to us and not to him but only as he was our Surety and all this that we might receive the adoption of Sons who deserved not to be called Servants That he who was Heir of all things and made this great house the World should be so unfurnisht with houshold goods as to have no better Cradle than a Manger 3. In his life he humbled himself to the infirmities of our nature as hunger cold nakedness poverty c. to undergo with admirable patience the unkindnesses and forsakings of his friends the reproaches indignities and persecutions of his enemies yea and to be tempted by that great enemy of mankind the Devil 4. In his death that he should dye at all who is the Author of natural spiritual and eternal life and besides could he not if he would have translated himself from earth to heaven as Enoch was translated without dying at all but then that the King of Glory should dye the â—ost shameful death that of the Cross and in the basest company betwixt two Theeves 5 After death in having his body laid in the earth who had before made the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth And last of all that he should continue under the power of death the grave for three days who could if he would within less than three moments yea in less time than a moment have raised his body from the grave O incomprehensible humiliation and that which should fill us all with grateful and astonishing admiration at it that all this was for sinful man A. 28. Christs Exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day in ascending up into heaven and sitting at the right hand of God the Father and in coming to judg the world at the last day Artic. IV. Christ did truly rise again from death and took again his body with flesh bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature wherewith he ascended into heaven and there sitteth until he return to judg all men at the last day To. 2. Hom. xiv After this world Judg as well of the living as of the dead to give reward to the good and judgment to the evil Hom. xvij p. 3. By him hath Almighty God decreed to dissolve the world to call all before him to judg both the quick and the dead and finally by him shall he condemn the wicked to eternal fire in hell and give the good eternal life and set them assuredly in presence with him in heaven for ever more Expl. 28. Christ is here exalted 1 st In his resurrection and here 1. The glory of his power was exalted for he raised himself by his own Almighty power and thereby declared himself to be the Son of God 2. The glory of his truth for he raised himself as he had foretold within three days 3. The glory of his authority for he rose as a publick person and thereby declared himself Head of the Church 4. The glory of his mercy for he rose again for our justification for if he had not received a discharge from his Father and had he not been released from the prison of the grave it would have been an evidence against us that our debt was not paid 2 dly He was exalted by his ascension 1. If we consider the manner of it it was with glorious triumph over hell and death 2. His ascension was into heaven namely into the heaven of heavens that which is called Paradise and the third Heaven whether Enoch and Elias went 3. In his bounty and grace he ascended that he might give gifts to men 3 dly Exalted in his sitting c. for his Session at the right hand of the Father doth declare him to be supreme Head of the Church 4 thly In judging the world he will be exalted 1. In his authority 2. In his righteousness A. 29. We are made partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ by the effectual application of it to us by his holy Spirit Artic. xvij They which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God viz. Election be called according to Gods purpose working in due season they through grace obey the calling be freely justified c. Expl. 29. In this A. is plainly laid before us the manner how and means whereby all that Christ has done and suffered for sinners as Mediator and all that he is now doing in heaven for them doth become effectual to the compleat redemption and eternal salvation of all true Christians sc. by the real and actual application of all this unto them For though Christ the great Physitian of value has made the healing Plaister of his Blood sufficiently broad enough both to cover and to cure all the wounds that sin hath made in all the men in the world yet the far greater part of the world do dye and perish of their wounds because they will not suffer this soveraign Plaister to be apply'd to them in the sound preaching of the Gospel neither will they abide to have their wounds searched in order to cure Now for the manner how and the means whereby this Plaister is apply'd I answer 1. It is outwardly by the Ministers of the Gospel unto all those that do believe as when they preach this Doctrine that whosoever believeth shall be saved 2. Inwardly by the Holy Spirit who does not only lay on the Plaister in a work of conviction but doth make it become effectually healing in a work of