lost and perish being tainted with the sinne of Adam or the infinite justice against which the sinne was done must for ever stand violated and broken or else a Mediator must bee found who was able to satisfie the infinite justice that was offended The first is against the wisdome goodnesse and love of God to his creature either to make mankinde in vaine that is to destroy it againe or to make it unto eternall punishment The second is impossible that an infinite justice infinitely able to avenge it selfe should endure it selfe for ever to to remaine violate and offended for so should it prize a thing finite and wicked before it selfe infinite in justice therefore there behoves to be a Mediatour who should fully satisfie the justice offended and utterly blot out the guilt of sinne Now an infinite justice offended must be satisfied by a punishment answerable that is infinite but no finite creature could any way be or be accounted infinite Therefore when none was found worthy either in heaven or in earth or under the earth the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world tooke upon him our flesh to satisfie for the sinne of his creature and so by his infinite obedience for by His eternall spirit Hee offered himselfe to God Heb. 9.14 and by the infinite merit of his suffering for by that spirit the manhood both soule and flesh was enabled to endure those pangs and that punishment which neither all mankinde nor any other creature could endure was the infinite justice satisfied And thus Hee became mighty to save Esay 63.1 and having Himselfe in his owne body borne our sinnes vpon the tree did utterly abolish the whole body of sinne and found for us eternall redemption 2. The divine goodnesse hath created all things exceeding good Gen. 1. so much doth it delight it selfe in that concordance or agreement which is betweene the inward and the outward good But that agreement is the greatest which is in the unity of one person Therefore it is expedient that there be an incarnation that so in one person the goodnesse may bee most eminent and the concord most lovely 3. Otherwise you may propose it thus The excellency of the effect appeares by that conformity or agreement which it hath with the cause so then the inward worke of the infinite Goodnesse and the outward being accorded in the unity of one person the multiplication of the agreement is so great that it cannot possibly bee greater Therefore it followes that the Godhead bee incarnate for otherwise the concord in the inward and outward worke of the deity might bee greater than it is but that is impossible 4. The divine will concerning his workes without doth will and love that especially wherein the excellency of all his inward dignities doth most appeare But the excellency of all his dignities appeares most in this that God bee manifest in the flesh For thereby we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 of his glory vertue everlasting life and happinesse So that now there is but one end of God and his creature that is the glory of God of which and unto which God rejoyces over his dreature to bring it and make it partaker And the Creature likewise reioyces to be made partaker And thus the end or perfection of the creature hath rest or accomplishment in the inward perfections of God and his inward perfections are manifest in his outword workes Therefore God would bee incarnate 5. And seeing that God infinitely blessed and happy in himselfe needed not the Creature but made it therefore that it might be blessed in him and that of his fullnesse the creature might receive that fulnesse of happinesse which it can possibly injoy therefore it is requisite that that fulnesse of his bee imparted unto that creature wherein all the rest of the creature hath interest which we have already proved to bee man chap. 17. § 4. ob 5. Therefore God would dwell in man that by man the whole creature might be blessed in Him 6. If God were not incarnate then the divine dignities should be lesse Infinite one than another For the infinite goodnesse by the infinite wisdome seeing that uttermost and perfect happinesse that might come unto man by the incarnation if his power his will and love of the creature did not answer thereto so that he would bee pleased to dwell in his creature then should they be defective and of lesse extent than his infinite wisdome But that is impossible Therefore it followes that God would be incarnate See the answer to the objection that may be made from hence § 1. on the 39 chapter n. 4. 7. If there were not an incarnation then the infinite wisdome should not have the view of that highest excellencie which is possible to be in the creature neither should the infinite power magnifie it selfe by the multiplication of it selfe in an outward subject so these dignities should not be glorious by all those meanes whereby it is possible that they might glorifie themselves But all these things are inconvenient Therefore it is reasonable to beleeve the incarnation lest ignorance weakenesse and defect of glory should bee found in the first principle which must of necessity take away His infinity proved chapter 3. understand the reason well For your more ease I will propose it affirmatively thus 8. If there bee an Incarnation then the divine understanding may have an outward object wherein it may be infinite both in the inward and outward working For whereas all created obiects are absolutely finite yet if the Divine being understood which heretofore we called the Sonne chap. 11. take on him our being our nature by that assumption is deified and so made infinite with that uttermost infinitie whereof the Creature can any way bee capable seeing the deity is neither without the humanity nor the humanity without the deity And so the divine understanding may be an outward obiect infinite as much as it is possible that a creature can be infinite And so the wisdome also may bee infinite in all possibility of infinity both in the inward and outward working And what I have said of the infinite wisdome of God must also be understood of all his other perfections of goodnesse of power of eternity of life of glory c. But if there bee no incarnation this infinite outward obiect is taken away and so the understanding and all the other dignities of God as concerning their outward working must be in littlenesse and lower than that possibility whereto they may come But this is not to be affirmed Therefore the incarnation followeth reasonably 9. Every efficient the more noble and excellent it is the greater and more excellent are the effects which it doth bring forth But the greatest effects are not brought to passe but by the greatest meanes Now there is no efficient more noble or excellent than God no effect better or greater to the Creature nor more honourable to the
reasonable and an immortall soule hee breathed into man a Spirit of new life and man became a living soule the epitome or modell of all the creature earthly and heavenly bodily and spirituall This truth is so plaine that Ovid the prince of all the heathen Poets for wit judgement and manifold learning read it in the booke of nature Metam lib. 1. Before the Sea the earth and heaven all hiding There was one face on all the world abiding Which men name Chaos an unordered load Wherein the seeds of things contrarie aboade But though it be granted that the first matier was meerely and purely simple yet can it not follow that therefore it was eternall except it may withall appeare that it had power to bee of it selfe without the power of the Creator But that would utterlie take away the infinite power of God if beside his power any power could bee supposed to another thing which could uphold an eternall being And seeing in all corruption everie thing returnes to those principles of which it was as in man his body to the earth and his Spirit unto God that gave it and that nothing materiall returnes to a simple and pure being but that it is still found under some forme or other it is manifest first that that first matier was not created simple but by his decree ever subject to composition and therefore secondly impossible to be eternall Concerning that eternall Spirit or life of the world in respect of which they thought it should bee eternall both before and after you shall understand more in the 24. Chap. note g § 10. yet in the meane time I answer that if that Spirit whereby the world both is and is ordered worke according to that paterne which hee sees in another it cannot follow that the world shall thereby bee for ever except it appeare to stand with that will according to which hee workes Now what that will is we understand better by his owne Revelation in his owne word than Plato and all his followers could see in all the subtilty of their understanding By which word also wee know that the last end and hope of the creature is more excellent and glorious by the change than by the continuance of the world for ever in that state wherein it is And thus the speciall reasons of that Sect are answered See more to this question if you will in Tertullian against Hermogenes 2. But it is further objected that whatsoever begins to worke which did not worke before must be moved thereto either by it selfe or by another But God is not moved that is changed from that which he was before either by himselfe nor by any other for neither can his action bee new or begun seeing his action is his being neither can hee be affected otherwise than hee was before And therefore is hee an eternall cause of the world an eternall effect as Aristotle affirmed I answer That no new motion or purpose can come unto God concerning the creature for all his workes are knowne to him from eternitie Acts 15.18 But seeing that these workes of which we speake are of his will alone they must be according to the limitation or appointment of that will so that although hee had eternally willed to create the world yet had he eternally willed when by whom and after what fashion the world and all the things therein should be created And this by one onely will and one onely action of the same will eternally The newnesse then of the world is in the actuall being of the world not in the will or power whereby it was wrought But for the better understanding of this thing you may observe a difference of actions of which some are immanent or in-dwelling in the doer and are accompted among the perfections of the thing such are the workes of the will or understanding some againe are transeunt or passing from the doer upon that which is done as the worke of the Smith upon the steele in making a sword The workes of God in himselfe are immanent neither doe these of necessitie put the outward object into actuall being as a man may conceive of a house which is not yet built or the Smith by his art or skill hath power to make a locke which hee hath not yet made So God though hee foresaw and willed eternally that the world should bee yet the effect followed not but according to the determination of that will when by whom and how the world should receive an actuall being 3. But it may againe bee said that God is an Eternall and an Almighty agent and that not in possibilitie onely but in act also for whatsoever is brought from the possibilitie of doing unto the act of doing must bee enforced thereto by a former and more powerfull agent and that actually which in God is utterlie impossible and if hee be an eternall and a powerfull agent and that actually the effect must necessarily follow and that actually for otherwise neither could the effect be answerable to the cause nor yet the cause bee said to bee sufficient and Almightie if the cause were in act and the effect in possibilitie onely therefore it seemes the world must of necessitie be eternall Answer Although God bee actually and eternally whatsoever hee may bee in himselfe yet seeing hee workes in outward things not according to any necessitie but onely according to the pleasure of his owne will the outward effect of his power must bee limited according to the circumstances of his will which I declared before Therefore this reason doth no more enforce the eternitie of the world than it doth that all the possibilities of the creature should be actually at once and that every thing created should bee eternall because the cause is eternall actuall and allsufficient But these things as they can no way stand with the possibilitie of the creature so would they utterly take away the working of all naturall causes by which the glory of his manifold wisdome is declared neither doth the all-sufficiencie of the cause bring any sufficiencie to the reason to prove the world eternall For although the creature bee an effect of the infinite power of God yet because it is not an adequate or proportionable object thereto that is wherein that power may bee wholly and onely exercised therefore is it but a forrein effect wherein that power workes onely according to the will of the worker Therefore observe here secondly a difference of agents of which some worke naturally and these worke alwayes necessarily according to their uttermost power in the diversity of things whereon they worke as the Sunne by his heat melts that which hath thin parts as butter or waxe and hardens that which hath parts more stiffe as clay Some agents againe are voluntarie and these worke not necessarily but according to the choice and freedome of their owne will as the Physician gives not to his patient all that hee can give but
yet they of later times For concerning the end of His going to hell some thought that He delivered all that He found there both good and bad indifferently 2. Others because they thought that the whole punishment for mans sinne could not otherwise be discharged said that He went to hell that He might there suffer for the soules of men as on His Crosse He had suffered for their bodies Nay as Postel de nat Med. relates the Abissine Church holds that He went thither for His owne soule This last is hereticall the other against the direct authority of the Scripture For our Lord Himselfe when He gave up the Ghost professed That whatsoever was necessary for His suffering and our redemption was then finished And therefore both Saint Peter 1 Epist 2.24 saith That He bare our sinnes in His body on the tree and Saint Paul Colos 1.20 That Hee wrought our peace through the blood of His Crosse And Chapter 2.15 Hee spoyled the principalities and powers triumphed over them openly in His Crosse Beside His promise to the thiefe This day to bee with Him in paradise doth directly crosse this opinion 3. Others upon that text of 1 Pet. 3.19 He went and preached unto the Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah thinke that He went to hell to upbraid to them their infidelity But this was not according to the end of His comming which was to seeke and to save that which was lost Luke 19.10 Therefore others and with them Martinus Cellarius de operibus Dei thinke that He preached repentance unto them and that such as beleeved Him to be God were redeemed from hell and saved by Him But because our Church hath rejected this opinion compare the Synod Edw. 6. with the Synod Eliz. therefore I refuse it And that text of Peter may be interpreted of the preaching of Noah while the Arke was preparing 5. Some againe on better ground then the former thinke that that descent of His into Hell was for manifestation or investing of Himselfe in that Lordship which He as the Sonne of man had over all the creature and consequently over the powers of hell That at His Name every knee should bow both of things in Heaven and of things in earth and of things under the earth Phil. 2.10 Thus He that liveth and was dead is alive for evermore and hath the keyes of hell and of death Thus He that descended first into the lower parts of the earth did ascend farre above all heavens that Hee might fulfill all things Ephes 4.9 10. That fluttering distinction That He as God dwelt in the man-hood on the earth the lower part of the world and then He as man ascended will not helpe For first euery globe of the Moone the Sun or any star as it hath a centre to which every thing thereon inclines for otherwise it could not hold together in one body so is it a centre to the universe that is about it And so is likewise the lowest in comparison of those globes that have different centres Beside He which descended is even the same that ascended But God and man are not the same Thirdly He descended and ascended that He might fill all things which God did for ever neither ascending nor descending And therefore Augustine said well Totus Filius fuit apud Patrem c. The Sonne was whole with the Father whole in the Virgins wombe whole in Heauen whole in Earth whole on the Crosse whole in Hell 6. But howsoever private opinions might fall in by the way yet by that which was said before it is manifest that the ancient Church did beleeve that Christ did therefore descend into hell that the faithfull by Him might be brought into Paradise which if it were the meaning of them that did compose and of them that did generally receive the Creed then cannot that Article of Christs descent into hell be interpreted according to their meaning which say That it must signifie no other thing but that He suffered the paines of hell in His soule Concerning them that received the Creed and interpreted it you have heard § 3.4 and shall further heare their meaning The Authors meaning you shall heare anone Obiect 2. But the same Fathers are cited on both sides Obiect 2 Answ Every man that writes or speakes may be taken short and his words wrong to a sence contrary to his meaning But in this question it is not much stood upon even by favourers of this new opinion but that the current of the Fathers beares all the other away insomuch that the learned Bucanus Instit. Theol Loc. 25. though he seeme to allow this later exposition better yet he professes that he dares not condemne the judgement of the Fathers seeing it is neither contrary to the Scripture nor hath any inconvenience in it So others yeelding that the opinion of the Fathers is for the most part for the locall descent of Christ into hell would yet be excused to follow it See Synops Pap Contr. 9. qu. 1. edit 4. pag. 403. which demand truely may seeme to be very just that being put which Augustine said a little before that it is not by the expresse authority of the Canonicall Scriptures which ought to be the ground and rule of our Faith But that clause of Augustine concerning the want of the authority of the Canonicall Scripture is ill referred to Christs descent into Hell which belongs onely to the freeing of Adam there But if their mistaking were indeed Augustines meaning That the descent of Christ into hell had no authority of the Canonicall Scripture yet remembring that it may not be thought that the Church yea the whole Church beleeved it without cause seeing it hath no inconvenience in it seeing it is not contrary to the Scripture and that the holy Scriptures by Anselmes judgement cited in the Preface confirmes all that which it doeth no way contradict being lawfully gathered from manifest reason Let us be bold to looke upon the Reasons which may seeme to have drawne the ancient Church unto this opinion And because it is necessary first to agree vpon some principles let it be put Sect. 5 that these words He descended into Hell are not spoken either of the God-head of Christ of which it is confessed that it is every where nor yet of His dead body of which it is said in the Article before that it was buryed but that the enquiry is heere what became of the soule of our Saviour after it was departed from His body Secondly That seeing the soule neither came to nothing nor was an infinite being to bee every where it must of necessitie be in some definite ubi some place where while it was it was not in another Thirdly Seeing the soule of Christ was a true humane soule as one of ours and that it became Him in all things to bee like His brethren except their sinne His soule also being separate from the body went
