naturae corruptio atque pravitas quam ex Adamo quisque hausit the old man saith he is the old corruption or pravity of nature which we all drew from Adam Et paulò post Quid vero deponere jubetur numquid suam substantiam minime verò sed vetustatem suam pravitatem naturae But what is a man bidden to put off whether or no is he bidden to put off his substance no truly but that old corruption of nature And the putting on the new man is to have new Created qualities in us from God by which we put on Christ and his righteousnesse for Christus habitat in nobis per fidem Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in the hearts of his Children by faith And thus the heavens and the earth may be called new heavens and new earth or old Heavens or the first Heavens or old earth or the first earth in regard of their severall qualities states and conditions and yet the substance remain the same in them as well as in the old man and new man This may suffice for the words that have been urged But yet there are more words behinde in the forenamed places which seem more strong then the former that have been urged and answered and the answer illustrated Apoc. 20.11 In that it s said there was found no place for them and there was no more Sea Apoc. 20.1 To the former words There was found no place for them that is saith Aretius non apparerent they would not have made any appearance before him that sate upon the great white Throne Nullibi reperirentur ne ad tribunal sisterentur nam quorum locus non reperitur illa latent occulta manent they would have beene found no where least they should have stood before Gods tribunall and they whose places are not found out they still lie hid and remain in secret Yea but I conceive not this sense to agree so well with the Greek Text it accords better with Beza's Version of that place Quorum locus non est inventus whose place was not found Apoc. 12.8 Apoc. 12.8 speaking of the Angels that fell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque locus corum amplius inventus est in Coelo Neither was their place found any more in Heaven that is they had no more any more place there for ever And if the place of the first heaven and earth should be no more found than theirs then should it never be found True it is it is not said The place scilicet where once they had been but their place where locus must be conceived of by way of relation to the locati Heaven was never found any more a place for them The Originall hath it Apocal. 20.11 Apoc. 20.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar Translation renders verbatim Et locus non est inventus eis and there was not a place found to them or for them Now a place may be said non esse inventus not to be found two wayes either viâ essendi when there is no such place and so that which is not cannot be found by reason of the defect of the thing though there were no defect in the Seeker or viâ detegendi by way of the detection of it though there be such a place yet it cannot be found out Now there is no place in Heaven to the lapsed Angels in the former sense I shall not need to stand upon this point Philosophically to shew how the Angels can be said to have been in loco physically and tanquam corpora naturalia non sunt in loco quia non habent dimensiones non sunt quanti c. but at least definitivè we say they are in loco because being but finitae creaturae finite Creatures they must needs be alicubi some where yet we usually say they are not in loco circumscriptivè because they are immateriales immateriall substances and so Heaven was the locus communis the common place to all the lapsed Angels Locus we say is immobilis per se immoveable by it selfe though the locata be moveable so that the locus or place may receive diversa locata successivè divers things placed in it successively Now though I say there be a place in Heaven and that place which they once had yet it is not now locus corum their place theirs it is not relativè formaliter by way of relation to them and formally but by way of detection Psal 37.10 that place which was theirs may be found is found and is known but other locata are and shall be placed in it Iohn 14.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 14.2 vado parare vobis locum as the vulgar I go to prepare a place for you Againe for the more plenary illustration of the answer as we have considered of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the place and of the finding of it or not finding of it so must we also distinguish of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of the locata the Heaven and the Earth it is not simply said that there was no place for Heaven and Earth Apoc. 21.1 for the first words of the Verse in Apoc 21.1 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vidi Coelum novum et terram novam I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth therefore there was some place to be for Heaven and Earth but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the first Heaven and the first Earth passed away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et locus non est inventus eis Apoc. 20.11 Apoc 20.11 and there was no place for them namely for the first Heaven and the first earth for they were made subject to corruption and vanity as we have heard by the sinne of man and no Creatures that are subject to vanity or any corruption shall any more find any place for them after Christ shall sit upon his great white Throne at the day of judgement for when man shall put on incorruption then all the Creatures that shall remaine after that day shall put on by way of analogie incorruption too To which sense Musculus upon the words accords Musc in locum Nam sicut sole adveniente fugantur tenebrae sic Christo apparente in gloria fugabitur omnis infectio elementorum corruptionis noxiae et omnia innovabantur for even as when the Sun ariseth all darknesses or mists do vanish away even so when Christ shall appeare in his glory at the last day all infection or hurtfull corruption of the Elements shall be chased away and all things namely that shall remaine after that day shall be made new or become new so that then the first Heaven and the first Earth shall be changed and become new and there shall be no more place found for them as they were at Christs comming to judgment in that state and condition that they remained in after man had sinned but a better and farre more excellent estate for
they shall then be so changed and freed from their former corruptible estate and so refined and qualified with new qualities with a new estate and condition that in this respect they may be called a new Heaven and a new Earth Esa 65.17 But let us yet drive the naile a little farther Esa 65.17 Ego creaturus sum Coelos novos et Terram novam neque commemorabuntur haec priora neque venient in animum behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde Creation is ex nihilo therefore if God create new Heavens it may be urged that the former as also the Earth shall be totally abolished and so be no more remembred nor come into his minde To which for answer first take the Geneva note Nota Genevensis I will so alter and change the state of my Church namely in the time of Christ under the state of the new Testament that it shall seem to dwell in a new world So divers conceive this Place meant of the excellent gifts that shall be in great abundance in the time of the new Testament when he shall make such a restauration as if Heaven and Earth were changed or made new Esa 25.6 7 8. this is more fully expressed Esa 25.6.7.8 where by corporall things he sets out spirituall blessings In this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things c. yet this seemes not to be the compleat sense of the place neither shall all those blessings be fully attained and in their highest perfection and degree untill God shall make a new Heaven and a new Earth after the day of judgement and when things shall have their renewing for such a new Heaven and new Earth God shall make as we learne from Saint Peter after the former Heaven and Earth shall be burnt with fire 2 Pet 3.13 and that he promised to make such and what promise finde we so plaine as this in the fore-cited place of Esa 2. if the word creation be urged farther for the new Heavens and Earth which shall be after the destruction of the first I answer Esa last 22. God saith he will make the new Heavens and the new Earth and that they shall remaine before him 2. 2 Cor. 5.17 Cor 5.17 If any any man be in Christ he is nova creatura a new Creature A new Creature not in regard of substance as we have heard but in regard of qualities divine habits or qualities which are infused into him from God they grow not out of the accursed soyl of nature but are spirituall and divine qualities created of God or by him by which man is so changed that he is called a new Creature Creation if we take it properly est motus ex nihilo adesse a making something of nothing thus God made Heaven and Earth as we have heard of nothing Gen 1.1 Gen. 1.1 or ex nihilo tali of nothing by nature apt to have any such thing produced of it as to have the body of Adam framed of earth Aquin. in loc or red earth or Eve of a Ribb taken from Adams Side Aquinas comes home to this sense upon the place having quoted that passage in Gal. 6. Gal. 6.15 15. neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new Creature ubi notandum saith he quòd innovatio per gratiam dicitur creatura where it is to be observed that the renewing of us by grace is called a Creature yea this renovation is a spirituall creation And whereas creation properly and strictly taken is a production of a thing out of nothing or of a being out of a non-being and whereas there is a two fold being esse naturae et esse gratiae the being of nature and the being of grace the first being was of old corrupted which was our being in nature which we drew from Adam Oportet ergo esse novam creationem per quâm producerentur inesse gratiae it was needfull there should be a new creation saith he by which they should be produced into the being of grace Answerable to which I cōceive that place Ephes 2.10 For we are his workemanship created in Christ Jesus to good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opus as Beza Beza Versio Vulgar factura as the Vulgar his worke or making created in Christ Jesus to good works and ne putaremus Apostolum loqui de primo opere Dei dequè prima creatione qua scilicet omnes nos creat in uteris maternis adjunxit creati in Christo Jesu c. as Zanchie in locum Zanc. in loc least we should suppose the Apostle to speake of the first work of God and of the first creation to witt of that by which we were all created in our mothers wombe he adjoyns created in Christ Jesus For duplex est creatio hominum saith he Prima et Secunda et utraquè in Christo et per Christum there is a double or twofold Creation of men the first and the Second and both of them in Christ and by Christ The former is the substantiall Creation of our Nature the latter the qualitative Creation of our Grace Aretius in loc to which Aretius also assents and more fully illustrates thus Creatura nihil confert ad suum creatorem sed id opus totum est in manu creatoris positum sic regenerandus ad sui regenerationem nihil confert c. even as the Creature brings nothing to his Creator in its Creation so he that is to be regenerated brings nothing with him that makes for his regeneration both are wholly in the Power and the efficiencie of God Regeneratio est opus regenerantis in actu primo it s also opus regenerati in actu secundo Regeneration is the worke of God in the first act it s also the worke of man in the second act In the first man is meerly Passive in regard of God who renews and heales our corrupt nature and subdues our vicious qualities by the infusion of new qualities into each of our faculties and then acti agimus being wrought upon we worke on together with God in actu secundo in the second act Gods grace is the principium a quò man is the subject on which this grace works and is the principium quod as the Schooles use to speake and then both concurre in the production of every holy action and man thus helped by Gods grace he willingly moves himselfe to what is good and by reason of this concurrance of man with God these operations of grace are properly called mans worke not Gods worke as it is thus done by man so that when a man beleeves though his faith be infused by Gods Spirit yet it is exercised by man voluntarily moving himselfe to that act of beleeving and therefore we say that its man that beleeves not the spirit in man for though this habite be
maximè cupiant conservare â—â—itaque plantae animalia petrae metalla obluctantur resistunt pro se quaeque ne perdantur esse desinant c. Truely we see all things to be so Created of God that they have a speciall to conserve themselves therefore even Plants living Creatures that have sense and motion Rocks Metalls do wrastle and resist striving every one of them for themselves against their destruction And a little after Quumque ea videamus reniti ne perdantur pereant veniat nobis in mentem qualis illis insitus sit appetitus is aurem naturalis est ideò in universum frustrari non potest c. when as we may see how they resist destruction least they perish we may call to minde what an appetite or desire is put into them by nature and in so much as it is naturall it shall not lie frustrate for ever Chrysost Chrysostome saith facta est propter nos corruptibilis propter nos etiam immortalitate donabitur The Creature became corruptible saith he because of us and it shall also be rewarded with immortalitie because of the same And again saith the same Father Si affliguntur nostra causà quum apparebit nostra foelicitas unà etiam instaurabuntur If the Creatures be afflicted for our sakes when our foelicity shall appear they shall be restored together with us Chrysost de reparand laps ad Theod. And lib. de Reparandis lapsis ad Theodorum he shews that post diem judicii omnia sunt renovanda after the day of judgement all things shall be renewed And Apoc. 21.5 Apoc. 21.5 qui insidebat throno dixit ecce nova facio omnia and he that sat upon the Throne said behold I make all things new Some suppose this to be meant of the Kingdome of Christ under the new Testament after the abolishing of the old Ceremonies of of Moses and to be taken from the Prophet Isaiah Isa ult 22. having foretold the calling of the Gentiles and how he would take of them for Priests and Levites he adds For as the new heavens new earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name continue c. but as I have said before this is not the compleate sense of the place though all this do quadrate to the Kingdome of Christ for as God will make new his Church here which is the cheifest part of his Creature next to the Angells so will he also make the rest of the Creatures new at the day of judgement To which Aretius assents upon that place in Apoc. 21.5 Aretius in loc Loquitur autem Dominus de totius Creaturae renovatione in qua principalis habetur ratio Ecclesiae suae Ideò eandem sententiam Apostolus 2 Cor. 5.17 ad novam Creaturam in sanctis applicuit Si quis est in Christo nova est Creatura vetera praeterierunt ecce nova facta sunt omnia The Lord in this place speaks saith he of the renewing of the whole Creature in which principall respect is had to the Church of God therefore the Apostle applies the same saying to the new Creature