which we are to speak for which purpose neither Cicero Terence Caesar nor any of those who were the first and purest Authours of the Latine tongue were ever acquainted with this word Justificare which is now in use among us and with which at this time we have to do We must therefore seek farther and look higher if we mean to be truly certified hereof and fully satisfied herein Omitting then all others we will only pitch upon two places the one in the Old the other in the New-Testament as the aptest in my judgment of all other for this purpose The one that of the Wiseman e Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord Here is the Word it self and its opposite the Word it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying * Absolvere to absolve or free the opposite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importing * Improbificare si ita liceret loqui i. e. condemnare ad supplicum tradere to condemne or to deliver over to just and condigne punishment They are both Judicial terms exercised or used in judgment holden on such weighty matters as touch the life or death of the person concerned or engaged The other answerable hereunto is that of St. Paul Rom. 8.33 where he propounds the question Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and rather then we shall go away without an answer he himself as best able for to do it will furnish us Surely none None indeed can justly do it to which he adds a reason to the purpose For it is God that justifieth The Apostle in this place makes a bold challenge in the behalf of all the Elect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who can accuse them or call them into question or is there any thing that can be laid against them And yet we see they do not want accusers the Devil is ready at hand to do it the Law of Moses will do it yea rather then fail their own consciences will do it But what says the Apostle al this is to no purpose For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is God that justifies that is frees them from all these accusers and their accusations too yea absolves them from the guilt of sin not imputing it to them but imputing the righteousness which is by faith For the Apostle opposeth justification to condemnation here as Solomon also did before Even here also are two actions of judgment set before us The one charging a man with guilt or crime of which being justly convicted doth pronounce the sentence of the Law against him The other opposite to both these absolving and acquitting him from guilt and punishment doth declare and publish him to be just and righteous This is a matter of high concernment and to speak the very truth there cannot but be a great deal of difficulty in defining things of this nature We will not therefore trust to our selves or any abilities in us as thinking it sufficient to trade with our own stock in a business of so much consequence but will rather as the man of Macedonia call for help and see where or how we may best supply our selves And behold here is one at hand that is both able and willing to furnish us of whom we will make use at present for I suppose we cannot mend our selves look where we will with such a definition of Justification as may be justified in all the parts thereof which is this it is saith he an act of God whereby he acquitteth every penitent and believing sinner not imputing to him his sins but imputing to him the perfect satisfaction and righteousness of Christ There is not any part of this definition but is Scripture proof as we shall see God willing by degrees hereafter In the mean time having seen what is meant by the word Justification as also the nature and definition thereof we passe on to the next thing proposed by us namely the causes which as in all other things so in this are four to wit the Efficient Material Formal and Final The Efficient causes of a sinners Justification are of two sorts either principal or instrumental the principall is God both essentially the whole Trinity g Isa 43.25 Rom. 3.26 I even I am he that blot out thy transgressions and also personally The Father h Rom. 8.33 That He namely God the Father might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus The Son also testifieth this of himself i Matt. 9.6 saying the Son of man hath power to forgive sins and so to justifie these that were ungodly The Holy Ghost performeth this too k 1 Cor. 6.11 And such wretches by reason of iniquity were some of you even guilty of the same impieties but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our â—ord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God For seeing this work is of that kind which by the Schools is termed ad extra an outward action of God it is common to all the three Persons And yet it is distinct too in regard of the order and manner of working as also the terms and limits of operation whence the Act of justifying is antonomastically ascribed to the Father the merit thereof to the Son and the application of this merit to the Holy Ghost So that God the Father justifieth as the primary cause and as being the Authour thereof God the Son as the meritorious cause and God the Holy Ghost as the cause applicatory and brought home to the justified persons conscience in the comfortable assurance thereof So that the whole amounts to thus much God the Father through the Son doth justifie us by the Holy Ghost The Father I say as the principal cause and that in two respects 1. In that he gave his only begotten Son for us and set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud that all that believe in him should be justified as the Apostle witnesseth m Rom. 3.25 2. In that he absolveth those that so believe and pronounceth them just in Christ The Son as the Mediator and meritorious cause and that also in two respects 1. As he his our Surety who paid our debt our Redeemer who laid down the price of our redemption for us n Isa 53.11 affording unto us both the matter and the merit of our justification 2. As he is our Intercessor and Advocate to plead for us that his merits may be imputed to us For though the sufferings of Chrâ—st be a precious salve to cure our Souls yet we cannot look for healing by them unlesse they be applyed and though his righteousness be a wedding garment sufficient in it self to cover all our Spiritual nakedness yet will it not clothe us unlesse it be put on Therefore in the third place the Holy Ghost is said to justifie us because
broached by him and were left behind him Insomuch that that which proved his ruine proved likewise to be the ruine of many others that did adhere unto the same These cursed opinions did exceedingly molest and trouble the whole Church of God especially that at Geneva to which there was at this time great resort partly for Religion sake which there was professed in its pristine purity and partly to avoyd the Papal persecution which was then very sore and raging Insomuch that many strangers from several quarters did frequent that place and had there taken up their habitation among whom first closely and privily then more apertly and openly the Doctrine of Servetus began to be broached afresh For the timely and seasonable prevention of that mischief which might hence ensue it seemed good to that Church to draw up and publish a certain form of faith and confession to which they required a general consent and subscription Against which Joannes Paulus Alciatus a man of as much religion as a Horse hath in him a long time opposed and stood out but Valentinus Gentilis at last overcame him by importunity and brought him in so that at length all of them suscribing did mutually engage themselves that whosoever should do or dispute otherwise then was conteined in this confession should be accursed of God and accounted false and fore-sworn among men But the Religion of an oath hath no prevalency with those who only use it for to promote their own base designs and to further their wicked purposes They must needs go that the Devil drives he having designed some of these for principal instruments to â—ow and disperse abroad the seeds of this damnable heresy first in the Church of Geneva and from thence through all the parts of Europe which they industriously perfornmed and their black Master had a crop accordingly For in lesse then thirty years space from their first dissemination this Socinian faction could reckon up some hundreds of Churches that were fallen to them So readily and really did they go about their Masters busines and such an one was this Valentine of whom we are now to speak as the next Champion of the Socinian band This Valentinus Gentilis of â—osentine in Campania with his confederates made hast to then old trade of life and manners Now begins â—e to publish his errours to hold disputations used other machinations to tempt the faith and try the constancy of others to see whether he could bring them to has bent or no He did much trouble the peace and quiet of the Church by teaching that the essence of the Son and Holy Ghost was diffâ—rent from that of the Father That the Father only had a Divinee essence and that the Son was essentiated and deified by propgation of essence from him That there could not be more persons in one essence but there must needs be divers essences and they different in degrees of deity with many more such vile and devilish opinions by which he waxed great in the eyes of his admirers But at length both for his perfidious basenes and also for publishing such heretical blasphemies by which both Church and Common-wealth was sorely disquieted he was taken by the command of the Magistrates of Geneva and cast into prison Where being examined concerning what he had done and said of first he stood stoutly to the maintenance thereof but such was his levity and hypocrisy that he sudainly relented condemned his errours and once more made a publick profession of the true faith The Magistrates yea the whole City having as as they thought a rare and eminent testimony of his repentance gave him his enlargement his recantation out of prison he thus testified and deelarcd by which we may be able to judge of his opinions First I have offended in that I have affirmed that only God of Israel to be the Father of Jesus Christ not considering that the Divinity of the Son was closely excluded by those oppostions of only God the Father and of Christ Secondly when I considered the essence without the persons enforcing thereby a Quaternity or a necessity of a fourth person which I did very unadvisedly because the essence is no where to be considered buâ— in the three persons every one of which being wholly the whole essence My third crime is that I maintained the person of the Father to be sophisticate seeming to be what indeed it is not which among the rest I professe to be most false as is now plainly shewed to me In brief there are many false consequences built upon these putrid and ruinous foundations which I here detest and abominate professing my self to take and understand these things no otherwise then the Consistory hath explained them to me in their writâ—ng The pennance which according to the sentence of the Judges he performed was this First that being stripped to his shirt they are the very words of the sentence denounced against him bare footed and his head uncovered holding a lighted candle or taper in his hand and kneeling down upon the ground before the Judges he should ask pardon for those blasphemies which he had published and those