Upon the Account of our Salvation which by no means can be obtained without it let Arminians say on the contrary what they will For †John 17.3 this is eternal life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And who is he but ‖ 1 John 5.20 the Son of God the true God and eternal life We say Trinity or Triunity not Triplicity for this last implies a Composition of Three Parts Father Son and Holy Ghost are alius alius not aliud aliud other and other but not other thing and other thing Three distinct Persons but One and the same Nature we distinguish the Persons saith * De Trin. Vnit cap. 11. Austin but divide not the Deity or Essence they are not distinct Essentially for there is but one Essence but personally that is one Person is not the other the Father not the Son nor the Son the Father and the Holy none of the other two Peter Paul and John are not only distinct amongst themselves but also divided one from another so they are three Men though but one specifical Nature because created and finite but in an infinite Being 'tis otherwise Father Son and Holy Ghost though distinct yet not divided for there is but one numerical Nature the three are Consubstantial or Coessential in Nature Coeternal in Time and Coequal in Power The Knowledge of One God may be had by the Light of Nature but that of the Holy Trinity only out of Scripture for the one is according to Reason but the other above it two ways there are to know God the 1st Nature the 2d Revelation that is defectuous this is perfect to which God tied his Church which alone knoweth and calleth upon God according to what he manifested of himself in his Holy Word and thereby her Religion is different from that of all the rest of the World and there is no other saving way to come to God but by Christ whose Gospel is preached as the only Doctrine of Salvation and we must not have of God such Notions as our Fancy or natural Reason suggest unto us but such as he hath declared in his Word for he is a voluntary Cause of all whose Ways and Methods we ought to observe and be guided by in our Religion for †Ephes 1.11 v. 5. he works all things according to the counsel of his own will and according to the good pleasure of his will Yet this Holy Mystery is a stumbling-block unto the Jews and unto the Greeks foolishness and both look upon it as Heresie though if God's Word be the Word of Truth this as we hope to shew is certainly the True Sound Doctrine because grounded upon it though unsound Men will neither believe it nor consent about it to the Faith of the Primitive Church and Orthodox Doctors of all Ages nor to the Confessions of Faith of all Christian Reformed Churches as if the Spirit of God and of Truth was departed from them All to be only amongst Socinians Second Substances do exist only in the First Man in general existeth only in James John that are individual and Words are what Use makes them an Indivisible and most single Essence abstractively considered may and doth concretively exist in Three Persons no Man may well say that an infinite Essence doth not admit of three Modes or Manners of Subsistence but he only which fancies within his shallow and finite Intellect to understand perfectly an infinite Nature with her Modes of subsisting which to pretend to implieth Absurdity and Impiety And to affirm that to be One in relation to its Essence and many as to the Modes is no more contradictory than to say the same Man is real in respect of his Essence and modal as to his Subsistence wherefore they who would terminate an infinite Essence only to one manner of subsisting so that it may not be communicated to another Person either they understand not what an infinite Nature is or else misTake the meaning of the word Terminate or Confine which is not to prescribe limits for that an infinite Nature doth abhor but the meaning is that an Essence as may be the Father's is so the Father's Essence as may not be the Son 's in the same manner but it may be in a different way Upon this Matter it ought carefully to be observed how the Divine Essence is considered either Absolutely or Relatively to the manner of existing in respect to both the Father is of himself in relation to the first the Son also is of himself but as to the second he is from the Father so is the Holy Ghost of himself in respect to the first that is absolutely consider'd but as to the second he proceedeth from both Father and Son Wherefore the Father is absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self God because both as to his Essence and as to his Person he is not from another but the Son and Holy Ghost are also Self God though not as to the Person the Son being begotten by the Father as the Holy Ghost proceedeth from both but as to the Nature because both are by that Essence which is not produced by another or depend upon another but that same which of it self and by it self doth exist from all Eternity the Three Persons have but One and the same Essence and they are not essentially distinstinguished The Son is from the Father by Generation not as to his Essence but in relation to his Person not absolutely as God but relatively as Son for the Son hath the same Nature and Substance as the Father Self God as he though not in the same manner the Father may not be called Essentiator if I may so say of the Son or Holy Ghost nor these Essentiated the Son is God of himself though not Son of himself the manner whereby theSon is said to be from the Father is in Scripture described by the word Generation which is nothing else but a Communication of one and the same Essence or Life that is Eternal and Indivisible as expressed Psal 2.7 and John 5. v. 26. which are not to be confounded with nor measured by physical Generation there being neither priority nor posteriority of Duration no mutation or passing from Power to Act from a not Being to a Being from a division and multiplication of Essence from a formal Reason of active and passive Generation from a dependency of him that is begotten upon him that hath begotten or from a greater to the lesser so there is no such Imperfections as are in Natural and Metaphysical in which are priority and posteriority of Nature though not of Time So there is no Consequence to be drawn out of one for the other thus though a natural begetter doth efficiently beget of himself materially from himself terminatively out of himself no such thing is to be conceived of this Generation of the Son of God for though in Human Things the
Father called God Son called God Holy Ghost called God and here the Enemies of Truth should begin their Opposition which is the true way and method yet they do not but they except against the Explication which only tends to farther Edifying and Instruction and quarrel with Words as Essence Trinity Persons c. Divine Nature is One yet common to Three in the Mystery of the Trinity we must learn the Truth the Height and Excellency thereof the Truth doth not depend upon our Apprehension and Understanding of it but upon the Consent of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and tho' under the first Men were more in the dark yet there was Light enough to make 'em believe it with humble Faith and Piety but under the last that Truth is clearly apparent 't is by * John 5.4 Faith only that we are enabled to overcome the World so †2 Cor. 5.7 we walk by faith and not by sight to shew our Religion is matter of Faith more than of Fact to be attained unto through Belief and not through Senses whose Object is visible and temporal but that of Faith is * 2 Cor. 4.18 spiritual invisible and eternal the holy Mystery of the Trinity cannot be comprehended by the Light of Grace nor of Glory much less by that of Nature Controvertes about Principles are more intricate and difficult than about Conclusions especially in things relating to God the Principal of all Beings and that for two Reasons the first because the infinite and incomprehensible Majesty of God doth far exceed our Understanding the second upon the account of the Blindness and Vanity of Man's Mind which either will not depend upon the Revelation without which we can never know things of that nature or else goes about with its wrong Notions to depravate it not so much as to the Words as in the Sense and Doctrine wherein Heresie doth consist Now as 't is a damnable Presumption in those who in these Matters do pervert the true Sense of the Word of God so I must say 't is a great Imprudence in those who undertake to refute them to abound in their own Sense leaving the trodden way and slighting Arguments made use of by the former Assertors of these Truths to set up new Notions and Hypotheses of their own which render those Points more abstruse and these new Lights of theirs instead of clearing make them darker instead of proving they do not so much as illustrate the matter the Proofs ought to be drawn out of the Revelation and in the Explanation thereof 't is no Shame nor Loss of Reputation to follow the Steps and Methods of Learned and Orthodox Men who went before and with great Success opposed Error and Blasphemy I do not hereby intend to deny a Man the liberty of making use of the Parts and Learning which God hath endued him with above others and improve them to a further Confirmation of the Truth but I would not have them to depart from the Foundation laid before them nor to exercise their wandring Thoughts about the adorable and incomprehensible Nature of God merely to affect Singularity and thereby to be applauded This very thing hath of late led if not tumbled some into strange and horrid Precipices which to avoid they more and more intangled themselves therein as hath well been observed by others 't is no good Consequence for such to say that if a Person be a Mind a Spirit and a Substance then Three Persons must be Three distinct Minds Spirits and Substances as distinct as Adam and Abel though not separate But the Error of the Hypothesis lies in this which openeth the false Ground thereof namely because Mind Spirit and Substance in their proper signification are absolute but Person in its proper signification is a relative Term because King William is King of England Scotland and Ireland must we argue that since a King is a Man an Animal a Substance therefore because of Three distinct substantial Kingdoms he is Three distinct Men Three distinct Animals and Three distinct Substances not so because Man Animal and Substance are Terms absolute but King is relative Suppose as one said before and to the purpose a Man were Dean of Pauls of Westminster and of Windsor should we thence conclude that since a Dean is a Man an Animal a Substance therefore because of Three distinct Deanaries he is Three distinct Substances I think not because Man Animal Substance are Terms absolute but Dean is relative It is very sad now to see the blasphemous Heresie of the Threetheites or of Three Gods revived among us by such as might do better in every well-order'd Christian State Idolatry and Blasphemy ought not to be tolerated but severely punished I know there are certain Terms to be explained in the Discussion of these Controversies especially in the Schools as may be Essence Existence Subsistence Substance Individuum Suppositum Hypostasis or Person wherein they agree and wherein they differ but I conceive they who writ for a publick good and would make these Points intelligible to most if not to all Readers might well avoid too far engaging in Metaphysical Notions I humbly conceive it were better because more profitablē in a Theological way to write and explain that which is most necessary to be understood according to the Pattern of Scripture and the Practice of the Orthodox Primitive Church and of its Doctors against Hereticks as we have it in the three Creeds which are a production of their universal Consent But for some Men herein thus far to indulge their fancy as to let it spatiate as much as it will and give it a full Latitude to wander and then express it self in such Terms as one of a Hundred Thousand can hardly understand the meaning thereof Nay upon reasonable grounds it may be doubted whether the Author doth well understand them this is only to intricate the Matter to puzzle the Reader and that which is worse to want a due respect for the Majesty of God whose Mysteries ought to be handled with an awful Reverence no Man may presume to know of him beyond what he hath been pleased to reveal himself for if we cannot well and perfectly know things created much less the Creator neither can the less comprehend the greater and if * Rom. 11.33 God's Judgments be past finding out much more is he himself Besides that this way of thus managing these Matters doth much prejudice the Cause and gives the Adversaries thereof ground to say of us They cannot among themselves agree how to defend it CHAP. II. Of Divine Essence HERETICKS Dispute against the Words Essence Trinity and Person used in the Primitive Church but sound Faith contendeth not about Words when the Truth of the thing is agreed upon Trinity is the abstract whereof three is the Concret expressed 1 John 5.7 as that of Jehovah and Lord signifie the Essence render'd by him * Revel 1.8 Which is
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord are frequent Jehovah signifies God's Essence in Three manners First First Jehovah That he is of himself and of no other Secondly All other Things are from him not from themselves or from any else Thirdly That he is true in his Promises and Threatnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when absolutely attributed to God answereth that of Jehovah for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-Lord and of his Nature The Name Jehovah is properly absolutely and without any adjection attributed to the Son as it must amongst other places be understood in that wherein 't is said * Gen. 19.24 The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord the Lord from the Lord is a Tautology and a gross one too which God is not capable of were it not that as the Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son upon that occasion the Son executed Judgment against those wicked Cities and to prove the Truth of this Interpretation we have two undeniable Evidences the Expressions of one are just as in this place and of the other they are to the same purpose David is the first * Psaim 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord which our Saviour explains of †Mat. 22.44 himself the other Witness is ‖ Hos 1.7 Hosea by whom God saith I will save the house of Judah by the Lord their God not only he calls him their Lord but also their God Here we have the True Eternal and Infinite God whose Word came to the Prophet saying he will have mercy upon the House of Judah and I hope hitherto we are agreed he promiseth to save them By whom By the Lord their God that is the Lord God of Judah for he speaks to and of the House of Judah he then by whom they are to be saved is the True God of Israel for certainly the God of Judah and Israel is one and the same God and not two for their Saviour is their God the next thing to be known is who is meaned by this Lord God of theirs not properly and immediately the Person that speaks for then he would have said I will save them by my self as upon another occasion he said * Gen. 22.16 By my self have I sworn and in some other places wherefore here another Person is to be understood or else the designation of another had been superfluous and not to the purpose but here is a visible distinction of Persons he that speaks and promiseth to save them and he by whom they shall be saved according to the whole Analogy of Faith this Prophecy relateth to the Messiah the Son of God whom the Father out of his own Bosom was to send into the World to save it and the Lord Jesus was the Messiah which at that time was to come and came since who by the Prophet is called the Lord God of Judah which was fulfilled when the Angel said unto the Shepherds †Lu. 2.11 Vnto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord who came to save his People the True Judah and Israel of God not according to the Flesh but the promise from their Sins and from the Punishments which thereby they had deserved so the Lord Jesus is the True Lord God of Israel for the House of Israel or Judah hath no other Prince and Saviour to * Act. 5.31 give them repentance and forgiveness of sins but the Lord Jesus who in this same place is called Prince now the Title of God of Israel the true eternal and undoubted God doth in many places of Scripture appropriate to himself and communicateth to none besides †Joh. 1.49 Nathanael called Jesus Christ the Son of God and the King of Israel and we know he spoke Truth as did David when he saith ‖ Psal 22.28 the Kingdom is the Lord's and he is the governour amongst the nations and we are sure that Psalm hath a relation to the Lord Jesus and if any doubt remaineth it is explained in the Person of the * Rev. 12.5 man child who was to rule all nations with a red of iron and this is fully interpreted of the Person whom the Lord hath said to thou art my Son and hath given to †Psal 2.7 8 9. the heathen for his inheritance c. which he shall break with a rod of iron In the Old Testament we read of an Angel who appeared at several times and spoke as to Hagar he is called the Angel of the Lord and was the Lord Jehovah himself ‖ Gen. 16.13 for she called the Name of the Lord that spake unto her thou God seest me a second time he appeared unto her and said lift up the lad Ishmael for I will make him a great nation this certainly was an increated Angel namely the Son of God for no created Angel could make such a Promise it being beyond the Power of any creature to perform it and that Angel is called Jehovah upon the occasion of sacrificing Isaac and that he was God himself it appears not only from the Nature but also from the Words he spake Seeing said he * Gen. 22.11 12 15 16.17 18. thou hast not held thy Son thine only Son from me now that Son was to have been sacrificed to God and none else and this is confirmed beyond all doubt when 't is said And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven the second time and said by my self have I sworn c. that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of heaven and as the sand that is upon the sea shore and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed This is elsewhere represented under the shape of a Man who a Gen. 32.24 28 30. wrestled with Jacob might not the Name Man relate to the future Incarnation however 't is most certain under what Name soever that same was God for he said to Jacob Thou hast power with God and when he asked his Name Jacob receiv'd no other Answer but this Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name which as a Prophet saith b Isai 9 6. is wonderful Jacob though he asked his Name knew who it was for he saith I have seen God face to face and the same is called Man God even the Lord God of hosts Hosea 12.3 5. and in the same place is called the Angel verse 4. So the Names Man Angel and God Lord of hosts do belong to the same and as upon that same occasion one of the Names belong to the Son of God by the same reason must all the rest and him Jacob remembers when blessing Joseph's Children he saith c Gen. 48.15 16. The angel which redeemed me from all evil bless these lads and just the verse before he calls him
