the Scripture which by Ancients is said sometimes to be very plain and perspicuous and sometimes obscure and full of incomprehensible mysteries both true if rightly understood Clear and perspicuous in the delivery of such and such Doctrines or Articles necessary to be known beleeved or practised to attain salvation but full of obscurity or altogether incomprehensible in their own natures to humane understanding To instance in one example What point of Doctrine can be proposed to our beleef with more clearnesse and perspicuity then the Resurrection of the dead and what more obscure for the manner and possibility of it That nothing therefore is to be beleeved for which there is not ground in reason and humane common sense is that which we have said and are really to maintain in a right sense but that Nihil credendum quod ratione capi nequeat Nothing is to be beleeved which may not be comprehended by humane reason as the Photinians and some other Heretiques maintain is an assertion I know not whether more ridiculous and absurd in point of reason or more blasphemous and impious in Divinity Philosophers are allowed their occulta qualitates and Physitians even they who knew little of God otherwise did acknowledge 〈◊〉 soâ—ewhat above their capacity and the ordinary course of nature in things of nature There be I know that laugh at these occultae qualitates and in some cases they may justly neither would I contend about words if another word wil give better content But as for them who think they can give a reason for all which by others is admired as hidden abstruse sooner may they bring themselves into a suspition that they never knew how to distinguish between reason and phancy then perswade them that are rationall that no work of nature is above the reach of humane reason Our second Observation which follows upon the former and is a further confirmation of it shall be concerning the ambiguity or different acception of this word faith or beleef Faith then we say may be taken either in opposition to sight or sense or in opposition to knowledge and comprehension or thirdly and lastly to reason in generall In opposition to sight or sense so things invisible whether in their nature so because spirituall or invisible because not present but future are the proper object of faith In the Epistle to the Hebrews faith is thus defined Faith is the substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things hoped for the evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things not seen In opposition to knowledge and comprehension so we are said to beleeve those things which we doe not understand or comprehend Lastly in opposition to reason so we are said to beleeve those things for which or for the beleef of which we have no ground or foundation at all in humane reason and ratiocination Those that shall reade the Ancients upon this argument will finde great use of these distinctions to reconcile their severall expressions which otherwise might seem to import â— contrariety of opinions For example whereas it was commonly objected by ancient Heathens to the Christians of those times that they grounded all their Doctrine upon meer beleef that their simple faith was all they had to trust to Some not so aware perchance neither of the ambiguity of the word nor what advantage Heathens would make of it made no scruple simply to avow what was objected unto them but others again did utterly disclaim it complained of the objection as a grosse and impudent calumny appealed to reason themselves for proof of their beleef and offered themselves to joyn issue with them upon that title Certain it is that most of them in this question did take faith not as opposed to reason properly but either to knowledge and comprehension or to sight and sense Or if they did use the word reason in opposition to faith by reason they did understand knowledge and comprehension not as the word was used by others In this sense Saint Augustine doth often oppose Divine authority to reason August de Vera Rel. Authoritas fidem flagitat rationi praeparat hominem ratio ad intellectum per cognitionem perducit quanquam nec auâ—horitatem penitùs ratio deserit cùm consideratur cuâ— credendum sit c. not as though it were against humane reason to beleeve those things that are commended unto us by divine revelation or authority whereof we shall say more afterwards but because most of the mysteries of our faith commended unto us by divine authority are such as are above the reach of humane capacity to comprehend Though herein too they did distinguish between the Tyrones or beginners in Christianity such as were lately converted to the Christian faith whom they would have wholly to rely upon authority and those whom the Apostle Heb. 5.14 speaketh of who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evill Of the use of humane reason in this kind for the unfolding or understanding of particular points which is a different consideration from that of the Principles much hath been written of late by learned Vedelius in a Book of this argument entituled Rationale Theologicum to which the Reader if he please may have recourse I shall conclude this Observation with the words of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.15 Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare