Sheol by the Septuagint translated Hades except by way of prophecy concerning Christ cannot signifie the place of the damned from whence there is no returning but onely extreame dangers griefe or hellish sorrowes of mind or such sicknesses as brought the body in danger of the grave To these words especially in the three last significations 2. Of the state of the Dead 3 Of the Place and 4. Paines of the damned the words Inferi and Infernus in Latin doe answere But hell with us is proper to the place of torment and doth not signifie any thing else but by a trope and is not of Heal as I thinke which sometime signifies to cover much lesse of Helle the Dutch word as much as bright or shining but of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hel a deepe ditch or trench as the word is used 2 Sam. 20.15 They cast up a banke against the City and it stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bahel in the trench And hee that thinkes not that the Saxon our true language hath many things common with the Hebrew knowes neither the one nor the other as hee might § 2. Sect. 2 Now according to these takings of the words different interpretations have beene made of this Article of which because so much hath already beene written among our selues I may and purpose to be more briefe But because some formes of confession have left this Article out therefore it hath growne questionable whether it was alwayes in this Creed of the Apostles or not Of the Apostles I say or Apostolicall men their hearers gathered as the summe of the Apostles doctrine concerning the Faith And true it is that as it cannot be said by whom where or when this Creed was first composed as being the most ancient in this kind the rest being onely explications of some points herein made upon occasions of heresies or doubts thereabout So doe some men certainely affirme that all the other Articles were not put together at once Yet is it without doubt that this Article is as ancient as the rest that are found in the Creed seeing the most ancient among the Fathers Athanasius Origen Tertullian Irenaeus and others have so received and declared it And therefore that fancy of Eraesmus who suspected that Thomas Aquinas might foy'st it in was farre below both the one and the other seeing it is confest by Ruffinus who lived within the first 400. yeeres after Christ to have beene in the Creed used in the Church of Aquileia and so by him interpreted with the rest But although the Councell at Nice in Bithinia left it out of their Creed because their speciall businesse was against Arius concerning the Deitie of our Saviour and although the Arians in their Councell at Nice in Thracia put it in their Creed nay although Aquinas had first put it in were it therefore fit to leave it out or not to count it an Article of Faith as some would doe I thinke not seeing the holy Scripture gives authority to it Psalm 16.10 referred to Christ by the exposition of Saint Peter Actes 2.27 seeing all the Christian Churches have receiued it and seeing that according to the true and necessary meaning thereof there is no Article of the Creed which doth more clearely and directly overthrow the heresies of Arius and the Dimaeritae concerning the humane soule of Christ of which you read Chapter 26. Note a § 2. 1. Now concerning the different interpretations Some according to the first meaning of Sheol and Hades for the Grave thinke that Christ was truely buried and kept in the Grave three dayes and that this Article had no other meaning but a further declaration of Dead and Buried against the opinion of Marcion Valentin and such other heretickes as denyed the trueth of Christs being and His suffering as you heard before Note a on Chap. 27. 2. Others would that beyond the death and buriall it should impart a disposing of His body to corruption But if their meaning therein be this That the body of our Lord was laid in the grave where corruption doth seaze on the bodies of other men then this blind descent can looke no further then His buriall or if it must needs meane any thing more then would they force us by this Article to beleeve and confesse that which by the Scripture we know to be false For it was impossible that the holy One of God should either see corruption or be brought to any degree or disposition thereunto beyond the death and buriall of His body See Acts 2.24 27. 3. Some other by this descent of Christ will understand the uttermost degree of His humiliation that could come unto Him while His Soule was parted from the Body His honour laid in the dust the devill and his instruments triumphing over Him But the Creed was not framed to teach us the triumph and ioy of His enemies but His victory and their confusion And concerning our Lord Himselfe this goes no further then either of the former interpretations except in that sence which you shall heare anon Therefore none of these can be the meaning of this Article For in the abridgement or summe of our Faith interpretations are not fit especially such as are more darke than that to which they should give light Therefore this Article Hee descended into hell cannot in any of the former meanings be a declaration of that Hee was dead and buryed 4. A fourth interpretation is of them who thinke the descent of Christ meanes thus much onely That His soule being departed out of His body went unto the soules of the faithfull which were in Paradise which they interpret heaven But seeing heaven being taken not metaphorically for Ioy and happinesse but properly for a place must in all sence signifie that which is upward from the earth It must needes bee a very aukward interpretation of He descended into hell to say He ascended or went upward into heaven yet because this interpretation brings both reason and authoritie it shall bee examined by and by 5. A fift interpretation is of them who will have this descent to signifie nothing else but the endurance of those unspeakable sorrowes and torments which He suffered in soule being in His agony and on the crosse 6. A sixt sence is of them who hold that Hee did locally goe downe to hell so that according to the essence or being of His soule He was truely present there And as the former of these denie not but that Christ by His death did utterly spoile the powers of darknesse and so may be said virtually and by the effects of His suffering to have gone downe into hell because that by the eternall offering of Himselfe a ransome for the sinnes of the world and the performance thereof in the time appointed He did utterly free all His beleevers from Hell which was their due and setled them in the inheritance of eternall life so these latter for the most part denie not but that all this
Theol loc 48. quesi 60. c. But in summe against these or any other heresies which may rise against the trueth of this Article take the authorities of the holy Scripture Psalm 24.7 c. Psal 47.5 and 68.18 The place and circumstances of His ascension are remembred Mark 16.18 Luke 24.50 Act. 1.9 Reade hereto Ephes 4.8 1 Tim. 3.16 Hebr. 4.14 and 9.24 And that the naturall property of Christs humane body being now glorified is not destroyed so that is may be every where as the God-head is take these authorities of the holy Seripture First it is said of Him after His resurrection Matth. Mark Luk. He is risen He is not here And Act. 1.10 While they looked up stedfastly as Hewent which must not be by disappearing but by leaving of one place and passage to another and againe vers 11. This IESVS which is taken from you into Heaven therefore not bodily with them still as He saith Iohn 16.7 It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send Him to you And therefore it is said Act. 3.21 That the Heavens must containe Him untill the time that all things bee restored And this is spoken of His body neither can it be true of His Deity and if His body be contained in heaven how can it become a piece of bread or in a piece of bread on earth You will say if Christ were last of all seene of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.8 how was Hee still contained in the heauens for His conversion was after the ascension I Answere Even as Saint Paul saw in a vision a man named Ananias comming unto Him whom otherwise he saw not till afterward Act. 9.12 and yet the sight by vision from God is a most certaine and true sight Or if it were so that He were indeed in His body taken up into the third heaven as he makes it questionable 2. Cor. 12.2 so might he see as he professeth of himselfe in your understanding CHAP. XXXI ⧠And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty THe great antiquitie of this Creed appearing to be even from the time of the Apostles brought some writers into an opinion that the twelue Apostle before their departure from Ierusalem to preach unto the Gentiles gave out this forme of confession of the faith to bee acknowledged of every Convert before they might bee baptized and appointed that all interpretation of Scripture should be made according to the rule of it as they will understand that text in Rom. 12.16 And some will yet bee more particular herein that every Apostle brought in that Article which he thought fit to be beleeved Yea and for a need they will tell you which Article every Apostle made and so have of necessitie limitted the Articles to the number of twelve But the Scripture admits no other rule of Interpretation than it selfe And so I confesse that the Creed may be a rule in as much as it hath the foundation in the Holy Scripture As Saint Augustine saith lib. 3. de Symb. ad Catech. Chapter 1. Deus in ecclesia regulam c. God would have one perpetuall rule to be in the Church which should be simple briefe and such as every one might easily understand according to which the godly mighty examine all doctrine and interpretation of the Scripture to receive that which is agreeable thereunto and to refuse that which is contrary And although for your satisfaction therein I have followed the fashion for the number of Articles as you may see yet it cannot be denied but that if you take every several conclusion for an Article there are in all 17. or 18 at least fifteene severall Articles of which this of our Lords sitting at the right hand of God will be one although in that number of 12. it goe as a part of the Article before Hee ascended into heaven But this is not a thing of any great importance And therefore let us rather looke to the certainty thereof for that is necessary for us to know and beleeve But it may be demanded why in the Creed such a Metaphor should be used as might endanger younglings and novices to thinke with the Anthropomorphites that the invisible God is like to man with hands and bodily parts To which wee may answere that the Christians I speake not of wilfull hereticks were not so ill instructed but that they knew right well how to discerne betweene Christ and a Vine Iohn 15. betweene a figurative and a proper speech And therefore the Fathers in the Church the Author or Authors of this Creed having a jealous care of the trueth of God doubted not to propose it in the words of God Himselfe Therefore seeing this part of Christs glory is so prophesied to bee fulfilled Psal 110. cited Heb. 1.13 The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole it is so to be retained in the Article of our Creed And although it bee a borrowed speech yet seeing it is so taken into use by our Lord Himselfe and by the Pen-men of the New-Testament it is by all meanes most fit so to hold it For so our Lord speakes Matth. 26.64 and Luke 22.69 Hereafter shall you see the Sonne of man sit on the right hand of the Power of God So Col. 3.1 Christ sitteth above at the right hand of God So Hebr. 1.3 and 10.12 and 12.2 with many other Scriptures to the like purpose The word To sit signifies either to tarry or continue as in Luk. 22.49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit that is abide or stay in the Citie of Ierusalem or else it signifies to raigne as in Esay 16.5 The Throne shall be established and Hee shall sit upon it in trueth So the right hand of God signifies either power as Act. 2.33 Hee being by the right hand that is the power of God exalted or else it signifies happinesse and joy eternall as it is said Psal 16. and 11. verse At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And although some Interpreters make the meaning of this Article that Christ as God hath equall glory and power with the Father yet all these Articles from the second to the eight shew what wee are to beleeve of our Mediatour concerning His man-hood And as our Saviour in the state of His humiliation was for the greater scorne and contempt crucified betweene the two malefactors one on the right hand the other on the left So in this glory of His opposed thereto He is set on the right hand of the Majestie on high the principalities and powers being subjected unto Him 1. Pet. 3.22 So then the meaning of this Article is not onely that Christ in our nature confide caro sits at the right hand of God in heaven but also as Hee speaketh Matth. 28.18 that All power is given unto Him both in Heauen and in earth Vnto
second Temple built by a small band of poore captives in all but fortie two thousand three hundred sixtie beside their servants a wretched number of seven thousand three hundred thirtie seven and that in a desolate countrey amidst so many enemies that hindred their building was like to bee in comparison of Salomons every man may easily conjecture And therefore this Prophet saith Chap. 2 3. That this new built house in comparison of the former was nothing as you may further see Ez. 2.12 13. Was this house then more excellent in respect of the ornament or priviledges God promises by his prophet Chap. 1. v. 8. that he would take pleasure in it and that hee would be glorified Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ecabd by the want of the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in number signifieth five and in sence would be translated I will glorifie it is supposed by the Rabins to intend the want of five things in this latter Temple which were in the former First the Ark with the covering and Cherubims secondly the fire from heaven thirdly Shecinah or the Divine presence manifested in the oracle Levit. 16.2 Numb 7.89 1. King 6.5 Fourthly the holy Ghost which spake not by any Prophet after this Darius in whose dayes the Temple was built fifthly the Vrim and Thummim And this many of our learned doe embrace as you may reade every where but Pet. Galat. lib. 4. Chap. 9. cites the booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yoma or of dayes interpreting the five things to be First the Arke as before secondly the pot of Manna thirdly the oyle of anointing fourthly the rod of Aaron fiftly the box with the offering of the Phlistines by the side of the Arke But the author of that booke was too carelesse as it is apparent 1 King 8.9 2 Chron. 5.10 where it is directly affirmed that nothing was in the Arke but onely the two tables of the Law And is it likely that the offering of the heathen should bee brought into the most holy place before Christ had entred thereinto But howsoever seeing by all confession it appeareth that this house was not to bee compared with that of Salomon either in outward beautie or in riches or in outward holinesse being so often and grievously profaned by Heliodorus the agent of Seleucus then by his brother Epiphanes who set the image of Iupiter in the Temple of God and enforced the Iewes to forsake their Religion after by Pompey by Crassus and others or in the other high and heavenly ornaments and priveleges the glory thereof must needs consist in this that the Lord of glory the Messiah and Saviour of the world would glorifie that Temple with his presence and in that Temple preach peace with God by his owne satisfaction for the sinnes of the world You may reade hereto Ioh. 8.12 to the end and chap. 10.23 to 40. and 18.20 And thus the substance being more excellent than the shadowes and Christ by his suffering having finished the ceremoniall Law in the time while this house did stand according to this prophecie it is necessarie that this Iesus be the promised Messiah seeing this house stood but fourtie yeeres the time of repentance and no more after the death of our Lord. e Haggai 2.7.8 Yet one little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth the Sea and the dry land And I will move all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts Marsilius Ficinus de Rel. Christ cap. 27. interprets this place too slackly according to the letter onely understanding by the shaking of the heavens that Starre which conducted the wisemen at the birth of Christ and a supposed Ecclips at his death The Evangelists tell us of a darkenesse over all that land but no author of sufficient credit avowes any Ecclipse of the Sunne in the full Moone when * See praef Iac. Christ in Cat. Palaest pag. 21. the Passeover was kept by the shaking of the earth he understands that earthquake at the suffering of Christ and another mentioned by Iosephus Hitherto also he brings the taxing of all the Roman provinces by Augustus Luke 2. and the rebellion of Iudas of Galilee mentioned Acts 5.37 By the moving of the Sea hee meanes the miracle spoken of Mar. 4.35 and Iohn 6.16 to 22. when by his word our Lord commanded the winds and seas and they obeyed him And if this interpretation had rested with Ficinus by profession a Physician by sect a Platonick I had said nothing but seeing other profest Divines and they not of the least account doe follow him herein as Crocius aforesaid I thought it fit to cleare this text rather by that interpretation which the Apostle makes hereof Heb. 12.26 27. which is directly to this purpose for which I cite it where by the shaking is signified the removing of those things that are shaken that they which are not shaken may remaine Now the whole drift of that Epistle is to prove that the Law had but the shadowes of things to come but the body was Christ Therefore by the heaven understand the Ecclesiasticall estate of the Iewes as it was ordered under the Law and at Christs suffering utterly finished for the Law made nothing perfect but was onely the bringing in of a better hope Heb. 7.19 and Chap 8. all By the earth understand the civill policie which was likewise so shaken by the Romans that they had not power to put any man to death Iohn 18.31 And after by Adrian were they utterly scattered from being a people These things then being thus shaken and by the shaking removed the sacrifice of Christ and his kingdome must remaine that he may be yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13.8 that is before the Law and under the Law and after the Law the onely Mediatour betweene God and man And as it was with the Iewes so likewise the inhabitants of the Islands of the Sea and of the maine land were to bee shaken that they might forsake their service of dumbe idoles to serve the living God Acts 14.15 1. Cor. 12.2 that so our Lord might bee the desire and joy of all nations and the Scripture fulfilled which saith Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not breake forth in joy thou that travellest not for the desolate Church of the Gentiles hath many moe children than shee the Synagogue of the Iewes that had the husband Esay 54.1 For he came unto his owne but his owne received him not Iohn 1.11 And therefore was hee made a light unto the Gentiles unto the uttermost ends of the earth Esay 49.6 Acts 13.46.47 that is to us even to us of this Island utterly removed from all the world beside Glory be to thee O Lord most high f Gen. 49.5 6. Simeon and Levi brethren their swords are the instruments of violence Into their secret let not my soule enter Let
a new life in another must also die I know that some both of the Fathers and Schoole-men are cited of a contrary opinion but our learned King Damenob lib. 3. cap. 3. vpon reasons in nature unanswereable hath shewed the impossibilitie of this generation to which I will adde one reason out of the Holy Scripture Wee are commanded by God Exod. 20. Ephe. 6. to honour our Fathers and Mothers Now if Merlin for instance or the Nation of the Hungars were begotten by devills then by that commandement were they also charged to honour the devill which as no man under paine of Hell-fire may doe so were it a damnable sinne for any man to thinke that God hath commanded it And yet this fancy would take strength from Genes 6.2 4. where the sonnes of God which Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 70. will have to bee Angels accompanied with women and so by that transgression of kynds Gyants were bred See hereto Tertull de virg velandis But those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephelim Gyants or man-quellers who prized themselves by their violence and cruelty were not so called in respect of their stature for they are after called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibborim men of courage or strength as every valiant or strong man is titled But the sonnes of God or as our Lord calls them The sonnes of the kingdome that is which held the hope of Christ to come yet not living according to that hope but following their owne lust and joyning in marriage with Infidells and Atheists neglecting the bringing up of their children in obedience and vertue it must needs bee that they must become gracelesse and fierce and so for their crueltie brought the flood vpon themselves And this is that wretched and wicked state whereto the world especially this little world of ours is againe returned and cries to heaven for that second baptisme of the fire c Necessary that the conception should be by the Holy-Ghost You see by these two reasons one taken from the humanity of Christ the other from His Divinitie that it was necessary that our Mediator in both respects should bee conceived of the Holy-Ghost They that have little time to thinke on naturall Philosophies need some helpe to vnderstand the difference of generation and conception And let us not bee afraid to speake of the workes of God to His honour according to trueth and modestie Generation or begetting is actively in the Parents for the female is also an agent in respect of the feminine seed which shee affords generation passively is in that which is begotten Conception is an action or passion concurrent or necessary to generation For although the seed on both sides bee afforded yet if it bee weake and vnfit for generation as in lustfull persons or if it bee not retained and duely nourished in the wombe there can bee no conception Therefore in this wonderfull generation of our Saviour whereby he was made a naturall man by naturall causes as farre as they were incorrupted there was also a conception necessary The conception actively was in the Holy-Ghost who prepared and fitted first the minde of the Virgin for if her actions or sufferings herein had not beene voluntary they had no way beene availeable unto her selfe for eternall life then her body with all the powers and parts thereof that shee might conceive that is both afford retaine and nourish that blessed tabernacle of Him that would dwell in us The conception passively was either dispositive whereby the body of the Virgin was so fitted to conceive or finall whereby that which was conceived was perfected in every degree according to all the naturall causes necessary thereto And because the Goly-Ghost was the chiefe agent or worker in all this therefore is the conception properly attributed unto Him d The conception was not by man That poore and base conceit of Ebion Cerinthus and their followers unworthy of that soule which should presume to thinke on God or His glorious workes you reade before Chap. 24. § 4 5 6 7. where it is sufficiently refuted and their reasons answered and before that you might see it strangled by all the reasons of the 22. Chapter CHAP. XXVI Borne of the Virgin Mary SO the Infinite Wisedome and Love of God delighted in man that there is no kind of perfection possible to the creature which hee hath not either manifested or promised unto him To frame and fashion the body of Adam out of the earth with His owne hands to breath into him an immortall soule was a wonderfull work and one alone Out of that virgin man to take a rib and thereof to make a woman was a worke no lesse wonderfull and one alone The ordinary propagation of man-kind is the third way for increase because Hee that was the Lord of all kindes here below should not be inferiour unto them in the possibility of bringing foorth his like But that fourth and last way of mans generation was that which out of the side of the virgin woman brought out that man which should restore and give perfection to all the rest More excellent than the third which from corrupted and sinfull parents multiplies more corrupted and sinfull children more powerfull then the second which out of the more perfect sex brought out that which was lesse perfect more glorious and availeable to us then the first which raised Adam out of dust For by this God himselfe to become one of us tooke that which was ours that he might give unto us that which was His. And for the cleere proofe of this Article a That our Lord Christ was borne of a Virgin 1. Let this be one ground which the holy Virgin her selfe did stand upon Luke 1.34 That without the society of man it is a thing in nature utterly impossible that any generation of mankind can be Secondly That which is impossible to nature because the power whereby nature doth worke is a limited power and in the perfect kinds of things according to one rule is yet possible to God Luke 1.37 Thirdly That the workes of God Himselfe the author of Nature are more noble excellent and perfect then those of nature Whereupon it will follow reasonably that sith our Saviour could be borne of a virgin if He would it was covenient so to be but He could as it appeares by that which is said and also would for so He declared it by His Prophet Esay 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne Therefore our Lord was borne of a virgin 2. All the fulnes of perfection ought to be in Him who was to restore man to that perfection which he had lost Therefore as Christ our Saviour had a Father in heaven without a mother being begotten of the substance of His father by an unconceiveable and most glorious generation So ought He in earth without a father to have a mother without any taint or spot a Virgin 3. And seeing the Incarnation or Conception and Birth of the GOD
He had not died a most shamefull death Therefore it was expedient that He should so die 8. Full and perfect obedience is due from man-kind unto the Creator and especially from that Man of men their Prince and Captaine who ought to be an example unto them of all those vertues whereby they ought to glorifie His Father Therefore that faithfull men might willingly die for the love and service of God it was necessary that our Lord should give the example See 1. Peter 2.21 4. and Buried 1. IT is said that death is the uttermost or last of evills And that wee might by all arguments bee assured of His death by whose suffering of death wee are ransomed from the power of death it was necessary that after His death our Lord should bee buried Seeing that by His buriall we are assured not only that He was truely dead but also that during the time of His buriall He was held under the power of death 2. The greatest triumph cannot bee ascribed but to the greatest victory manifest and knowne The greatest victory is over the greatest enemy Death and him that had the power of death the Devill And that Christ might be acknowledged to have risen againe and so to have triumphed over death it was necessary that after His death He should be buried Seeing many persons in Apoplexies Plagues Singer in his drunkennesse so after hanging drowning falls and other both inward sicknesses and outward violences have been supposed to have beene dead which yet have returned to life againe But after buriall for so long time no man ever returned to life but by a power that was divine Therefore that our Lord might truely be acknowledged to have risen from the dead and so to have triumphed over Death it was necessary first that Hee should be buried 3. That blessed Spirit which knew from the beginning what should come to passe at the last who fore-saw the malice of the Priests and Scribes and knew their hardnesse of heart to beleeve all that was spoken by the Prophets that the resurrection of Christ might be most manifest before-hand decreed and spake Esay 53.9 That Hee should make His grave with the rich in His death Therefore was He not onely buried in fine linnen and perfumes of Ioseph our Apostle and Nicodemus but also by the plot of the High-Priests was He made sure in His grave the great stone which shut it up being firmely fastened in the Rocke See Lamentations 3. verse 9.53 into which the Grave was hewed with c cramps of Iron sodered into Both and surely guarded with a strong watch that both His Death His Buriall and His Resurrection might bee witnessed even by His very enemies Matth. 28.11 Notes a 1. HEe was pleased to be borne man The errours of Simon Valentin and Apelles which you had before Note a on the 26. Chapter though directly they oppose the truth of the former article yet have I refer'd the refutation of them to this place because they also take away the merit of Christs passion from us wherein alone our hope consists But seeing that Simon in his Heresie sided with the Iewes against whom I haue disputed in the 24. Chapter and besides them had not many followers though after him it were recalled from hell by one Proclus an obscure fellow Aug. heres cap. 60. Seeing no reasons are or can be brought either by Simon or by the Iewes to prooue the assertion the onely authority of S. Iohn is able utterly to strangle this whelpe See then Chap. 1.4 The Word was made flesh And 1. Ep. Chap. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard and seene and lookedon and our hands have handled c. And againe Chap. 4. Every spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 2. The doctrine of Valentin is refuted at large by Irenaus lib. 3. cap. 11. 32. And that by the manifest authority of S. Paul Gal. 4.4 where it is said That Christ was made of a woman So also by Tertullian in his Booke De carne Christi The Evangelists Matthew and Luke describe His humane generation Besides His manly Passions approove Him to have had the true holy of a man as to be Hungry Thirsty Weary to Sweat to Weepe c. Moreover if He had not suffered in the true and very Body of man His suffering for us had been of none effect for the ransome of our bodies Their Arguments you may see more at large in the Bookes cited But Epiphanius Haer. 1. layes not this Heresie to the charge of Valentin as the Authors forenamed And S. Aug. haer oap 12. but rather puts it to Marcion Haer. 42. who taught that the Incarnation of Christ was not in deed but onely in shew whom he refutes only by those Scriptures which Marcion allowed of as the Gospel of S. Luke which Marcion received except that which concernes the Genealogie of Christ and certaine Epistles of Saint Paul For all the Olde Testament and the rest of the New lie rejected But in these Scriptures Christ calleth Himselfe the Sonne of man Hee was thronged by the multitude He lift up His eyes He prayed on His knees His feet were anointed He slept on the sea He is made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 So that if David had a true manly body then also the body of Christ was a true manly body He gave up the ghost His lifelesse body was taken from the Crosse wrapped in Linnen and Buried After His Resurrection also He said Handle me and see mee for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have Luke 24.39 And these Texts out of those Scriptures only are sufficient to reproove the falshood of these Hereticks And for full satisfaction heerein you may take the interpretation of Tho. Aqu. cont gent. l. 4. c. 30. to those Texts of Scripture whence Valentin might seeme to have taken occasion or his Heresie First it is said Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but Hee that came downe from heaven the Sonne of man which is in heaven Answer This comming downe from heaven cannot bee meant of His body or of His soule because of that which followes The Sonne of man which is in heaven for it is proper onely to the Godhead to fill both heaven and earth Ier. 23.24 Therefore as God is said to have come downe from heaven not properly but in respect of His dwelling in the Manhood So is the Sonne of man also said to be in heaven not properly but in respect of the unity of His humanity with the Godhead According to this sence Hee said also Iohn 6.38 I came downe from heaven to doe the will of Him that sent me as you read before Note g § 10. ob 9. on Chap. 24. Another Text which may seeme to make for Valentin is 1. Cor. 15.47 The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord
the just indignation of God against sinne and to manifest the trueth of that word Cursed is the earth for thy sake Yet to the soule being separate and so without the helpe of the sences and imagination by the light which God hath given to it able by it selfe to see what the possibilities of the whole creature are every place is a Paradse while it considers the infinite goodnesse and power of God in the creature as well in that which is deprived of the effects thereof as in that wherein His goodnesse is still effectuall For as there be three estates of mans being This of the Warriour in this life That after death of the Conquerour And the third after the resurrection of the Triumpher So likewise are there three meanes and degrees of His knowledge One in this life wherein wee know nothing but by our sences from whence the imagination or fantasie that Hevah the mother of all living carries unto reason her Adam all the species or formes of things which shee gathers from the sences For nothing lives in the understanding but by the power of the fantasie which because it is false fickle and will of it selfe without reason be working upon every object as the appetite is mooved thereby therefore the reason following the fantasie is deceived and not constant and so it comes to passe that wee know few things according to the trueth which is in them But in that second estate of man when the body returnes to the earth and his sences and consequently his fantasie doth utterly perish Psalm 146.4 Then the soule looking on the creature with its owne eyes sees the wonderfull blessing and goodnesse whereof man had beene made partaker in the right use of the creature if he had not lost the knowledge thereof by his sinne and returnes to the Author thereof that praise that is due to Him therefore and acknowledges that state wherein hee lives out of the proper habitation to bee the reward of sinne yet because it doth evermore enjoy the comforts of God in a certaine knowledge and some present feeling of those joyes whereof it shall be fully partaker hereafter in the perfection of the whole man and sees that this separation is but a preparation for a further perfection in that immortall being which is to come it hath thereby as it were a seisure and delivery of those heavenly joyes which it had here onely in assurance of hope though till the third state it hath not the full possession And although the soule of the wicked man views indeed the creature and knowes now the losse of that blessing which it might have had in the right use thereof yet because it hath no hope in the life to come all that knowledge which it hath is but to see further the wretchednesse of it selfe and for a foretaste of that bitter cup of wrath which it must drinke even to the dregs And this foretaste is able to make all the creature hell unto the miserable soule as the joyes and assurance of heaven make all places Paradise to the faithfull For the devill was not therefore happy because hee was in heaven Iob 1.6 and 1 Kings 22.22 nor therefore miserable because hee was thrust out Reuel 12.9 for not the place but the holy Spirit of comfort onely which never leaves the faithfull soule Iohn 14.16 gives heauenly happinesse as that soule which is destitute thereof hath hell in it selfe and must needs be in hell wheresoever it is Now as it is most certaine that there is such a meane state betweene this of mortality and that of glory so is it most reasonable to thinke that this is the imployment of the soule at least for a time before it bee raised up with the body in glory For seeing man was therefore set in the creature and therefore indued with a reasonable soule that he might in the creature behold the Wisedome and goodnesse of God and to His praise bee happy in the right use thereof It was necessary that He should know the creature and the possibilities thereof which knowledge having by his sinne debarred himselfe of he could not use the creature aright and so became mortall Yet seeing it is impossible that the sinne of man should frustrate theend of God but that He should be glorified by man whom He hath purposed so exceedingly to glorifie therefore in that second estate wherein the soule is better fitted to know as the Angels by intuition or view of the creature onely shall that be effected Moreover seeing our Lord ascended not to heaven before His soule was joyned againe to the body and that it may not reasonably bee thought that the seruant in his greatest basenesse and lowest estate should have preeminence before his Lord nor yet that the soule that most active part of man should be idle what can the soule and understanding bee busied about but onely in the enquirie of that trueth and wisedome which God hath manifested in the creature But whether this inquest shall be immediately after the soules departure from the body or at the time of restitution of which Saint Peter speakes Act. 3.20 I cannot define But although for the trueth and quietnesse sake with them that would instantly be in heaven I denied not an immediate passage into heaven for the faithfull since Christ yet seeing most of the sonnes of Adam must come into this middle state I see not why any man should withdraw himselfe from that taske whereby he ought to give honour unto his Creator Objection 1. Obiect 1 But by this you put a possibilitie of those illusisions of the devill appearing as the ghosts of the dead and justifie that poeticall fiction of Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. that they of the golden-age became all Angels and in ayrie bodies lived every where on the earth seeing all the good and ill deedes of men I answere All things are not therefore false because A Poet affirms them but that which he speakes out of the light of nature is certainely true and this what waight soever it hath swayes on my side But for the upholding of those old-wives fables of the walking of the spirits of the dead there is no feare For being dead they must keep the law of the dead and not live to us that are dead to them for when they are gone from hence they are no more seene Psal 39.13 Thus much it was necessary to speake concerning the meanes of the soules knowledge while it is in the state of separation from the body The third manner and degree of the soules knowledge by comprehension in the morning vision is when the whole man glorified shall see the true being of all things in Him that is the cause of all For then shall it know as it is knowne as you may see 1. Cor. 13.12 But this kind of knowledge belongs nothing to the question that is in hand 4. The other kind of descent which is in state or
the joyes also of the blessed are increased by the superexcellent beauty and pleasures of that place of their abode And because our Lord is blessed and holy above all that are blessed and holy therefore it is necessary that He should ascend into heaven 6. If Christ after His resurrection had not ascended into heaven then could no other creature bee blessed in heaven by His merit So the place of perfect blisse should be without inhabitants and therefore created in vaine So God should want that praise which were due to Him for His mercy and goodnesse shewed to the creature But these things are impossible Therefore the holy Angels and Saints are blessed in heaven and Christ our Lord their King among them See Iohn 14.2 3. and Ephes 2.6 7. If Christ our Lord had not ascended into heaven yea so that His ascension might be witnessed both by men and Angels Actes 1.10 11. then could not we which beleeve in Him have full assurance of those heavenly joyes that are laid up in store for us 1. So the Christian faith were all in vaine and we still subject to the punishment of our sinnes 2. So His Conception Birth Miracles Sufferings Death and Resurrection heretofore prooved should have beene in vaine So His owne preaching and of His messengers 4. So the prophecies of the Scriptures which were before concerning Him even since the world began should bee without their trueth 5. So the faith and hope of them which confesse the most glorious things of God concerning His goodnesse and mercy toward His creature which faith they have in Him being taught by Him out of his word and by the successe of all things that have come to passe accordingly should be frustrate But all these things are impossible And therefore God is gone up on high in triumph and our Lord with the sound of the trumpet all the holy Angels and the spirits and soules of the faithfull joying therein all the troopes of the heavens and the heavens of heavens attending His comming and submitting themselues to Him their Lord and King Open your heads ô yee gates and be yee set ope yee everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Who is this King of glory The LORD of hostes mighty in battell euen our Lord IESVS who by the warres of His suffering and death on the Crosse and by the conquest of His resurrection hath overcome the powers of Hell He is the King of Glory Amen Notes a THerefore He ascended into Heaven This Article hath beene gainesayed by the heretickes diversly Cerinthus said That because Iesus was man onely conceived and borne as other men Hee was not yet risen but should rise at last Aug. de haer cap. 8. And thus by consequence he denied that our Lord ascended into heaven But this Iew both by nation and opinion is refuted before in all by the proofe of those Articles which he denied And because he brought nothing for the proofe of his opinions but onely opinion let them all vanish at the authority of the holy Scripture as mist before the Sunne Carpocrates as he had beene taught by Saturnilus said that the soule was onely saved Epiph haeres 23. So that the soule of Christ onely after it was freed from the body ascended to the Father Epiph heres 27. Against this heresie you may set the reasons and authorities of the Chapter before and them that follow in the Article of the resurrection of the body Chap. 38. The errour of Apelles you read before Note a on Chap. 26. § 1. N. 3. his reasons and their refutation you have Note a on Chapter 27. N. 3. The Seleucians confesse that Christ when He ascended tooke with Him His manly body and carryed it as high as the Sunne but there He put it off and left it there But Saint Paul affirmes that He ascended farre aboue all heavens that is all the visible heavens either of planets or starres yet they brought their reason out of the 19. Psalm vers 4. He hath set His tabernacle in the Sun So the vulgar translation of the Latines hath it from the Greeke and so all the Greeke copies reade it except that of Aquila who according to the Hebrew hath it thus In them the heavens He set a tabernacle for the Sunne and this helpes the Seleucians nothing But the errour which hath swayed most against this Article and which with their sacriledge if they could see it hath now defaced their Church is that of the Vbiquitaries who because they beleeve that very substance of the body and blood of Christ is received with the Bread and Wine they are compell'd to say That His naturall body may be in many and consequently in all places at once as His God-head is And therefore that this ascensin of Christ must be nothing else but a disappearance out of the earth or a vanishing from the sight of men For the ground of their opinion they urge the word of our Lord This is my body This is my blood but they deny not the Bread and Wine to continue still which if it be true then the sence of the words must bee In this or with this Bread and Wine is my body and blood But the words beare no such meaning but prove much rather that transubstantiation or change of the Bread and Wine into the body and blood of Christ which the Papists would But this opinion of the Papists were to denie Christ to have taken flesh of the Virgin Mary and so to have beene made of the seed of David at least in part of His bodily being when His body and blood should be made of bread and wine I but it is said Matth. 28.20 I am with you unto the end of the world Answere Not by His bodily being but by His continuall providence and the graces of His Holy Spirit as Saint Augustine saith Corpus suum intulit Coelo majestatem non abstulit mundo Tract 50. in Ioh. But the Centurists cite also the auctorities of the Fathers for their consubstantiation as of Iust Martyr in Tryph. of Tertullian against Marcion but corruptly and falsly and of Origen but a forged one Cent. 3. cap. 10. They bring also reason for say they If the Divine and humane natures in Christ be united personally then it is necessary that where the one nature is there must also be the other But the two nature are so united Ergo. Answere The consequence of the proposition is not good where one of the natures is finite the other Infinite as Saint Augustine saith God and man are one Person and both together are one Christ every where as He is God but as He is man in heaven Ep'la ad Dardanum But this question is by many handled at large and if you desire further satisfaction See the Catechisme of Vrsinus a Booke I thinke common and the question is there briefly handled See Doctor Willet Synopsis Pap. Contr. 13. Part. 1. See also Bucan Inst
Him I say is all power given to raigne and to order the state of the world not onely as the sonne of God which He did and doth eternally with the Father and the Holy-Ghost Pro. 18.15 but as He is the Son of man Iohn 5.27 as Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 15.28 He that was raised from the dead must reigne till Hee hath put all His enemies under His feete This glory of Christ is thus declared Ephe. 1.20 c. God having raised Him from the dead hath set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places farre above all principalitie and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feete and hath given Him to bee the head over all things unto his Church The manifestation therefore of this glory in the humanitie and the exercise of this power is in the discharge and execution of those offices and dignities which He hath received of the Father to bee the King the Priest and Prophet unto His Church He then as King doth order the affaires of the world sometime restraining the power of Tyrants and Persecutors of His trueth sometimes suffering their rage to grow on high yet arming the hearts of His seruants and subjects with courage and constancy against their fury that it may appeare that He raignes in the hearts of men and turneth them whithersoever He will Otherwhile againe giving Kings and Queenes to bee nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto His Church that trueth may flourish in the earth as Righteousnesse hath looked downe from Heaven And concerning His Priesthood this is the summe that wee have such an High-Priest Who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majestie of heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us to offer up our Prayers to pleade our cause before the infinite Iustice and thereunto to present what Himselfe hath done and suffered in our behalfe Heb. 8.1 and 9.24 and of these two that is His Kingdome and His Priest-hood Saint Peter speaketh Actes 2.36 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this Iesus both Lord and Christ. The office of His prophesie is in this that as before His appearance in the flesh Hee by His Holy Spirit instructed the Prophets so after that when Hee ascended on high He gave gifts unto men some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephe. 4.11.12 And hereunto belong all those meanes which he hath made subservient hereunto by His Holy Spirit stirring up the hearts of Kings and Princes and other noble benefactors for the establishment and maintenance of Vniversities or Schooles of the Prophets But as the great rivers are nothing else but the gathering together of waters from many smaller fountaines and gilz so the particular Schooles founded by charitable and well-minded men such as the most vertuous Iohn Colet Deane of Paules and founder of that Schoole was are the perpetuall supplies without which the Vniversities could not be furnished either with Prophets or with Prophets sonnes And therefore for these also doth our Lord now sitting at the right hand of the Father by His Holy Spirit furnish men with the gift of tongues and their interpretation And therefore you my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing that an account must be made for whatsoever wee have received either of gifts or maintenance hereunto And although besides our endlesse paines wee endure the inconveniences of these ill and dissolute times the idlenesse and dulnesse of many untoward and grace-lesse children the folly of some more wicked and unthankfull parents though our imployment bee disesteemed yet seeing the hope of the time to come is in our paines let us for that duety which wee owe to Christ that love which wee beare to His Church and our Countrey endeavour the faithfull discharge of our trust and remember that our reward is laid up in heaven Now see the reasons of the conclusion 1. It is justice that the lowest degree of humility and abasement for obedience sake unto the will of God should bee rewarded with the greatest glory and honour that may be done unto the creature But it hath appeared heretofore that our Lord Christ for His obedience sake to the will of His Father became subject to poverty that we might be rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Hee endured stripes that we might bee healed 1. Pet. 2.24 That He suffered shame and death it selfe for our offence See hereto Chap. 27. Therefore Christ is set at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven This is the argument of Saint Paul himselfe Hebr. 12. vers 2. Christ for the joy that was set before Him endured the Crosse despised the shame and sate downe at the right hand of the throne of God This is that argument whereby our Lord strengthened Himselfe against death Iohn 13.32 If God be glorified in the Sonne of man God shall also glorifie Him in Himselfe 2. To the most noble and worthy person the most noble dignities and excellencies doe belong But the person of our Mediator according to His God-head hath equall glory and honour with the Father and the Holy-Ghost Therefore to Him it belongs also as man to sit at the right hand of the Father a because of His union with the God-head For although in His God-head He could not suffer nor die yet because His God-head was clouded in His humanity the whole Person was truely said to bee both humbled and exalted And as by that humiliation and offering of His body and blood Hee made a full satisfaction to the infinite justice for the sinne of His people So did Hee merit and purchase both to Himselfe and to His chosen all that honour and happinesse which either the one or the other can bee capeable of And therefore in His humanity to sit at the right hand of God 3. It is necessary that He sit at the right hand of power that is have the superexcellency of all power in Himselfe by whom the perfection and happinesse of the creature is to be wrought and by whom the greatest aduersary to God and to the happinesse of the creature must be subdued But it is manifest that our happinesse is to be perfected onely by Christ our Saviour and that the workes of the devill our aduersary are to be destroyed onely by Him 1. Iohn 3.8 Therefore it is necessary that He sit at the right hand of the power in heaven 4. It is beseeming and necessary that Hee should have b some preeminence above mankind by whom all joy and blessednesse was procured unto mankind in as much as that blessednesse belongs properly unto Him that purcha'ste it but to him for whom it was purcha'ste it belongs onely by grace and participation But the resurrection of the body and
should bee incarnate when there is not one word in the Holy Scripture whereupon they may ground any such Article of their faith 2. Beside this that which they affirme is utterly impossible For nothing is possible to be in the Trinitie which brings in any confusion or disorder But if the Holy-Ghost should be incarnate then should there not be one Sonne of God incarnate but two sonnes but that were confusion and no way necessary and therefore not possible Compare herewith Chap. 12. Reason 1. and the Reasons of the Chap. 23. 3. Moreover the workes of the Holy-Ghost are the workes of a most pure Spirit whereto a humane body can no way give any furtherance as to renew the mind by Repentance to give faith to teach and comfort the soule to make it love that which is good to hate that which is ill and the like All which and whatsoever else the Holy Spirit doth worke it worketh onely spiritually Therefore it is necessary or meet that the Holy-Ghost should take on Him the body of man 4. That argument which Epiphanius Haer. 66. used against Manes in particular may serve in generall against all the rest If Manues saith he were that Holy-Ghost whom the Lord promised to His disciples then that promise had beene in vaine seeing that this heresie of Manes was not heard of till 247. after the suffering of Christ who also performed that gift of the Holy-Ghost within tenne dayes after His ascension Neither was that heresie of Montanus heard of till about 140. yeeres after Christs ascension And whereas the disciples were commanded not to depart from Ierusalem but to waite there for the promise that was to be fulfilled not many dayes after This heresie of Simon was not broached will after the disciples were scattered from Ierusalem by reason of the persecution that arose about Stephen as some write in the sixt yeere after the suffering of Christ Concerning Melchizedek it is manifest that he was a Priest of the most high God so was not the Holy-Ghost For He onely beares witnesse unto the faithfull soule of Christs eternall Priest-hood The madnesse of Mahumed you shall finde Chap. 34. § 5. N. 8. § 2. Sect. 2 Thus the doubt concerning those persons who were pretended to be the Holy-Ghost being answered it followes next to examine those errours that have been about His being Among these the chiefe was that of Arius who taught that the Son was the first and chiefe creature made by the Father of that which was not And that the Holy-Ghost was a creature of this creature But because the great question with Arius was about the Sonne this heresie is imputed to Macedonius a light fellow fit for his trade which they call the Feathermakers From that he became a Priest and after the Bishop of Constantinople Of him some write that he held the heresie of Arius whole othersome that he held the true faith concerning the Father and the Sonne but erred concerning the Holy-Ghost For some write that he held that the Holy-Ghost was not a Person subsisting in Himselfe but that the Deity of the Father and the Sonne was that which we call the Holy-Ghost Other write that his heresie was this That the Holy-Ghost was the minister of God in the creature or a certaine power created of God in every creature because it is said in Amos 4.13 That God createth the Spirit where although it be manifest by that which goeth before Hee hath formed the mountaines that it is spoken of the mind Yet that adulterate Synod at Lampsacus from thence justified that errour of Macedonius that the Holy-Ghost was a creature For this heresie his followers were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fighters against the Holy Spirit And although others were before him in this heresie as the Originists the Arians and Semiarians yet because he was a savage and a fierce man to them that thought not with him therefore this opinion became as it were his peculiar His arguments were onely such as Arius used and therefore answered as they that were brought by him against the Deity of the Sonne as 1. from that in Iohn 17.3 The Father is acknowledged the onely true God Answere 1. I have heretofore said that by the name of Father all the Persons of the Trinitie are understood and to this Father that onely Mediator betweene God and man the Man Iesus Christ confesseth in this place of Saint Iohn See 1. Tim. 2 3 4 5. and Eph. 4.6 Answere 2. Moreover Saint Paul saith Ephe. 3.14 15. That of the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the whole familie in heaven and earth is named So our Saviour heere to take away the opinion of moe gods than one acknowledgeth that God His Father is that eternall Fountaine from which both the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost doth proceede as I have said before but yet seeing the being of the Father is most simple and one that which doth proceede essentially from that simple and pure being of His must necessarily be all one and the same with Him And therefore both the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost must needes bee God 2. Objection All things were made by Him Iohn 1.3 Therefore the Holy-Ghost also was made by Christ and so as the Arians speake Hee is a creature of a creature Answere Those words All things are interpreted by that which followes without Him was not any thing made which was made For if those words All things should be taken in that sence as the Hereticks urge them it should follow that both the Father also and the Sonne Himselfe were made by Himselfe which are things impossible 3. Objection He that receives of another is inferior to Him of whom he doth receive But the Holy-Ghost doth receive of Christ to shew unto His Church Therefore He is inferiour unto Christ and consequently a creature Answere The proposition is false For great Princes receive Presents of their subjects Lords of their Tenants Masters of their Scholars who account it a favour and an honour done unto them that their offers are accepted Moreover that taking of the Holy-Ghost from the Father and the Sonne spoken of in that text of Iohn 16.14 is not of grace but by nature neither is it any other thing than this That as the Father from all eternity had decreed to reconcile the world unto Himselfe by the death of His Sonne and that the Sonne accordingly performed this in due time by His death upon the Crosse So the Father and the Sonne by that Holy Spirit which proceedeth from them both doth sauctifie the hearts of the elect and assure them that this reconciliation with all the fruits and effects thereof was for their eternall comfort and salvation For that peculiar manner of subsistence in the Divine nature which He taketh from the Father and the Sonne whereby it is most necessarily concluded that He is God is not heere spoken of 4. Objection The Holy-Ghost is no where called God in the Scripture
so different kinds it must follow that there is not onely an infinite subordination of causes but also that there be infinite subordinations of causes of kinds infinitely different according to the different effects brought forth But this is impossible for the causes being ordained for the effect and the effect being the end of those causes that which is finite should be more noble and excellent than that which is infinite Thirdly if there be a subordination of causes infinitely of which one is moved orderly by another it must needs follow that there is no moving and consequently no causing at all for every cause being moued by that which is before or above it if there be no first cause given there can be no moving But it is apparent that in infinitie of causes there can be no first nor last and so there should be no moving nor no immediate cause of the effect Therefore there is one cause of all whith is infinite and eternall 3 If God be not eternall then either the world was a beginning unto it selfe or else it was eternally and so shall continue eternally But neither was the world a beginning unto it selfe as is proved Cap. 1 Re. 1. neither is the world eternall as shall be proved Cap. 13. Therefore God is eternall 4. And this truth of Gods everlasting being the holy Scripture teacheth every where as Gen. 21.33 And Abraham called on the name of the everlasting God Exod. 15.18 The Lord shall reigne for ever and ever Deut. 32.40 I live for ever Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made thou art God from everlasting to everlasting So Psal 41.13 106.48 and Rev. 11.17 We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty which art which wast and which art to come Psal 145.13 Thy kingdome is of all eternity and thy dominion in every generation Notes a HAth power to continue infinitely the Schoolemen say Thom. contra Gentes lib. 1. cap 16. and often elsewhere Quod potest esse potest etiam non esse which you may construe That which hath power to be hath also power not to be or that which may be may also not be which seemes directly to crosse this argument But you must understand the Doctor there to speake of a thing which is in the power of being whereto it hath not yet attayned as a kernell is in power to become a tree in which the power of being is passive importing a privation of the being to come But in this place power to be meanes an actuall power not privative but positive whereby the thing which hath the power shewes by the actions the power which it hath as of the understanding to applie it selfe to this or that The passive power can no way be in God The second is a power of absolute perfection without which he could not be God b Impossible necessarily See the rule of this consequence Logono Cap. 18. n. 7. Cap. 26. n. 1. c Infinite causes Re. 2. That which is infinite in power may worke in a time finite not that which is infinite in number onely which is here meant That God is Infinite CHAP. III. INfinitie cannot here be meant of multitude for the more that multitude is increased in any kind the more the dignities of one are abated Neither yet can this infinitie be of quantitie for infinity cannot be in quantity no more than eternity can be in time a Neither is God a body which onely is capable of quantity yet is not infinity of extension denyed in as much as he fils all places infinitely beyond all place as the Prophet Esay speaks Chap. 40.12 That he measures the waters in his fist and the heavens in his span Neither is God infinite privatively in regard of any defect or want of being because he hath the complement of all perfections in himselfe But he is infinite negatively because there is no limit or bound to be set to his being to his perfection or superabundance in goodnesse wisdome power truth and glorie The reasons are these 1. Whatsoever is supersupreme or highest in all degrees of perfection must needs be infinite because there is nothing above it which may limit or restraine it But such is the being of God above which it is confessed that nothing can be thought more excellent Therefore God is infinite 2. Being taken absolutely that is simply by it selfe without any limitation must needs be infinite because infinite things by infinite meanes may be partakers thereof But such is the being of God that is absolute and simple for neither is his being from another as the cause thereof seeing he is eternall neither yet in another as a forme in the matter for so something should be more excellent than he as every totall is more excellent than any part thereof or as the accident in the subject for so something should be before him and also be more worthy than he as every subject in regard of the accidents Neither yet is he for any other as the end thereof for as all things are from him and by him as the first cause so are they for him as for their first and chiefest end and secondly for themselves to finde themselves happy in him as farre as they are capable as the Apostle concludes Rom. 11.36 Of him through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Therefore God is infinite 3. If the being of God be not actually infinite then should it be inferiour to the possibilities of the creature for mans understanding though actually finite yet admits the possibility of an infinite actuall being as was shewed in space and in numbers Chap. 1. Re. 6. But it is impossible that the being of God should be inferiour to those possibilities which the creature can reasonably give unto him for so the activitie of the understanding should be created in vaine if there were no being actually infinite to be apprehended thereby So also the effect that is the understanding should be extended beyond the being of the cause that is God if it could conceiue any excellency of being goodnesse wisdome c. greater than his Therefore it is necessarie that God be infinite You may see more Reasons Chap. 10. and there also the ground of this discourse 4. The authorities of Scripture are these Psal 143.3 Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible Psal 93.3 The Lord is a great God a great king above all Gods Psal 104.1 O Lord my God thou art exceeding great thou art clothed with majestie and honour Note a God is not a body pref The proofe of this see in the ninth chapter That God is infinitely good CHAP. IIII. THings in their being are the object of our understanding that we may know the truth of their being and therein is the understanding perfected But things as farre as they are good are the object of our
