made known unto you If all these places being put together contain not a prophesie concerning Christ The Word of God the Son of God who was made flesh and came into the world as to redeem the world by the oblation of his own body so also to reveal the truth of God unto men if all these places I say being put together doe not amount to a prophesie I know not we may call a prophesie Sure we are there is nothing forged or supposititious in all this which of the Sibyls that collection of verses I mean which now goeth under that name and of Mercurius Trismegistus hath been proved For a close of this third point or principle I shall add a passage of Dio Chrysostomus a famous Oratour and Philosopher who lived in Trajanus the Emperour his days and was in great account with him whose words also because he was a great Platonist may be some light to those of Plato's All the discourses and all the devices of men are nothing to divine inspiration and revelation or authority For what traditions or doctrines soever concerning the gods and this Vniverse that are not void of wisdome and truth have been among men all such were begotten in the souls of men by divine will and by a speciall lot or luck Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as may bee knowne by them that were the first Prophets and Professors of Divinity such as Orpheus son to one of the Muses is reported to have been in Thracia and another certain Shepheard in Boecria taught by the Muses And whosoever they be that take upon them to vent any doctrine of their own abroad for true without divine rapture or inspiration their doctrine is certainly both absurd and wicked The fourth is IV. That those books of the Old and New Testament c. I said before I presupposed I had to doe here with Christians who were already satisfied concerning the truth of those books It is well known that such have been of old and are at this day too many who though they professe to admit and allow for divine the same Scriptures that we doe and pretend to the faith and doctrine therein contained as much as we yet do not beleeve of Christ as we doe I have no direct aim at them in this Discourse intended only for the further satisfaction and confirmation of Orthodoxe Christians in this main point no direct aim I say but as the handling of this argument upon Scripture grounds may prove a conviction of their impiety and infidelity As for them that professe against this ground of either Old or New Testament which we build upon they will not neither directly or indirectly come within our reach But how then may some object perchance can we as we first maintained give a rationall account of our faith and stop the mouths of Atheists and Infidels if we cannot prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God upon common grounds of humane reason and ratiocination To which we answer that although we doe not apprehend those grounds so evident and so uncontrollable as to oblige every rationall man to a present and ready assent and therefore not to be reckoned among those common notions though reducible to them and principles we have spoken of yet that the Scriptures by them that are learned may be maintained upon grounds of reason sufficient to convince and to convert an Infidel who with simplicity of heart without strong prejudice or worldly engagements to the contrary doth seek the truth we doe professe to beleeve and should be sorry were it our aim or argument if we could not make it good One argument onely I shall insist upon here which by ancient Christians as being both popular proper I mean for vulgar capacities and solid was much pressed and whereof they found good use The testimony of a known professed enemy or adversary hath always among all men been accounted a very pregnant evidence And what relation there is between the Old and New Testament is well known to all Christians and may soon be demonstrated to them that are not Now then what greater evidence of the truth of the Old Testament can any man require then the Jewes our greatest and most malicious adversaries Then the Jews I say who by a speciall Providence though scattered and dispersed through the whole world continue to this day a distinct Nation from all other Nations of the world and to this day so zealous for Moses and all other Scriptures of the Old Testament that in all places for testimony of the truth of those Scriptures they are ready if they be put to it to lay down their lives and to forgoe whatsoever is dearest unto them Whose predecessors also that too by a speciall admirable Providence have been of old so curious and so provident for the preservation of those Scriptures which they acknowledged that they devised an art of which art either for invention or accuratnesse there is no parallel in all the ancient learning of the Heathens how to prevent not the losse of it onely but the corruption also by any either addition or diminution or alteration in words or syllables yea letters and tittles How much this argument of the Jews testimony was made of by the ancients and of what consequence it then proved may appear by Saint Augustine who speaks of it in sundry places of his Works In the twelfth of his books against the Manicheans he saith Quid enim est aliud hodieque gens ipsa Judaeorum nisi quaedam scriniaria Christianorum basulans leges prophetas ad testimonium assertionis Ecclesiae that is For what to this day are the Jews but as it were the registers or record-keepers of the Christians bearing up down the Law and the Prophets with them for a testimony to the Church Saint Augustine in these words doth allude to the custome of the Jews who then in every Synagogue were wont and use it in most places I beleeve to this day to have sacred chests or desks wherein to keep their holy Bible not onely for its safety but in reverence to it also What Saint Augustine cals Scrinium Tertullian inditeth armarium in his De Habitumuliebri ch 3. And Epiphanius in his Treatise De Ponderibus mensuris where he treateth of the difference of Canonicalll books from others he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such books saith he speaking of that which is called Wisdome and others of like nature are accounted by them usefull and profitable but are not in the number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Canonicall for which cause also they are not laid up with the Canonicall in the aron that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the chest or capse of the Testament Lamp Alardi Epiphyll Phiolog I wonder that any man could so mistake Epiphanius as though he had beleeved that the whole Jews Bible or Old Testament had been kept in the Ark where the two Tables containing