Him I say is all power given to raigne and to order the state of the world not onely as the sonne of God which He did and doth eternally with the Father and the Holy-Ghost Pro. 18.15 but as He is the Son of man Iohn 5.27 as Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 15.28 He that was raised from the dead must reigne till Hee hath put all His enemies under His feete This glory of Christ is thus declared Ephe. 1.20 c. God having raised Him from the dead hath set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places farre above all principalitie and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feete and hath given Him to bee the head over all things unto his Church The manifestation therefore of this glory in the humanitie and the exercise of this power is in the discharge and execution of those offices and dignities which He hath received of the Father to bee the King the Priest and Prophet unto His Church He then as King doth order the affaires of the world sometime restraining the power of Tyrants and Persecutors of His trueth sometimes suffering their rage to grow on high yet arming the hearts of His seruants and subjects with courage and constancy against their fury that it may appeare that He raignes in the hearts of men and turneth them whithersoever He will Otherwhile againe giving Kings and Queenes to bee nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto His Church that trueth may flourish in the earth as Righteousnesse hath looked downe from Heaven And concerning His Priesthood this is the summe that wee have such an High-Priest Who is set at the right hand of the throne of the Majestie of heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us to offer up our Prayers to pleade our cause before the infinite Iustice and thereunto to present what Himselfe hath done and suffered in our behalfe Heb. 8.1 and 9.24 and of these two that is His Kingdome and His Priest-hood Saint Peter speaketh Actes 2.36 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this Iesus both Lord and Christ. The office of His prophesie is in this that as before His appearance in the flesh Hee by His Holy Spirit instructed the Prophets so after that when Hee ascended on high He gave gifts unto men some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephe. 4.11.12 And hereunto belong all those meanes which he hath made subservient hereunto by His Holy Spirit stirring up the hearts of Kings and Princes and other noble benefactors for the establishment and maintenance of Vniversities or Schooles of the Prophets But as the great rivers are nothing else but the gathering together of waters from many smaller fountaines and gilz so the particular Schooles founded by charitable and well-minded men such as the most vertuous Iohn Colet Deane of Paules and founder of that Schoole was are the perpetuall supplies without which the Vniversities could not be furnished either with Prophets or with Prophets sonnes And therefore for these also doth our Lord now sitting at the right hand of the Father by His Holy Spirit furnish men with the gift of tongues and their interpretation And therefore you my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing that an account must be made for whatsoever wee have received either of gifts or maintenance hereunto And although besides our endlesse paines wee endure the inconveniences of these ill and dissolute times the idlenesse and dulnesse of many untoward and grace-lesse children the folly of some more wicked and unthankfull parents though our imployment bee disesteemed yet seeing the hope of the time to come is in our paines let us for that duety which wee owe to Christ that love which wee beare to His Church and our Countrey endeavour the faithfull discharge of our trust and remember that our reward is laid up in heaven Now see the reasons of the conclusion 1. It is justice that the lowest degree of humility and abasement for obedience sake unto the will of God should bee rewarded with the greatest glory and honour that may be done unto the creature But it hath appeared heretofore that our Lord Christ for His obedience sake to the will of His Father became subject to poverty that we might be rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Hee endured stripes that we might bee healed 1. Pet. 2.24 That He suffered shame and death it selfe for our offence See hereto Chap. 27. Therefore Christ is set at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven This is the argument of Saint Paul himselfe Hebr. 12. vers 2. Christ for the joy that was set before Him endured the Crosse despised the shame and sate downe at the right hand of the throne of God This is that argument whereby our Lord strengthened Himselfe against death Iohn 13.32 If God be glorified in the Sonne of man God shall also glorifie Him in Himselfe 2. To the most noble and worthy person the most noble dignities and excellencies doe belong But the person of our Mediator according to His God-head hath equall glory and honour with the Father and the Holy-Ghost Therefore to Him it belongs also as man to sit at the right hand of the Father a because of His union with the God-head For although in His God-head He could not suffer nor die yet because His God-head was clouded in His humanity the whole Person was truely said to bee both humbled and exalted And as by that humiliation and offering of His body and blood Hee made a full satisfaction to the infinite justice for the sinne of His people So did Hee merit and purchase both to Himselfe and to His chosen all that honour and happinesse which either the one or the other can bee capeable of And therefore in His humanity to sit at the right hand of God 3. It is necessary that He sit at the right hand of power that is have the superexcellency of all power in Himselfe by whom the perfection and happinesse of the creature is to be wrought and by whom the greatest aduersary to God and to the happinesse of the creature must be subdued But it is manifest that our happinesse is to be perfected onely by Christ our Saviour and that the workes of the devill our aduersary are to be destroyed onely by Him 1. Iohn 3.8 Therefore it is necessary that He sit at the right hand of the power in heaven 4. It is beseeming and necessary that Hee should have b some preeminence above mankind by whom all joy and blessednesse was procured unto mankind in as much as that blessednesse belongs properly unto Him that purcha'ste it but to him for whom it was purcha'ste it belongs onely by grace and participation But the resurrection of the body and
the first of Sabbath importeth rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. the beginning of the ineffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not there onely but even of it selfe it imports the Deitie For wee consider of things not obuious to our sences and understanding as if they were not and therefore this least of all the letters neerest unto nothing doth signifie God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th the first of Ta. or Thom. is construed a Closet or a Depth Which construction if you put together according to the rules of that excellent Grammar of Divinitie with reference to that which followes may import thus much The Word the Spirit and the Father resting eternally in the Closet or unconceiveable abysse or as Paul calls it the inaccessible light of the infinite Deitie manifested their almighty power in creating the heaven and the earth Neither is it without a great mysterie that the Sonne is here put in the first place for In the beginning was the Word because the chiefe honour both of the Creation and restauration of the world is given unto Christ as the Apostle doth comment upon this text Coloss 1. And in another place In Him is all the treasure both of the wisedome and knowledge of God As Psal 104. v. 24. In Wisedome hast thou made them all For in Christ were all things together one infinite wisedome till in the Creation he made them severall according to their distinct Idea's Therefore saith the Apostle He sustaineth every thing by His powerfull Word that is the Son and elsewhere In Him Christ wee live and move after the Creation and have our Being before the Creation And for this cause doth Iohn begin the law of mercie and grace in the very same words wherewith Moses began the law of Iustice and condemnation In the beginning For wee know nothing of God neither of Iustice nor of Mercie c. but onely by Christ as he saith No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Sonne will reveile Him And in another place No man cometh to the Father but by mee Now the Holy-Ghost is put in the second place because He is the mutuall love of the Father and the Sonne and as I may say the instrument of their actions both immanent and transient Goe forward now if you will to the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bara you see it affords the same argument for the Tri-Vnitie by the three letters before explained and the number which is the singular Thinke not this a fancie neither reproach the divine Cabala as the ignorant Sophisters use to doe not knowing how above all other knowledges it doth aduance a mans meditation on high And to the present purpose they which know any thing in the holy language know that this sentence can no way agree in Grammaticall construction unlesse the singular verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barà be thus made plural that it may have concordance with the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim And that these three persons are in the unity of their Being one may appeare by that which is Chap. 2. v. 4. where the name of their essence Iehovah is joyned to Elohim as if you would say the Gods Iehovah made the earth and the heavens You will aske why these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b.r.a. are twice put seeing in this precisenesse no such superfluitie should have needed I tell you that it is not done but to intimate unto us a most high mysterie For in the first place it imports that Eternall and Infinite Being of the Father the Son and the Holy-Ghost which they had before the worlds in their endlesse glory and felicity in that silence of the Deitie in that super-supreame Entity which is unto the Godhead perfect above perfection without any respect unto the creature It imports that Infinity that Eternity that Power that Wisedome which is above all things and gives unto it selfe to be such as it is that Nothing as the divine Areopagite seemes to speake which is before and aboue all things that may be spoken or thought without any respect of any emanation or effluence whatsoever And therefore followes that letter of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now in the second place it signifies the Deitie as exercised in the creature and therefore followes that Epithete Elohim which shewes that emanation of Power or Strength and is sometimes given unto the creatures Angels and men It were an endlesse thing to speake that of these mysteries which may be spokeÌ„ neither can I For the Law of the Lord is perfect and man is full of weaknes I have said so much as I thinke meete concerning the Tri-unitie Now a word to that point that Christ is God which although it appeare sufficiently in the Tri-unity before prooved by this anagogical doctrine yet to that second person in â—â—rticular is that which followeth Esay 7.14 it is said of Christ that His Name should be called Immanuel but in the history of the Gospel in Matthew and Luke both before His Conception and at His Circumcision He is called Iesus It is therefore meete that you know how Iesus is Immanuel or God with us The writing of the Name of IESVS is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ihsuh though according to the rules of the pronunciation of that tongue Iesu and according to the ancient abbreviation following the Hebrew orthography IHS In which Name you see are all the letters of the greatest ineffable Name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah with the interposition of that letter of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s. for then was God reconciled to the world then was everlasting righteousnesse brought in when the Word became flesh This is that glorious Name of which God spake by the Prophet Behold I will make my Name new in the earth For you see how of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is IESVS This is that Name which is meet for the Sonne of God alone and cannot be given to any creature because it is a Name of the Deitie as it is Heb. 1. It is that Name which is above all names in which the Angels and the righteous soules triumph at which the powers of Hell are agast and tremble to which the whole creature yieldeth meeke obedience This is that Name of which our Lord spake Father I have manifested thy Name unto men the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so long as the mystery of the Incarnation of God was hid so long that Name remained unsoundable but when the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst men so that the mysterie was reveiled then the Name which was before not to be pronounced was lawfully pronounceable That as the Word of life was to be seene with eyes and handled with hands so that glorious Name might
safety with sinne and to leave us in that corruption to be guided by him whom we chuse to serve having forsaken our true Lord and owner But because this corruption is from our birth and that we made not our selves such but that by the fault of Adam sinne and death reigne over all the summe of the question is knit up in that one sinne of our first father concerning whose fall wee are brought to this point If God so foresaw the fall of Adam that he will'd it it was impossible but that he should fall it he will'd it not it was impossible that he should To which doubt Thomas Aquinas in lib 1. Sen. Dist 46. q. 4. answeres wittily and modestly that although the proposition be true and necessary yet it is not necessary that the will should be carried to either side of the contradiction His reason as I thinke is because truth is not the object of the will but of the understanding onely and therefore he saith that God doth permit ill onely not because it is ill but because of the annexes or dependances thereon either precedent as because it is good that the creature should have the power whereby it may be enabled to doe ill or not to doe ill or consequent which is that good that is occasioned by the ill I reverence the judgement but yet Doctor the question is here concerning good and ill the proper object of the will and as the understanding cannot avoid it but must consent to a truth which it knowes so neither can the will in that which it takes to be good or ill but that it must chuse one and refuse the other For as the outward sences cannot refuse to be moved by their proper objects as the eare to heare a sound within a meet distance no more can the inward faculties of the minde Besides the question is here of the will of God an infinite will and convertible with an infinite understanding for in God there is not one being of his will and another being of his understanding as will appeare more large hereafter in the 8. and 9. Chap. Neither is the will of God as mans will which may sit still while his understanding workes but what he understands he wills it also to be or not to be as his promises are not yea and nay but in him all is yea and Amen Therefore to let passe those questions which are moved hereabout concerning the freedome of Adams will why God should forbid that to Adam wherein he saw that Adam would transgresse and so make his eating to be sinne for where no law is there is no fiune and such unnecessary questions I answer directly that it is utterly impossible but that God did foresee the fall of Adam the taint of all mankinde thereby all the sins and all the punishments wherunto any one particular person is lyable all the wandrings backslidings and wants which can be in the creature Neither will I blush to affirme with the Apostle Rom. 11.32 That God hath shut up all under sinne that hee might have mercy upon all But it followeth not hereupon that hee decreed our misery in Adam because he foresaw it yet such was his mercy that out of this great evill he wrought a greater good so that it may seeme by consequence we are rather gainers by Adams fall for though we lost by the sinne of Adam an inheritance of holinesse c. Yet that holinesse was like the morning dew that vanished at the heat of the first tentation it was a created holinesse it was in a low degree fit to his being in whom it was Is not the present inheritance of our holinesse more sure more excellent who are made partakers of his holinesse who is holinesse it selfe his knowledge was but of worldly things ours of eternall and though our naturall knowledge bee by Adams sinne corrupted or lost yet shall it at last be restored againe with endlesse advantage for the gift is not as the sinne Rom. 5.15 His life but a naturall life so that if Adam had not sinned he might have lived a naturall life till now and afterward free from ficknesse and want abounding in all the knowledge of nature and naturall blessings but that should have beene the end of his hope as farre as I can see though some there be that give us hopes of the same degrees of happinesse and glory which now we have although Adam bad not sinned Yet because they see that that could not be brought to passe except God should take our nature that thereby we might be lifted up to that estate of glory they thinke that Christ our Lord should have come in the place of Henoch the seventh from Adam and that therfore Henoch was taken away in stead of Christ See Pastellus de Nativitate Mediatoris pag. 116. But wee are bound both by reason and authoritie of holy Writ to know and confesse that the first Adam was of the earth earthly and such should our happinesse have beene if we had continued in our created innocencie the second Adam is the Lord from heaven heavenly into whose image being renewed we are made partakers of his superexcellent and heavenly glorie The meanes whereby we come to this state of glory is also our assurance that it shall be fully accomplished God dwells in our flesh O unspeakeable mysterie he hath taken upon himselfe our sinnes O unspeakeable love he calls them his owne sinnes Psal 40.12 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath healed us with his stripes and is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse holinesse redemption life with an over-abounding waight of glory Is not the exchange well made with this advantage who would not lose himselfe that he might winne Christ with all his demerits who would not forfeit the life and happinesse of Adam in his innocencie that he might gaine the life and glorie of Christ in his eternitie And thus much briefly for the advantage Is it nothing to see the infinitie of the wisdome and goodnesse of God which out of the greatest ill could bring the greatest good The greatest ill on Adams part was his sinne which from him spread it selfe over all mankind to make it liable to eternall death on the devils part his malice and murder yea such a murder as could not be in the world beside in one man to murder the whole world of men Is it nothing I say that out of this great ill God could bring the greatest good that is our assured and everlasting righteousnesse and glorie is it nothing that he hath caught the wylie in his owne craftinesse for whereas the devill envying that happy estate wherin man was created sought his overthrow by making him subject to sinne and so to death He our Creator to shew to the principalities and powers the riches of his wisdome and goodnesse in man did not onely redeeme him from that thraldome of sinne and death but also exalted him unto an estate of glorie and happinesse farre above
in denying of himselfe in all his ungodlie and sinnefull lusts that he may become a holy and a meet Temple for God to dwell in And so hee may assure himselfe that God will give him experience of himselfe as hee hath promised Ioh. 14.23 That hee will come and make his abode with him This is that wise merchant who for this pretious pearle sels all that hee hath to buy it This is hee that eates of the hidden Manna Ioh. 6.50.51 Rev. 2.17 that receives that white stone and a new name written which none knowes saving hee that receiveth it This is hee that in the face of Iesus Christ as in a mirrour beholds the glory of the Lord so that hee is changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. Notes a GOd is not matier Anaximenes said the aire was God that he was therfore unmeasureable but had a beginning was always in motion Diagoras of Apollonia for he of Melos was the Atheist consented unto him as concerning the matier The opinion of Cleanthes I told you before which one while held God to bee matier in this sensible world in the uppermost ayre and in the Statres Parmenides imagined a mighty wide circle which encompast the world like a Crowne or garland therefore called by him Stephane to be God Xenophon and with him Plato where hee speakes in iest saith the word was God which we call Mammon and yeelds there were more such but where he speakes in earnest as in his Epistles hee speakes of one God the Author of all things as we doe Aristotle could not tell how to gaine-say his master with his owne credit and so followed his judgement Heraclides of Pontus somewhiles said the Starres were Gods then heaven and earth So Theophrastus and sometime Zeno was for the Starres Chrisippus that was accounted most subtile amongst the schollers of Zeno was most wavering in his opinions sometime he thought the world was God sometime the uttermost or burning aire then water now earth after this ayre below and by and by the Sunne and the Moone and the Starres at last all together was but one God yet men canonized for their vertues must needs bee Gods apart and then much more the vertues for which they were immortall And thus they that would seeme wise while they cared to know more than the truth of God became idle in their imaginations and there foolish heart was full of darkenesse The parts which were before separate 2.1 b All parts are understood apart as things differing And therefore although divers formes are brought out of the power of the matier or propagate with the matier yet that affords no objection to weaken this argument But is destinate unto another totall 2.2 c If you looke on the question you shall finde it onely to be about such formes as these For it is not said that God is utterly no forme For forme is the most simple or pure being which wee can conceive but he is none of those formes which are allyed to matier The Angels are accounted formes but separate But I runne not with that opinion The Ideas are conceived to bee formes altogether separate not destinate unto matier much lesse is that most simple forme of formes the originall of all formes God is not the forme of any other Being 2.2 d The opinion of Democritus is contrary to this conclusion in that he makes mans soule to be God Straton thought that God was only a certaine divine power in Nature so said Chrisippus otherwhile and so Cleanthes where hee affirmed that God was the life of the world His opinion that reason was God was an errour against this conclusion also if by reason hee meant that reasonable soule the former of mans body Heraclides supposed God to change his shape at his pleasure Zeno said that reason in every thing was God or that he was that living law that gave life to everything Wavering Chrisippus sometime held the life of the world to be God somewhile he cal'd him destinie Therefore God is no compound 3.1 e Among the matiers reckoned up before note a. some you see are compounded and they belong properly to this place as earth water and our ayre below of which none are simple elements but mixt one with another for generation sake and fitted to the inhabitants that dwell therein of which none could live in elements that are pure being themselves compounded Therefore God is not a body 4.1 f The schoole of Epicurus taught that God was in shape like a man and that he was also bodily For they thought that if hee were without a body as Plato taught he could neither have sence nor wisdome and so could no way be partaker of any pleasure or happines But concerning the pleasure which God enjoyes Plato teaches Epist ad Dionys that it is not in outward or bodily things which hinder the happinesse of the minde The weaknes of Epicurus argument is shewed by Cotta a follower of Plato Cic. de Nat. D. l. 1 the opinion it selfe confuted by the arguments here brought especially against the Audean hereticks that were called Anthropomorphites whoupheld the opinion of the Epicurean Philosophers because the holy Scripture teaching men by their senses speakes of Gods powerfull right hand and treading down his enemies that hee was sorry in heart and specially where it is said Gen. 1. Let us make man in our owne likenesse They here understood the likenesse of the body not of the minde in holinesse and knowledge which we have lost must endeavour our selves to recover as we are exhorted Eph. 4.24 Put on the new man which is created according to God in righteousnesse and holinesse of the truth and againe Put on the new man which is renued in you unto knowledge according to the Image of Him that created him Therefore in God is no accident 5.1 Zeno g sometime affirmed that the yeare and the seasons thereof the spring the harvest the moneths also were God Chrisippus said the truth of things was God And if you account truth an accident you may referre his opinion hither You have now heard the difference of opinions among the Philosophers But how much wiser was Simonides that learned Poet who being demanded by Hiero king of Siracuse what God was He desired a day to thinke of his answer being the next day asked againe he desired two dayes And thus being often asked still doubled his time Being demaunded the reason he answered that the longer he thought thereon the more hard and darke the thing seemed unto him What thanks therefore can we give unto God who by his holy word hath so fully revealed himselfe unto us that the holy Angels themselues with wonder desire to pry into those mysteries which hee hath made manifest unto his Church by Christ 1 Pet. 1.12 1. Therefore his being is most simple 6.1 Against this conclusion a doubt or two may be raised 1. being without addition is
