every man in his greatest security are so many summons to every man to think on that day For as the pilgrimage of Israel in the wildernesse was the type of our pilgrimage in this world so their punishments were types unto us 1 Cor. 10.11 But there is no type but of some thing which is to be indeed So that the destruction of the people in the wildernesse were both to them and especially to us on whom the ends of the world are come an assured argument of this great judgement at the last day And as the carcasses of them that were disobedient fell in the wildernesse whereas the rest enjoyed the promised land So all those punishments that were remembred bring to the faithfull an assured hope that God will deliver them For Noah and Lot were saved from destruction Ebedmelech and Baruâ—h had their lives given as a prey Ezechiel Daniel and they that were signified by the basket of good figges Iere. 24.5 were carryed away for their good The Christians likewise were safe at Pella in the destruction of Ierusalem Euseb Ecclesiast hist lib. 3 Cap. 5. So He delivereth from the noysome pestilence Psalm 91.3 c. and in the dayes of famine those that wait on Him shall have enough Psal 37.19 So these things are testimonies unto us both that there shall be a judgement and that the godly shall be saved and the wicked condemned 12 And as if nature it selfe had imprinted the acknowledgment of this judgement in every mans mind so there was never any man c that confessed the resurrection but did withall confesse this generall judgement And therefore though every other Article of our Creed have been impugned by some hereticke or other yet never any gainesayd this I meane since those errours were stilled in the Apostles time See 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. But whether it be that every man acknowledging the justice of God as no man can confesse him to be God whom he doth not beleeve to be just and a rewarder of them that diligently seeke Him Hebr. 11.6 or whether it be that the testimonies of the holy Scripture are so cleare in this point as that they have stopped the mouthes of all heretickes the thing it selfe is most certaine to be as it may appeare by the texts of Scripture already cited and by these also that follow Psalm 9. vers 8. The Lord hath prepared His Throne for judgment He shall judge the world in righteousnesse He shall minister judgment unto the people in uprightnesse And Psalm 50. vers 3 4 5 6. God shall come A fire shall devoure before Him Hee shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that Hee may judge His people c. Psalm 96.13 The Lord commeth to judge the earth Hee shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with His trueth As it is also Psalm 98.9 Eccles. 11.9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youth c. but know that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement And Eccles. 12.14 God shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee ill Reade hereto 2 Pet. 3. Chap. from vers 7. to 15. and Reu. 20. Chap. from vers 11. to the end Sect. 6 § 6. Thus it being manifest that the judgement shall be it must also appeare that our Lord Iesus must bee that judge Whereto though I have said that which may be sufficient at the beginning of the Chapter yet because it is our speciall hope and comfort that He shall be our judge that was our Creator that hath so dearely bought us that hath been our Mediator that doth evermore preserue us from the power of the enemy let us both begin and end with this lest the conscience of our owne sinnes and the remembrance of that fearefull time should cause us not to long for that comming For if God be very terrible in the assembly of His Saints Psalm 89.7 how much more in that gloomy day when He comes to render vengeance with devouring fire before Him and to repay His aduersaries to their face and to passe on them that fearefull sentence that shall d never be reversed and from which there is no appeale But lift up your heads you that are little in your owne eyes and tremble at His words for that is the day of your redemption and God Himselfe will come and save you And because He is God He knowes the secrets of your hearts and sees your reverence and your feare before Him and your acknowledgment of your owne unworthinesse And because He is man and hath had experience of sorrowes and passed under the burden of unjust and cruell judgement and hath for us endured the Crosse and shame that we might be delivered from the wrath to come therefore lift up your heads and receive the reward of your faith and patience and the end of your hopes the eternall saluation of your soules and bodies 1. For if our Lord having suffered such things for us and having overcome in all His sufferings having ascended into heaven to be our continuall intercessor for us should not then give unto us that everlasting life which He hath purchased for us His sufferings and intercession should be altogether in vaine and our faith in Him which He hath wrought in us by His holy Spirit should be utterly void and those promises which Hee hath giuen us in His holy Word should faile of their trueth and performance But all these things are impossible And therefore our Lord Iesus shall come to give reward unto His seruants both small and great Revel 11.18 and to cast out the unbeleevers out of His kingdome 2. In things that are orderly disposed for an end nothing may be omitted of those things that are necessary for the attainement of that end The end of our Lords incarnation and sufferings concernes either God or man Concerning mankind euerlasting life in all happinesse and joy is that great end for which our Saviour was incarnate died and rose againe and shall raise us up at the last day And by His judgement of mercy and compassion on us shall deliver unto us the seisure and possession of that eternall happinesse Therefore our Lord Iesus shall be judge of the quicke and the dead Concerning God it is necessary that in His love to His Father and zeale to His honour Hee take vengeance on them that have offended the infinite justice and despised that mercy and pardon which hath beene offered unto them and still have continued in their sin and followed it with greedinesse Therefore in this respect also our Lord Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge of the quicke and the dead 3. And seeing our Lord Iesus hath undertaken that honourable enterprise vtterly to destroy the workes of the devill it is necessary that He leave nothing unperformed which doth belong to the accomplishment thereof Therefore Hee shall judge those Angels which are reserved in chaines of
it was created except some great contrarietie befall to the hinderance thereof But man was created to know and to love God and to see his wisdome in the creature and to honour him therfore and doing thus to be happie for ever thereby yet nothing of this is done accordingly by any among all the sons of Adam therefore some great hindrance and contrarietie is come between But nothing that good is could be an hindrance to this great good nor yet any thing which is without the man himselfe Therefore mans sinne alone which hath infected all hath beene the onely hinderance of all this good 4. The holy Scripture shewes the truth of this in Iob 14.4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of uncleannesse not one And Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceived mee Rom. 5.12 By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ephes 2.3 Wee re all by nature the children of wrath And this is that taint of originall sinne which being bred in every mans bones will never out of the flesh And concerning actuall sinne you may reade those Scriptures which are cited by S. Paul Rom. 3. They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become filthie there is none that doeth good no not one c. from v. 9. to 18. CHAP. XVIII That there is a restoring of Man to a better life and further hope than that from which our parents fell BVt if the whole world be thus become guiltie before God is it for this end that the whole world may bee subjected to eternall death God forbid but as sin hath abounded unto condemnation so hath the grace and righteousnesse of God abounded much more unto everlasting life for as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the free pardon came unto all men for justification unto life See Rom. 5. Chap. Therefore lest man at the sight of his owne perfections should sinne through pride unrecoverably as the devils it was permitted that Adam should sinne as hee did that a way might bee made for the justice and mercie of God to bee manifest and that man at the sight of his sinne might be humbled before his Creator and so received to grace The whole world then being liable to the justice of God by that sinne of our first father as hath beene shewed now it remaines in this place to prove that there is a possibilitie to returne to God in whose favour and acceptance onely is life and happinesse And for the more cleere proofe hereof let us first lay this sure foundation that all the workes of God and all the possibilities in the creature are knowne to him from all eternitie Secondly that to doe well and right and to withstand sinne and the temptations of the devill requires a positive strength and grace in the heart of man which grace man cannot take unto himselfe because no creature can be partaker either of being or of strength or any good but onely so far forth as it is imparted thereunto and where the want of strength is the effect of that want on all occasions must needs appeare So that since Adams fall man being not onely deprived of that strength to resist sinne which Adam had but also infected with a naturall corruption and inclination to sin which they call concupiscence man hath no helpe in himselfe to helpe himselfe upon which grounds the reason will follow thus If there be not a possibility of the restoring of man into the favour and grace of God from which hee fell by his sin then could not the justice of God be without great iniquity and injustice Let him be mercifull that we speake according to the manner of men that is according to that reason and understanding which he hath given unto men for the manifestation of his glorie and grace For if God in the infinity of his wisdome foreseeing that man being created would sin and yet would create him and for his sin utterly cast off the whole race of mankinde to destruction neither could any place of mercie bee found with him for which the creature could give him glorie neither could that justice be but with great injustice inasmuch as they that never were should without any desert be created to eternall punishment and they that had done the least sinnes nay they that had done neither good nor ill as they that die in their infancie should bee shut out to eternall death aswell as they that all their life time had followed all manner of sinne with greedinesse So also all the commandements of God tending to the amendment of life and all his threatnings and promises should be in vaine So also all the endeavours of holy and devout men who through his grace strive to the masterdome of their owne wickednesse and all the constancie of them who have suffered for the profession of his truth and service should be unrewarded So vertue should have no advantage over vice in the difference of the reward But all these things are impossible therefore there is a restoring of man to that favour and grace of God from which he was separate by his sinne 2. If there were not a restoring of mankinde to that estate from which he is fal'n then the sin of man a finite creature should be more powerfull to the destruction of the worke of God who made man to everlasting life than the power wisdome of God should to the upholding of the creature in that estate wherein he created it So ill and sin things not being shold have preheminence for mischiefe above an infinite power and goodnesse for glorie and happinesse But this is impossible therefore as by sinne there was a generall wrack of mankinde so it is necessarie that there be a generall restoring powerfull and sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world avayleable and effectuall to all that beleeve it and shew the fruit of their faith by their strife against sinne and doing such good workes as God hath created that we should walke in them 3. Faith hope charity temperance and all other Christian and morall vertues are the worke of Gods Spirit in man who of himselfe is not able no not to thinke a good thought But it is impossible that the Spirit of God should worke in vaine or to no end in the heart of man to beleeve the forgivenesse of his sinnes and to hope for everlasting life c. or that God should not accept his owne worke in his creature which is ever for the good of the creature Therefore there is a restoring of man to those hopes of happinesse which he had lost 4. The continuance of the world and the creatures therein by a being of infinite power wisdome and goodnesse must bee to an end exceedingly good therefore there is a restoring of man
above every Name that every tongue should confesse that Christ is Iehova 3. And seeing He suffered under the power of the Romanes it was necessary that He should die by that manner of death which was most usuall with the Romanes which for their seruants and provincialls was the Crosse And although it seemed unto Pilate himselfe an unworthy death for Him Shall I crucifie your King Yet nothing could content His enemies but Crucifie Him Crucifie Him And because our Lord had no such priuiledge to plead for Himselfe that He was a free man of Rome as Saint Paul did Act. 16.37 22.25 29. 25.11 and so lost his head by the sword Therefore He must needs endure that bitter and accursed death of the Crosse 4. The tree through the craft of the devill was unto man-kind a cause of sinne Therefore lest the tree which was created good might become a curse to him for whom it was created and thereby the end of the creation might be perverted it seemed fit to the Wisedome of God that as the tree had beene an instrument in the worke of mans condemnation it should also bee an instrument in the worke of his redemption that man by his wound might also bee healed And therefore that our ransome should bee payed on the Crosse 5. Man by his sinne had made himselfe subject to the curse of the Law Therefore that the promise to Abraham That in his seed all the Nations of the earth should bee blessed Gen. 12.3 might come vpon them it was necessary that the curse should fall vpon that promised seed in whom they were to bee blessed as Saint Paul doth argue Gal. 3.13 and 14. 6. This crucifying of our Lord was prefigured diverslie in the Law as by the Serpent in the Wildernesse if you compare Numb 21.8 with Iohn 3.14 Moses also spreading out his hands in the forme of the Crosse overcame Amalec by his prayer Exod. 17.11 But aboue all other figures that glorious Type of Christ Samson who should begin to save Israel Iud 14.5 most liuely figured our Saviour on the Crosse when he laid his hands upon the Pillars and slew more at his death than he had done in all his life Iud. 16.30 So our Lord the Authour and Finisher of our Salvation though by His Preaching and His miracles He had shaken the Kingdome of the Devill yet by His death upon the Crosse He did triumph over all the power of hell Col. 2.15 David Psal 22.16 prophesies plainely of the wounds wherewith He was pierced in His hands and His feet when He was nailed to the Crosse as the Prophet Zechary Chap. 12.10 of that wound which through His side they made in His heart I the Lord will powre vpon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplicatior and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced And thus according to the Prophesies that were before was our Saviour crucified as you reade in the Gospel 3. Dead VVEe see IESVS made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death that He by the Grace of God should taste of death for every man Heb. 2.9 All the reasons for His crucifying confirme thus much And for this cause was Hee conceived and borne that He might redeeme His people from their sinnes The arguments also of the 19. Chapter of the 21.22 and 23. come all to this centre that Christ our Lord and onely Redeemer must die for our sinne 1. For seeing man by his sinne had made himselfe subject unto death according to the just sentence Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die it was necessary that He that had made Himselfe our surety Heb. 7.22 and taken our sinne upon him Esay 52. should die for our sinne 2. It was necessary that the highest degree of obedience should bee in him in whom was also the perfection of Sonne-ship But all the perfection of Son-ship was in Christ both that which is Eternall and that which is in time as hath appeared Therefore also the perfection of obedience But there can be no degree of obedience beyond this that a sonne should die at the will of his father Therefore it was necessary that our Lord should die For God so loved the world that He gave his onely begotten Sonne to die that the world by him might bee saved But because it was impossible that He in his Eternall being should be subject to death therfore was it necessary that He should bee incarnate that Hâ—e should bee conceived of the Holy-Ghost and be borne of a Virgin as it hath beene prooved 3. If Isaac the shadow were content to die at the will of His Father how much more ought Christ the substance to fulfill the will of His Father 4. The manifestation of the infinite dignities of God the Father is the proper and peculiar office of the Son See Iohn 17.6 and 26. And how could either the infinite Iustice or Mercy or Love of God the Father toward His creature or His honour in the creature bee better manifested than in the death of that Son For although it were farre from Injustice to punish the innocent for the wicked when He had set Himselfe to answere for the sinnes of the world yet was it the uttermost the most severe and eminent Iustice that possibly could bee to lay upon Him in whom there was no sinne neither was there any guile found in His mouth the burden of vs all to breake him for our sinnes to multiplie His sorrowes and at once to deprive Him of all the comforts of God and life it selfe for our offences Neither could the Mercy or love of God toward His creature be greater than this that when wee were enemies yet spared He not His owne Sonne to worke our reconciliation Neither can the honour of God be more magnified by the creature than for that mercy and love which he hath shewed toward the creature in the Eternall Glory and happinesse which He hath reserved for it through the satisfaction of his Son And because these things could not possibly be brought to passe otherwayes than by the death of the Sonne of God therefore was it necessary that He should die 5. Of contrary effects the immediate causes must needs bee contrary The greatest delight and joy which the naturall man hath is to follow his sinfull lusts Therefore the recovery or restoring of man from his sinfull state cannot bee but by the suffering of the greatest sorrow that is of death 6. The obedience and sufferings of Him who was to make satisfaction for the disobedience and rebellion of all man-kind could not possibly be either exceeded or equalled But if our Lord had not died a most bitter and cruell death in those torments which He endured both in his soule and body then had His sufferings beene equalled if not exceeded by many of the holy Martyrs who for their love and faith in God endured most bitter and exquisite torments Heb.
