God wherein euery one must be well instructed that would be partaker of humane felicitie and happinesse All which doth most apparantly proue that the Gentiles had so much knowledge of the true God as not onely was able I say not with Clemens Alexandrinus to bring them to saluation but to make them without excuse in the day of retribution because that they knowing God glorified him not as God but also as doth exceed the knowledge of many which make profession of Christianity and will no doubt rise in iudgement to condemne them in the latter day And as we see many of them vnderstood many things concerning the most true and euerlasting God so we finde some of them haue deliuered some things concerning this word and Son of God Heron. in ep ad Paulinum for though S. Hierome speaking of this word saith Hoc doctus plato nesciuit This word eloquent Demosthenes was ignorant of it 1 Cor. 1.19 because it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise Aug. l. 5. c. 3. de haeresibus and cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Yet Lactantius saith that Zeno affirmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word to be the maker of this vniuerse and that Mercurius syrnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice great did often describe the power and Maiestie of this word and Saint Augustine affirmeth that the said Trismegistus did compose a booke whose title was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e the perfect word and that therein he left written Monas genuit monada in se suum reflexit ardorem Which is as much as if he had said the Father begate the Sonne or the minde begate the word and from both proceeded the Holy Spirit Idem l. 7. c. 9. confess and l. 7. Confess c. 9. hee saith that he saw certaine books of the Platonists wherein he found though not in the same words yet the very selfe-same matter proued by many reasons that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God Saint Cyrill also saith that the Philosophers haue affirmed the essence of God to be distinguished into three subsistences Cyrillus l 8. cont Iulian. and sometimes to haue deliuered the very name of Trinitie and Theodoret doth affirme that Plotinus and Numenius haue collected out of Plato that there are three eternities Bonum mentem vniuersi animam i. e. Goodnesse which answereth the Father that is the fountaine of the Deity the minde which signifieth the Sonne and the soule or life of this whole vniuerse Gen. 1.2 which is the holy Spirit that as in the beginning of the creation he presently moued vpon the waters to sustaine the same Clemens Alex. l. 5. strom so euer since he spireth and preserueth euery liuing thing and Clemens Alexandrinus saith that Plato in his Epistle to Erastus and Coriscus hath manifestly spoken of the Father and the Sonne and so Eusebius likewise and Eugubius and many others haue collected out of their writings that this name of the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word Seneca Traged Oedip. was not altogether vnknowne vnto the Gentiles but that as Oedipus in the Poets knew that he had a Father though not who he was so they did conceiue a certaine kinde of knowledge and vnderstanding though vndigested and imperfect ouershadowed as it were with humane reasonings concerning this eternall word God enough to saue them if they beleeued in him or else to make them without excuse if they knowing though not simply Verum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed aliquid veri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This true word but something of this word did neglect and not seeke further into the knowledge of the same And this knowledge they might attaine vnto How the Gentiles came to haue any knowledge of the Word God either by 1. The illumination of God himselfe 2. The diuination of the diuels 3. The traditiō of their elders 4. Their owne exceeding diligence to seeke and search after the knowledge of diuine mysteries For First the Apostle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.19 what may bee knowne of God that is his eternall power and Godhead God hath shewed it vnto them and as the Deitie it selfe 1 Cor. 13.12 might bee contemplated in his creatures as in a glasse or read by them Basilius hom 11. hexam as in a booke as Saint Basil saith So no doubt but he left therein certaine impressions of the Trinitie of his persons Ph. Mornaeus de veritate relig c. 5. Rom. 1.16 which though they could not fully attaine vnto the knowledge thereof no more then an vnskilfull Arithmetician can finde the iust summe that cyphering characters doe import yet they might perceiue something thereby and know that there was such a thing to be knowne And thus much God himselfe might shew vnto them not as Clemens Alexandrinus thought thereby to bring them vnto saluation because saith he Phylosophy was vnto them as the Law was vnto the Iewes a Schoolemaster to bring them vnto Heauen but that as the Apostle saith They knowing this God and not glorifying him as God nor seeking to be saued by this God might be without excuse in the sight of God August de cognit verae vitae c. 37. Secondly The very Diuels might make knowne the same vnto them for the Diuels beleeue that there is a God and they know him to be but one God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One in himselfe one in all things and they know him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The most High and Omnipotent God neither doe they know the Father onely but they know Christ also for the euill Spirit said vnto the Sonnes of Scaeua Acts 19.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus I know and they know him to be the Son of God God himselfe as Sozomen out of this verse of Sybill doth declare O lignum foelix in quo Deus ipse pependit I may thee call a happy Tree whereon a God to hang I see And they know the sacred mystery of the Trinity for by them this disticke was related vnto a certaine Egyptian that desired to know this truth Serapis ad Thulem Selneccerus l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principio Deus est tum Sermo Spiritus istis Additur aequaeua haec sunt tendentia in vnum The Father Sonne and Spirit all three Are one God of the same eternitie Aug. in Expos Ep. ad Rom. And so the Diuels knowing these things might suggest them and reueale them though aenigmatically and darkely vnto the Sybilles which as Saint Augustine saith were none of Gods Prophets from the Sybils they might bee spread vnto their Priests from the Priests vnto the Phylosophers Poets and Orators and from them they might be divulged and spread vnto the lowest ranke of the vulgar people Neither must we thinke that Sathan did it with intent to doe them
dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne for this is all one as if he had said that the word heretofore was vttered by other mens mouthes but now after he was made flesh he spake and reueiled his Father vnto vs by his owne voyce and with his owne proper mouth for so Tertullian saith that he which spake vnto the Fathers was this word GOD and so Saint Paul sheweth when hee brings in God saying The Word is neere vnto thee euen in thy mouth Rom. 10.8 and in thy heart and then he expoundeth this word of Christ saying This is the Word of Faith which we preach for they preached Iesus Christ so Saint Iohn himselfe seemeth to shew this reason why he had called Christ the Word when he saith John 1.18 The onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared for this is all one as if he had said This onely begotten Sonne is therefore the Word because he declareth the minde of God vnto vs so when he saith what we haue heard of the Word of life i. e. he is therefore the Word because we haue heard him and so when he saith There be three that heare witnesse in Heauen 1 John 5.7 the Father the Word and the Spirit for why should he say the Word when as the name of Father required that he should rather say the Father the Sonne and the Spirit but because the Sonne as the word of the Father doth beare witnesse vnto vs of his Fathers will and therefore seeing it was the office of the Word to declare the minde of God it belonged vnto the Word to be made Flesh that he might be heard and seene of vs. But then it may be obiected that the Holy Ghost should be incarnate as well as the Sonne for Saint Basil saith Ob. Whether the Holy Ghost is termed the Word that the Holy Ghost is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word as well as the Sonne and that hee is therefore called the Word because hee is the interpreter of the Sonne euen as the Sonne is the interpreter of the Father for he shall teach you all things saith Christ and to proue this he citeth those words of the Apostle that we should take the sword of the Spirit which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of God and those words in the first Chapter to the Hebrewes that Christ beareth vp all things with the word of his power Basilius l 5. c. 11. contra Eunom Sol. or his mighty Word that is his Holy Spirit saith Saint Basil To this Aquinas answereth that Saint Basil herein speakes improperly for that the Sonne of God alone is properly called the Word and that Saint Paul by the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God doth not vnderstand the Holy Ghost but the word which came vnto the Prophets and was left vnto vs in the holy Scriptures and that the words of the Author to the Hebrewes are to be vnderstood of the command of Christ as if the Apostle had said that Christ beareth vp all things and gouerneth all things by his mighty command or according aâ— himselfe defineth Victorinus in l. aduers Arrium and would haue all things to be as Victorinus saith or else that Christ sustaineth all things by his mighty word that is after an Hebrew phrase by himselfe which is the mighty Word of his Father Maldonat in Iohn 1. as Maldonate saith Secondly the Word was made flesh Propter ordinem seruandum Secondly because God would obserue good order in all things because God which is the God of order would keepe good order in all things As First that the world might be repayred by the same instrument by which it was created but the Father made all things by his Word therefore he would redeeme mankinde by his Word Secondly that he which was the essentiall and vncreated image of God might restore that created image of God which was corrupted in vs. Thirdly that the naturall Sonne of God might make vs the adopted sonnes of God Fourthly that the Sonne by his example might teach vs the obedience of sonnes Thirdly because God would shunne all inconueâ—iences that might arise if he had not beene incarnate Thirdly the Word was made flesh Propter vitandum inconueniens because God would auoide all absurdities that otherwise might seeme to ensue for if the Father had beene incarnate then there had beene two Fathers and two Sonnes the Father in the Deitie had beene the Sonne in the Humanitie and the Sonne in the Dietie had beene the Father of the Humanity and neither of them had beene of himselfe without beginning but he that was the beginning of the Sonne in the Deitie had had his beginning from the Sonne in the humanitie but now he that is from the Father in the Deitie is likewise from the Father in the humanitie and he that is the Sonne in the Deitie is likewise the Sonne in the humanitie and if the Holy Ghost had beene incarnate then there had beene two sonnes one in the Deitie and another in the humanitie Et nomen filij ad alterum transiret qui non esset aeterna natiuitate filius And the name of Sonne had passed to another which was not a Sonne by an eternall natiuitie and therefore in all respects it was fittest and agreeable to all reason that the Word should be incarnate and made flesh as Saint Augustine saith But against this it will be obiected Ob. that seeing Opera trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa The outward workes of the Trinitie are indiuisible and common to each person so that whatsoeuer any one of them doth it is done by each one and that this is an outward worke of the Trinitie common to each person each person being an agent in this action the Fathers power the Sonnes wisedome and the Holy Ghost his goodnesse all concurring in this incarnation For First how can the Creator and the Creature That all three persons were the makers of the flesh of Christ especially a creature relapsed from God be ioyned together without great power the power of ioyning the disagreeing elements was very great the power of ioyning them to a created spirit was greater but hypostatically to ioyne a creature disioyned from his Creator vnto an vncreated spirit must needes be the greatest power that can be And therefore this incarnation of the Word could neuer haue beene done without the infinite power of God Secondly how can the first and the last be vnited together without great wisedome for this Word was the beginning yea before the beginning of all things and Adam was the last of all Gods creatures And therefore the Word God and the flesh of man could neuer be vnited without infinite wisedome Thirdly how can the Creator communicate himselfe so neerely vnto his Creatures without the greatest goodnesse that can be for it was a great benignity and kindnesse of
God to communicate himselfe vnto all creatures by his presence and it was a greater kindnesse to communicate himselfe to all the godly by his grace but it is the greatest of all to vnite himselfe hypostatically by his spirit vnto our flesh And therefore this could not be done without infinite goodnesse and so in this respect we find this worke of the incarnation ascribed to each person for the Father sent me saith our Sauiour and I came into the world saith he of himselfe and the Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouer shadow thee whereby thou mayst conceiue saith Gabriel vnto the blessed Virgin And therefore seeing the whole Trinitie was the Maker of this Word flesh how can it be but that the whole Trinitie should be incarnate and made flesh Sol. That the Son onely assumed our Flesh I answere that this worke of the words incarnation is to bee considered 1. Inchoatiue 2. Consummatiue As it was inchoated and begun As it is consummated and finished In the first sense it is common to all the three persons of the Trinitie for it was made by them all three but in the second sense it was proper onely vnto the Word because it was assumed onely by the Word Aug. in Enchyrid C. 38. as Saint Augustine sheweth for as if three Maides should spinne and make a garment and then put it vpon one of them to weare all three should be the makers yet but one should be the wearer of the same Euen so though the Father did appoint Christ a body and this body was conceiued by the Holy Ghost yet neither the Father nor the Spirit did assume that body but only the person of the Sonne of God and therefore Saint Augustine saith truly Idem Ser. 3. de temp that Impleuet carnem Christi pater spiritus sanctus sed maiestate non susceptione The flesh of Christ was filled with the Maiestie of the Father and of the Holy Ghost but it was onely vnited to the person of the Word Ob. But then againe it may be obiected that seeing the nature of the Father and the nature of the Sonne be the very same for they be both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the very selfe-same essence as I haue sufficiently shewed vnto you before and the whole diuine essence is in euery one of them therefore how can it be but the Sonne being incarnate the Father should be incarnate also Sol. To this we answere briefly that although the nature of the Father and the nature of the Sonne be the very same yet Aliter est in patre aliter est in filio This very selfe-same essence is otherwise or after another manner in the Father The diuine nature limited in the person of the Sonne was made Flesh and after another manner in the Sonne and therefore we say that the Diuine nature simply considered cannot be said to be incarnate Sed natura diuina determinata limitata in persona filij But the diuine nature limited and determined in the person of the Son And this Saint Augustine doth most excellently expresse against the Iewes saying O Iudae Cytharam respice c. Behold O Iew the Harpe when it yeelds sweet and pleasant tune there be three things that seeme to concurre alike the skill the hand and the string and yet there is but one sound heard Ars dictat manus tangit chorda resonat The Art or skill directeth the hand toucheth and the string onely soundeth Tria pariter operantur they doe all three worke alike and yet neither the skill nor the hand doe yeeld the sound but onely the string Sic nec pater Operatio in tribus constat sed quemadmodum ad solam chordam soni redditio sic pertinet ad solum Christum carnis humanae susceptio nec spiritus sanctus susceperunt carnem tamen cum filio pariter operantur So neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit did assume the flesh and yet they did all agree in the working and making of this flesh but as the string alone doth yeeld the musicall harmony so the word alone did assume the flesh the worke is seene in all three but as the sound of the musicke pertaineth vnto the string alone so the assumption of our flesh pertayneth to the word alone and if any incredulous Iew with Nichodemus demaunds how this Word should be made flesh of a Virgin without the helpe of man let him tell me how Aarons rod Aug. de incarnat Dom. cont Iudaeos being a drie sticke could blossome and beare ripe Almonds and I will tell him how the Virgin did conceiue and beare a Sonne but he cannot tell the former though the lesser miracle and therefore no wonder that I cannot expresse the latter which is so ineffable a mysterie saith Saint Augustine And so you see the first Branch of this Text touching the person who was made the Word the Sonne the second person of the blessed Trinity fully discussed BRANCH II. CHAP. I. Of Christ his apparition before his incarnation and of the conception of Christ the manner of it and the reasons why hee was so conceiued 2. Branch Tres misturas fecit omnipotens illa maiestas in assumptione carnis nostrae ita mirabiliter singularia singulariter mirabilia vt talia nec facta nec facienda sint amplius super terram SEcondly We are to consider what hee was made Flesh for the Word was made Flesh Saint Bernard saith God did three workes three mixtures as hee calleth them in the assumption of our flesh so singularly wonderfull and so wonderfully singular that the like were neuer made before nor shall be made hereafter vpon the face of the Earth Coniunct à quippe sunt ad invicem Deus homo mater virgo fides cor humanum For now are ioyned together God and our Flesh a Mother and a Virgin a diuine Faith and a humane Heart for the Word and Soule and Flesh haue met and made but one Person These three are one and this one is three not by the confusion of substance but in the vnity of person This is the first and most super-excellent mixture or coniunction The second is a Virgin and a Mother a thing so admirable so singular that since the World beganne it was neuer heard that shee which brings forth a Childe should be a Maide and that shee should be a Mother which still remaines a Virgin The third is Faith and Mans Heart Inferior quidem sed non minus forsitan fortis an inferior copulation but perhaps not deseruing much lesse admiration For it is a wonder to see how the Heart of Man can yeeld Faith and beliefe vnto these two and to beleeue that God should be made Man that shee should remain a Virgin which had borne a Sonne for as Iron and a Gally-cup can neuer be coupled together Bernard Ser. 3.