produced nor yet Holy Ghosts as not proceeding then should they bee most idle and defective in the first principle of all Being and therefore not necessary and therefore not possible 2. The same number must be to the Persons of the deitie which is to the termes or perfections of the divine dignities for otherwise the perfections of the dignities and the Persons of the Deity could not bee consubstantiall and the same as hath beene shewed But the perfections of the dignities are three essentially For in that which is essentially wisdome or understanding as we have proved that God is c. 8. the action of understanding is an essentiall meane betweene that which doth understand and that which is understood and these three termes are one understanding and one understanding hath these three essentially Therefore in God there is unity of essence and that substantiall and likewise a Trinity of Persons and yet substantiall that the termes may differ infinitely from accident confusion contrariety But if the Trinity be in the Deity substantially it is impossible there should bee moe or fewer Persons therein than three 3. If in the Godhead there bee but one infinite Agent whose Action is likewise one infinite Action like himselfe then it must needs bee that the object of this action be also infinite and one But it hath beene proved that God this agent of whom I speake is onely one chap. 8. and that his action is infinite and one chap. 10. For if it were not infinite it could not bee one nor in Him One if not infinite Neither yet can the action be infinite if the object be finite nor one if the objects be many And beyond these it is impossible to assigne any limit or terme necessary to action nor yet can action bee without any of these as you may understand by this insuing induction Therefore in the Deity the Persons are three onely and no moe 4. The power and propriety of all inferiour causes depends onely on the highest and first cause of all And all effects are the true images of their causes And no action can bee perfect but in the number of three For the perfection of every action is in the Agent the obiect and the action thereabout and these are onely three So the termes of motion from whence whereto and the middle terme between them are onely three a Therefore the divine Persons are three and no moe 5. The whole being of a beginning must needs be most perfectly in that which is the first and chiefe beginning of all beginnings so as that it cannot receive a Beginning from another nor yet bee a beginning to it selfe so can it not bee worthy the name of a beginning if it be not a beginning to another Being coessentiall and like it selfe But in the perfect being of a beginning taken actively and passively there must bee three termes and no moe that is a Beginner a Being begun and an action of Beginning Therefore there be three Persons in the Deity and no moe And this is that which is said Eph. 4.6 There is one God and Father of all and Ioh. 1.18 The onely Begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father hath declared Him unto us And againe Eph. 4.4 There is one Body one Spirit one Lord c. And yet more cleerely 1 Ioh. 5.7 There are three which beare Record in Heaven the Father the word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Notes a Therefore the Divine Persons are three and no moe Reason 4. Against this conclusion it is urged out of Andr. Osiander by Murschell the declamer of whom I spake before cap. 1. note c. That if the Father by the view and understanding of Himselfe doth bring forth a Person like Himselfe then the Sonne also and Holy Ghost by view of Themselves shall bring forth severall Persons like themselves and so there shall be a multiplication of Persons infinity or if these two Persons doe not bring forth Persons like themselves it must needes follow either that they are destitute of the power of understanding or that the understanding of the Father is more noble and powerfull than theirs But this is impossible For so the consubstantiality of the Persons should bee taken away And this objection in their opinion is like those great Stones wherewith Ioshua shut up the five Kings in the Cave But I say rather like that feale of the Iewes on the tombe of Christ whereby they thought to have shut up the Lord of life among the dead But thus is Hee wounded in the house of his friends For you may not thinke that hereby they prepare to Iustifie the Tritheites or any other Hereticks but onely to set reason against reason and to shew how inconvenient the use of reason is in matiers of Faith But before I goe any further I would aske a question or two of these opposers Is not the Sonne begotten of the Father you dare not denie it It is the word of the Scripture 1 Ioh. 5.1 Is Hee not consubstantiall with the Father you dare not deny it For the Father and Hee are one Ioh. 10.30 If then Goodnesse Infinity eternity almightinesse wisdome c. be the very being of God as hath beene proved is it not necessary that these excellencies bee active in that divine generation for how otherwise can He be the Image of his Father Heb. 1. And if so wherein have Raimund Melancthon Scaliger Keckerman or other learned men offended that they should bee so set at nought by a Phrase-gatherer But I smell the Fox they can sophisticate authority of Scripture of Fathers of Councels for their Consubstantiation the maine point of their private opinion But by no meanes can they tell how to make it stand with reason therfore that their consubstantiation might be a matter of Faith would they so fain make a divorce between faith reason If this were not the very cause so great a Clearke as Osiander seeing his reason was contrary to his faith if he could not have answered it should have studied thereunto lest it might turne the unstable from the Faith But what if wilfully he would not know had he read nothing of Tho. Aquinas This Thomas proposes this same doubt and answers it in his first booke on the Master of Sent. Dist 7. q. 3. c. 4. where he makes the objection thus All the power which is in the Father is also in the Sonne therefore also the power of begetting To which hee answers that the word Power doth fignifie either the simple essence of power and so it is in all the Persons one and the same or the order thereof to some determinate Act and so the same power is in the Father and the Son but in the Father to beget and not to be begotten in the Sonne to be begotten and not to beget and this is the reall distinction of their Persons So that the objection is onely from that fallacy of the
that word was made flesh that is tooke on him the whole nature of man body and soule and dwelt among us and we saw on the holy mount Mat. 17.2 c. 2 Pet. 1.18 the glory thereof that is of that flesh or man as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of the Father And againe Col. 1.16 By him that is the Sonne were all things created which are in heaven and which are in earth things visible and invisible all things were created by him and for him and in him all things consist 1 Cor. 8.6 There is one God the Father of whom were all things and we by him Eph. 3.9 God hath created all things by Iesus Christ And Heb. 1. v. 1.2 God hath spoken unto us in these last dayes by his Sonne whom He hath made heire of all things by whom also he made the worlds By all which texts it is cleere which S. Paul hath Rom. 11.36 of him through him and for Him are all things That is that God the deliverer which should come out of Sion vers 26. And thus have these Apostles explained that which is written Gen. 1.1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth which word in the whole body of the old Testament as wisemen have observed is almost never spoken but of the Person of the Mediator onely I suppose then that it is plaine enough which is spoken by our Lord Iohn 5. v. 19. The Sonne can doe nothing of Himselfe save what he seeth the Father doe for whatsoever things He doth the same things doth the Sonne in like manner That is whatsoever the eternall Godhead ordeined in his everlasting Counsell and decree to bee done that same doth the Sonne execute and performe in the creature answerably and brings forth every thing in time according to the possibilities and opportunities of the creature For as the wiseman saith Ecclus. 18.1 He that liveth for ever made all things together or at once So the Psalmist as also the other Scriptures tels us by whom and in whom Psal 104.24 In wisdome hast thou made them all that is in our Creator and Saviour So then it being cleered by the text of the holy Scripture that the creation of the world was of God the Father in Christ by Christ and for Christ it will easily follow how necessary it was that He our creator by His eternall Spirit should offer himselfe to God for the sin of his creature as it will further appeare when I come to that article Notes a EVery tenne thousand yeares You may reade the position in Aug. de Haer. cap. 43. and the refutation thereof in his 20.21.22 bookes de civit Dei But the Cabalists for the renewing of this lower world put seven thousand yeares and no more for the restoring of the whole creature both heavenly and earthly they put fifty thousand yeares You may read the opinion and partly see their reasons in Leo Hebr. de Amore. pag. 500. c. b The world is not eternall The most famoused opinions that have beene concerning the worlds eternity are these One that which the Christian faith doth hold according to the truth of the holy oracles of God and the voice of Reason as you have heard and to this truth the Stoicks are said to haue consented The second opinion is that of Plato and his followers who held that the world had a beginning in time but of an eternall matier and that the continuance thereof should bee eternall For seeing generation and corruption is onely by the change of formes the matier still remaining one therefore they thought that as that forme which is purely without matier was incorruptible and eternall So likewise must matier bee which of it owne nature is utterly without forme And because matier is greedy of all formes how differing or contrary soever Therefore it is ever subject to change Neither is the heaven it selfe utterly freed from all power of Change because of that matier whereof it is in which the power of Change is ever hidde Therefore the world is not eternall in respect of any power in it selfe either to the production of formes or the continuance of it selfe under the same formes but first in respect of the vnformed matier and most of all in respect of that Spirit or life whereby it is guided and ordered as by the internall causes and in respect of the divine will and goodnesse as the outward principle and the end which will as it cannot repent to have done good in giving being unto the world and the things therein contained so can it not will contrary to it selfe and cease to doe good in the continuance of the creature in that being which it hath You may reade more to his purpose in Plot. Ennead 2. lib. 1. and his commentator Marsilius Ficinus The third opinion is that of Aristotle that the world was eternall and from God as an eternall effect of an eternall cause For because it seemed to him impossible and if you looke no higher than nature alone it is indeed impossible that any thing being can come out of nothing therefore matier must needs be eternall and therewith generation and corruption without which nothing is brought forth And because these two could not be thought to be without the moving of the heavens as the cause thereof therefore both the heavenly bodies and motion especially circular must be also eternall and herewith time which is measured by the motion of the heavens But what this eternall matier should bee the Philosophers went into divers opinions Heraclitus thought it to be fire Archelaus ayre Empedocles all the elements and among the rest one one thing and another another as you may reade in Aristotle where hee refutes them in Tull. Acad. q. lib. 4. and especially in Plutarch de placitis Philosophorum and from him in many other Aristotle himselfe from Hesiod and they that had beene before him cals it Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In theogonia First was the Chaos then the earth which word if they borrowed not of Moses his Tohu which signifies empty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sometimes meanes to bring to nought nor of that which seemes to come from thence Chohus whereby as Festus saith the old Latines called the world yet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they meant by it confusion and no way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a countrie or an appointed place Sometime this matier is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mud For so the conclusion of earth and water is best understood and fittest for generation of earthly things as Ovid delivers the opinon and cleeres it by comparison of the overflowing Nilus Metam lib. 1. All other Creatures tooke their different birth And figures from the voluntary Earth When her cold moisture with the Sunne did sweat And Slimy Marishes grew big with heat So when seven-mouthed Nyle forsakes the plaine Anantient channel doth his streames containe And late
By which texts it is plaine that the Saviour of mankind must bee both man and God dwelling in man and the second person of the holy Trinitie which we call the Sonne Notes a THe subject no other than the termes For the understanding of this see my second part of Logonomia Introduct Sect. 4. numb 11. b Hee tooke on him the humanitie If it bee most true which is said Col. 1.19 that all fulnesse should dwell in him yea all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodilie how can it bee but that if Christ dwell in our flesh all the persons likewise must bee incarnate For all the Persons together make but one infinite fulnesse of the Deitie And therefore 1. Tim. 3.16 it is spoken without any distinction of Persons that God was manifest in the flesh Answer To become man was a personall proprietie of the Sonne of God for the incarnation was not of the Godhead wherein the Persons are one but of that subsistence according to which the three Persons are distinguished So that as in the Trinitie there be three persons in one nature so in the mysterie of the incarnation there is one person in two natures Now why the person of the Sonne and none other could become man the reasons before doe make it plaine And although it bee most true that all the Persons together are but one God in the infinitie or fulnesse of the Deitie yet is it as true that the infinite fulnesse of the Deitie is in all and every person alike as the fulnesse or perfection of mankinde is in every man equally Neither is that in Tim. spoken without distinction of the persons for it followes immediately He was justified in the Spirit What is that but that the Spirit of God the holy Ghost did justifie his doctrine and Gospell as most true in causing the hearts of all the faithfull to beleeve it But it is most manifest that the witnesse is neither the thing witnessed nor the person in whose behalfe the witnesse is given Neither was this witnesse of the Holy Ghost onely but also of the Father from heaven 2. Peter 4.17 1. Iohn 5.9 10 11. Compare herewith if you please the note g on Chap. 24. § 9. Object 1. In the end of which Chapter you may see other objections fully answered Our Lord. CHAP. XXIIII That this Jesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary whom the Christian faith confesseth is the Saviour of the world THat reverend and fearfull name of God is a name of glory but the word Lord importeth the title of that right which he hath in his creature And how justly this belongs to our Lord Christ may appeare by that interest which he hath in us both by the right of our creation and of our redemption and of all the benefits which we hope thereby What right he hath in us for our creation it hath appeared in that wee are his workemanship Chap. 13. § 9. Now it remaineth that we make it manifest that he alone is our Mediatour and that besides him there is no other for if the Saviour of the world must of necessitie be man that hee might satisfie the justice of God for the sinne of man as we have proved Chap. 20. and likewise that he must be God that hee may be able to heare and to save all them that come unto him as was manifest Chap. 21. and that the Sonne of God tooke on him our flesh that by him the love of God might be manifest to the creature as it was proved Chap. 23. If there can be but one Sonne of God as it was shewed Chap. 12. and the note thereto it must follow of necessity that there can be but one onely Saviour of mankinde which Saviour is our Lord Iesus the Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary as it is further manifest by these reasons following 1. It is necessary that all the dignities of God bee magnified in the creature according to the uttermost greatnesse which they can have therein But if this Iesus whom we confesse be the Saviour of the world then all the dignities of God are magnified according to the uttermost extent of greatnesse which it is possible they should have in the creature and that without any abatement or lesning in any one of them for his mercy is magnified to the uttermost in pardoning the sins of many for the merit of one his justice and love in this that he spared not his only Son but gave him to death for a satisfaction for the sin of mankinde his glory in that the creature once sinfull and mortall is made partaker of glorie and immortality his wisdome that out of the greatest ill the destruction of the creature by the malice of the devill he hath brought the greatest good that is the exaltation of the creature beyond that state of happinesse wherein it was created Chap. 18. § 2. and so in the rest But if this Iesus bee not the Saviour of the world as the Iewes affirme if when that other Bar-Coziba of theirs shall come he preach the same doctrine and doe the same glorious miracles which our Lord hath done though it be impossible that God should suffer the world to be so mocked then the same most high and glorious truth should bee both preached and confirmed by a most false and lying Prophet who should professe himselfe the Saviour of the world and was not yet neverthelesse seeing our Lord was the authour and manifester of that truth he shall have the honour to be beleeved and the falshood shall dwell with that other to come But if he shall preach any other doctrine than this which wee have received then neither can the dignities of God bee magnified in his greatest and most excellent worke in the creature that is in the salvation of mankinde as was shewed before neither can his Scriptures bee of absolute authority when another manner of Saviour shall come than they have described unto us but both these things are utterly impossible and therefore this Iesus whom the Christian faith confesseth to be our Lord is the Saviour of the world and beside him there is no other 2. If this Iesus whom wee acknowledge bee the Saviour of the world then the expectation of the most excellent and virtuous men is quieted and at rest in the assurance of his heavenly promise But if this bee not hee but that the Saviour is yet to come for wee have already proved that man having sinned should be restored by a Saviour that should bee both God and man then since that time that Christ the Sonne of God and the virgin Mary came wee that have beleeved in him are in the greatest errour that may bee and all our hope in God through the satisfaction of Christ must bee ashamed all our beleefe in his word is vaine and all the virtues the constancie love and patience of the Martyrs is perished so that when that pretended Messiah shall come he shall not be beleeved or if
be manifest in the manhood that hee in that manly being might be glorified with the glorie which is infinitely sufficient to glorifie him the head and all the members of his mysticall body as it is manifest in that 17. chap. of Iohn vers 22 23 24. 8. Mal. 3.1 Christ is called the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant therefore he is a creature so united to the Divinity that God cannot worke without him for that reason which is the first before The reason is not of force to the authority I answer The first covenant or promise which God made to mankinde was that in Paradise Gen. 3. The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent This seed of the woman is Christ our Lord which according to the Prophet should come in that Temple which was built by the Iewes after their returne from Babylon So the Sonne of God in our flesh is that Angel of the Covenant of our deliverance from the power of the Devill which came according to the time appointed So he hath the name of an Angel from his office not from his nature 9. The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee Luk. 1 35. This holy Ghost is that created Spirit of the Trinity locally moving from place to place which actually performed all those things which hitherto have beene ignorantly attributed to the third Person of the Trinity who being infinite and filling all places cannot be moved from place to place no more than the Father or the Sonne But this created Spirit might take on him the shape of a Dove Luke 3.22 of a Voice Luke 9.35 and may also change places as he saith Iohn 3.13 No man ascended up into heaven but the Sonne of man which is in heaven pag 75.75 113 116 c. Answ I have given the meaning of that text Iohn 3.13 before in the 23. chapter And as the infinite wisdome of God foresaw what diversitie of opinions would come into mens minds for hee understands their thoughts long before Psal 139.2 so hath hee left us the rule of his holy word whereby to guide us in the truth Now the writings of Saint Iohn do so cleare this question as if they had beene written in opposition to these opinions of Arius Postellus and those that are like minded I cite some few texts out of his first Epistle chap. 4. v. 10. God hath loved us and sent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation But the question is whether a created Sonne or no Saint Iohn tels us no not a created Sonne but his onely begotten Sonne hath hee sent into the world that wee might be saved by him vers 9. That Sonne or Word who is one with the Father and the Holy Ghost chap. 5. vers 7. That Sonne to whom the Father Himselfe bare witnesse verse 9.10 11. See 2 Peter 1.16.17 That Son who is very God and eternall life vers 20. what can bee more plaine or particularly described or more fully proved If Hee bee begotten then coessentiall with the Father Ergo not created If begotten then eternall for the actions of God in Himselfe are infinite and eternall See chapter 10. Ergo not created If one with the Father then also infinite Ergo not created If very God Ergo not a Creature But this spirit of the Trinity which tooke flesh of the Virgin and so became our Mediatour moved from place to place which no Person of the Trinitie could doe because they are infinite and fill all places Had this eye of the Sorbon L. Dan in Haer. Aug. cap. 85. which knew so well that God is in all places repletivè as they speake never read that Moses saith Deut. 33.26 That God rides on the Heavens for the helpe of Israel and on the Clouds in his glory And although David knew that God did continually beset him round about and that there was no place either in Heaven or in hell in the earth or Sea where he was not Psal 139. from v. 5. to 11. yet as a stag embossed takes the soyle so did his heart in his flight from Saul thirst for God saying when shall I come and appeare before God Psal 42.2 Therefore although God fill heaven and earth yet is he said to be in any place more particularly where he gives more evident proofe of his presence as at Bethel Gen. 28.16 in the Tabernacle by the Oracle and those manifest signes which I remembred above note d Thus God descended on Mount Sinai when the Mountaine did smoke and tremble and thus the holy Ghost is said to have come upon the Virgin Mary when by that wonderful work of his in her body that seed of mankind was taken of her that it might become a tabernacle for the King of glory to dwel in eternally Thus also our Lord saith of himself Ioh. 6.38 I came downe from Heaven not to do mine own wil but c. not but that he was stil in heaven c. 3.13 but because his presence in earth was now manifest in the flesh as it had not bin before 10. And these reasons are if not all yet the most I am sure the best which Postellus brings for his position It may seeme fit moreover in this place to give answer to those texts which beside these already cited may be brought for this opinion And first to that which is Gen. 3.2 c. Yea hath God said yee shall not eat of every tree of the Garden c. yee shall not dye the death But God doth know that In the day ye eate thereof your Eyes shall be opened The word Elohim God here used is of the plurall number but God is one And beside it may bee thought that the devill durst not have spoken thus of Christ his creator if Hae had beene God blessed above all Answ The reason why Christ is every where in the Scripture called Elohim is because that being eternally the Sonne of God He also received of the Father power over all things and was appointed to bee that man by whom the world should be redeemed and judged So the word Elohim though sometimes given to Angels sometime to men yet it abates nothing of the excellency of his being To the reason I answer that the devill never perswades a man to sinne but first he corrupts his opinion concerning God For hee that hath true and beseeming thoughts of God is not easily drawne to a wilfull sinne Therefore the devill doth here first perswade the woman to distrust the truth and goodnesse of God as being an enemy to him and his creature man as was said before chap. 22. But if the devill had in so many words affirmed that which Postellus doth yet we know he is a lyar from the beginning and abode not in the truth 11. Gen 19.24 it is said that the Lord rayned upon Sodome fire and brimstone from the Lord by which place though it may appeare that the Sonne is coessentiall with
should bee in every thing like His brethren except their sinne therefore tooke Hee on Him whatsoever was naturall unto man the substance not the sinne the perfections not the infections But sinne was contrary to mans nature the deformitie and poyson thereof wrought onely by the Devill in man after the worke of God was perfect in him And therefore our Lord did grow in wisedome and Stature like other men as all the sonnes of Adam should have done though hee had never sinned And thus Christ tooke on him our infirmities and that for this end that Hee might beare our sinne that is might set himselfe in our stead to beare the punishment of our sinnes that by His stripes wee might bee healed And thus the Lord laid on Him the burthen of vs all Reade Es 53. But it is said 2. Cor. 5.21 that God made him to bee sinne for vs. Answere Object 2 This text is cited as that text of the Psalme in Matth. 4.6 is cited by the Devill Say that which followes Who knew no sinne and it cuts the throat of the objection But I say that Saint Paul referreth vs secretly to that sacrifice for the sinne of the High-priest in Exod. 29.14 which is there called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chattach § Sin meaning an offering for sinne as Psal 118.17 the sacrifice is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chagh the feast or holy-day by a Metonymia meaning the sacrifice proper for the holy-day For the purpose of Saint Paul in that Epistle being to prove the end of the Law in Christ referres vs to that sacrifice which shewes that the High-priest himselfe needed another Mediatour For although hee did eate the sinne offering of the people and so did beare or take away their sinne Levit. 10.17 Yet his owne sin offering he might not eat And therefore that was to be burnt without the campe as Christ did suffer without the gate Heb. 13.11 c. Moreover Iob saith 14.4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of an vncleane Object 3 Not one Whereby it is plaine that although Christ were conceived by the Holy-Ghost and so no staine or touch of concupiscence came to the body of the Virgin by that conception yet seeing the Virgin her selfe was conceived and borne as all man-kind it must ikewise follow that if Christ had his whole manly being onely from her then as shee her selfe was stained in her whole being with originall sinne so likewise that which was conceived of her Answere It is likewise written Deut. 4.24 The Lord thy God is a consuming fire And the propertie of fire is to separate all such things as are heterogeneous to part and divide Elements as experience sheweth Now although it bee plaine that the heavens are impure in His sight that Hee found no stedfastnesse in His Angels that no creature could bee a Tabernacle worthy His dwelling much lesse the body of sinfull man Yet seeing that glorious fire was able to purifie and perfit whatsoever body that was which He would vouchsafe to take unto Himselfe therefore although for the reasons in the Chapter following it was meet that Christ should bee borne of a Virgin yet not to take any holinesse from her For if it had seemed good vnto His wisedome to take His man-hood from a corrupted Rahab or a Tamar as hee did onginally yet was Hee able to sanctifie and clense it as He doth clense or take away the sinnes of the world And concerning that manly being which our Lord did take of the holy Virgin though it were the most pure in all man-kind though the vttermost puritie in all the creature as being without the sinne of the creature as I said before yet was it not of it selfe worthy to bee His pavillion but became a dwelling worthy of His presence onely because He by that assumption of it unto himselfe did make it worthy of Himselfe as Hee saith Iohn 17.14 For their sakes doe I sanctifie my selfe What is that His Divine being is perfect holinesse and thereby did He sanctifie His body which was Himselfe contrary to the wickednesse of Nestorius that that likewise might bee Holinesse to the Lord and a sufficient sacrifice sanctified by that offering of Himselfe for the sinnes of the world And this sanctifying of that Tabernacle of His manhood was figured by the Cloud which filled the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34.35 and the Temple 1. Kings 8.10.11 into which seeing the Priests could not enter because of the Cloud the Holy-Ghost signified that when God should dwell in the temple of our flesh the ministerie of the Leviticall Priest-hood must have an end b No agent can worke beyond the power of its owne nature It were a wicked and Manichean conclusion from that text which is in Matth. 13.38 The tares are the Children of the Devill to thinke that any of man-kind should bee begotten by wicked sprights yet such fancyes hath the devill hatched in some mens mindes to dishonour this most glorious worke of God the Incarnation of his sonne And although it appeare by the manifest authoritie of the holy Scripture that man was that speciall creature of God whereabout to speake as a man Hee tooke most care Let vs make man in our image Gen. 1.26 Hee hath made vs not wee our selues Psal 100. Thy hands have made mee and fashioned mee Psal 119.73 and Psal 139. almost wholely to this purpose yet hath Postel in his Booke de Nat. Med. told vs of the Alani a people among the Tartars which saith hee was begotten by Spirits Thus also hath he disgraced the noble Nation of the Hungars beside other particular persons among whom our British Merlin But beside the generall truth of this rule doth not common experience shew that different kinds bring out that which is neutrall as the kindes of Horses and Asses Mules which ingender not to bring out their like because nature will not endure so great a disgrace as to have her kindes multiplied contrary to kind Moreover seeing every thing brings forth the like as a Man a Man a Lion a Lion Fire Fire c. What possibilitie is there that a spirit should beget any thing but a spirit as it appeares in the workes of the devill in our fantasies and affections by which secondly hee may also cause vs to worke on that which is in our power not in his I know that in the vegetable where much seed is hermaphroditicall in planting in grafting and the like one kind may be bettered by another but not in perfect animalls much lesse in man I know also what poore shifts there bee to prove the possibilitie of these monstrous generations the fancy of Incubus and Succubus and of the devill stealing the seed from a dead body and such like But that pretious seed dyes instantly except it be received into the proper vessell And when the body is once dead and that soule gone which kept the whole and every part and parcell of the body in life that which was for