adulterate interpretation of His sufferings is excluded 3. And seeing our Lord Christ is appointed of God to bee the Iudge of the world and that as He is the Sonne of man it was necessary that our Lord should goe downe to hell both in regard of the justice and of the mercy which ought to appeare in His judgement of His justice that the enemies of mankind the devills may not torment them according to their cruelty and hatred of man but onely in justice afflict them according to the sentence passed on them according to the measure of their sinne and not beyond as it is said Luk. 12.47 and 48. The servant which knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe shall be beaten with many stripes but hee that knew it not shall be beaten with fewer 4. And because our Lord Christ was by the Father appointed to be the Saviour of mankind it was necessary that His compassion toward mankind should by all meanes be inflamed and therefore that His soule should goe downe to hell that as by the bodily feeling of our miseries in this life He was made a mercifull and faithfull high-Priest for us Heb. 2.7 so by the actuall and present sight of those unsufferable torments He might have the uttermost mercy and compassion which can stand with justice on those whom Hee should judge 5. It is necessary for our Redeemer to passe thorow fire and water that is to have experience of all tentations and all manner of afflictions of death and hell that for us He might overcome them all But He that was the paterne of all Heroicall and excellent vertues that knew Himselfe to have come into the world that He should die that shamefull death of the Crosse Iohn 3.14 and 12.33 was not so affrighted at the bodily death but His strong crying and teares were That the pit of hell should not swallow Him up nor that deepe should shut her mouth upon Him Psalm 69.15 And Hee was heard in that which He feared by Him that was able to save Him from death Heb. 5.7 But He was not delivered from the bodily death Therefore His prayer was That He might be delivered from the power of hell Psal 22.20 21. For hereupon depended the life of the whole world not onely that He might suffer but much more on this That He might overcome death and him that had the power of death And for this great deliverance would Hee magnifie the Name of God with a song and set foorth His praise among His brethren And because the benefit of this redounds to us let us also offer the sacrifice of praise the fruit of our lips confessing His Name Sect. 9 Sect. 9. Now having thus declared the meaning of this Article It remaines that I shew for what reasons I hold this interpretation of this Article rather to bee followed then that of them who say That it signifieth onely those hellish torments which Christ endured in His soule while He was yet alive which although it be the drift of the whole Chapter before as you may see particularly in § 3. Yet to make up the garland take these flowers which have not yet beene bound up with the rest And first I put this as granted That as the Articles themselves so their interpretation must bee such as must stand in the greatest evidence and declaration of the trueth in greatest opposition to falshood and heresie and for the highest hope and comfort of the faithfull 1. Now if you follow the interpretation of the Fathers that the soule of Christ after death ascended locally or really to hell or the place of them that had died in the hope of the deliverer that was to come then it followes necessarily that the soule of Christ had a being separate and apart from the body and that it was therefore an immortall soule that died not with the body being able to subsist of it selfe without the body Whereby the heresie of the Sadduces which deny the being of spirits and soules separate and consequently the immortality of the soule and thereupon the resurrection also Mark 12.18 Act. 23.7 is plainely refuted And so that lie of the Thnatopsychitae which thought that the soule of man came to nought as the soules of the beasts and no lesse that opinion of Apollinarius That Christ tooke of His mother a vegetable but not a reasonable soule all which you see make the death of Christ and our faith in Him of none effect But if that interpretation be onely true That Christ being yet alive suffered hellish torments in His soule are any of these falshoods refuted thereby doth it from thence follow against the Sadduces ergo the soule of Christ is immortall he will deny the consequence he will yeeld it might suffer in His body but that it died with His body or against the Apollinarists therefore Christ had a perfect humane soule hee will deny it For although he yeeld that the soule of Christ suffered such torments yet he will say That it was onely by a vegetable or animall soule which suffered by compassion with the body 2. But because the heresie of Arius did trouble the Church more then any ancient heresie beside Let us see what force our battery hath against his fortifications The soule of Christ went downe to hell locally to the soules of other men therefore Christ had a soule like other men They will answere here That His created Deity which they falsly imagined went downe to the places under the earth For so they explaine it out of Iob 38.17 as you may see Answer to the Ies Chal pag. 282. But that answere will not serue For though it were a created Deity yet being a Deity it must have those conditions of omnipotencie in the creature of ubiquitie wisedome c. without which it could not be a Deitie So then that created Deitie of Christ must bee in hell before the death of Christ as well as after and those hellish torments of the new interpreters which say nothing of the state of Christs humane soule after His death availe nothing to the contrary of this heresie 3. Neither doth this new interpretation onely dismount our artillery against those ancient heresies but also dismantles our fort of that refuge and succour which the distressed soule may have in the agonies of death For bee it put that our Saviour tooke our sinnes upon Him and felt in Himselfe the fierce wrath of God against Him so as if He had committed the sinnes of all men I finde therefore that God doth not deale with me according to my sinnes nor reward me according to mine iniquities And bee it that being dead His body was buryed in the grave I will therefore say unto my grave O sweete bed of rest that wast so perfumed with the odours of His most pretious Merits But when I see my soule all over leprous with originall sinne and spotted like a Panther with actuall transgressions now going to a place
onely in Him through the mercy of God who gratuitò of his owne free will doth wash sanctifie and seale us by the Holy Spirit of promise who is to us the pledge of our eternall inhoritance this is the effect of the Canon Object 3. But how is this Church Catholike or Vniversall if any man be shut out of it Or how is it said by S. Paul 1. Tim. 2.4 That God would have all men to bee saved if there be few that shall enter in at the straight gate Answere The common answere to that text of Timothy is that it is spoken not de singulis generum but de generibus singulorum that is that some of every Nation and degree amongst men shall bee saved not every man of every degree But I suppose that it is rather spoken in respect of the ordinary means which in the Church is the Word read and preached and the Sacraments by which all men are called to repentance and faith in Christ which if they refuse their condemnation is just Also out of the visible Church nature calls in a softer voyce upon all nations and people of the world and upon every one in particular to feare God and to give Him glory which made the heaven and the earth and all therein And moreover the light of every mans conscience accusing or excusing him for those things which he doth contrary or according thereto is the witnesse of God in every mans heart to excuse or condemne him And in respect of these meanes God may be said to will that all men should be saved in that he doth offer his mercy to all and call upon them to turne unto Him that they might be saved if they want not grace to accept it Object 4. The want of that is not imputed to any man which is onely in the power of another to give and seeing that without repentance faith hope and perseverance in vertue no man can attaine to happinesse which vertues of repentance c. are onely in God to give as the Prophet saith Lam. 3.21 Turne Thou us unto thee ô Lord and so shall wee bee turned it may seeme that the want of these things ought not to be imputed to any man Answere If any man refuse a good thing when it is offered the want of that shall be imputed to himselfe as to the wicked that saith to God Depart from us for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Iob 21.14 and these are they whom God is said to harden because they have hardened their owne hearts through the custome of sinne that they cannot repent Therefore though the predestinate that the mercy of God may appeare are conuerted by the inward and effectuall calling their hearts being renewed by repentance to follow him that calleth yet that the order of Iustice may be observed they that forsake their owne mercy are still left to the punishment of their sinne both originall and actuall because they neglect the outward calling and wilfully shut their eyes against the light of their naturall knowledge and conscience See Rom. 9.21 c. And according to this sence is it that in Scripture the hardning of man in sinne and the preseruing man from sinne seemes to be attributed to God both wayes as where he is said to harden Pharaohs heart and to Abimelech a Gen. 20.6 I have kept thee from sinning against me Sect. 2 § 2. And thus it being manifest what this holy Church is and of what persons it doth consist it followes first to proove that there is such a Catholike Church as wee say wee doe beleeve to bee then to see the differences which are betweene this Catholike Church and other particular Churches and Congregations 1 If there were not a number of holy people which God hath chosen unto eternall life then the end of Christs sufferings for us were all in vaine and the whole race of mankind should have beene created onely to destruction So the mercy of God toward His creature that had sinned should be without effect Neither should His glory be magnified in saving that which was lost So the devill the enemy of mankind might magnifie himselfe against God in that he had destroyed His creature irrecoverably But all these things are impossible Therefore there is a holy Church chosen of God unto eternall life And if this holy Church in the parts or members thereof had not continued in all ages since God made His promise of a Savior to Adam then faith had fail'd from among men and the promises of God being either not beleeved or forgotten the sons of God begotten by the immortall seed had failed So the throne of Christ when there was no faithfull heart wherein He reigned should not have beene established for ever contrary to the promise Psalm 89. ver 4 29 36. and Luke 1. ver 33. So the seed of the enemy onely had flourished in the earth contrary to the disposition of that wise husbandman Matth 13.30 Let both grow together untill the haruest But these things are impossible Therefore the holy Church is also Catholike or continuing from the beginning to the end of the world For your better understanding you may take these arguments apart 2. If the goodnesse of God being essentially one with His infinity were not diffusive or spreading it selfe upon the creature for the succour and aid thereof in the greatest misery then should it be exceeded by the malice and wickednes of the devill which though it be the greatest that may be yet must it needs be finite as having the originall from a finite creature But it is impossible that God should be exceeded by the malice of the devill therefore there is a restoring of man to that blessednesse and glory from which he fell by his siâ—ne as you have seene it prooved before in the 18. Chapter and from all the reasons there brought to that conclusion you may bring reasons for the proofe of this Article 3. If man were created according to the will of God innocent and without sinne then that present estate of sinne and death the punishment thereof wherein he now is must needs have beene brought upon him since his creation contrary to the revealed will of God wherein though for the declaration of the justice of God against sinne some be suffered to continue yet because sinne is contrary to the will of God and death contrary to the end of His creation of mankind it is necessary that there be a redemption or freeing of some appointed thereunto from the thraldome both of sin and death But it hath beene prooved Chap. 15. that man was created innocent Therfore there is a Church or a number knowne unto God of them that are so redeemed 4. There is a God who hath made His promises of everlasting life There is faith hope and repentance and other vertues both Christian and morall whereby the promises of God are apprehended and obedience performed to His Commandements Therefore there is
priviledges here mentioned of the forgivenesse of our sinnes resurrection and life but also having in Christ the adoption of sonnes wee have by Him an entrance unto God the Father a right and interest in the eternall inheritance of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever may bee availeable to our eternall happinesse for the gift was not as the offence as you might see Chap. 18. § 2. For as we know that Christ our Lord the eternall Son was partaker of our nature and are likewise assured that the greatest actions of God in His creature are for the greatest good that can come neere the creature So ought wee to bee perswaded that we also shall be made the sons of God by that Spirit of God that dwelleth in us as it is said 1. Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit And these are the exceeding great and precious promises that God hath made unto us in Christ that by Him wee shall bee made partakers of the divine nature 2. Peter 1.4 this is that union and Communion for which our Lord prayes that it may bee made perfect in us Iohn 17.21 22 23. 1. For seeing the soule of man is a thing whose excellencie doth so farre exceed all things of this world it may not be thought that the happinesse and perfection of the soule can stand in things that are inferiour to it selfe as in riches honour worldly pleasure or the like But seeing it knowes that there is one onely infinite goodnes which because it is infinite must needs be eternall and able to satisfie all the desire of the creature that can bee partaker thereof therefore doth it aspire thereunto because in the injoying of that alone it can be made perfect And if this desire of the soule should be in vaine then the Holy Spirit of God which wrought this desire in the soule should have wrought in vaine then the infinite goodnesse which might satisfie the desire of the creature should be defective toward the creature and consequently not infinite then the promises of God made in His word should faile and the prayer of our Mediator cited even now from Iohn 17. without effect But all these things are impossible Therefore there is a Communion of the Saints with God and with one another as wee confesse in the article 2. If the merit of Christ bee infinite and that not for Himselfe but for His body which is the Church then it is necessary that an infinite reward be given thereto But the merit of Christ is infinite both actively and passively Therfore an infinite reward is due to us thereby So that by the Spirit of Christ which is in us we have communion both with the Father and the Sonne 1. Iohn 1.3 3. All the dignities of God are infinite and they are all to bee manifested in the creature so farre forth as the creature can bee made capable thereof Ergo. Now the foundation and originall of communion is in this that for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood He also Himselfe tooke part of the same that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death Hebr. 2.14 and that to this end that wee might be partakers of His immortality and from that union of the divine and humane nature whereby our Lord of the seed of Abraham became one with all man-kind ariseth that spirituall and mysticall union of us with Him that howsoever we are absent in body yet being renewed by the Spirit of our mind we live unto Him have Him evermore abiding in us as we evermore abide in him daily more more grow up with Him into one mystical body as if we were flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones Eph. 5.30 and from this mystical union we have the assurance of that glorious vnion which shall be in heaven when we shal be joyned to our head inseparably and this is that vnion or communion which all the faithfull hope for whereof we have the assurance of His promises in His Holy word the signes and pledges of the Holy supper and the witnesse of the holy Spirit of God in our hearts And thus is Christ ours with His graces and His merits and thus according to the exceeding great and precious promises are wee made partakers of the divine nature not that wee participate of the incommunicable essence of the deitie but that by the renewing of the Holy-Ghost wee put off our corrupt desires and are transformed in our minds according as His Divine power doth give us all things that belong to life and godlinesse ARTICLE XI ⧠The forgivenesse of sinnes CHAP. XXXVII BEing is of God alone whose being because it is infinite therefore must it hold in it selfe all the excreamities of being so that nothing that is can possible be but by Him therefore seeing the soule the body and the abilities thereof are from God alone the devill can claime no interest in man in respect of any of these for none of these had their originall from him But because he was a murtherer from the beginning and inspired his inbred poyson into man even from the beginning the root of man-kind being thereby poysoned the venome spreads throughout all his race to corrupt both his understanding and his will that so his actions being corrupted by the ill which he wilfully committeth his being also may become abominable But as the Physicians make a difference betweene the body and the disease so He our gracious healer discernes betweene the being His owne worke and the corruption thereof the tares I meane which the envious man sowed thereupon to save his owne worke and to cast the venome and the effects thereof on the face of the enemy to the increase of his eternall damnation and first heales the understanding that it may see the sinne then the will that he may detest and avoid it And thus by the renewing of the mind are we transformed from the image of the devill and that stampe which his sinne did set upon us So that the satisfaction being made to the infinite justice both for our originall and actuall sinne the workemanship of God even our whole being may be glorifyed with that glory for which it was created which also it had in the eternall decree before this world was And because our great weakenesse caused of our inbred infection and our many sinnes ensuing thereupon doth every moment stand up as a wall of separation betweene our God and us therefore hath God given unto us such assured hopes of His mercy that although we fall we shall not be cast away because the Lord putteth under His hand Psalm 37.21 and sustaineth us with this confidence That although our sins be as red as scarlet yet they shall be made more white then snow Esay 1.18 And because this hope and confidence ought alwayes to be before our eyes as being the sure stay and anchor of our soules therefore is nothing
condemne thee yet God is greater then thy conscience and knoweth all things 1 Iohn 3.20 Objection 1. It is not long agoe that certaine men from the mint of their owne braine sought to give out a coyne under their owne stampe That we are not justified by the active righteousnesse of Christ but by that which was passive onely and another like this That we are not bound to the obseruation of the Law delivered by Moses either Iudiciall Ceremoniall or Morall But because this coyne had not the publike stampe it was accounted false and therefore this last argument of yours which drawes so neere to their last position may seeme to be fallacious The Law defended not the innocent ergo it cannot condemne the guilty Who knowes not that the just Law was most unjustly wrested against our Saviour that Hee ought to die because He said Hee was the Sonne of God when as in the case of treason against Caesar upon His owne interpretation He was acquited by the Romane deputy Answere So He was pronounced innocent against all their other objections and yet His innocency saved Him not Yet His case was a reserved case in as much as He was no private man but even the Head of His Church who had set Himselfe to answere for all His members and therefore when the Law protected not Him who was innocent above all men and for all men it condemned it selfe as unable to give life and therefore the conclusion is good that it is not of any power to condemne any of them who were condemned in Him that was innocent But that I may answere more particularly I say that I am farre from these men in both their opinions For although the things which our Lord did so farre forth as wee can imitate them are examples for us yet not onely for example but also for our justification that the law of perfect righteousnesse being fulfilled for us wee might bee freed from the curse of the Law Moreover by that active righteousnesse which our Saviour performed He was able to save all that come unto God by Him whereas if it might be supposed that God and man in one person could sinne as the devill tempted Him then His suffering had beene onely sufficient for Himselfe whereas now His death was meritorious for all For as that supposed sinne had beene infinite both in respect of the person against whom and the person by whom it had beene done being an infinite Person so must it have had an infinite satisfaction So all that Christ had merited by His death had beene available onely for Himselfe but now being offered a Lambe without spot His sacrifice is sufficient for all that come unto God by Him Then for that other opinion that wee are not bound to the fulfilling of the Law it is most false For though the Iudiciall were peculiar to Israels common wealth and the ceremoniall Law served onely till the substance was exhibited yet the morall Law in regard of the eternall Iustice and equitie thereof as the law of nature may not be broken without sinne nay so much more straightly are wee bound to the performance thereof as the thoughts are more unruly than the actions otherwise what meant those interpretations of the Law Matth. 5. and elsewhere fetch 't from the innermost meaning of Iustice which binds the very thoughts It hath beene said to them of old c. But I say unto you Love your enemies and whosoever lusts hath committed adultery in his heart c. Is not our Lord a sufficient Law-giver for His Church Doe they take away sinne out of the world and so make void the death of Christ For where no Law is there is no sinne imputed Rom. 5.13 I confesse that the Law hath no power over them that are in Christ to eternall death because it was insufficient to protect His innocent life although the keeping of the Law if it were exact might claime to eternall life But the works of the Law and faith in Christ are by Saint Paul set in direct opposition in this argument of justification See Rom. 3. from verse 20. c. And Galatians Chapter 3. But yet though obedience cannot bring life eternall to the doer of the Law because the Law is perfect our obedience imperfect yet sinne brings deserved death upon the sinner whereby their vanitie appeares which hoâ—d the keeping of the law not necessary and likewise the trueth of the former conclusion that seeing the keeping of the law gave not life to our Lord that fulfilled it neither can the breach of the Law bring condemnation to them that are in Him to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 Object 2 Object 2. But seeing the merit of Christ is infinite and He being both God and mâ—n of infinite woâ—thinesse above the creature and for this purpose appearing that He might take away the sinnes of the world how comes it to passe that after the sacrifice for sin is offered yet both sinne and death the punishment thereof doe still remaine Answere It was an easie thing for God utterly to have abolished death after that by sinne it had entered into the world so that neither the body should have died the naturall death nor the soule the spirituall death of ignorance and pleasure in sinne nor both together the death eternall But yet God would let both sin and death remaine and that for foure reasons especially First that the justice of His most righteous sentence might stand In the day that thou eatest of that tree of the knowledge of good and ill thou shalt die the death 2. That the infinitie of His wisedome and goodnesse might appeare that as death by sinne had entered into the world so by death he might destroy sinne that whereas the devill which had the power of death sought to deprive man of life and glory He might take the weapon out of the hand of that Egyptian and as Benajah kill him with his owne speare and by death bring man to everlasting glory 3. That man might see the greatnesse of the benefit and willingly conforme himselfe to follow Christ through the paines of death and honour of the grave seeing God hath called and predestinated us to be like the image of His Son 4. The devills fell by pride and least man should grow proud therefore is sinne and death left with him to humble him thereby So that to the faithfull the condition of death onely is changed For whereas justice would that man should die because the sentence of death had proceeded against him And mercy would not the death of a sinner Wisedome decided it that death should bee made the way to everlasting life and so both Iustice and mercy might have what they desired Object 3 Objâ—ct 3. But how is sinne said to be forgiven when both sinne and the punishment doe still remaine Answere The meaning and purpose of this Article of our faith is that wee stedfastly beleeve the forgivenesse of our
sinnes so that they shall not rise up in judgement against us to our eternall condemnation But concerning the tempoâ—ary punishment in this world we must remember that which is Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord â—â—â—eth He chastizeth and scourgeth every one whom He receiveth And this appeareth most plainely in Dâ—vid 2. Sam. 12. whose sinne though God had put away that he should not die yet was it afterward punished to every circumstance as you may read And though all chastisement for the present bee grievous yet are not affliâ—tions brought upon men but onely for their humilitie and exercise of their faith and patience or to turne them from their sinne that they may repent and be made partakers of His holinesse and so the eternall remission of their sinnes made sure unto them according to His promise Esay 43.25 I even I am He that putteth out thine iniquities for Minâ— owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe Esay 44.22 I will put away thy transgressions as a Cloud and thâ— sinnes as a mist Turne thee unto mee for I have redeemed thâ—e Read further Esay 53. from vers 4. to the end Miâ— 7.18.19 He retaineth not wrath for ever because mercy pl aseth Him He will turne agaâ—ne and have compassion upon us Hee will subdue our iniquities and â—aâ— all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea Col. 1.13 God hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of His deare Sonne in whom wee have redemption thâ—ough His blood thâ—t is the foâ—givenesse of our sinnes Hebr. 1.3 Chriâ—t by Himselfe hath purged our sinnes See the text cited out of Ieremiah Heb. 8.10 11 12. and Hebr. 9.26 and 28. 1. Pet. 2.24 Who His owne selfe bare our sinnes in His body on the tâ—ee that by His stripes wee might be hâ—aled 1. Iohn 1. â— The Blood of Iâ—sus Christ purgeth us from all our siâ—nes Reve. 1.5 Hee hath loved us and washed us from all our sinnes in His blood Rev. 5.9 Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof For Thou wast killed and hast redeemed us unto God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation ARTICLE XII ⧠The resurrection of the body and the life euerlasting CHAP. XXXVIII § 1. IT may seeme that the Christian mans hopes are more glorious then all other hopes because he is so well content with patience to expect the promises and to deferre his hopes to be enjoyed in a better life then this yea for those hopes sake to deny himselfe many pleasures and contents in this present life an argument doubtlesse as of a constant hope so of an inuincible courage that for this hopes sake because he judgeth Him faithfull that hath promised he beareth patiently all oppositions persecutions and all things else whatsoever may seeme to stand against this hope of happinesse in the life to come which constancy is so much the more to bee praised because it is of a hope above hope seeing all reason and causes in nature are against it insomuch as with them that beleeved it not it was scoffed at as you reade Act. 17.32 or else accounted madnesse as Act. 26.24 yea and where the great teacher of the Gentiles takes upon him to ascertaine this doctrine of the resurrection as 1 Cor. 15. he brings his maine proofe especially to this purpose That it is to be held a Gospel which we are to receive as a matter of faith which of it selfe is the substance and proofe of things hoped for We shall consider the validity of Saint Pauls arâ—uments in their due place in the meane time what hope we may have from them who undertake to give proofe of this Article by naturall reason you may see by that which Thomas Aquinas hath brought contra Gentiles lib. 4. cap. 79. The soule quoth he is immortall and naturally united to the body as the forme thereof Therefore it is against the nature of the soule to be out of the body and nothing that is contrary to nature can bee perpetuall Therefore it is necessary that it be againe united to the body that the body may rise againe To this reason it may be replied nothing is or can be put in nature whereby the soule being once departed is againe reunited to the body but that is a thing transcending nature and onely in the will and power of God For although the resurreâ—tion be indeed a naturall thing in respect of the termes that is the body and the soule becaus neither the body nor yet the soule is any perfect speciâ—s in nature seeing they are made one for the other and the soules desire of being with the body is never satisfied but in the body yet in respect of the principle or cause which should joyne them together being separated the resurrection is above nature and therefore cannot be enforced by any naturall reason For the soule by any disease or other cause contrary to nature being driven out of the body there is no naturall cause left either in the one or in the other which is able to reunite them for if so then that cause would have beene of force to have retained the soule still in the body that it should not have departed therefrom And therefore that axiome That nothing which is against nature can be perpetuall hath no force to inferre the resurrection which depends onely on the will the mercy and justice of Almighty God and not on any thing that is in nature The second reason is this 2. That which is imperfect in the being thereof cannot be capable of perfect happinesse The soule separate from the body is in the being thereof imperfect in as much as being a part of man it is not perfect but in the whole man soule and body together Therefore it is necessary that the soule be againe united to the body that both may be perfectly happy together Answer The perfect happinesse of the soule and body together is a promise of grace and utterly beyond the state of nature and so no naturall argument of the resurrection But the perfection of being is either naturall or connaturall The perfection which I call naturall shall be onely in the state of glory when the naturall parts of man soule and body shall be joyned together according to the perfection of their severall being after the resurrection The connaturall perfection of the reasonable soule is that which is in knowledge and contemplation of things that are divine The soule being separate because it is freed from that variable and fraile companion of the fantasie which followes the appetite and dieth with the body Psalm 146.4 is better fitted to that perfection which is in contemplation then while it dwelt with the body and because it sees that there is no possibility in nature of any returne to the body it is with all patience and joy content to expect till Gods appointment be that it shall returne
