dead in trespasses and sinnes and so had His comming beene in vaine But all these things are impossible Therefore Hee was in all things like His brethren except their sinnes Hebr. 2.17 6. If Christ had had either a life-lesse body or sensitive onely and in stead of the humane soule either a created deitie or a supercelestiall spirit then had He beene neither God nor man and so an unmeet and insufficient Redeemer of the world For neither had such a body beene perfect man neither is a supercelestiall spirit nor a created deitie perfect God Yet had Apollinarius his reasons though hee erred from the truth and by his reasons it seemes that he had most reverent thoughts of Christ For thus he argues 1. Mans soule is the seate of sinne of anger concupiscence and the like But these things could not be in Christ Therefore neither the humane soule in which onely they dwell Answere Anger sorrow compassion ioy and such motions of the soule are either ordinate which are subject to Wisedome and the rules of the divine Iustice expressed in the Law of God and these were in Christ and were not sinfull But the inordinate affections onely are sinfull and could not bee in Him which knew no sinne 2. Two perfect things in their perfection could not possibly become one Therefore that the God-head with the man-hood might become one Mediator it was necessary that the man-hood should bee assumed imperfit otherwise the Mediator had been two persons Answ This argument was answered before Note g Chapter 24. § 8. Yet in briefe I say that the word perfect hath a two-fold meaning For the God-head tooke the Man-hood unto Himselfe perfect that is According to those parts wherein the perfection of the Man-hood doth consist of Body and Soule But as our Lord in His child-hood did grow in Age Stature Wisedome c. So before His birth did he grow from state to state till the full time of naturall birth And thus the Man-hood was assumed imperfect that is Not yet having attained unto that perfection whereto it was destinate in the Birth the Youth the Manly age and state Therefore that feare of Apollinarius of two persons in Christ was needlesse For beside this that the Humane nature was both conceived and taken to the Divine in one instant nothing in mankind can be called a person till it be living and that it be per se sola of it selfe which seemes not to be before the birth But this is without doubt that that which is sustained or hath the being in another can no way of it selfe be accounted a person But it is manifest that the Humanity of Christ is sustained onely in His divinity You know the received opinion touching the originall of the Soule § 3. Though by all these heapes of Arguments which you may read from Chapter 21. to this place I have beaten out the braines of that beggerly Brat of Ebion which affirmed that our Lord was begotten by Ioseph of his wife Mary as all other children yet you may see how the stinke of that carcase doth rise vp against this Article that He was borne of a Virgin so dangerous a thing an heresie is in matters of Faith But for answere to those reasons that are brought hereto you may reade the Note g § 4. on the 24. Chapter before And although it bee proved by infallible arguments that is to say from authority of Holy Scripture and reasons drawne there-from that our Lord Iesus was both conceived and borne of a Virgin that Hee might be free from originall sinne whereto all the race of man-kind is subject which are begotten and borne according to the common law of humane generation yet would I not be understood in any thing which I haue said thereto to speake contrary to that which the Apostle hath Heb. 13.4 That marriage is honourable among all men for whom it is necessary But notwithstanding the reasons that Christ must be borne of a Virgins the mind will still be asking how He could bee truely man and yet His mother a Virgin Seeing wee have derested the heresies of Valentine Apelles and all such madnesse Whereto I answere That the mysterie of the Gospel is as the treasure of the unsearchable riches so of the manifold Wisedome of God into which the Angels desire to looke Eph. 3.8.10 1. Pet. 1.12 And therefore the pure and simple truth of God being delivered unto you by His holy Apostles and Prophets and after being made manifest by such proofes as reason cannot except against it may seeme an unreasonable thing yet further to require satisfaction for the possibilitie thereof For to an infinite power all things are possible And as our Saviour was conceived so also was Hee borne and His mothers Virginitie saved As He came to the Apostles when the dores were shut Iohn 20.19.26 But you say His body was then changed and made Spirituall He being raised from the dead I confesse it But yet that power by which He hid or made Himselfe invisible Luke 4.30 Iohn 8.59 and 12.36 by which He walked on the waters Iohn 6.14 by which He filled the world with wonders and that before His body was raised from the dead Beside it is not unreasonable for us to thinke that as the woman by whom sinne was brought into the world was brought out of the side of Adam so that man by whom the satisfaction for our sinne was made might likewise bee brought out of the side of the Woman For as it was sufficient for our redemption that our ransome was paid in our whole and perfect nature taken of the
unto that place where the soules of the faithfull were before His comming This I thinke none will denie the Doctors old and new come all hereto The Reverend P. Martyr in Symb. saith thus Descendit anima Christi ad inferos c. The soule of Christ descended into hell meanes no other thing but that it did undergoe the same estate which other soues being separate from the body had experience of So Musculus in Eph. 4.9 Descendit ad nos in hunc mundum c. He descended to us in this world unto the grave and unto hell He descended to them whom He came to redeeme and as farre as they either living or dying had descended so farre also did He Himselfe descend that He might lift them up from below unto those places above from which He had descended Irenaeus said as much long agoe Lib 5. Cap. ult The Lord kept the law of the dead that He might bee the first-begotten from the dead Hitherto it seemes all parties are agreed But the assumptions set them at oddes againe as farre as heaven and hell For the old Interpreters inferre that the faithfull before Christ were in Abrahams bosome or in hell taken in the second sence But the new Interpreters inferre thus But the faithfull which were before Christ were in Abrahams bosome that is ascended into heaven properly so called For so the word Paradise doth signifie by the expresse authority of the Scripture 2. Cor. 12. verse 2. and 4. where the third heaven by Saint Paul is called Paradise For the first heaven is this of the Ayre to the Moone The second heaven is that of the Planets and Starres and the third heaven is Paradise the place of the blessed soules And this is one of the Arguments of them that reject the Iudgement of the Fathers and the ancient Church and holde the tropicall interpretation of hell for hellish torments of the mind And because I am here fallen into these bryars I will first put fire to them and afterward goe forward to the conclusion Therefore I answere The first heaven is this of the foules of heaven Gen. 1.20 The second is that of the cloudes of heaven Revel 1.7 So the third heaven for Paradise is in the Moone But this conclusion you laugh at Therefore you see on how weake and ungrounded principles they dispute 2. Beside is there no difference between a thing really performed and a vision as that of Paul which is not by things actually being but represented onely for instruction to the Prophet that sees it 3. But to grant all that the third heaven is Paradise and that the third heaven must signifie that which is above all the starres is there no Paradise beside when every place of pleasure is a Paradise Therefore though Saint Paul were in the third heaven yet the faithfull soules might bee in another Paradise before they came thither as Adam was 1. Objection This is contrary to the first conclusion of Vossius That the faithfull before Christ were not in Paradise till Christ opened it by His comming thither with the thiefe Answere It crosses not the opinion of the Fathers For though they put all the soules of the Saints in hell whither they also sent the soule of Christ yet they put them there into a place of rest and refreshing into a higher place in death free from torments and the tyranny of the devill and that by the authority of that historicall parable in Luke 16. where Lazarus on the one side of the gulph was in Abrahams bosome comforted the rich man in flames on the oâ—â—er side tormented So that first place or Paradise was that state or quiet wherein the faithfull soules rested from their labours of this life Iob 3. from verse 13. to 20. in Ioy and hope of Him that was to come But that Paradise which the Fathers meant was a more free state and the enjoying of a fuller happinesse by the presence of Christ the worke of their redemption being accomplished they having their Redeemer with them a sure pledge of their enterance into heaven after their resurrection as He should forthwith bee raised and ascend to heaven whither till that time they had no hope to come 2. Objection The same Faith hath the same fruits the same effects But the Fathers before Christ had the same Faith Therefore they went to Heaven as they that have beene since Christ. Answere The same faith hath the same fruits the same effects concerning the uttermost end of faith which is the salvation of the soule and the consummation of that blisse which is to be in eternall life but not concerning all the degrees and circumstances betweene For many Prophets and Kings desired to see the day of Christ yet saw it not but as they saluted the promisses afarre off by their Faith The bodies also of divers Saints were raised at the resurrection of Christ and appeared to such as had knowne them alive for proofe of all that benefit whereof all the faithfull shall bee partakers Which blessing neither Daniel Dan. 12.13 nor Paul are yet partakers of And this answere may serve for divers texts of Scripture which are unfitly brought to this purpose as that of Iohn 5.24 Heb. 13.14 and such others And therefore though it bee most certaine and true according to the Scriptures that the Gospel of Christ was an eternall Gospel and that His death was available to eternall life to all that beleeved in Him since the beginning of the world So that their soules after they were delivered from the burden of the flesh were in Ioy and felicitie yet is it as true which the trueth saith Iohn 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions So that although the soules of the faithfull departed before Christ were in Paradise in Abrahams bosome in the Kingdome of God in Everlasting life yet were they not in heaven properly so called neither could they have the presence of their Redeemer when Hee was not yet incarnate by whom they might enioy the vision of God as now they doe 3. Obiect 3 Objection By this answere you grant then that they suffered the penaltie of losse as they call it though not of sence of losse I say because they were not in heaven in full happinesse as after their ascension with Christ which could not bee but either the merit of Christs sacrifice was not of force enough because it was not yet accomplished or else because their faith was not accepted I Answer Neither for the one reason nor for the other but because of that disposition and order which God had appointed to His creature into the reason of which no man may â—â—esume to enquire Then concerning the losse which you speake of it is denyed to be a penalty if it be not found Can the pint pot say I am not full because I cannot hold a gallon or shall the gallon say I am not full because I hold not a tun Doth not one starre differ from
