no eternall happinesse God had made man in vain with so vast a mind which no finite thing can satisfie and then there must be a way to this happinesse or else that happinesse is ordained in vain also for man Mathe. Some think it is not necessary to know any more happiness then nature sheweth and dictates to us Phila. Nature sheweth in part that felicity which is necessary for man to know but not fully but as in the wrong end of an optick glass which makes things appear farther off or lesse then they are or else sheweth us a false felicity as in a magnifying or multiplying glasse wherein it appeareth bigger or more then it is all which sheweth there is an happinesse though nature mistakes it or cannot perfectly shew it though it be necessary for us to know it Mathe. How prove you it is necessary for us to know it Phila. 1. Because I have a soule capable of such a knowledge nor is an industrious soule quiet till it find either it or something like it wherein it may find a rest and content Therefore the spirit of a man is the candle of God to search hidden secrets Pro. 20.27 yea even the things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 and by desire a man having separated himselfe seeks and intermedleth with all wisedome Pro. 18.1 2. Because man is made for it God intended him for happinesse For as the world was made that God might be revealed so God was revealed that man might know him which is felicity God sought to bring man to it first by obedience wherein he failing thereby shewing the mutability of created nature God next set before him the object of beleeving viz. his promise of Christ to know whom in God is life eternall John 17.3 and felicity 3. Because man is a future not only a present creature for he hath a soul which will be existent after death in joy or sorrow and therefore necessary for him to know felicity and to avoid misery Mathe. How prove you that he hath such a soule Phila. From our immortall desires to live either in memory or posterity for ever which argueth the immortall nature of the soule though it be deceived in the choise of it by placing immortality where it is not So Absalom set up his monumentall pillar 2 Sam. 18.18 and some call their lands after their own names Psa 49.12 and men desire tombs which argueth a desire of perpetuall life No creature hath this desire but man for things without life desire to preserve themselves in their particular being Secundum numerum pronunc Vid. Scor. Dist 94. and beasts desire the continuance of their kind only for the present time but man desires a perpetuall being included in no bounds 2. Because it hath a kind of infinit apprehension comprehending singular things and universall things and the kinds of all things which argueth an immortall nature 3. Because God hath made a perpetuall covenant with man Numb 18.19 and therefore the soul hath a continuall being in or out of the body else is the Covenant ended But God is not the God of the dead Mat. 22.32.33 but of the living for all do live to him therefore he cals himselfe the God of the Patriarchs after their death Exod. 3.6 so some in scripture are said to be gathered to their fathers in peace though slaine as 2 Chron. 35. as good Josiah But it is meant to the spirit of the Fathers which were at rest and peace with God bound up in the bundle of life 2 Sam. 25.29 among the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 4. Because men undergo losse and crosse and death without cause joifully which were madnesse if the soule were not immortall and expected after death some felicity to enjoy 1 Cor. 15.19 But many love not their lives that they may find them hereafter Mar. 8.35 5. Because God in the last judgement may shew himselfe just as Gen. 18.23 for in this world good men suffer and evill men flourish Psal 37. Psal 71.2 3. so Jer. 12.1 yet it is but to fat them for the slaughter Jer. 12.3 Therefore the soule is immortall that every man may find the justice of God at last 6. The learned heathen did acknowledge this Arist Cic. Tusc 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calling the soul the first motion as if it were the beginning of motion so by their letting an Eagle flie aloft when the bodies of their Heroes were put into the funerall fires It is true that the Scripture saith the soul that sinneth that shall die but the meaning is not that the soul shall be dissolved in his essentiall life but in the relative life to God-ward by whose goodness and mercy it obtaineth an eternall felicity Mathe. But how can I prove that it hath any existence after the death of the body Phila. Because it is distinguished in this by all wise men from the souls or life of bruits for the spirit of a man goeth upward and the spirit of a beast goeth downward Eccles 3.21 And again Eccles 12.7 the dust shall return to the earth and the spirit to God that gave it which returning to God signifies the souls immortality Psallus that is as God alwaies is so the soule is subsisting with God for if the soule be immortall it cannot wax old Phocylid but must live ever so that you must denie the soule to be immortall or else grant that it never dieth But the old Chaldeans and Egyptians shall rise against such Christians whose precept was that a man should make haste to the light and splendors of the Father and to seek Paradise which is the splendid and cleer region of the soule Trismegistus confirms the perpetuall being of the soul Cic. Tusc Pythagoras saith as much and Tully from him Epictetus saith we are the kinsmen of God and return from whence we came Plat. in Phaed. Comment Mor. Zill Hisp in Plat. Plato is more clear then any And St Paul himselfe makes use of Aratus in the Acts saying We are Gods off-spring Acts 17.28 But beside Christ gives us greater light in the point John 3.36 saying He that beleeveth in me hath life eternall and to the thief he said This day thou shalt be with me when as that day both their bodies were dead 2 Cor. 5.1 So St Paul saith We know when this earthly house is dissolved we have a building of God in the heavens He doth not say when this house shall be repaired as at the resurrection but so soon as it is dissolved So in the fifth verse saith he When we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord and therefore are willing to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord therefore he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ And St Stephen praieth God to receive his spirit But beside all this if we beleeve that any who were raised from death in Scripture
seed Mathe. I pray give some places of Scripture to prove the production and some reasons drawn from thence for many places seem against it Phila. Some seem against it but are not so as Exod. 21.22 c. that a man if he hurt a woman with child and her fruit depart from her and yet mischief or death follow not i. upon the mother then the punishment shal be but a fine or mulct but if mischiefe or death follow then he shall pay life for life Now if this mischiefe or death be understood of the woman this place argueth nothing to the souls production by propagation If it be meant of the child then it must have life and how a reasonable creature can have life without the form of it viz. a reasonable soule I know not therefore the judgement surely was to be made upon the child quickning and so life was to answer for life but whether the soule be not infused before even at the conception is still questionable So Numb 27.16 he is called the God of spirits yet is he not also the God of our bodies yes sure as 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorifie God in your bodies for they are Gods But Eccles 12.7 seemeth to make a greater difference for the body is said there to return to the dust but the spirit to God that gave it yet this proves only the soules immortall estate after death not any immediate creation of it except he relates to Adam whose creation was immediate of dust and his soule immediate from God but our bodies are not so and the question still remains whether the soule be not conveied by Gods speciall concurrence in propagation So Isa 57.16 it is said of God I will not alwaies contend lest the soules that I have made faile before me but that is meant by the generall life of all creatures Beside who knoweth not that God makes us we teach our children so to answer us in their Catechisme because God did it originally and doth it still by his benediction of parentall seed yet we know also that the parents beget the children So Ezek. 18. it is said all souls are mine but that is all persons So Zach. 12.1 It is said God formeth the spirit of man within him which no man will deny but the question is still of what whether of nothing or of the parents substance corporall and spirituall Indeed that place of Zachary intends the first mans forming as we see by his alledging Gods stretching forth of the heavens and laying the foundation of the earth which was at the creation or if he meaneth the souls of men since the creation then by forming cannot â—e understood creating of nothing But you will say that God is called the Father of Spirits in opposition to the fathers of our flesh but the opposition is not made there between God and man or soule and body but between naturall life and casuall correction and spirituall but be it meant of God and naturall parents yet it proves nothing to the souls production for he is the God of our body as well as of our spirits Mathe. But if the soule be of a spirituall substance and nature how can it be propagated in generation Phila. Because it is not propagated after a bodily manner though the whole man begets the whole man for the soule consisting rather of power then parts the propagation of it is by promotion rather than decision nor is the soule so spirituall as to be simply simple for