nothing can be sayd to be trueth but God because nothing is or can be sayd to be of himselfe but God Secondly As God is essentially truth so hee is causally truth Iohn 14.6 The manner how all Truths doe proceede from God that is the fountaine of truth from whence all other channells of truth doe flow for this is the order of all veritie First The trueth of all things is conceiued in the Idea and notion or practicke knowledge and vnderstanding of God from all eternitie because all things had their being in the diuine vnderstanding before they had their being in themselues then Secondly This truth floweth to the things existing in themselues which are therefore true because they are adaequated and conformable to that truth conceiued in the minde of God concerning them then Thirdly This truth of things passeth to the vnderstanding both of Men Angels when the vnderstanding is adaequated and conformable to the things conceiued as they are in themselues i. e. when we truely vnderstand things to be as they be then Fourthly This truth conceiued in the vnderstanding proceedeth vnto expression either by words or writings when our expression of things is agreeable to that conception which wee haue of them in our vnderstanding that is when we speake or write as we thinke And therefore whensoeuer our words doe any wayes swarue from our minds and vnderstanding they cannot be true quia mendacium est contra mentem ire because a lye is to goe against our owne mindes or to say otherwise then wee thinke sayth Saint Augustine and a truth of words is the adaequation and conformitie of the tongue with the minde and vnderstanding and whensoeuer we vnderstand any thing otherwise then it is there can bee no trueth in that vnderstanding because the truth of the vnderstanding is the adaequation of the same to the things existing and being in their naturall causes and whensoeuer things doe any wayes swarue from that aeternall notion and conception of them in the minde and vnderstanding of God they cannot therein be true because the truth of all things consisteth in their adaequation and conformitie to the truth eternally conceiued of them in the diuine vnderstanding How the diuine vnderstanding is the rule that measureth all Truths But when our words are agreeable to our mindes our minds and vnderstandings to the things conceiued and those things to the minde of God then are they true because as the Schooles truely teach Intellectus diuinus est mensurans non mensuratus c. the diuine conception of things is that which measureth the trueth of all things and is not measured it selfe by any thing Et res naturalis est mensurata mensurans and euery naturall thing thus measured by the notion of God doth measure the truth of our vnderstanding and our vnderstanding measured by the truth of things conceiued doth measure the truth of our words And so you see Truth to be primatiuely in God as the light in the body of the Sunne and thence to be deriued in res existentes into the things wherein it resteth subiectiuely like vnto the light of the Moone and the starres which they receiue from the Sunne and so to passe into the vnderstanding terminatiuely like the reflection of the light of the Moone and the Starres vpon these lower orbes and lastly to our words or writings expressiuely like vnto the manifestation of things by that light which shineth vpon them Now this verum declaratiuum this expressed trueth is to bee considered two wayes 1. Primarily 2. Secondarily First As it is directed by God and guided by his Spirit so as therein there can be no cōmixtion of error and in that respect it is called the diuine Truth because it is wholy Truth and expressed by the Diuine Spirit for as Saint Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost This is Theologicall Truth and it is wholy contained in the holy Scripture Coloss 1.5 which is therefore called The Word of Truth And this Truth though I might alledge many other reasons to proue the worth and the excellency thereof yet is this sufficient in stead of all that besides what Zorobabel saith of it it is in many passages of the Scripture compared vnto the Light as the Psalmist saith Send forth thy Truth and thy Light And that especially in three respects for as the Light is 1. The dispeller of darkenesse The excellency of the diuine Truth 2. The shewer of things 3. The effecter of generable Creatures So is Truth for First As the Light when it ariseth chaseth away all darkenesse and suffereth not the same to adhere vnto it whereupon the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6.14 Truth expelleth errors What agreement is there betwixt light and darkenesse Euen so this Truth when it shineth dispelleth and driueth away all errors and ignorance from the mindes of all wherein it resteth And therefore Father Zachary saith That Christ which is Truth it selfe when hee came to preach this Word of Truth came To giue light to them that sit in darkenesse Luke 1.79 and in the shaddow of death i. e. To disperse those mysts of ignorance and errours which had ouer-shadowed the whole face of the Earth Secondly as the Light when it shineth displayeth it selfe and pierceth euery transparent body though neuer so solid and maketh all things manifest what they are for in the darke Ephes 5.13 Truth sheweth what euery thing is there is no certainty of colours white from blacke is scarce discerned there is no certainty of things Gold cannot be knowne from Copper but when the Light shineth it presently sheweth what euery thing is Euen so though while we are ignorant of Gods will euill may be deemed good and good euill yet when this Truth of God shineth i. e. this Word of God is Preached it maketh knowne euery thing what it is it sheweth the true God from the false the true seruice of God from the false superstition of men the true Church of Christ from the false Synagogue of Satan and the true members of Christ from the false hypocrites of the World Hence it is that the wicked cannot abide the Truth John 3.19 Because their workes are euill and by the preaching of the same their workes are manifested to be so And therefore Saint Paul saith That the Preachers of Gods Word are oftentimes become enemies vnto the wicked Gal. 4.16 because they tell them the Truth Truth begets vs vnto God Thirdly As the Light when it ariseth doth so heate and hearten euery thing that it is most truly said Sol homo generat hominem The Sunne and Man begets a Man Euen so this Truth of God and the Preaching of the same is the onely meanes whereby we are regenerate and begotten againe to be the Sonnes of God as the Apostle sheweth And this is that Truth whereby God sheweth himselfe to
this rather then they will leese their vayne and wanton pleasures So foolish are they and ignorant euen as it were beasts before him I haue read of Honorius a Roman Emperour that when one told him Rome was lost he was exceedingly grieued and cried alas alas for he supposed it was his henne so called which he exceedingly loued but when it was told him it was his Imperiall Citie Rome that was besieged by Alaricus and was now taken and lost then his spirits were reuiued that his losse was not so great as he imagined we may well thinke this to bee a simple and a childish disposition and yet our selues are worthie of the same condemnation for if we leese a little wealth a little pleasure a little vanitie things of themselues good for nothing because of themselues they can make nothing good and then as the prouerbe goeth that is too deere of a farthing which is good for nothing yet for these trifles wee will vex and fret weepe and wayle Zechar 12.11 and our mourning wil be Like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo but when we leese our soules in the desarts of sinne and when wee leese our God for sinne then with the Israelites wee sit downâ— to eate and drinke and rise vp to play Exod. 32.6 But seeing as the Emperor Seuerus sayd though wee bee all things and haue all things that the world can afford vs yet all things will auayle vs nothing without this thing because as I said before Christ is all things and all things without Christ are nothing seeing with Ixion they doe imbrace a cloud for Iuno a shadow for the body trash for treasure and a short momentarie dreame of pleasure in stead of the true and eternall rest which seeke their rest but not in Christ and seeing as hee sayth himselfe it is eternall life to know him with his father John 17.3 to bee the true and eternall God I will therefore craue your Christian patience and desire your carefull attention to hearken vnto the seuerall parts of this text and to retaine in your memories those chiefest obseruations that I shall collect from the same all I cannot and as I would I cannot I must ingeneously confesse it Nam mysterium singulariter mirabile mirabiliter singulare for it is a mysterie singularly wonderfull and wonderfully singular and indeede the mysterie of all mysteries and therefore Si profundum in profundo non reperiam humanam fragilitatem non diuinam potentiam confundo If I doe not handle the same as I ought to doe I shall but bewray mine owne humaine frailtie and no wayes impeach or disparage this diuine veritie And because as it is the first the greatest the chiefest and the comfortablest point of all Christian Religion so it hath beene and is and I feare euer will be most chiefely oppugned and depraued on all sides by all sorts of enemies and wicked Heretickes therefore as this mine introduction is somewhat large yet not to large either preparation or expectation for so great a matter as followeth after so you must giue mee leaue to insist the longer about it and not Myndus-like to suffer my porch to bee greater then my towne And if I shall seeme harsh in the prosecution and not giue full satisfaction vnto your desires and expectation you must know that they are poynts to informe the iudgement and apprehension and not to moue or to inflame the affection and therefore harder a great deale and more painefull for vs to handle them then to treat of any morall poynts of exhortation and though they be lesse delectable for the present yet are they farre more profitable for the future time especially vnto them that will most seriously consider them and most carefully remember them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was made flesh In which words as you may easily see the holy Euangelist setteth down the incarnation of this eternall Word and I for the fuller explanation of the same The whole treatise deuided into two parts must desire you to consider these two things 1. The summe and substance of this Words Incarnation 2. The chiefest cirumstances requisite for its explanation The 1. is heere fully expressed The 2. is from the other Euangelists plainely collected Touching the first here are three especiall things expressed 1. The thing that was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word 2. The thing that it was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh 3. The manner of his making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was made Or playner thus 1. Who was made 2. What it was made 3. How it was made the Word Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not created not changed but made for the Word was made Flesh and of these by Gods helpe in order CHAP. II. Of the Trinitie of Persons in the Vnitie of Diuine Essence The first branch of the first part FIrst We must consider who was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word was made for the vnderstanding of which point wee must know that the diuine Essence is onely one impartible and indiuisible For so the Scripture teacheth vs Deut. 6. c. 32. heare O Israel the Lord thy God is one God and therefore know you that I am God alone and besides mee there is none other sayth the Lord himselfe 1 Cor. 4.8 and so Saint Paul sayth wee know that there is none other God but one Athanas in Symbolo Secondly So the Fathers teach vs for though the Father is God and the Sonne is God and the Holy-Ghost is God yet are there not three Gods but one God sayth Athanasius and these three are one if you consider the Diuinitie and this one is three if you consider the proprietie Nazin orat 3. de Theol. Amb. de fide l. 1. c. 2. sayth Saint Gregorie Nazianzen and so sayth Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Hillarie and all the rest Thirdly So reason it selfe teacheth vs for God is summum cns the first and chiefest being as himselfe professâ—th I am that I am and we haue learned that of the prince of Philosophers that there cannot bee but one chiefest being Quia ens vnum conuertuntur because that being one are all one Secondly God is infinite and therefore but one because that which is infinite comprehendeth all things within the circle of it selfe Thirdly If there were more Gods then one Reason sheweth that there can be but one God then they must bee either all without beginning or one must proceede from other either by creation or generation that they should be all without beginning is impossible for then it must needs follow that there should be multa principia prima disparata in vna voluntate non conuenientia many first causes and vnequall beginnings that could neuer agree and be of the same minde and will and therefore to say they should bee all without beginnings is most absurd If one be from the
aegroti quantum ad iustitiam Dei In regard of the state of the patient to free him from sinne and to satisfie the Iustice of God For it behoued the Mediator betweene God and man Ne in vtroque deo similis longe esset ab homine aut in vtroque homini similis longe esset à Deo to haue something like vnto GOD and to haue something like vnto man lest that in all things being like vnto man hee might be so too farre from God or being in all things like vnto God hee might be so too farre from man and therefore Christ betwixt sinfull mortall men and the iust immortall God did appeare a mortall man with men and a iust God with God 1 Tim 2.5 and so the Mediator betwixt God and men was God and man Christ Iesus and fitly too saith Saint Augustine Quia ille congruè satisfacit qui potest debet Because that is most agreeable to reason that he should make satisfaction Two speciall reasons why Christ was made man which ought and can satisfie but we know that none ought to doe it but man and none can doe it but God and therefore God was contented to be made man and that for these two especiall reasons First to shew the greatnesse of his Loue to man First to shew the greatnesse of his loue for hee had seemed to haue loued vs the lesse if he had done lesse for vs but now Quid tam pietate plenum quam filium Dei pro nobis factum esse faenum What can more commend the loue of God to man then to see the word God made flesh for man Iohn 3.16 and therefore the Euangelist to shew the greatnesse of Gods loue to mankinde saith God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to bee incarnate to be made flesh and to suffer death that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Secondly to erect our hope that was already deiected Secondly to erect the hope and to strengthen the faith of man and to strengthen our faith which was alwayes wauering for wee saw two things that were to be done for man and yet could not be done by any man but such a one as should be God and Man The first was a remoueall of that great euill which suppressed vs. The second was a restoring of that great good that we were depriued of First Magnitude mali The euill that oppressed all men was foure-fold the greatnesse of that euill which suppressed euery man and could not be taken away by any man consisted in foure things 1. The waight of sinne 2. The height of Gods wrath 3. The power of death 4. The tyranny of the diuell And these could not be abolished by any creature but onely by him that created all creatures and can worke all things mightily according to the purpose of his owne will Secondly Magnitudo boni The good that man lost was two-fold the greatnesse of that good which was taken away from all men and could be restored by no man consisted in two things 1. The repairing of Gods image here in this life 2. The enioying of the blessed vision of God in the next life For none could restore the image of God to man but hee that was the liuing image of God Heb. 1.3 and the ingrauen forme of his person and the Kingdome of Heauen none could giue but God that giues it to all that loue him and therefore to take away the euill which we had deserued and to restore vnto vs that good whereof we were depriued God himselfe that made vs was contented to redeeme vs by taking our flesh vpon him Vt natura offendens satisfaceret That the nature offending might make satisfaction and because satisfaction could not be made without bloud for without bloud there is no remission Heb. 9.22 saith the Apostle he was made flesh that he might die and shed his bloud for vs Aug. serm 101. de tempore Vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem liberaret nos iustè dum pro nobis occiditur iniustè That so his vniustly inflicted death might ouercome our iustly deserued death and might most rightly free and deliuer vs because he was most wrongfully slaine for vs as Saint Augustine speaketh Quest 2 Secondly It will be demaunded why the word that is the Sonne should be incarnate and made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost Resp Why the Son rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost was made man Saint Augustine thinketh that the cause pertained more specially vnto the Sonne then to the Father or to the Holy Ghost for that the Diuell attempted to vsurpe the dignitie and authority of the Sonne of God saying in his heart that he would be like vnto the most highest that is the image of the Father and sought to intrude himselfe into his glory to be the Prince of this world and the Head of euery creature which things were onely proper vnto the Sonne of God and therfore it behoued the Sonne to come into the world to ouercome the Diuell that would haue wronged him and all other men that were to be members of him But we finde many other reasons to shew why the Word was made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost As First because it is the office of the Word to declare the minde of God First because the Incarnation of God was made for the manifestation of God but we declare and manifest things by words and Christ is the word of the Father the wisedome the knowledge and the interpreter of his Fathers will euen as our word is the interpreter of our minde as Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus doe declare and therefore the word was rightly incarnate that God in him might be seene and heard and vnderstood of vs according to that saying of the Euangelist that which wee haue heard and seene 1 Iohn 1.1 and our hands haue handled of the word of life that declare we vnto you For as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in respect of his person which is a name of relation vnto the minde as Sonne is to the Father so is he the word in respect of his office i. e. of his office as he is the second person of the Trinitie for as it is the propertie and office of the eternall minde i. e. the Father to beget the word i. e. the Sonne so it is the propertie and the office of the Word to declare the Minde but because this spirituall inuisible and ineffable Word as he is God could neuer be seene nor heard nor vnderstood of vs therefore was he made flesh that he might be heard and seene And this the Apostle seemes to shew vnto vs when hee saith God heretofore at sundry times Heb. 1.1 and in diuers manners spake vnto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last