in his Saints 2 Cor. 5.17 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Meyer in verb. Meyerus just to the same purpose having spoken of the forenamed passage in Esay he saith Omnia satis regno Christi per Apostolos propagato verum et hic vterquè vates altius prospexit nempè ad regenerationem futuri seculi quandò plenissimè renovato homine omnia restituentur et in melius commutabuntur All things here spoken by the Prophet Esay do fitly agree to the Kingdome of Christ propagated by the Apostles but yet in this saying both prophets that is both Isaiah and Saint Iohn looked a little higher or a little beyond this to witt to the new birth of the world to come when as man being fully renewed all things shall be restored and changed into a better estate Theophylact. in loc ad Romanos Theophilact in locum ad Romanos haec mundi machina et creata omnia immutabuntur in melius The frame of the world and all things that are created in it shall be changed into a better condition Chrysost Chrysostome sets it out by two similies first thus Nutrix diù laborat alendo infante at cum ille adoleverit et regnum aut principatum nactus fuerit illa quoquè praeclaris honoribus afficietur The Nurse for a long time undergoes great paines in nursing or nourishing a poor Infant but when the Infant is grown hath obtained a Kingdom or Principality then the Nurse also is rewarded with excellent honours so the Creature that hath suffered much slavery under us and for us when we shall be glorified and brought into a better estate they shall be lifted up to a better estate also they shall then be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonns of God The second simile is this Reges enim quo die volunt filios suos inangurari curare solent non solùm ut illi singulari apparatu pompa prodeant verùm etiam ut servi illorum quà m honestissimè culti instructique incedant In the dayes that Kings would have their sonnes inaugurated they take care that not onely they come forth most gallantly apparelled and in pompe but that their servants also that attend upon them be handsomly adorned and provided for even so likewise when Christ which is the King of heaven shall come in his glory to judgment then the just that are his Sons shall receive a Kingdome and the Inheritance prepared for them and then omnes creaturae ornamentis admirabilibus insigni splendore illustrabuntur all the Creatures that as their servants wait upon them shall be decked with admirable adornings and goodly beautie Now we may further know that the species of of the Creatures may be called All the Creatures as well as the Indvidualls may of the severall species Gen. 2.1 Gen. 2.1 when Heaven and Earth were finished the species of the Creatures when as yet they had not multiplied nor increased in Individuals are called omnis exercitus illorum all the Host of them Gen 2.19 And Gen. 2.19 the severall species of the Beasts of the Earth and of the Fowls of Heaven Moses calls omnes bestias agri omnia volatilia coeli every beast of the field and every Fowle of the Aire or all the Beasts of the field and all the Fowles of the Aire And in the same Verse they are called every living creature whatsoever Adam called every living Creature that was the name thereof So I conceive that all Creatures may be said to be renewed when their severall sorts Gas Olevian in cap. 8 ad Rom. or
think that these things appeared unto him visible in very deed and were not onely represented to the contemplation of his minde Damas lib. 2. orth fid cap. 6. Again Damascene lib. 2. orthodoxae fidei cap. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coelum est ambitus visibilium invisibilium creaturarum Heaven is the compasse or circuit both of visible and invisible Creatures Keckermannus lib. 2. Kecker lib. 2. Syst Phys cap 1. Systematis Physici cap 1 Spiritus non potest corpora ambire concludere A Spirit cannot compasse about or shut up bodies within it This is that which the Philosophers call Coelum Empyraeum which is suprema excellentissima illa Coelorum series Thronus gloriae divinae domicilium electorum Angelorum atque hominum as the same Author lib. 2. cap. 5. de partibus Coeli Idem Auth. lib. quo supra cap. 5. This is the highest and most excellent order of the Heavens or rank of them the Throne of Gods glorie and the abiding place of the elect Angels and men And presently after he calls it partem corporis coelestis part of the bodie of Heaven See the like from Augustine lib. 22. de Civitate Dei cap. 4. Aug. lib 22. de civit Dei cap. 4 shewing Coelum beatorum esse corporeum the heaven of the blessed to be corporeall This is called coelum coelorum the Heaven of Heavens Deut. 10.14 Deut. 10.14 and is farre above all other Heavens Ephes 4.10 that is above all the sphaericalls This is immobile ac incorruptibile immoveable as seated above the primum mobile and is the place of ease and rest of Gods Elect. Incorruptible as having no privation to concomitate that most pure pleasant and exquisite matter of it or no contrarietie of qualities to make opposition or corruption in it full of light also and therefore is called of the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ob plurimum splendorem aut plurimam lucem because of the abundance of light that is there farre above that of fire Some do think that Aristotle had a glympse of this Arist lib. 1. de coelo cap. 9. because 1 lib. de Coelo cap. 9. he mentions quaedam entia collocata supra mundum ac Coelum eaquè immutabilia et impatibilia beatissimam vitam sempiterno aevo degentia c. certain beings placed above the visible Heaven and visible world being immutable and impassible living there for ever a most blessed and contenting life yea and some also do think that the ancient Poets had learned somewhat concerning it when they so often speak of the Mansions of their gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had such shining and glorious Mansions full of light But of this no more save only that we may conceive that it is the most ample of the Heavens and yet cannot contain its Maker 1 Kings 8.27 The Heaven nor heaven of Heavens cannot contain him I now come to the latter point how righteousnesse can be said to dwell in the new Heavens that he shall make and the new Earth For this passage hath matter worth inquiry in it Some interpreters do with such places as travellers do with deeps or boggs in high-wayes when they come at them they wisely passe by them or say little to the openings of them to give the reader satisfaction Others that note some-what yet come not home to the mark Others perceiving this have taken up more resolution and I much doubt if they have not over shott the marke To let passe those of the first ranke For the second I will mention Musculus Musc in loc in the which nullum peccatum nulla injustitia locum habebit no sinne no unrighteousnesse shall have any dwelling in them which is true but the text seemes to aime at some what more as not onely negatively not to dwell but positively for righteousnesse to dwell in them Bullin in loc Bullinger thinks per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or alterationem that justitia is put for justi righteousnesse for righteous men this we grant for two Reasons First because righteousnesse as inherent is a quality and therefore cannot be supposed without some subject Secondly because the new Heavens and Earth are subjecta insensibilia insensible subjects and therefore not inherently capable of such qualities therefore some other subject and what but just men but how these can be said to dwell in the new Heavens which are sydereall and in the new Earth is more difficult to conceive Dr. Willet qu. 34. Dr. Willet qu. 24. in 8. ad Rom. in Oct. ad Rom. is bold to affirme that though the Heavens onely are now the seat of the blessed soules yet both the new Heavens and the new Earth shall be then the habitation of the righteous and so righteousnesse may be said to dwell in them for which opinion he quotes Bucan loc 39. qu. 17. Bucan loc 39. qu. 17. by which Author he is much ledd in this point as also Origen in Matth. 5.5 the meeke shall inherit the Earth not this visible Earth but the other which eye hath not seen his reason is because he there speaks of a blessednesse which is not to be found in this Earth Psa 114.16 he might also have alledged Psal 114.16 the Heaven even the Heavens are the Lords but the Earth hath he given to the children of men But to this last Bellarmine answers truely and herein agrees with our Orthodox Divines lib. 6. de amissione gratiae cap. 3. he gave the Earth to the children of men Bellarm lib. 6. de Amist grat cap. 3. dum mortales sunt et egent Aere ad respirationem et fructibus terrae ad alimentum whilst they were mortall and stood in need of Aire to breath in and nourishment from the earth to live upon For the other that the meeke shall inherit the Earth we know it may befall them in this life as a temporall blessing though not without some intermixture of disturbance this place seemes to me to have bin taken from Psal 37.11 the spirit of God being pleased to make use of it again by the Evangilist But the meeke shall inherite the Earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace And verse 9. Evill doers shall be cut off but those that waite upon the Lord they shall inherite the Earth whereupon Calvin notes the Antithesis between the two members Calv. in loc the wicked that shall be cut off and the Godly that waite upon God to be delivered from under the Crosse he assignes the haereditary right of the earth so to them that intellgit sic victuros ut Dei benedictio ad mortem eos usque prosequatur he understands they shall so live that the blessing of God shall follow them even unto their death this then he understands of a temporall inheritance when they are mortall And though they be often driven from place to place in the Earth in hac
Creatures shal be immortall or no If we give but scope to these speculations whether at length will they carry us let us therfore saith he be content with this simple or plain truth the moderation and order after the restitution shall be so fine so sweet or excellent which God will make that nothing shall appear either uncomely or unstable Therefore I have said that so farre as the Scripture holds out any light or by a rationall discourse or grounds of sound reason that a man may go so farre he may labour and est aliquid prodire tenus it will be found somewhat to go thus farre As for that sound and worthy Divine Peter Martyr we shall have occasion to scanne him more narrowly hereafter which though at his ingresse to this point he may seem to favour the most generall and received opinion yet after a large dispute of it the reader will finde him not so resolute of whose words God willing by and by though he will not conclude against it All Divines that I have read or mett withall fall but upon one of these two wayes by which the Creature is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption either abolitione or purgatione by abolition or the totall and finall taking away the Being of them or else by the purging out the drosse and corruption from such Creatures as shall remain for substance But whether of these two wayes will the better stand with the sense of the Apostles words is the grand quaere and I conceive this to be one of those abstruse points de quibus optimis etiam Theologis liceat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morari ignorare vel dissentire salvâ charitate concerning which it may be lawfull or safe even to the best Divines to demurre upon to be ignorant of or to dissent in without breach of charitie or hurt of pietie In such cases the saying of Saint Augustine is good August lib 8. de gen ad lit Cap 5. Lib. 8 de gen ad literam cap. 5. Melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis It is better to stand in doubt of such things as God hath kept secret then to strive or too vehemently to contend in such as are uncertain and onely so farre to beleeve as he seeth either light from the Scriptures for in terminis or vertually included in them or soundly deduced or collected from them for quicquid vere directe potest colligi ex Scripturis dici potest Scriptura whatsoever can truely and directly or by sound consequence be drawne or gathered from the Scripture may be called Scripture because it s vertually and implicitely in those terms in which it is not alwayes verbally expressed but may be thence deduced by sound cōsequence concluded to which amongst many others Zanch de Religio Christ Cap de Scripturis Thes 11. profound Zanchie accords in his Book de Religione Christiana cap. de Script Thes 11. and which is a commonly received truth amongst all learned Divines that are Orthodox Nihil de religione statuendum esse in Ecclesia Dei quod aut non habeat apertum in libris Canonicis testimonium aut manifesta necessariaque consecutione inde evincatur nothing ought to be determined in the Church of God concerning Religion that hath not either open proof in Canonicall Scriptures or by manifest and necessary consequence may be thence evinced but by either of these wayes a point is made good by Scripture and that may be called the Scripture by which its so made good Or else so farre as he can see sound reason or good grounds brought such as are not against the Scripture but rather fall in with it And in treating upon such intricate passages as this its wisdome for us to do as skilfull Sea-men do upon dangerous and narrow Seas they still take care to Plumbe or Sound so that they fall upon no Rocks nor Shelves and so long they sail safely though they finde not their desired Haven for the present so God willing shall we do we shall so sound the Sea of the Scriptures and plumbe the road of reason that we shall not shipwrack truth upon any Shelves of Errour and so farre the Bark of our discourse may floate safely though we accomplish not our intention for our desired Haven First then let us sound the Scriptures and see how farre they will go with us for the deliverance of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by abolition or by a totall finall destruction of the Beeing of the Creature here meant Let us begin with Psalm 102.26 Psa 102.26 speaking of Heaven and Earth the Prophet saith they shall perish This of the Prophet is repeated by the Apostle Heb. 1.11 Heb. 1.11 Ipsi peribunt they shall perish Iob. 14.12 and Iob 14 12. Vsque dum non erunt Coeli till the Heavens be no more Secondly Luke 21.33 Luke 21.33 Coelum terra transibunt Heaven and Earth shall passe away Thirdly Apocapalyp 21.1 Apoc. 21.1 I saw a new Heaven and a new earth for the first was passed away 2. Petër 3.10 Fourthly and lastly to insist upon no more places 2 Pet. 3.10 The heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the Works therein shall be burnt up These places make fair for the deliverance of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by an abolition or destroying of their Beeings an so by consequence as you have heard they cannot any longer be subject to vanitie any more mutability or corruption And from these and such like Places many learned men have concluded an utter abolition of the Creature here mentioned save onely some few of which hereafter But how the Heavens shall be set on fire the Elements melt and the Earth with the Works therein burnt up the Scriptures have not clearly discovered unto us only the penetrating School-Divines who conceived themselves more Eagle-eyed then the rest and could cast stones at an hair bredth they have rationally conjectured that all may be set on fire either per radios solares ex repercussione multiplicatos by repercussion of the Sunn beames redoubled or by collecting them into a narrower compasse as so to unite their forces more closely as in a burning glasse or per discensum ignis elementaris jussu divino by the discent of the element of fire at Gods command or injunction In these philosophicall speculations we cannot deny but that there is a rationall probability it may be a verity though we do not conclude it by way of infalibilitie for as God hath determined that the world shall be destroyed by fire so we know that he neither wants wisdom nor power how to effect it though to us he hath not clearly revealed the manner how we may say with Saint Augustine lib. 20 de Civitate Dei Cap 16. August lib 20. de Civit