propagation and preservation of kinde in the like which it cannot uphold in it selfe by reason of corruption neither is the generation of natural things but with imperfection and their multiplication by decision of naturall things but with imperfection and their multiplication by decision of the seed into divers parts Neither doth any father communicate his whole being to that which is begotten by him neither can the species or common nature so farre forth as it is multiplicable even by one alone be saved whole and entire any one individuall But nothing of all this is in the most glorious spirituall and divine generation for that power of generation is not received but essentiall so that which is begotten is eternall and incorruptible The generation also is in the uttermost perfection because the whole infinite being is communicate thereby but that not for any abasement in the principle but because of the infinite perfection thereof Neither is matier for multiplication either possible or needfull here because all the fulnesse of Fatherhood Sonneship and procession are herein perfectly substantially infinitely and eternally because the procession is not such as tends to any thing without for so that which proceedeth should not bee coequall to the principle from whence it doth proceed But this procession is in the Divine being onely in every Person according to his peculiar subsistence answerable whereto no generation can be found in all the creatures 2. Another objection there is to the like purpose out of Heb. 1.3 where it is said of the second Person that hee susteineth all things by the Word of his power So that if hee being the Word of his Father have also a Word whereby he susteineth all things which therefore is another Word and not the things that are susteined thereby it may seeme that there is a multiplication of Persons and that the former objection is not fully answered I have said Log. Chap. 29. n. 5. That the appointment of all naturall causes to the bringing forth of their effects is the rule or law of Nature Now this law is that necessitie fate or destinie which is ordained by his eternall decree that made Nature and all things therein and blessed all the living creature with power to bring forth according to kinde as it appeares Gen. 1. And this is that Word of which S. Paul speakes No other divine Person but that Word whereby he melteth the yce and Snow Psal 147.18 that ordinance which the creature cannot passe Psal 148.6 Of which you may reade every where in the Holy text and especially in that admirable booke of naturall and Divine Philosophie the booke of Iob in comparison of which all Aristotles naturalls are not worth the while For seeing all naturall causes have their strength from him hath not hee bound nature within those limits beyond which hee gave it no further power to worke And within which hee is trulie said to worke by his word or by his power in the strength of which alone Nature her selfe doth worke Maker of Heaven and Earth CHAP. XIII That the World is not Eternall Section I. THe puritie or uttermost simplicitie of the Divine being is the fountaine from whence all the perfections which are therein doe flowe for neither can any thing be living powerfull wise continuall glorious c. except it bee neither can any thing be such infinitely if it have not an infinite being but an infinite of being cannot be but with the uttermost simplicitie of being For whatsoever is put to being takes away the simplicitie thereof and must needs be a limitation thereto and so take away the infinitie also The manifold perfections therefore in the Divine being are not additions of other beings to make composition therein or to take away the simplicitie thereof seeing they all signifie one and the same being but because the most simple being must needs bee the first of beings as being altogether in act or perfection and no way in possibilitie of being for then were it not a most simple being if it were both in act of being that which it is and in possibilitie of being that which it is not therefore must all other beings depend hereon nay bee herein because all things are virtually contained in their principles And this is that eternitie of the creature which it had in the infinite wisdome and power of God before it was Gen. 2.5 For seeing that in God is infinite perfection and that nothing can bee wanting to that which is perfect neither yet can any thing be perfect but in him therefore the first and highest being of all things must bee in his perfection But because absolute perfection must needs bee with the uttermost simplicitie without othernesse or change therefore must all things in God bee one and he though one alone yet virtually all things But because all things were in him eternally one that they might in time bee different in themselves for otherwise they could never at all either have beene or have beene different It is necessarie to grant that in that one absolute being which the creature had in God there must be first a possibilitie for it to be in it selfe for as things utterlie impossible can never be so can there bee no possibilitie of being but by him Secondly a possibilitie for the things being to be different among themselves and that not onely in their severall kindes but also in their particular existences and this for the manifestation of that manifold wisdome of the Maker And from hence thirdly succeeds that actuall being which things that are being have by that Holy pleasure or will by which they are and continue in their severall beings which Will must needs bee partaker both of the infinite power and infinite wisdome that it might effect that which was possible and foreseene And thus is there in the Unitie of the creature a Trinitie also in possibilitie in difference and actuall being that wee should never forget to adore the eternall Trinitie in the Unitie But the question of the worlds eternitie is onely about this last manner of actuall being for it is not denyed that it is eternall in respect of that being which it had in God as the cause or in it selfe as possible to bee because that while it was not being it had not any power to resist that Almightinesse which called it out of not being into being though to speake more properlie that eternity which it had in pure possibilitie was not in it selfe because it was not and seeing that which any thing hath of it selfe is first therein and more proper thereto than that which it hath of another therefore the world of it selfe having not being it could not possible bee eternall but onely in his eternall purpose which had appointed it unto this being The World therefore in God the principle is not begun but eternall and one but whatsoever is severed from this Principle can neither bee one nor yet eternall but comes
booke beside Neh. 9.6 confesses to God Thou art Lord alone thou hast made heaven and the heaven of heavens with all their hoste the earth and all things that are therein the Seas and all that are in them and thou preservest them all and the host of heaven worshippeth Thee Psal 95.5 The Sea is His and He made it and his hands prepared the dryland Psal 96.5 All the gods of the people are Idols But the Lord made the heavens whose armies in Psal 136. are more particularly reckoned up And therefore doth God by his owne right challenge the heavens for his seat and the earth for his footstoole because his hand hath made all these things Esay 66.1.2 To this purpose you may road other Texts cited by S. Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 5. The continuall preservation also of the Creature as it is manifest in reason by the arguments afore going So it is taught Psal 36.6.7 Psal 147.8.9 Psal 145.15 And Psal 104. is wholly in this Argument And that all this frame shall come to nought at last you may read Psal 102.25.26 which is also cited by S. Paul Heb. 1. v. 10.11.12 Read moreover to this purpose 2 Pet. 3.10 Reu. 20.11 And that because it was made of nought Heb. 11.3 Sap. 11.14 § 4. These things then being thus manifest we are now by the way 1. First to consider what necessary conclusions follow hereupon 2. And then to see whether the creation of the world doe belong to every Person of the Trinity alike or to any one more particularly than another First it is certaine that not being cannot be the beginning of Being And therefore it is necessarie that Being bee eternall And that which is the first of beings must needs be the cause of al therest So that all other beings must acknowledge their originall from thence And because all things that are were in time created by that first of Beings not according to any necessity of naturall working as the fire according to the necessitie thereof doth burne any matier that is fit to be burnt but only according to the pleasure of his owne will therefore first of all it must necessarily ensue hereof that the continuance of all things must have the same cause which was also of their Being So that for his holy wills sake alone they also continue If he then withdraw his supportance either from all or from any particular creature it must of necessity come to nought in an instant Secondly because every agent workes for some end and the greatest and best of work-masters must needs work for the greatest and chiefest good and seeing there neither is nor can be any thing greater or better than God himselfe Therefore it is necessary that this world was created for Him But because Hee infinitely blessed in Himselfe needed not the world nor any thing of the world as though he could be better thereby Psal 16.2 Act. 17.25 it must follow that the creature was for this end that as by his Being it was made partaker of being so by his infinite goodnesse it might also bee partaker of glory and happinesse For because his goodnesse and life and happinesse and all his glories are answerable to his owne being therefore are they infinitely sufficient for every thing that in any sort can possibly be partaker of being So then the goodnesse of God was not encreased in the creation but manifested onely that the creature according to the measure thereof might bee blessed in him Thus then is God the end of all the creature Because hee is that supersupreme perfection of goodnesse and happinesse whereof the whole creature desires to be partaker but that not out of any choice or purpose of the creature but of him alone that hath created it to be partaker of that image of his goodnesse From the first conclusion we are taught with what reverence and feare we ought to live before him to whose onely pleasure we owe our being and continuance Next with what great respect and care we ought to behave our selves toward the creature not onely men which have the same pretious hopes of immortality which wee have but likewise toward every other creature even the least of Beings For although we know that all the more bodily creature was made for the use of that which hath understanding and that not onely for the exercise of the minde in his wisdome and power that created it but for thankefullnesse also to that goodnesse which hath subjected it to our use in food in clothing and other such services for our ease or conveniences that being destitute of no good thing wee might give ourselves to his service and praise him alone And lastly that the whole creature might bee blessed in man in whom it is to possesse an eternall being yet when wee remember that there is nothing so meane or seeming so base in the Creature but that it was eternally foreseene to that infinite wisdome even as we that it was created by the same power appointed by the same foreknowledge to this or that very use with what reverence and feare should we carry ourselves lest we abuse it and so offer dishonour unto the Lord and owner both of it and us alike especially seeing that when we were not hee had determined so to blesse us From the second conclusion wee may learne with what patience wee ought to endure all the troubles and afflictions of this life because wee know those pretious promises whereto wee are created if we acknowledge Him faithfull and hold our hopes unto the end see Tit. 1.2 The question moved to which Person the Creation belongs is full of perplexity and of any other most hard and darke if it bee well thought on And therefore in the solution thereof it is most safe for us to hearken to the oracles of God alone It is commonly and truely said that the workes of the Holy Trinitie which are without are undivided yet so as that they receive a certaine determination or order from that manner of Being which is in the Persons And therefore because the Father is the fountaine of Being they commonly ascribe the creation or bringing of things into being unto Him So because all perfection of Sonship is in the second Person and that there can be no moe Sonnes than one therefore the redemption of mankinde by the in-dwelling of God in Man is given unto the Sonne and so the sanctifying of the church to the Holy Ghost But if wee looke diligently unto the text of the Holy Scripture we shall finde how necessary it was that the Mediator should satisfie for the sinne of the creature because the whole creature was made by Him For so wee may reade Ioh. 1.2.3 All things were made by that word which in the beginning was with God And without it was nothing made which was made And vers 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him And vers 14. And
that word was made flesh that is tooke on him the whole nature of man body and soule and dwelt among us and we saw on the holy mount Mat. 17.2 c. 2 Pet. 1.18 the glory thereof that is of that flesh or man as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of the Father And againe Col. 1.16 By him that is the Sonne were all things created which are in heaven and which are in earth things visible and invisible all things were created by him and for him and in him all things consist 1 Cor. 8.6 There is one God the Father of whom were all things and we by him Eph. 3.9 God hath created all things by Iesus Christ And Heb. 1. v. 1.2 God hath spoken unto us in these last dayes by his Sonne whom He hath made heire of all things by whom also he made the worlds By all which texts it is cleere which S. Paul hath Rom. 11.36 of him through him and for Him are all things That is that God the deliverer which should come out of Sion vers 26. And thus have these Apostles explained that which is written Gen. 1.1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth which word in the whole body of the old Testament as wisemen have observed is almost never spoken but of the Person of the Mediator onely I suppose then that it is plaine enough which is spoken by our Lord Iohn 5. v. 19. The Sonne can doe nothing of Himselfe save what he seeth the Father doe for whatsoever things He doth the same things doth the Sonne in like manner That is whatsoever the eternall Godhead ordeined in his everlasting Counsell and decree to bee done that same doth the Sonne execute and performe in the creature answerably and brings forth every thing in time according to the possibilities and opportunities of the creature For as the wiseman saith Ecclus. 18.1 He that liveth for ever made all things together or at once So the Psalmist as also the other Scriptures tels us by whom and in whom Psal 104.24 In wisdome hast thou made them all that is in our Creator and Saviour So then it being cleered by the text of the holy Scripture that the creation of the world was of God the Father in Christ by Christ and for Christ it will easily follow how necessary it was that He our creator by His eternall Spirit should offer himselfe to God for the sin of his creature as it will further appeare when I come to that article Notes a EVery tenne thousand yeares You may reade the position in Aug. de Haer. cap. 43. and the refutation thereof in his 20.21.22 bookes de civit Dei But the Cabalists for the renewing of this lower world put seven thousand yeares and no more for the restoring of the whole creature both heavenly and earthly they put fifty thousand yeares You may read the opinion and partly see their reasons in Leo Hebr. de Amore. pag. 500. c. b The world is not eternall The most famoused opinions that have beene concerning the worlds eternity are these One that which the Christian faith doth hold according to the truth of the holy oracles of God and the voice of Reason as you have heard and to this truth the Stoicks are said to haue consented The second opinion is that of Plato and his followers who held that the world had a beginning in time but of an eternall matier and that the continuance thereof should bee eternall For seeing generation and corruption is onely by the change of formes the matier still remaining one therefore they thought that as that forme which is purely without matier was incorruptible and eternall So likewise must matier bee which of it owne nature is utterly without forme And because matier is greedy of all formes how differing or contrary soever Therefore it is ever subject to change Neither is the heaven it selfe utterly freed from all power of Change because of that matier whereof it is in which the power of Change is ever hidde Therefore the world is not eternall in respect of any power in it selfe either to the production of formes or the continuance of it selfe under the same formes but first in respect of the vnformed matier and most of all in respect of that Spirit or life whereby it is guided and ordered as by the internall causes and in respect of the divine will and goodnesse as the outward principle and the end which will as it cannot repent to have done good in giving being unto the world and the things therein contained so can it not will contrary to it selfe and cease to doe good in the continuance of the creature in that being which it hath You may reade more to his purpose in Plot. Ennead 2. lib. 1. and his commentator Marsilius Ficinus The third opinion is that of Aristotle that the world was eternall and from God as an eternall effect of an eternall cause For because it seemed to him impossible and if you looke no higher than nature alone it is indeed impossible that any thing being can come out of nothing therefore matier must needs be eternall and therewith generation and corruption without which nothing is brought forth And because these two could not be thought to be without the moving of the heavens as the cause thereof therefore both the heavenly bodies and motion especially circular must be also eternall and herewith time which is measured by the motion of the heavens But what this eternall matier should bee the Philosophers went into divers opinions Heraclitus thought it to be fire Archelaus ayre Empedocles all the elements and among the rest one one thing and another another as you may reade in Aristotle where hee refutes them in Tull. Acad. q. lib. 4. and especially in Plutarch de placitis Philosophorum and from him in many other Aristotle himselfe from Hesiod and they that had beene before him cals it Chaos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In theogonia First was the Chaos then the earth which word if they borrowed not of Moses his Tohu which signifies empty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sometimes meanes to bring to nought nor of that which seemes to come from thence Chohus whereby as Festus saith the old Latines called the world yet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they meant by it confusion and no way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a countrie or an appointed place Sometime this matier is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mud For so the conclusion of earth and water is best understood and fittest for generation of earthly things as Ovid delivers the opinon and cleeres it by comparison of the overflowing Nilus Metam lib. 1. All other Creatures tooke their different birth And figures from the voluntary Earth When her cold moisture with the Sunne did sweat And Slimy Marishes grew big with heat So when seven-mouthed Nyle forsakes the plaine Anantient channel doth his streames containe And late