therefore the Holy Ghost descended on Christ like a Doue Matth. 3.16 to shew these Doue-like qualities of this Lambe of God and to teach that we must be thus qualified like Doues if we would haue this heauenly Doue this Holy Spirit of God to remaine within vs for on them that are otherwise this Doue hath not yet descended Fourthly like a mighty winde Fourthly He appeared like the rushng of a mighty winde for a true winde it was not saith Oecumenius but the Spirit of God Qui à spirando flando dicitur which from blowing or breathing is called spirit is said to appeare First Like the winde and that for these fiue reasons Iohn 9. â— First As the winde bloweth where it listeth so the graces and gifts of Gods Spirit are giuen to whomsoeuer it pleaseth him for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Exod. 33.19 In what respect the Holy Ghost is like vnto winde Secondly As the winde scattereth the dust and driueth away the chaffe from the corne so the graces of Gods Spirit doth winnow the consciences of the Saints and driue away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Thirdly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine streame so will the grace of Gods Spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination for if Socrates by the sole helpe of morall instructions was able to bridle his loose disposition how much more shall those men bee restrained from all lewdnesse which are led by diuine inspiration Fourthly As the winde cooleth and recreateth all those that are scorched with the heate of the Sunne so doth the grace of Gods Spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sinnes Fiftly As the winde will passe vnresistably so will the grace of Gods Spirit worke it owne â—ffect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore Secondly It is said 1 Kings 10.11 that he appeared like the rushing of a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde in the first booke of Kings the 10. and the 11. did rend the mountaines and brake the rockes before the Lord so the grace of Gods Spirit and the Word of God is mighty in operation Why the Holy Ghost is compared to a mighty winde able to shake the stoutest and the proudest man and to breake in pieces the stoniest heart Indeed our people do esteeme our words none otherwise then winde which makes vs spend so much winde to little purpose to weary our selues and scarce to waken them but here let them know that the Spirit of God like Aeolus which shutteth vp the windes in his bagges can when he pleases let out the same in a mighty manner to amaze the consciences of the stoutest Peeres and either to driue away their sinnes Exod 10.19 Psal 1.5 as it droue away the Grashoppers and Locusts that ouerspread the land of Egypt or else to driue them away like the Chaffe from off the face of earth Fiftly He appeared like clouen tongues of fire First Like tongues for though the tongue Fiftly like clouen tongues of fire i. e. such a tongue as is set on fire from Hell as Saint Iames saith is many times the instrument of the Diuell to doe much mischiefe to blaspheme God and to abuse men yet Vt non debent oues odere pelles suas quia induunt eas lupi As the sheepe should not hate their skins because the Wolues doe many times put them on so ought none that is wise reiect that which is good because it is often abused by the bad therefore seeing as Pittacus saith the tongue as it is the worst member in a wicked man so it is one of the best members in a godly man Iames 5.6 Why the Holy Ghost appeared like tongues the Holy Ghost did appeare like tongues First Because as a Father saith Symbolum est lingua spiritus sancti à patris verbo procedentis The tongue is a symbole of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Word of the Father for as the tongue hath the greatest cognation and the neerest affinity with the Word and is moued by the Word of the heart to expresse the same by the sound of the voyce saith Saint Gregory Iohn 16.14 so the Holy Ghost hath the neerest affinity that may be with the word God and is the expressor of his voyce and the speaker of his will that receiueth of him and reueileth all vnto vs. Secondly Because as the tongues are the sole instruments of knowledge which conuayes the same from man to man for though the soule be the fountaine from whence all wisedome springeth yet the tongue is the channell and the conduite pipe whereby this wisedome this knowledge is communicated and transferred from man to man so the Holy Ghost is the sole Author and Teacher of all truth Christ is the wisedome of God but the Holy Ghost is the Teacher of this wisedome vnto men 1 Cor. 1.21 and it pleased him by this onely way to conuay this wisedome of God vnto men for seeing the world by their wisedome knew not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God through the foolishnesse of Preaching to saue those that beleeue Why he appeared like clouen tongues Secondly He appeared like clouen tongues because all tongues and all languages are alike knowne and vnderstood of God and because this Spirit can teach all men all languages and the gift of tongues is a gift of God Why he appeared like clouen tongues Thirdly He appeared like clouen tongues of fire they were ignitae non politae fiery tongues and not fine polished tongues because the Spirit of God delighteth rather in the zealous and the feruent tongues of Saint Paul and Apollos that warme the heart then in those eloquent tongues of Cicero and Demosthenes that delight the eares for this is the desire of Gods Spirit to kindle the hearts of men and to set them on fire with the loue of God and our brethren So when our Sauiour preached vnto the two Disciples that trauelled towards Emaus they said Did not our hearts burne within vs Luke 24. while hee talked with vs by the way This is the effect of the tongue of the Holy Ghost to worke zeale and feruency in the hearers And so you see the thing wherewith they were said to be filled that is the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost CHAP. IIII. Of the filling of the Apostles with those gifts of the Holy Ghost and the signes of their fulnesse SEcondly They are said to be filled with these gifts and Dydimus saith that wee cannot be filled with any creature Quia deus solus implet creaturas Because nothing but God can replenish and satisfie his creatures Vnus pellaeo Iuueni non sufficit orbis The whole world is not able to content vs so large
me for to Waite till God deliuereth me And fetch my prison'd Soule from hence to liue at libertie IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Second golden Candlesticke HOLDING The second greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the Knowledge of GOD. EXODVS 34.6.7 Iehouah Iehouah Strong Mercifull and Gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and trueth Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne and that will by no meanes cleare the guiltie visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation YOu haue heard in my former Treatise the poore and miserable estate of distressed Man The coherence of this with the former Treatise how lamentable hee made himselfe by Sinne I am now to shew you a poole of Bethesda wherein if wee can but bathe our selues wee shall bee made perfectly whole and most comfortably deliuered from all diseases Iohn 5.2 and therefore I beseech you let this Panchrestum this medicine for all maladies be diligently acquired bee most carefully applied to euery sickned soule You shal finde it in Ierusalem i. e. in the Church of God and no where else for extra Ecclesiam non est salus no saluation is out of the Church and you shall finde it by the Sheepe-market i. e. in the place where the sheepe of Christ and children of God doe finde all prouision for their soules that is the Holy Heauenly Scripture and there if you looke you shall finde a porch ample enough for you to enter into this Bethesda in these words which I haue read vnto you The Lord the Lord God or else Iehoua Iehoua Strong Mercifull and Gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth c. And I hope you will giue the more diligent heede vnto my words Quia speciosi pedes Euangelizantium pacem because as the Pro. Esay sayth the feete of theÌ„ that bring tydings of good things are most welcome vnto vs Esay 52.7 and as the Angell sayd vnto the Shepheards Luke 2.10 I bring you tydings of great ioy which shall be vnto all people For I am now to preach and to expound that gracious Sermon vnto you here which God himselfe hath Preached heretofore vnto Moses in Mount Sinay and it containes the whole discription of Almighty God so farre forth as himselfe thought it fit Chrysost varior loc in Matth. Hom. 9. to reueale himselfe at this time vnto his people and therefore Excutite pigritiam quia non est res leuis quam audituri estis I doe must humbly craue your attention and most diligent obseruation of these things for I thinke that you can neither heart nor reade a sweeter text if God giue me grace to handle it well It is large indeed I must confesse and my allotted time is short and it is as difficult to contract much into a little as to inlarge a little into much yet seeing I cannot speake all that I would I will by Gods helpe speake a little of all as I may The Occasion of these words The occasion hereof is playne enough in this precedent Chapter Moses desired to see God God tells him he cannot because it is as naturall vnto him to be inuisible as to be a God and therefore Saint Iohn sayth Iohn 4.12 no man hath seene God at any time yet to satisfie Moses so much as was fit for his happinesse God sayth that he should see his backe-parts that is hee should vnderstand so much concerning God as the weake vnderstanding of Man could possibly comprehend for hee saw nothing at all after any visible manner but onely heard this voyce describing God and we must know that God hath nâ—ither forepart nor backepart that can be seene with any mortall eyes and therefore this phrase of seeing Gods backeparts is onely vsed quoad captum nostrum after a humane manner and it importeth thus much in effect thou shalt see that is thou shalt vnderstand or see with thine eyes of knowledge my backeparts That God is not to be seene with any materiall eyes that is so much concerning me as thy weake apprehension shall be able to comprehend For First That God is no otherwise to bee seene then with the spirituall eyes of our Faith and vnderstanding it appeareth playne because Moses here saw no visible thing but onely heard a voyce So when God appeared to Elias 1 Kings 19.11.12 there passed before the Lord a mighty strong winde but the Lord was not in the Wind then an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake and then came a still soft Voice and the Lord was in the Voyce and so when he deliuered the Law he sayth Ye saw no similitude saue a voyce therefore as God sheweth himselfe none otherwise then by a voyce so he can be seene none otherwise then by the spirituall eyes of our vnderstanding Secondly That by the backeparts of God is vnderstood By the backe-parts of God is vnderstood so much knowledge of God as we are able to comprehend so much knowledge of God as our weake apprehension can conceiue it is apparant in this place for Moses neither saw nor heard any other thing but onely this voyce proclayming these words that I haue read vnto you and therefore this is all one as if the voyce had sayd vnto him this is all that thou canst vnderstand of me that I am such and such a one as I shew vnto thee It is true indeed that I am so glorious to excellent so ineffable and so incomprehensible in my selfe that if I should shew thee my Maiestie and fully declare vnto thee mine excellencie what I am thou wert not able to comprehend it and therefore humano more loqui to speak vnto thee as a man that thou mayest the better vnderstand how farre thou mayest know me I would haue thee to looke vpon a Man and to consider how much more glorie and excellencie shineth in his face then in his backe-partes euen so thou must vnderstand that all this which I shew vnto thee concerning my selfe in comparison of what I am in the excellency of my Maiestie That we can conceiue but the least part of Gods excellencie is but as the back-parts of a man in comparison of his face and fore-parts So farre short is this that thou canst know of me to what I am and yet this least part of my excellency is so much as thou or any man breathing vpon the face of the earth is able to comprehend And therefore the meaning of this phrase to see the backe-parts of God is nothing else but the reuealing of himselfe vnto Moses so farre as Moses was able to comprehend that is a little but not neere all his properties for to be incomprehensible is as proper to God as to be Inuisible Secundum essentiam incognitus secundum maiestatem immensus His Maiestie is immeasurable Thalas apud Paulinum
there cannot be but one Iehoua one infinit eternall being that both the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Each person of the Trinity is the true Iehoua are called each one of them Iehoua as you may most apparently see if you compare the 6. of Esay and the 9. where the great Iehoua saith vnto the Prophet Goe and tell this people heare and vnderstand not see but perceiue not make the heart of this people fat with the 12 of Iohn 41. Where the Euangelist saith that these words of the Prophet were spoken of Christ when hee saw his glory and spake of him and with the 28 of the Acts 25. Where Saint Paul saith The Holy Ghost spake these words by Esayas the Prophet and if you looke into the first of the Reuelations 8. where Christ assumeth the same name vnto himselfe saying I am Alpha Omega the beginning the ending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was which is which is to come And so into the 8 of Iohn the 58. where our Sauiour alludeth vnto the same Name saying Before Abraham was I am It doth sufficiently proue each one of these persons to be an infinite God subsisting in that one eternall Essence Zanch. de natura dei l. 1. c. 13. p. 35. because it is most certaine that the Name Iehoua is so propper vnto God that it can be ascribed to none else as Zanchius saith But because many other places of Scripture are more plaine and pregnant to proue this great Mystery of godlinesse I will not insist to wring out an apparant truth from the obscurest places Chrysost hom 2 in Heb. and because as Saint Chrysostome saith Nequue ad loquendum digne de Deo lingua sufficit neque ad percipiendum intellectus praeualet Our tongues are not able to speake worthily enough of God and our vnderstandings are not sufficient to conceiue of him as we ought to doe yea and that De deo loqui etiam vera aliquando periculosissimum est It may be dangerous sometimes to speake truths of God for as Euclides being demaunded of one what God did and in what things he most delighted did most truly answere that he knew not well what he did but he was certaine he delighted not in vaine and curious persons Maxim ser 33. That it is not safe to search too farre into the seeing of God so I say that curiosity in this highest point of Diuinity is very dangerous or as Saint Bernard saith to inquire too farre into this point is peruerse curiositie to beleeue it as the Scripture teacheth is infallible security and to see him as he is is most absolute felicity therefore I will wade no further into this depth but I will exhort and desire you all Potius glorificare eum qui est quam inuestigare quid est Chrysost quo supra hom 2. in Heb. Rather most faithfully to serue him which is then curiously to search what he is Ne in hac illicite curiosi in illa damnabiliter inueniamur ingrati least in this wee be found vnlawfully curious Prosper de vocat gentium and in the other most damnably vnthankefull as Prosper speaketh CHAP. II. How God is the giuer of Being to all Creatures and the fulfiller of all his promises AND yet I must note vnto you Zanch de natura Dei l. 1. c. 18. Why Jehoua is twice repeated that here Iehoua is twice repeated not to make Moses the more attentiue as some doe thinke it for the very speech of God at such a time and in such a manner was enough in my iudgement to moue attention but rather to signifie as I take it that as he is an eternall being in himselfe so he giueth being to all things else viz. 1. To all Creatures 2. To all his promises For First In him we liue we moue and haue our being Acts 17.1.28 saith the most learned Apostle of the Gentiles euen in the streetes of Athens and of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 saith the same Apostle vnto the Romans the sole Monarchs of the whole World and so GOD himselfe saith Esay 44.24 I am Iehoua that made all things Which is all one as if hee had said As I am called the Creator because I haue made That all things doe subsist in God and created all things so I am called Iehoua Being because I gaue and doe giue their being vnto all the things that are And it is obserued that as in the Hebrew word Iehoua there is nothing but Consonants Iod He Vau Am which without their prickes that doe stand for the vowels can not be pronounced to shew how ineffable How ineffable is God and how vnexpressable the essence of God is So in the Latine word Iehoua there are contained all the vowels a. e. i. o. u without some of which no word can be spoken no name can be vttered and that in it there is nothing but vowels excepting h. which is no letter but the aspiration of the word to note vnto vs That God is the very life of all things that as the vowels together with the aspiration is the life and as it were the soule of euery word so is Iehoua the Lord God the very life and being as it were of euery Creature that can be named because that of him and for him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 Non quod illa sunt quod ipse est sed quia ex ipso sunt Not that they are the same Bern. in cant serm 4. that he is but because they haue their existence and perfection from him as Saint Bernard saith Exod. 6.3 This place of Exodus explained Secondly when God saith He was not knowne vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah it is not to be vnderstood of his essentiall being for so they knew him euen by this very name Iehouah as we may see in the fifteenth of Genesis and the seauenth verse and in the eight and twenty of Genesis and the thirteenth verse of the originall Text and so Tremellius reades it Gerard. l. 3 de nat Dei Neither is it to be vnderstood De gradibus diuinarum patefactionum Of the degrees of the diuine manifestations of God as Gerardus saith because sometimes it is the manner of the Scriptures to say that things are then when they are manifested to be Alsted Lexic Theol. c. 2. as it is said of the holy Ghost Quod nondum erat quia nondum innotuerat That he was not because as yet he had not manifested himselfe to be Iohn 7.39 for so he may be said not to be knowne vnto Moses nor vnto any man else because neither himselfe nor any of his names can be knowne of any man 1 Cor. 13. but onely in part as the Apostle sheweth And the example alleaged of the holy Ghost is mis-interpreted because
be abundantly true because as Hugo saith In sacra Scriptura non solum bonitas est quod praecipitur faelicitas quod promittitur sed etiam veritas est quod dicitur Whatsoeuer is said in the holy Scripture 2 Cor. 1.20 it is absolutely true without any errour and the promises of God are as sure as if they were already performed for he is yea and Amen i. e. True in himselfe true in his workes and true in all his words And this Truth of the Lord indureth for euer for He will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth neither will he suffer his Truth to faile But when we forget both him and our selues Luke 1.72 he will still be mindfull of his promise and remember his holy couenant And therefore seeing that as the Light is so excellent a thing the first-borne of all visible Creatures and the very comfort of euery afflicted heart that dispelleth all darkenesse discouereth all things and the procreatiue cause of all Creatures so is this Truth of God What we ought to doe of that transcendent excellency as that it is the best guide of our liues and the sole meanes to saue our soules It should teach vs First Comparare veritatem To purchase this Truth and to get the same vnto our selues by any meanes First to spare no cost to get that Truth Matth. It is that Treasure â—id in the field to gaine which the wise Merchant sold all that euer he had no labour is too great no cost is too deare to gaine this Truth Multa tulit fecitque puer sudauit alsit Horat. And as another saith Ardua quamuis sit via non metuit virtus inuicta laborem If the Gentiles did toyle and moyle and sweat and spare no paines to get a little measure of humane learning which did almost nothing else but puffe them vp with pride what paines ought we to take to search and seeke for this Diuine Truth which is onely able to saue our soules Secondly Retinere veritateÌ„ to let passe this truth Secondly to hazard all we haue in defence of this Truth when once we haue attained vnto the same by no meanes but to keepe it and to retaine it vnto death for so Salomon saith Buy the truth but sell it not i. e. when you haue gotten it part not from it and this is no small taske Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri But it is as difficult a thing to retaine it as it is to finde it for seeing the truth is like the light and the light is many times obscured with cloudes and darkenesse so the truth is opposed by errour and ignorance it is enuied and hated by the sonnes of men and as Tertullian saith it hath beene euer seene Juellus in Apol. ex Tertul. Apolloget Veritatem in terris peregrinam agere inter ignotos facile calumniatores inuenire That the truth was entertained on earth but as a Pilgrime and a Stranger that easily findeth enemies in euery place and scarce friends in any place and so the Booke of God and the story of times doth make it plaine how the Professors of this Truth were alwayes persecuted and the Truth it selfe sought to be suppressed by the sonnes of darkenesse Moses and Aaron were withstood by Pharaoh and resisted by Iannes and Iambres and the rest of the Sorcerers of Egypt The Prophets were so vehemently and so generally persecuted by the Iewes that Saint Stephen asketh them Acts 7.52 Which of the Prophets haue not your Fathers persecuted and Christ himselfe which was borne to this end Vt testimonium perhiberet veritati That he might beare witnesse vnto the Truth John 18.37 was resisted vnto death and so all the Martyres and faithfull witnesses of this eternall Truth can beare witnesse what they suffered in the defence of Truth What is needfull for vs if we would retain the Truth And therefore if we would retaine the truth wee haue need of Patience we haue need of Courage and of a constant Resolution neuer to suffer this Heauenly Truth to bee taken from vs vntill our selues be taken out of this wretched life Let vs lay before vs the examples of the Patriarkes and Prophets of Christ himselfe of his holy Apostles and of all his blessed Martyres which thought not their liues too deare to defend this Truth let vs not be degenerate children of such worthy Progenitors as transmitted this Truth vnto vs with the losse of their liues That Truth at last will euer preuaile And though wee haue neede of Patience to suffer much in the defence of Truth yet wee may be confident that Truth will preuaile and get the victory for as no darkenesse can so swallow vp the light but that in its appointed time it will gloriously returne againe so no power of darknesse can so suppresse the Truth but at last it will appeare as the cleare day Because as the nature of errour is such Cokus de iure regis Eoclesiastico that although none be to withstand it yet as the smoake at last it will vanish of it selfe so the nature of Truth is such that although neuer so many doe oppugne it yet at last it will preuaile as Zorobabel saith and as the Comicke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time will bring out the Truth into Light at last And therefore seeing the Truth is of that inuincible power that although it may be obscured yea for a time with Christ himselfe be buried yet it cannot be extinguished nor remain perpetually intombed but that the time will come wherein nothing is hid which shall not be reuealed nothing is couered which shall not be manifested We should arme our selues with confidence and sure trust in God which according to his Truth will at last bring all Truth to light and saue all them that put their trust in him But here me thinkes I heare some saying they would willingly spend their liues in defence of Truth if they could tell what were Truth for now there are so many Religions so many Professions and so many diuersities of Opinions in the world that it is farre easier for them to spend their life then to find out what is Truth I answere that as Claudian saith Saepe mihi dubiam traxit sententia mentem curarent superi terras an nullus inesset rector He was much distracted and knew not what to resolue whether there was a Diuine prouidence or not because when he saw the most admirable course of things he said Claud. l. 1. in Ruff. Tunc omnia rebar consilio firmata Dei He thought it was vnpossible that that could proceed but from a superiour cause but on the other side when as the Prophet Dauid saith He saw the wicked in such prosperity and the Righteous hang downe their heads like a Bull-rush yea and hâ—nged many times like the wicked sonnes of euill doers