in Esay 9.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lemarbeh hamiscah to the increase of His dominion where from that close Mem signifying in their later Arithmeticke 600 and is not used but in the end of a word some will define the time from the fourth yeere of Achaz to the birth of Christ 600. yeeres but it holds not Others from thence will fetch the name Maria with as much adoe See Pet Galat. lib. 7. cap. 13. and lib. 4. cap. 10. But I like best of their opinion who thinke that the perpetuall virginity of Saint Mary was meant hereby yet will I rather professe my ignorance then presume to offer you any thing whereof I am fully perswaded Notes a THat our Lord Christ was borne of a virgin It was a worthy saying of Athanasius in Epistol Cathol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The summe of our faith is the consubstantiall Trinity and the true God borne of the virgin Mary And well it accords with that of our Saviour Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know Thee the onely true God and whom Thou hast sent Iesus Christ Whereto you have the full testimony of the devill himselfe in that with all his might he hath persecuted the professors of this trueth and endeavoured to deface it with so many errours as he by his ministers hath broached to the contrary Some you have seene before Note g on the 24. Chapter Some you shall have here in briefe against this Article And they either concerne the Body of Christ § 1. or his Soule § 2. or else the Virginity of his mother § 3. § 1. Simon the Witch according to that spirit of Antichrist 1. Iohn 4.3 Sect. 1 denied that Christ was come in the flesh and so at once made voyd the Gospel of Christ 2. Valentinus denied that Christ had a true and humane body but onely heavenly and spirituall in which he passed thorow the Virgin Mary as water thorow a pipe without taking any flesh of her To the same purpose Cerdon and after him Marcion denied Christ to have beene borne of the Virgin Mary or to have had any manly body at all but onely heavenly or to have suffered but onely in shew 3. Apelles thought the body of Christ to bee a true substantiall body but yet to have beene borrowed partly of the starres from which hee tooke somewhat as Hee came downe from Heaven and partly of the Elements which body after He had risen from the dead was againe returned into the proper principles The madnes of the Manichees is as much as all the former came vnto and both the one and the other unworthy your hearing saving that you may give thanks vnto God that hath kept your heart upright in the holy faith of Christ yet shall you see them briefly examined note a in the end of the Chapter following § 2. But the errors of Arius and Apollinarius Sect. 2 concerning the soule of Christ must heere bee sifted a little neerer Arius held that Christ tooke of the Virgin the humane flesh onely and not the humane soule but that the Word did supplie all the faculties of the soule in Him 2. The Apollinarists called also Dimaeritae sometime denied that Christ tooke any flesh of the Virgin but said that Hee was perfect man while hee was yet in heaven before He was borne of the Virgin and that that same body of His was equall and consubstantiall to the Divine Nature because He made it into Himselfe of the Divine being So that although He were borne of the Virgin yet was He in her body as in a place not as one of the same nature with her And these Hereticks though mungrells of Apollinarius and Marcion yet Apollinarius was accounted their Syr. 3. Others among them affirmed that Christ tooke a body of the Virgin which was also enlived with a living but not with a reasonable soule And hence had they their name Dimaritae because they gave these two third parts of the manly being unto Christ but said that a supercelestiall understanding supplyed the want of the reasonable soule These Hereticks were either most differing or most uncertaine in their opinions as you may find by Socrat. Eccles hist lib 3. cap. 36. So by Athanas Epist ad Epict. Epist de Incarn Dom. and orat de Salut adventu D. I. Christi both against this opinion of Apollinaris And because both these opinions are against this Article you shall first see the reasons of Athanasius against his first position his second errour shall goe in common with that of Arius 1. The first reason of Athanasius is this The Trinity onely is vncreated but flesh had the beginning of man But Apollinarius might except by his owne positions That the Sonne made His body consubstantiall to Himselfe of the Divine being 2. Whatsoever is subject to sufferance is created But Christ suffered for us Therefore by a created body All is most true Yet Apollinarius might except againe by his owne position The Word became flesh and that Word was uncreated therefore also that flesh into which the Word was changed But I loose time to dally thus with these Hereticks Therefore for full opposition to this heresie and the rest recited before of Valentinus Marcion Apelles and their rabbles consider these reasons which are brought Chapter 20. to proove that the Mediator for the sinne of man must bee man and see how they accord with the Scriptures there cited So also Galat. 4.4 and Phil. 2.6 7. You may see the reasons of Apollinarius for his opinions in Epiphanius haeres 77. of which I thinke these are the best 1. A true manly body is onely by the male-seed But Christ was not so begotten Therefore Hee had not a true manly but a heavenly body Answere The proposition is false For Adam was not of manly seed yet that true man from whom all humane nature descended Neither was our Lord lesse perfect man because hee was not so begotten See the 10. reason before 2. That which the Scripture hath pronounced sinfull may not bee given to Christ But the flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and so is sinfull therefore not to bee given to Christ Answere That text of the Apostle is taken by a Metonymia For the flesh is not sinfull but the lusts that dwell in the flesh are against the spirit and sinfull But Christ tooke the creature not the sinne that dwelt therein Against the errors about the soule of Christ whether that of Arius or Apollinarius or them that had broached the opinion before their time that Christ had not an humane soule Ignat. Epist ad Philadelph you shall have the most effectuall reasons out of Athanasius Epist de Incarn D. I. C. contra Apoll. 1. There were so many parts in Christ living as He was resolved into when He was dead But He was resolved into two the body which was buryed and the soule which went downe to holl Therefore there were two parts of Christs humane being a body
that plucked off the haire I hid not my Face from shame and spitting Esay 50.6 Hee giveth His Cheeke to him that smiteth Him He is filled with reproach Lament 3.10 See further in Micah 5.1 Matth. 26.6 7 8. Marke 14.65 Luke 22.63 64. Iohn 18.22 But because the Article of our Creed mentions only His sufferings under Pontius Pilate under which all these by a Synecdoche are comprehended let us looke unto them in particular for therein was the accomplishment of our Redemption But first it may be heere demanded why mention is made of Pontius Pilate as if the trueth of God and his most glorious worke in the creature that is the redemption of man by the death of His Son should any way need or admit of humane testimony I answere that as the Spirit of God in the Evangelists vouchsafes to apply the history of the Gospel to the times of Tiberius of Pontius Pilate his proconful of Herod of Philip c. Luke 3.1 2. so likewise this short abridgment of the Gospel our Creed doth not neglect them For seeing the suffering of Christ was for the benefit of man-kind it is necessary that wee should bee made so sure and certaine of the truth thereof that howsoever that truth were tryed by divine or by humane authority of reason or historie it might most cleerely and plainely appeare And therefore is this truth of Christ witnessed not onely by the Prophets and Evangelists as you read before Chap. 24. Reason 10. and by the Ecclesiasticall Histories but even the prophane writers yea the persecutors and enemies of this truth are not silent herein Pilate himselfe might bee a witnesse of those things which hee had heard and seene concerning the miracles the death and resurrection of Christ whereof hee writ unto Tiberius the Emperour And although it seemed not fit to the Wisedome of God that that glorious truth concerning his Sonne which Hee himselfe had testified from heaven and had confirmed by so many miracles and gifts of the Holy-Ghost should afterward receive authority from the Senate of Rome that Senate by whose authority so many thousands of false gods were worshipped See Aug. de civ D. lib. 3. cap. 12. yet even to that Senate the trueth of his Deitie by that testimony of him that had heard and seene was cleerely manifest See Tertul. Apolog. cap. 5. Euseb Eccl. hist lib. 2. cap. 2. And although Lucian and Porphyrie and Celsus and such doggs barked against the holy Religion of Christ yet even therein they testified that Christ did establish a faith and Religion among His faithfull followers Plini Epist lib. 10. Epist. 97. and Tacitus Annal. lib. 15. though they no Christians for the first was a cruell persecuter of them yet have they testified so much and have alwayes beene held faithfull in their writings And so may Iosephus though hee make it questionable whether Christ were onely a man Antiq. lib. 18. Cap. 4. This therefore being without doubt that our Lord did suffer under Pontius Pilate it may bee further asked why He being a Iewe should bee condemned to die by the authoritie and power of the Romanes For this there bee two reasons principall and chiefe For the understanding of which you need to remember that there have beene foure principall Monarchies in the earth the first of the Assyrians and Babylonians which tooke the beginning from Nimrod of whom you reade Gen. 10.8 9 10. and was after encreased by Ninus Semiramis Salmanasar Bellochus and others but most of all by Nabuchadnezar This Monarchy after it had flourished about seventeene hundred yeeres was overthrowne by Darius the Median and his nephew Cyrus King of Persia who were the founders of the second Monarchie which continued not much above 130. yeeres and was then broken by Alexander who in battell overthrew the last King Codoman This Alexander began the third Monarchy of the Grecians which after him was divided among his Captaines of which foure were chiefe See Dan. Cap. 8. of these foure Kingdomes Egypt Syria Greece and Asia Asia continued but two descents of 23. yeeres the other three one after another were subdued by the Romanes who made the fourth Monarchie Syria and by and by Iudea was subdued by Pompey and made a Province of the Romans about 60. yeeres before the birth of Christ This Syria is a Countrey wide and large Palestina inhabited by the twelve Tribes a small part therof See Ptolom Geogr. lib. 5. cap. 14. and Asiae tab 4. This Countrey in the time of Christ was divided into three parts or shires Iudea toward the South Galile to the North and Samaria betweene them Iohn 4. v. 3 4. These Samaritanes were strangers in the land sent thither onely to till the ground after Salmanassar had carryed away the ten Tribes in the dayes of Hoshea 2. King 18. from the 9. to the 13. verse Iudea and Galilee were possest by the Iewes after their returne from Babylon But after they were subdued by the Romanes they were compelled t accept of such government as they appointed These Romanes for the good services and deserts of Antipater Prince of the Idumeans and of Herod his sonne after him gave the Kingdome over the Iewes to that Herod surnamed the great who held it 37. yeeres Augustus beside the gift of the Senate enlarged the Kingdome of Herod with the Countreys of Batanea Trachonitis Abylene and others But the Iewes knowing the time of Messiah to be at hand whose Kingdome they thought should be of this World most obstinately refused the government of Herod a stranger And though he sought the establishment of a just government over them and did many things to their content yet when hee saw that by no faire meanes hee could win them to accept his government hee fill'd all places with crueltie and blood till in the 31. yeere of his Reigne they were compelled to acknowledge obedience to him as their King and to his posterity after him So when the Scepter was vtterly departed from Iuda even by their owne consent then according to the prophesie of Iacob in the 32. of Herod was the Angel sent to the holy Virgin when the Iewes had thus beene taught to know that the true Messiah was to bring a greater deliverance not to them onely but to all man-kind than any could be from an earthly bondage So in the beginning of the 33. yeere of Herods reigne was Iesus borne After sixe yeeres lawfull reigne Herod died miserably After whom his Kingdome by Augustus was divided to his foure sonnes of their number called Tetrarchs so that Archelaus had Idumea Iudea and Samaria Herod called Antipas had Galilee Philip had Iturea and Trachonitis And Lysanias had Abylene But Archelaus for his wicked government being by Augustuss thrust from his dignitie and banished in Gallia Romane Presidents Coponius Ambivius and Rufus were sent thither to order that Tetrarchy each two yeeres under Augustus Then by the appointment of Tiberius the succeeding Emperour Valerius Gracus held
from heaven Yet this prooves not that the body of Christ was not taken from His mother but rather that as wee are stained with originall sinne by Adam so are wee washed and clensed by the blood of Christ for so it followes Verse 49. As we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heavenly And although it be said The second man is the Lord from heaven yet prooves it not that He brought His body from heaven but rather because wee understand nothing of heavenly things but by bodily likenesses therefore is Hee called the man from heaven to signifie that new manner of being which God had with us in our nature and to assure us that Hee our Redeemer is our eternall God able to save us and man with us that doeth pitie our miseries 3. The Heresies of Apelles are refuted by Epiphanius Haer. 44. briefly and plainely but this which concernes the body of our Lord more fully by Tertullian in his Booke De carne Christi You shall have what I held fit to gather from both or to adde thereto The arguments of Apelles are in part all one with those of Valentin already answered The rest are these that follow 1. If the Angels appeared in flesh not taken from mankinde much more might Christ But the first is true therefore the later Answer The consequence in the Proposition is not good For the Angels came not to die therefore not to be borne as our Lord Hinselfe appeared to Abraham not borne of a woman because the time appointed that He should die was not yet But when the fulnesse of the time was come that He by His death should take away the sinnes of the world then God sent His Sonne made of a woman Besides this they are beside the question For to proove their Pofition that Christ tooke His body of the Starres and Elements they ought to proove that the Angels also tooke such bodies But that they cannot proove For if the Angels made themselves that which by nature they were not why might they not doe it by that which was not 2. It is said Matth. 12.48 Who is my mother and who are my brethren If then Christ had no mother or brethren but in that spirituall kindred of them which kept the word of God He had no body taken of the Virgin Answer No man would have told Him that His mother stood without which did not know that snee was His mother Therefore the circumstances and time of His speech must be observed He was now in the businesse of God His Father for whom all earthly parents must be denied as He also answered Luke 2.49 3. But the flesh of sinfull man was an unfit and unworthy dwelling for Him that came to destroy the workes of the devill Answer As sinne the worke of the devill was brought into mankinde by the body and the bodily sences as it appeares Gen. 3.6 The woman seeing that the fruit was good for food and pleasant to sight tooke and did eat it So was it necessary that sinne should be destroyed in the body of that flesh wherein sinne was conceived and wrought Moreover the difference not of the matter which must be one but of the Spirit of sanctification which was in Christ made His body a fit sacrifice for sinne But concerning this unworthinesse alleadged answere was made before Note a ob 1. 3. on Chap. 25. 4. But if He had flesh like ours Hee should have beene begotten like us Answer The consequence is not good as was shewed before Note a § 2. on Chap. 26. 5. If the flesh of Christ were the same with ours the common accidents of both should be alike so that our flesh should forthwith rise againe like His or His like ours bee resolved to dust Answer When our Lord had fully satisfied the Iustice of God for the sinne of mankinde it had beene agianst Iustice that He which had done no sinne should have still continued under the power of death and therefore impossible Act. 2.24 But our bodies doe therefore still rest in hope because all His enemies are not subjected unto Him among which the last is death 1. Cor. 15.26 Therefore for conclusion of this point over and above those reasons which you had in the twentieth Chapter and the authorities in the end of the three and twentieth Chapter and these which are heere already cited take that of Eph. 5.30 We are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones So that if we know or beleeve that we our selves have a body of flesh and bones we must also know that our Lord had a true naturall and humane body as one of us Which authority is yet of so much the greater regard because it was prophesied in Paradice Gen. 2.22 That our Redeemer should be incarnate that in the body of His flesh through death He might present us holy and unblameable Col. 2.22 For seeing the children are partakers of flesh and blood Hee also Himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death Hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2.14 Reade the Chapter from verse 5. unto the end and see how many arguments you find to this purpose onely The fancies therefore of these Hereticks being lighter than vanity it will follow that all those opinions which might seeme to bee raised there-from were as false as foolish As first that of Celsas That the body of Christ was not subject to paine and griefe Against which Saint Origen disputes lib. 2. Cont. Cels For as for that Stoicall vnsufferance of His mind which Clemens Alex. Strom. lib. 7. thought not to bee subject either to joy or sorrow it was onely an over-sight in so learned a Writer and directly contrary to the Text of the Scripture Iohn 11.35 Matth. 26.38 where Iesus wept and was exceeding sorrowfull even unto death And concerning the joy of His Spirit See Luke 10.21 Secondly that of Saturnilus That Christ did suffer onely in shew Epiph. Haer. 23. Thirdly that of the neat-heard Basilides who taught that Simon of Cyrene was crucifyed in Christs stead Epiph. Har. 24. Of all which if any thing were true what thanks were due to Him from vs when He had suffered nothing for our sakes 2. How are wee freed from that damnation under which we were brought through the sinne of Adam while the Divine Iustice is yet unsatisfied 3. And if Christ have not suffered for vs what example hath He left unto vs that wee should follow his steps 4. Wee that are the Disciples should bee above our Master-our patience more then His our love to Him more then His to vs If wee for His sake should willingly suffer persecution shame losse imprisonment death which He Himselfe had not suffered for vs. And 5. It had been utterly to no end that He should have become man For as it had been in vaine for Him to have taken a
sacrifice to offer unto God as nothing could be better then that which was equall to God offered Himselfe God and man for the saving of His people as it is said Ier. 3.23 Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel Thirdly the value was increased by the manner of the offering wherein was the perfection of the obedience of the eternall Son to His Father and the perfect submission of the humane will of Christ unto the will of God that this sacrifice might by all meanes be meritorious in Him for us See Note g on Chap. 24. § 11. No. 4. The second meanes whereby the satisfaction of Christ according to the rigour of Iustice was perfect is the greatnesse of that punishment which He endured for us which in proportion was answerable to that death which in Iustice was due to the sinne of man having the same degrees and parts which punishment Christ so farre foorth as it was possible for the Sonne of God did endure First the bodily death with all the circumstances as I remembred before Then the losse of that Ioy and Comfort of His soule wherewith the fruition of God and the fulnesse of His graces did euer replenish Him And this Ioy Hee lost not finally or fundamentally as the damned for that was impossible both in respect of His innocencie and of His union with God but onely according to the present act and feeling Thirdly he was subjected to the powers of hell not enthralled thereto as a vassall but yet subject for the present vexation and temptation so that His soule and understanding was affrighted in sorrow and horrour knowing Himselfe to be made a curse for us which brought with it a full sence of the Iustice and wrath of God against sinne Fourthly and although it bee most true that God cannot suffer either paine or losse as was shewed even now yet it is as true that God having taken to Himselfe the living Tabernacle of a soule and body offered this soule and body of His to death for us as it is said Act. 20.28 That God purchased His Church with His owne blood and not so onely but for a time left that body under the absolute power of Death and Buriall And thus the Iustice why Christ should die for our sinnes and the plenary satisfaction which Hee hath made unto God thereby doeth plainely appeare Now a reason or two why and how the benefit hereof doth belong unto us 1. First seeing the person of our Redeemer is infinite and therefore His merit also infinite an infinite reward is due thereunto which if God would not give O pardon that we speake in the voyce of reason Thy gift in us then Hee were unjust if He could not then were He unable to requite But both these things are impossible And seeing hee that makes a recompense for any desert either gives to the deserver that which he hath not or forgives that which hee might require and yet our Lord to whom the reward of His obedience and death is due neither needs any thing nor can receive any thing more then He hath having in Himselfe the fulnesse of all perfection and all things which the Father hath Iohn 17.10 Neither yet needs forgivenesse having never offended neither yet can so great obedience and such an infinite merit bee all in vaine therefore doth this infinite reward redound to us so that we which claime by His Title may draw neere unto the Throne of Grace in the full assurance of faith that God doth not nor will not refuse them that come unto Him in the name of His Sonne seeing unto all them that seeke salvation and eternall life by Him all His infinite merit doeth assuredly belong For that which is infinite can no way become divisible for so should it cease to bee infinite So His infinite merit belongs to every one of His according to the infinity thereof See the doore of our hope set open wider then the walles of heaven See how God with Christ hath given us all things See also if the infinite merit of Christ can any way be compatible of any mans merit or the mediation of Saints 2. Seeing our Lord Iesus being God could not become man but by the power of God Chap. 25. 26. who of the whole nature and substance of the Virgin made Him perfect man both soule and body And that He being thus also the Sonne of God and man did perfectly fulfill the law of a Sonne to doe alwayes those things which were pleasing to His Father Iohn 8.29 whereas all other men had revolted from their obedience and so forfeited their state of Son-ship and interest in their Fathers inheritance by the sinne o◠the first Father Adam which was created the sonne of God Luke 3.38 therefore the whole right in that inheritance of glory and happinesse which should have come unto all man-kind is due to Christ onely So that by the right of inheritance no man beside Himselfe can be capeable of heavenly Ioyes But because the possession of eternall happinesse is due to Him by a double right not onely that of Sonne-ship or inheritance but also by purchase through the infinite merit of His most pretious death whereto according to the will of His Father He became obedient for the sinne of man-kind therefore by this right hath He given an infinite right in the heavenly Inheritance to all them that come unto Him by a lively faith their hearts being clensed from dead workes to serve the living God In which right If He had not fully stated man-kind then had the benefit of His purchase beene utterly lost So His Incarnation His sufferings and all His promises made to vs had beene in vaine But all these things are impossible 3. Moreover it is to bee considered that the sinne of man in respect of the sinner must needs bee finite because a finite creature can no way doe an infinite action but the infinitie of the sinne is onely in respect of Him against whom the sinne is because of His infinite Iustice that is offended thereby But the satisfaction and the merit of Christs death was infinite not onely in respect of the infinitie or His Person who performed it but of Him also that did so accept it of Him that was not bound thereto in respect of any neede or debt of His owne but He performed all that obedience which was due for our sakes and in our name where a the merit of all other men being finite could no way be satisfactorie for their sin against an infinite Iustice neither yet can they bee so accepted of God because mans workes how good soever they are yet can they neither be moe nor better than man is bound unto Luk. 17.10 Neither are good workes truely ours but such as God hath done by us 1. Cor. 15.10 But seeing all our righteousnesse is as filthy raggs Esay 46.6 let us looke unto Christ Iesus who alone of God is made unto us