but Persons endued with Reason and as I said before to Persons it belongs to act The high Names of God's Own Son Only Begotten c. which in Scripture are given the Lord Jesus are not upon the account of his miraculous Conception in the Womb of the Virgin as Socinians would have it we confess therein God had a special Hand and it was effected in an extraordinary manner but this is not enough to entitle him to the Filiation which the Question is now about to distinguish him from all others in the World called Sons of God as anon we shall have occasion to speak of Adam had also a miraculous Birth yet the Names of Only Begotten and God's Own and Proper Son do not belong to him in Christ's Conception and Birth God did not concur materially but efficiently with his Power but not with his Substance seeing Christ as to the Flesh was not of any invisible Seed of God but of the †Rom. 1.3 Seed of David what Brothers he had are quite of another ‖ Rom. 8.29 Heb. 2.12 Order and Quality they are such not by Generation but by Regeneration by Adoption not by * 1 Job 1.12 1 Joh. 3.1 1 Pet. 1.23 Jam. 1.18 Nature as the Texts quoted in the Margin which may be perused do declare wherefore Christ is Son of God in another manner than men are so he is called the Image of God and the Character of his Person in a most different way from that whereby Adam is said to be made according to God's likeness As in Creatures 't is a perfection to beget their similes or that which is like unto themselves that may not be denyed God now as we cannot conceive a communicability of a Nature which is spiritual and ad intra but by the two Faculties of Understanding and Willing whose Operations are immanent so it may well be said that there can be but two Processions in God one by way of Intellection whereby the Son is begotten who is called the Word Wisdom and Image of the Father and the other by way of Volition whereby is breathed the Holy Ghost who for that reason is specially called Love and though the Son doth also understand himself yet he begets neither himself nor another for he understands himself not of a notional Intellection to generate which belongs only to the Father but with a notional one which is common to the Father and to the Holy Ghost This is said not to prove our Faith but only to demonstrate that what we believe is not contrary to Reason though it be above it for all these matters as I observ'd before and as all Orthodox and learned Men that writ upon them are agreed are to be grounded on Scripture rather than upon human Reason The chief part of our Comfort and Salvation lies in the Belief of this Doctrine for as in Christ is but one Person so there are two Natures whereby he is in a capacity of perfecting our Redemption which otherwise he could not be in we own he is called Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eminently and by Excellency but besides he is also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beloved proper only begotten whereby he is distinguished from adopted Sons and by his being called Son of the living God distinguish'd from Elijab Jeremiah and such extraordinary Persons that had been in the World which concludeth his Consubstantiality with the Father for it had been a monstruous Generation if out of the Father's Bosom had come a Son of another Nature He that was to be born of a Virgin was to be called the Son of the Highest not by reason of a miraculous Conception as pretended by Crollius out of Maldonat the Jesuit but because of an eternal Generation chiefly as also by reason afterwards of a personal Union of both Natures for though upon that account he might also be call'd the Son of God yet that could not intitle him to be the only begotten because he is dear and beloved but he is dear and beloved because the only begotten of the Father Christ the first begotten in respect to adopted Brethren not because their Son-ship is of the same Nature with his but only thus far as Adoption imitateth Nature as Civilians say so their Adoption * 1 Pet. 1.23 and Regeneration is a kind of Imitation of his eternal Generation and to him belong all the Privileges of the First-born and is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the †Colos 1.17 18. Rev. 3.14 beginning of the Creature not passively but actively Christ is called the Beginning of the Creation of God or of all things by him created that is the beginner or the first efficient Cause of all Creatures according to a style used in Scripture when the Thing is set for the Person as when the Jewish Nation is called by the name of ‖ Rom. 4.9 Gal. 2.9 Circumcision the Act for the Agent and the Abstract for the Concret thus Christ is said of God made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption that is he makes us wise unto Salvation makes us righteous for he is our Justifier Sanctifier and Redeemer thus he is often called * 1 John 2. and 4.2 the Popitation for our Sins and our Salvation for Propitiatour and Saviour Though there be an infinite difference between Christ's and human Generations yet herein they agree that it imports in him that is begotten a Communication of the Nature of the Begetter it is said of Adam †Gen. 5.3 that he begat a Son in his own likeness after his Image is this to be understood of a like Nature only and not of the same Undisputably he begat him out of his own Substance and his own Nature and no other he communicated unto him well represented by the words in his own likeness and after his image the word Likeness doth not shew any Disparity or Difference but an Equality and Sameness of Nature which here by the by I observe in relation to a thing I shall have occasion to mention about the Honour to be render'd unto Christ that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father for they would have it only to be like but not equal or the same when here Likeness is taken for Sameness and Equality Now as of Seth so we must say of Christ the Son of God as the other was of Adam for as Seth had not been Adam's Son except he were of the same Nature so Christ could not truly and properly be God's Son except he were of the same Nature with the Father Seth was begotten after his Father's Image that is of the same Nature and the Lord Jesus more strongly to shew the Sameness in Nature with the Father which he had in a more eminent way than ever Seth had his from Adam is not said to be after his Father's Image but in more noble expressive and lively Words said to be the express Image
of his Father's Person 'T is in vain that they cavil out of God's words Let us make man in our image and after our likeness for the Question is about Generation and not of Creation God made man that is created him as in that place of Genesis explained in the following Verse but 't is never said that God made but begat his Son as of Adam not that he made but begat Seth in his own likeness after his Image Thus the Son of God is truly and really begotten of the very Substance of the Father and this by Immanence and Communication Heathens feigned a Minerva the Goddess of Wisdom and Prudence to be born ex Jovis cerebro out of Jupiter's Head and Brain a dark Notion of this high Mystery as was their cara deûm soboles magnum Jovis incrementum as expressed by the Poet. The Lord Jesus is called not only * Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the express Image but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Brightness of the Glory of God by a Metaphor taken from the Sun Beams which if the Sun was eternal would be eternal too wherefore in the Nicene Creed is well called God of God Light of Light so not only like but also †Phil. 2.6 equal with God This eternal Generation to be look'd upon with the Eyes of Faith more than of human Reason is first not transient but immanent secondly terminated if we may use the word not in an absolute Existence but in the Subsistence or manner of subsisting for the Essence neither begetteth nor is begotten neither through this Generation is God absolutely constituted but the Son is relatively Thirdly It is eternal without any difference of time so that the Son may not be said begotten and not begotten existent and not existent but always begotten Fourthly The Begetter and begotten are always the same in Nature and in Time or rather Eternity Fifthly Through that same Generation the same Divine Nature is communicated to the Son not in Species but in Number not in part but wholly not to be or exist but to subsist in such a manner Sixthly The same is natural and so simply not voluntary nor involuntary that is necessary but not forced But as to the main thing 't is enough to know that Christ was before he manifested himself in the Flesh for therein he appears to be eternal which Eternity of his we shall have occasion to prove In the Scripture none but the Lord Jesus is in the singular number called God's Son Abraham is called his Friend Moses his Servant and in the Parable of the Vineyard and the Husbandmen * Luk. 20.9 10 c. to whom God under the name of the Lord of the Vineyard sent his Servants whom they beat and wounded then said he I will send my beloved son it may be they will reverence him when they see him but they said this is the heir let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours I say in that Parable where the Lord Jesus spoke of himself and against them as they perceiv'd it v. 19. we may observe what a vast difference he makes between himself and all that came before him who were all but Servants but he gives himself the Character of God's beloved Son whom they ought to have reverenced when they saw him who was the Heir of all things by his Nature and not by any Privilege of Dignity by Favour bestowed upon him as upon Men and Angels * Heb. 1.4 5. Being made so much better than Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they what this Name is is expressed in the next Verse For unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my son this day have I begotten thee c. We see the difference of the Sonship a Son not created nor adopted but begotten for that Name comes to him by inheritance as in the Text that is by his own natural Right and Property and not by Grace Then the Lord Jesus is Gods natural Son because called his own and proper Son †Rom. 8.3.32 every one knoweth how those Sons that are naturally begotten by their Parents are called their own Sons and on the contrary those that are not so are not proper Sons but Strangers so that proper and Strangers are so called and distinguished according to Nature only therefore seeing Scripture doth not indifferently call Christ Son but God's own Son thus by this special Attribute distinguishing him from all others it means natural Son and of the same Essence the more because he calls God * John 5.18 his own Father for which cause the Jews would have stoll'd him for they well understood as express'd in the Text how thereby he made himself equal with God thus he is called God's own Son in opposition to adopted Sons one may adopt another to be his Son but can never make him his own natural Son begotten of his Substance and as Christ is God's own Son so is God his own Father then from Eternity or else there had been in time a new relation in God which had not always been that might be called a kind of an Accident so contrary to the simplicity of his Nature and according to this God had within these 1700 Years been made that which he was not before namely Father of his own Son whereby Changeableness is father'd upon him and his Immutability that is an incommunicable Attribute thereby overturned Now in the same Chapter the Apostle to express own Son makes use of another word which fully and clearly doth decide the Question which is Whether the Lord Jesus be properly God's Son for if he be properly so then all improper Applications are out of doors Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by S. Paul * Rom. 8.32 signifies proper so if the Lord Jesus be God's proper Son we must properly understand and believe him to be such although our shallow Brain can neither conceive in its Thoughts nor express in Words the incomprehensible and unexpressible manner of that Generation which is wonderful †Isai 9.6 as his name is yet we must believe it because God in his word hath declared it to be so The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proper they mis-interpret and do render by special or peculiar as if Christ was God's Son only in a special manner above others but none can be call'd proper Son to any one except he be begotten of his Blood and Substance which being not he may not be called such a one's proper Son Thus they would confound proper and peculiar which two words are very different for one may be a proper Son who hath nothing peculiar above the rest of his natural Brethren for when a Father hath many all are his proper and own Sons begotten of his Substance yet no one may happen to have any thing particular above the rest likewise one may happen upon a special
is here said to reign The Lord God Almighty but to reign belong to Kings and if we go back to v. 15. this we shall find The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ who is called * Ch. 19.16 Vers 6. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and if we go back to v. 6. we may hear Alleluia the reason is for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth and in another place we read of the song of the lamb which I suppose no Man doubts to be the Lord Jesus and what is the Song Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty He is the Almighty God and certainly we have as many Evidences of his Omnipotency as there be Miracles wrought by him And if God the Father be Almighty as they will not deny him to be the Son must also be Almighty †John 5.19 for whatsoever things the father doth these also doth the son likewise Unchangeableness belongs to the true essential God Christ's Immutability but thou art the same saith the Psalmist 102.27 and Christ is unchangeable in his Words and Promises ‖ Matt. 24 35. Heaven and earth pass away but my words shall not pass away for * 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen and †Rev. 19.11 He is called faithful and true Other Names and Attributes there are in Scripture which though not incommunicable yet are so eminently spoken of the Divinity that they are almost equivalent to it so that they be fixed in God as their Spring and in the Creature but detivatively and as it were a small Drop in comparison with the vast Ocean and these being attributed unto Christ by way of Excellency do not only illustrate but also prove his Divinity I shall speak but few words about them the first is the highest which indeed I find in Scripture never to be spoken of Men in the superlative degree This is spoken of Christ in the place where it is said * Gen. 14.18 19 20. Melchizedec was the Priest of the most high God equivalent to the word highest and in the two following Verses 't is repeated so that no less than thrice the Name most high is set down which I conceive to be not without cause and may be in relation to the most holy and blessed Trinity Well this Name is attributed unto the Lord Jesus as what Zacharias said of his Son John †Luke 1.76 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways So the Attribute is given to the Person therein spoken of which no Man may question to be the Lord Jesus This was given him by the Multitude and approved by him upon his entrance into Jerusaâ—em for they cryed saying * Mat. 21.9 Hosanna to the son of David Hosanna in the highest and though as I said this be simply proper to God and †1 Tim. 6.15 belonging only to him yet being joyned with the Name of God is attributed unto Christ ‖ Acts 16. These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation Servant of Christ is a Title which Paul doth usually take upon him Who this Most High God is we read in the next Verse Jesus Christ in whose Name he commanded the Spirit to go out which he did the same hour The word the blessed with an Article doth as I have had occasion to shew signifie the same as God and 't is said of the Son of God *âŽ* Psal 72 17. All nations shall call him blessed and the Multitude in the fore-quoted place called him so blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord and in that noted place the Apostle joyneth both blessed and God and gives him * Rom. 9.5 who is over all God blessed for ever Paul saith not Let him be in a way of Wish and Desire nor he shall be as if then the thing was not but only to come but he saith He is God blessed for ever thereby meaning his Being and Nature In Scripture †Isai 14. Psal 71.23 the Name of holy one is given to the only true God whom Israel doth worship This also is spoken of Christ ‖ Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption and Peter *âŽ* Acts 2.27 and 3.14 doth certainly declare those words to have been spoken of Christ The Angel said to Mary * Luke 1.35 Therefore also that holy thing or holy one for it was a Person which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God before he was born Holiness was his Attribute and 't is †Rom. 1.4 according to the spirit of holiness that he was declared to be Son of God with power he not only is holy but also Holiness it self in the abstract To him sitting upon a Throne the Seraphims ‖ Isai 6.1 2 3. cryed Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory which is by John â‚ Joh. 12.41 applyed unto Christ These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him and * Rev. 4.8 The four beasts â—est not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come which last is in S. John's stile a Description of the first these words spoken to him who sits upon the Throne and I hope none will deny Christ is sitting upon the Throne as absolutely expressed in several places of this Book So Daniel ‖ Dan. 9.24 called him The most holy Other Names and Titles Scripture doth appropriate unto Christ which are all strong Demonstrations of what he is namely the natural Son of God which I only shall name for indeed it would be almost an endless Work to insist upon all Testimonies of Scripture upon the matter He is then King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 17.14 and 19.16 King and Lord of glory Psal 24.7 10. compared with 1 Cor. 2.8 Lord of David Psal 110. with Matth. 22.44 where 't is observable how the same Name given to the Lord spoken â—f is also given to the Lord spoken to as equally belonging to both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in this sense he is in several places of Scripture called one Lord 1 Cor. 8.6 and Lord of all Acts 10.36 because all things were made by him John 1.3 So the Lord and Saviour because there is no Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 Let special notice be taken of Psal 68. where speaking of Christ according to Paul's interpretation Ephes 4.8 he among other high and great Names is called the Lord God the God of our salvation and such more which certainly do belong only to the true essential God In Scripture the Names of Lord God King absolutely taken or with the distinction