conversion and sanctification For the means see the next A. A. 30. The Spirit applieth to us the Redemption purchased by Christ by working faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our Effectual Calling Homil. II. Of the Passion As it profiteth a man nothing to have Sâ—lve unless it be well-applied to the part infected so the death of Christ shall stand us in no force unless we apply it to our selves as God hath appointed Almighty God commonly worketh by means and in this thing he hath also ordained a certain mean whereby we may take fruit and profit to our Souls health Homil. xvi p. 2. The Holy Ghost is a Spiritual and Divine Substance the Third person in the Trinity distinct from the Father and the Son and yet proceeding from them both doth regenerate which the more it is hid from our understanding the more it ought to move all men to wonder at the secret and mighty working of Gods holy Spirit which is within us For it is the Holy Ghost and no other thing that doth quicken the minds of men stirring up good and godly motions in their hearts which are agreeable to the will and commandment of God such as otherwise of their crooked and perverse nature they should never have Who is the only worker of our sanctification and maketh us new in Christ. Expl. 30. Here we have the particular means or instrument which the Holy Spirit makes use of for the
understanding will and subsistence by it self and distinguished from any thing else by some peculiar property that belongs to it and to nothing else besides it self as there is something peculiar in every one man to distinguish him from another this for a person in general But now for a Divine person or a person in the Godhead 'T is a substance that is undivided and absolutely perfect in Being Understanding Will and manner of Subsistence yet actually really and eternally distinguished from any other person by some relative property that belongs to it and not to that person 2. For the number of the persons in the Godhead they are three not only in the reckoning of man or according to humane apprehension but also in reality and in Gods account whether men should reckon them so or no and are therefore called a Trinity of Persons Yet 3. though they be so distinguished one from another as that the Father is not the Son and the Son not the Father and the Holy Ghost neither Father nor Son yet they are not cannot be divided or separated one from another because the whole and single Godhead is wholly coequally and coessentially in all three by virtue whereof 't is said these three are one i. e. one God A. 7. The Decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his own will whereby for his own glory he hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass Artic. xvij Everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us c. Expl. 7. In this A. we have 1. the nature and properties of Gods Decrees they are like Himself from everlasting whatever God did purpose and determine to do or permit to be done he did thus purpose from eternity 2. Here is the Rule of Gods Decree the counsel of his own Will and yet nothing that he decrees can be any other than reasonable and good because by reason of the infinite perfection of his Nature his Will is essentially just and holy and cannot be otherwise 3. The matter of his Decrees is whatsoever comes to pass though there be never so much of that which we call hap-hazard in them 4. The end of his Decrees for his glory for God neither does nor designs any thing but for the highest end and that is his own glory A. 8. God executeth his Decrees in the Work of Creation and Providence Homil. xvij Praise of Almighty God in the consideration of the marvelous Creation of this world or Conservation and Government thereof wherein his great Power and Wisdom might excellently appear to move us to dread and honour him Expl. 8. Here is shew'd how God doth bring to pass what he hath purposed 1. In the work of Creation by which we are to understand not only Gods making the world and all things therein in six days but also Gods producing or bringing into Being every thing else that came into Being since that time to the worlds end whether it became a Being in an ordinary way and by means as in the natural generation of things or in an extraordinary way by the immediate or miraculous power of God 2. In the work of Providence which is not only to be restrain'd to what is naturally good as every creature of God is but also reaches to what is naturally evil as affliction and to what is morally evil as sin A. 9. The work of Creation is Gods making all things of nothing by the word of his power in the space of six days and all very good To. 2. Hom. viij God through his Almighty power wisdom and goodness created in the beginning Heaven and Earth the Sun the Moon the Stars the Fowls of the Air the Beasts of the Earth the Fishes in the Sea and all other Creatures for the benefit and use of man Hom. xij Among all the Creatures that God made in the beginning of the World most excellent and wonderful in their kind