only God is so but hath a spirituall composition though not elementary which the God of spirits can blow up to a flame which kindles presently upon fit matter by vertue of his first word given to the nature of man saying increase and multiply and by his continuall assistance to mans generation Mathe. But generation of souls argueth a corruption of souls and so it is not immortall Phila. It followeth not for the corruption of the soule in propagation is only a mutation from power to act and so is not corrupted by putrefaction but advanced by perfection it is the same as it was but not in the same manner as it was and so the soul propagated is not corrupted nor is the soule propagating corrupted for it is neither divided nor diminished no more then the flame of a lamp is by lighting another Mathe. But if it passe in propagation then if conception faile a soule is lost in the emission of seed for want of conception Phila. Not so for the soule is never procreated but in conception namely when the seed of male and female meet in one together with the efficient power of God concurring with all naturall causes for the production thereof therefore when conceptions faile the soule continueth as it was so in unlawfull copulations with other creatures God not conferring his power no rationall creature is brought forth but the soule remains without communication of it selfe Mathe. But if the soule be so traduced from the parents then from one of them or both and I see not how one soul can be divided nor yet how one soule can be made out of two Phila. It cannot be from one for the seed of neither male nor female alone conteins the matter and form of the creature to be produced but two do make one two in number and sex being united make a third and this is Gods ordinance in nature that mankind should be distinguished into two sexes and by their uniting again the whole kind should be preserved neither is the soule divided because it consists not of parts but powers and therefore the propagation of the soule is not done by decision Zanch. de tribus Elohim p. 2. l. 3. cap. 7. but by operation whereby the same power is effected in another which the soule hath in it selfe yet it is neither annihilated nor diminished because it is a spirituall nature as we understand God to beget his Son and communicates to him his whole essence and yet the Father retains his whole essence And this need not trouble us since we see the forms of other creatures are indivisible as well as mans soule and yet they beget their like without any division of their essentiall forms And for the making of one soule out of two you are to conceive how two in act may make one for man and wife is not only one flesh carnally but their very soules do so cleave together like Jonathan and David that they would become one which because they cannot do they by the assistance of God conspire with the fitnesse of other causes to produce another creature like themselves Athanas de var. p. 16. as flint and steel smote together begets fire which is the next creature that a fervent motion can beget Mathe. When do you judge the soule to be thus traduced Phila. At the first conception no doubt and uniting of the male and female seed the corporall parts whereof although they must have a time to ferment
superscription Jesus that Nazarene that King of the Jewes God would not it should be altered being a plain affirmation of his glory which otherwise Pilate might possibly have done as well as to crucifie him at their importunity Now in that God doth thus acknowledge his name Jesus upon the Crosse he thereby testified that he accepted him for our Saviour as Jesus signifieth Mat. 1.22 and will not deny those that beleeve on him yea God exalts him in that name which the Jewes despised so that he will honour those whom the world reproacheth yea he will have him now known to be that King his first born higher then the Kings of the earth and at this time of his disgrace too to shew his Kingdome stands not in outward observation nor is his roialty lost by outward abasements for even now like a King he paied the blood-roiall-ransome for his elect even among the Jewes themselves of whose repenting people he was King by whose power they were converted Acts 2. This title was written in the three generall known languages to shew that every tongue should confesse to his glory of Jesus Phil. 3.11 when the Gospell should be preached to the nations This title Pilate would not alter in one tittle to shew that we should not lose one jot of the faith of Christ and indeed whosoever doth it or suffers it to be done by Hereticks or Sectaries are worse then Pilate himselfe Again God honoured him by making nature suffer an eclipse of darknesse as if to shew the Sun of righteousnesse did now set and that the Jewes should be left in blindnesse and all others that did not beleeve in him Also that nature abhorred the fact and that God hereby did threaten the sins of men as Joel 2.10 and that he that now suffered was more then a man for whose sake such a miracle was wrought Next he was glorified by one of the malefactors conversion and confession which shewed Christs power and mercy and justice his power that he did and could work on him in the midst of his anguish his mercy that he would save one at the last gasp that none may despaire and his justice that he would save but one that none might presume upon late repentance Lastly he was glorified by the vaile of the most holy place rending of it selfe which shewed that God did now abhor the Jewes Temple and dissolve their religious rites and utterly rejected them for rejecting Christ his Son And that now we have free accesse to the mercy seat Heb. 4.16 Aequaliter pater arca calestis Helv. Yea heaven is set open to us which before was shut against sinners of Jewes and Gentiles but now open to both Mathe. But what necessiâ—y uas there of Christs death Phila. First to satisfie Gods justice who determined death to be the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 Christ therefore being mans surety Rom. 8.3 and taking on him the similitude of our sinfull flesh God condemns sin in his flesh by putting him to death and satisfieth his justice for all the elect by one who though he was but one yet being both God and Man his death is of infinite price to make satisfaction to Gods infinite justice who had told the first Adam that if he eat of the forbidden fruit he should die that day And that day he became mortall Rom. 5.12 for then death began to seize upon him and all his posterity But Christ comming in Adams stopped the issue of spirituall death by the merit of his death And this he did also to fulfill the prophecies of himself Esa 63.7 that he should be lead as a sheep to the slaughter as also to ratifie the New Testament which was as his last will whereby he grants by covenant with God all the blessed Legacies of spirituall and eternall happinesse to his Church Heb. 9.15 which Testament is of no force without the death of the Testator Also that he might destroy the power that death and the devill had over us Heb. 2.14 even to bring us under eternall death which death though he never suffered himself yet prevents it in us by the worthinesse of his person suffering externall death for us that beleeve upon his precious death which is of more value for one houre then the eternall death of all men in the world And so by this means he hath given us an antidote against the reigning power of sin that it shall not have dominion over us Rom. 6.14 but that by the vertue of his death we might die to sin Rom. 6.2 and that he might purchase life for the world of his elect who by the doctrine of his death receive the seed of eternall life and become the seed of Christ Esa 53.10 Mathe. But how did Christ die in his natures or in his person Phila. Herein you must beware what you conceive for if you think he died in both natures divine and humane or in his whole person as God and man you erre from the faith and prophane his divinity therefore you are to beleeve that though the flesh of Christ only died in respect of the nature that died yet this death having relation to the eternall word by union the Lord of life and glory may be said relatively to suffer in which respect his blood is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Therefore though death made a separation of his humane soule from his humane body yet both ever subsisted in the divine nature firmly united For if there had been a new manner of subsisting then Christ must be conceived to have two persons as well as two natures Mathe. How shall I reconcile St Paul who saith Christ was slain towards the end of the world Heb. 9.26 and St John saith he was slaine from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 Phila. He was actually slain toward the end of the world namely in the year of the world Scalig. 3982. and in the 34. year of his age and on Friday the fifth day of our week which that year was the fifteenth day of the Jewes month called Nisan which that year was the seventh day of our April as some account yea at the ninth hour of that day the time of the evening sacrifice Mat. 27.46 But he was flain from the beginning of the world in Gods determination Gen. 3.15 for all that beleeved on him to come to whom his death proved as efficacious as the composition of a surety doth enlarge a debter out of prison though the debt be not paied a long time after Thus Christ was slain from the beginning in type of Abel slain by Cain and in all the sacrifices offered for sin which were as evidences to the faithfull of things not then seen Mathe. But the Evangelists take notice of many occurrences in his death of which I can find no great reason nor mystery infolded as that no bone of him was broken and that his side was pierced and the like Phila.