the joyes also of the blessed are increased by the superexcellent beauty and pleasures of that place of their abode And because our Lord is blessed and holy above all that are blessed and holy therefore it is necessary that He should ascend into heaven 6. If Christ after His resurrection had not ascended into heaven then could no other creature bee blessed in heaven by His merit So the place of perfect blisse should be without inhabitants and therefore created in vaine So God should want that praise which were due to Him for His mercy and goodnesse shewed to the creature But these things are impossible Therefore the holy Angels and Saints are blessed in heaven and Christ our Lord their King among them See Iohn 14.2 3. and Ephes 2.6 7. If Christ our Lord had not ascended into heaven yea so that His ascension might be witnessed both by men and Angels Actes 1.10 11. then could not we which beleeve in Him have full assurance of those heavenly joyes that are laid up in store for us 1. So the Christian faith were all in vaine and we still subject to the punishment of our sinnes 2. So His Conception Birth Miracles Sufferings Death and Resurrection heretofore prooved should have beene in vaine So His owne preaching and of His messengers 4. So the prophecies of the Scriptures which were before concerning Him even since the world began should bee without their trueth 5. So the faith and hope of them which confesse the most glorious things of God concerning His goodnesse and mercy toward His creature which faith they have in Him being taught by Him out of his word and by the successe of all things that have come to passe accordingly should be frustrate But all these things are impossible And therefore God is gone up on high in triumph and our Lord with the sound of the trumpet all the holy Angels and the spirits and soules of the faithfull joying therein all the troopes of the heavens and the heavens of heavens attending His comming and submitting themselues to Him their Lord and King Open your heads ô yee gates and be yee set ope yee everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Who is this King of glory The LORD of hostes mighty in battell euen our Lord IESVS who by the warres of His suffering and death on the Crosse and by the conquest of His resurrection hath overcome the powers of Hell He is the King of Glory Amen Notes a THerefore He ascended into Heaven This Article hath beene gainesayed by the heretickes diversly Cerinthus said That because Iesus was man onely conceived and borne as other men Hee was not yet risen but should rise at last Aug. de haer cap. 8. And thus by consequence he denied that our Lord ascended into heaven But this Iew both by nation and opinion is refuted before in all by the proofe of those Articles which he denied And because he brought nothing for the proofe of his opinions but onely opinion let them all vanish at the authority of the holy Scripture as mist before the Sunne Carpocrates as he had beene taught by Saturnilus said that the soule was onely saved Epiph haeres 23. So that the soule of Christ onely after it was freed from the body ascended to the Father Epiph heres 27. Against this heresie you may set the reasons and authorities of the Chapter before and them that follow in the Article of the resurrection of the body Chap. 38. The errour of Apelles you read before Note a on Chap. 26. § 1. N. 3. his reasons and their refutation you have Note a on Chapter 27. N. 3. The Seleucians confesse that Christ when He ascended tooke with Him His manly body and carryed it as high as the Sunne but there He put it off and left it there But Saint Paul affirmes that He ascended farre aboue all heavens that is all the visible heavens either of planets or starres yet they brought their reason out of the 19. Psalm vers 4. He hath set His tabernacle in the Sun So the vulgar translation of the Latines hath it from the Greeke and so all the Greeke copies reade it except that of Aquila who according to the Hebrew hath it thus In them the heavens He set a tabernacle for the Sunne and this helpes the Seleucians nothing But the errour which hath swayed most against this Article and which with their sacriledge if they could see it hath now defaced their Church is that of the Vbiquitaries who because they beleeve that very substance of the body and blood of Christ is received with the Bread and Wine they are compell'd to say That His naturall body may be in many and consequently in all places at once as His God-head is And therefore that this ascensin of Christ must be nothing else but a disappearance out of the earth or a vanishing from the sight of men For the ground of their opinion they urge the word of our Lord This is my body This is my blood but they deny not the Bread and Wine to continue still which if it be true then the sence of the words must bee In this or with this Bread and Wine is my body and blood But the words beare no such meaning but prove much rather that transubstantiation or change of the Bread and Wine into the body and blood of Christ which the Papists would But this opinion of the Papists were to denie Christ to have taken flesh of the Virgin Mary and so to have beene made of the seed of David at least in part of His bodily being when His body and blood should be made of bread and wine I but it is said Matth. 28.20 I am with you unto the end of the world Answere Not by His bodily being but by His continuall providence and the graces of His Holy Spirit as Saint Augustine saith Corpus suum intulit Coelo majestatem non abstulit mundo Tract 50. in Ioh. But the Centurists cite also the auctorities of the Fathers for their consubstantiation as of Iust Martyr in Tryph. of Tertullian against Marcion but corruptly and falsly and of Origen but a forged one Cent. 3. cap. 10. They bring also reason for say they If the Divine and humane natures in Christ be united personally then it is necessary that where the one nature is there must also be the other But the two nature are so united Ergo. Answere The consequence of the proposition is not good where one of the natures is finite the other Infinite as Saint Augustine saith God and man are one Person and both together are one Christ every where as He is God but as He is man in heaven Ep'la ad Dardanum But this question is by many handled at large and if you desire further satisfaction See the Catechisme of Vrsinus a Booke I thinke common and the question is there briefly handled See Doctor Willet Synopsis Pap. Contr. 13. Part. 1. See also Bucan Inst
Him I say is all power given to raigne and to order the state of the world not onely as the sonne of God which He did and doth eternally with the Father and the Holy-Ghost Pro. 18.15 but as He is the Son of man Iohn 5.27 as Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 15.28 He that was raised from the dead must reigne till Hee hath put all His enemies under His feete This glory of Christ is thus declared Ephe. 1.20 c. God having raised Him from the dead hath set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places farre above all principalitie and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feete and hath given Him to bee the head over all things unto his Church The manifestation therefore of this glory in the humanitie and the exercise of this power is in the discharge and execution of those offices and dignities which He hath received of the Father to bee the King the Priest and Prophet unto His Church He then as King doth order the affaires of the world sometime restraining the power of Tyrants and Persecutors of His trueth sometimes suffering their rage to grow on high yet arming the hearts of His seruants and subjects with courage and constancy against their fury that it may appeare that He raignes in the hearts of men and turneth them whithersoever He will Otherwhile againe giving Kings and Queenes to bee nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto His Church that trueth may flourish in the earth as Righteousnesse hath looked downe from Heaven And concerning His Priesthood this is the summe that wee have such an High-Priest Who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majestie of heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us to offer up our Prayers to pleade our cause before the infinite Iustice and thereunto to present what Himselfe hath done and suffered in our behalfe Heb. 8.1 and 9.24 and of these two that is His Kingdome and His Priest-hood Saint Peter speaketh Actes 2.36 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this Iesus both Lord and Christ. The office of His prophesie is in this that as before His appearance in the flesh Hee by His Holy Spirit instructed the Prophets so after that when Hee ascended on high He gave gifts unto men some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephe. 4.11.12 And hereunto belong all those meanes which he hath made subservient hereunto by His Holy Spirit stirring up the hearts of Kings and Princes and other noble benefactors for the establishment and maintenance of Vniversities or Schooles of the Prophets But as the great rivers are nothing else but the gathering together of waters from many smaller fountaines and gilz so the particular Schooles founded by charitable and well-minded men such as the most vertuous Iohn Colet Deane of Paules and founder of that Schoole was are the perpetuall supplies without which the Vniversities could not be furnished either with Prophets or with Prophets sonnes And therefore for these also doth our Lord now sitting at the right hand of the Father by His Holy Spirit furnish men with the gift of tongues and their interpretation And therefore you my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing that an account must be made for whatsoever wee have received either of gifts or maintenance hereunto And although besides our endlesse paines wee endure the inconveniences of these ill and dissolute times the idlenesse and dulnesse of many untoward and grace-lesse children the folly of some more wicked and unthankfull parents though our imployment bee disesteemed yet seeing the hope of the time to come is in our paines let us for that duety which wee owe to Christ that love which wee beare to His Church and our Countrey endeavour the faithfull discharge of our trust and remember that our reward is laid up in heaven Now see the reasons of the conclusion 1. It is justice that the lowest degree of humility and abasement for obedience sake unto the will of God should bee rewarded with the greatest glory and honour that may be done unto the creature But it hath appeared heretofore that our Lord Christ for His obedience sake to the will of His Father became subject to poverty that we might be rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Hee endured stripes that we might bee healed 1. Pet. 2.24 That He suffered shame and death it selfe for our offence See hereto Chap. 27. Therefore Christ is set at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven This is the argument of Saint Paul himselfe Hebr. 12. vers 2. Christ for the joy that was set before Him endured the Crosse despised the shame and sate downe at the right hand of the throne of God This is that argument whereby our Lord strengthened Himselfe against death Iohn 13.32 If God be glorified in the Sonne of man God shall also glorifie Him in Himselfe 2. To the most noble and worthy person the most noble dignities and excellencies doe belong But the person of our Mediator according to His God-head hath equall glory and honour with the Father and the Holy-Ghost Therefore to Him it belongs also as man to sit at the right hand of the Father a because of His union with the God-head For although in His God-head He could not suffer nor die yet because His God-head was clouded in His humanity the whole Person was truely said to bee both humbled and exalted And as by that humiliation and offering of His body and blood Hee made a full satisfaction to the infinite justice for the sinne of His people So did Hee merit and purchase both to Himselfe and to His chosen all that honour and happinesse which either the one or the other can bee capeable of And therefore in His humanity to sit at the right hand of God 3. It is necessary that He sit at the right hand of power that is have the superexcellency of all power in Himselfe by whom the perfection and happinesse of the creature is to be wrought and by whom the greatest aduersary to God and to the happinesse of the creature must be subdued But it is manifest that our happinesse is to be perfected onely by Christ our Saviour and that the workes of the devill our aduersary are to be destroyed onely by Him 1. Iohn 3.8 Therefore it is necessary that He sit at the right hand of the power in heaven 4. It is beseeming and necessary that Hee should have b some preeminence above mankind by whom all joy and blessednesse was procured unto mankind in as much as that blessednesse belongs properly unto Him that purcha'ste it but to him for whom it was purcha'ste it belongs onely by grace and participation But the resurrection of the body and
therein O times Into what corruption of manners are wee fallen So when all charity is put only in the maintenance of idlenesse and begging Gangrels being otherwise dead and cold when the apostasie is fully revealed and the man of sinne detected which exalteth Himselfe above all that is called God Moreover when by the working of the false apostles of that apostasie there is a daylie falling from the faith 2. Thes chap. 2. When that ill servant hath said in his heart My Lord delayes his comming and hath begun and so continues to smite his fellow-servants Matth. 24.28 29. what wants but onely that the Tribes of Israel should be gathered to the Church that all the wicked should bee put away like drosse Psal 119. verse 119. For the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement nor the sinners in the congregation of the righteous Other signes you may reade in the Holy Text and consider of them But that signe of the Son of man spoken of Matth. 24.30 is doubtfull Some thinke it shall be a crosse some a great light Lactantius Lib. 7. Cap. 19. thinkes it shall bee a sword which shall fall from heaven like the ancyle Ovid. Fast lib. 3. But Sibyl orae lib. 2. saith it shall be a glorious Starre in the likenesse of a Crowne except by an Enallage of number shee meanes a Crowne of Starres as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometime doth signifie a constellation Her Verses are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A shining Starre like to a Crowne most sheen In the bright heaven of all men shal be seen For many dayes Next after the signes of our Lords comming to Iudgement you may reade the manner of His comming as it is delivered in the Scripture so farre as our understanding can conceive to bee with power and glory Mat. 24.31 euen the glory of the Father Mat. 16.27 and all the holy Angels with Him Matt. 25.31 In flaming fire rendring vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Thess 1.8 § 3. But that we dwell not on these things which are either beyond our understanding as the enquiry of the time which is therefore hid that it may stint our curious search or else so plaine that wee need not doubt let us goe forward to those questions which seeme to offer some doubt unto us 1. And first if Christ our Lord shall judge the world in righteousnesse Psalm 9.8 how is it said Matth. 19.28 That the Apostles shall sit upon twelue Thrones and judge the twelue tribes of Israel And againe 1 Cor. 6.2 Doe ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world and vers 3. Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels To which the answere is returned That the Apostles by their faith and doctrine shall take away all excuse from the Israelites and so judge and condemne them For this is their condemnation That they beleeved not in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Iohn 3.18 So the Saints in generall shall judge the wicked by their faith and repentance whose example the wicked would not follow that they might be saved Moreover seeing the faithfull are the members of that mysticall body of which Christ is the head they in Him are said to judge the world that is the unbeleevers And seeing all the enemies of Christ are to bee brought before the Throne of Christ and His Church in as much as Christ shall judge the world and the wicked Angels in trueth and righteousnesse all the faithful shal subscribe to the judgement as most holy and just and so are rightly said to judge the Angels And as the holy Angels shall then rejoyce with joy unspeakable for that glory and mercy which God shall vouchsafe unto His Saints So the Saints likewise shall give glory and thankes to God for that encrease of glory and happinesse which He shall give unto the holy angels as the reward of their continuall watch and guard which they have held about us all the time of our pilgrimage upon earth and at the houre of death helping the soule out of the prison of the body and conducting it unto the place of joy But it is said Iohn 16.11 That the Prince of this world is judged already how they shall we judge the Angels Answer The devill is judged already 1. In the decree of God 2. By the word of God he is declared to be reserued in chaines of darknesse and that hell fire is prepared for him and his angels 3. By his owne knowledge of his owne estate 4. Because his torment is in part begun But in judgement there be two things First the enquiry of the fact then the award of the reward Neither the deeds of the good or bad angels shall bee enquired into at the judgement a as some have thought but the reward shall bee assigned unto them both and acknowledged to be most just by the Church as I said before and this is our judgement of them Neither yet shall the sencelesse creatures be exempted from this judgment in as much as The elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes thereof shall burne 2. Pet. 3.10 that they may be freed from that corruption to which they are subject for the sinne of man For when man sinned the whole bodily creature which was made for man was thereby subjected to vanity not of it owne will or any inclination which was therein in respect of any weakenesse of state wherein it was created For all was exceeding good Gen. 1.31 but that the justice of God against sinne might be manifest is it subjected to the curse Gen. 3.18 19. yet under hope that when man is freed from his sinne the creature also shall be restored unto that libertie from corruption wherein it was created Rom. 8.20 c. as it is said Rev. 21.1 and 5. Behold I create all things new See 1. Pet. 3.13 2. Another doubt may bee concerning the forme of the sentence whereby it may seeme that the merit of workes is justified For so is the sentence pronounced Come yee blessed receive the King-dome prepared for you for I was hungry and ye gave Mee meat c. and on the other side Depart ye cursed for I was hungry and ye gave Me no meat c. Mat. 25.35 to 46. Ans It cannot bedenied but that the sentence of condemnation upon the reprobate is according to their workes as the deseruing causes thereof For not tobeleeve in Christ is that great sin which is the cause of condemnation Ioh. 3.18 and 16.9 Neither is a dead faith ought worth but that faith onely is accepted which worketh by love Galat. 5.6 without which it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 And if all things that are not of faith be sinne Rom. 14.23 Then the wicked works of Infidels and Hypocrites and much more their violent and wilfull rebellions
all because we were all in him originally that upon the breach of the commandement of God Gen. 2.17 we should be lyable to death both of body and soule Neither was this onely threatned at the beginning but ever since written as it were by the finger of God in every mans heart their owne consciences accusing or excusing them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men by Iesus Christ Rom. 2.15 16. Therefore there shall be a judgement 6. It is necessary that the judgements of God done in this world doe appeare to be just For shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Genes 18.25 But many of His judgements are yet hid and unknowne and of them that are knowne yet the faithfull doe not alwayes see the reason thereof and so the praise which is due unto God for His justice therein is lost But it is necessary that the equity and justice of God be manifest to all that His workes may be magnified and He acknowledged to be just in His words and pure in His judgements Psal 51.4 Therefore it is necessary that there be a revelation of the righteous judgement of God in the world to come 7. No perfect judgement can be made of any thing till the full end thereof doe appeare so that although the life of man be ended and a particular judgement passed upon him yet because many things succeed in the time to come which depend upon those things which he hath done in his life therefore it is necessary that there be a finall judgement at the last day when those dependances also shall have an end For in respect of these dependances a man may bee said to live after his body is dead and that in divers respects As in his fame either good or bad which oftentimes is very false but at the last judgement the trueth shall appeare then in his writings as the holy Prophets and the Apostles live in those Oracles which the Holy-Ghost gave out by them So Arius and other Heretickes live yet in those venomous opinions which they broached and other vaine people doe hold after them So parents live by the example of their life to the instruction or corruption of their children Maxima debetur pueris reverentia So by their correction and precepts to them in the feare and nurture of the Lord or by the neglect thereof to their destruction Doe you not heare me ye foolish and wicked parents know you not yet that you shall answere for that wickednesse of your children which they shall doe through your default And if there be any other way whereby a man may be said to live as in the furthering of good lawes So a man lives in his buildings or in the havocke of that estate which his Ancestors disposed to the use of his children in new fashions daily devised worse and worse and if there be any other thing which remaines for example either good or bad after death it is necessary that it be enquired of and rewarded in the last judgement 8. If there be not a generall judgement in which the blessednesse of the faithfull both in soule and body shall be perfected then the sufferings of Christ and those glories that followed thereon should be to no end seeing He being in Himselfe God blessed above all neither suffered nor did any of all that which was wrought in His manhood for any increase of happines to Himselfe for that was impossible but that the benefit thereof might be manifest in us But this cannot be till the generall judgement For then shall the wicked see that there is a reward for the righteous Then shall they know that there is a God that judgeth the earth Psalm 58.11 Reade hereto Wisd Chap. 5. 