the Scripture which by Ancients is said sometimes to be very plain and perspicuous and sometimes obscure and full of incomprehensible mysteries both true if rightly understood Clear and perspicuous in the delivery of such and such Doctrines or Articles necessary to be known beleeved or practised to attain salvation but full of obscurity or altogether incomprehensible in their own natures to humane understanding To instance in one example What point of Doctrine can be proposed to our beleef with more clearnesse and perspicuity then the Resurrection of the dead and what more obscure for the manner and possibility of it That nothing therefore is to be beleeved for which there is not ground in reason and humane common sense is that which we have said and are really to maintain in a right sense but that Nihil credendum quod ratione capi nequeat Nothing is to be beleeved which may not be comprehended by humane reason as the Photinians and some other Heretiques maintain is an assertion I know not whether more ridiculous and absurd in point of reason or more blasphemous and impious in Divinity Philosophers are allowed their occulta qualitates and Physitians even they who knew little of God otherwise did acknowledge 〈◊〉 soâ—ewhat above their capacity and the ordinary course of nature in things of nature There be I know that laugh at these occultae qualitates and in some cases they may justly neither would I contend about words if another word wil give better content But as for them who think they can give a reason for all which by others is admired as hidden abstruse sooner may they bring themselves into a suspition that they never knew how to distinguish between reason and phancy then perswade them that are rationall that no work of nature is above the reach of humane reason Our second Observation which follows upon the former and is a further confirmation of it shall be concerning the ambiguity or different acception of this word faith or beleef Faith then we say may be taken either in opposition to sight or sense or in opposition to knowledge and comprehension or thirdly and lastly to reason in generall In opposition to sight or sense so things invisible whether in their nature so because spirituall or invisible because not present but future are the proper object of faith In the Epistle to the Hebrews faith is thus defined Faith is the substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things hoped for the evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things not seen In opposition to knowledge and comprehension so we are said to beleeve those things which we doe not understand or comprehend Lastly in opposition to reason so we are said to beleeve those things for which or for the beleef of which we have no ground or foundation at all in humane reason and ratiocination Those that shall reade the Ancients upon this argument will finde great use of these distinctions to reconcile their severall expressions which otherwise might seem to import â— contrariety of opinions For example whereas it was commonly objected by ancient Heathens to the Christians of those times that they grounded all their Doctrine upon meer beleef that their simple faith was all they had to trust to Some not so aware perchance neither of the ambiguity of the word nor what advantage Heathens would make of it made no scruple simply to avow what was objected unto them but others again did utterly disclaim it complained of the objection as a grosse and impudent calumny appealed to reason themselves for proof of their beleef and offered themselves to joyn issue with them upon that title Certain it is that most of them in this question did take faith not as opposed to reason properly but either to knowledge and comprehension or to sight and sense Or if they did use the word reason in opposition to faith by reason they did understand knowledge and comprehension not as the word was used by others In this sense Saint Augustine doth often oppose Divine authority to reason August de Vera Rel. Authoritas fidem flagitat rationi praeparat hominem ratio ad intellectum per cognitionem perducit quanquam nec auâ—horitatem penitùs ratio deserit cùm consideratur cuâ— credendum sit c. not as though it were against humane reason to beleeve those things that are commended unto us by divine revelation or authority whereof we shall say more afterwards but because most of the mysteries of our faith commended unto us by divine authority are such as are above the reach of humane capacity to comprehend Though herein too they did distinguish between the Tyrones or beginners in Christianity such as were lately converted to the Christian faith whom they would have wholly to rely upon authority and those whom the Apostle Heb. 5.14 speaketh of who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evill Of the use of humane reason in this kind for the unfolding or understanding of particular points which is a different consideration from that of