Sancta custodiens veritatem a Righteous and a holy Nation Esay 26. to hold fast this Truth of God not shewing our selues like Rehoboam that found shields of gold but left behinde him shields of Brasse to receiue the cleere Truth from our fathers and to leaue the same darkened vnto our children Secondly As the word of God is the primary and most absolute declared Truth wherein there is no possibility of error Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words So the words of men agreeable to their vnderstanding conformed to the Truth of things Iohn 8.44 are secondarily the Truth of God because as euery lye is from the Deuill though it should be vttered from the tongue of a Saint as our Sauiour sheweth so euery Truth is from God though it were spoken from the mouth of a Diuell because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth Et omne verum à quocunque dicitur à Spiritu sancto est And all Truth whosoeuer speaks it doth spring from the Spirit of God saith Saint Ambrose Euery Truth whatsoeuer whosoeuer saith it proceeds from God A sufficient reproofe for them that will not heare the Word of God but from the mouth of Saints for we are not to respect who speake or what they be that speake but what is spoken and therefore if Balaams Asse should preach me Christ I would willingly be his disciple for Saint Paul tels me that none can say 1 Cor. 12.3 that Iesus is Christ but by the Spirit of God and therefore hee did not so much care who preached nor how they preached so they preached Iesus Christ because he knew that euery truth must needs proceed from the Spirit of Truth â—hat we should say nothing but Truth And therefore this should teach vs to make much of Truth and not onely to beleeue the Truth whosoeuer speakes it but also to speake the Truth euery man vnto his neighbour whatsoeuer comes of it though it should be like Cassandra's Prophesie not beleeued or O dium parere Beget hatred as the Comicke speaketh Quia dilexit Deus veritatem because as all Truth is from God so God loueth all Truth whatsoeuer Corruit in platea veritas And yet we see Quod diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum The Truth is troden downe in the street and the faithfull are minished from among the children of men Psal 12.1 we are all like the Cretians alwayes lyars and though the godly man keepeth his promise vnto his neighbour Psal 15.5 though it were to his owne hinderance yet now we seldome think of any promise vnlesse it be for our furtherance to attaine vnto our owne desires so farre are wee from Truth But we must all loue Truth and follow after Truth if we would be children vnto him that is abundant in Truth And so much for the fift Particle of Gods goodnesse Of Gods abundant Truth CHAP. X. Of the large extent of Gods mercy and of the remission of all kinde of sinnes and the vsefull application of the whole Attribute of Gods goodnesse THe sixt Particle of Gods Goodnesse is God is mercifull to all men that hee reserueth mercy for thousands and that as I vnderstand it two manner of wayes 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely First he meaneth that his Mercy is not like a carnall Patrons loue which commonly reacheth no further then his kindred he can preferre none else Nor yet like great mens fauours which extendeth no further then their seruants their greatnesse is no greater but Miserationum Dei multitudo numerari Basil in regulis contract q. 15. magnitudo mensurari non potest The mercies of God are so many that they cannot be numbred and so great that they cannot be measured so that he hath enough in store to helpe not onely a few but also many multitudes thousands he hath enough for all being not like Isaac that had but one blessing Gen. 27.38 for he hath many blessings for euery one Secondly Gods Mercie lasteth for all times euen for euer and euer he meaneth that his Mercy is not for any set Period of time which is the property of all other things euen of the greatest Monarchs they haue but their time and when that time is gone they can do nothing which a little before seemed to be able to do all things but Gods mercies are tyed to no time but they continue froÌ„ generation to generation they are like a springing well that can neuer be dryed or like the Lampe that is fed with the oyle of immortality And this the Word reseruing doth most plainely shew that he hath mercy enough in store not onely for the fathers that beleeue in him but also for their children for their childrens children euen vnto a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his Commandements Good Parents doe leaue the best patrimâ—ny vnto their children Rom. 11.28 O then what a Patrimony doe good parents purchase vnto their children to haue the Mercies of God reserued and laid vp in store for thousands of them and as the Apostle saith of the Iewes to make them to be loued for their fathers sakes Most happy are those children which haue such fathers as doe feare God and keepe his Commandements And so much for the sixt Particle of Gods goodnesse Reseruing Mercy for thousands Forgiuenesse of sinnes our chiefest comfort Rom 4.7 The seauenth Particle of Gods goodnesse is that he forgiueth iniquitie and transgression and sinne Here is the last but not the least act of Gods goodnesse expressed For herein consisteth all our happinesse Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered And here by these three words God vnderstandeth three sorts of euill 1. By Iniquity is vnderstood originall corruption 2. By Transgression is meant the outward actuall commission 3. By Sinne is vnderstood the height of all abhomination No sinner excluded from hope of pardon The custome of sinning and the greatest sinnes For God depriues not these from hope of Pardon if these come to him with penitent hearts and therefore that none should despaire of his goodnes he sheweth that he can forgiue all these and forgiuing these he forgiueth all But here I must haue leaue to take away the vaile froÌ„ Moses his face and to looke further then the Iewish Tabernacle for as in Ezekiels vision Ezek. 10.10 Rota erat in rota Gospel was in the Law Law in the Gospell as Saint Gregory expounds it so here I finde all this to be Gospell and I see Iesus Christ in euery word for in Christ Coloss 1.14 we haue Redemption through his blood the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and so of all the rest of these Graces wee haue them all by Christ for though the Law came by Moses yet as Saint Iohn saith Grace and Truth yea Mercy and Peace and all the other good
of themselues but as Dauid was much moued when he saw the people smitten for his sinnes 2 Sam. 2â— 17 and as Iacob halted when the Angell smote him on the thigh Gen. 32.31 so are we many times more grieued to see and more affraid to heare that our Children and the fruits of our loynes shall be punished then our selues And therefore seeing that fearefull curse of the Prophet To serue God is the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our Children Let the iniquity of his Father be had in remembrance and let not the sinne of his Mother be done away doth light so heauily vpon the Children of the wicked it should teach all Parents that loue their Children To feare the Lord and to striue more to get Gods blessing rather then the greatest patrimony vnto our Children for they may assure themselues that as the old verse saith De male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres If they haue inlarged their substance by wicked meanes it will be the onely meanes to cut off all their posterity as may be seene in Saul Achab Ieroboam and the like but the blessing of the Lord perpetuateth the same And therefore as some for the loue that they beare vnto their Children will giue themselues vnto the Diuell by committing all sinnes in oppressing others to inrich them so let vs if we loue our Children cease to sinne for this will free our selues from woe and bring the best blessing vnto them and Secondly It should teach all Children to be humbled and to pray to God with our lyturgy saying Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our Fore-fathers but spare vs good Lord spare thy people and giue vs thy grace and forgiue vs all our sinnes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen And thus I haue shewed thee O man Quid sit optimum What is the chiefest good and what we may learne concerning God that he is an Omnipotent eternall being good vnto all specially vnto his Saints and iust vnto sinners And now Quid nisi vota supersunt What remaineth but to apply all this vnto our soules to beleeue in him to loue him and to feare him and to prayse his name his blessed name for euermore for it is a good thing to sing prayses vnto our God yea and it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull Psal vlt. Verse vlt. And therefore prayse thou the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name and let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen A Prayer O Eternall God whom to know as thou art is vnpossible as thou hast reuealed in thy Word eternall life wee most humbly beseech thee to open the eyes of our vnderstanding that wee may see thee at all times in all places and in all our actions and giue vs O Lord thy heauenly grace that seeing thee wee may loue thee with all our hearts feare thy power extoll thy goodnesse and admire thy iustice to preserue vs from all sinnes and to retaine vs in thy wayes to thine eternall glory and to our endlesse comfort Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Third Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Third greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Incarnation of the WORD IOHN 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was made Flesh I Haue described in my formost Treatise O Theophilus The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises O dearely beloued of God the miserable estate of that poore man that was eiected out of Paradise and left halfe dead betweene Ierusalem and Iericho betwixt Heauen and Hell being already excluded out of Heauen but not fully thrust and intruded into Hell and in my next Treatise I haue shewed vnto thee a poole of Bethesda John 5.2 and brought vnto thee a good Samaritan that is onely able and willing to heale all thy maladies but as yet thou wantest an Angel to stirre the Waters and this good Samaritan hath not alighted and therefore I must now shew you how to apply the salue vnto the sore and how the Angel of the Couenant Iesus Christ alighted and descended from the throne of his Maiestie which is his horse for he â—ideth vpon the Heauens Psal 68.4 as vpon an horse to releeue this poore distressed and afflicted man And this by Gods helpe I shall doe out of these words The Word was made flesh for here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 7.14 the salue laid vnto the sore here is Emmanuel God with vs the blessed God which I haue described in my last Treatise vnited and made one with vs which in my first Tract I haue shewed to be so miserably afflicted and therefore we may now reioyce and be assured of our health and saluation because the Word is made flesh CHAP. I. Of the excellency of the Knowledge of Iesus Christ God hath fixed many impressions of his goodnesse in the creatures WHosoeuer will religiously and seriously obserue those manifold impressions of the Diuine goodnesse which the Lord God hath not slightly planted in the natures of all liuing creatures for a short space to be preached but hath also indelibly fixed in the memory of all ages most seriously to be considered he shall surely finde sufficient matter of reuerence loue and admiration but he shall be neuer able sufficiently to comprehend the excellency of so huge an Ocean of goodnesse within the straight and narrow compasse of his vnderstanding This were but with Saint Augustines Boy to empty the Ocean Sea with an Oyster-shell into an hole and therefore the serious and continuall contemplation of such plentifull and farre-spread goodnesse of God did so inuade and fill the thoughts of that Kingly Prophet Dauid that being as it were rauished or wrapt in an extacie at the inexplicable expression and vnconceiueable consideration of the same hee breaketh forth into these heauenly acclamations saying O Iehoua In coelis est benignitas tua Psal 36.5.6.7 O Lord our Gouernour How excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory aboue the Heauens thy faithfulnesse reacheth vnto the cloudes thy righteousnesse is like the strong mountaines Psal 147. thy iudgements are like the great deepe thou sauest O Lord both man and beast But I will not suffer my speech at this time to enter into that infinite Ocean of Gods goodnesse whereby he giueth food vnto all flesh feeding the young Rauens that call vpon him and whereby he adorneth the fields with all kinde of fruitfull trees and pleasant flowers and all flowers with sweet smels and delicate colours neither will I enter into any part or parcell of his excellent prouidence whereby he gouerneth the whole world by his wisedome sustaineth all things by his power and relieueth all things by his goodnesse for this is too large a field for me to post ouer in so short a space as is now allotted me to
and wouldest be adorned with the best robes of vertue Christ is the garment of righteouâ—nesse And if thou doest put on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13 14. as Saint Paul aduiseth thee then all thy garments will smell of Myrhe Aloes and Cassia it will be like the smell of a pleasant field Gen. 27.27 which the Lord hath blessed or whatsoeuer thou wantest and wouldest haue thou mayest fully and freely haue the same from him Vita ab errore gratia à peccato mors à morte liberabit His life will preserue thee from error if thou wilt follow it his grace will free thee from sinne if thou wilt receiue it and his death will deliuer thee from eternall death if thou wilt beleeue in it And if thou be simple he is thy wisedome if thou be sinnefull he is thy righteousnesse if thou wouldest be holy he is thy sanctification if thou beest the slaue of hell and held captiue by the Diuell Ephes 4.8 he is thy redemption that hath ledde captiuity captiue And to comprehend all in a word This word is All in all Vt qui omnia propter Christum demittit vnum inueniat pro omnibus Christum That he which forsaketh all for Christ his sake might finde all in Christ and Christ in stead of all farre better then all vnto his soule And so might ioyfully sing with the Psalmist The Lord is my portion and I haue a goodly heritage the Lord is my Shepheard and therefore I can want nothing For Psal 23.1 as Seneca said vnto Polibius Fas tibi non est saluo Caesare de fortuna conquaeri quia hoc incolumi nihil per didisti It is not fit for thee to complaine of Fortune for want or pouerty or any other aduersitie so long as thou hast the fauour of Caesar Nam in hoc pro omnibus hic tibi omnia est ideo non tantum siccos sed laetos oculos esse oportet and him so friendly vnto thee for that hauing him thou hast lost nothing which thou canst not soone and easily recouer againe because he and his loue is better then all things vnto thee and therefore thou shouldest more reioyce in hauing him then grieue for the leesing of all things else Euen so may I farre better say the same vnto all Christians What matter though we want or leese all the things of this World if wee haue and enioy Iesus Christ for all the accessions and accumulations of worldly things can adde nothing vnto the felicity of a Christian and all the defects or wants of the same things can detract nothing from the happinesse of him that hath Iesus Christ for whosoeuer hath him hath all things and whosoeuer wanteth him hath nothing For All our knowledge is but heathenish Science All the things of this World without Christ will auaile vs nothing Iohn 14.6 able to make vs proud not to make vs happy If this word be not Obiectum adaequatum The chiefest yea and sole obiect of the same all our faith in God is but vngrounded confidence if it be not grounded vpon this word for No man commeth vnto the Father but by me All our righteousnesse is but as Pollutio panni Menstruous cloutes if it be not washed in the bloud of this word For 1 John 1.7 It is the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne And all our patience temperance chastity and all other vertues that either Nature planted or education effected in vs are but Splendida peccata Glittering guilded sinnes vnacceptable vnto God and vnprofitable vnto our selues able to make vs prouder not better if they be not guided by the grace and directed to the glory of this euerlasting Word For as the Bird cannot flye without her wings nor the body moue without the soule so no more can any man doe any thing that is good and acceptable vnto God without the helpe of this heauenly Word For Without me you can doe nothing saith our Sauiour Christ but in him God is well pleased John 15.5 Philip. 4.13 not onely with himselfe but also with all vs and through him We can doe all things as the Apostle saith And therefore as Duke Ioab when hee had fought the field and got the vpper hand of his enemies did send for Dauid to carry away the credit of the victory so the Prophets the Apostles and all the holy men of God in all their heauenly words miraculous workes That if there be any goodnesse in vs wee should ascribe the glory of it to Iesus Christ paines and preachings would neuer suffer any part or parcell of the credit to rest vpon themselues but did most forcibly repell it and most faithfully acknowledge it all to belong vnto this Omnipotent Word So Saint Peter after the healing of the poore lame Cripple said vnto the people when he saw them ready to adore them for so admirable a miracle Why looke you so earnestly on vs Acts 2.12.16 as though by our owne power or holinesse we had made this man to walke No no it is not so but it is The Name of Iesus Christ and our faith in his Name that made him perfectly whole i. e. He is the Author we are the Instruments and our faith is the meanes whereby this man receiued strength and therefore doe not you ascribe the honour of this worke vnto any of vs which of our selues can doe nothing but ascribe it vnto the Name of that Almighty Word which of himselfe can doe all things So Saint Paul after he had said that he had laboured more then all the rest of the Apostles least any man should thinke that he did assume the honour of that diligence vnto himselfe and not ascribe the same vnto Christ he presently addeth and yet it was not I that did it but the grace of God which was in me And so all the Saints of God after all their voluminous and laborious workes they conclude all with Laus Christo Let all the prayse be giuen to Christ And as they referred all the honour of their owne actions vnto Christ because they were all done by the grace and power of Christ so did they desire nothing in the World but Christ They forsooke all Math. 19.27 The Saints desired nothing but Iesus Christ and followed him and still cryed vnto him with Saint Augustine Da mihite Domine Take away all from vs and spare not so thou giue thy selfe vnto vs that leesing all we may leese nothing at all because we gaine thee which art the greatest gaine in the World So Saint Paul saith He trampled his owne righteousnesse and all his owne goodnesse vnderfeete Phil 3.8 that he might finde the righteousnesse of Christ he deemed all the riches and all the other things of this World but as dung and drosse 1 Cor. 22. and losse vntâ— him that he might gaine Iesus Christ and he desired to vnderstand nothing to know nothing