whether they be elementall vegetable and sensitive and likewise of things that have imagination and reason See hereto Chap. 17. § 4. n. 5. or else because all bodily beings shall have their rest and perfection in him and with him or at least because he uses these things to such workes as are acceptable to God But if there be no resurrection then after the end of this world man in whom and with whom all these things are to receive their perfection not being at all all these things have no end of their being and so either not being at all or else being for no end their creation as concerning their uttermost and true end which is the eternall glory of God should bee in vaine and that expectation or groaning of the creature to bee delivered from the bondage of corruption of which Saint Paul speakes Rom. 8. should also be in vaine and the promise of making all things new Rev. 21.5 Es 65.17 2. Pet. 3.13 should also bee of none effect But all these things are impossible Ergo. It is necessary that there be a resurrection of the body and eternall life 12. Neither is the body nor yet the soule for it selfe but both the one and the other that both together may make one perfect man So the perfection and blessednesse of the whole man is more than that which can come onely to one part But if there bee not a resurrection of the body this greater blessednesse is utterly lost so that although the soule bee happie for ever yet the greater blessednesse of the soule and body together suffers eternall privation So the whole should be onely that one part may bee happie so the hope even of the faithfull should bee in vaine and their eternall happinesse onely in imperfection and so the punishment of the wicked But these things stand neither with the justice of God nor the trueth of His promises Therefore the body shall rise againe 13. And because this is our last hope and uttermost comfort in all our calamities and a speciall bridle to restraine from sinne it is fit that upon all occasions you should exercise your selfe to make this conclusion on whatsoever you thinke or whatsoever you heare out of the holy Scriptures For every promise and every threatning therein brings you to this that a reckoning must be given for all that which you have done in the body For if the body with the sences the servants of the soule either for sinne or righteousnesse should not live againe then the divine justice in reward and punishment should be defective but this is impossible The texts that are plaine you will understand by your selfe as that of Moses in Psal 90.3 Thou turnest man to destruction and sayest Returneye children of men Some are a little further off which yet you may easily bring hither as Esay 38.18 19. The grave cannot praise thee They that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy trueth The living the living hee shall Praise thee as I doe this day Therefore the dead shall rise againe For seeing man was made to glorifie God in his body and in his soule and that his end cannot bee frustrate man must live againe that his mercy and justice may be praised both by the good and the bad Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses 2. Tim. 3.8 Therfore Moses Iannes and Iambres must come to judgement For it is a just thing with God to reward you and to punish them that trouble you 2. Thes 1.6.7 And if for your further satisfaction you will reade that which the Fathers have written you may take that which goes under the name of Iustine the Martyr in his questions of the Greekes the oration of Athenagoras concerning the resurrection of the dead Irenaus lib. 5. cap. 4. c. his arguments for the most part taken from Athenagoras Theophilus lib. 1. ad Autolycum Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. cap. 10. Reade also that excellent booke of Tertullian of this argument where you may see what his judgement is concerning the qualities of the bodies being raised and some objections to the contrary answered This Article the Iewes both Cabalists and Talmudists hold so firmely against that heresie of the Sadduces that they say That he can have no part in the world to come which denies the resurrection Lib. Sanhedrin Cap. Halec Neither is there any man that lives and sees the continuall course of nature in the digestion of the food that can deny that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the body of which Pythagoras and after him Plato speakes in Phaed. and most of all Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15.39 § 3. Yet so fearefull is the judgement which follows after the resurrection unto the Atheist that he searches all corners of cavills against it you shall take some of them with their answeres as I find them in Tertullian and Thomas Aquinas contr gent. lib. 4. cap. 80 and 81. Object 1 Object 1. And first it is said 1 Cor. 15.50 That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God Answer Till by grace it is made spirituall So not the substance of the flesh is there understood but the present estate thereof with the lusts and wicked desires which if a man doe mortifie by the Spirit he shall live Rom. 8.13 So in Iohn 6.63 The flesh profiteth nothing understand the fleshly-minded man which of himselfe knoweth not the things of God and those things which belong to sanctification and eternall life But concerning the being or substance of the flesh or body of man seeing it was tempered by Gods owne hand fashioned according to His jmage made the seat of the soule so excellent a being by which and with which the soule workes whatsoever it doth seeing in the holy Baptisme the flesh is wash't that the soule may be cleane seeing in the holy Supper the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is received by the mouth that the soule may be strengthened in God seeing our bodies are the members of Christ the temples of the Holy-Ghost and He dwells in them seeing our bodies are not our owne but Gods 1 Cor. 6. seeing they are the instruments of holinesse in all the workes of mercy in prayers in wholesome counsell almes deeds in indurance of sorrowes in fasting in imprisonment in martyrdome in death it is impossible that God should leave forlorne the workemanship of His owne hands the closet of His owne breath the masterpiece of His cunning the heire of His riches and the Priest of His religion and service to dwell in eternall death that He should not heale the wounds and restore those dead to life which have beene wounded and slaine for His sake And though the flesh in it selfe be weake and through sinne utterly lost yet seeing our Lord came to seeke and to save that which was lost and that He Himselfe hath borne our sinnes it is impossible that either the merit of Christ for us or the mercy and goodnesse of
world Iohn 1. I see no cause why reason that especiall and principall gift of God to mankinde should not be serviceable to the principall and especiall end for which man himselfe is created that is his drawing neere unto God by faith in him for the excellencie of every thing is in the excellencie of the End for which it is And that common sence and reason have their especiall use in things pertaining unto God it is most manifest For all our knowledge proceeds from meere ignorance first knowing words by their meaning then things by sence and experiments from whence the reason ascending by enquirie into the causes comes at last into the knowledge thereof and so unto the chiefest and first cause wherein alone it findes rest And seeing man alone of all the visible creatures is framed and formed of God unto this search by the outward sence and reason to finde the wisdome and power of God in the creature that so honouring him therefore as he ought he might be made happie thereby if it bee no way possible by reason and discourse to come to this end then should God want of his honour by some of those meanes by which it might be given unto him then should the creature bee failing to man in the speciall use which he should make thereof to God then should reason the chiefe facultie of our soule and principall meanes of our knowledge have beene given unto man in vaine that is as sence is to the beasts onely for this life if it were either no helpe at all or an unfit or an insufficient meane to know that which is most necessary and worthy to bee knowne and yet obscure to stirre up our industrie that as faithfull servants we may improve those gifts wherewith God hath intrusted us See Luke 19.1 And so the purpose of God should be frustrate both in the inferiour creature and in man and that in their chiefest and uttermost end See Prov. 16.4 But these things are impossible and therefore wee are commanded Deut. 6.5 to love and serve the Lord our God with all our heart the seat of reason 1 King 3.12 with all our soule the seat of the will and understanding in heavenly things and all our affections there stiled by a word of vehemencie or excesse And thus doe we fulfill the counsell of the wise Pro. 3.9 to honour the Lord with all our substance that is whatsoever is ours without or within as sence reason understanding affections and will But still you say that reason is an unsufficient meane and unable to bring us to the knowledge of those things which we are bound to beleeve for else the Heathen which know not the Scriptures might have known the truth of Religion as well as we Ans There be divers kinds of questions about every subject as I shewed Log Chap 3. Now the conclusion or Article of our faith by the Atheist or Infidell or weake Beleever being made a question the reasons brought are to prove onely that the conclusion is true not alwayes why it is true for there be many conclusions in our faith which cannot be knowne and proved prioristicè as they speake that is by their immediate and necessarie causes seene and understood in the effects necessarily following thereon for then that humilitie which ought to be joyned with our faith should bee without reward but yet the foundation of our faith is sure because the Spirit of God which understands the things which are of God hath revealed in the Scriptures whatsoever is necessary for us to know or beleeve concerning God thus posterioristicè or by way of induction are all the Articles of our faith approved by reason so that our faith and hope are not of things impossible but such as are true and necessarie to be Moreover if there bee but one God one Lord of all one faith the onelie way to come unto God Ephes 4.6 as it is plaine there is but one Mediatour 1. Tim. 2.5 without whom none can come to the Father Iohn 14.6 It cannot be denied but that the same glorious faith which we are taught in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament excepting onely the historicall circumstances thereof as names and times as that the Mediatour Iesus was to bee borne of a Virgine Mary and to suffer death under Pontius Pilate c. must be that very same faith by which all the Saints of God were saved for above two hundred and fifty yeers before there were any Scriptures written And therefore that although this faith was delivered and reverently embraced by the faithfull before the Law of Moses who also so delivered it as that they could not looke unto the â—nd of the law 2 Cor. 3.13 Yet they who either received it not by tradition as most of the Gentiles or understood it not in the Law as few among the Iewes did beside the Prophets must of necessity through the light of reason alone hold with us some maine and fundamentall points according to which if they lived in obedience they might finde mercy for that whereof they were ignorant as it is said Act. 17.30 that God oversaw or neglected the ignorance of the time before Christ For if the representative Priest by forein bloud found forgivenesse for himselfe and the ignorances of the people concerning all punishment in this life how much more might the everlasting high-priest by his owne offering of himselfe finde eternall redempâ—ion for their ignorances who sought mercy of God although they knew him not by whom they did obtaine it yet might they therefore assure themselves to obtaine it because they could not seek forgivenesse but by his Spirit who framed their hearts to seeke it and therby gave them an earnest or pledge that they should finde it Compare herewith Rom. 10.18.20 Ioh 14 6. Now those maine points of which I spake which by the light of reason they might know are these First that ther is a God infinite in goodnesse in glory in wisdome in power as it is manifest Psal 19. Rom. 1.19.20 and elsewhere Secondly that this God the maker of all things according to that goodnes made every thing to an end infinitly good â—s farre as the creature could bee capable thereof And that therefore the happinesse of man could not bee in this life short and miserable but that his hope must bee for hereafter And therefore thirdly that hee must needs perswade himselfe that hee was immortall and that there was an immortall life at least as appertaining to his soule Fourthly because a mans wretchednesse is for the most part from him selfe in the unlawfulnesse of his owne ill deeds which proceed from the bitter fountaine of his affections and ill desires tormenting himselfe therefore hee must needes confesse his sinne against himselfe and know that hee that finds himselfe so displeasing to himselfe can no way hope that for his owne worthinesse hee can any way bee acceptable unto God and that therefore he
hath no succour nor hope but only in his mercy that hath made him thereunto if he will desire and trust in his mercy And thus far the reasons of the heathens and the Religion of the Turkes doe drive them But here that foolish Religion of the Turkes is content to stay not holding it necessary to beleeve a Mediator because say they God infinite in mercy made his Creature onely because he loved it Thus while they truely magnifie the mercy of God they utterly forget that hee is Iust Vnto which infinite Iustice of God if they had taken due regard the same light of reason would further have shewed unto them that the soule that sinnes must beare a punishment answerable to his sinne And because by every sinne against God an infinite Iustice is offended therefore it is impossible that any man by his owne righteousnesse which can never bee any more than by the Law of God he is bound unto should bee able to make any satisfaction for his sinne Vpon which true principle it will follow necessarily in the light of reason either that there is no possible returne to the favour of God which conclusion a man would by all meanes avoid or else that the reconciliation of mankinde unto God must needs bee by the mediation of a man in every respect free from Sinne who bearing the punishment due to sinners might finde redemption and mercy for all them that would beleeve it and live worthy thereof But because all men conceived in lust and sinne are originally tainted therewith for our of uncleannesse who can bring that which is cleane therefore must the generation of this Mediator bee wonderfull and not after the common manner of all men but so that no sinne or taint of the flesh must bee therein So that being both borne and living without sinne hee might by his death become a ransome acceptable for the sinnes of others And although reason could not conceive nor finde how this should bee yet seeing that in the necessitie of the divine justice it must bee thus reason would as easilie yeeld that it might bee as it did finde and see the creation of mankinde and the whole creature out of nothing as by the discourse ensuing it will hereafter appeare If this were not thus how should the whole world of Infidels and misbeleevers bee hable to the justice of God for their ignorance of him for their neglect and for their unbeliefe So taking it as granted till it doth further appeare by the Treatise following that reason hath right good and necessarie use in the things of faith it is too manifest that these wretched times are such as seeme to call aloud for the publishing of some such worke as this for though the fooles that have said in their hearts there is no God dare not in words profes it yet by their continuance in their sinful deeds they do proclaime that their thoughts are so Neither are they altogether wanting which say that Religion is but a politicke invention to keep men in civill obedience but if the conclusions of the Christian Religion bee inferred upon necessarie principles then are they not made out of policie as these Atheists say but cannot prove it except they could also make it appeare that policie was able to make naturall reason I will not denie that Mahumed setled his religion so as they say but hee forbids to dispute of the principles thereof because it is against both reason and Scripture and so perhaps it may bee said of those Will-worships that are or have beene among other Gentiles to whom God vouchsafed not the knowledge of his Law But our most holy faith because it alone is true hath no other author than God himselfe who hath revealed it by his word and because no man shall bee excused if hee beleeve it not hee hath commanded reason whereof all men are partakers to seale thereto in everie point but because in the Treatise before mentioned and by the whole practice of this booke this thing is manifest I will here turne mee onely to answer those doubts which may bee brought against the perswading of matiers of faith by humane reason First it may bee objected that the matiers of faith are farre above humane reason and that therefore it is a great presumption to question or skan them thereby for it is said by S. Paul Rom. 11.33 that his wayes and wisdome are past finding out I confesse we know nothing of God but what he hath revealed of himselfe by his workes or by his words for hee dwelleth in the light that none can approach unto even as S. Paul speakes there of his calling and election to faith a will unrevealed but the Articles of our faith hee hath most plainely taught and revealed And further to the argument I confesse that humane reason turning it selfe to behold the divine truthes is as the eye of a Bat to looke on the Sunne But yet the eternall and infinite truthes are so apprehended by mans finite understanding as the light of the Sunne is by the eye that is verely and indeed the same light and no other for though the eye cannot receive all the light of the Sunne yet that which it doth receive is truly that same light which is in or from the Sunne But you say that if in things of common use as hony salt or any other things vegetable or minerall wee must confesse our exceeding ignorance of their nature properties and possibilities both alone and much more in all manner of compositions it may seeme that our dulnesse may much rather be acknowledged in things divine I yeeld not altogether to this consequence for to the knowledge of naturall things we have our owne witlesse experience to helpe us and the deceitfull authoritie of mistaking men but all those truthes whereon our faith relies are grounded on the infallible rules of Gods owne word revealed by himselfe unto us for this end that we should not bee deceived or mistaken And although it was impossible for humane reason ever to finde out the conclusions and most fundamentall points of our faith as the mysterie of the Trinitie the incarnation of God the resurrection of the body c. yet being by the cleer light of Gods own word made known unto us we approve the same truth by the judgement and voice of reason So the reasons that are brought hereunto are not to establish any truth new or unheard of but for that faith which was heretofore taught delivered unto the Saints if the reasons of themselves be weak and by their weakenes shew how mans understanding is dazled at the divine light yet the conclusions stand sure and unmoveable but if the reasons bee certaine and true then questionlesse they are grounded in the Word and truth of God and the conclusion true either for the reason delivered or for a higher reason which wee cannot finde To this purpose the Father Anselm de Conc. Gratiae lib. arbit
profitable labours deserve more prayses And though I have stood all day in the market because no man hath hired mee yet seeing I would as fame have the penny as he that hath borne the burden and heat of the day I would not bee idle But because the knowledge and study of heavenly things and the meanes whereby the soule may bee saved concernes all men alike even Amos among the herdmen of Tekoa asmuch as Azariah the Priest in the Temple of Ierusalem And that every one as he hath received so is hee bound to make account of his talent Therefore although the burden I confesse was more fit for a man in the strength of his memory and understanding and too heavy for mee now wasted in seventy yeares with age sicknesse and continuall paines yet I trusted in him that directed my heart to take it up that hee would give mee strength in some sort to beare it But concerning those men that have laboured herein before me although I praise their paines yet I thinke them nor fit for every mans use Aquinas according to the greatnesse of his active understanding in his bookes against the Gentiles hath moved an endlesse number of questions of which as it seemes to mee many are very needlesse and impertinent to this my purpose and would draw an English Reader into a maze out of which hee could hardly winde himselfe Raimund de Sabunde though his writings be easie and quicke yet his matiers are scattered and not according to that method which I intend Savanarola wanders up and downe meanes well saith something out of Thomas but in his Triumphus Crucis as in all the Schoolemen and so in both the former very many things are left our which most necessarily belong to this our purpose and many things brought in which are not here at all questioned Mornay though he deserves much praise for his great reading and his plaine and easie stile yet beside that which hee perswades concerning some few questions here moved hee referres us to the Scriptures for proofe of the rest A most certaine proofe indeed and above all other with a Christian but my purpose is to adde an overplus of proofe to the perswasion which the Christian hath and to justifie his faith against all adversaries not by authority of Scripture onely which with Heretickes Turkes and Infidels is of small regard Moreover that which he perswades is by reasons in a manner altogether inductive which kinde of proofe although it bee more usuall in the Scriptures than any other and is of force sufficient with them that hold the principles and maine grounds of Religion for whom only they were written and not for them who are without Rom. 15.4 yet with infidels or adversaries inductive arguments are of small force except they be layd downe with their supposition as I call it log cap. 14. For otherwise the understanding hath no foundation wheron it may stay it selfe And he that in matiers of faith brings in reasons which are not of force to compell the understanding to yeeld to the truth gives occasion to infidels and Atheists to scoffe at Religion and leaves the wavering minded more unsetled than before As I knew a young Scholar who reading Euphues refuting his Atheist by such slight inductions and arguments onely probable became much perplexed in his minde till it pleased God by his light to settle his understanding The reasons of Raimund Lully and his manner of arguing gives more full satisfaction And hee it is from whose enlightned Spirit I borrowed most because hee onely of the rest hath written particularly to almost all the Articles of the Creed yet that treatise hath great need both to be cleered and of supply And although for examples sake in his art generall and inventive hee handle some of the questions yet while he strives therein to shew the use of his art rather than the truth of the things hee proposeth his reasons with great confusion and exceeding difficulty to bee understood as it will easily appeare to him that reades him But to yeeld that I tooke my light from those illuminate doctors Aquinas and Lully for I seeke not mine owne praise but the manifestation of the truth of God and the joy and comfort of the Christian soules among mine owne nation was the light theirs is not reason the common light of every man which can either finde it out or see it being found is the light in a Church his light that made the windowes thorow which it shines what interest hath he therein more than any stranger that injoyes the light yet knowes not the mason But if my knowledge of the mason that is my reading of Aquinas make the reasons his then his reading of Aristotle shall make the reasons Aristotles from whom hee hath gathered his reasons some where whole and entire every where from his principles And so if my reasons gathered from the practise of Raimunds art or from his owne practise bee therefore Raimunds reasons because he delivered that excellent art then the light shall be the Masons But if they for their goodly buildings made Bay windowes to let in much light And I for my low yet sure built house have made but casements and loopeholes yet so disposed them as they may let in light enough to lighten every corner of my little roomes Let everie one that is pleased come in and enjoy the benefit of the light and thereby behold the truth of God and rejoyce in His light And when hee understands the reasons let him account them his owne either to strengthen himselfe and others thereby against misbeleefe and doubting or especially against such as shall either wilfully or ignorantly withstand the truth And if I for my long and great study earne not so much as the name of a diligent translator or an Abridger or a gatherer hereby yet if any man gather either profit or content I shall be glad for the paines that I tooke herein brought unto me an abundant reward And having thus defended my selfe I will tell you for what reasons I have at last taken heart to discharge my selfe of my former promise First of all when in the earnest thought of these things I found that the holy religion of the Christians howsoever tryed by Scriptures or by the cleere evidence of understanding had such light and manifestation of the truth therein as that all the darkenesse of hell could not dimme it I confesse I had such assurance of joy therein that I judged I ought not to conceale it alone For what greater joy can any man have in all the miseries and discontents of this wretched life than to know and see that his hopes proposed for a better life are such as cannot faile then to see the exceeding mercy of God such as that hee requires nothing to bee beleeved for which hee doth not abundantly satisfie the understanding if it will enlarge it selfe and desire to be satisfied Is it nothing that the