left slime the heavenly warmth doth feele Men sundry shapes beneath the sod reveile Some new begun and some to halfe doe grow That halfe alive the rest but earth below But Moses Gen. 1. delivers it unto us in the parts active and passive heaven and earth which yet before their division were both of water as it is manifest in that place and 2. Pet. 3.5 According hereunto Homer Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after him Thales affirmes the first matier of all things to be water But the opinions of the lesse reckoning are those that are found amongst the heretickes of the Christians For all the Philosophers and Poets of the heathen which held not the eternity of the world acknowledged God the authour of the world under one name or other but Simon Magus and with him Menander said that the Angels were the makers of the world Saturnius gives the honour unto seven Angels alone whom he makes the Creators of the world without the consent or knowledge of God Carpocrates and the Priscillianists affirmed that the world was made by certaine inferiour Angels among whom the devill was chiefe workemaster Valentinus gave it out that a devil which was begotten of the thirtieth Aion begot other devils and these Sonnes of Aveugles made the world and mischiefe and sinne are in the world not through the wickednesse and free will of man but even by the very creation of the world it selfe The Nicholaitanes tel us of Angels the makers of the world and that Barbelo who was ruler of the eight Sphere was overseer of the works His mothers name was Yaldaboth But I have not read so farre in heraldry as to tell you who was his Dad nor of what house his mother came nor yet whether his follow workemen were good or bad Angels The Gnosticks of the two Gods which they make as you have heard before make the ill God the creator of the world which though it appeare not either by Irenaeus Clement Tertullian Epiphanius or by S. Augustine yet it is plaine by Plotinus Aenead 2. lib. 9. who writes against their opinions and this in particular Marcion made three creators one good another bad and another betweene them whom they called Iust So you see how all these hereticks had madded themselves and their followers in their opinions concerning the Creator of all things Others erred concerning some parts of the creature onely as the Seleucians and Hermians or Hermogenians beside their errour of the worlds matier coeternall with God denyed that God created the soules of men but would have them created by the Angels of fyer and Spirit contrary to that which is In Gen. 2.7 Esay 57.16 1 Pet. 4.9 That God is the faithfull Creator of the soule The Priscillianists said that the soules of men were of the same substance and nature with God and being by him sent downe from heaven the devill met with them by the way and sowed them as seed in the flesh whereupon it must follow either that the being of God is divisible into infinite partes or that there is but one onely soule of all men and both wayes unavoydably that God at least in part of Himselfe must be subject to Sinne and so that either He must need a Saviour or by His owne law bee subject to eternall death This is the fruite of heresie The Patricians denyed God to be the Creator of the body of man and gave that honour to the devill contrary to that which is in Gen. 2. v. 7. and v. 21.22 yea and so detested the flesh as that to be out of the body some of them killed themselves The Paternians said that the lower parts of the body it seemes onely those that are affixed thereto for generations sake that flesh which the law so often commands to be washed were made by the devil and thereupon tooke occasion to live in filthinesse and Iust contrary to the Commandement of God The Marcionites and Manichees said that wickednesse and ill was partly from God and partly from the matier of the world Florinus and his followers said that things were created ill according to their substances contrary to the Scripture Gen. 1.31 But contrarily the Coluthians would not have God the Author of ill no not that of punishment which neverthelesse the Scripture teaches Esay 45.7 and 54.16 Amos. 3.6 Some also of the heretickes followed the opinions of the ancient Philosophers as they that were called Aquei that of Thales and said that water was the matier of the would but yet eternall and not created The Audian and Manichean hereticks instead of Aristotles eternals brought in darkenesse fire and water you might bring hither their foolish thoughts concerning the transplantation of soules and such like questions but there will bee fitter place thereto in the article of everlasting life And because these upstart weenings are so witlesse as they are false I will not vouchsafe to inquire into their reasons the onely authority of the holy Scripture is sufficient to grinde them all to dust and to bring that dust to nought at all But least any man contrary to the truth of God be overswayed with the reasons of the Philosophers it will not be unfit to examine and answer them 1. And first concerning the reasons of the Platonicks that the matier of the world should therefore be eternall because it is simple and uncompounded I answer That it is but petitio principii or a taking of that which is not granted for it is utterlie denied that there was ever such matier as they suppose utterly informed I say according to the Sacred Philosophie that when water the first matier of all things was created darknesse or confusion was upon the face of the deepe but yet with that water under that confusion was concreated all manner of formes which afterward were all brought forth out of the possibilitie of the matier so that matier was impregnate or great with all kinde of formes which afterward were made to appeare for otherwise could not the effect bee answerable to the cause if hee being in himselfe the Jdeas or formes of all beings had not brought forth the first matier full fraught with all materiall formes by which afterwards according to the disposition of their naturall causes the different kindes of things were informed And therefore here also are all things said by him to have beene made at once And although in the workes of the fifth day the whales with other things which had a life with the power of moving are said to bee created yet is that spoken onely in regard of that more manifest life than the vegetable had in the workes of the third day but that life neverthelesse was brought out of the power of the matier by more powerfull causes his blessing comming thereto even as it was afterward upon them to bring forth after their kinde Onely in the sixth day because it was not in the power of all nature to bring forth a
of the infinitie of the power goodnesse and will of God would build up the infinite of the world at lest concerning the extension or space thereof And although the answers heretofore made to the arguments above may seeme to answer his reasons sufficiently yet I suppose you may better understand whatsoever is to bee said hereto if you have well perused that which is said in the second and eighth Chapter In the meane time you may doe well to remember who measured the water in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with his span Esay 40.12 And if all these things were made in number weight and measure Sap. 11.17 It may well follow that the world cannot be infinite in any of these 7. But the infinitie or uncertaintie of number hath most doubt because it is said Heb. 1.2 11.3 That God hath appointed Christ to bee heire of all things because that by him he made the Worlds But the word World answers to two words in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first signifies oftentimes the frame of the whole creature as in Matth. 25.34 but not alwayes for sometimes it signifies the world of the wicked onely as Iohn 14.17 sometimes of the elect onely as Iohn 3.17 sometime an age or time of the world and the people of that age as S. Peter 2. Epist 2.5 saith that God spared not the old world and againe 2. Pet. 3.6 The world that then was perished by waters to which meaning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in that text of Heb. 1.2 doth most directly answer So that the ages there spoken of may well receive interpretation by the dayes of the creation by which God foretold what should afterward come to passe as it is said Esay 46.10 and elsewhere * See Brocard◠Mystica in Gen. So then the first day of nature when darkenesse was upon the deepe signified that time when the wickednesse of man was great on the earth and the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually And although they had the light of reason in them yet because they did not walke according to that light therefore God brought the floud upon the world of the ungodly The second day wherein was the division of the waters by the firmament of heaven meant that time when God separated his Church from the people of the world and parted them by the firmament of his Covenants first of circumcision given to Abraham afterward of the ceremoniall Law by Moses which worke of the second day is therefore not praised as good because the Law workes wrath Rom. 4.15 And because these ceremonies were not able to give life to the doers of the same for Moses might not bring Israel into the land of promise Deut. 34.4 Esay 66.3 Gal. 2.16 19. 30.10 The third day signifies the third age or state of the Church when the earth that is these worldly rites by the lively interpretation of the Prophets who unfolded their meaning and taught the people of their times to have hope in him that was to come brought forth the herbe and fruit tree yeelding seed unto everlasting life The fourth age of the Church was that time wherein the Sun or righteousnesse did shine and brought in that new light that true light which lightens every man that come into the world of his Church that Sun which gave shine unto the Moone the Apostolike Church and to the Stars those Doctors whose knowledge zeale and constancie gave light in that darke night of persecutions and heresie which did ensue And these and such other are the ages even untill the great Iubile of which the Apostle speakes in that place Heb. 1.2 which is brought for the proofe of many worlds So this Democritan fancie may vanish 8. Concerning the infinitie of multitude in the different species or kindes of things the Cabalists have an opinion that although they rise to an excessive number yet they must needs be definite and that according to the difference of words in all the possible change and joyning of the letters for if either the things were not different according to the signification of words or that the words had not their meaning according to the difference of things that wisdome who both made the things and gave words to expresse their differences should seeme disproportionable and wanting on one side or on the other neither could that word be verefied Gen. 2.19 which saith And whatsoever Adam called every living creature so was the name thereof The opinion is delivered in the booke which they call Iezirah the author of the tradition they make Abraham the Patriarch the description of Iuda an ancient Rabbine the collection of the number is of Fr. Georgius in his 244 Probl. tit 67. and this * You may see also the comment of Postellus on that booke and Archangels apologie of the Cabala pag. 548 c. is the number 1124002590827719680000. that is one thousand one hundred twentie foure millions of great millions two thousand five hundred and ninetie great millions eight hundred twenty seven thousand seven hundred and nineteene millions fixe hundred and fourescore thousand But although the possible combination of letters be so different as they make it yet the reason holds not for the actions and passions as well as the proprieties of things must be expressible with all the differences of times past present and to come and that either alone or with others Besides wordes expresse the defects of things the vices also and imaginations of the minde which are neither created beings nor alwayes true Moreover although Adam had power over all words yet it appeares not that hee had knowledge also of the nature and differences of the heavenly and spirituall creatures so that the words may perhaps fall short of the number of different beings But because they will not be out bidden they six this number to the combination of consonants it seemes for the different species to which if you adde the different vowels above or below as the manner of that writing is you shall have a number so great as may equall all the individuals of all the specialls that ever have beene or shall bee hereafter which by Patricius must needs be infinite for thus he reasons Panarch lib. 19. from three infinities essentiall potentiall and actuall a fourth infinite must needs proceed at least of number for otherwise the effect should not bee answerable to the cause The infinite essence hee supposes the Father the infinite power the Sonne and the infinite worker the Holy Ghost And by these three are three Trinities brought out of spirituall creatures or Angels as he by Psellus understands the Chaldaean wisdome whether well or ill it skils not much For we are taught Ioh. 1.3 That By the word all things were made and without him was nothing made that was made But to his reason Can an infinite Being bring forth an effect without
than ill seeing ill neither is but in that which is good nor workes but in the power thereof Therfore if man by one ill deed were able to destroy himselfe much more by many good deeds shall he be able to make satisfaction Answer Ill is in every want or failing of that which is good but Good holds all perfections whether in being or in working Therefore man might easily corrupt himselfe but being corrupted hee cannot possibly repaire himselfe nor yet doe any thing that is good or acceptable Math. 7.18 12.33 3. But the satisfaction being now made are wee not restored unto as good an estate by the suffering of Christ as that which Adam lost so that if Adam for his obedience sake might have lived a naturall life eternally wee also for our workes sake may bee accounted worthy of everlasting blisse For if wee be restored by Christ and for his sake accepted our workes likewise are for his sake both accepted and rewarded according to their merit Answer I say that our estate is farre better than Adams in this that his hope of everlasting life being set in his owne obedience did instantly faile but ours standing in the obedience of Christ who is made to us righteousnesse sanctification redemption and life can never faile For therefore because that pretious treasure of eternall life was so carelesly kept by Adam God who loved the salvation of mankinde better then man himselfe would in no wise commit the keeping of that jewell to man any more Therefore though sinne have no power to condemne them that are in Christ yet is it still suffered to dwell in us that wee should not trust in our selves but in the living God For as the Father saith Multum nobis in hac carne tribueremus nisi usque ad ejus depositionem sub veniâ viveremus Aug. de Civ lib. 10. cap. 22. And although Adam by the grace and favour of his Creator might have continued in the estate in which hee was created if hee had stood in his innocency yet could hee not even then have beene said to merit everlasting life For merit or hire comes ever for that which is above duty which cannot bee in the creature towards the Creator As to a hired servant the wages merit or hire comes for his worke because it was in his power whether hee would labour for that master or no being not bound unto him but for his hire but in a bondman the possession of his Lord all his service and labour is his Lords to require and imploy it as it pleaseth him Luke 17.8.9 and this is the condition of the whole creature to the Lord and Creator of all And if Adam in his innocency could not merit much lesse can sinnefull man merit any thing but affliction and death by his sinne and service to the devill to whom hee is no way bound but by his sinne And this difference the Apostle maketh Rom. 6.23 the wages of sinne is death but the free gift of God is eternall life 4. But are wee not commanded to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 and is not the sentence of everlasting life pronounced for the workes of charity which were foreseene in us and for which the kingdome of heaven was prepared for us from the beginning of the world Math. 25. vers 34.35.36 Answer What merit can any man claime for that which another hath principally wrought in him And if God worketh in us to will and to doe Phil. 2.13 what is our worke but that wee should with joy runne after Him that drawes vs Cant. 1.4 Therefore although good workes are ordained of God that wee should walke in them and that wee are created thereunto Eph. 2.10 and that God who chose us in Christ to bee heires of glory ordained all the meanes thereto and workes in us to bee ready to every good worke and thereby makes our calling and election sure unto us yet is not that worke solely and intirely ours but chiefely of the grace and spirit of Christ that dwels in us and crownes His owne good workes in us with everlasting life 1 Cor. 15.10 So then our workes must vanish that every mouth may bee stopped and the whole world may bee guilty before God Rom. 3.19 So that every man notwithstanding his owne workes even the chiefest among the Saints may with Iob abhorre himselfe and repent in sackcloth and and ashes Iob. 42.6 5. The naturall desires common to all men cannot bee in vaine because they come not unto them out of any particular choyse or present necessity but by influence or direction of that common nature which is in all men which though it cannot effect it yet hath it shewed what is to bee wrought for the uttermost good of every particular by the Lord of Nature But every man by the inclination of his owne will doth desire the uttermost perfection and happpinesse of his owne being which hee acknowledges to bee in being united to that which is the greatest good and the enjoying thereof in eternall life Therefore every man by the guidance of nature it selfe doth returne unto God as the Author and Finisher of his happinesse Answer No agent can worke of it selfe above the proper strength and power of it selfe And eternall life is a thing beyond the limits of naturall knowledge and desire which mindes onely the well-being and continuance of the whole man according to the present estate of this naturall life alone But because Hee that wils not the death of a sinner Ezech. 33.11 would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 therefore are all men so farre instructed or at least if they doe not willfully winke may bee so farre instructed either by the voyce of the creature or by certaine inbred notions or by tradition or by an influence of grace denyed to none that they may know the eternall power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 and the immortality of the soule in a better estate then this life can afford as hath beene said before in Pref. And this is that universall grace which wee may yeeld to bee vouchsafed to all not onely without the visible Church but much more within the Church where by the cleare light of the Holy Scripture all may and ought to know particularly whatsoever is meet for their soules health And this universall grace I say further wee ought to yeeld unto because without it neither the pagans and infidels nor yet the false Christians can bee without excuse But that every one that knowes doth of himselfe according to this knowledge frame his will constantly and effectually to desire whatsoever belongs to eternall life Pelagius will never bee able to demonstrate For he that wils any thing constantly and effectually wils also those meanes constantly and effectually without which that thing cannot bee come unto And because without holinesse no man can see the Lord Heb. 12.14 in whose presence onely is the fullnesse
be except you will say that hee created himselfe and so was when He was nor or that hee had his creation from some other originall than God which must likewise bee infinite in being able to create so excellent a being and yet finite that hee might move or not move himselfe thereto when he would But first this progresse would be infinite and beside that impossible For if neither God could move because Hee is infinite nor much lesse the creature when it was not how was it possible that any thing at all should be created Secondly Moreover it would follow hereupon that that were possible to the second cause which was not possible to the first but it is manifest that all second causes worke onely by the activity of the first so that if the first cause cease to worke much more the second Thirdly beside this the power of God should not be infinite if it could not worke according to his pleasure in things without But you say as Himselfe so His action is infinite and it is impossible that a finite being should be the subject of an infinite action I say though Sampson were able to breake a Cable yet might he straine one haire of Dalilah to straightnes not to lengthen it to lengthen it not to breake it This is true say you because he was as every creature partaker of being and not being of act or perfection and of possibilities or imperfection whereby he might move or not move at his pleasure But God is not so but alwaies actually whatsoever Hee may be But say I it is one thing to speake of the infinite action of God in himselfe and another of his action in the creature limited according to his Wisdome and His Will in respect of the outward object as I have shewed at large in answer to the objections for the worlds eternity chap. 13. note b ob 2.3.4 Neither is the will of God without an infinite Wisedome to dispose of all things in their times nor yet without an infinite power to cause every thing to bee actually according to His Wisdome and His will and the application of his will wisdome and power is sufficient to move all inferiour causes to give all manner of beeing to the Creature 2. But seeing the matier and forme of all things are after a sort contrary and that the bodily composition likewise of things below is of elements contrary in their qualities it is impossible that these repugnances should be brought together into one nat Med. pag. 21. Answ The Philosophers tell us of a certaine quintessence in which the different qualities of all the elements are brought to agreement and give us reason to beleeve it by which quintessence dwelling in every thing the contrarieties of the elements are accorded in every compound Raim Lulli and Ioh. de Ruposc de 5. essentia lib. 1. cap. 2. But seeing they keepe the experiment with themselves neither their reason nor their authority shall bee of any force with us But this is without all doubt that hee that had power to create all things had likewise power out of that created masse fruitfull with the seed of all things to bring out every thing in due time according to the kindes that were by him foreseene and determined And because wee have hitherto maintayned that God alone by his eternall wisdome Our Lord Iesus Christ was the Creator it must follow of necessity that the creature was also ordered and guided by Him For that infinite power which could doe the more and cause that to bee which was not might also doe the lesse and order it at his will So that for this objection wee are not compelled to acknowledge any such created being the Creator and disposer of all the rest And concerning that supposed repugnancy betweene the matier and forme of every thing it is but the begging of the question for all formes are produced out of possibilities of their matier excepting onely the soule of man and the divine endowments thereof as I shewed at large chap. 17. § 4. n. 2. 3. The third argument of Postellus pag. 28. as not much unlike the former drawne from the perpetuall change of things subject to generation and corruption For nature brings out nothing violently or in an instant therefore as the things that are began by little and little to bee by the power of the Spirit of God which moved upon the waters so by the power of the same Spirit are they still preserved in their order of being and by it they are changed from state to state And this spirit of God is that first created being that Mediator betweene God and the creature the spirit of the Vniverse actually moveable and applying it selfe to every thing and working in every thing by the power of the Trinity which dwelleth in Him For nothing which proceedes from the power of the matier is able to move it selfe no more than the matier was no not the soule of man but onely by His strength and activity by whose power it is Answer Concerning the progresse of things naturall from the evening of their beginning to the morning of their perfection I have spoken before But for answer to this I say that it is not necessary to put any such spirit of the universe such an applyable divinity as the Platonicks call Animam Mundi because things are changed from one state of being to another seeing the Holy Scripture tels us Psal 148.5 that all the armies of the creature were made because God commanded And for their changes in corruption and generation it is plaine it must be according to that degree which they cannot passe vers 6. which is the law of nature And moreover concerning the providence of God on every particular thing our Lord hath taught us Math. 10.29 that not a Sparrow fals to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father except Postellus will here except that that heavenly Father must signifie that first begotten of the creature which he doth meane Which interpretation would directly crosse that text Act. 15.18 That all the workes of God were knowne to Him from everlasting And nothing can bee in the second cause which was not in the first Therefore seeing the infinite power of God is that by which every thing is powerfull to worke unto that end whereto it was destinate we must needs confesse that Hee by His power workes what He will both in Heaven and in earth and yet because all the orders of causes are appointed by him wee may safely say as our Lord hath taught us Mark 4.28 That the earth of her owne accord bringeth forth fruit and as the Prophet Hos 1.21.22 I will heare the heavens and the heavens shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the corne and the wine shall heare Israel Which order of causes being put we shall not need to apply the immediate power of that applyable divinity of the
