which we have not done but the good works we have done and wholly relie upon the mercies of God in Christ who once for all suffered for our sinnes and daily absolves us from them so oft as in sincerity of heart wee confesse our sinnes and implore his propititation for them Unlesse we knew the fulfilling of the Law whether by habituall or actuall righteousnesse or by doing those things which wee ought to doe or leaving those things undone which we ought not to doe to be impossible for us in this life our reliance on God in Christ could not be so firme or so perpetually constant as the doctrine of our Church so it be rightly imbraced will make it 3. The Socinians wandâ—r in the like but much grosser â—â—st of errours wounding one another whilest they shoot at us who are sufficiently armed against their poysoned arrowes by the armour of God on the right hand on the left to wit the distinction of persons in the blessed Trinity Indeed were there but one party or capacity in the divine nature which were the only party or person offended their arguments for remission of sinnes after their way would conclude against us who presse a necessity or convenience of satisfaction unto God But their strongest Arguments fall either wide or short of all such as maintaine this distinction of parties or persons in the divine nature For if the sonne of God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were truely God from eternity and remained God after man did make himselfe the servant of Satan he might without wrong to any man to any party without wrong to himselfe for volenti non sit injuria voluntarily take the forme of a servant upon him and in that forme or low condition of man make perfect satisfaction per translationem paenae for all our debts for all our sinnes and our debts being fully paid restore us to the liberty and priviledge of the sonnes of God He both might and did truly purchase that peculiar dominion over us which he hath over all men an absolute dominion of punishing all Gods ungracious and of crowning all his thankfull and faithfull servants This dominion as it is peculiar to Christ was purchased by true and reall satisfaction made unto God 4. But what it was for Christ the sonne of God to take upon him the forme of a servant or wherin this condition or forme of a servant did properly consist are points which neither the Arian nor the Socinian did ever take into serious consideration If the Socinian would yet doe so he might clearely see that his former objections could not reach us but must rebound upon himselfe For the man Christ Jesus being so just a man as we beleeve and he grants he was unlesse he had been more then man truly God and truly a servant withall it could not have stood with the goodnesse of God nor with any rule of justice divine or humane either to have punished him for our sakes as we say God did or to have suffered him to undergoe such hard and cruell usage at the hands of wicked and sinfull men as the Socinians confesse he did undergo without murmuring or complaint But this is a point which cannot be orderly handled untill we come to the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour which was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or period rather of his servitude or of being in the forme of a servant which was the Basis of his humiliation And albeit I purpose not in that place to dispute whether God could possibly have freely remitted our sinnes without any satisfaction a question to which no wise men will take upon them to give a peremptory answer whether negative or affirmative yet I shall by Gods assistance there make it cleare that no other meanes of manner of remitting out sinnes of absolving or justifying us or of bringing us to glory which either the Socinian or the wit of man can imagine could have been so admirable to sober capacities as that way and manner which the Scripture plainly teacheth and that in briefe is this 5. The divine nature in the person of the Father requires satisfaction for the transgressions of man against the eternall Law and unchangeable rule of goodnesse or those positive Lawes which he had given in speciall to man The same divine nature in the person of the sonne undertooke to make satisfaction for us in taking our nature upon him and Hee having by right of consanguinity the authority and power of redeeming us the same divine nature in the person of the holy Ghost doth approve and seale this happy and ever blessed compromise This ineffable accord betweene the divine persons in the unity of the Godhead concerning the great worke of mans redemption is most exactly parallel to that accord which some of the Ancient have excellently observed betwixt them in that work of creation as hath beene before expressed in that article Not to repeat nor to adde to that which was there delivered but to continue these present discussions concerning the eternity and person of the sonne of God 6. Some there have beene and are who granting all that wee have said or can desire to bee granted concerning the incarnation of God or Trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead further demand why God rather in the person of the sonne then in the person of the father or of the holy Ghost should bee incarnate or made flesh But might not these men some perhaps will say as well have demanded why God the Father did make the world rather by the sonne then by himselfe or by the holy Ghost Or why this title of Him by whom all thing were made should be peculiar to God the sonne And to this question it would be a satisfactory answer to say that we must believe that the world was so made because the Scripture which is the only rule and guide of faith doth so instruct us or because the persons of the blessed Trinity for reasons best knowne unto themselves alone would have it to be so and so to be written But many arguments there be well observed by the ancient and better explicated by moderne Divines some of whose works are extant in print others worthy of the presse unto which I shall be as farre from adding as from detracting These reasons alone abundantly satisfie all the desires which I ever had to be informed in this point First seeing the blessed Trinity was pleased to have satisfaction made for the sinnes of mankinde and by this satisfaction to exhibit an exquisite paterne of justice and equitie Secondly seeing mans sinne did especially consist in rebellion the satisfaction was according to the rule or paterne of equitie and justice to be made by most exquisite obedience Now the most exquisite obedience that can bee performed is from a sonne unto his father or from a servant unto his Lord. Hence it pleased the eternall wisedome and sonne of God to take not the
after every manner his owne so as our bloud is ours yet his owne by a more proper more full and soveraigne title then our bloud is any way ours 11. Our flesh and bloud may be said to be our owne in two respects either as it is a part of our nature or an appertinence of our person In this last respect the fruit of the Virgins womb was the sonne of Gods own substance the flesh and bloud which hee tooke from her were his after a more exquisite manner or in a fuller measure of the same manner then our flesh and bloud are our owne Or if wee would speake the language of Philosophy her selfe rather then of Philosophers or of such as professe themselves to be her followers though ofttimes as wee say a farre off Our flesh our bloud our limbes are said to be our owne not so much or not so properly as they are parts of our nature as in that they are either parts or appurtenances of our persons That which is immediately next or linkt unto our person is by a more peculiar and soveraigne right our owne then any things whatsoever besides wee do possesse or are Lords of be it Lands goods or servants For whatsoever we possesse being not thus annexed unto our persons are but externalls their possession is communicable their propertie may be so alienated as others may make as good use of them as wee doe A man may be wronged in every thing that is his owne whereof he is by just title possessed but the wrongs done to a man in externalls doe not touch him so neerely as the wrongs done to his person or to any part or appurtenance of it 12. That there is a true and reall distinction betweene the natures and the persons of men or betweene things which are our owne by union of nature or by union unto our persons may thus be gathered Every part of our nature is eyther a part or an appurtenance of our person but every part or appurtenance of our person is not a part of our nature A man may suffer grosse personall wrong without paine or dammage to any part of his nature without losse of any commoditie that could be made of that wherein he suffered wrong it being in it selfe considered uncapable of wrong As in case some joynt or part of a mans body be dead and withered irrecoverably deprived of sense of paine of vitall motion it thereby ceaseth to be a part of the humane nature but it therefore ceaseth not to be an appendance or an appurtenance of his person He that should disfigure mangle or otherwise handle such a dead number any otherwise then the party whose it is were willing to have it handled doth wrong his person in a higher degree than if hee mangled or maymed his live goods or cattell and yet however he handle it he puts the living party to no paine is being as it is supposed no naturall or sensible part of his body nor could it have yeelded any commodity though it had been cut off before it was disfigured Offēces of this nature are not to be valued according to the excellency of the physicall complexion or constitution of the bodily part wounded or contumeliously handled but according to the excellency or dignity of the partie whose flesh or substance it is that is wounded or abused whether it be an entire live part of his nature or an appendix only to his person as being a joynt or member in part maymed or deprived of sense before Generally whether we speake of mens actions or sufferings undertaken for our behoofe to the losse of bloud or limbes we are not to value the one or other so much according to the physicall propertie or naturall worth of the member lost or damnified as according to the dignity of the person which voluntarily undertaketh such hard services for us And thus wee are to rate aswell the indignities and paines which our Saviour suffered in body by the Jews or Roman soldiers as the anguish of his soule in that great conflict with the powers of darknes neither according to the excellencie of his bodily constitution or exquisite purity of his soule but according to the inestimable dignity of his divine person of which aswell his immaculate soule as his undefiled bodie were no naturall parts but appurtenances only 13 Lastly that proper bloud wherewith God is said to have purchased the Church was the bloud of the sonne of God the second person in Trinity after a more peculiar manner then it was the bloud either of God the Father or of God the holy ghost It was the bloud of God the Father or of God the holy Ghost as all other creatures are by common right of creation and preservation It was the bloud of God the son alone by personall union If this sonne of God and high Priest of our soules had offered any other sacrifice for us then himselfe or the manhood thus personally united unto him his offering could not have beene satisfactory because in al other things created the Father and the holy Ghost had the same right or interest which the sonne had hee could not have offered any thing to them which were not as truely theirs as his Onely the seede of Abraham or fruit of the virgins womb which he assumed into the Godhead was by the assumption made so his owne as it was not theirs his owne by incommunicable propertie of personall union By reason of this incommunicable propertie in the womans seede the sonne of God might truely have said unto his Father Lord thou hast purchased the Church yet with my bloud but so could not the man Christ Jesus say unto the sonne of God Lord thou hast payd the ransome for the sinnes of the world yet with my bloud not with thine owne SECT 4. Of the conception and birth of our Lord and Saviour the sonne of God of the circumcision of the sonne of God and the name IESUS given him at his circumcision and of the fulfilling of the types and prophecyes concerning these mysteries CHAP. 31. The aenigmaticall predictions concerning Christs conception unfolded by degrees THat the predictions of the prophets which the Jew acknowledgeth for sacred are of divine infallible authority that according to many of these propheticall praedictions God in the person of the sonne was to become man the eternall word was to be made flesh that is to have our flesh and nature so united unto him that whilest our flesh and nature was conceived and brought forth the sonne of God was also conceived brought forth whilst the man Christ Jesus did suffer in the flesh the sonne of God did also suffer This is the briefe summe or extract of all that hath in this Treatise beene delivered This is the foundation of faith as Christian the radicall article of Christian Theologie It followes in our Apostles Creede that this only sonne of God Christ Iesus our Lord was conceived by the holy Ghost and
