Expiations were appointed for small sins but none for great ones 't is a notion borrowed from the Socinians but hath nothing of truth in it forif we look into Levit. 6. 1 2 c. We shall find a trespass-offering appointed for sins done wittingly for a mans lying in that which was delivered to him to keep and swearing falsely which sure are not small sins And in the Feast of Expiation of which mention is made Levit. 16. we find very general tearms used v. 16 21 30 34. and therefore God promising to his people the remission of their sins that were very grievous Isai. 1. 18. useth a metaphor say the Rabbins taken from that which hapned in the Feast of Expiation when the thread by which the Scape-goat was led into the Wilderness did miraculously change its colour and become white Every great sin say you brought death infalibly What death do you mean temporal or eternal All men were not cut off by death temporal who did fall into soul gross sin much less did they all suffer the vengeance of eternal death witness David who scaped notwithstanding adultery and murder whereas Volkelius saith this was not by vertue and efficacy of Sacrifices but by the singular mercy of God he 's well answered by Maresius among others that he makes a faulty opposition betwixt that pardon which was by the typical efficacy of Sacrifices and that which proceeded out of the singular mercy of God whereas that pardon of sin which was obtained by any Expiatory Sacrifice whether typical or real was ever to be ascribed to the special mercy of God and indeed seeing it cannot be denyed but that some very enormous crimes were pardoned under the Law it seems very irrational to deny that such pardon was signified to those who were guilty by some Sacrifices if not particular yet common and universal especially seeing David himself being about to ask the pardon of his sin expresseth himself in terms taken from Ceremonies and legal Sacrifices Psal. 51.4 5 7. Purge me with hysop But I pray you tell us more of your mind about Moses his Law Laud As it had a little image of Repentance so it had something of Promises to be as a grace and auxiliary to set forward Obedience But this would not do it the Promises were temporal and that could not secure Obedience in great instances and there being for them no remedy appointed by Repentance the Law could not justifie it did not promise life Eternal nor give sufficient security against the temporal only it was brought in as a paedagogy for the present necessity Unum Necess p. 3. Pacif. How to make sense of those words the Law did not promise life Eternal nor give sufficient security against the temporal I know not but I suppose your meaning in the whole that you said is this That under the Law the Promises were temporal not of matters Spiritual or Eternal Now if you mean that the Law considered barely as a law had no promises of Eternal life I cannot gain-say but in that sense neither had it any promises temporal for a law as a law promiseth nothing but only declareth what is to be done or avoided but if you should mean that God under Mos s his Law did not encourage his people to Obedience by promises of Eternal life as well as of a Temporal our Divines against the Socinians and Papists have said enough to confute you and you plainly contradict the 7th Article of our Church in which the words are these The Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the O d and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Jesus Christ who is the only Mediator between God and Man being both God and Man wherefore they are not be heard which fain that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises Laud At first there were no promises at all of any good nothing but a threatning of evil to the transgressors and after a long time they were entertained but with the promise of good things temporal which to some men were performed by the pleasures and rewards of sin and then there being a great imperfection in the nature of man it could not be that man should remain innocent and for Repentance in this Covenant there was no regard or provisions made Unum Neces p. 2. Pacif. Either I understand you not or this is uncouth Divinity you say at first there were no promises at all of any good nothing but a threatning of evil what mean you by at first if while Adam was innocent Can any one think that the most holy and merciful Creator should threaten death to Adam upon his disobedience and not promise him life and happiness on condition of obedience if by the first you mean that time in which the world consisted of Adam and Eve Abel and Cain and some few other sure you cannot think that in that period of time there was no promise of good things there was the promise of the seed of the woman and God tells it Cain as a thing well known to him that if he did well he should be accepted the Hebrew word there used cometh from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a root saith Pagnin of very vast and comprehensive signification if any other in all the Hebrew tongue it may carry these three significations in that place 1. If thou do well shalt thou not be pardoned 2. Shalt thou not lift up thy count nance i. e. have access to God with boldness 3. Shalt