a blinde and dumbe devill By convincing the scribes and pharisees of the irremissible sin By promising the signe of the prophet Jonas By teaching the people in parables By sending forth his Apostles two and two By feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes By walking upon the sea to his disciples By reproving the traditions of the pharisees By healing the daughter of the Canaanitish woman By healing him that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech By feeding foure thousand with seven loaves and a few little fishes By reproving the pharisees and sadduces By reprehending his disciples By healing the blinde man It became him who humbled himselfe and was made man for the redemption of all mankinde to do all these things And thus following herein my learned author late right Reverend Diocesan in his learned Theanthropicon our sacred history doth put an end to the third year after his Baptism which was the two and thirtieth year of his age The first occurrence of the next year is that Jesus with his disciples came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi not into Caesarea Philippi it selfe S. Mar. 8.27 S. Luc. 9.18 S. Mat. 16 13 Christ interrogateth his disciples but into the townes of Cesarea Philippi as St. Mark saith and in the way having prayed alone he asked his disciples saying Whom do men say that I the son of man am This question was propounded to them by the way as they went not out of ignorance as if he had not known what it was that the people said of him nor out of curiosity as if he were delighted to hear the rumours of the vulgar concerning himselfe but docendi gratiâ because he meant to teach and instruct them more perfectly He did not aske whom the Pharisees and Scribes did say him to be that was publickly and notoriously known for in the blindeness of their own minds and in the hardness of their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Epiphanius They knew not his Godhead and they supposed that he was no other but a meer man Lib. Anchor cap. 27. They knew nothing of his wonderfull conception which was by the holy Ghost nor of his wonderfull birth which was of a pure virgin nor of his speciall priviledge which was that he was without all sin nor of the hypostaticall union whereby the word was made flesh not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God They did therefore notoriously defame him S. Joh 8.44 S. Joh. 10.20 said that he was a Samaritan and that he had a devill That he had a devill and was mad And because he came eating and drinking S. Mat. 11.19 they said Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend to publicans and sinners They undervalued all his miracles and look what they saw and knew to be done by the divine power and vertue of the holy Ghost they affirmed of the devill S. Mar. 3.22 saying He hath Beelzebub and by the prince of devills casteth he out devills Therefore he did not ask what they said him to be but whom do men the people the vulgar say that I the Son of man am The opinion of the people concerning Christ They told him according to the common opinion of the people of the Jewes in those dayes whereby it was believed that the souls of the defunct according to the merits of each person did commigrate into other bodies that some said that he was Saint John the Baptist some Elias others Jeremias or one of the prophets that is to say of the old Prophets and that he was such by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that the soul of Saint John the Baptist Elias or Jeremias or of one of the Prophets was transmigrated into him and that this was the vulgar errour concerning him Whereupon he demanded of them saying But whom say ye that I am Simon Peter the mouth of the Apostles replyeth both for himselfe and for all the rest Thou art Christ Saint Peters confession the son of the living God He pronounceth him blessed for his faiths-sake whereby he so believed affirming that this his answer was by divine revelation For flesh and blood saith he hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven And then admonisheth him of the retribution for his confession sake Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Promising also unto him the keyes of the kingdome of heaven to the end that whatsoever he should binde on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever he should loose upon earth should be loosed in heaven His prerogative 1st He confers upon him this prerogative That he is Peter that is to say a stone for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greek signifieth a stone And it was his prerogative that he was made a stone not by conversion of his nature into stone but by the gift of grace by his faith by his function For in this was Christ as good as his word and performeth that promise which he made when first he was presented to him by his brother Saint Andrew Thou art Simon the son of Jona S. Joh. 1.42 thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone And he did reserve the confirmation of his promise till Saint Peter had made this good confession The Church of God which is the whole number of those whom God hath elected to eternall life The Church compared to a materiall temple S. Mat. 21.13 1 Pet. 5.2 is often in the Scriptures resembled to a materiall temple and in particular to the temple of Hierusalem So that like as that temple was called an house the house of prayer in like manner is this called an house a spirituall house for distinction sake The materiall house was built of stones laid one upon another the spirituall house is likewise said to be builded but the edification is not of naturall and inanimate 1 Cor. 12.26 1 Pet. 2.5 but of spirituall and living stones The naturall stones of the materiall temple were joyned and cimented one unto another that so the building might rise to perfection Eph. 2.21 and the spirituall stones are in like manner fitly framed together that the building might grow unto an holy temple of the Lord. The materiall temple had a strong foundation that foundation was a rock upon which were superstructed great and mighty stones to support the whole fabrick which stones might not improperly be called the foundation and were indeed a second foundation most necessary for so great a structure which afterwards was raised with costly and curious stones such as Solomon made ready 1 King 6.7 and brought thither or such as those stones which the disciples did marvell at in the temple S. Mar. 13.1 S. Mat. 24.1 saying Master see wha◠manner of stones