quaecunquè usquam unquam extiterunt extant aut extabunt as Beza upon the place Beza in loc whatsoever hath doth or shall have existence John 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.3 Omnia per ipsum facta sunt all things were made by him and by faith we understand that they were made by the word of God not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.1 by the substantiall word of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here in the Heb by his potentiall or mightie word of his power jussu Dei as Paraeus Paraeus in loc by Gods command How often have we a dixit Deus Gen. 1. God said Deus that is Pater Filius et Spiritus sanctus et sic deinceps in opere creationis Iunius annot in loc as Iunius hath it God that is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and so all a long conceive the word God in the worke of Creation for this was a worke of the whole Trinity as the fathers constantly teach us Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa the works of the Trinity to without are undivided Psal 33.9 Ps 33.9 dixit et factum est he said and it was done Thus by the word of his power he made the world but the things that are seen were not made of things that do appear non ex apparente Beza et jam existente materia as Beza not of any matter that we now see to appeare oris non existent non ex materia aliqua visibili Paraeus in loc sed ex nihilo as Paraeus to the same sense Paraeus in loc not of any visible matter but of nothing did God make the world so that the usuall axiome of the naturall Philosophers came far short in this Ex nihilo nihil fit of nothing perexistent nothing can be made not in their way by the ordinarie production of Creatures successively by way of generation but by creation it s otherwise of which they were ignorant The second opinion is for the deliverance of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by way of mutation and repurgation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum qualitates and not a totall abolition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum substantiam and the most are of this judgement that the heavens and some other Creatures shall not perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly or quoad esse substantiale but quoad esse accidentale their corruptible qualities shall be changed but not the substance totally destroyed or annihilated Voss Thes Theol. de mundi fine Thes 3. and to this also Vossius in Thes Theolog Thes 3. de mundi fine agrees and doth acknowledge and that truly as all men of any extent of reading know that this is Communior sententia the more common opinion non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 periturum sed esse renovandum that the world shall not simply and totally be abolished in its parts but renewed for the truth of which he quotes this subject we are now upon Rom. 8.20 21. Rom. 8.20 21. To the former of the senses he names we have said somewhat already and to the second God willing we shall in due time Yet thus he concludes Thesi qua suprà Gerard. Ioh. Voss Thesi qua supra Quocircà nec eorum sententiam praefractè rejicere audemus qui mundum secundùm substantiam periturum esse arbitrantur praesertim cum nihil de eo antiquitùs Synodo ulla sit definitum quidam praestantes sanè viri de eo dissentiant Therefore we dare not stubbornly or obstinately reject their opinion who judge or suppose that the substance of the world shall perish especially seeing nothing is defined or determined by any ancient Synode concerning this point whether way the Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption and truly there be divers excellent and worthy men that dissent yea and I have said may dissent salvâ charitate without breach of charity in this point and I shall desire to be moderate in it and wish the reader to go no further a long with me herein then he if he be judicious can either see light of Scripture for or sound and well grounded reason to induce I had rather saile in these straits placidâ rationis aurâ then turbido affectationis vento with a sweet and pleasant gale of reason then with a strong winde and stormie blasts of affectation as ready to judge every man that herein differs in judgment from me I rather say with the Poet vel his utere mecum vel ede tua either make use of these with me or else give better grounds of thy own farther to instruct me The former I hope shall do thee no harme the latter would do me much good and because I shall fall in with those learned men that have given their judgements for a liberation of the Creature by mutation and repurgation rather then by totall abolition of the materiall or visible Creature I thinke it will better satisfie to give answer to the arguments brought for the contrary opinion or to such places in sacris from whence some learned men have grounded it before we produce any witnesses for the second which God willing we will do as briefely as the matter will admit of To the first Psalm 102.26 Responsio Argum digladiantibus pro sententia totalis abolitionis Heaven and Earth shall perish repeated Heb. 1.11 Ipsi peribunt they shall perish and Job 14.12 Vsque dum non erunt Coeli Till the Heavens be no more To the places in order Having spoken of the Earth and Heavens in the foregoing Verse he adds They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Neque antiquitas nâ—que tam pulcher coelorum ornatus eximent ab interitu as Calvin in locum Calvin in loc Neither can antiquity nor that goodly adorning of the Heavens that have so stood for so many thousands of years keep them still safe or exempted from destruction And he further adds upon the fame place that which most of Divines know to be true Calvin loco quo supra Non uno modo exponunt interpretes coelos perire that is that all Interpreters do not understand this perishing of the Heavens after the same manner quidam simpliciter intelligunt de mutatione quae speciâ—s quaedam erit interitus Et si enim non sunt redigendi in nihilum ipsa tamen naturae alteratio ut ita loquar absumet quod mortale est ac corruptibile ut alii esse caeli incipiant ac novi Secundum alios subaudienda est conditio si deo ita placuerit quia absurdum esse existimant coelos corruptioni subjici c. Some men understand it simply of such a change as is a kinde of corruption or destruction for although the Heavens be not
as the Originall Donec transeat coelum terra as the Vulgar Vsquedum praeterierit coelum terra as Beza Quod donec transeant coelum terra as the Syriack Version by Tremelius Here we have some diversitie in words but all to one and the same sense and some conceive the words not simply but cōparatively spoken as thus that the truth of the Law is so firm that even such things as seem most durable shall perish before any jott of it perish yea Heaven and Earth are not so stable as the truth of it in all the parts of it Yea so strictly doth Piscator urge this place Piscator in in verba that as he hence observes the Law to have been written of old with pricks in the Hebr. Tongue so likewise he notes that God will have such a speciall care in preserving of the Scriptures that not so much as the least Vowell or prick of it shall perish in the Hebrew tongue nor the least iota or least letter with which its written in the Greek Tongue the least Letter or the least truth of the Law of God shall not perish or be changed so wisely was it given Calvin Musc Bucer in verba Psal 102.27 To the which sense Calvin Musculus and Bucer agree Beza parallels the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza with the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 102. Iahhaloph 27. signifies sic praeterire ut etiam mutetur so to passe away as also to be changed in the passage In Luke its positively set down as likewise in the Hebrewes before cited heaven and earth shall passe or they shall perish yet it will not hence follow that they shall passe or perish totally or by the whole destruction of the substance but in regard of this their present state and condition or in regard of their qualities or outward forme The same words are also positively used Mat 24.35 caduca eorum conditio their fraile and brittle estate and condition shall passe away but that will not conclude that therefore their essence and substance shall totally and finally be abolished but that they shall not remaine in the state and condition that they are now in for ever as the Philosophers that followed Aristotle dreamed holding the heavens aeternall and inalterable but shall perish or be changed Now Ipsi peribunt they shall perish or passe away will not conclude a totall abolition of substance as I have said but alteration of their present state quality and condition no more then justus perit Esa 57.1 Esa 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layes it to heart now the righteous perish not so as to suffer a totall abolition of their substance but the mortall and naturall man suffers so and perisheth so as to have his naturall and mortall estate changed his present estate condition and qualities but shall arise again in the same bodies for substance 1 Cor. 15. 1. Cor 15.53 53. Oportet enim hoc corruptioni obnoxium induere incorruptam naturam For this corruptible that is this corruptible body not another for substance shall put on incorruption Verse 44. Verse 44. Seritur corpus animale excitatur corpus spirituale it is sown a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body so that though the state qualities and condition be more excellent when it is raised then when it was cast into the grave yet the substance shall be the same Apoc. 1.1 To the third Apoc 21.1 for the first heaven and the first earth was passed away and there was no more sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiit as the vulgar or abierat was passed away Saint Mat and S. Luke say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall passe away Iohn here in a vision saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away already this he spake prophetically and as foreseeing what should befall them in the end of the world but for the manner how they shall passe away we answer as before for I conceive that the same answer for substance will solve the objection and therefore we will produce Aretius assenting to the same judgment quoting also Rev 20.11 Aretius in loc from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them which might seem to argue indeed a totall abolition of them but saith he they fled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the state or condition of corruption to incorruption and they fled from their former estate from before Gods face as ashamed of that estate For you have heard how usuall it is in Scripture to attribute to senselesse or irrationall creatures that which belongs to rationall And whereas mention is made of Iohns seeing a new Heaven and a new Earth Apoc. 21.1 Apoc 21.1 revera eadem sunt solum deposita corruptibilitate In very deed they are but the same having put off their corruptible estate and condition so that you see for substance the Heaven and Earth remains yet because their qualities present state and condition are changed they are called new and such you see S. Iohn saw them thus Aretius We may in some degree illustrate it thus 2 Cor. 5.17 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ saith the Apostle he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nova creatura a new Creature Now he is not new for substance either in body or soul for he hath the same for substance which he had before God wrought any change but not for state qualitie and condition for in regard of new qualities infused into his heart and minde from God he is called a new Creature or a new man veteri illa conditione abolita as Beza Beza in loc his old condition being abolished Ephes 4.22.23.24 Thus Ephes 4.22 23 24. mention is made of putting off the old man and putting on the new man This old man is said to be corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts That is he is denominated an old man from vicious qualities and that corrupt state of nature in which he was born Ephes 2.3 Ephes 2.3 By nature we are children of wrath But the new man is denominated from new and supernaturall qualities in regard of our lapsed estate This new man after God is Created in righteousnesse and true holinesse that is which after or according to Gods Image is renewed and changed by instauration of such qualities in some good measure and degree which we lost in Adam The Scholies Schol Graec from the Greeks have it thus sensed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veterem hominem non nomina vit ipsam naturam sed operationem peccati veterem vocavit in peccatis c. he calls not nature it self the old man but the corruption of nature for our nature was of old corrupted by the filthinesse of sinne According to which Zanchie upon the place Zanchie in loc Vetus homo est vetus