writings of his contaning so much heresy and such horrible btlsphemy a fire being made before them he should with his own hands cast into the same therein to be wholly consumed afterwards in the same fashion a trumpet sounding before him he was led through the most eminent streets of the City where he manifested or rather handsomely counterfeited his repentance before all the people for this fair and specious shew of repentance soon vanished away and came to nothing the Dog returning to his vomit and the Sow that was supposed to be washed to wallowing in the mire he had no sooner got leave to be enlarged out of prison upon condition not to depart the City without the pleasure of the Councell first known and their favour procured contemning his oath by which he had engaged himself unto them and slighting the grave authority of those that might have taken away his life yet dealt so genâ—ly with him he secretly steals out of the City and runs away Being thus unworthily fled from Geneva he first took sanctuary at the house of his old comrade and associate Gribaldus who lived in a Village whereof he was Lord and is on the confines of the jurisdiction of Geneva but is under the rule and government of Guyen or Bernen where he lived obscurely as one banished â—rom all company but what did belong to the family yet even there met he with Alciatus who was much endeared to him who with another in the house which was the Master of Gribaldus his children did often treat of and discusse their affairs with many and various disputations Hence he went to Lyons which place finding not fit for his purpose he soon got on his back and then went to Grationopolis Camarack and so wandering through divers Regions taking great painâ— in all places wheresoever
singular eminent and notable matter and what can this be other then that God should inflict punishment upon a person who considered in and by himself did no way in the least measure ever deserve it It is God then that imputes the sin and himself inflicts the punishment thereof Not but that men yea and Devils to may be instruments for the execution but the punishment it self proceeds from Cod. For the Apostles when they apply the passion of Christ to us and would bring it home to our use and benefit have no respect at all to the actings of men in it or about it but only of God himself as Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him 't is he that hath put him to grief So that all the foul imputations of the Jews are nothing to this purpose Thus have we in some measure heard what the Scriptures say in this particular Now whether we should believe God or Man Prophet and Apostle or Socinus and the Dialogue judge ye good Readers Here the whole Socinian band do fire at once and to shew themselves doughty champions of the black guard do discharge a full volley of most horrid blasphemies even in the very face of the Almighty If God say they shall impute sin unto Christ his own innocent and harmlesse Son he is unjust * Ille agit injustè qui invitum pro altero punit sed qui illum qui se sponté pro alterò ad supplicium effort habet fui ipsiusque pro quo se offert liberandi potestatem pro altero púnit ille non agit injustè Sibrandus Lubbertus pag. 376. Thus though Christ have taken our sins upon him and hath engaged for us yet if God impute sin to Christ they will be so bold as to impute sin to God and charge him with injustice yea the Dialogue it self though he appear one of the last is none of the least among them For he confidently affirms that God cannot impute sin to our innocent Saviour but if he should do so he should be as unjust * Deus verè summè justus in sponsere nostro Bez. in Rom. 4.25 even as the wicked Jews what high presumption is it in these poor worms thus to reproach the living God and to charge him foolishly He that reproveth him let him answer it saith Iob o Iob 39.35 We may discover the ground of this errour though there be none for their blasphemy Here here is that ignis erraticus that causeth them to wonder namely a vain supposition that the works of God are no lesse subject to the Law of nature and the Law of Moses then the works of men and that the work of mans redemption published to us only by the Gospel is to be squared by and proportioned to the Law of nature engraffed in us or the Law of Moses set down as a Rule of life unto us This they endeavour to maintain by an argument taken from the equal obligation as well of God as of man to the same prefixed as a rule to both and to both a like beyond which as man so God himself cannot passe but they do as it were pull him by the sleeve tell him of it and charge him with injustice For say they God hath not ordained this Law for men only namely The Fathers shall not dye for their Children nor the Children for their Fathers but every one shall bear the punishment of his own sin But also did after a manner impose it upon himself speaking thus by the Prophet p Ezek. 18.20 the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father neither shall the Father bear the iniquity of the Son but the righteousness of the righteous c. This Socinian argument is patcht up with very groundlesse yea senselesse and fained suppositions the first of which is that God by Moses imposed the same Law upon himself which he had engraven in the hearts of the Gentiles and delivered to the Jews q Deut. 24.16 namely the Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children nor the Children for the Fathers That this is false may appear by the practise of Amaziah King of Judah who having respect unto this Law did not understand it as to extend it self so far as to God the most high and supream Law-giver but to be terminated and limitted in his vicegerents and therefore r 2 King 14.6 he slew not the Children of those that had murthered his Father Joash according to that which is written in the book of the Law of Moses We affirm then that God was not lyable neither can he possibly be subject to any external Law whatsoever the reason is plain because his own will is the prime and chiefest Rule of Justice who receiveth Laws from none but prescribeth Laws to all as being the cause and original of all just Laws engraven in the hearts of men or by writing committed to record and commended to posterity Wherefore as God will have no Law prescribed to his will which depends not upon the will of any other So seing his will is in it self holy and unchangeably just there is no need at all that he should prescribe a Law as a Rule of Justice unto himself The second supposition is that this Evangelical affirmation of God by which he declares his willingness that Christ by his appeasing death should satisfie the debt of our sins for us is altogether repugnant to that legal asseveration of his that he would not that the innocent Son should dye for the guilty Father or the innocent Father for the guilty Son Both which though in several respects are most true and certain First God would have Christ our Brother according to the flesh being justified by the Spirit and declared innocent by Pontius Pilate to be condemned and executed for us that were guilty because Christ by joynt consent with God his Father appointed himself ſ Aliud est alterum pro altero puniri invitum aliud puniri illum qui se sistit ipro altero vadem seu sposorem Christus hic hominem induit factum est peccatum execratio undèjustè solvit quod a nobis erat debitum Prideaux de Redemptione a propitiatory sacrifice for us from all eternity whence he is called t Ioh 1.29 Agnus Dei. the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World A Lamb indeed without spot without blemish ordained for this very purpose even before the Foundations of the World were laid but in these latter times manifested to us whom he hath redeemed from sin by his most precious bloud as St. Peter expresseth it 1 Pet. 1.17 19 20. Secondly God would not that out of mankind either the Father should dye for the Son or the Son for the Father because he knew from all eternity that no Father or Son could possibly be guiltlesse proceeding from the corrupt masse of mankind or out of the loynes of sinfull and degenerate
only the contingent effect thereof Reconciliation with God arising from true justification without which man must necessarily even unto all eternity have remained under and at all times bin lyable to the wrath of God is that whereby God for the Satisfaction of Christ pardoning all his sins doth freely admit and receive him into favour Or else more plainly d Emphasis vocis reconciliationem dissidentium per emptâ mutuâ dissentione importat It is a setting at one those who by reason of some discord between or hatred toward one another were exceedingly divided and separated one from the other This and the word Atonement which the Dialogue doth so often make use of are meer Synonima's no more but two several expressions of one and the same thing yet admitting of not different but divers denominations For being referred to wrath it is called a pacification or an appeasing either with a gift prepared as Jacob did his brother Esau e Gen. 32.20 or by compensation made for some wrong or injury done as David did the Gibeonites f 2 Sam. 21.3 and having reference to sin it signifies to expiate or purge with Sacrifice whence the day of Atonement is called g Lev. 16.30 a day of expiation and sometimes it is used for pardon and remission of sins as h Psal 78.38 he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity in which sense the Dialogue takes it and spends it self in the most part of that which remains to make his Reader believe it namely that this very atonement or reconciliation is our very righteousness and justification But this cannot be for this likewise were to confound the effect with the cause as before in remission of sins Atonement or Reconciliation being but the necessary effect or consequent of a sinners justification before God Thus you see being driven to their shifts they fly from one thing to another and are at no certainty among themselves into what a labyrinth then would they bring their perplexed Readers In this work of reconciliation or atonement Christ is to be considered after a two-fold manner or under a double notion either in respect of his essential Deity and Divinity or in respect of his Mediatorial office and Priestly performance in respect of his essential Deity common to himself with the Father and the Holy Ghost he by the same right whereby the Father and the Holy Ghost was exceedingly offended with and highly provoked to indignation against us by reason of our sins in respect of his Mediatorial officâ— by the common consent and councel of the whole Trinity receding from his most just right took upon him our flesh that he might fully perform the part of a mercifull Mediatour between God and man In the transaction of this great husiness of mediation reconciliation or atonement for they are one in effect though they differ in terms there are six distinct things to be performed by Christ The first is Discretion oâ— Dijudication of the cause he takes notice of the state and condition of his Church and chosen Secondly he doth report the will of his Father the covenant and agreement with God unto them Thirdly he makes intercession to God for them Fourthly he fully satisfies the wrath and Justice of God provoked against them and freely delivers them from the eternal punishment which they had justly deserved should be inflicted on them Fiftly he mercifully applies that satisfaction