thoughts from whence is the streame of all our sinne Heere you will question what strength wee have to fight and universall grace and free will but they are beside this present purpose whereby it is cleere that all our sins being but issues of our owne corruption against which we strive not it is just with God both to punish our carelesnesse and neglect of his commandement and our owne safety with sinne and to leave us in that corruption to be guided by him whom we chuse to serve having forsaken our true Lord and owner But because this corruption is from our birth and that we made not our selves such but that by the fault of Adam sinne and death reigne over all the summe of the question is knit up in that one sinne of our first father concerning whose fall wee are brought to this point If God so foresaw the fall of Adam that he will'd it it was impossible but that he should fall if he will'd it not it was impossible that he should To which doubt Thomas Aquinas in lib 1. Sen. Dist 46. q. 4. answeres wittily and modestly that although the proposition be true and necessary yet it is not necessary that the will should be carried to either side of the contradiction His reason as I thinke is because truth is not the object of the will but of the understanding onely and therefore he saith that God doth permit ill onely not because it is ill but because of the annexes or dependances thereon either precedent as because it is good that the creature should have the power whereby it may be enabled to doe ill or not to doe ill or consequent which is that good that is occasioned by the ill I reverence the judgement but yet Doctor the question is here concerning good and ill the proper object of the will and as the understanding cannot avoid it but must consent to a truth which it knowes so neither can the will in that which it takes to be good or ill but that it must chuse one and refuse the other For as the outward sences cannot refuse to be moved by their proper objects as the eare to heare a sound within a meet distance no more can the inward faculties of the minde Besides the question is here of the will of God an infinite will and convertible with an infinite understanding for in God there is not one being of his will and another being of his understanding as will appeare more large hereafter in the 8. and 9. Chap. Neither is the will of God as mans will which may sit still while his understanding workes but what he understands he wills it also to be or not to be as his promises are not yea and nay but in him all is yea and Amen Therefore to let passe those questions which are moved hereabout concerning the freedome of Adams will why God should forbid that to Adam wherein he saw that Adam would transgresse and so make his eating to be sinne for where no law is there is no sinne and such unnecessary questions I answer directly that it is utterly impossible but that God did foresee the fall of Adam the taint of all mankinde thereby all the sins and all the punishments wherunto any one particular person is lyable all the wandrings backslidings and wants which can be in the creature Neither will I blush to affirme with the Apostle Rom. 11.32 That God hath shut up all under sinne that hee might have mercy upon all But it followeth not hereupon that hee decreed our misery in Adam because he foresaw it yet such was his mercy that out of this great evill he wrought a greater good so that it may seeme by consequence we are rather gainers by Adams fall for though we lost by the sinne of Adam an inheritance of holinesse c. Yet that holinesse was like the morning dew that vanished at the heat of the first tentation it was a created holinesse it was in a low degree fit to his being in whom it was Is not the present inheritance of our holinesse more sure more excellent who are made partakers of his holinesse who is holinesse it selfe his knowledge was but of worldly things ours of eternall and though our naturall knowledge bee by Adams sinne corrupted or lost yet shall it at last be restored againe with endlesse advantage for the gift is not as the sinne Rom. 5.15 His life but a naturall life so that if Adam had not sinned he might have lived a naturall life till now and afterward free from sicknesse and want abounding in all the knowledge of nature and naturall blessings but that should have beene the end of his hope as farre as I can see though some there be that give us hopes of the same degrees of happinesse and glory which now we have although Adam had not sinned Yet because they see that that could not be brought to passe except God should take our nature that thereby we might be lifted up to that estate of glory they thinke that Christ our Lord should have come in the place of Henoch the seventh from Adam and that therfore Henoch was taken away in stead of Christ See Pastellus de Nativitate Mediatoris pag. 116. But wee are bound both by reason and authoritie of holy Writ to know and confesse that the first Adam was of the earth earthly and such should our happinesse have beene if we had continued in our created innocencie the second Adam is the Lord from heaven heavenly into whose image being renewed we are made partakers of his superexcellent and heavenly glorie The meanes whereby we come to this state of glory is also our assurance that it shall be fully accomplished God dwells in our flesh O unspeakeable mysterie he hath taken upon himselfe our sinnes O unspeakeable love he calls them his owne sinnes Psal 40.12 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath healed us with his stripes and is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse holinesse redemption life with an over-abounding waight of glory Is not the exchange well made with this advantage who would not lose himselfe that he might winne Christ with all his demerits who would not forfeit the life and happinesse of Adam in his innocencie that he might gaine the life and glorie of Christ in his eternitie And thus much briefly for the advantage Is it nothing to see the infinitie of the wisdome and goodnesse of God which out of the greatest ill could bring the greatest good The greatest ill on Adams part was his sinne which from him spread it selfe over all mankind to make it liable to eternall death on the devils part his malice and murder yea such a murder as could not be in the world beside in one man to murder the whole world of men Is it nothing I say that out of this great ill God could bring the greatest good that is our assured and everlasting righteousnesse and glorie is it nothing that he hath caught the wylie in his
owne craftinesse for whereas the devill envying that happy estate wherin man was created sought his overthrow by making him subject to sinne and so to death He our Creator to shew to the principalities and powers the riches of his wisdome and goodnesse in man did not onely redeeme him from that thraldome of sinne and death but also exalted him unto an estate of glorie and happinesse farre above that in which he was created Thus out of the eater comes meâ—t and out of the strong comes sweetnes Iud. 14.14 Thus the head of Leviathan is broken in pieces and given to be meat to us in the wildernesse of this world Psal 74.15 Therefore seeing it was the good will and pleasure of Almighty God to mankinde to make him partaker of these unspeakable mercies which his goodnesse hath wrought unto us out of the ill of our sin and because he that wills the end wills also those meanes that leade unto the end we may with reverence to his wisdome and truth affirme that although God by his revealed will forbad the tree of knowledge unto Adam and so made his eating sin yet in his secret counsell he did foresee that sin in Adam not as an enforcing or a working cause but leaving him to himselfe But here a doubt must be answered first if we be indeed redeemed from the thraldome of sin why doth God suffer sin still to remaine in us yea so far forth as that we cannot cease to sin yea so farre forth as that it makes our best actions even our prayers abhominable while our tongue utters one thing and our heart wanders after another Answer It was possible and easie to God so to have renewed the heart of mâ—â— so as that he should not sin but yet God would let sin to dwell in us for divers advantages to us but especially for two first that at the sight of our sin we might cast down our selves before him and utterly renouncing our owne worthinesse we might seek that righteousnes which is of him and in him alone the second that by the perpetuall remembrance of our sin the punishment due unto us for the same we might be thankfull unto our most mercifull Redeemer by faith the anker of our souls holding out our hope that although we fal we shal not be cast away and hereupon depends our repentance our patience and our endeavour to the masterdome of our owne wickednes Thus as the wise Physician for long continuing and deepe rooted maladies gives strong purging medicines of Seamony or Colocynthis and after applies his cordialls so our most gracious Healer to let us know what we are of ourselves lest through pride the sinne of the rebellious Angels we should be lost for ever doth not only suffer us to taste the bitter fruits of our owne corruption but suffers sinne also as the flesh of the venomous tyre to be still in us that by it the vertues of the precious spices of his graces may be conveyed to our hearts to preserve us from eternall death that balefull infection of the devill unto everlasting life b Necessary truth in actuall being R. 3 Necessary truth is not here meant that truth which depends upon the necessary being of the thing in respect of the cause thereof but that necessity which bindes the understanding or words to be agreeable to the present being And thus this proposition Peter sits is as necessarily true while he doth fit as to say Peter is a man CHAP. VI. That God is Almightie MIght or power is of divers kindes as you may reade log appendix of Sect. 3. introduct I will not stand repeating nor in this question make any mention of that power which they call passive because it meanes a power onely to suffer in things that are weake and imperfect The might which I meane here is absolute perfect infinite which belongs to God and to him alone as it appeares by these reasons 1. What power soever it is which is equally powerfull over all being either in acte or in possibilitie of being must needs bee infinite or almightie but such is the power of God therefore God is Almightie It was manifest before Chap. 2. that God was everlasting and so not by any other but that all things either being or possible to be are from him above as it will further appeare Chap. 13. and upon this consequence it will further follow necessarily that God is Almighty a in respect of the creature 2. b If God bee not Almightie then either that which is or that which is not must bee able to resist him but neither that which is nor that which is not is able to withstand him therefore God is Almightie The proposition is plaine that hee may doe what he will doe who can finde no hinderance or let in his doing The assumption also is as true for the things that are are all from him as the fountaine of all being as it is confessed by the voice of heaven Reve. Cap. 4.11 Thou art worthie O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they are and have beene created And that the things that are not should be able to withstand him is utterly impossible for so not being should be more powerfull than being and being more powerfull must of necessitie be and so should both be and not be which is an absolute contradiction and utterlie impossible Therefore the first that God is Almightie is true of necessitie 3. If God be not Almighty so that his power may be answerable to his other dignities in infinitie then either his power must bee accidentall to him or else his being must differ essentiallie from it selfe but both these things are impossible for in him is no accident nor shadow of change Ia 1.17 as it shall appeare more at large Chap. 9. And for the second consequence it is as plaine for that which is infinite and that which is finite must needs differ essentially so that if his goodnesse his eternitie wisdome c. being essentially himselfe as is shewed Chap. 8. be infinite and his power likewise essentiall to him and yet finite then his being must needs differ essentially from his being Therefore it is necessarie that God be Almighty 4. Nothing can either be or worke but by that power which it hath both to be that which it is and to doe that which it doth so that if the power of God were not infinite or almightie neither could his being be everlasting by his eternitie neither could his inward action in himselfe be infinite and eternall neither could his goodnesse his greatnesse his truth glory c. be that which they are neither by his wisdome could he know himselfe infinite and eternall nor yet able to doe any thing answerable to his goodnesse truth and glory Reade Psal 111. Neither could he delight himselfe and be so happy infinitely in his owne goodnesse greatnesse and glory and so
in civill and morall thi gs you may trulâ— say that all things are subject to their Lord and Creator so hath Hee made all things subiect to the possibilities of mans understanding in as much as the Spirit of man considers all things yea presumes to search even the deepe things of God Now one soule with all these properties argues the wonderfull excellency thereof and what a lively stampe of his wisdome He hath imprinted therein But because the whole of every thing is more excellent then the parts which are for the perfection of the whole and that the soule out of the body hath no power of growth of sence of imagination and because it would not be destitute of the native abilities and powers of it selfe it parts so unwillingly from the body cannot possibly forsake it for ever as it will appeare hereafter therefore the excellency of that image appeares not onely in the parts as I have shewed but much more in the compound of the body and soule together wherein are all things both bodily and spirituall so represented as that the shape of a man cannot bee more lively seene in a looking glasse than the whole creature is represented in man the epitome or summe of all Moreover what is there in all nature which hee makes not art to imitate yea and beyond any patternâ— in nature adventures in a frame of wood to compasse both land and Sea what arts doth not he finde out and because hee knowes hee cannot come to nought what dares he not to undertake in peace or warre And if every effect doe represent the cause with the power vertues thereof as it is said Psal 19. Rom. 1.29 then much more that which is the summe and principle effect of all And this is that threefold image in which Adam was created and which remaines unblotted out yet wonderfully stayned in every man Gen. 9.6 1 Cor. 11.7 But because it is spoken of the whole man that hee was created in the image of God you are to understand that Image first in the naturall composition of his body and soule as I have shewed Secondly in regard of his Lordship over all this visible creature and thirdly and most of all in those supernaturall endowments of righteousnesse and holinesse wherein he was created Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Wisd 2.23 With the ability to continue in that state if hee had not sinned and a freedome also of will to sin or not to sinne And thus was Adam the Image of Elohim supernaturally and for the renewing of his Image being now lost are all those benefits which God in Christ hath vouchsafed to his Church Object 1. But if man were created in the image of God what preheminence is that which is given unto Christ Col. 1.15 That he is the Image of the invisible God An Image is twofold homogeneous which is in the perfection of the same being as Adam Gen. 5.3 begat a Sonne in his owne likenesse after his owne Image and so Christ the Sonne of God is the image of the Father as was shewed chap. 11. or heterogeneous that is of a different being which is either in the understanding only as the Ideas or formes of things conceived in the minde or else materiall wherein is the representation of some property belonging to another as the image of Alexander may expresse that shape which was proper to his person And thus man was created in the image of God as I shewed And if this representation be more darke and further off in some one particular thing it is rather called a signe a proofe a footstep or marke than an Image As the pricking of an hare in the snow is a marke or signe that she hath beene there And thus every thing created is a signe or marke of the power of the Creator as the matier forme or proprietie in one being is a step signe or argument of the Trinity in the Vnity that is a proofe thereof as every effect is a proofe or witnesse of the cause CHAP. XVI That man continued not in his Innocency but that hee sinned and thereby became subject to eternall death BVt Man being made upright in the beginning and left to the hand of his owne Counsel Eccles. 15.14 they sought out many inventions Eccles 7.29 For as hee had power both in body and soule to performe all the dutie of man if hee would so had hee received power to will or not to wil all that hee could that his sinne and punishment might bee of himselfe But that man might know that neither his power nor yet his will could bee well directed without the guidance of his Creator Ioh. 15.5 therefore being left unto Himselfe he quickly found what he was able to doe of himselfe that he should never after that seeke himselfe in himselfe but in Him alone who of his good pleasure workes in man both to will and to doe Phil. 2.13 Thus man being left to himselfe sinned willingly the woman being deceived by the craft of the devill the enemy of mankinde but the man with lesse sinne if ignorantly But ignorance is of three sorts simple willing and wilfull Simple ignorance may be in the state of innocency and is without sinne as in the Angels of heaven Math. 24.36 as in children Luc. 2.52 And in them to whom it is not given to know what they would Act. 1.7 Willing ignorance is in them that care not to know what they ought to know this is a sinne with carelesnesse and excuses not from the fewer stripes Luk. 12.48 But wilfull ignorance is in them that stubbornely refuse to know what they both may and ought to know This is a sinne with scorne and excuses not from many stripes because it is with wilfull disobedience as of them that know and doe not If Adams eating had beene with ignorance of the first kinde hee had not sinned in eating But this ignorance as concerning that wherin he sinned was not in Adam But if he did eat ignorantly in the second kinde his sin was in this that he did eat unadvisedly that which he ought to have knowne and for which he ought to have given thanks to his Creator The third kinde of ignorance could not be in him For then he had sinned before he did eate But if no degree of ignorance were in him but that he did eat knowing yet presuming on his mercy whom hee did offend though his sinne were greater yet was it pardonable because hee trusted in his mercy against whom hee sinned But this sinne was not in him But the woman being deceived through her errour was the cause of his transgression 1 Tim. 2.14 And if he had eaten presumptuously then had his sinne beene greater than that of Eve whereas his lesser punishment argues his lesse offence So then it seemes that the man alone having received the commandement did faithfully deliver it to the woman after her creation So that her first sinne though it were not
imputed because there was yet no law whereby shee was subjected to her husband was that shee gave not firme credit to the word of her husband delivering the commandement of God but that shee suffered her selfe to bee withdrawne by the craft of the devill speaking in the serpent but that his sinne was in this that hee did unaduisedly eat that which the woman gave him not minding what it was as he pleads for himselfe before Him with whom he could not lye The woman gave me of the tree and I did eate And thus was there mercy reserved for man both in regard of that weake estate wherein hee was created in comparison of the Angels and in respect of the quality and measure of his sinne and of the meanes whereby he was drawne thereto whereas the Angels that kept not their first estate but wilfully sinned against God for their three sinnes and for foure could never finde any place of repentance But it is said Iob. 31.33 If I have covered my sinne as Adam By which it seemes his sinne was more than he confessed I answer The word Adam there used and so the word Enoch in divers places of Scripture doe signifie man in his sinnefull and wretched estate indefinitely as Psal 8.4 144.3 Iehovah what is Adam that thou knowest him the Sonne of Enoch that thou makest any account of him And therefore divers good translations reade that text of Iob If I have covered my sinne as Man who doth commonly excuse his sinne and lessen his offence But of what sort soever the sin of man was it is most certaine that he did sinne 1. For as the effect is manifest by the cause so the cause appeares by the effect Now death is the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 so then sinne is the cause of that punishment And every punishment is for some offence But it is manifest that Adam was punished even unto death it selfe For otherwise hee had lived untill now and hereafter Therefore it is manifest Adam sinned 2. It is proved before that all the creature was good and upright in every kinde and that man was the prime and chiefe of all the visible creature and therefore that hee was created for the most excellent end which is to bee happy in Him who is the chiefest good of which happinesse hee could not have fayled if he had continued in the state of his creation For every thing ordained for an end by a cause that is powerfull thereto must bee furnished with meanes sufficient for the attainement of that end But it is manifest that Adam hath failed of that happinesse by the utter losse of life and present being Therefore hee continued hee continued not in the state of his creation but sinned against his Creator 3. Death is the punishment of some great offence in the reasonable creature who is able to make a difference betweene good ill But it is manifest that Adam was not created sinfull and therefore not subjâ—ct to death And againe it is manifest that that state of Adâ—m was changed because he is dead But that change was not made by God because it was contrary to his ordinance neither could it bee made by enforcement of any outward meanes For then Adam had not beene made sinfull thereby Therefore it was made by the willing act of Adam himselfe and hee thereby subjected to Sinne. 4. Nothing can be so inseparably in the whole off-spring which is not first in the originall as the fruit cannot be wholly poysonous if the root or stem bee not first infected But it is learned by lamentable experience that the whole masse of mankinde is wholly sinfull and corrupted and that no man can say his heart is cleane therefore it must needs bee that the root or originall from whence they are descended which wee have already proved to have beene one wis sinnefull and corrupt 5. Man with much care and government in his youth with much heed and warinesse in his owne carriage is hardly at last brought unto a course of a vertuous life and that not without many wicked desires and sinfull deedes But if the first man had not corrupted his nature all vertue and that alone had been naturall to all men But experience shewes the contrary Therefore Adam sinned and therby corrupted his whole nature But you will say If that sinne of Adam were onely a sinne of ignorance and that in so small a thing as the eating of an apple the punishment of death and that both of body and soule can no way seeme to be proportionable For shall not the judge of all the world doe right And if the least sinne deserve the greatest punishment what punishment can be left for the greatest sinne or shall wee say as the Stoiâ—ks taught that all sinnes are equall I answer That sinnes compared one with another are truly said to be lesser or greater one than another For it is a lesse sinne to thinke ill of a man undeservedly than to hate him And that than to maime him and that than to murder him and that than to defame him For most of these degrees hold in them all those sinnes that are under it So that as the Stoickes truely said every later exceeds by the multitude of sinnes that are therein Yet is there no sinne in it selfe how little soever it seeme but in the rigor of Gods Iustice deserves more punishment than al that which the sinner can beare because of his greatnesse who is dishonoured thereby For the greater any person is the greater is the offence whereby he is dishonoured As for a word of scorne spoken by a meane man against his equall a small acknowledgment may make amends for which offence against a Peere a Scandalum Magnatum may be brought and if it had beene spoken to the dishonour of the king it might iustly bee accounted high treason in the speaker How great then may wee hold that offence to be which is against the Majesty of God before whom all the nations of the earth are not so much as the drop from a bucket falling into a mighty river Es. c. 40.15.2 Moreover every commandement of his being a rule of infinite Iustice an infinite Iustice is offended by the breach therof And what satisfaction can a finite creature make to an infinite Iustice that is offended but because it cannot beare a punishment intensivè infinite or infinite in quantity therefore it is iust that it should beare it extensivè in the infinity of Continuance Now as it was necessary that God should givâ— a law unto man that he might evermore acknowledge that duty and obedience which he ought to his Creator so having enabled him both in body and soule to performe his law which was also so easie a burthen as that it stood not in doing any thing but onely in the forbearance of one fruit among a million it was most necessary that God in His iustice should require that breach of His law Which law the