Mediator to every effect as Postellus holds it necessary For the whole creature by the power of that blessing which it received at the creation is able to worke according to the end appointed And if it were necessary to put any common agent in the Creature by which every inferiour Agent were to bee moved which wee cannot doe except we hold that Gods decree the law of nature is too weake or may be broken yet I thinke that the dominion of the heavens set in the earth Iob. 38.33 or that same anima mundi here below mentioned may better stand with the Scripture than the perpetuall imployment of this supposed mediator That I say nothing of those particular intelligences which some Philosophers Postel himselfe pag. 63. have appropriated to every thing beside the specificall vertue of the seed Neither is it cleare that this spirit which moved upon the waters Gen. 1.2 was any such being as Postellus supposes a created divinity or the mediator betweene God and his creature but rather that vigor life or heat concreated with the Chaos that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nephesh anima mundi or spirit whereby every thing is enlivened or made able to worke to the destinate end which ever dwels in the watry part of the compound as the soule in the bloud or if this interpretation be not admitted yet that of Saint Ambrose may stand Hexam lib. 2. that Moses in these words In the beginning God created heaven and earth having made mention of the Father and the Sonne doth rightly adde that clause And the spirit of God moved upon the waters that he might shew that the creation of the world was the worke of the whole Trinity yet may you not hereby suppose that that Spirit of God which fils the whole world sap 1. was carried upon the waters by any locall position but rather as an artificer whose will and understanding is busied in his worke so the holy Spirit disposed the whole creature to naturall action according to his will and power Rab. Maur. Enar. in Gen. If you love to conferre opinions you may read Ioh. Pici Heptaplum D. Willet and other expositors 4. To these reasons of Postellus you may adde a fourth every action is limited by the object so the eternall and infinite action of God the Father understanding himselfe doth thereby produce the eternal Sonne as hath beene further said chap. 11. But because the Father doth also view all the possibilities of being in the creature and that the creature must needes stand in cleare distinction from the Creator therefore as the eternall Sonne is the image of the Father so that idea or image of the creature must needes bee a different being from that image of the Father which wee call the eternall Sonne and so of necessity must come into the reckoning of the creature For the true image of every thing must be like to that whose image it is Answer If the image of the things created were represented to the divine understanding from any thing which is without himselfe the reason were of force But seeing that God knowes all things only in and by his owne being by which being of his only as the cause of all things all things have their possibilitie of being so that his being is the foundation of all beings it followes that the representation of the divine being which wee call the Sonne is also the similitude or representation of all those possibilities of being which are in him so that the creature is in God the Father as the first cause of all equivalently sith his being is equivalent to all being and the possibilities thereof In the Sonne the idea of all being it is as represented or characterized eminently or visibly to the divine understanding and by Him all naturall causes and possibilities are ordered to the bringing of all things into their actuall being And therefore as Christ our Lord Heb. 1.3 is called the expresse image of the Person of the Father so likewise Col. 1.15 is hee the first begotten of every creature For seeing the understanding of God is not by discourse nor habituall as gotten by experience but that it is His owne very being unto the perfection whereof all the termes of Action must of necessity concurre that is both of Him that understands and of the obiect understood and of the action of understanding as was shewed chapter 11. Rea. 8. it is not possible but that seeing they are all infinite they must also bee coessentiall and one and if one then the action of understanding whereby God vieweth himselfe must also bee that whereby hee vieweth the creature for otherwise it were not infinite if it comprehended not all beings at once So then in this action of Gods understanding there cannot bee a prioritie of an infinite being understood that is God the Sonne and a posterioritie of a finite that is the creature By this meanes you say I make the Creature to be coessentiall with God in which inconvenience the strength of the former objection doth stand Answ If you meane the Creature according to the actuall being I put it naturally in the precedent causes and possibilities of nature but as concerning the first and prime cause it is so farre from any inconvenience that it is most necessarie that God and the first cause of all being beside Himselfe be termes convertible essentially And thus the Creature is in God as in the cause But seeing nothing can be in another but according to the manner of that being wherein it is and seeing the being of God is his most Pure understanding the Creature is no otherwise in him but as understood or foreseene and willed eternally And if you will stay to see you may in the Persons of the holy Trinity view a wonderfull presentation of the perfections of the Creature The Father is the foundation that sustaines all The Sonne or Mediator that power or efficacie which perfecteth all The Holy Ghost that infinite activity in the strength of which every thing doth worke The number three supposes two and because neither to worke outwardly nor to will within can bee where there is not a power thereto therefore our Lord saith Iohn 15.5 Without mee yee can doe nothing And secondly supposes first so that power cannot bee without a being wherein it dwels And thus you see the Father the foundation of all being is more inward to every thing than the matier thereof the Sonne more essentiall than the forme and the holy Ghost more proper than any working for of his activitie it is that we will or doe Philip. 2.13 and thus is that Scripture verefied which is in Acts 17. In him first we are secondly live thirdly move 5. A fifth reason of Postellus which I set over of purpose is pag. 74. and this it is Seeing that God in his infinitie is utterly incomprehensible of the creature if such a created Mediator were not in whom the infinite Majestie dwelling might
He had not died a most shamefull death Therefore it was expedient that He should so die 8. Full and perfect obedience is due from man-kind unto the Creator and especially from that Man of men their Prince and Captaine who ought to be an example unto them of all those vertues whereby they ought to glorifie His Father Therefore that faithfull men might willingly die for the love and service of God it was necessary that our Lord should give the example See 1. Peter 2.21 4. and Buried 1. IT is said that death is the uttermost or last of evills And that wee might by all arguments bee assured of His death by whose suffering of death wee are ransomed from the power of death it was necessary that after His death our Lord should bee buried Seeing that by His buriall we are assured not only that He was truely dead but also that during the time of His buriall He was held under the power of death 2. The greatest triumph cannot bee ascribed but to the greatest victory manifest and knowne The greatest victory is over the greatest enemy Death and him that had the power of death the Devill And that Christ might be acknowledged to have risen againe and so to have triumphed over death it was necessary that after His death He should be buried Seeing many persons in Apoplexies Plagues Singer in his drunkennesse so after hanging drowning falls and other both inward sicknesses and outward violences have been supposed to have beene dead which yet have returned to life againe But after buriall for so long time no man ever returned to life but by a power that was divine Therefore that our Lord might truely be acknowledged to have risen from the dead and so to have triumphed over Death it was necessary first that Hee should be buried 3. That blessed Spirit which knew from the beginning what should come to passe at the last who fore-saw the malice of the Priests and Scribes and knew their hardnesse of heart to beleeve all that was spoken by the Prophets that the resurrection of Christ might be most manifest before-hand decreed and spake Esay 53.9 That Hee should make His grave with the rich in His death Therefore was He not onely buried in fine linnen and perfumes of Ioseph our Apostle and Nicodemus but also by the plot of the High-Priests was He made sure in His grave the great stone which shut it up being firmely fastened in the Rocke See Lamentations 3. verse 9.53 into which the Grave was hewed with c cramps of Iron sodered into Both and surely guarded with a strong watch that both His Death His Buriall and His Resurrection might bee witnessed even by His very enemies Matth. 28.11 Notes a 1. HEe was pleased to be borne man The errours of Simon Valentin and Apelles which you had before Note a on the 26. Chapter though directly they oppose the truth of the former article yet have I refer'd the refutation of them to this place because they also take away the merit of Christs passion from us wherein alone our hope consists But seeing that Simon in his Heresie sided with the Iewes against whom I haue disputed in the 24. Chapter and besides them had not many followers though after him it were recalled from hell by one Proclus an obscure fellow Aug. heres cap. 60. Seeing no reasons are or can be brought either by Simon or by the Iewes to prooue the assertion the onely authority of S. Iohn is able utterly to strangle this whelpe See then Chap. 1.4 The Word was made flesh And 1. Ep. Chap. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard and seene and lookedon and our hands have handled c. And againe Chap. 4. Every spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 2. The doctrine of Valentin is refuted at large by Irenaus lib. 3. cap. 11. 32. And that by the manifest authority of S. Paul Gal. 4.4 where it is said That Christ was made of a woman So also by Tertullian in his Booke De carne Christi The Evangelists Matthew and Luke describe His humane generation Besides His manly Passions approove Him to have had the true holy of a man as to be Hungry Thirsty Weary to Sweat to Weepe c. Moreover if He had not suffered in the true and very Body of man His suffering for us had been of none effect for the ransome of our bodies Their Arguments you may see more at large in the Bookes cited But Epiphanius Haer. 1. layes not this Heresie to the charge of Valentin as the Authors forenamed And S. Aug. haer oap 12. but rather puts it to Marcion Haer. 42. who taught that the Incarnation of Christ was not in deed but onely in shew whom he refutes only by those Scriptures which Marcion allowed of as the Gospel of S. Luke which Marcion received except that which concernes the Genealogie of Christ and certaine Epistles of Saint Paul For all the Olde Testament and the rest of the New lie rejected But in these Scriptures Christ calleth Himselfe the Sonne of man Hee was thronged by the multitude He lift up His eyes He prayed on His knees His feet were anointed He slept on the sea He is made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 So that if David had a true manly body then also the body of Christ was a true manly body He gave up the ghost His lifelesse body was taken from the Crosse wrapped in Linnen and Buried After His Resurrection also He said Handle me and see mee for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have Luke 24.39 And these Texts out of those Scriptures only are sufficient to reproove the falshood of these Hereticks And for full satisfaction heerein you may take the interpretation of Tho. Aqu. cont gent. l. 4. c. 30. to those Texts of Scripture whence Valentin might seeme to have taken occasion or his Heresie First it is said Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but Hee that came downe from heaven the Sonne of man which is in heaven Answer This comming downe from heaven cannot bee meant of His body or of His soule because of that which followes The Sonne of man which is in heaven for it is proper onely to the Godhead to fill both heaven and earth Ier. 23.24 Therefore as God is said to have come downe from heaven not properly but in respect of His dwelling in the Manhood So is the Sonne of man also said to be in heaven not properly but in respect of the unity of His humanity with the Godhead According to this sence Hee said also Iohn 6.38 I came downe from heaven to doe the will of Him that sent me as you read before Note g § 10. ob 9. on Chap. 24. Another Text which may seeme to make for Valentin is 1. Cor. 15.47 The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord
Sheol by the Septuagint translated Hades except by way of prophecy concerning Christ cannot signifie the place of the damned from whence there is no returning but onely extreame dangers griefe or hellish sorrowes of mind or such sicknesses as brought the body in danger of the grave To these words especially in the three last significations 2. Of the state of the Dead 3 Of the Place and 4. Paines of the damned the words Inferi and Infernus in Latin doe answere But hell with us is proper to the place of torment and doth not signifie any thing else but by a trope and is not of Heal as I thinke which sometime signifies to cover much lesse of Helle the Dutch word as much as bright or shining but of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hel a deepe ditch or trench as the word is used 2 Sam. 20.15 They cast up a banke against the City and it stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bahel in the trench And hee that thinkes not that the Saxon our true language hath many things common with the Hebrew knowes neither the one nor the other as hee might § 2. Sect. 2 Now according to these takings of the words different interpretations have beene made of this Article of which because so much hath already beene written among our selues I may and purpose to be more briefe But because some formes of confession have left this Article out therefore it hath growne questionable whether it was alwayes in this Creed of the Apostles or not Of the Apostles I say or Apostolicall men their hearers gathered as the summe of the Apostles doctrine concerning the Faith And true it is that as it cannot be said by whom where or when this Creed was first composed as being the most ancient in this kind the rest being onely explications of some points herein made upon occasions of heresies or doubts thereabout So doe some men certainely affirme that all the other Articles were not put together at once Yet is it without doubt that this Article is as ancient as the rest that are found in the Creed seeing the most ancient among the Fathers Athanasius Origen Tertullian Irenaeus and others have so received and declared it And therefore that fancy of Eraesmus who suspected that Thomas Aquinas might foy'st it in was farre below both the one and the other seeing it is confest by Ruffinus who lived within the first 400. yeeres after Christ to have beene in the Creed used in the Church of Aquileia and so by him interpreted with the rest But although the Councell at Nice in Bithinia left it out of their Creed because their speciall businesse was against Arius concerning the Deitie of our Saviour and although the Arians in their Councell at Nice in Thracia put it in their Creed nay although Aquinas had first put it in were it therefore fit to leave it out or not to count it an Article of Faith as some would doe I thinke not seeing the holy Scripture gives authority to it Psalm 16.10 referred to Christ by the exposition of Saint Peter Actes 2.27 seeing all the Christian Churches have receiued it and seeing that according to the true and necessary meaning thereof there is no Article of the Creed which doth more clearely and directly overthrow the heresies of Arius and the Dimaeritae concerning the humane soule of Christ of which you read Chapter 26. Note a § 2. 1. Now concerning the different interpretations Some according to the first meaning of Sheol and Hades for the Grave thinke that Christ was truely buried and kept in the Grave three dayes and that this Article had no other meaning but a further declaration of Dead and Buried against the opinion of Marcion Valentin and such other heretickes as denyed the trueth of Christs being and His suffering as you heard before Note a on Chap. 27. 2. Others would that beyond the death and buriall it should impart a disposing of His body to corruption But if their meaning therein be this That the body of our Lord was laid in the grave where corruption doth seaze on the bodies of other men then this blind descent can looke no further then His buriall or if it must needs meane any thing more then would they force us by this Article to beleeve and confesse that which by the Scripture we know to be false For it was impossible that the holy One of God should either see corruption or be brought to any degree or disposition thereunto beyond the death and buriall of His body See Acts 2.24 27. 3. Some other by this descent of Christ will understand the uttermost degree of His humiliation that could come unto Him while His Soule was parted from the Body His honour laid in the dust the devill and his instruments triumphing over Him But the Creed was not framed to teach us the triumph and ioy of His enemies but His victory and their confusion And concerning our Lord Himselfe this goes no further then either of the former interpretations except in that sence which you shall heare anon Therefore none of these can be the meaning of this Article For in the abridgement or summe of our Faith interpretations are not fit especially such as are more darke than that to which they should give light Therefore this Article Hee descended into hell cannot in any of the former meanings be a declaration of that Hee was dead and buryed 4. A fourth interpretation is of them who thinke the descent of Christ meanes thus much onely That His soule being departed out of His body went unto the soules of the faithfull which were in Paradise which they interpret heaven But seeing heaven being taken not metaphorically for Ioy and happinesse but properly for a place must in all sence signifie that which is upward from the earth It must needes bee a very aukward interpretation of He descended into hell to say He ascended or went upward into heaven yet because this interpretation brings both reason and authoritie it shall bee examined by and by 5. A fift interpretation is of them who will have this descent to signifie nothing else but the endurance of those unspeakable sorrowes and torments which He suffered in soule being in His agony and on the crosse 6. A sixt sence is of them who hold that Hee did locally goe downe to hell so that according to the essence or being of His soule He was truely present there And as the former of these denie not but that Christ by His death did utterly spoile the powers of darknesse and so may be said virtually and by the effects of His suffering to have gone downe into hell because that by the eternall offering of Himselfe a ransome for the sinnes of the world and the performance thereof in the time appointed He did utterly free all His beleevers from Hell which was their due and setled them in the inheritance of eternall life so these latter for the most part denie not but that all this
