onely affirmes that there being but onely one true God the Father is he he denies not but that the Son and so the Holy Ghost is so also even as when he addes and one Lord Jesus he only affirmes Jesus to be the only Lord he denies not but that the Father is so likewise Vse 1. Thus the truth of the Doctrine concerning Christs Divinity and consubstantiality with the Father being sufficiently demonstrated and vindicated here we may see and ought to consider the excellency of Christ and so learn to give him the glory due unto his Name We cannot honour the Father except we in like manner honor Christ also he being one and the same in substance and Godhead with the Father That all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Joh. 5. 23. Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 Joh. 2. 23. The Jewes both now and of old have vilified and despised Christ He came unto his own and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. For the most part they did not yet some did as the Evangelist there immediately after sheweth And so the Iewish writings testifie that some of the ancient Rabbines have spoken very honourably of Christ and indeed have said that of him which shewes that they believed him to be God though the later Rabbines reciting their words indeavour to pervert the meaning of them descanting upon those words which are meant of Christ Abrabaneel in Isaiam Esa 52. 12. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high they say that Christ should be exalted above Abraham and extolled above Moses and be higher then the Angels And in the new Testament the dignity of Christ is thus comparatively set forth by preferring him to all these to Abraham when the Iews said unto Christ Art thou greater then our Father Abraham Ioh. 8. 53. Christ answered v. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and saw it and was glad And v. 58. Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am So to Moses For this man Christ was counted worthy of more glory then Moses inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour then the house And Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a servant for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken after But Christ as a Son over his own house c. Heb. 3. 3 5 6. And so to the Angels Christ is likewise preferred to them Being made so much better then the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they For to which of the Angells said God at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And againe I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son And again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 4 5 6. But not only the Iews and such like professed infidells and enemies of Christ but also many that have professed themselves Christians have impugned his Divinity and Equality with the Father so robbing him of the glory due unto his Name Thus Arrius and Photinus with their followers of old and Servetus and others of late and some even at this day And therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware least ye also be carried away with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and for ever Amen 2 Pet. 3. 17 18. Vse 2. Here again we may see what cause we have to trust in Christ as a most sure Redeemer and Saviour with that courage and confidence in all our troubles and distresses whatsoever whether inward or outward we may come unto Christ and unto God by Christ that we may have help from him and by him he being such a Mediator betwixt God and Man as is not only Man but also God coessentiall and coequall with the Father Hence it is and must needs be that he is a stone a medstone a precious corner stone a sure foundation See before Serm. 9. Esa 28. 16. mighty to save Esa 63. 1. a horn of salvation Luk. 1. 69. able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Chrst Jesus Heb. 3. 1. Seeing then we have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 14 16. THE ELEVENTH SERMON MAT. 1. 20. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost IN the two Verses going before S. Matthew relates how Mary being espoused unto Joseph before they came together was found with child which Joseph not knowing how it came to passe was so troubled at that he thought to put her away though privily But as he addes in this Verse God by his Angell let him know that he had no reason to be troubled as he was nor to to take such a course as he intended for though Mary was with child yet it was far otherwise then he suspected even by the miraculous power of the Holy Ghost working in her But while he thought on these things behold the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Josph thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost In this last part of the Verse which I am only to insist upon we have first Who it was that conceived Christ viz. Mary the wife of Ioseph he was conceived in her Secondly how she conceived him viz. not by any naturall and ordinary means but by the supernaturall and extraordinary power of God For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost First therefore let us observe from hence That Doct. 1 Mary the wife of Joseph was the Mother of Christ our Saviour He was conceived in her and so in her as that he was conceived of her that is of her substance It 's said of Christ that he took upon him the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. And that according to the flesh he was raised up of the fruit of Davids loines Acts 2. 30. But this could not be except that Christ did receive the substance of his body from Mary who did descend from Abraham and from David A more direct testimony to this Geen 3. 15 Christ is called the seed of the woman purpose is that Gal. 4. 4. where it 's said of Christ that he was made of a woman which
sins 1 John 2. 1 2. He is with the Father for he is ascended up to the Father and therefore we may be sure that the Father will be propitious to us for his sake Seeing then we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 14. 16. So Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us thorough the vail that is to say his flesh And having an High Priest over the house of God let us draw neare with a true heart in full assurance of faith 2. It also affords unto us a ground of assurance that we belonging unto Christ and being his shall ascend into heaven For the Head being ascended the members must in due time ascend also the head and the members must be together Where I am there shall also my servant be saith Christ Joh. 12. 26. And Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be where I am And Joh. 14. ◠3. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also The Apostle speaks of our ascension as a thing already effected and wrought by Christs ascension God he saith hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 6. Thus Christs Ascension serves to comfort us in all adversity and to take away the fear of death yea to make death desirable seeing it will but convey us thither whither Christ is gone before to prepare a place for us Therefore we are alwaies confident saith the Apostle knowing that while we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith and not by sight We are confident I say willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 6 7 8. And so Phil. 1. 23. Desiring to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Vse Lastly the ascension of Christ serves to admonish us to ascend thither spiritually whither Christ is ascended corporally to have our hearts and affections in heaven where Christ is Why seek ye the living among the dead He is not here but is risen said the Angells to those that came to seek Christ in the Sepulchre Luk. 24. 5 6. So Why seek we Christ among the things of the earth He is not here but is ascended Therefore if we seek Christ let us seek those things that are above where Christ is let us set our affections on things above and not on things that are upon the earth Col. 3. 1 2. As Christ is in heaven so our conversation also must be in heaven Phil. 3. 20. The two and twentieth SERMON HEB. 12. 2. And is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God THe Apostle v. 1. exhorts to patience and perseverance in the way of holinesse Let us run with patience or patient continuance as the word there used is rendred Rom. 2. 7. the race 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is set before us And this exhortation he inferreth from the examples of the Saints mentioned in the 11. Chapter Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run c. Then he further inforceth the exhortation from the example of Christ who above all is to be followed v. 2. Looking unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him indured the Crosse despising the shame that is for the blessed and happy estate that he was to enter into after his passion he was well content to suffer as he did And then he goes on shewing that Christs expectation was not in vain but that he obtained the glory and happinesse which he looked for And is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God that is of God sitting in his Throne He speaks of God as a King in his Throne and so Christ sitting at the right hand of God is said to sit at the right hand of the Throne of God Hence then let us observe this point That Doct. Christ after his Passion and humiliation not only rose from the dead and ascended into heaven but also sate down at the right hand of God Christs resurrection was the beginning of his exaltation his ascension was a higher degree of it and his sitting at the right hand of God yet higher then both and the highest that may be This degree of exaltation is peculiar unto Christ whereas the other are common to him with his members They shall all rise from the dead and ascend up to heaven David is not ascended into the heavens saith Peter Act. 2. 34. As yet David is not ascended in respect of the body to which ascension properly belongs but he shall ascend and so all the Saints likewise they shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 17. But besides Christ none ever did or shall sit at the right hand of God this honour is not communicable to any other whether man or Angell For to which of the Angels said God at any time sit on my right hand Heb. 1. 13. Now that Christ doth sit at the right hand of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God it is most clear as by the Text in hand so by many other places of Scripture As Heb. 1. 3. When he had by himself purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high And Heb. 8. 1. We have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens And Heb. 10. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God So S. Mark testifies of Christ that he was received up into heaven and sate on the right hand of of God Mar. 16. 19. And this Christ himselfe did fore-tell Luke 22. 69. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God And David did prophecy of it long before saying The LORD said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right Hand untill I make thine Enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. which words were spoken concerning Christ as Christ himselfe hath shewed Mat. 22. 41 42 43 44 45. And so S. Peter Acts 2. 34 35. And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes c. 1. v. 13. But now let us see what is meant by Christs
21 That he might fill all things with his spirituall presence power which he doth since his ascension shew forth otherwise then he did before Or it may be read as the Margent hath it that he might fulfill all things viz. which were prophecied and fore-told of him as the Apostle shewed immediately before that this was that Christ should ascend upon high and therefore he did ascend that as other things so this Prophecie and prediction concerning him might be fulfilled From the words thus explicated I observe Doct. onely this one point That Christ after his Death and Resurrection did ascend up into heaven Christs ascension was prophecied by David Psal 68. 18. Thou hast ascended up on high This was spoken concerning Christ as the Apostle testifieth Eph. 4. 8. Christ also himself did fore-tell his ascension Joh. 6. 62. What and if you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before And Joh. 20. 17. Iesus saith unto her viz. Mary Magdalenâ— to whom he shewed himself after his Resurrection Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend to my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God Divers of the Evangelists do also record Christs ascension He was received up into heaven Mar. 16. 19. He was parted from them viz. his Disciples and was carried up into heaven Luk. 24. 51. While they beheld he was taken up Acts 1. 9. S. Luke also relates the circumstances of Christs ascension As 1. The time when he ascended viz. forty daies after his resurrection To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty dayes and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. where he giveth two reasons why Christ did continue so long upon earth after his resurrection before he ascended into heaven viz. 1. To confirme unto his Disciples his resurrection and to assure them of the truth of it 2. To instruct them in things pertaining to the Kingdom of God 2. The place where viz. Bethany And he led them out as far as to Bethany c. Luk. 24. 50. Now Joh. 11. 1. it 's said that Bethany was the Town of Mary and her sister Martha that is the towne where they dwelt and had their abode in which sense Bethsaida is called the City of Andrew and Peter Joh. 1. 44. Yet it seems that the place where Christ ascended was not the town called Bethanie but the Tract of Mount Olivet where the Town stood For it is said Acts 1. 12. That the Disciples who were with Christ at his ascension immediately after he was ascended returned unto Ierusalem from the Mount called Olivet It is not likely that Christ would be in a Town when he ascended for then all promiscuously would have seen his ascension whereas only his Disciples were Spectators of it Neither is it said Luk. 24. 50. that Christ led them to Bethanie and there ascended but that he led them out viz. from Jerusalem as farre as Bethanie S. Luke ch 19. v. 29. tells us that as Christ went to his Passion he went by Bethanie so that by the same place by which he went to his Passion he had his ascension And Bethany also signifies as much as the house of affliction if we will ascend up to our Fathers house to heaven it must be by Bethany the house of affliction We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. 22. 3. The manner how he ascended And it came to passe while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven Luke 24. 51. Thus having loved his own that were in the world he loved them to the end Joh. 13. 1. At the very last moment of his abiding here upon earth he blessed those that were with him and in them us and all that belong unto him As he said Ioh. 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word So neither did he blesse them alone but them also which through their word believe in him Again for the manner of Christs ascension it is said Acts 1. 9. That while they his Disciples beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight So that Christ did ascend visibly and there were eye-witnesses of his ascension and lest they should have imagined that their senses were deluded or any way have doubted of the truth of Christs ascension two Angels from heaven in the likenesse of men appeared unto them both to confirm Christs ascension into heaven and also to shew that he was not so ascended but that he shall at length come againe viz. at the last judgement And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell which also said ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven Act. 1. 10. 11. Ob. Some may here object that Joh. 3. 13. The Son of man which is in heaven If Christ then being upon earth were in heaven how could he ascend into heaven Answ Yes being in heaven even when he was upon earth as God he might neverthelesse and did as man ascend into heaven Christ consisting of two natures the divine and the humane something belongs unto him in respect of the one nature and something in respect of the other In respect of his divine nature he is every where in respect of his humane he is onely in one place at one time The man Christ yet not as man but as God was in heaven at the same time that he was upon earth On the other side Christ being God yet not as God but as man left the earth and went up to heaven There are many reasons why Christ ascended into heaven 1. As he came from heaven to work our Redemption so having finished the work which he Reasons of Christs Ascension had to do it was meet that he should return thither from whence he came I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father said he Joh. 16. 28. And Joh. 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was 2. After Christs humiliation was to follow his exaltation as Christ himself shewed Luk. 24. 26. And so Paul Phil. 2. 8 9. Now as Christs Resurrection was the first step of his exaltation so his Ascension was another step and a further degree of it 3. Thus Christ made it appear that as he told Pilate his Kingdom is not of this world Joh.