see him as he is Moses in this life saw but his back parts the Fathers under the Law saw him but in symbolis in certain outward signes of his presence as in the fire in the Cloud in the smoak or the like but we shall see him clearly as he is 2 Cor. 5.6 7. 2 Cor. 5.6 7. We know that whilest we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight but then we shall see what we have beleeved yea him in whom we have beleeved which whilest we have but mortall eyes of flesh and bodies subject to sinne and infirmitie you have heard vve cannot do And vvhereas it is said the Sunne shall be no more thy light by day c. but the Lord shall be thine everlasting light which farre exceeds the light of the Sunne yet vve cannot hence conclude infallibly that those Planets and naturall Lights of Heaven shall totally cease and perish but comparatively they may be said to shine no more in regard of that unspeakable splendor which God shall give in glory in the presence of all his Elect so that the Sunne shall be no more necessary to them in that manner it was whilest they vvere upon the earth But in that God shall make a new Heaven it is not probable that this new Heaven shall be lesse adorned than the old one or lesse glorious The Starres are integrall parts of Heaven they are densiores partes Orbis the thicker or more compact parts of their Orbes for if the Corpus stellarum or body of the Stars were aequae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or tralucidum equally translucent to the rest of their Orbes then would they neither receive keep or give any more light than the rest of the Orbes do Aristotle lib. 2. Arist lib. 2. de Coelo cap. 7. de Coelo cap. 7. shewes that they have eandem essentiam naturam cum Coelo the same Essence and nature vvith the Heavens eadem materiâ forma constant cienturque eodem motu they consist of the same matter and forme and are also moved with the same motion therefore if the Heavens be made new and more glorious than they are now shall not these as parts of them be so too Matth. 24.29 and if so then not totally abolished Yea but Matth. 24.29 the Starres shall fall from Heaven Apoc. 6.13 and Apoc. 6.13 the Starres of Heaven fell unto the Earth as a Figg-tree casteth her untimely Figgs vvhen she is shaken of a mightie vvinde And Heaven departed away as a Scroll vvhen it is rolled and every Mountain and Island vvere moved out of their places c. This latter allegation seems to me to have been taken from Isaiah Isa 34.4 All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a Scroll and all their Host shall fall down as the Leaf falleth off from the Vine and as a falling Figg from the Figtree And if so then these integrall parts shall be abolished for vvhen God shall shake both Heaven and earth as Heb. 12.26 Yet once more and I shake not the earth onely but also the Heaven c. and you may alledge that God by his power is as able to shake the Stars out of the Orbs of Heaven as the winde the Figgs from the Figtree or Leaves from the Vine To these allegations I would give satisfaction in order concerning the Starres and Planets of Heaven for as for the bodie of Heaven we have answered already First then to the allegation Matth. 24.29 The Starres shall fall from Heaven The Ancient Divines have differed upon the sense of these vvords so also have the Modern And how the Sunne and Moon shall be darkned we may more easily conceive then how the Starres shall fall for they may become so either by great and fearfull Ecclipses or nubium obtectione or innatae lucis privatione or majoris luminis obscuratione by being deprived of their innate light or by being obscured by some greater light as by the glorious coming of Christ Chrysost exposit 1. 2. But by whether of these two later Chrysostome is not at one with himself as may appear in Expositione prima secunda Yet Astrologers say that Sol Luna simul Ecclipsim naturalem pati non possunt Secondly its observable that in the Prophets vvhen any great fearfull day of the Lord by executing of his terrible judgements upon any people or Nation vvas at hand they expressed it by these termes all which judgements vvere specimina quaedam extremi judicii certain examples and patterns of the last and great judgement as upon those of Tyrus of Babylon of Aegypt of the Jews Idumaeans or the like For Tyrus and Zidon and the Coasts of Palestine vvhen God threatens recompence to them for what they had done to his Church which he takes as done to himself If ye recompence me c. he saith Ioel 3.15 Ioel. 3.15 The Sunne and the Moon shall be darkned and the Starres shall vvithdraw their shining which shall be signes of Gods wrath and anger so that the Creatures Lamps of light should be suspended from yeelding that comfortable light and Service unto sinners vvhich formerly they did For Babylon Isaiah 13.10 Isai 13.10 The Starres of Heaven and the Constellations thereof shall not give their light The Sunne shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine For Aegypt Ezekiel 32.7 8. Ezek. 32.7 8. And vvhen I shall put thee out I will cover the Heaven and make the Starres thereof dark I vvill cover the Sunne vvith a Cloud and the Moon shall not give her light All the bright Lights of Heaven will I make dark over thee and set darknesse upon thy Land saith the Lord God Ioel 2.10 For the Jews Ioel 2.10 The Sunne and the Moon shall be dark and the Starres shall withdraw their shining Esa 34.4 5. For Idumaea Isa 34.4 5. amongst the rest of the Enemies of the Church of God they were to be punished and then saith he all the Hoast of Heaven shal be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a Scroll and all their Host shall fall down as a Leaf falleth from the Vine c. Musc in loc Thirdly concerning the Starres falling from Heaven Musculus is of opinion that they shall fall indeed quid opus est disputare de modo quo ventura sunt haec signa to what end should we despute of the manner how these signes should come to passe saith he Of the same judgement is Bucer and some others Bucer in verba Yet judicious Calvin Calvin in loc and many other learned Divines are not of this judgement that the Starres shall really be separated from their Orbs. Stellas non reipsa casuras intelligit sed secundùm hominum sensum ideò apud Lucam tantùm praedicit
I conceive yet he will have the reason why the matter of the Heavens is not combustible or obnoxious to the Element of fire to be because they differ per corruptibile incorruptibile as corruptible and incorruptible and the qualities of Heaven non sunt eum ignis qualitatibus generis ejusdem they are not of the same kinde with the qualities of fire as in part you have heard before but what reall difference he can assigne between the Philosophers quinta essentia and his incorruptible I have not as yet understood seeing the Philosopher meant that the matter of the Heavens was incorruptible because it was a quintessence the difference is onely verball Secondly we read not that the Sun and Moon shall fall from Heaven or the rest of the Planets as Saturn Iupiter Mars or the like but the Stars which is conceived to be meant of the fixed Starres Now when Heaven is shaken why these should be loosened from their eight sphaere more than any of the Planets out of their severall Orbs in nature we can give no reason Thirdly and lastly if what Aristotle writes in l. 2. Arist lib. 2. de Coelo de coelo be true that stellae coelumque eandem habent substantiam that the Starres and the Heaven it self have the same substance and that they differ but densitate raritate in density or raritie of the parts of that substance and that as Scaliger speaks Exercitat 61. Scalig. de subttl ad Card. exer 61. de subtilitate ad Cardanum si sidus be coelum suum densum coelum be sidus suum rarum if the Stars be the Heaven made thick or thickened and the Heaven be the Starres rarified or made thinner for he likes not the illustration of the old Philosophers who compared them to knots in Timber Non admittenda veterum Metaphora qui Stellam in coelo velut in tabula nodum arbitrabantur the Metaphor of the Ancients saith he is not to be allowed of who supposed a Star in the Heavens to be like a knot in a Plank or in the Timber Yet may not a man as well say that nodus is tabulá sua densa and tabula is nodus suus rarus as he the other except a man were now and then delighted to make singularitie a subtiltie and if so how that quantum continuum should be so separated as to have the partes densiores to fall and the partes rariores of the same substance to remain after them in natural reason cannot well be conceived therfore the school-divines were moved to judge that the Starres should have no reall removeall by falling à situ or from their scituation but that their falling from Heaven should be after some other manner And the Scriptures sometimes speak of things not as they are in themselves but as they appear unto men as Matth. last Matth. last 2. 2. an Angel is said to rowl away the stone from the Sepulchre Mark last 5. yet Mark last 5. this Angel is called a young man not that the Angel was so but because he did appear so unto others having assumed that shape and so was in a visible forme And thus the Schoolmen think that then shall be such a terrour upon the Creature and men so perplexed at the comming of this great and fearfull Judge and the Sea roaring the earth trembling the Heaven shaking that the Starrs of Heaven shall be thought to them to fall yet not existentiâ but apparentiâ say they Dionysiê° Catthus in verb. and so Dionysius Carthusianus upon the place They shall fall from Heaven not from their existence in their sphaeres but in appearance unto the Inhabitants of the Earth Except you had rather say that the Starres quoad statum corruptum according to their corrupt state by the sinne of man should have their corruption to fall from them being burned as the Heavens shall be And howsoever that of Aquinas in his sense be true in supplemento ad 3. Aquin. suppl ad 3. part summ qu. 74. art 1. in corp partem sum qu. 74. art 1. in corpore that res corporalis subjectum infectionis culpae propriè esse non possit tamen ex culpa quaedam incongruitas c. that is infectio or impuritas though things corporeall cannot properly be said to be the subject of infection by fault yet by the fault of another namely of man for whose use in some sort they were made there may be a certain incongruitie infection or impuritie from their first estate put upon them the which if it were not removed would keep them from a better a more perfect estate therefore will God purge them in the fire at the last day For purgatio mundi ad hoc erit ut removeatur à corporibus dispositio contraria perfectioni gloriae quae quidem perfectio est ultima rerum consummatio Aquin. suppl ad 3. qu. 74. art 4. in corp c. Aquin. supplemen ad 3. partem summ qu. 74. art 4. in corp the purging of the world by fire is to this end that from the corporeall Creatures may be removed that disposition now in them which is contrary to the perfection of glory which perfection truely is the last atchievement of things that can be attained unto Now come we to the last allegation for the liberation of the Creature by totall abolition 2 Pet. 3.10 2 Pet. 3.10 The Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up To which I answer as in part before that though the Heavens be thus burned up yet it will not follow that the substance of them shall totally be annihilated but that their esse accidentale tale their accidentall estate be renewed their corruptible qualities shall be changed and that impuritie they became lyable to by the sinne of man shall be taken away that so they may be reduced to a better estate Mettall we know that is melted or dissolved in the fire is not totally destroyed quoad substantiam in the substance of it but the drosse and baser qualities of it purged out Thus we conceive it to be with the Heavens when they shall be dissolved so that neither will this last allegation evince an asolute abolition of the substance of the Heavens And thus much in answer to the Arguments or Allegations for the liberation of the Creature from the bondage of corruption by way of totall abolition I now come to the second which you have heard in part is sententia communior the more common opinion not onely of the Fathers both of Eastern and Western Churches but of Modern Divines as also of the Schooles And because I have formerly referred you to Vossius where you may see them nominated particularly as also the places in them I shall not need here againe crambem recoquere to make mention of them being so many
But now this puts me upon the fourth point what Creatures are conceived as most capable of this liberation from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonns of God for here those that are for liberation by way of repurgation or the taking out the baser qualities or impurity saving the substance from totall abolition yet they are not all of the same judgment what Creatures shall be partakers of this liberation Give me leave to rank them thus either such as were created at the first in the state of innocency Or secondly those that had existence in the world since Or thirdly those only that shall bee found remaining at Christs comming to judgement Or Fourthly and lastly the Heavens the Earth and mankinde Some think that those Creatures shall be restored from the bondage of corruption that were made the first subject to vanitie which were Created in a pure firm and sound estate and yet lost this integritie by the sin of man and so became subject to instabilitie vanitie and slavery and yet was this no wrong to the Creature saith Chrysostome Chrysostome Nam si propter me factae sunt nihil admittitur injustitiae si propter me patiantur If they were made for me they have no injustice saith he if they suffer for me And then he renders a reason for it aequi iniqui ad res inanimas ratione carentes no◠esse rationem transferendam There is no reason to be rendred of right or wrong done to any such Creatures as want life or that wants reason or understanding yet a man may sinne in perverting the use of the Creature in cruelty towards it or in the abuse of it this God permits him not but he may offend against God who gave him dominion over it Hom. 22. in Genesin Chrysost Hom 22. in Genes he shews that it is not injustum or absurdum si creatura propter homines aliquas calamitates cogatur ferre either unjust or absurd if the Creatures be compelled to beare some calamities by reason of man And he illustrates it by this simile for the which manner of teaching and writing he is the most excellent of all the Fathers si quis incurrat in iram Regis ipse non modo supplicio afficitur sed etiam omnis ejus familia opprimitur homo propter peccatum factus est obnoxius maledictioni irae Dei quare non est mirum si universa Creatura quae hominis familia est ingemiscat una cum eo ac doleat that is If any man incurre the wrath of his Prince he is not onely punished but his whole Family is oppressed even so man by sinne being made subject to the curse and wrath of God what marvell is it if the whole Creation which is the family of man do groane and sorrow together with him yet of these onely it cannot be said Rom. 8.22 as Rom. 8.22 that they do travell in pain together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usque ad hoc tempus even untill now Secondly some understand all the Creatures the whole Creation that hath groaned but that all and every of the Individualls of every age multiplyed since the Creation should be restored is not probable Who can conceive that the Earth should contain them their number would amount as in infinitum or what use for so many of them Thirdly others therfore who seem to come nearer the mark rather understand it of such onely as shall remain at Christs comming to judgement but then againe whether onely the species or severall kindes of every Creature shall be restored or all of every species then remaining is another difficultie and that which God hath not clearly revealed unto us But if the Lord deal in the second destruction of the world by fire as he did in the first by water then the species shall remain but not all Individualls of those species for all the individualls multiplyed at the time of the Flood were not preserved but onely some of every species so it may be that at the second destruction of the world God will restore some of every species and yet not all and singular individuals of every species for as when the species or severall kindes of Creatures are said to groan the whole Creation may be said to groan evē so likewise when the severall species or kinds of creatures are delivered from the bondage of corruption the whole Creation may be said to be delivered from the bondage of corruption for when Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that omnis creatura ingemiscit or una gemiscit una parturit usque ad hoc tempus that every Creature of the whole Creation groaneth or groaneth together with us or travelleth with us in pain as a woman travelleth of Childe with great desire to be delivered yea even untill now It is not like that he means every individuall that hath had a Beeing of any kinde since the Creation whereof thousands and millions were dissolved into their Principles before his time and had no Being in rerum natura as we say that these should groan and travell as a woman travelling to bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad hoc usque tempus even unto that time that Paul writ these words but that the severall species of Creatures or the Creatures of every severall kinde did groan and travell in pain even untill that time and will do till the glorious revelation of the Sonnes of God which the Creatures expects earnestly and longs for that it may be delivered from the bondage of its corruption This I conceive rationall and probable and the ordinary glosse understands not singula generum but genera singulorum Glossa ordin Now let us hear the judgements of godly expert and pious Divines upon this point to which also we will adde the judgement of Aquinas from amongst the schoolmen though many of them runne upon the last point Doctor Willet as you have heard in brief before in his qu. 27. D. Willet qu. 27. in Rom. expos quint. upon Romanes 8. expositione 5. hath by diligent reading observed that the most generall and received opinions by the Creature to understand corporalia irrationalia corporeall and irrationall Creatures comprehending the Heavens and Starres with the Earth together with living Creatures of all sorts Trees Plants c. for this he quotes Ambrose upon the place Ambros in loc Calvin and Peter Martyr Calvin with some others Calvin thus Rursum hinc apparet in quantam gloriae excellentiam evehendi sint filii Dei ad quam amplisicandam illustrandam creaturae omnes innovabuntur Again hence it may appear into how great an excellencie the Sonnes of God shall be elevated into how great an excellencie of glory for the amplifying and illustrating of which all Creatures shall be renewed Peter Martyr thus Petr. Martyr in loc certè videmus omnia ita creata esse à Deo ut se