the plurall Elohim as Capito well observes doth not want its proper singular Eloah Therefore unlesse the holy Ghost had intended the notification of some mystery in the forme or character of his speech Moses would rather have said Barah Eloah then Barah Elohim 2. I am the more inclined to this opinion because many of the ancient and most orthodoxall writers observe a more distinct expression of the blessed Trinity throughout divers places of the first chapter of Genesis from the repetition of the name of God or Elohim in the more perfect workes of severall dayes as in the workes of the fourth day ver 14. And God said Let there be lights in the firmament of the Heavens This is the voice of God the Father giving out his fiat and it is repeated againe ver 16. And God made two great lights This referres to God the Sonne by whom all things were made and by whom these lights were set in the firmament ver 17. It is lastly added ver 18. And God saw that it was good The note or character of the holy Ghost approving what was made by the Sonne from the authoritie of the Father So Moses againe describes the workes of the first day And God said let the waters bring forth abundantly ver 20. And in the 21. he repeates againe And God created great Whales c. And againe God saw that it was good When it is said ver 22. of the same dayes worke And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiply this may referre unto the three persons joyntly So in the workes of the sixt day ver 24. God said Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kinde c. And it is repeated againe ver 25. And God made the beast of the earth after his kinde c. And God saw that it was good But when Moses comes to the accomplishment of the sixt dayes worke ver 16. hee alters the forme or character of speech and makes the Verbe as well as the noune plurall And God said Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse This order observed by the ancients in the first creation of all things is admirably exemplified in the manner of mans redemption wrought by the Father Sonne and holy Ghost joyntly yet not without distinction of order in their joynt working in their undivided worke But of this by the assistance of this blessed Trinity hereafter 3. But however the Ancients or such as follow them may faile in this or the like particular search of mysteries from no better hint then the repetition of the same words or matter Yet their endeavour in the generall to finde out deepe hidden mysteries from these or the like superficiall or charactericall prenotions is warranted by the word of God according to its literall or assertive sense For so we are taught by Moses that such repetition of the same things as in secular sciences would incurre suspition of tautology or superfluity of words may be the undoubted character of some matter more then ordinary and more observable then if it had beene represented but once or after one manner onely A secular Southsayer or professed Interpreter of nocturnall representations would have sought after more interpretations than one of Pharaohs two dreames especially seeing the matter represented to him in the first vision was so unlike to the matter represented in the second Yet Ioseph by the guidance of Gods Spirit discovers these two dreames though distinct in time and manner of representation to be for substance but one And Ioseph said unto Pharaoh The dreame of Pharaoh is one God hath shewed Pharaoh what hee is about to doe The seaven good Kine are seaven yeares and the seaven good eares are seaven yeares the dreame is one And the seaven thin and ill favoured Kine that came up after them are seaven yeares and seaven empty eares blasted with the East winde shall be seaven yeares of famine Gen. 41. 25 26 c. And for that the dreame was doubled unto Pharaoh twice it is because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to passe 4. When we say an honest mans word should be as good as his oath wee suppose that this morall integrity or perfection in man hath a farre more exquisite patterne in God Hee is no lesse immutable in his promises than in his oath It is impossible for him to change his minde or to deceive men in the one as in the other To what end then doth hee so often interpose his oath sometimes when hee denounceth judgement otherwhiles for the consolation of men and confirmation of their beliefe in his gracious promises Sure it is one thing to say Gods purpose will or promise is immutable another that the thing purposed will'd or promised by him is immutable The absolute immutability of his purpose or promise can yeeld us no full assurance that the things promised or purposed by him are unchangeable or that sentence denounced though in terms peremptory is irreversible But unto whatsoever promise or sentence wee finde his oath annexed it is an undoubted character a not most infallible that the thing promised is unalterable that the sentence so denounced is irreversible This is one of the most Catholique rules for the right interpreting of many and for the reconciliation of divers Scriptures which otherwise seeme most opposite But the proofe and use of this rule will come under a more full examination in the treatise of our Saviours consecration to his everlasting Priesthood and in some other discussions in what sense God is said to repent in what cases not to repent For both assertions are frequent in Scriptures 5. Sometimes divine mysteries are represented not in some one word or name but in the very character or frame of some one letter or in the addition of a letter or point There is no question amongst us Christians but that he who called unto Moses Levit. 1. 1. from the mercy seat as we gather from Numb 7. was the sonne of God the eternall word who since hath taken our nature upon him and calleth unto us with a voice and mouth truly humane though the voice and mouth of God But at that time he called to Moses not in a loud and thundring voice like that in Mount Sinai but with a soft and gentle voice And this gentlenesse of the voice as the Hebrew Doctors observe and some good Christian Hebricians approve their observation with the mystery foreshadowed by it is charactered unto us by the extraordinary smallnesse of one letter in the originall word 6. The like mystery is represented unto us after the same manner Isa 9. 7. c. The Prophet displaying the titles of the Messias and his kingdome contrary to the rules of ordinary Orthography mutat quadrata rotundis beginnes the Hebrew word rendred by our English of the increase with Mem rotundum with a round letter instead of a square And this unusuall character the Jewes
writers in other Churches reformed to be any genuine part of the old Testamēt to be any portion of the rule or Canon of the Hebrews faith received by them before our Saviours incarnation And being no portiō of their Catholique rule or Canon it is no way probable that our Apostle S. Paul when he wrote the divine Epistle directed in speciall to the Hebrews his countrymen would borrow his titles or Attributes of our Saviours glory from this Authors encomiasme of wisdome Nor can any convincing proofe be brought to perswade us that the Author of this booke whosoever he was did make application of these characters of wisdome in the abstract unto Christ or truely beleeve either that Iesus the son of Mary though living haply on earth before his time or that the promised Messias whose coming he did expect should be the wisdome of God which he so magnifies or God incarnate in whom all former Scriptures and his owne encomiasme of Divine wisdome should in particular and punctually be fulfilled That the commendations which he gives to wisdome at least the most of them can really and truely be applied to none but Christ who is the wisdome and sonne of God All this and more being granted will not conclude that he did intend or thinke of Christs birth or incarnation or apprehend the personall union betweene the sonne of God and the sonne of David For Tully and other Heathen writers have made such panegyricall descriptions of vertues morall and intellectuall of wisdome especially or of Philosophy in their abstract notion as can have no reall paterne save only in the divine incomprehensible essence and yet they themselves lived and for ought wee know dyed without any distinct knowledge or apprehension of the true God yea many times committed grosse Idolatry with those vertues whether morall or intellectuall which they so magnified in the abstract 8. Whilest we peruse Authors either Heterodoxall or not Canonicall this rule I take it is of generall good use that for matter of practise or application wee are specially to consider quà m benè not quam bona on the contrary in point of speculation not quà m benè sed quà m bona not how well or to what good end they speake but how good things they speake or write The writings of the moderne Jew are for the most part malicious and morally evill yet unto such as know to make right use of them in their speculations upon the old Testament even in such of them as are professed enemies to our Lord and Saviour and to the Evangelical story there be so many scattered characters or misplaced syllables as being rightly put together and well ordered by some judicious Aristarchus or accurate composer would make up a more exact commentary upon most of those places in Moses and the Prophets which we Christians usually alleage for proving the truth of sundry articles in this Creed then can be gathered out of the Christian Interpreters of the old or new Testament which have not the care or skill to beat those enemies at their owne weapons or to retort those blowes which they offer at us upon themselves Those strange dreames or fancies which they have concerning mysteries to be revealed in the dayes of the Messias are evident signes that the Lord hath cast them into this long slumber for the instruction of us Christians And the right interpretation of their dreames or their application is one of the highest degrees of prophecy which in this later age can ordinarily bee expected And I would to God some sonnes of the Prophets would addresse their paines and studies to this purpose unto which according to our poore talent we shall have occasion to speake in some speciall articles following But to returne unto the point proposed in the beginning of this Chapter one speciall reason why S. Iohn instyles our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word not the sonne was to make up a more exquisite resemblāce of his incōprehensible Essence of the eternity of his person and his eternall generation of his consubstantiality with God the Father then without this particular expression we could have had or perhaps would have sought for Every one of his severall titles whether given to him by S. Iohn or by S. Paul addes something to the better expression of his unexpressible excellence unto the raising of our apprehensions to a higher pitch of admiration of these incomprehensible mysteries then one or two or fewer then are made could have done To informe our understandings or rectifie our faith that the son of God is more exquisitely or more consubstantially like unto his Father then any sonne of man is unto the father of his body he is by the holy Ghost instyled the expresse Image or character of his Fathers person Heb. 1. 