9. All the dignities of God have heretofore beene proved to be infinite therefore also His justice which should be defective if it had not given a perfect rule according to which all judgements ought to be guided and if it did not examine all judgements thereby to ratifie or cancell them And because not onely the administration of publike justice is with judgement but also every particular action whereto the will doth consent therefore it is necessary that there be an universall judgement wherein all judgements and actions of men shall be examined and rewarded From this justice also it followeth that it ought to be well with the good and ill with the wicked And because for the most part it falles out contrary in this life therefore it is necessary so to be in the life to come See 2 Thess 1.5 6 7. 10 And because judgement is not fully executed according to justice in this world upon many offenders in great and grievous and hidden sinnes and that especially on great persons who live as they list oppresse others and hold themselues beyond the compasse of all lawes And moreover because in this state of mortality man is not able to endure that punishment which is due to His sinne therefore is it necessary in the justice of God that such sinnes being not repented of should be openly and fully punished in the world to come as it is said Esay 30.33 Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared He hath made it deepe and large the pyle thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it Therefore there shall be a generall judgement 11. And if you will admit of an argument inductive it may easily be admitted that there shall be a generall judgement at the end of the world by that severity which God hath so often shewed and doth shew against sinners to put men in remembrance of that great day As the drowning of the world for their cruelty in the dayes of Noah The overthrow of Sodom for their unnaturall lust The captivity of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar for their idolatry And at last the utter casting off of that nation for their unbeliefe The publike calamities of Plague Warres Earthquakes and overflowings of Waters to the overthrowing of Cities and Countreys famine and death every houre attending on every man in his greatest security are so many summons to every man to think on that day For as the pilgrimage of Israel in the wildernesse was the type of our pilgrimage in this world so their punishments were types unto us 1 Cor. 10.11 But there is no type but of some thing which is to be indeed So that the destruction of the people in the wildernesse were both to them and especially to us on whom the ends of the world are come an assured argument of this great judgement at the last day And as the carcasses of them that were disobedient fell in the wildernesse whereas the rest enjoyed the promised land So all those punishments that were remembred bring to the faithfull an assured hope that God will deliver them For Noah and Lot were saved from destruction Ebedmelech and Baruch had
their lives given as a prey Ezechiel Daniel and they that were signified by the basket of good figges Iere. 24.5 were carryed away for their good The Christians likewise were safe at Pella in the destruction of Ierusalem Euseb Ecclesiast hist lib. 3 Cap. 5. So He delivereth from the noy some pestilence Psalm 91.3 c. and in the dayes of famine those that wait on Him shall have enough Psal 37.19 So these things are testimonies unto us both that there shall be a judgement and that the godly shall be saved and the wicked condemned 12 And as if nature if selfe had imprinted the acknowledgment of this judgement in every mans mind so there was never any man c that confessed the resurrection but did withall confesse this generall judgement And therefore though every other Article of our Creed have been impugned by some hereticke or other yet never any gainesayd this I meane since those errours were stilled in the Apostles time See 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. But whether it be that every man acknowledging the justice of God as no man can confesse him to be God whom he doth not beleeve to be just and a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him Hebr. 11.6 or whether it be that the testimonies of the holy Scripture are so cleare in this point as that they have stopped the mouthes of all heretickes the thing it selfe is most certaine to be as it may appeare by the texts of Scripture already cited and by these also that follow Psalm 9. vers 8. The Lord hath prepared His Throne for judgment He shall judge the world in righteousnesse He shall minister judgment unto the people in uprightnesse And Psalm 50. vers 3 4 5 6. God shall come A fire shall devoure before Him Hee shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that Hee may judge His people c. Psalm 96.13 The Lord commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with His trueth As it is also Psalm 98.9 Eccles. 11.9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement And Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee ill Reade hereto 2 Pet. 3. Chap. from vers 7. to 15. and Reu. 20. Chap. from vers 11. to the end § 6. Sect. 6 Thus it being manifest that the judgement shall be it must also appeare that our Lord Iesus must bee that judge Whereto though I have said that which may be sufficient at the beginning of the Chapter yet because it is our speciall hope and comfort that He shall be our judge that was our Creator that hath so dearely bought us that hath been our Mediator that doth evermore preserue us from the power of the enemy let us both begin and end with this lest the conscience of our owne sinnes and the remembrance of that fearefull time should cause us not to long for that comming For if God be very terrible in the assembly of His Saints Psalm 89.7 how much more in that gloomy day when He comes to render vengeance with devouring fire before Him and to repay His aduersaries to their face and to passe on them that fearefull sentence that shall d never be reversed and from which there is no appeale But lift up your heads you that are little in your owne eyes and tremble at His words for that is the day of your redemption and God Himselfe will come and save you And because He is God He knowes the secrets of your hearts and sees your reverence and your feare before Him and your acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse And because He is man and hath had experience of sorrowes and passed under the burden of unjust and cruell judgement and hath for us endured the Crosse and shame that we might be delivered from the wrath to come therefore lift up your heads and receive the reward of your faith and patience and the end of your hopes the eternall saluation of your soules and bodies 1. For if our Lord having suffered such things for us and having overcome in all His sufferings having ascended into heaven to be our continuall intercessor for us should not then give unto us that everlasting life which He hath purchased for us His sufferings and intercession should be altogether in vaine and our faith in Him which He hath wrought in us by His holy Spirit should be utterly void and those promises which Hee hath giuen us in His holy Word should faile of their trueth and performance But all these things are impossible And therefore our Lord Iesus shall come to give reward unto His seruants both small and great Revel 11.18 and to cast out the unbeleevers out of His kingdome 2. In things that are orderly disposed for an end nothing may be omitted of those things that are necessary for the attainement of that end The end of our Lords incarnation and sufferings concernes either God or man Concerning mankind euerlasting life in all happinesse and joy is that great end for which our Saviour was incarnate died and rose againe and shall raise us up at the last day And by His judgement of mercy and compassion on us shall deliver unto us the seisure and possession of that eternall happinesse Therefore our Lord Iesus shall be judge of the quicke and the dead Concerning God it is necessary that in His love to His Father and zeale to His honour Hee take vengeance on them that have offended the infinite justice and despised that mercy and pardon which hath beene offered unto them and still have continued in their sin and followed it with greedinesse Therefore in this respect also our Lord Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead 3. And seeing our Lord Iesus hath undertaken that honourable enterprise viterly to destroy the workes of the devill it is necessary that He leave nothing unperformed which doth belong to the accomplishment thereof Therefore Hee shall judge those Angels which are reserved in chaines of darknesse unto that day and bring upon them that destruction which they sought to bring upon all man-kind And shall also reward those servants of His which have continued faithfull in His service whether they be Angels or men 4. None is so fit to judge betweene two as hee that hath interest in both parties and knowes the worthinesse of them both and that not onely in his understanding but also by his experience of them both But man-kind is to be judged for that which hee hath done contrary or according to the will of God Therefore seeing our Lord Iesus is very God and very man as it hath beene prooved Hee shall be the judge of the quicke and the dead 5. In every orderly and just judgement both the Iudge and the sentence ought to be manifest and knowne to all them that