thou not receive i. e. receive the things thou askest and standest in need of How any of these were or could be performed to any by the pleasures and rewards of sin I wot not But what may one think of the faith of them who lived before Christs Incarnation Laud That both the Patriarchs and the Jews did rely on God for the accomplishment of his promise touching their salvation I do nothing doubt but that they were acquainted with the means and method which God did purpose to make use of in so great a work or did rely on Christ to come for their justification as the Scripture no where saith it for ought find so is there no reason to believe it for ought I can see Dr. Hey Fid. Apost. p. 96. after a long discourse to that purpose Pacif. The Writers of our Homilies seem to be of another mind for Part. 1. p. 25. we find these words All these Fathers Martyrs and other holy men had their faith surely fixed in God when all the world was against them they did not only know God to be the Lord Maker and Governor of all men in the world but also they had a special confidence and trust that he was and would be their God their Comforter Aider Helper Maintainer and Defender This is the Christian Faith which these holy men had and we also ought to have And although they were not named Christian men yet was
professed or have imposed penalty upon repugnants of non-consentients unto it Ap. p. 143. There is no such Doctrine concerning Antichrist in the Book of Articles or in any other publick Monument or Record of the Church of England but the contrary rather and this appeareth by a prayer at the end of the 2d Homily for Whitsunday viz. That by the mighty power of the H.G. the comfortable Doctrine of Christ may be truly preached truly received and truly followed in all places to the beating down of sin Death the Pope the Devil and all the Kingdome of Antichrist Dr. Pet. Heylin Res. Pet. p. 133. Pacif. There 's scarce any opinion more generally received and owned by Divines that wish well to our reformation then this that the Pope is the Antichrist but I 'le not contend by their testimonies but by passages which I have excerpted out of the Homilies Tom. 1. p. 17. edit. 1623. Justification is not the office of man but of God or man cannot make himself righteous by his own works neither in part nor in whole for that were the greatest arrogance and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God p. 38. Honour be to God who did put light in the heart of his true faithful Minister of most famous memory K. H. 8th and gave him the knowledg of his word and an earnest affection to seek his Glory and to put away all such superstitious and Pharisaical Sects by Antichrist invented p. 70. For our Saviour Christ and St. Peter teach most earnestly obedience to Kings but the Bishop of Rome teacheth that they are under him are free from all burdens and charges of the Common-wealth and obedience toward their Prince most clearly against Christs Doctrine and St. Peters He ought therefore rather to be called Antichrist and the successor c. See more of the like nature and purport collected by Dr. Bernard See also the Prayer made for the Fifth of November Laud If a Controversie were referred by the Church or an Heresie to be corrected in the Church which touched the case of the Catholick Church it could not be put over more fitly to any one man by the Church representative in a Council then unto the Pope first Bishop of Christendom of greatest not of absolute power among Bishops Answ. to Gagg p. 29. Pacif. Never did the Church of England call the Pope first Bishop of Christendom nay she censures him for his bold usurpation of such a title Part. 2. Hom. p. 214 215. And he that thinks the Pope to be the fittest to refer a controversie he must bring us to such a Pope as I think did never sit in the See of Rome But it may be you and I have not the same thoughts of the dangerousness of Popery Laud It is a hard case that we shall think all Papists and Anabaptists and Sacramentaries to be fools and wicked persons certainly among all these Sects there are very many wise men and good men as well as erring and although some zeals are so hot and their eyes so inflamed with their ardors that they do not think their adversaries look like other men yet certainly we find by the results of their discourses that they are men that speak and make Syllogisms and use Reason and read Scripture and although they do no more understand all of it then we do yet they endeavour to understand as much as concerns them even all they can even all that concerns repentance from dead works and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Dr. Taylor Epist. Dedic. to Liberty of Pro. p. 9 10. Pacif. A little charity will serve a man to think there are wise men and good men among Sacramentaries and Anabaptists but I do not like your joyning together of Papists Anabaptists Sacramentaries nor do I think that the learned Papists such are all they that can speak and make Syllogisms do endeavour to understand as much as concerns them or all that they can for an easie endeavour will inform them That their Church hath been and is mistaken in many points of great concernment and if she hath been mistaken she is not