3. No man can be altogether so like another as the impression is to the print To instruct us againe that this absolute and perfect expression of the father in the sonne farre exceed any such expression as the Statue can make of man or such as the seale leaves in the waxe he is by S. Iohn instyled by the name of life being the living substantiall image of his Father Againe to rectifie our apprehensions that the sonne of God did not grow into this absolute live image of his Father by degrees after such a manner as the sonnes of men doe for no child is altogether like his father from his birth it hath pleased the holy Ghost further to emblazon his incomprehensible generation or begetting under the character of brightnesse or light He is the brightnesse of Gods glory saith S. Paul and by S. Iohn the light And this is the most exquisite of any resemblāce that can be taken frō things sensible The sunne and fountaine of visible light doth naturally without interposition of time without any labour or operation produce or beget brightnesse or splendour And this it doth so uncessantly so perpetually that if we could imagine there had beene a sunne or fountaine of light without beginning to continue without end of time or dayes we could not but imagine that there should be a brightnesse or splendour perpetually produced without beginning or without ending of such production or of the brightnesse so produced by this fountaine of light Yet this supposition being granted or admitted the resemblance would herein faile That this continual production of light without beginning without ending did yet admit a succession or continuitie of time which the eternall generation of the sonne of God doth not admit for that onely is truely eternall which is not onely without beginning or end of dayes but without all succession in duration without mensuration of dayes or yeares all which are conteyned in eternitie as this visible world and all the power in it are conteyned in his power who is invisible and incorporeall All these resemblances are taken from things sensible Lastly the eternall generation of the sonne of God as most Divines will
as they did certifie him of the distinct place of his birth This they learned out of the Prophet Micah Chap. 5. ver 2. 3. That of our Apostle Hebrewes 1. ver 1. is exactly verified in respect of the article now in handling The Prophets and holy men of God or God by their ministery spake of our Saviours conception and birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not at sundry times onely or in severall ages of the Fathers but piece-meale or by scattered predictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sundry wayes sometimes literally and plainely sometimes mystically or aenigmatically But in this later age he hath spoken unto us by his Sonne or in his Sonne For even the historicall passages of his conception and birth though delivered unto us by his Evangelists spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his very conception his birth and actions as well as the words uttered by him have their plaine and full language and if wee take them as set downe by the Evangelists are as the putting together of all what the Prophets had spoken scatteredly or represented by broken pictures or portions of truth After that maine head or fountaine of Prophecies was opened and had his course drawne by God himselfe not by any Prophet I will put enmity betweene thee and him c. Every succeeding age especially from the deluge addes some new rills or petty streames unto it the full current of which is conspicuous only in the Gospell CHAP 32. Saint Lukes narration of our Saviours conception and birth and its exact concordance with the Prophets TO begin with S. Lukes narration of his cōceptiō Cap. 1. ver 26. In the 6. month the Angel Gabriel was sent frō God unto a Citie of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the virgins name was Mary In these few lines wee have the exact Chorographie of those generall or more obscure descriptions which Isaias and Ieremiah had made of the place of his conception and in the words following wee have the particular and most exact survey of all Gods promises made to David or related by other Prophets concerning that sonne of David who was to rule over Iacob for ever When Saint Luke saith in the words forecited the Angel Gabriel was sent in the sixth moneth this may referre either to the time of Iohn Baptists conception as in all probability it doth ver 36. Behold thy Cosin Elizabeth shee also hath conceived a sonne in her old age and this is the sixth moneth with her who was called barren Or it may referre unto the sixth moneth of the yeare according to the ancient and civill accompt of the Hebrewes for untill the time of Israels deliverie out of Egypt the moneth wherein Iohn Baptist was conceived which answeres for the past part to our September was the first moneth in which as most later Divines are of opinion the world was created The moneth Abib which answers unto March with us became observable to the Israelites from their deliverance in that moneth out of Egypt and continues in their Ecclesiasticall accompt the first in order In the same moneth the conception of our Lord and Saviour was denounced by the Angell and our deliverance by him from the powers of darknesse afterwards accomplished and well deserves the title of the first moneth since his conception and passion but in whether of these two respects or whether in both the moneth wherein the Angell was sent be termed the sixt moneth is no matter of such moment or consideration as the tenour of his message ver 31. 32. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus Hee shall be great and shall be called the sonne of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David When the Angell said He shall be great and his mother shall call his name JESVS it is implied that as yet he was not great that he had not the beginning of that greatnesse which is here promised And may it not be as rightly implied that when hee saith Hee shall be called the sonne of the highest as yet he was not the sonne of the highest but first to brooke the name of Iesus and then first to be made and called the sonne of God when he was become great and had received the throne of his Father David But it is not without observation that the Angell saith not Hee shall be the sonne of the highest nor doth hee say that the blessed Virgin his Mother should bestow this name upon him as shee did the name of Iesus The intent and meaning of the holy Ghost in this place is that this fruit of the Virgins womb who was to be named Iesus by his mother from his circumcision should be called the sonne of the highest not in regard of his future greatnesse as man or as he was the promised sonne of David but by reason of his peculiar assumption or union into the person of the sonne of God who was Davids Lord before he was conceived and was publiquely to be declared the sonne of God by his resurrection from the dead At which time and not before hee tooke the especiall government of that Kingdome upon him which had so often beene promised to the sonne of David This meaning of the holy Ghost the Evangelist doth open unto us ver 33. Hee shall raigne over the house of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end 2. Unlesse this holy of holyes who was now to be borne of the blessed virgin Mary had beene the sonne of God before this time hee should in reason be called the sonne of the holy Ghost For unto the virgin Mary demanding how this should be seeing shee know not a man ver 34. The Angel answered The holy Ghost shall come upon thee c. An Emphaticall expression of that which we beleeve in the Creede That the holy Ghost should worke his conception Now hee who is Author of the conception of any person which before such a conception had no existence is in propriety of speech to be reputed the Father of the party or person conceived But this very person whom we now adore under that name or title of Christ Iesus our Lord being before all World 's the true and only sonne of God albeit the holy Ghost was the Author of his conception as man a more principall cause and Author of his conception then any mortall Father is of his mortall sonne yet was not the fruit of the virgins womb to be reputed the sonne of the holy Ghost but of him alone who was the true and only Father of that person unto whom the fruit of the Uirgins womb was by the operation of the holy Ghost personally united The holy Ghost was not then the cause or Author of any new person but onely espoused or betroathed the humane nature of Christ which
before had no actuall existence unto him who was the sonne of God from eternity Now not he that gives but hee that takes the spouse given in marriage is the true husband And the spouse so taken from her espousall becomes the daughter not of him that gives her in marriage but of the Father of her husband with whom shee is now made one flesh Thus God the Father by this espousall thus wrought by the holy Ghost becomes the Father of the humane nature of Iesus which was now united unto his sonne after another manner then before hee had beene of any man and after another manner then the holy Ghost was or is the Father of the man Christ Iesus Christ then as God and man is the only sonne of God the Father The same Iesus only as man is the sonne of David 3. That the promised Messias was according to the Prophecies to be the sonne of David is evident but by what line all descent hee was to be the sonne of David or by what legall right the Kingdome of David was derived unto him is not without question amongst Christians David we know by Gods free donation was King of Iudah and Israel and Solomon by legall right did succeed him in his Kingdome And Solomons heires or Successours by bodily descent had as firme a title to the Kingdome of David as any other Kings or Monarchs have to the Crownes and dignities of their Ancestors But whether Solomons line by bodily descent were utterly extinguished before the conception or birth of our Saviour is a point neither much debated nor agreed upon by Divines If it were extinguished before that time yet Davids line did not determine with Solomons And for this reason haply our Saviour is instyled by the holy Ghost the sonne of David not so of Solomon albeit Solomon was as true a shadow of him as King as David had beene And Solomons Kingdome and raigne a fairer map of his Kingdome then Davids was And though our Saviours intermediate Ancestors according to the flesh from David downward were many as S. Luke and more then S. Matthew relates Yet he did immediatly succeede David in the Kingdom For so by the law of most Countries in case the elder brethrens sonnes or issues faile the third or fourth brother succeeds as lawfull heire not unto his elder brothers or their children but to their Grandfather or first donor Many may be immediate heires unto thē to whō they are no immediate Successours in lineall descent That Solomon and his line had no such perpetuity bestowed upon them by vertue of Gods Covenant with David as that it might not determine before the promised seed of David was exhibited the tenour of that Covenant as it is exemplified by the Author of the 89. Psalme puts out of question I have found David my servant with my holy oyle have I annointed him ver 20. He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my salvation Also I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth my mercy will I keepe for him evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the dayes of Heaven ver 26 27 28 29. This last he speakes of Davids seede as of one not of his seedes as of many For so it followes ver 30. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgements if they breake my statutes and keepe not my Commandements then will I visite their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes This visitation with rods and stripes imports more then fatherly chastisements true and reall punishments Yea heavie judgements upon Davids other children according to their deserts None are utterly exempted from Gods heavie displeasure besides the promised seede or Davids sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose prerogative is in the next words reserved by oath Never the losse my loving kindnesse will I not take from David nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips ver 33. This is in effect as if he had said however Davids other sonnes provoke me I will not repent of that loving kindnesse which I promised to him it shall be accomplished in Davids seede for in respect of things alterable or reversible whether promised for the good of men or threatned for their woe God is usually said to repent but to whatsoever hee sweares of that he never repents Every event ratified by oath is either unalterable or irreversible The Lord hath sworne saith David Psal 110. and will not repent that is he will not change or alter that which hee hath promised To alter that which was only promised but without oath is in the phrase of the holy Ghost as we usually render the originall to faile or breake Covenant that is in more proper language to reverse a blessing promised Hence it is added in the next verse of the 89. Psalme Once have I sworne by my holinesse that I will not lye unto David that is I will not make void my covenant His seeds shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sunne before mee It shall be established for ever as the Moone and as a faithfull witnesse in Heaven This is that throne and that Kingdome which the Angel Luke 1. 