were truly dead then their soule upon departure from the body had a subsisting or else were dissolved into nothing and if dissolved into nothing then they were newly created rather then reunited and so cannot properly be said to be raised but the soule was re-created and re-infused and so being a new something brought out of nothing into which it was dissolved we shall doubt whether they had their own souls again And again if the soul were dissolved at death in vain did Christ warn us not to feare them that kill the body or him that can damn the soul For what damnum or damage can there be to him that after death hath no soul to feel either sorrow of losse or pain of sense Mathe. I pray Sir what think you of the soul and how come we by it and then let me know what principles are left to lead it to felicity Phila. You propound too fast one of these three is enough at once and especially the first to know what the soul is since Christ saith it hath been with us ever since we were born and yet we know not what it is But I suppose he meaneth that we know it not by any perfect knowledge we have of the essence thereof for it is hard to know that by which we know any thing yet we may know it by its operation for no doubt it is an immateriall or spiritual substance which gives man next to God life sense motion and understanding How we came by this soule at first in our first parents must be understood from God who gives beginning to all things but how we have them since may be a question for though he made our first parents by creation yet he makes us mediately by generation of our parents but whether soule and body is a question too and yet we say one man begets another and if the whole man then body and soule but if the body only then is but halfe the man begotten by the parents Some think all souls were at first created Plato and are reserved as in a treasury I know not where and infused at mans generation or when the body is apt to receive them but then it is not the form of man nor doth work in the forming of mans body from his conception if it be not infused till the body be apt for it which they count forty daies after the conception Others Hilary that God creates it of nothing ex tempore upon every occasion of the females conception but then say others God is put to a new creation every day Zanchius Some say that God gives it essence and substance but the parents give it a beginning of being and existence Many or most of the Fathers did judge that it was created of God immediatly and infused yet Saint Augustine makes a stand at it Aug. in epist act Hieron 28. de orig peccato because he finds not how originall sin can be conveied if the soul come not by the parents to the child by propagation for if the body come only from them meer matter is not capable of sin neither is the body alone a person and so no person of man is tainted with originall sin in conception as Psal 51. In sin my mother conceived not my body only but me and if God make the soule of nothing and then infuseth it then it being of it selfe pure by his creation how can it stand with Gods justice to pour it into a tainted body and if the body as meer matter cannot be sinfull nor the soule neither being newly set out of Gods hand then meer uniting cannot make them so and then we shall find no originall sin at all These opinions being not plainly concluded by the Scripture nor the * Yet in Saint Hieromes time the Western Church was much inclined this way Church therefore as we are to hold that which Scripture reason or experience holdeth forth to us most evidently so where such evidence is not we are to hold that which is most probable which if we will not do I see no reason but we must be content without reason Now the Scriptures do not plainly evidence that the soule is immediately created of God and so infused but rather offers it as a thing not altogether from God nor altogether from man as you may see by divers phrases in Scripture as in Gen. 1.27 Be fruitfull and multiply and fill the earth viz. that is with mankind and persons of men as other creatures were to do ver 22. of that Chapter or else Gods word is not so effectuall in man the more excellent creature as it is in the beasts all which he intended by his resting from creating that they should ever persist of themselves and multiply their kinds Of which God gave the first instance when he framed Eve the first woman out of the first man and yet is not said to breath into her as into Adam a breath of life silently arguing that by his power concurring her whole substance was taken from Adam upon whom he had first and originally breathed * Spiraculum animarum the breath of souls as the originall text reads it yet other texts shew us also that God hath an especiall hand in it as Job 10.8 10. and Psal 139.13 15. Thy hands have made me Thou hast covered me in my mothers womb And Jeremy brings in God asserting that he formed him in the womb and Zach. 12.1 It is said God formeth the spirit of a man within him he doth not say creates it of nothing but he brings that into act which was there in the seed Arist but potentially as Aristotle held not much amisse though he leaves it doubtfull whether it be mortall or immortall so that we see both God and man hath an hand in the generation of the whole man together Mathe. I pray make that a little more plain Phila. The Philosophers say that the Sun and man begets man so we may say God and man do propagate mans soule God so far as to make it immortall and man so far as to make it sinfull not that there is any separation in their generation as if the body of the body and the soule of the soule but the whole of the whole through the special and meer immediat act of Gods providence then any in other creatures generation for generation in man sure is of persons not of parts Of which persons God in regard of the soule is the outward efficient and makes parents the procreating cause the materiall cause is spirituall matter of the parents souls which God blowing upon by his power lighteth one flame by another without any division or diminution of that spirituall lamp which is fed with the oile of animall spirits And thus it may be as well propagated as united God concurring in his spirituall power upon the soule to which at first he gave being and making man the instrument to produce it in the
proved-first from the opposition that is between the life of a beast and a man A beasts life perisheth because it ends in the sensitive facultie whose organs being destroied their life is at an end for they cannot work beyond the sensitive faculty because they want reason and understanding Psal 32.9 Be not like the horse that hath no understanding or reason and you may see they have none because all creatures of the same kind work alike in all they do as the swallowes build all alike and the spiders weave all alike and beyond it they cannot proceed but mans operation is divers one from another Beside the desires of the creature is not to any eternity but to the present preservation of it selfe and it kind but mans desires reach higher So the delight of a beast is meerly in things sensuall and therefore it acteth only by the body because life is setled only in the blood Levit. 17.11 but man can delight in things beyond all sense naturall 1 Pet. 1.8 as to beleeve in Christ whom they have not yet seen And indeed if mans soule were not immortall then it might desire things beyond it selfe and so all its desires should be frustrate which is contrary to the end of natures operation who hath made nothing in vain and therefore whatsoever the soul doth naturally desire without sin is to be had either here or hereafter and therefore if the soule have a defire to be happy and free from misery or to have a being when the body is dissolved certainly it floweth from the immortality of its nature A shadowe whereof appears in mans desire to live in memory or in posterity in buildings or purchases Psal 49.12 and 2 Sam. 18.18 2. We find the soule to be incorporeall for it can comprehend things not only singular but universall and the kinds of all things 3. It is immortall that it may receive the justice of God which it hath not here for here the wicked flourish Ier. 12. as Dives did Luke 15. thou hadst thy pleasures and Lazarus pains 4. Beside it appears also by Gods covenant with his people it being everlasting they must also be so or else the covenant ceaseth to be but they never cease to exist as Mat. 22.32 all live to God he is God of the living of those soules that are bound up in the bundle of life 2 Sam. 25.29 with the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Mathe. How is the soul united to the body Phila. By Gods divine concurrence in generation which being mans form doth by its two faculties of sense and vegetation in forty daies prepare the matter to receive its quickning power and so body and soule make one person the soule being so united to it as that the body can neither live nor be called man without it And her being in the body is wonderfull not as a man in his house which will stand though the man go out nor as a spider in the web who setting in the center of it feeleth the touch of every cord But as the light diffuseth it selfe through the whole aire and is neither corrupted nor divided so is the soule whole in the whole body and whole in every part of it and as the Sun hath divers operations in divers parts of the world making spring in one place and harvest in another so doth the soule work diversly in our body by attraction decoction quickning and making us to grow And by this union doth only animate that body in which it is nor can it any other as some learned have thought Pythag. and the Jewes as John 1.21 For every body of the same kind is determined to his own soul