barbarous but it knowes that there is a God It 's observed that even such as are sine Rege sine Lege without Magistrates and without Lawes yet are not sine Religione altogether without Religion Idolaters that worship a false God shew that they believe there is a God they are ignorant indeed of the onely true God and therefore they worship a false God instead of him yet this they assure themselves of that there is a God or else they would worship none at all So that as Calvin well observes even Idolatry it selfe is hujus conceptionis amplum documentum Calv. â—â—st l 1. c. 3. an ample token and testimony of this conception that there is a God 2. There are many wayes whereby the Heathens having only the light of nature did yet Tul. de Nat. Deor see this that there is a God Tullie mentioneth four wayes by which they came to be convinced of this and which is observable I find all those mentioned in Scripture as so many evictions of a Deity 1. The fore-knowledge of things to come viz. things that have no necessary dependence upon secondary causes but in that respect are altogether contingent though the predictions of the Heathens were generally such as did not argue a divine power yet the argument in it selfe is good and sufficient to convince an Athiest It is certain that things in respect of inferiour causes meerly contingent have been foreshewed long before they came to passe The Prophet Isaiah prophecied of Cyrus by name though he died long before Cyrus was borne so Esa 44. 28. 45. 1. 1 King 13 2. did another Prophet in like manner of Josiah Now this knowledge of things to come is peculiar unto God neither can any have it but as inspired by God By this argument God proves himselfe to be the true God and the gods of the Heathens to be Idolls vanity and nothing Produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring forth and shew us what shall happen let them shew the former things what they be that we may consider them and know the latter end of them or declare us things to come shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods Isa 41. 21 22 23. And again Isa 43. 9. Let all the Nations be gathered together and let the people be assembled who among them can declare this and shew us former things viz. before they happen as God shewed them by his Prophets as Kimchi a Jewish Rabbin upon the place doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi ad loc well expound it Men and Devils may ghesse at things to come but not certainly and infallibly know them The Chaldeans were famous for Astrologie and divination yet the Prophet Isaiah derides them and those that gave credit to them Stand now saith he to Babylon with thine inchantments and with the multitude of thy Sorceries wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth if so be thou shalt be able to profit if so be thou mayest prevaile Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsells let now the Astrologers the star-gazers the monethly Prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burn them they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame Isa 47. 12 13 14. and v. 11. it 's said that evill should come suddenly upon Babylon that she should not know of before it came upon her so that her Diviners could not only not prevent her and their own destruction but not so much as fore-see it 2. The great benefits which accrue unto men by the temperature of the seasons and the fruitfulnesse of the earth and the abundance of many other commodities and the Scripture shewes this also to be a good argument to prove that there is a God The Apostle saith that when God did not vouchsafe his Word unto men yet neverthelesse he left not himself without witnesse in that saith he he did good giving us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse Acts 14. 17. 3. Thunder pestilence earthquake and such like terrifying and destroying accidents so the Scripture also notes this as one means whereby God doth make himselfe known The God of glory thundereth saith David Psal 29. 3. and divers times in that Psalme he calleth thunder Gods voice by it God speaks unto men and proclaimes unto them that there is a God It 's said of Caligula the Romane Emperour that though he were otherwise most monstrous and would needs make himself a God yet he were so affrighted with thunder that he would run under a bed to hide himself this voice of the Lord did make him know that there is one who is not a meer titular God or a God only by usurpation and presumption but a God indeed So all the fearfull judgements that are in the world demonstrate that there is a God The Lord is knowne by the judgement that he executeth saith the Psalmist Psal 9. 16. 4. The constant and uniform motion of the celestiall bodies the variety beauty and order of these and other things in the world If saith Tullie thou shouldst come into a stately and beautifull Tul. ubi supra Palace curiously composed exquisitly adorned and richly furnished and shouldst see nothing in it but cats or weazells or the like thou wouldst never imagine that it was framed and fashioned by those creatures but wouldst assure thy self that there was some man by whom it was built and put into that form that it is in So all must needs acknowledge that there is a God who made this great and glorious house the world man could never do it No as one saith man could never raise such a roof as heaven nor lay such a floore as earth Thus also David tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Psal 19. 1. and Paul that the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead Rom. 1. 20. To these arguments I will adde but one more and that is drawn from mans conscience There is a conscience in man which upon occasion will accuse or excuse Their conscience also bearing witnesse saith the Apostle and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or else excusing one anonher Rom. 2. 15. though no man els be able to accuse a man yet conscience will do it A notable example to this purpose is that of Josephs brethren whose consciences a long time after accused them of selling their brother when none besides themselves and Joseph whom they then little imagined to be within hearing knew of it Gen. 42. 21 22. Seneca therefore saith excellently Quid refert neminem scire cùm tu seias What
dissemble that the adversaries of the Doctrine concerning the Trinity do except against this place as not written by S. John nor any part of the Scripture and they have some colour for this exception For it is confessed that in some Greek copies these words are not extant nor in the Syriack Translation which is ancient and of good account as likewise that Chrysostome and some other ancient writers in their Commentaries upon the Epistle make no mention of these words which argues that they did not find them in those books which they perused But to this I answer 1. That this Text for the matter contained in it fully agrees with other places of Scripture so that although this Text were not yet the truth which it containeth may otherwise sufficiently be proved 2. Those words in the Verse following in earth shew that these words in the seventh Verse are genuine and not to be omitted for those words in that Verse in earth answer to these in this Verse in heaven 3. Most of the Greek copies have this Text in them and so hath the vulgar Latine Translation Hierome also as ancient as Chrysostome reads it as part of the Epistle and so doth Cyprian Cyprian de vint Eccles one more ancient then them both neither doth it appear that these words were ever questioned untill after such time as the Arrian Heresie impugning the Divinity of Christ was growne up so that it is most probable that as Hierome and others conceive these words were scraped out by the Arrians as making sore against them and so came to be wanting in some copies and to be omitted by some Commentators The Heresie of the Arrians for a while prevailed Ingemuit orbis se miratus est factum esse Arrianum Hieron much and bore great sway in the world especially in the Eastern parts of it And it hath been the wicked policy and practice of Heretikes to expunge such places of Scripture as were most pregnant against them which they might do in some copies though not in all Tertullian chargeth Marcion an Arch-heretike with this crime and thereupon calls him the Mouse of Pontus the Countrey of which Marcion was because like a Mouse he gnawed the Scriptures and cut away some part of them so farre as he was able Gods prooidence and goodnesse towards his Church is to be admired in preserving the Scripture notwithstanding all the machinations and devices of heretiques and other professed adversaries to abolish it And thus much for the vindication of the Text. I will not stand about the coherence of the words but something must be said for the explication of them There are three viz. three Persons which are presently after expressed that beare witnesse in heaven viz. to the truth spoken of v. 6. namely that Christ came both by water and blood both to sanctifie and to justifie and to be a perfect Saviour of his people from their sins by taking away both the staine and the guilt of them The Father the first person of the Trinity so called in reference to the second Person commonly called the Son The Word that is the Son the second Person of the Trinity for that is here meant by the Word Thus also the second Person is termed Joh. 1. 1. 14. and Revel 19. 13. For there by the Word of God is not meant the Word of God either written or spoken but the substantiall Word Christ the Son of God the second Person of the sacred Trinity as is evident there by the context why the second Person is called the Word is not so clear by the Scripture divers reasons are alledged and some such as seem over-Philosophicall and too remote from the simplicity of the Scriptures That which seems to have most ground in the Scripture is this that the second Person the Son taking upon him the nature of man became the Interpreter of the Father and as his Word making knowne his will unto men No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1. 18. These words follow but a little after those wherein this only begotten Son is called the Word so Heb. 1. 2. It 's said that in these last times God hath spoken unto us by his Son In this respect may the Son be called the Word or because he is the Word or * In the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is also put for thing and so in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 20. 3 Acts 8. 21 5. 6. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk ◠thing so much spoken of by the Prophets To him give all the Prophets witnesse Act. 10. 43. Howsoever this is clear and this may suffice that by the Word both in the Text and elsewhere in the Scripture the Son is meant And the Holy Ghost The third Person of the Trinity called the Spirit the holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost God as God is a Spirit Joh. 4. 24. and so is holy and therefore this appellation of Spirit and holy Spirit or Holy Ghost belongs also to the Father and to the Son yet it is more peculiarly attributed and in a manner appropriated to the third Person why it is so I will not now stand to inquire And these three are one Some most Orthodox expound it thus agree in one as it is expressed of those other three that beare witnesse in earth v. 8. And this is true yet the phrase used here differing from that which is used v. 8. I see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 8. not that they are to be taken as equivalent and importing both one and the same thing some one or two copies indeed are said here to have the same phrase as v. 8. but generally it is otherwise Unum sunt not in unum and so Cyprian read it are one not agree in one and he was before the time of Arrius by whom or by some of whose sect probably this place was either razed out or corrupted This therefore is the meaning of the words and so much the phrase imports that these are essentially and substantially one that they are one essence and one substance one God This Exposition is agreeable to other places of Scripture to the words themselves and is generally imbraced From the words thus explicated there ariseth Doct. this Doctrine That the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are three distinct Persons yet but one and the same God First they are three dictinct Persons differing each from other so that the Father is not the Son nor the Holy Ghost neither is the Son the Holy Ghost they are clearly distinguished Mat. 3. 16 17. And Jesus when he was baptized went up straitway out of the water and loe the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him And loe a voyce from heaven
saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Here we have the first Person the Father who spake from heaven as is plaine by those words My beloved Son He who hath a son must needs be a father We have here also the second Person the Son of whom the Father spake and who is expresly mentioned And so also is the third Person the Spirit the holy Spirit or Holy Ghost who came down in the likenesse of a Dove All these three are here so described and set forth as that they plainly appeare to be distinct each from other So the distinction of the Father and the Son is evident from that 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. where it 's said that God sent his Son by God there must needs be meant the Father and the Person sending must needs be distinct from the Person sent so consequently the Father and the Son are two dictinct Persons And by the same reason so are also the Father and the Holy Ghost for the Father sends the Holy Ghost is sent The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send c. Joh. 14. 26. And so also the Son and the Holy Ghost are by this reason proved to be two distinct Persons the Son being the Person sending and the Holy Ghost the Person sent I will send him unto you saith Christ speaking of the Comforter that is the Holy Ghost Joh. 16. 7. How these three Persons are distinguished one from another is not so necessary to be known as that they are distinguished neither may we be over-curious to inquire into it but thus much the Scripture doth manifest unto us concerning the distinction of these divine Persons that the Father is from none the Son is from the Father and the Holy Ghost both from the Father and the Son This is cleare from the places already alledged 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. Joh. 14. 26. 16. 7. And this is sufficient to shew not only that they are distinguished but also how they are distinguished Secondly as they are three distinct Persons so they are one the same God This appears by that Mat. 28. 19. Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost except the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost were each of them God we might not baptize nor be baptized in their Name For it is not lawfull to baptize or be baptized in the Name of any but God Were ye baptized in the name of Paul 1 Cor. 1. 13. And again v. 14 15. I thank God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius least any should say that I had baptized in mine owne name Paul we see abhorred this as most vile sacriledge as a robbing of God of his honour that any should be baptized in his name So that prayer 2 Cor. 13. 24. The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all that also proves these three Persons each one of them to be God for prayer is to be made only unto God Call upon me Psal 50. 15. Now if they be each one of them God then there being no more Gods then one they must needs be one and the same God The Godhead of the Father is confessed by all the Godhead of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I shall prove more fully and distinctly hereafter in their places this proof may suffice for the present Vse Seeing therefore this mystery of Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity of three Persons being one God and one God three Persons seeing I say this is revealed unto us in the Scriptures let us not doubt of the truth of it much lesse deny it but let us firmly assent unto it and believe it Let us not say as Nicodemus did in Joh. 3. another case How can these things be There are many things in Religion which are above reason though not against reason Surely it is the greatest reason that can be that we should believe God concerning himself For can we know God better then he doth himself And shall we not then believe what God doth say and testifie of himself We are not able to comprehend how it is well but let us believe that it is because so much is revealed Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but things revealed unto us Deut. 29. 29. There are many things in nature the reason whereof we know not yet do we not therefore doubt of the things themselves though we cannot tell how they came to be so yet we are assured that so they be The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth Joh. 3. 8. Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child Eccles 11. 5. Scrutaeri hoc temeritas est credere pietas nesse verò vita vita aeterna est Bern. de Consid l. 5. c. 8. Bernard speaking of this mystery saith well To inquire into it above what is revealed is rashnesse to believe it is piety to know it is life even life eternall THE FIFTH SERMON GEN. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God GOd being to make a solemne Coveant with Abraham and so both to promise all manner of blessings unto him and to require sincere and intire obedience of him premiseth this that he is God Almighty that so Abraham might be incited both to obey him and to trust in him The Almighty God In the Originall it is El Shaddai which are two names of God and both of them import might and power El is a name of God as may appear by that Eli Eli c. Mat. 26. 46. that is My God my God c. The word doth signifie as much as might or power as it 's rendered Mic. 2. 1. or mighty as Ezek. 31. 11. And thus when it is used as the Name of God Aquila a Greek Interpreter renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mighty As for the other word Shaddai some derive it from Shadad to wast and destroy as if the word imported thus much that as God by his Almighty power made all things so by the same power he is able to destroy all Joel 1. 15. As a destruction from the Almighty shall it come in the Hebrew there is an elegant Paromasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ceshod misshaddai Others take the word as compounded of asher dai that is that is sufficient as if God were therefore called Shaddai because he hath all sufficiency in himself hath no need of any other but is able to supply the wants of all Neither is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Act. 17. 25. The Greek Interpreters called the Septuagint or Seventie sometimes translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that
falsa sint Aug. contra Faust lib. 26. cap. 5. saith If God be Almighty let him cause that those things which are done should not be done he sees not that he saith if God be Almighty let him cause that those things which are true in that they are true should be false Quae implicant contradictionem c. convenientius est dicere quod ca non possunt fieri quà m quòd ca Deus non possit facere Aquin. par 1. qu. 25. art 3. Concerning things of this nature it is more meet as Aquinas acutely observes to say that they cannot be done then that God cannot do them that is the reason why God cannot do such things is in the impossibility of their nature not in any defect of Gods power Thus then God is Almighty in that he can do all things which do not imply either contradiction or imperfection Now if God be Almighty able to do whatsoever he pleaseth then let us not doubt of any thing that he hath spoken but though it may seem never so strange yet let us be assured of the truth of it Why should it seem a thing incredible with you that God should raise again the dead said the Apostle Act. 26. 8. So Christ told the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection of the dead that they erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. 29. Whatsoever it be that God hath promised let us assure our selves that it shall be fulfilled let us take heed of calling into question the power of God as that noble man did who when in a time of most great scarcity the Prophet Elisha fore-told most great plenty and that to happen the very next day after said Behold if the Lord should make windowes in heaven might this thing be 2 King 7. 1 2. whereupon the Prophet told him that he should see it with his eyes but should not tast of it and so as the storie shews it came to passe for when that plenty happened he being appointed of the King to keep the gate was trodden on by the people and so died So the Israelites in the wildernesse questioned whether God were able to supply their wants saying Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse Can he provide flesh for his people Psa 78. 19 20. In speaking thus it 's said they spake against God It is a great indignity unto God to speak or think so of him as if his power were limited as if there were any thing above his reach or without the sphere of his activity yet which may make us take the more heed unto our selves even the godly themselves are subject thus to distrust Gods power Sarah hearing the Lord to promise that she should bear Abraham a son laughed at it as thinking it could not be that Abraham and she being both so old as they were should yet have a child Gen. 18. 10 11 12. So when God told Moses that he would give the Israelites in the wildernesse flesh to eat and that for a moneth together it seems that Moses did doubt of Gods ability to perform this promise The people among whom I am said he are six hundred thousand foot-men and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth Shall the flocks and the heards be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them That Moses did not meerly inquire how this should be done but did even doubt how it could be done may appeare by Gods answer unto him And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lords hand waxed short Thou shalt see whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not Num. 11. 21 22 23. Thus also again when the people murmuring for water God bad Moses and Aaron speak unto the Rock and it should powre forth water Moses instead of speaking to the Rock smote it twice which God commanded not and spake to the people saying Heare now ye rebells must we fetch you water out of this Rock As if he should say Is this a likely thing to be done And yet God had plainly said unto him that it should be done it is evident both by his speech and by his action and most of all by Gods words following after that both he and Aaron did doubt of that which God had said should be Num. 20. 8 9 10 11. And so Zacharias the Father of John the Baptist when the Angell told him that he should have a son could not believe it because he was old and his wife also stricken in years Luk. 1. 18. These examples shew how apt the godly are to faile in the beliefe of this point touching Gods Almighty power But let 's beware of this evill heart of unbelief for it much provokes God as appears by these very examples now alledged How he punished the noble man for his incredulity was noted before Sarah also did not passe without a check Gen. 18. 13. Moses and Aaron were likewise reproved and not onely so but also debarred from entring into Canaan Numb 20. 12. 24. Deut. 32. 48 49 50 51. so Zacharias was immediately stricken dumb and was no more able to speak untill such time as he saw the accomplishment of Gods promise which he had doubted of Luke 1. 19 20. No maryell if God be thus provoked by mans unbeliefe For it makes Gods a liar 1 Joh. 5. 10. And what greater dishonor can be done unto God then this On the other side it 's said that Abraham gave glory unto God when as against hope he believed in hope c. and being not weak in faith he considered not his owne body now dead when he was about a hundred yeers old nor the deadnesse of Sarahs womb and staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith and fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to performe Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. Vse 2. But secondly let us be sure to get interest in God that he may be our God For otherwise what are we the better though his power be never so great If we be aliens from him what comfort can this afford unto us But if the Almighty be ours what can we want What moved the Septuagint here in the Text instead of God Almighty to render thy God and in like manner they also interpret the word in other places I cannot tell but sure I am except he be thy God and my God it will availe us nothing that he is God Almighty Tolle meum tolle Deum take away our propriety in God and take away God we are as if there were no God in respect of any benefit that we can expect from him even without God in the world as it is said of the Gentiles Ephes 2. 12. David incouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. had not the Lord been his God how could he have
built so the great house of the world that comprehends all things in it had God for the builder or maker of it Hence then the conclusion is this That God is Doct. he who made all things In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth saith Moses Gen. 1. 1. And then he shews distinctly how all the severall kinds of creatures were made of God So Neh. 9. 6. Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their host the Earth and all things that are therein the Seas and all that is therein And Revel 4. 11. Thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Moses writing of the Creation makes no expresse mention of the Angels It seems that his purpose was onely to expresse the Creation of things visible yet they may be implicitly mentioned in the word Heaven thereby being meant all things in heaven all the host of heaven as it is expressed Gen. 2. 1. Neh. 9. 6. Now by the host of heaven are meant both the Sun Moon and Stars Deut. 4. 19. and also the Angels 1 King 22. 19. Howsoever though it be not so cleare when the Angels were created yet the Scripture is expresse for this that they were created and that they also as all other things are Gods creatures Praise ye him all his Angells Let them praise the Name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created Psa 148. 2. 5. By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers c. Col. 1. 16. The light of naturall reason is sufficient to demonstrate that God made the world the heaven and earth and all things therein for whatsoever is must either be of it self or be made by some other if it be of it self then it is God for only God is of himself if it be made by some Quòd Deus mundum fecerit nulli tutius crededimus quà m ipsi Deo Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 11. c. 4. Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa other then either by God immediately or by that which was made by God so that either immediately or mediately all things are of him But as Austine saith that God made the world we do not more safely believe any then God himself His testimony is above all other arguments and ratiocinations whatsoever Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God Heb. 11. 3. The work of the Creation is common to all the three Persons To the Father To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things 1 Cor. 8. 6. to the Son All things were made by him Joh. 1. 3. By him were all things created c. Col. 1. 16. to the Holy Ghost The Spirit of God hath made me Job 33. 4. Vse 1. Hence let us see and consider the excellency of God and so give him the glory due unto him God is excellent Psal 8. 1. and because of his excellency he is to be glorified Psal 148. 13. Now Gods excellency appears by the creation of the world the world is a glasse wherein to behold Gods excellency His eternall power and Mundus est speculum Deitatis Godhead are clearly seen from the creation of the world being understood by the things that are made Rom. 1. 