that the effect of that goodnesse may appeare in his everlasting life and happinesse for if the continuance of the world bee for the multiplication of mankinde onely for satisfaction of the divine justice upon mankinde for his sinne then should it bee necessarie that the world were everlasting that the everlasting justice might receive everlasting satisfaction but so the greater power of the Creator in the longer continuance of the world should bee for the greater affliction and hurt of the creature so the infinitie of his power should bee infinitely distant from his mercie and pitie the effect of his goodnesse toward his creature so he should have made the creature and the continuance thereof because he hated it not because hee loved it But all these things are impossible and against the dignities which wee have before proved to bee in God one infinite being Ergo. § 1. From hence also it will appeare that the restoring is to an estate of further happinesse than the continuance of that naturall life in which and unto which Adam was at first created For if the advantage in the recoverie were not greater than the losse was by the sinne then had the sinne beene permitted to no end then had the losse been sustained in vaine and all those afflictions which mankinde hath ever since endured should be without recompence in the reward But it is impossible that God should permit sinne in man and the punishment thereof afflictions and death onely to set man in the same state wherein he was before for that had been to no end at all it had beene in vaine to suffer his owne justice to bee violated in vaine to give his Sonne to die onely to restore man to that state which hee had lost wherein hee might have been kept and all these inconveniences saved Therefore the recovery is with a super excellencie of glorie and happinesse far above that which Adam lost 2. It is the glorie of the wisdome of God out of the greatest ill to bring the greatest good The greatest ill which the devill by sinne could bring upon man was the losse of his worldly life and happinesse and to make him liable to the wrath of God and so to eternall death therefore the infinite mercy and wisdome prepared so powerfull a remedie against this poyson of the old Serpent that the life and happinesse in this world was changed to that which is to be in eternitie in the heavens with an exceeding weight of glory which no words can utter neither can it come into the heart of man to conceive And this with that assurance of the favour and love of God in Christ from which neither height nor depth nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come shall ever bee able to separate us Rom. 8.38.39 CHAP. XIX That the restoring of Man to the favour of God could not be by any meanes that was in man nor by any one that was man alone WHat hast thou O man which thou hast not received and if thou hast received that which thou hast of grace alone whereas thou could'st claime nothing of duty what is that merit of thine either of condignity or of congruity for which thou canst challenge either reward or acceptance is there not a bond of dutie and thankfulnesse to him of whom thou did'st receive it And if man have received of God his whole being and whatsoever he hath of outward blessings or inward graces how can hee give any thing to God which is not his owne 1 Chron. 29.14.16 So that whatsoever a man can doe which may seeme pleasing to God yet when hee hath done all hee must acknowledge himselfe an unprofitable servant because hee hath done onely that which hee ought Luke 17.10 But being besides in danger of the judgement of God both for his originall and actuall sinne shall hee bring for his ransome ten thousand rivers of oyle or the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule Mic. 6.7 Oh madnesse of merit and satisfaction where are those workes of supererogation that treasurie of the Church by the pedling and sale of which that purple whore hath lived in pleasure and glorified her selfe But see the reasons of the conclusion 1. Every offender against an infinite justice must in justice either make an infinite satisfaction or else indure an infinite punishment But no finite creature either man or Angell can make an infinite satisfaction so then there is no returne to the favour of God by the mediation either of man or Angell 2. Where an endlesse debt is still increased there no payment can bee lookt for But man by his originall sinne being infinitely indebted doth still increase the debt more and more by his actuall transgression Therefore from man no amends can bee lookt for 3. No creation can bee without an infinite power as it hath beene prooved therefore much lesse can the restoring of the creature being fallen from the estate of Grace For in the Creation there was nothing which hindered the worke of the Creator But in the estate of sinne there is an impediment first in the corruption which is in the understanding and frowardnesse of the will turned away from God Secondly in the concupiscence whereby man is inthralled to the service of sinne c. Thirdly the power of the devill where to a man is subjected by his sinne Fourthly the Iust sentence and wrath of God The soule that sinneth shall die the death O Man see what thou doest when thou doest sinne Can'st thou flee from thy selfe yet the devill will overtake thee Canst thou escape the devill yet the vengeance of God will surely lay hold on thee Therefore there is no Redemption of hope in him that is man alone 4 No man can pay for another that for which he is indebted himselfe But every man and every other Creature doth owe unto God whatsoever it is or whatsoever it can doe Therefore no man only man can supply toward God the want of another mans service much lesse make satisfaction for his sinne as it is said in the 49. Psal v. 7. None can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor giue to God a ransome for him And if the injury were infinite and the satisfaction impossible to be made by a finite creature to which of the Angels shall man turne himselfe And there shall hee finde a further inconvenience For seeing the offence was made by man It is necessary that Iustice seeke satisfaction where the offence was made As an unity in number once broken cannot bee made up by the same parts into which it was broken Objections 1. But you will say a finite Creature cannot doe an infinite deed and therefore cannot commit an infinite sinne thereby to deserve an infinite punishment Answer The sinne is not esteemed according to the littlenesse of the Sinner but the infinity of the sinne is first in regard of Him against whom the sin was that is God whose infinite glory
without it neither the pagans and infidels nor yet the false Christians can bee without excuse But that every one that knowes doth of himselfe according to this knowledge frame his will constantly and effectually to desire whatsoever belongs to eternall life Pelagius will never bee able to demonstrate For he that wils any thing constantly and effectually wils also those meanes constantly and effectually without which that thing cannot bee come unto And because without holinesse no man can see the Lord Heb. 12.14 in whose presence onely is the fullnesse of blessing and joy for evermore Psal 16.11 in the narrow path of which holinesse because the godlesse Pagan and loose living Christian cannot nor will not walke therefore they cannot bee said effectually either to will or to desire everlasting life But this is that speciall grace reserved for the vessels of mercy by which they are not inforced against their will but of naturall men naturally unwilling are made willing to follow Him that drawes them with the cordes of love to love that which is pleasing in his sight and so to will and desire constantly and effectually to follow that which is for their soules health So this desire being wrought in them by Him that is able to fulfill the desire of them that feare Him is a pledge unto them that their hope shall never bee ashamed And thus the weakenesse of the assumption and falshood of the conclusion doe plainely appeare 6. But hee is accounted a cruell creditor that will exact more then his debtor can pay and hee a cruell Lord that requires of his servant that which hee cannot performe Therefore the most mercifull God requires of man no other satisfaction then that which man is able to performe Answer It is just that God should require of man that he enabled him to performe For otherwise His justice should bee deficient or wanting towards Himselfe and his glory likewise unduely esteemed And the cruelty of a Creditor is to require more than a man is able to performe by himselfe or by his suretie Therefore our most mercifull Lord foreseeing the malice of the Devill and the sinne of man thereby to the glory of His infinite grace provided us a Saviour before we had sinned For whose abundant satisfactions sake wee have a doore of entrance as wide as the Valley of Achor set open unto us that by His merit alone wee may come boldly unto the throne of grace there to find helpe in the time of need Of which Mediator we are now to speake in the Articles following ARTICLE II. ⧠And in Iesus Christ His onely Sonne WEE have seene the wretched estate of man to which he is subjected by reason of his sinne whereby he is unavoydably lyable unto the wrath of God which he is utterly unable to indure and from which to escape there is no meanes in his owne power Now consider with thy selfe most wretched caitif that art afraid to die because thou hast no hope but in this life what it were for thee to stand iustly condemned to die and every minute to expect the execution of thy doome if any one could be content to die for thee that thou mightest inioy the usury of this aire but for the time of thy naturall life from which thou knowest thou must part at last But being subject to an infinite wrath to an endlesse punishment the endurance of which but for one houre hath more miserie then the suffering of a thousand untimely deathes what love canst thou owe to him what thankes canst thou give unto him that would free thee from the punishment and instead of that restore thee to an estate of life and ioy eternall And seeing it hath appeared that this cannot bee done by any one that is onely man wee are now in this second place to see what are the conditions of our Mediator who by Himselfe is able to make satisfaction for our sinne For seeing the just sentence on man was that for his owne sinne hee should die the death which because it was the word of an infinite speaker of an infinite truth it must of necessity bee meant according to the uttermost extension of the truth and so meane all death of body and soule temporall and eternall And because the Mediator for man could not endure a temporall or bodily death except hee were man therefore it shall first appeare That the Mediator for the sinne of man must bee man And because eternall death is such a thing as no man onely man can offer himselfe unto with hope or possibilitie by himselfe to overcome therefore it shall appeare in the second place That our most glorious Mediator must bee God who being of infinite life wisdome and power knew how to conquer eternall death that having in the infinite worthinesse of his owne person satisfied the infinite justice for the sinne of man Hee might give eternall life to all them that by true faith should lay hold on His merits and in thankefulnesse for that unspeakeable mercy live in obedience to his commandements And that it may appeare what the superexcellency of the knowledge of our most holy faith in the religion of Christ is and that for the worthinesse and glory thereof it farre surpasseth all knowledge of all things which men or angels can come unto it shall be made plaine in the third place how necessary and agreeing to the wisdome goodnesse and glory of God it was That God should be incarnate Great is the mystery of godlinesse into which the angels desire to looke And because our most glorious Light and guide hath in his Holy word made these things so manifest unto us let us with chearefulnesse and joy in the ready service of our best understanding follow him who in our flesh hath reconciled all things to himselfe and in our flesh hath led captivity captive and triumphed over principalities and all powers of the enemy that we being delivered might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life and be accepted of Him in life everlasting CHAP. XX. That the Mediatour for the sinne of Man must bee Man 1. FIat justitia totus mundus ruat But when man sinned it could not stand with the justice of God to punish any for that sinne but man alone And whatsoever is against the justice of God is also against his wisdome his godnesse and power for wee have alreadie proved that all these dignities are in him one most simple and absolute being Chap. 8. And whatsoever is against the power of God is utterly impossible to be therefore it must necessarily follow either that there is no reconciliation of man unto God contrarie to that which hath beene proved in the 18. Chap. or else that this reconciliation must be made by a Mediatour that is man Therefore the Father said fitly hereto Propterea nobis per Mediatorem praestita est gratia ut polluti carne peccati carnis peccati similitudine mundaremur
August de Civitate Dei lib. 10. Cap. 22. 2. God might seeme towards man an accepter of persons and towards the Angels that sinned severe and mercilesse if hee should condemne them to the paynes of eternall fire and yet accept man to mercy when no satisfaction had beene made for mans sinne in the nature that had sinned But both these things are utterly impossible and against the justice of God therefore the punishment of the sinne of man must be borne in the nature of man 3. The iust Law and sentence of the most wise Lawmaker and just judge ought to stand sure and inviolable But the sentence of death was decreed and pronounced against man if hee sinned Gen. 2.17 Therefore by man is the expiation and satisfaction to bee made for sinne 4. Every restoring of any want or corruption in nature must be by that which is of the same kinde as if any flesh in man be rotten the member is not made whole againe but by the supply of sound flesh in stead thereof If a bone be broken the breach is not made up with a sticke nor a cut sinew by a catlin so the nature of man being corrupted by the disobedience of one could not be restored againe but by the obedience of one in whom the nature of man being restored all that are partakers of his in corruption may also be partakers of his immortalitie because mans nature doth not now stand absolutely condemned in Gods justice as before 5. This argument the Apostle urgeth 1. Cor. 15.21 For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead And againe Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many bee made righteous You may yet see more reasons for this conclusion in the Chapter next following CHAP. XXI That the Mediatour for the sinne of man must bee God THat the Angels in glorie with such perfections as they had should sinne malitiously when there was no tempter makes their sinne without excuse and them in justice unpardonable and although the sinne of man in comparison of theirs may seeme much lesse and more pardonable in respect of that low estate of mens creation in comparison of the Angels that his sinne was not malitious nor without a Tempter yet when it is well thought on how hatefull a thing to God sinne is how His pure eyes cannot behold ungodlinesse and wrong how his infinite iustice is violate thereby and what iealousie so glorious and infinite a being ought to have of his owne honour so set at nought by so base and unworthie a thing as man who also by that sinne of his disordered the whole creature so farre forth as it was for his use and made it subject to vanitie and corruption it may well appeare of what man infinite difficultie it was to restore man to that favour and grace from which hee had fallen For in beings of which one is finite the other infinite there must bee an infinite difference and if they bee of contrarie conditions the one pure and righteous the other sinnefull and impure that contrarietie must needs likewise be infinite and an infinite contrarietie can no way be accorded or reconciled but by an infinite concord which cannot be but in Him which is partaker both of the finite and infinite being And because it hath before appeared chap. 18. That man was to be restored to the favour of God and to be reconciled againe unto him it must follow necessarily that this peacemaker must be both God and man For infinitie is with the greatest greatnesse of being and containes all the extremities thereof and such is the Being of God but the Creature being finite is set at an infinite distance from that which is infinite and therefore in a lessenesse of being as having no being at all of it selfe but only imparted by that infinite being from which degree of participation if it fall as man did by his sinne it still falls unto a further lessenesse or badnesse of estate and so becomes utterly desperate except it be upheld as man was by that hope The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head And seeing the greatest greatnesse of being and the least littlenesse of being cannot bee accorded but by an equalitie of being which cannot bee but in that which doth equally participate both of that greatnesse and that littlenesse that is essentially therefore it is most necessarie that our gracious Mediatour bee essentially both God and man which will yet further appeare by these reasons that follow 1. That all mankinde by the sinne of Adam is deprived of the favour and glorie of God hath beene proved in the 17. Chapter and that there is a restoring of mankinde was shewed in the 18. Chap. Now if it bee not in the power of man or of any other finite being to restore man being fallen into the favour of God it followes of necessitie that the Mediatour or restorer must bee God But the first was abundantly proved in the 19. Chapter Ergo the second followes of necessitie 2. For every infinite offence an infinite amends must needs bee made or else there is no satisfaction The sinne of man was an infinite offence See Chap. 19. Answ to the 1. Object But an infinite amends could not be made by a finite creature Ergo the Mediatour for the sinne of man must bee God And although God cannot suffer at all yet because the punishment due to man for sinne was more than any man was able to beare it was necessarie that the manhood in that conflict should bee upheld by the Godhead that the sinne being balanced by the punishment the worthinesse of the person might make the suffering of infinite merit for the sinnes of of the whole world 3. No effect can bee eternall but by a cause that is eternall for whatsoever is this or that by accident must of necessitie be made such by that which is such of it selfe But the restoring of man is to an estate of life and happinesse which is to bee eternall as it will further appeare in the Article of Everlasting life therefore it is necessarie that it bee wrought by a cause which is also eternall But it is proved that nothing can bee eternall but God alone therefore the restorer of mankinde must be God 4. The enemie of mans everlasting salvation is the devill a most powerfull enemie whose power is yet greater against man because he pleades the justice of God against sinners therefore it was necessarie that the authour and finisher of our salvation should bee God and man that he might be able both to satisfie the infinite justice and by a greater power of his owne to withstand the great power of the devill 5. Contrarie causes must have contrarie effects and so contrarie effects must have contrarie causes and one of these is ever knowne and discerned by the other so that man by his sinne being subject
to death when it appeares what mans disease or sinne was the remedie likewise will be manifest but it is plaine that man being not content with his estate would bee God as it appeares first by the temptation of the devill Gen. 3.5 In the day that ye eat thereof ye shall be as God knowing good and ill Then by the consent verse 6. And the woman seeing that the tree was to bee desired to make one wise shee tooke of the tree and did eate If then the sickenesse were this that man would bee God the onely medicine must be this that God would bee man therefore the mediatour would be both God and man 6. To require satisfaction for the sin of man from God was to require that which was not due and that is against justice To require the satisfaction of man was more then hee could performe and that is against mercie therefore that the worke both of justice and mercie might bee perfect it was necessarie that the Mediatour for the sinne of man should in one person bee both God and man for as gold is molten in the fire because it hath parts that may bee made running yet by reason of the puritie and perfection of those parts it cannot be consumed by the most violent flames so our Lord because hee was truly man did feele and endure the pangs of most bitter death and was compassed about with the sorrowes of hell Psal 18.6 yet for the innocencie of his manhood and the glorie of his deitie he could not be overcome thereby 7. It is impossible that a pure creature should have such sufficiencie of merit that in Gods justice the sanctification of mankinde should be due to those merits because all holinesse that can come to any creature whether of vertue or of workes must come thereto from God so no praise or merit can in justice bee due to any man for that which God hath wrought by him therefore the Mediatour of mankinde must be God 8. Every particular man being onely man is of much lesse worth than the whole race of mankinde and so insufficient in justice to make a sufficient satisfaction for the sins of all men therefore that all mankinde might be freed from their sins both originall and actuall it was necessary that the Mediator who should make satisfaction for their sinnes should be both man from whom the satisfaction was due and yet of more worthinesse then all mankinde that his merit might make the ransome sufficient for the sinnes of all men But nothing is of more worth then all mankinde but God alone therefore the Mediatour for mans sinne must bee God For although the Angels bee more excellent then man according to the condition of their present being yet not in respect of the end of their creation First in that they are ministring spirits for mans sake Heb. 1.14 Secondly in regard of their common end in that both the one and the other are to bee blessed in God alone Thirdlie And if any one man cannot bee accounted more worthie then any of the whole kinds of beings that were created as our Lord said Yee are more worth then may sparrowes Luke 12.7 He said not all for no species in the creature may be missing and yet the health of one man was priz'd above the life of 2000 swine Mar. 5.2.13 How can any thing beside the Creator himselfe bee more worthie then all mankinde 9. The greatest benefit which God could bestow upon man must of necessitie be by the greatest gift which hee could give vnto him The greatest benefit was in this to save and redeeme him when hee was utterly lost The greatest gift which he could give to man was himselfe therefore it was necessarie that God should become one with man that in man he might save man that was lost 10. This is that riddle which the Psalmist takes upon him to open Psal 49. where after hee hath shewed that no man either by his wealth or honor can make any ransome for another hee concludes that it is God which redeemes the soule from the power of hell Therefore the Prophet saith Esay 9.6 To us a childe is borne Ergo he is man To us a Son is given not borne but given ergo he is God even the mightie God as S. Paul saith 2. Cor. 5.19 That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe To this purpose you shall have many texts of Scripture hereafter Chap. 23. n. 5. CHAP. XXII That God would bee incarnate VPon that text which is in Psal 91. v. 11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes some have thought that the sinnes of the rebellious Angels was that when God had created man and arretted the charge of him and his posteritie to the Angels they supposing the state of their creation to be farre more excellent and honourable then the state of man as doubtlesse it was if the hopes reserved and purchased for us had not beene farre beyond those whereto we seemed to be created refused to performe that service to so meane a creature for which disobedience being cast off they have ever since persecuted the woman and her seed And this opinion seemes to have had the originall out of the Alkoran See Wem à Budowes de fab Alk. pag. 157. Some other thinke they were not rejected for any one offence but for three offences and for foure that is for continuall rebellion they were not spared and so for many ages before mans creation they were adjudged to the paines of eternall fire though the execution of their sentence be prorogued untill the number of the sonnes of pride be utterlie fulfilled Of this you may see Postell de Nat. Med. ult It is not fit to determine what is the certaine truth in those things which the holy Scripture hath not declared but because the soule of man is his image who inspired it and that he our Creator the wisdome of the Father knowes all things ex fundamento as he hath seene with the father therefore this image of his will also bee enquiring that although it cannot know what the originall of things is according to all their orders of causes yet by the effects will it be prying into the causes of them And if it doe this with reverence and modesty it oftentimes findes strange helpes beyond that it hoped for and if herein it bee lawfull for others also to propose opinions it may seeme not altogether improbable that the sin of the devill was this That finding himselfe in the first order of the creature he thought that God who out of his infinite goodnes purposed to bring all the understanding creature to the uttermost happinesse which it could be capable of which could not bee but in the uniting of the creature unto God for God in his absolute and infinite being could not be come unto nor apprehended much lesse be enjoyed by a finite creature except hee would be pleased
all the other dignities of God as concerning their outward working must be in littlenesse and lower than that possibility whereto they may come But this is not to be affirmed Therefore the incarnation followeth reasonably 9. Every efficient the more noble and excellent it is the greater and more excellent are the effects which it doth bring forth But the greatest effects are not brought to passe but by the greatest meanes Now there is no efficient more noble or excellent than God no effect better or greater to the Creature nor more honourable to the Creator than the everlasting happinesse of his Creature no means greater or more effectuall than that he become one with his creature Therefore that the creature may bee happy in Him and his honour and praise perfected in the Creature it was expedient that God should dwell in His Creature even in Man 10. By how much any efficient is greater in power by so much more effectually doth it worke to magnifie the end of his worke and so to set it free from littlenesse contempt and unworthinesse of himselfe From which contempt and unworthinesse the creature is set furthest when it is deified and God himselfe is become one with man So the incarnation is the most glorious worke which can bee wrought in the creature To denie then the indwelling of God in his creature were to deny the most glorious worke of God to put an infinite emptinesse betweene God and his Creature wherein no meane should bee and so to exclude the Creature from all accesse unto the Creator which were to put the creature in everlasting contempt and unworthinesse of the Creator so infinite and glorious For the creature being set at an infinite distance from the happinesse which is in the Creator should have no meane whereby it might partake of the infinite glory For no perfection in the Creature being simply and absolutely finite can bee partaker of that which is infinite without the Mediator God and man as it is said Ioh. 14.6 No man commeth to the Father but by mee 11. It is to bee held that God the most wise workemaster of all things should in the creation of the world propose to Himselfe the most noble and excellent end which must bee concerning Himselfe the manifestation of His owne dignities and perfections in the Creature and towards the Creature the greatest perfection which was possible to be therein But if there bee no incarnation neither of these things could be performed Not the first because the divine goodnesse might have done a better worke in his Creature his infinitie a greater his glory a more excellent c. Not the second for seeing God is that superexcellent Goodnesse of which every thing according to the measure thereof desires to be partaker and by man may bee partaker in as much as man participates with every other thing and every other thing being with him if there bee no incarnation this desire of the Creature is vaine the end thereof frustrate and thereby it is subjected to eternall paine the hoped end being impossible to bee attained unto But all these things are inconvenient Therefore it is requisite that God bee incarnate 12. God is infinitely good chap. 4. and so the most lovely being without comparison And therefore are wee most justly charged to love Him with all our heart with all our soule with all our might Deut. 6.5 But God would not require to be wholly and perfectly loved by man except He himselfe did that for man by which Hee might most of all deserve mans love For otherwise he might seeme to require of man beyond that which were due and so the perfection of that love should bee founded in the goodnesse and kindenesse of man toward God not in the goodnesse and mercy of God toward man But this is not so For wee love God because Hee loved vs first and gave His Sonne to bee the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ioh. 4.10 If then God have done that for us by which above all other things He might deserve our Loves and that nothing can so much deserve our Loves as if he would be pleased to become one with us it was expedient that God would be incarnate 13. That there is an eternall life both in soule and body will appeare hereafter in the meane time it shall be but a supposition Now in eternall life it is necessary that the manly being attaine to the uttermost perfection both of the soule and body that as his understanding so his outward senses be also most pure and perfect But if there were no incarnation seeing the divine glory in it selfe is utterly unapprehensible by our senses and by our understanding neither our understanding nor our sences could have any object wherein to rest and sabbatize and being created without the injoying of their uttermost felicity they would bee the originall of misery and sorrow when as they should bee fit to receive the perfection of all intellectuall and sensible formes from an agent naturall and supernaturall as the Mediator is and yet received it not So also the divine glory should not cause happinesse nor be inioyed by all possible meanes whereby it may cause happinesse and bee inioyed by a meane naturall and supernaturall But if there be an incarnation then the infinite glory dwelling in this mediator may be apprehended and inioyed and make the Creature happie by all meanes whereby it is possible to be happie Therefore God would dwell in his Creature And this argument I suppose may stand well with that scripture Exod. 33.18 and 20. verses where to that request of Moses That he might see the glory of God it was answered that no man can see it and live By which it followes that after death when man is utterly separate from sinne he may see and shall be partaker of that promise which is in Matth 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God which blessing is more particularly described Psal 36.9.10 They that put their trust under the shadow of his wings shall be abundantly satisfied made drunke as some reade it others plenteously moistened with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy pleasures c. all which the faithfull shall see and inioy to the full in the Mediator God and Man without whom there is no approaching unto God And as this argument is good for the soule and understanding so is it for the outward senses For if the bodily senses make for the increase of punishment in them that are damned so shall they also bee for the increase of happinesse in them that are saved If you desire moe arguments to this purpose you may consider them in the 21. chapter The authorities of the holy Scripture may bee seene in the end of the chapter following The objections against this doctrine of the incarnation you may see in Tho. Aquin. cont Gent. lib. 4. ch 40.49 53. 54. CHAP.
