from a precedent matier was recalled by Hermogenes against whom Tertullian disputes as you may reade 6. But infinitie is not onely of continuance which we call eternitie which we may seeme to have refuted sufficiently but of greatnesse or extent of number also of power of goodnesse or the like but if it hath beene proved that the world tooke a beginning as concerning the continuance it may easily follow that no manner of infinitie can belong unto it Yet Fran. Patricius Pancos lib. 8. upon the same arguments of the infinitie of the power goodnesse and will of God would build up the infinitie of the world at lest concerning the extension or space thereof And although the answers heretofore made to the arguments above may seeme to answer his reasons sufficiently yet I suppose you may better understand whatsoever is to bee said hereto if you have well perused that which is said in the second and eighth Chapter In the meane time you may doe well to remember who measured the water in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with his span Esay 40.12 And if all these things were made in number weight and measure Sap. 11.17 It may well follow that the world cannot be infinite in any of these 7. But the infinitie or uncertaintie of number hath most doubt because it is said Heb. 1.2 11.3 That God hath appointed Christ to bee heire of all things because that by him he made the Worlds But the word World answers to two words in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first signifies oftentimes the frame of the whole creature as in Matth. 25.34 but not alwayes for sometimes it signifies the world of the wicked onely as Iohn 14.17 sometime of the elect onely as Iohn 3.17 sometime as age or time of the world and the people of that age as S. Peter 2. Epist 2.5 saith that God spared not the old world and againe 2. Pet. 3.6 The world that then was perished by waters to which meaning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in that text of Heb. 1.2 doth most directly answer So that the ages there spoken of may well receive interpretation by the dayes of the creation by which God foretold what should afterward come to passe as it is said Esay 46.10 and elsewhere * See Brocardi Mystica in Gen. So then the first day of nature when darkenesse was upon the deepe signified that time when the wickednesse of man was great on the earth and the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually And although they had the light of reason in them yet because they did not walke according to that light therefore God brought the floud upon the world of the ungodly The second day wherein was the division of the waters by the firmament of heaven meant that time when God separated his Church from the people of the world and parted them by the firmament of his Covenants first of circumcision given to Abraham afterward of the ceremoniall Law by Moses which worke of the second day is therefore not praised as good because the Law workes wrath Rom. 4.15 And because these ceremonies were not able to give life to the doers of the same for Moses might not bring Israel into the land of promise Deut. 34.4 Esay 66.3 Gal. 2.16 1◠30.10 The third day signifies the third age or state of the Church when the earth that is these worldly rites by the lively interpretation of the Prophets who unfolded their meaning and taught the people of their times to have hope in him that was to come brought forth the herbe and fruit tree yeelding seed unto everlasting life The fourth age of the Church was that time wherein the Sun of righteousnesse did shine and brought in that new light that true light which lightens every man that come into the world of his Church that Sun which gave shine unto the Moone the Apostolike Church and to the Stars those Doctors whose knowledge zeale and constancie gave light in that darke night of persecutions and heresie which did ensue And these and such other are the ages even untill the great Iubile of which the Apostle speakes in that place Heb. 1.2 which is brought for the proofe of many worlds So this Democritan fancie may vanish 8. Concerning the infinitie of multitude in the different species or kindes of things the Cabalists have an opinion that although they rise to an excessive number yet they must needs be definite and that according to the difference of words in all the possible change and joyning of the letters for if either the things were not different according to the signification of words or that the words had not their meaning according to the difference of things that wisdome who both made the things and gave words to expresse their differences should seeme disproportionable and wanting on one side or on the other neither could that word be verefied Gen. 2 19. which saith And whatsoever Adam called every living creature so was the name thereof The opinion is delivered in the booke which they call Iezirah the author of the tradition they make Abraham the Patriarch