20. The heavens declare the glory of God Psal 19. 1. His glory is above the earth and Pulchra terra pulchrum coelum sed pulchrior ille qui fecit illa heaven Psal 148. 13. Whatsoever excellency is in any thing is from God and consequently much more in God and therefore the glory of all must be given unto God For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11. 36. Blessed be thy glorious Name which is exalted above all blessing and above all praise Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made heaven c. Neh. 9. 5 6. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things c. Revel 4. 11. More particularly by the Creation of the world we may see 1. The excellency of Gods power that could make all things of nothing Philosophy tells us that nothing is made of nothing It is true in respect Ex nihilo nihil fit of naturall agents they must have some matter to work upon else they can do nothing But Divinity tells us that all things were made of nothing that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Heb. 11. 3. This is most true in respect of God a supernaturall agent By this God shewes himself to be God doing that which none can do but he One saith excellently If any besides One shall say I am God he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew us such a world as this is and say this is mine of my making The Lord saith David is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods for all the gods of the Nations are Idols but the Lord made the Heavens Psa 96. 4 5. The gods saith Jeremie that have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from under these Heavens He hath made the earth by his power Jer. 10. 11 12. 2. The excellency of Gods wisdome who could make such an infinite variety of creatures and not the least or meanest of them but to have its use and office in the universe He hath established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched out Deus cum sit bonum nullo indigens bono non nisi ex benigno honitatis suae affectu mundum creavit Aug. Confess the heavens by his discretion Jer. 10. 12. 51. 15. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdome hast thou made them all Psal 104. 24. 3. The excellency of Gods goodnesse Thou art good and doest good saith David unto God Psal 119. 68. This was it that moved him to make the world not that he had any need of the creatures for from all eternity he was most blessed and happy in himself but that he might communicate his goodnesse to the creatures The earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord saith David Psal 33. 5. And again The earth is full of thy riches so is this great and wide Sea c. Psal 104. 24 25. Moses saith of the severall things that God made God saw that it was good and of them all collectively that they were very good hereby intimating unto us as Austine observes that there was no Scriptura per omnia Dei opera subjungens Et vidit Deus quia bonum est completisque omnibus inferens Et vidit Deus omnia quae secit ecce bona valdè nullam aliam causam faciendi mundi intelligi voluit nisi ut bona fierent Ã
bono Deo Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 11. cap. 23. Rerum creatarum causa non est nisi bonitas Creatoris Ibid. cap. 21. other cause moving God to make the world but that he being good might make things that are good The goodnesse of the Creator as the same Author speaks is the cause of the creatures 4. Gods eternity He that made all things must needs be before all things he that made all things in the beginning must needs himselfe be without beginning and consequently eternall Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal 90. 2 These excellent attributes of God shine forth and shew themselves in the work of the Creation and therefore let 's take notice of them let 's look upon the world and the creatures in it so as to see God his power wisdome goodnesse and eternity in them and let us praise and glorifie him for them Let us consider 1. That God expects this of us He made all things for himself Prov. 16. 4. that is for his owne glory that we might know and acknowledge so far forth as he is pleased to reveal it the excellency that is in him 2. That the other creatures in their kind do glorifie God by keeping the order in which God hath set them and by ministring matter unto us whereby to praise God Thus the Heavens declare the glory of God Psal 19. 1. and all his works do praise him Psal 145. 10. But we ought to praise and glorifie God not only objectively but effectively as being indued with reason and understanding whereby to do it All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee Psal 145. 10. Gods Saints will do it and so all should do it And even Galen a heathen man admiring Beza in Rom. 1. 20 the frame and composure of mans body could not but praise and extoll the Maker of it for his goodnesse that did move him his wisdome that that did direct him and his power that did inable him to make it so exquisitely as he hath done besides God hath made all the other creatures for us and therefore we are bound to glorifie him as for our selves so for them also When I consider thy Heavens saith David the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him a little lower then the Angells and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have dominion over the workes of thy hands c. Psal 8. 3 4 5 6. But alas how many turne Gods glory into shame as he complaines Psal 4. 2. Instead of glorifying him for the creatures they dishonor him by the creatures setting their hearts and affections on the creatures rather then on him They assemble themselves for corn and wine but they rebell against me saith he Hos 7. 14. Excellent to this purpose is that of Austine Deum ex illis lauda in artificem eorum retorque amorem ne in his quae tibi placent tu displiceas Aug. Confess Take occasion by the creatures to praise God and bring back your love from them to him that made them least in those things which please you you your selves displease God Vse 2. Secondly we must take heed how we judge of the creatures seeing they are Gods creatures The Apostle fore-tells that some would forbid the use of meats which God hath created to be received with thankesgiving 1 Tim. 4. 3 But he addes that every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thankesgiving v. 4. So Rom. 14. 14. I know and I am perswaded saith he by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self c. I feare not saith Austine the uncleannesse of the Non ego immunditiam obsonâ—â— timeo sed immunditiam cupiditatis Aug. Confess meat but the uncleannesse of the appetite The superstition of some is exceeding grosse who think they should be polluted if they should eat a little flesh in Lent or on a Friday though it be Gods creature at one time as well as at another and no more forbidden by him at one time then at another yet they will lie swear c. and fear no pollution See Mar. 7. 14. c. to 23. Vse 3. Thirdly we must have a care how we use the creatures we may use them but we may not abuse them 1 Cor. 7. 31. Vse the world as not abusing it We must use the creatures 1. Soberly Take heed least at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfetting and drunkennesse Luk 21. 34. We must so use the creatures as that we may be more fit to glorifie the Creator and to do him service Whether ye eat or drinke or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. 2. Righteously so as not to oppresse defraud or any way wrong others in the use of them It must be our bread Mat. 6. 11. we must come lawfully by it have a just right to it We command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietnesse they worke and cat their own bread saith the Apostle 2 Thes 3. 12. Bread of deceit saith Solomon is sweet unto a man but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravell Prov. 20. 17. And again to use the creatures righteously is to use them not only not to the hurt of others but also to the good of others viz. so as to succour and relieve others with them He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise Luk. 3. 11. This is a work of righteousnesse Break off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. He hath dispersed abroad See Beza on Mat. 6. 1. and given to the poor and his righteousnesse indureth for ever Psal 112. 9. 2 Cor. 9. 9. Nabal argued like a fool as he was saying Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be 1 Sam. 25. 11. Cast thy bread upon the waters Eccles 11. 1. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry Isa 58. 7. It is not so thine but that thou must communicate to such as stand in need all thou hast is Gods he is the Lord of all and thou art but his steward and therefore must dispense that which he hath committed unto thee not as thou pleasest but as he appointeth As every one hath received the gift so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. 3. Religiously 1. In faith so as to be perswaded of the lawfulnesse of the use
upon the earth regardeth and there is higher then they In a word let us consider this and comfort our selves with this that things do not come to passe by the will and pleasure of men for then indeed we might well fear what should become of us but by the will and pleasure of God who will order all for his own glory and his peoples good The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereat Psal 97. 1. And v. 8. Sion heard and was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgements O Lord. Vse 7. Finally as in respect of the work of Creation so also in respect of the work of preservation and providence God is to be glorified O blessed be thy glorious Name c. say they for thou hast made the Heavens c. and thou preservest them all Neh. 9. 5 6. So David exhorts saying O blesse God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard who holdeth our soul in life c. Psal 66. 8 9. But still we must remember this that we glorifie God not in word and tongue only but in deed and in truth that we praise him with our lives and not with our lips only Let your light so shine forth before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5. 16. THE EIGHTH SERMON ACTS 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved THese words were spoken by Peter being full of the Holy Ghost v. 7. And he spake them of Christ Jesus Christ of Nazareth v. 10. He told the Jewish Rulers that this Christ is he in whom alone is to be found salvation Neither is there salvation in any other c. Salvation There is a temporall salvation that is a deliverance and freedome from some temporall danger as Exod. 14. 13. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is become my salvation There is also eternall salvation which is called the salvation of our soules 1 Pet. 1. 9. This is a deliverance and freedom from eternall miserie Now its true of temporall salvation that there is not salvation in any other but in Christ onely As Christ is God so it 's he and onely he that can save temporally He is the God of salvation Psal 68. 20. In the Originall it is in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of salvations All manner of salvation whatsoever belongs unto him as the author and worker of it So as Christ is Mediator there is no temporall salvation to be expected but in and through him For in him all the promises of God are yea and in him amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. But here in the Text we are to understand eternall salvation which is usually meant where Christ is spoken of as the purchaser and procurer of salvation And so it is said expresly that he is the Author of eternall salvation Heb. 5. 9. and which is equivalent that he hath obtained eternall redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. In any other Or by any other the Greek Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in like the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being oft put for by But here the phrase seems emphaticall implying that salvation is wholly contained in Christ and not to be found any where but in him only Nor any other Name That is Person as Acts 1. 15. The number of names together were about an hundred and twenty of names that is of persons Vnder Heaven This is not referred to those words nor any other name for no other neither under heaven nor in heaven is given unto men whereby to be saved Whom have I in Heaven but thee Psal 73. 25. But we must referre these words to the word given thus There is no other name given under heaven c. Among men The Angels in heaven never sinning needed none to be given among them whereby to be saved neither did God vouchsafe this mercy unto the Angels that sinned and therefore were cast out of heaven God spared not the Angels that sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. This was Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love towards man Tit. 3. 4. To us a child is borne to us a son is given Isai 9. 6. So said the Prophet but not so the Angell not to us but to you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luk. 2. 11. The words hold out unto us this conclusion That Salvation is not to be found in any but in Doct. Christ only Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. 8. He ever was and still is and ever shall be the only Author of salvation none ever were nor are nor ever shall be saved but only in and through Christ Jesus This Doctrine of salvation by Christ only hath been revealed from the beginning of the world throughout all ages though in a different manner and by degrees at first more darkly and sparingly afterwards more clearly and fully Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them ye think to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of me Joh. 5. 39. By the Scriptures he means the Old Testament for as then no part of the New Testament was written And again in the same Chapter v. 46. Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me Moses was the first pen-man of holy Scripture and as Christ himself doth testifie he wrote of Christ And so we find he did and that in his first Book even about the beginning of it He records how immediately after man was fallen Christ was promised to be his Saviour God told the Serpent that the seed of the woman should bruize his head Gen. 3. 15. That is that Christ made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. should destroy the power of that old Serpent the Devill Rev. 20. 2. So also Moses relates how God promised unto Abraham saying And in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed that is in Christ Who took not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. and is called the Son of Abraham Mat. 1. 1. And we may observe how Christ at first was called more generally the seed of the woman but afterward more particularly the seed of Abraham But further all the Prophets did testifie of Christ and of salvation thorough him only This may be seen in the Prophets themselves if we peruse them diligently and compare their writings with the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists But because this would be a long businesse and it would require much time to demonstrate this in that manner I will only produce two or three places of the new Testament where thus much is clearly asserted Zacharias the Father of John the Baptist having