a man Colos 1.13.14 God hath delivered us from the power of darkenesse and hath translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne in whom wee have redemption through his blood Col. 2.9 In Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily 1. Tim. 3.16 Great is the mysterie of Godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world received up to glorie 1. Iohn 4.14 Whosoever shall confesse that Iesus is the Sonne of God God dwelleth in him â—nd hee in God By which texts it is plaine that the Saviour of mankind must bee both man and God dwelling in man and the second person of the holy Trinitie which we call the Sonne Notes a THe subject no other than the termes For the understanding of this see my second part of Logonomia Introduct Sect. 4. numb 11. b Hee tooke on him the humanitie If it bee most true which is said Col. 1.19 that all fulnesse should dwell in him yea all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodilie how can it bee but that if Christ dwell in our flesh all the persons likewise must bee incarnate For all the Persons together make but one infinite fulnesse of the Deitie And therefore 1. Tim. 3.16 it is spoken without any distinction of Persons that God was manifest in the flesh Answer To become man was a personall proprietie of the Sonne of God for the incarnation was not of the Godhead wherein the Persons are one but of that subsistence according to which the three Persons are distinguished So that as in the Trinitie there be three persons in one nature so in the mysterie of the incarnation there is one person in two natures Now why the person of the Sonne and none other could become man the reasons before doe make it plaine And although it bee most true that all the Persons together are but one God in the infinitie or fulnesse of the Deitie yet is it as true that the infinite fulnesse of the Deitie is in all and every person alike as the fulnesse or perfection of mankinde is in every man equally Neither is that in Tim. spoken without distinction of the persons for it followes immediately He was justified in the Spirit What is that but that the Spirit of God the holy Ghost did justifie his doctrine and Gospell as most true in causing the hearts of all the faithfull to beleeve it But it is most manifest that the witnesse is neither the thing witnessed nor the person in whose behalfe the witnesse is given Neither was this witnesse of the Holy Ghost onely but also of the Father from heaven 2. Peter 4.17 1. Iohn 5.9 10 11. Compare herewith if you please the note g on Chap. 24. § 9. Object 1. In the end of which Chapter you may see other objections fully answered Our Lord. CHAP. XXIIII That this Jesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary whom the Christian faith confesseth is the Saviour of the world THat reverend and fearfull name of God is a name of glory but the word Lord importeth the title of that right which he hath in his creature And how justly this belongs to our Lord Christ may appeare by that interest which he hath in us â—oth by thâ— right of our creation and of our redemptiâ—n and of all the benefits which we hope thereby What right he â—ath in us for our creation it hath appeared in that wee are his workemanship Chap. 13. § 9. Now it remaineth that we make it manifest that he alone is our Mediatour and that besides him there is no other for if the Saviour of the world must of necessitie be man that hee might satisfie the justice of God for the sinne of man as we have proved Chap. 20. and likewise that he must be God that hee may be able to heare and to save all them that come unto him as was manifest Chap. 21. and that the Sonne of God tooke on him our flesh that by him the love of God might be manifest to the creature as it was proved Chap. 23. If there can be but one Sonne of God as it was shewed Chap. 12. and the note thereto it must follow of necessity that there can be but one onely Saviour of mankinde which Saviour is our Lord Iesus the Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary as it is further manifest by these reasons following 1. It is necessary that all the dignities of God bee magnified in the creature according to the uttermost greatnesse which they can have therein But if this Iesus whom we confesse be the Saviour of the world then all the dignities of God are magnified according to the uttermost extent of greatnesse which it is possible they should have in the creature and that without any abatement or lâ—sning in any one of them for his mercy is magnified to the uttermost in pardoning the sins of many for the merit of one his justice and love in this that he spared not his only Son but gave him to death for a satisfaction for the sin of mankinde his glory in that â—he creature once sinfull and mortall is made partaker of glorie and immortality his wisdome that out of the greatest ill the destructi n of the creature by the malice of the devill he hath brought the greatest good that is the exaltation of the creature beyond that state of happinesse wherein it was created Chap. 18. § 2. and so in the rest But if this Iesus bee not the Saviour of the world as the Iewes affirme if when that other Bar-Coziba of theirs shall come he preach the same doctrine and doe the same glorious miracles which our Lord hath done though it be impossible that God should suffer the world to be so mocked then the same most high and glorious truth should bee both preached and confirmed by a most false and lying Prophet who should professe himselfe the Saviour of the world and was not yet neverthelesse seeing our Lord was the authour and manifester of that truth he shall have the honour to be beleeved and the falshood shall dwell with that other to come But if he shall preach any other doctrine than this which wee have received then neither can the dignities of God bee magnified in his greatest and most excellent worke in the creature that is in the salvation of mankinde as was shewed before neither can his Scriptures bee of absolute authority when another manner of Saviour shall come than they have described unto us but both these things are utterly impossible and therefore this Iesus whom the Christian faith confesseth to be our Lord is the Saviour of the world and beside him there is no other 2. If this Iesus whom wee acknowledge bee the Saviour of the world then the expectation of the most excellent and virtuous men is quieted and at rest in the assurance of his heavenly promise But if this bee not hee but that the Saviour is yet to
himselfe to the Angels in that might they behold the invisible God and be abundantly blessed thereby but since the time that the faithfull have beheld him with that Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals the day of the joy and gladnesse of his heart Cant. 3.11 He is to be seene both of Angels and men eternally and onely in the Tabernacle of our flesh and the glory of God is manifest onely in the face of Iesus Christ And as this I thinke is a full answer to the argument of Postellus so had you need to remember it because it may helpe to the understanding of some places of Scripture which may seeme to make for this conclusion 6. But if such a created Mediatour be as had power to execute the eternall decree and to create the rest of the creature the Angels and man and all this visible world from him it may stand well with the justice and honour of God and the love of that Mediatour toward man to offer himselfe for man when hee had sinned whereas otherwise if no such created Mediatour bee then God the party offended must first seeke the attonement and seeing man was not able must likewise make satisfaction to himselfe for the sinne of another against himselfe But this stands neither with the honour of God nor the rule of Iustice Answ Intire aff ction hates all â—icity And so God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that the world through him might be saved And if the onely begotten Sonne be onely that second person of the Trinity what Son is that created Mediatour And so farre is it from dishonour to God to seeke and save that which was lost as that without his mercy and pitie on man in his misery the worke of God in the creature had beene in vaine But concerning that satisfaction which was made for sinne although it had appeared that it was utterly impossible to bee made by one that was onely man Chap. 19. yet was the satisfaction made onely in the manhood of our Saviour dignified and sustained by his divinity unto the endurance of all that punishment which was due to our sinne as it is manifest by the Prophet Esay chap. 53. Col. 1.22 1 Pet. 2.24 and yet for all that is our Saviour the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Re. 13.8 yet is the blood of his sacrifice upon the Crosse called the blood of the everlasting Testament Heb. 13.20 because that by the eternall spirit he offered himselfe for us unto God Heb. 9.14 That he in his manhood might present his Church unto himselfe God blessed for ever holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 So that the redemption of man is the worke of the whole Trinitie the Sonne by the holy Spirit offering himselfe unto the Father accepting this obedience a ransome for the world And because the Sonne offered himselfe by the eternall Spirit therefore is not our Saviour a created Mediatour as Postellus supposed for no creature can be eternall And malgre all the power of hell it was an eternall Gospell Revel 14.6 Written in the Volume of the Booke of the eternall Decree Psal 40.7 Heb. 10.7 to the everlasting comfort of the faithfull That the sacrifice for sinne was appointed before there was a sinner 7. Now before I come to those Texts of Scripture which Postel urges directly hereto it will not bee unfit to let you see how he favours his owne opinion by those Scriptures which he interprets unfaithfully as where it is said Deut. 32.39 There is no God with me as Esay interprets it I am God and there is none else he makes the sense pag. 104. he is the created wisdome before which there was no other God created for he is worthily called God saith he for his union with the Deitie And againe pag. 115. for that which is Prov. 8.23 I was set up from everlasting he will have it that this divine wisdome was created not from everlasting for then it could not be a creature but before any ages were numbred by men So to that of Saint Iohn Cap. 1. The Word was with God he addes as it followes in the Abisime Creed and with the Holy Ghost and with himself argues that whosoever is with another must be different therfrom for the most part inferiour indignity I have answered concerning the authority of that Church the collection of inferiority in dignity followes not neither doth this text prove the unity of any such creature with the Creator as hee inferres but rather the difference of persons in the unity of the God head for so it followes in the Text And that Word was God I say nothing of other Texts which by allegoricall and forraine interpretations he would bring to his purpose such as that pag. 93. where by the firmament Gen. 1.6 he will understand this Mediator who parted the hidden waters of the Deitie from the manifest waters of the creature whereby it would follow that the Chaos or waters the light and darknesse were created before this Mediator see Gen. 1.13 His argument from that Spirit which moved upon the waters Gen. 1. brought pag. 29. is answered before Reason 3. I impute it no fault to him that he pag. 62. confounds those Texts of Iohn 12.28 and chap. 17.5 Charity sees no mistakings where they make not against the truth But his collection is ill from that text Glorifie me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was to conclude either that the creatures were distinct in him whom he cals God man meaning the created Mediaâ—our or for any other to suppose that the glory of God the Sonne was any whit lessened by the taking of our flesh onely it was shadowed for a time under the Cloud of his humanity except that at some times a glimpse therof appeared in his glorious miracles For first if that eminent being of the creatures in the distinction of their severall beings were not in God the Sonne that second Person of the Trinity but in this created Mediator it would follow that the wisdome of God were not infinite nor yet essentiall unto him when the knowledge of the creature in that manner of being must come unto him by a creature contrary to that which hath been proved Chap. 5. 8. And therefore to avoid this inconvenience hee is compelled to say pag. 74. that that second being of all things taking the equivalent being which they have in the Father for the first is not onely in the eternall wisedome but also in the wisdome created Whence it followes that the Creature by the same manner of being shall bee both in the Creator and in the created Mediator But the reason for otherwise the Angels could no see God The position is false the reason insufficient and answered before then to thinke that the Sonne had lost or abated any thing of his infinite glory because he prayes that he may be glorified
of life Hee might bee borne the Son of man O sacred mysterie O miraculous conception Yet thus must His conception be who was to vnite all things in one But for all this is not Christ our Lord said to bee the Son of the Holy-Ghost although hee were thus conceived by Him nor yet the Son of the holy Trinitie as the Abissine Church confesseth For as concerning His eternall being Hee was the Son of the Father onely so for this His manly beeing Hee was the Son onely of His mother having His humane nature and birth of her and consequently His originall or discent from her Fathers David Abraham c. And being then first conceived according to his humane nature of which the Holy Ghost was not partaker therefore hee was not propagate of the substance of the Holy-Ghost as Isaac of Abraham according to kind to which conception onely the name of Father and Son doth properlie belong Now see the reasons That our Lord was conceived by the Holy-Ghost You may remember how it was said in the Chapter before § 10. Answere to the fourth objection that the Holy-Ghost is that infinite activitie in whose strength every thing doth worke Which if it have truth in every naturall action as I shewed much more is it true in things above nature such as is this conception of our Lord. 1. For if the fountaine bee corrupt then also the water must bee unwholsome And if original sin doe follow every one that is conceived according to the flesh as it is said Psal 51. In sin hath my mother conceived mee then as it was necessarie that Hee which should bee a propitiation for the sinne of others should bee himselfe holy and vtterly separate from sinners so was it also necessary that his conception should be onely by the Holy Ghost that Hee might be free from all taint of sinne both originall and actuall 2. And as the generation according to the course of nature had beene in sinne as was shewed at large Chap. 17. so also was it vtterly impossible that God thereby should bee incarnate For b no agent can worke beyond the power of its owne nature But the Incarnation whereby God and Man became one Person was beyond the power of all naturall generation For man as all other naturall agents is finite the divine being infinite and so impossible to bee begotten by man Beside this the divine being in this case of being conceived must have beene in the state of a sufferer by a being finite But these things are impossible And therefore it was c necessary that the conception should bee by the Holy-Ghost 3. If the conception of our Saviour had beene according to the course of naturall generation then had there beene two fathers of one Person and so the humanitie taken into the Deitie of Christ had beene the cause of confusion in respect of the Father-hood which had beene in God the Father and in respect of man the Father of the same Son So the perfection of Father-hood had not beene wholly and perfectly in God the Father So defect should be in the first principle But these things are inconvenient Therefore d the conception was not by man 4. And why this conception was the peculiar worke of the Holy-Ghost it may yet further appeare thus In all the workes of God in the creature the whole Trinity works either according to one manner common to all the Persons or else according to their personall properties Now in this incarnation of the Son as the Father had begotten Him by eternall generation so in the fulnesse of time did Hee send His Sonne into the world and this sending is that second generation or begetting For as the thought or intent in the minde of a man is that inward word of his understanding which being spoken is made understandable by others So the Word of God remaining eternally in the bosome of the Father being sent into the world became manifest in the flesh And thus the whole being of Father-hood was in the Father and of Sonship in the Sonne And besides these two termes of begetting belonging to the Father and being begotten belonging to the Sonne there is onely that of conception necessary to this most wonderfull Incarnation which must belong to the Holy-Ghost least two offices being given to one Person the third Person should cease to worke So there should bee inequalitie in their actions and their workes without should not bee conformable to their inward beings shewed Chap. 11. and 12. But this is not to bee affirmed Therefore hee was conceived by the Holy-Ghost 5. And seeing it was necessary that the Redeemer of the world should be borne of a Virgin as it will appeare in the Chapter following it was also necessary that the conception should be by the Holy-Ghost For as in the ordinary way of all generation the female seed is not of strength to become man except it receive motion life and strength from the masculine seed conveyed into the place of conception which cannot be done but with the breach of Virginitie so where the Virginitie was not impaired it was necessary that the disposing of the seed and enabling it unto conception should bee by the power of the Holy-Ghost who was able to supplie all defects in nature and to cause the Virgin to conceive and consequently to bring forth without the feeling either of pleasure or paine 6. Every supernaturall worke which proceeds from the perfection of Love must bee performed by him who is the perfection of Love But the Incarnation of God in man was a supernaturall worke which proceeded from the superabundant Love of God to Man-kind See Chap. 22. Reasons 4 5.10 11 12. And therefore wrought by Him who is the perfit Love betweene the Father and the Sonne that the perfection of the band vnion or knot of Love might bee in the Holy-Ghost as betweene the Persons of the Godhead so betweene the God-head and the humanity Notes Object 1 a HEe was not subject to originall sinne A Iew or Atheist may object that if Hee were subject to the punishments of originall sinne that is the sicknesses of minde ignorance forgetfulnesse the passions of anger sorrow and the like and so of the body to bee weary hungry faint sleepie c. Then must it also follow that Hee was subject to the sinne for no effect can bee but by the precedence of the cause But it is manifest that hee was subject unto most of these Therefore it may seeme that Hee was also subject to sinne though not actuall yet originall which was the cause of these Answere Though the rule bee most true that no effect can bee without the precedent cause yet in this businesse where grace and mercy is above nature the cause in one wrought the effect in another The sinne was of Adam and his sonnes the punishment of CHRIST the Sonne of GOD. But the supposition that these defects if they may bee so called are the
not bound thereto in respect of any neede or debt of His owâ—e but He peâ—â—oâ—me aâ—â— that obeâ—ience which was due for our sakes and in our name whereaâ— the meâ—â—t oâ— all other men being finite could no way be satisfactorie for their sin against an infinite Iustice neither yet can they bee so accepted of God beâ—ause mans workeâ— how good soever they are yet can they neither be moe nor better th n man is bound unto Luk. 17.10 Neither are good workes truely ours but such as God hath done by us 1. Cor. 15.10 But seeing all our righâ—eousnesse is as filthy raggs Esay 46.6 let us looke unto Christ Iesus who alone of God is made unto us Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemptâ—on 1. Cor. 1.30 4. And as the ransome of our sinne must of necessitie be of an infinite value that it might be a fu l satis action to an infinite Iustice and therefore fit that our Redeemer should bee both God and man So was it necessary that Hee should become ours that wee might have that which we might give unto God for a full satisâ—action Aâ—d that our obligation to God might bee infinite not onely foâ— our creation or being from nothing but much morâ— for our well-being and restoring from worse than nothing Therefore that wee might have an infinite ransome to gi e unto him did Hee first give unto us His only Sonne Iohn 3.16 And yet that our claime and right might bee in Him not one y by the voluntary gift of His Father which in Him that had power to give made our right and possession suâ—e enough but also by our owne purchase that wee might have all maâ—ner of right in Him and assurance of Him therefore at His owne rice of five Shekels of silver Sixeteene shillings Eight pence Hen. Ainsw on Gene. 20.16 other 25. Shillings Ed Brerew in our money did wee also redeeme or buy him of God See Exod. 13.13 Numb 18.15.16 O most rich and precious â—urchase At so easie a rate to buy that which was more worth than all the woâ—â—â— And that the benefit of this bargaine might not redound to the Iewes â—one t e efore came the wise Gentiles from the East to relieve the penury of the poore Carpenter not onely for the payment of this purchase but also for saving oâ— thâ—t which was bought by Hâ—s flight into Egypt Matth. 2. Chapter And thus are wee become a Royall Priest-hood while wee offer unto God that infinite sacrifice beseeching His mercy for the merit of His Sonne Thus then the infinite Iustice being fully satisfied in our nature by that which Christ hath suffered for us our sinnes are not onely freely forgiven us in the beloved but wee are also brought into the perfect favour and Love of God and the assurance of those benefits which depend thereon Which love how great it is Our Lord hath sufficiently declared Iohn 17.23 where Hee saith that the Father hath loved us as He hath loved Him c With cramps of Iron sodered How Ioseph buried the body of IESVS rolling a great stone Matth. 27.60 a very great stone Mark 16.4 to the doore of the sepulchre the Gospels shew And although the stone were so great that women moe then foure Luke 24.10 durst not undertake to roll it away yet the chiefe Priests and Pharisees held not that surety enough and therefore by the leave of Pilate made the grave fast and sealed it and set their watch to keepe it The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seale and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make fast or sure as the word is used Act. 16.24 He made their feet fast in the stocks cannot import such sealing as is on a bagge of money or with a piece of paper which makes nothing fast but is only a signe of honest dealing For if the Disciples had purposed to steale the body of their master no such sealing could or should have hindered them And therefore that making fast and sealing here spoken of was such as I have said and that for the ends expressed CHAP. XXVIII ⧠Hee descended into Hell Sect. 1 § 1. I Have said before That every difference in opinion though in an Article of Faith is not immediately an heresie And therefore though divers expositions have beene made of this Article yet so long as the substance of it is granted and no obstinate nor malicious or condemning of others is there is no heresie or schisme towards especially seeing that divers expositions may sometimes stand with the trueth of the Scripture the authority of Fathers and the cleare meaning of this Article The different interpretations doe arise especially from the meaning of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheol and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hades Sheol of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shaal which signifies to crave or aske because Hell is never full Proverb 30. Hades hath the derivation of α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to see because of the darkenesse which is supposed to be there or not to be seene because the state of death is not knowne to the living or else as others will have it of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adamah earth by the authority of Sibyl lib. 1. paulo post initium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aden they call because the first Adam When hee was dead and buried thither cam Therefore all men that on this earth are borne Into th' house of Ades are said to turne This interpretation may seeme to have ground on that of Gene. 3.19 Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt returne And therefore 1. The word signifies sometimes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kever the grave wherein they Kuver the corps of the dead as in 1. Kings 2.6 Let not His hoary head goe downe to the grave Hebrew Sheol Greeke Hades in peace 2. Sometime they signifie the power of death the place or state of the dead either wretched or happy appointed for all men as it is said Psalm 89.48 What man is he that shall deliver his soule from the hand of Sheol Hebr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke To this place Iacob Genes 37.35 to this Sheol Iob. 14.13 desired to come as to the rest from all their labours as to that place whereto all must returne as the verses cited affirme 3. They signifie the place of torment as Psalm 9.17 The wicked shall bee turned to Sheol Hebr Greeke to Hades In this sence also the words Tophet Esay 30.33 Gehenna Mark 9.43 and Tartarus 2 Pet. 2.4 are used Hades also in Matth. 16.18 by a Metonymia signifies the devills as The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it that is All the devills which goe in and out at the gates of hell shall not prevaile against that Rocke Christ whom thou