the description of Iuda an ancient Rabbine the collection of the number is of Fr. Georgius in his 244 Probl. tit 67. and this * You may see also the comment of Postellus on that booke and Archangels apologie of the Cabala pag. 548 c. is the number 1124002590827719680000. that is one thousand one hundred twentie foure millions of great millions two thousand five hundred and nineteene great millions eight hundred twenty seven thousand seven hundred and nineteene millions sixe hundred and fourescore thousand But although the possible combination of letters be so different as they make it yet the reason holds not for the actions and passions as well as the proprieties of things must be expressible with all the differences of times past present and to come and that either alone or with others Besides wordes expresse the defects of things the vices also and imaginations of the minde which are neither created beings nor alwayes true Moreover although Adam had power over all words yet it appeares not that hee had knowledge also of the nature and differences of the heavenly and spirituall creatures so that the words may perhaps fall short of the number of different beings But because they will not be out bidden they fix this number to the combination of consonants it seemes for the different species to which if you adde the different vowels above or below as the manner of that writing is you shall have a number so great as may equall all the individuals of all the specialls that ever have beene or shall bee hereafter which by Patricius must needs be infinite for thus he reasons Panarch lib. 19. from three infinities essentiall potentiall and actuall a fourth infinite must needs proceed at least of number for otherwise the
expect a Messiah yet have they no countrey nor forme of Religion appointed by God to uphold that expectation for the use of the ceremoniall Law wherein the Messiah was figured was commanded onely in their owne land out of which they being now banished their ceremonies have no use See Deut. 12.1 Ios 5.5.7 Amos 5.25 Hebr. 10. Therefore this Iesus is the true Messiah 9 Neither may that argument bee omitted whereby our Lord justified himselfe Ioh. 7.18 Hee that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true Seeing therfore that our Lord sought not his own glory but came in the greatest humility to endure the greatest affliction and most cruell death onely for the glory of his Father and the salvation of mankind And moreover seeing God did seale unto his words that they were true by those glorious miracles which hee wrought by him it followes in great probabilitie that this Iesus is the Mediatour by whom alone wee may come unto God as hee testifieth of himselfe No man commeth to the Father but by me Ioh. 14.6 and againe Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ 10 a He unto whom all the prophecies of all the Prophets of the Old Testament concerning the Saviour to come doe agree must needs be that true Messiah or Saviour of the world But all the Prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Saviour of the world doe most precisely agree unto this Iesus whom the Christian faith doth confesse and to none other therefore this Iesus the Sonne of the virgin Mary is the Saviour of the world For it cannot stand with the mercie of God to his creature to give us signes whereby to know that which concernes us most to know which should not bee sure and certaine therefore the proposition is manifest and the Iewes themselues doe not gainsay it the assumption will be manifest if the Scriptures of the Old Testament bee compared with the historie of the New First concerning his being both God and man Psal 2.7 Esay 9.6 7. Ier. 33.15 16. Mich. 5.2 compared with Rom. 1.3 4. and those other texts which you had before in the end of the 23 Chapter Then in all the circumstances first of the forerunner of Christ foretold by Esay Chap. 40. v. 3.4.5 and Malach. 3.1 compared with Mat. 11.10.14 Iohn 1.23 Secondly of the time foretold b Gen. 49.10 c Dan. 9.24 25 26 27. and c Hag. 2.9 and Mal. 3.1 compâ—red with Luke 2.25 26. Matth. 16.3 Luke 12.56 Thirdly of the place of his birth prophesied Michah 5.2 fulfilled Matth. 2.6 Luke 2.4.6 Iohn 7.42 Fourthly of his mother a virgin Esay 7.14 Ier. 31.22 compared with Matth. 1.23 Luke 1.27.34 Fifthly of the wisemen of the East that came to worship him prophesied Psal 72.9 10 11 15 and fulfilled Matth. 2.11 Sixthly of his propheticall authoritie equall to Moses Deut. 18.15 and 18. Esay 42.1.3 4. and Esay 61.1 2 3. compared with Matth. 12.18.21 and 17.5 Luke 4. from v. 18 to v. 23. Iohn 1.4.5 and 5.46 and 6.14 Acts 6.14 Hebr. 12.26 Seventhly of his miracles Esay 35.5 6. compared with Mat. 11.5 Ioh. 5.36 and 7.31 and 15.24 Eighthly of his humiliation which appeared first in his low estate and povertie Esay 53.2 3 4. verefied Luke 2.7 Then in his flight to Egypt Psal 80.8.15.17 Hos 11.1 verefied Mat. 2.15 Thirdly in the murther of the innocents of his own age prophesied Ier. 31.15 fulfilled Matth. 