Et jam nativitas non erit si proprietas naturae in nativitate non fuerit Secundum quod ait Quod ex carne nascitur caro est c. non ambiguum est nascenti diversum atque alienum aliquid ab eo ex quo natum sit non inesse Tenet nativitas eam ex qua subsistit naturam Filius Dei non aliud quà m quod Deus est subsistit Universa nativitas non potest non in eâ esse naturâ unde nascitur Hilar. de Trinit lib. 7. Vide etiam ibidem plura in hanc sententiam begotten of God is God even God of God as the ancients have expressed it one the same God with the Father This Argument drawne from hence that Christ is the begotten and the only begotten Son of God Hilary who lived in the time when the Arrians bore great sway Constantius the Emperour siding with them much and often urgeth against the adversaries and opposers of Christs consubstantiality with the Father proving that Christ being begotten as he is of the Father must needs have the same substance with the Father for that universally it holds in every thing that is properly begotten of another that it is of the same nature with that of which it is begotten 2. That Christ is God truly and properly and so one and the same in essence and substance with the Father may appear by comparing places of the Old Testament and of the New together For so we may see that what in the Old Testament is spoken of Jehovah the LORD the only true God that in the New Testament is interpreted of Christ and applied to him as meant of him Numb 21. we read how the Israelites in the wildernesse murmured against God and tempted him and therefore he sent fiery Serpents among them to destroy them The people spake against God c. v. 5. And the Lord sent fiery Serpents among the people c. S. Paul 1 Cor. 10. 9. applies this to Christ and sayes that they tempted him and warnes Christians to take heed of tempting him as they did Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Though it be not expressed as some of them also tempted him viz. Christ yet in no congruity of speech or reason can it be otherwise interpreed And therefore this doth clearly prove that Christ is God the LORD So Psal 68. 18. The Psalmist speaking unto the LORD God as v. 16. 17. do manifest saith Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men This the Apostle shewes to be spoken of Christ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Eph. 4 7 8. So that of David Psal 102. 25 26 27. Of old hast thou O my God v. 24. laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thine hands They shall perish but thou shalt indure yea all of them shall wax old as a garment as a vesture â—â—alt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end That I say is cited Heb. 1. 10 11 12. as meant of Christ And whereas the Prophet Esay saith I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne c. Esa 6. 1. and addeth v. 9 10. that the Lord bad him go and say unto the people Hear ye indeed but understand not c. S. John citing the words of the Prophet saith that he spake them of Christ when he saw his glory Joh. 12. 39 40. 41. And whereas the Lord even he who is God and none else Esa 45. 22. saith I have sworne by my self c. that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear Esa 45. 23. The Apostle shewes this to appertaine to Christ for having said We shall all stand before the Judgement seat of Christ he confirmes it by this For saith he it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God Rom. 14. 10 11. And to that place of Esay doth he allude Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Where speaking of Christ he saith Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and hath given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow c. And that every tongue should confesse that Jesus is the Lord c. 3. Divine attributes such as are proper and peculiar to the only true God are given unto Christ and therefore he is God truly and properly so called eternity immutability omnipotency and omniscience belong only unto God only God is eternall The Psalmist speaks it as a thing proper unto him Before the Mountaines were brought forth or ever thou hadst for 〈…〉 d the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal 90. 2. So God is described by this that he inhabiteth eternity Esa 57. 15. And he is stiled the eternall God Deut. 33. 27. So only God is immutable I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. Thou art the same Psal 102. 27. And onely God is omnipotent able to do all things he is called the Almighty Ruth 1. 20 21. He likewise only is omniscient one that knoweth all things Thou even thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men 1 Kings 8. 39. So that all these Attributes are peculiar unto God yet they all belong unto Christ and are given unto him he is eternall His goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Mic. 5. 2. He is before all things Col. 1. 17. He is the first and the last Rev. 1. 17. So he is immutable to him is it spoken They shall be changed but thou art the same Heb. 1. 12. He also is omnipotent He is able to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3. 21. And he is omniscient He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man Joh. 2. 25. And Jesus knew their thoughts Mat. 12. 25. When Jesus perceived their thoughts c. Luke 5. 22. I am he that searcheth the reins and the hearts it is spoken by Christ Rev. 2. 23. Adde unto the fore-mentioned Attributes immensity which only God is capable of It is proper unto him to fill heaven and earth Jer. 23. 24. yet this also belongs unto Christ The Son of Man which is in heaven Joh. 3. 13. Even then when he was upon earth at the same time he was also in heaven which if he were meer man and not God also had not been possible 4. Divine works are ascribed unto Christ such as none can do but God only It is God that made all things Gen. 1. 1. Yet is it said of Christ that all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was
made Ioh. 1. 3. That by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist Col. 1. 16 17. It is God also that doth preserve all things Neh. 9. 6. Yet this likewise is ascribed unto Christ He upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1. 3. Only God can raise the dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. Rom. 4. 17. Yet this Christ did as the History of the Gospell sheweth and that not instrumentally and ministerially but authoritatively and by his owne power Young man I say unto thee arise Luk 7. 14. Maid arise Luk. 8. 54. Lazarus come forth Ioh. 11. 43. None can forgive sins but onely God Esa 43. 25. yet this Christ did Mar. 2. 5. 12. The Scribes were right in this that none but God can forgive sins viz. authoritatively as Christ did onely in this they were wrong that from a true principle they inferred a false conclusion viz. that therefore Christ taking upon him so to forgive sins was a blasphemer Christ by the miracle which immediately he wrought before their eyes shewed that he was another manner of person then they took him to be and that he had power to forgive sins as he did To redeem and to save are acts properly belonging unto God Esa 49. 26. I the Lord am thy Redeemer and thy Saviour Yet Christ also is our Redeemer and Saviour as the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles every where do shew 5. Divine worship is given unto Christ such as may not be given to any but to God onely When he was a young Infant the Wisemen fell downe and worshipped him Mat. 2. 11. His Disciples seeing him ascend up into heaven they worshipped him Luk. 24. 52. Of him it was said Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1. 6. All these places as the circumstances of them do evince speak of religious worship which is peculiar unto God and may not be given to any meer creature Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Mat. 4. 10. The Angell would not be worshipped by John but bad him give that honor to God and worship him Rev. 19. 10. 22. 9. More particularly Faith and Hope are onely to be in God 1 Pet. 1. 21. yet they are and ought to be in Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me Ioh. 14. 1. Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 11. In him shall the Gentiles trust Rom. 15. 12. Prayer is to be made only unto God Call upon me saith God Psal 50. 15. yet Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost gave this honour unto Christ he prayed unto him saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit Acts 7. 55. 59. Thus both testimonies of Scripture and arguments drawn from Scripture make it most evident that Christ is God truly and properly so called even one and the same God with the Father But divers places there are which may be objected as seeming to make against this truth which therefore are to be cleared that it may appeare that beeing rightly understood they do not make against it Object 1. Mark 13. 32. Christ speaking of the day of Judgement saith Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angells that are in heaven nor the Son but the Father If the Son be ignorant of that which the Father doth know how then is he God consubstantiall and coequall with the Father Answ Some interpret that so as that the Son is said not to have knowne the day of Iudgement because he did not know it so as to make it knowne unto others In which sense the Apostle said I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. But this Exposition cannot be admitted for so neither doth the Father know that day viz. so as make others also know it Therefore the true meaning of the words is that Christ there spake of himself as Man not denying but that in some other respect he did know that which in respect of his humane nature was not known unto him Object 2. But againe when one came unto Christ saying Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternall life Christ said unto him Why callest thou me good There is none good but one that is God Luke 18. 18 19. Here Christ seemes to deny himselfe to be God Answ Not so Christ spake onely in respect of that opinion which he to whom he spake had of him who looked on him as a man and no more neither was it Christs meaning that no meer man may be called good for it is said of Barnabas that he was a good man Acts 11. 24. But his meaning was to teach that when any goodnesse is found in man the praise and glory must be given unto God who alone is essentially good if any besides him be good it is onely by participation from him and therefore the honour is due unto him For of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Rom. 11. 36. Object 3. But may some say Doth not Christ himself confesse himself inferiour to the Father saying My Father is greater then I Ioh. 14. 28. Answ Yes but how not simply and absolutely but only in some sort viz. in respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact ad loc of his humane nature whereby he took upon him the forme of a Servant Phil. 2. 7. but otherwise he was in the forme of God and thought it not robbery to be-equall with God v. 6. That Christ there spake of himself as Man may appear by the words immediately going before I go unto the Father this Christ did as Man for otherwise as God he was then with the Father yea in the Father and the Father in him Joh. 14. 11. 10. 38. Object 4. Againe it may be objected that Christ John 17. 3. speaking to the Father saith thus This is life eternall to know thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ where Christ seems to make his Father only the true God Answ Nay he makes his Father the onely It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true God but there is great difference betwixt these two Propositions The Father is the only true God and Only the Father is the true God The one imports that there is but only one true God and that the Father is this God the other imports that none but the Father is this God which is false for the Son also is this only true God this true God which is only one and so also is the Holy Ghost The same Answer serveth for that 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God the Father The Apostle there