other by creation then is the second a creature and therefore but one God vncreated and if one bee from the other by generation then the first gaue the second either a part or his whole substance if a part then is God partible may be diuided which cannot be said of such spirituall indiuidible substance and if the first gaue the rest his whole Essence then haue all the same Dietie and so all must be the same Godhead And so Anâ—isthenes saith it was the opinion of the best Philosophers Plures esse Deos populares vnum naturalem That although the people worshipped many Gods yet indeed there was but one onely God by Nature And therefore against the Valentinians thirty couple of gods Jrenaeus contra Valentin and all others that professe many gods it must needes follow euen from reason it selfe that there can be no more gods but one not specificall but numericall i. e. so absolutely one Tertul. l. contra Hermog e. 17. that he is one alone besides whom there can be none other and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely one for we deny all number in the Deitie vnlesse you meane in the personall proprieties and therefore Gregory Nissen saith well Quod in multitudinem extendere numerum Deitatum eorum duntaxat est Nyssen ad Eustach l. de trin qui laborant multitudinis deorum errore That to extend the number of the Deities into a multitude belongs onely vnto them which doe erroniously maintaine a multitude of gods for the Catholicke faith is this that wee should worship the Trinity in Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity that is Basilius Ep. 141. ad Caesarium the trinity of Persons and the vnity of Essence because all number is to be reiected from the Essence of God saith Saint Basil For the Diuine Essence is so simple and so numerically one that no diuersitie can be giuen whereby the very persons doe differ in regard of the Essence and therefore in respect of this identitie and vnitie of Essence in the three persons of the Godhead our Sauiour saith I am in the Father and the Father in me Iohn 14.10 Wherupon Saint Cyril addeth further for the explanation of the same that we may not say that the Father is from the Sonne nor contained in the Sonne nor the Sonne to be in the Father as we are said to be and to liue in God for that we are onely by the effects of his grace he in the vnitie of his essence i. e. wee are one with God by grace but the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost are one by Nature so that whatsoeuer the Father essentially is the Sonne is the same and the holy Spirit is the same That the Essence of God is distinguished into three persons Gen. 1. And yet we must know that this one onely one indiuisible Essence is distinguished into three persons which we call the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost for so the Scriptures plainely teach vs as Let vs make man in our image and behold the man is become like one of vs saith the Lord himselfe to shew that in this vnity of Essence there is a plurality of persons and againe the Lord rained vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrha from the Lord out of Heauen Gen. 19. that is the Sonne rained from the Father as Iustin Martyr Tertullian Epiphanius Cyprian Irenaeus Eusebius Cyrill Sozomen the Councell of Smyrna held in the yeare of Christ 336. Socrates Eccl. hist l. 2. c. 30. wherein Marcus Arethusius against the heresie of Photinus and many others doe so expound that place And so the three men that appeared vnto Abraham and that Heauenly harmony of Cherubims saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth Esay 6. doe sufficiently declare the Trinitie of persons in the Vnity of Gods Essence Ob. But then it may bee some will say these and the like places are too obscure to confirme the truth of so great a point Sol. Why God did not fully and plainely reueile the mysteries of the Trinitie at the first I answere that God at first would not shew this great mystery vnto all lest that being so prone as they were in the infancie of the Church to fal into Idolatry they should shake off the seruice of the true God therby be drawn to worship many Gods but the more his Church did increase in abilitie to vnderstand the more did God reueile vnto it both this mystery of the Trinitie and also many other mysteries of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection and Ascention of Iesus Christ And therefore what hee obscurely shadowed in the time of the Patriarchs hee did more cleerely shew vnto his Prophets and most plainely in the time of the Apostles proclaime the same vnto all people For Christ bad them goe and baptize all men Matth. 28. in the name of the Father and of the Sonne 1. Iohn 5. and of the Holy Ghost And so Saint Iohn saith there be three that beare witnesse in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit And yet these three be but one saith the Apostle For as in one Sunne there are the body of the Sunne the Sunne beames and the heate Aug. de Trinit the beames are begotten of the Sunne and the heate doth proceed both from the Sunne and the Sunne beames but the Sunne it selfe proceeds from none Euen so in the one Essence of God there are the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the sonne is begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeds from both but the Father is of himselfe alone and as the fountaine begets the brooke Jdem de verbis Domim and both the fountaine and brooke doe make the Poole and yet all three is the same water so the father is the Fountaine which begets the Sonne and from the Father and Sonne proceeds the Holy Ghost That there are certaine similitudes of the Trinity to be seene in the creatures and yet is the Deity of all three the same in like manner the fire hath motion light and heate and yet but one fire and in the soule of man there are three faculties the vegetatiue the sensitiue and the rationall and yet but one soule and in all other creatures wee may behold certaine glimpes and similitudes that doe after a sort adumbrate and shadow out this ineffable and inexpressable mysterie for by their greatnesse we may consider the power of the Father by their beauty we may see the wisedome of the Sonne and by their vtilitie we may note the goodnesse of the Holy Ghost God left not himselfe without witnesse no not wholly of the manner of his subsistence if not to proue this blessed mysterie yet at least to illustrate it Thom. p. 1. q 32. art 1. and to proue as Aquinas saith Non esse impossibile quod fides praedicat That those things are not impossible which faith preacheth But it may be some
will aske touching my former illustration why is power ascribed to the Father Wisedome to the Son Quest and goodnesse to the Holy Ghost whereas all and each of the three persons haue the same power wisedome and goodnesse Saint Augustine answereth that amongst the creatures Resp it is wont to be obserued that in a Father is found a defect of power by reason of his antiquitie in a Sonne is seene ignorance by reason of his youth and inexperience of things and in the name of a Spirit there seemeth to be a kinde of fearefull vehemency Esay 52. as Quicscite ab homine cuius spiritus in naribus eius Whose Spirit is in his nostrils and therefore least the like might be thought to be in these Diuine persons we find power ascribed to the Father wisedome vnto the sonne and goodnesse vnto the Holy Ghost whereas indeed each one of them is of the same power wisedome and goodnesse as the others bee And although the Essence of God can neither be diuided nor distinguished yet the three subsistences or the three diuers manner of being in the Diuine Essence which we call the three persons The three persons are distinguished one from another two waies Father Sonne and Holy Spirit may be distinguished two wayes 1. By their personall actions 2. By their nominall relations First the actions of the persons are either 1. Outward or 2. Inward The outward workes of God are common to each person of the Trinity First all outward actions are called communicable because although after a sort they are appropriated to each person as the Father to send the Son and to create the world the Son to be sent to be Incarnate to redeeme mankind and the Holy Ghost to appeare in the form of a Doue like clouen tongues of fire to worke in our hearts for our consolation and sanctification yet Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indiuisa these outward workes of the Trinitie are so indiuisible that we cannot so properly ascribe them to any one but we finde that they may be likewise ascribed to any other for as Nazianzen truly affirmeth of the three persons themselues Non possuÌ„tria discernere quin subito ad vnum referar nec possum vnum cogitare quin trium fulgore confundar So may we say of their outward operations that although they be affirmed of one yet may they presently be referred to all three and so we finde them in many passages of the holy Scriptures as redemption and sanctification to the Father Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 1.2 Creation and Sanctification to the Sonne Iohn 1.3 1 Cor. 1.2 And creation and redemption to the Holy Ghost Psal 33.6 Ephes 4.30 And besides these outward operations are transient voluntary for that God in these things is Liberrimus Agens A free Agent so that he might haue chosen whâ—ther to doe them or not doe them and therefore in all these workes Election Creation Gubernation Redemption Sanctification Glorification there can be ascribed none other cause but quia voluit because he would for whatsoeuer pleased the Lord that did he in Heauen and in Earth in the Sea and in all deepe places And therefore these outward actions and so likewise those names which are giuen vnto these persons in regard of these actions as Creator vnto the Father Redeemer vnto the Sonne Comforter and sanctifier vnto the holy Ghost are not altogether sufficient to expresse the differences of these persons Secondly the inward actions of these persons are 1. Permanent 2. Necessarie 3. Incommunicable First they are so permanent The inward actions of God are euer in doing that as the Sunne doth alwayes beget his beames and both Sunne and beames doe send forth the heate so the Father from all eternity euer did and now doth and euer will beget his Sonne and both Father and Sonne doe spire and breath forth the Holy Ghost and therefore Origen saith excellent well Origen hom 6. in Ierem. Saluator noster splendor est gloriae splendor autem non semel nascitur deinceps desinit nasci c. Our blessed Sauiour is the brightnesse of Gods glory Sed quotiescunque ortum fuerit lumen ex quo splendor oritur toties oritur splendor gloriae Luke 12. but the brightnesse of glory is not once begotten and then afterwards leaues to be begotten but as often as the light riseth from whence the brightnesse springeth so often doth the brightnes of glory arise And our Sauiour saith he is the wisedome of God but the wisedome of God is the brightnesse of that eternall light Et ideo saluator semper nascitur The Father doth euer beget the Sonne And therefore as the Scripture saith Ante colles generat me Before the Mountaines were laid he begetteth me and not as some doe erroniously read it Generauit me He hath begotten me So the truth is that the Sonne of God is euer begotten and the holy Spirit euer proceeding Secondly these inward actions are no voluntary operations The inward actions are necessary I meane such as that the Father might either beget the Sonne or not beget him and the Father and the Sonne might either spire forth the Holy Ghost or not spire him forth but they be so absolutely necessary that they cannot otherwise be Cyrillus l. 1. c 3. thesauri because it is the property of the nature of God the Father to beget God the Sonne as it is for him to be a God so that he can no more relinquish or leaue to beget the Sonne then hee can leaue to be a God as Saint Cyril sheweth And Thirdly these inward actions are so incommunicable The inward actions are incommunicable that whatsoeuer is proper to the one can no wayes be ascribed to the other Quia hoc est proprium patris quod solus est pater quod ab alio non est nisidse For this is the property of the Father that he alone is the Father Et hoc est proprium filij quod à patre genitus est solus à solo hoc est proprium spiritus sancti quod nec genitus nec ingenitus est sed à patre filio aequaliter procedeus and that he is not from any other but onely of himselfe and this is the property of the Son that he alone is begotten of the Father alone coequall vnto him and coessentiall and this is the propertie of the Holy Ghost to be not made not begotten but from the Father and the Sonne equally proceeding And therefore we say that these incommunicable and proper operations of the persons doe so make the true and reall distinction of the persons that the Father cannot be the Sonne nor the Holy Ghost that the Sonne cannot be the Father nor the holy Ghost and that the Holy Ghost cannot be the Father nor the Son so that in a word all three is the same Essence and yet neither of the three can
me or what similitude will you make like vnto me saith the Lord therefore we must note that although in somethings this word God is like vnto our inward word yet in many things they doe differ As First our Word hath a beginning of time when we frame the same in our vnderstanding but the word God hath no beginning Apoc. 1.8 For he is α and ω the first and the last that neuer had beginning and that neuer shall haue ending for thou art God from euerlasting and world without end saith the Psalmist Secondly our minde is before any of our words but this word God is co-eternall vnto his Father as I haue formerly declared Thirdly Athanas in Symbolo Cyrillus de trinitate Aug in Joh. our word differeth from the minde that produceth it but this word God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same essence with the Father for I and my Father are one saith our Sauiour i. e. one substance though not one person as I haue likewise shewed vnto you before Fourthly our word is an accident in the subiect of our mind but the word God is a most perfect substance and the cause of all beings in whom and by whom are all things as the Apostle saith Fiftly our word of it selfe can doe nothing at all but the word God can doe all things Sixtly our word is a dead word wanting life but in the word God there is not onely life but he is life it selfe Seauently our word is manifold for wee produce many thoughts and intelligences but the word God is onely one because God with one act doth vnderstand himselfe Aug. in Psal 61. and all things else and therefore Saint Augustine vpon the Psalmist Semel loquutus est dominus The Lord spake once expoundeth the same of the word Christ And so you see these differences betwixt the word God and the word of man he that desires to see more discrepances betwixt them let him read Athanasius in his third Sermon against the Arrians Whether the Word be a name of person or of office But here it may be demaunded whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word be a name of his person as he is God or a name giuen him in respect of his office of Redeemer as he is God and Man I answere that it is a name of his person and that in respect of his God-head onely for it is obserued that none of the Euangelists Malden in John c. 1. nor of the Apostles doth call him the Word but onely S. Iohn nor he neither doth call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word after he had said that the Word was made flesh to note vnto vs that as Saint Iohn onely was specially set a part to declare the Deitie of Christ so he onely calls him by that name which is onely proper vnto him as he is God and none else and he calls him onely so before his Incarnation to shew that he is the Word as God Why Saint Iohn vseth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and not as Man Thirdly we are to consider why Saint Iohn saith the word was made flesh rather then the Sonne of God was made flesh touching which Theophilact and Euthymius thinke that he saith The word was made flesh Hillar in l. contra Constant least that if he should haue said the Sonne was made flesh the Reader might perchaâ—ce imagine some passible or carnall thing as the Arrians dreamed as Saint Hillarie witnesseth But this reason seemes not solyd enough to me because Christ hath many other names besides this as wisedome light brightnesse and such like which signifie neither passion composition nor corruption as both Origen and Saint Basil haue obserued and therefore others doe alleadge these two especiall reasons First because this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was an acceptable and a knowne name both to the Iewes and Gentiles Secondly because it was the most proper and the fittest name that he could vse to make way to expresse that thing which hee was immediately to declare First That this name of the Sonne the Word was the best known name of Christ among the Iewes It is manifest that there was no name of the Sonne of God among the Iewes so generally vsed and so well knowne as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word as it might be easily shewed out of the Chaldee paraphrase for wheresoeuer that paraphrast thinketh the Name of God should signifie the Sonne he alwayes translates the same and reades it the word the which without doubt he did because he saw this word and name of him was vulgarly best knowne amongst them for Philo the most learned of all the Iewes the most expert in the mystery of the Trinity Philo in l. de opificio mundi though he neuer calleth Christ the Sonne yet doth he often call him the Word in many passages of his Workes Neither was his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word onely knowne among the Iewes but among the Gentiles and Ethnicks also That the Gentiles were not ignorant of this Word for it is apparant that although the way to Heauen was vnknowne vnto them yet did many of them especially of their Philosophers dispute and deliuer many things concerning the true God For Aristotle or whosoeuer he was that wrote those bookes De mundo did finde that in this rare piece of worke and frame of the world there is most excellent conueiance without confusion great variety concurring in vnitie and diuersitie of all things without disorder all which he attributeth to the powerfull working of the inuisible God of whom the said Author conceiues that for his power he is most mighty for his beauty most excellent for his life immortall and for his vertue most absolute and that as Empedocles saith from him proceeded All things that were that are and shall be here Plants men beasts birds and fish in waters cleere And entring into further consideration of Gods nature he saith that although God be but one yet we call him by many names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because we liue by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he is of an immutable nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because nothing is done by chance but according to his most certaine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man can possibly auoid him or flye from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he abideth for euer and as for that fable saith he of the three Sisters of destiny Clotho filum bainlat Lachesis net Atropos occat Clotho that spinneth Lachesis that draweth out to a iust length and Atropos that cutteth off the thred of mans life it is to be vnderstood of God onely who is the beginning mids and end of all things and to conclude he saith there is a Iustice that is neuer separated from God which is the reuenger of all transgressions committed against the Law of
of the grace and fauour of God and causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the impulsiue cause in respect of God was his great loue and tender compassion towards mankinde so lying in misery vnder the tyranny and bondage of the Diuell and the performing of his promise Gen. 3 15. which he made vnto Adam Abraham Isaac and Iacob that the seede of the Woman should breake the Serpents head And therefore because he would not alter the thing that was gone out of his mouth Luke 1.72 nor suffer his truth to faile hee remembred his holy Couenant and the Oath that hee sware vnto our Fathers and at the fulnesse of time he sent this Word to be made flesh Secondly The finall cause in respect of vs was the restoring of mankind vnto the fauor of God againe And therfore we professe in our Creede Concil Nic. that for vs men and for our saluation he came downe from Heauen Matth. 20.28 and was made man And so our Sauiour saith Iohn 12.46 that he came not to be serued but to serue and to giue his life a ransome for many Aug. in Joh. gloss in 1 Tim. 1. And Saint Augustine saith Non eum de coelo ad terram merita nostra sed peccata nostra traxerunt It was not our goodnesse but our wickednesse our sinnes our grieuous sinnes that brought downe Iesus Christ out of Heauen And so Hugo saith Hugo in l. de sacrament Nulla causa veniendi fuit nisi peccatores saluos facere tolle morbos tolle vulnera nulla est causa medicinae There was no cause that he should come to vs but to saue vs for where there is no wounds where there is no diseases there is no neede of medicines there is no vse of playsters because the whole neede not the Physician To shew the errour of Osiander who saide that if man had not sinned this Word had beene incarnate because there was nothing that could bring him out of Heauen or to moue him to be made man but onely to bring vs into Heauen and to make vs the Sonnes of God through him And the finall cause in respect of God was his owne glory for hee made all things for his owne sake and he gaue his Sonne for vs that wee might ascribe all praise and thankes vnto him And therefore the Angels said vnto the Shepheards Luke 2.14 Glory be to God on high peace vpon Earth and good will towards men And reason good that seeing wee haue peace with God God should haue glory and praise from vs. Why God decreed the Incarnation of the Word for the saluation of man Gen. 1.26 But here first it will be demanded as Saint Augustine saith Quare non potuit Dei sapientia aliter homines liberare c. Why could not the wisedome of God deuise and the power of God effect some other way to deliuer and saue sinnefull men then by sending his Sonne to be made man to be borne of a woman and to suffer such shamefull things of shamelesse sinners To this Saint Bernard frameth this witty answere that as in the creation of man God did as it were consult with his wisdom how to make him when he said Let vs make man in our image So after the transgression of man there was as it were a consultation in Heauen what should become of man for truth and Iustice stood vp against him and said that man had sinned and therefore man must die Cap. 2.17 or else that they must needs be violated for thou saidst say they to God In what day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death But Mercie and Peace rose vp for man and said Quo quisque est maior magis est placabilis ira regia crede mihi res est succurrere lapsis It is a royal thing to releeue the distressed and the greater any one is the more placable and gentle hee should be and that God himselfe had said he was the God of Peace and the Father of Mercies and therefore they concluded that although man had sinned yet man must be pardoned or else they must needes be abandoned therefore the wisedome of God became an vmpire and deuised this way to reconcile them that as one man had sinned and thereby destroyed all men So Vnus homo nobis patiendo restituet rem Bosquier de pass domini ser 13. p. 793. One righteous man should suffer for all men and so Iustice should be satisfied and then all that beleeued in that man should be pardoned and so Mercie should be shewed Then all thus contented God looked downe from Heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke after God Psal 14.4 but they were all corrupted and become abhominable and there was none that did good no not one and therefore the wisedome of God that had found out this way was contented to performe this worke himselfe and to be made man that mercy might bee extended and to suffer death for man that Iustice might be satisfied and so in him Mercie and Truth met together Righteousnesse and Peace kissed each other But Saint Augustine Aug. de trinit l. â—3 c 10. Gregor moral l. 20. c. 26. and Saint Gregory doe more solydly answere saying Omnia Deus poterat si voluisset That in regard of his wisedome God could haue deuised another way and in regard of his power he could haue performed the saluation of man without the incarnation of his Sonne But if he had done it otherwise it would no doubt haue likewise displeased our foolishnesse for God appeared visibly saith Saint Augustine that he might prepare vs to inuisible things and therein hee displeased the couetous man How hard it is for the wisedome of God to please foolish man because he brought not a body of gold he displeased the lasciuious because hee was borne of a woman he displeased the Iewes because he came so poore and the wise men of this world because he erecteth his Kingdome by the foolishnesse of preaching and so he should haue displeased man what other way soeuer he had inuented to saue man for the wisdom of God is not sufficient to satisfie the foolishnes of men Aug. de annunt Domini ser 3. And therefore he that knowes all things best Sic voluit ruinam vasis fragilis reformare vt nec peccatum hominis dimitteret impunitum quia iustus erat nec insanabile quia misericors So God would repaire the ruine of fraile and fickle man that neither the sinne of man should escape vnpunished because God is iust nor yet miserable man remaine vncured because he is mercifull and although he could otherwise haue saued man Quantum ad potentiam medici in respect of the power and skill of the Phisitian yet he saw there was no fitter way to doe it Quantum ad medicinam