Therefore He is a creature Answere 1. He is no where in the Scripture called a creature or mentioned among the creatures in Psal 148. or else-where Therefore He is God Answer 2. The proposition is false as it appeared by the texts cited out of Actes 5.3 4. and Matth. 28.19 where He is equalled with the Father and the Sonne and 2. Cor. 13.14 And Iohn 5.7 Moreover no sinne doth make a man lyable to an infinite punishment but that which is against an infinite being But the sinne against the Holy-Ghost shall not bee pardoned neither in this world nor yet in that which is to come Matth. 12.32 Therefore the Holy-Ghost is God Take hereto Actes 28. verso 25. and 27. with Rom. 11.8 and 1. Cor. 3.16 And as these texts of Scripture are sufficient to shew the falshood of this last objection So doe they manifest the vanitie of all the rest and confirme abundantly the trueth of this Article that the Holy-Ghost is God To bring the consent of Fathers and Councelis to these Scriptures were as to encrease the light of the Sun by a burning candle yet because it was so plainely declared in the first generall Councell held at Nice by 318. Fathers in the yeere of Christ 325. you may remember it if you will In that Councell this Article was thus declared in that forme of confession which was framed by Hosius Bishop of Corduba As the Father and the Sonne so also the Holy-Ghost subsisteth with them of the same being of the same power of which they are And a little after Wee ought to confesse one God-head one being of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost not teaching any confusion or division of the Persons of the unspeakeable and blessed Trinitie But according to the integritie of that faith and doctrine which was heretofore delivered by the Lord Himselfe to His Apostles and hath beene sincerely taught to us by our holy Fathers who kept it pure and intire as they received it from the Apostles wee beleeve and confesse the undivideable Trinitie which cannot sufficiently either be conceived in the understanding or expressed in wordes that is the Father eternally and truely subsisting a true Father of a true Sonne and the Sonne eternally and truely subsisting a true Sonne of a true Father and the Holy-Ghost verily and eternally subsisting with them And wee are ever ready by the power of the Holy-Ghost to proove that this is the trueth by the manifold testimony of the holy Scripture Histor Gelasij Cyzie Act. Conc. Nic. lib. 2. cap. 12. This faith was approved of all but because the present businesse with Arius was especially about the Sonne For he held that the Son was not of the subsistence of the Father nor yet very God That they might meet fully with that errour they agreed to that forme wherein it is confessed that the Sonne is light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father c. Thus having ended the controversie about the God-head of the Sonne they come to the question of the Holy-Ghost against whom Phaedon a Philosopher and patron of Arius his cause objected thus It is no where written in the Scripture that the Holy-Ghost is a Creater and therefore Hee is not God To which the Councell opposed that which is in Iob 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life And that in Psal 33.6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the Spirit of His mouth To which they added that of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12. verse 4 5 6. where the Holy-Ghost is called both Lord and God And so concluded that all the three Persons that is the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall or of the same substance Lib. Cit. Cap. 25. Likewise when this heresie of Arius concerning the Holy-Ghost was againe revived by Macedonius the second generall Councell held at Constantinople in the yeere 381. condemned the heresies of all Arians Apollinarists and Macedenians confirmed the faith professed in the Nicene Creed and for further explanation of the trueth in this point to that clause Wee believe in the Holy-Ghost they added the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorified c. And this is sufficient for the declaration of the trueth in this point by the authority of generall Councells All the orthodox Fathers consent hereunto Among whom if you desire to bee further acquainted with the arguments and objections on both sides you may reade the writings of that most noble Champion of the trueth of the holy Trinitie Athanasius and in speciall that sermon of the humane nature taken by the Word the oration against the ging of Sabellius and the first and second Epistle to Serapion and his first dialogue against Macedonius with him Macedonianus See also Greg. Nyss vol. 2. pag. 439. edit Paris 1615. you may also if you will take these objections and their answeres brought by Epiphanius to this question Haer. 74. and with them those in Thomas Aquinas Contra gentes Liber 4. Cap. 16. and their answeres Cap. 23. Another errour against the being of the Holy-Ghost is that which they call of the later Greekes and yet is not onely of the Grecians themselves but of all those Nations and Peoples that are of the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople which if you leave out the Countreys of the poore Painims in the East and West Indies is far greater than the pretended universality of the Bishop of Rome both in Europe and in Asia See Brerew Enq. Chap. 15. and besides them the Melchites or Christians of Syria the Armenians and Maronites hold the same heresie All these though they confesse that the Holy-Ghost is God the third Person in the Trinitie yet they say that He proceedeth onely from the Father not from the Sonne But although they account this but a later errour among the Greekes perhaps because the stirres thereabout after the Councell of Florence in the yeere 1439. grew more hot than they had beene before and that because the Greekes then present in that Councell in hope to draw them of the West into their helpe against the Turks did seemingly yeeld to that trueth which these Churches in the West doe holde in that point yet it appeares that in the time of Damascen about the yeere 750. it was their received opinion For thus he writes Orthod fidet lib. 1. Cap. 13. He is the Spirit of the Sonne not proceeding from Him but from the Father by Him For the Father onely is the cause Nay if you looke yet higher in that explanation which the Councell of Constantinople spoken of even now made of that Article of the Holy-Ghost in the Nicene Creed that clause and from the Sonne is left out so that this errour
necessary for us to know if nothing be more necessary for us to know than the meanes of our delivery from sinne and death by the merit of Christ it is necessary that one needfull thing be made manifest unto us by the Scriptures of God that every one may know and come freely to the fountaine of living Waters But what helps a fountaine that is sealed up Therfore it is necessary that our redemption by Christ be cleerely plainely and for every mans understanding taught in the holy Scriptures 2. Most of the arguments of § 2. are easily brought to prove that the Scriptures are easie to bee understood 1. For what comfort or hope could wee have by them if wee understood them not 2. How is our memory helpt by that we know not 3. How are wee confirmed in our most holy faith and religion by that wee understand not 4. How should wee understand those high mysteries so farre beyond our apprehension as the Trinitie of Persons in Vnitie of the Deitie c. but that the Holy Scriptures have made them easie unto us 5. How should wee know the danger and punishment of our sinne or the reward of our obedience if the Scripture did not fullie instruct us therein 6. You may also bring hither the reasons in § 4. I need not repeat them nor teach a child how from the sufficiencie of the Scripture he may proove their easinesse to be understood See there Object 1. But doth not Saint Peter 2. Epistle 3.16 say that in Saint Pauls Epistles Object 1 as in the other Scriptures there are some things hard to bee understood Answere Though some things be hard yet the fundamentall points of our Religion as the articles of our faith and the rules of a Christian life are plaine and easie to bee understood therein and these are the things by the knowledge and performance of which wee may hope to have everlasting life Object 2. But it is not the word of the Scripture that the unlearned and unstable Obiect 2 wrest the things which they understand not to their owne destruction Nay did not the Hereticks though many of them learned peruert the Scripture to the supportance of their damnable Heresies And were it not better that they had never read the Scriptures than that they should read them with so great danger both to themselues and to others as it hath appeared by the heresies that have beene sowne in the Church Answere If I seeme to give you a sullen answere yet reprove it not if it stand with the trueth It is said 1. Pet. 2.9 That Christ is a stone of stumbling and a rocke of offence to the disobedient but to them that obey the trueth elect and precious But should Christ therefore not have come to redeeme His Elect because some shewed themselves unworthy of eternall life Therefore if the Gospel be uneasie or hid it is hid to them that are without whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that they should not perceive the trueth Therefore as Christ redeemed the elect prayes for the elect not for the world but for them whom God had given him out of the world Iohn 17.9 So the benefits which are peculiar to the Church of which the true understanding of the Scripture is one belongs to them who with an honest and pure heart receive the word and bring forth fruit with patience But it is true that even to those many things are yet unknowne and some things doubtfull and this by the dispensation of God 1. To avoid wearinesse in the reader 2. To stirre up our diligence and further inquest 3. That wee may aske wisedome of God and not trust to our owne understanding 4. That in the high and great mysteries of God wee should hold our selues contented with that knowledge of them which God hath vouchsafed to give us in His word and such conclusions as doe necessarily follow thereupon But if the Scriptures be able indeed to give wisedome to the simple to make Children wise to saluation through faith in Christ if they give instruction in righteousnesse and make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished to every good worke 2. Tim. 3.16.17 then doubtlesse are they for every mans reading for the perfect and him that is throughly furnished for children and for the simple for all ages of men and women Ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters Come buy Wine and Milke without money or price Es 55. verse 1. Of the Scriptures Jnterpretation § 7. ANd if the Scripture be for every ones reading then certainely for euery ones interpretation privately to his owne understanding according to the measure of his capacity For the interpretation of any word or writing is nothing else but the declaration of the native and true meaning thereof whether it be literall and that either simple or figurative or mysticall and that either allegoricall morall or anagogicall But that ought not to bee taken for the true meaning of the Scripture which every one according to his private fantasie is able to wring out but that onely is the true and lawfull interpretation thereof which doth offer it selfe according to the meaning of the words with due consideration of the argument or purpose of the text which is gathered by that which goes before and that which followes after And this interpretation is especially to be hoped from them who having knowledge of the Hebrew and Greeke wherein the Scriptures were originally written have made it all their studie and delight truely to understand them for their owne soules health and the instruction of others But that wee bee not overswayed by any opinion which wee may have of their learning or mightinesse in the Scriptures let nothing be taken for a true interpretation of the Scripture which is dishonourable to God contrary to any Article of the faith or any of the ten Commandements or the petitions of the Lord prayer or any received doctrine which is plainely taught by other places of Scripture Secondly nothing which is contrary to common reason and understanding or repugnant to civill custome and good manners 3. No man knoweth the things of God but onely the Spirit of God therefore in the interpretation of doubtfull places of Scripture the Spirit of God whereby it was written must give also the true understanding or interpretation thereof and this Spirit and the meaning thereof is most easily found in the holy Scripture Therefore the surest and best interpretation of Scripture is by Scripture it selfe 4. The Scribes and Pharises were to be heard sitting in the Chaire of Moses that is teaching the Law according to the true meaning of Moses Therefore the interpreters of the New-Testament also are to be heard speaking the voice of Christ. But His sheepe will not heare a stranger for they know not the voice of strangers Iohn 10. Therefore the interpretation of the Scripture is chiefely by the Scriptures And by the Scriptures onely every question of faith