take matter of Argument against us for they say thus The Doctrin of God ought to be taught according to Scripture but those Names are not to be found therein therefore not to be used I answer the major Proposition with a distinction If they mean it of the sence of Scripture we own we ought not to depart from it but if of the letter and bare words we deny it for in the Church is the gift of Prophecy and of explaining the word And whereas Hereticks are apt to wrest the sence and under variety of words to involve and disguise the Truth it is sometimes necessary to make use of new words to hit and refute their false glosses and interpretations in defence of the Truth As to the minor about the several words we say Scripture speaks of one God whence cometh Oneness or Vnity and Divinity is attributed to three Father Son and Holy Ghost hence is Trinity Jah and Jehovah signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that is so from Esse we derive Essence all which words we are not Authors of but received them from the Primitive Church which by a publick consent used them almost from the Apostles time to these which they reject when themselves would bring in barbarian words to signifie their erroneous notions as God Essentiating and Essentiated Apostolical God Emphatical and articulated God Author and God Executor and the like Thus they make themselves really guilty of such things as unreasonably they would charge us with They must needs have a very great opinion of their own abilities seeing they would make us forbear the expressions used by the Church for so many Ages and impose their new-fangled words upon the World 'T is in them a blasphemous Impiety and a damnable Slander to charge us with bringing in new Gods under such words as are made use of to explain Scripture and they know well enough our meaning thereof as we so often explained it these different words do not change the sense so may not be called erroneous and tho' sometimes there be Variety in words and expressions the sense still remaineth the same so we do not consider them as Popish or Antichristian Forgeries Indeed they make a ridiculous Objection Jehovah the Essentiator Father is of the masculine Gender but Essence is of the feminine therefore not to be used But to say something to the purpose they must prove that in the nature of things according to the Rules of Grammar there is a difference of Sex Of the like nature is this no abstract Name signifieth a Substance but Trinity is an abstract Name therefore c. But the first proposition is false for when we call Deity or Divine Nature we understand a Substance seeing in God all things are Substance and no Accident So by the word Trinity we understand three Persons really subsisting 2 Sam. 23. We find David's mighty Men of Valour to be distinguished by three and three But as to their exception against the fore-named words once for all I say to them Tho' every Truth asserted be not in Scripture in so many Letters yet if it be therein implied and by a good and necessary consequence thence derived 't is to be esteemed the Word of God as if expressed because in it contained Thus Preaching is the Word of God because deduced out of it not as to the words but as to the sense hence it is that Preaching produces the effects attributed to the the Word as to quicken convert regenerate and sanctifie when sometimes in a whole Sermon few Sentences are repeated word by word And in several places of the New Testament the Evangelists and Apostles do quote out of the Old not in the very words but accoding to the sense and scope of the place upon such a ground our Translators do render the word Hypostasis by that of Person and so 't was among the Primitive Church which word we find used in the New Testament only four times thrice in the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. 1.3 Chap. 3.14 Chap. 11.1 and 2 Cor. 9.4 yet every where in a different sense Some few words more I shall add to answer some other Objections in order thereunto I say In the Deity there is an Essence which is but one in that Essence do subsist three Persons really distinguished one from another but only modally from the Essence which doth not make any fourth thing in the Godhead As there is but one Essence so these three Persons are but one God which Name God is spoken not only of the Essence but also of every one of the three Persons Vnity in relation to the Nature and Trinity in respect to the Persons One Essence there is without which there is no God but the three Persons are this one God in Essence who subsist in that Essence Father Son and Holy Ghost The Adversaries are in an Error when they think there is no real difference except there be some difference in number and Essence they would have a Thing and a Substance to be the same when that which differeth by reason of the definition from another doth also really differ from it God in one number and essence admitteth of no renting or division and they are not three bare Names the Essence doth not as the Genus contain three Species but it doth subsist in three Persons in which all and in every one is the same Nature and Godhead To own three Essences were to assert three Gods and we say that Father Son and Holy Ghost as to the Nature are of themselves tho' not as to the Personality for on this last account we own the Son to be from the Father and the Holy Ghost from both I say again how the Essence maketh no fourth thing in the Godhead as if the three Persons were derived from it as from a thing pre-existing or as if it being common to the three was really distinguished from the three these we never said but are against The Essence is wholly and entirely common to every Person these Persons do not proceed from the Essence but we say they from all Eternity subsist in the Essence and tho' we own a distinction between Essence and Persons yet they are not as a thing abstracted from the Essence The great difficulty arising about this is in the case of the Incarnation which is justly called The wisdom of God in a mystery 1 Cor. 2.7 even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory The Son was incarnated or made Flesh took upon him our human Nature now the Father and Holy Ghost having the same Essence with the Son how were not they both incarnated We know the Person and not the Nature was incarnated but how the Nature which is wholly in the Son as wholly in the Father and in the Holy Ghost was not made Flesh 't is a Mystery that passeth all understanding This is one of the secret things that belong to God which we
other Creatures answer that end and with his Heart and utmost Endeavours promote his Glory and prevent any thing that tends to his Dishonour For want of which when 't is his Duty and in his Power so to do he becomes guilty of and makes himself accessary to the Crime Certainly neither Law nor any Judge ought to spare at all those Creatures who will not at all spare their Creatour The Emperour Theodosius decreed that after Death an Action might lawfully be commenced against a Manichee or a Donatist to render the Hereticks memory infamous C. Cod. 1.2 Tit. 5. de Haeret. Manic Leg. For if Traytors tho' in their Graves are yet branded in their Posterity who are deprived of State and Honor tho' the Father died unimpeached How much more reasonable is it that the same course should be taken in Matters of Religion a Care I confess highly commendable in a Christian Magistrate at least strictly to be practised against alive Socinians as dead Manichees Here I must not omit giving the University of Oxford their due Commendation for their Decree of 25th of November 1695. for appearing in their Station and justly condemning as false impious and heretical the Notions and Expressions of three infinite distinct Minds and Substances in the Trinity c. which some had taken upon themselves to speake and write for there are no more three infinite Minds and Substances I shall make use of the words in the Athanasian Creed then there are three Eternals three Incomprehensibles three Almighties three Infinites and three Gods which all are a meer Contradiction and Hierom was very cautious about acknowledging three Hypostases in the Deity because he thought the word to denote Substance for fear of owning three Substances but when I think of such I remember what I read of a Greek Philosopher who willing to abound in his own Sense would not be satisfied with the Definition or Description of Man given by others how 't is a Rational Animal but he scorning to follow the steps of others forged one of his own and said Man is a two footed Animal without Feathers whereupon another having pluckt off a Cock's Feathers brought it into his School and setting it before his Disciples said behold such a one's Man and so ridiculed the Philosopher Thus deserves to be any one who being wise only in his own Conceit doth affect singularity and in things of this nature leaves the good trodden way to follow his own by paths whosoever in defence of a Cause refuseth to take up Arms because once they were made use of by others either declares himself an Enemy to the Cause or else hath a mind to betray it in this case it may be said as that of an Army marching thorough an Enemies Country or towards an Enemy For Orders sake and by reason of the Danger no Soldier ought to straggle out of the way under pain of Death for every one that doth so ventures to be knockt in the Head and as much as in him lyeth hazardeth the whole so thus acting contrary to Rules and his own Safety it may well be supposed he doth so with a Design to desert the like may be said of stragglers in this Cause and Warfare As formerly so new in the Christian World we may say Christ is again crutified between two Malefactors the Socinian Blasphemy of one side and the Popish Idolatry on the other Yet now 't is worse than at his Death for one of the Malefactors was converted and became good but now they both are stark naught the one strikes at his Person and Grace the other chiefly at his Grace one sets up his Reason the other his Traditions above and in opposition to his Word the first believes worse but would seem to practise better the last believeth somewhat better but practiseth worse Socinians which hardly have any thing of Christianity besides the bare name are so puffed up with Pride and Self-conceit and do so much abound in their own Sense that they despise all Antient and Primitive Authority because indeed therein they find their own Condemnation I must say how the Consent and Belief of the Primitive Church in their Councils and Writings of their Doctors ought not to be heard against Scripture yet not to be slighted or rejected in things wherein they are Orthodox and when they agree with it They keep a great pother about Reason but they must explain themselves or else they do but leave things in a confusion we know every rational Man ought to be guided by Reason but even rational Men do often differ about it sometimes that which is Reason with one is a Nonsense with another but to bring a Carnal Reason to be a Judge in Spiritual Things 1 Cor. 2.11 14. is a very gross mistake for the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God and the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned if this Reason they mean in Matters of Religion it must be quite turned out for Scripture declares it in such things not to be a competent Judge But if by Reason they mean the Reason of things then I own nothing ought to be admitted that is contrary to it yet in this Sense no reasonable Man but will own Reason in very many things though in some more or less to be very lame and weak but perfect in nothing for considering the Perfection either of Parts or Degrees we all may be said to know nothing perfectly though Learning and Experience do come in to help us yet still something is wanting what one said well Nemo unquam omnes fefellit neminem unquam omnes fefellere never one Man deceived all nor ever all Men together deceived any one may with some alteration according to the diversity of the Subject be said here never as yet one Man knew all things neither did all Men ever know one thing so perfectly but that it might still admit of some additional Degree of Knowledge and Perfection yet I will suppose an unpossible thing that one Man should by strength of Reason know all things which is one of God's Attributes however when this Reason happeneth to be in competition with a Line or two of Revelation is not that Man according to true Reason bound to submit to it For my part I declare I shall ever prefer the Authority of one only Text of Scripture before all the Reason of the World whether laying in one Head or many and my Reason is that Scripture is the Word of an Infallible God when all and every Man in the World are fallible Alas how many things in the World are given for Reason which have only a shew and appearance of it Besides it must be granted there are things above Reason the most thinking and learned if not much self-conceited will by their own experience find this to
be true even in natural things how much more in those of a spiritual and divine Nature which to Men's understanding are past finding out wherefore I affirm it to be but reasonable for them in such things to submit Reason to Faith which is a Mystery to our natural Reason 1 Tim. 3.9 so called by S. Paul Holding the mystery of Faith in a pure conscience when he was writing this Faith with its Object was clearly revealed yet still he then calls it a Mystery and I hope no Socinian dares say he knows the Nature of Faith better than that great Apostle did As for Scripture they pretend to own and do quote it so also could the Devil but mis-apply'd it Before him whom he knew to be the Son of God he could say it is written And as in the beginning of the Predication of the Gospel so in the renewing of the Truth of it by Reformation Tares sprung up with the Grain some Men would not order and regulate their Opinions according to Scripture but would bring it to be subservient to their Notions and of it to make a Nose of Wax to serve their turn hence it is that they wrest things that therein are so plain which if we believe Peter 2 Pet. 3.16 must be to their own destruction I know of no wrong the Son of God hath done them that in all their Writings they should so slightly speak of and so much below him Of late one S among others Page 20. saith of the Lord Jesus In that great Instance of Magnanimity he hath outdone all the mentioned Heroes of Greece and Rome he would seem to speak much in his Commendation but latet anguis in herbâ there is a Malice in the bottom to enervate the Truth of our Saviour's Life as if there were in 't some of the Tales and fabulous Accounts which are found in the Lives of the Heroes be mentions They would have him a Man and nothing more though upon all occasions even before that wicked Counsel of the Priests Scribes and Elders Matt. 26.63 64. being by the High Priest adjured in the Name of the Living God to tell whether he was the Son of God He owned himself to be which he would not have done if it had not been true and so had died to maintain a Lye which is the part of an Impostor and this Confession of his being Son of God was the very ground of his Accusation Condemnation and Execution we have a law John 19.7 said they and by our law he ought to die because he made himself the Son of God and at the time of his Death all their Revilings and Injuries against him did run upon this Matt. 27.40 43 54. If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross and he said I am the Son of God it had been very strange if he had suffered for saying he was that which he was not in the Sense he spoke it and they took it To deny this is to be worse than the very Heathens the Roman Soldiers for the Centurion and they that were with him having seen the things that were done said Truly this was the Son of God thereby pointing at the Cause of his Death as if they had said He was what he affirmed himself to be and what he dyed for that is Truly the Son of God What S. Paul saith in another Caese about the Resurrection Acts 26.8 Why should it be thought incredible with you that God should raise the dead We may say it in that of the Incarnation of the Son of God for if God attended by two Angels in the shape of Men Gen. 18. more familiarly to dine and converse with Abraham shewed how he could assume the Figure of a Man why might he not in time take upon him our humane Nature The Scripture being so full of Evidences that he could he would and hath done it But what can we say of People who deny it to be day though the Sun shineth never so brightly like the Philosophers Maid who being blind would not own it but said the Room she was in was dark this is the case of those in whom the God of this World hath so blinded the Minds that they cannot and their Hearts that they will not see I wish God may be pleased in this high Concern of his to stir up the Hearts of every one to act in his Station whether Civil or Ecclesiastical They which in this last Capacity are Men of Piety and Learning might out of Presses and Pulpits be very instrumental in asserting the Truth if they were pleased to consult with Scripture preferably before their own Reason for the Word of God being the Spring of right Reason will afford Reasons enough to confute and convince Blasphemy and Heresie Therein lies our strength about these Matters This ought to be the method and manner of those who engage in the Cause Let us all well observe what is said of Apollos who in this same Subject was concerned against an unbelieving and obstinate Nation Acts 18.24 that he was mighty in the Scriptures About these Controversies some thing hath already been attempted by Men otherwise of Learning and good Parts but upon the account of some Principles of theirs little good is herein to be expected from them Arminians I mean whom I look upon as not very sit to write against Socinians no more than Arminus would not write against Socinus though they were contemporary when I am reading Socinian Disputes I often in my way meet with Worstius Episcopius Bertius Curcelaeus and such others who favour them if not in all yet in too many things wherein they go hand in hand and they will mince the matter with them but if after what several Men have written heretofore some other Persons of Learning and sound in the doctrinal part of the XXXIX Articles would now appear as a Reverend and very able Prelate hath in some Points effectually done then it might be hoped through God's Blessing for us to see those impious and Heterodox Opinions justled out of doors to the Honour of God the Peace of his Church and clearing the Land of such a Generation as in some respect may be called worse than the Devils Matt. 8.29 Mar. 1.24 and 5.7 Luke 4.34 41. 8.28 Psal 119.126 who publickly owned the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God of the most high God the holy one of God whom they confessed to have the Power not only to command but also to torment and destroy them whilst these Men deny him truly to be such With David we must say It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy law In the mean time though very sensible of my Weakness and Incapacity I presume to appear in publick trusting in him whose Cause we defend that he will make his Virtue perfect in our Weakness and with the gracious Influence of his holy