as after their ascension with Christ which could not bee but either the merit of Christs sacrifice was not of force enough because it was not yet accomplished or else because their faith was not accepted I Answer Neither for the one reason nor for the other but because of that disposition and order which God had appointed to His creature into the reason of which no man may presume to enquire Then concerning the losse which you speake of it is denyed to be a penalty if it be not found Can the pint pot say I am not full because I cannot hold a gallon or shall the gallon say I am not full because I hold not a tun Doth not one starre differ from another starre in glory So is the resurrection and so are the degrees in the blessednesse of the Saints And if every man that considers the disposition of God toward himselfe in this life doe looke thereon with a thankefull eye he may confesse with Saint Augustine That it hath been such as if God had neglected His other creatures to thinke in mercy on him alone Beside to say nothing of the merit of our Saviour confessed to be infinite and all-sufficient for us I say That the force of this reason stands on two false foundations One of the proposition for if the same faith must have the same effects in every quality and degree Why are not we that have the same faith translated hence as Henoch was The other of the supposition That in the kingdom of glory which we on both sides account to begin actually immediately after this life there is not a progresse from one degree of happinesse unto another which as it is contrary to reason so is it to the holy Scripture For is it not meet that as there hath beene a going forward in â—ertue and godlinesse in this life so there should be of the reward thereof in the next Shall not the ioy of the soule he increased when both body and soule doe joy together which cannot be till the resurreâ—tion till when we must endure that penalty oâ— losse as you are pleased to call it Beside the holy Text is plaine 2 Cor. 3.18 That we beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image fâ—om glory to glory And how farre or how long shall this be Euen till God be all in all 1 Corin. 15.28 You may read to this purpose Revel 6 1â— Obiect 4 4. Objection Enoch was taken unto God and Elias was carried up to heaven in a whirle-wind 2. Reg. 12. Therefore the faithfull before Christ were in heaven Answere Elias was taken up into heaven that is the Ayre and translated into Paradise whither Enoch had beene translated that he should â—ot see death but into the highest heavens they came not yet 〈◊〉 it will appeare by Iohn 3.13 Obiect 5 5. Objection But wee are come to the Citie of God the heavenly Ierusalem to an innumerable companie of Angels to the spirits of Iust men c. Heb. 12.22 23 24. And the Angels are the Inhabitants of heaven not of any terrestriall or infernall Paradise Ergo. Answere Wherever the favourable acceptance of God and His holy comforts are there is heaven where not hell But to the place alleaged I say 1. Wee are come in faith and hope to heaven not to the actuall possession thereof 2. It is one thing to speake of the state of the soule since Christ For from His ascension it is not denied but that the soules of the faithfull goe immediately to heaven as Cyprian Ambrose and some few other of the Fathers doe thinke whom you shall find cited by Ioh Vossius pag. 104. 105. But the question is of them that died before who if they were in heaven already then the prayer of our Lord Iohn 17.24 had beene in vaine which were wicked blasphemy for any one to say or thinke 3. It is denied that heaven is so the proper place of the Angels but that they are every where whither they are sent And doe they not in every place pitch their tents about them that feare God to deliver them Psal 34.7 and 91.11 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth for their sakes that shall bee heires of salvation Heb. 1.14 And this is and shall bee their imployment till God by their ministery have gathered all His children into one So this text of Hebr. 12. prooves not either that the Angels are perpetuall inhabitants of Heaven or that the faithfull soules went thither before Christ Obiect 6 Obiect 6. Christ dying commended His spirit into the hands of God Therefore that went into Heaven and therefore the soules of the faithfull were in Heaven Answ This is worse and worse The faithfull were in Heaven ergo Christ Christ ergo the faithfull ô Circlâ— But to the text The hand of God shall find out them that hate Him Psal 21.8 Are they therefore in Heaven In His hands are all the â—orners of the earth Psalm 95.4 What is your conclusion But if the hand of God in this place must signifie that fulnesse of joy which is at His right hand for ever that doth alwayes accompany the faithfull soule and is not tyed either to time or place or whether it signifie the protection of God which might seeme to be most needfull in the horrours of death and passage unto that place which as man He knew not it doeth not follow thereupon that the soule of Christ ascended into Heaven much lesse that the soules of the faithfull were in Heaven before And that the trueth of this position may more plainely appeare that the soules of the faithfull before Christ had not ascended into Heaven and consequently that the soule of Christ who was free among the dead Psalm 88.5 Who was made in all things like to His brethren except their sinne did not ascend from the Crosse into Heaven you may if you please examine these Reasons Sect. 6 1. The Lord is righteous and His Iudgements are upright Psalm 119. verse 137. And all His workes are done in trueth and equity Psalm 111.8 But it might seeme a breach of an infinite justice to give the full accomplishment of happinesse in Heaven to the soules for whose sinnes the satisfaction was not yet made And therefore although the Elect which were dead were justified from their sinnes By the blood of the everlasting Covenant Rom. 6.7 were freed from the punishment thereof and set in assured hope and expectation of those benefits whereof they should be made further partakers by the death of Christ and so rejoyced under the hope of the glory of God that should be revealed in them and in the meane time were filled with all the comforts of a present joy yet they received not the fulnesse of the promised joyes in Heaven God providing better for us that without us they should not bee perfected Hebr. 11.39 40. Neither doth this any way abate from the all-sufficiency of Christs merit no more then
death unto life For he that judgeth himselfe and condemneth himselfe and brings no other plea unto Christ but that for mercy may be sure to find mercy in the time of need See 1 Cor. 11.31 Heb. 4.16 Now for the second question although it seeme more curious then profitable to aske where our Saviour was after the time of His resurrection during His absence from His Disciples yet I will answere what I thinke and leave you upon better consideration to give a better answere First therefore it is manifest by the Scripture that our Lord shewed Himselfe Eleven times after His resurrection if oftner yet is it not manifest by the text Of this number five manifestations of Himselfe were on the day of His resurrection 1. To Mary Magdalen alone Mar. 16.9 2. To her againe and the other Mary Mat. 28.9 3. To Simon Peter Luke 24.34 1. Cor. 15.5 4. To Cleopas and his friend Luke 24.15.35 5. To all the Apostles except Thomas Iohn 20.24 to which if you put that time when He ascended on the 40. day from mount Olivet the five appearances remaining for I speake not of those extraordinary manifestations of Himselfe after His ascension to Steven Actes 7.56 and to Paul Actes 9.17 and 1. Cor. 15.8 will bee most likely to have beene on those five Sundayes as wee call them which were betweene as it may well be gathered from Iohn 20.26 because the Lord would fully finish the ceremoniall use of the Iewish Sabbath and sanctifie the day of His resurrection for the remembrance of those benefits which wee receive thereby This use the Primitive Church made of it Iust. Mart. Apol. ad Anton. and further against our Traskits because they would prevent their errours who under the profession of Christianity did still retaine their Iudaisme whose folly to avoid in stead of the Iewish Sabbath they celebrated the day of Christs resurrection Ign ep ad Mag These times of shewing himselfe were 1. To the Disciples and Thomas with them Iohn 20.26 2. At the Sea of Tiberias Iohn 21.1.3 3. On a mountaine of Galilee appointed to them Mat. 28.16 4. To above 500. brethren at once 1 Cor. 15.6 5. To Iames. ver 7. And for the times of His absence from them because it is said in the text to the Ephesians cited above That He did therefore descend into the lower parts of the earth and ascend farre above all heavens that He might fill or fulfill all things which were written of Him not onely those which were necessary for our saluation as His Suffering Resurrection Ascension c. but also whatsoever belonged unto man to doe in that state betweene His resurrection and ascension as you may in part understand by that which hath been said Chapter 28. N. I thinke that in those 33. dayes He in His manly being did view this earth and the fulnesse thereof and especially visit and blesse those places where He did purpose that His Church and trueth should most of all flourish and continue Sect. 2 Sect. 2. Thus much for the questions by the way Now turne to that which is the maine To every degree of the abasement of our Redeemer there is a degree of exaltation and glory opposed So this of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven is set against that of His descent into hell and that by the authority of Saint Paul He that descended is even the same that ascended And although it may very well be thought that after His Passion finished on the Crosse by His death His going to hell was the beginning of His victory to take to Himselfe that power whereby He as the Sonne of man is to reigne over all the powers of death and hell Yet because His body during those three dayes is by most supposed to have been held under the power of death and that all the parts of His victory are to belong unto Him as Hee is Lord both of the quicke and dead that is in His intire humanity soule and body together therefore that descent is rather held by many as the lowest estate of His humiliation as you might read a little before Chap. 28. § 2. N. 3. But that our Lord after that He had by many and infallible signes and arguments by the space of fourty dayes given abundant proofe of His resurrection did ascend into heaven these reasons doe make it manifest 1. Vnto every body is a place due according to the qualities and properties of that body as in all natures here below it appeares that the place is both conseruative and also generative of those things which are peculiar thereto as the lower parts of the earth of the mineralls the surface of the vegetables the water of fishes c. And againe it is manifest that all things under the Moone are subject to corruption and change no beauty strength or excellency is such as is not fading no pleasure such but that in the very using it growes loathsome no bravery so costly but in three dayes wearing it waxes stale so that by the voice and consent of all men the Angels and blessed soules and all such beings as are free from corruption and in the state of glory are sent into heaven But it is manifest that our Lord by His resurrection and conquest of death purchased first to Himselfe and then to us a state of glory and immortality Romanes 6.9 Ephes 2.6 Therefore also that Hee ascended into heaven 2. The blessednesse of the creature is onely in this That it may behold the glory of God in whom alone is the excellency of all perfection And this glory is seene onely in the face of Iesus Christ the Mediator as was shewed Chapter 24. § 10. N. 5. unto which blessednesse onely the pure and blessed inhabitants of heaven as the holy Angels and soules of men are dignified And from hence it must follow that our Lord is ascended into heaven the place of Angels and happy soules For no man dwelling in his ruinous house of clay is able to behold that glory Exod. 30.20 3. Hell is the place of torments the earth of troubles changes and calamities therefore heaven is the place of happinesse or else no happinesse at all is to be found But that is impossible For so all things should be created to wretchednesse and misery onely which cannot stand with the loue of God to His creature and His infinite goodnesse And if any such place of happinesse be and He our Saviour not brought thereto then the greatest obedience performed to the Father for the manifestation of His glory should be without reward But this were unjust with God and therefore impossible And therefore it was necessary that our Lord after His resurrection should ascend into heaven 4. By the consent of Christians taught of God and of Heathens taught by nature heaven is the place of the greatest glory and happines as hell of sorrow and wretchednes For although the Heathen allotted a degree of eternall blisse to the
his heele against thee though the drunkards make songs upon thee yet remember that there is a reward for the righteous that thy innocency shall breake forth as the light and thy patience shall shine as the noone day And remember that unthankefull wretches are no new thing in the world for the Orator said long agoe and I have often found it true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But if that Punke could say Men ' moveat cimex Pantilius Shall he that hath experience of such monsters of ingratitude put it in the power of a sonne of Belial to disquiet his peace Therefore let the Rymer read what others judge of him Feltham Resolu Cent. 2. Ch. 56. Let him write a booke against me I will bind it as a Crowne upon my head And if for my love and for my best deserts I find enemies yet will I pray for them Psal 109.4 For seeing we know that if we suffer with Christ we shall also reigne with Him shall we not pray for them that seale unto us the assurance of this hope Therefore shall this be among my chiefest joyes That the drunkards make songs upon me 5. It may further be objected from Iohn 3.17 That God sent not His Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world by Him might be saved And if He came to save the world how shall He judge and condemne the wicked to Hell fire seeing this is contrary to the end of His comming Answer First that is spoken of His first comming onely Secondly it is manifest by the verse before verse 16. that the world in this place signifies onely the faithfull in the world for whose sake the world is and continues For to these only God gave His only Son that they should not perish but have everlasting life And as Christ was once offered for these at His first comming so for these shall He appeare the second time to salvation Heb. 9.28 For the last judgment being but the confirmation of the sentence of their justification by the death of Christ and the putting of them in the actuall possession of those promises that depend thereon their sinnes are so covered as that b there shall not be any remembrance of them in the judgement For the worshippers that are once purged have no more conscience of sinne to their condemnation Hebr. 10.2 seeing the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And therefore as a countrey-man of ours saith well Ames Med Theol Cap. 41 This judgement in respect of the faithfull is essentiall unto Christ as He is the Mediator but in respect of the unfaithfull it is of power onely given Him by the Father not essentiall to His mediation but some way belonging to the perfection thereof because the Father hath committed all judgement to the Sonne Yet let me adde thus much that although the judgement of condemnation be not essentiall to Christ as the Mediator of reconciliation yet He being the great Steward of the house of God it is essentiall to Him as the Son of God to take vengeance without mercy on them that dishonour His Father and despight the Holy Spirit of grace which by the light of their consciences proclaimes their sin unto them which they will in no wise forsake Sect. 4 § 4. 6. The last question is with those mockers that say either in words or by their continuance in their wicked deedes where is the promise of His comming For since the dayes of Henoch who threatned that Iudgement Iud. 14. above 4500. yeeres are passed and yet the world continues and that which hath beene is even that which shall be neither is any thing new under the Sun Eccles 1.9 Moreover though for your reasons against the eternitie of the world Chap. 13. it may seeme the world is not eternall à parte antè but that it had a beginning yet is it not cleare but that it may be eternall à parte pòst and continue for ever in as much as the Creator cannot repen◠Himselfe to bee the work-master of so glorious a frame So not to continue it in that being which it hath and to doe good unto it as the Psalmist confesseth Psal 104. verse 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in His workes And if all the creature being made was exceeding good Gen. 1. the destroying of so great a good cannot bee but a very great ill which is farre from that goodnesse by which it was created I answere That the Text of Eccles prooves not but that the judgement shall fit at last and the bookes of every mans conscience shall be open that the judgement may be acknowledged to be according to their workes And although the time seems to us to bee prolonged that the number of the elect may bee fulfilled that the patience and long-suffering of God towards the wicked may be manifest for their repentance that the desire of the godly and their longing for His comming may be inflamed Yet to Him the time is determined and can neither be longer nor shorter than He hath appointed onely that comming to judgement hath been proclaimed so long before that in all ages men remembring the judgement might avoid those things for which they should bee condemned So for those reasons wherby you would enforce the continuance of the world for ever it hath beene answered that it is for the greater good to man and the creature which was made for his use that this world should have an end that the creature might be freed from that corruption to which it is subject by reason of his sinne then that it should still continue Neither doth that text of the 104. Psalme prove any thing to the contrary For as the glory of God had endured in eternity before the world so shall it continue when neither the heaven nor the earth nor yet their places shall be found any more Reu. 20.11 And as for that glory of His which is manifest in the creature it shall bee more wonderfull and excellent in that worke of His recreation which the Cabalists call de Mercava when the creature in the world to come shall be brought to glory and be able to consider the super-excellency of His mercy and goodnesse than it is in this worke de Bereshith or state of creation in this present world And if the deprivation of this present being seeme to be ill because the being of the creature was good in the state of creation then the taking away of all this ill and misery which is since come upon the creature by reason of sinne and the restoring of it into an estate of happinesse without comparison better and surer than that wherein it was created must in both respects be a far greater good than either to have created it such as it was or to continue it in the present being Bring hither what you finde in the 18. Chapter § 2. But because it seemes not
also may bee holy even as Hee which hath called them is Holy and that according to the Law or rule of a sanctified life according to which they ought to live and count it their present misery that they are still subject unto sinne and so in their spirit they serve the Law of God though in their flesh the law of sinne See Rom. 1.25 But so many of this Church as are already freed from this bondage of corruption in the assurance of eternall blisse waite in hope for the redemption of their bodies so that both in body and soule they may serve the living God Obiect 2 Object 2. But why doe you call them holy men Can neither Women nor Children be heires of eternall life Answere As the word Homo in Latine signifies any of the race of man-kind as homo nata est Shee was borne man Serv. Sulp. ad Cic. So is man often used in English and therefore by the title of the most worthy the whole race of man kind is here understood So that not onely they which are within the virge of the visible Churches and have the ordinary meanes of faith that is the word and sacraments are comprehended hereby but also such as have not those meanes as they that live in the Countreys of Panims and Gentiles yea and of the Pagans themselues all such as the Lord our God shall call Neither may wee presume to forbid them to come unto God who seeme denied of the outward meanes of knowledge as the deafe the blind the Idiots in as much as God the God of the spirits of all flesh Numb 16.22 can by His Spirit guide the will and informe the understanding as it pleases him Prov. 21.1 See further hereto Note a § 2. n. 4. on Chap. 32. And thus you understand what is meant by men and withall why the Church is called Catho ike or Vniversall namely because it holds the number of Gods chosen which haâ—e beene or shall be called out from the rest of all the men of the world from Adam unto the last man that shall be borne as this Church confesseth unto Christ Rev. 5.9 Thou had redeemed us unto God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and Nation and people The last circumstance is concerning the predestination of them that are in this Church for seeing none can be glorified but they that are justified in Christ neither can any one bee justified but such as are called and predestinate Rom. 8.30 and seeing that to the infinite wisedome of God all his workes are knowne and determined Act. 15.18 it is impossible that any one can be a member of this Church but onely such as God out of His eternall love hath predestinate thereunto Object 1 Object But there is one God and Creatour of all whose mercie is over all His workes and He hateth nothing that He hath made And therefore it may seeme that all are equally predestinate unto eternall life if all doe equally lay hold thereon Answere As the creature could not cause it selfe to bee So neither being corrupted by originall sinne can it change that being wherein it is See Art Eccl. 10. and seeing God alone doth worke in us both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure Phil. 2.13 it is not in any man of Himselfe to lay hold on eternall life nor to endâ—auour any thing thereto no not so much as to will or desire it without the speciall woâ—ke of God in him who worketh all things according to the counsell of His owne will Ephe. 1.11 So man though made upright yet being originally corrupted and left to the hand of his owne will cannot cease to sinne And although God permit him to follow his owne wayes yet that permission is no cause of any mans sinne nor puts it any thing in the reprobate why he should sinne But in the predestinate it is not so For he renews them in the spirit of their mind unto sanctification converting their will and making them ready unto every good worke Object 2 2. Object If then predestination be not of all men unto eternall life and yet that all men are in one and the same state of nature corrupted by the sinne of Adam It may seeme that God did predestinate and chuse out of the masse of man-kind those onely whom He did fore-see that they would bee excellent for their good works and so for their future merits sake adopted them to bee heires of eternall life Answere God is debtor to no man and where bee that gives is no way bound the gift can no way be accounted but onely of his free will that giveth so Predestination hath no other originall but onely the meere free-will of the Almighty God But if our works fore-seene were any cause of our predestination 1. How then could it bee of His mercy onely Rom. 9.16 2. How could it bee according to the good pleasure of His will Ephe. 1.5 3. How were it to the glory of His grace if the worthinesse of our workes foreseene had any right therein Ephe. 16 4. How were our boasting excluded Rom. 3.27 if they were the cause of our happines 5. And if our workes fore-seene be the cause of our predestination then also of all the consequents thereof as of our election calling justification and glorification But this is most false See 2. Tim. 1.9 Therefore also the former 6. Moreover what good workes can bee in man which God Himselfe doth not worke in us as the Prophet saith Esay 26.12 O Lord thou hast wrought all our workes in us 7. If God have created good workes that wee should walke in them and good workes acceptable to God bee found only in them that are predestinate and chosen to life it followes that good workes are fore-seene in us not as the cause but as the fruits and effects of predestination For if they can be no other than the effects of Gods grace in us they cannot be fore-seene as a cause of His grace towards us This objection is laid to them of the Romane Church but as farre as I have any acquaintance with them I find no such thing by them Tho. Aqu. contr Gent. lib. 3. Can. 163. teacheth the contrary and gives his reasons The grace of God saith hee is an effect of predestination and goes before all humane merit 2. The Divine will and Providence are the cause of all other things For of Him in Him and for Him are all things Neither can it be accounted the doctrine of their Church for in the 7. Can. Sess 6. Core Trid. where all the causes of the justification of man in the state of Nature are reckoned up efficient finall formall instrumentall the meritorions cause is put onely the suffering of our Lord who thereby made full satisfaction to God and merited justification for us And if wee be justified onely by the merit of Christ and not by any merit fore-seene in us then are we called chosen and predestinate