Thirdly we would have it observed that notwithstanding this opinion of faith and religion so grounded as we have said we maintain neverthelesse that no man can attain to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that degree or fulnesse of faith required or availeable to salvation but by supernaturall means viz. by the immediate operation of Gods holy Spirit To which purpose Origen in his answer to Celsus the Heathen says well Orig. contra Celsum l. 6. We are taught by the divine Word that what is preached by men be it of it self never so true and rationall or well grounded cannot sufficiently penetrate into the soul of man except both supernaturall power from God be given to the speaker and divine grace accompany those things that are spoken c. which is by him inferred upon the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.4 And my speech my preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God The necessity of this infused faith is acknowledged by Papists as well as by Protestants no sober man that beleeves the Scriptures can make any question of it Fourthly and lastly we say though faith be reducible to principles of reason and in that respect become knowledge as well as faith yet we doe not maintain a necessity of this knowledge in all Christians Without infused faith no man is a true Christian but a man
his absolute power but the justice and equity of his providence or wisdome Origen whom I mention for his antiquity though not always to be followed in his opinions upon this argument because the question proposed by Celsus the Heathen was not whether any other way in generall but particularly why not such a way rather he contents himself to shew the impertinency of the question and that the way by Celsus proposed was not either to the Providence of God or to the nature of man so sutable and convenient but of the possibility in generall as he doth not deny it so neither doth he peremptorily affirm it He doth not not there at least but others doe and their determination of the matter is embraced by the Schoolmen Peter Lombard and Thomas Aquinas and others by Protestants also Zanchius Polanus Peter Martyr Paraeus and many more I beleeve Gerardus and most of the Lutheran party hold the contrary opinion and not they onely but of our side also some not of the obscurest For my part in reverence to God and his truth freely to deliver my minde leaving others to the liberty of their own judgements I must professe that I cannot satisfie my self how it can stand with the duty and humility of mortall men who can give so little account of our selves either of our souls or bodies to attempt the sounding of such an abyssus such a bottomlesse Ocean as either the Power or the Mercy of Almighty God and out of physicall * Vide Testardum De Natura Gratiâ nuperas ut alios praetereā Joh. Hoornbeck Disputationes Antijudaicas or metaphysicall speculations for such I account all in this kinde that are not apparently grounded upon divine authority so peremptorily and positively to determine how farre either can goe I tremble to think what hapned to the Bethshemites for offering to pry into the Ark the Mercy-seat of God Of all things in the world I would not abridge the Power of God in point of Mercy whereof there is so much need in the world If God himself doth limit I adore his judgements and submit with all humility Where he doth not I will not certainly no authority of mortall man no subtilty of humane wit shall perswade me to do it Earthly Kings and Princes will not endure their Prerogative should be scanned by every Subject not by any perchance if they could help it and good Kings will esteeme mercy the best part of their Prerogative Owe wee not then so much respect to the King of Kings the Omnipotent Creator of all things who from his highest Throne beholdeth the Inhabitants of the earth Kings and Monarchs as well as others as so many worms or grashoppers as to leave him the power and Prerogative of his Mercy indisputed free and unbounded That any who was not a God should take upon him to forgive sins was once we know thought blasphemy Mark 2.7 how shall it not be some spice of blasphemy to bereave God of this power except God himself in his revealed Word doth expresly disclaim it We see in the Gospel when the Disciples upon the words of their Master that it is easier for a camel to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God began to infer as probably enough they might that none therefore or very few for so must their words not pertinent otherwise be understood most men being either rich or covetously seeking after riches which comes all to one could be saved Christ himself teacheth them in such cases not to judge rashly but to remember the power of God With men saith he this is unpossible but with God all things are possible By which words Christ seemeth in some manner to justifie their inference in point of humane ratiocination for that men cannot save themselves or be saved by other men whereof no question was made is not it that Christ acknowledges here impossible with men but to disallow of humane ratiocination in things of this nature But now on the other side if any pretend Scripture as most doe for their opinion I answer If clear Scripture as in such points would be requisite how come so many