infallible Laud We have no other help in the midst of our distractions and disunions but all of us to be united in that common term which as it does constitute the Church in its being such so it is the medium of the Communion of the Saints and that is the Creed of the Apostles and in all other things an honest endeavour to find out what truths we can and a charitable and mutual permission to others that disagree from us and our opinions Ibid. p. 33. Pacif. I like it well that the Apostles Creed should be had in reverence but sure there are Articles necessary to salvation that are not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} contained in that Symbole Laud None of those who hold the Creed entire can perish for want of necessary Faith neither are we obliged to make our Articles more particular and minute then the Creed for since the Apostles and indeed our Blessed Lord himself promised Heaven to them who believed him to be the Christ that was to come into the world and that he who believes in him should be partaker of the Resurrection and Life Eternal he will be as good as his word yet because this Article was very general and a Complexion rather then a Proposition the Apostles and others our Fathers in Christ did make it more explicite and though they have said no more then what lay entire and ready formed in the bosome of the great Article yet they made their extracts to great purpose and absolute sufficiency and therefore there needs no more deductions or remoter consequences from the great Article than the Creed of the Apostles Liber Prop. p. 12. Pacif. In this you must allow me to differ from you and so do all that wish well to the reformed Protestant Religion the secinians such a wretched sort of men that Grotius before Crellius had tampered with him counted not worth the name of Hereticks would fain be called and received as Christians because they receive and embrace the Apostles Creed Vid. Jonam Schlict apud Hora. Sosci confut p. 255 256. and yet they deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ they deny his satisfaction to Divine Justice for the sins of his people they deny the Holy Ghost to be a Person or else they make him to be but a finite created Person Hear Smalius contra Frantz Disp. 119. De Ecclesiâ p. 280. Apage istam puerilem tractandi homines pios cordatos rationem In Symbolo ait docenter tres personae Trinitatis In quonam Si aliud ostendat quam Apostolicum quod vocant tanquam humanum Commentum ridebo illud respuam si Apostolicum nego in eo doceri tres Trinitatis Personas Docetur quidam in eo patrem esse Filium Spiritum Sanctum in eos ut hoc concedam
shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Laud It is evident by infinite Texts of the Law that a mans neighbour in this Precept extends no further then to Israelites whether by birth or Religion that is to say those that are engraffed into the Covenant by being circumcised E. G. let me ask How the Law could forbid the Israelites to seek the good of the Moabites and Ammonites and yet to love all men under the quality of neighbours as themselves let me demand of any man how Mordecai was tyed not to do that honor to Haman that his Soveraign commanded to be done How could he in conscience disobey his Prince in a matter of indifference had it not been prohibited by the Law of God H. T. Principles of Christian Truth p. 86. Pacif. So far is it from being evident by infinite Texts of Scripture that by a mans neighbour is meant only an Israelite that I never yet could meet with one Scripture to that purpose nor I believe ever shall To love all men as our selves is as natural a Law as for a Father to seek the life and welfare of his children or for a man not to steal the goods of another these are all natural laws necessary and indispensable if God command Abraham to Sacrifice his child the Israelites to take away the goods of the Egyptians the same Israelites to take away the lives of the Ammonites c. God in such cases doth not dispense with his Law but only there is as the Schools call it immutat o materiae which immutation is made by God say they not as a Legislator but as Dominus it is not doubted but that we Christians are bound to love others of whatsoever Nation as our selves yet it may fall out and sometime doth so fall out that we are under command not to seek the good or preserve the life of some who have by rebellion forfeited their lives and fortunes The Jews had a particular command to root out the Canaanites at least if they did not submit themselves had they not had that particular command they had been as much bound to seek their good as I am bound to seek the welfare of any one of a different Religion from the people of God Laud When our Saviour saith Be not angry without cause he forbiddeth not the first motions the twincklings of the eye as the Philosopher calls them the propassions and sudden irresistible alterations for it is impossible to prevent them unless we could give our selves a new nature any more then we can refuse to wink with our eye when a sudden blow is offered at it or refuse to yawn when I see a sleepy yawning person but by frequent and habitual mortification by continual watchfulness and standing in readiness against