the meanes 2. Doth reason onely dictate this Doth not the Scripture say also the same For if Christ bee therefore the first-borne from the dead 1. Cor. 15.20 that Hee may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firsting or having the first place or preheminence in all things Col. 1.18 Is not the argument also good Christ is ascended that Hee in all things may have the preheminence And if the dead bee therefore raised againe by the vertue of Christs resurrection who was therefore raised up by the glory of the Father Rom. 6.4 Iohn 5.21 doe they not also ascend by the vertue of His ascension So that before the Ascension of Christ our head there was no ascension for any of the members It was the word of our Lord Himselfe Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven But I heare one whisper against this that the soule is not said to ascend without the body and therefore the soules might bee in heaven though they ascend not So the cavill is onely about the word Ascend But the reason For it is said Actes 2.34 David is not ascended up into heaven And this was spoken by Peter after Christs ascension So that although Davids soule was not in heaven before but went with Christ at his ascension yet David is then said not to have ascended Al. Hume Rej. to Doctor Hil. But had this man well considered the circumstances of this text in the 25. verse David speaketh concerning Christ and so as it followeth in the 29.30.31 he would have taken this text from David as S. Luke doth when he saith David is not ascended that is this Scripture doth not at all belong to David concerning any ascending or descending of his but to Him alone of whom David speaketh Psal 100. The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand The like speech to this is that of our Lord Luke 22.42 Not my will but thy will be done And yet it is said of Him Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy will O my God Thy law is written in my heart So the will of God was done as the first moving cause of our salvation the wil of Christ was done as subordinate not as the first cause See Heb. 10.9 So 1. Cor. 15.10 Not I laboured but the grace of God which was within mee And yet who knowes not the labours of Paul to have beene above all the rest of the Apostles 2. Cor. 11.23 ad finem yet he of his owne motion laboured not for the Church but persecuted it So David ascended not as the first fruits of them that slept but Christ ascended so by vertue of whose ascension David and all the rest of the faithfull shall ascend But not to fight with the shadow I take the word at the manifest meaning that David is not ascended and from thence conclude against themselues That if David had not ascended before Christ nor yet ascended with Him much lesse were the faithfull soules in heaven before Christ but that the soule of David dwells and must still dwell in Paradise with Daniel and the rest of the faithfull till the end bee Dan. 12.13 But if they will needes have the soule of David in heaven not formaliter as all the faithfull soules are in respect of the heavenly joyes which they have in Paradise but locally then I say it must needes have ascended For if the soule being in one place is not in another and if heaven be upward in respect of the earth then when Dauids soule went into heauen it must needes be said to ascend or goe upward as Luke 2.15 speakes of the Angels and Solomon Eccles 3.21 speaketh of the spirit or soule There ore this is but a poore shift such as they must needes bee driven unto that oppose the trueth Yet thus he holds it sufficient to mocke at the direct word of our Lord which is Iohn 20.17 I have not yet ascended to my Father For if He had then must there be two ascensions as they beleeve one of the soule alone and another of the body and soule together 3. Yet it is said Iohn 14.2 I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe to prepare a place I will come againe and receive you to my selfe By which it is plaine that none could goe to heaven before Christ our Lord had gone and prepared a place for them which was not done before His death and ascension 4. Moreover it is said Heb. 9.8 the way into the holyest of all was not yet open while the first Tabernacle was yet standing Whereto if you take that which is verse 24. Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven it selfe it will bee manifest that there was no entrance as not into the holy of holies so much lesse into heaven before that Christ by His death had opened it as our Church confesseth in the hymne of Ambrose When thou haddest overcome the sharpenesse of death thou didst open the Kingdome of Heaven to all beleevers Whereupon it must necessarily follow that the soules of the faithfull were not in heaven properly so called before the death and resurrection of Christ 5. To this purpose you may also bring that which is Ephe. 4.8 When Hee ascended up on high He led Captivitie captive Now what was this captivitie or multitude of captives Were they reprobate You will not say it If the Elect then it followes necessarily that they were not in heaven before the ascension of Christ except you will bring them downe from thence to fetch up Christ in triumph but then had they not beene captives if already triumphing in heaven then had not the conquest of Christ over death and him that had the power of death beene so glorious if hee had had no captives to lead in triumph And therefore Esay 53.12 after the suffering of Christ describes His conquest thus I will divide Him a portion with the great and He shall divide the spoyle with the strong The faithfull soules therefore being held under the power of death though free from His tyranny and torment as it is said Sap. 3.1 The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God and no torments shall touch them whereby Christ having bought them of God and payd their ransome brought out of all power of their strong enemie out of the shadow of death into the everlasting light of Paradise in all the libertie and ioy of the understanding to view the Wisedome of God in His most glorious workes as you may read further a little below Sect. 8. Numb 3. Sect. 7. Sect. 7 Now having shewed the different interpretations of this Article and as I thinke fully proved that the soule of Christ went not to heaven properly so called before His resurrection but that it was glorious and blessed among His Saints in happinesse and so in heaven formaliter as they speake It is fit that wee draw toward a conclusion which
before wee can come unto it must first appeare what Abrahams bosome what Paradise is and where it was Then why the word of descending into hell is heere used with the solution of such doubts as fall in the way The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bosome sometime signifies a baye of the sea wherein harbour and safety is from waves and tempests and thus the word is used Act. 27.39 Thus Lazarus Luke 16. might be said to be in Abrahams bosome that is to have arived and cast anker in that safe and quiet haven of happinesse where Abraham the father of all the faithfull because he against hope beleeved in hope Rom. 4.18 was now in blisse or else it may signifie a bosome properly as it is used in Luke 6.38 and thus also Lazarus might bee said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in cheare and joy in Abrahams bosome as Saint Iohn Ioh. 13.23 lay leaning in the bosome of Iesus his uncle at supper as the manner of that countrey was sometime to eate their meate lying on the ground The word Paradise whether it be native greeke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is supposed to be plentifully watered or a Persian word as good Authors affirme and that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pardes used in Eccles 2.5 and Cant. 4.13 signifies a place of pleasure inclosed or a parke and so it is used in Xenophon Cyrop lib. 1. or a garden as the Greekes translated the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gan in Genes Chap. 2. and 3. or an orchard as in the texts of Solomon before And hither was our Lord first said to have come after His death because as Adam by his sin had lost his happy estate in the earthly paradise So Christ by His death did recover the hope of our returne into the heavenly For the gift is not as the offence Rom. 5.15 By these two words the blessed estate of the faithfull is signified though with some difference not of place but degree of happinesse as I shewed For although the children of the kingdome were all and at all times heires of the fame hopes yet they that were in Abrahams bosome before Christ had not that fulnesse of joy which they had after their redemption was fully wrought and He not now in Abrahams bosome with them but Abraham and all his faithfull children with him in Paradise To the same sence concerning the state of happinesse is the Kingdome of Heaven used Luke 13.28 29. though that word expresse also the joyes after the resurrection And because it was ever thought even among naturall men as the Heathen Philosophers that the soule was immortall and that after death it was better to them that had lived well then to the wicked therefore were they perswaded that their soules went to a place of rest and happinesse which they called as they pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the house of Pluto by the common name and that of pleasure the Elysian fields of torment a place inclosed by Acheron a river without joy And sith the body went downe to the earth from whence it was and that they perswaded themselves that every creature might be abundantly happy in that region whereof it was an inhabitant as being the onely region that was fit for it therefore they thought that the place of the soules rest was not farre from the body and so went downe into the earth And because the ancient Church could not teach the heathen conuerted to God but by such words and language as they understood and differed not much in meaning from that which they themselues beleeued therefore were they content to use this manner of speech of descending to Hades the house of Pluto or hell which the vulgar had been taught by their guides the Philosophers and Poets In stead of all the rest see Plato in Phaedone and Virgil. Aeneidos lib. 6. yet they meant by this descent of Christ into hell no other thing but that His soule being separate from His body went into that place where the faithfull soules were then at rest and in assured hope of further joy But because our Church uses not the terme descending but teaches her owne children in their owne tongue to confesse that Christ went downe to hell Artic. 2. Let us not forsake the law of our mother Prouerb 6.20 but rather endeavour to know what this going downe to hell may meane And certainely it must needes bee thought a thing either of great obscurity or of little necessity wherein our Church as most other hath not held it fit to make any further declaration Therefore though I take liberty to enquire what the possible or most likely meaning of the words may be yet I presume not to affirme any thing but with submission to the Churches judgement when God shall vouchsafe further light thereto to determine according to the Scripture what is the certaine trueth in this or any other question of the like doubtfulnesse 1. To descend to goe or come downe is used diversly But that I may descend to every understanding I will make it of two kinds one of place and that is of three kinds The other of state or condition 1. Of place higher and lower as it is said Luke 9.37 They came downe from the hill and Act. 11.27 There came Prophets downe from Ierusalem to Antioch or from a place of more fame to a meaner as Act. 13.4 From Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they came downe to Seleucia Now if the earth and water made one flat surface which stretched from one side of heaven to the other as the old fancy was then could this descent of Christ meane no other going downe but under that surface And although some of the Fathers were no better Cosmographers then to thinke thus yet for the most part they were better thewed But because our faith suffers not to put any untrueth in nature therefore this going down must be refused 2. But if this globe of the earth bee hollow then this going downe may be meant as most of the Fathers tooke it into that hollownesse of the earth 1. And that the earth is hollow both reason and authority shew it Authority you have 4. Esdr 4.7 where to the question that might be made How many springs are in the beginning of the deepe the answere by the Angel is supposed to be I have not as yet gone downe into hell whereby you see that hell or the place of the dead was below this earth on which we tread and that they that died from hence did all goe thither This was the opinion of the ancients both Heathen and Christians which held the locall descent of Christ and knew the System of the world 2. Had they not reason For neither God nor Nature His seruant doe ought in vaine which yet must needs be heere if from the upper face of the earth to the centre a distance of some 3500. miles on
every side should be onely an idle loade of earth and water Moreover the generation of all the Mineralls which is onely from water steamed up in vapour and congealed by the spirits of sulphur in the metalls of salts in all manner of stones or of the earth it selfe as vitriols and such like argue both emptinesse and heat neither of which can be in a massie lumpe of earth and water See to this purpose Novum lumen Chemicum 3. Beside this the huge quantity of vapour sent out of the earth and waters for raine and snow in the winter time argues not onely that there is a hollownesse of the earth but likewise that there is some powerfull principle for sending up such waters which naturally doe flee from heat as this macrocosmicall Sun is for drawing of them upward For in the Summertime when our Sun hath most strength to exhale those vapours from the earth and sea wee have least raine and that because that centrall Principle hath then his greatest declination to the South whereas in the Winter when his declination is to us in the North then is it most powerfull to send out those vapours on this side of the earth and to cause so much raine except some violent frost doe close up the face of the earth that they cannot get out which thing is yet further manifest by those boysterous stormes of raine and winde which happen in those Countreys that are neere to that girdle of the earth which they call the Equinoctiall line where the influences doe meete in direct opposition 4. If no such centrall Principle bee by whose heate and warme vapours the earth is opened it were impossible that any trees or rootes could continue in life especially in Countreys that are removed above 20. degrees from the Tropicks toward the Poles For as those vegetables doe live with a meete temper of cold and heate So where the cold exceeds there is no possibility of their growth as it appeares in the places of our Whale-fishing and others within 20. degrees of the Pole Now what heate hath the Sun here with us in a hard frost continuing 3. or 4. moneths yet is not our winter so cold as the Continent of the same Latitude for enliving our trees who are not 52. degrees from the very Equinoctiall but that they are still kept in life by the warmth and moisture which is sent to them from below Object 1. Obiect 1 But is not every heavy thing carried naturally to the centre which if it be then cannot that centre be in a place of emptinesse as this opinion would make it I Answere The centre is either of magnitude as the imagined centre of this globe of the earth or else of waight The centre of magnitude suffers nothing to stay in it but drives it to the centre of waight as the South pole of the Load-stone drives away that end of the needle which is touched for the North So that if the firmament of this globe of earth and water be 50.100 or 200. miles thicke which seemes a great deale too much not onely because such a thicknesse were to no use but rather an utter impediment to the passage of the Sunnes heate for the generation of the mineralls winds and vapours as I spake before Yet there is left an hollownesse whose diameter is about 7000. miles wherein if such a principle of heat be as I shewed I see no reason why that opinion of the Poets and Philosophers concerning their Elizium or of the Fathers concerning their lower Paradise should be so slighted as it is This then being either prooved or supposed that centre of waight which I speake of cannot be the same with the centre of this globe of the earth but rather an imagined surface in the midst of the firmament of this globe in proportion of the convex and concave surfaces somewhat further from this convex surface then from that hollow which is within 2. Obiect 2 But you object that of 4. Esdras 5.44 That the world cannot hold them at once that should bee created in it And if this outward surface cannot much lesse that hollow one which is within which must needs be lesse then it And yet if all that die goe thither it must containe at least 20. times as many since Christ as are now alive in this world Answer Doe you thinke that if any man had in him the spirit of lust of wrath of pride and all those seven devills which were in Mary Magdalene that his heart would be any bigger then any other mans or was that man bigger then all the sonnes of Adam in whom the Legion was Mark 5.9 For a full Legion or regiment was 6000. Foot and 726. Horsemen Veg de remil lib. 2. cap. 6. Now the state of the soule separate because it is a spirituall being must bee such as that of Spirits is which doe not occupy a place bodily though they bee in a place definitively So that feare of thronging which is such a blocke in the way of those new interpreters is like that feare of the Satyre that winded his horne and ranne away from the sound Sect. 8. 3. Sect. 8 The third way of locall descent is best understood by that supposition of Almicantrahs and Azimuths from the Zenith For every man in what position of the earth or sea soever he is supposes himselfe to be in the highest part of his hemisphere and so is So that if circles of any sensible distance suppose of 60. Italian or 55. English miles which answere on earth to one degree in heaven were drawen about him then they that are in that circle should be one degree or step lower then hee and so to the horizon and so to the Nadie or point directly opposite unto him on the other side of the earth But you will say If the dead before Christ did thus descend and our Lord likewise to them then must it follow that the whole surface of the earth is Paradise and that there is no difference betweene the state of the godly and the wicked which is directly against the word of Christ himselfe in that parable of Lazarus and the rich glutton in Luke 16. I Answere That before the earth was cursed for mans sinne there was no cause why it might not be wholly Paradise The desoription of the foure rivers of Paradise Genes 2. doe not obscurely shew it howsoever Beroaldus would bring them all within the compasse of * See Gen. 2.13 14. Dan. 10.4 Canaan other by as strange Geography to the springs and falls of Tigris and Euphrates But I hold That that Paradise of Eden wherein Adam was put after his creation was not in the Moone nor in the Aire as some have thought but some speciall place of the earth of plenty and pleasure above the rest as we see there are great differences unto this day And though many places are growne barren and fruitlesse for want of husbandry and especially to proove
is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought firmly to be observed and beleeved For they may bee prooved by most certaine warrant of Holy Scripture And because it may not bee supposed that our Church cites the authority of Athanasius but according to his owne meaning as he himselfe hath explained it if it were the meaning of Athanasius that Christ after His suffering descended locally into the hell of the damned it must needes bee that our Church accorded to his meaning And what the meaning of this Article in the Creed of Athanasius is we need not to doubt who have Athanasius himselfe to declare it in his Epistle of the incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ against Apollinarius where hee prooves against his Heresie that there bee onely two parts of the humane nature in Christ a body which the grave received and a soule which went downe into hell the grave received that which was bodily hell that which was not bodily And by his reason you may yet understand his meaning better When the Creator saith he call'd man into question for his disobedience Hee decreed against him a double punishment For to the body He said Thou art earth and unto earth thou shalt returne But to the soule He said Thou shalt die the death And for this cause man being dead is condemned to depart to two places And therefore it was also necessary that the Iudge Himselfe that made this decree should also undergoe it that in the estate of man condemned shewing Himselfe free from sin uncondemned He might reconcile man unto God and restore him to perfect libertie In the same Epistle hee had said a little before that in hell He condemned death that Hee might every way perfect the salvation of man in our image which He had put on and in his fourth oration against the Arians hee saith that the powers of hell withdrew themselues being afraid at the sight of Christ. So the meaning of Athanasius is plaine that the soule of Christ did locally goe downe to hell and withall the meaning of our Church Now among these texts of Scripture by which this doctrine of Athanasius may bee warranted that text of the 1. Pet. 3.18.19 is most plaine especially as it stands in the Greeke Christ suffered for our sinnes that He might bring us unto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put to death in the flesh but quickened in the Spirit by which He went and preached to the Spirits in prison Which Scripture must be applied onely to the manly being of Christ who Himselfe had set an example to His followers to suffer ill patiently which could be onely in His manly being For as God He could not suffer ill Beside His God-head mooves not by any locall motion as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doeth signifie And moreover His divine spirit was no way quickned nor could be but He went and preached in that Spirit in which He was quickned which could bee onely in His humane spirit or soule in which having once suffered death He manifested His power to the disobedient spirits by taking to Himselfe the keyes or power over hell and death to shut in and keepe out whom Hee will Reuel 1.18 And although I deny not that the sence is true and good He was quickned by the Spirit that holy Spirit which Hee received not by measure yet I hold that this is not the native meaning of this place and the best printed copies of Stephan Plantin and others are with me Neither will the words naturally beare that change of In and By Neither did the reverend Noel Deane of Pauls and other like Him accord with them Neither is this the onely place of Scripture that prooves the locall descent of Christs soule into hell For that argument of Saint Peter Act. 2.31 whereby hee prooves the resurrection of Christ out of Psalm 16. because His soule was not left in Hell strangles these interpreters harder then Achelous was strangled in the hand of Hercules So that which Ionah the figure said of himselfe being by Christ the substance applied to Himselfe To be three dayes in the heart of the earth must bee as true in the substance as it was figuratively true in Ionah This is the confession of him that was holy as no man was Psalm 68.2 Thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest hell vers 13. as the Apostle speakes Ephes 4.9 10. He descended first into the lower parts of the earth and ascended above all heavens that Hee might fill all things So then the Scriptures not being of any private interpretation that is to set out the stories of private men 2. Peter 1.20 must have their highest and uttermost interpretation in Christ Now that this is the native interpretation of this Article and consequently the right meaning of the Composer or Composers of the Creed beside the texts of Scripture on which the Article is grounded it will bee further manifest by the Reasons 1. In a Catechisme the use of Tropes or borrowed speeches are not fit for the use of children and novices and such is the Creed or forme of the confession of our Faith as it is manifest Hebr. 6.1 And the suffering of Christ His Death Buriall c. is taken properly therefore His going downe also into hell Object If Christ went to the faithfull that were dead Object whose soules were in Paradise why doe you say to hell whereby is specially meant the place of the damned Answer Hee first went to the dead in Paradise as His promise was That the Thiefe should there bee with Him in Paradise Then to hell to take to Himselfe all rule all authority and power For God had put all things in subjection under His feet 2. If this Article He went downe to hell be not to bee referred to the soule of Christ after His death then have we no direction by the Creed to know what became of His soule neither are wee taught hereby whether He had a humane and immortall soule or no. So we are still left in doubt whether this Christ be the Saviour of the world But if this Article be referred to the state of Christs soule after His death then are we truely taught and informed against these doubts But that adulterate interpretation of His sufferings is excluded 3. And seeing our Lord Christ is appointed of God to bee the Iudge of the world and that as He is the Sonne of man it was necessary that our Lord should goe downe to hell both in regard of the justice and of the mercy which ought to appeare in His judgement of His justice that the enemies of mankind the devills may not torment them according to their cruelty and hatred of man but onely in justice afflict them according to the sentence passed on them according to the measure of their sinne and not beyond as it is said Luk. 12.47 and 48. The servant which knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe shall be beaten with