32 33. foretold should be given unto the seed or fruit of the Virgins womb As for Davids other children or for Solomons race their title to the temporary Crowne of David was at the first but conditional or rather mutable for every conditionall estate presupposeth a state in being but a state mutable or reversible Such was the state of Solomon or the heires of his bodie aswell unto the kingdome of Judah as of Israel The Kingdome of Israel they utterly lost in the second descent The next Quaere is whether this their estate unto Judah or Israel which was by originall tenour reversible were de facto utterly reversed and the Covenant as it concerned them finally cancelled 4 And of this Quaere the branches are two first whether Salomons line were utterly extinguished before the returne of Iudah from the Babylonish Captivitie or in any age before the son of God and the promised seed of David was manifested in the flesh The second whether in case the utter extinguishment of Salomons line be a point doubtfull or by any authentick Author or record indeterminable This line were not in the same desperate case for recovering the Kingdom that Elies race was for regaining the Priesthood from which it was by solemne oath deposed That Solomons line was utterly excluded from inheriting the Kingdome of Iudah and Iacob the Jews and Christians for the most part agree And the tenour of that terrible sentence against Ieconiah according to the principles acknowledged by both will inferre no lesse As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the sonne of
then actually made Christ and Lord. Unto these two offices of everlasting Priest and everlasting King hee was not actually anointed or fully consecrated untill his resurrection from the dead Was not then the Sonne of God Lord before his resurrection Yes being God from eternitie hee was also Lord from eternity So we are taught by Athanasius The Father is Lord the Sonne is Lord and the H. Ghost is Lord. Whosoever is truely God is also truely Lord. And in this acception of Lord as there be not three Gods but one God so there be not three Lords but one Lord in the blessed Trinitie The Father is the onely God the onely Lord the Sonne is the only God the onely Lord the holy Ghost is the onely God the onely Lord. But whether this title of Lord as it is here inserted in this article of the Creed import no more then that the Sonne of God is the true and onely Lord with the Father and the holy Ghost or whether it were not before his birth in some sort peculiar to the Sonne is a point neither cleare in it selfe nor easie to be cleared because the ancient Translators especially the Greeke and Latine render the three originall words Elohim Iehâ—vah or the name of foure letters however it be pronounced and Adonai promiscuously by Lord. And yet these three words in the originall have their severall significations or importances To omit the word Elohim About the name of foure letters there is much contention how it should be pronounced yet all agree that it 〈…〉 and essence of God is his most proper name and admits no plurall The proper signification of the name Adonai is as much as Dominus or Lord. 4 The reason as I take it why the Greekes and Latines have usually but one expression of both names is because the ancient Hebrews did not pronounce the name of foure letters unlesse it were in the Sanctuary or in solemne benedictions Nor did they write it so as it might be pronounced that is with any proper vowels but either with the vowells of Adonai or of Elohim Not the Greekes and Latines onely but the Chaldee paraphrase sometimes reads Adonai where wee read Iehovah or the name of foure letters And thus it doth not from mistake of the Hebrew vowells which in the time of Onkelus the later of the two Chaldee paraphrases were not exprest And God said to Moses I appeared to Abraham unto Isaac and Iacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne to them Exod. 6. 3. Or as the Caldee by the name Adonai c. Wherfore say unto the Children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burthens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage c. Some good writers in the interpretation of this place observe that albeit Abraham Isaac and Iacob were in high favour with God yet they wrought no miracles as Moses the first among the sonnes of men did And hence they infer that Moses did worke all his miracles in the power and vertue of this name whether Iehovah or Adonai which was first manifested unto to him 〈…〉 many interpretations of this place Fagrus best approves this Although God were knowne to Abraham as Omnipotent and All sufficient to performe whatsoever he hath promised yet was he not knowne unto Abraham or other of the Patriarks by that name or title which did import the instant performance of what he had promised unto Abraham This was immediately imported in the name of foure letters or in those descriptions which God there gave to Moses of his nature and essence or of his present purpose towards Israel in the 3 of Exod. ver 14. I am 〈◊〉 I am c. 5 And the 〈◊〉 paraphrase it is probable did use the name Adonai in stead of the name of foure letters as most pertinent and most significant to this purpose For it properly pertaines to him who is not onely in himselfe Almightie or All sufficient but Lord of all to dispose of Kingdomes and inheritances to depose greatest Lords and advance meanest servants If the name of foure Letters were to the ancient Hebrews as Drusius with some others will have it ineffable this was a true character of his incomprehensible nature which they properly signifie Nor doth the usuall substitution of Adonai for the want of foure letters want matter of more than grammaticall observation This practise was a literall Embleme or Character of that which our Evangelist hath exprest in words assertive Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him In this declaration or exposition of God whose incomprehensible nature was charactred by his ineffable name made by the Sonne of God incarnate there was a greater improvement of mans knowledge of God in respect of that knowledge which Moses and the Prophets had than there was in Moses his knowledge of God in respect of Abrahams Isaacs or Iacobs Moses and his Successors did see the performance of that which the name of Iehovah or Adonai first revealed to Moses did import to wit deliverance from their bodily Enemies and in that deliverance they had a pledge of far greater blessings promised which yet they did not receive For as our Apostle testifies Heb. 11. 39. Though Moses amongst others through faith obtained a good report yet hee did not receive the promise that is the blessing promised nor was the nature of man capable of this blessing promised untill that God who was first revealed unto Moses under the name of Iehovah was made Lord and Christ 6. It had beene a question more worthy of Drusius his paines then all the questions which he makes concerning the name of foure letters whether the name Adonai were not in some sort peculiar to the Sonne of God or to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was to be made flesh That this name Adonai is so peculiar to the Sonne of God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is I dare not affirme For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth no where to my remembrance denote any other person in the blessed Trinity besides the Sonne Whereas the name Adonai is an expression which many times referres unto the Trinity or Divine nature And in this extent it must be taken when it is substituted for the ineffable name of God unlesse some speciall circumstances restraine it to the Sonne But in many passages of the old Testament both names are exprest according to their proper consonants And in all these places the name Adonai referres only to the Sonne as the name of foure letters denotes the Father As in that 110 Psalm where we read The Lord said unto my Lord it is in the originall Iehovah said unto my Lord Adoni or Adonai And in this place the name of foure letters referres onely to God the Father But so doth not the name Adoni
denote either the Father or the holy Ghost but the Sonne alone I durst not have beene so bold as to have gathered this generall rule from mine owne observation unlesse I had found it excellently observed and proved at large by Petruâ— Faber in his Dodâ—â—camenon Cha. 8. It much affected this learned man as it will do any that is wise unto sobriety to see how most of the Ancients as wel in the Greek as in the Latine Church albeit they tooke no notice at all of any difference betweene these two names of God in the originall did yet constantly appropriate the name of Lord to God the Sonne when hee is named in the same prayer or gratulatory Hymne with God the Father But this they might learne either from S. Paul or from the Apostles Creed For so the blessing is The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God not of the Lord God c. And so in the Apostles Creed the title of Lord is appropriated unto the Sonne of God not added either to the Father Almighty or to the Holy Ghost 7. But in many places of the olde Testament wherein both names of God are specified the name of Adonai is placed before the name of foure letters And thus it happens so farre as I can observe especially in the serious supplications or gratulatory expressions of Holy men as in that speech of Gideon Iudges 6. 13. Oh my Lord if God be with us why then is all this befallen us And againe Iosuah 7. 7. Ioshua said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Iordan c The Evangelicall mysterie implyed in this forme of prayer or supplication is excellently deciphered by Masius in his Comments upon this place with whose words gathered from the tradition or lyturgie rather of the ancient Hebrewes of the Cabbalists I conclude this Treatise Ioshua saith he calls God by 2 names when as chiefe Commander he speaks in behalfe of all the rest The one is Adonai the other Iehova The former setteth out Gods ruling power the later hath respect as else where I have shewed to Gods Essence These 2. names often come together in the most fervent prayers of the Saints in the sacred Story as here they doe Namely they inspired with the Holy Ghost doe as I conceive the Holy Church doth praying for all things from the Father for the Sonnes sake For seeing Adonai as I said hath an eye to Gods ruling power it agrees manifestly to the Sonne and represents him to us by whom as God the Father made the World so hee ruleth it In this point the Diviner sort of Hebrew Authors called Cabbalists assent to us when they teach that the name Adonai is as it were the key by which entrance is opened to God Iehova that is to God as it were hid in his owne Essence and that it is the treasure in which these things bestowed on us by Iehova are all deposited And that moreover it denoteth the great Steward who disposeth of all and â—oâ—risheth and quickneth all things under Iehova And finally that no man can approach neere Iehova but by Adonai because there is no other way or course at all to come to him And that therefore the Church thus begins her holy prayers Adonai that is Lord open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise These and such like passages are extant in the booke intituled Porta lucis the â—ate of light and in the book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The name explicated FINIS A CATALOGVE OF the severall Treatises heretofore published by the Author * ⎠* THe