there was none as the Scripture beareth witness to be compared in any point almost unto Man who in Body and Soul exceeded Expl. 9. By the work of Creation we are to understand Gods making of the world in time or in the beginning according as he had purposed from eternity or before all beginning of time and here it is observable 1. That this work is ascribed only to God the true God in opposition to Idols yet is not so to be ascribed to any one person in the Godhead as to exclude the other for all the three persons sc. Father Son and Holy Ghost being one in Essence or Godhead they must necessarily be one in working or as it were joyn hand in hand in all external works whether of Creation or Providence And therefore when the Creation is ascribed in the Apostles Creed to the Father Almighty it doth not exclude the Son or Holy Ghost from being Almighty or from joining with the Father in the work of Creation but only because the Father is the first in order of the three persons when we conceive of them and because there might be in the Church an outward distinction made but no real separation among the three persons in those works which are more eminently and peculiarly affirmed of each person as that the Father creates the Son redeems and the Spirit sanctifies 2. That he did not as an Artificer begin his work upon or out of materials which is beyond the skill of art and power of nature 3. Without any instrument or help for 1. There was nothing then in Being when he began his work therefore no instrument 2. He needed none being infinite in power 3. To have used any would not have been so consistent with the glory of his Wisdom and Power 4. Obs. That he did his work in six days that we might see it was a work of Wisdom and Counsel and not of Chance and to set us an example to work six days and rest the seventh 5 ly That he made all very good in their nature in their order and in their end A. 10. God created man male and female after his own image in knowledg righteousness and holiness with dominion over the creatures Homil. xij He was made after the similitude and image of God endued with all kind of heavenly gifts he had no spot of uncleanness in him was sound and perfect in all parts both inwardly and outwardly his reason was uncorrupt his understanding was pure and good his will was obedient and godly he was made altogether like unto God in righteousness and holiness in wisdom and truth to be short in all kind of perfection God made him Lord and Ruler over all the works of his hands Homil. viij Whom also he had created to his own image and likeness and given him the use and government over them all to the end he should use them in such
The Main PRINCIPLES OF Christian Religion IN An 107 short Articles or Aphorisms generally receiv'd as being prov'd from Sripture Now further cleared and confirm'd by the Consonant Doctrine recorded in the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England under Four Heads VIZ. Of things to be I. Believed comprehended in the CREED II. Done in the TEN COMMANDMENTS III. Practis'd in the GOSPEL particularly TWO SACRAMENTS IV. Pray'd for in the LORDS PRAYER EXPLAIN'D By Tho. Adams M.A. sometime Fellow of Brazen-Nose College in Oxon and late Chaplain to the Right Honourable Countess Dowager of Clare LONDON Printed in the Year 1675. To the Inhabitants of Wood-Church in Wirral-Hundred in Cheshire Dear Countrymen and Friends WHiles in my retired condition I was lately devising how I might do some good to the place of my Nativity I had a strong apprehension from the affections many of you have express'd to my Fathers Family that some of the Labours of my dear Brother Mr. Thomas Adams now with God would be very acceptable to you for the edification of your souls and thereupon as most generally useful for you I resolv'd to be at the charge of Printing this Catechetical Explanation of His. 'T is well known amongst you that my Grandfather Mr. Richard Adams was Rector of your Church and then by his purchase Patron of the perpetual Advowson Six of his Line and Name since all devoted to the Ministry of the Gospel viz. Mine honoured Father Mr. Charles Adams and Uncle Mr. Randal Adams yet I hope alive in Ireland my self and three Brothers Peter Thomas and Charles Adams were born in the Personage-house My dear Mother who also bore two other of my Brothers viz. Iames and Iohn there too the Daughter of a worthy Gentleman was likewise born in your Parish My Reverend Father and Uncle did some short part of their time exercise their Ministry amongst you and all of us Brethren in the Ministry have preached an occasional Sermon or more to you though none of us could be setled with you to spend our selves and be spent amongst you However we that are alive and at a distance from you do often bear you upon our hearts and earnestly desire that you may be saved in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ. Some of you cannot but remember whiles my dear Father had the charge of your Souls he did preach the Gospel to you both in season and out of season beseeching