2.16.4 by his meane bringing up in Galile not in the Vniversity at Ierusalem foretold Psal 22.6 Esay 9.1 fulfilled Mat. 2.22 23. 13.55 Mar. 6.3 Iohn 7.15 Fifthly by his lowly riding on an asse Zach. 9.9 Mat. 21.7 Ioh. 12.14 Sixthly in his reproach and scornfull usage before the high Priests and Pilate where you may remember his meekenesse and silence prophesied Psal 22.22 and 69.21 where the lots the speare his owne words and his enemies the vineger and the spunge of Colocynthis are not forgotten Esay 50.6 and 53. all Micah 5.1 fulfilled in all the Gospels Then in his crucifying with the theeves prophesied Numb 21.8.9 Deut. 21.23 Esay 53.12 fulfilled in all the Gospels and Gal. 3.13 Eighthly in his death Esay 53.8.10 and Matt. 27.50 Lastly in his buriall Esay 53.9 Iohn 19.40 A ninth argument from the prophecies of the Old Testament That this Iesus is the Saviour of the world is from his exaltation and the glories that should follow his sufferings As first his resurrection prophesied Psal 16.10 68.20 Hos 6.2 fulfilled Matthâ—w Marke Luke Iohn Act. 2.24 1. Cor. 15. By vertue of which they that had slept in his faith did also rise as it was prophecied Psal 68. the 18. and Ioh. 5.25 fulfilled Matth. 27.52.53 Secondly his Ascension prophesied Psal 24.9 68.18 Mic. 2.13 fulfilled in all the Gospels and Act. 1.9 Eph. 4.9.10 Thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God Psal 16.11 110.1 compared with Mar. 16.19 Act. 2.34 7.56 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 1.13 Fourthly the gifts wherewith hee beautified his Church of the faithfull Beleevers prophecied in the text cited before Psal 68.18 and Ioel 2.28 fulfilled Mar. 16.17 18. Acts 2.4 and ver 17.18.33 1. Cor. 12.28 Fifthly the increase of his Church by the conversion of the Gentiles prophesied Esay 42. al. 52.13.14 and 54.1 Psal 2.8 and Psal 22.27 28. So commanded by our Lord Matth. 28.19 Mar. 16.8 so performed by his Disciples Acts 8.35 Mar. 16.20 and Act. 10.34 c. and 13.46 47. and found true by experience almost these 1600 yeeres Sixthly his taking away of the Ceremoniall Law prophesied Esay 66.3 Ier. 31.31 32 33. Dan. 9.27 Hag. e 2.6 fulfilled Iohn 4.21.23 24. Acts. 15. al. Gal. 2.16 and 3.10 11 19 21. Heb. al. especially Chap 9 10. Seventhly his destroying the workes of the devill 1. Iohn 3. speaking of his insatanized Prophets in Egypt at Delphi at Dodone at Colophon and in every corner of the earth This was prophesied Zach. 13.2 3 4. accordingly he rebuked the unclean spirits and suffered them not to speake Mar. 3.12 So Paul Acts 16.18 and this the devils themselves confessed as you may reade note b on the 8 Chapter number 1. The Hebrew Childe c. answerable to that of the Poet Iuven. Sat. 6. Delphis Oracula cessant of Plutarch de defectu Oraculorum and others A tenth argument from the prophecies of the old Testament that this Iesus our Lord is the Saviour that was promised Gen. 3.15 is from forreine circumstances and among them first from the treason of Iudas prophesied Psal 41.9 and 53.13 fulfilled Math. 26.15 and 23. and with the hyre of his treason the thirty pieces of silver take the bestowing of it prophesied in the 11. Chap. v. 12 13. of Zachariah Remember the Lord by equivalence Ieremiah exalt the Lord because he ought never to be remembred without his praise fulfilled Matth. 27.7.10 Then the reward of his treason Psal 55.15 and 109.8 with Matth.
it was created except some great contrarietie befall to the hinderance thereof But man was created to know and to love God and to see his wisdome in the creature and to honour him therfore and doing thus to be happie for ever thereby yet nothing of this is done accordingly by any among all the sons of Adam therefore some great hindrance and contrarietie is come between But nothing that good is could be an hindrance to this great good nor yet any thing which is without the man himselfe Therefore mans sinne alone which hath infected all hath beene the onely hinderance of all this good 4. The holy Scripture shewes the truth of this in Iob 14.4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of uncleannesse not one And Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived mee Rom. 5.12 By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ephes 2.3 Wee re all by nature the children of wrath And this is that taint of originall sinne which being bred in every mans bones will never out of the flesh And concerning actuall sinne you may reade those Scriptures which are cited by S. Paul Rom. 3. They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become filthie there is none that doeth good no not one c. from v. 9. to 18. CHAP. XVIII That there is a restoring of Man to a better life and further hope than that from which our parents fell BVt if the whole world be thus become guiltie before God is it for this end that the whole world may bee subjected to eternall death God forbid but as sin