Eternall Trueth of Scriptures and Christian beliefe in two Bookes of Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed The third booke of Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed containing the blasphemous positions of Iesuits and other later Romanists concerning the authority of their Church Iustifying Faith or the faith whereby the just doe live being the fourth booke upon the Creed A Treatise containing the originall of unbeliefe misbeliefe or misperswasions concerning the Veritie Vnitie and Attributes of the Deitie with directions for rectifying our beliefe or knowledge in the forementioned points being the fifth booke upon the Creed A Treatise of the Divine Essence and Attributes the first and second parts being the sixth booke upon the Creed The Knowledge of Christ Iesus or the seaventh booke of Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed containing the first and generall principles of Christian Theologie with the more immediate principles concerning the knowledge of Christ divided into foure sections A Treatise of the holy Catholick Faith and Church Christs answer to Johns question or an Introduction to the knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified delivered in certaine Sermons Nazareth and Bethlehem or Israels portion in the sonne of Jesse And mankindes comfort from the weaker sex in two Sermons preached at S. Maries in Oxford Pag. lin Errata Sic corrige 5 15 historians beleefe historicall beleefe 60 31 typicall propheticall 115 26 upon dele 127 18 his assertion this assertion 140 16 violencence violence Ibi. 18 that it that is 166 23 its proper his proper 211 22 in on 214 21 exact expect 258 16 tooke looke 314 1 that but Ibi. 18 did perfectly did not perfectly Ibi. 19 as true a true 344 2 next annext 353 8 spoken were spoken 358 29 many as many 365 5 do to * Ergo abolendo rumori Nero subdidit reos et quaesitissimis poenis affecit quos per flaegitia invisos vulgus Christianos appellabat Auctor nominis ejus CHRISTVS qui Tiberio imperitante per Procurator 〈◊〉 Pontium Pilatum supplicio affectus est Tacit. Annal Lib. 15. Pag. 255. Sect. 1. Cap. 2. a But then it fel out unfortunately for Nicias who had no expert nor skilful Soothsayer for the partie which he was went to use for that purpose and which took away much of his superstition called Stilbides was dead not long before For this signe of the eclipse of the Moone as Philochorus saith was not hurtfull for men that would flie but contrarily very good for said he things that men doe in feare would be hidden and therefore light is an enemy unto theÌ„ But this notwithstanding their custome was not to keepe themselves close above three dayes in such eclipses of the Moone and Sun as Autoclides prescribes in a booke he made of such matters where Nicias bare them in hand that they should'then tarry the whole and full revolution of the course of the Moone as though he had not seene her straight cleare againe after she had once passed the shadow and darknesse of the earth But all other things laid aside and forgotten Nicias disposed himselfe to sacrifice unto the Gods untill such times as the enemies came againe as well to besiege their sorts and all their campe by land as also to occupy the whole haven by Sea Plutarch in vita Niciae infine b Almirans ob haec ingenti aninâ—
us of Ecce vetera praeterierunt nova facta sunt omnia He concludes CHAP. 9. Answering the objections against the former resolutions that God did deale better with Israel then with other nations although it were granted that other Nations had as perspicuous predictions of Christ and of his Kingdome as the Israelites had BUt if wee acknowledge the Revelation of these and the like divine mysteries unto the heathen to have beene so perspicuous as the Sibylline Oracles whether those which now are extant or those which Virgil did comment upon doe exhibit shall wee not hereby contradict the Psalmists avouchment of Gods speciall favour to his peculiar people Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee sheweth his words unto Iacob his Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them For how can it rightly be conceived that hee should deale better with Jacob or Israel then with any other people if it bee granted that the Romanes or other Nations which were if not by Gods command yet by his permission depositories of the Sibylline Oracles had in them as perspicuous testimonies or revelations of Christ as Jacob and Israel had either in the Law or in the Prophets Most certaine it is that the measure of Gods gracious dealing with any Nation people or State must be taken from the severall manner or model of Revelations made unto them concerning the incarnation death passion c. of his only sonne for whose only sake and merits all the blessings which have beene which are or which shall be bestowed upō the sons of men were first promised or intended unto them in whom all that have any promise of such blessing receive their interest and immediate title unto them by whom and through whom all caelestiall blessings are actually derived unto and accomplished in all such as having just title make right claime unto them 2. The Psalmist himselfe from whose authority this objection is borowed affords a faire hint for a right answer unto it Hee doth not say that God sheweth his word unto Jacob alone or that no other Nation besides Israel had any knowledge of his word or prenotion of the word which was to be made flesh Wherein then did he deale better with Israel then with any other Nation In shewing his statutes and judgements unto that Nation alone For albeit the Revelations made unto the Sibylls if now wee had the undoubted originalls might be more perspicuous than any prophecy in the old Testament or admitting they had been delivered in the selfe-same words which God did speak to Moses and the Prophets this would not inferre that the ancient Heathens had as good meanes of knowing Christ as Israel had or that the manner of shewing his words unto both was as the words are supposed to bee altogether the same The statutes and judgements which he had given unto Israel only were given unto this purpose that the words which he had spoken by Moses and the Prophets might make more legible impression in their hearts Amongst many statutes and judgements peculiar unto Israel these were principall and fundamentall that the words which God had spoken by Moses and the Prophets should bee publiquely read often inculcated and expounded unto them that all his visitations of this people whether in mercy whilest they obeyed his voice or in judgement for their disobedience should be registred to remaine upon record as so many ruled cases or Presidents 3. To have the mysteries of salvation however revealed is a great blessing to any Nation But it is not one and the same blessing to have the wayes of life perspicuous in themselves and to have them made perspicuous unto this or that age or party This later blessing even those to whom these Sibylline Oracles were imparted did want And want it they did through their owne default in that they made no better use of these particular prophecies then they had done of the common booke of nature Rom. 1. 20 21. The Lord of heaven and earth was good and gratious unto many Heathens in dispensing or suffering these or the like Crummes to fall unto them from his childrens table yet not so gratious to them as he was to his children in that hee gave them no lawes and ordinances for the publication of these mysteries or for observing the times wherein they were to be fulfilled Nor had these Heathens the grace or goodnesse in them to enact publique Lawes for this purpose but like that ungracious servant in the Gospell they held it a point of wisdome to imprison these pretious talents in their Archives not to be looked upon but upon occasion of state 4. But suppose the Heathens had beene as peremptorily admonished by God himselfe or as strictly enjoyned by Lawes of their owne making to acquaint posterity with the Sibylline Oracles as the Israelites were to instruct their children in Gods word delivered by Moses would this have made the meaning of these prophecies in themselves as is supposed most perspicuous either more perspicuous or more effectuall to succeeding generations then they were God knowes that But the dayly experience of this age of this yeare current and of some few late past will not suffer us not to know that abundant plenty either of spirituall food or of medicines in themselves most divine though dayly administred doth not alwaies de facto purifie the hearts of Christians from Heathenish humours or diseases What then is wanting where spirituall meate and medicines doe so abound A want there is first of severe discipline to teach Physitians themselves how to dispence the food or Physick of life aright Secondly a greater want there is of coercive Lawes or of the execution of them for binding our patients to a right posture or diet whilest they are under our cure The lowd out-crying sinnes of these times awake the thoughts of all that are not dead in sinne and the oftner it is thought upon the more it will be lamented by every honest heart That God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost that Christ who is God and man our gracious Lord and Redeemer should be more traduced and more grosly mistransformed through liberty of prophecying as they terme it amongst us Christians then they have beene in any age before amongst Turks or Heathens which have died in their sinnes for want of prophecying But as for Israel of old they wanted no lawes or discipline for these or the like good purposes and prophecies they had in abundance Onely they were wanting to themselves in not exercising the Discipline in not executing the lawes which God had given them And unto this defect they added an excesse of traditions contrary to the lawes appointed them by God and extreamely opposite to wholsome discipline or doctrine 5. But such Iewish traditions as were contrarie to the Law of God how prejudiciall soever they were unto their soules which first invented or followed them doe not
themselves acknowledge to be a note of some mystery as one of them being converted to Christianity observes against his brethren which love darknesse more then light The mystery notified in this particular as this Author tells us is by their owne rules in cases wherein they are no parties ingaged the same with that which is immediately after expressed in words assertive and plaine That of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeale of the Lord of hoasts will performe this I referre the observation of the like charactericall representations unto the diligent Readers of the old Testament in the original tongue or of ancient Hebrew Commentators whose testimonies in many cases where they are no parties are no way to bee contemned And amongst other branches of that rule for interpreting Scriptures which was constantly received amongst the ancient Jewes as Peter Martyr and Bucer with others somewhere observe this representation of divine mysteries by letters or characters unusuall might for ought I know be one 7. As for the representation of like mysteries by proper names of men especially who by their place or office were types or forerūners of Christ that I presume no sober Christian will except against or call in question And this representaon or prenotification of future mysteries was exhibited either in the first imposition of names or in the change of names or in the severall use of divers names when the same party retained more names than one There was scarce a sonne of Iacob whose name did not imply a kinde of prophecy Rachell did truly prophecy of the state and condition of the Benjamites when she called the Father of that Tribe at his birth Benoni the sonne of her sorrow And Iacob did as truly prophecy when he changed his name into Benjamin the sonne of his right hand Nun the Ephramite did call his sonne Hoseah by divine instinct or direction And Moses did truly prophecie when he changed his name into Iehoshua With what intention Isaac or Rebecca did call their younger sonne Iacob I know not or whether they had any other motive knowne to themselves to give him this name besides that which the manner of his birth did minister for he caught hold of his brothers heele in the birth But this name Iadgnakab hand in heele made afterwards by close composition as it seemes Iagnakab did as the attempt signified by it in the birth portend that he should supplant his elder brother and get the birthright from him 8. After this name given him by his Parents he was in his full age named Israel by God Himselfe by way of addition only without any change or determination of his former name or the Omen of it But it is not without observation why he is sometimes called Iacob sometimes Israel in the same continued historicall Narration the name Iacob characterizing his present infirmity the name Israel notifying his recovering or gathering of strength But one of the most admirable prerepresentations literall not assertive of mysteries plainely afterward avouched and fulfilled which I have either observed or found observed by others is in the Benedictus Luke 1. 