nor can receive any other nor can the soul animat any other body but its own to which it is determined therefore when separated they long for their own bodies Rev. 6.10 Mathe. What is the Image of God in man Phila. Some qualities that have analogy and bear some likeness with God and that was holy knowledge righteousnesse and dominion For you must know that this image was not Gods personall image for that is Christ as Heb. 1.1 2. but his essentiall Image and therefore saith he let us make man after our image not my image i. the image of God in Trinity but by regeneration he shall be conformed to his personall image that is unto Christ as Rom. 8. those whom he foreknew them he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son 2. That this image consisted not in bodily shape for God hath none nor to his perfect image but that he was made according to Gods image formally that is to the example that God purposed in his mind nor was he obsignated and sealed with the holy spirit by the grace of perseverance for then he could not have fallen But he was created in holinesse negatively as being no way guilty of vain knowledge nor injustice nor to slavery subjected Therefore St Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. that he was made but a living soule i. possible to live ever and to get children to the same image but could not convey to them any quickning grace to make them certain of ever standing but the second Adam was made a quickning spirit to perform that Mathe. To what end did God make man thus Phila. Surely that he might glorifie him by having respect to him that made him like a circle which is a most perfect figure because it returns to the point from whence it was first deduced All good men are like this but those that run strait on from and return not are in the way to hell God crieth to us to return O Shulamite return because he being a most wise spirit thought fit among all the creatures to have one kind of understanding creature that might return to him by praise and honour of him not passively as the common creature sets forth his praise occasionally but actively and directly to give him the honour due unto his name with our heart tongue and life Mathe. If the soule hath no existence till by generation and by Gods concurrence it be united to the body what existence hath it after death when it is separated from the body I conceive not Phila. God having an immediate act in the souls production though by propagation it cannot be dissolved but by that power who gave it first a beginning Now though he for sin dissolveth the body which consisteth of naturall principles for a while till he reunites it again to the soule at the resurrection in a greater perfection yet we read not that he doth so to the souls but they live to him who is not the God of the dead but of the living souls which cannot die though congenerated with the body through Gods powerfull efficacy the parents mediating the union And therefore as it is a spirituall being it may very well exist after separation from the body and live and understand though not as it did
in the body by conversion of it selfe to the phantasie which then it hath not nor by any formerly received species kept in memory for then the souls of children departed should understand nothing but the soule separated understandeth as Angels do know a new thing presented to them By which we may see plainly that souls separated know not what is done here on earth Aquin. p. 1. q. 89. art 8. further then God pleaseth to reveal to them and who can prove God doth any such thing continually by way of reflection upon them Mathe. How fell men from God being made so righteous Phila. Solomon saith they found out inventions i. Adam and all his successors did yea and Eve first who was called Adam of God as well as he Ishab Virago Gen. 5.2 But her husband Adam called her woman Gen. 2.23 and afterward Havah Evah the mother of all living Gen. 3.20 Her first invention was to open her eare too wide to the Devils subtile counsell who had fallen himselfe first from God and from heaven the place of blessednesse and cast down into these lower regions where finding man to be Gods favourite he was very industrious to bring him to destruction with himselfe And for this purpose makes the serpents body the organ of his speech and tempts the woman supposing her to be inferiour to the man in understanding but far more inclinable to curiosity His temptation of her was to eat of the tree God forbad Aug. de civ dei lib. 13. c. 20. and set apart as a token of his prerogative and their obedience she consented and gave to her husband upon which St Paul saith 1 Tim. 2. the man was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression That is the man was not deceived immediately by the serpent but the woman was nor did the woman deceive him but gave it him for she had no mind to make him transgre sse for she was so perswaded by the serpent as if she had not transgressed in eating thereof her selfe so he was tempted by her but not deceived by her nor the serpent For the serpent left that work to the woman knowing how prevalent she might be with him being his only companion This tree whose fruit was forbidden them was called the tree of knowledge of good and evill Moses Barcephas translated by Masius not that it had any such vertue to increase knowledge for the tree was naturall not metaphysicall but it is called so from that unhappy effect which they should find after the eating of it Junius For as Adam in his innocence knew good and might have obtained it and knew evill and might have avoided it so after his fall he knew the good he had lost and the evill he found the good of obedience the evill of disobedience not but he knew good before by prudence but not evill by experience till now Their sin therefore was not a precacious carnall knowledge one of another as some think for we find a command for it increase and multiply but no time set of abstinence or continence by breach whereof they might offend God Gen. 4.1 And we find also in Scripture that they had no carnall knowledge of each other till they had sinned for had Eve conceived in the state of innocency no doubt but the children had been innocent also which had been so conceived Mathe. What was it that most prevailed with Adam to do this Phila. 1. Perswasion of the woman filled with unquiet vanity 2. It may be the false understanding of Gods threatning who had said the day on which thou eatest thereof thou shalt die and perceiving Eve had eaten and yet was not dead he was the more easily perswaded to eat But God meant they should become mortall not die presently 3. A loathnesse to displease her or sad her spirit that was his only comfort 4. His own ambition of a farther knowledge in himselfe did betray and over-power his understanding so that he did not look seriously into the evils incident and the sorrowes emerging from that act but affecting the supposed glory to be obtained by tasting he was driven on and transported by the gentle gale of perswasion and so turned from the Creator to the creature and so fell under Gods infinite wrath to be poured eternally upon body and soule Mathe. How did he escape it Phila. Naturall death he could not for justice must have its course he having brought himselfe under the power of death yea his soule too but that God himselfe provided a plaister so soon as he was wounded by the serpent For since he could not stand by the Law he propounds to him a promised seed of the woman who should loose the bands of Satan in which they were tied purposed of God upon the foresight of their fall that so they might live by faith since they could not by works Not that God did hereby abolish mans duty but shewed that his duty was insufficient to justifie him in his sight whose infinite justice he had offended So that now all he did in pious practices was only a fruit of his faith not a cause of his justice Rom. 5.18 to shew his gratification not justification therefore did God shew forth his intent of this way of worship and religion from the beginning And therefore as he forbad them the tree of knowledge to shew that none could come to felicity by seeking curious and unnecessary knowledge so he barred them of the tree of life lest the carnall knowledge they had got should lead them into farther presumptuous error as to eat of the tree of life in hope that might bring them to eternity as they hoped the other tree should have made them wise and so abuse that for nutriment which God set rather for a Sacrament Mathe. How was the hope of Gods promise continued Phila. By Covenant Types Promises Prophecies till the fulnesse of time came 1. By Covenant This covenant did not appear plainly at first saving to Adam in the promise of Christ Gen. 3.15 called the seed of the woman For we find no covenant made by God with any of the Patriarchs about Religious worship till Abraham though they that were of the line of Sheth were called the sons of God because they professed that true Religion constantly which they had received from Adam by tradition But these mixing themselves with the daughters of men i. the linage of Cain God was displeased so that he drowned all the world save Noah and his family which were but eight persons in all This time was called an obscure or dark time Scaliger in Proleg in Euseb Varro de re rustica and it continued even after the flood till the time of Moses who first gave the true light of Gods proceeding with man It is true that there were many good men before and after the flood But as the flood obliterated the memory of some so the confounding of