to them And finally he everlastingly conserves them in this state of reconciliation into which he hath brought them And thus we dispose of these things thus wonderfully and mercifully performed by him Discretion and Relation pertain properly to the Prophetical office of Christ Intercession and Satisfaction to his Priest-hood Application and Conservation to his Regal office and that Kingly power which he exerciseth in and over his beloved ones So that whole Christ God-man in both natures in all his offices is employed in and for the effecting this high and glorious work of the Fathers mercifull atonement and reconciliation which is no small comfort being brought home and seasonably applied to the heart of a Christian Thus have we set down the true nature of Atonement or Reconciliation with God But as for the Dialogues Atonement it is nothing else but a vain idle imaginary and illusory thing a meer fiction which he having fancied and framed out to himself would fain obtrude upon others without the least colour of testimony from the Word of God For that which the Scripture presents unto us under the name and notioâ— of the word Atonement is an effect of our righteousness and not a part much lesse the whole as he would have it concerning which ne speaks much as being perhaps delighted in and affected with his own expressions but proves nothing of what is expected from him many times crossing and confounding himself much more his unwary and over-confident Reader To conclude then for I hope by this time the good and intelligent Reader doth plainly discover what the drift and purpose of the Dialogue is together with the rest of the Socinian faction namely to raze if they could the very foundation of our Religion which we have built upon the Rock that so we might erect a new structure on the sand but they shall not prevail yet let every one of us take heed that we build not thereon For other foundation can no man lay and expect comfort in or continuance of the building then that is laid the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone These under specious pretences and new coyned phrases endeavour to betray us that they may have whereby as they think to glory over us We know that offences to and oppositions against the Truth especially in these latter times must needs come that those which are firm and constant may be made manifest But wo unto them by whom such offences and oppositions do come From henc it comes to passe that such thâ—ngs as were never handled by the Scriptures are now hand over head urged and maintained from the Scriptures and such questions as were never dreamed of among the Apostles are stoutly yet strangely defended by the Apostles By these means our Pulpits ring our Presses groane and our eares are filled with the confused noise thereof such loud lies such lawlesse arguments such naked collections such backward conclusions such an Ocean of tempestuous sequels such a legend of unsound and unseasoned Non-sequitur's such upstart heresyes and such high strain'd blasphemies that the common Adversary scorneth at our follies and all the Devils in Hell as it were keeping holy-day do rejoyce at our forwardness to run and destroy not only the bodies but even the souls too one of another bringing hereby our selves into derision abroad an the Scriptures themselves into suspition at home Thus are many too many God knows poor single hearted men misled although by a contrary course yet to the same gulf running their
of an old Master who in his youth did wantonize in the rules of Logick and now is mad in the interpretation of the Scriptures who bearing himself up upon the wings of his supposed great ability and trusting too much to his own sufficiency doth earnestly content to have all yea the most deep mysteries of Faith and Religion to be measured and squared out by the rule of his reason and when as he seems to be ready to render a reason of all he himself saith Bernard presumes above reasons contrary to reason yea contrary to faith it self For what is more contrary to reason they by reason to endeavour to transced reason and what more contrary to faith then to be unwilling to believe what ever cannot be comprehended within the narrow bounds strait limits of humane reason So that the Court must have the attribute of the Queen that dwells in it the Queen the name of her Court Reason hath got the attribute of Religion and Religion in exchange the attribute and property of Reason But who can tell when this exchange was made What a lamentable weakness is this in man that he should build his eternal welfare on so sandy a foundation as the approbation of weak and pur-blind reason Likewise expounding that saying of the Wiseman * Pro. He that believeth maketh not hast saith thus lightly to believe is to make use of faith before or without reason Whereas Solomon in that place intends no such thing for he speaks not of faith in God but of that mutual-credulity and trust which we have in our dealings among our selves and one with another Thus we see they erre not knowing the Scriptures He wrote a book of the blessed Trinity in which he manifestly discovers that itch of wit with which he was so much troubled and with the very conceit of which he was many times so far transported out of or beyond himself and the limits of all true Christianity that he knew not either what he did or said Hear St. Bernard what he says concerning that work so highly commended by his Disciples and followers he maketh degrees in the Trinity measures in Majesty numbers in eternity He allowes God the Father all power the Son a certain kind of power limited and circumscribed according to his fancy but as for the Holy Ghost there 's none to spare for him he hath no power at all This is to be a Son to a Father as one power is subordinate to another as the Species to the Genus as homo to animal herein he scarce shews himself to be animal rationale to be able to judge oâ— hereticks that went before him but even following such blind guides must needs fall into the dirty ditch with them for is there not more then Arius here That book of hâ—s was found to be so sound and entire that it was condemned by the Belgick councell and according to order committed to the fire by the hands of the Authour himself afterwards he was forced not for his goodnes to retire himself into some solitary place where he lived solitary enough in respect of it self and yet sufficiently freguented by the continual concourse of Students and wise ones I warrant you who flocked thirther from all parts being drawn or rather seduced by the fame of his great learning Parturiunt montes c. but being come found no such great matter of admiration in hâ—m as Fame reported This place of his abode he first called the Trinity but for what reason I could never learne then changing the name he called it the Comforter for which he giveth this reason because saith he after all my trouble and molestation I have found quiet and comfort here which name continues unto this very day the place being called the Abby of the Comforter and indeed there cannot but be a great deal of comfort found in the place there was so much in the Master of it and in the Doctrine which he professed for what true comfort can be expected but by or from the Comforter himself which he could not have being under-valued and un-Goded by him He enveighed bitterly in many of his writings against the Doctrine of our redemption by Christ and that Satisfaction which was made and performed by him in our place and steed openly denying it and often protesting against it declaring the death of Christ to be to no other purpose then an example of constancy and an argument to move us to lone and honour Christ so much the more who was pleased to go before us in so uncouth a way leaving us the print of his foot-steps that we by the same way might follow after to the same glory where he sits ready to receive us This opinion of his concerning the end of Christs comming into the World together with his death and passion he expresseth in his own words thus that the Lord of glory should wholly empty himself that he should become lesse then the Angels that he should vouchsafe to be borne of a Woman that be should be conversant in the World that he should become weak in himself should suffer many indinities and reproaches from others and lastly by that base and ignominious death of the crosse should passe from this vale of misery to his ancient seat of glory is for no other end but to deliver unto men by so living and teaching such a form of life as may be acceptable unto God by suffering and dying to bequeath unto them an example of love and charity which we ought to practise if need so require one towards another Sure he never attained to so much charity from this great example as to practise it in himself towards any other whatsoever he thought it better as most in the World do to sleep quietly if it were possible in a whole skin But if this be all the cause for which Christ dyed then are we yet in our sins and the Lord have mercy upon us there is lesse comfort in this then if he had given us a thump on the back with a stone Bernard in his cxc 11. Epistle giveth us this description of him when he speaketh of the Trinity saith he you would judge him to be an Arian when of grace a Pelagian when a the person of Christ a Nestorian to which we add when he speaketh of the redemption which Christ wrought and satisfaction he made for us we may well take him to be a Socinian though this kind of denomination had not then a being So that we see he was a meer composition of heresies a man made up of dangerous and Devilish opinions which he endeavoured with all the art he had to publish with all the dexterity he could to set forth for his greatest advantage namely to court others to a liking and embracing of them He set forth many books by which he sowed abroad many heresies and got many followers among which was Arnold of Brixia as chief whom Bernard calls Abailardus