they come This is the rational Man who will dive too far the Apostle for his pains calls him a Fool thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die so in Matter of God's Decrees thou wilt then say unto me why doth he yet find fault The Apostle's Answer is * Rom. 9.19 20. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God This is to curb that idle and presumptuous Curiosity of vain and foolish Men who work their shallow Brains to find out things which can be known no otherwise than by Revelation wherefore let us stick to that Rule about the Holy Trinity we can and must know no more than is revealed in Scripture and herein we must follow the Example of the Doctors of the pure Primitive Church who borrowed no Arguments of Philosophy against the Hereticks that troubled them but only out of Scripture the more because in Matters of so great a Concernment as are the Mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation the Devil hath used his strongest Batteries but he that trusteth to his own Reason will fall short of the necessary Knowledge thereof and in this case I may say what is spoken in another that if Men had been satisfied to make use only of their own Eye without any other help they could never have found out the magnitude of the Sun c. if so in the Secrets of Nature much less in Things of Divine Concernment and of Deity it self in human and finite Things we conceive well enough how in the same Nature are many Persons to whom it is communicated but that that Nature is but one and the same and that so many Individuals make but one Man in the kind no Mind can conceive but in Men the Reason of the Multiplication is in the finite Individuals which are not only distinct one from another but also have their several Bounds and that universal Nature is as if it were rented into so many Parts but as God is Infinite the Father Son and Holy Ghost is Infinite the Infinite cannot so much as in thought be separated wherefore it must not be thought an absurdity if in Divine Things there is no multiplicity of Gods as there is of Men in human Nature but still after this reasoning I return within the Circle to consult Scripture more than to stretch our Reason with Job let us say †Job 11.7 8 9. Canst thou by searching find out God canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection c. O ‖ Isai 55.8 9. my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. Every Man may in this Matter apply to himself what is said in the Book of Proverbs * Chap. 30.2.3 4. Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended who hath gathered the winds in his fists who hath bound the waters in a garment who hath established all the ends of the earth what is his name and what is his sons name if thou canst tell This is by way of defiance In this Controversie Three several things are to be taken notice of first The truth of the thing namely that there is a God but One God and Three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost which to hold is necessary to our Faith Secondly the Explanation thereof relating to the Doctrine which we already have said several things about whereunto we now shall in part repeat and in part add these few things Divine Essence communicable to Three Persons is neither multiplyed nor divided as 't is in Men and Angels for though their Natures be but one and the same in Species yet 't is different in Number but in the Deity not so for the same Nature in Father Son and Holy Ghost is but one and the same in Number in the Persons is an order of origine according to which proceedeth not Essence from Essence absolutely consider'd nor Person from Essence nor one God from another God but one Person from another Person and from other Persons very God of very God for the Three Persons are One God and every Person is perfect God in every Person is to be consider'd the common and the proper Mode in God we may not conceive any thing besides One Essence and Three Modes whereby with the Essence are constituted Three Persons in these Persons one is not before or after the other only in order and manner of subsisting whatsoever is essential is common to the Three and what is personal is proper to every one of the Three the Mode or Personality is the Abstract but the Mode with the Nature is the Concret Here is no Accident no Genus no Species no Difference no specific Unity in God but an essential and individual Nature The Difference of Hypostases or Persons in Divine Nature is from the different relation and manner of Subsistence which cannot be confounded There are essential and relative Properties the first belong to every Person because every Person hath the same Nature but not the second whereby they are distinguished one from another the Son is not the Father nor the Father the Son This also is to be taken notice of that a finite Nature is capable of Division which an infinite is not or else it were not infinite therefore in this God's Nature admits of no Comparison with any created one whatsoever The Third thing to be observed in this Controversie is the Proof not to be taken out of Nature or Reason but out of Scripture of both Old and New Testaments and herein we must be very cautious how we draw and press Consequences from the Creature to the Creator because there is an infinite Disparity and Disproportion between them as there is between a finite and an infinite Nature this last filleth all when the other is confined within narrow bounds for the infinite as we said being communicated is neither divided multiplied nor alienated Scripture calls God the True God God's own and proper Son yet Socinians have rather in the Christian Religion to admit two Gods whereof one is a made feigned titular God than a plurality of Persons in the Unity of Essence which Opinion of theirs is really more absurd than they would have the Truth we own to seem to be because it doth quite destroy divine Nature for a made and secondary God is absurd and a mere Contradiction as good as to say God no God This is a Notion borrowed from the Heathens who had their Semi-gods that is Men who in their life-time having done some great Actions were after their death by Apotheosis deifi'd and reckon'd among their gods According to this fancy our Saviour may be such a Heroe and God as their Hercules was This is their good Christian Doctrine The ground of their Error is that they think the number of Persons doth multiply the
the Angel no less than twice doth direct to the true and only Object of worship when he said ‖ Rev. 19.10 and 22.9 worship God But this belonging to another Head I now shall proceed no farther in it Now to remove all improper and figurative meaning when the word God is attributed to Christ and to prove his Consubstantiality with the Father Scripture sets down Names and Epithets which not only distinguish him from and raise him above all and every Creature but also make him equal with God the Father Thus he is called l 1 John 5.20 the true God and m Tit. 2.13 Re. 19.17 the great God so n Rom. 9.5 God over all blessed for ever also o Jude 4. the only Lord God c. Hence the Name Jehovah is joyntly equally and comparatively given unto the Son as p Psal 2.11 12. serve the Lord with fear c. and q Isai 25.9 this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will rejoyce in his salvation Now comparatively or in a Parallel Christ is the same r Isai 8.13 14. Lord of Hosts which shall be for a Sanctuary a Stone of stumbling and for a Rock of Offence to both the Houses of Israel as confirm'd ſ Luke 2.34 and Rom. 9.32 Christ is he who being by the Right Hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost upon the day of Pentecost shed forth those Gifts we read of t Act. 2.3.4.33 and 't is the Lord God of Israel unquestionably the true God that promiseth u Joel 2.28 in the last days to pour out his spirit c. so 't is the same Lord God of Israel the Lord Jesus is the same who is first and last comparing x Isai 44.6 Isaiah with S. John y Rev. 1.17 The Son of God saith z Isai 48.12 16. He is sent from the Lord God and from his spirit after he had said v. 12. I am the first and also am the last So the Titles proper to the true God are given Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords as by God's Grace we shall shew when we speak about the Attributes So then the Son is true God as we observed before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son of himself when we speak of the Son simply and without relation to the Father we properly call him Jehovah and self being for he hath it of himself but when consider'd relatively to the Father then we say he hath his Being from the Father the Son is by himself not of himself his Essence hath no Spring but his Person is from the Father the Essence is not communicated to the Son but only the manner of subsisting in the Essence when the Son is called God personally then he is not call'd the manner of subsisting but an Existence with the manner of being now the modus or manner is understood with the Essence because as the manner of Divinity is not Divinity it self so the mode of Essence is not Essence it self thus when he is called God personally 't is in the Concret not in the Abstract If Christ be not God by Nature he is not true God for nothing is really such but what is so by Nature The Adversaries say that those things which comparatively are called such in Scripture are truly such as Christ is called * Joh. 1.9 Chap. 18.1 the true light and the true vine though he be so called by way of a Metaphor But we do not deny how sometimes the Name true is appropriated to those things that are so called metaphorically but then the sense of the Metaphor doth not really belong to them for in every Metaphor there is true and false in the manner of it thus Christ is call'd the True Light for though in a metaphorical way he be a Light that is spiritually works the same Effect as a corporal Light doth bodily in the like manner he is called a True Vine because that the Metaphor is truly proper to him but here the question is not about the truth of Words taken metaphorically but properly for when the word True is joyn'd to those that are properly taken then it signifieth the very Nature of the thing so when the word true is joyned with that of God it necessarily signifies the Nature of God and whensoever the Name of True God is given any thing thereby is Divine Nature attributed to it This shews how Socinians do not own Christ to be the true God because according to Scripture there is but one true God they deny him to be that only true God When God is called the onely Maker of Heaven and Earth and the onely true God 't is not said only by way of Excellency as comparing God with the Creatures but we thereby exclude all others for in those places the only true God is opposed to false gods in relation to which he is not called true by way of Eminency but because it is the truth for they are true gods by no means and the true God is ever opposed to false gods and Idols wherefore called the Living God Psal 36.9 because saith David with thee is the fountain of Life He that is God only by Participation and not by Nature is not true God for Participation doth import a Likeness but Likeness of a thing is never the thing it self and if they would have Christ to be God only by Participation this in effect is to deny him to be true God that is to make him an improper and metaphorical God and after that way Men and Angels might be called true Gods which is not only Folly but also Blasphemy to say and think But they say if God and Angels be not true Gods then God doth mock when he calls them so but 't is no Mockery to give one some Name in an improper and figurative sense or else when Christ calls his Apostles * Matth. 5.13 14. The light of the world the salt of the earth and a City that is set on an hill he would have mock'd too so would Paul calling †1 Cor. 3.11 and Eph. 2.20 Christ a foundation and a chief corner stone Seeing the Apostles are not true Light only improperly and metaphorically and Christ a Stone figuratively they that are Gods only by Likeness and Communication and not by Nature are not Gods Every thing is called true as I hinted before according to its Nature a true Man true Gold true Silver from the Nature of Man Gold and Silver Now as to Christ can he be esteemed as a true God who first had a Being according to their Principles and was not God then was God and like the Popish Wafer God by degrees was God more and more till he came to a perfection of the Godhead and we may say was
account to be call'd such a Man's Son yet not be his proper Son thus an adopted though he excel never so much above the rest yet that can never make him to be a proper Son To refute some Cavils of theirs one thing more we are again to take notice of upon this matter how the the word God is in Scripture sometimes taken essentially for the most holy Trinity and sometimes personally for one of the Persons as when 't is said * Acts 20.28 God hath purchased his church with his own blood which is meaned our Saviour the second Person of the Godhead In the first sense must be understood those places of Scripture wherein 't is said The name of the Lord is one and there is none besides him there is but one God and others to the same purpose to shew the Oneness of the Nature which as well as they we do affirm but as to teach well one must distinguish well so for want of observing this Rule that which is spoken of the Essence of God they mis-apply it to the Persons and so make a Confusion between things to be distinguished We already proved how the Unity of Nature doth not take away the Trinity of Persons nor the Plurality of Persons destroy the Unity of Nature which Mistake of theirs doth also hold in the Mystery of the Incarnation or of the Word being made Flesh and about our Saviour's Person in whom they confound the Natures so that which is spoken of his Humanity they mis-apply to his Divinity The second Argument whereby Christ is proved to be God's natural Son is drawn from the word only begotten which for greater confirmation is attributed to Christ in several * John 1.18 places wherefore in Scripture Christ is called the Son of God to shew he is the only begotten for that 's the signification of the word and †Heb. 1.2 vers 5. Paul's interpretation of it for he saith Such is the Son to whom only God saith Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee and other places of Scripture By the words God's only begotten Son do all mean Christ only The Adversaries would have him to be called so only in a special manner above the rest as we already have taken notice of in the instance about Isaac whereunto here we shall add that of Solomon which also they made use of called say they * Prov. 4.3 only begotten in the sight of his mother but they must not go about to impose upon us for in the original the word begotten is not in but only which in our Bibles is according to the sense of the place explained by beloved only beloved one may be the only yet not only begotten Son when of many Children one alone is remaining and the rest are dead as to Isaac we already observed he was the only begotten in relation to Sarab by Promise but Christ is so called God's only begotten Son that it was never said to any one else Thou art my Son c. whence we may conclude him so to be God's Son as to be the only begotten of him that is according to his Nature in the word he is properly and absolutely called the only begotten * John 1.14 We beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is not comparative as only denoting a likeness but as Chrysostomus observes well is expressive of the truth as being really as if one willing to describe a Royal State and Carriage of a King should say as that is in a manner becoming and proper for a King and farther the Evangelist addeth v. 18. The only begotten son which is in the besom of the Father he hath declared him where Christ is called the only begotten 〈◊〉 it being his own proper Name signifying how besides him there is no true natural Son of God again ‖ John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son and * 1 John 4.9 God sent his only begotten son into the world See what a care the Spirit of God hath taken to confirm and make that Truth known how Christ is properly and absolutely God's only begotten Son now he is absolutely only begotten that is not only so called lookt upon and loved as such but that is really so and indeed we know our blessed Saviour is call'd †Joh. 20.17 Brother of his Disciples and of ‖ Heb. 2.17 Believers but not in a proper and strict sense The relation of Brotherhood hath a great latitude for among the Jews Persons belonging to any branch of a Family to a Tribe or to any of the Tribes were call'd Brethren * Gal. 1.19 James and John were call'd the Lord's Brothers and in another sense our Saviour calls †Mat. 12.50 his brother his sister and his mother whosoever shall do the will of God He is our Brother in that he hath taken upon him our human Nature all Men are Brothers in human Nature but Adoption cannot be the ground of his as 't is of our being call'd the Sons of God he is never called adopted as we are neither can he be adopted with us seeing we are adopted in him we are the Branches of the wild Olive-Tree that have been grafted in him who is the true natural Olive-Tree and thereby are become Members of his mystical Body How can our blessed Saviour be called God's only begotten Son if he be not partaker of the same Nature And the more to enforce this in that sâ—â—e Chapter and Verse John 18. 't is added which is in the bosom of the Father can he be in and from the Bosom of the Father and not be of the same Nature All other Children of God are made but this is begotten and only begotten none but he is properly begotten Our Third Argument is taken out of our Saviour's Question to the Pharisees * Mat. 12.41 41 4â— 44. What think ye of Christ whose son is he they say unto him the son of David he saith unto them how then doth David in spirit call him Lord By this way of arguing he shewed how in him besides human Nature there was another namely the divine according to which he by no means might be called David's Son but David's Lord which to the Pharisees proved an unanswerable Argument for upon this same 't is positively said v. 46. and no man was able to answer him a word one would think this should also stop the mouth of Socinians Indeed there the Lord proposeth the Question about the Nature of Christ or the Son whose natural Son he was Whereunto the Pharisees returned an imperfect Answer for only they said he was the Son of David but the Lord Jesus out of Scripture which they could not deny concluded that since he was by David's confession his Lord he must in him have another Nature besides human according to which he might not be called