all inadvertencies we shall lessen the inclinations and account fewer sudden irreptions Dr. J. T. Part. 2. G. E. p. 122. Pacif. You are not sure ignorant that the Protestants do generally hold against Papists that the motus primo-primi to any thing that is evil are forbidden the Law forbids not only that which is possible for us to avoid but also that which it ever was in our power to avoid and sure if frequent and habitual mortification will lessen the inclination before the fall we had no inclination and if those inclinations and first stirrings are not forbidden it is to no purpose that a man should take any pains to mortifie them if those propassions be not forbidden how is a man more holy when he accounts fewer sudden irreptions than when more what is not forbidden defileth not Laud The holy Jesus forbids to Christians all revenge of injuries which was a perfection and endeerment of duty beyond what either most of the old Philosophers or the laws of the Nation or of Moses ever practised or enjoyned for revenge was esteemed to unhallowed unsanctified nature as sweet as life a satisfaction of injuries and the only cure of maladies and affronts Only laws of the wisest Common-wealths commanded that revenge should be taken by the Judge a few cases being excepted But Christ commanded his Disciples rather then to take revenge to expose themselves to a second injury rather to offer the other cheek then to be avenged for a blow on this for vengeance belongs to God Gr. Ex. P. 2. p. 30. Pacif. If you speak of private revenge that is forbidden by the law of Nations and by Moses his law and condemned by many of the old Philosophers for though Tully say justitiae primum munus est ut ne cui noceas nisi lacessitus injuriâ which made Lactantius write of him that simplicem veramque sententiam duorum verborum adjectione corrupit yet with Seneca immane verbum est ultio qui ulsciscitur excusatius peccat So Moses Levit. 19. 16. Thou shalt not avenge or bear any grudge against the Children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self And Solomon Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his works If you speak of publick revenge prove that more unlawful under the Gospel then under the Law Prove that Christ when he saith If any man strike thee on the one cheek giveth rule to Magistrates and not to private Christians or that vengeance did not belong to the Lord under the Old as well as under the New Testament But what think you Is it lawful to kill rather than to be killed Laud Although we find this nowhere forbidden yet it is very consonant to the excellent mercy of the Gospel and greatly laudable if we choose rather to loose our life in imitation of Chist then save it by the loss of anothers in pursuance of the permissions of nature When Nature only gives leave and no Law-giver gives command to defend our lives and the excellency of Christianity highly commends dying for our enemies and propounds to our imitation the greatest example that ever could be in the world it is a very great imperfection if we choose not rather to obey an insinuation of the holy Jesus then with greediness and appetite pursue the bare permission of nature Great Ex. part 2. p. 131. Pacif. I grant it would be not only a great imperfection but a very great sin with greediness and appetite to pursue the permission of nature he that kills another though unavoidably put upon it for his own necessary defence must do it with a bleeding heart so must also the Judge upon the Bench justis suppliciis illachrymare ingemiscere but that when I am assaulted no law should command me to defend my life or that if I should suffer him who without any warrant or authority assaults me by the High-way side to take away my life rather then take his I should in such a case loose my life in imitation of Christ is Divinity unheard of in the Protestant Schools How can Christs laying down his life as a
Saviour I deny it necessary that they were therefore in Hell that Region I call Abrahams Bosome which though it be not Heaven yet is it higher then Hell Gagg 281. Pacif. The souls of the godly separated from the body do and alwayes did go immediately into Heaven Our Homilies as you cannot but know make but two places after this life Homily of Prayer p. 122. Laud It appears from S. August de civ. Dei lib. 20. cap. 15. that it was then an opinion generally received in the Christian Church and such as might well be believed as himself acknowledgeth without any absurdity that the Patriarchs and others of the Saints of the Old Testament were detained in some lower places amongst the inferi but without any sense of those infinite torments which were endured by the wicked and that they were detained there till the coming of Christ till he by his descent thither did release them thence This makes me to consider it as a matter questionable only I shall not dare to say it is false or impious Dr. Heyl. Fid. vet. p. 221. Pacif. You may if you will choose whether you 'l say that opinion is false but the Church of England hath plainly expressed her self in the third part of the Sermon of the fear of death The holy Fathers of the Old Law and all faithful and righteous men which departed before our Saviour Christs