Mary Mat. 28.9 3. To Simon Peter Luke 24.34 1. Cor. 15.5 4. To Cleopas and his friend Luke 24.15.35 5. To all the Apostles except Thomas Iohn 20.24 to which if you put that time when He ascended on the 40. day from mount Olivet the five appearances remaining for I speake not of those extraordinary manifestations of Himselfe after His ascension to Steven Actes 7.56 and to Paul Actes 9.17 and 1. Cor. 15.8 will bee most likely to have beene on those five Sundayes as wee call them which were betweene as it may well be gathered from Iohn 20.26 because the Lord would fully finish the ceremoniall use of the Iewish Sabbath and sanctifie the day of His resurrection for the remembrance of those benefits which wee receive thereby This use the Primitive Church made of it Iust. Mart. Apol. ad Anton. and further against our Traskits because they would prevent their errours who under the profession of Christianity did still retaine their Iudaisme whose folly to avoid in stead of the Iewish Sabbath they celebrated the day of Christs resurrection Ign ep ad Mag These times of shewing himselfe were 1. To the Disciples and Thomas with them Iohn 20.26 2. At the Sea of Tiberias Iohn 21.1.3 3. On a mountaine of Galilee appointed to them Mat. 28.16 4. To above 500. brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 5. To Iames. ver 7. And for the times of His absence from them because it is said in the text to the Ephesians cited above That He did therefore descend into the lower parts of the earth and ascend farre above all heavens that He might fill or fulfill all things which were written of Him not onely those which were necessary for our saluation as His Suffering Resurrection Ascension c. but also whatsoever belonged unto man to doe in that state betweene His resurrection and ascension as you may in part understand by that which hath been said Chapter 28. N. I thinke that in those 33. dayes He in His manly being did view this earth and the fulnesse thereof and especially visit and blesse those places where He did purpose that His Church and trueth should most of all flourish and continue Sect. 2. Thus much for the questions by the way Now turne to that which is the maine To every degree of the abasement of our Redeemer there is a degree of exaltation and glory opposed So this of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven is set against that of His descent into hell and that by the authority of Saint Paul He that descended is even the same that ascended And although it may very well be thought that after His Passion finished on the Crosse by His death His going to hell was the beginning of His victory to take to Himselfe that power whereby He as the Sonne of man is to reigne over all the powers of death and hell Yet because His body during those three dayes is by most supposed to have been held under the power of death and that all the parts of His victory are to belong unto Him as Hee is Lord both of the quicke and dead that is in His intire humanity soule and body together therefore that descent is rather held by many as the lowest estate of His humiliation as you might read a little before Chap. 28. § 2. N. 3. But that our Lord after that He had by many and infallible signes and arguments by the space of fourty dayes given abundant proofe of His resurrection did ascend into heaven these reasons doe make it manifest 1. Vnto every body is a place due according to the qualities and properties of that body as in all natures here below it appeares that the place is both conseruative and also generative of those things which are peculiar thereto as the lower parts of the earth of the mineralls the surface of the vegetables the water of fishes c. And againe it is manifest that all things under the Moone are subject to corruption and change no beauty strength or excellency is such as is not fading no pleasure such but that in the very using it growes loath some no bravery so costly but in three dayes wearing it waxes stale so that by the voice and consent of all men the Angels and blessed soules and all such beings as are free from corruption and in the state of glory are sent into heaven But it is manifest that our Lord by His resurrection and conquest of death purchased first to Himselfe and then to us a state of glory and immortality Romanes 6.9 Ephes 2.6 Therefore also that Hee ascended into heaven 2. The blessednesse of the creature is onely in this That it may behold the glory of God in whom alone is the excellency of all perfection And this glory is seene onely in the face of Iesus Christ the Mediator as was shewed Chapter 24. § 10. N. 5. unto which blessednesse onely the pure and blessed inhabitants of heaven as the holy Angels and soules of men are dignified And from hence it must follow that our Lord is ascended into heaven the place of Angels and happy soules For no man dwelling in his ruinous house of clay is able to behold that glory Exod. 30.20 3. Hell is the place of torments the earth of troubles changes and calamities therefore heaven is the place of happinesse or else no happinesse at all is to be found But that is impossible For so all things should be created to wretchednesse and misery onely which cannot stand with the loue of God to His creature and His infinite goodnesse And if any such place of happinesse be and He our Saviour not brought thereto then the greatest obedience performed to the Father for the manifestation of His glory should be without reward But this were unjust with God and therefore impossible And therefore it was necessary that our Lord after His resurrection should ascend into heaven 4. By the consent of Christians taught of God and of Heathens taught by nature heaven is the place of the greatest glory and happines as hell of sorrow and wretchednes For although the Heathen allotted a degree of eternall blisse to the soules which they sent to Elysium as you may read of Anchises and others Aeneid 6. yet they supposed that their false gods and such as were by them canonized went up to heaven as Hercules Castor and Pollux Romulus and he that was one of the chiefe masters of the devills slaughter-men Iulius Caesar From whence you may reason thus The place of the greatest glory is most due to Him that is both the Creator and Restorer of all things But such was our Lord Iesus as it hath appeared before Therefore He ascended into heaven 5. It is necessary that the blessed and damned doe differ by all those meanes whereby the paines of the one and the blessednesse of the other may be increased The paines of the damned are increased by the horrour of that place wherein they are tormented therefore
Theol loc 48. quesi 60. c. But in summe against these or any other heresies which may rise against the trueth of this Article take the authorities of the holy Scripture Psalm 24.7 c. Psal 47.5 and 68.18 The place and circumstances of His ascension are remembred Mark 16.18 Luke 24.50 Act. 1.9 Reade hereto Ephes 4.8 1 Tim. 3.16 Hebr. 4.14 and 9.24 And that the naturall property of Christs humane body being now glorified is not destroyed so that is may be every where as the God-head is take these authorities of the holy Seripture First it is said of Him after His resurrection Matth. Mark Luk. He is risen He is not here And Act. 1.10 While they looked up stedfastly as Hewent which must not be by disappearing but by leaving of one place and passage to another and againe vers 11. This IESVS which is taken from you into Heaven therefore not bodily with them still as He saith Iohn 16.7 It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send Him to you And therefore it is said Act. 3.21 That the Heavens must containe Him untill the time that all things bee restored And this is spoken of His body neither can it be true of His Deity and if His body be contained in heaven how can it become a piece of bread or in a piece of bread on earth You will say if Christ were last of all seene of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.8 how was Hee still contained in the heauens for His conversion was after the ascension I Answere Even as Saint Paul saw in a vision a man named Ananias comming unto Him whom otherwise he saw not till afterward Act. 9.12 and yet the sight by vision from God is a most certaine and true sight Or if it were so that He were indeed in His body taken up into the third heaven as he makes it questionable 2. Cor. 12.2 so might he see as he professeth of himselfe in your understanding CHAP. XXXI ⧠And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty THe great antiquitie of this Creed appearing to be even from the time of the Apostles brought some writers into an opinion that the twelue Apostle before their departure from Ierusalem to preach unto the Gentiles gave out this forme of confession of the faith to bee acknowledged of every Convert before they might bee baptized and appointed that all interpretation of Scripture should be made according to the rule of it as they will understand that text in Rom. 12.16 And some will yet bee more particular herein that every Apostle brought in that Article which he thought fit to be beleeved Yea and for a need they will tell you which Article every Apostle made and so have of necessitie limitted the Articles to the number of twelve But the Scripture admits no other rule of Interpretation than it selfe And so I confesse that the Creed may be a rule in as much as it hath the foundation in the Holy Scripture As Saint Augustine saith lib. 3. de Symb. ad Catech. Chapter 1. Deus in ecclesia regulam c. God would have one perpetuall rule to be in the Church which should be simple briefe and such as every one might easily understand according to which the godly mighty examine all doctrine and interpretation of the Scripture to receive that which is agreeable thereunto and to refuse that which is contrary And although for your satisfaction therein I have followed the fashion for the number of Articles as you may see yet it cannot be denied but that if you take every several conclusion for an Article there are in all 17. or 18 at least fifteene severall Articles of which this of our Lords sitting at the right hand of God will be one although in that number of 12. it goe as a part of the Article before Hee ascended into heaven But this is not a thing of any great importance And therefore let us rather looke to the certainty thereof for that is necessary for us to know and beleeve But it may be demanded why in the Creed such a Metaphor should be used as might endanger younglings and novices to thinke with the Anthropomorphites that the invisible God is like to man with hands and bodily parts To which wee may answere that the Christians I speake not of wilfull hereticks were not so ill instructed but that they knew right well how to discerne betweene Christ and a Vine Iohn 15. betweene a figurative and a proper speech And therefore the Fathers in the Church the Author or Authors of this Creed having a jealous care of the trueth of God doubted not to propose it in the words of God Himselfe Therefore seeing this part of Christs glory is so prophesied to bee fulfilled Psal 110. cited Heb. 1.13 The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole it is so to be retained in the Article of our Creed And although it bee a borrowed speech yet seeing it is so taken into use by our Lord Himselfe and by the Pen-men of the New-Testament it is by all meanes most fit so to hold it For so our Lord speakes Matth. 26.64 and Luke 22.69 Hereafter shall you see the Sonne of man sit on the right hand of the Power of God So Col. 3.1 Christ sitteth above at the right hand of God So Hebr. 1.3 and 10.12 and 12.2 with many other Scriptures to the like purpose The word To sit signifies either to tarry or continue as in Luk. 22.49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sit that is abide or stay in the Citie of Ierusalem or else it signifies to raigne as in Esay 16.5 The Throne shall be established and Hee shall sit upon it in trueth So the right hand of God signifies either power as Act. 2.33 Hee being by the right hand that is the power of God exalted or else it signifies happinesse and joy eternall as it is said Psal 16. and 11. verse At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And although some Interpreters make the meaning of this Article that Christ as God hath equall glory and power with the Father yet all these Articles from the second to the eight shew what wee are to beleeve of our Mediatour concerning His man-hood And as our Saviour in the state of His humiliation was for the greater scorne and contempt crucified betweene the two malefactors one on the right hand the other on the left So in this glory of His opposed thereto He is set on the right hand of the Majestie on high the principalities and powers being subjected unto Him 1. Pet. 3.22 So then the meaning of this Article is not onely that Christ in our nature confide caro sits at the right hand of God in heaven but also as Hee speaketh Matth. 28.18 that All power is given unto Him both in Heauen and in earth Vnto
their lives given as a prey Ezechiel Daniel and they that were signified by the basket of good figges Iere. 24.5 were carryed away for their good The Christians likewise were safe at Pella in the destruction of Ierusalem Euseb Ecclesiast hist lib. 3 Cap. 5. So He delivereth from the noy some pestilence Psalm 91.3 c. and in the dayes of famine those that wait on Him shall have enough Psal 37.19 So these things are testimonies unto us both that there shall be a judgement and that the godly shall be saved and the wicked condemned 12 And as if nature if selfe had imprinted the acknowledgment of this judgement in every mans mind so there was never any man c that confessed the resurrection but did withall confesse this generall judgement And therefore though every other Article of our Creed have been impugned by some hereticke or other yet never any gainesayd this I meane since those errours were stilled in the Apostles time See 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. But whether it be that every man acknowledging the justice of God as no man can confesse him to be God whom he doth not beleeve to be just and a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him Hebr. 11.6 or whether it be that the testimonies of the holy Scripture are so cleare in this point as that they have stopped the mouthes of all heretickes the thing it selfe is most certaine to be as it may appeare by the texts of Scripture already cited and by these also that follow Psalm 9. vers 8. The Lord hath prepared His Throne for judgment He shall judge the world in righteousnesse He shall minister judgment unto the people in uprightnesse And Psalm 50. vers 3 4 5 6. God shall come A fire shall devoure before Him Hee shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that Hee may judge His people c. Psalm 96.13 The Lord commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with His trueth As it is also Psalm 98.9 Eccles. 11.9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement And Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee ill Reade hereto 2 Pet. 3. Chap. from vers 7. to 15. and Reu. 20. Chap. from vers 11. to the end § 6. Sect. 6 Thus it being manifest that the judgement shall be it must also appeare that our Lord Iesus must bee that judge Whereto though I have said that which may be sufficient at the beginning of the Chapter yet because it is our speciall hope and comfort that He shall be our judge that was our Creator that hath so dearely bought us that hath been our Mediator that doth evermore preserue us from the power of the enemy let us both begin and end with this lest the conscience of our owne sinnes and the remembrance of that fearefull time should cause us not to long for that comming For if God be very terrible in the assembly of His Saints Psalm 89.7 how much more in that gloomy day when He comes to render vengeance with devouring fire before Him and to repay His aduersaries to their face and to passe on them that fearefull sentence that shall d never be reversed and from which there is no appeale But lift up your heads you that are little in your owne eyes and tremble at His words for that is the day of your redemption and God Himselfe will come and save you And because He is God He knowes the secrets of your hearts and sees your reverence and your feare before Him and your acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse And because He is man and hath had experience of sorrowes and passed under the burden of unjust and cruell judgement and hath for us endured the Crosse and shame that we might be delivered from the wrath to come therefore lift up your heads and receive the reward of your faith and patience and the end of your hopes the eternall saluation of your soules and bodies 1. For if our Lord having suffered such things for us and having overcome in all His sufferings having ascended into heaven to be our continuall intercessor for us should not then give unto us that everlasting life which He hath purchased for us His sufferings and intercession should be altogether in vaine and our faith in Him which He hath wrought in us by His holy Spirit should be utterly void and those promises which Hee hath giuen us in His holy Word should faile of their trueth and performance But all these things are impossible And therefore our Lord Iesus shall come to give reward unto His seruants both small and great Revel 11.18 and to cast out the unbeleevers out of His kingdome 2. In things that are orderly disposed for an end nothing may be omitted of those things that are necessary for the attainement of that end The end of our Lords incarnation and sufferings concernes either God or man Concerning mankind euerlasting life in all happinesse and joy is that great end for which our Saviour was incarnate died and rose againe and shall raise us up at the last day And by His judgement of mercy and compassion on us shall deliver unto us the seisure and possession of that eternall happinesse Therefore our Lord Iesus shall be judge of the quicke and the dead Concerning God it is necessary that in His love to His Father and zeale to His honour Hee take vengeance on them that have offended the infinite justice and despised that mercy and pardon which hath beene offered unto them and still have continued in their sin and followed it with greedinesse Therefore in this respect also our Lord Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead 3. And seeing our Lord Iesus hath undertaken that honourable enterprise viterly to destroy the workes of the devill it is necessary that He leave nothing unperformed which doth belong to the accomplishment thereof Therefore Hee shall judge those Angels which are reserved in chaines of darknesse unto that day and bring upon them that destruction which they sought to bring upon all man-kind And shall also reward those servants of His which have continued faithfull in His service whether they be Angels or men 4. None is so fit to judge betweene two as hee that hath interest in both parties and knowes the worthinesse of them both and that not onely in his understanding but also by his experience of them both But man-kind is to be judged for that which hee hath done contrary or according to the will of God Therefore seeing our Lord Iesus is very God and very man as it hath beene prooved Hee shall be the judge of the quicke and the dead 5. In every orderly and just judgement both the Iudge and the sentence ought to be manifest and knowne to all them that