for fear of death but of the tyranny of sin death and the devill which they had got over mankind Next the great ingratitude of the most part of mankind the dispersion of little flocks the scandall they might take at his death the sad ruine of the Jewes which he foresaw and the wrath of God for mans sin of which now he began to have a sense as being surety for us And all this he suffered without any perturbation of sinfull passion And this was done surely to expiate our sinfull fears and doubts and to encourage us in any terrors that arise from a troubled conscience though they put us into great agonies But these were not all his sufferings For he suffered 1. By the consultation of his adversaries the Priests Scribes and Pharisees who when they should have been preparing for the Passeover they were consulting how to take away the true Paschall Lambs life and would have done it at that time but that they feared the people more then they feared God 2. He suffered by the treason of Judas one of his own disciples whom he made steward of his family and had washed those feet that were so apt to shed his blood And this he suffered 1. That the Scripture might be fulfilled that foretold it Psal and Joh. 13.8 2. To beware of coverousnesse which will make a man even to betray Christ at any rate 3. To fore warn Ministers of all others to take heed of being corrupted this way lest they become like salt that hath lost his savour 4. To teach us to beware of sin under what pretense soever For it is likely that Iudas did not intend to have Christ killed but only to get the mony supposing that he would make an escape which may be argued from that that he was so troubled when he saw he was condemned Also to beware of the smallest beginnings of sin For at the first Iudas his sin was but discontent that he loft the gain of Mary her ointment and she justified in her deed By this the devill entred his heart that he resolved to sell the anointed because he could not sell the ointment His next suffering was by being apprehended by wicked hands to unloose the hold of sin and Satan from us and in a garden to expiate the sin committed in Paradise Then bound to unloose the bands of wickednesse and the works of the devill Then toffed from pillar to post from one High Priest to another Then abused by the souldiers and Jewes Luke 22. who buffeted that face which the holy Patriarchs and Prophers longed to behold Cant. 8.1 And scoffed at his prophecying which never failed But it is no wonder if they that had scorned the Prophet of the Lord did also scoffe the Lord of the Prophets This was done to him to expiate our sinne of mocking God as if he could not see and our losing of his glorious image yet he would not die in a tumult but was solemnly brought before the Judge and there falsely accused to free us from his that accuseth the brethren And received sentence of death unjustly to save us from the sentence of Gods condemnation So he was charged with sedition and blasphemy to free us by his attonement from the guilt of high treason against God To all which he answered not saving to the High Priest that he was the Son of God because he conjured him by the name of God to tell him And to Pilate that he was a King though his Kingdome was not of this world that he might leave the Jewes without excuse and take away the occasion from Pilate of justly condemning him and to fulfill the Scripture Isa 53.7 that he was like a sheep dumb before the shearer and to comfort his people that they have a King in Sion though he regardeth not worldly glory Mathe. Methinks he doth not answer very plainly to Pilate and Herod nothing at all I pray what was the reason Phila. He said he was a King but such an one that meant not to stickle for worldly glory which seemeth strange because God had promised to give him the throne of David Luke 1.32 33. and that he should reign over the house of Jacob for ever but that is meant not literally but spiritually which teacheth not to expect that true Religion should stand in outward glory but pray that the eies of our understanding being opened we may see wherein consists the glory of Christs Kingdome Eph. 1.19 Col. 3.2 and therefore to employ our selves about heavenly things and not earthly things for our trading consisteth in such commodities as appeareth Phil. 3.20 for he never promised any great earthly possessions to his followers as that Impostor Mabomet did but exhorted them to seek the preferments of his spirituall Kingdome 2. He said he came to bear witnesse of the truth which though Pilate scoffed at it saying what is truth yet it was a truth for not submitting to which the Devill was cast down and all men are damned that wil not beleeve it viz. that all creatures that are capable of eternall happinesse must attain to it by dependance upon the Son of God by which we are informed what poor entertainment truth finds in the world that Christ is fain to descend from heaven to avouch it Therefore let us receive the truth with all respect and stand for it to the death for so we shall prove our selves of the truth and to be his subjects Now he would say no more to Pilate in his defence lest he should seem to endeavor to prevent the sentence of death By which silence he satisfieth God for our lavish tongues and that he might meritoriously plead for us in heaven Nor would he confesse himselfe the Son of God to Pilate because Pilate was uncapable of the doctrine of the Trinity and also because it was no time now to reveal his Deity but to die in his humanity This filence did so amaze Pilate that he sought to save him or at least to put his condemnation over to others And therefore first offers to the Jewes to judge him by their law Iohn 18.31 which they refusing brought to passe what Christ had sortold viz. what death he should die namely the Romane death of the Crosse by which we may see that all the policy of men cannot disappoint the purpose of God in his childrens sufferings Upon their refusing Pilate sends him to Herod who set him at naught with his men of war because he would not speak to Herod nor shew any miracle before him Luk. 23.8 9 10 thereby shewing how little he esteemed of Herods greatnesse that would not feed the lightnesse and vanity of his mind by casting his pearls before such a swine This scorn of Herod and his souldiers he suffered that we might be esteemed of God and his holy army of Angels Herod finding no fault in him Luke 23.15 yet he sends back to Pilate and in scorn of his claim to
scabit mutum said that God had revealed to him that Iohn should be King of the world and should destroy the Princes of the world by a mighty army but spare the simple multitude and such as would imbrace righteousnesse and that he should send forth twenty eight Apostles to convert the world to Anabaptisme And Iohn himselfe pretending to awake out of a trance seemed dumb like Zacharias wrote in tables that it was the will of God that twelve men of his naming should govern the City and that a man might marry as many wives as he pleased and he beheaded some that opposed it He himselfe took fifteen and many of these brethren upon this ordinance lay with the hansomest women without marriage or contract He was called King of New Ierusalem and proclaimed King of Zion But his Apostles were executed as seditious persons and he and his Prophet were hanged in iron chains upon the high steeple of St Lambert after Munster was taken 1535. being besieged halfe a year The madnesse of this man was strange for one of his wives pitying the distresse of the City he cut off her head himself in the market place Sleid. 154. And another time at his great feast to which another false Prophet had called Thuscocuvar had excited him as being sent from God he accused a man of treason and cut off his head and returning administred the communion with those bloody hands But for all he took on him the title of a King yet this shewed him a Butcher as the stealing the Churches rich vestments and making them into robes for himselfe argued he had been a Tailor After Iohns death the Anabaptists chose another King Hort. p. 74. who killed his wife in a wood that he might quietly lie with her daughter and killed a poor wench lest she should discover him This man had his house well stored with Church-plate He and his Treasurer were burned After him succeeds Iohn Cordwainer John Cordwainer Cornelius Appleman Ch. Nelles p. 52 55 56. John Wilhelms and then Cornelius Appleman both which were executed at Brussels as the Captains of theeves and committers of sacriledge Then Iohn Wilhelms executed also at Vtrecht He wrote a book in defence of Polygamy and affirmed that to rob the ungodly was no sin and that the land belonged to Jesus Christ and his disciples He had one and twenty wives some mother and daughter and some sisters daughters He was burned It is lamentable to behold these peoples hypocrisie Sleidan Bullinger They pretended nothing at first but holinesse humility and honesty They used no swearing nor obscene speech yet being once got aloft they broke all lawes of humanity and honesty so they would bear no office Hortensius Gastius yet at last would be Kings They said it was unlawfull for a Christian man to bear arms or punish offenders yet they made nothing of murdering many you may read more of them in divers authors Of this sect was David Georgius in Holland who said he was Jesus Christ David Georg and held many other wicked errors He fled out of the Low Countries to Basil and very covertly dispersed his errors but being dead they were revealed and by the Councill of Basil his bones were digged up and burned in detestation of his blasphemies Mathe. What be the common received opinions of these men and your judgement of them Phila. You are to understand that their opinions in divers times and places varied they not holding alwaies the same Anabapt opinions But their opinion first and last are neither fit for Church Commonwealth nor Families