and erroneous doctrines of Socinus and his followers so that they may see out of what puddles they were raked and by whom they had their first rise and publication and may not give credit any longer unto those seducers which vent them as their own The bondage of this land was lamentable under the tyranny of Anti-Christ when we were driven to eat the bread of superstition and to drink the wine of fornication or fast But God hath delivered us and confirmed our deliverance for many years together if we shall now apostate and revolt from the integrity of his seruice our latter end will be worse then our beginning Insteed of Popery we shall find errour and heresie Turcisme and Devilisme til we can only say Here was once the Church of God No surer way no speedier course for the effecting of this then to be carryed away with the desperate and damnable opinions of the Socinians whom some have thought not worthy of the name of Christians and so not fit to live among us who professe the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ We will bring the matter into further question and see what may be said concerning it whether the Socinian Religion be the Christian Religion and so Socinians true Christians yea or no Socinians above others pretend to the name of Christ and boast of it for that purpose they entitle their Catechises The Institutions of Christian religion as is manifest by those of Socinus and Ostorrodus they only will have their denomination from Christ Smalcius against Franc reasoneth thus If those which do not confesse Christ are not Christians then it must needs follow that those which do confesse Christ are Christians We both by word of mouth writings and endevour do professe Christ before the whole Christian world witness so many books that are written and so many confessions that have bin made by us saith Muscorovius another of the same train Yea we are not only Christians but the only true Christians if they may be Judges in their own cause and for that purpose they argue thus Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus is the Christ is of God But our Churches and they alone do confesse that Jesus is the Christ Therefore are they of God Seducers will say or do any thing so they may deceive Absolom what expensive bravery doth he put himselfe unto what liberal promises doth he make what courtly policie doth he use that he might seduce the hearts of the people from their due and true obedience Insomuch that the common acclamation must needs be this O courteous beauâ—eous bounteous Absolom So who can be by and hear the outside profession the seeming Christian confession which is made by these Socinians and forbear to cry out O Vertuous Pious Religious Socinian who would not take part with thee and be on thy side But O this heart of man how deceitful is it upon the weights how apt to be deceived and to deceâ—ve for do but search thâ—m sift them sound them and you shall find 't is no such matter their pure oare is but dross their sweet fruits but bitter to the tast and all this glorious boasting nothing but dissembling To stop their mouths and the mouths of all their adherents and complices we shall consider the name and appellation of Christian under this twofold Notion First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generally or improperly Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 specially or properly We do not deny the Socinians to be called Christians in the first sense that is the general or improper signification of the word for whosoever does acknowledge that Jesus is that promised Messias and that his Doctrine is only to be embraced and obeyed by us are such Christians making a difference between them and Jews who deny that the Messias is already come and Turks who professe and follow the Doctrine of Mahomet contained in their Alchoran We give them this to distinguish them from Infidels which know not Christ and from Jews which deny Christ but we cannot give them the title of Christians in that special sense in which the Scriptures use it nor may they proudly arrogate it to themselves for they are not worthy of it And this we make good by these ensuing Arguments First Because Christians are the peculiar Disciples of Christ and his Apostles Act. 11.26 But the Socinians are not the peculiar Disciples of Christ and his Apostles seeing they dissent from the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles in very many mysteries and principal foundations of the Christian faith and do their utmost endeavour by their subtilties to overthrow them Therefore the Socinians notwithstanding their glorious outside profession are not Christians Secondly There is required to the compleating and making up of a true Christian a true and lively faith or an acknowledging and sincere profession of the true faith Rom. 10.9 1 Pet. 3.15 But they whose faith and profession concerning God and Christ is not true but false erroneous and heretical are not to be accounted for true Christians But the faith and profession of the Socinians both concerning God and Christ is false and erroneous yea and heretical too as we shall shew out of the Scriptures and shall set forth to the judgment of the whole Christian world Therefore the Socinians are not to be accounted or esteemed as true Christians Thirdly They which worship any other then the only true God are not true Christians But the Socinians worship another and not the true God for they adore not neither do they worshâ—p the holy and ever blessed Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost one God in Essence in three distinct persons whom the whole Christian world doth acknowledge and adore but frame another God to themselves who is only one in person and essence who is not the eternal Father nor hath he an eternal Son of the same essence with himself and so they worship an Idol devised by themselves far different from the true God of the Christians but the true God of the Christians in whom we are baptized rhe Father Son and Holy Ghost the Holy Trinity blessed for ever they provoke and revile with horrid and most execrable blasphemies Therefore they are not true Christians Fourthly They which deny the proper Essence of Christ are not to be counted Christians For as he which denyeth the Essence of Man taketh away man so he which denyeth the proper Essence of Christ taketh away Christ and so is not truly a Christian But the Socinians deny the proper Essence of Christ because they deny the Divine Nature of Christ which is his proper Essence being Jehovah Jer. 23.6 God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 For he can no more be true God without the Divine Nature then man wâ—thout his humane nature Therefore they cannot be true Christians Fiftly he which confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh or denies that Jesus is the Christ is not truly a Christian but is to be accounted as an
3.13 expresseth himself Christ saith he hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us For it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree that the blessing of Abraham c. Which words we take as an answer to an objection occasioned from the 10. verse thus If they be accursed that continue not in all things written in the Law to do them then all men are accursed and the Gentiles are not partakers of the blessing of Abraham as is before declared To this the Apostle applyeth these words Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law that is to them that believe there is full redemption from this curse of the Law to which they were lyable Christ himself having undergone the curse for them For the more cleer illustration of this answer the Apostle gives us a description of our Redemption in these three particulars 1. The Authour Christ hath redeemed us 2. The form or manner being made a curse for us 3. The end which is two-fold 1. More generally that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles 2. More particularly that we might receive the promise of the Spirit In the first and the last the Authour and the end we all agree the difference between us lyes in the manner or form of our Redemption expressed in these words Who was made a curse for us For the better understanding whereof these four things are to be enquired after First what this curse is Secondly how Christ is said to become a curse Thirdly in what nature Christ was accursed Lasty how far forth Christ was accursed First we will enquire what this curse is Here Socinus Gitichius Ostorodius Smalcius Muscorovius Crellius with all the rest do croud in and would fain be heard But let us hear the Dialogue and we hear them all who now lispeth not but expresly useth the same Language and to the very same intent and purpose with them which is that the Apostle speaks in this Chapter of a two-fold curse of the eternal curse vers 10. of the outward temporary curse vers 13. Namely such a curse as all men do suffer that are hanged upon a Tree which curse the Apostle brings in speaking in a Rhetorical manner only thus Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law namely from the eternal curse at the very self same time when he was made not that q Christus non nostram sed aliam quandam subiit execrationem Socinus de Christo Servatore curse but a curse for us according to that in Deut. 21.23 and thus the Dialogue with them endeavoureth fictis illudere verbis with a shadow to deprive us of the substance But to deal truly and uprightly with the Reader we are to know that the Apostle in the 10. vers Speaks of the eternal or moral curse and in the 13. vers both of the eternal and ceremonial in neither of which is there any need of Rhetorick or any Rhetorical expressions What a strange imaginary or illusory curse would these men frame to themselves if they might have their own wills and make others believe our Saviour under-went When as St. Paul tells us in plain terms he was made that very curse that they had deserved which continued not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them And this doth appear by that place forecited r Deut. 21.23 Cursed even with that moral curse is every one that hangeth upon a Tree Besides this is made more evident by proving that the person hanged upon a Tree and accursed was a Type of Christ For if the type bare the ceremonial 't is then manifest that the Anti-type bare the moral that is the eternal curse If not only the curse of every one that is hanged upon a Tree be signified but also Christs redemption of us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us * Deus Ideò suscepit carnem ut maledictum carnis peccatricis abâ—lerot factus est pro nobis maledictum ut benedictio absorberet ma edictionem integritas peccatum c. Abrosius de Fuga seculi cap. 7. Maledictionem condemnationem cui obnoxii eramus assumpsit Christus ultroque in serecepit quae pati debucramus illa ipse pertulit Theodoras Abucara disput 15. c. 5. be both signified and fore-told in that place of Deuteronomie then that place hath not only a proper but a typical signification But not only the curse of every one that is hanged upon a Tree is signified and fore-told in that place Therefore that place hath not only a proper but a typical signification which typical signification being taken away namely Christs bearing the moral curse upon the Tree all the Hebrew Doctors whose judgment in other things our Dialogue doth so highly esteem and magnify are now at a non-plus to give a sufficient yea probable reason why hanging upon a Tree should so much defame or fasten this special curse upon the person hanged above all other capital sufferings whatsoever I suppose Mr. Norton in his answer to the Dialogue hath written very fully and satisfactorily to this purpose to which I referre the imparâ—iâ—l and judicious Reader that so we may proceed This curse saith Abrahamus Callovius Å¿ Nihil aliud est quà m damnatoria s ntentia de subcundis paenis peccatu debitis vel iâ—sâ— paena à sent ntiâ— legis damnaturia dependens de Satisfact Christi Pastor of the Church of Wittenberg is nothing else but the condemning sentence of the Law whereby a man is adjudged to undergo such punishment as is due to the offence committed Or else it is the very pun shment it self depending upon that condemnatory sentence of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is according to Aretius t Arâ—tius in Gal. 3.13 the due punishment of sin that is the wrath and high displeasure of God yea even eternal death due to the Elect by reason of their transgressions which he in a manner and in some kind u Quâ— ad acerbitateâ— etsi non quoad durationem Dâ— Prid. de redem may justly be said to suffer for them We come to the second namely how Christ is said to be a curse For answer He is not so by nature for he is the very natural Son of God but first by voluntary dispensation Secondly by mutual combination between the three Persons of the Deity Father Son and Holy Ghost Thirdly by manifest and apparent Ordination w 1 Pet. 1.20 and that before the foundation of the World was laid Fourthly by Divine obsignation x Iohn 6.27 Fiftly by a seasonable and timely consecration and that first by his Baptisme in which saith Mr. Perkins y Perkins on the Gal. he took upon him our guilt as we put off the same in ours and secondly by his bitter crosse and passion in which he underwent the punishment of our sin and thus