indicauit And so he did sufficiently honour both sexes the men by assuming the forme of a man and the women by taking his flesh from a woman that as a woman was the meanes to make man a sinner so she might be the instrument to bring him a Sauiour but he would be borne of such a woman that was a Virgin because it became not God to haue any mother but a maide and it beseemed not a maide to haue any sonne Barrad l. 7. c. 10. but a God saith Barradius And so he was made of a woman Why Christ was borne of a Virgin of a woman that was a Virgin and of a Virgin without the helpe of a man and that for diuers reasons As First because that woman was a Virgin by whom sinne entred into the world Jrenaeus l. 5. c. 19. as Irenaeus thinketh and all probability confirmeth Secondly because God had promised that the seeds of the woman Gen. 3.15 that is of the woman onely without the helpe of man should breake the serpents head Esay 7.14 and therefore Esayas saith Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne Thirdly because he was to be most pure without any the least spot or contagion of sinne which hee could not haue beene if he had beene borne after the vsuall manner of men for as Adam so all the posterity of Adam begetting Children doe beget the nature of man Iohn 3.6 together with the guilt and corruption of nature And therefore our Sauiour saith Whatsoeuer is borne of flesh that is after the vsuall manner of flesh and bloud is flesh i. e. fleshly corrupted and defiled Fourthly Because this Word had a naturall Father in Heauen and therefore hee was to haue none in Earth lest thereby hee should be said to haue two Fathers Fiftly Because he was to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedecke who was without Father and without Mother to shew that Christ should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Mother as he was a God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Father as he was a Man And so I might collect many other reasons why this Word being to be made Flesh would be made of a Virgin but I will proceed Secondly Touching the Agent Of the manner how Christ was conceiued and the manner of the act how this substance should be framed and this Child should be conceiued without the helpe of man Saint Luke doth most plainely and fully declare vnto vs saying Luc. 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the highest shall ouer-shadow thee Which words are not to be vnderstood so as if he were begotten spermaticcos per concubitum By any carnall effusion of seminall humour as Iansenius seemeth to imagine nor of the Essence or substance of the Holy Ghost as some Heretickes haue said for so the Holy Ghost being God should haue begotten him not man but God Quia omne generans generat sibi simile Because euery begetter begets his like and John 3.6 that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But hee was conceiued by way of manufacture that is by the handy worke or operation or by the vertue of the Holy Ghost whereby the Virgin did conceiue as Iustine Martyr saith Just Martyr Apol. 2. pro Christianis Aug Ser. 3. de temp Basilius ser de natiuitate or else by the energeticall command and ordination of the Holy Ghost as Saint Augustine saith or by the benediction and blessing of the Holy Ghost as Saint Basil saith whereby that part of the Virgins bloud or seede whereof the body of Christ was to be framed was so clensed and sanctified that in it there should be neither spot nor staine of originall pollution for otherwise the seede of that blessed Virgin before it was sanctified by the Holy Ghost was tainted and infected with sin and then was so composed framed that it became a perfect Christ The manner of Christ his conception is ineffable And because wee should not search too much into this mystery to know the manner of this conception it is said that the power of the Almighty should ouer-shadow her To teach vs that as we cannot perfectly see nor know the things that are couered or ouer-shadowed from our eyes so we cannot perfectly know the manner of this conception Scio quod verbum caro factum est sed quomodo factum sit nescio miraris quia ego nescio omnis creatura ignorat I know that the World was made Flesh but how he was made I know not neither is it any wonder that I know not because euery creature is ignorant of it Chrysost Hom. 5. saith Saint Chrysostome And therefore as the Prophet Dauid saith of himselfe I am fearefully and wonderfully made Psal 139 13. So we may say of this Sonne of Dauid that he is most wonderfully made for First His Mother was sanctified with the fulnesse of grace with the ouer-shadowing of the Holy Ghost and with the inhabitation of the Sonne of God And therefore Saint Bernard saith that shee was Sine pudore faecunda sine grauamine grauida sine dolore puerpera Great with Childe without breach of chastity a Mother and yet a Maide a Woman and yet escaping the curse of all Women for the Law had accursed them all Virgins because they were barren Luc. 1.25 and the married Wiues because they should beare in sorrow Gen. 3.16 but the blessed Virgin escaped both Quia virgo genuit dolorem non sensit For that shee conceiued without sinne and was deliuered without paine as Saint Augustine sheweth by the example of the Sunne that shines through a glasse and yet breakes it not and of the fire that Moses saw in the bush and yet consumed it not but whether shee felt any paines or not I cannot tell onely this wee may be sure of that the greatnesse of her ioy and gladnesse to bring forth such a Sonne might well swallow vp the greatest paine and griefe And as shee conceiued a Virgin That the blessed Virgin continued still a Virgin so shee continued a Virgin as all the most iudicious Writers haue affirmed for it is neither piety to speake nor reason to thinke that Ioseph being so iust and so godly a man as the holy Scriptures doe testifie of him and being eighty yeeres old when hee was espoused vnto Mary as Epiphanius saith should haue any desire to know her whom hee knew did beare his Sauiour or that shee especially should yeeld to the desire of any man after she had conceiued brought forth a God Secondly Though the substance and the parts of other men in ordinary generation be framed successiuely by degrees for the seminall humor first becomes an Embryo then a body inorganicall then are the liuer heart and braine fashioned and then the rest one after another perfected and it is at least forty dayes
the same they doe obiect Ob. 1. Concil Cal. act 1. post Ep. Cyrilli First the authority of some ancient Fathers alledged in the councell of Calcedon for Eustachius affirmeth that Saint Cyrill writ Non oportere intelligere in mysterio incarnationis duas naturas sed vnam naturam dei verbi incarnatam that wee must not vnderstand in the mysterie of the Incarnation two natures to be in Christ but one nature of the word God incarnate and made flesh Sol. How the Word may be said to be incarnate or made flesh James 1.17 I answere that the nature of the Word may be said to be incarnate if it be rightly vnderstood i. e. Non per conuersionem in carnem sed per vnionem cum carne in vna hypostasi Not by the conuersion of it into flesh which could not possibly be because God is immutable and without any shadow of turning but by the vniting of the same with the flesh in the same subsistence so the words of Nazianzen and Nyssen doe onely shew the vnion and coniunction of the flesh with the Dietie and not the conuersion of the manhood into the Godhead and for the words of Eustachius alledged out of S. Cyrill I say that they be none of the words of Eustachius but of Dioscorus or some other Eutychian Hereticke that hath most impiously and falsly inserted that sentence among the words of Eustachius Ob. 1. Secondly they do obiect that S. Iohn saith not that the Word did assume flesh but was made flesh and therefore as the water that is made wine hath no more two natures but onely one because the nature of the water is conuerted into the nature of the Wine so the Word though before his incarnation he had a nature different from the flesh yet now being made flesh hee hath onely the same nature with the flesh Sol. To this Theodoret answereth that the flesh was assumed of the word and he proueth the same out of these Scriptures where Saint Paul saith Phil. 2.7 that Christ being in the forme of God did take vpon him the forme of a seruant And againe where hee saith that he tooke not on him the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham And againe Saint Iohn himselfe in this very Chapter and verse immediately after he had said that the Word was made flesh doth adde That Christ did assume our flesh that we should not thinke it to bee made by the conuersion of the Word into the flesh Et habitauit in nobis And he dwelt in vs for this is all one as if he had said the Word was made flesh because that hauing assumed and vnited our flesh vnto himselfe he began now to remaine and to dwell in our flesh for euer But the Holy Ghost fore-seeing that Nestorius would affirme Christ to consist of two persons Why the Euangelist saith the Word was made flesh as if the diuine person had assumed the humane person which is most blasphemous therefore he directed the Pen of the Euangelist to write the Word was made flesh and not to say the Word assumed the flesh to shew that he is no more twaine but one Christ And yet least we should fall into the error of Eutyches to say that Christ after his incarnation had but one nature because he had but one person he addeth and he dwelt in vs to shew vnto vs that he is not so made one by the conuersion of either nature into the other but that still each nature remaineth whole and intire without confounding either the substance or the properties of either nature for the humane nature of Christ is not deified by the cōuersion of the flesh into the nature of the word Aug. de heresibus heres 55. nor the Word made flesh by the conuersion of the same into the nature of flesh as Apolinaris taught but the flesh is said to be deified How the flesh is said to be deified and the Word incarnate and the Deity is said to be incarnate and made flesh by reason of the vnion and coniunction of the flesh with the word in one person euen as the soule and body remayning still two intyre natures without the conuersion of either into the nature of other are vnited together to make one person i. e. one man and therefore Saint Augustine saith that his diuine nature was not consumed when his humane nature was assumed Humana quippe natura accessit diuina non recessit homo factus Aug. ep 120. naturam suscipiendo nostram non amittendo suam Because the humane nature was adioyned and the Deity was not abolished but he was made man by taking our nature vpon him and not by leesing or casting his owne nature from him How Christ notwithstandin◠his incarnation remaineth still what he was before and the duine Poet Prudentius saith I de manet quod semper erat quod non erat esse incipiens What he was he alwayes is but is otherwise for our blisse And so the common distich hath it Sum quod eram nec eram quod sum nunc dicar vtrumque ignoras nisi me stirpe ab vtraque tenes I am what I was but I was not as I am for now I am both God and man and thou knowest me not if thou knowest not me to be of both these natures Nazian orat 3. de Theolog. and so Gregory Nazianzen saith Permansit quod erat assumpsit quod non erat Hee remained what he was and he assumed what he was not because the Word was made flesh Non deposita sed seposita maiestate Not by cancelling or laying away but as it were by concealing and laying aside for a time the most glorious appearance of his diuine Maiestie Emyssen hom 2. de natiuit as Eusebius Emyssenus doth most briefly and excellently declare How one thing may be made another thing three wayes And that we might the better vnderstand how this Word was made flesh Euthymius sheweth that one thing may be made another thing three manner of wayes First When one thing is turned and changed into another thing John 3.9 as when the meate that we eate is turned into bloud the milke into cheese Gen. 19.26 the water into wine Lots wife into a piller of Salt and such like and thus the Word was not made flesh because without any change hee remained still what hee was before Secondly when some accident only is added vnto the substance as when the brasse or stone or any other mettall is made a statue or receiues any other impression And thus likewise the word is not made flesh because the diety is incapable of any other forme but the forme of GOD and no accident can be in GOD. The Word is made flesh not by changing either nature into the other but by vniting the one to the other Thirdly when one substance is adioyned vnto
manner and the matter wherein the true vnion of these natures chiefly consisteth it will easily appeare if we doe but obserue that all this may and doth agree with all the Saints and faithfull seruants of God for First God dwelleth in his Saints as in his Temples for We are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6.19 and the Spirit of God dwelleth in vs saith the Apostle Secondly The Saints are one with God by will and affection 1 Cor. 6.17 Math. 6.10 for the Apostle sheweth vs plainely that he which is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit and wisheth rather that Gods will may be done then his owne as they doe daily in their prayers Thy will be done Thirdly That the Saints are Gods Instruments as be many times the wicked also whereby God worketh many excellent things the same Apostle sheweth where he saith That although there be diuersities of operations 1 Cor. 12.6 Rom. 15.19 yet it is the same God which worketh all in all Fourthly That the Saints are called The Sonnes of God and some of them also said to be Gods 1 Iohn 3.1 by the participation of many graces and titles which God hath giuen vnto them it is most plaine Psal 82.6 for I said you are Gods and the Children of the most High And so the Apostle sheweth Gal. 4.6.7 Gal. 4.6.7 and so in many other places And therefore seeing all the faithfull seruants of God may be truly said to be vnited vnto God in respect of the cohabitation of God in them and of their will and affection agreeable to the will of God and of the working of God in them and the bestowing of his names titles dignities and graces vpon them and that the vnion of this Word with our Flesh i. e. of the Diuine Nature with the humanity is farre otherwise then the vnion of the Saints with God it must needes follow that although it be true that there is a most perfect vnity of cohabitation affection operation and participation betwixt the two Natures of Christ yet this is not all but the vnion of them consisteth in a farre more excellent respect then any and all of these And therefore Secondly Brentius Smidelinus What the Lutherans teach concerning the vnion of the two natures of Christ and the rest of their Lutheran followers doe affirme this vnion of both these Natures to consist in the communication of the properties of the Deity to the humanity of Christ so as they are really transferred and the humanity inuested with the diuine properties And therefore they doe conclude that in respect of this reall communicating and transferring of attributes the manhood of Christ is omniscient omnipotent omnipresent and so forth But how grâ—sse this error is and how derogatory to the truth of Christian Doctrine it will easily appeare if we doe but consider those intollerable absurdities that of necessity must needes follow the same for First The absurdities that must needes follow the Lutheran Doctrine The Father and the Sonne should be hypostatically vnited one to the other and so be made one person for that it is most certaine as themselues must and doe confesse that the Father hath and doth communicate all his essentiall attributes and properties vnto the Sonne and therefore if the vnion of these two Natures consisteth in the communicating of properties the Father and the Sonne must be vnited into one person but this is most horribly absurd Therefore the other Secondly The whole Trinity should be incarnate because all the essentiall attributes of the Deity are common to the whole Trinity and to each person of the Trinity Thirdly The two natures of Christ could not be hypostatically vnited because there are certaine diuine properties which cannot be said to be communicated to the humanity of Christ as to be increated to be infinite to want beginning of time to be Ens independens an independant being and certaine things which Christ in respect of his Flesh had not before his passion and resurrection as to bee impassible immortall and such like Fourthly If this vnion consisted in the communicating of the properties then this transfusion of them must be reciprocall that is as the diuine properties are transfused into the humanity so the humane properties must bee likewise transfused into the Deity And then it must needes follow that as Omnipresency Omnisciency Vbiquity and such like are transfused into the humanity so passibility mortality and such like should be really transfused into the Deity but it were most absurd to say that the God-head is capable of humane fraileties And therefore it is as absurd to say that the Manhood was inuested with diuine Excellencies as they are Diuine And Fiftly If this were true then the humanity should be no humanity at all because freed from humane fraileties and inuested with diuine properties And therefore to expresse truly wherein this vnion consisteth Wherein the vnion of the two natures truly consisteth is shewed Thirdly We say that the vnion of these two Natures consisteth in the communicating of the subsistence of the Word with the humane nature that it assumed i. e. of the very being of the Word with the being of our Flesh so that it is an hypostaticall or personall vnion that is such an vnion as that both natures doe make but one person of Christ euen as the soule and body doe make but one person of man Jn Ep. Alex. Concilij anathem 2. for so saith the Councell of Calcedon the Councell of Lateran the Councell of Toledo Saint Cyril and all the Oxthodoxe Fathers that writ thereof Si quis non confitetur carni secundum subsistentiam vnitum Dei patris verbum anathema sit Whosoeuer confesseth not the eternall Word of the Father to be vnited vnto our flesh according to his subsistence let him be accursed And further wee say that the vnion of these two natures i. e. the God-head as it is limited to the second person of the Trinitie and the Manhood of Christ is 1. Inconuertible 2. Indiuisible 3. Inconfused 4. Inseperable Sixe speciall things obseruable in the vnion of the two natures of Christ 5. Substantiall 6. Ineffable First Inconuertible because neither the Diuine Nature is turned into the humanity nor the humanity into the Deity Secondly Indiuisible because the Natures are so vnited into one person that they can neuer be separated vnlesse we diuide the person of Christ which is most hereticall Thirdly Inconfused because the Natures remaine still intire without confounding either their Essence or their properties or their willes or any other operations whatsoeuer and therefore excepting onely his subsistence which is one that we make him not two persons with Nestorius we do affirme that in Christ there are two natures two willes two naturall proprieties and operations intire and vnmixed that we may not confound them with Eutyches for sith the natures are neither confused How the properties