motu observato numerato for time is not simply from motion but from motion observed and numbred and so are dayes moneths hours years c. yet we must know that time is twofold internum or exterrum tempus internall or externall time internall time is nothing but duâ—atio creaturae à principio ad finem the duration of the Creature in its being from the beginning to the end of it and this internall time or duration those Entities have quae non comparentur ad motum Solis that are not measured by the motion of the Sunne for the Sunne was but framed the fourth day as you may see Gen. 1. from 14. Gen. 1. from 14. to 20. Kecker lib. 1. System physici cap. 7. to 20. where Keckerman observes the ground of this distinction of time and the necessitie of it Lib. 1. Systematis Physici cap. 7. for then saith he begun but the tempus externum which was to be from the Sunne and that but quoad materiale neither the formale temporis externi was not to the world before God made man to observe and number it which was not till two dayes after Again if there be not an internall as well as an externall time in which later sense the naturall Philosophers commonly handle time then he shews that corpora illa omnia quae erant creata tribus primis diebus in tempore non creabantur quod si tum ab aeterno quod absurdum c all those bodies that were created in the three first dayes were not created in time which if so that they were not created in time then it would follow they were from eternity which were absurd to affirme Arist lib 4. Physic cap. 11. Aristotle lib. 4. Physicorum cap. 11. defines that tempus externum to be mensuram motùs per prius et posterius for time is successive and Ens fluens If we object with the naturall Philosopher that tempus est motus accidens inseparabile time is an inseparable accident of motion and therefore if motus be continuus then tempus too if motion be continuall then also must time continue too I answer as before it may so continue quoad materiale or quoad rem mensurantem but not quoad formale or ordinem mensurandi for it shall not it need not then to be observed for any distinction sake as now by men whilest they are mortall But it may be again objected that tempus propriè dictum habet ut initium sic etiam finem that time properly so called that is externall time commonly handled by the naturall Philosophers as it had a beginning so should it also have an ending I answer it is true though Aristotle thought it should be perpetuall because he held the motion of the heavens naturally to be so for if motus yet not observatus if there be motion yet it not observed time externall hath his end And in this sense Dr. Willet saith true for so they shall not be for times c. But for motion I would have this observed that not every kinde of motion but that which is violent involuntary or slavish or for the benefit of base objects shall cease otherwise Apoc. 14.4 Apoc. 14.4 the glorified Saints shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth therefore shall have some kinde of motion but not as opposed to their Heavenly rest wherein they rest from sinne death slavery and misery Again the Heavens the Sunn and Moon moved in those five dayes or at least in the time before man was created and so by consequence before he had sinned As then you have heard there was no externall time observed from their motion neither then could their motion be any slavery to theÌ„ neither then were they coÌ„pelled to serve any base objects or wicked and rebellious men but their motion was sutable to their nature then and why may it not also be the like after externall time shall cease therefore from the cessation of externall time we cannot infallibly inferre the cessation of all motion but onely probably or as a service of common necessity To the second motus est causa efficiens generationis et corruptionis c. motion is the cause efficient of generation and corruption but when these shall cease then motion may cease also true if these were the sole ends of motion but motion was also for other ends beside these And to this Peter Martyr answers thus Ratio quidem ista probabilis est at non necessaria poterit enim ille Coelestis motus etsi non generationi et corruptioni tamen alii alicui negotio quod nos ignoramus inservire that reason truly is probable but not necessary for though the motion of the Heavens serve not for generation and corruption yet may it serve for some other thing unknown to us And as a new Heaven so a new Earth shall remaine yet not for any common use of necessity so much D. Willet grants qu. 31. D. Willet qu. 31. in 8. cap. ad Rom. ad 8. Rom. the Earth shall not then yeeld fruite for the use of men as now yet may it remain for some other use For himselfe grants qu. 34. qu. 34. that the heavens by the continuall sight of their great glory shall serve to stirre up the Saints to praise and magnifie their glorious Creator if now the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shew his handy works Psa 19.1 Psal 19.1 much more then if as the Prophet hath it and as this Author grants it then also to take place as well as in the Kingdome of Christ the light of the Sunne shall be increased seven fold Isa 30 26. Isa 30.26 yea and the light of the Moon as the light of the Sunne as you have heard His third Argument The faithfull wait for the adoption to wit the redemption of their bodies other Creatures are not capable or partakers of adoption Ergo neither of the redemption of their bodies to immortality I answer this is the weakest Argument brought into form of any other Thus all Creatures that shall be renewed shall be partakers of adoption and redemption of their bodies to immortalitie But the irrationall and insensible not so Ergo. First I answer Rom. 8.23 that this Text is not pertinently alledged for it makes an expresse distinction between the rest of the Creatures and the faithfull that had the first-fruits of the Spirit Not onely they but we c. To the major proposition thus the major is false if properly taken strictly and eminently For first adoption if we take it properly and eminently for adoption spirituall is beneficium Dei per quod nos propter Christum in filios recipit haeredes Coeli aeternaeque vitae cum ipso facit Amand Polan lib. 6. Syntag. Theol cap. 38. Amandus Polanus lib. 6. Syntagmat Theolog cap. 38. Adoption is favour or benefit from God by the which for Christs sake he
he may bestow it upon other parts of the world then onely those which that Doctor names And howsoever many Individuals of every species have and shall perish so likewise have parts of the Elements perished though not the tota so the species of severall Creatures shall continue as long as the Elements that now are shall and why then by the gift of immortalitie may not these species continue of which many Individualls have perished as well as the Elements from whom parts have so much and so often perished His fifth Those Creatures that shall be delivered shall be glorified and immediately passe from their corruptible estate into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God but the unreasonable Creature not thus Ergo. I answer To be glorified properly is incident to the rationall Creature he onely shall enter into the glory of God in the third Heaven and have the Image of God perfectly renewed in him Secondly the Creature may come into the glorious libertie of the Sons of God and yet be not thus glorified but sutable to its nature immortalized dono gratuito as we have heard and have an Analogie to glorified bodies Again where he saith they fall into corruption and their life and spirit is extinguished with them c. true to all that shall not be renewed this shall come to passe but whether God shall not renew the species of them is adhuc sub judice and to affirm he shall not is but to begge the question and to conclude that for a certaintie which is in controversie And whereas he renders this reason why the Heavens and earth shall rather be restored then the rest of the Creatures namely because they have been from the beginning to the ending subject to vanitie after man had sinned but other Creatures that succeed by generation but a while I answer this had been some reason against the Individuals of the species but against the species none for the species of the Creatures have been as long subject to vanity as they though not their successive individualls His sixth If any such Creatures restored then either the same that were before or some other of the same kinde newly created But neither of these Ergo. I answer this will fall to be handled in the fourth and last ranke of Creatures but in all probabilty not those that are already perished in individualls Secondly we say they shall have a renovation or restauration not a new Creation for substance but shall be renewed in their qualities state and condition as we have heard before His seventh and last Argument produced against the most generally received opinion is this Nulla promissio facta est there is no promise made for the restitution of any such Creatures as there is for Heaven and Earth Ergò they shall not be restored To this I answer that there is a promise as I conceive in generall though not so particularly as for Heaven and Earth For this I conceive a promise as also do many others in that the Scripture saith the Creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption Rom. 8.21 into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and before the Creature was made subject to vanity But Heaven Earth and man were not all the Creatures that were made subject to vanity Peter Martyr to the same purpose in 8. P. Martyr in Rom. 8. ad Rom. quamvis enim Scriptura harum Creaturarum mentionem seorsim expresse non fecerit satis tamen est quod in genere Creaturas restaurandas significaverit nequè unquà m quicquà m exceperit saith he Although the Scripture make no mention of the Creatures severally and expressely as it doth of Heaven and Earth yet its sufficient that it hath signified that the Creatures shall be restored in generall or indefinitly neither any where hath it made any exception Thus have you seen the Arguments and reasons of that laborious and learned Divine answered upon which reasons and Arguments he dissented as much following Bucan from the most generally received opinion Let us now come to the fourth and last ranke of the Creatures the Heavens the Earth and Mankinde this last ranke many of the School-Divines fall upon which Peter Martyr also mentions in oct ad Rom. thus P. Mart. in 8. ad Rom. Scholastici saith he putant homine qui praecipua est pars Orbis terrarum renovato etiam Creaturas esse restituendas quae sententia verissima est colligitur enim ex dictis Pauli quòd autem ad partes attinet tantum Coelum Elementa hominum corpora putant esse relinquenda The Schoole-men saith he do suppose that man who is the chiefe part of the world being renewed the rest of the Creatures also shall be restored which sentence is most true for it s gathered from the sayings of Saint Paul but concerning what Creatures they think that Heaven the Elements and the bodies of men shall be restored for they thinke that not the Earth onely but also the rest of the Elements shall remain Beda indeed saith glossa in 2. Beda in gloss in 2 Pet. ult Pet. last quòdignis duo ex toto consumet duo verò in meliorem restituet faciem c. that the fire shall totally consume two of the Elements and renue or purifie other two Others thinke quod manebunt omnia quoad substantiam sed mutabuntur quoad imperfectionem sed duo retinebunt propriam formam substantialem scilicet Aer Terra sed in igne aqua non remanebit forma substantialis sed ad formam Coeli commutabuntur sic tria Elementa Ignis Aer Aqua dicentur Coelum quamvis Aer retineat eandem formam substantialem quam nunc etiam habet quia et nunc etiam Coelum dicitur c. That all the Elements shall remaine for substance but shall be changed from their imperfection but yet two of them that is to say the Aire and Earth shall retain their own substantiall forme but in the fire and water that substantiall forme shall not remaine but shall be changed into the forme of Heaven and so three of the Elements Fire Aire and Water shall be called Heaven although one of these that is to say the Aire may retaine the same substantiall forme which now it hath and because now the Aire is called Heaven And this they would collect from Apoc. 21. Apoc. 21.1 1. because mention is made onely of Heaven and earth but others reject this opinion because say they repugnat Philosophiae quòd corpora inferiora sint in potentia ad formam coeli cum materiam non habent ejusmodi this is repugnant to Philosophie that bodies sublunary should be in capacity to be informed by the forme of Heaven when as they are not of the same matter with the Heavens for so Aristotelians as you have heard It may also resist Theologie in the most generally received opinion for if two of the foure Elements