more fully assured unto us then this among all those things which we doe beleeve Stay thou trembling and fearefull soule and though the ugly visage of thy monstrous sinnes make thee afraid which indeed are so much the more hideous and deformed because they are not onely against the Law of God but against the law of reason rightly judging and against thine owne conscience yet stay and see what hope there is for thee and though that messenger of hell Despaire with all that wretched traine of all thy sinne which he brings with him doth hunt thee so close that thou darest not stay though thou wouldest be any thing save that thou art and most of all nothing at all yet see if a doore of hope as wide as the valley of Aâ—hor Hos 2.15 be not set open for thee onely if thou wilt be intreated to goe in and be saved 1. Thou objectest the wrath of God from which there is no avoidance But are not all men borne under one state of corruption and who can sâ—y his heart is cleane if God then should be extreame to marke what is done amisse who can abide it and if every sinne in as much as it is against an infinite justice deserues eternall punishment can no man be saved So all man-kind should have beene created onely to punishment but this is against the infinity of His goodnesse who is full of compassion slow to anger and great in mercy good to all and His tender mercies are above all His workes Exod. 34.6 Psal 144.8 9. Therefore there is forgivenesse of sinnes 2. Therefore is the sinne of the wicked angels unpardonable because it was wilfull in them because they cannot repent them of it and because they have no mediator to make satisfaction for their sinne All which through the mercy of God to us are found contrary in the sinne of man for neither was his sinne wilfull or of himselfe alone but from the devill which tempted him thereto neither is it without repentance in all that belong to God neither is it without a Mediator that is able to make satisfaction fully for all our sinnes But when all sufficient meanes are orderly disposed for an end it is impossible but that the end should follow Therefore there is a forgivenesse of sinnes as we are taught to pray 3. Glory and happinesse is not given till sinnes be first forgiven So that if there be not a forgivenesse of sinnes the greatest and most excellent vertues must for ever remaine without reward For we see that in this life vertue is so farre from reward or esteeme that it is rather persecuted with hatred and contempt as the Proverbe hath it Virtutis â—omes inuidia And if vertue can find no reward neither in this life nor in that which is to come then the goodnesse and justice of God should be defective But this is impossible therefore there is forgivenesse of sinnes 4. Change the termes of the first reasons in the 18. Chapter and they are easily brought to this conclusion So from the reasons for the Catholike Church and from many other this Article is easily concluded as you may see by the reason following 5. Christ tooke not on Him the nature of Angels but He tooke on Him the seed of Abraham H br 2.16 For it behooved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren that He might bee a mercifull and faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people therefore was Hee made a little lesse then the Angels that Hee might suffer death for our sinnes and this that Hee might abolish his power that had the power of death Hebr. 2.14 15 16 17. but nothing of all this for any benefit to Himselfe but for us was He borne for us He died and rose againe and sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for us And these are the glorious workes which were given unto Him of the Father to doe for us and cannot possibly be in vaine Therefore seeing He Himselfe became our surety for the things of heaven are not knowne but by the Registers of heaven See Hebr. 10.7 and 7.22 Gen. 3.15 Esay 53.4.5.6.8.11.12 and hath in His owne body borne the punishment of our sinnes upon the tree 1. Pet. 2.24 it cannot stand with the justice of God to exact that debt of us which our surety hath satisfied And therefore it followes that our sinnes are forgiven us 6. And that I may at once decide this question both by reason and authority also of holy Writ and give full comfort and hope to thee poore soule that art pressed downe even to the gates of hell under the burthen of thy sinnes stay and see if thy comforts be not greater then thou hadst thought First it is a cleare case that no mans life is justly call'd in question but by the plaine and manifest letter of the Law Thou wilt say that is thy desperate case For it is written Deut. 27.26 Cursed is hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them so is the Letter I confesse but that is now cancell'd and that by the interpretation of the Law it selfe builded upon one and the same justice with the former as where it is said Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by faith then not by doing the workes of the Law although it be most just that he that doth the workes of the Law should live therein Levit. 18.5 as Saint Paul argues Galat. 3.12 for Lawes are made for the preseruation of humane society in generall so for the safety and defence of every innocent in particular that doing well they may be without feare Rom. 13.3 But Christ our Saviour though He were separate from sinners though no deceit were found in His mouth lived not in His innocency by the patronage of the Law And if the Law had not power to give life to the innocent neither in justice can it have power to condemne the guilty and if no flesh shall be justified by the workes of the Law Galat. 2.16 but that all men thereby stand guilty before God what madnesse is it to seeke life by that which brings the sentence of condemnation and that upon all men indifferently And if Christ Iesus be of God made unto us Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 what shall we need to feare the condemnation of the Law which through the infirmity of our flesh was unable to give life or seeke any other righteousnesse then that which by faith we have in him And if He be our righteousnesse how can the Law condemne us when He hath fulfilled it for us Rom. 8.3 4. therefore comfort thy selfe in God Blessed is the man whose hope is in the Lord his God and though thy hopes be weake nay though thou walke in darkenesse and have no light yet trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon thy God Esay 50.10 And though thy conscience
had brought in death it was a mercy that all those enemies of life which accompanied death should shew themselues that man miâ—ht daiâ—y be put in mind of his mortalitie and returne unto H m whom he had offended Now if you shall aske from whence this change of estates from immortality to mortality did succeed in man I thinke even from hence that the pure soule the image of God dwelling in the body which was framed of the bodily creature which was yet pure and not subiected to the curse had power to sustaine the body in that perfect estate wherein it was created and sâ— should have preserved it for ever if it had held that dignitie which it had and hearkened onely to the ordinance of God and had reigned over the bodily affections and desires as it ought and had power to doe But when the soule would forsake God the guide thereof and that dignitie which it had naturally over the body and follow the lusts and appetites thereof and for that treason against God lost the power and strength which it had to support the body and moreover must seeke sustenance for the body out of the creature now accursed and deprived of her first strength it was impossible but that according to the curse corruption diseases and death should follow thereupon Yet seeing the merit of Chri t is so ful of satisfactioÌ„ to the justice of God and He so powerfull to restore all the decay of nature and to destroy all the wrack and mischiefe which the devill hath brought thereinto wee may firmely beleeve as we professe in this Article that wee shall at last be brought to the eâ—â—oying of everlasting life better than that to which wee were at first created 1. For although by the craft of the devill sinne entered into the world and death by sinne passed over all man-kind yet seeing man was made immortall and that neither the end which God purposed nor yet the infinite merit of the death of Christ can bee in vaine it is impossible but that man-kind at last should be brought to eternall life 2. The infinite goodnesse of God is the reason and the cause that he is good to all and that His mercy is over all His workes Psal 145.9 Therefore there is an eternall life reserved for man the most excellent of the visible creature and the will of man above all other things desires an eternall life in glory and happinesse according to His promises But if no such eternall life shall bee then the action of God toward His creature shall be in litlenesse and defect neither shall he fulfill the desire of them that feare Him So also the will of man should more desire the accomplishment of the divine goodnes upon the creature than the will of God should desire the accomplishment of it selfe But these things are impossible therefore there shall bee an eternall life in glory and happinesse 3. Virtue and the ready service of man unto God is that thing wherewith God in man is most delighted and which He hath commanded as it is said Be ye holy for I am holy Lev. 11.44 and the desire of this holinesse is found in them especially that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and hate their sinnes whereby they displease Him But this seruice of man to God hath not hitherto beene duely performed by any living among the sonnes of men neither can be performed both in body and soule by the dead Therefore it shall be performed in the life that is to come wherein both Gods will and the desires of His shall bee fulfilled See Matth. 5.6 4. If there shal be an eternal life for man then man shall receive of the divine goodnesse and power a power whereby he may both bee and doe those things whereto the divine goodnesse and wisedome hath appointed him But if there be no life eternall then the end of mans creation should be onely to privation and not being But it were better never to have beene than after all the miseries of this life in the end to returne to an everlasting not being For so the effect that is man-kind should no way be answerable to the cause nor yet be any proofe or manifestation oâ— that goodnesse infinity eternitie and power by which it was made But this is impossible and against the conditions both of the prime cause and the infinitie of the dignities thereof Object But you will say that this reason doth no mâ—re prove that there is an eternall life for man than for beasts and other of the creatures which also ought to continue for the proofe of that wisedome and almightynesse of their cause Answere There is a difference betweene the end and those things which are for the end Man is the end of all the visible creature and therefore it followes that all those things are to bee in man as in the end so far forth as they can be worke or be glorified in Him And from hence also it followeth that man must bee for ever lest all these things which were for him should returne to nothing with him and the image of that infinite goodnesse and wisedome by which they were made should come to nothing eternally Therefore though they shall be in man as the idéa of them all yet not in their severall or distinct beings beside man 5. No naturall desire of the creature which is implanted in every individuall of every kind can bee in vaine because it is implanted therein by a superiour power which cannot bee frustrate But it is implanted in all men naturally both to desire and to hope for eternall life Therefore there shal be an eternall life For if after the resurrection man should not live for ever then there should be in God a will to raise him to life contrary to his will that hee should live for ever So His being should not be simple and one but this is impossible as it was proved Chap. 9. § 6. 6. The more powerfull that any cause is the more manifestly doth the likenesse thereof appeare in the effect And sith God is the first and chiefe cause of all and that the likenesse of man His worke shall be greater in his perpetuall welâ—-being than in not being at all therefore there shall bee an eternall life wherein the greatest likenesse of the effect to the cause shall be perfected that man may live in eternall Righteousnesse Wisedome and Glory Otherwise the infinite justice might seeme defective in reward and punishment if both good and bad should perish alike Moreover the word whereby the punishment was inflicted was neither so generall nor so without exception but that there was grace reserved And now lest he take of the tree of life and live for ever in his sin therefore the Lord God sent him forth of the garden of Eden the type of eternall happinesse till he had tasted of death the punishment of his sinne then should hee live for ever in joy 7. And these
God should be in vaine Therefore the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together Esay 40.5 and from one Sabboth to another shall all flesh come and shall worship before me saith the Lord Esay 66.23 And I will powre out of my Spirit upon all flesh Ioel. 2.28 And seeing the flesh hath these holy promises therefore the flesh shall rise againe that as both the flesh and the soule have sorrowed so they may both reioyce together Object 2 Object 2. But the Prophets speake of the resurrection darkely and in figurative speeches onely Answer Not onely but oftentimes so as they cannot be otherwayes meant And though they use figurative speeches yet no figure is taken but from somewhat that is properly and truely such Moreover the words are often such as admit no other meaning as in Iohn 5.28 29. The houre is comming in which all that are in the graves shall come foorth they that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done ill unto the resurrection of condemnation Object 3 Obiect 3. If the same body shall rise againe of the same shape and lineaments some shall be whole men some maimed some halting blind c. Answer The qualities of the bodies shall be changed the substance shall not be lost For as it is against the justice of God that one substance should doe that which is pleasing to Him and another be rewarded therefore So if all teares shall be wiped away then also all cause of teares all hurts wants and deformity both of body and soule So that as the same body shall be returned to the same soule so shall it returne intire and whole Object But if the use of the members cease why are the members needfull Ans Though the naturall body shall be made spirituall and thereby be delivered from the necessities of those things to the use of which wee are now tyed as of foode clothes c. and so the members freed from their offices yet are they not therefore unnecessary For the tribunall of Christ requires a perfect man that he may receive in his body according to that which he hath done in his body Moreover for the perfection of beauty and glory the body must be intire the integrity of which stands not in the offices of the members but in their substance Neither yet shall all the offices of every member cease for the instruments of the voyce shall still serve for praise to God as this Father thinketh The objections which Thomas Aquinas brings from naturall doubts are of no force against the reasons which we have brought from the light of grace and knowledge of the Scriptures For it is yeelded that the resurrection of the body is beyond all the power of naturall causes to effect but that it is onely of the will and power of God as to make man at the first so to restore him againe out of his former principles into which he was resolved But that you may see how weake naturall reason is compared with the trueth of God and on what wretched hopes the Atheist depends which trusts that his sinnes shall never be brought to judgement I will propose the reasons and answeres as they stand Object 4 Object 4. That which is corrupted cannot be made the same againe as a naturall habit of the body or mind being deprived cannot be restored Answer The impossibilities of nature cannot limit that power which created nature especially in the resurrection of the body wherein the Author of nature hath professed that He can and hath promised that He will raise it up againe as you read before Object 5 Object 5. But the essentiall principles being lost it is impossible that the same thing in number should be restored Answer The essentiall principles in man are soule and body which being restored each to other in the perfection of them both nothing which is concomitant whether it be property or necessary accident can be wanting and that both these remaine in the state of being and consequently in the possibility of being brought together againe you may see Chap. 17. § 4. N. 5. Object 6 Object 6. Corruption is a change from being unto not being Therefore it is impossible that the being of man being corrupted the same being in number should be restored Answer This is in effect one with the former And it is true that the totall is destroyed in man by the separation of the parts But neither of the parts doe come to nothing but are in the hand of that power to bee conjoyned againe by which they were conjoyned at first Object 7 Object 7. If whatsoever hath beene essentiall to the body of man must in the resurrection be restored unto him then this bodily proportion shall be very uncomely in as much as the haire the nailes and whatsoever else is wasted away by the force of naturall heat were once as essentially of the body as that was which he carryed with him to the grave See the first supply to Logicke question 66. Answer As it was said before that whatsoever was wanting in the body should be made up So understand on the contrary that superfluities and deformities shall be taken away and that every one shall rise againe in that perfection which is peculiar to man-kind Object 8 Object 8. That which is common to all of any kind seemes naturall to the species But there is not any common virtue of any naturall agent to worke this Therefore it seemes that all men shall not rise againe Answer The resurrection of the dead is not by any naturall cause but it depends onely on the power of God to whose justice every man must give an account of his owne workes Object 9 Object 9. Death is the effect of sinne from both which wee are fâ—eed onely by the death of Christ Therefore it seemes that all shall not rise againe but they onely that are partakers of the merit of His death Answer It is true that such onely shall rise to eternall life the rest for justice unto judgement And because death is the wracke of nature in all men and the worke of the devill and that our Lord came to repaire nature and utterly to destroy the workes of the devill Therefore that it may appeare that Hee hath perfectly finished that for which He came all men must rise againe Object 10 Object 10. The last objection seemes a mighty one above the rest That if all men must rise againe perfect what shall become of the Canibals who have eaten one another nay if any of these Canibals eate onely mans flesh and beget children seeing their seed as their wisedome affirmes is onely the superfluity of the nourishment before it be conuerted into the substance of the fathers body here is the knot of Gordius who hath most right to this seed whether the sonne whose body was made of it or the father or he from whose body it was devoured by
the father But this Philosophy of the superfluity of the seed hath been hist out in the 17. Chapter The maine doubt is answered by Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15.44 Thy body is sowen a naturall body but it is raised a spirituall body So then though Beares or dogs or Canibals or wormes devoure the flesh yet seeing onely flesh is nourished thereby a materiall body with a materiall a naturall body with a naturall the spirituall body is free from any naturall change For even now the soule dwells not in the body but by those meane spirits which are raised from the bodily parts as I shewed before Therefore though this materiall individuall body shall be raised up yet because it is raised up a in spiritual estate it will be free from naturall corruption because it is fitted to be an eternall habitation for the soule being wholly spirituall and then there will be no want of any member or part when the soule shall be able to fit it selfe of a clothing for all uses out of a spirituall body neither shall it need to seeke any supply out of a forreigne body For as in justice the same soule must returne to the same body that both may suffer or be glorified together So shall both be perfected together according to the perfection of every individuall in their proper parts And though they be scattered in ashes or dust as farre as from East to West yet shall every atome be gathered into that body in which it first received the impression of an humane soule to become a part of a reasonable man The Poet gives you an example of a Gardiner wehling his seeds being mingled together Namque ut quondam olitor qui forte minuta sub uno Diversi generis confusa videbat aceruo Semina mox secum dum singula seligit hoc est Ozymon hoc apium lapathum istud oxalis illud Daucus andrachne ammi apiastrum urtica melanthum Sic tua sed melior sapientia novit acuto Permistos hominum cineres discernere visu I will give you an experiment for your easier understanding Take a knife a punch or other toole of steele well hardned and touch't with a load-stone mingle a quantity of the fylings of iron or steele with so much common dust as that the fylings appeare not yet with the knife or punch made cleane you may separate the fylings according to the first quantity out of the dust And if this be possible to metall by reason of the common spirit how much more to the soule when it is commanded to gather together that dust which once it had enlived by it selfe § 4. Among the heresies against the doctrine of our holy religion that which denies the resurrection was one of the first For beside the Sadduces which denied it as you read Mat. 22. and thought that the soule died with the body all the sects of the Samaritanes except perhaps the Dositheans held that errour with them And although it bee not knowne to mee which of them fell first into the ditch yet seeing both sorts held the bookes and authority of Moses and none of the Prophets beside authenticall and that the Sadduces interpreted Moses according to the letter of the Law and thought that the blessings and cursings therein contained did belong onely to this present life which was the originall of this errour with mee they shall be accounted the blind guides of the blind Among the Christians some twenty sects of Hereticks have beene which denied this Article some upon one ground some upon another The first fountaine of this poysoned doctrine among the Chri tians was Simon the Samaritane whose Scholars held it successively unto Marcus about a 100. yeeres after Simon This Marcus also upheld the same heresie but after him it was by turnes ca l'd up from hell againe Carâ—ocrates out of Platoes Scho e brought in the change of soules from body to body but much worse than hee For Plato thought that the soules of men were sent into the bodies of beasts or of crazed and old men for the punishment of their formâ—r sinnes but Carpocrates taught that they were brought thither for the fulfilling of those lusts which they had not done in their former bodies For being here subiect to the power of the enemie man said hee cannot escape the wrath of these adversaries but by the filthinesse of life and doing such things as please them And therefore the soules that live heere most vertuously and tempeâ—ately are oftenest sent into other bodies Though this doctrine of the devills Chaplaine upheld the immortality of the soâ—le yet no resurrection of the body Valentine and after him the Manichees taught that the soules of men onely were redeemed by Christ but not their bodies and therefore they should rise no more Neither yet should all soules bee saved For there bee said hee three sorts of men spirituall animall and carnall Spirituall which by nature have a most excellent faith and these shall be saved without good workes as Seth Animal which have but a little faith but may bee saved by a supply of their workes as Abel But the carnall as Cain can by no meanes bee saved Marcion concerning the resurrection of the body sided with Valentine And so did Apelles For said hee Christ Himselfe went to Heaven without any body For that body which Hee had taken from Heaven and the elements at the resurrection Hee delivered againe to their proper principles from whence He tooke it The Seleucians also that affirme that Christ left His body in the Sunne as you read before are bound to denie to us any ascent into the heavens above for it cannot be better with us the members than it is with our Head Origens errour against the resurrection is at large refuted by Epiphanius Haer. 64. and if you minde the objections and answeres before you have the sum of that which Origen brought against it and the other answered Hierax denied a resurrection of the body but is disproved by the arguments heere brought as all the other Hereticks which are here mentioned A resurrection of the soule he yeelded unto except of the Infants which died before they had knowledge because none is crowned except he that strives lawfully as you read before in the 28. Chapter where his reason is answered out of Epiphanius Haer. 67. And although you see such monsters of opinions as I have said and if you have leisure may read the refutation in particular in the Authour aforesaid Yet if you take good heed to that which hath beene spoken for and against the trueth you may confesse that the trueth is great and shall prevaile CHAP. XXXIX ⧠And life everlasting § 1. WHile there was no sinne in the world it stood not with the justice of God that any punishment for sinne should bee inflicted therefore death and all diseases as his fore-runners with hunger thirst and all the enemies of life were far from man But after that sinne