woman was Mary before mentioned he was not only made in her but also made of her so Luk. 1. 42. Christ is called the fruit of her womb which shews that he was as well conceived of her as in her Vse 1. This then confutes that heresie which some of old maintained viz. that Christ did not take a body of the substance of his Mother but brought a body down from heaven and onely passed thorough the womb of his Mother as water passeth thorough a channell This is a most erroneous conceit and flatly repugnant to the Scriptures before alledged and though there be some places which may seem to favour it yet indeed they do not as that 1 Cor. 15. 47. The second man is the Lord from heaven And that Ioh. 3. 13. No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came downe from heaven c. And that Ioh 6. 38. I came down from heaven These places do not import any such thing as that Christ brought a body downe with him from heaven but onely he is said to be from heaven and to come from heaven because as God being in heaven which is called Gods dwelling place 1 King 8. 39. and his throne Esa 66. 1. by his Incarnation being made man he was upon earth and so after a sort came down from heaven Christ as man did not come down from heaven for he was not as man in heaven untill his Ascension That Ioh. 3. 13. The Son of man which is in heaven was spoken of Christ the Son of Man but not as the Son of Man for so he was then when it was spoken upon earth and not in heaven There is in those words that which Divines call a communication of properties that which is proper to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one nature of Christ is attributed unto him being denominated by the other nature Christ as God was then in heaven when he was upon earth for God filleth heaven and earth Ier. 23. 24. And the same Person being both God and Man Christ denominated by his humane nature is said then to have been in heaven though this did agree to him only in respect of his divine nature Christ therefore I say as man did not come downe from heaven neither properly did he come down from heaven as God but only in a Metaphoricall sense in that the divine nature was united to the humane nature The Word was made flesh God was made man and dwelt among us Joh. 1. 14. otherwise properly the divine nature can neither ascend nor descend cannot remove from one place to another because it is immense and infinite Vse 2. But again if Mary were the Mother of our Saviour then surely we have cause to honour her so that we consider and have a care how we honour her those whom God doth honour we also ought to honour Now God did highly honour her whom he vouchsafed to make his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deipara Mother For in that she was the Mother of Christ who is God she was the Mother of God though not as God but as Man We ought therefore to honour her so as to think and speak honourably of her to acknowledge Gods singular favour towards her and to account her blessed Haile thou that art highly favoured said the Angell unto her the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women Luk. 1. 28. So Elizabeth being filled with the Holy Ghost said unto her Blessed art thou among women * Or for blessed c. the particle there is rather causall then copulative as the Hebrew ◠is Isa 64. 5. and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Luk. 1. 41 42. And Mary her self magnifying God for his mercy and goodnesse towards her Behold from henceforth all Generations shall call me blessed For he that is mighty hath done to me great things Luk. 1. 48 49. But here we must take heed least we exceed and go beyond our bounds as the Papists do who will needs give unto Mary the honour which is no way due nor may be given unto her For first they hold that she was conceived without originall sin of which more anon 2. That for her merits she became the Mother of our Saviour whereas besides that none can properly merit any thing at the hands of God every one being lesse then all Gods mercies as Iacob confessed he was Gen. 32. 10. Besides this I say those very places which they build upon are directly against them As that Luk. 1. 28. which they read thus Haile thou that art full of grace and thence they inferre that for the fulnesse of grace that was in her she merited that honour to be Christs Mother But the word in the Originall there used doth not signifie full of grace but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly favoured graciously accepted or much graced as it is explained v. 30. Thou hast found favour with God So that although she had no doubt a great measure of grace in her yet that was not it but Gods grace and favour towards her which was the cause why such honour was conferred upon her Iansenius a learned Jansen Concord c. 3. Papist grants that this is the sense and signification of the word used in the Originall He addeth indeed that this doth imply the other viz. that she was full of grace But first there is no necessary connexion of these two together Iudas was much graced and highly favoured to be made one of Christs Apostles and so Saul to be made King of Israel yet were they not therefore full of grace 2. We deny not but that the Mother of our Lord both was much graced and also had much grace onely we say it was the grace and favour which was shewed her not the grace and goodnesse which was in her which was meant by the Angell as the true and proper cause why she was chosen to be our Lords Mother So that Luk. 1. Vulg. Respexit humilitatem c. 48. He hath regarded the humility of his handmaiden according as the Rhemists after the vulgar Latine Translator render it or as some of our English Translations the lowlinesse of his handmaid this the Papists for most part so understand as that for the grace and vertue of humility and lowlinesse of mind which was in her God did shew such respect unto her Thus in the Ladies Psalter B. Mar. Psal 33. Quia Domina humillima fuisti increatum verbnm ex te carnem assumere coëgesti Psalter as they call it they say unto her Because thou O Lady wert most humble thou didst cause the uncreated Word the Son of God to assume flesh of thee But the word which is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall doth not signifie humility or lowlinesse of mind but humility or lowlinesse or rather lownesse of estate and condition It is the same word which the Apostle useth Phil. 3. 21. to set forth the vilenesse of the
The Apostle saith that Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. 8. And it is unquestionable that Christs death was a part and a chief part of his humiliation Therefore so long as he remained dead that is untill his Resurrection he was in the estate of humiliation 6. It appears by Scripture that when Christ died his soul went to heaven and therefore not to hell as taken for the place of torment which is most opposite and contrary unto heaven This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise said Christ to the penitent malefactour Therefore Christs soul being separated from his body went to Paradise which is all one with the third that is the highest heaven as was before shewed Some answer that Christ meant of himself in respect of his divine nature which is in all places and in Paradise or heaven in a more especiall manner in that respect they say Christ did promise the repentant thief that he should be with him that day in Paradise But first Bellarmine doth well refell this Bellar. de Beatitud Sanct. l. 1. c. 3. answer for that Christ promised that the thiefe should be where he was but in respect of his divine nature Christ was with the thief here in this world even then when he played the thief so that in this sense Christ in those words with me had promised no new thing unto him 2. The word of Christ cannot without doing violence unto them be otherwise taken then to import this that as the thief was then in respect of the body partner with Christ in pain and torment so that same day both their souls should be together where they should injoy blisse and happinesse Some therefore yeelding that those words with me have reference to Christ in respect of his soul say that Christs soul betwixt his death and his Resurrection might be both in heaven and in hell the place of torment one while in the one another while in the other But this is a groundlesse conjecture the Scripture Act. 2. clearly Videtur quòd usque ad horam resurrectionis manserit in inferno Aquinas part 3. qu. 5. art 4. enough sheweth that Christs soul from the time of his death was in the hell that it speaks of untill the time of his Resurrection Again some of the ancients do not without cause infer from those words of Christ which he spake when he gave up the Ghost Father into thy hands I commend my spirit For though Christs soul even in the hell of the damned might yet be said to be in the hands of the Father yet much Eusebius Emisenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Juenricus Tunc clamor Domini magno conamine missus Aetheriis animam comitem commiscuit auris rather might it be said to be in his hands being in heaven Some arguments used in defence of this opinion are to be answered Ob. As first that drawn from Mat. 12. 40. As Jonas was three daies and three nights in the belly of the whale so shall the son of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth Here by the heart of the earth they understand hell the hell of the damned which they suppose to be in the heart or midst of the earth The Papists also make use of this place for their Limbus before spoken of but it makes for neither opinion For 1. The Scripture doth not declare where hell the place Qui ignis gehennae cujusmodi in quâ mundi vel regionum parte futurus sit hominem arbitror scire neminem nisi fortè cui Spiritus divinus ostendit Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 20. cap. 16. of torment to which the Papists make their Limbus to be contiguous is seated Austin speaking of the fire of hell saith that he supposed no man could tell of what kind it is or in what part of the world except perhaps Gods spirit did reveal it 2. In those words of Christ which are objected by the heart of the earth is meant the grave For Christs abiding so long in the heart of the earth was to be a sign to the Jews as the context sheweth therefore it was to be a thing apparent unto them which his abiding so long in the grave was but not his abiding so long either in Limb or in the hell of the damned For if ever Christ were there yet it was more then the Jews could see but they might see that at such a time he was laid in the grave and that he continued there untill such a time after Ob. Against this it is objected That the heart is put for the midst of a thing and therefore the grave being not the midst of the earth cannot be the heart of it Answ But in the Scripture that part of a thing which is betwixt the extremes though it be not equally distant from the extremes is called the midst or the heart Ezek. 14. 14. 16. 18. 20. where its said if Noah Daniel and Job were in it c. in the originall it is word for word in the midst of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it where by the midst of the Land is not meant precisely the middle part of the Land but any place within it S◠Ezek. 27. 4. Tyrus is said to be in the midst of the sea in the originall as the margent notes it is in the heart of the sea Yet this heart or midst of the sea was not exactly the middle of it for Tyrus as it is said there v. 3. was situate at the entry of the sea Ob. But Bellarmine yet further objects that Christs sepulcher seems to have been above the earth and not at all within it because it was hewn out of a rock as the Scripture telleth us Answ But this hindreth not why it might not be within the earth and that it was so the Scripture sheweth relating how a great stone was rolled to the mouth of the sepulcher Mat. 27. 60. and that John stooped down to look into the sepulcher Ioh. 20. 5. These circumstances argue that the sepulcher was beneath in the earth and therefore might well be called the heart of the earth Ob. Again they argue from Ephes 4. 9. where it is said That Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth which some will have to signifie hell the place of torment and the Papists will have Limbus Patrum to be meant Answ But 1. why the lower parts of the earth should denote the hell of the damned or Limbus Patrum if there had been any such place at all I do not see it being unknown to us as I said before where that hell is seated 2. Therefore Cajetans exposition is much better that by the lower parts of the earth Ad inferiores partes terrae i. e. ad inferiorem partem mundi terram Cajet ad loc Comparatur non una pars terrae cum altera sed tota terra cum caelo
18. 36. Contrary to what his own Disciples did imagine even after his resurrection as appears by that question which they asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel Act. 1. 6. 4. Christ by his ascension shewed himself to have fully conquered sin death and Satan he did manifest his victory over these by his Resurrection but more fully by his ascension whereby he did triumph over them Therefore it is said that when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive Ephes 4. 8. that is he led a multitude of captives as the phrase is used Iudg. 5. 12. 5. It was requisite that Christ should ascend into heaven that as he executed the office of a Priest by offering himself upon the Crosse for us so he might also do it by appearing before God in heaven and there making intercession unto him for us Aaron the Jewish high Priest was to bear the names of the children of Israel in the brest-plate of judgement upon his heart when he went into the holy place for a memoriall before the Lord continually Exod. 28. 29. This was a type and a figure of Christs entring into heaven for us as our high Priest Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6. 20. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 24. Christ was to ascend into heaven that so he might powre his spirit upon his Church When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. viz. spirituall gifts the gifts and graces of his spirit Psal 68. 18. it is said that at his ascension he received gifts but for men and that is as much as to give gifts unto men Fetch me a little water said Eliah to the widow 1 Kings 17. 10. according to the originall it is Receive or take me or for me a little water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is as much as if he had said Give me a little water So v. 13. Bring me a morsell of bread in the Hebrew Receive or take me c. It is the same word which is used Psal 68. 18. Quest But some may demand and say Was not the spirit given unto men before Christs ascension Answ I answer yes but not so freely and fully as afterwards He that believeth on me said Christ out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This he spake saith the Evangelist of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified â—oh 7. 