a signe of Circumcision to confirm it gave a law to his posterity to guide them and in all these the Gentiles excluded from the Church as without God in the world and without hope of Salvation Ephes 2.12 13 2 Ephes 2.12 13 14. 14. at that time namely when you were in your carnall estate of Gentilisme ye were without Christ namely as a mediatour for you being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world As if he had said Ye had nothing to do with the Laws and immunities which belonged to Israel nothing to do with the promises made to them Psa 147.19 20. Ps 147.19 20. He sheweth his word unto Iacob his Statutes and judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation as for his judgements they have not known them But now in Christ Jesus saith Paul ye that were farre off sometimes are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the partition wall or the middle wall of partition between us And that Christ should be the Head to both being both God and man that so few of the Jewes should be called to imbrace Christ and such abundance of these Gentiles who were without such Covenants such promises as they had without Law without Circumcision without any good works c. and yet by the voice of the Gospell these should be called by faith in Christ that faith freely given from God these should be saved and be made fellow-Citizens with the Saints and one body with the faithfull in Israel this was such a point of Gods wisedome and so admirable and such a way of collecting a Church and out of so many severall Languages that the Apostle cries out Rom. 9.30 31. O altitudo divitiarum sapientiae c. Rom. 9.30 31. The Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained to the Law of righteousnesse c. This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that multiformis as Beza with the vulgar or multivaria that manifold wisdome of God which is now made known by the Church to the Angels for they see aliquid novum tanquam in speculo priùs sibi incognitum some new thing as in a glasse which formerly was unknown to them And they may be said to know this per Ecclesiam by the Church non instrumentaliter subjectivè docentem sed objectivè indicantem the Angels seeing such a Church now gathered Yea 1 Pet. 1.12 1 Pet. 1.12 this is such an admirable thing namely that the greatest part of the world that so many Gentiles that for so many years had lived in darknesse and in the way to death should now be called to make up one Christian Church with the Jewes and be under one Head with them that desiderant Angli introspicere the Angels desire to behold it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek to bow down so as to peepe into any thing Now the Angels in Heaven injoy unspeakable comforts as you have heard and yet they desire to peepe into or to looke into the manifold wisedome of God showne here upon Earth in calling the great varieties of Gentiles to make up one Church of Saints with the Jewes why then may not the Elect in Heaven with the Angels sometimes desire to contemplate the wonderfull wisdome or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multifariam sapientiam the manifold wisedome of God in the great varieties of the renewed species of the Creatures that are below them But Thirdly it may be objected that it will be ultrà sphaeram activitatis oculi ullius corporei beyond the ability of any bodily eye to behold from the seat of the blessed at any time any Creatures here upon the Earth To this I would answer thus Acts 7.56 Acts 7.56 that if Stephen here in a mortall body could from Earth behold Christ standing at the right hand of God when the Heavens were opened why cannot the Saints in immortall bodies see from Heaven down unto the Earth for God can as well make way thorow the medium from Heaven to Earth as he did from Earth to Heaven Calvin in loc Calvin in locum data Stephano nova aâ—ies quae per obstacula omnia usquè ad invisibilem regni caelâ—stis glo iam penetraret a new sight was given to Stephen at that time by which his eye was strengthened beyond the ordinary ability of nature so that he could pearce through obstacles even to the invisible glory of that heavenly Kingdome otherwise though the Heavens were wide open yet the ordinary ability of mans fight or the naturall strength of it were not of sufficient power to behold an object at such a distance It s needlesse therefore to dispute much de visu naturali of naturall sight cum facillimum Deo fuit Stephani oculos insolita acie donare Gualt Hom. 55. in Apost Act. as Gualter saith Hom. 55. in Acta Apostolorum when as it was an easie thing to God to give unto the eyes of Stephen a sight above ordinary such shall the sight of glorified bodies be farre more excellent then that we now have in these frail and mortall bodies And this shall serve for the fourth point I now come to the fift and last namely the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God or the children of God into which the Creature is to be reduced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in libertatem gloriae into the liberty of the glory of the sonnes of God What we are to understand by the sonnes of God we may easily perceive by that which we have heard already the Elect people of God predestinated to life called justified and glorified But what we are to understand by the liberty of their glory that must be inquired into Theodoret. Theodoret referrs it to the time in which the Children of God shall come to this liberty and no doubt but the deliverance shall then be when they come to theirs For as Estius observes from Verse 20 Estius in loc they were made subject under hope under what hope sub spe liberationis in illud tempus quando filii Dei quibus subservit suam libertatem consequentur under the hope of deliverance at that time when the sonnes of God to whom they have bin subject and done service shall obtain their liberty the object of their hope was this deliverance into the glorious liberty of the children of God The time may be granted and yet this glorious liberty not fully explained for that is but the circumstance not the thing it selfe Chrysost Chrysostom by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek would understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in libertatem propter libertatem that as they were
made subject to vanity because of man sinning so should they also be freed by reason of mans freedome yea and not onely so but also brought into this glorious liberty ut gloriam filiorum Dei cumulet atquè illustret as Paraeus Paraeus in loc that thereby he may add to and more illustrate the glorious liberty of them which liberty of glory shal be so great as that for their sakes these shall be set at liberty also I close with the judgment of those which is also related by Estius who say that they shall be delivered in imitationem gloriosae libertatis filiorum Dei vel ad exemplum to an estate imitating the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God For as their glorious liberty exempts them from any more corruption toil misery or the like so likewise shall their deliverance exempt them so that it may be called deliverance into their glorious liberty because it shall be a liberty suting to their nature or analogically a glorious liberty as the liberty of glory properly is sutable to the rationall nature of the Children of God As the liberty of the glory of Gods sonnes shall exempt them from the fore-named vanities so also shall their libertie exempt them so that thus they may be said to be delivered into the libertie of the glory of the sons of God though not into the glory of their libertie properly and eminently so called as you have also heard Thus by the help of that good hand of God upon me I have finished this fift and last Point also which is all I promised in the Frontispiece of this Work And if I may have leave to speak without prejudice experience hath taught me thus much that it is opus arduum ac dificile hard in its selfe and painfull to me and troubleous what it might have bin to great wits I dispute not only I dare avouch it for a speculation worthy of such Two things more there are upon which I would gladly expresse my thoughts as being appendices or pertaining to the fore-going Argument The former what Heavens they are which are to be burnt and purified by fire The second which I conceive more difficult which as yet I have not seen clear satisfaction in is this in what sense righteousnesse may be said to dwell in the new Heaven and in the new Earth which God shall make The former question I move because I find divers of the Pontifician Divines binding too much upon Aristotle in his dispute against Plato and upon Gregory the great that hold stiffely that the Coelum Aereum not Aethereum is it that shall be burned with Fire the Airie Heaven not the Sidereall Sphaericall or that above the Element of Fire because this they conceive to have bin more corrupted then the other for this Aereall Heaven Bellar. tom 3. lib. 6. de Amiss gratiae cap. 3. not the Aethereall you have Bellarm. pleading Tom. 3. lib. 6. de amissionè gratiae c. cap. 3. Nequè enim de Coelo sidereo sed de Aereo sermo est Estius in 2 Pet. cap. 3. Estiê° in 2 Pet. cap. 3. Aqu. in 2 Pet. cap. 3. Aquinas in eundem locum who also fore-seeing the objection of Heavens whereas the Aire is but an Heaven answers that by the Heavens in Peter is meant the Aire et dicitur Aer Coeli pluraliter propter diversas regiones Coeli Aerei propter ejus plura hemisphaeria And the Air is called heavens in the Plurall number because of the divers Regions of it and because it hath more Hemisphers in it than one as naturall Philosophie teacheth yet in Scripture we read but of three Heavens 1. The Coelum Aereum Matth. 6.26 as Mat. 6.26 Volatilia Coeli the Fowls of the Aire 2. Coelum Aethereum or the Heavens sidereall above the Element of Fire Deut. 17.3 Deut. 17.3 or any of the host of Heaven 3. Coelum altissimum or sublimissimum or beatarum sedium the highest Heaven or seat of the blessed Esa 66.1 Coelum ipsum mihi solium Isa 66.1 Heaven it self is my Throne Now the sidereall Heaven is often called Coeli or Heavens in the Plurall number as Matth. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 3.16 et aperti sunt ei Coeli and the Heavens were opened to him Thus Acts 7. Acts 7.56 56. Stephen saw the Heavens opened Psal 8.1 Psal 8.1 who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Psal 19.1 Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God c. The highest Heaven above all these is called Coelum tertium 2 Cor. 12.2 the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 this is Gods division of the Heavens who made them Now for as much as I remember the Coelum aereum or Airie Heaven is still called Coelum in the singular number when it stands in oposition to the rest Matth. 6.26 Psa 104.12 as Matth. 6.26 and Psal 104.12 Volatilia Coeli the Fowls of Heaven 1 Kings 18.45 1 Kings 18.45 the Heaven was black with clouds Levit. 26.19 and Levit. 26.19 your Heaven c. and not Heavens And though it be true that Philosophers do place the meteora aquosa as nubes c. the watery meteors in medio Aere in the middle region of the Air such meteors as are the Clouds c. and so might be called Heaven in regard of that region yet that region which is infimus Aer the lowest region in which the Birds do fly is also called Heaven c. but the Scripture terms but the totum corpus Aereum by the name of Heaven for as farre as I can remember therefore when Heavens are mentioned somewhat more then the Aire onely is to be understood Again both the fore-named regions may be termed Heaven because they are partes similares ejusdem Aeris or Coeli Aerei simular parts of the same Aereall Heaven and therefore receive eandem denominationem cum toto the same denomination with the whole Secondly Saint Peter speaking of the world to be destroyed by fire makes a difference between the Heavens and the Elements whereof the Aire is one 2 Peter 3.10 2 Pet. 3.10 the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise or with a great hissing and then it followes The Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also with the works that are therein shall be burnt up Where we see a plaine difference made between the Heavens as one thing and the Elements as another Aquin in loc Estius in loc neither can the skill of Aquinas or Estius upon this place by all their evasions avoid it The former by saying that since the world was destroyed by water Aer erat spissior c. the Aire was thicker and therefore stood need of purging as the other did not The latter by considering with Augustine that a comparison is here made between the Heavens that now are Aug lib 20. de civit Dei cap. 24. and those
that perished lib. 20 de civitate Dei cap. 24. and those were the Aereal Heavens or the regions of it To which I answer that the comparison in Peter is not between the Heavens that then perished and these that now are being indeed for substance still the same but between the world that then was 2 Pet. 3.6 is qui tum erat mundus 2 Pet. 3.6 that is as Beza well hath it Beza in loc aspectabilis ille terrae decor quaecunque animantia in terra degebant iis duntaxat exceptis quae in arca erant inclusa nec enim aquae in coelos redundarunt imò ne ipsa quidam terrae substantia periit sed futurae conflagrationis longe alia erit ratio ideò coelum terram id est rerum universitatem distinctè nominavit in proximo versu that visible comelinesse of the earth and whatsoever living Creatures then was upon it except onely those that were shut up in the Ark neither did the Waters then reach unto the Heavens yea not so much as the very substance of the earth perished But the matter shall be farre otherwise about burning of the world by fire therefore in the next Verse he distinctly named the Heaven and the earth that is the whole world to which the forenamed world was opposed And Beda by the Elements understands all the four Elements Beda in verba yet thinks two onely shall utterly perish that is Fire and Water and other two remain renewed that is the Air and earth called the new Heavens and the new Earth Yet what hath been said against this before shall suffice neither doth this plâ—â—se the Pontificians Others thinke onely three here meant Water Earth Aire because they cannot see how the Element of fire should be consumed by fire To which I would answer with Aquin in suplem ad 3. Aquin in supplem ad 3. part sum qu. 74. art 3. partem summarum qu. 74. art 3. respond ad 1. having shewn that the fire that shall burn the world shal be of the same species with ours he adds non tamen est idem numero notwithstanding it s not the same in all respects with ours And we see saith he that in two fires of the same species one may destroy the other major scilicet minorem the greater the lesse consumendo materiam by consuming the matter of it c. Again loco quo supra Respond ad secundum Loco quo supra Resp ad 2. the fire that shall burn and purge the world shall not have its calefactive power ex principiis essentialibus sed ex divina virâ—ute vel operatione out of its own essentiall Principles as usually it hath but from the Divine power or operation of God in it as his Instrument inabled from him to produce this effect And actio instrumenti magis manifestat virtutem moventis quà m virtutem moti the action of the Instrument rather manifests the power and efficacie of the Mover of it or Worker by it then of it self and the fire which God shall stirre up to purge the world shall have such efficacie in it from him that it shall work beyond the ordinary course of nature and shall be able to melt the Elements and that with fervent heat as S. Peter speaks yet non ad eorum funditus consumptionem sed solum usque ad eorum purgationem not to the totall or utterly abolishing of their substance but to the purging of them from their grosser attracted qualities Neither will that of Gregory hold Greg. magnus who saith in tantum accendet ignis Judicii in quantum ascenderunt