very drift and purpose of the Holy Ghost in this place of the Apostle Further more there are some and those of no small account in the Church of God who take that Article in the Creed of Christs descension into Hell to signify those Spiritual and internal passions which he suffered in his Soul out of the sense of Divine wrath hanging over him and inflicted upon him by reason of the guilt of our sins for which he was to satisfie Thus Uâ—sinus k Catechism pag 236. and Spanhemius l Summos cruciatus angustias dolores quas Christus perpossus c. de exinatione Christi pag. 274. also our own Perkins m Perkins on the Creed upon the Creed expounding that part of Hannah's song 1 Sam. 2.6 The Lord killeth and the Lord maketh alive He bringeth down to Hell and raiseth up again saith thus The Lord maketh men feel wo and misery in their Souls yea even the pangs of Hell and afterwards restoreth comfort and refreshment to them But we passe this What ever uncertainty in this point the Dialogue would fasten on us and make the World believe there is among us shall so he may gain the more credit to himself and his Socinian opinion I leave to the judgment of the indifferent Reader in the mean season let all men know that in this we all agree and this constantly and unâ—nimously affirm that Christ Jesus suffered that death and those very Soul n Ipsam poenam infornalem re ipsa tulit c. Poliander 1. concertatione torments to which the Elect were subject by reason of the curse of the Law which lay upon them For the further confirmation whereof we here propound a three-fold question First in what manner Secondly in what measure Thirdly for what time Christ suffered this death and these torments Which being resolved will not be much unlike Solomons three-fold cord not easily broken First how and in what manner Christ suffered this death and these torments Answ Our sins and we by reason of our sins being accursed hatefull and abhominable in the sight of the most pure God not beholding us in our filthinesse but with indignation towards us It pleased Jesus Christ being himself most holy by the unspeakable mercy of the Father and his own free grace and goodness taking upon him our miserable and forlorne condition and undergoing both in body and soul those torments which we should everlastingly have suffered * Christus fit pro nobis maledictio in cruce luens poenam iis debitam qui voluerunt dificri Bez. in Luc. 23. to free us from the same This I say he did freely and of his own accord for though according to the Evangelist o Mat. 26.39 there may seem some reluctancy in him yet against the Monotholites we consider in Christ a double will the one Divine the other humane in respect of his humane will he may be said under condition to eschue death and desire to be delivered from it but his Divine will was that the will of his Father and not his humane will might be accomplished which being considered he did freely and voluntarily engage himself to suffer what ever his Father in Justice would even to his wrath and indignation to satisfy the same and free the Elect from it Secondly how much and in what measure Christ suffered Answ As much in full weight and measure if we may use the terms as did counter-vail all the sins of the Elect past present and to come and what was wanting in his bodily torments to make full satisfaction to Divine Justice was supplyed and made up in his soul sufferings * Christus cum Satana cum pâ—ccatis cum morte denique horrenâ—a illa maledictione Deâ—armatis potenter luctans c. Beza in Mar. cap. 13. the sense of which both before and in the time of suffering did so much molest and trouble him Thirdly what time and how long did he suffer Answ From the very time that he began to work out the Redemption of the Elect date it when they will untill upon the crosse he cryed out consummatum est it is finished To the Jews this may be a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishness to the Dialogue and the rest of the Socinian brood absurd and ridiculous but both to Jews and Greeks with all that believe it is the mighty power wisdome and goodness Object 1 of God to Salvation But here the Dialogue c. do scoffingly object what would God deal so hardly with his own Son as not to abate him any thing of the full price of that which sinfull man should have payed Answ To which the Apostle himself hath given an answer hear we him for we cannot mend it p Rom. 8.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non pepercit he spared not his own Son but gave him up to death and what death even the cursed death of the crosse for our redemption Object 2 It is further objected that this punishment and these sufferings and that death which our Savivour Christ endured cannot he said to be eternal because they lasted but a time which being expired they were likewise finished Answ For answer whereunto we affirm that a thing may be said to be eternal two wayes q Vel ratione quid dicatis vel ratione durationis L. V. de satisfactione either in respect of the substance or in respect of the circumstance the being or continual being of a thing in the former sense Christ suffered eternal death not in the latter he suffered the essential part of those torments r Ipsissimam maledictionem in lege minacum subierit Idem which all the Elect should have suffered unto all eternity though not the circumstantial in respect of duration Besides eternal death in the phrase and dialect of the Scriptures doth not signify the perpetual dissolution of body and soul as the Socinians do understand it for so the damned themselves do not suffer eternal death Å¿ Aliud est ceterum in morte manere aliud est aeternam mortem sustinere Illud durationem hoc virtutem mortis utrumque vel de animae corporis solutione vel de cruciatibus gehennae intelligitur Cal. de Satisf pag. 466. but either in the immeasurable greatness of infernal torments or the everlasting continuance thereof The first of which is essential the other but accidental That Christ suffered This he could not ought not to undergo Could not because he is eternal life it self God blessed for ever Amen Ought not because it was his office to free us from death by conquering the power and taking away the sting thereof Lastly Christ may be said to suffer eternal death potentially if we may borrow that expression to declare our intention though not actually that is a death alwayes enduring though not by him alwayes to be endured There is this proportion between that death which we should have suffered and that which Christ did
suffer for us the one being infinite in time the other infinite in weight and measure The Son of God then truly suffered eternal death in respect of the greatness of those miseries which he endured and the sense of Gods wrath in those sufferings t Ex gravitate dolorum quos perpessus est filius Dei mortem aeternam subiit c. which he sustained Here the Dialogue by an imperfect and impertinent description of Hell torments labours to betray and beguile his over-confident and unwary Reader inferring from thence that because Christ suffered not circumstantially that is in al the circumstances of time place c. therefore he can in no sense be said to suffer any part or degree of the same as if the Devil because not alwayes in the place of torment cannot be therefore said to be tormented The New-English answer hereunto u Mr. Norton pag. 29. hath made such a breach in this Fort that every eye may sufficiently discern the weakness hereof and so put no trust to or confidence in it But yet again some may Object 3 object and say could temporal death or the suffering of the curse for so short a time counter-vail the suffering and substaining of that eternal death and destruction to which we by reason of our great impiety and Rebellion were lyable To which we give this affirmative answer Answ Yes if we do but consider that which is here worthy of our consideration namely the person that did suffer w Etsi enim temporalia tantum ac finita fuerint quae fecit ac perpissus est a persona tamen ejusmoâ—i quatis ipse fuit praestita equalis saltem meriti fuerunt ad justitiae Divinae cùm satisfactionem cùm illustrationem c. Bradshaw de Justificat For as our sin though not infinite in it self yet in respect of the object against whom it is committed the infinite Majesty of God may therefore be said to be infinite So the passion of Christ may be said to be infinite to in respect of the subject which did endure it the everlasting Son of the Father who thought it no robbery to be equall with God the least of whole sufferings for the least moment of time was more and of more esteem then if all the men in the World had suffered infinite and unspeakable torments unto all eternity Therefore the death of Christ the beloved Son of the Father both in respect of the measure of the punishment as also in respect of the worth and dignity of the person doth every way counter-vail and fully satisfie for that eternall death to which we were lyable and which we should have suffered to all eternity Object 4 Lastly it is objected could God be so angry with his own only begotten most innocent and alwayes obedient Son in whom he was for ever well pleased as to inflict so great wrath upon him Answ Answer If any where that distinction be to be used which the Dialogue would have so often remembred that is that Christ suffered as a Malefactor and as a Mediatour at one and the same time it is here though not in that sense in which the Dialogue takes it Christ is to be considered under a double notion as the Son of God and so at all times and for ever beloved of him and as our Pledge and surety and so lyable to the curse of God by reason of the guilt of our sins that lay upon him Neither is there any such contradiction in this as the Socinians dream of to say that Christ was grievously afflicted and yet highly beloved of God both a curse and a sacrifice of a sweet Savour unto his Father at one and the same time because it is not spoken in one and the same respect Christ was grievously afflicted x Afflictus execrabilis factus est Christus quae nostri locum sustinuit qui irae Dei maledictioni obnoxii eramus Calovius de satisfactione Christi and made a curse as he stood in our steed and took our place and case upon him who were our selves Children of wrath and obnoxious to the curse of God yet was he beloved of God and most dear to him in respect of his most holy and perfect obedience which he performed to all his commands likewise a sacrifice of a sweet Savour in regard of the Effect God being thereby pacified and reconciled to us So that God inflicted wrath upon him not as his only beloved Son but as our surety and one that undertook to bear the penalty for us that Gods Justice being in him fully satisfied we might be freed from that wrath which otherwise might and that justly have bin inflicted on us I suppose by this time we have sufficiently proved against the Dialogue and in him Socinus and all his followers that Christ Jesus as our Pledge and surety did suffer the wrath of God * Ira Dei peccata nostra in filio sponsore nostro vindicantis