truenesse of his Religion because he finds no familiar reason to perswade but onely the racke of authorities to constraine him to acknowledge it may perhaps bee hereby satisfied and finde comfort and that they who are already strong may by this overplus triumph in the goodnesse of God who requires them to beleeve no more then they may by that understanding which hee hath given them bee perswaded of I have for their sakes who may reape benefit thereby neglected all froward Censurers not guilty unto my selfe of any offence which I can commit in making it publike Such as it is accept kinde Sir as a parcell of that assertion which may hereafter follow of every Article of our Christian faith if God shall vouchsafe me understanding leisure and maintenance thereto I therefore offer it unto you both because I know you are diligent in reading of bookes of good argument and because I have none other meanes whereby to shew my selfe thankefull for your manifold kindnesses and your love London this 20. of April 1601. Your loving and assured friend A. G. THE TREATISE THough many things discouraged mee to write unto you of this Argument in such sort as I intend considering that neither your daily reading of the Scripture neither the perswasion of learned Divines can moove you to accord unto the truth though by manifest testimony of Scripture they conuince your heresie and most of all that God hath left you to beleeve that lying spirit of Antichrist who denyeth that Iesus is that Christ Yet neverthelesse having some hope that God of His goodnesse will at last pull you as a brand out of the fire and quench you with the dew of His grace that you may grow in the knowledge of His Sonne I will as briefly as I can lay downe some few reasons of that faith which every one that will be saved must hold Whereby if I perswade you nothing yet shall I obtain thus much that you who neither beleeved His word nor yet opened your eyes to see the light of reasonable understanding shall at last confesse that His word and judgments are holy and true But before I come to the point let me first perswade you that although the knowledge of the holy Trinity be one of the most high mysteries which can be knowne or beleeved and that it is the only worke of the Holy-Ghost to worke this faith and knowledge in the heart of man yet neverthelesse God hath not left us destitute of meanes whereby to come to this faith and knowledge but hath also with His word given us a reasonable soule and understanding whereby to grow in the knowledge of Himselfe and His will For when Adam was created he had given unto him all perfect knowledge meete for him Now God who created the world for no other purpose then the manifestation of His owne glory might not leave that creature without understanding of the Godhead who being by nature and creation the most excellent in this visible world was made for that purpose especially above all other to set foorth His praise and to call on Him Now how could he doe this if he knew Him not But I thinke that seeing it is said that man was created in the jmage of God you will not deny that man before his fall had much more perfect understanding of the Godhead then it is possible for him to have till he come to know even as he is known but that by sin you may say this knowledge was lost not lost but corrupted only even as mans will For then it should follow that we were inferior to bruit beasts who have in them a sensible knowledge meete for that end whereto they were created Furthermore it is not possible that mans sinne should frustrate the end which God intended in His creation but it is manifest that man was created to know and honour the Creator Againe seeing in Christ all things consist he being ordained of the Father before all worlds in whom the world should be both created and restored It is plaine that this light of our understanding both proceedeth from Him and is restored in Him as it is said Iohn 1. He is that light that lightneth euery man that cometh into the world not onely His chosen with knowledge of His saving trueth but even generally every man with reasonable understanding whereby we may know whatsoever is to bee knowne of God and how even by the workes of God as it is plainely concluded Rom. 1 19 20. Therefore are they not to bee heard who hold any thing without the compasse of Faith which is without the compasse of Knowledge For Faith ought so to be grounded on Knowledge as Hope is grounded upon Faith So that as Faith Hebr. 11.1 is said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eviction or proofe of things hoped for though they be not seene so may I say that Knowledge is the proofe of things which are beleeved For Faith is nothing else but the Conclusion of a particular Syllogisme drawne from the Conclusion of an universall which the knowledge of God had concluded as it is manifest Iam. 2.19 and Hebr. 11.3 By conference of which two places it appeareth that this knowledge of which I speake this Historicall Faith as to beleeve that there is one God which made all things of nought is onely such a knowledge as the devils and wicked men have but to beleeve and have confidence in this God is that particular conclusion and that faith which causeth us to have hope in His promises Therefore said Christ Have Faith in God that is strive to know God that knowing you may have faith and beleeve in Him And wee see that in these things where a bare faith without knowledge might seeme to be most required because as a man would thinke there were no reason to be given of them namely concerning the maintenance of this life and the resurrection to the life to come both Christ and His Apostles use no other reasons but such as every reasonable man may easily bee perswaded by though authorities of Scripture were not wanting to both purposes as it is manifest Matth. 6. and 1. Cor. 15. Yea Paul at Athens or wheresoever hee perswaded the worship of the true God among the Gentiles hee perswaded not by authoritie of Scripture which amongst them had beene very weake but by such arguments as they knew to bee sufficient even in themselues If these things were not so how then could the Gentiles which knew not the Scriptures be without excuse for their ignorance of God Therefore I conclude that there is nothing which is beleeved but it may also be knowen Now knowledge we know is ingendered by such principles as have trueth in them the which is evident of it selfe So that by plaine and reasonable understanding a man may know whatsoever he beleeveth You will say To what purpose then serue the Scriptures I answere That God infinite in goodnesse hath together with this
in nature and yet three in evident and cleare distinction though in so base and imperfect order as that which is in all perfection is possible to be above it And further see you not in every thing a bodie a spirit and a life which is the knot betweene them Or rather see you not how the very bodily composition is both one and three one body which is united of three bodies that is earth water and ayre or oyle which yet againe in the roote of their nature are but one For oyle is but a due mixture of water and earth meanely fixt and meanely volatil and earth is but fixed water so that water which is but one is the roote of the three as it is manifest Gene. 1. and 2. Pet. 3.5 They which understand the rules of Pyronomie know what I say and if you understood mee well you would confesse that not onely this instance which I have brought of earth water and ayre but even the whole frame of Nature did proclaime the Trinitie in the Vnitie If I should here tell you how the Heaven the Earth and the Deepe Gene. 1. might bee understood mystically and the Analogie betweene the Creator and the creature therein and then tell you what Let the earth bring forth living soule might meane and compare it with that place That which was made in Him was life and then particularly for man The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the earth and tell you that it was so necessary because that Christ is Terra viventium and inforce an argument to prove the Tri-Vnitie by that treeble repetition of the man made in the image of God comparing it with that place 1. Cor. 11.3 and 7. If I should then tell you that it was necessary that the Sonne of God must become flesh as well that the infinite iustice of God might be actuated in Him which could not be actuated in Him being onely God as for many other reasons Both from the Iustice and Mercie and Wisedome of God though to a well-sighted understanding I might seeme to have laid a precious foundation of Philosophie divine and naturall yet to you I might rather seeme perhaps to have proposed Cabalisticall dreames then any sound argument to the thing in question Yet this will I tell you and hold it for good Divinity that the mayne drift and scope of the whole Scripture is to shew the creation of all things in Christ through Him and for Him and the restoring of the whole creature in man by Him That in all things He might have the preeminence Coloss 1. Neither doth this any whit derogate from the honour of the Father For first It hath pleased the Father that in Him should all fulnesse dwell and besides it is an honour above all honours unto the Father to be the Father of so glorious a Sonne Therefore is this world and all the things therein created to the Image of Christ to expresse His glory even as He is the expressed Image and glory of the Father And here is the worlds Eternity which had in Christ an eternall Being according to that His Name Esay 9.6 The Father of Eternity Here are those separate Ideas about which Plato and Aristotle could never agree and which neither both of them nor many of their followers did perfectly understand not that they might not by the frame of nature and the wisedome which God had given to man be understood For is not this world as a booke wherein we may read and understand by the created truths what is the Truth which is increated but all true knowledge is the gift of God Therefore wrest not that place Coloss 2.8 against the Christian search after the knowledge of nature whereby above all other humane knowledges a man is brought to know God and to honour Him as he ought but rather be sorry that your knowledge of Nature is no more For this will I tell you to teach you to know your selfe that there is nothing in the creature which may be knowne and all may be knowne that is in the creature but man ought to know it and to glorifie the Creator thereby And this great labour hath God given to men that knowing how short they are of that they ought to be they might be humbled thereby Psal 1.11 Eccles. 