unto that place where the soules of the faithfull were before His comming This I thinke none will denie the Doctors old and new come all hereto The Reverend P. Martyr in Symb. saith thus Descendit anima Christi ad inferos c. The soule of Christ descended into hell meanes no other thing but that it did undergoe the same estate which other soues being separate from the body had experience of So Musculus in Eph. 4.9 Descendit ad nos in hunc mundum c. He descended to us in this world unto the grave and unto hell He descended to them whom He came to redeeme and as farre as they either living or dying had descended so farre also did He Himselfe descend that He might lift them up from below unto those places above from which He had descended Irenaeus said as much long agoe Lib 5. Cap. ult The Lord kept the law of the dead that He might bee the first-begotten from the dead Hitherto it seemes all parties are agreed But the assumptions set them at oddes againe as farre as heaven and hell For the old Interpreters inferre that the faithfull before Christ were in Abrahams bosome or in hell taken in the second sence But the new Interpreters inferre thus But the faithfull which were before Christ were in Abrahams bosome that is ascended into heaven properly so called For so the word Paradise doth signifie by the expresse authority of the Scripture 2. Cor. 12. verse 2. and 4. where the third heaven by Saint Paul is called Paradise For the first heaven is this of the Ayre to the Moone The second heaven is that of the Planets and Starres and the third heaven is Paradise the place of the blessed soules And this is one of the Arguments of them that reject the Iudgement of the Fathers and the ancient Church and holde the tropicall interpretation of hell for hellish torments of the mind And because I am here fallen into these bryars I will first put fire to them and afterward goe forward to the conclusion Therefore I answere The first heaven is this of the foules of heaven Gen. 1.20 The second is that of the cloudes of heaven Revel 1.7 So the third heaven for Paradise is in the Moone But this conclusion you laugh at Therefore you see on how weake and ungrounded principles they dispute 2. Beside is there no difference between a thing really performed and a vision as that of Paul which is not by things actually being but represented onely for instruction to the Prophet that sees it 3. But to grant all that the third heaven is Paradise and that the third heaven must signifie that which is above all the starres is there no Paradise beside when every place of pleasure is a Paradise Therefore though Saint Paul were in the third heaven yet the faithfull soules might bee in another Paradise before they came thither as Adam was 1. Objection This is contrary to the first conclusion of Vossius That the faithfull before Christ were not in Paradise till Christ opened it by His comming thither with the thiefe Answere It crosses not the opinion of the Fathers For though they put all the soules of the Saints in hell whither they also sent the soule of Christ yet they put them there into a place of rest and refreshing into a higher place in death free from torments and the tyranny of the devill and that by the authority of that historicall parable in Luke 16. where Lazarus on the one side of the gulph was in Abrahams bosome comforted the rich man in flames on the oâ—â—er side tormented So that first place or Paradise was that state or quiet wherein the faithfull soules rested from their labours of this life Iob 3. from verse 13. to 20. in Ioy and hope of Him that was to come But that Paradise which the Fathers meant was a more free state and the enjoying of a fuller happinesse by the presence of Christ the worke of their redemption being accomplished they having their Redeemer with them a sure pledge of their enterance into heaven after their resurrection as He should forthwith bee raised and ascend to heaven whither till that time they had no hope to come 2. Objection The same Faith hath the same fruits the same effects But the Fathers before Christ had the same Faith Therefore they went to Heaven as they that have beene since Christ. Answere The same faith hath the same fruits the same effects concerning the uttermost end of faith which is the salvation of the soule and the consummation of that blisse which is to be in eternall life but not concerning all the degrees and circumstances betweene For many Prophets and Kings desired to see the day of Christ yet saw it not but as they saluted the promisses afarre off by their Faith The bodies also of divers Saints were raised at the resurrection of Christ and appeared to such as had knowne them alive for proofe of all that benefit whereof all the faithfull shall bee partakers Which blessing neither Daniel Dan. 12.13 nor Paul are yet partakers of And this answere may serve for divers texts of Scripture which are unfitly brought to this purpose as that of Iohn 5.24 Heb. 13.14 and such others And therefore though it bee most certaine and true according to the Scriptures that the Gospel of Christ was an eternall Gospel and that His death was available to eternall life to all that beleeved in Him since the beginning of the world So that their soules after they were delivered from the burden of the flesh were in Ioy and felicitie yet is it as true which the trueth saith Iohn 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions So that although the soules of the faithfull departed before Christ were in Paradise in Abrahams bosome in the Kingdome of God in Everlasting life yet were they not in heaven properly so called neither could they have the presence of their Redeemer when Hee was not yet incarnate by whom they might enioy the vision of God as now they doe 3. Obiect 3 Objection By this answere you grant then that they suffered the penaltie of losse as they call it though not of sence of losse I say because they were not in heaven in full happinesse as after their ascension with Christ which could not bee but either the merit of Christs sacrifice was not of force enough because it was not yet accomplished or else because their faith was not accepted I Answer Neither for the one reason nor for the other but because of that disposition and order which God had appointed to His creature into the reason of which no man may â—â—esume to enquire Then concerning the losse which you speake of it is denyed to be a penalty if it be not found Can the pint pot say I am not full because I cannot hold a gallon or shall the gallon say I am not full because I hold not a tun Doth not one starre differ from
another starre in glory So is the resurrection and so are the degrees in the blessednesse of the Saints And if every man that considers the disposition of God toward himselfe in this life doe looke thereon with a thankefull eye he may confesse with Saint Augustine That it hath been such as if God had neglected His other creatures to thinke in mercy on him alone Beside to say nothing of the merit of our Saviour confessed to be infinite and all-sufficient for us I say That the force of this reason stands on two false foundations One of the proposition for if the same faith must have the same effects in every quality and degree Why are not we that have the same faith translated hence as Henoch was The other of the supposition That in the kingdom of glory which we on both sides account to begin actually immediately after this life there is not a progresse from one degree of happinesse unto another which as it is contrary to reason so is it to the holy Scripture For is it not meet that as there hath beene a going forward in vertue and godlinesse in this life so there should be of the reward thereof in the next Shall not the ioy of the soule be increased when both body and soule doe joy together which cannot be till the resurrection till when we must endure that penalty of losse as you are pleased to call it Beside the holy Text is plaine 2 Cor. 3.18 That we beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory And how farre or how long shall this be Euen till God be all in all 1 Corin. 15.28 You may read to this purpose Revel 6.10 4. Objection Enoch was taken unto God Object 4 and Elias was carried up to heaven in a whirle-wind 2. Reg. 12. Therefore the faithfull before Christ were in heaven Answere Elias was taken up into heaven that is the Ayre and translated into Paradise whither Enoch had beene translated that he should not see death but into the highest heavens they came not yet as it will appeare by Iohn 3.13 5. Objection But wee are come to the Citie of God Object 5 the heavenly Ierusalem to an innumerable companie of Angels to the spirits of Iust men c. Heb. 12.22 23 24. And the Angels are the Inhabitants of heaven not of any terrestriall or infernall Paradise Ergo. Answere Wherever the favourable acceptance of God and His holy comforts are there is heaven where not hell But to the place alleaged I say 1. Wee are come in faith and hope to heaven not to the actuall possession thereof 2. It is one thing to speake of the state of the soule since Christ For from His ascension it is not denied but that the soules of the faithfull goe immediately to heaven as Cyprian Ambrose and some few other of the Fathers doe thinke whom you shall find cited by Ioh. Vossius pag. 104.105 But the question is of them that died before who if they were in heaven already then the prayer of our Lord Iohn 17.24 had beene in vaine which were wicked blasphemy for any one to say or thinke 3. It is denied that heaven is so the proper place of the Angels but that they are every where whither they are sent And doe they not in every place pitch their tents about them that feare God to deliver them Psal 34.7 and 91.11 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth for their sakes that shall bee heires of salvation Heb. 1.14 And this is and shall bee their imployment till God by their ministery have gathered all His children into one So this text of Hebr. 12. prooves not either that the Angels are perpetuall inhabitants of Heaven or that the faithfull soules went thither before Christ Obiect 6. Obiect 6 Christ dying commended His spirit into the hands of God Therefore that went into Heaven and therefore the soules of the faithfull were in Heaven Answ This is worse and worse The faithfull were in Heaven ergo Christ Christ ergo the faithfull ô Circle But to the text The hand of God shall find out them that hate Him Psal 21.8 Are they therefore in Heaven In His hands are all the corners of the earth Psalm 95.4 What is your conclusion But if the hand of God in this place must signifie that fulnesse of joy which is at His right hand for ever that doth alwayes accompany the faithfull soule and is not tyed either to time or place or whether it signifie the protection of God which might seeme to be most needfull in the horrours of death and passage unto that place which as man He knew not it doeth not follow thereupon that the soule of Christ ascended into Heaven much lesse that the soules of the faithfull were in Heaven before And that the trueth of this position may more plainely appeare that the soules of the faithfull before Christ had not ascended into Heaven and consequently that the soule of Christ who was free among the dead Psalm 88.5 Who was made in all things like to His brethren except their sinne did not ascend from the Crosse into Heaven you may if you please examine these Reasons 1. Sect. 6 The Lord is righteous and His Iudgements are upright Psalm 119. verse 137. And all His workes are done in trueth and equity Psalm 111.8 But it might seeme a breach of an infinite justice to give the full accomplishment of happinesse in Heaven to the soules for whose sinnes the satisfaction was not yet made And therefore although the Elect which were dead were justified from their sinnes By the blood of the everlasting Covenant Rom. 6.7 were freed from the punishment thereof and set in assured hope and expectation of those benefits whereof they should be made further partakers by the death of Christ and so rejoyced under the hope of the glory of God that should be revealed in them and in the meane time were filled with all the comforts of a present joy yet they received not the fulnesse of the promised joyes in Heaven God providing better for us that without us they should not bee perfected Hebr. 11.39 40. Neither doth this any way abate from the all-sufficiency of Christs merit no more then that we assoone as wee have received the full assurednesse of faith are not carried up to heavenly glory or that the Saints that are dead in Christ are not yet raised up to immortality For seeing the word is to be fulfilled betweene us and the reprobate Angels that the first shall bee last and the last shall be first that no creature may glory in it selfe it is necessary that wee passe by all the degrees of perfection from this low estate of mortality wherein wee are till such time as wee come to bee equall with the Angels Luke 20.36 For the law of Grace doth not take away the law of Nature That from one extremity to another there is no passage but by all
the meanes 2. Doth reason onely dictate this Doth not the Scripture say also the same For if Christ bee therefore the first-borne from the dead 1. Cor. 15.20 that Hee may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firsting or having the first place or preheminence in all things Col. 1.18 Is not the argument also good Christ is ascended that Hee in all things may have the preheminence And if the dead bee therefore raised againe by the vertue of Christs resurrection who was therefore raised up by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 Iohn 5.21 doe they not also ascend by the vertue of His ascension So that before the Ascension of Christ our head there was no ascension for any of the members It was the word of our Lord Himselfe Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven But I heare one whisper against this that the soule is not said to ascend without the body and therefore the soules might bee in heaven though they ascend not So the cavill is onely about the word Ascend But the reason For it is said Actes 2.34 David is not ascended up into heaven And this was spoken by Peter after Christs ascension So that although Davids soule was not in heaven before but went with Christ at his ascension yet David is then said not to have ascended Al. Hume Rej. to Doctor Hil. But had this man well considered the circumstances of this text in the 25. verse David speaketh concerning Christ and so as it followeth in the 29.30.31 he would have taken this text from David as S. Luke doth when he saith David is not ascended that is this Scripture doth not at all belong to David concerning any ascending or descending of his but to Him alone of whom David speaketh Psal 100. The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand The like speech to this is that of our Lord Luke 22.42 Not my will but thy will be done And yet it is said of Him Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy will O my God Thy law is written in my heart So the will of God was done as the first moving cause of our salvation the wil of Christ was done as subordinate not as the first cause See Heb. 10.9 So 1. Cor. 15.10 Not I laboured but the grace of God which was within mee And yet who knowes not the labours of Paul to have beene above all the rest of the Apostles 2. Cor. 11.23 ad finem yet he of his owne motion laboured not for the Church but persecuted it So David ascended not as the first fruits of them that slept but Christ ascended so by vertue of whose ascension David and all the rest of the faithfull shall ascend But not to fight with the shadow I take the word at the manifest meaning that David is not ascended and from thence conclude against themselues That if David had not ascended before Christ nor yet ascended with Him much lesse were the faithfull soules in heaven before Christ but that the soule of David dwells and must still dwell in Paradise with Daniel and the rest of the faithfull till the end bee Dan. 12.13 But if they will needes have the soule of David in heaven not formaliter as all the faithfull soules are in respect of the heavenly joyes which they have in Paradise but locally then I say it must needes have ascended For if the soule being in one place is not in another and if heaven be upward in respect of the earth then when Dauids soule went into heauen it must needes be said to ascend or goe upward as Luke 2.15 speakes of the Angels and Solomon Eccles 3.21 speaketh of the spirit or soule There ore this is but a poore shift such as they must needes bee driven unto that oppose the trueth Yet thus he holds it sufficient to mocke at the direct word of our Lord which is Iohn 20.17 I have not yet ascended to my Father For if He had then must there be two ascensions as they beleeve one of the soule alone and another of the body and soule together 3. Yet it is said Iohn 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe to prepare a place I will come againe and receive you to my selfe By which it is plaine that none could goe to heaven before Christ our Lord had gone and prepared a place for them which was not done before His death and ascension 4. Moreover it is said Heb. 9.8 the way into the holyest of all was not yet open while the first Tabernacle was yet standing Whereto if you take that which is verse 24. Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven it selfe it will bee manifest that there was no entrance as not into the holy of holies so much lesse into heaven before that Christ by His death had opened it as our Church confesseth in the hymne of Ambrose When thou haddest overcome the sharpenesse of death thou didst open the Kingdome of Heaven to all beleevers Whereupon it must necessarily follow that the soules of the faithfull were not in heaven properly so called before the death and resurrection of Christ 5. To this purpose you may also bring that which is Ephe. 4.8 When Hee ascended up on high He led Captivitie captive Now what was this captivitie or multitude of captives Were they reprobate You will not say it If the Elect then it followes necessarily that they were not in heaven before the ascension of Christ except you will bring them downe from thence to fetch up Christ in triumph but then had they not beene captives if already triumphing in heaven then had not the conquest of Christ over death and him that had the power of death beene so glorious if hee had had no captives to lead in triumph And therefore Esay 53.12 after the suffering of Christ describes His conquest thus I will divide Him a portion with the great and He shall divide the spoyle with the strong The faithfull soules therefore being held under the power of death though free from His tyranny and torment as it is said Sap. 3.1 The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God and no torments shall touch them whereby Christ having bought them of God and payd their ransome brought out of all power of their strong enemie out of the shadow of death into the everlasting light of Paradise in all the libertie and ioy of the understanding to view the Wisedome of God in His most glorious workes as you may read further a little below Sect. 8. Numb 3. Sect. 7. Sect. 7 Now having shewed the different interpretations of this Article and as I thinke fully proved that the soule of Christ went not to heaven properly so called before His resurrection but that it was glorious and blessed among His Saints in happinesse and so in heaven formaliter as they speake It is fit that wee draw toward a conclusion which
manner of being is when any thing is changed from any estate either proper thereto or else appropriate to an estate or condition that is or seemes to be lower or worse Thus our Lord was said to descend or come downe from heaven when He clouded His Deitie in our humanitie as I have shewed heretofore Thus also He and all man-kind may be said to descend to be abased or brought low when the soule is parted from the body For seeing both the parts are for the perfection of the whole the whole must needs be more excellent than either of the parts so that the whole being dissolved both the parts doe suffer hurt or losse thereby especially the soule which sees the losse and findes it selfe in a state of being beside the end of the creation of it selfe which was to give life unto the body and this is the cause why the soule would not bee unclothed but rather that this mortalitie might bee swallowed up of life And this is the lowest state of humiliation whereto the soule of our Lord could come naturally and by this state some will interpret the descent into hell as I shewed in the beginning Nu. 2. But if this humiliation must meane also the separation of the soule from the body while the body was laid in the dust it reaches no further than to his death For a man is not said to bee dead till his soule be departed from his body But if this state of humiliation be taken in that sence as some doe very fitly interpret it by that phrase used often in the Scripture of a mans being gathered unto his people or cōming unto that congregation of the saints which had died in the faith of Him that was to come then taking also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or hell according to the interpretation of the word Vnseen it will easily be admitted of all that when our Saviour was dead His body was buryed and his soule went unto the assembly of them that were unseene And because this is true safe and unquestionable it may on all parts be agreed unto as I said before and yet the word of descending or going downe reserved to the right meaning by the abatement or losse of that estate which the soule had with the body in the being of the whole and perfect man So also the question about the place of hell and Paradise which hath moved most doubt herein by this interpretation is avoyded But because all this will reach no further than to be perfectly dead and because the Latine interpretation Descendit ad inferos rendered by our Church Hee went downe into hell suffers us not to stay here and because the most voices amongst the Fathers have swayed the meaning to a locall descent and that as it seemes in the third sence spoken of before and most of all because the holy Scripture binds us thereto let us follow our best and surest guides and confesse with the Prophets and Apostles that the soule of our Lord after His death on the Crosse went downe into hell or the place of the dead and there continued three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth as it was prophesied in the signe of Ionas the Prophet Matth. 12.40 And let us beleeve that the flesh of Christ did therefore rest in hope because His soule was not left in hell nor His body was suffered to see corruption Psal 16.9 10. Actes 2.31 Objection 1. Obiect 1 They object that the soule may signifie the whole man as in Gen. 46.27 All the soules of the house of Iacob were 70. But how doth that helpe to prove that this Article must bee interpreted onely of the torments of Christs soule while Hee was yet alive For it is manifest that Saint Peter bringing that text to prove His resurrection speakes not of Christs soule while it was yet in his body when He was not subject to a state of resurrection but of His soule after His death But if they will hope by that text of Gen. or the like to interpret it as Al. Hume loc cit Thou shalt not leave mee in the grave let them answere mee what they meane by this word Mee whether the body or the soule or both together If they say the soule it was not in the graue they will bee ashamed to say both together for so they should make Him not yet to be dead as the word Mee doth truely signifie the whole Person yet alive jf they say the body let them see what an unfit tautologie it will make with that which followeth Nor suffer thy Holy one that is the body of Thy Holy one to see corruption But in this place the soule and the body are made direct disparates so hell and the place of corruption so that we may argue the body was in the place of corruption Ergo not in hell the soule was in hell Ergo not in the grave or place of corruption Object 2. Obiect 2 The purpose of Saint Peter was to prove the resurrection of Christ and that belonged to the body which had died not to the soule which died not Answere If this be given what will you conclude thereon But I say the resurrection is of the whole man returned againe to life after the parting of the soule and the body So it is neither of the body onely nor of the soule onely but of the whole man which Saint Peter prooves heere to have beene done in Christ because His soule was not left in hell where it was but was againe joyned to the body to cause it to live that it might not see corruption And because all the glorious doings and sufferings of our Saviour were for our uttermost benefit and comfort therefore is this going downe of His into hell also to give us assurance of our full and perfect deliverance from all the powers of death and hell and restoring of all His beleevers unto an immortall life and glory And because the doctrine of our Church into which I was baptized bindes me to beleeve that our Lord Iesus after His death went downe into hell-locally and that by the authorities of the Scripture and because I have before shewed that the soule of Christ did not ascend to heaven before His resurrection and have denied also that I thinke with them that say that He went downe to suffer for our sinne And having as I thinke said enough to all contrary opinions the trueth by the Holy Scripture and the reasons grounded thereon must be made to appeare But first of all it is plaine that the meaning of our Church is such for in the 8. Article it is said that the Creed of Athanasius ought thorowly to bee received and beleeved and that because it may be prooved by most certaine warrants of Holy Scripture And in the 7. Article the Church of Ireland agreeth hereto in these words All and every the Articles conteined in the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which
Mary Mat. 28.9 3. To Simon Peter Luke 24.34 1. Cor. 15.5 4. To Cleopas and his friend Luke 24.15.35 5. To all the Apostles except Thomas Iohn 20.24 to which if you put that time when He ascended on the 40. day from mount Olivet the five appearances remaining for I speake not of those extraordinary manifestations of Himselfe after His ascension to Steven Actes 7.56 and to Paul Actes 9.17 and 1. Cor. 15.8 will bee most likely to have beene on those five Sundayes as wee call them which were betweene as it may well be gathered from Iohn 20.26 because the Lord would fully finish the ceremoniall use of the Iewish Sabbath and sanctifie the day of His resurrection for the remembrance of those benefits which wee receive thereby This use the Primitive Church made of it Iust. Mart. Apol. ad Anton. and further against our Traskits because they would prevent their errours who under the profession of Christianity did still retaine their Iudaisme whose folly to avoid in stead of the Iewish Sabbath they celebrated the day of Christs resurrection Ign ep ad Mag These times of shewing himselfe were 1. To the Disciples and Thomas with them Iohn 20.26 2. At the Sea of Tiberias Iohn 21.1.3 3. On a mountaine of Galilee appointed to them Mat. 28.16 4. To above 500. brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 5. To Iames. ver 7. And for the times of His absence from them because it is said in the text to the Ephesians cited above That He did therefore descend into the lower parts of the earth and ascend farre above all heavens that He might fill or fulfill all things which were written of Him not onely those which were necessary for our saluation as His Suffering Resurrection Ascension c. but also whatsoever belonged unto man to doe in that state betweene His resurrection and ascension as you may in part understand by that which hath been said Chapter 28. N. I thinke that in those 33. dayes He in His manly being did view this earth and the fulnesse thereof and especially visit and blesse those places where He did purpose that His Church and trueth should most of all flourish and continue Sect. 2. Thus much for the questions by the way Now turne to that which is the maine To every degree of the abasement of our Redeemer there is a degree of exaltation and glory opposed So this of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven is set against that of His descent into hell and that by the authority of Saint Paul He that descended is even the same that ascended And although it may very well be thought that after His Passion finished on the Crosse by His death His going to hell was the beginning of His victory to take to Himselfe that power whereby He as the Sonne of man is to reigne over all the powers of death and hell Yet because His body during those three dayes is by most supposed to have been held under the power of death and that all the parts of His victory are to belong unto Him as Hee is Lord both of the quicke and dead that is in His intire humanity soule and body together therefore that descent is rather held by many as the lowest estate of His humiliation as you might read a little before Chap. 28. § 2. N. 3. But that our Lord after that He had by many and infallible signes and arguments by the space of fourty dayes given abundant proofe of His resurrection did ascend into heaven these reasons doe make it manifest 1. Vnto every body is a place due according to the qualities and properties of that body as in all natures here below it appeares that the place is both conseruative and also generative of those things which are peculiar thereto as the lower parts of the earth of the mineralls the surface of the vegetables the water of fishes c. And againe it is manifest that all things under the Moone are subject to corruption and change no beauty strength or excellency is such as is not fading no pleasure such but that in the very using it growes loath some no bravery so costly but in three dayes wearing it waxes stale so that by the voice and consent of all men the Angels and blessed soules and all such beings as are free from corruption and in the state of glory are sent into heaven But it is manifest that our Lord by His resurrection and conquest of death purchased first to Himselfe and then to us a state of glory and immortality Romanes 6.9 Ephes 2.6 Therefore also that Hee ascended into heaven 2. The blessednesse of the creature is onely in this That it may behold the glory of God in whom alone is the excellency of all perfection And this glory is seene onely in the face of Iesus Christ the Mediator as was shewed Chapter 24. § 10. N. 5. unto which blessednesse onely the pure and blessed inhabitants of heaven as the holy Angels and soules of men are dignified And from hence it must follow that our Lord is ascended into heaven the place of Angels and happy soules For no man dwelling in his ruinous house of clay is able to behold that glory Exod. 30.20 3. Hell is the place of torments the earth of troubles changes and calamities therefore heaven is the place of happinesse or else no happinesse at all is to be found But that is impossible For so all things should be created to wretchednesse and misery onely which cannot stand with the loue of God to His creature and His infinite goodnesse And if any such place of happinesse be and He our Saviour not brought thereto then the greatest obedience performed to the Father for the manifestation of His glory should be without reward But this were unjust with God and therefore impossible And therefore it was necessary that our Lord after His resurrection should ascend into heaven 4. By the consent of Christians taught of God and of Heathens taught by nature heaven is the place of the greatest glory and happines as hell of sorrow and wretchednes For although the Heathen allotted a degree of eternall blisse to the soules which they sent to Elysium as you may read of Anchises and others Aeneid 6. yet they supposed that their false gods and such as were by them canonized went up to heaven as Hercules Castor and Pollux Romulus and he that was one of the chiefe masters of the devills slaughter-men Iulius Caesar From whence you may reason thus The place of the greatest glory is most due to Him that is both the Creator and Restorer of all things But such was our Lord Iesus as it hath appeared before Therefore He ascended into heaven 5. It is necessary that the blessed and damned doe differ by all those meanes whereby the paines of the one and the blessednesse of the other may be increased The paines of the damned are increased by the horrour of that place wherein they are tormented therefore