how shall it be known that the Law was holy and just and good and necessary for those times and for that people Was it so because that Abraham and his seed who had need of circumcision and were bound in duty to keep the Law were circumiised and did keep the Law Or was it because the word made flesh who had no need of circumcision nor was obliged by any duty to be circumcised and to keep the Law was yet circumcised and did keep the law Certainly a man cannot but rationally conclude that Law in every part thereof to be holy and just and good and most necessary for those to whom it was commanded whereunto the sonne of God himself by voluntary dispensation became obedient 2ly He became obedient to it that by the observation of it he might consummate S. Mat. 5.17 and finish it in himselfe for the whole law was ordinated unto him 3ly That by his voluntary obedience he might remove all occasion of scandall from the Jewes to the end that they might neither complain of the hardness of their own condition as being obliged to bear the yoke and burthen of the Law nor yet refuse to be saved by that Messiah who submitted himself to the like condition with them And finally that by his obedience to the law Gal. 4.5 6. In what maner Christ became obedient to the Law he might purchase true liberty and an eternall redemption to them that were under the law Therefore his obedience to the law was double active and passive His active obedience was his full absolute and perfect fulfilling of the law to the least jot or tittle of the same so that look what obedience soever the law required Christ performed Three things there were which did require of Christ such a perfect obedience to the works of the law 1. The justice of God and that whether we look upon the nature of God himself who is infinitely just For how can it stand vvith the infinite justice of God to save a man but by such a justice either proper to himself or imputed to him by some other or if peradventure we look upon the will of God revealed in his lavv an everlasting rule of righteousness for vvhat other vvay hath God opened to everlasting life by that everlasting rule Exo. 20.6 but obedience I shew mercy unto thousands saith he of them that love me and keepe my commandements It vvas Gods justice vvhich exacted Christ his active obedience in fulfilling the lavv for mans redemption Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 2ly His mediatorship vvhereby he became our surety or pledge therefore of his ovvn free vvill must he do and suffer for us men Heb. 7.22 and for our salvation all those things vvhich all mankind vvere necessarily obliged both to do and to suffer For vvhich cause it vvas not only necessary that he should die for all mankind but that he should also fulfill the vvhole lavv for them for both these things vvere laid as a due debt upon all the sonnes of Adam Gal. 4.4 5. namely to fulfill the law to die because they had not fulfilled it 3ly The salvation of all mankind by a deliverance from death by a donation of life both vvhich can no othervvise be obtained but by his active obedience The first by the expiation of sin the second Rom. 3.24 25. by the gift of righteousness And such vvas the active obedience of Christ His passive obedience was his sacrifice or passion whereby he suffered in his own person all those punishments and indignities which God in his wisdom had decreed to be laid upon his person for satisfaction to divine justice Which passive obedience was necessary upon three respects 1. In respect of God for his law was transgressed and therefore his justice would not be satisfied but by punishments answerable to the same the blood of the Redeemer therefore must be had for satisfaction to divine justice For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goates Heb. 10.4 should take away sinnes 2ly In respect of Christ for he being our surety and pledge did suffer for us Isa 53.4 so that look what we should have suffered for our sins the same according to an absolute quantity was laid upon him Lastly In respect of our selves Rom. 4.25 who by death were to be delivered from death This was shewed by all those beasts that were killed by the Leviticall law and expresly affirmed by the Apostle St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.19 that out redemption is by the precious blood of Christ So then there is a double debt of all mankind that they should fulfill the law every moment from their first beginning in a double puritie a purity of nature and a purity of workes which debt was primordially imposed upon mankind in the creation and is exacted by the law of God The second debt is due satisfaction for the transgression of it For this double debt Christ was the surety and because none of the sons of Adam could pay it for themselves Christ hath paid it for them all and God accepteth his obedience as a full satisfaction according to the tenour of his own law effectuall unto all those who by a true justifying and saving faith do render him up unto the Father for their surety having onely to plead the satisfaction made by him Upon this respect that neither God in the first institution of it By whom it was that Christ was probably circumcised nor the law which afterward confirmed and required the use of it to the end that the party circumcised might become a debtor to the whole law ordained or said any thing concerning the minister of circumcision by whom and by whose hand the prepuce should be cut off although I should think it convenient and answerable to the dignity of that Sacrament that such an office should be performed by the Priests or Levites as by sacred persons yet because I find no such thing by divine institution or legall precept and do find that not only Zipporah the wife of Moses did circumcise her son Exod. 4.25 but that in all probability those callimartyrs who were put to death for doing contrary to the Edict of Antiochus 1 Mac. 1.6 had circumcised their children with their own hands I shall easily be induced to assent unto those who think that office to be most probably performed by the holy hands of the most blessed virgin but because it is no matter of faith I shall not be positive in defining of it I find nothing ordained neither by divine institution nor by legall injunction nor yet from the example of Joshuah who circumcised the people in Gilgal Jos 5. for imposing of names in circumcision The custom no doubt vvas most ancient and commendable having its originall from Abraham who had his name changed the day that he was circumcised Gen. 17.