will universall grace perseverance and the like which are no way availeable to the increase of godlinesse or the comfort of the conscience but rather have overthrowne the faith of some and beene the feuell of Factions both in the Church and Common-wealth But as among the Corinthians when schismes and discontents arose concerning their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Love-feasts before the holy Communion the Apostle brings them to the simplicity of the first institution thereof 1 Cor. 11.21 So by the same Spirit of wisedome hath his Majestie our gracious Soveraigne with the advice of our reverend Fathers the godly and learned Bishops cut off these curious questions with all inconuenience and scandall as might grow thereby See his Majesties declaration before the Art of 62. Read also the Art 9.10.11.17 So that now through the mercy of God by the piety and constant care of his Majesty and by the providence and zeale of our faithfull shepherds there is assured hope that these tares which so lately troubled our neighbour Churches and by the seruants of the enuious man were attempted to be sowne in our beauteous fields shall never spread any roote of bitternesse among us And although these questions thrust in themselues here in this place to be discussed seeing predestination is the eternall foundation of the holy Catholike Church out of which there is no saluation and into which none can come but he that is holy It may seeme that it ought to be enquired what holinesse we have of our selues or what strength to come to that holinesse which we ought to have and what strength to continue therein But because obedience is better then sacrifice and because reason ranging beyond these bounds which God hath set is accounted by Saint Paul Rom. 9.20 a replying against God let us leave these questions as Saint Paul left that of predestination to the meere mercy and will of God and that absolute Lordship which he hath over His creature as the temperer of the clay hath power over the same lumpe to make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And seeing mans understanding searching into the things of God so farre above his reach as the infinite wisedome of God and His secret will are must needs fall into errour let us be contented to keepe our selues within those limits which God Himselfe hath set Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children that we may doe them To this purpose Saint Paul writeth concerning this sealed secret 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure having this seale The Lord knoweth them that are His and let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Therefore lest any man should runne beside his owne hopes whilest he enquires too busily into the hopes of other men let us remember that wise and faithfull counsell which is in 4. Esdr 8.55 Aske thou no questions concerning them that perish The reason went before verse 47. for thou commest farre short that thou shouldest be able to love the creature more then He that made it ARTICLE X. ⧠The Communion of Saints CHAP. XXXVI THey that make this clause to bee onely an appendix for explication of the former as if they would say I beleeve the holy Catholike Church to be the Communion or fellowship of Saints come short of the uttermost meaning thereof For beside the two properties of the Church to be Holy and Catholike it is necessary to know what the Priviledges or prerogatives are which belong to that holy congregation that they may know that their seruice is not without reward These prerogatives are 4.1 This Cōmunion of the Saints which is the ground and assurance of the rest For from hence it followes that we may assuredly beleeve that our sins are forgiven and therefore that our bodies shall rise againe and that to everlasting life But this Communion of the Saints is two-fold 1. Among themselves Secondly in the participation of those benefits which are purchased for them by the merit of Christ Yet this Communion among themselves is rather a third property than a priviledge of the holy Church and ariseth from that Communion which we have with Christ For he that loveth Him that begetteth loveth him also that is begotten of Him 1. Ioh. 5.1 2. And because all the faithfull are governed by one Holy Spirit therefore are they ever ready and willing to impart what gifts soever they have received to the common good of all that may be partakers thereof And this not onely in the supply of outward helpes as it appeared Act. 4.32 but much more in like affection one toward another in prayer one for another in supporting each the infirmitie of other as one member of the body is ever helpfull to another in comforting in exhorting and in the Spirit of Meekenes admonishing one another and every one in himselfe giving an example of a vertuous and honest life according to that commandement Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven And these things proceed from that inward and spirituall Communion which wee have with God the Father and with His Son Iesus Christ as it is said 1. Iohn 1.3 For seeing wee know That God so loved the world as that He gave His Son to die for the life of the world wee ought also to love the brethren So likewise the spirituall Communion or participation of those benefits whereof wee are partakers by the merit of Christ stands altogether in this that He our Mediator God and Man having given Himselfe a ransome for us God doth not now looke on us as wee are in our selues corrupted in our sinnes but as wee are washed but as wee are sanctified but as wee are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God as wee are one body with His Son and He our head is become our righteousnesse our sanctification and redemption So that through Him wee haue not onely these priviledges here mentioned of the forgivenesse of our sinnes resurrection and life but also having in Christ the adoption of sonnes wee have by Him an entrance unto God the Father a right and interest in the eternall inheritance of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever may bee availeable to our eternall happinesse for the gift was not as the offence as you might see Chap. 18. § 2. For as we know that Christ our Lord the eternall Son was partaker of our nature and are likewise assured that the greatest actions of God in His creature are for the greatest good that can come neere the creature So ought wee to bee perswaded that we also shall be made the sons of God by that Spirit of God that dwelleth in us as it is said 1. Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And these are the
their understandings when they are separate from the body that universall unitie or confusion of soules would cause a lesnesse or abatement in the glory and end of the understanding and consequently an abatement of mans love to the Creator seeing the greatest understanding could not aduance the meane and low understanding of fooles and ignorants but contrariwise in that confusion should by them be abased But this is contrary to the nature of the understanding of the will of perfect love c. Therefore impossible to bee 7. The excellency or greatnesse of every thing hath the greatest concordance with being as the littlenesse or meannes of being inclines to not being and hath some agreement there-with From whence it will follow of necessitie first that if there bee one common or universall soule or understanding which is divideable into very man this division takes away that universall unitie For how can it be one in number if it be divisible yet not materiall or bodily but that excellencie which is in the common soule by that infinite division among so many millions of men is brought almost to not being Secondly there must be different understandings of all men both living and dead that the excellencie of all trueth may find some understandings by which it may bee apprehended 3. Seeing nothing is truely beloved which is not first knowne or understood the love and that understanding which man hath of God by this division suffers such detriment as cannot bee made up againe For the soule being parted among all men alike one cannot love nor understand more than another So neither the excellency of one man can be more than another nor the glory or happinesse of one man more than another 8. Common experience and the difference which is in men shewes the position to be false and foolish and so let it go branded You may see what Cusa brings to this question Idiotae lib. 3. cap. 12. And Tho. Aquin. contra gent. lib. 2. cap. 73. and the decree of the Lateran Councell Sess 8. Object But you will say If the soules of all meâ— be onely of one kind and that their difference is onely in number then this difference of the soules must arise onely from the bodies to which they are allyed from whence these inconveniences must follow necessarily First that the soules of men are materiall formes for the particular being of every thing depends upon that from whence it receives the individuation So that the soule of man depending on the body and having the originall of the particular being from the body either it dies with the body as the soule of the beast or if it remaine after the body yet seeing it receives the particular being from the body when it is parted from the body it must run into the common Chaos of life seeing that whereby the distinction was made that is the particular bodies are now taken away Answere The suppositions of this objection that the difference of mens soules is onely in number or depending upon the particular individuation of their bodies are false For the particular endowments of every soule make such differences as is fit to bee in soules as I gave instance before in numbers to every one of which an unity added or taken away makes the number so different as that it cannot be any other number than that it is Although numbers are not truely said to bee different Species but onely to bee distinct or divers individuals For in Spirituall substances as the soule of man is whereof wee know so little as wee doe wee must be content to hold the generall trueths when we cannot know the particular or precise differences That the holy Religion and Faith of the Christians is onely true and none other beside it § 3. ALl true Religion must have the beginning from the true God So neither the seruice of the false gods of the Painims nor the will-worship either of the Iewes or of the Christians can come into any account of true Religion And because the true God onely knowes what seruice is acceptable unto Himselfe and therefore hath â—om time to time taught his people what He requireth of them therefore this question which is now to be decided is onely betweene the Christians and the people of the Iewes or Israelites seeing these onely have received the lawes and words of God how they ought to serue Him For whatsoever the Turks may pretend for their religion which their false Prophet Mahomed taught them yet they have no authoritie from heaven neither by their law may they question any thing which they have beene taught But concerning the Iewes though it must bee yeelded unto them that they were the true Church first called and separated from the world to be a peculiar people unto God who first received the covenant of Circumcision and after under Moses the other ceremonies even untill the time of reformation came by Iesus Christ yet because they did not looke unto the end of the law nor see how all the law was finished in Him in whom all the Nations of the earth were to be blessed therefore they dwell still in their old and beggerly rudiments being still seduced by their Rabbins teaching them that their law is an eternall law as it is yeelded unto them concerning the inward meaning or substance that is Christ and His eternall Redemption But concerning the outward obseruances the Law is not eternall as divers of their owne both by Nation and sometimes by opinion have manifested unto them I name unto you onely Paulus Ricius who hath made it plaine both by the Scriptures of the Prophets and and by the Talmudists their expositors in his second booke de coelesti agricultura That the rootes as they call them or Articles of the Iewish faith are not a sufficient direction to bring them to heaven but that the Christians by their faith may bee made partakers of the ioyes to come For first hee prooves that the doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the unitie of the deitie is agreeable to the holy oracles of God and the exposition of their Talmudists Then 2. That the mysterie of the incarnation and the deitie of the Saviour of the world is according to the Scripture 3. That His birth ought to bee of a Virgin and therefore His conception by the Holy-Ghost 4. That the mysterie of His passion and 5. resurrection are likewise manifest by the Scriptures And 6. that the first comming of the Messias is already past as you might see all these Articles confirmed before And because these things are necessary to bee knowne and beleeved to everlasting saluation and that the Iewes doe not beleeve them neither can be brought to beleeve them till the Redeemer appeare the second time to judgement that he may turne away the iniquitie from Iacob that all Israel may bee saved as the promise is Let us rejoyce in our most holy faith and pray that their returne to the
in nature and yet three in evident and cleare distinction though in so base and imperfect order as that which is in all perfection is possible to be above it And further see you not in every thing a bodie a spirit and a life which is the knot betweene them Or rather see you not how the very bodily composition is both one and three one body which is united of three bodies that is earth water and ayre or oyle which yet againe in the roote of their nature are but one For oyle is but a due mixture of water and earth meanely fixt and meanely volatil and earth is but fixed water so that water which is but one is the roote of the three as it is manifest Gene. 1. and 2. Pet. 3.5 They which understand the rules of Pyronomie know what I say and if you understood mee well you would confesse that not onely this instance which I have brought of earth water and ayre but even the whole frame of Nature did proclaime the Trinitie in the Vnitie If I should here tell you how the Heaven the Earth and the Deepe Gene. 1. might bee understood mystically and the Analogie betweene the Creator and the creature therein and then tell you what Let the earth bring forth living soule might meane and compare it with that place That which was made in Him was life and then particularly for man The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the earth and tell you that it was so necessary because that Christ is Terra viventium and inforce an argument to prove the Tri-Vnitie by that treeble repetition of the man made in the image of God comparing it with that place 1. Cor. 11.3 and 7. If I should then tell you that it was necessary that the Sonne of God must become flesh as well that the infinite iustice of God might be actuated in Him which could not be actuated in Him being onely God as for many other reasons Both from the Iustice and Mercie and Wisedome of God though to a well-sighted understanding I might seeme to have laid a precious foundation of Philosophie divine and naturall yet to you I might rather seeme perhaps to have proposed Cabalisticall dreames then any sound argument to the thing in question Yet this will I tell you and hold it for good Divinity that the mayne drift and scope of the whole Scripture is to shew the creation of all things in Christ through Him and for Him and the restoring of the whole creature in man by Him That in all things He might have the preeminence Coloss 1. Neither doth this any whit derogate from the honour of the Father For first It hath pleased the Father that in Him should all fulnesse dwell and besides it is an honour above all honours unto the Father to be the Father of so glorious a Sonne Therefore is this world and all the things therein created to the Image of Christ to expresse His glory even as He is the expressed Image and glory of the Father And here is the worlds Eternity which had in Christ an eternall Being according to that His Name Esay 9.6 The Father of Eternity Here are those separate Ideas about which Plato and Aristotle could never agree and which neither both of them nor many of their followers did perfectly understand not that they might not by the frame of nature and the wisedome which God had given to man be understood For is not this world as a booke wherein we may read and understand by the created truths what is the Truth which is increated but all true knowledge is the gift of God Therefore wrest not that place Coloss 2.8 against the Christian search after the knowledge of nature whereby above all other humane knowledges a man is brought to know God and to honour Him as he ought but rather be sorry that your knowledge of Nature is no more For this will I tell you to teach you to know your selfe that there is nothing in the creature which may be knowne and all may be knowne that is in the creature but man ought to know it and to glorifie the Creator thereby And this great labour hath God given to men that knowing how short they are of that they ought to be they might be humbled thereby Psal 1.11 Eccles. 1.13 And why ought this to seeme strange doth not God require that perfection at mans hand wherein He did create Him and was he not created with perfect discourse to know the creature that he might therein behold the Creator and so glorifie His wondrous power and goodnesse But this question would draw me from the question in hand and therfore I will briefly adde one reason more and because my leisure is little I will be as short as I can but I pray you lend me your eare for it is hard in English an inartificiall language to expresse my mind but because you told me you could a little Latine I will be bold here and there to use a word my reason is thus The whole and perfect nature of a Principle or Beginning is in God who is alone the beginner of all things Now a Principle is of three sorts whereof every one is so clearely distinct from another as that one cannot possibly be that other therefore in the Vnitie of the Deitie there is also such cleare distinction into a Trinitie as that one distinct cannot possible be that other from which He is distinguished yet in the Vnitie of essence they are all one The differences of a beginning stand thus It is either Principium principians non principiatum that is a Beginning which is a Beginner unto another yet hath not His beginning from another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie à parte ante this is God the Father to whom it is peculiar to beget the Son yet is Himselfe neither made nor created nor begotten of any other Secondly there is Principium principiatum principians to wit a Beginning which hath his beginning of another and is also a beginning to another lest there should be any defect or imbecillitie in the Beginning and this is the Everlasting Sonne very God of very God begotten of the substance of His Father alone before the worlds neither made nor created Thirdly there is Principium principiatum non principians that is a Beginning which is also begun but is not a beginner unto another lest there should be a processe into Infinitie à parte pòst and this is the Holy-Ghost who proceedeth from the very substance and Being of the Father and the Sonne and is with them one GOD coëternall and coëquall But you will say Is not the Holy-Ghost a Beginner unto any other how is He then the Authour of our consolation and how is He said to lead us into all truth c Vnderstand what I meane He is not a beginner unto any other of the same Infinite Essence or Being with Himselfe For the beginnings
from heaven Yet this prooves not that the body of Christ was not taken from His mother but rather that as wee are stained with originall sinne by Adam so are wee washed and clensed by the blood of Christ for so it followes Verse 49. As we have borne the image of the earthly we shall also beare the image of the heavenly And although it be said The second man is the Lord from heaven yet prooves it not that He brought His body from heaven but rather because wee understand nothing of heavenly things but by bodily likenesses therefore is Hee called the man from heaven to signifie that new manner of being which God had with us in our nature and to assure us that Hee our Redeemer is our eternall God able to save us and man with us that doeth pitie our miseries 3. The Heresies of Apelles are refuted by Epiphanius Haer. 44. briefly and plainely but this which concernes the body of our Lord more fully by Tertullian in his Booke De carne Christi You shall have what I held fit to gather from both or to adde thereto The arguments of Apelles are in part all one with those of Valentin already answered The rest are these that follow 1. If the Angels appeared in flesh not taken from mankinde much more might Christ But the first is true therefore the later Answer The consequence in the Proposition is not good For the Angels came not to die therefore not to be borne as our Lord Hinselfe appeared to Abraham not borne of a woman because the time appointed that He should die was not yet But when the fulnesse of the time was come that He by His death should take away the sinnes of the world then God sent His Sonne made of a woman Besides this they are beside the question For to proove their Pofition that Christ tooke His body of the Starres and Elements they ought to proove that the Angels also tooke such bodies But that they cannot proove For if the Angels made themselves that which by nature they were not why might they not doe it by that which was not 2. It is said Matth. 12.48 Who is my mother and who are my brethren If then Christ had no mother or brethren but in that spirituall kindred of them which kept the word of God He had no body taken of the Virgin Answer No man would have told Him that His mother stood without which did not know that snee was His mother Therefore the circumstances and time of His speech must be observed He was now in the businesse of God His Father for whom all earthly parents must be denied as He also answered Luke 2.49 3. But the flesh of sinfull man was an unfit and unworthy dwelling for Him that came to destroy the workes of the devill Answer As sinne the worke of the devill was brought into mankinde by the body and the bodily sences as it appeares Gen. 3.6 The woman seeing that the fruit was good for food and pleasant to sight tooke and did eat it So was it necessary that sinne should be destroyed in the body of that flesh wherein sinne was conceived and wrought Moreover the difference not of the matter which must be one but of the Spirit of sanctification which was in Christ made His body a fit sacrifice for sinne But concerning this unworthinesse alleadged answere was made before Note a ob 1. 3. on Chap. 25. 4. But if He had flesh like ours Hee should have beene begotten like us Answer The consequence is not good as was shewed before Note a § 2. on Chap. 26. 5. If the flesh of Christ were the same with ours the common accidents of both should be alike so that our flesh should forthwith rise againe like His or His like ours bee resolved to dust Answer When our Lord had fully satisfied the Iustice of God for the sinne of mankinde it had beene agianst Iustice that He which had done no sinne should have still continued under the power of death and therefore impossible Act. 2.24 But our bodies doe therefore still rest in hope because all His enemies are not subjected unto Him among which the last is death 1. Cor. 15.26 Therefore for conclusion of this point over and above those reasons which you had in the twentieth Chapter and the authorities in the end of the three and twentieth Chapter and these which are heere already cited take that of Eph. 5.30 We are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones So that if we know or beleeve that we our selves have a body of flesh and bones we must also know that our Lord had a true naturall and humane body as one of us Which authority is yet of so much the greater regard because it was prophesied in Paradice Gen. 2.22 That our Redeemer should be incarnate that in the body of His flesh through death He might present us holy and unblameable Col. 2.22 For seeing the children are partakers of flesh and blood Hee also Himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death Hee might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Heb. 2.14 Reade the Chapter from verse 5. unto the end and see how many arguments you find to this purpose onely The fancies therefore of these Hereticks being lighter than vanity it will follow that all those opinions which might seeme to bee raised there-from were as false as foolish As first that of Celsas That the body of Christ was not subject to paine and griefe Against which Saint Origen disputes lib. 2. Cont. Cels For as for that Stoicall vnsufferance of His mind which Clemens Alex. Strom. lib. 7. thought not to bee subject either to joy or sorrow it was onely an over-sight in so learned a Writer and directly contrary to the Text of the Scripture Iohn 11.35 Matth. 26.38 where Iesus wept and was exceeding sorrowfull even unto death And concerning the joy of His Spirit See Luke 10.21 Secondly that of Saturnilus That Christ did suffer onely in shew Epiph. Haer. 23. Thirdly that of the neat-heard Basilides who taught that Simon of Cyrene was crucifyed in Christs stead Epiph. Har. 24. Of all which if any thing were true what thanks were due to Him from vs when He had suffered nothing for our sakes 2. How are wee freed from that damnation under which we were brought through the sinne of Adam while the Divine Iustice is yet unsatisfied 3. And if Christ have not suffered for vs what example hath He left unto vs that wee should follow his steps 4. Wee that are the Disciples should bee above our Master-our patience more then His our love to Him more then His to vs If wee for His sake should willingly suffer persecution shame losse imprisonment death which He Himselfe had not suffered for vs. And 5. It had been utterly to no end that He should have become man For as it had been in vaine for Him to have taken a