good and bad before Him that every man may receive the things done in his body according to that which he hath done whether it bee good or ill 2. Cor. 5.10 So the resurrection of the body is in order of time before this Iudgement yet is it here set before it because it is a part of that glory which is given unto Christ for that abasement and blasphemy of sinners which He endured when He was most shamefully and despitefully intreated before the Priests when they smote the Iudge of Israel with a rod upon the cheeke Mic. 5.1 Luk. 22.64 and after most unjustly condemned him before Pontius Pilate And because it is fit that they which are to bee judged should behold their judge therefore the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement unto the Sonne Iohn 5.22 as it is said Actes 17.31 That God hath appointed a day in which Hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by the man whom Hee hath ordained whereof He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead So the authority or power is of the Father the administration or performance of the judgement is by the Sonne and that as He is the Sonne of man in the Person of the Deitie For as by the perpetuall influence of the Deitie upon the soule of Christ Hee is able to know the secrets of all hearts so being man touched with the feeling of our infirmities as having beene tempted in all points like as wee are yet without sinne Hebr. 4.15 He shall administer justice and pronounce His sentence with that equitie that even the damned shall confesse that their condemnation is most just But the judgement is either particular or generall For inasmuch as the soule being separate from the body is capable of joy or paine therefore immediately after the departure doth it goe either to happinesse or sorrow as it is plaine by the history of Lazarus and the rich man Luk. 16. and as our Lord said unto the thiefe Luke 23.43 This day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise So Saint Paul desired to depart and to bee with Christ. Phil. 1.23 To this purpose you may reade more 2. Cor. 5. from verse 1. to 9. For because the deedes to which punishment is due are voluntary For otherwise they were not sinfully sinfull and that the will is in the soule not in the body therefore the punishment comes first upon the soule as it is said Ezech. 4.18 The soule that sinneth shall die and by the soule upon the body at the resurrection In the meane while as it hath beene said the soule hath a feeling of the wrath of God being shut out from His presence and a fearefull expectation of those torments which it shall endure when it shall be joyned to the body againe So also the soules of the Saints immediately after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh are in joy and felicity having the feeling of the favour of God and the full and assured knowledge of the forgivenesse of their sinnes and waiting for the time of that blessed Resurrection when they shall enjoy their bodies againe and in the meane time this is their Paradise this is their heaven And thus the sentence being beforehard passed on every man particularly that generall Iudgement is onely the publication and execution of that sentence when the blessed shall both in body and soule receive the full accomplishment of all their happinesse and the damned likewise the full measure of their torment in hell And therefore is that day Rom. 2.5 called the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgement of God And if for the authorities and reasons brought it bee evident that the soule immediately after it is departed is a partaker of joy or paine How shall we hearken to that doctrine of the Sadduces Act. 23.8 or to that Arabian errour of the Thnetopsychitae that the soule doth die with the body Or to our late dreamers the Psychopannychitae who affirme that the soule sleepes in the grave till it bee awaked againe with the body at the generall resurrection § 2. Sect. 2 Now concerning the circumstances of the generall judgement it is manifest by the word of the Holy Scripture first that that the time thereof is unknowne For Hee shall come as a thiefe in the night 1. Thes 5.2 and 2. Pet. 3.10 or as in the dayes of Noah Matth. 24.37 to 47. For as the houre of death or the time of the particular Iudgment is uncertaine to every man and that for our exceeding benefit that wee should not through carelesnesse run into sinne but that wee should ever be mindfull to watch So likewise is that day of the universall judgement For seeing all mankind must stand in this generall judgement therefore it cannot be but at the end of the world as it is manifest Matth. 13.40 c. to 49. Apoc. 20.21 And therefore in His power onely that made the world And as no wisedome beside His owne was in the making of the world so shall there be no other wisedome either in the continuance or putting an end thereto beside His owne And seeing wee know nothing of the Fathers will but by the Sonne if the Sonne Himselfe knew not the time Mark 13.32 who may presume to know it without Him But you will say how could the Sonne bee ignorant of that day seeing by the influence of the Deitie on His humane soule Hee might know what Hee would know I Answere His comming was to give life unto the world and withall the knowledge of all those things and them onely which were profitable for His Church to know and because the knowledge of the time of this judgement for the avoyding of security was no way either necessary or convenient to bee knowne therefore our Mediator would not know that which was not fit to bee revealed to His Church For He would be like to us in all things except our sinne And I have heretofore shewed that some kindes of jgnorance are not sinfull And therefore that womanish fancie that will limit the day of Iudgement to the moneth of February which shall be in the yeere of our Lord 1645. is very weake and contrary to those prophesies of Scripture which teach us to expect the conuersion of the Iewes And with them the fulnesse of the Gentiles and that Sabbatisme or restitution of the creature which is so often promised both in the old and in the new Testament as it may hereafter appeare more at large Yet as by the Spring wee know the approach of Summer so hath He given us certaine signes that wee may lift up our heads and know that our redemption is nigh at hand For as it is a manifest signe that the destruction of that Nation is nigh when every man is oppressed one by another when the Boy shall behave Himselfe proudly against the Ancient the base against the honourable Esay 3.5 yea and bee upheld
therein O times Into what corruption of manners are wee fallen So when all charity is put only in the maintenance of idlenesse and begging Gangrels being otherwise dead and cold when the apostasie is fully revealed and the man of sinne detected which exalteth Himselfe above all that is called God Moreover when by the working of the false apostles of that apostasie there is a daylie falling from the faith 2. Thes chap. 2. When that ill servant hath said in his heart My Lord delayes his comming and hath begun and so continues to smite his fellow-servants Matth. 24.28 29. what wants but onely that the Tribes of Israel should be gathered to the Church that all the wicked should bee put away like drosse Psal 119. verse 119. For the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement nor the sinners in the congregation of the righteous Other signes you may reade in the Holy Text and consider of them But that signe of the Son of man spoken of Matth. 24.30 is doubtfull Some thinke it shall be a crosse some a great light Lactantius Lib. 7. Cap. 19. thinkes it shall bee a sword which shall fall from heaven like the ancyle Ovid. Fast lib. 3. But Sibyl orae lib. 2. saith it shall be a glorious Starre in the likenesse of a Crowne except by an Enallage of number shee meanes a Crowne of Starres as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometime doth signifie a constellation Her Verses are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A shining Starre like to a Crowne most sheen In the bright heaven of all men shal be seen For many dayes Next after the signes of our Lords comming to Iudgement you may reade the manner of His comming as it is delivered in the Scripture so farre as our understanding can conceive to bee with power and glory Mat. 24.31 euen the glory of the Father Mat. 16.27 and all the holy Angels with Him Matt. 25.31 In flaming fire rendring vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Thess 1.8 § 3. But that we dwell not on these things which are either beyond our understanding as the enquiry of the time which is therefore hid that it may stint our curious search or else so plaine that wee need not doubt let us goe forward to those questions which seeme to offer some doubt unto us 1. And first if Christ our Lord shall judge the world in righteousnesse Psalm 9.8 how is it said Matth. 19.28 That the Apostles shall sit upon twelue Thrones and judge the twelue tribes of Israel And againe 1 Cor. 6.2 Doe ye not know that the Saints shall judge the world and vers 3. Know ye not that we shall judge the Angels To which the answere is returned That the Apostles by their faith and doctrine shall take away all excuse from the Israelites and so judge and condemne them For this is their condemnation That they beleeved not in the Name of the onely begotten Sonne of God Iohn 3.18 So the Saints in generall shall judge the wicked by their faith and repentance whose example the wicked would not follow that they might be saved Moreover seeing the faithfull are the members of that mysticall body of which Christ is the head they in Him are said to judge the world that is the unbeleevers And seeing all the enemies of Christ are to bee brought before the Throne of Christ and His Church in as much as Christ shall judge the world and the wicked Angels in trueth and righteousnesse all the faithful shal subscribe to the judgement as most holy and just and so are rightly said to judge the Angels And as the holy Angels shall then rejoyce with joy unspeakable for that glory and mercy which God shall vouchsafe unto His Saints So the Saints likewise shall give glory and thankes to God for that encrease of glory and happinesse which He shall give unto the holy angels as the reward of their continuall watch and guard which they have held about us all the time of our pilgrimage upon earth and at the houre of death helping the soule out of the prison of the body and conducting it unto the place of joy But it is said Iohn 16.11 That the Prince of this world is judged already how they shall we judge the Angels Answer The devill is judged already 1. In the decree of God 2. By the word of God he is declared to be reserued in chaines of darknesse and that hell fire is prepared for him and his angels 3. By his owne knowledge of his owne estate 4. Because his torment is in part begun But in judgement there be two things First the enquiry of the fact then the award of the reward Neither the deeds of the good or bad angels shall bee enquired into at the judgement a as some have thought but the reward shall bee assigned unto them both and acknowledged to be most just by the Church as I said before and this is our judgement of them Neither yet shall the sencelesse creatures be exempted from this judgment in as much as The elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes thereof shall burne 2. Pet. 3.10 that they may be freed from that corruption to which they are subject for the sinne of man For when man sinned the whole bodily creature which was made for man was thereby subjected to vanity not of it owne will or any inclination which was therein in respect of any weakenesse of state wherein it was created For all was exceeding good Gen. 1.31 but that the justice of God against sinne might be manifest is it subjected to the curse Gen. 3.18 19. yet under hope that when man is freed from his sinne the creature also shall be restored unto that libertie from corruption wherein it was created Rom. 8.20 c. as it is said Rev. 21.1 and 5. Behold I create all things new See 1. Pet. 3.13 2. Another doubt may bee concerning the forme of the sentence whereby it may seeme that the merit of workes is justified For so is the sentence pronounced Come yee blessed receive the King-dome prepared for you for I was hungry and ye gave Mee meat c. and on the other side Depart ye cursed for I was hungry and ye gave Me no meat c. Mat. 25.35 to 46. Ans It cannot bedenied but that the sentence of condemnation upon the reprobate is according to their workes as the deseruing causes thereof For not tobeleeve in Christ is that great sin which is the cause of condemnation Ioh. 3.18 and 16.9 Neither is a dead faith ought worth but that faith onely is accepted which worketh by love Galat. 5.6 without which it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11.6 And if all things that are not of faith be sinne Rom. 14.23 Then the wicked works of Infidels and Hypocrites and much more their violent and wilfull rebellions
must needs be concurrent causes of their condemnation But the faithfull are therefore called to possesse the kingdome 1. Because they are blessed of the Father 2. Because they are predestinate thereto and the kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world So their workes come not as causes of their happinesse but onely as the fruits of their faith But because workes onely and not faith in the heart are manifest to the world therefore is the comparison made onely of the workes both of the godly and of the wicked that the justice of God may be manifested in rewarding the workes that are manifest to man But you will say if men for their ill deeds doe merit hell why should they not by their good workes merit heaven See the answere Chap. 19. Object 2. and 3. 3. A third question may arise concerning that which is said Luke 21.32 This generation shall not passe till all be fulfilled why then was not the judgement long agoe Answer The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a generation in the narrow signification doth signifie that multitude of men which are alive at once and withall that time in which it is supposed they shall all be dead which in common reckoning is 100. yeeres And in this sence the saying of our Lord must be referred only to that which He had spoken concerning the overthrow of Ierusalem which followed about fourty yeeres after and the signes which should goe before that As the preaching of the Gospel in all the world See Col. 1.6 False Christs See Note g on Chapter 24. Warres Pestilence c. But because our Lord after the answeres to the three questions made by the disciples Matth. 24.3 1 Of the destruction of Ierusalem 2. Of the signe of His comming 3. Of the end of the world addes these same words This generation shall not passe c. vers 34. a generation cannot bee so narrowly taken in this place but rather it must signifie as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Saeculum and so taking the infancy of the world in the time of nature for one generation that middle age under the Law for another and then this old age of the word under the Gospel there is no other generation or change of state in the Church to be looked for but in this very generation all things shall be fulfilled And therefore Saint Iohn saith 1 Epist 2.18 This is the last time And although Saint Peter say 1 Epist 4.7 That the end of all things is at hand and that therefore we should be sober and watch unto prayer because we know not when our Lord shall call us to a particular account of our stewardship when all things of this world are ended with us Yet Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. directly affirmeth in his time that that great day of God should not come till the Apostasie was revealed which could not be till he that withheld that is the Imperiall power that then ruled was taken out of the way 4. But seeing that day of God is so terrible to the wicked as that they put it farre from them and agame so much desired of the godly as that they cry Come Lord Iesus Come it may seeme not altogether unfit to see some reasons of their different desires Concerning the wicked it is manifest that they being condemned already in their owne consciences have great cause to wish that there were no day of judgement no judge no tormentors But the faithfull in Christ who have the testimony of God in their hearts that their sinnes are covered have great reason to desire that day First and above all that the glory of God His mercy and justice may be manifest Secondly that the merit of Christs sufferings may appeare to the glory of His grace in them that they may have the actuall possession of that happinesse which they have here onely in the assurance of hope And no lesse doe they desire that comming that the body of sinne may be truely abolished For which desires sake even death it selfe is here in life oftentimes desired and when it comes is most willingly embraced because that thereby they are justified from their sin Rom. 6.7 And among other causes for which they pray that the Kingdome of God may come this is one that although euen because they refraine from ill therefore doe they make themselues as a prey Esay 59.15 yet in that day the trueth of their innocency shall be knowne And although here the more innocent and harmelesse a man is the more is hee subject to injuries slanders and surmises and that because men have for saken the feare of the Almightie and having forgotten that he that taketh up not onely hee that raiseth a slander which every base varlet may doe but hee that beleeveth it and and much more he that furthereth it hath no part in that King-dome Psal 15.3 Yet they use their tongues as if they were their owne and remember not that they must give an account of every idle much more of every lying and hurtfull word And heere there be some which doubt not to say that the godly may desire the comming of that day that they may see the reward of the wicked perhaps upon that text where it is said The Righteous shall be glad when he seeth the vengeance Psal 58.10 But I suppose it necessary to answere with this difference That so farre foorth as a wicked man or men are declared the enemies of God of Christ of His Church a Christian may say Doe not I hate them ô Lord that hate thee yea I hate them with perfect hatred as if they were mine enemies Psal 139. ver 21.22 the hatred must be of their sinnes not of their persons but concerning those offences that are towards a mans owne selfe let the same mind be in us which was in Christ Iesus who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow His steps who being reviled reviled not againe who being mocked and wounded yet made intercession for the transgressors Therefore though thine enemies despight thee dayly without a cause though he that eates thy bread lift up his heele against thee though the drunkards make songs upon thee yet remember that there is a reward for the righteous that thy innocency shall breake forth as the light and thy patience shall shine as the noone day And remember that unthankefull wretches are no new thing in the world for the Orator said long agoe and I have often found it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But if that Punke could say Men ' moveat cimex Pantilius Shall he that hath experience of such monsters of ingratitude put it in the power of a sonne of Belial to disquiet his peace Therefore let the Rymer read what others judge of him Feltham Resolu Cent. 2. Ch. 56. Let him write a booke against me I will bind it as a Crowne upon my head And if for my love and for my best
their lives given as a prey Ezechiel Daniel and they that were signified by the basket of good figges Iere. 24.5 were carryed away for their good The Christians likewise were safe at Pella in the destruction of Ierusalem Euseb Ecclesiast hist lib. 3 Cap. 5. So He delivereth from the noy some pestilence Psalm 91.3 c. and in the dayes of famine those that wait on Him shall have enough Psal 37.19 So these things are testimonies unto us both that there shall be a judgement and that the godly shall be saved and the wicked condemned 12 And as if nature if selfe had imprinted the acknowledgment of this judgement in every mans mind so there was never any man c that confessed the resurrection but did withall confesse this generall judgement And therefore though every other Article of our Creed have been impugned by some hereticke or other yet never any gainesayd this I meane since those errours were stilled in the Apostles time See 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. But whether it be that every man acknowledging the justice of God as no man can confesse him to be God whom he doth not beleeve to be just and a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him Hebr. 11.6 or whether it be that the testimonies of the holy Scripture are so cleare in this point as that they have stopped the mouthes of all heretickes the thing it selfe is most certaine to be as it may appeare by the texts of Scripture already cited and by these also that follow Psalm 9. vers 8. The Lord hath prepared His Throne for judgment He shall judge the world in righteousnesse He shall minister judgment unto the people in uprightnesse And Psalm 50. vers 3 4 5 6. God shall come A fire shall devoure before Him Hee shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that Hee may judge His people c. Psalm 96.13 The Lord commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with His trueth As it is also Psalm 98.9 Eccles. 11.9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement And Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee ill Reade hereto 2 Pet. 3. Chap. from vers 7. to 15. and Reu. 20. Chap. from vers 11. to the end § 6. Sect. 6 Thus it being manifest that the judgement shall be it must also appeare that our Lord Iesus must bee that judge Whereto though I have said that which may be sufficient at the beginning of the Chapter yet because it is our speciall hope and comfort that He shall be our judge that was our Creator that hath so dearely bought us that hath been our Mediator that doth evermore preserue us from the power of the enemy let us both begin and end with this lest the conscience of our owne sinnes and the remembrance of that fearefull time should cause us not to long for that comming For if God be very terrible in the assembly of His Saints Psalm 89.7 how much more in that gloomy day when He comes to render vengeance with devouring fire before Him and to repay His aduersaries to their face and to passe on them that fearefull sentence that shall d never be reversed and from which there is no appeale But lift up your heads you that are little in your owne eyes and tremble at His words for that is the day of your redemption and God Himselfe will come and save you And because He is God He knowes the secrets of your hearts and sees your reverence and your feare before Him and your acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse And because He is man and hath had experience of sorrowes and passed under the burden of unjust and cruell judgement and hath for us endured the Crosse and shame that we might be delivered from the wrath to come therefore lift up your heads and receive the reward of your faith and patience and the end of your hopes the eternall saluation of your soules and bodies 1. For if our Lord having suffered such things for us and having overcome in all His sufferings having ascended into heaven to be our continuall intercessor for us should not then give unto us that everlasting life which He hath purchased for us His sufferings and intercession should be altogether in vaine and our faith in Him which He hath wrought in us by His holy Spirit should be utterly void and those promises which Hee hath giuen us in His holy Word should faile of their trueth and performance But all these things are impossible And therefore our Lord Iesus shall come to give reward unto His seruants both small and great Revel 11.18 and to cast out the unbeleevers out of His kingdome 2. In things that are orderly disposed for an end nothing may be omitted of those things that are necessary for the attainement of that end The end of our Lords incarnation and sufferings concernes either God or man Concerning mankind euerlasting life in all happinesse and joy is that great end for which our Saviour was incarnate died and rose againe and shall raise us up at the last day And by His judgement of mercy and compassion on us shall deliver unto us the seisure and possession of that eternall happinesse Therefore our Lord Iesus shall be judge of the quicke and the dead Concerning God it is necessary that in His love to His Father and zeale to His honour Hee take vengeance on them that have offended the infinite justice and despised that mercy and pardon which hath beene offered unto them and still have continued in their sin and followed it with greedinesse Therefore in this respect also our Lord Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead 3. And seeing our Lord Iesus hath undertaken that honourable enterprise viterly to destroy the workes of the devill it is necessary that He leave nothing unperformed which doth belong to the accomplishment thereof Therefore Hee shall judge those Angels which are reserved in chaines of darknesse unto that day and bring upon them that destruction which they sought to bring upon all man-kind And shall also reward those servants of His which have continued faithfull in His service whether they be Angels or men 4. None is so fit to judge betweene two as hee that hath interest in both parties and knowes the worthinesse of them both and that not onely in his understanding but also by his experience of them both But man-kind is to be judged for that which hee hath done contrary or according to the will of God Therefore seeing our Lord Iesus is very God and very man as it hath beene prooved Hee shall be the judge of the quicke and the dead 5. In every orderly and just judgement both the Iudge and the sentence ought to be manifest and knowne to all them that
one hope one baptisme one God and Father of all Ephe. 4.4 5 6. And as there is but one God so is there but one Mediator betweene God and man the Man Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 2.5 6. And this one Mediator is that one onely mysticall head of His mysticall body For there is no name given under heaven whereby wee must be saved but onely the name of Iesus Christ Act. 4.12 And as there is but one head so is there one onely body as it is said Cant. 6.9 My Dove my undefiled is but one and Iohn 10.16 There shall be one fold and one shepherd by which texts of the Holy Writ it is manifest that there is one holy Catholike Church as wee doe beleeve § 3. And by this which hath beene said it may easily appeare what those differences are betweene this Catholike Church and other particular congregations whether in private houses or in Cities Countreys Kingdomes or Peoples which in Cant. 6. cited even now are signified by the Queenes Concubines and the innumerable Virgins which consent to the same points of faith and doctrine 1. The first and most common is this that in the Visible Churches Hypocrites and Atheists are found among the chosen and these are the tares among the wheate the bad fish among the good Matth. 13.48 But in this holy Catholike Church no vile or prophane person can bee as it is said Rev. 21.8 and 22.15 That without the holy Citie shall be doggs the fearfull and abominable the unbeleeving murderers whoremongers sorcerers idolaters and every one that loveth and maketh the lie 2. A second difference is in this that every particular Church is visible so that every member thereof may be fully informed of all things whatsoever is taught therein for trueth either concerning doctrine or discipline but the Catholike Church in the sence we here take it neither is nor ever was nor can bee visible but to the eye of faith alone as here we confesse in our Creed for faith is the proofe or argument of things not seene Hebr. 11.1 If then the Catholike Church be a thing to be seene then is it not to be beleeved if it be to be beleeved then must it needs be invisible 2. Beside this the universall or Catholike Church as Saint Paul describes it Ephes 13.15 is of the Saints in heaven as well as of them that are in earth yea and of them that are not yet borne as of either of these And although all the members of this Church during the time of their pilgrimage upon earth be visible or in a visible Church yet while they are here on earth we doe not beleeve them to be of that Catholike Church with that assurance of knowledge which a saving faith requires such a faith I meane as is due to an Article of our Creed but onely with that hope or credulity which Christian charity and their holy conuersation doth bind us to have of them 3. For as God only knoweth the heart so He only knoweth who are His and if He only know then cannot we and though we see them in a true particular Church yet doe we not thereby know that they are true members of the Catholike Church Object 1. If the true Church be not alwayes visible why doth our Lord send us to the Church Mat. 18.17 Answer That commandement of Christ shewes what is to bee done in particular visible Churches not in the invisible Catholike Church and this is to be obserued in such texts as are like to this which the Papists bring to proove the perpetuall visibility of the Catholike Church For if they could make that good they would hope thereby to proove the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Church But if the first were given the second would not follow For was there no Catholike Church before Romulus murthered his brother or where was the Catholike Church when Rome was yet the mother of all the abominations and filthinesse of the earth First in their worship of devills and after when their lives were answerable to their Religion as you reade in Saint Paul Rom. 1. and in their owne prophets Iuvenal Arbiter c. and againe since they have forsaken their faith once praised Rom. 1.8 and borne the former reward of their idolatry And if that Church be the Catholike Church out of which none can bee saved as they say what shall become of all those Christians in the whole world which detest the Church of Rome and all their idolatries and false doctrines as the Greekes and all that follow them the Nestorians Iacobites Ethiopians the reformed Churches in the West c. which for the number may seeme to be at the least five to one to the Papists notwithstanding their false pretended universality To the former differences betweene the Catholike Church and particular congregations you may adde a third that any particular Church may erre wholly both in manners and doctrine as I shewed in the Chap. before § 7. N. 2. but the Catholike Church cannot erre 4. Any particular Church may faile or cease to be but of the kingdome of Christ there shall be no end Therefore the Catholike Church cannot faile from whence it followeth 5. That the Catholike Church is of the greatest antiquity as having the beginning thereof in Adam and Eve for I enquire onely of the Church of the redeemed not of the Angels but particular Churches had their beginning afterward some at one time some at another as that of the Iewes in Abraham and his family that of the Ethiopians in the Eunuch c. 6. Concerning the succession of the Catholike Church there is none such as they account of Kings or Bishops in this or that See but because Christs kingdome cannot faile therefore there is this succession That before these Saints that now live shall die others shall be borne that are the true members of the Church and thus is there still but one Catholike Church which unity containes all and every member thereof in one mysticall body whereof our Lord Christ is the Head Notes a I Withheld thee from sinning against Mee Against this and many such texts of Scripture the Hereticke Pelagius taught that man of himselfe without any speciall grace of God might fulfill the divine Commandements and if the grace of God were at all needfull it was onely that a man might more easily through grace doe those things which he was commanded to doe of his owne free will But this grace said he is onely in our free will which our nature hath received of God without any * See what Pelagius meant by this in answ to the Iesuits challen in Ireland pag. 478. 179. 480 481. c. merit of ours foregoing In this onely God doth helpe us that by the law and the doctrine wee may know what we ought both to doe and to hope for Aug. Haer. Cap. 88. By occasion of which heresie divers unnecessary questions have beene mooved about free