both ancient and late so well versed in them so able to judge of them to be of another opinion If doubtfull and disputable then in such a case that comes so neer to blasphemy without good warrant from God himself I hold the affirmative as more plausible so safer every way To passe by therefore their arguments which are drawn as was said before most of them from metaphysicall speculations which I desire not to meddle with I will onely take notice of some considerations insisted upon by some of them to make their opinion more plausible if not necessary The first is that to beleeve the possibility of mans restauration either without any satisfaction at all by free pardon or any other way of satisfaction if any other way can be which as we said before we doe not conceive is to undervalue the benefit and high price of this holy Dispensation It is certain the apprehensions of men though their end to glorifie God be the same may be different and a difference of apprehensions may make a difference of opinions though tending to one end I join with them therefore in their main drift but I doe not conceive that any man who really beleeves an impossibility grounded upon Gods revealed Word of any mans salvation without Christ needs any other motive to induce him to set a right price upon this miraculous work then the consideration of his own and every mans happinesse thereon depending It is secondly further objected that this opinion may seem to savour or at least to favour Socinisme who eagerly plead against the necessity make it an argument against the truth of Christ his satisfaction But surely the way to deal with Socinians is not by such reasoning God be praised we have a more sure way and that is the way of divine authority If that doe it not it is to be feared weaker proofs which not without much probability may bee contradicted will rather confirm them then convert them What Saint Augustine saith in a place upon another occasion would be considered upon this Metus est ne cum saepe subruuntur August De Magistro quod totidem sere verbis etiam Plato non un◠loco quae firmissimè statura et mansura praesumimus in tantum odium vel timorem rationis incidamus ut ne ipsi quidem perspicuae veritati fides habenda videatur that is It is to bee feared that when men shall see those reasons which they once grounded upon as firm and stable easily and familiarly overthrown they fall at last into such a hatred or suspition of reason that even the most undoubted truths shall not be beleeved I am therefore much pleased with Balth. Meisnerus a Lutheran his prudent moderation in this point who
made known unto you If all these places being put together contain not a prophesie concerning Christ The Word of God the Son of God who was made flesh and came into the world as to redeem the world by the oblation of his own body so also to reveal the truth of God unto men if all these places I say being put together doe not amount to a prophesie I know not we may call a prophesie Sure we are there is nothing forged or supposititious in all this which of the Sibyls that collection of verses I mean which now goeth under that name and of Mercurius Trismegistus hath been proved For a close of this third point or principle I shall add a passage of Dio Chrysostomus a famous Oratour and Philosopher who lived in Trajanus the Emperour his days and was in great account with him whose words also because he was a great Platonist may be some light to those of Plato's All the discourses and all the devices of men are nothing to divine inspiration and revelation or authority For what traditions or doctrines soever concerning the gods and this Vniverse that are not void of wisdome and truth have been among men all such were begotten in the souls of men by divine will and by a speciall lot or luck Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as may bee knowne by them that were the first Prophets and Professors of Divinity such as Orpheus son to one of the Muses is reported to have been in Thracia and another certain Shepheard in Boecria taught by the Muses And whosoever they be that take upon them to vent any doctrine of their own abroad for true without divine rapture or inspiration their doctrine is certainly both absurd and wicked The fourth is IV. That those books of the Old and New Testament c. I said before I presupposed I had to doe here with Christians who were already satisfied concerning the truth of those books It is well known that such have been of old and are at this day too many who though they professe to admit and allow for divine the same Scriptures that we doe and pretend to the faith and doctrine therein contained as much as we yet do not beleeve of Christ as we doe I have no direct aim at them in this Discourse intended only for the further satisfaction and confirmation of Orthodoxe Christians in this main point no direct aim I say but as the handling of this argument upon Scripture grounds may prove a conviction of their impiety and infidelity As for them that professe against this ground of either Old or New Testament which we build upon they will not neither directly or indirectly come within our reach But how then may some object perchance can we as we first maintained give a rationall account of our faith and stop the mouths of Atheists and