First not for the Church for they have affirmed that Christ did not take flesh of the Virgin Mary yet they can shew no other save her and for that the Scriptures prophecie that he should come of a woman Gen. 3. and of Davids line Psal 132.11 and that woman should be a virgin Isaiah the 7. and that her name was Mary saith Luke cap. 1. and yet she could not be his mother if he had not taken flesh of her nor our flesh have any hope of eternall life These are worse Christians then Turks Bulling adver Anab. fol. 6. for they beleeve he was so born but these curse the flesh of the Virgin and so deny Christ to be come in the flesh 2 Ioh. v. 7.2 they say in Moravia that Christ was not true God but only better gifted then other men yet St Iohn saith The Word was God Joh. 1.1 and Christ said he and his Father were one Joh. 10. and he that sees him seeth the Father Iohn 24.9 10. Michael Servetus a Spaniard held the same who was burnt in Geneva And Valentinus Gentilis who called the Creed of Athanasius the Creed of Satanasius he was justly executed at Berne Thirdly they hold we are not saved by faith but by the works of charity and affliction yet Christ saith we obtain eternall life by beleeving on him Iohn 3.16 So Paul Rom. 3.24 28. for afflictions they are either punishments of sin or Gods corrections but no causes of justification or salvation But the blood of Christ only clenseth us from all sin 1 Iohn 1. and by him only we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 And fourthly they deny originall sin because Christ hath taken away the sins of the world but that is the penalty not the being of it So they say that children doing neither good nor evill are under grace and without sin But then how comes death to lay hold on them Rom. 5.14 and cap. 6.23 And therefore fifthly they may well deny baptisme to them if they have no originall sin But Christ said let little children come to me and yet none can tell how they should come but by this Ordinance Sixthly they rebaptize people which is no where commanded in Scripture nor allowed by the Church nor the imperiall lawes which put them to death that did or suffered it to be done Seventhly they expect a Kingdome by some called the fist Monarchy wherein they hope to reign alone and destroy the ungodly This savours of carnall and worldly wisdome for Christs Kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18. but is spirituall so is the meat and drink of it Rom. so are the weapons of it 2 Cor. 10. Nor can they reign alone and kill all the ungodly unlesse they kill themselves too But both must grow together till the harvest Mat. 13. These people do but furbush the old error of the Chiliasts or Millenaries who said the Saints must raign 1000 yeers on the earth before the last judgement who were by the Church condemned above 1000 yeers since Eighthly they say with the old Pelagians that man by his own free will can do all that God hath commanded or else God gave his law in vain nor would he punish delinquents if he had not given them power to do it which is contrary to Scripture for the Law is holy Rom. 7. just and good but we
rich mens estates and marking them out for destruction by fire and sword God keep his people from becomming their prey Mathe. What are our Antisabbatarians Phila. Such as are against the keeping of any Sabbath whether the Jewish Sabbath or the Christians Lords day Of which opinion was one Hetherington a Box-maker who said not only the Jewes Sabbath day was of no force since Christs time and the Apostles but also taught that every day was a Sabbath as much as the Lords day But he recanted his error at Pauls Crosse God be praised And good reason for though the Jewish Sabbath being but a shadow of Christ be now abolished and we are not to be judged by the keeping of it Col. 2.16 yet the morality of that Commandement is observed in keeping still one day in seven holy to the Lord for delivering us from the bondage of sin by Christs resurrection as the Jewes kept theirs in remembrance of their freedome from the bondage of Egypt Deut. 5.15 And thus the Law by the Christians observing the first day of the week Rom. 3.31 is not made void but established It is true that there is no precept for the changing of it because there was no need for the morall intent of the Law commanded only that one day in seven be kept so that if the Patriarchs before the Law was given by Moses kept a seventh day in respect to the creation and the Jewes kept a seventh in respect of their liberation from Egypt and the Christians keep their seventh day in relation to Christs redemption that Commandement is fulfilled so far as it requireth an holy seventh day And though we have no precept for changing yet we have their practice and examples who had the mind of Christ For the first day of the week called since Christs time the Lords day was first kept at Jerusalem Acts 2.1 upon which the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles Then again at Troas Acts 20.7 in which verse is declared that it was their usuall meeting day And the holy Fathers have alwaies observed it Epist ad Magnes and urged the keeping of it as Ignatius scholler to St Iohn the Apostle his auditor about thirty years the second Bishop of Antioch and a Martyr but 107 years after Christ in the raign of the Emperour Trajan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith let every one that loveth Christ instead of the Sabbath celebrate the Lords day And Basil saith that when all daies prescribed by the Law are abolished yet there remains one great day of the Lord which shall never be abolished Of this opinion for the seventh day Jewish Sabbath and against the celebration of the Lords day Traskilus was one Iohn Trask and Theophilus Brabourn but both recanted their errors for which glory be to God Trask preached against eating of blood and unclean creatures upon mistake of the injunction of the first Councill of the Apostles to the Gentiles Acts 15.2 where blood and things strangled do not relate to such things prepared for meat but to the barbarous or canibal eating of things halfe alive and halfe dead in their blood or eating any thing that was torn from a living creature therefore Paul saith that every creature of God is good Mathe. What are your Soule-sleepers Phila. Those that revive that Sect in the time of Origen Soul-sleepers in the third centurie of years after Christ who held the soule did sleep in the dust with the body after death because God said to Adam Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return not perceiving this was spoken of the body only not of the soule which came not from thence Gen. 2.7 And also because Solomon saith Eccle. 3.10 that man and beast all return to one place yet they might have considered that he saith also the spirit of a beast goeth downward and the spirit of a man goeth upward even to God that gave it Eccles 12. and that the soules of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord Wisd 3. In the sight of the unwise they seem to die but they are in peace Mathe. What are your seekers Phila. Surely people that have so long contended about truth and the Church Seekers that they have quite lost it and therefore they say there is no true Church nor Minister nor Ordinances yet they expect and seek with Loe here it is and then there it is and catch at every thing but hold nothing like one that leaps out of a boat into the water and then catches at every rush and flag to save himself Mathe. What are your Divorcers Phila. Another sprout of the Anabaptists Divorcers who like the Jewes would put away their wives for a small cause under pretence that he finds her not an help meet for him But this is contrary to Christs rule Mat. 5.31 and c. 19.9 that no man should put away his wife but for whoredome lest he cause her to commit adulterie or another man to marry her and so he commit adultery Mathe. Is there any more such weeds in the Churches field Phila. Yes surely for I hear of some that account the Scriptures a thing of nought both the holy books of the Old and New Testament such were put to death under Moses Law Heb. 5.28 But we live in greater times of liberty I may say Libertinisme The Lord hold the reine which Magistrates let too slack lest these unruly creatures hurry both the Church chariot and the horsemen of Israel to destruction Mathe. I pray what are the Shakers Phila. A kind of people that pretend to have the spirit by fits But what spirit it is that casts them into these seeming or swooning extasies I know not but I doubt much whether it be the spirit of God or of Satan or of dissembling I have read of the spirit of Apollo that used such feats upon the bodies of those whom he had possessed namely of shaking and quaking which being past they have spoken some words which have been received for his Oracles So I have read and heard of Nuns pretended to be possessed by evill spirits beyond the seas which the Friers can expell at their pleasure But I never knew nor ever read in any credible author that the spirit of God doth or hath entred the body of men in any such manner but hath enlightned the mind with sober knowledge and sound repentance and comfortable faith and well grounded speeches that are unreprovable and lead them in a life unblameable But these Quakers their speeches are confused and yet perverse and peremptorie Their lives erroneous not knowing or refusing to use the creature of God as lawfully they may I find them people of no sound knowledge yet despising learning and rejecting Gods Ministers and Ordinances by which they may be better instructed They dare not use their own native language as the word you either because the Scripture useth the word thou or else because they think