hath abounded unto condemnation so hath the grace and righteousnesse of God abounded much more unto everlasting life for as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the free pardon came unto all men for justification unto life See Rom. 5. Chap. Therefore lest man at the sight of his owne perfections should sinne through pride unrecoverably as the devils it was permitted that Adam should sinne as hee did that a way might bee made for the justice and mercie of God to bee manifest and that man at the sight of his sinne might be humbled before his Creator and so received to grace The whole world then being liable to the justice of God by that sinne of our first father as hath beene shewed now it remaines in this place to prove that there is a possibilitie to returne to God in whose favour and acceptance onely is life and happinesse And for the more cleere proofe hereof let us first lay this sure foundation that all the workes of God and all the possibilities in the creature are knowne to him from all eternitie Secondly that to doe well and right and to withstand sinne and the temptations of the devill requires a positive strength and grace in the heart of man which grace man cannot take unto himselfe because no creature can be partaker either of being or of strength or any good but onely so far forth as it is imparted thereunto and where the want of strength is the effect of that want on all occasions must needs appeare So that since Adams fall man being not onely deprived of that strength to resist sinne which Adam had but also infected with a naturall corruption and inclination to sin which they call concupiscence man hath no helpe in himselfe to helpe himselfe upon which grounds the reason will follow thus If there be not a possibility of the restoring of man into the favour and grace of God from which hee fell by his sin then could not the justice of God be without great iniquity and injustice Let him be mercifull that we speake according to the manner of men that is according to that reason and understanding which he hath given unto men for the manifestation of his glorie and grace For if God in the infinity of his wisdome foreseeing that man being created would sin and yet would create him and for his sin utterly cast off the whole race of mankinde to destruction neither could any place of mercie bee found with him for which the creature could give him glorie neither could that justice be but with great injustice inasmuch as they that never were should without any desert be created to eternall punishment and they that had done the least sinnes nay they that had done neither good nor ill as they that die in their infancie should bee shut out to eternall death aswell as they that all their life time had followed all manner of sinne with greedinesse So also all the commandements of God tending to the amendment of life and all his threatnings and promises should be in vaine So also all the endeavours of holy and devout men who through his grace strive to the masterdome of their owne wickednesse and all the constancie of them who have suffered for the profession of his truth and service should be unrewarded So vertue should have no advantage over vice in the difference of the reward But all these things are impossible therefore there is a restoring of man to that favour and grace of God from which he was separate by his sinne 2. If there were not a restoring of mankinde to that estate from which he is fal'n then the sin of man a finite creature should be more powerfull to the destruction of the worke of God who made man to everlasting life than the power wisdome of God should to the upholding of the creature in that estate wherein he created it So ill and sin things not being shold have preheminence for mischiefe above an infinite power and goodnesse for glorie and happinesse But this is impossible therefore as by sinne there was a generall wrack of mankinde so it is necessarie that there be a generall restoring powerfull and sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world avayleable and effectuall to all that beleeve it and shew the fruit of their faith by their strife against sinne and doing such good workes as God hath created that we should walke in them 3. Faith hope charity temperance and all other Christian and morall vertues are the worke of Gods Spirit in man who of himselfe is not able no not to thinke a good thought But it is impossible that the Spirit of God should worke in vaine or to no end in the heart of man to beleeve the forgivenesse of his sinnes and to hope for everlasting life c. or that God should not accept his owne worke in his creature which is ever for the good of the creature Therefore there is a restoring of man to those hopes of happinesse which he had lost 4. The continuance of the world and the creatures therein by a being of infinite power wisdome and goodnesse must bee to an end exceedingly good therefore there is a restoring of man