Quem dixerunt regem Iudaeorum erat Creator Angelorum quem viderunt paruum in praesepio erat immensus in coelo Whom they had called King of the Iewes was the Lord and Maker of the Angels and whom they saw little and poore in the cratch was rich and immeasurable in Heauen Quod non capis quod non vides Fulgentius ser de Epiphania Thom in hymn Animosa firmat fides Praeter rerum ordinem Their faith did shew them that he was their God And so that starre which sent forth these three fore-named beames of light into the hearts of these Wise men did send from thence by reflection three other beames of light for our instruction for here we see this starre wrought in them First Illumination and Faith in their hearts What effects the Starre wrought in the Wise men for when they saw him they beleeued in him Secondly Confession and Inquisition in their Mouthes for when they lost him they made diligent search and inquisition after him saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes Deut. 6.16 Thirdly Diligence and Obedience in their Actions for they made hast to goe vnto him and when they came they came not empty-handed but they brought vnto him Gold Frankinsence and Myrrhe Aurea nascenti fuderunt munera regi Thura dedâ—â—e deo myrrham tribuere sepulchro And so herein these Wise men were wise indeed not because they had all the wisedome of the Gentiles but because they did thus seeke and find him In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Oh that it were so with vs that wee did know him beleeue in him goe vnto him search and seeke him and offer him our selues and ours to doe him seruice Pro myrrha lachrymas auro cor porrige purum Pro thure ex humili pectore funde preces And we shall not neede to fetch gold from Ophire What we shold offer vnto Christ but the gold of a pure Faith which will abide the fiery tryall neither shal we need to goe to the Apothecaries to buy their Frankinsence or Myrrhe but the sweet perfume of deuout prayers and the bitter teares of godly sorrow for out vngodly sinnes these are the most acceptable sacrifices vnto Christ And as the fore-named witnesses which were primitiae Martyrum the first fruits of his witnesses both of the Iewes and Gentiles doe testifie this truth vnto the world so to these are added the testimony of Iohn the Baptist for he was sent to beare witnes of that light Iohn 1.8 and he testified and bare witnesse of him that he was that Lambe of God John 1.29 which taketh away the sinnes of the world And because we should the better beleeue him and his testimonie herein he sheweth how he came to know him to be the true Messias euen by the testimony of the Spirit of truth for I knew him not saith he but he that sent me to baptize with water i. e. the holy Ghost said vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost and I saw saith he and bare record that this is the Sonne of God Iohn 1.33 And then the testimony of all the Euangelists the Apostles the Fathers the Martyres and all the holy Men of God which haue testified and sealed this truth vnto vs some with their words some with their workes and some with their deerest blood That God himselfe testified Christ to be his sonne Matth. 3.17 Secondly if these testimonies of the creatures be not sufficient to proue Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the Eternall Sonne of God we find God himselfe the Creator of Heauen and Earth testifying the same for though the testimony of Iohn was sufficient Iohn 5.35 to satisfie any man because he was aburning a shining light in whom the Iewes themselues were willing to reioyce for a season as our Sauiour witnesseth yet Christ needed not to receiue testimony from man John 5.36 because he had a greater witnesse then that of Iohn euen the Father himselfe which sent him he bare witnesse of him and with an audible voyce he proclaymed the same twice from heauen saying first at the Riuer Iordan and then on Mount Thabor Matth. 7.5 that he was his Beloued Sonne in whom hee was well pleased John 5.36 And these are sufficient witnesses Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words as the Psalmist saith Or if any Athiest will not beleeue these Diuine Oracles let him beleeue his owne eyes If he will beleeue neither Angels Men nor GOD let him beleeue himselfe Matth. 7.16 for the very workes that I doe testifie of me for the workes of euery man doe testifie of him what he is because that is a sure rule of our Sauiour By their fruits you shall know them But then you must not vnderstand their workes as they are reported to bee for so wee are and may be many times deceiued for Iohn came Matth. 11.18 neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a Diuell and our Sauiour came eating and drinking and they said behold a Glutton and a Wine-bibber And the Prophet Dauid saith They laid to his charge things that hee neuer knew So the Christians of the Primitiue Church that were as carefull as men might possible be for their liues to leade a strict and an vpright life yet is it incredible almost to thinke what wicked reports were raised of them and therefore not the workes of man as they are by enuy or malice bruited to be for what will not enuy say but as they are in deed and verity doe manifestly shew what any man is and therefore Christ saith vnto the Iewes If you were the sonnes of Abraham Iohn 8.39 you would doe the workes of Abraham and Saint Iames saith Iames 2.18 Shew me thy Faith by thy Workes for the workes of a man truely considered is an infallible argument to shew what he is so the workes that our Sauiour did while he did liue on earth doe sufficiently proue him to be both God and Man and so his very enemies testified saying He hath done all things well Mark 7.37 he maketh both the deafe to heare and the dumbe to speake and those that doubted of him whether he was the true Messias or not said Iohn 7.31 When Christ commeth will he doe more miracles then these which he hath done and the works that he doth now raigning in heauen doe sufficiently proue him to be the Maker Preseruer Heb. 10.12.13 and Redeemer of men for he sitteth on the right hand of God Rom. 8.34 1 Cor 15.35 Matth. 11 6. making intersession for his Saints and ruling till he hath put all his enemies vnder his feete And therefore I conclude as I began that the Word was made flesh and blessed is he that
iot of misery and therefore Saint Augustine saith very well that Sicut contra rationem nemo sobrius contra ecclesiam nemo Catholicus ita contra Scripturas nemo Christianus as no man that is sober will speake against reason no man that is a Catholike will kicke against the Church so no man that is a Christian will contradict any thing that is said in Scriptures For the second that is the Prophesie of Dauid we may obserue these three things 1. The Glory 2. The Victory 3. The Bounty of the Messias and the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ Or else 1. The Ascention of Christ 2. The Subiection of our Enemies The whole Treatise diuided into three parts 3. The Donation of the Holy Ghost First The Glory of Christ or his Ascention is set downe in these words When he ascended vp on high Secondly The Victory of Christ or the subduing of our enemies is set downe in these words He led captiuity captiue Thirdly The Bounty of Christ or the sending downe of the Holy Ghost is set downe in these words He gaue gifts vnto men The first part hath two Branches Branch 1. BRANCH I. CHAP. I. Of foure sorts of ascenders and how each one of them ascendeth TOuching the first that is the Ascention of Christ I will by Gods helpe handle it two wayes First by way of explication of the words Secondly by way of application of the same vnto our selues And in the first respect we must consider these three points Three points to be considered touching the ascention of Christ 1. The person Ascending who he is 2. The Action or Motion of the person going vp 3. The Place where he is gone on high Thou art gone vp on high First the person ascending First For the person ascending the Psalmist saith in the second person ascendisti in altum caepisti captiuitatem accepisti dona Be-Adam Thou art gone vp on high thou hast taken captiuity and thou hast receiued gifts for the sonnes of Adam And the Apostle here in the 3. person saith When he ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue et dedit dona and he gaue gifts vnto men Who is that thou or this he who is this King of glory that hath ascended vp on high and what a strange thing is this to find such difference in the Scriptures Iohn 3. he receiued gifts saith the Prophet he gaue gifts saith the Apostle Haud bene conueniunt We may say with Nicodemus How can these things be for the difference betwixt the Prophets saying he receiued gifts and the Apostles saying he gaue gifts I shall reconcile it hereafter when I shall come to speake of the 3. point i. e. the bounty of the Messias and therefore it resteth now that we should discusse onely of the person who he is that is here meant to haue ascended for Bonauenture saith that there be foure sorts of ascenders 1. Angels That there be foure sorts of ascenders 2. Diuels 3. Men both good and bad 4. The God and Man Christ Iesus First Gen. 28.12 To what end the good Angels doe ascend Iacob saw the Angels ascending and descending vpon a ladder whose foot was on earth and the toppe thereof reached vnto heauen carrying vp our prayers and supplications and presenting them vnto God as Raphael did the prayers of Tobias and bringing vnto vs the gifts and graces of God as Gabriel did the Message of saluation vnto the blessed Virgin not in respect of any office of Mediatorship that they should execute betwixt God and Man but in respect of that seruice which they are to doe vnto man at the command of God and therefore they are said to ascend and descend along the ladder that is through Iesus Christ for he is that ladder by whom we ascend and clime vp to God and through whom we receiue all blessings from God He is the Way the Truth and the Life Iohn 14.6 the two sides of this ladder are his two natures the staues are the proprieties of each nature and the knitting of them together is that indissoluble vnion of these two natures in the vnity of his Person Now when Iacob saw this vision of Angels ascending and descending vpon this ladder dormiuit supra lapidem Who they be that shall see the Angels descending for their comfort it is not said that he laid his hard head vpon a soft pillow but that hee laid his tender head for he was but a young man and as yet neuer vsed to any hardnesse vpon a hard stone to signifie vnto vs that not those which lay their hard hearts and stiffe neckes vpon beds of downe and lie wallowing in all the pleasures of this world but those rather which sleepe in sorrow and griefe for their sinnes and lie vpon the hard and rough stone of true repentance spending their time with Iohn Baptist in austere conuersation shall see the Angels of God descending downe to comfort them and ascending vp to carry their soules like Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Secondly Satan said in his heart Esay 14.13 I will exalt my selfe aboue the skies and I will be like vnto the most highest and of this fastidious and proud ascender Rupertus Tuicensis writeth excellently and largely in his bookes De victoria verbi Dei Bern in Psal qui habitat Ser. 12. and Saint Bernard saith that this wicked spirit doth emulate and imitate those heauenly Angels but most lewdly quia ascendit studio vanitatis How wickedly Satan doth ascend descendit liuore malignitatis because he ascendeth in a vaine desire of dignity to bee equall with God and hee descendeth with an odious heart full of wrath and malignity to destroy silly men sic mendax ascentio crudelis descentio est and so his ascending is but a lying vanity and his descending a cruell indignity Gregor in lib. 1. reg c. 17. pag. 279. c. or else as Saint Gregory saith they are said to ascend and descend quia ad expugnanda alâ—a per caeleste desiderium corda subuenire de innocentis vitae sublimitate nos deponere appetunt because they seeke to ouertop the Saints of God and to deiect their desires from the sublimity of heauenly things and to bring downe their hearts and affections to bee fixed on the things of this base and wretched world and therefore pro inani suo ascensu tam immane praecipitium sortitus est for such vaine ascending he hath obtained a most fearefull tumbling of himselfe into the bottomlesse pit of hell Such is the reward of pride But seeing their ascending and descending is to subuert vs and to cast vs downe to hell wee ought to bee very thankâ—full vnto him i. e. Iesus Christ at whose command the good Angels doe ascend and descend and continually attend vpon vs Bernar. de ascen ser 4. p. 199. to defend vs from them as Saint Bernard saith and to preserue vs in all
all heauens we must learne the way of him if wee would ascend to heauen for hee came downe from heauen and he is gone vp into heauen and now he sitteth in heauen vpon the right hand of God CHAP. II. That Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is hee that is meant by the Prophet Dauid and Saint Paul to haue ascended vpon high Quest BVt who is he of whom it is written that hee ascended vp on high for many ascend as you heare but which is he that is here meant I confesse the 68. Psalme Resp Psalme 68. wherein these words are first written is literally to be vnderstood not of any triumph for the slaughter of the hoste of Senacherib which was done in the time of King Hezekias as the Iewes doe most fabulously dreame when the very Title of this Psalme that ascribeth it vnto Dauid doth sufficiently confute this vanity nor yet for any of the victories of Dauid which he obtained against his bordering enemies the Ammonites Literally these words were spoken of the Arke of the Couenant the Moabites the Idumeans and the Philistines as some would haue it but of that great and glorious pompe which was then done and shewed when King Dauid with great ioy and triumph did bring the Arke of the Couenant into the hill of Sion and therefore these words thou art gone vpon high Mollerus in Psalme 68. doe signifie that the Arke which formerly had layne in an obscure place was transported from one place to another was now ascended and seated in a most illustrious and conspicuous place euen in the Kingly pallace and these words thou hast led captiuitie captiue to signifie those enemies which formerly had spoiled and wasted diuers Countreyes but now being vanquished by King Dauid were led captiue in this triumph for so it was the manner of those times as Plutarch doth excellently declare in the life of Paulus Aemilius and the other words thou hast receiued gifts for men Plutarch in vita Pauli Aemilij doe signifie those spoyles that were freely offered for conditions of peace and were triumphantly carried about in this pompous showe for the greater solemnitie of the same and then as the manner was among the chiefftaines when they triumphed Bellica laudatis dona dedisse viris to bestow warlike gifts vpon worthie men were bestowed on seuerall men in seuerall manner as Sigonius sheweth Sigon l. 2. de antiquo iure pro. Yet I say that mystically this Psalme is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a tryumphall song penned by King Dauid vpon the foresight of Iesus Christ arising from the dead and with great ioy and triumph ascending vp into Heauen Mystically these words were first spoken of Christ ascending vp into Heauen and thence sending his holy spirit vnto his Apostles and Disciples and hauing ouercome all his enimies collecting by the ministerie of his Preachers his Church and chosen seruants together and so guiding and defending them heere in this life vntill he doth receaue them into eternall glorie for so the authoritie of Saint Paul interpreting them and all other Diuines with one consent doth compell vs to vnderstand them and to know that that pompous shew and tryumph of King Dauid was but the praeludium and type of this triumph of our Sauiour Christ whereof the Apostle speaketh in this place and it was an vsuall thing for the Prophet Dauid in all his chiefest and most glorious acts so to behold the Proto-type that is the Messias whose type he knew he was and so to accommodate all his actions vnto what the Messias should doe that all men might perceiue these things to be done not through any humane inuention All the chiefest acts of Dauid were types of Christ but as he was moued and guided by the inward inspiration of Gods spirit and that for the instruction and edification of the whole Church when by these outward perspicuous acts of Dauid as by certaine visible lectures all men might see and reade those things that should be done by Iesus Christ And therfore I say that the person prophesied of by King Dauid and here spoken of by Saint Paul to haue ascended vp on high is our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hauing vanquished and ouercome sinne death Hell and all our enemies did most gloriously ascend vp to Heauen in the presence of all his Apostles and Disciples and thence sent the holy Ghost to replenish and fill their hearts with all spirituall gifts and graces and this will more fully appeare vnto vs out of the second point which is the action or the motion of this person set downe in the word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high CHAP. II. A fuller declaration of the person ascending and of the time place and manner of his ascention Saint Paul collecteth two things out of the word he ascended YOV haue heard of the person ascending who he is Iesus Christ we are now to consider of his ascention out of this word ascendit when hee ascended vp on high but first we must obserue that our Apostle out of this Word he ascended doth collect both the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ First the humiliation of Christ First his humiliation in the 9. v for that he saith he ascended what is it but that hee descended first into the lower parts of the earth wherein the Apostle would haue Dauid when hee forespake of the glorification and the ascention of Christ into Heauen to haue foreseene his humiliation and descention from Heauen to bee incarnate and made man Secondly the exaltation of Christ Secondly his exaltation in the tenth verse hee that descended is the same also that ascended farre aboue all heauens for these two verses are read by a parenthesis and are added by the Apostle for the fuller explication of those hidden mysteries that are included in the word he ascended First touching the descention the Apostle setteth downe two things 1. The descent it selfe that he descended 2. The extent of his descent into the lower parts of the earth The first sheweth vs that hee was first in Heauen Christ first descended i. e. was incarnate before he could ascend i. e. according to his God-head or else he could neuer haue descended out of Heauen and that he descended to be incarnate and mâ—de man before the man Christ could ascend vp into Heauen and therefore the Prophet Dauid fore-seeing the ascention of the man Christ must needs foresee the humiliation of the Sonne of God to be made man The second is a point more controuerted for first some doe expound the lower parts of the earth to signifie his mothers wombe because the descent of the Sonne of God is nothing else but his incarnation and that was done in his mothers wombe and because the Prophet Dauid vseth the like saying of himself I was formed beneath in the earth i. e. in my mothers wombe In inferioribus terra secondly