aquae diluvii the fire shall burn as high towards heaven as the waters of the Flood ascended but that should be no higher than fifteen Cubits above the high Mountains which would not extend to the melting of all the Elements much lesse to the burning of the Sphaericall Heavens Dr. Willet qu. 29. in 8. Dr Willet qu. 29. in 8. ad Rom. ad Rom. there is not any visible thing that had a beginning but shall also have an ending In which he saith truth and for which the Psalmist will warrant him Psal 102.25 26. Psal 102.25.26 The Heavens are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt indure they all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed If any visible thing should escape change these were likest but not these must escape And Heavens are here taken as opposed to the Earth as Gen. 2.1 Gen. 2.1 Thus the Heavens and the earth were finished and all the Host of them Psal 8 3 Psa 8.3 When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Starres which thou hast ordained Even these heavens in which are the Moon and the Starres shall perish shall be burned with fire Thus much briefely for the former point that Aethereall Heavens shall burn as well as the Aereall But as we have seen what Heavens shall burn let us a little consider what Heaven shall not burn When I say the Aethereall heavens I mean the Sydereall and all the sphaericalls under the highest or third heaven as the primum mobile and the coelum crystallinum c. but the third heaven I mean not which is the Seat of the Blessed and which was a Creature created the first day Gen. 1.1 Gen. 2.4 Gen. 1.1 and Gen. 2.4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth Heb. 11.10 when they were created Heb. 11.10 Abraham looked for a Citie which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God This Heaven is corpus supremum immobile incorruptibile amplissimum ac totum lucidum c. First it is a body and a substance though most subtile for that in which bodies are contained its necessarie that that should be corporeall for inter locatum locum inter contentum continens there must be aliqua proportio some proportion between the things contained and the thing containing Now the bodie of Christ is alreadie in the highest heaven and ours shall be howsoever the bodies of Enoch and Eliah now be Secondly quicquid est apertibile est corpus But so was the highest heaven Acts 7.56 Acts 7.56 otherwise Stephen had not seen Christ standing at the right Hand of God if that Heaven had not been opened for howsoever I know that some think there was nulla scissura in coelis no division at all in the Heavens and that miraculum non fuit in coelis sed in Stephani oculis not in the opening of the Heavens but in the eyes of Stephen Others that he saw this in a Vision c. or mentall contemplation not with bodily eyes yet Gual hom 55. in Act. saith Gualter Hom. 55. in Acta Ego haec illi revera visibiliter apparuisse nec mentis duntaxat contemplationi objecta fuisse intelligo I do
tamen inquietudine non eripitur ista terrae possessio cujus meminit David quià et certò sciunt se legitimos esse mundi haeredes unde fit ut tranquilla conscientia pane suo vescantur et quamvis inopia laborent Deus tamen ipsorum necessitatibus in tempore succurrit c. Yet in this their unquietnesse that possession of the Earth which David mentions is not taken from them because they know assuredly that they are the lawfull Heires of the world viz. in a spirituall right whereupon it comes to passe that they eate their bread in quietnesse of conscience and though they be sometimes in want yet God in good time sends supply to their necessities So then these grounds in the judgement not onely of the aforenamed Authors but of divers others will not clearly bear out his opinion to hold the new Earth for an habitation of the righteous as well as the Heavens seeing it is verified of a temporall inheritance here and therefore onely and necessarily cannot involve that sense he would put upon it by Origens astipulation Yet this I will say that if the new Heavens be to be an habitation for the righteous this would in my judgement be a better Argument against the motion of the Heavens that they should no more move after the day of judgement then any he hath yet produced Secondly I will say that if by the Creature to be delivered we were sure that onely Heaven and Earth were to be understood c. then may these be said to be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Children of God when they shall have liberty to live in these both in the new Heavens and in the Earth and then need not the most accurate and pearcing Interpreters so much perplex themselves about the understanding of this place But this is to be delivered into the liberty of their glory passivè passively to be injoyed of them not activè actively for the Creatures to injoy it He urgeth also Revelations 14.4 they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth shall visite the Earth also and shall go and come as it pleaseth God I answer that though they follow the Lamb whithersoevever he goeth yet except it can be proved that he goeth on to the earth as well as in Heaven the quotation will not help him and Verse the 5. these are said to be without fault before the Throne of God absolved by divine judicature these followed the Lamb in this life in persecutions troubles afflictions yea many of them unto death it self hunc eundem sequuntur in vitam aeternam quò prior ipse abiit as Aretius in loc this same Lambe they follow also into aeternall life whither he himselfe is first gone before them Aretius upon the place in Peter thus Aret. in loc Nova habitatio novos requirit incolas these Heavens being made a new habitation they require the Inhabitants also to be new And a little after Nova terra mansio erit justorum the new Earth shall be a dwelling place for the righteous And Bullinger in 1 Pet. 3.13 Bullin in 1 Pet. 3.13 Novi enim Coeli parantur justis justitiae ergò studendum est iis qui novi Coeli velint esse incolae the Heavens are prepared for the righteous therefore it behoves them to study righteousnesse which would be the inhabitants of these new Heavens these men seeme to me to be of this judgement that when the sphaericall Heavens shall be made new they shall also be for the righteous as well as the highest Heaven is now and that their glorious habitation shall then extend as low as the face of the Earth but whether the new Heavens and the new Earth which God shall make after these be burnt up shall have eundem situm the same situation or place that they have now is questioned by some Dionysius Carthusianus in 5. Dionys Carth. in Matth. 5.18 Matthaei verse 18. thinkes that they shall be changed not onely quoad qualitatem but also quoad situm c. not onely in their qualities but also in their situation yet alledgeth no reason for it But this I would observe by the way that if they shall go and come from Earth to Heaven and from Heaven to Earth again as God shall please as saith Dr. Willet loco quo suprà Dr. Willet loc quo supra then may the Creatures upon the Earth serve for some use of contemplation for the which he would find no use before Now this I say that if God shall enlarge the seat of the blessed and shall make the new Heavens a like glorious to the highest Heaven to contain all the bodies of his Elect as well as the soules though its very probable that the highest Heaven is more spacious for those then Hell for the innumerable number of the bodies of the damned though there shall want no compasse for either but both shall have such confines as God in his wisedome shall appoint the one for joy the other for pain and misery then may the spacious liberty of the saints glory extend to the earth as to the one term of their continent as the top of the highest Heaven is the other and so righteous meÌ„ may be said to dwell in both as living within the scituation of both as theÌ„ in part of their glorious liberty D. Willet concludes thus Dr. Willet loc quo supra But here we must not be too bold to wade without ground how the Saints shall be disposed off whether some to heaven some to earth whether the same shall be sometime in heaven sometime in earth or how else as it pleaseth God we leave these as great mysteries not revealed yet thus he adds But that the Saints shall then be upon the earth we are certain out of Scripture as hath been shewed But I should rather conceive it within the Continent of these as parts of their libertie if inlargement of their glory be granted then upon the Earth as upon the subject matter if the site of it remain where now it is and to the places he grounds upon I have answered and will adde to them one more Apoc. 5.10 Apoc. 5.10 And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign upon the earth not corporeally with the Geneva note Nota Genesis Others of our modern Divines conceive it of the spirituall reign in this mortall life over sinne Sathan persecuters opposers and the like Rom. 6.6 Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with him that the bodie of sinne might be destroyed And Vers 12 Vers 12. let not sinn reign therefore in your mortall bodie that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof No but reigne you over it upon the earth and not it over you Aretiê° in loc Aretius upon the place thus Commemoratis Christi beneficiis pollicentur gratitudinis ergò constantiam in confessione intelligo enim haec ab eis dici
in persona militantis ecclesiae quae regnat super terram praestando Deo constantiam sub cruce mortificando carnem suam opprimendo peccati concupiscentiam praescindendo peccandi occasiones c. having rehearsed the benefits of Christ in token of thankfullnesse they promise constancy in their confession For I conceive these things to be spoken of them in the person of the militant Church which Church reignes upon the Earth in performing constancy to God under the crosse by mortifying their flesh by oppressing the concupiscence of sinne by cuting off the occasions of sinning c. Thus saith he they reign 1 Thess 4.17 That passage in 1 Thess 4.17 hath holden many off from falling in so fully with the Doctors resolve as to set it down for a certainty And therefore Aquinas upon the place in Peter Aquin. in 2 Pet. 3. with some of the School-Divines considering this of Paul to the Thessalonians will by no meanes fall in with his resolve nor such as pitch upon it Non quòd justi habitaturi sunt in mundo inferiori post judicium sicut nunc not that the just shall dwell in this inferiour world after the day of judgement as they do now but it shall be pars habitationis saith he a part of their habitation sicut Rex non manet in coquina tamen dicitur pars habitationis suae even as a King abideth not in his Kitchin and yet notwithstanding it s called a part of his habitation To which I say thus that though his resolve may have some ground of reason yet his instance doth not well quadrate to the matter in hand For if a King should build a Pallace and have a Kitchin in it and then it be said in quibus it would conclude both Others therefore thus In which dwells righteousnesse that is Jesus Christ say they who is called our righteousnesse Ier. 23.6 Ierem. 23.6 and this is his name by which he shall be called Dominus justitia nostra the Lord our righteousnesse but to this I say that where he is there shall his elect be also Iohn 14.2.3 I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also as if he had said if I goe I mean not to reign alone but I will also receive you that have suffered with me that ye may also reign with me 2 Tim. 2.12 2 Tim. 2.12 Christus non discessit a nobis ut nos desereret sed potius ut nos secum in Coelos tandem attolleret as Iunius Iun in suis Annot. Christ did not depart from his to that end that he might forsake them but rather that at length he might take us up into Heaven together with him quae doctrina ad totam ecclâ—siam pertinet as Beza Beza in loc which doctrine belongs to the whole Church Hic de extremo judicii die loquitur quo tandem veniet ad suos colligendos as Calvin here saith he he speakes of the last day of judgement in the which at length he shall come to gather up all his c. and then shall they all be both in body and soule where he himself is And Apoc. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sitt with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his Throne Sedere cum Christo est regni illius esse consortem saith one to fitt down with Christ on his Throne is to be partaker of his kingdome with him so that if he dwell in the new Heavens we shall also dwell there with him as in the inlargement of glory or the place of his glorious presence Beza in 2 Pet. 3.13 Lastly Beza resolves thus upon the words Neverthelesse we according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwells righteousnesse Having mentioned other expositions he concludes thus vel deniquè supplendum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nos ut ita convertas sed Coelos novos et terram novam expectamus nos in quibus habitat justitia nimirum Christi ut explicat Paulus Phil. 3.9 Phil. 3.9 or else finally saith he we must supply the sense with this word we that thou mayst thus read But we look for new Heavens and a new Earth in which we righteousnesse dwells even the righteousnesse of God by faith Phil. 3.9 as Paul hath it and Ephes 3.17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 1 Thes 4.17 1 Thes 4.17 Paul speaking of the resurrection and the order of it saith verse 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord In aeterna beatitudinis gloria Hemingius in loc as Hemingius hath it in eternall glory and blessednesse Aquinas long before him gave the same sense ostendit beatitudinem sanctorum Aquin. in loc quià semper erunt cum Domino eofruentes here he shows the blessednesse of the Saints because they shall alwayes be with the Lord injoying of him Theophylact to the same sense Theophylact. in loc perpetuò sunt apud hunc mansuri they shall continually abide with Christ whom they shall meete in the Air. Estius to the same sense Estius in loc speaking of meeting Christ in the Air he saith indè in Coelum cum eo subvecti perpetua praesentia fruituri sumus semper cum eo regnaturi from thence we shall be carried with him into Heaven where we shall injoy his perpetuall presence and reign with him for ever To which I will adde that not the Earth but the Heavens are the place where our inheritance is described to be and that by him that purchased it and best knew the scituation of it 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.18 c As ye were not redeemed with corruptible things neither were ye born of corruptible seed verse 23. so neither is there provided for you a corruptible inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.4 God having begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead he adds to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us that fadeth not away like flowers or garlands so that we shall never be weary of the joyes of Heaven though they indure for eternity but they shall be as fresh and new and Ephes 2.6 Ephes 2.6 he hath raised us up together and made us sitt together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in caelestibus as the Vulgar in heavenly places in Christ Jesus we have the like word Eph. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.3 in coelestibus in Christo in Coelis Beza in loc as Beza hath it in both places But to the former And made us sitt together in coelestibus id est lâ—cis as Beza in Heavenly places yet our selves as yet actually sitt not in those places in person but in our Head Cujus spiritu coepimus peccato mori vivere Deo donec in nobis opus suum perficiat idem qui inchoavit by the power of whose Spirit we have begun in this life to die unto sinne and live unto God whilst the same that hath begun the worke perfect it in us we sitt with him now in spe afterwards in re he being our head he will draw up all the members to him But in none of these places is any mention made of the Earth Zanchiê° in loc as for the Saints to have any inheritance on it Though vertually we be risen are in heavenly places in our head Christ Jesus yet in us these benefitts of resuscitation together with him and this sitting in heavenly places suum habebunt complementum cum nostra corpora resumptis animabus excitabuntur à mortuis ac resurgent ad vitam immortalem vitaque fruentur sempiterna shall have their full accomplishment when our bodies resuming their souls shall be raised up again from the dead then shall the whole man sitt together with Christ in Heavenly places such places shall be their aeternall inheritance not upon the Earth Neither would the Patrons of that opinion a constant dwelling upon it but at sometimes But if we respect these new Heavens and Earth for the place where the righteous shall dwell as a part of their inlarged inheritance yet I conceive that the Earth is more fitly put here for the terminus or boundary of their liberty than the subject upon which they shall trample a live And to me that place in Peter is very considerable 1 Pet. 1.4 where the inheritance is set out by many excellent Epithites and the place of it described to be Heaven and not any part or portion of it mentioned to be upon the Earth Thus have I expressed my thoughts upon this point also according to that small Talent God hath given me and have also made answer to such places where the Earth is mentioned in which it will appear that they are not so clear for the opinion for which they have been quoted as the quoters of them have opined I will therefore at length wind up all with that saying of Bellarmines lib. de amissione gratiae cap. 3. Non est de rebus quae pendent à divina voluntate al quid esserendum nisi Deus ipse in Scripturis sanctis tale aliquid revelaverit we may not affirme any thing in those matters that depend upon Gods divine will except God himselfe have revealed some such thing unto us in the holy Scriptures so farre as they have given me light I have gone and as farre as I could wade upon the firme bottom of reason I have adventured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finis
and yet not be partaker of the same excellencie of glory or unspeakable joy and ravishment that the Children of God shall be as being in the presence of the Lamb in the Seat of glory or in the third Heaven into which other creatures shall not come neither are capable of it This well weighed the Argument will not firmely conclude against the most generally received opiniō Again in the forenamed place which he referres his Reader to for satisfaction he brings in the glossa ordinaria shewing as you have heard that by tota or omnis Creatura or Creatura indefinitè sumpta is not meant singula generum but genera singulorum not all Creatures of every kinde but every kinde of all Creatures His second Argument this and it is not onely his but the Argument of divers others There shall then be no more any use for any such Creatures Whence thus Those Creatures that shall remain after the day of judgement shall be for some use But of Brutes Plants and such like there shall be no use Ergo. P. Mart. in loc To the major we say with Peter Martyr Hoc tamen mihi certissimum videtur quodque omninò affirmari debeat istas naturas rerum non mansuras in extremo die nist aliquod opus habiturae sint Pugnat enim cum natura communi ratione aliquid constituere quod omninò sit otiosum Quae autem Deus his rebus opera sit adscripturus facile nos fateamur ignorare Notwithstanding this to me seems a most certain truth and such a one as ought altogether to be affirmed because the natures of those things should not remain after the day of judgement except there were some use of them for it is both against nature and common reason to ordaine any thing that is of no use at all But what imployment God will appoint these Creatures we may easily grant or acknowledge our selves to be ignorant saith he Lombard lib. 4. sent dist 48. in ipso calce Lom lib. 4. sent dist 33. in calc answering to that question what use there shall be of the light of the Sunn and Moon after the day of judgment saith fateor me ignorare quià in Scripturis non memini me legisse I confesse my selfe ignorant of that because I do not remember that I have read of it in the Scriptures For the which his modesty and plain dealing in this point Peter Martyr commends him and wisheth he had dealt thus in other passages Vtinam in aliis rebus definiendis uti voluisset pari modestia fide I would to God saith he that he would have used the like modesty and truth in his defining or determining of other points but this he did not This for the major proposition To the minor But of Brutes Plants and such like there shall be no use c. I answer that if by use he mean usum communem necessitatis the common use of necessitie and such as man stood in need of the Creatures for in the state of his mortalitie and naturall abode upon the earth then I grant there is no such use for them as for the Creature to carry burthens for his use to draw to runne at his service c. to nourish him to cloath his body c. for after this life we shall not stand in need of any such supplies But if by use he mean usum ineffabilis claritatis an use of ineffable excellency he is not certaine that there shall be no such use of them which God in his wisdome may appoint them for I make it out thus he grants that the Sunne and Moon shall remain after the day of Judgement yet shall there be nullus usus communis necessitatis no common use of necessitie for them such as the Creatures had of them in the state of mortality neither yet of the earth which he also grants shall remain after the last day In his 31. qu. upon Rom. 8. D. Willet qu. 31. in 8. ad Rom. he grants that the Sunne and Moon shall not then serve to give light unto the world there shall then be no darkness c. true therefore as I have said they shall not serve for any common use of necessitie as now they doe But whereas it is said Isa 30.26 Esa 30.26 that the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be sevenfold c. Howsoever this may be meant of the glorious restauration of the Church in the time of Christ Esa 35.17 18. compared with Isaiah 65.17 18. Yet I have formerly shown that this is not the compleat sense of the words they stretch to a further thing as S. Peter shewes 2 Pet. 3.13 2 Pet. 3.13 therefore S. Hierome saith thus upon the words Solem tum accepturum mercedem laboris sui that then when the light of the Sunne shall be seven-fold the Sunne shall receive a reward of its labour or it shall be brought into a more excellent estate as other Creatures shall be and if so then it shall shine though not by way of common necessitie but for some other use And then reckoning up some other particular uses of it hee concludes But then all the Creatures shall rest and their ministery and service such as is now shall cease This we grant such as is now shall cease for that is common use of necessity And whereas its commonly added by divers that the motion of it shall then also cease because the Scripture saith tempus non erit amplius Apoc. 10.6 Apoc. 10.6 Time shall be no more Secondly because the Philosophers say that motus is causa efficiens generationis corruptionis perpetuae rerum inferiorum naturalium the motion of the Heavens or especially of the primum mobile is the cause efficient of generation and corruption which is continually amongst these inferiour and naturall bodies but these shall then cease there shall then be no more any such generation or corruptions or changes amongst the Creatures To both which we will recite the answer of learned Peter Martyr P. Martyr com ad 8. Rom. in his Commentaries upon Romanes 8. To the former Tempus non erit amplius Ergò nec motus for time is the measure of motion Verùm haec ratio non est firma fieri enim potest ut coelum moveatur sed pro magna illa luce corporis Christi corporumque omnium beatorum Solis Lunae minimè possit observari quare durare potest motus et si tempus non existat But this reason is not firm saith he for it may come to passe that the Heavens may be moved and yet the motion cannot be observed by reason of the great light of the glorified bodie of Christ of the Saints of the Sun and of the Moon therefore motion may indure although time be not His reason he gives is this Tempus enim non est nisi ex
veritat cap. 20. And if the Heavens declare the glory of God why may not these also when they are renewed Aug. in lib devidendo Deo August in libro de videndo Deo because the corporeall eye non potest ad essentiam divinam pertingere cannot reach to the Divine Essence though we shall see God face to face yet when we are glorified we are but still finite Creatures idcircò ne oculus congrua delectatione distituatur ornatum Coelorum mirificum rerum jam instauratarum pulchritudinem illi tum esse offerendam ut habeat non solùm undè se oblectet gaudeat sed etiam unde Dei potentiam infinitam sapientiam admiretur therefore least the eye should be destitute of light congruous or convenient for it he offers to it the wonderfull adorning of the Heavens and the beautie or fairnesse of the Creatures that are restored that man may have not onely wherewith he may delight himselfe but also may rejoyce also whence he may admire the power and infinite wisdome of God To which Peter Martyr saith Probabilia quidem sunt ista fateor sed ea sacris Scripturis non confirmantur I grant saith he that these things are probable but are not confirmed by holy Writ True it is that they are not clearly and in terminis confirmed in holy Writ But first we have seen what hath been alledged for the renovation of the Creature And secondly if so God will have uses for it Thirdly if the particular uses be not clearly made known to us in this life yet it will not thence follow that therefore God hath no use for them at all and though it be also true that they shall see God himselfe face to face the glorified bodie of Christ and an infinite company of the glorious bodies of the Saints brighter then the Sunn and therefore you may say cannot be so much delighted with the looking upon any of the Creatures renewed as with these I answer take it for granted that they cannot be so much delighted because the objects are not so eminent in degrees yet it will not follow that therefore they may have no delight by these at all for this may delight them that they see the poor Creatures their old and quondam servants freed from vanity slavery and misery and now restored to liberty and from that corruption they fell under by reason of their former disobedience and impiety this I say as rationall and probable But it may be objected that the Saints in the highest Heaven or in the Heaven of Heavens shall have no occasion to contemplate these seeing in their Fathers house there are so many Mansions Iohn 14.2 Iohn 14.2 and joy unspeakable and glorious I answer it is true that there is such joy even in that place yea greater then the heart of man can conceive for eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it as yet ever entred into the heart of man what joy God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 1 Cor. 2.9 Yet as when a man would shew his friend some stately fabrick the manner of the contriving of it and his severall roomes he doth not onely show him his treasury of Plate his lodging chambers curiously adorned with all variety his bedding hangings stools chaires or such like furniture his severall Cubberds of richly wrought plate seilings playsteings of his Chambers stately Windowes hewne c. but for varieties sake he shewes him such as with which he cannot so much be taken as his Hall Buttery Kitchin and such like places even so likewise from Heaven God may show the Sonnes of glory sometimes for varieties sake the Creature renewed the severall species of them the wonderfull order amongst them c. wherein the great variety of Gods Wisedom may appear though the somtimes-contemplation of these be much inferiour for content to those unspeakable joyes in the seat of the blessed yet I say the variety of Gods Wisdom may appear in them This I say as not irrationall or altogether against reason but probable because the Scriptures are not so clear in this particular therfore we may not be so resolute as to dedicate or affirme it in any higher nature or like some Article of faith of infallible certainty I may not wade so farre but onely give a probable conjecture in this speculation leaving the judgment of the rationalty of it to the judicious and considerate reader and this I conceive is to deale moderately and not with so much confidence and resolution as laborious D. Willet which I name with reverence hath done in his resolve upon this passage as God willing we shall shew hereafter but upon how much better grounds judicet lector let the reader judge 1 King 10.3 4 5. 1 Kings 10.3 4 5. When the Queene of Sheba came to the Court of Solomon she did not onely hear his wisdome and see the house which he had built with both which she was delighted in an high measure shee must also have showne unto her the meate of his table the sitting of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their apparrell his cup-bearers and the assent by which he went up to the house of the Lord and there was no more spirit in her when shee had seen all this shee was astonied now all these things though shee was wonderfully delighted with them and elevated in her thoughts even to admiration yet we may conceive that the objects were not equally delectable the meat on his table could not raise her to so high a pitch of admiration as the hearing of Solomons wisedome in resolving all her hard questions and the seeing of the house which he had built and the assent by which he went up to the house of the Lord yet for varieties sake those of inferior delight were shewed her as well as those that were superior or transcendent Thus God may deale with his Elect in the injoying of those unspeakable comforts of the highest Heaven and then sometimes contemplating from thence objects of inferiour delight here below for varieties sake and for the contemplating of the great variety of the wisdome of God in the severall sorts of Creatures as you have heard Again secondly let us take another instance from the Angels which seemes to quadrate more to our purpose for illustration they we all confesse are in glory in the seate of the blessed and in those unspeakable joyes the Elect shall attaine unto they behold the face of God and the glorious body of Christ and the great variety of spirituall delights there to be found yet do they desire to behold also other varieties Ephes 3.10 the Apostle having spoken of the Calling of the Gentiles into consociation of one Church together with the Iewes and those Gentiles out of so many severall Nations and Languages having made a promise to Abraham his Seed of the Messiah having made a Covenant with him and given him