68 c. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horne of salvation for us in the house of his servant David c. To performe the mercy promised to our forefathers and to remember his holy Covenant the oath which he sware to our Father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life The summe of that which God had spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets which had beene since the world began was now reavouched by Zacharias being filled with the holy Ghost in a literall assertive sense plaine and easie even to the capacity of the naturall man And yet the summe of all which Zacharias by the Spirit of Prophecie did now utter was clearely represented to men of spirituall understanding in the Scriptures or experienced in their spirituall sense in the very names of Iohn Baptist and of his Parents For Zacharias the Baptists Father is by interpretation the remembrance of God Elizabeth his mother as much as the oath of God And the name Iohn imports the free grace of God And all these put together sound as much as that God did now remember his people with that grace which he had sworne to bestow upon them in his Covenant with Abraham that is with grace of deliverance from their enemies their owne sinnes were their greatest enemies with grace enabling them to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their life Of more particulars in this kinde as they shall fall within the compasse of Prophecies or prefigurations concerning Christ hereafter CHAP. 14. That the Scripture is said to be fulfilled according to all the former senses that one and the same Scripture may be oftner than once fulfilled according to each severall sense THe fulfilling of any thing written supposeth a foretelling or presignification of the same And because matters related by the Evangelists and other sacred writers of the new Testament were of course and of purpose either foretold or prefigured in the old testament hence it is that this phrase of fulfilling that which was written is in a manner peculiar to these sacred writers not in use amongst secular historians Yet the phrase is not therefore barbarous because not used by politer writers in the same subject that is in historicall narrations For it is used by Tully and other most elegant writers in the same sense which sacred writers use it As because every man as was intimated before may foretell those things which were by himselfe projected or promised they are likewise said implere promissa to fulfill their owne promises or to fulfill the Omen or signification of their owne names so an elegant Poet saith Maxime qui tanti mensuram nominis imples Now seing this phrase This was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled is so frequent in the new Testament Maldonat did very well and like himselfe in unfolding the severall wayes as he conceived them according to which the Scripture is said to be fulfilled almost in the very beginning of his learned Commentaries upon the foure Evangelists Yet some question there may be whether he did all this which was so well and wisely attempted by him so well and so judiciously as might in reason have beene expected from him 2. The Scripture saith he so farre as I could hitherto observe is said to be fulfilled foure manner of wayes First when that very thing is done or comes to passe which was meant by the Prophet or other sacred
to him a Father and he shall be to me a sonne was fulfilled in Salomon in the literall sense but in Christ both according to the literall and mysticall sense So was that forecited passage Isay 22. fulfilled in Eliakim according to the literall sense but afterwards fulfilled in Christ both according to the literally symbolicall and the mysticall sense And thus the names given to Iohn Baptist himselfe and to his Parents had their accomplishment when Christ was exhibited in our flesh and yet these and many other of the same rank were more exactly fulfilled after his resurrection Maldonat his fourth rule as was before intimated will hold in all these severall wayes according to which the Scripture is said to be fulfilled whether according to the meere literall and assertive sense or according to the meere mysticall sense or according to both with their severall branches or according to the charactericall sense or literall representative only not assertive According to every one of these senses may one and the same Scripture be oftner fulfilled than once or twice and in a manner more remarkable at one time than at another though alwayes truly fulfilled and according to the intention of the holy Ghost 5. To beginne with the literall assertive No man I thinke will question whether that of the Prophet Isaiah with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked were literally meant of any besides our Saviour Christ And there is no question but these words were fulfilled within the compasse of that age which brought him forth and so then fulfilled in sundry wicked ones yet doe not these words referre to them or those times alone but are to be fulfilled in a more remarkable manner at the day of Judgement or perhaps before it For from this place of the Prophet Isaiah our Apostle had that revelation 2 Thess 2. 8. Then shall that Wicked he revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his comming Many like prophecies there be concerning the glory of Christs Church and the happy estate of his elect which are even in this life literally fulfilled or verified by way of pledge or earnest but shall not be exactly fulfilled save only in the life to come Ignorance of this rule or non-observance of it hath been the nurse of dangerous and superstitious error as well in the Romane Church as in her extreme opposites in such I meane as beginne their faith and anchor their hopes at the absolute infallibility of their personall election with no lesse zeale or passion then the Romanist relyes upon the absolute infallibility of the visible Church 6. That very instance which Maldonat alleageth for the confirmation of his third rule This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips c. Matth. 15. 8. was literally meant of the Jewes which lived in Isaiahs time yet not properly fulfilled in them or of them for in respect of them it was not a Prophecy but a sharpe reproofe or taxe yet this reproofe or taxe was a most exact prophecy in respect of the Jewes which conversed with our Saviour of whom it was literally meant in a more exquisite sense than of their Ancestors and in this sense often fulfilled The ancient Jewes did not honour God being personally and visibly present with their lips as these later did nor were their hearts so malitiously set at least their malice not so diametrally bent against God at any time as the hearts and malice of these later Jews were against Christ who was the God of their Fathers As these later Jewes did fill up the measure of their Fathers sinnes so whatsoever God did threaten to this stiffenecked people for their rebellion against him was more exactly fulfilled in this last generation then it had beene in any former The severall generations or successions created no difference in the true object of the literall sense that may and did as equally respect many generations as one man infinite transgressions as truly as some few This Scripture may be as truly fulfilled in all as in one though noâ— in all according to the same measure So S. Stephen tells the Jewes Acts 7. 5. 52. Yee stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwayes resist the holy Ghost at your Fathers did so doe yee Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted And they have slaine them which shewed before of the comming of the just one of whom yee have beene now the betrayers and murderers And our Saviour himselfe chargeth the present generation of the Jews with the blood of Zacharias forme of Barachias whom their forefathers had slaine many hundreds of yeares before Matt. 23. 35. adding withall that his blood should be required of that generation present Which is a proofe sufficient that this Zacharias was not the Father as some have supposed of Iohn the Baptist For if he had beene slaine betweene the Temple and the Altar hee must have beene slaine by that present generation to whom our Saviour directs this speech and so there had beene no matter of observation capable of that Emphaticall Epiphonema Luke 11. 51. Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this generation Now his blood was to bee required of this last generation because they had fulfilled the measure of their forefathers sinnes who had prodigiously slaine their high Priest Zacharias But how the Prophecy of this their high Priest or rather his dying curse was fulfilled more exactly of this last generation than of that generation which put him to death would require a particular treatise not in this place to be inserted His dying speech though uttered by way of imprecation was propheticall And the event of his imprecation though exhibited shortly after his death was typically propheticall of that which happened to this last generation within forty yeares after the death of our Saviour whom Zacharias did in his death though not in his dying speeches exactly foreshadow 7. As one and the same Scripture may be oftner then once fulfilled or exactly verified in different measure only by way of growth or increment of the same literall sense so likewise may it be of one and the same man in respect of severall times For out of question it is that the Scripture Gen. 15. 6. Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse was literally verified of Abraham at that very point of time when God first called him from his owne kindred and his Fathers house into the promised Land And yet S. Iames saith cap. 2. 23. that this very Scripture was fulfilled when Abraham offered up Isaac his sonne upon the Altar and from this last performance of Abraham he had if not the first yet the truest title to bee called the friend of God Not altogether after the same manner but after a manner not much different was that Scripture Isaiah 53. 4. twice fulfilled of