in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him S. Luc. 2.40 41. Now his parents went to Hierusalem every yeare at the feast of the Passeover And when he was twelve yeares old they went up to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast And when they had fulfilled the dayes 42 as they returned the childe Jesus tarried behind in Hierusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it 43 But they supposing him to have been in the company went a dayes journey and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance And when they found him not 44 they turned back againe to Hierusalem seeking him And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the Temple 45 sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 46 47 And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Sonne why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy Father and I 48 have sought thee sorrowing And he said unto them How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them And he went downe with them 49 50 51 52 and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man Thus abode he at Nazareth with his parents for the space of eighteen yeares almost which was from the time of their return from Hierusalem after that he had disputed with the Doctors he being then compleatly twelve years old and going on in the thirteenth year to the thirtieth yeare of his age current For during all that time no further mention is made of him then hath been made before Then began that acceptable yeare of the Lord The acceptable year of the Lord begun prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah to be proclaimed and preached unto all the world by Christ the Fathers eternall word The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tydings unto the meeke Isa 61.1 2. he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord. Which prophecie is repeated by the Evangelist in these words The spirit of the Lord is upon me S. Luc. 4.18 19. because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised To preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. This year was annus placabilis Domino a year placable to the Lord a year in which the Lord was easily pleased with all those things which were performed by Christ for the redemption of all mankind This year was Annus Domini acceptus the accepted year of the Lord a year in which the Lord was pleased to accept the merits of his son a full and sufficient price satisfaction and redemption for the sins of the whole world There were other types of this year which the law had but this year was specially figured by the great Jubile of the fiftieth yeare That year was proclaimed by blowing up of trumpets of rammes hornes this year was proclaimed by the Ram himselfe figured by that Ram which Abraham offered up in stead of Isaac his son and by all those Rams which were offered up in sacrifices according to the Law That year brought with it a temporall rest unto the land of Canaan This year brought with it a spirituall rest unto the whole world That year proclaimed liberty and in that year all servants went forth perpetually free from corporall bondage and every one that had sold his possession did in that year return unto it again Levit. 25. This year proclaimed liberty and in this year all that were servants to sin and Sathan had a perpetuall liberty obtained and an eternal redemption so that now there is no let but that all the sons of Adam who shall by a lively faith and true repentance accept the liberty of this year may return again to that holy and heavenly inheritance which Adam lost by reason of sinne That year took away the distinction of master and servant This year took away all distinctions not in respect of that relation which is between man and man in the world but in respect of that relation which is betwixt Christ and his Church For like as the Redeemer would buy them all with the same price and would shed no more nor no other blood for the Jew then for the Gentile for the bond then for the free for the male then for the female Even so the freedom of this year brought to pass that they should be all saved by the same grace justified by the same faith have the same word the same sacraments the same worship an equall interest in Christ according to that of St. Paul Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And in another place Col. 3.11 There is neither Greeke nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all Weeks in the scriptures are not alwaies weeks of dayes nor years are not alwaies years of months Though that acceptable yeare is properly said to begin then yet must we not think to terminate it in twelve months It is saith that ancient Father Irenaeus the time in which they are called of him that do believe in him that is all the time from his comming to the consummation in which he doth acquire as fruits those that are saved lib. 2. cap. 38. It is indeed and according to St. Paul the whole time of Grace Behold now is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 behold now is the day of salvation in the largest sense But strictly and properly to his Ascention into heaven in which year he compleated all those things which God accepted at his hands to be done for the redemption of mankind by his Baptisme by his preaching by his miracles by his passion death buriall descent into hell as also by his resurrection and ascension We have therefore now to see how he did administer the covenant during that year It was the fifteenth year of the raign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being then governour of Judea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee c. as is noted by the Evangelist S. Luc. 3.1 which was the thirâ—ieth year of his age current Then began the Gospel of Christ to be published for then John the son of Zacharias