Infidels if we cannot prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God upon common grounds of humane reason and ratiocination To which we answer that although we doe not apprehend those grounds so evident and so uncontrollable as to oblige every rationall man to a present and ready assent and therefore not to be reckoned among those common notions though reducible to them and principles we have spoken of yet that the Scriptures by them that are learned may be maintained upon grounds of reason sufficient to convince and to convert an Infidel who with simplicity of heart without strong prejudice or worldly engagements to the contrary doth seek the truth we doe professe to beleeve and should be sorry were it our aim or argument if we could not make it good One argument onely I shall insist upon here which by ancient Christians as being both popular proper I mean for vulgar capacities and solid was much pressed and whereof they found good use The testimony of a known professed enemy or adversary hath always among all men been accounted a very pregnant evidence And what relation there is between the Old and New Testament is well known to all Christians and may soon be demonstrated to them that are not Now then what greater evidence of the truth of the Old Testament can any man require then the Jewes our greatest and most malicious adversaries Then the Jews I say who by a speciall Providence though scattered and dispersed through the whole world continue to this day a distinct Nation from all other Nations of the world and to this day so zealous for Moses and all other Scriptures of the Old Testament that in all places for testimony of the truth of those Scriptures they are ready if they be put to it to lay down their lives and to forgoe whatsoever is dearest unto them Whose predecessors also that too by a speciall admirable Providence have been of old so curious and so provident for the preservation of those Scriptures which they acknowledged that they devised an art of which art either for invention or accuratnesse there is no parallel in all the ancient learning of the Heathens how to prevent not the losse of it onely but the corruption also by any either addition or diminution or alteration in words or syllables yea letters and tittles How much this argument of the Jews testimony was made of by the ancients and of what consequence it then proved may appear by Saint Augustine who speaks of it in sundry places of his Works In the twelfth of his books against the Manicheans he saith Quid enim est aliud hodieque gens ipsa Judaeorum nisi quaedam scriniaria Christianorum basulans leges prophetas ad testimonium assertionis Ecclesiae that is For what to this day are the Jews but as it were the registers or record-keepers of the Christians bearing up down the Law and the Prophets with them for a testimony to the Church Saint Augustine in these words doth allude to the custome of the Jews who then in every Synagogue were wont and use it in most places I beleeve to this day to have sacred chests or desks wherein to keep their holy Bible not onely for its safety but in reverence to it also What Saint Augustine cals Scrinium Tertullian inditeth armarium in his De Habitumuliebri ch 3. And Epiphanius in his Treatise De Ponderibus mensuris where he treateth of the difference of Canonicalll books from others he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such books saith he speaking of that which is called Wisdome and others of like nature are accounted by them usefull and profitable but are not in the number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Canonicall for which cause also they are not laid up with the Canonicall in the aron that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the chest or capse of the Testament Lamp Alardi Epiphyll Phiolog I wonder that any man could so mistake Epiphanius as though he had beleeved that the whole Jews Bible or Old Testament had been kept in the Ark where the two Tables containing
and wickednesse in men and among men either at all or so far to prevail They commonly distinguish of severall degrees or kinds of creatures with relation to goodnesse by God created the last kinde whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is their word are those whose condition is to be mutable to fall and to rise again sometimes to look upwards unto the fountain of good sometimes to be swayed downwards by the contagion of the body and deceitfulnesse of the world and their determination upon the matter is that neither the power nor the wisdom of Almighty God would or could so much have appeared if this kind also this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had not been What they say being grounded upon no better authority then humane ratiocination will not much concern us but to check our impiety if neither reason commended unto us with the advantage of such precedents nor religion grounded upon certain revelation can doe that in us which bare and naked reason could in them to make us if not to plead for our Creator by strength of arguments yet to acknowledge him good and wise in all his ways even beyond our understandings and where our reason is at a stand Another reason is given because God having in himself predetermined the redemption of collapsed mankind by the