38. 39. I tell you the truth said Christ to his Disciples it is not expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Joh. 16. 7. Besides that Christ was to be glorified before that he was to send the Holy Ghost the Disciples having Christs corporall presence did so fix themselves upon Spiritalis presentiae plenitudo quamdiu conspectu carnis praesens aderat adventare non poterat Cyprian de Ascens Christi it that they were not so capable of his spirituall presence and therefore to make way for this the other was to be removed 7. Christ ascended into heaven that he might there prepare a place for his members Thus he told his Disciples saying In my Fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you Joh. 14. 2. In this respect Christ is called the fore-runner Heb. 6. 20. as going before and preparing the way for others to follow after Vse 1 Now this point concerning Christs Ascension serves tâ— confute the Papists concerning Transubstantiation and that reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament which they maintain viz. a carnall and corporall presence for we deny not a reall presence onely we hold that is a spirituall presence And as the Angell argued from Christs Resurrection and thereby proved that he was not in the grave in that manner as some supposed He is not here for he is risen Mat 28. 6. So may we argue from Christs Ascension and prove that he is not in the Sacrament in that manner as they of the Church of Rome He is not there for he is ascended And to this end did Christ speak of his Ascension thereby to convince some and to let them see how much they did mistake his Proptereà Ascensionis suaein coelum mentionem fècit ut eos à corporali intellectu abstraheret Athanas in illud Quicunque dixerit verbum c. meaning when they understood that which he had spoken about eating his flesh in a carnal sense whereas it was to be understood spiritually When Jesus knew in himself that his Disciples murmured at it he said unto them Doth this offend you what and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life John 6. 61 62 63. As if he should have said the fleshly manner of eating which you dream of would avail nothing that therefore which I spake of eating my flesh is not so to be understood but in a spirituall sense and that will more plainly appear by my ascension into heaven Again by Christs ascension the Papists are confuted in respect of Crucifixes and other such like Images which they make to represent Christ For Christ hath purposely withdrawn himselfe from us corporally that we might acquaint our selves with him spiritually and yet they will needs have some corporall representation of him Thus do they directly crosse Christs intent in ascending into heaven which is that now he should not be knowne so as when he was upon the earth viz. in a carnall but in a spirituall manner Though we have known Christ after the flesh saith the Apostle yet henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. Not now any more after the flesh as being a man of such a stature such a feature c. This place doth utterly overthrow the representing of Christ by an Image it serving to no end but to breed carnall cenceits and apprehensions of Christ which now since Christs ascension are not lawfull Vse 1. Christs ascension makes for our consolation 1. It serves to encourage us to goe unto God in all our necessities and with confidence to pray unto him both for pardon of sin and for supply of whatsoever is needfull for us seeing we have such a Mediatour who is gone into heaven there to appeare and make intercession for us If any man sin saith S. John we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sitting at the right hand of God The expression is metaphoricall and there is a double metaphore in it viz. both in that Christ is said to sit and also in that he is said to sit at the right hand of God 1. For the phrase of sitting as here it is used and applied unto Christ by the consent of all is metaphoricall not denoting the site and posture of Christs body which is the proper acception of the word but the honour and majesty that Christ is in Thus the word is figuratively used because Masters use to sit and servants to stand and wait upon them Whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth Is not he that sitteth at meat Luke 22. 27. So Kings use to sit in their Thrones and Judges and Magistrates in their seats of honour Assuredly Solomon thy sonne shall reigne after me and he shall sit upon my Throne said David to Bathsheba 1 Kings 1. 13. So Exod. 18. 13. it is said that Moses sate to judge the people and the people stood by Moses c. Hence metaphorically God is said to sit God reigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse Psalme 47. 8. So Psalme 2. 4. He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn God being a spirit cannot properly either sit Non de corporis constitutione sed de imperii majestate hic agitur Calvin Instit l. 2. c. 16. â—ct 15. or stand they being bodily postures and properly belonging to bodily substances And though Christ having still after his Resurrection and ascension a true humane body as before may properly sit yet that is not the intent of the Holy Ghost in the Scripture to shew what bodily posture Christ is in but to shew what dignity he is in and therefore sometimes in Scripture Christ is said to stand at the right hand of God viz. Act. 7. 55 56. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and Quid est quod hunc Marcus sedentem Stephanus verò stantem se videre testatur Sed scitis fratres quia sedere judicantis est stare verò pugnantis vel adjuvantis Quia ergò Redemptor noster assumptus in coelum nunc omnia judicat ad extrentum omnium judex veniet hunc post assumptioneÌ„ Marcus sedere describit quia post ascensionis suae gloriam judex in fine vidâ—bitur Stephanus verò hanc in labore certaminis positus stant em vidit quem adjutorem habuit quia ut iste in terrâ persecutorum infidelitatem vinceret pro illo de coelo illius gratia pugnavit Gregor homil 29. in Evang. saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right Hand of God and said Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right Hand of God He is there described standing as ready to aid and assist Stephen in the great conflict which he indured for his sake but otherwise in the Scripture he is usually said to sit to signifie the honour and authority that he is invested with 2. For the right hand of God it must needs be taken not properly but metaphorically God being a spirit and therefore having no hand either right or left nor any bodily member whatsoever It was a grosse heresie of the Anthropomorphites to hold God to be of humane form and shape whereas Christ saith plainly that God is a spirit Joh. 4. 24. And that a spirit hath not flesh and bones Luk. 24. 39. Therefore when hands eys ears and the like are attributed unto God in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is by a figurative kind of speech whereby in condescension to the weaknesse of our capacity that is attributed unto God which properly belongs unto man and not unto God because man doth hear with his ears see with his eyes work with his hands therefore to shew that God doth hear and see and work these bodily parts and members are attributed unto God though properly they do not belong unto him By the right Hand of God is often signified the force might and power of God Thy right Hand O Lord said Moses is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy Exod. 15. 6. So David Psal 118. 15 16. The right Hand of the Lord doth valiantly The right Hand of the Lord is exalted the right Hand of the Lord doth valiantly But the right hand also is used to denote the more honourable place as when Bathsheba the mother of Solomon went unto him as he sate on this Throne he rose up to meet her and bowed himself unto her and sate down on his Throne and caused a seat to be set for her and she sate on his right Hand 1 Kings 2. 19. So Psal 45. 9. Vpon thy right Hand did stand the Queen in gold of Ophir Thus Christ is said to be at Gods right Hand as being in highest honour next unto God even as Bethsheba was set in highest place of honour next unto the King Christs sitting at the right hand of God imports his Kingly power and soveraign power over all creatures that all power both in heaven and in earth is given unto him as he said Mat. 28. 18. That he hath a name above every name that at the name ef Jesus every knee should bow c. that is that all should be subject unto him Phil. 2. 9 10. Whereas David speaking of Christ saith The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou thou on my right Hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. S. Paul in reference to those words saith For he must reign untill his enemies be made his footstool 1 Cor. 15. 25. VVhereby we see that Christ sitting at the right hand of God and his reigning are one and the same thing So what is meant by Christs sitting at the right hand of God the same Apostle sheweth Ephes 1. 20 21 22. Where he saith that God raised Christ from the dead and set him at his own right Hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church And so likewise S. Peter who speaking of Christ saith Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3. 22. Thus then we see both that it is so that Christ doth sit at the right hand of God and also what is meant by it And by this which hath been said it may appear that Christ is said to sit at the right hand of God in respect of his humane nature In that respect he was humbled and in that respect he was exalted the divine
quam ab aeterno habuit ut Deus dedit in tempore quiâ— Filius hominis est hoc est quatenus est homo Aug. belonged to the Son from all eternity as God but as man in time he received that power of the Father I saw in the night visions saith Daniel and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of daies and they brought him near before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and languages should serve him c. Dan. 7. 13 14. This shews that Christ as the Son of man that is as man had a Kingdome given unto him of God and to the administration of that Kingdome this appertaineth that he should judge the world For he must reign untill hes enemies be made his footstool 1 Cor. 15. 25. Which shall be fulfilled at his coming to judgement then shal he exercise his Kingly power to the full And therefore it is said that he shal judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 1. The reason why Christ is to be the Judge of all is the will and pleasure of God it is his ordination and appointment he is ordained of God to be the iudge of quick and dead saith Peter in the Text. So Paul Act. 17. 31. saith that God hath ordained him to judge the world It is congruous and agreeable to reason that it should be so in divers respects 1. For a reward to Christs humiliation for he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luk. 18. 14. Now Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Wherefore also God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth And that every tongue should confesse that Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 8 9 10 11. The full accomplishment hereof shall be at the last judgment as appears by comparing this place with that Rom. 14. 10 11. We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ For it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse to God That which is written to wit Isai 45. 23. of every knee bowing unto God and of every tongue confessing unto him the Apostle interprets of Christ as meant of him and thence proves that all must stand before his judgement seat for that then indeed shall every knee bow that is every one shall be subject unto him and every tongue shall confesse him to be Lord over all And thus some understand that Ioh. 5. 27. And hath given him authority to execute iudgement also because he is the Son of man that is say they because he did so humble himfelf as to be made man and being man to suffer as he did 2. That so the judiciall proceedings might be in an outward and visible manner And thus others do more fitly expound that Ioh. 5. 27. Where it is said that authority to execute judgment is given unto Christ because he is the son of man that is because he only of all the three Persons is man and consequently is meet so to execute judgment as that he may generally be seen of all Thus it is said that when he cometh every eye shall see him Revel 1. 7. Ob. But may some object This honour to be the judge of all is not peculiar unto Christ for it is said that the Saints shall iudge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. Answ I answer One may be said to judge many waies 1. Comparatively thus it is said Mat. 12. 41 42. The men of Nineve shal rise in the iudgement with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater then Jonas is here The Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgement with this generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdome of Solomon and behold a greater then Solomon is here Thus also is it said Mat. 12. 27. If I by Belzebub cast out devills by whom do your children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges Thus comparatively not only the Saints shall judge the wicked that is make it appear that the wicked are justly to be condemned but even the wicked also shall judge the wicked some being far more grossely then others 2. Interpretatively by way of approbation and thus also shall the Saints judge the world by consenting unto and approving of Christs judgment as just and right They shall say as it is Revel 16. 5. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus 3. Eminently as an assessor and Bencher next unto the Judge Thus shall some of the Saints judge the world to wit the Apostles to whom Christ said When the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones iudging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19. 28. 4. Authoritatively and so none of the Saints shall judge the world but Christ only Vse 1. Here then is terrour to all those who are enemies to Christ and aliens from Christ as all the wicked and unregenerate are Some there are who conspire against God and against Christ saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Psal 2. 3. We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19. 14. But O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long Psal 4. 2. will ye love vanity and seek after leasing What do these but strive against the stream and kick against pricks They do but imagine a vain thing Psal 2. 1. Act. 9. 4. Christ is King and shall reign over them whether they will or no if not by their voluntary subjection to their eternall comfort yet perforce to their eternall confusion He shall break them with a rod of iron and break them in pieces like a potters vessell Psal 2. 9. He shall say at the last day Those mine enemies that would not suffer me to reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luk. 19. 27. More particulerly here is terrour for divers sorts of the ungodly 1. Adulterers Fornicatours and unclean persons who professing themselves Christians yet consider not that of the Apostle Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of on harlot God forbid 1 Cor. 6. 15. shall any be thus injurious unto Christ and yet escape when he shall come to judgement No Whoremongers and adulterers he will iudge Hebr. 13. 4. Though they escape here they shall not escape hereafter The Lord knoweth