into this court a golden sword whereon was enscrived If a stranger go in let him die This court was not without a great concourse of people because thither they resorted to pray and did pray there both men and women the men on the south side the women on the north a wall being betwixt them It was not altogether unlawfull for men at some times to walk there For at the feast of the Dedication which was in winter namely in November that of the temple repurged and the Altar repaired by Judas Macchabaeus Iesus walked there And the Iewes came round about him and said unto him v. 24 How long dost thou make us to doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly He appealed to his works and had that contest with them which followeth to the fortieth verse The feast being ended he departed from Hierusalem but did not go presently into Galilee but first went to the place beyond Iordan v. 40 41 42. that was Bethabara where Saint Iohn at first baptized As he abode there some little time and much people resorted unto him there came some who brought newes of a most horrid murther perpetrated by Pilate upon certain Galileans The Galileans slain by Pilate whom he had caused to be slain in the temple while their sacrifices were offering by this means prophaning the house of God and mingling their blood with their sacrifices So I understand the story But who they were and for what cause they were so slain it is not mentioned Howsoever the common opinion is that they were certain sectaries who held the opinions of Iudas of Galilee Act. 5.37 and denyed to sacrifice for the Emperour and people of Rome whereupon Pilate caused them to be throwne upon their own sacrifices and slain He preacheth repentance and so their blood was mingled with them Whatsoever they were he taketh occasion from thence to exhort them to repentance proposing the parable of the barren fig-tree S. Luc. 13.6 7 8 9. intimating thereby the utter destruction of the Iewish nation to whom he had already preached three years without effect in case they would not repent Being come into Galilee as his custome was he preached in the Synagogues upon the sabbath daies A crooked woman cured S. Luc. 13.11 And upon a certain sabbath in a synagogue where he taught there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bowed together and could in no wise lift up her selfe This her infirmity therefore was not from any naâ—urall cause but from the devill therefore said to be a spirit of infirmity because he kept her bow'd together depriving her of all strength to lift up her selfe At which cure for he healed her by his word with imposition of his hands the ruler of the synagogue being offended reproves the people for comming to be healed upon the sabbath day whose hypocrisie he sharply reprehendeth v. 14 15 16 17 and so appositely by similitude of an ox or asse loosed from the stall and led to the watering on the sabbath that all the people rejoyced and all his adversaries were ashamed Then he preached unto them concerning the kingdome of heaven 18 19 20 21. which he compareth to a grain of mustard-seed and to leaven shewing thereby the powerfull working of the word in the hearts of his chosen and the propagation of his kingdome by the ministery of the gospell all the world over The same day some of the Pharisees whether it were so indeed or whether it were but their ovvne surmise or peradventure to terrifie him that he might desist came unto him bidding him to be gone for that Herod would kill him But he sleighted the admonition 31 32 33 34 35. designing Hierusalem for the place of his passion and reproving both Herod and Hierusalem And upon the same day or upon some other sabbath day as he went to dine with one of the chiefe Pharisees He cureth an hydropick man S. Luc. 14.1 2 3 4 5 6. he cured an hydropick man and knowing their hypocrisie and that they watched him defended the fact and stopped their mouths by asking them this question Which of you shall have an an asse or an oxe fallen into a pit and will not straight-way pull him out on the sabbath day Saint Augustine observeth the aptnesse of his similitudes in that he compared the hydropick man whose disease was too much moysture or watry humour to a beast fallen into a pit as also he had compared the crooked woman to a beast loosed from the stall to be led to the water De cons Evang. And observing the pride and ambition of the guests v. 7 8 9 10 11. striving for the chiefest rooms he put forth a pararable thereby teaching them humility And to him that bad him he gave counsell to feast the poor not for a recompence here v. 12 13 14. but for a reward in heaven Which when one of the guests heard being ravished with his words he cryed out saying Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God Which speech of his ushered in that parable of the great Supper 15. v. 16 17 18 19 20 21 2â— 23 24. whereby was shewed that worldly minded men who contemn the word of God shall be shut out of heaven and that the Jews who made worldly excuses should be shut out and the Gentiles admitted in their room and stead And there went great multitudes with him that is to say after he came forth out of the Pharisees house S. Luc. 14.25 To these he preacheth by the way giving them to understand that it is no light thing for any man to take upon him the profession of religion Christs Disciples must bear their cross for that his Disciples must bear their Cross to whom it must be nothing grievous to forsake their parents and wives and children friends and kindred and to lay down their lives too when there shall be good occasion for a testimony unto him They therefore that will be his Disciples must have a fixt resolution having first counted the cost like him that would build a tower v. 28 29 30. 31 32 33 34 35. and also carefully considered their strength of grace and christian fortitude as a King that is to war with another King taketh counsel concerning his forces for they that apostatize will be altogether unprofitable like salt that hath lost his savour At that time also it should seem or not long after drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him S. Luc. 15.1 2 And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured saying This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them Those whom they call sinners were those who then were or formerly had been of a scandalous conversation either truly or in their opinion with whom they alwaies coupled the publicans who were no less scandalous unto them for their office sake But by the