he died not for them Not for the good for they needed no sanctification by redemption though a preservation in their standing by the vertue of him in whom they were first called to immutability of estate who was the first born of every creature because he was eternally born of God before any creature was made Col. 1.15 and by him they were made and therefore must hold their estates but yet they cannot be of the redeemed Church in regard they were never captived nor did ever fall from nor fall out with God and so need him that was only a Mediator between God and man of whom this Church consisteth which is one holy Catholike Church built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ being the head corner stone This is the subject of all the benefits which God hath afforded us in Christ through his spirit and is called one because it is the one only mysticall body of Christ and hath but one faith to knit it to Christ and one spirit to agitate it one God by whom it is called to worship him and to be glorified of him one love by which all the members are gathered among themselves and one salvation the felicity thereof and one bond of divine love in Christ toward her in which respect she is called his friend his beloved and his Spouse So it is called Catholike in regard of the universall largnesse of it being tied to neither persons time nor place Therefore it is either ignorantly or arrogantly assumed by the Papists who call their Roman Church Catholike whereas it wants the Catholike extension of it as well as the Catholike truths of it So it is called holy because it hath a most holy and sanctifying head by which sin is not imputed and her corruptions by the Holy Ghost by degrees taken away that she may be presented to God without spot or wrinkle Eph. 1.27 So it is called Propheticall and Apostolicall because she is founded upon their doctrine Eph. 2.20 Now the parts of this Church are triumphant or militant The triumphant is that part which now triumpheth with Christ the head of the Church over all enemies and enjoieth with him all gladnesse and felicity of soule and after the resurrection shall enjoy the fulness of it in soule and body united That the soules of the just after death do enjoy heavenly felicity is plaine because it is said Rev. 7.15 that the soules of the dead were before Gods throne in white robes serving God day and night and because Christ promised the theefe that time he died that his soule should be with him in Paradise Luke 23.43 which Paradise St Paul calleth the third heavens 2 Cor. 12.2 4. And it is said Heb. 12.23 that the spirits of just men are in the heavenly Jerusalem and therefore when this tabernacle is dissolved i. our bodies we have an house in heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 or else St Paul had little reason to desire dissolution if not to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 But yet all this proveth nothing for the Popes canonization of Saints whose memoriall is esteemed of all good men and their examples imitated but we find no Scripture for their canonization nor for those honors the Pope gives them As 1. To be written in a Catalogue thereby commanding them to be called Saints 2. By calling on them in the praiers of the Church 3. By dedicating to their memory Temples and Altars 4. By offering any sacrifice in their honor And 5. Celebrating daies festivall to their memory 6. By setting up their pictures 7. By reserving their reliques to worship And all this must be done by the Pope and none else Bel. de heatitud sanct lib. 1. cap. 7. and 8. say his flatterers and he cannot err therein yet St Paul saith that only God knoweth who are his not the Pope for he canonizeth hypocrites whom he by his indulgence hath flattered to hell in their life time and then placeth them in heaven when they are dead though their souls be in the place of torment This kind of canonization came up by Pope Leo the third Bel. ut supra about eight hundred years since and then Antichrist was detected and so canonization is Antichristian So is their giving to them religious worship which in Scripture is neither commanded nor given by any good man farther then by esteeming them of blessed memory Luke 1.44 or by praising God for them Gal. 1.5 or by imitation of their faith and vertue yea Angels have refused it at the hands of men and Apostles also as Acts 10.26 and 14.15 and Rev. 19.10 and 22.8 And as bad is their doctrine of Saints interceeding for us for there is but one Mediator who maketh intercession in whose name only we expect salvation Acts 4.10 and receive remission Acts 17.31 He is a perfect Mediator and needeth nor requireth any copartners 1 Cor. 1.13 and Heb. 12.2 Beside Aug. lib. 10. conf cap. 42. Amb. de Isaac cap. 8. Aug. in Psal 118. who can insure us that the dead departed have any cognizance of our state or praiers Isa 63.16 surely Christ is our mouth to speak to God and our eie to see him and our hand to offer to him and that praier that is not offered by him is so far from blotting out sin that it becomes sin it selfe therefore the worshipping of Angels forbidden by St Paul Col. 2.18 is unlawfull and the invocation of Saints as bad Aug. lib. de cura pro mortuis agenda since the dead know not what the living do and that true Christians beleeve not on Peter himselfe but in him upon whom Peter beleeved as Aug. saith well in his book of the City of God lib. 18. cap. 58. But worse is the religious worship of their images though there may be a civill use of them for adorning of houses or keeping of them in memory Aug. de civit dei cap. 14 in Psal 36. in Psal 113. or painting of them historically But to set up their images or pictures in Temples and holy places under pretence of instructing the ignorant as did Pope Gregory the first they have degenerated to superstition and idolatry as Serenus Bishop of Massilus forewarned that Pope nor would suffer any to be in his Churches however those logs of which the images were made have better fortune then their fellowes who being as good as they yet are laied behind the fire There was none in Churches in the time of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea about the year 330. But the first painting of Church wass was done by Pontius Paulinus Bishop of Nola who painted the Churches with the story of the Israelites Sunfet in the wildernesse to deter the people from gluttony that came to the annuall Feast of St Faelix But surely he hath no religion that worshippeth an image though the image of Christ Lactant. de errore Orig. lib. 2. cap. 16. anno 300. for we are not to make images of things
time for Shiloh to come and set up another Kingdome that never should have end For he began with death where all Empires do end and riseth again in despite of death and so reigneth over the quick and the dead which Kingdome is everlasting and never shall end as God promised David Mathe. But what necessity is it that Christ should be born of a Virgin Phila. I say First It was so And secondly It must needs be so First it was so you may see in the Prophet Isa 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and if he had meant a young woman Betuloth the Hebrew word given of Rebekah signifying one ripe for marriage or Ishah a virago a match for a man as was given of Adam to Eve might have served Alamoth is writ with â— clausum so Jacob called him Sbiloh the son of the Secundine which belongs not to a man 1 John and not Alamoth a covered virgin And indeed such an one she must be that he may be of womans seed not mans Nay more that he may be a fit Redeemer For if we suppose man a sinner against an infinite God either he must be subjected to infinite wrath or satisfie that wrath some other way If a man doubt that he be a sinner and so deceive himselfe by conceiving that sins are nothing but mans properties and inclinations which beasts have and yet sin not let him consider that meer nature will do nothing to destroy it selfe Prov. 1. though depraved nature will An horse drinks no more then will do him good but man will In vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird yet men are caught by that they know and which they wilfully offend This argueth something of sin by which we remain not in the honor of our creation but became worse then the beasts that perish Now for this sin all men must suffer eternall wrath except God can be satisfied Now Angels cannot for they be not of our kind or if they were they be so many severall personalities as there are Angels and as the sin of one taints not anothers nature except there be a personall consent so neither can one merit for another though there be consent And for the other creatures irrationall they cannot because they are of lesse value then mans nature The blood of buls and of goats and sheep Heb. 10.4 5. and birds though sacrificed yet that was not to satisfie but to shew what man deserved and in reference to a more full satisfaction to be done in due time For which cause God dispensed with such sacrifice for a time Heb. 9.22 for mans relative instruction that without bloodshedding could be no remission Therefore this redemption must be made by a man because that man had offended so in the old law a brother must redeem But he must be more then a man too for no man that is meerly a man can redeem his brother out of Gods hand of justice Psal so then he must be one that is equivalent with God that the sword of justice must be exercised upon Zach. 13.7 Awake Osword against him that is my fellow Therefore if he must be a man then he must not be begotten by the ordinary way of generation by man and woman for then he is a sinner in the first conception Psal 51. and so had need of a Redeemer himselfe Nor by a man only for nature hath denied conception breeding and bearing to a man Then he must of necessity be made of a woman without a man