him they Worship This very Name of Michael is given to the Messiah ‖ Dan. 12.1 and at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people which is a Prophecy of Christ's coming wherein he is called El Michael and the Great Prince to this Emmanuel relates what the Evangelist says of the Word that is Christ how being made Flesh he dwelt among us is not this the same as God with us And this not obscurely for he adds * Joh. 1.14 and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father he not only had Glory but is called Lord of Glory before his Ascension into and Glorification in Heaven and for certain the Name of Lord or King of Glory is proper to the true essential God if David †Psal 24.10 speaks Truth now this dwelling of God is not said to be in but with Men which doth import a Person living and conversing with Men fully expressed in the following Text ‖ Rev. 21 3. Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God all this done not by proxy but in Person 't is said God himself so that great and infinite God whom the Heavens of Heavens cannot contain chose our Human Nature to dwell in as in a Tabernacle whereof the Tabernacle in the Wilderness was a Type as the Temple was afterwards we know there was a Vail this the Apostle alludeth to when he saith * Heb. 10.20 thorough the vail that is to say the flesh so that his Body and Human Nature is the place he chose to dwell in and that same Nature is as a Vail to qualify that Glory which no Man could behold for as the People could not behold Moses his Face when he came from God so that it was necessary he should put on a Vail How then could Man have beholden the Glory and Brightness of the Son of God and how could he have dwelt amonst and conversed with them except he had put on the Vail of his Flesh We must then necessarily conclude he was El the Mighty God before he was Immanuel God with us As to that great incomprehensible and adorable Mystery of the Incarnation of the Second Person of the most Holy Trinity whereby the Divine and Human Natures were mediatly and the Person immediatly united to the Nature 't is to be observed that 't is not by a Consubstantial Union such as the Three Persons of the most Holy Trinity are united one with another neither is it a Substantial Union only by Essence and Vertue as the Essence of Christ is present with every thing not by a presence of Grace only not Physical as Form and Matter are united not as one Friend is united to one another as the Soul of Jouathan was knit with the Soul of * 1 Sam. 18.1 David not mystical only or in the same manner as Christ dwelleth in Believers not Sacramental as Christ is in the Bread and Wine of the Lord's Supper but 't is a Personal Union and that without any Change of or in the Divine Person without a renting of the Natures against the Nestorians or Confusion of the same against the Eutychians also without any Change and Separation Now I am upon this high Mystery of the Incarnation by the Evangelist expressed in these words the word was made flesh I shall take notice of some few things doth not the expression which is parallel with this †1 Joh. 4.2 that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh mean that Christ the Word was in being before he was made Flesh or came in the Flesh and that this Being was according to the Spirit which in Scripture is opposed to the Flesh and that he had a spiritual Existence before he took our human Nature signified by the word Flesh for according to Scripture Flesh signifies human Nature so to be made Flesh to assume human Nature let one place serve instead of many ‖ Gal. 2.16 by the works of the law shall no flesh that is no Man be justified The Son of God was first afterwards he was manifested as to make use of a Comparison in a thing which admits none in matters of God's Decrees the Decree is before the Declaration of it for the Decree is from all Eternity but the Declaration only in time what is said of Christ * Gal. 4.4 that he was made of a woman is considerable for it implies that he was made Man and took upon him our Nature not out of the Substance of any Man but only of a Woman his Body was formed in the blessed Virgin 's Womb without any help of Man so he became Man only by the Woman's side but he was Son of God before he was made of a Woman and he must need have had a Being before he was sent forth he was with God before God sent him which is opposed to his appearing and being manifested to the World * 1 Joh. 1 2. we shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us he was with the Father existed and had a Being before he was manifested unto us dwelt and pitched his Tabernacle among us it is observable out of that place where it is said of our blessed Saviour †Heb. 2.16 he took on him the seed of Abraham the word took in the Original signifies also to take and lay hold or caught hold as he did of sinking Peter to save him from drowning so he caught hold of Mankind when it was ready to sink Against this they say there can be no such Union of Divine and Human Nature in one Person but that such an Union is not unpossible it may be illustrated out of the Union of our Soul with our Body which are of two different Natures spiritual and material invisible and visible immortal and mortal and tho' we cannot conceive the Reason it ought to be no Prejudice neither can we conceive the manner of their Union which yet is true and certain we most certainly believe some things to be tho' we do not at all comprehend the manner of it and altho' there be an infinite disproportion between God and Man yet that is no just Prejudice against the Union of Divinity with Humanity with harbouring such Notions Men do too much measure God by themselves who because they are evil are not capable of so much Goodness and out of Pride are apt to say so much Condescention becomes not God but God knows better than we what becomes him and what we cannot comprehend of him we ought to admire and adore God's Ways are not like our Ways nor his Thoughts like our Thoughts and tho' he condescends never so low yet is ever sure of his Greatness which nothing can take away from him This Humiliation or
and what John expresses thus the word was made flesh S. Paul calls it †1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh if by the word Flesh human Nature be meaned as certainly it is then this imports that God appeared made himself known and was manifest in assuming our human Nature and that the God that was thus made Flesh and was manifest is Christ Jesus the second Person of the Godhead who being in the Form that is in the Nature of God for the Nature is the being of a thing and the Form gives that Being well Jesus Christ in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God ‖ Phil. 2.6 7. because it was his right 〈◊〉 took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he was God before he was made in that likeness this is plain that a God became man he was made that which he was not yet ceased not to be that which he was That this God that was made Flesh and manifest in the Flesh and found in the likeness of men here is explained what we must understand by Flesh was the Son of God the second Person of the most holy Trinity is declared elsewhere * Rom. 8.3 God sending his own Son in likeness of sinful flesh All these representing Christ as God and as man doth clearly demonstrate him to be both God and man Another place there is much to our purpose 't is this †Rom. 9.5 of whom the Israelites as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever this restriction as concerning the Flesh doth imply that Christ came not from the Jews concerning some other thing this settles two Relations in Christ one according to the Flesh as expressed Acts 2.30 what must the other be Scripture usually doth oppose the Spirit to the Flesh and the Flesh to the Spirit so in Christ there must be a Principle that is spiritual or else this restriction according to the Flesh were frivolous and not pertinent one thing cannot be distinguished of it self a thing is in it self but one thing and Distinctions are between different things for no one thing doth differ from it self Now that as there is in Christ a principle concerning the Flesh and another according to the Spirit anon we shall by the Grace of God have occasion to speak of but now thus far we must say that as by the Flesh his Humanity is meaned so is his divine Nature by the Spirit for * 1 Joh. 4.24 2 Cor. 3.17 God is a Spirit The Text we now are upon is remarkable upon several accounts our blessed Saviour as 't is very well known was a Jew born of the Seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Judah and of the Family of David this is the Apostle's meaning when he saith of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came which doth necessarily imply he came not of them concerning some other thing in him the Pedigree of his Manhood was indeed derived from thence but it had been in vain there to have sought for another Genealogy of this Melchisedec The Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews how in him besides human Nature there was another for S. Paul who troubleth not his Readers with superfluous Expressions would not have added those words except in Christ had been another Nature or to what purpose say according to the flesh if he had been a meer man and herein chiefly lyes the Prerogative of the Jews that Christ who is God was born amongst them Their Priviledge doth not herein consist that Moses Joâ—huah Elijah John Baptist c. were born amongst them they all were but Men but that Christ was because he is God for this he addeth as the great reason and speaketh of his divine Nature who is over all God blessed for ever he saith not is called but is he is God over all the Fathers of the same stock thaâ— were born of the Jews before him or over all things whatsoever The words blessed for ever are in Scripture attributed to the true eternal God and even in our Saviour's time when the Jews said the blessed they meaned the true God Thus the High Priest asked the Lord Jesus †Mark 14.61 Art thou the Christ the son of the blessed which another Evangelist expresses thus ‖ Luke 20 70. Art thou the son of God In another place the same Apostle affords a convincing Proof of this Truth that in Christ are two Natures where he speaks of them thus * Rom. 1.3 4. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Wherein S. Paul teaches in what respect Christ is the Son of God not according to the Flesh for thus he is the Son of man of the Seed of David but according to the Spirit of Holiness which is the Spirit of God's Nature and according to that Spirit he hath been declared to be the Son of God with Power Certainly the Opposition used by the Apostle sheweth he cannot be Son of God upon both accounts but only upon one for if he had been according to both Paul would have said declared the Son of God as to the Flesh and as to the Spirit and herein would have made no difference between the Son of God according to the Flesh and according to the Spirit for as it is contrary to * Rom. 9.5 Scripture to call the Lord Jesus God according to the Flesh for God and Flesh are opposite so 't is contrary to say Christ is Son of God according to the Flesh for by the same reason one is said to be Son of God by the same he may be call'd God as we see it both joyned †Psal 82.6 I have said ye are God's and all of you are children of the most high And we read where the Jews upbraided our Saviour ‖ Joh. 10.33 36. that he made himself God that is absolutely he renders the words thus I said I am the son of God Jesus Christ is said * Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. to be in the form of God and made in the likeness of men 't is not said Made in the form of God but being his being is related to God and made to man he was God but made man he was made in the likeness of men and form'd in fashion as a man certainly here are two Natures asserted divine and human whence we say that as by his Incarnation he was really man so as surely his being in the form of God signifies that he was really God before he became man as he was man after his being born of the Virgin Mary These Expressions conclude for both his Deity and Humanity and if
there was any difference the words for the first seem stronger than those for the last for to be in the form is more than to be in the likeness because forma dat esse rei a thing hath being from its Form or Nature but he gave sufficient and great demonstration of both Natures in him to those among whom he did converse Socinians would wrest the Text of Luke 1.3 〈◊〉 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall over-shadow thee therefore that also which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God They would have the Particle therefore to signifie the Cause wherefore Christ was to be called the Son of God that is that miraculous Conception by the Holy Ghost but no such thing may be deduced 't is not the Cause but the Consequence or Inference which is signified by the words therefore and wherefore by which Particles we usually draw Conclusions from Premises whether they be Causes Effects or Signs or that which upon any other account whatsoever may be deduced therefrom And in this place out of the scope thereof it cannot be demonstrated out of any Circumstances that the Conception by the Holy Ghost is the true cause why Christ was to be called the Son of God 't is not upon the account of that manner of his Conception for then for that same cause either Christ would call himself or be called by others Son of God else the Angel's Prediction should prove false by which reason he rather should not be called than called the Son of God even according to their Principles which deny the Holy Ghost to be true God but the words of the Angel do import not that he should be called once or by some few Son of God but always and generally by all that should own him to be the Son of God Besides this Exposition of theirs they can bring no Example to confirm it for in abundance of places we read Christ to be called Son of God but find none at all wherein he is called Son of God according to the Flesh And the Angel doth not say therefore he may happen to be but absolutely and publickly declareth he shall be called wherefore seeing he no where is called Son of God according to the Flesh we may necessarily conclude he is not such in that sense to be called is sometimes really to be as in that Text * 1. John 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God that is that we should really be owned and declared to be the Sons of God such as truly we are being adopted in Christ his true natural Son The word holy used gives a strong Evidence that Christ was to be called Son of God for a much better and higher reason than that he was to be born of a Virgin he shall be called Son of God because he is holy therefore not upon the account of the Flesh but by reason of his Holiness because the Holy Ghost coming upon the Virgin some holy thing was to be born of her that makes the Angel say Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God not as to the manner of Conception but as to the thing to be conceived though by the Angel it be not expressed how great was that Holiness we may well conceive it to be that highest and infinite Holiness as becomes the Son of God wherefore Isaiah in his Prophecy of him calls him as already observed the mighty God Elizabeth calls him Luke 1.43 her Lord the Angel calls him ‖ Chap. 2.11 Saviour Christ the Lord and Daniel * Dan. 9.24 He was anointed the most Holy Before the wise Men fell down and worshipped him which they were sent to do and to that purpose guided by a Star †Mat. 2.2 11. and according to the Prophecies ‖ Psal 72.10 offered him Gifts and Presents as to a King for under that Name his Birth was declared to them and promised therefore the Holiness of Christ is the Holiness of God and of him who is by Nature Lord and King The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and or also which follows therefore is not in vain but shews a Comparison and is related not to the word called but to be born and the sense is not only that word which from Eternity is born of God is Son of God but that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God because that eternal Son of God shall take human Nature and be born of thee And this is one of the things which the Holy Ghost coming upon the Virgin was to do namely that she should conceive without Man and conceive a Man him who from eternity is according to divine Nature the Son of God which could not otherwise be effected than with the Holy Ghost uniting human Nature which was to be formed out of her own Blood and Substance sanctified before and preserved from Sin and Corruption with the Person of the Son Men must not think there is in Scripture the least tittle or word without cause for the Holy Ghost doth and saith nothing in vain Another reason is the Angel saith Christ shall be called the Son not of the Holy Ghost but of God the Father Now if the manner of this Conception was the cause of his being called Son of God he should properly be the Son of the Holy Ghost not of the Father for he is said to be conceived by the Holy Ghost but they deny the Holy Ghost to be a Person yet actiones sunt suppositorum is a Rule in Philosophy and this Conceiving being an Act the Holy Ghost must be a Person for I defie them to shew any thing to be done but by a Person Scripture in the quoted place Rom. 1.3 the Question being about Christ's being the Son of God excludes the Flesh to attribute it to the Spirit but Socinians would have it according to both yet S. Paul's scope is to teach how he is Son of God according to the Flesh and how according to the Spirit as to the first he explains himself when he saith which was made of the seed of David as to be second he declareth his meaning when he saith he was declared Son of God with power whence we may conclude he saith Christ to be called and really be the Son of God not according to the Flesh but to the Spirit or else he had not sufficiently declared in what sense he is the son of God and 't is clear how he opposes the Flesh to the Spirit according to the first he was made of the Seed of David according to the last he was declared the Son of God Withal Scipture would have such a Son of God as is without Father c. such as Melchisedec no mention being made of his Father Mother or Genealogy
he seemed not to be born on Earth but rather fallen from Heaven having neither beginning of Days nor ending of Life but made like unto the Son of God whereof he was a Type shewing these Attributes to be more proper to and true of the Son of God which cannot be otherwise understood then thus either that the Son of God hath such a Nature as doth by no means come and is derived from earthly and carnal Parents without beginning or end and so eternal to all eternity such as is divine Nature or else that both Natures of Christ divine and human are denoted human without Father upon Earth divine without Mother in Heaven and either overthrows the imaginary Notion of Socinus of Father according to the Flesh This must not be understood of the Priesthood about which the Question is not but about his Origine and Genealogy he is said to be without Father or Mother not but that he had some only there is no mention nor description made of it for the Greek word without Genealogy signifieth not the Genealogy it self but the description of it besides that the words without beginning of Days or ending of Life may by no means be applyed to the Priesthood wherefore he is said to have no beginning of Days not but that he had but is brought in as if he had not to answer him whose Type he was Days and Life are not referred to a Priesthood but to a Being a Person an Existence and Life the beginning or ending whereof absolutely no mention is made at all so then in this place the Comparison is not about the Priesthod but about the eternal Person of Christ for Christ's Priesthood had a beginning as is expressy set down in Scripture * Heb. 5.5 6. For he glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee as he saith also in another place Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec So then in that sense it cannot properly be applyed to Christ 't is frivolous to say as if it were to be understood of any Family for the Apostle absolutely speaks of beginning of Days not of a Priesthood to speak absolutely of a Beginning and of a beginning of a Family are two things and that is to wrest the Apostle's sense and meaning and make him say a thing which he never intended We don't deny but that the Apostle speaks of the Priesthood of Melchisedec and of Christ's but it must be owned he also speaks of other things as of Melchisedec's being King of Righteousness King of Salem King of Peace c. and his being without beginning of Days or ending of Life relates to his Person and Life for no mention is made of his Birth or of his Death though both besel him but from the Eternity of his Person the Apostle inferreth the Eternity of his Priesthood So then when the Lord Jesus is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Person of Melchisedec the two last are not to be understood of his temporal Generation and Birth of the Virgin for two Evangelists have written his Genealogy but of his eternal Generation and of this speaks the Prophet †Isai 53.8 Who shall declare his generation An Expression equivalent to this no Man can it is eternal incomprehensible When our Saviour was born of the Virgin he was born in time ‖ Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of the time was come as Scripture calls it Now this Parallel between the Type and Anti-Type Melchisedec and Christ doth not run upon our Saviour's Birth according to the Flesh and about his human Nature but about something higher his Divinity wherefore the Apostle in the place where he saith Melchisedec to be without Father c. doth ascend higher saying * Heb. 7.3 but made like unto the Son of God The more â—o prosecute this Argument we must say how Christ in his Childhood even in the Womb was God for he is Immanuel God with us from the Virgins Womb the thing is clear out of this that God being not Flesh but Spirit can have no carnal only spiritual Sons the true Birth makes the true Sons and this is of two sorts those that are born of the Flesh are carnal those of the Spirit are spiritual for saith Christ Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit now to be born of the Flesh is to be born of a carnal Seed as to be born of the Spirit is to be born of a spiritual Seed wherefore Peter †Pet. 1.23 24 25. mentioneth two Seeds one corruptible the other incorruptible that of the Flesh as Grass withereth away the spiritual endureth for ever If then Christ was born of the Spirit as not long before we took notice the Adversaries would have him to be because he is said to have been conceived by the Holy Ghost then that Birth of Christ would be spiritual but not according to the Flesh 'T is not without cause that when Scripture speaks of our Blessed Saviour in several places it makes a restriction according to the Flesh and an Opposition to 't according to the Spirit thus 't is in the fore-quoted places Rom. 1.3 4. and Chap. 9.5 thus The word was made flesh the Word and Flesh do signifie two different Principles distinguished and in opposition one to another So the Apostle saith * 1 Pet. 3.18 Chap. 4.1 Christ was put to death in the Flesh but quickened in the Spirit and again He hath suffer'd for us in the flesh that is in his human Nature then in him is a Nature in which he suffer'd not and 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh In one and the same Subject are two different Natures divine signified by the word God and humane by the Flesh What mean those words of S. Peter * Acts 2.30 31. how God had sworn unto David That of the fruit of his loins according to the Flesh he would raise up Christ and that his Flesh did not see corruption but to shew that in Christ was another Being different from that according to the Flesh according to which he was not David's Son Thus S. Paul as already quoted said God sent his Son in likeness of sinful Flesh there is a difference between being Son of God and being in the likeness of sinful Flesh And elsewhere †Ephes 2.15 Colos 1.22 Heb. 5.7 Ch. 10.20 Having abolished in his Flesh and You hath be reconciled in thâ—â—body of his Flesh again Who in the days of his Flesh and Through the vail that is to say his Flesh that visible Vail did hide some invisible thing Now I say it were in vain in Scripture to see so often mention made of Christ's Flesh if there was in him no other thing as the ground of the Distinction thus when we speak