Incarnation of his Son he therefore left Adam to the liberty of his will and the Devill of his malice because no other way can be conceived how he might more effectually have demonstrated and revealed at once unto men and Angels the infinitenesse both of his goodnesse and of his justice as we shall have occasion afterwards to shew more at large Adam then and in him humana natura or mankind in generall being so created by God and through the temptation of the Devill and his own wretchednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek Fathers usually call it that is loosenesse and remisnesse of the minde accompanied with carelesnesse and security so lapsed it pleased Almighty God in the depth of his goodnesse and wisdome to appoint his restauration by the Incarnation of his Son that eternall Word by whom he had made as all other things so man particularly that is That his Son coeternall with him and from all eternity by an incomprehensible mystery begotten by him should in the fulnesse of time be made flesh that is assume the nature of man unto himself into a perfect Union but without mixture or confusion of two natures in one person that so united and so incarnated he might offer himself by his Passion Christ as God Man though not in his Deity suffering unto God his Father as a sufficient ransome in his strictest justice for the sins of all men to the end that whosoever should beleeve in him so incarnated and by a lively faith lay hold on the merits of his death might not perish but as a true member of his mysticall body might have in him everlasting life How Christ the eternall Son of God came to be the son of a woman as it doth deeply concern us not to be ignorant of what the Scriptures have revealed unto us about it so to goe beyond that I conceive no lesse dangerous The Scriptures say as we have it in our Creed that he was conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgyn Mary and the words of the Angel to the blessed Virgin are known Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that Holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God If any man venture beyond this in discoursing the manner how I dare not follow him It is observed and observable indeed that in this mystery Christ is not so properly said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is begotten though that word also be used sometimes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made as not begotten of the substance or essence of the Holy Ghost as ordinarily children are of the substance of their fathers but made by the power of the Holy Ghost of the substance of the Virgin Mary onely Whereupon ancient Fathers were wont to say that as Christ in regard of his eternall generation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without a Mother so in regard of his temporall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without a Father There is good use of this observation against those hereticks of old and the Anabaptists of later times who though they could not agree among themselves how Christ came to have a body whether true or imaginary and the like yet agreed in this to deny that he was made of the substance of a woman This is the mystery of which we may truly say that it is The chiefest of the ways of God That the justification of any one sinner is a greater work then the Creation of the world in generall is by many maintained and divers reasons are given for it I durst not undertake for the solidity of all those reasons those excepted that are drawn from this very particular of Christ his Incarnation that are given but certainly this mystery of the Son of God his Incarnation is so transcendent a miracle above all other miracles of the world whether Creation or any other as that wee may justly doubt whether he truly beleeve it or ever took it into serious consideration who in comparison of this doth admire any thing else For as for those things that are commonly most admired and for the wonderfulnesse by divers thought incredible if a man shall rationally consider of them they will not so appear in very deed It is the saying of an ancient Father one of the most learned and rationall of those times that there is but one true miracle in the world and that is an Omnipotent God Having instanced in some one particular which among the many strange sights of this world he thought might seem as strange as any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he Theodor Therapeut l. 3. Sed ibi Latinus interpres mentem verborum non assecutus est non expressit certè a miracle above a miracle and presently upon better consideration as it were he doth correct himself And yet I dare say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the miracle is no miracle For God to whom al things that he can think convenient are easie being the author or workman we have much reason to glorifie the author but no reason at all to wonder at the matter He gives the reason in another place That any thing should be whether by generation or creation whereof a cause God that is the supream cause can be given right reason will easily allow of But that any thing should bee without a cause as God onely is no reason can comprehend Vos enim ipsi dicere soletis nihil esse quod Deus efficere non possit quidem sine labore ullo ut enim