and then she must needs be a virgin and though this Virgin her selfe came of a sinfull line yet sin being but an accident is left and the substance of her was only taken and immediately united to the divine nature by the power of the Holy Ghost so making both natures one person by which he becomes so meritorious a Redeemer for all mankind Mathe. What Prophecies are there of his Death Resurrection and Ascension Phila. Not to trouble you with heathen oracles or the prophecies of those twelve Exotick women the Sybils though such be enough to confute the heathens who deny Christ and have been used by some ancient Doctors to that purpose yet because I would that your faith should neither be diabolicall nor historicall but divine I shall only commend Scripture to you Therefore as his Nativity was prophecied by Jacob Gen. 49.10 under the name of Shiloh and fulfilled Mat. 2.1 in the daies of Herod the King And the place of his birth prophecied by Micah Mic. 5.2 Thou Bethelem Ephrata out of thee shall come the Ruler of Israel i. the Israel of God in a spirituall sense and government Rom. 9 6. for all are not Israel that are of Israel by nature no more then they are Jewes that are so outwardly by Nation or Country Rom. 2.28 Which prophecy of Micah was fulfilled Mat. 2.1 when Jesus was born at Bethelem And the condition of his Mother prophecied by Isaiah 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive fulfilled also Luke 1.27 The Angell Gabriel was sent to a Virgin called Mary espoused to Joseph but not carnally known by him Mat. 1.25 yea his very name Immanuel was foretold by Isaiah which was the name of union God united to man Isa 7.14 and so the beleevers as it is said should call or apprehend him Mat. 1.23 But in regard of the effect of his redemption his Mother should call his name Jesus Mat. 1.21 and so she did Luke 2.21 And thus as Isaiah said cap. 9.6 To us a child is born and to us a Son is given Luke 2.7 so to us he was born Luke 2.11 that was wonder by his wisdome and miracles the everlasting Father by his divine essence not subsistence and the Prince of peace by his reconciliation of God and man And this birth of his was not only sanctified by circumcision on the eight day Luke 1.21 as Isaacs figure was Gen. 21.4 but also it was graced by a star foretold by Balaam Num. 24.17 and fulfilled Mat. 2.9 which conducted the wise men out of the East to Jerusalem and then to Bethelem where they worshipped him and offered precious things to him which was foretold Psal 45.12 the rich among the people shall do thee homage and the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift And Kings shall bring presents to thee Psal 68.29 And the Kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts Psal 72.10 And to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia Psal 72.15 and all this was fulfilled Mat. 2.11 when those great wise men of the East did worship him and offer to him gold incense and myrrhe So also was his death prophecied of First by God himselfe Christs death Luke 22.53 in Gen. 3.15 saying to the serpent thou shalt bruise his heel And this was done by the power of darknesse when he was betraied into the hands of sinners and cut off from the land of the living Isa
53.8 and made his soule an offering for sin Isa 53.10 After sixty two weeks said Daniel shall Messiah be cut off but not for himselfe Dan. 9.25 26. that is if you mark the verses the Angel allots seven weeks for rebuilding of the Temple which is forty nine years reckoned of the Jewes but forty six years Iohn 2.20 because they reckoned not the first three years when the foundation was but laid by Cyrus his edict and the work staied again by Artaxerxes Longimanus Ezra 4.7 till they had got a second Edict Ezra 6.1 from Darius Nothus Then the Angell allots to the former seven weeks sixty two weeks more which is about 434. years in all 483. or thereabout in the end whereof Christ suffered on the crosse to make an end of sin and finish transgression and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse This scourging wounding and piercing was foreseen also by Isa 53.5 he was bruised for our iniquities and chastised for our peace And saith Zach. 12.12 they shall look on him whom they have pierced for a souldier pierced his side as well as others did his hands and feet when they nailed them to the crosse So his very carrying of his crosse John 19.34 was typed out by Isaac carrying the wood to sacrifice himself upon Gen. 22.9 10. And as Abraham stretched out his hand to slay his son so God loved the world that he gave his Son Iohn 3.16 and he himself became obedient to the death of the crosse Numb 21.9 And as Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wildernesse for the curing of the people upon a pole John 12.32 John 14. so was Christ lift up on the crosse for the saving of us who were bitten by Satan and sin also So also his Resurrection had a type as Isaac taken from the Altar and restored safe and sound to Abraham the third day after that he was assigned to death Gen. 22.4 of whom it is said that Abraham received him again in a figure Heb. In what figure but only of him that was to come of his seed in whose death and resurrection all nations should be blessed So Ionah the first Prophet who lived in the time of Ieroboam the second 2 Kin. 14.25 and the first Prophet sent to the Gentiles to Niniveh who because he diverted to Tarsus was swallowed of a great fish in whose belly he remained till the third day after and for so long time the grave swallowed Christ but then he arose and so his flesh saw no corruption Psal 16. and that might well be without a miracle if the body be not accidentally corrupted before it be dead as in violent deaths commonly men are not Now Christ lay not in the grave above 40. hours and commonly dead bodies corrupt not til about seventy hours and this sheweth that he rose within three daies and so saw no corruption as the Psalmist said Psal 16. which is expounded plainly so by St Peter Acts 2.31 And as Isaiah had also foretold that the dead men should live and with Christs body they should come so they did Mat. 27.52 53. Thus Christ conquered death in his own Kingdome as said Hosea 13.14 and death had no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 because he was now swallowed up into victory 1 Cor. 15.55 And thus as God spake to the great fish and it cast out Ionah on the dry land Jon. 2.10 so the temple of Christs body which the Jewes destroied he rebuilt in three daies And for his Ascension as it was prophecied so it was accomplished Eliah was a type of it 2 Kin. 2.11 being taken up in a fiery Chariot so Christ was taken up out of his disciples sight into heaven Luke 24.51 as was prophecied in Psal 68.18 Thou hast ascended up on high and led captivity captive So he was taken away his disciples beholding it at first Acts 1.9 but after a cloud took him out of their sight And now he sits on Gods right hand foretold Psal 110.1 and averred in Mark 16.19 And from him the Holy Ghost like a most gracious rain from heaven hath fallen upon his Apostles Acts 2.15 16. and upon many thousands of beleevers as was foreprophecied Joel 2.18 and typed forth by the spirit of Eliah resting upon Elisha 2 Kin. 1.13 5. Even so God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts baptizing us with the Holy Ghost and as blessed fire from heaven giving some the gift of tongue Acts 2.4 others to prophecie some to teach others to learn and increase in faith and the love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ Mathe. Now as you have shewed the Promises Types and Prophecies and history of Christs Conception Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension shew me also the mystery of godlinesse intended thereby in relation to Christians And first of all I desire to understand rightly his Conception for therein lieth a great mystery wherein our understanding is easily lost if we be not rightly directed For how can one person in the Trinity be conceived or become incarnate without the other two seeing the divine nature is not divided but is in each person totally Phila. The divine nature cannot be divided for substance but in the manner of subsistence it is distinguished For it is after one manner in the Father i. unbegotten After another manner in the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in him it is begotten i. communicated by divine generation After another manner in the Holy Ghost because proceeding from both John 15.16 Now we are to beleeve that the humane nature is assumed by the divine nature as considered only in the Son as he enjoieth it being the perfect image of the Father Heb. 1.1 2 3. and so being the naturall Son of God was most fit to be the son of man and so thereby restore the sons of men by adoption to be made the sons of God Yet we are to beleeve that all the Trinity had a hand in it John 1.12 for the Father wrought it by the holy Ghost but the Son only assumed it as three folks may make one garment and yet but one of the three wear it Mathe. But the Conception is applied to the Holy Ghost and so I am apt to beleeve that the Holy Ghost was his Father Phila. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost effectually not materially he caused it to be but gave not any matter out of himselfe to the nature of Christ so that he was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost uniting the natures divine and humane together Bernard Damascen not by generation but by institution and benediction and operation not spermatically as other fathers beget children So it is said Rom. 11.36 all things are of God yet not of his substance but by his power so that we are to beleeve that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost in regard that his humane nature