Manhood of Christ for John was born before him wherefore it must be upon a nobler Account he pre-existed before John so he had another Being which not being Human nor Angelical must need be Divine according to which he was in the beginning of the World which concludeth for Eternity this Priority they interpret of Dignity not of Time we do not deny that in Gifts and Office Christ was much beyond John and suppose we should understand the Words preferred before me of a Dignity what will they say to the following Words for he was before me according to their Sense the meaning will be this he is preferred before me for he was preferred before me which is to prove the same by the same when will they give over destroying the Analogy of Faith tearing Scripture in pieces and pulling it over head and Ears to serve their Turn and their Ends If we consider Christ only as a Man John as to that time had the priority of Gifts for as he was conceived before the Body of Christ was so †Luke 1.15 he was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb as to his Office he exercised it before Christ did his for he went not about it till after he had been baptized by John after which he was forty Days in the Wilderness tempted of the Devil and he began his Ministry ‖ Matt. 4.12 after he heard that John was cast into prison wherefore this before me must be taken in some other Sense than relating to Gifts and Office for this would not sufficiently commend God's great Love towards us if only he had endued his Son with excellent Qualities as doth perfectly his not sparing but delivering him up to be put to Death for us his own Son whom in four places the ‖ John 1.14 18. chap. 3.16 18. Evangelist calls God's only begotten Son it is to be taken notice of that John doth not say he is preferred before me because he is but because he was before me Why should he make use of the Preterimperfect-Tense but to denote the time when Christ was preferred before him so that he was before John when he was made so eminently Excellent his Office was put upon him when thirty Years old but he had long before been endued with those heavenly Qualities which he was invested with and there was never a part of Christ's Life wherein that Son of God was not more Excellent than John so his Office could not be the Cause of his being so highly preferred above John The next Verse makes the matter plainer of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace wherein John doth attribute unto Christ a priority of Cause as of Dignity for he thereby owneth that whatsoever Excellency is in him and others is derived from the Fulness of Christ as the Stream is from the Spring the Fulness was in Christ first and thence John and others received it wherefore he is said to be before John as the Head-Fountain is before that which flows out of it How then could that be that John and every one else he meaned when he said we all had received of Christ's Fulness and Grace for Grace before he had taught baptised with the Holy Ghost or done any Miracle This is explained in the next Verse for the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ the Lord being the sole Dispenser of Grace and of Truth no wonder if we all for the present and in time past received all we have out of his Fulness now this Fulness is not only in one but in all kinds * Colos 1.19 for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell not excepted the Fulness of the Godhead †chap. 2.9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily But how can this agree with their Opinions For if Grace and Truth hath not been bestowed by Christ till after he had preached and revealed it How could John Baptist and others before they heard Christ preach receive it if Christ was a meer Man he could not communicate Grace before he was born to those that were before him wherefore he must need have some other Way and Capacity to do 't namely according to his Divinity which Truth if unreasonable Men would but own and give God Glory and not wander against Scripture after their own Fancies and Imaginations this would set all things at Right here because like a drowning Man they are content to lay hold upon any thing that lays in their way out of the thirtieth Verse they object that John calls him a Man we never denied Christ to be a Man in which respect he was after John but we also own him to be the Word God according to which he was before him We read of Angels under Man's shape by Abraham and Lot received into their House they were both Angels and Men but under a different Notion not Angels as Men otherwise all Men would be Angels not Men as Angels for thus all Angels would be Men wherefore they were Angels in one respect and Men in another Somewhat after this manner John calls our blessed Saviour sometimes God and sometimes Man that is now after one Nature then after the other for the Person of the Lord Jesus is both God and Man To prove Christ's Eternity we make use of a third place in the same Gospel * John 8.58 Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am the words are very plain upon the occasion of Christ's saying that Abraham rejoyced to see his day which the Jews interpreting of a real Vision they objected an apparent Contradiction thou art not fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham for they inferred that if Abraham had seen his days then he had seen Abraham who lived so long before and so they look'd upon 't as an impossible thing but he confirms what he had said with these words before Abraham was I am they fell into a Rage and took up Stones to cast at him for they had a right Notion of what he aimed at in his Discourse namely to raise himself above all the Men in the World amongst them they lookt upon Abraham whom they boasted to call their Father to be the Chief and they believed none under God was greater than he wherefore after he had said if a man keep my saying he shall never see death they grew mad against him and presently said Abraham is dead so are the Prophets and so asked him Whom makest thou thy self they concluded it could be no less than God whereby it appears how all along they had a true apprehension of his meaning though they were enraged at it and could not hear it It is a wonder to see how Socinians go about to corrupt and tear this Text all to pieces with their vain Sophistry indeed the place is so close upon them that they will leave nothing unattempted
that is against Reason nor Christian that is against Scripture nor peaceable that is against the Church for they speak against Reason Scripture and the general Consent of the Church If their Exposition be true Christ might and would have said Glorifie me with the Glory which thou hast decreed for me before the World was then he had said nothing but what every Believer may say how that before the World was God fore-ordained them to the Glory which they shall enjoy at the last day so might every one else say before the World was I was fore-ordained to have Wife Children Lands Offices c. nay according to their opinion at the same time when Christ asked that Glory he had it if to be appointed thereunto be to have it and if he had it why should he ask for it If Christ had said nothing but this And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self it had sufficiently declared the Sense of our Adversaries without saying any thing of the Glory which he had with him so with thine own self they explain to be in Heaven as if he had said in thy House but if that had been Christ's intention he would have said Glorifie me in Heaven but since he expresses himself otherwise and makes mention of the Glory which he had with the Father before the World was if we can believe he well knew what he would have and was able to express his Thoughts then we must say he had very good cause for all he said Now we shall proceed to some other of his Attributes Christ's Omnisci he knows all things Omniscience and perfect Knowledg and Wisdom ‖ Rom. 16.27 which belongs to God alone whereby God in a divine manner understands himself and every thing else doth also belong to the Son who saith to the exclusion of all Creatures * Mat. 11.27 No man knows the Son but the Father neither knows any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him And †Rev. 19.12 no man knoweth his name but himself thus he hath a perfect knowledg of his Deity and of every thing else even of the most contingent whereby the true God is distinguished from all and every Creature this also belonged to the Lord Jesus as he sometimes foretold his Disciples and in the case ‖ Mat. 21.2 of the Ass and Colt and * Luk. 22.10 13. of preparing the Passover and to Peter †John 21 19. the manner of his Death and all the Prophets being acted by his Spirit foretold things to come that holy Spirit ‖ Ch. 16.13 14. shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you and ‡ Rev. 13.10 the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie And to make this the more excellent and conspicuous he attributes unto himself that which no body will deny to belong unto God alone * Psal 7 9. and 26.2 1 Sam. 16.7 The righteous God tryeth the heart and reins the Heart is unsearchable to any but to God alone Thou even thou only saith Solomon †1 Kings 8 39. knowest the hearts of all the children of men but Christ doth attribute it to himself ‖ Rev. 2.23 I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts and ‡ John 2.24 25. he knoweth all men and what was in man and needed not that any 〈◊〉 should testifie of man for * Mat. 9 4 he knew the thoughts of the Scribes and †〈◊〉 12.25 the thoughts of the Pharisees 〈◊〉 ‖ John 16.19 be knew the desires of his disciples withal â‚ Chap. 6.64 and Chap. 18.4 he 〈◊〉 from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him he knew all things that should come upon him and in few words he know all things Christ is present every where Christ's Omnipâ—esence which argueth his Immensity and Infiniteness which elsewhere I have spoken of whereunto I may add how though absent in the Body he saw * Joh. 1.48 49. Nathanael under the Fig-tree whereupon he call'd him the Son of God the King of Israel a Title which Scripture gives the only true God and also he affirmeth this when he saith †Chap. 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the son of man which is in heaven by the Son of Man he meaneth himself who if we must believe was in Heaven when to Nicodemus he spoke these words upon Earth which cannot be understood of his Humanity which he assumed in the Virgin 's Womb but of his Divinity which alone is infinite But here they take exception and say that by to be in Heaven is meaned only to know and understand heavenly things according to Paul's saying * Phil. 3.20 and Ephes 2.6 Our conversation is in Heaven The Conversation of pious Men in Heaven is said in opposition to worldly mindedness when they were said to be quickned in Christ and as expressed to fit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus they say not to be in Heaven but in and with Christ in heavenly things †Colos 3.3 Our life is hid with Christ in God We do not intend to prove the Divinity of Christ barely because one who is upon Earth is said upon any account to be in Heaven but out of this that Christ is said not only to be descended from Heaven and is again to go up and out of this that though he be come down from Heaven he is still there whence we may well conclude for his Omnipresence Now to descend from Heaven upon Earth and to ascend from Earth to Heaven are spoken of Christ only as to his Person and thereby is meaned his coming upon Earth There is such another place ‖ Eph. 4.9 to the same purpose about ascending and descending This we must say that whilst Christ in his human Nature was on Earth with his divine he filled the Heavens Elsewhere he explains it as to places Mat. 18.20 and 28.20 Christ's Almightyness Where two or three are gathered in my name there I am As to time For I am with you always unto the end of the world The Lord Jesus is also almighty Omnipotency which is an infinite Power incommunicable to any Creature for all are uncapable of it Christ applyes it to himself when he saith * Rev. 1.8 he is the Almighty I have already shewed how every thing in that Verse Christ speaks of himself only I shall add how the same Name is given him in several other places of the Book We give thee thanks Ch. 11.17 O Lord God Almighty which art and was and art to come which are the same Expressions used in that v. 8. and what is the reason of the Thanksgiving 't is in the latter end of this same Verse Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned so who
that of the Apostle â—om 4.17 God calleth these things that be not as though they were And by that very word the Angels were made as every other Creature was not as by an Instrument for the particle by is not a sign of an Instrument but of an order in the Creation Rev. 19.13 To our purpose notable is that place his name is called the word of God which makes it appear that the name word of God is appropriated to and appliable to none but him as a Person if the name belongs to him then also the thing as indeed every where in Scripture the Word Father and Holy Ghost are distinguished one from another so John calls him the Word before he was made flesh and before the Creation Herein we may observe Socinians to be worse than Aâ—â—ians who owned Christ to have been from the time of the Creation when they would have him to have been only from that of his Birth But he was in the form of God before he took upon him the form a Servant he existed before Phil. 2.6 7. as indeed before his Incarnation he governed his people was with them in the Wilderness gave them meat and drink for he was the Manna and the Rock out of which they had Water he was the Angel whom God promised to send before them and before his being made flesh he reconciled regenerated preserved and interceded for his people if this be true as certainly it is according to Scripture why should he not have been in the beginning of the Creation and have had a hand in it For there is the same reason for all these if he existed but one year before his Incarnation then we may conclude for a hundred and thousands and so to Eternity upon the same ground on which he existed before he was man it could not be according to his humanity for no man can be said to be before he is but in a different respect from that whereby he is nothing can resolve this difficulty or reduce this impossibility into an act but owning him as he is the Eternal Son of God who when all things are said to be made and created is himself said to be begotten Notwithstanding the clearness of this Truth they use all means to darken it first against the 1. and 3. v. all things were madâ— by him in the beginning say they of the state of the Gopel but nothing more false if we â—â—â—sider every word and the scope of the 〈…〉 was in the beginning simply said without 〈◊〉 relation to this or that but absoluâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 beginning of all things then the Evangelist will have us to look higher when he addeth the word was with God And if Christ was in the beginning of the Gospel then he was in the beginning of the world for as I observed before the Gospel was preached in the beginning of the world and immediately after the Fall the Messiah was promised but as the design of St. John is to assert Christ's divinity he doth it by degrees as first In the beginning was the Word then He was with God and so to go higher he saith He was God and to shew it farther he comes to the effect namely the Creation of the world All things were made by him c. Secondly they would darken v. 10. the world was made by him whereby they understand the world to come but they forge ambiguities where there is no cause for it here is the world with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any Epithet and thus it is usually taken for the work of Creation and they ought to give a reason why in this place the word world should have a rare and unusual signification and why the Evangelist should bring in ambiguous terms in a thing which he designeth to make plain and clear Neither are there instances that the name world signifies an age or a world to come which is as absurd as if one would say this world signifieth this Life and suppose world meaneth life to come as to enjoy it and to be in Heaven denote the same it would follow that Christ made Heaven which is part of the work of Creation If the Evangelist by the world was made by him had meant only a new Creation or renewing of the old he would have added something to shew it is not to be understood of the old Creation but there is nothing to that purpose on the contrary he could not more plainly have said that the World spoken of is the same as was made by the word So the Apostle saith positively and absolutely The world was made by him but they say it was not made by him but only renewed in this sence they would have these Texts to be understood He lighteth every man that cometh into the world and he is Saviour of the world but as every man is not inlightened and saved by him for the world knew him not it must be understood say they that he doth what he can to save and renew the world but they ought to know there is a great difference between giving Christ the title of Saviour of the world and saying He renewed the world saved and enlightned every man in the world after this manner we might say John Baptist Paul and every Apostle renewed the world in as much as they desired and laboured after that it might be so yet it would not sound well to say the world was made by John and the Apostles which must be inferred from thence if to make the world be only to do what one can to have it renewed The world was made by him expresseth two things the Thing anâ— the Cause the Thing the world was made the Cause by the Word and if the first proposition be true so is the second Now an effect is visibly seen out of this assertion the world was made Another text to prove the Creation of the World by Christ is this The first born of every Creature Colos 〈◊〉 15 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or domiâ—â—ons or principalities or powers â—ll things were created by him and for him This place is clear and full whence we draw this he who is the first born of every Creature is in time before every Creature not that he should thereby be reckoned among the Creatures only he therein is 〈◊〉 a metaphore dâ—noted to be first of all that in 〈◊〉 things he may 〈◊〉 the preeminence and not 〈…〉 accounted of the same kind with others for 〈…〉 not first created but first born Ye◠〈◊〉 the first born as to be the only begotten and he may also be called a Creature according to the Flesh and as he is a man but not according to the Spirit The reason given why Christ is so called 't is this for by him were all things created which shews plainly that Christ is not