1.13 And why ought this to seeme strange doth not God require that perfection at mans hand wherein He did create Him and was he not created with perfect discourse to know the creature that he might therein behold the Creator and so glorifie His wondrous power and goodnesse But this question would draw me from the question in hand and therfore I will briefly adde one reason more and because my leisure is little I will be as short as I can but I pray you lend me your eare for it is hard in English an inartificiall language to expresse my mind but because you told me you could a little Latine I will be bold here and there to use a word my reason is thus The whole and perfect nature of a Principle or Beginning is in God who is alone the beginner of all things Now a Principle is of three sorts whereof every one is so clearely distinct from another as that one cannot possibly be that other therefore in the Vnitie of the Deitie there is also such cleare distinction into a Trinitie as that one distinct cannot possible be that other from which He is distinguished yet in the Vnitie of essence they are all one The differences of a beginning stand thus It is either Principium principians non principiatum that is a Beginning which is a Beginner unto another yet hath not His beginning from another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie à parte ante this is God the Father to whom it is peculiar to beget the Son yet is Himselfe neither made nor created nor begotten of any other Secondly there is Principium principiatum principians to wit a Beginning which hath his beginning of another and is also a beginning to another lest there should be any defect or imbecillitie in the Beginning and this is the Everlasting Sonne very God of very God begotten of the substance of His Father alone before the worlds neither made nor created Thirdly there is Principium principiatum non principians that is a Beginning which is also begun but is not a beginner unto another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie à parte pòst and this is the Holy-Ghost who proceedeth from the very substance and Being of the Father and the Sonne and is with them one GOD coëternall and coëquall But you will say Is not the Holy-Ghost a Beginner unto any other how is He then the Authour of our consolation and how is He said to lead us into all truth c Vnderstand what I meane He is not a beginner unto any other of the same Infinite Essence or Being with Himselfe For the beginnings
of Arius should not provide for your safety as he did He denied the authority of S. Iohns writings to be authenticall And why because this earth-bred Giant which would pull Christ out of the throne of His Deitie should with his lightning be suddenly burnt Beleeve you the Scripture Is Iohns authority sufficient then the case is plaine We are in Him that is true in His Son Iesus Christ who is very God and eternall life 1. Ioh. 5.20 Can you now confer this Scripture with that place I have said yee are Gods and not be ashamed I and the Father are one The Iewes understood that He herein professed Himselfe to be very God and are you His enemy more then they Reade Ioh. 10. ver 30. 33. 34. and you may understand the meaning of both places The devills acknowledged Him to be God of Infinite power I know Thee who Thou art even that Holy One of God And will not you confesse as much as the devills But this is more then I thought to say onely you may see hereby that we speake no other thing then Christ Himselfe even in His enemies understanding said Now if you could see a little the folly of your own opinion that were inough to cause you to put on a better mind I will touch it as lightening doth touch the ground for if you be willing to be reformed there is no doubt but you may propound it to the learned Divines and be fully satisfied You say Christ is onely man but yet indued with the infinite Power of God Here first you doe injurie to the Highest to make the Power of God to be accidentall unto Him whereas hee is purus actus absolute perfection and without shadow of change His Being is most simple and pure not capeable of accidents Then His Being is such as no addition can be made thereto to make it more then it is therefore it is necessary that He be ever actually whatsoever he may be Besides His Being is Infinitely distant from Not-Being therefore His Power is inseparable Againe if there come any thing to God as an accident it must come unto Him from Himselfe or else from another not from another for He is impassible or such as cānot suffer violence not from Himselfe for all such accidents doe proceed à potentiâ that is from the imbecillity or imperfection of the subject but His Being is most simple and infinitely perfect Againe all accidents do rise from the matier forme or composition of the subject In Him is neither matier forme nor cōposition Now al things we see in this world do consist ex actu potentiâ of perfection from God imperfection from thēselues for of themselues they are non entia absolutely nothing Yea even the very Angels and the soule it selfe are partakers of this composition for nothing is purus actus but God alone therefore are they subject to accidents yet they which come neerest to perfection are most free from accidents as that which is meere perfection hath no accidents at all Know then that all the dignities of God are in him essentially one God For the Goodnesse of God His Power His Wisedome His Glory c. Being all infinite do of necessitie concurre in the nature of Infinitie Whence it followeth that whatsoever is in Him is essentially Himselfe therefore the power of God is not accidental or such as may be imparted to a man The learned Hebrues according to this doe hold that Ensoph or Infinitie is not to be numbred among the other attributes of God because it is that abstract Vnity whereinto they all essentially concurre and from which they all essentially proceed and hence by the way take another strong argument to the former question for if God bee essentially a Father then the terme correlative a Sonne must be in the Godhead also and that essentially But now againe see another folly in your supposition The work of our Redemption is a work of infinite goodnesse mercie power wisedome and glory therefore it followeth that Christ the worker had infinite mercie power wisedome c. Now I demand had Christ this infinite goodnesse and power so given to Him of God that the Father Himselfe had in the meane time none This you dare not say for that were to say that God did cease to be God which cannot stand with His Eternity Now if God the Father had notwithstanding this absolute infinite power of Christ of which he spake All power is given unto Me both in heaven and in earth then it followeth that either there were two infinities of power or else that these two which had this infinite Power were all one Infinite The first is against the nature of Infinitie for that is absolutely infinite which so comprehendeth all things as that it leaveth nothing without it selfe and yet is not comprehended to any other Besides if you would say that the Father and the Sonne had each of them severall indiuisible infinite Powers it must follow that neither of their Powers were absolutely infinite because each of them had not the infinite Power of the other And besides that both these infinite Powers must be conjoyned with infinite weakenes because they must be mutually subjected to the infinite Power one of the other But both these things are impossible So you see that two Infinities can by no meanes stand together therefore it followeth that these two to wit the Father and the Son are in Being one and that of infinite Power and this is that which I strive for which as you see I have concluded by your own assertion The time would faile me to lay before your eyes the manifold untruths which would ensue of your position which savoureth neither of wit judgement nor learning And therefore I see how they which have once departed from the truth must of necessrity run into infinite absurdities Therefore looke back and be ashamed of such new-fangled toys as you do daily imagine which in truth do argue the great inconstancy and vanity of your mind withall such palpable blindnes of understanding as the darknes of Egypt For tel me without selfe-liking what sound judgement doth this argue to be driven about with every wind of doctrine a Protestant a Brownist an Anabaptist an Antichrist What bringing up what gift of learning and knowledge have you that you should presume to oppose your sentence against the faith doctrine of all the Christian Churches in the world Blush and learne with meeknes the truth of that Word which is able to save your soule You may see by your owne miserable experience what it is to forsake the Vnitie of Faith and the Communion of the Saints who imbrace the truth of Gods word and have manifest tokens that they are the true Church to wit The word of God truely taught and the Sacraments duely administred What if there want perfection The Church militant must ever confesse I am lovely yet black For it is impossible that any church should be without imperfection so long as the world standeth but at the end it shall be presented without spot or wrinkle Therefore remember from whence you are fallen and repent and doe the works of righteousnesse lest Christ whom you so despite come against you shortly The worke of Christianity is not in foolish questions and disputing about needles subtilties but in doing the works of truth and righteousnesse Pray and endeavour your selfe thereto And till such time as God for His Christs sake vouchsafe to have mercy on you the enemy of His Son and give you grace to repent of this great wickednes I am neither your friend nor yet your foe ALEX. GIL FINIS
Sheol by the Septuagint translated Hades except by way of prophecy concerning Christ cannot signifie the place of the damned from whence there is no returning but onely extreame dangers griefe or hellish sorrowes of mind or such sicknesses as brought the body in danger of the grave To these words especially in the three last significations 2. Of the state of the Dead 3 Of the Place and 4. Paines of the damned the words Inferi and Infernus in Latin doe answere But hell with us is proper to the place of torment and doth not signifie any thing else but by a trope and is not of Heal as I thinke which sometime signifies to cover much lesse of Helle the Dutch word as much as bright or shining but of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hel a deepe ditch or trench as the word is used 2 Sam. 20.15 They cast up a banke against the City and it stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bahel in the trench And hee that thinkes not that the Saxon our true language hath many things common with the Hebrew knowes neither the one nor the other as hee might § 2. Sect. 2 Now according to these takings of the words different interpretations have beene made of this Article of which because so much hath already beene written among our selues I may and purpose to be more briefe But because some formes of confession have left this Article out therefore it hath growne questionable whether it was alwayes in this Creed of the Apostles or not Of the Apostles I say or Apostolicall men their hearers gathered as the summe of the Apostles doctrine concerning the Faith And true it is that as it cannot be said by whom where or when this Creed was first composed as being the most ancient in this kind the rest being onely explications of some points herein made upon occasions of heresies or doubts thereabout So doe some men certainely affirme that all the other Articles were not put together at once Yet is it without doubt that this Article is as ancient as the rest that are found in the Creed seeing the most ancient among the Fathers Athanasius Origen Tertullian Irenaeus and others have so received and declared it And therefore that fancy of Eraesmus who suspected that Thomas Aquinas might foy'st it in was farre below both the one and the other seeing it is confest by Ruffinus who lived within the first 400. yeeres after Christ to have beene in the Creed used in the Church of Aquileia and so by him interpreted with the rest But although the Councell at Nice in Bithinia left it out of their Creed because their speciall businesse was against Arius concerning the Deitie of our Saviour and although the Arians in their Councell at Nice in Thracia put it in their Creed nay although Aquinas had first put it in were it therefore fit to leave it out or not to count it an Article of Faith as some would doe I thinke not seeing the holy Scripture gives authority to it Psalm 16.10 referred to Christ by the exposition of Saint Peter Actes 2.27 seeing all the Christian Churches have receiued it and seeing that according to the true and necessary meaning thereof there is no Article of the Creed which doth more clearely and directly overthrow the heresies of Arius and the Dimaeritae concerning the humane soule of Christ of which you read Chapter 26. Note a § 2. 