you to be reconciled to God who soon took him off from that work with you to his eternal rest And I do assure you my Brother whose sound and wholesome fruit you may here taste was very solicitous and so are those who yet survive that you may be acquainted with the truth as it is in Iesus In order whereunto I do now present and heartily recommend to you this short Manual of Christian Doctrine I pray you be pleased to receive it kindly and entertain it friendly not only out of love to the Author or Donor but to the Truth It is proverbially said amongst you Cheshire Chief of Men there having anciently been valiant ones born and bred there Let not now any Prophet of the Lord have occasion to complain of you that none are valiant for the truth which none can be as they ought unless well-trained instructed or Cateehised as Abrahams brave ones were for the war in the mysteries of the Gospel for lack of knowledg wherein a professing people will be destroyed Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour To prevent this mischievous ignorance and help your understandings that you may rightly know God and do his will Such as I have give I you Let none then despise this small token of my love which I do in the name of Iesus Christ send to you Others of their plenty have formerly given to the meaner sort of you Milk and Bread for the body and lately Means for the instructing the Minds of your Children in the Rudiments of Learning now I do offer a Mite out of my penury to establish your hearts in Religion spiritual milk and bread which I know you have need of It comes not to eat your Bread but to distribute something of the bread of life to every Family I expect you should bid it welcome and not distaste it as the Gaderens for the sake of their Hogs did the company of Christ himself wishing him to leave their Coasts Lest coming in kindness to you all at this day it should be a Testimony against any of you at the great day Believe me I would not have it as the Flying Roll in the Prophets Vision to consume any House whereinto it doth enter but to warn every person and every family of you in this crooked generation to flee from the wrath to come and meet God by repentance I confess it would trouble me to come into any of your Houses or have tydings thereof and find this little Book designed for your good to be carelesly thrown up and down and given to little ones to play with and tear in pieces or the leaves cut out with a knife and burnt as the Book that Baruch wrote from the mouth of the Prophet Ieremiah was misused and mostly for the sake of those careless and untoward ones Yet if one sinner be reclaimed by it from the error of his ways built up in faith and love and brought really to obey the Gospel that will answer all my cost and be abundant matter of much joy But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost However I may in some sort say with the Apostle for his Countrymen Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved I shall therefore take the freedom upon this occasion to enlarge something under these three following heads viz. 1. Concerning the necessity of instructing and being instructed in the Doctrine which is according to godliness 2. The import and advantage of this Book before you and how you may particularly use and improve it 3. Some general Rules consonant to Scriptures and the Materials of this Book grourded thereon to help you all in your Practise I. The necessity of instructing or Catechising both as it respects those who Teach and those who are Taught is evident from the Injunction of the supream Lawgiver who doth frequently charge Superiours to teach and Inferiours to learn Which strongly obligeth those who have others under their authority to do it as they are able and if they cannot read themselves to put those who have learn'd to read upon the work and see them do it to the utmost of their power for edification To strengthen this charge of so great and useful importance
he might be in a capacity to bestow his Spirit upon them and to conquer all their enemies for them 2. He must be Man as well as God that he might perform obedience suffer satisfie and intercede for us in our nature that he might be a merciful High-Priest and have a fellow-feeling of our infirmities 3. Both God and Man in one person that he might be a fit Mediator betwixt God and man to make up the difference betwixt them which sin had made For as sin is the only make-bate so Christ having taken our nature into union with the Godhead is the only person that is in a capacity to make peace betwixt an offended God and offending man and that he might perform in the great work of Redemption whatever was requirable of both natures jointly in one person or whatever he was to do as head of the Church A. 22. Christ the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her yet without sin Artic. xv Christ in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things sin only except from which he was clear void both in his flesh and in his spirit Artic II. The Son which is