will universall grace perseverance and the like which are no way availeable to the increase of godlinesse or the comfort of the conscience but rather have overthrowne the faith of some and beene the feuell of Factions both in the Church and Common-wealth But as among the Corinthians when schismes and discontents arose concerning their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Love-feasts before the holy Communion the Apostle brings them to the simplicity of the first institution thereof 1 Cor. 11.21 So by the same Spirit of wisedome hath his Majestie our gracious Soveraigne with the advice of our reverend Fathers the godly and learned Bishops cut off these curious questions with all inconuenience and scandall as might grow thereby See his Majesties declaration before the Art of 62. Read also the Art 9.10.11.17 So that now through the mercy of God by the piety and constant care of his Majesty and by the providence and zeale of our faithfull shepherds there is assured hope that these tares which so lately troubled our neighbour Churches and by the seruants of the enuious man were attempted to be sowne in our beauteous fields shall never spread any roote of bitternesse among us And although these questions thrust in themselues here in this place to be discussed seeing predestination is the eternall foundation of the holy Catholike Church out of which there is no saluation and into which none can come but he that is holy It may seeme that it ought to be enquired what holinesse we have of our selues or what strength to come to that holinesse which we ought to have and what strength to continue therein But because obedience is better then sacrifice and because reason ranging beyond these bounds which God hath set is accounted by Saint Paul Rom. 9.20 a replying against God let us leave these questions as Saint Paul left that of predestination to the meere mercy and will of God and that absolute Lordship which he hath over His creature as the temperer of the clay hath power over the same lumpe to make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And seeing mans understanding searching into the things of God so farre above his reach as the infinite wisedome of God and His secret will are must needs fall into errour let us be contented to keepe our selues within those limits which God Himselfe hath set Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children that we may doe them To this purpose Saint Paul writeth concerning this sealed secret 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure having this seale The Lord knoweth them that are His and let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Therefore lest any man should runne beside his owne hopes whilest he enquires too busily into the hopes of other men let us remember that wise and faithfull counsell which is in 4. Esdr 8.55 Aske thou no questions concerning them that perish The reason went before verse 47. for thou commest farre short that thou shouldest be able to love the creature more then He that made it ARTICLE X. ⧠The Communion of Saints CHAP. XXXVI THey that make this clause to bee onely an appendix for explication of the former as if they would say I beleeve the holy Catholike Church to be the Communion or fellowship of Saints come short of the uttermost meaning thereof For beside the two properties of the Church to be Holy and Catholike it is necessary to know what the Priviledges or prerogatives are which belong to that holy congregation that they may know that their seruice is not without reward These prerogatives are 4.1 This Cōmunion of the Saints which is the ground and assurance of the rest For from hence it followes that we may assuredly beleeve that our sins are forgiven and therefore that our bodies shall rise againe and that to everlasting life But this Communion of the Saints is two-fold 1. Among themselves Secondly in the participation of those benefits which are purchased for them by the merit of Christ Yet this Communion among themselves is rather a third property than a priviledge of the holy Church and ariseth from that Communion which we have with Christ For he that loveth Him that begetteth loveth him also that is begotten of Him 1. Ioh. 5.1 2. And because all the faithfull are governed by one Holy Spirit therefore are they ever ready and willing to impart what gifts soever they have received to the common good of all that may be partakers thereof And this not onely in the supply of outward helpes as it appeared Act. 4.32 but much more in like affection one toward another in prayer one for another in supporting each the infirmitie of other as one member of the body is ever helpfull to another in comforting in exhorting and in the Spirit of Meekenes admonishing one another and every one in himselfe giving an example of a vertuous and honest life according to that commandement Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven And these things proceed from that inward and spirituall Communion which wee have with God the Father and with His Son Iesus Christ as it is said 1. Iohn 1.3 For seeing wee know That God so loved the world as that He gave His Son to die for the life of the world wee ought also to love the brethren So likewise the spirituall Communion or participation of those benefits whereof wee are partakers by the merit of Christ stands altogether in this that He our Mediator God and Man having given Himselfe a ransome for us God doth not now looke on us as wee are in our selues corrupted in our sinnes but as wee are washed but as wee are sanctified but as wee are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God as wee are one body with His Son and He our head is become our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption So that through Him wee haue not onely these priviledges here mentioned of the forgivenesse of our sinnes resurrection and life but also having in Christ the adoption of sonnes wee have by Him an entrance unto God the Father a right and interest in the eternall inheritance of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever may bee availeable to our eternall happinesse for the gift was not as the offence as you might see Chap. 18. § 2. For as we know that Christ our Lord the eternall Son was partaker of our nature and are likewise assured that the greatest actions of God in His creature are for the greatest good that can come neere the creature So ought wee to bee perswaded that we also shall be made the sons of God by that Spirit of God that dwelleth in us as it is said 1. Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And these are the
exceeding great and precious promises that God hath made unto us in Christ that by Him wee shall bee made partakers of the divine nature 2. Peter 1.4 this is that union and Communion for which our Lord prayes that it may bee made perfect in us Iohn 17.21 22 23. 1. For seeing the soule of man is a thing whose excellencie doth so farre exceed all things of this world it may not be thought that the happinesse and perfection of the soule can stand in things that are inferiour to it selfe as in riches honour worldly pleasure or the like But seeing it knowes that there is one onely infinite goodnes which because it is infinite must needs be eternall and able to satisfie all the desire of the creature that can bee partaker thereof therefore doth it aspire thereunto because in the injoying of that alone it can be made perfect And if this desire of the soule should be in vaine then the Holy Spirit of God which wrought this desire in the soule should have wrought in vaine then the infinite goodnesse which might satisfie the desire of the creature should be defective toward the creature and consequently not infinite then the promises of God made in His word should faile and the prayer of our Mediator cited even now from Iohn 17. without effect But all these things are impossible Therefore there is a Communion of the Saints with God and with one another as wee confesse in the article 2. If the merit of Christ bee infinite and that not for Himselfe but for His body which is the Church then it is necessary that an infinite reward be given thereto But the merit of Christ is infinite both actively and passively Therfore an infinite reward is due to us thereby So that by the Spirit of Christ which is in us we have communion both with the Father and the Sonne 1. Iohn 1.3 3. All the dignities of God are infinite and they are all to bee manifested in the creature so farre forth as the creature can bee made capable thereof Ergo. Now the foundation and originall of communion is in this that for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood He also Himselfe tooke part of the same that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death Hebr. 2.14 and that to this end that wee might be partakers of His immortality and from that union of the divine and humane nature whereby our Lord of the seed of Abraham became one with all man-kind ariseth that spirituall and mysticall union of us with Him that howsoever we are absent in body yet being renewed by the Spirit of our mind we live unto Him have Him evermore abiding in us as we evermore abide in him daily more more grow up with Him into one mystical body as if we were flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones Eph. 5.30 and from this mystical union we have the assurance of that glorious vnion which shall be in heaven when we shal be joyned to our head inseparably and this is that vnion or communion which all the faithfull hope for whereof we have the assurance of His promises in His Holy word the signes and pledges of the Holy supper and the witnesse of the holy Spirit of God in our hearts And thus is Christ ours with His graces and His merits and thus according to the exceeding great and precious promises are wee made partakers of the divine nature not that wee participate of the incommunicable essence of the deitie but that by the renewing of the Holy-Ghost wee put off our corrupt desires and are transformed in our minds according as His Divine power doth give us all things that belong to life and godlinesse ARTICLE XI ⧠The forgivenesse of sinnes CHAP. XXXVII BEing is of God alone whose being because it is infinite therefore must it hold in it selfe all the extreamities of being so that nothing that is can possible be but by Him therefore seeing the soule the body and the abilities thereof are from God alone the devill can claime no interest in man in respect of any of these for none of these had their originall from him But because he was a murtherer from the beginning and inspired his inbred poyson into man even from the beginning the root of man-kind being thereby poysoned the venome spreads throughout all his race to corrupt both his understanding and his will that so his actions being corrupted by the ill which he wilfully committeth his being also may become abominable But as the Physicians make a difference betweene the body and the disease so He our gracious healer discernes betweene the being His owne worke and the corruption thereof the tares I meane which the envious man sowed thereupon to save his owne worke and to cast the venome and the effects thereof on the face of the enemy to the increase of his eternall damnation and first heales the understanding that it may see the sinne then the will that he may detest and avoid it And thus by the renewing of the mind are we transformed from the image of the devill and that stampe which his sinne did set upon us So that the satisfaction being made to the infinite justice both for our originall and actuall sinne the workemanship of God even our whole being may be glorifyed with that glory for which it was created which also it had in the eternall decree before this world was And because our great weakenesse caused of our inbred infection and our many sinnes ensuing thereupon doth every moment stand up as a wall of separation betweene our God and us therefore hath God given unto us such assured hopes of His mercy that although we fall we shall not be cast away because the Lord putteth under His hand Psalm 37.21 and sustaineth us with this confidence That although our sins be as red as scarlet yet they shall be made more white then snow Esay 1.18 And because this hope and confidence ought alwayes to be before our eyes as being the sure stay and anchor of our soules therefore is nothing more fully assured unto us then this among all those things which we doe beleeve Stay thou trembling and fearefull soule and though the ugly visage of thy monstrous sinnes make thee afraid which indeed are so much the more hideous and deformed because they are not onely against the Law of God but against the law of reason rightly judging and against thine owne conscience yet stay and see what hope there is for thee and though that messenger of hell Despaire with all that wretched traine of all thy sinne which he brings with him doth hunt thee so close that thou darest not stay though thou wouldest be any thing save that thou art and most of all nothing at all yet see if a doore of hope as wide as the valley of Achor Hos 2.15 be not set open for thee onely if thou wilt be intreated to goe
in and be saved 1. Thou objectest the wrath of God from which there is no avoidance But are not all men borne under one state of corruption and who can say his heart is cleane if God then should be extreame to marke what is done amisse who can abide it and if every sinne in as much as it is against an infinite justice deserues eternall punishment can no man be saved So all man-kind should have beene created onely to punishment but this is against the infinity of His goodnesse who is full of compassion slow to anger and great in mercy good to all and His tender mercies are above all His workes Exod. 34.6 Psal 144.8 9. Therefore there is forgivenesse of sinnes 2. Therefore is the sinne of the wicked angels unpardonable because it was wilfull in them because they cannot repent them of it and because they have no mediator to make satisfaction for their sinne All which through the mercy of God to us are found contrary in the sinne of man for neither was his sinne wilfull or of himselfe alone but from the devill which tempted him thereto neither is it without repentance in all that belong to God neither is it without a Mediator that is able to make satisfaction fully for all our sinnes But when all sufficient meanes are orderly disposed for an end it is impossible but that the end should follow Therefore there is a forgivenesse of sinnes as we are taught to pray 3. Glory and happinesse is not given till sinnes be first forgiven So that if there be not a forgivenesse of sinnes the greatest and most excellent vertues must for ever remaine without reward For we see that in this life vertue is so farre from reward or esteeme that it is rather persecuted with hatred and contempt as the Proverbe hath it Virtutis comes inuidia And if vertue can find no reward neither in this life nor in that which is to come then the goodnesse and justice of God should be defective But this is impossible therefore there is forgivenesse of sinnes 4. Change the termes of the first reasons in the 18. Chapter and they are easily brought to this conclusion So from the reasons for the Catholike-Church and from many other this Article is easily concluded as you may see by the reason following 5. Christ tooke not on Him the nature of Angels but He tooke on Him the seed of Abraham Hebr. 2.16 For it behooved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren that He might bee a mercifull and faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people therefore was Hee made a little lesse then the Angels that Hee might suffer death for our sinnes and this that Hee might abolish his power that had the power of death Hebr. 2.14 15 16 17. but nothing of all this for any benefit to Himselfe but for us was He borne for us He died and rose againe and sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for us And these are the glorious workes which were given unto Him of the Father to doe for us and cannot possibly be in vaine Therefore seeing He Himselfe became our surety for the things of heaven are not knowne but by the Registers of heaven See Hebr. 10.7 and 7.22 Gen. 3.15 Esay 53.4.5.6.8.11.12 and hath in His owne body borne the punishment of our sinnes upon the tree 1. Pet. 2.24 it cannot stand with the justice of God to exact that debt of us which our surety hath satisfied And therefore it followes that our sinnes are forgiven us 6. And that I may at once decide this question both by reason and authority also of holy Writ and give full comfort and hope to thee poore soule that art pressed downe even to the gates of hell under the burthen of thy sinnes stay and see if thy comforts be not greater then thou hadst thought First it is a cleare case that no mans life is justly call'd in question but by the plaine and manifest letter of the Law Thou wilt say that is thy desperate case For it is written Deut. 27.26 Cursed is hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them so is the Letter I confesse but that is now cancell'd and that by the interpretation of the Law it selfe builded upon one and the same justice with the former as where it is said Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by faith then not by doing the workes of the Law although it be most just that he that doth the workes of the Law should live therein Levit. 18.5 as Saint Paul argues Galat. 3.12 for Lawes are made for the preseruation of humane society in generall so for the safety and defence of every innocent in particular that doing well they may be without feare Rom. 13.3 But Christ our Saviour though He were separate from sinners though no deceit were found in His mouth lived not in His innocency by the patronage of the Law And if the Law had not power to give life to the innocent neither in justice can it have power to condemne the guilty and if no flesh shall be justified by the workes of the Law Galat. 2.16 but that all men thereby stand guilty before God what madnesse is it to seeke life by that which brings the sentence of condemnation and that upon all men indifferently And if Christ Iesus be of God made unto us Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 what shall we need to feare the condemnation of the Law which through the infirmity of our flesh was unable to give life or seeke any other righteousnesse then that which by faith we have in him And if He be our righteousnesse how can the Law condemne us when He hath fulfilled it for us Rom. 8.3 4. therefore comfort thy selfe in God Blessed is the man whose hope is in the Lord his God and though thy hopes be weake nay though thou walke in darkenesse and have no light yet trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon thy God Esay 50.10 And though thy conscience condemne thee yet God is greater then thy conscience and knoweth all things 1 Iohn 3.20 Objection 1. It is not long agoe that certaine men from the mint of their owne braine sought to give out a coyne under their owne stampe That we are not justified by the active righteousnesse of Christ but by that which was passive onely and another like this That we are not bound to the obseruation of the Law delivered by Moses either Iudiciall Ceremoniall or Morall But because this coyne had not the publike stampe it was accounted false and therefore this last argument of yours which drawes so neere to their last position may seeme to be fallacious The Law defended not the innocent ergo it cannot condemne the guilty Who knowes not that the just Law was most unjustly wrested against our Saviour that Hee ought to die because He said Hee was
will follow easily enough if it be made manifest that the will and decree of God upon all man-kind is that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust Act. 24.17 I will first bring the holy Oracles thereto then the reasons that accord with them and lastly answere such objections as Atheists are wont to bring to the contrary That which is in Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the serpent in Iohn 3.8 is interpreted shall destroy the workes of the devill that is sinne and the punishment thereof death which cannot be except the dead be raised againe Iob 19.25 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that Hee shall stand at the later day upon the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reines be consumed within me Which text though it be as plaine and direct for the resurrection as any other in the Scripture yet Iohn Mercerus rejects that sence because the Hebrew Commentators doe not so expound it Esay 26.19 21. Thy dead men shall live together with My dead body shall they rise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for the earth shall cast out her dead For behold the Lord commeth out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more hide her slaine Reade to this purpose Ezech. 37. all And if you say that the calling of the Israelites is there prophesied in that Metaphor yet remember that no Metaphor is taken from things that are not Dan. 12.2 Of them that sleepe in the dust many shall awake to everlasting life some to shame and everlasting contempt Hosea 13.14 I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeeme them from death ô death I will bee thy plagues ô grave I will be thy destruction repentance is hid from mine eyes Iohn 5.28 29. The houre is comming in which all that are in the graves shall heare His voyce and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done ill to the resurrection of damnation 2 Cor. 5.10 Wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that which He hath done whether it be good or ill So by these texts among many other it being manifest that God hath decreed a resurrection for the bodies of men both good and bad it being also manifest that nothing is impossible unto Him but that He doth whatsoever it pleaseth Him in the heaven and earth in the seas and all deepe places Psal 135.6 it must follow of necessity that there shall be a resurrection which that ye may the better apprehend we will adde some reasons that accord hereto 1. And first of all that argument which our Lord Iesus brings to this purpose Matth. 22.32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob but God is not the God of the dead but of the living Therefore Abraham Isaac and Iacob though they be now dead yet must they rise againe for all men live to Him that is are in His power to be brought againe unto life when Hee will To know the strength of this argument you must looke to that which is Gen. 17. I will establish My Covenant with thee and with thy seed for an everlasting Covenant But no covenant can bee everlasting if either of the parties die Therefore Abraham and his seed that is the faithfull cannot perish but evermore live unto God as it is said in Luk. 20.38 For to this end Christ both died and revived and rose againe that Hee might bee Lord both of the dead and living the dead He saith that they may live againe For if our Lord Iesus died to purchase eternall life for us it is impossible that we should not live eternally 2. The arguments of Saint Paul in 1. Cor. 15. fall as thicke as haile and that first argument in the first place stands thus 1. It is a Gospel which he received and preached unto them according to the Scriptures And seeing the doctrine of God for His owne authoritie being the God of Trueth is to be received for our reverence only which we owe to him we ought to beleeve it Hitherunto tend those words v. 3. and 4. For I delivered unto you that which I received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buryed and that He rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures 2. And from this ground of faith he doth conclude vers 12. that there is a resurrection to wit for them that die in the faith of Christ For Christ died not for Himselfe but for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification Rom. 4.25 3. Since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead vers 21 22. For the well-being of the body cannot bee but by the head 4. vers 25. Hee must reigne untill He have put all His enemies under His feete Psal 110.1 Therefore death also shall be subdued Ergo. The bodies of men kept under His power shall rise againe 5. If the bodies of men rise not againe these absurdities and inconueniences must follow That they that are dead in Christ are perished and while they lived here were of all men most miserable Our preaching and your faith is vaine We are false witnesses of God ye are yet in your sin They that are baptized over the dead are baptized in vaine we are needlesly in danger every houre for the preaching and beleefe of this doctrine My contention at Ephesus hereabout was to no purpose The Epicure that lives to eate and drinke is the only happy man But these things are impossible and amongst Christians accounted incredible Therefore there is a resurrection His doctrine in other Epistles is to the same purpose as Rom. 8.11 6. If the Spirit of Him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you This argument from the communitie of the Spirit you may understand by Chap. 17. § 4. n. 2. Phil. 3.21 7. Hee shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like to His glorious body according to the working whereby Hee is able even to subdue all things to Himselfe 8. The hope of the resurrection as it is a comfort against all the trouble and afflictions of this life so especially against sorrow for them that depart from hence as you read 1. Thes Chap. 4. vers 13 14. c. 9. 2. Cor. 5.10 All must appeare before the judgement seat of Christ therefore the dead shall rise againe 10. For none of us liveth
be no want of any member or part when the soule shall be able to fit it selfe of a clothing for all uses out of a spirituall body neither shall it need to seeke any supply out of a forreigne body For as in justice the same soule must returne to the same body that both may suffer or be glorified together So shall both be perfected together according to the perfection of every individuall in their proper parts And though they be scattered in ashes or dust as farre as from East to West yet shall every atome be gathered into that body in which it first received the impression of an humane soule to become a part of a reasonable man The Poet gives you an example of a Gardiner wehling his seeds being mingled together Namque ut quondam olitor qui forte minuta sub uno Diversi generis confusa videbat aceruo Semina mox secum dum singula seligit hoc est Ozymon hoc apium lapathum istud oxalis illud Daucus andrachne ammi apiastrum urtica melanthum Sic tua sed melior sapientia novit acuto Permistos hominum cineres discernere visu I will give you an experiment for your easier understanding Take a knife a punch or other toole of steele well hardned and touch't with a load stone mingle a quantity of the fylings of iron or steele with so much common dust as that the fylings appeare not yet with the knife or punch made cleane you may separate the fylings according to the first quantity out of the dust And if this be possible to metall by reason of the common spirit how muchmore to the soule when it is commanded to gather together that dust which once it had enlived by it selfe § 4. Among the heresies against the doctrine of our holy religion that which denies the resurrection was one of the first For beside the Sadduces which denied it as you read Mat. 22. and thought that the soule died with the body all the sects of the Samaritanes except perhaps the Dositheans held that errour with them And although it bee not knowne to mee which of them fell first into the ditch yet seeing both sorts held the bookes and authority of Moses and none of the Prophets beside authenticall and that the Sadduces interpreted Moses according to the letter of the Law and thought that the blessings and cursings therein contained did belong onely to this present life which was the originall of this errour with mee they shall be accounted the blind guides of the blind Among the Christians some twenty sects of Hereticks have beene which denied this Article some upon one ground some upon another The first fountaine of this poysoned doctrine among the Christians was Simon the Samaritane whose Scholars held it successively unto Marcus about a 100. yeeres after Simon This Marcus also upheld the same heresie but after him it was by turnes call'd up from hell againe Carpocrates out of Platoes Schole brought in the change of soules from body to body but much worse than hee For Plato thought that the soules of men were sent into the bodies of beasts or of crazed and old men for the punishment of their former sinnes but Carpocrates taught that they were brought thither for the fulfilling of those lusts which they had not done in their former bodies For being here subiect to the power of the enemie man said hee cannot escape the wrath of these adversaries but by the filthinesse of life and doing such things as please them And therefore the soules that live heere most vertuously and temperately are oftenest sent into other bodies Though this doctrine of the devills Chaplaine upheld the immortality of the soule yet no resurrection of the body Valentine and after him the Manichees taught that the soules of men onely were redeemed by Christ but not their bodies and therefore they should rise no more Neither yet should all soules bee saved For there bee said hee three sorts of men spirituall animall and carnall Spirituall which by nature have a most excellent faith and these shall be saved without good workes as Seth Animal which have but a little faith but may bee saved by a supply of their workes as Abel But the carnall as Cain can by no meanes bee saved Marcion concerning the resurrection of the body sided with Valentine And so did Apelles For said hee Christ Himselfe went to Heaven without any body For that body which Hee had taken from Heaven and the elements at the resurrection Hee delivered againe to their proper principles from whence He tooke it The Seleucians also that affirme that Christ left His body in the Sunne as you read before are bound to denie to us any ascent into the heavens above for it cannot be better with us the members than it is with our Head Origens errour against the resurrection is at large refuted by Epiphanius Haer. 64. and if you minde the objections and answeres before you have the sum of that which Origen brought against it and the other answered Hierax denied a resurrection of the body but is disproved by the arguments heere brought as all the other Hereticks which are here mentioned A resurrection of the soule he yeelded unto except of the Infants which died before they had knowledge because none is crowned except he that strives lawfully as you read before in the 28. Chapter where his reason is answered out of Epiphanius Haer. 67. And although you see such monsters of opinions as I have said and if you have leisure may read the refutation in particular in the Authour aforesaid Yet if you take good heed to that which hath beene spoken for and against the trueth you may confesse that the trueth is great and shall prevaile CHAP. XXXIX ⧠And life everlasting § 1. WHile there was no sinne in the world it stood not with the justice of God that any punishment for sinne should bee inflicted therefore death and all diseases as his fore-runners with hunger thirst and all the enemies of life were far from man But after that sinne had brought in death it was a mercy that all those enemies of life which accompanied death should shew themselues that man might daily be put in mind of his mortalitie and returne unto Him whom he had offended Now if you shall aske from whence this change of estates from immortality to mortality did succeed in man I thinke even from hence that the pure soule the image of God dwelling in the body which was framed of the bodily creature which was yet pure and not subjected to the curse had power to sustaine the body in that perfect estate wherein it was created and so should have preserved it for ever if it had held that dignitie which it had and hearkened onely to the ordinance of God and had reigned over the bodily affections and desires as it ought and had power to doe But when the soule would forsake God the guide thereof and that