ascension into heaven did by death depart from troubles unto rest from the hands of their enemies into the hands of God from sorrows and sicknesses unto joyful refreshingin Abrahams bosome a place of all comfort and consolation as the Scriptures do plainly by manifold words testifie Laud The opinion carryeth no impiety with it nothing derogatory to the Gospel or Kingdom of Christ but rather seems to add much lustre to our Saviours person and much conduceth to the honour of the Faith and Gospel For what can be more honourable to the person of Christ then that the Patriarchs and other holy men of God who dyed under the Law were kept from being admitted into a participation of the joyes of heaven till he by his divine power took them by the hand conducted them into the blessed gates of Paradise What could add more to the dignity and reputation of the Gospel of Christ then that all such as faithfully believe the same and frame themselves to live thereafter should have a greater priviledge then their Father Abraham and all the rest who dyed before in the fear of God before the coming of our Saviour and be admitted presently into the joyes of Paradise Id. ibid. Pacif. It is strange if the opinion tend so much to the honor of Christ and the glory of the Gospel that the Church of England should give her children no notice of it but rather express her self against it And seeing you have laboured to make it appear that both the Greek Hades and the Latin Inferi signifie Hell and the place of Torments how can the Patriarchs and other holy men of God be said to be in or amongst the inferi and not participate of the Torments of that wretched place Laud In answer to this it may be replyed That there might be some part or region of the inferi wherein the greatest or rather the only punishment was poena damni a want of those Celeftian comforts which were reserved for them in the land of Paradise which to a soul that longed for the sight of God could be no small infelicity 2. It may be said That though the inferi in it self were a place of punishment yet God was able to command the fire that it should not burn them and the torments of the pit that they should not touch them Nor is this all that may be said in justification and defence of those ancient writers c. Id. ibid. p. 222. Pacif. It is well this is not all that may be brought in defence of them if it were I should venture to say That just nothing could be alledged in their justification But what can be said else Laud Possibly they might mean no more by those expressions of bringing back the souls of the just from Hades then that by the descent of Christ into Hell all the claim and challenge which the devil could pretend unto them were made void and of none effect Id. ibid. Pacif. Very good Then it seems till Christ descended into Hell the claime of the Divel to the souls of the just was not made void and of none effect but I had thought that the death of Christ though he had never descended into Hell had been sufficient to have vacated all the claim that the Devil could make to the souls of those who dyed in the fear of God And this death of Christ had its effects and operations upon those who dyed before Christ as well as upon those who dyed since he actually offered himself upon the Cross But the truth is all this discourse of Christs bringing of the souls of the Fathers out of Hades doth depend upon that which is hugely uncertain and inevident viz that Christ did descend into Hell Now this I humbly conceive can neither be proved from Scripture nor yet from the Apostles Creed nor yet from any Article of our Church Laud If we search into the publick Monuments and Records of the Church we shall find thisDoctine of Christs local descent into Hell to have been retained and established amongst many other Catholick verities ever since the first beginning of her Reformation Fid. vet. p. 223. Pacif. That this was the mind of the major part of those who met together for the composing of the Articles in 1552. is certain but it is as certain that there were then men of eminent parts and in all probability men imployed in that Synod of a contrary mind I instance only in Bishop Hooper who in his Exposition on the Creed doth most expresly and in terminis write against the Local descent of Christ into Hell As for the Articles of 1562. they are so worded as to leave to all their liberty to opine in this matter as in their own minds they shall be perswaded and so much is asserted by Mr. Rogers in his Exposition of the Articles As for the Apostles Creed it is and that most deservedly of great credit and esteem in all the Churches of Christ throught the whole world but then it must be considered that the Symbol of the Apostles hath not been alwayes the same particularly Ruffinus assures us that this additament descendit ad inferos is neither found in the Creed used by the Roman Church nor yet in the Creeds of the Eastern Church Vid. Mr. Peirs on the Creed p. 456. Amyraldus also hath observed that in some Creeds where these words He descended into Hell are found there is no mention of Christs Burial nay the Learned observe That in the very Aquileian Creed where this Article was first expressed there was no mention of