tenebrarum horrore sancitur Beza in Mar. 15. being made a curse for us yea that very curse which we should have suffered or else the Apostles Argument could not hold there being in it four terms in respect of the diversity of the signification of the word curse Hence are two things to be proved by us one that Christ suffered the curse for us to declare which we thus argue either Christ suffered the curse due to us for our sins or we suffer it our selves or the curse is not executed But we suffer it not our selves neither is the curse not executed for then the truth of the commination and Divine Justice should fail Therefore Christ suffered the curse due to us for our sins The other that he suffered that very curse to which we were lyable this is plain 1. From the Rule of interpretation rightly laid not having recourse to Tropes or Figures where there is no necessity for them 2. From the Apostles alternation we are freed from the curse of the Law Christ is made the curse of the Law for us which very variation or inversion doth evidently declare to any ordinary capacity that Christ was made the very true curse of the Law for us For the whole argument lyes thus As Christ freed us from the curse so did he suffer the curse But Christ did so free us from the curse that he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly redeemed us from the punishment and damnatory Sentence of the Law to which we were lyable Therefore he hath also so suffered the curse that he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly bin obnoxious to the punishment and damnatory Sentence of the same 3. From the quality of the curse He is made a curse the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maledictus not in respect of men only as all the Socinian party would have it but also in respect of God for so we read that place of Moses y Deut. 21.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and 15. In the begining was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God c. Moreover in the same Gospel t Joh. 5.17 and 27. where Christ doth both assert his equality with the Father as God and testify all judgment to be committed to him as man and yet further the same Evangelist u Joh. 10.30 bringeth in Christ thus expressing himself I and my Father are one where he professeth himself to be true man and yet attesteth himself to be one with the Father confer with this verse the 33. and 38. of the same Chapter St. Paul w Act. 20 â—8 adviseth those that have the charge of souls to look to them and provide well for them by feeding the flock of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud So to the Colossians x Col. 2.9 in him dwelleth all the fullness of the God-head bodily attributing and ascribing unto the Lord Jesus both a Deity and a body at one and the same time See also the Apostle in the same Epistle y Col. 1.18 and 15. where he sets him before us not only as the first born from the dead but even the first born to of every Creature One glorious description there is of him concerning which setting the rest aside we cannot chuse but speak z Heb. 1.1 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath in these last dayes spoken by his Son who being the brightness of his glory and the expresse image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high where the Apostle prefers the preaching of the new Testament before that of the old for then God spake to the Fathers by his Prophets meer men and such as were lyable to infirmities as well as others but now by his Son his only begotten Son manifested in the flesh Man true man and yet not meer man but true God also whose excellency he describes by many transcendent expressions and glorious demonstrations The fourth from plain and distinct words such as make evident and apparent the two natures of Christ by which he is proposed to our consideration both according to the flesh that is his humane and according to the Spirit which is his Divine nature To this purpose is that of the Apostle a Rom. 1.3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Christ our Lord declaring his Divine made of the seed of David expressing his humane nature both Hypostatically United in one and the same person And the same Apostle speaking of the precious priviledges of the Saints saith b Rom. 9.5 whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever conferred with that place in St. Iohn c Joh. 1.14 the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld the glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth with that to the Hebrews also d Heb. 2.14 for as much as Children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death that is the Devil The fifth from those sayings of Scripture which do maintain partly the Divine partly the humane qualities and operations in Christ which if he had not bin both true God and true Man could never have suited with him So the Wiseman doth describe him by his Divine Attributes and works e Prov. 8.22 The Lord possessed me speaking of Christ the wisdome of the Father in the beginning of his way before his works of old So the Prophet Micah f Mic. 5.2 and thou Beth-leem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Iuda yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have bin from old even from everlasting Thus also the Apostle Paul g Gal. 4.4 5. by his humane workings as he was man and by his Divine workings as he was God you have killed the Prince of Peace working peace and reconciliation both in Heaven and Earth To which purpose especially do tend these classical places describing as it were a posteriori both his Divine and humane nature united together i Joh. 3.23 ye are from beneath saith Christ I am from above k Joh. 17.5 Father glorify me with that glory which I had with thee before the World was The Apostle exhorteth the Philippians l Phil. 2.5 6. that they would have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet made himself of no account and took c. and to the Hebrews m Heb. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratione humanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratione Divinae nuturae without Father in respect of his humane without Mother in respect of his Divine nature without beginning of time or end of dayes in respect of his eternal Being and God-head The sixth from those Testimonies of Scripture which describe the Mediatorial office of Christ for seeing this office cannot be convenient for one that is a meer man by nature because it is in it self truly Divine and importeth Divine actions agreeable only to the true God such as are forgiving of sins redemption of mankind communication of righteousness and eternal Salvation it is necessary thaâ— Christ the Mediator be not only true man but true God also The chief Testimonies to confirm this are as I take it these that follow The Spirit of God speaking by Isaiah n Isa 35.4 saith behold your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you Also in the same Prophesy o Isa 43.13 14 15. before the day was I am he and there is none that can deliver out of mine hand I work and who shall let it Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer the holy one of Israel c. and yet the farther p Isa 45.21 22. I the Lord have told it and there is none beside me a just God and a Saviour there is none beside me Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else The bloud of Jesus Christ his Son saith St. Iohn q 1 Joh. 1.7 cleanseth us from all sin The last even from a supposition of one of their own and he none of the least of the Socinian worthies r Smalcius de Divinitate Christi cap. 10. pag. 49. If Christ saith he had Divine power which was proper and peculiar to him and alwayes residing in him it must necessarily follow that there must be in him not only a bare humane but also a Divine nature and his
Readers That opinion which taketh away the means by which God is revealed to be infinitely just merciful and wise making also the satisfaction of Christ and his perfect fulfilling of the Law a vain and needlesse thing is most heretical impious and blasphemons But this opinion takes away the means by which Gods Justice mercy and wisdome are revealed to be infinite makes Christs full and perfect satisfaction a vain superfluous and needlesse thing Therefore it is a most heretical impious and blasphemous opinion You will say this is a hard and a heavy charge but if I make it not plain and evident let me bear the blame among all judicious and understanding men for ever for which purpose and the better accomplishing hereof we will discend unto particulars First that which reveals God to be infinitely just is that he cannot be reconciled to men that have sinned against him and provoked his displeasure towards them without execution of his Justice * Ita offensi Patris sempiternam justiâ— am absolutissimae perfectionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miseris hominibus reconciliavit ut Deus Justitiae laudem in media misericordia non amitteret and a full satisfaction made according to the justness of his Law which he imposed on them If not by men in their own persons which is altogether impossible yet by their Mediator and Surety for them and in their behalf and so by him communicated to them and made theirs as truly and really as if they in their own persons had done fulfilled and satisfyed the same This is that means by which God is known to be infinitely just Secondly when Gods infinite Iustice was so strict that nothing could satisfy it or redeem man from the power of it but a price of infinite value laid down for him and when all the World was not able to find out such an unvaluable price or consideration Gods infinite wisdome having in her hand from all eternity for this very purpose this transcendent treasure this great and inestimable price did in due time shadowing it in the similitude of fraile and sinfull flesh deposite it for us making hereby full and real satisfaction for every one that shall by the hand of faith lay hold upon it and make a right application of it and this is that which reveals Gods infinite wisdome Thirdly in that God the Father would in this case and for this purpose give his own only begotten Son out of his bosome to be humbled in our nature to obey suffer and make full satisfaction for poor miserable men and in that the Son would willingly and of his own accord take this all this upon him to do and suffer whatsoever strict Iustice should require to condigne satisfaction and that when all this could not otherwise bring any profit or commodity to men that the holy Spirit of God should not disdain to take up his constant and continued habitation with men yea reside and dwell in them working in their hearts all grace needfull and necessary for them this is a plain and evident demonstration of Gods mercy infinite mercy manifested to those that were in the greatest misery yet all these means cleerly manifested and maintained by the Scriptures doth this wicked opinion of our Socinian Dialogue utterly overthrow if it were possible and take away leaving poor souls quite destitute of the principal means of their Salvation and therefore must needs be most heretical impious blasphemous Having thus briefly yet faithfully and fully I hope performed my undertaking I admonish all men in the fear of God as they tender his glory and the dear Salvation of their precious souls to take heed of this dangerous opinion least they be unawares deceived by it and the rather because