a mortall Father an immortall sonne No Schoolemen did ever acknowledge the generation of the Son of God to be univocally like to other generation in all points besides the eternitie of it For even in that wee acknowledge it to be eternall wee difference it from all other generations by such an unexpressible superminencie as eternitie hath over time or diuine immensitie of all bodily magnitudes or the Divine Essence it selfe of Created Natures CHAP 26. That by the Sonne of God and the Word wee are to understand one and the same partie or person that the Word by whom S. John saith the World was made is coeternall to God the Father who made all things by him BUt to wave this point for the present concerning the maner how the eternall God should beget an eternall sonne the thread which we are to unwind as far as possibly we can without knot or ravell is this that Christ Jesus is â—eri bodiè yesterday to day the same only true sonne of God for ever truely coeternall to his Father And this being a point of so great consequence I will not allot one place onely for the clearing of it but insist upon it more or lesse in all the articles which concerne Christ For in all of them wee shall be enforced to incounter the Jew as well as the Arrian or Socinian 2 Whether of these two be the greater sinner or more dangerous enemy to the crosse of Christ that I leave to God the Father and Christ Jesus the judge of quick and dead and to the holy Spirit to determine But seeing it is no sinne to refute or censure both their errours the errour of the moderne Jew who utterly denieth Christ to be the sonne of God in any sense seemes to me more excusable at least lesse inexcusable then the errour of the Arrian or Socinian who granting Christ to be the sonne of God deny him to be coeternall to his Father And my reason is because it is not more plaine or pregnant out of the writings of Moses or the Prophets which the Jews only acknowledge that God was to be incarnate or to become man though that be most pregnant then it is from the Evangelist and other sacred writers of the new Testament whose authoritie the Socinian denies not that Christ is the only sonne of God from all eternitie Two or three testimonies shall suffice for the present Were there no other place besides that of the Apostle Heb. 7. 3. and that of S. Iohn chap. 1. these would captivate my understanding to the obedience of beleife in this point The Apostle speaking of Melchisedech saith he was without beginning without end of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is albeit he had both Father and Mother beginning and end of dayes yet he is represented unto us without beginning or end of dayes that so he might be a type or shadow of the sonne of God But how farre a type of the sonne of God only in this as he was without beginning of dayes or end of life That the Apostle by the sonne of God did meane Christ Jesus and none else none deny The very scope and end of this parallel betwixt Melchisedech and Christ was to shew that Christ the sonne of God was truely and really such as Melchisedech was only by shadow or representation that is really and absolutely without beginning or end of dayes he who is who was is to come perfect characters of eternitie Againe it is evident that the sonne of God who died for us was the same person and party with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with that word which was made flesh This consequence is ungainesayable that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word were without beginning or end of dayes God blest for ever and coeternall with him who said Let there be light Let there be a firmament c. then Christ Iesus the sonne of God who not only we but the Socinians grant did die for us was and is without beginning or end of dayes truely coeternall to God the Father 3 That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of God was absolutely eternall not made so in time is a truth which the wit of man cannot more punctually presse against all that in future times should deny or question it then S. Iohn doth in the beginning of his Gospell And the manner of his reiterate emphaticall expressions of himselfe every later adding strength unto the former confirmes the opinion or tradition of the Ancient that he purposely wrote that maiestick proeme to his Gospell which is but a paraphrase though most divine upon the writings of Moses and the Prophets touching this great mysterie for preventing of the spreading of the Arian or like heresie whose seeds were by the envious man sowne in S. Iohns time after Christs other Apostles were fallen asleepe In the beginning saith S. Iohn the Word was What beginning doth he meane The same which Moses meant when hee said In the beginning God made the Heaven and the Earth The originall phrase whether used by Moses in the Hebrew or by S. Iohn in the Greeke exactly answers to the Latine in principio Now though every cause be Principium the beginning or that which gives beginning to its proper effect Yet Omne principium every beginning is not a proper cause of that which usually followes upon it For the first dawning or scaring of the morning is the beginning yet no true positive cause of the day following it is first in order of time but not of causality And this ambiguity of the Phrase in the beginning is the same both in the Hebrew and in the Chaldee as the learned in these tongues no parties in this businesse have observed Now in that first of Genesis we must take the word beginning not for the cause of all which followed but for the first in order or precedency of duration For the heavens and the earth if we take them as now they are were not made in that beginning or point of time wherein God is said to have made the heaven and earth Nor did any of these or any other parts of the world spring or result by way of causality from the first masse which was without order of parts or true forme otherwise the distinction of light from darknesse or separation of the waters which are above the firmament could not have beene works of creation properly so called but rather of generation whereas the Scripture tells us that these were the works of the first and second day much lesse could the production of plants or vegetables or substances endued with sense have been any proper works of creation after the heavens and earth were made When then Moses saith In the beginning God made the Heaven and the Earth this is all one as if he had said the heavens and the earth had a beginning that this unformed masse was the beginning or first draught of them and all things
revelation or instruction either mediately or immediatly made unto us by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word himselfe 2 Nor is it probable that either Plato or Trismegist did first discover so much of this grand mystery as was knowne among the Heathens before S. Iohn wrote his Gospell And it is no lesse impious then improbable to suspect that S. Iohn should borrow those divine expressions of the Words divinity from any Heathen Philosopher as that blasphemous Platonick exclaimed when he read the beginning of his Gospell that he had stolne his expressions out of his master Plato Nor was S. Iohn himselfe the first of all sacred writers which did display the titles of the sonne of God by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by the word light or life which was without beginning or ending most probable it is that Plato and Trismegist did borrow that light which they had in that mystery from the ancient Hebrews or from rules received by them by constant tradition for interpreting not one but many passages in Moses and the Prophets as S. Iohn there doth from the same rule or tradition No doubt the Chaldee Paraphrasts did expresse the divine nature of the sonne of God by the word the one before S. Iohn did write his Gospell the other neere upon the same time For Ionathan as Fagius tells us did live about the time wherein Herod reëdified the second Temple Onkelos a little after the destruction of it and of Jerusalem by Titus 3. The word of the Lord saith an exquisite Hebrician and judicious peruser of the Chaldee paraphrase is often used instead of Iehovah or Elohim both being proper names of God and denotes Messiah or Christ by whom God made all things and preserves them He instanceth in that of Isaiah 1. ver 14. Where the Hebrew text is literally thus My soule abhorreth your new moones c. The Chaldee or Targum renders it thus My word abhorreth your new moones And againe Ier. 1. 8. Where God speaking in his owne person saith I am with thee the Chaldee renders it My word is with thee And according to the Hebrew where we read Isaiah 45. 17. Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation in the Lord or by the Lord the Chaldee hath it Israel shall be saved with an everlasting salvation by the word of the Lord. But two places of Onkelus there be more remarkably pertinent to our present purpose then any others which I have observed The first is Gen. 3. 8. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that is as Onkelus renders that place they heard the voice of the word of the Lord or the voice of the Lord God the word So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word which in the beginning was with God and was God did convent our first parents as having peculiar reason to examine and convict them of their transgression because he in person not the Father or holy Ghost was to undertake for their restauration was to combat with the Serpent for their redemption whom immediately after hee convents in the womans presence and denounceth this sentence upon both The Lord God said unto the Serpent because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattell and above every beast of the field upon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life and I will put enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and hers c. Gen. 3. 15. 16. It is no harsh construction to read this place and they heard the voice of the word the Lord per appositionem not the voice of the word of the Lord which the Latine renders in the genitive case the voice or the word of the Lord. Yet if we read it so we shall not dissent from the forecited meaning of the Chaldee and the same interpreters referre the word walking unto God himselfe as if he had said they heard the voice of God which walked in the garden not unto the voice whether of God or of the word of God though Fagius with some other think the word walking may be read in the accusative case audiverunt vocem Domini Dei ambulantem they heard the voice of the Lord walking that is increasing or intending it selfe by degrees But this otherwise most judicious writer sometime censures the seaventie Interpreters of ignorance in the Hebrew tongue sometime sleights their interpretation without just cause For seeing it hath pleased the holy Ghost in the greatest mysteries concerning Christ to follow their interpretation though not so authentique in it selfe as the Hebrew Canon is this commands my assent though not to the opinion of some among the ancients that these seaventy were as truly inspired by the holy Ghost as the penmen of the Hebrew Canon were yet thus farre that they were directed either immediatly by the Spirit or by the rules and traditions in their times received for the right unfolding of many places which in the Hebrew were either ambiguous or involved and better directed by such rules then moderne Hebricians are by Masorets or the later Rabbins albeit both of them be of good use Thus to think of the LXX their consonancy with the Chaldee Paraphrase in many places of great moment doth besides the former speciall motives somewhat incline mee yet did not the Chaldee as I am perswaded borrow ought from them or they from the Chaldee but both were beholden to the prenotions or received rules of the ancient Hebrews 4. The second remarkable place wherein Onkelus doth not dissent from the Hebrews but rather unfoldeth the mystery implicitly contained in it is that of Genesis 22. 15 16. By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord that in blessing I will blesse thee c. and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice So the Hebrew The Chaldee thus By my word have I sworne saith the Lord that blessing I will blesse thee c. Because thou hast obeyed my Word This translation of the Chaldee affords more light for the right and punctuall explication of S. Paul Heb. 6. 17. then most Commentators of that place have done albeit some greeke Scholiasts which I have consulted but whose words I now remember not have made acute and accurate search for the true meaning of it God saith the Apostle willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutabilitie of his counsell confirmed it by an oath So our English reads it yet with this correction or animadversion in the margine interposed himselfe by an oath but the originall verbatim sounds thus Deus intermediavit juramento God did intermediate by oath Now the object of this oath as our Apostle tells us ver 13. was God himselfe When God made promise to Abraham because he could sweare by no greater he sware by himselfe yet this by my selfe have I sworne is more expresse in the Septuagint