11 12 13. And that of Peter Wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse 2 Pet. 3. 14. In a word let 's have a care so to assure our selves of interest in Christ by faith and so to shew forth our faith in Christ by our love and obedience unto him that as he saith Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man as his work shall be Rev. 22. 12. Surely I come quickly v. 20. So we may have courage and confidence to say as there immediately it followeth Amen even so come Lord Jesus The six and twentieth SERMON 2 COR. 13. 14. And the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all THese words are a part of the conclusion of this Epistle The Apostle usually begins and ends with prayer in the behalf of those to whom he writes So in other Epistles and so in this Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Chap. 1. v. 2. And here in like manner The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen I am to treat only of that part of the verse which concerns the Holy Ghost and before I come to the doctrine which the words afford I must insist a little upon the name nature person and operation of the Holy Ghost 1. For the name Holy Ghost Ghost is as much as Of the name Holy Ghost spirit and ghostly as much as spirituall In the Scripture where this Person called the Holy Ghost is spoken of our Translators sometimes use the word Ghost and sometimes the word Spirit Yet as I observe they do not altogether use the words promiscuously but with this difference Where the word Holy is not prefixed they alwaies The word Ghost explained use the word Spirit and not the word Ghost And so also when this Person is spoken of in relation to God or to Christ although the word Holy be prefixed As the Spirit not the Ghost the Spirit of God or of Christ not the Ghost of God or of Christ his holy Spirit not his Holy Ghost Otherwise when this Person is spoken of without any such relation and with the Epithite Holy prefixed they use the word Ghost rather then Spirit But however the word in the Originall is the same and these words Ghost and Spirit differ in sound rather then in sense and signification Now the word in the Hebrew and in the Greek and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus in the Latin the three learned Languages which is rendred sometimes Ghost but more frequently Spirit this word I say is attributed to divers things 1. Sometimes it is taken for breath I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live Ezek. 37. 5. In the Originall the word rendred breath is that which usually is rendred Spirit So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 2. 26. Where it is said the body without the Spirit is dead in the margent for spirit is breath 2. The word sometimes is used for the wind as Joh. 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth so is every one that is born of the spirit In the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and the same word which is rendred in the beginning of the verse Wind and in the end of the Spiritus ubi vult spirat verse Spirit the vulgar Latin there hath not Ventus which properly signifieth wind but Spiritus whence we have the word Spirit 3. This word Spirit is used to signifie an incorporeall and immaterial substance A spirit hath not flesh and bones Luk. 24. 39. And thus by spirit sometimes is meant the soul of man VVhen a man dies then shall the dust that is the body made of dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God that gave it Eccles 22. 7. Where by spirit is meant the soul of man which is a spirituall substance Thus also the Angels whether good or bad are called spirits The good Angels Are they not all ministring spirits c. Heb. 1. 14. The bad Angells when some said unto Christ Lord even the devils are subiect unto us thorough thy name Luk. 10. 17. Christ answered them Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in heaven v. 20. And in this sense is the word Spirit attributed unto God Ioh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit And so 1 Pet. 3. 18. By spirit is signified Christs divine nature which is the Son in all the three Persons Being put to death by the flesh that is the humane nature but quickned in the spirit that is the divine nature And peculiarly the third Person of the sacred Trinity hath the name of Spirit appropriated to him Sometimes this Person is called the Spirit Rom. 8. 16. Sometimes the Spirit of God 1 Joh. 4. 2. Sometimes the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. Sometimes the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost as in the Text and other places VVhy the third Person is peculiarly called the Spirit though the Father be a spirit and the Son a spirit as well as the Holy Ghost the Scripture doth not expresse neither is it much material for us to inquire Some give Secundum quod spiritus dicitur à spiritualitate sic convenit toti Trinitati Secundum autem quod dicitur à spiratione sic convenit illi soli Personae quae procedit ut amor c. Bonavent in Sent. l. 1. dist 10. quest 3. this reason that this Person proceeds from the Father and the Son by spiration or breathing which must be understood after a spirituall and ineffable manner It may be said that this divine Person is therefore called the Spirit because he was inspired or breathed into and did breath in the Prophets and Apostles This inward and spiritual inspiration was signified and confirmed by Cum arcanâ inspiratione possâ—t Christus gratiam conferre Apostolis visibilem flatum ad dere voluit ad cos melius confirmandos Calvin in Ioh. 20. 22. that outward and corporall breathing which is mentioned Ioh. 20. 22. Where it is said that when Christ gave the Holy Ghost unto his Apostles he breathed on them and said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Ioh. 20. 22. This Person is called Holy Now there is a holinesse which is only externall and adherent which doth not constitute a thing holy in it self but only in its use and relation Thus Ierusalem is called the Holy City Mat. 4. 5. to wit because The word Holy expounded it had speciall relation unto God it was the City of the great King that is of God Mat. 5. 35. Thus also the Temple and the things of the Temple were holy And thus the water in Baptism and the
her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Revel 18. 4. 2. Another note of the Church which the Papists 2. Succession assign is succession of Pastours and Teachers they can shevv such a succession and thence they conclude that they are the true Church But there is a twofold succession viz. personall and doctrinall a succession of persons and a succession of Doctrine the former vvithout the latter is as nothing The Priests that condemned Christ had a personall succession but vvanted doctrinall succession They could shew hovv their persons did succeed those that vvere before them and they others and so on untill they came to Aaron but they could not shevv the like succession of their doctrine so neither can the Papists shevv that they hold the same faith vvhich vvas delivered by the Apostles and therefore in vain do they vaunt of this that they can shevv a personall succession of their Popes from the times of the Apostles Bellarmine Bellarm. de Eccles l. 4. c. 8. confesseth that the argument drawn from succession doth not hold for the affirmative viz. that vvhere there is succession there is the true Church but only negatively that there is not the Church where succession is wanting So then by their own confession this argument makes little for them and as little doth it make against us For though our Divines have laboured not unprofitably to shew that successively in all ages there have been some or other who have asserted the truth which we maintain this is sufficient that we can make it appear that we hold the same faith which was once delivered to the Saints and have not Iude v. â— departed from the Church of Rome further then they have departed from this faith This the ancient Doctors thought sufficient and though sometimes they have alledged personall succession yet it was still with this supposition that it was accompanied with doctrinall succession otherwise they made no reckoning of it We must adhere unto those saith Iraeneus who keep the doctrine of Oportet adhaerere his qui Apostolorum doctrinam cu 〈…〉 diunt Iren. l. 4. c. 44. c. 43. he calls this principalem successionem Non habent Petri hariditatem qui fidem Petri non babent Ambros de pentt l. 1. c. 6. In eadem side conspirantâ—s non minus Apostolica depu 〈…〉 r pro consanguinitate doctrine Tertul. de Praescript c. 32. the Apostles This succession he calls the principall succession So Ambrose They do not succeed Peter saith he who have not the faith of Peter And Tertullian speaking of Churches planted since the Apostles times saith that they agreeing in the same faith are neverthelesse accounted to be Apostolicall for the consanguinity of Doctrine 3. They of the Church of Rome do also make 3. Amplitude amplitude and largenesse of extent a note to discern the Church by But this is no true note of the Church for errour and heresie may so prevail as to have more professors and abettors then the truth In the time of Ahab for one true Prophet Micaiah there were four hundred false Prophets 1 King 22. 6. c. And Eliah complained unto God saying The children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life also 1 King 19. 14. So in the time of our Saviour the history of the Gospell shews how few in comparison did embrace the truth when it vvas preached unto them He came unto his own and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. So some few hundred years after Christ the Sect of the Arians grew so great Ingemuit orbis Arrianum se esse miratus est Hieron advers Luciferian that as Hierome expresseth it the world did groan and wonder to see it self become an Arrian And in after Ages what marvell if Antichrist did so inlarge his dominion S. John having foretold that so it should be All the world saith he wandred after the beast Revel 13. 3. And he tells us that the Angell interpreting unto him the mystery of the whore sitting upon many waters said thus The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and Nations and tongues Revel 17. 15. 4. Our Romish adversaries amongst other 4. Union with and subjection to the Pope as Head of the Church See B. Mortons Book entituled the Grand Impostor 5. Miracles notes of the Church do much stand upon this that the members of the Church be united together under one head viz. the Pope But we have not so learned Christ we know and acknowledge him and him only to be the head of the Church So the Scripture plainly termeth him Ephes 5. 23. Col. 1. 18. But of any other head of the Church besides Christ we find nothing 5. Miracles also are made one note whereby the Church is to be discerned But though miracles were requisite in the first planting of the Church Mar. 16. 20. Yet now it is otherwise Yea the Scripture hath taught us to suspect those that shall pretend miracles shewing that this shall be the guise of false teachers and of Antichrist himself There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shal shew great signs and wonders c. Mat. 24. 24. Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 2 Thes 2. 9. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles c. Revel 13. Ecclesiam suam demonstrent si possunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Afrorum non in conciliis Episcoporum suorum non in literis quorumlibet disputatorum non in signis prodigiis fallacibus quia etiam contra ista verbo Domini praeparati cauti redditi sumus sed in praescripto legis in praedictis Prophetarum in Psalmorum cantibus in ipsius Pastoris vocibuâ— â— in Evangelistarum praedicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus Canonicis sanctorum librorum authoritatibus Aug. de Unit. Eccles c. 16. 13 14. Excellent is that of of Austine concerning the Donatists Let them demonstrate their Church if they can not in the speeches and rumours of the Africans not in the Councells of their Bishops not in the writings of any disputers not in lying signs and wonders for against them we are prepared and made cautious by the Lords owne word but in the prescript of the Law in the Predictions of the Prophets in the songs of the Psalms in the words of the Shepherd himself in the preachings and labours of the Evangelists that is in all the Canonicall authorities of the holy books Ne dicar quia illa illa mirabilia fecit Donatus vel Pontius vel quilibet aâ—ius