Satan hath this advantage of us that he can transform himself into an Angel of light that thereby he may bring many into his Kingdome of darkness and many Emissaries of his are now abroad factoring in all places to enlarge that his hellish dominion clothing and triming strang Doctrines with strang words and expression an unusual dialect whereby those who are affected with novelties may be the easier allured and ensnared And therefore let every one take heed praemonitus praemunitus thou hast bin often told of these things so that I say unto thee again take heed least through thâ—â—r subtility and thine own weakness or willfulness thou be deceived to thy shame and sorrow here and thine eternal torment hereafter Fourthly concerning a sinners justification before God WE are now to have do with the great and weighty business of a sinners justification before God then which nothing is more necessary to be known or more comfortable to be believed and therefore the blessed Spirit by the Word and Ordinances doth teach every faithfull soul to believe and know that he being a sinner in himself and by sin obnoxious to eternal damnation is by the mercies of God in the merits of Christ by faith apprehended and applyed to his own soul not only freed from the guilt of his sins and the punishment due unto the same but also accepted as righteous before God in Christ and made heir of everlasting salvation This Doctrine so necessary and so full of comfort is strangly and strongly opposed by the Papists on the one side with whom our controversy is not at present by the Socinians on the other * Justificationem salutem per observantiam Legis praeceptorum Dei somniant Calovius de Socinianis Extra Christum ejusque mortem nos Salvari potuisse ideoque absolute necessariam non esse mortem Christi ad nostram justificationem affirmat Smalcius libro de satisfactione c. 10. p. 28. from whose calumnies and foul aspersions we shall endeavour to cleer it with the best abilities God hath afforded us Being then a controversy of such importance that it concerneth our very title to Heaven and everlasting happiness it is to be handled with all diligence and not without a more then ordinary invocation of the Spirit of Truth that he would lead us into all truth and guide us in setting down the same that God may have glory and poor souls may find comfort as also assist and strengthen us against all the Enemies hereof confirming and establishing us in the profession of the same For our more orderly proceeding herein we intend God willing to passe by these several steps or particulars First we shall shew what Justification is Secondly we shall declare the cause of it Thirdly we shall descend to the fruits and effects of it in some if not in the most of which we shall ever and anon have some skirmishing with the Enemy And lastly we shall conclude the whole and yet all with as much brevity as possibly we may We come to the first namely to shew the nature of Justification for the right understanding of the Word will very much help and further us that we may the better know what it is of
his standard bearer and doth much condesmne him for his opinions yet commends him for his good conversation and austerity of life utinam tà m sanae esset Doctrinae quà m districta est vitae no bad wish I assure you would to God saith he he had bin as sound in his Doctrine as he was strict in his life Epist c x c v. Cujus conversatio mel doctrina venenum whose course of life was as Honey but his Doctrine as poyson Epist cxv I. Cui caput columbae cauda Scorpionis who had the head of a dove but the taile of a Scorpion whom Brixia spewed out Rome abhorred France refused Germany abominated and Italy would not entertain This purity of life in the Scholler doth much condemn the loose and licentious conversation of the Master for without question he was it boon companion and one that loved his belly well otherwise he had not bin taken and overtaken with such libidinous crimes of which he was accused For according to the old rule sine Cerere Baccho friget Venus concupiscence waxeth could where it is not heightened with wine and pampered with lusty and lustfull meats which being as fewel abstracted the fire either goeth out of it self or is quickly extinguished But this filthy wretch it seems took not this course for giving way to his untamed lust he defloured and defiled a May'd for which he was taken and guelded in so much as that he that for al his high intendments would not make himself an Eunuch for the Kingdome of God's sake must by others be made an Eunuch for his beastly lust sake and by reason of his blasphemons heresies which he maintained and published to the subversion of many others he was by the means of Bernard and the Bishops of France condemned for an heretick himself excommunicate and his books to be openly burned in the sight of all those that would behold them It is no marvel he took him to a solitary place as one that might well be ashamed to see or to be seen by others Now these are the chief heads of that corrupt doctrine which were noted to be in this perverse and blasphemons heretick and which he being full of the Spirit of pride and errour did in disputing and by writing principally endeavour to maintain 1. That Reason was to be Judge of the Articles of faith affirming that he could comprehend within the bounds of humane reason that whole immense which is God himself 2. That the Doctrine of the blessed Trinity as the reformed Churches did believe and hold it was not to be credited For he made degrees in the Trinity he denyed the Holy Ghost to be of the essence of the Father and called it the soul of the World 3. That Original sin was nothing else but that very debt of damnation in which we were bound when we were made obnoxions to eternal punishment for the fault of our Originall that is of our first parents from whom we took our original referring it rather to the punishment for then to the guilt of sin and he gives this reason for it but what reason there is in it let any indifferent Reader judge because saith he he who could not as yet make any use of free will nor had as yet any exercise of his reason could have no transgression or negligence imputed to him 4. That Christ did not satisfie the Justice of God for our sins For after a tedeons dispute which he had against the Satisfaction of Christ he saith that Christ dyed nostro bono for our good and nostro exemplo for our example but as our surety and nostro loco in our place or nostra vice in our steed are words which neither he nor any of his followers can abide 5. That the Law conteineth not any promise of life in it and that it did consist of imperfect precepts because our blessed Saviour Matt. 5. gives a cleer and full exposition of it he publisheth likewise many figments concerning it This is the Authour and these the chief heads of those vile and direfull opinions which he maintained and though he have gone far and done much for the furtherance of this gracelesse babe which he had begotten yet there are some that come after him that are in this matter to be preferred before him both for addition hereunto and propagation hereof using such execrable and damnable expressions that are far unbeseeming the ears of a Christian but Ordine quisq suo every one in his own place and according to his own order And therefore this Abailardus challengeth the first place as the revier of the old heresies of Arius Ebion Photinus and Samosatenus with others of the like sort who out of these as also the Turkish Alcaron and Jewish Talmude patched up a new one of his own as they that came after him did revive his with their additions and augmentations also For the Devil will loose nothing by lying still for a time but makes a gain of his losse and that to his very great advantage Michael Servetus Hispanus Medicus Tarraconensis Ignibus errorurm Ecclesiam vastâsse triumphas Servaté ex meritis ignibus ipse peris THE next instrument of the Devil after him mentioned in former Histories is Michael Servetus a Spaniard of Tarracon by profession at first a Physician Honest and Honorable in respect of it self but growing weary of this a notable argument of the inconstancy or selfe conceit of the man he betook himself to the study and profession of Divinity Plato sets it down for a rule that the beginnings of all councels are in our Will but the performance in the destinies so may we make the first choise of the pitch which we mean to fly but after we begin to mount and soare above the common sight Nullum medium inter summa praecipitia there is mean or middle course between the breaking of our necks and the satisfying of our humours Thus fared it with this unhappy man For soaring a loft and having now pitcht upon the best profession became worse in it then he was before and by the just judgment of God falls upon those tookes by which he was ruined A the black fly called the Beetle passing over all thy pleasant and fragrant flowers of choice and comely garden doth light upon an heap of dung So this man passing by the many glorious truths of Divinity in the study and practise of which he might have found much comfort pitcheth upon such contagious errours and such damnable heresies the pursuite and publishing of which could effect no lesse then the destruction both of body and soul Thus men overborne with the strength of a self conceit are so precipitated and drawn on with the swindge of an unruly fancy that leaving the beaten road and more usual way of truth they run into by-pathes of errour and so at length lose both their judgment and their faith so that then no way comes amisse to them how foul or
beastly soever it be Servetus being now a Divine in repute but a Devil in practise raketh up and reviveth many wicked and desperate opinions among the rest that damnable heresie against the blessed Trinity in which he was so deeply rooted that he left no stone unturned whither by preaching or writing to overthrow the Article of the Christian faith concerning the same invading it with many execrable blasphemies thereby endeavouring to corrupt the faith of others and divert them from the the truth The fire of dissention which had some time now laine raked up in the embers of oblivion began to break out again and to flame about the eares of the Churches in those parts which for the present was somewhat smothered but could never be wholly quenched unto this day For this Factor for Hell being taken had deserved punishment inflicted on him being publickly burnt at Geneva to the example of all those that were seduced by him But this fact was heynously token of those that were his friends and adversaries to Calvin who to work him a spIght did publish it abroad for truth that that slaughter as they called it was long before plotted and contrived by him and at last cruelty effected by his only means when as indeed the Councel of Geneva did nothing in the busines without the judgment and approbation of the Senates of Bernen Zuring Basil and Schaffuse the advise also of many Cities and Churches of Christ being required and received How ever these friends of his and adversaries of the truth have censured the fact and opened their mouths wide to condemne it yet other un-by assed men of as great ability and more integrity then they have highly approved of it Melancthon in his Epâ—stle to Bullenger writeth thus concerning it I have read saith he your answers to the blasphemies of Servetus and I Commonly your piety and judgment Also I suppose