Triumph of Christ Part. 3 PART III. CHAP. I. Of the speciall ends why Christ ascended into heauen and of the gifts which he giueth to edifie the Church THirdly touching the bounty of Christ set downe in these words and he gaue gifts vnto men we must first reconcile the difference betwixt the Prophet and the Apostle about the same for Dauid saith thou hast receiued gifts for men and Saint Paul saith he giueth gifts to men and I answer that if we vnderstand it literally Dauid receiued gifts which for feare of his power were freely offered vnto him and if we vnderstand it mystically of Christ we finde the saying of both to be true for the Apostle speaketh of the things which Christ doth as God sending forth the holy Ghost and bestowing gifts on men and the Psalmist speaketh of him according to that which the same Christ doth in his body August in Psal 67. p. 289. a. i. which is his Church Thus no doubt saith Saint Augustine but as he is persecuted in his Church so accepit in membris qua dona membra eius accipiunt he receiued and receiueth gifts in men for whatsoeuer is done to them that beleeue in him the same is done to him or else we may say that the Son of God as he was man receiued those gifts from his Father which hee was afterwards to distribute and to giue vnto his Church for so we reade that he being exalted and hauing receiued of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost Act. 2.33 hee hath shed foorth this which we now see and heare and so the originall word which the Psalmist vseth signifieth to receiue that which wee must presently distribute saith Mollerus Mollerus in Psal 68. and therefore the difference is soone ended and the matter in both is true he receiued gifts and he gaue those gifts to men for wee finde as Bonauenture tels vs that our Sauiour ascended for foure speciall ends Christ ascended for foure speciall ends First to receiue his kingdome as himselfe intimateth vnto vs in the nineteenth of Luke and the twelfth verse Secondly to make vs the more earnestly to long for him Quia abijt occultat se Deus vt ardentius quaeratur à nobis because God doth therefore hide himselfe from vs that he may be the more earnestly sought of vs saith Saint Bernard Bernard in cant Thirdly to prepare a place for vs for though in respect of Gods purpose it was prepared for vs before the beginning of the world yet in respect of the effecting and bringing to passe the said purpose it was specially prepared for vs by Christ because he remoued all hinderances and made way for vs to enter into glory 1. by appeasing his fathers wrath 2. by cleansing our consciences from dead workes 3. by opening vnto vs the gates of heauen and 4. by making continuall intercession for vs As Bonauenture speaketh Fourthly to send downe his holy Spirit vnto vs Ioh. 16.17 for so our Sauiour saith It is expedient for you that I goe away Quia nisi dederitis quod amatis non habebitis quod desideratis for vnlesse I goe away the comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you Tertul. l. de carne Christi for now saith Tertullian Graetum quoddam commercium inter coelum terram existit celebratum a most gratefull exchange and a friendly louing bargaine was made betwixt heauen and earth that to the inhabitants of heauen should be giuen the flesh of Christ and to vs on earth should be bestowed the comforts of Gods holy Spirit and so the Spirit of God should remaine with vs on earth and our flesh should dwell with them for euer in heauen and then all things to be common betwixt vs eternally and therefore he did not send his Spirit vnto vs before he had ascended into heauen Why Christ would not bestow his gifts on men before his ascention non propter impotentiam sed quia habuerunt corporalem prasentiam not in respect of any impotency that he could not doe it but because we had his corporall presence and because as the raine doth not descend vntill the mist and dew doe first ascend so the gratious raine of Gods Spirit did not fall vpon Gods inheritance to refresh it when it was weary vntill this fruit of the wombe which was as the dew of the morning had first ascended into heauen but as when that little cloud like a mans hand 1 Kings 11. did rise out of the sea there was a sound of much raine so when that humble flesh of Christ was ascended out of this world into heauen then he gaue gifts vnto men Aug. de verbis domini p. 63. b. 1. to 10. But what are these gifts which he giueth Saint Augustine saith it is his holy Spirit Tale donum qualis ipse est such a gift as himselfe is for he gaue himselfe and he giues a gift equall to himselfe because the gift of Christ is the Spirit of Christ but heare the Apostle saith hee gaue gifts and not a gift and therefore though I doe confesse that this holy and blessed Spirit is the author and fountaine of all gifts by whom wee haue remission of sinnes subiection of our enemies and all other gifts of grace and glory sealed vnto vs yet I say that the Apostle herein meaneth not so much the spirit himselfe as the gifts and graces of his Spirit And therefore that wee may the better vnderstand the fulnesse of this point of the bounty of Christ we must consider these foure speciall things Foure points to be considered 1. What manner of gifts they are 2. What gifts are here meant 3. How he doth bestow them 4. On whom he doth bestow them First that the gifts of God are free gifts For the first wee must know that they were gratuita free gifts so the words dedit dona he gaue them and he gaue them as gifts doe sufficiently declare or otherwise si praememeruisti tum emisti non gratis accepisti if thou hadst done any thing to deserue these gifts then hadst thou bought them and not freely receiued them and God had sold them and not giuen them and so they had beene praemia non dona rewards for thy good deedes and not gifts of his meere grace but this point is so cleere that I neede not stand on it Matth. 10.8 Freely you haue receiued saith our Sauiour freely giue for euery one may take of these waters of life freely and may haue these gifts Esay 51.1 like Esayas milke without money or moneyes worth For the second wee must note that the gifts of God are either 1. Temporall Secondly the the gifts of God are of two sorts 2. Spirituall First The temporall gifts he gaue vnto all sorts of men aswell before as after his ascention for wee must note that euery thing which we haue is
meaner Schollers cannot doe so profoundly as the grauer Diuines can doe and the older men cannot doe it so often as the yonger sort can doe and yet neither must be contemned for if the young men had had the time of the aged no doubt but they would doe as well as the aged Aristotle Et si senex haberet oculum inuenis videret vt iuuenis And if the ancient men had the strength bodies of yong men it is not vnlikely but that they would still take paines as young men Neither doe I say this to vphold sloath or negligence in any Age for to our vttermost ability as I said before we must all continue constant vnto death but to reproue our partiall Age that adoreth the Sunne rising in the East and applaudeth the quicke wits and many Sermons of youth but make none account of aged Paul and the best labours of declining age Philemon v. 9. vnlesse with the Israelites they can make vp the same tale of Brickes as they did in youth though they haue neither Straw nor Stubble neither sight of eyes nor strength of bodies to performe it and to shew how euery man should doe his best Iuxta mensuram Donationis Christi according to that measure of grace which he hath receiued from Christ And so much for the filling of the Apostles with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost CHAP. V. Of the effects and fruits of their filling with the Holy Ghost and how this Spirit sealeth them and sheweth them to be the true seruants of Iesus Chist THirdly For the effects of their filling it is said The fruits and effects of the holy Ghost that they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance First They began to speake because the Spirit of God is neuer idle but where it sees cause will speake though it should cost the speakers life Secondly They spake with other tongues i. e. not as carnall men talking of fleshly or worldly matters nor as wicked prophane wretches belching forth Blasphemia in deum Blasphemies against God but as regenerate and sanctified men they shew forth magnalia dei the wonderfull workes of God And hereby all men might know whether they were the seruants of Christ by this Spirit of Christ for as our Sauiour saith of the false Apostles the same is true of all Apostles Matth. 7.16 by their fruits you shall know them for as in whomsoeuer the spirit of Satan is you shall see that he will reueale them by their lewd words and by their wicked works which are the workes of darkenesse so in whomsoeuer the Spirit of God is hee will seale them and marke them with a foure-fold marke saith Bonauenture that is signo 1. Veritatis credendorum 2. Honestatatis morum 3. Contemptus mundanorum 4. Charitatis Dei et proximorū 1. With true Religion The holy Ghost sealeth vs with a four-fold seale 2. With an vpright conuersation 3. With contempt of vanity 4. With perfect charity First It worketh Faith in their hearts for this is the fundamentall root of all other graces and therfore the Apostle well obserueth out of the Prophet that a man first beleeueth Faith is the root of all graces and then speaketh for we haue beleeued saith he and therefore haue wee spoken whereas if they had not beleeued they would neuer haue spoken of the wonderfull workes of God and therefore the holy Ghost did first worke faith in their hearts and then it caused the same to speake and to expresse it selfe by this preaching of the works of God And Secondly of good workes which are Secondly because the verity of our faith is euer knowne by the sinceritie of our life therefore these signes shall follow them that beleeue Gregor de 7. pec Magdal First to suppresse sinne First They shall cast out Deuils i. e. vitia voluptatis they shall suppresse all sinnes as Saint Gregory expounds it because euery sinne is as bad as the Deuill Secondly They shall speake with new tongues i. e. vtter forth verba vtilitatis Secondly to praise God holy and heauenly words and because our naturall tongues were like the poison of Aspes these may well be called new tongues when they doe sing a new song Thirdly to bridle their lusts Thirdly They shall take vp serpents i. e. concupiscentias sensualitatis the biting and poisonous concupiscences of our sensuall flesh shall be though not quite taken away from them yet they shall bee taken vp in their hands as Hercules is said to haue held the two serpents which Iuno sent to deuoure him in both his hands while hee was but a childe in his cradle and they shall be so restrayned and held fast that they shall not be able to doe them violence Fourthly to beare all iniuries Fourthly If they drinke any deadly poison it shall not hurt them i. e. iniurias aduersitatis if they must swallow downe lies and slanders yet for all the malice and the mischiefe of the wicked non inflammantur per superbiam non suffocantur per maliciam non disrumpuntur per inuidiam they shall neither swell with enuy nor burst with malice nor any wayes perish through their indignity Luke 21.19 but in their patience they shall possesse their soules And Fiftly to doe good vnto all men Fiftly They shall lay hands on the sicke and they shall recouer them i. e. adiutoria charitatis remedia iniquitatis they shall exercise such deeds of charity that by their good counsels and admonitions they shall recouer many a languishing dying soule Thirdly of contempt of vanities and bring them backe againe to sauing health And Thirdly because these things cannot be practised vnlesse the pompe and pride of worldly vanities be quite contemned and troden vnder feet therefore the Spirit of God worketh in them a minde to forsake all worldly things And Fourthly Fourthly of charity Rom. 5.5 because no worke is good vnlesse it proceedeth from the root of charity therefore the Spirit of God diffuseth this loue into the hearts of his seruants that they wish no euill to any man but are ready to doe good euen to them that hate them And these foure seales and signes of Gods Spirit are expressed in the twelfth chapter of the Reuelation where Saint Iohn saw a woman clothed with the Sunne Apoc. 12.1 and the Moone vnder her feet and vpon her head a crowne of twelue Starres and she being with childe cryed trauelling in birth and paine to be deliuered For this woman signifieth the Church of Christ or euery faithfull Christian soule And first her Sun-like shining is the brightnesse of her good workes and heauenly conuersation which doth so shine before men Matth. 5.16 that they glorifie God which is in heauen Secondly the Moone vnder her feet signifieth her contemning and trampling vnder feet all the vaine and variable things of this sublunary world Thirdly her crowne
from sinning 204 From punishments 205 Goodnesse of God most of all seene in our afflictions 206 All our goodnesse to bee ascribed to God 208 To the glory of Christ 264 We can doe no good of ourselues 209 The boundlesse goodnesse of Gods prouidence 257 Many impressions of Gods goodnesse infixed in the creatures 2â—6 Best good we can doe vnto our children is to serue God 251 Not to doe good a sinne 230 Gods goodnesse how abused by the wicked 225 Ill-gotten goods neuer thriueth 253 No good in the Saints but what God worketh in them 2741 Why goodnesse is ascribed to the holy Ghost 273 Gospell biddeth and forbiddeth many things which the Law doth not 12 Gospell in the Law and Law in the Gospell 224 GL Glorification of a body taketh not away the essentiall properties of a body 170 Glory of Christ should be chiefly aimed at by all Preachers 266 GR. Grace not â—raduced from the best parents 8 Word gracious what it signifieth 190 Three speciall things ibid. God is gracious in all respects 191 Graces especially bestowed vpon the elect 2â—4 Grace of iustification what it is 208 Grace of sanctification what it is ibid. Grace of glorification what it is ibid. Graces of God denied vnto the children for the fathers sinnes 251. and why 252. Graces of God not giuen in the like measure to all men 602 We ought to examine what graces we haue 646 Chiefest graces of God Faith Hope Charitie 647 Graces of Christ to sanctifie our soules are two-fold 645 Grace of Christ ought in all things to be extolled and our selues extenuated 265 Great sinnes must haue great repentance 23 Great mens sinnes are great sinnes 37 Great men haue no excuses for their sinnes 38 Great men haue no priuiledge to sinne 39 Their state very dangerous 39. 40 How subiect to dangers 704 Father how greater then Christ 300 Great sinnes punished with great punishments 92 Great men how they vse to deale with the poore 235 What Christ grieued at in the garden 540 541. c. Griefe of Christ on the Crosse aggrauated by all circumstances 4â—1 Growth of sinne how to be hindred 108 A gradation in the loue of God 202 HA. HAbituall sinnes hardly repelled 23 Harlots how they deceiue men 45 Haynousnesse of sinne seene in three respects 97 To hazard all in defence of truth 217 HE. Heart to be carefully watched 14. Hell paines how intollerable 86 Heathens how they extolled the power of God 161 Hebrewes often vse the present tense for the future tense 288 The head alwaies chiefly opposed 304 Christ borne in the raigne of Herod and why 404 Heretickes how wicked to deny the God-head of Christ 305 Herod what he did to Christ 473 Hell in the Article of our Creede signifieth not the graue 582 Hell destroyed by Christ three waies 583 That there be three heauens 624 The man Christ in the highest part of heauen 623 And why 626 Nothing so heauie as sinne 631. Hearing of Gods Word a speciall meanes to get grace 677 Diuers sorts of hearers 678 Heresie of Nonatus 112 593 Of Pellagius ibid. Of Arrius and his obiections answered 284 285. c. 293 c. 299. c. Heresie of Apelles and Apolinaris 343 Of the Anabaptists 344 Of Samosatenus 363 Of Eutychos 367 368 Of Cerinthus and of Nestorius concerning the person of Christ and their obiections answered 374 Heresies to be shewed and why 392 HI Euery one laboureth to hide his sinnes 19 None can hide his sinnes from God 19 HO. No sinner excluded from hope of pardon 224 Honorius his childishnesse 267 268 Word Homousius not first inuented by the orthodox fathers 29â— Iustified as it is vsed ibid. Holy Ghost whether tearmed the word or not 323 Our hope supported by the meditation of Christ his passion 426 Holy Ghost a true God proued 659 Holy Ghost appeared in the likenesse of fiue speciall things 660 And why 661 c. Holy Ghost how we may know whether wee haue it or not 672 Christ why he went out of the house to be taken 439 Hope what it is and how it differeth from faith 649 Hope two-fold ibid. Humane hope what it doth and diuine hope what it doth 650 Euery hope in God maketh not happie 651 To want the Holy Ghost is marke of a lost one 674 HV Humanitie of Christ onely suffered 438 Humanitie of Christ not capable of infinite excellencies 146 Humane acts how said to be done by God 165. 166 Humilitie of Christ 349 Seene in the incarnation of Christ 358 JA. IAmes most like vnto Christ 461 JD Idlenesse a furtherance to sinne 13 Idolatrie a great master-sinne 41 How horrible it is 238 IE Iewes why they beleeue not Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the true Messias 561 Iehouah the essentiall and most proper name of God 122 123 It signifieth an eternall being 123 In hebrew containeth nothing but consonants in latine nothing but vowels and why 125 Knowne to Abraham Isaac and Iacob 126 Why translated Lord. 130 131 Christ true Iehouah 278. c. Iesuites what they say to proue transubstantiation 172 Iewes rightly vnderstood Christ teaching himselfe to be equall to the father 300 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Iewes how cunningly they sought to incense Pilatâ— against Christ 472 IG Ignorance two-fold 26 355 Simple Ignorance doth extenuate a sinne 27 Affected ignorance trebleth the sinne 28 Wilfull ignorance what a fearefull sinne ibid. Christ was ignorant of some things and how he may be said to be ignorant of any thing 356 Ignorance of Gods power the cause of many heresies 134 135 How ignorant many men are of the chiefest points of christianitie 395 IM Immortalitie how to be attained 128 Impossible things for God to doe of two sorts 185 Impossible for God to make the things which are not to haue beene 167 Image of God could be repayred by none but by God 321 We are apt to imitate our Parents 247 252 Wherein we ought to imitate God 228 To imitate Christ the safest way to walke 360 IN. How ineffable God is 125 Sinnes of infirmitie what they are 30 No man free from them ibid. Knowne by foure speciall notes 31 Infirmities of Christ proue the manhood of Christ 347 Our infirmities why Christ did vndertake them 352 Infirmities of how many sorts 352 Infirmities not sinfull two-fold 353 What infirmities Christ tooke on him ibid. Incarnation of the Word why decreed for our saluation 318 Incarnation of Christ what benefit it bringeth 359 The greatest argument of Gods loue 257 That wee are not in God as Christ is in God 298 Christ as man for euer inferiour to his Father 302 Condemnation of all infidels grieued Christ 454 Infamie described and the miseries thereof shewed 68 Three things should expell ingratitude from vs 706 God looketh into the intention of the heart 54 Inuocation for two things 700 IO. Iosephus what he writ of Christ 577 Iohannes Alexandrinus what he did 265 IR. Sinne called irremissible three wayes
may be said two waies 167 In what sence God willeth sinne 167 Will of Christ two fold 296 301 To doe the will of God will sooner bring vs to know God then to heare his word 571 Wings wherewith we flie to heauen what they be 631 Wine how deceitfull it is 45 Why wisedome is ascribed to the Sonne 273 By the wisedome whereof Salomon speaketh Prou. 8 22. what is meant 285 How hard for the wisedome of God to please foolish man 3â—0 Christ how said to be with God 297 Not as we are said to be with God ibid. To be with God and in God how the same 298 Witnesses of the birth of the Messias 411 WO. Woe trebled to the inhabitants of the earth 46 Christ why borne of a Woman 334 Women why three went together vnto the Sepulchre 519 Why they were all three called by the same name ibid. They were a type of the Church and of euery christian soule 520 How sorrowfull they were ibid. How distinguished and knowne one from the other 521 How they signifie three properties of the Church â— 521 How fearelesse they were in seeking Christ 521 How they laboured to increase the numbers of beleeuers 522 How peaceably they came to the graue 522 Many women were made instruments of great goodnesse 532 Word of God diuided into two parts 12 That the word was before he was made flesh 278 The word GOD no accidentall but an essentiall word 285 The word how he may be said to be created and begotten 289 Words of Dauid this day haue J begotten thee how vnderstood 290 Words of the Apostle he is the first borne of euery creature how vnderstood 290 Words of Saint Luke be shall be called the Sonne of God how vnderstood 248 Words of Salomon the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Words of Christ my Father is greater then I how vnderstood 300 Words of Christ I came not to doe mine owne will how vnderstood 301 Words of Saint Paul then the Sonne shall be subiect to the Father how vnderstood 301 Words of Christ I came from aboue how vnderstood 344 345 Words of the Apostle God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh how vnderstood 346 Words of our Creede he descended into hell how vnderstood 580 581 c. The seauen gratious words that Christ spake vpon the Crosse 486 Christ called the Word because he declareth his father vnto vs. 322 How God can expresse himselfe with one word 307 Why Christ is tearmed the word ibid. How the word GOD resembleth our outward word 308 How it resembleth our inward word ibid. How it differeth from our word 309 Whether it be a name of Christ his person or hâ—â— office 310 Why Saint Iohn vseth the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 310 The word why made flesh 317 318 Why the Word rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost 322 The word onely assumed our flesh 326 How said to be made flesh 368 c. All the world without Christ will auaile vs nothing 263 Philosophers striue to proue the world to be eternall 136 World made by God proued 137 World diuided into his seuerall ages 402 To flie the world the next way to finde Christ 571 Workes of our vocation to be followed 13 Outward workes of God common to each person of the God-head 145 274 They are transient and voluntarie ibid. Inward works of God are euerin doing 275 They are necessary and incommunicable i. e. proper to each person 275 Worke of the incarnation how common to the three persons and how proper to Christ the Word 326 God worketh one contrary out of another 351 Workes of Christ testifie him to bee the true Messias 417 Workes of any man testifie what he is ibid. Workes requisite to expresse thankfulnes 507 God worketh all the good that is in the Saints and how God worketh our willingnesse to doe good 530 Good workes what they be 670 God worketh foure wayes with meanes without meanes with weake meanes contrary to meanes 147 Workes of God proue the power of God 159 Our best workes haue need of mercy 185 Workes of mercy of two sorts 232 Outward workes of mercy chiefly sixe 232 God worketh diuers wayes 237 Wormewood wherefore good 527 Worth of the sufferings of Christ how to bee considered 502 Wounds of Christ why reserued by him 572 WR Wrath of God feared by Christ 545 Wrath of God quite turned away by our repentance 195 YO YOuth described and the miseries thereof shewed 69 ZE. ZEno what he said of the Word 312 IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FJNJS