the Word of the Father begotten from everlasting of the Father the very and eternal God of one substance with the Father took mans nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary of her substance So that two whole and perfect natures that is to say the Godhead and Manhood were joined together in one person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a Sacrifice not only for original guilt but also for actual sins of men Homil. xij As truly as God liveth so truly was Jesus Christ the true Messias and Saviour of the world even the same Jesus which was born of the Virgin Mary without all help of man only by the power and operation of the Holy Ghost Expl. 22. When it is here said that Christ the Son of God became man we are not to imagine that Christ did then lay down his Godhead or that he did cease to be God when he honoured mans nature so far as to take that upon him for though he then began to be what he was not before man yet he did not cease to be at his Incarnation what he was before namely God it being impossible altogether that the Godhead should admit of any change because of its infinite perfection for every change is either for the better or for the worse but the Godhead was infinitely as well as independently perfect and consequently without all variableness or shadow of changing so that all the change which was in Christ at his Incarnation it was in his humane nature only and that change was indeed for the better for it was for the highest advancement honour and perfection that our nature was capable of But Christ though the Son of God and therefore truly God became man 1. Not by being like unto man only in outward appearance and to the outward senses as a Phantasm an Apparition or a Ghost that doth appear in mans shape as those Hereticks of old call'd the Marcionites did fancy No he became man 2. By taking the real body of man or by taking flesh blood bones nerves sinews hands feet and all other integral parts of the very same kind with those of mans body His body was such that it did grow in stature from that of a child to that of a man and was subject to the touch or feeling 3. By taking a reasonable soul or a soul furnished with the very same powers and faculties that ours have for the kind as understanding will affections memory c. and was capable of the improvement of these as of growing in wisdom and knowledg according to his humane nature 4. By being conceived of the Holy Ghost i. e. in a manner supernatural or above nature and not in an ordinary way of natural generation but by the immediate and omnipotent operation of the Spirit the third person in the Trinity who did in a way altogether unexpressible by man and without the help of man frame the body of the holy Child Jesus in the Virgin Maries womb wherein this blessed Babe continued the space of Nine Months as other children do in their mothers womb and then was born into the world in fulness of time as they are but yet without sin as they are not A. 23. Christ as our Redeemer executeth the offices of a Prophet of a Priest and of a King both in his estate of Humiliation and Exaltation Expl. 23. By this word Redeemer we are to understand the same with Mediator and by both the second Person in the Trinity as he was upon Covenant and Contract made with the Father to mediate peace betwixt God and man and to manage the whole work of Redemption in order to the justification sanctification and salvation of the Elect and that not only whilst he was here upon earth to be our King Priest and Prophet but now that he is in heaven he ever lives to make intercession for us and doth still guide and teach and govern his Church by his Word and Spirit A. 24. Christ executeth the office of a Prophet in revealing to us by his Word and Spirit the Will of God for our Salvation Hom. xvij By this our heavenly Mediator do we know the favour and mercy of God the Father by him know we his will and pleasure towards us for he is the brightness of his Fathers glory and a very clear image and pattern of his substance It is he whom the Father in heaven delighteth to have for his beloved Son authorized to be our Teacher whom he charged us to hear saying Hear him Expl. 24. When Christ is here called a Prophet we are not to restrain this part of his Office only to his foretelling all such things as should befall his Church or the enemies thereof though this he has done in Prophetical Scriptures so far as he thought necessary for the good of his Church But he is principally called a Prophet and that Prophet because of that power commission and ability which he has and doth exercise in revealing and declaring both outwardly by his Word and inwardly by his Spirit the whole mind and will of God which was necessary to be known by man in order to salvation And for this reason he is called in Scripture the Word and the Word was made flesh and his name is the Word of God because that as a man does make known what his mind and will is by his words either written or spoken so God the Father doth make known unto man by Christ what