the Senate of Geneva hath done wâ—ll and performed a noble act in taking away that obstinate wretch who was resolved never to cease blaspheming so long as he had here a being But I wonder that any should accuse them of severity in inflicting just vengeance on a person guilty of so much impiety Also famous Rivet Alexander More Jacob Trigland with divers others do commend the zeale of that Senate in this very matter Yet farther to cleer Calvin from this false imputation that it was not his malice but Servetus just desert that brought him to that shameful and painful end may evidently appear by that great endeavour which he used to reduce this blasphemous monster to a better mind but when he saw it would not do nor any gentle and fair perswasions prevaile with him he sought to mitigate the rigour as he then thought of that Sentence which was past upon him And sure there was something more then ordinary in it that he who was alwayes severe towards other offenders of a far lower form should be so courteous and gentle towards such a monster of mankind so blasphemous an heretick and such a disturber of the peace both of Church and Common-weal as he declared himself to be He wrote some books but so stuft with impiety and detestable blasphemy that they are not without danger and horrour to be received and read among us Beza writing to Andrew Dudithius of whom we shall speak hereafter doth thus expostulate with him Who hath bewitched thee my dear Brother that thou shouldest take so desperate a course and be led away by such damnable opinions what hath Servetus that Arch-heretick done it Who maketh the very substance of God to be mutable and teacheth that he is part of all things who denies the eternity of the Son of God and taketh away the Hypostatical Union of the two natures in him who gain saies the substance and Divinity of the blessed Spirit of God who often terms obstupui steteranque comae c. I tremble to rehearse it the Father Son and Holy Ghost the three-headed Cerberus of Hell who affirmeth the Soul to be mortal calling Moses a ridiculous Imposter the Ancient Church of the Jews an heard of Swine maintaining Cata-baptisme denying redemption by Christ and thirty years and more hath never ceased to blaspheme the living God What wilt thou be ruled and over-ruled bâ— such an one as he Can any Christian say yet some there are that do affirm that he was burnt for Religion aâ—d not raâ—her for his horrible impiety and execrable blasphemy By the good opinion which they had of this man his piety and holiness they would fain make a Martyr of him but it will be but a stinking one when all his done Well neither better nor worse burnt he is but indeed too late who if it had bin the good pleasure of God I would had never bâ—n borne to poyson the Church and seduce so many poor Souls from the truth with his pestoferous and damnable Doctrines Calvin then whom no man was more diligent in the perusal of his blasphemous writings which he published and commended to his seduced Disciples in the confutation hereof doth testifie that in more thâ—n an 100 several places he impiously calls the Holy and ever blessed Trinity the three headed Cerberus a Diabolical phansie the monstrous Geryon of whom the Poets of old had strang fictions and by some strang mysterie of Philosâ—â—hy they feigned to have three bodies Good God! what pains did this man take to out-doe all the hereticks that went before him and to un-doe both himself and all those who by his strang delusious should follow after him or be led by him But what shall we say negamus potius horâ—emus vocem Errours that are so insolent are to be exploded not diâ—puted to be spit at rather then conâ—râ—u'd Confutatâ—on bears no rule no sway here it is Authority that must do it And therefore the State did well to rid the Church of such a violent enemy to the truth of her profession Melanchion wrote an excellent and pithy admonition to the States of Venice wherein he adviseth them to take special heed and beware of the blaspâ—mous errours and heresies of Servetus which to omit those which he had drawn out of the works of others are briefly these 1. He denied and opposed the eternity of the Son of God affirming that he might be the Son of the eternal God but not the eternal Son of God 2. He denied the power of Original sin that we are not lyable to it nor to be punished for it with divers others of the same kind Thus this wretched Man having consulted with Jews Turks with all manner of Hereticks his Predecessours was taken with their heresies and justly punished for them Valentinus Gentilis Campanus Csentinus Gentili falso nulli impietate secundo Supplicie capitis digna ruina fuit THE Church of God having by those excellent instruments of Gods glory the Senators of Geneva rid her hands of blasphemous Servetus could not rid her self of those blasphemies which were
way of digression a little for satisfaction to others and confutation of this audacious Arian who dares thus undervalue the Lord of Glory might we have leave to strip one heretick to clothe another put on this what Tertullian did on Marcion we should quickly and quietly discover the truth Quid dimidiâ—s mendacio ChristuÌ„ Why doest thou thus peece-meal a Deity and half God as it werâ— the Son of the Almighâ—y Totus veritas he is the Spirit of truth and Oracle oâ— his Father the brightness of his glory in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge by whom God made the World So the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. stiles Christ the power and wisdome of God If the Son of God be the power and wisdome of God and that God was never without power and wisdome how can wee scant the Son of a co-eternity with the Father For either we must grant that there was alwayes a Son or that God had somtimes no wisdome which this Socinian in the height of his madness will be loath to affirm Ego pater unum sumus saith Christ Joh. 10. I and the Father are one uâ—um to shew he was the same thing in respect of essence and to manifest a consent both in power and eternity I often find that those of the shallowest capacities are ever most prone to dive into the deepest mysteries but I know not the reason unlesse to verifie the Proverb There 's none so bold as blind Bayard In sacred matters the most nimble Criticisms are as obnoxious to desperateness as danger to be curious here is to be quaintly mad and thus to thrust as these poor sneaks presume into the bed Chamber of the Almighty is a frantick sawciness who can unlock those coffers of omnipotency but he that breaks in peeces the gates of brass and cuts in sunder the bars of Iron Who those Cabinets of abstrufâ—r knowledge but he that gives thee the treasure of darkness and hidden riches of secret places How can our low built apprehensiâ—ns but flagg in the expression of those hidden mysteries which have transported Prophets and Apostles with wonderful admiration yet some wil venture to untwist them though to their own wrong and the confusion both of themâ—elves and others So this Davidis never dispuâ—ing but about such questions as were â—ar better to be let alâ—ne then to trouble and stagger many thousands by the starting of them He disputed much concerning this matter with Socinus who had alwayes a party of that company with whom he was ready to counter-porse him and those that stood on his side of whom was Simoâ— Budnaeus Christianus Francken and divers others There is extant an Epistle of Socinus to him wherein he answers him to those arguments by which he endeavoured to prove from that place of John 20.28 where Thomas cryes out my Lord and my God that Christ was not there called God but he had better have taken a Wolf by the ears Besides a fragment of a more smooth and placide stile being an answer to the writing of Franciscus Davidis concerning praying to or calling upon Christ in our needs and necessities remaineth among the works of Socinus where also are some of his nice and needlesse questions with the others answers thereunto He published divers Theses by which may be easily discovered what a dangerous and desperate heretick he was we find them in order thus 1. That invocation being a part of Divine worship is not any where found in Scripture to be attributed unto Christ 2. That if Christ at any time confer Grace and Peace it is so to be understood as that he shews the way and means to attain them and not that he truly and effectually confers them on us 3. That if we read in Scripture of any power ascribed unto Christ it is no otherwise to be understood then of that power which he shall assume hereafter when he shall be constituted Judge both of the quick and dead and is not to be interpreted of or applyed to any present power which he exerciseth or doth execute 4. That Christ when he was on earth was careful of his Church but being departed hence he hath committed and commended that care to the Father who shall exercise the same till the appointed time 5. That wheresoever we find any thing in Scripture concerning the Goverment of Christ and the care which he taketh of the Church it is either to be referred to the power of the ministry or is to relat to the time to come 6. That it is contrary to the truth of the Holy Scriptures that Christ can hear our prayers and knows our works 7. That when the word Saviour is appropriated to Christ it signifies that he shews us the way which leadeth to salvation and doth truly and carefully instruct us therein 8. That if we worship God in Christ we may as well worship the Sun the Moon and the Stars and so all Idolaters are hereby excused who pretend they worship God in their images 9. That that is a truth which is in the Turkish Alcaron concerning Christ that he is not able to help and succour those who bestow Divine worship on him with such others Horresco referens What a strange Gospel is here What monstrous positions are these What Devil could more bâ—aspheme the Lord of life and glory God blessed for ever Amen then this wretched caitiff hath done Whoâ—e ears do not tingle and whose hayr not stand an end to heâ—r these horrid and execrable blasphemies But opinion once seeded in errour shoots out into heresies and after some growth of time into blasphemy So that men once entred are still going on a malo ad pejuâ— â—rom bad to worâ—e till sudden destruction seize upon them and stop their course These hell-hatcht Doctrines were opposed by Socinus himself but he that hath but half an eye may discerne that he had a mind to let the matter coole in his hands For there is neither that solidity nor integrity manifested in it which was fitting and requisite for so great and weighâ—y a business And indeed how could iâ— be otherwise Could any imagine that he could with a good stomack confute thoâ—e opinions â—n another wâ—ich he was known to justify in himselfe For though they seemed to be different in some yet were they linked last tâ—gether in many of the same opinions eâ—pecially concerning the person of Christ which did much weaken if not quite overthrow the true and proper ground of giving Divine adoration to him If Christ be inferiour to his Father as â—ocinus â—eld It is ranck idolatry to give him the same worship which we give to the Father as Davidis held I cannot better compare them then to Sampsons foxes whose heads may be different but I am sure their tailes meet and with those firebrands which are between them do set the whole Church of God in an open combustion Is this the way think you to convert the Jews to