against Man that trusteth in Man not in every Man or upon every account but against him that trusteth in Man not appointed by God to give help and relief that is which is not endued with divine gifts but if to be endued with divine gifts had been a sufficient ground to secure men from this Curse then we might have trusted in Moses Elias Daniel c. persons endued with divine and extraordinary gifts but God here makes it a general rule which admitteth of no exception for he simply saith in man it is a most abominable presumption for a man so often to attempt to make the spirit of God to speak in his own Language but suppose there be a man appointed of God to help yet we are not to trust in him for though a man hath divine Gifts and Power yet ceaseth not to be but still remains a man and if God speaketh truth whoever trusteth in man departeth from God though we should happen to know a man endued with divine power and appointed of God to the end he should help us yet we might not trust in him which if we do we become liable altogether to this Sentence of the Curse of God In the third place we do and must believe in him which not to do is sin We believe in Christ Joh. 16.8 9. 1 Joh. 3.23 Chap. 5.1 5 10. yet such an one as the Holy Ghost reproveth the world for It is our duty for there is a precept for it and this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ which is a sign we are born of God and whereby we overcome the world and have the witness in our selves for this end God sent him into the world 1 Joh. 3.16 17 18 36. that we should believe in him that we should not be condemned nor perish but be saved and have everlasting life now to believe is to do the work of God for this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Chap. 6.29 all our hope for glory is grounded upon the promise which is not perfectly made sure to us till it be sealed now the Seal is the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession but we cannot be sealed in Christ with the spirit till we have believed Eph. 1.13 14. for so saith the Apostle in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed c. after and not before No man is the true proper object of our faith for to believe in one is to put in him his whole trust and confidence which we may not in any meer man whatsoever so though we believe in Christ except we believe him to be God our faith is vain and not true This makes the Apostle write his Epistles to whom and unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God Joh. 5 13. but for what end doth he write those things that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God reduplicative as he is Son of God true natural Son of God by whom all things were created in him ought our faith to be terminated for if he was only a medium and not the Object of it then we should believe in him only Ministerially not Principally but in Faith there is no subordination for 't is a Theological Virtue which as it comes only from God so it hath God alone for its object it cannot have two such different and infinitely distant Objects as are the Creator and the Creature To believe in Christ was the chief thing which the Apostles ever exhorted men to do For indeed 't is the whole end and substance of the Gospel but not as an imperfect Christ a meer man but as the true Son of God of the same nature this thing he always commanded men to do namely to believe in him about the time of his leaving this world he charged his Disciples to do 't whereby they should find a present remedy and comfort to those troubles of heart that might happen to befall them this he doth with a great Emphasis he doth not barely say believe in me Joh. 17.1 but he goes higher to shew what manner of Faith they ought to repose in him Ye believe in God believe also in me have in me the same Faith as you have in God if here the word God be taken for the person of the Father the Lord Jesus maketh himself equal with him seeing he will have us to believe in him no less than in the Father if the word God be Essentially taken then he doth affirm himself to be God while he attributes unto himself the same faith which all Believers have and repose in God alone for this fiducial honour God doth not communicate to another no other reason can be assigned why the Son would have us to believe in him as in the Father but because in Nature Power and Honour he is equal with the Father and consequently the primary object of Faith that in matter of worship he owned himself such it doth clearly appear in some instances the first of the man in the Gospel whose eyes he had opened whom our Saviour far from forbidding him to worship him he encouraged to it not under the notion of Son of Man but of Son of God for he asked dost thou believe on the Son of God Chap. 9.35 36 37 38. The man answered who is he Lord Christ replied thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee and the man said Lord I believe and he worshiped him If he had not been the true Son of â—od by nature I maintain this had been Idolatry which he was no savourer to The other instance is of Thomas who for calling Christ my Lord and my God in the Sense he did after his conviction that he was actually raised from the dead had spoken blasphemy in case he had not truly been Lord and God which far from being reproved for it what our Saviour after said unto him and the manner how he said it import an approbation of what Thomas had said and done and at another time all the Disciples together did perform the same for they came and held him by the feet Matth. 28.9 Luke 24.52 Act. 10.43 Luke 24.47 We pray to Christ and worshiped him In few words whosoever believeth on Christ shall have remission of his sins and he commanded his Disciples that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations Now we come to the fourth part of that religious worship which is due and paid unto him Namely Prayer this floweth from the foregoing for every Prayer should be made in Faith according to what the Apostle saith Rom. 10.10 how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed That to call upon and pray to God is a duty by men to be performed is
expressed in Scripture the omission whereof is look't upon as a most heinous sin deserving the heaviest judgments see what character is given of those who neglect it The workers of iniquity have not called upon God Psal 53.4 'T is such a sin as deserveth no less than the wrath of God Pour out thy wrath upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name And as for me Psal 79.6 saith David in another place and all that truely fear God with him I give my self unto prayer Psal 109.4 So that the best commendation under the Old and New Testaments that can be given of a man is what the Lord said to Ananias of Paul Acts 9.11 Behold he prayeth and how good a success Cornclius his prayers were crowned withall the Angel declared it unto him thy prayers are come up for a memorial before God Chap. 10.4 And it would prove a long work for one to demonstrate the necessity and excellency of that duty which I may say doth in some respect include every other thing which men owe God and hence we may conclude what a transcendent Eminency there is in Christ no less than his divinity seeing he is the proper object of a duty to be rendered to the only true God Unto the Lord Jesus as his due it is ascribed in the two branches thereof namely Prayer and Praise by Prayer we ask of Christ or of God through Christ the things we want and by Praise or Thanksgiving we return him thanks for what we received Call upon me in time of trouble Psal 50.15 I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me wherein both parts are contained how many Prayers doth that chosen Vessel Paul put up to God and to Christ and how often in his Epistles doth he give thanks With us Prayer and Adoration differ not formaly only as to the Manner Order and like Circumstances but are the same in Nature diversified only according to occasion but still remaining the same as to the Essence Eyes Hands and Hearts not being lifted up upon any thing under Heaven where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father Socinians do thus distinguish between Adoration and Invocation the first signifieth only a reverent bowing to any one the last includeth a religious suing for help that is to be performed even by all Angels as being commanded and necessary but this only by men voluntarily yet lawful and expedient the ground of the first in Christ is Majesty as Power is of the last Thus they always clip one thing or other of his Prerogatives as if Men and Angels were not equally bound to adore and worship him for where we find let all the Angels of God worship him there 't is also written let all men honour the Son even as they honour the Father and men are as well commanded to act their part as Angels are to do theirs The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the original to worship is in the New Testament no where used but for the Religious Worship due to God alone and when 't is mentioned as done unto any but God it is remembred as their Idolatry as Rev. 13.12 15. or to forbid it as chap. 19.10 and 22.9 So the worship which God commanded Angels to render his Son is Religious by Virtue of his Authority which alone can make 〈◊〉 worship Religious Christ at his very first coming into the world and not only after his Assension was a fit object of adoration Now out of Scripture we prove how Christ was called upon and prayed to Acts 7.59 they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit He calls him Lord and God he was not the only one that called upon him though the circumstance of his being a dying when no help in men makes it very considerable many others called upon him for this description is made of Christians and Believers Acts 9.13.14 that they called upon him Thus Ananias Lord he hath authority Saul from the chief Priests to bind all that call on thy name all that made a profession of the Gospel Most of his Epistles Paul begins with wishing Grace Peace and Mercy not only from God the Father but also from the Lord Jesus Christ and often the same Epistles he concludeth thus the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all which is nothing else but to call upon him for Favour and Mercy for whosoever wisheth any one Grace and Peace from Christ thereby prayeth to Christ to bestow grace and favour upon such an one 2 Cor. 12.8 9. and in plain and clear terms he called upon and prayed to Christ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness This is to speak as God doth not only Paul called upon the Lord Jesus but saith there were some in every place that call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 1.2 to whom all as to the Church in Corinth he directed his Epistle And no wonder if they who are desirous of their spiritual wellfare do call upon the name of the Lord for he is so rich unto all that call upon him that he hath entailed Salvation upon the performance of that duty which I speak not as of my self Rom. 10.12 13. Acts 2.21 but two Apostles will be bound for it For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved saith one And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved saith another Joel 2.32 and both have a Prophet for security of what they say Now Prayer is a religious duty to be directed to none but to God all this is example But the reason is this he without whom we cannot call upon the Father must also be called upon but the Father we cannot call upon without Christ John 14.6 because none can come unto the Father but by him and he is the way But here is a command besides Chap. 16.24 hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive There is a place in Scripture where three parts of worship due to Christ Acts 22.16 are contained and now saith Ananias unto Paul why tarriest thou be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord in all three is the name of the Lord the first and last are plain but Faith is mean't by washing away sins which are washed when forgiven now our sins are forgiven when we are justified through faith in Christ Chap. 26.18 or when we are sanctified by faith that is in him Against this 't is argued out of the Preface of the Lord's Prayer our Father that there 't is spoken of the Father exclusively to the Son But in that place as in several others the word Father is not taken Personally but
by St. Paul the name Saviour is often joyned with that of God Tit. 1.3 according to the commandment of God our Saviour both names belong to one and the same person as truly really and actually God as he is Saviour and in another place all these names God Saviour and Lord are given to Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 1.1 As he is Jesus Christ so as certainly he is God Lord and Saviour not only his Offices but also his divine Nature is therein contained and in the same Chapter he calls him the Blessed God ver 11 as in another place God Blessed for ever That Christ is thereby meant it appears by his saying the glorious Gospel of the Blessed God Now 't is in several places called the Gospel of Christ wherefore in almost every Epistle of his he calleth himself an Apostle of Jesus Christ Mark 1.1 Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 9.12 18. Gal. 1.7 Rom. 8.9 sent by him to preach the Gospel So elsewhere he saith if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his That which in the beginning of the verse Paul calls the spirit of God in the latter end he calls the Spirit of Christ whereby he makes God and Christ to be but one and the same person Under another Head our Blessed Saviour doth in many places afford us an argument for his divinity consisting in a certain divine manner of speaking with Authority not as subordinate or delegate but original in him as the Head and Spring not as by Favour and Courtesie derived upon him but out of his own natural Right which is above what any Man ever did or could pretend to as when in his Sermon upon the Mount he reformeth the abuses crept in against the Law wherein he asserteth his Legislative Power at several times Matth. 5.20 22 28 32 34 39 44. Chap. 7.29 but I say unto you And the people that heard him could take notice how he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes And he said unto his Disciples when he sent them recive ye the holy ghost whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained and to Peter Feed my Sheep go and teach all Nations All these are words of Command Further let us observe how no Man's Will is absolutely the rule of another's one Man's Will is free and independent from that of another no Man is bound absolutely to follow the will of another because every Man's Will is fallible and so may led us into errour but the will of God alone is infallible and so alone to be followed wherefore in our Prayer simply we say thy will be done and when Man's Will is to be obeyed 't is relatively and only in conformity to that of God But Christ's Will is the Law without Dispute or Exception thus when he calls those that are heavy laden Matth. 11.27 28. he positively saith I will give you rest having in the foregoing verse affirmed how none knoweth the Father but he to whom the Son will reveal him Thus when he cured the Leper he said I will be thou clean so he saith The Son quickeneth whom he will and him that believeth on me I will raise up at the last day Joh. 6.40 44. Herein is his own Power set forth So 't is when speaking with the Samaritan Woman that the water he will give shall be in him that receives it a Well of water springing up into everlasting life and in that other place If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He doth not say I will pray the Father that he may have everlasting life or that out of his belly may flow rivers of living water but let him come to me and without going for this farther to any he shall certainly drink and be satisfied for that I will do for him this is to speak like Lord Master and God But it may be said Men he may speak to after that rate being so graciously exalted above them all well but I will go higher and say something more than hath been hitherto when the Lord Jesus speaks to the Father Joh. 17.24 he sometimes saith I will as in the Prayer which before his leaving the World in the capacity of Mediator he puts up to him for the Elect Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am to behold my glory thus according to his own will he disposeth of Glory Did any Man meerly such ever speak to God in that way Elijah and John Baptist were the two most fervent Men in spirit that we read of in Scripture but can we ever find any thing like this that ever they did or said No none but God the Son can be so familiar with God the Father and we must believe that he well knew both God the Father and himself when he spake thus except he had been sure he might he would not have done it but it had been as a most unsufferable Presumption nay Blasphemy in any Man to have said so we must conclude he was more than a Man and that he thus spoke upon another account even upon the same he had said before I and the Father are one and had made himself equal with God We read how our Saviour took on him Heb. 2.16 not the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham the reduplication took not and took denotes the voluntary Act of a person who made a choice which he had not been in a capacity to do except he had praeexisted before he took the Seed of Abraham so that before he was made of the Seed of Abraham he must need have had another Being and before he was made he must really have been God he could not have been an Angel because he took not upon him the nature of Angels Again our Saviour saith I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God why not to our Father as he said when he taught them to pray for themselves For if they had been brethren upon the same bottom of Grace though in different degrees he would have spoken of him as of their common Father but speaking disjunctively and in different numbers seeing he said and did nothing without good cause there must be a particular reason for it which is naturally and easily insinuated to be this That God was their Father and His not upon a common one and the same but upon a much different account their Father by Grace and his by Nature Furthermore Christ so often speaketh of his being sent by the Father as I seek not my own will John 5.3 6 38. Chap. 7.16 Mark 9.37 but the will of him that sent me I came down from Heaven not to do mine own