1. Now concerning the different interpretations Some according to the first meaning of Sheol and Hades for the Grave thinke that Christ was truely buried and kept in the Grave three dayes and that this Article had no other meaning but a further declaration of Dead and Buried against the opinion of Marcion Valentin and such other heretickes as denyed the trueth of Christs being and His suffering as you heard before Note a on Chap. 27. 2. Others would that beyond the death and buriall it should impart a disposing of His body to corruption But if their meaning therein be this That the body of our Lord was laid in the grave where corruption doth seaze on the bodies of other men then this blind descent can looke no further then His buriall or if it must needs meane any thing more then would they force us by this Article to beleeve and confesse that which by the Scripture we know to be false For it was impossible that the holy One of God should either see corruption or be brought to any degree or disposition thereunto beyond the death and buriall of His body See Acts 2.24 27. 3. Some other by this descent of Christ will understand the uttermost degree of His humiliation that could come unto Him while His Soule was parted from the Body His honour laid in the dust the devill and his instruments triumphing over Him But the Creed was not framed to teach us the triumph and ioy of His enemies but His victory and their confusion And concerning our Lord Himselfe this goes no further then either of the former interpretations except in that sence which you shall heare anon Therefore none of these can be the meaning of this Article For in the abridgement or summe of our Faith interpretations are not fit especially such as are more darke than that to which they should give light Therefore this Article Hee descended into hell cannot in any of the former meanings be a declaration of that Hee was dead and buryed 4. A fourth interpretation is of them who thinke the descent of Christ meanes thus much onely That His soule being departed out of His body went unto the soules of the faithfull which were in Paradise which they interpret heaven But seeing heaven being taken not metaphorically for Ioy and happinesse but properly for a place must in all sence signifie that which is upward from the earth It must needes bee a very aukward interpretation of He descended into hell to say He ascended or went upward into heaven yet because this interpretation brings both reason and authoritie it shall bee examined by and by 5. A fift interpretation is of them who will have this descent to signifie nothing else but the endurance of those unspeakable sorrowes and torments which He suffered in soule being in His agony and on the crosse 6. A sixt sence is of them who hold that Hee did locally goe downe to hell so that according to the essence or being of His soule He was truely present there And as the former of these denie not but that Christ by His death did utterly spoile the powers of darknesse and so may be said virtually and by the effects of His suffering to have gone downe into hell because that by the eternall offering of Himselfe a ransome for the sinnes of the world and the performance thereof in the time appointed He did utterly free all His beleevers from Hell which was their due and setled them in the inheritance of eternall life so these latter for the most part denie not but that all this
which is said is agreeable to the trueth of the Scripture and the analogie of Faith onely they cannot yeeld that it is the true and native meaning of this Article And betweene these two parties all those texts of Scripture which are brought for the locall descent of Christ are hammered so thinne that may seeme plyable every way But let the strength of the Holy Text for ever stand sure and let us see the reasons a little on all sides with their answeres and exceptions And first of them that interpret this Article by the sufferings of Christs soule Object 1. Sect. 3 As the sufferings of Christ even from the first minute of His Incarnation were meritorious for us yet our ransome from the torments of hell was wrought especially by the suffering of His humane soule which torments of His soule Hee endured not onely by the torture or fellow-feeling of His naturall body nor by compassion onely on the sins and sorrowes of His body mysticall but also He might be said even to feele the sorrowes of eternall death when He saw Himselfe to be now set to suffer the wrath of God due to the sinnes of the whole world And if this bee not the proper and native sence of this Article how are wee taught by our Creed to beleeve more concerning Christ than wee confesse to be true of the theeves of whom wee may say they suffered under Pontius Pilate that they were crucified dead and buryed Al. Hume Rejoynd to Doctor Hil. I answere First the holy Scripture is profitable for doctrine for instruction for reproofe c. But the object of our faith is onely the Holy Trinity in Vnity and the satisfaction of Christ for our Redemption and the benefits which wee receive thereby And therefore although I beleeve and know by the Scriptures that Samson was the Sonne of Manoa yet I neither beleeve in Samson nor Manoa And though I know by the Scriptures that the penitent thiefe suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucifyed and dyed yet I beleeve not in him But concerning Christ as I beleeve that all His merits redound to us so I beleeve that all His sufferings were according to the Scripture a satisfaction to the justice of God for the sinnes of the world which they could not be but by the suffering both of His soule and body as it is said Esay 53. Hee shall see the travaile of His soule and bee satisfied If then wee know that whatsoever befell unto our Lord was that the Scripture might be fulfilled Matth. 26.54.56 and if wee beleeve and confesse in our Creed that He suffered according to the Scriptures and dyed and rose againe according to the Scriptures and that the Scriptures doe plainely testifie that by His sufferings and death the wrath of God against mans sinne is fully satisfied which as I said could not be but by His sufferings in His soule as well as in His body After these sufferings under Pontius Pilate what needes a second remembrance of His suffrings in soule under a title of a descent into hell Therefore when as I am bound to beleeve and confesse that the sufferings of Christ under Pontius Pilate were according to the Scriptures that is in soule and body I am bound to deny that the suffering of Christ in His soule is the native meaning of this Article He descended into hell 2. Beside the doctrine of Faith being a catechisme doctrine Heb. 6.1 and the sum thereof being for the use of children and novices it is not likely that the Church would have so generally received a creed wherin the thing to be beleeved should be laid down inwords that were tropicall and obscure when plaine and proper termes were necessary and at hand But hell cannot signifie the torments of hell but by a metonymia of the place for the adjunct of the place neither yet could it properly be said That our Saviour went down into bell when He was lifted up upon the Crosse where the especiall endurance and expression of His hellish torments were both in soule and body 2. Neither can it truely be said He descended into hell that is He suffered in soule the torments of hell but by a Synecdoche of the whole man for one part Neither were these torments of His soule more properly or truely called torments of hel then those torments of His body which we confesse He suffered under Pontius Pilate 3. Moreover after He was dead and buried it comes in unduly againe to make mention of His sufferings in soule a great part of which were endured in the garden before He came to the hands either of Pilate or of the Priests 4. And yet beyond all these reasons there is another argument that the Church did not interpret this Article by the sufferings of Christs Soule because as Gerrardus Vossius puts it De statu animae separatae Qu 1. It was the received opinion of the ancient Fathers even to this our time That the soules of the faithfull before Christ entred not into Paradise till Christ by His death had set it open and entred thereinto according to His promise to the thiefe on the Crosse And if all the soules of the faithfull were in hell taken in the second sence before mentioned though in a place of rest as Theophilus speakes and that by the comming of Christ thither they were brought to Paradise or a place of further joy then certainely this Article must in their iudgement be interpreted by the descent of Christ into hell after his death rather then by the sorrowes of His soule before it And to this purpose the learned Vossius brings some 20. Fathers from Tacianus the schollar of Iustin Martyr about the yeere of Christ 180. before whom He might have put His master Iustin as it is plaine in his Triphon Among those Fathers are Irenaeus Tertullian Origen Eusebius Athanasius Ambrose Ierom Epiphanius Chrysostom Augustin Cyril and beside them whom he reckons up he ads innumerable others and with them the sentence of the Councill of Toledo in the yeere 633. He descended into Hell that He might free them which were there detained Aug. Ep 99. writes thus If the reason be asked why our Saviour would come into hell where those sorrowes are of which He could not be held it was Because He was free among the dead Psal 88.5 Moreover concerning the first Father of mankind almost the whole Church agrees that He freed him there which may not be thought that the Church beleeved without cause although the expresse authority of the Canonicall Scripture be not alleadged He saith almost the whole Church because the heretickes called Tacians denyed that Adam was saved De Haeres Cap. 25. Vossius beside all these brings the consent of the Africane and of the Easterne Churches both of the Greekes and of the Nestorians with divers later writers as Zuinglius P. Martyr and others Obiect 1. Sect. 4 But the Fathers agreed not all in one judgement Answer True Neither