that the prerogative promised to Isaac was firme and not subject to contingencie it is further repeated ver 21. But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac which Sarah shall beare unto thee at this set time in the next yeare 2. It is very observable that whereas the Hebrew mentions only the Covenant betwixt God and Abraham and his seed after him the Chaldee paraphrase hath it expresly that God did make this Covenant betwixt his Word and Abraham as ver 2. Dabo foedus meum inter verbum meum et interte And ver 10. Hoc est foedus meum quod servabitis inter verbum meum et inter vos atque inter filios tuos post te ut circumcidatur in vobis omnis masculus What manner of Covenant or rather league this was betwixt God Abraham comes to be discussed in the unfolding of Gods oath to Abraham the consecration of Abrahams seed to his everlasting Priesthood of everlasting blessing The legal covenant afterwards cōfirmed by oath was now begun solemnized on Abrahams part as solemne leagues in those Easterne Countries usually were by effusion of blood his owne and his families and so to be continued in his posterity throughout their generations And in as much as circumcision was the signe or solemne ceremony of this mutuall league betweene God and Abraham and Abrahams seed it is necessarily implyed by the tenour of the same mutuall Covenant that God should subscribe or seale the league after the same manner and to receive the same signe of circumcision in his flesh which Abraham and his seed had done Againe in as much as this league was established with Isaac Abrahams sonne by promise this likewise includes that the only sonne of God who was to be Abrahams seed should be circumcised in his flesh as Isaac had beene And this part of the Covenant was performed on Gods part in the person of his Sonne at the circumcision of the childe Iesus It was impossible that the Covenant should be fully accomplished so long as Abrahams corruptible seede did only beare the seale or signe For it was to be an everlasting Covenant and to seale an everlasting Covenant with an everlasting seale in Abrahams seed or successour according to the flesh was a matter as difficult as to imprint a permanent stamp or character upon a streame of running water This Covenant could not begin to be in esse or beare a true and solid everlasting date untill it were sealed in the flesh of the promised seed As was his person in whom this Covenant was to be accomplished such was the seale and such did the Covenant thus sealed become truely immortall and everlasting never to be reiterated after it was once accomplished in him which was not done but begun upon the eight day after our Saviours birth That which was now begun by him and in part sealed by him by the seale of circumcision in his flesh was afterwards to be accomplished and finally sealed by his bloudy sacrifice upon the Crosse The continuall practise of circumcision by the Jew though he be senselesse and blinde and perceiveth it not is unto us a legible character and an undoubted visible pledge that God who made this Covenant with Abraham was to be incarnate or to assume flesh by assuming Abrahams seed to the end he might interchangeably seale this Covenant in his flesh But seeing as well Abrahams present seed as their Families were still subject to mortality it was most fitting requisite that circumcision should be continued throughout all their generations in testification of their hope and expectance of the promised seed unto whose flesh the seale of circumcision being once put the Covenant sealed was to stand fast for ever without reiteration or addition of any other seale In Him all Gods promises are yea and Amen Whilest hee was circumcised God was circumcised and man was circumcised and this Covenant or league betweene God and man was mutually sealed by God and man with one and the same numericall seale Howbeit as was intimated before this glorious Covenant thus joyntly sealed up in him was not to beare its everlasting date untill it were further ratified and finally sealed by his bloudy sacrifice upon the Crosse unto which service he was initiated by his circumcision The Sacrament of circumcision was not so properly abolished as changed into the Sacrament of Baptisme and so changed by that Commission which this our everlasting Priest gave to his Apostles and Ministers after his resurrection Go yee therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Math. 28. 19. It was by this new Commission so changed that he which now seekes to circumcise others or suffers himselfe to be circumcised doth but labour as much as in him lyes to dissolve and dissipate this glorious Covenant betwixt God and man thus joyntly sealed up in one and the same individuall person with one and the same numericall seale and afterwards authentiquely and finally sealed by the bloudy sacrifice of the same person God and man vpon the Crosse And however the Mahumetans the Sarazens and Persians with other preposterous imitatours of Abrahams faith have run mad with love of this ceremonie of circumcision sometimes most loathsome and odious to flesh and bloud whilest it was pleasing unto God yet the practise of it is now more abominable unto God that gave it for a signe of his everlasting Covenant than it was pleasing to him or displeasing to men whilest the Law of ceremonies was in force And for this reason S. Paul wisheth the same curse or punishment unto such as pressed the necessity of circumcision upon Christs Church which God himselfe had threatned unto such as during the time of the Law did neglect contemne or omit it The uncircumcised manchilde saith God to Abraham Gen. 17. 14. whose flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised that soule shall be cut off from his people I would saith S. Paul Gal. 5. 12. or as some read I would to God they were even cut off that trouble you Such he meanes and such alone as did trouble them by pressing the necessity of circumcision upon them which had beene baptized in Christ 3 That the Heathens were concluded in this league the moderne Jew cannot deny For not only Abrahams sonnes but every Male in his Family though bought with money was to receive the signe of this Covenant in his flesh But saith the Jew seeing they came into this league by receiving circumcision what is this to you Gentiles which will not be circumcised The Apostle S. Paul hath most divinely dissolved this knot Rom. 4. 10. His words are so plaine that they need no Comment but onely to adde this circumstance which is likely S. Paul tooke for granted when he made that excellent Comment upon Moses his words Gen. 15. 6. Abraham saith Moses beleeved in God and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse Seeing
the Scripture as S. Iames tells us was fulfilled when Abraham offred up his sonne Isaac why was not this testimony of God concerning Abraham reserved to that fact or at least to Abrahams obedience in circumcising himselfe and his sonne Isaac Both these facts include a greater measure of beleife in Gods promises than Abraham gave proofe of in the forecited place and was therefore more capable of that praise or approbation But if that approbation of Abrahams faith had beene deferred untill the Covenant of circumcision had beene subscribed unto by Abraham the Jews might with more probabilitie have conceived that this righteousnesse which God imputes to Abraham had come by the deeds of the Lawes that none but such as are circumcised could be partakers of it Whereas on the contrary this testimony being given unto Abraham before hee was circūcised cuts off the Jews title of boasting in circumcision This is the ground of the Apostles reason Rom 4. 9 10. For wee say that faith was reckoned unto Abraham for righteousnesse How was it then reckoned When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision And he received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that hee might be the Father of all them that beleeve though they be not circumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed unto them also And againe Gal. 3. 8. And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham 4 Againe God in so disposing of times and seasons that his onely sonne should be circumcised upon the first of January did signifie that interest which the Gentiles or Heathens were to have in this Covenant For this was the day wherein the Romanes in whose dominions and under whose government he was borne did consecrate to Ianus to them a God of peace and prosperitie the day wherein they did mutually present their solemne salutations or good wishes for a happy yeare and for good luck sake as wee say did send gifts one to another as honey and other like sweet meats and coyne ut dulces dies anni à dulcibus rebus auspicarentur as Emblemes of their good wishes for many pleasant and happy dayes And whilest they were thus imployed in preventing each other with gifts and mutuall precations of peace and many happy dayes God gives his only Sonne unto them and to them all who was the Prince of that peace the common fountaine of all that happinesse which they could wish one to another Albeit the Sonne of God were borne eight dayes before yet he was given unto us upon the day of his circumcision His circumcision was the designement or dedication of him for the salvation of mankinde Behold saith the Angel Luke 2. 10 I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people The Prophet Isay foretold this joy not only with reference to the birth but to the circumcision also of the true Emmanuel They joy before thee according to the joy in Harvest and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoile Isa 9. 3. For unto us a Childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder c ver 6. But some there be who will either denie or not beleeve that our Saviour was circumcised upon the first of January because we have no better warrant for this opinion than the tradition of the church But some of the ancient learned Fathers did think they had the testimony of Scripture besides the tradition of their Ancients For so they interpret those words of S. Iohn Baptist Iohn 3. 30. He must encrease but I must decrease as if they did containe a secret character of the time wherein Iohn Baptist and our Saviour were borne the one upon the longest the other upon the shortest day in the yeare And by this account our Saviour was circumcised upon the eighth day of January For my part I dare not contradict this kinde of interpretation of the Fathers being fully perswaded that the holy Ghost doth oft-times fore-signifie greatest mysteries as well by meere character of words as by words assertive or matter of fact CHAP. 36. Of the name JESVS and the title LORD THE meaning of the name Iesus is expounded by the Angel Math. 1. 11. Shee shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus for hee shall save his people from their sinnes But this title of Saviour may admit many degrees partly in respect of the name it selfe in the originall tongue whence it descends unto the Greeke and Latine but more principally in respect of the matter that is the distresse or danger whence men are saved In respect of this later at least Iesus the sonne of Mary far exceeds all others that have beene or hereafter may be termed Saviours But of the danger or misery from which he saved his people there will be better opportunity to speake at large in the Article of his Crosse The explication of the name it selfe is the worke of this time and place Some there be which think this name Iesus must necessarily be derived from the essentiall and proper name of God a name never rightly pronounced by the Jews or by any other as some learned Hebricians think before our Saviours birth but then made effable or utterable as the Authors of this opinion would perswade us who derive this word Iesus from Iehovah by intersertion of one Hebrew letter to wit Shin which is as much as Sh. According to this derivation they would make the compound name to be an Emblem or type of the two natures in Christ Iehovah bearing the type of the divine nature and the letter Shin interserted into this name to be an Emblem of the incarnation or humane nature assumed into the unity of the person of the sonne of God This Etymologie or derivation as the Authors of it imagin best agrees with the Angels interpretation of the name Iesus before cited because Iehovah himselfe saith Isay 45. 21. There is no Saviour besides me If this be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 currant Cabbalisme wee are in speciall beholding to Osiander for it If by sager judgements it happen to be censured for a fancie Iacobus Naclantus a Romish Bishop must share with Osiander in the censure Whatsoever the opinion be in it selfe the allegation for confirmation of it is not concludent For that rightly examined only inferres that Iehovah himselfe hee that was essentially God and none besides him was to be our Saviour or the Saviour of the world This is a truth unquestionable yet a truth which will not conclude that whilest he became the Saviour of the world he was to take no other name or title upon him besides the proper and essentiall name of God only