mistaken for the word alone or onely which they lay the stress upon doth not belong to the Subject thee but to the Predicate not to thee but to true God not to that which goes before but to that which followeth after 'T is not said to know only thee to be but know thee to be the only true God This we may look upon as one of their usual pieces of Sophistry our Saviour makes it appear that this is the true God whom Scriptures mention namely the Father who sent and the Son that was sent for the true sense of the place we cannot have a better Interpreter of than the Evangelist himself 1 John 5.20 here the true God and eternal Life are joyned in the same the same that is eternal Life is also the true God onely eternal Life and onely true God Now Christ is called true God and eternal Life His Son Jesus Christ John 10.28 this is the true God and eternal life And if here we consider eternal Life as the Gift of the onely true God doth not Scripture say in several places how eternal Life is the gift of Christ Let of many this one serve for all I give unto them his Sheep eternal life If the Son was not that onely true God why should he joyn himself with the Father And whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ to be the only true God This is the true order of the words whereof the true sense is resolved into this The Father is the onely true God and not the onely or Father alone is the true God The words in the original are not thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know thee only the true God but thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know thee the only true God where any one may see how the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not belong to the Pronoun thee but to the true God and tho' the Particle was removed yet thereby Christ would not be excluded for the true God is said as I already observed not in opposition to Christ but to false Gods according to the stile of Scripture the word alone or onely doth not always give a general exclusion as we see it under the Old Testament when Jacob said unto Reuben My Son shall not go down with you Gen. 42.38 for his brother is dead and he is left alone he meaneth by the Mothers side and not by the Father's for all the rest were his Brethren And in the New in the Transfiguration Luk. 9.36 't is said And when the voice was past Jesus was left alone Certainly Peter James and John were not excluded for they were with him but Moses and Elias In the same sense are taken Martha's words to our Saviour Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone Luk. 10.40 only meant of Mary and not of the Servants of the House And to the matter now in hand let it be known that Scripture never saith the Father only is the true God tho' it says the Father is the only true God so is the Son and so is the Holy Ghost Here Christ would not deny himself the honour of being the true God which in other places he attributes unto himself for the two words alone and true go with God not with thee and his meaning is how true eternal Life consists in this Gal. 4.8 1 Thes 1.9 1 Cor. 8.6 that men may detest Idols and false Gods and be converted to thee O Father who art the only true God by nature which Idols are not Thus when the name One Lord is given the Son 't is not to exclude the Father who also is Lord and the name Spirit given the third Person doth not exclude Father or Son who also are Spirit so this Text doth admit of the same construction as this when Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.6 I only and Barnabas have we not power to forbear working where it is plain that Barnabas far from being excluded is joyned and included in the same power with Paul And here the thing requireth it seeing eternal Life is made to consist in the knowledge of Christ as of the Father wherefore both are equally said to be the true God Those men who pretend to know better than God himself what becomes his glory are very apt to lay hold upon any thing like to favour their notions wherefore because 't is said God hath appointed his Son heir of all things Heb. 1.2 John 5.22 and hath committed all judgment unto him with other things to the same purpose they with the Jews do therewith entangle themselves and form this Argument It cannot consist with the Majesty of the God of Israel of the most high God to be appointed Heir by any one but God hath appointed his Son Heir of all things therefore his Son is not the God of Israel nor the most high God In answer to this Objection I say first that the Person of the God of Israel c. is not the Person of his Father but the same Dignity Nature and Authority he hath as already demonstrated common with the Father he is not made Heir of all things in reference to his Nature for he is such of himself by his own right and inheritance not by favour but in relation to his Office of Mediator in which sense he is not only God but God and Man and upon this account is all Judgment committed unto him by the Father but otherwise he is the God of Israel and the most high But secondly this Argument contains two branches which before I have spoken about yet to what hath already been said this I shall add to the first part That the Son of God the Lord Jesus above 3400 years before his being manifested in the Flesh Numb 24.17 Micah 5.2 Luk. 2.32 John 1.49 Acts 5.31 was called the Star of Jacob and the Scepter of Israel and long after the ruler in Israel after his birth the glory of Israel and after his Baptism the King of Israel which in that sense and place is as good as God of Israel as indeed in the same Verse he is called the Son of God that is of the God of Israel a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins As to the other part That he is not the most high God we must in the first place take notice how they set up a high God that is Christ and a most high God the Father which is by such a comparative difference to make two Gods and they would have the Son of the highest not to be highest himself as to Essence and Power The word most high or highest is an Hebraism for in that Language God is called Helion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Supreme whence the Greeks borrowed the Name they call the Sun by because the chief of all Stars and Planets
which is called Reason but is not really so meerly human subject to Error a meer Chimera and Fancy of Man's shallow Brains according to this natural Reason Men willing thereby to judge of spiritual things to speak in Paul's words professing themselves to be wise become sools far from being rational are unreasonable and have forfeited their reason for Scripture opposeth human Reason to divine Man's Wisdom to God's as may be seen in the places quoted in the margin 1 Cor. 1.18 19 to 30. Chap. 2.4 5 6 13 14. Jam. 3.15 which I desire the Reader to peruse and a little lower I shall have occasion to mention And another Apostle speaks of this human Wisdom or Reason for the rational man is the wise man in opposition to the divine with a witness when he saith This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish but true Wisdom the Lord giveth Prov. 2.6 Jam. 1.5 and If any lack wisdom let him ask of God We do not destroy our Reason when we submit and make it subordinate to Scripture for human must depend upon divine Reason or else 't is blasphemously to deny there is more of and better Reason in God than in Man so we must own there is in God more of good Reason than in us wherefore Reason is not independently to be lodged in our weak Brains but in the Wisdom of God in his Word Thus our Reason is not to be the Rule of Faith for 't is so apt to fail to be misled and imposed upon but the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture and to our Spirits is not so we are said to be the Epistle of God 1 Cor. 3.3 written not with Ink or any human and natural thing but with the Spirit of the living God It is strange that whilst this man doth so much plead for Reason he is so unreasonable in some things he saith as par 4.5 that after he hath justly taken away an infallible Authority from a Council or a Pope that is from a collective Body and a company of Men yet he would lodge it in every single man in his shallow Brain mine and any ones else We own 't is every man's Duty and Concern to enquire and exercise his Reason about Faith and Religion but to make either depend upon his Reason is to build upon the Sand to make the infallible depend upon the fallible and confound matters of Faith with those of Fact But to the end we may know what we speak of 't is necessary to say something about Reason the thing most excellent in Man for he thereby is made to differ from meerly sensitive and vegetable Creatures and it gives him a denomination for from Reason he is called reasonable from his noblest part reasonable Soul which as School-men say is Man's forma informans and makes him to be what he is Now Reason is seated in the Understanding which is the superiour part of the Soul and the Judgment-seat of all things offered to her consideration there to be examined whether true or false which is the Object of the Operation of the Understanding as Good or Evil is that of the determination of the Will But how these Objects come into the Mind Intellect or Understanding which are the same this is the usual order about it which God hath setled in Nature First The Objects that are outward are offered to the Organ of the Sense as may be the Eye of seeing the Ear of hearing c. which communicates it to the Sense whence they pass into the Imagination and thence are convey'd into the Mind which is the Receiver and Looking-glass of all Forms for as the Hand is called the Instrument of Instruments so is the Intellect the Form of Forms and can understand all things intelligible by means of the Brain the Organ of it Tho' upon the present occasion this matter ought to be handled more Theologically than Philosophically however something must be said in relation to this as the Organs of Sense for instance that of Seeing receive Objects either by emission or intromission of visual beams a Dispute in Philosophy not proper here to be meddled with but 't is certain it receives them so doth the Understanding Objects conveyed into it whether by means of intelligible or intentional Species 't is not to our purpose no more than whether they be there objectively or subjectively as an Ens rationis or real as are Sciences But this must be known that in Man are the Intellect a Faculty of the Soul Science an Habit of that Faculty and Knowledge an Act proceeding from the Faculty through the Habit. The working of the Understanding is done successively and through many Acts which some Philosophers reckon to be eight in number that may well be reduced under three the first is the receiving and apprehending of the Objects the second is the working of the Mind to reduce into order and dispose those Objects into a good form and this is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason the third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ratiocinative Discourse or a working and motion of the Mind from one to another whence ariseth the right Understanding and as it were the Decree and Sentence about the thing This is the natural order in these matters Now hence let us conclude some things Reason is Knowledge upon true grounds and herein we must see how far we may trust our Reason according to the Rule in Philosophy Nihil cadit sub intellectu quod non fucrit prius sub sensu Nothing comes under the Intellect but what before hath been under the Sense And since the Organs are often deceived by the Objects the Senses by the Organs the Imagination by Senses it is a rational consequence to say that the Mind may also thereby happen to be imposed upon from the very first step In the case of Seeing three things are necessary the thing that seeth the thing seen and the medium or help without which no seeing the Eye is the seer but if blind it cannot see neither can it see except there be something to be seen then the medium is the light which helps us to see for in the dark Objects cannot be discerned also there ought to be a proportionable distance between Organ and Object a Man cannot from the Street see a Pin upon the top of a Steeple because it is too remote Our Mind is the Eye of the Soul and tho' Reason feated in it hath Objects offered it cannot rightly judge without the medium even about natural things else how could there among Men who all have a rational Soul be so many different and contrary Judgments about the same things The reason of our Mind must be grounded upon the reason of the thing which is that whereby the thing is so We say why is it day The reason is good because the Sun is up for that is the cause of the day so
doubt with an Intent to pull it down if they can and so to set up an Idol of their own that is their Reason against Revelation or Scripture and thus to go a whoring after their own Inventions without any Measure and Bounds all our Understanding and Reason in Religious Matters should be guided by Revelation for saith David Psal 119.1 9. Give me understanding according to thy word not according to my Reason except that word be a Lamp unto our Feet and a Light unto our Path we are sure to go astray and deviate from the Rule and miss the Mark hence spring those seeming Contradictions which arise from the shallow ness of Man's Brains and not from the Repugnancy of things which sometimes makes them fight against the Man in the Moon as their fancy suggests to them to go out of the Road so by Attempts to explain things they entangle them the more and so what themselves call Strength of Wit and Reason others upon better Grounds look upon 't as effects of a distemper'd Imagination for they think to have engrossed and monopolized to themselves all Wit and Learning as for us about these Controversies we follow the Method of Aopollor who shew'd not by the strength of his own Reason Act. 1â— 28 but by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ and thereby mightily convinced the Jews for he was mighty in Scriptures Socinians would seem to refer themselves to be judged by Scripture and Reason as Papists by Scripture and Tradition but the reason of one as the Tradition of the other is a devourer for Reason of one side as Tradition on the other do swallow up Scripture which tho' first named is with them last minded and signifieth least as indeed they both would make of it a stalking Horse and subservient one to his Tradition and the other to his Reason and these would set up for the only Rational Men in the World and whatsoever doth no come up to them they hastily call Nonsense and Contradiction after which Rate the Holy Spirit of God in Scripture is liable to their Censure and shall be as he is by some of them charged with Contradiction yet we know Truth doth not gainsay it self the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth his word the word of Truth for so saith he who is Truth it self These Imaginary Contradictions arise not out of the things themselves but out of the Perverseness of Man's Heart and Blindness of their Judgment which as the Apostle says prompts them to wrest Scripture unto their own Destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 such are not the learned and steady in the Truth as some Men in the World account themselves to be but the unlearned and unstable as the Apostle calls them so we may in the Prophet's Words say they are not valiant for the truth Jerem. 9.3 There is a great Difference between gross Contradictions to our Reason and barely being above it that is not having any distinct Conception of the Nature of things in a clear Idea which is a full and evident Perception of it Of two contrary Propositions if one be true the other must necessarily be false according to the rule of Contraries but no such thing as this is to be found in any part of Scripture consequently we may conclude how the great Mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation therein contain'd are true not to be cavilled at by Humane Reason for what is infinite is above our Comprehension no Duration without Succession which is not to be found in an infinite and Eternal Being that existeth of himself yet that Eternity we cannot understand only by parts of time as past present and to come which imply Duration and Succession the reason is because it exceeds our Capacity The way to obviate and prevent any seeming Contradictions in Scripture is first to observe the Analogy of Faith in some places God to condescend to our weak Capacity doth attribute unto himself Humane Passions as Anger Wrath Fury to repent and Members of Man's Body as the Eye Hand Arm c. yet thereupon we must not say God is subject to our Passions like the Antropopathites or hath a Body like the Antropomorphites because we are taught in Scripture God is a Spirit and unchangeable so the second thing to be observ'd is the Scope of the place of many Instances I shall bring but this the blind and dumb both spake and saw Matth. 12.22 Here is a seeming Contradiction if the Blind sees then he is not blind if the Dumb speaks he is not dumb but let the Scope of the place be consulted and it will set things at right and therein we find how a Man blind and deaf was miraculously cur'd by our Saviour so that he who before was blind and deaf both spake and saw having recover'd his Sight and Hearing What he saith Page 138 doth not belong to us for we are not for an implicite Faith we are not against but searching into and examining the Grounds of our Religion but withal say all that Examination will signifie nothing except it be given us from above to understand therefore 't is beyond our Reason Our Religion is not of Works but of Faith which this Opinion of theirs about Reason destroyeth Faith is a strong Perswasion grounded and built not upon Reason but upon God's gracious and special Promise infused into us by the Holy Ghost wherefore in several places of Scripture 't is called the immediate Gift of God for though Faith comes by the Word yet the Application thereof wherein it doth chiefly consist is the immediate and effectual working of the Spirit The several Objections as brought in by him Page 142 143 45 46 have but little in them as I could easily demonstrate if I had but time and room enough I shall take notice of what he saith about the latter end of Page 146. Now Reason is from God as well as Revelation but he must know that Reason is corrupt but Revelation not so when Reason was whole yet it deviated but Revelation is always the same the Light of Reason thorough Sin is become Darkness and a Guide that hath and doth commonly if not constantly err Here he would give us a sound reason which is so no more than a sound Nature Pag. 148. How often doth God in the Old-Testament and Christ in the New complain that People could not hear and understand what was said to them and what he saith to them in the last quoted Page how slowly must the Gospel have moved at the beginning if those that were to preach it had been obliged to qualifie themselves is insignificant 't is known they were immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost and Heaven qualified them not they themselves for if Humane Reason be fallible in natural much more in super-natural things There are many dark and mysterious Passages of God's Providence which our Reason nor any Humane thing can understand whereof Scripture affords many Instances