dignitie which it had naturally over the body and follow the lusts and appetites thereof and for that treason against God lost the power and strength which it had to support the body and moreover must seeke sustenance for the body out of the creature now accursed and deprived of her first strength it was impossible but that according to the curse corruption diseases and death should follow thereupon Yet seeing the merit of Christ is so ful of satisfactiō to the justice of God and He so powerfull to restore all the decay of nature and to destroy all the wrack and mischiefe which the devill hath brought thereinto wee may firmely beleeve as we professe in this Article that wee shall at last be brought to the enjoying of everlasting life better than that to which wee were at first created 1. For although by the craft of the devill sinne entered into the world and death by sinne passed over all man-kind yet seeing man was made immortall and that neither the end which God purposed nor yet the infinite merit of the death of Christ can bee in vaine it is impossible but that man-kind at last should be brought to eternall life 2. The infinite goodnesse of God is the reason and the cause that he is good to all and that His mercy is over all His workes Psal 145.9 Therefore there is an eternall life reserved for man the most excellent of the visible creature and the will of man above all other things desires an eternall life in glory and happinesse according to His promises But if no such eternall life shall bee then the action of God toward His creature shall be in litlenesse and defect neither shall he fulfill the desire of them that feare Him So also the will of man should more desire the accomplishment of the divine goodnes upon the creature than the will of God should desire the accomplishment of it selfe But these things are impossible therefore there shall bee an eternall life in glory and happinesse 3. Virtue and the ready service of man unto God is that thing wherewith God in man is most delighted and which He hath commanded as it is said Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 11.44 and the desire of this holinesse is found in them especially that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and hate their sinnes whereby they displease Him But this seruice of man to God hath not hitherto beene duely performed by any living among the sonnes of men neither can be performed both in body and soule by the dead Therefore it shall be performed in the life that is to come wherein both Gods will and the desires of His shall bee fulfilled See Matth. 5.6 4. If there shal be an eternal life for man then man shall receive of the divine goodnesse and power a power whereby he may both bee and doe those things whereto the divine goodnesse and wisedome hath appointed him But if there be no life eternall then the end of mans creation should be onely to privation and not being But it were better never to have beene than after all the miseries of this life in the end to returne to an everlasting not being For so the effect that is man-kind should no way be answerable to the cause nor yet be any proofe or manifestation of that goodnesse infinity eternitie and power by which it was made But this is impossible and against the conditions both of the prime cause and the infinitie of the dignities thereof Object But you will say that this reason doth no more prove that there is an eternall life for man than for beasts and other of the creatures which also ought to continue for the proofe of that wisedome and almightynesse of their cause Answere There is a difference betweene the end and those things which are for the end Man is the end of all the visible creature and therefore it followes that all those things are to bee in man as in the end so far forth as they can be worke or be glorified in Him And from hence also it followeth that man must bee for ever lest all these things which were for him should returne to nothing with him and the image of that infinite goodnesse and wisedome by which they were made should come to nothing eternally Therefore though they shall be in man as the idéa of them all yet not in their severall or distinct beings beside man 5. No naturall desire of the creature which is implanted in every individuall of every kind can bee in vaine because it is implanted therein by a superiour power which cannot bee frustrate But it is implanted in all men naturally both to desire and to hope for eternall life Therefore there shal be an eternall life For if after the resurrection man should not live for ever then there should be in God a will to raise him to life contrary to his will that hee should live for ever So His being should not be simple and one but this is impossible as it was proved Chap. 9. § 6. 6. The more powerfull that any cause is the more manifestly doth the likenesse thereof appeare in the effect And sith God is the first and chiefe cause of all and that the likenesse of man His worke shall be greater in his perpetuall well-being than in not being at all therefore there shall bee an eternall life wherein the greatest likenesse of the effect to the cause shall be perfected that man may live in eternall Righteousnesse Wisedome and Glory Otherwise the infinite justice might seeme defective in reward and punishment if both good and bad should perish alike Moreover the word whereby the punishment was inflicted was neither so generall nor so without exception but that there was grace reserved And now lest he take of the tree of life and live for ever in his sin therefore the Lord God sent him forth of the garden of Eden the type of eternall happinesse till he had tasted of death the punishment of his sinne then should hee live for ever in joy 7. And these reasons for the assurance of everlasting life you may adde to them that are in the Chapter before And above all reason the holy promises of God which cannot faile as Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that He gave His onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life Titus 3.7 Wee are made heires according to the hope of everlasting life Matth. 19.29 Every one that hath forsaken houses c. or lands for my sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Psal 37.18 The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright that their inheritance shall be for ever Psalm 23. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever And that the ioyes of heaven are eternall it may appeare by the torments of the wicked that are in hell of both which see Matth. 25. from vers 31. to 46. And therefore the Apostle
of any virtue or of any religion is it not better to follow the pleasures of sinne with greedinesse 1. But Atheist I answere That if God should so neglect them that honour Him as that He would not reward them neither in this life nor yet in that which is to come then were He unjust if He knew not their devotion then were He not wise But these things are impossible for thee to suppose that God should be either unjust or unwise For perfect justice such as the infinite justice of God is doth ever bring foorth a judgement in which it must appeare that in Him that is infinitely just there was neither ignorance of the service done unto him nor any disability to reward it which because it appeares not in this life certainely it must be manifested hereafter Therefore the soule is immortall 2. Seeing all the world cannot affoord that which may give a full content unto the soule that judges rightly of every thing Seeing we are taught 1 Iohn 2.15 not to love this world neither the things of this world it is manifest that the true happinesse of the soule ought not to be sought here among those things that are inferiour and below the dignity and state of the soule which can be blessed onely in the sight of God as our Lord hath taught us Mat. 5.8 Therefore the elect of God which according to His counsell and command seeke true happinesse in another life shall in another life be sure to find it 1 Iohn 2.17 3. The working of the soule cannot be hindered by the body not onely the spirituall actions of the understanding and motion of the will but even the actions of the soule upon the body as I have somewhere given instance in the beating of the pulse and whatsoever hath motion of it owne nature cannot be hindred to attaine that end whereto nature drives it and the thing it selfe desires to come as the continuance and perfection of it selfe because nature doth not worke in vaine and the soule doth naturally desire true happinesse that is spirituall eternall and beseeming the nature of it selfe Therefore the soule is immortall 4. No substance which is intellectuall is corruptible For corruption in substances comes onely by the separation of the matier and essentiall forme And because beings intellectuall that is such as have power of an active understanding doe not consist of matier but are of themselues pure formes therefore they are not subject to corruption and death properly so called And although the soule beside the power of understanding have also the power of growth and sences as the naturall faculties thereof by which it doth enlive mans body to move to digest to see heare feele c. and that when it goes away from the body these faculties of the soule forsake the body yet they die not in the soule but shall enlive the body in the resurrection as they did before so that the soule is no way mortall 5. Common consent of all Nations both Christians and Barbarians hold and ever have held the immortality of the soule and the soule it selfe beares witnes thereunto which at the sight of grievous sinnes committed findes such terrours and affrightings in it selfe as are sometimes more fearefull than death But if the soules of men did not live after the body what cause had guilty minded men either to feare death or any torments that could follow after it 6. The excellent endowments of the soule the engines and curious artes that are invented the search of the heavens motions and the inuention of trueth in things removed from our sences yea even concerning the truth of God are arguments sufficient of the soules immortality 7. And beside these reasons the infallible authority of the Holy Scriptures ought towring this confession even from the very Atheist For the soule being breathed into man by an immortall principle by the breath of God Himselfe may not bee supposed to bee corruptible for so how could a thing mortall or corruptible be the image of the immortall God Gen. 1.26 27. yet say I not as the Gnosticks or Priscillianists that the soule is of the same being or substance with God but that being so created by Him and His image it cannot be mortall Mat. 10.28 Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare Him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell The parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus in Luk. 16. shew the immortality and state of the soule both of the good and bad Read also 1. Pet. 3.18 19.20 Phil. 1.23 Revel 6.9 That there is not one common Soule of all men §. 2. 1. BY some of the reasons before and by all the authorities brought out of the holy Writ it is manifest that this fantasie of one common soule in all Men was but a dreame of Averroes For if the humane soule be the proper forme of the body and the specifick difference of every subject be by the forme thereof If there be one common soule of all men then the essential difference of men is taken away so that they bee not now this man and that man but all men must be one man as concerning their internall forms the difference of men must be in their heccieties or numerall diversitie of their bodies onely 2. But so the understanding and knowledge of all men should bee one and the same and one man should not bee wise and another foolish but all men wise or foolish alike if there were onely one soule or understanding of all men 3. So also the vice of one man should multiplie it selfe over all men 4. And all men should have equall joy in the end or happines of any one man But these things are not so And as these inconveniences proove the differences of soules while they are in the bodies of men So likewise doe they withstand that confusion which would bee of the soules of men being departed out of their bodies which are not supposed to fall into the Chaos of life and there to be confused as a drop of water falling into a River For the soules being separate from the bodies have their severall degrees of perfections whereby they are distinguished as 2. from 3. so as they cannot be the same as 2. cannot bee 3. 5. Moreover both that unitie and this confusion of soules would utterly take away all justice in reward and punishment of their deeds which they have done well or ill in this life 6. The uttermost happinesse of man is the adequation of all his faculties in that which is the perfection of goodnesse that is that he love that which hee understands and that he have power to performe it for otherwise his understanding would bee the originall of paine and sorrow unto him if he should know that which were good to be done and should not have power to effect it But if there were a confusion of all soules or
the first of Sabbath importeth rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. the beginning of the ineffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not there onely but even of it selfe it imports the Deitie For wee consider of things not obuious to our sences and understanding as if they were not and therefore this least of all the letters neerest unto nothing doth signifie God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th the first of Ta. or Thom. is construed a Closet or a Depth Which construction if you put together according to the rules of that excellent Grammar of Divinitie with reference to that which followes may import thus much The Word the Spirit and the Father resting eternally in the Closet or unconceiveable abysse or as Paul calls it the inaccessible light of the infinite Deitie manifested their almighty power in creating the heaven and the earth Neither is it without a great mysterie that the Sonne is here put in the first place for In the beginning was the Word because the chiefe honour both of the Creation and restauration of the world is given unto Christ as the Apostle doth comment upon this text Coloss 1. And in another place In Him is all the treasure both of the wisedome and knowledge of God As Psal 104. v. 24. In Wisedome hast thou made them all For in Christ were all things together one infinite wisedome till in the Creation he made them severall according to their distinct Idea's Therefore saith the Apostle He sustaineth every thing by His powerfull Word that is the Son and elsewhere In Him Christ wee live and move after the Creation and have our Being before the Creation And for this cause doth Iohn begin the law of mercie and grace in the very same words wherewith Moses began the law of Iustice and condemnation In the beginning For wee know nothing of God neither of Iustice nor of Mercie c. but onely by Christ as he saith No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Sonne will reveile Him And in another place No man cometh to the Father but by mee Now the Holy-Ghost is put in the second place because He is the mutuall love of the Father and the Sonne and as I may say the instrument of their actions both immanent and transient Goe forward now if you will to the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bara you see it affords the same argument for the Tri-Vnitie by the three letters before explained and the number which is the singular Thinke not this a fancie neither reproach the divine Cabala as the ignorant Sophisters use to doe not knowing how above all other knowledges it doth aduance a mans meditation on high And to the present purpose they which know any thing in the holy language know that this sentence can no way agree in Grammaticall construction unlesse the singular verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barà be thus made plural that it may have concordance with the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim And that these three persons are in the unity of their Being one may appeare by that which is Chap. 2. v. 4. where the name of their essence Iehovah is joyned to Elohim as if you would say the Gods Iehovah made the earth and the heavens You will aske why these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b.r.a. are twice put seeing in this precisenesse no such superfluitie should have needed I tell you that it is not done but to intimate unto us a most high mysterie For in the first place it imports that Eternall and Infinite Being of the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost which they had before the worlds in their endlesse glory and felicity in that silence of the Deitie in that super-supreame Entity which is unto the Godhead perfect above perfection without any respect unto the creature It imports that Infinity that Eternity that Power that Wisedome which is above all things and gives unto it selfe to be such as it is that Nothing as the divine Areopagite seemes to speake which is before and aboue all things that may be spoken or thought without any respect of any emanation or effluence whatsoever And therefore followes that letter of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in the second place it signifies the Deitie as exercised in the creature and therefore followes that Epithete Elohim which shewes that emanation of Power or Strength and is sometimes given unto the creatures Angels and men It were an endlesse thing to speake that of these mysteries which may be spokeÌ„ neither can I For the Law of the Lord is perfect and man is full of weaknes I have said so much as I thinke meete concerning the Tri-unitie Now a word to that point that Christ is God which although it appeare sufficiently in the Tri-unity before prooved by this anagogical doctrine yet to that second person in â—â—rticular is that which followeth Esay 7.14 it is said of Christ that His Name should be called Immanuel but in the history of the Gospel in Matthew and Luke both before His Conception and at His Circumcision He is called Iesus It is therefore meete that you know how Iesus is Immanuel or God with us The writing of the Name of IESVS is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ihsuh though according to the rules of the pronunciation of that tongue Iesu and according to the ancient abbreviation following the Hebrew orthography IHS In which Name you see are all the letters of the greatest ineffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah with the interposition of that letter of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s. for then was God reconciled to the world then was everlasting righteousnesse brought in when the Word became flesh This is that glorious Name of which God spake by the Prophet Behold I will make my Name new in the earth For you see how of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is IESVS This is that Name which is meet for the Sonne of God alone and cannot be given to any creature because it is a Name of the Deitie as it is Heb. 1. It is that Name which is above all names in which the Angels and the righteous soules triumph at which the powers of Hell are agast and tremble to which the whole creature yieldeth meeke obedience This is that Name of which our Lord spake Father I have manifested thy Name unto men the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so long as the mystery of the Incarnation of God was hid so long that Name remained unsoundable but when the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst men so that the mysterie was reveiled then the Name which was before not to be pronounced was lawfully pronounceable That as the Word of life was to be seene with eyes and handled with hands so that glorious Name might
food whereof Adam and his faithfull children which overcome may eate and live for ever Revel 2.7 Thus you may see how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us You may see that riddle of the Angel to Esdras 2. Booke chap. 5. v. 37. expounded The image of that Word from which and whereto the Bookes of both the Testaments doe sound You may see what confidence we may have in that promise of Christ who in the dayes of His flesh said Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name He will give it you Ioh. 16.23 But after His Ascension the miracles that are to be done in that Name are more wonderfull Mark. 16.17 And againe He that beleeveth in me greater workes then these shall He doe for I goe to the Father Behold the mysterie of it cause it to ascend and describe that circle whose centre is every where whose circumference is no where Now are the superior and inferior conduit-pipes soudered together as the Hebrues speake now the higher influences the Spirit and Graces of God are not given by measure and the refluences so great as that Whosoever beleeveth out of His belly shall arise fountaines of living water springing up unto eternall life O glorious Name O sacred Mystery by which you may well perceive that there is greater Vnitie betweene the Deitie and the Humanitie then by any words of Contiguitie or Continuitie may be expressed You may well perceive how according to that place of the 89. Psal He the first borne or as Ioh. saith Chap. 1. The onely begotten of the Father is made higher then the Kings of the earth Here is our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption complete here is our adoption and reward our consolation our life and religion our reverence and our feare yet our joy and boldnesse all in all The presence of God I am not able to give due honour thereunto My thoughts are swallowed up when I consider the other great mysteries which this one letter doth import the mysterie of the triple world the mysterie of mercy and of Iustice of Election and Reprobation of that great Iubile or Sabbath of Sabbaths when that which is above shall againe descend to restore the creature from corruption and change into that nimietie or excesse of Goodnes wherein it was created But these things are therfore here to be omitted because the discourse therof were long and because they are rather consequents then premises to the question To tell you at once and to make an end of this argument The whole Nation of the learned Iewes confesse that the Messiah should be called by this great Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which purpose there are besides these which have beene brought many places of Scripture which in the Hebrue veritie are most direct though by our translations they might seeme somewhat harsh They hold I say that He must be both God and Man and in a word there is nothing which wee Christians doe affirme concerning our Lord but the evidence of Scripture doth compell them to confesse it Onely they differ in this from us whether This Iesus be that Christ that should come into the world though this also be a thing not questionable as you may learne of Daniel 9. vers 24 25 26. and 2. Esd 7. verse 28.29 Although the common error and expectation of the Iewes was of a terrestriall Monarchie yet the best learned of them agree that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world For they remember that place in the Testament of Iacob The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda till Shiloh come By which it followes that when Messiah shall come there should be no more shew of an earthly kingdome That of Zach. 9.9 is as direct Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee poore They remeber also that in the 21. Ps I am a worme and noman a shame of men and the contempt of the people And that also of Esay 53. He hath neither forme nor beauty when we see Him there shall be no forme that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of men c. Reade the whole Chapter and the Psalme compare them with the histories of His Passion and behold Him on the Crosse in the horror of His anguish and extreame perplexity But you will say what is this Iudaisme in the letters of His Name for argument to prove that He is God Is it more then if we should write the Name of Christ with the last letter thereof capital ChrisT because it may represent the Crosse or else the two last letters so interlaced that they may have reference to the Serpent in the wildernesse because that was also a figure of CHRIST Though I had here to answere for the Cabala of every of the 72. languages of the Confusion yet I say onely thus If after all this that I have said you will still be contentious I have no such custome but I am well content that either thus or by any other meanes a ChrisTian man should hold that in perpetuall memory which is his Ioy his Victory his Crowne his happinesse in this world and in the world to come Were it to any purpose to make you know what the ancient Philosophers who knew not the Scriptures have thought of this matier all speaking this one thing which the light that God hath given to mankind did make them know although they concealed their intendement by divers names Yet Hermes called Him plainely the Sonne of God Zoroaster the Vnderstanding of His Father Pythagoras Wisedome as Paul and Solomon every where and particularly Prou. 8. and in the booke of that title Parmenides named him The Sphere of Vnderstanding Orpheus termed him Pallas to the same effect as the other if you know the fable and yet hee speakes more plainely to the Trinitie in his Hymnes of the Night of the Heaven and of the Ayre Platoes separate Idea's meane nothing else and in summe as many of the Philosophers as were worth any thing were not ignorant of this thing But I feare these authorities are with you of little worth yet have I brought them that you may see how wee are furnished with all kind of proofes and how you do contemne all maner of testimony If this which I have said perswade you to look better to the foundation of your faith it is sufficient if it perswade you nothing then have I done contrary to the Commandement which forbiddeth to cast pearles before swine But yet I hope that God will not suffer you to be led any longer by that spirit of Antichrist against which S. Iohn doth so often warne us For I doe you to wit that this your heresie is no new thing but even as ancient as the Apostles time For the reason of Iohns writing of his Gospel was to prove the Godhead of Christ against the Hereticks that denied it in His own time And truely I maruell that you who have received this heresie from the rotten bones
ascension into heaven belong to us as it were in common with Christ in as much as the faithfull must rise againe and after judgement ascend with Him into Heaven Iohn 17.24 and 2 Thes 5.17 Therefore to sit at the right hand of the power of God is peculiar unto Christ alone And although it be said Ephes 2.6 that we are made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ yet that is spoken onely of that abundant happinesse and joy which we shall finde in eternall life as the text was cited euen now out of Psal 16.11 Notes a BEcause of His vnion with the God-head The Apostle in the first Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes proves by many arguments that the Mediator must be God in the second Chapter that Hee must bee man Among those reasons whereby He proves that Christ is God this is one because it was said vnto Him Sit at my right hand For God that gives not His glory unto another Esay 42.8 doth not give this glory to sit at His right hand unto any one that is a creature onely Therefore doth not our Lord sit at the right hand of God but as man subsisting in the Person of the Sonne of God neither yet as God being one with the Father in the infinitie of being and power is Hee said to bee so exalted as to Sit at the right hand of God but onely as He is God manifested in the flesh For this exaltation and glory was given unto Christ as the reward of His humiliation as it is said Phil. 2.8.9 Hee humbled Himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a Name which is above every name c. So that the glory of sitting at the right hand of God is due unto Christ as the Mediator that is both God and man in one Person b Some preheminence above man-kind Although the graces and perfections and consequently the glory of Christs humanity in the Person of the Godhead be so super-excellent as all the Angels in heaven cannot comprehend yet doth not that glory and perfection take away the proprieties of the humane nature nor yet His sitting at the right hand of God take away His subjection unto God For Hee is excepted that did put all things under Him and when all things are subdued unto Him then the Sonne also Himselfe shal be subject that God may be All in All 1. Cor. 15.27.28 because that then the government and mediation of the Sonne is perfected in the creature when it doth appeare that God hath loved the Church euen as He hath loved Him Iohn 17.23 If then Christ our Lord be still God and man or else He ceases to be our Mediator and if to take away the properties of His humanity as to be contained in a certaine place be to deny Him to be man as Saint Augustine saith Take away place and you deny all bodily being How can that falshood of the every-where being of Christs body be iustified I said enough against this errour in the Note on the Chapter before but they argue also from this Article thus The right hand of God is every where Christ in His bodily being sits at the right hand of God Ergo His body is every where If this be a good conclusion then why not this The right hand of God is eternall Christ in His bodily being sits at the right hand of God Ergo His body is eternall But this against the Article He was borne of a Virgin Beside the Assumption should be the body of Christ is the right hand of God but that is most false and this is most faulty of all to take a tropicall speech as if it did signifie properly See Log chap. 21. N. 5. The errours mentioned with this in the Note on the Chapter before need not to be remembred Another errour against this Article of Christs sitting at the right hand of God and making intercession for the Saints is of them who pray to Saints and Angels and so deny the Al-sufficiency of His mediation and make void that text of the Scripture 1. Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ IESVS But they have a pretty distinction for it if it were ought worth that the Saints are not Mediators of satisfaction for so is Christ alone but of Intercession only If we should be content with this yet all their workes of Supererogation are vanished and all their saleable treasure of their Church not worth a mite For the merit of Christ is not saleable but for every one that will to buy without money Esay 55.1 And that because it is infinite and unvaluable as the ransome of sinne must be and no mans merit can be Beside the Scripture saith That Abraham knowes us not and Israel is ignorant of us Esay 63.16 And therefore as a Father saith It is the most safe aduenture for a man to commit himselfe onely to the hands of God A third errour is of them who sacrilegiously withhold those tithes which God hath allotted for the Ministers of the Church as you may see it prooved by them who have writ to this argument whatsoever any lying Legend hath brought to the contrary you may reade Sir Henry Spelman Iames Sempal and especially the Reverend Bishop of Chichester to this argument And so no lesse are they in this heresie who withhold or curtaile or inuert by any meanes those maintenances which the founders of Schooles or Colledges have appointed as Seed-plots for the Church And these sacrilegious errours are the more damnable as an errour in fact is worse then an errour in opinion And if you looke unto the state of those Churches where that competency of which they prate was first established in France in Germany and else-where you may see not onely the contempt and beggery wherein the Ministers live but that even the whole Churches have ever since the time of this competency lived under persecution And if whole Churches and Common-wealths suffer for this shall you sacrilegious Impropriators you saleable Latrones and you false feoffees that are unfaithfull in other mens wealth unfaithfull in that which is committed unto you onely in trust escape though you be long forborne He that shall come will come and will not stay to give to every man as his workes shall be not as they are here in shew or with pretext that I am but one And this is the next Article whereto ye shall be summoned Arise ye dead and come to judgement ARTICLE VII ⧠From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead CHAP. XXXII § 1. THe word to Iudge hath many significations in the Holy Scripture But in this Article of our Creed it is taken onely for the execution of that eternal doome upon men and Angels when God by Christ shall raise up all that are dead and by the ministery of the Angels shall bring all both