the Principles much hath been written of late by learned Vedelius in a Book of this argument entituled Rationale Theologicum to which the Reader if he please may have recourse I shall conclude this Observation with the words of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.15 Be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare Thirdly we would have it observed that notwithstanding this opinion of faith and religion so grounded as we have said we maintain neverthelesse that no man can attain to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that degree or fulnesse of faith required or availeable to salvation but by supernaturall means viz. by the immediate operation of Gods holy Spirit To which purpose Origen in his answer to Celsus the Heathen says well Orig. contra Celsum l. 6. We are taught by the divine Word that what is preached by men be it of it self never so true and rationall or well grounded cannot sufficiently penetrate into the soul of man except both supernaturall power from God be given to the speaker and divine grace accompany those things that are spoken c. which is by him inferred upon the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.4 And my speech my preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God The necessity of this infused faith is acknowledged by Papists as well as by Protestants no sober man that beleeves the Scriptures can make any question of it Fourthly and lastly we say though faith be reducible to principles of reason and in that respect become knowledge as well as faith yet we doe not maintain a necessity of this knowledge in all Christians Without infused faith no man is a true Christian but a man
in his Disputations against the Socinians upon such grounds of reason as are ordinarily insisted upon by others having said as much as can with any colour be said for this necessity Balth. Meisnerus A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dec. 3. Disp 26.90 concludes his Disputation in these words Hitherto why God could not without some prejudice to his Omnipotency pardon sinners without some satisfaction hath been shewed But that we should enter into this dispute with our adversaries is not so absolutely necessary because thereby we are forced to enquire into the reasons of the divine counsell which ought not to be Gods revelation of his divine will by his Word ought to suffice us whereby he declareth that without the price and merit of his Son as a Mediator he will not forgive sin because he hateth it and for it is angry with sinners That it is so therefore let us beleeve and that by this kind of satisfaction the divine Omnipotency is no ways impaired because both those are affirmed by the Scriptures though we cannot render a reason of all the counsels of God These things ought rather to be admired and with thankfull hearts extolled then with nicenesse and curiosity sifted and discussed He repeates the same though in other words as fully in the 105. Paragraph of the same Disputation And in the 89. commends this Canon Quid Deus circa salutem nostram faciat non ex rationibus de possibili colligendum sed ex solis Scripturis addiscendum est But doth not the Scripture plainly fay I take notice of this objection because the phrase doth often occur may trouble them that are not so expert that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oportebat Christ ought to suffer such such things Are not Christ his own words John 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernesse even so must the Son of man be lifted up Must yes it is the Scripture phrase but more full in other places as Luke 24.44 These are the words which I spake to you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me And again in the next words Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word as before Christ to suffer and to rise the third day from the dead By which and other like places it doth clearly appear that this must hath relation meerly to the predictions of the Old Testament concerning Christ whether by words or as that of the Serpent lifted up in the Wildernesse by types God therefore having long before not onely preordained but also by severall Prophets foretold the sufferings of Christ it was not onely expedient but in this respect absolutely necessary that all things should fall out accordingly For It is easier that heaven and earth should passe then one tittle of the Law to fail Luk 16.17 Now that which made Christ so often to presse the Scripture to the Jewes was to convince them by their own principles that whereas they professed much zeal for the Scriptures they might know that those very Scriptures which they were so zealous for were the very ground in some sense both of his doctrine and of all that hapned unto him For otherwise to consider the things in the order of their nature those things did not so properly happen to Christ because they were foretold but because they were so determined by God from all eternity therefore they were first foretold and afterwards hapned accordingly Act. 4.28 Laying therefore aside this absolute necessity as not grounded for ought we could ever finde upon any Scriptures and as we conceive of dangerous consequence we may with lesse danger and no lesse edification we hope take notice of such reasons or considerations as the wit of man can reach unto by which this counsell of God Dispensation or Oeconomy the Ancients usually call it in a rationall triall if need be may be maintained convenient or plausible though indeed most of these considerations be grounded upon Scripture as will appear But they must first be forewarned that are not so throughly acquainted with the tearms belonging to this subject that in this particucular consideration of the necessity or expedience of Christ's Incarnation in the word Incarnation as often besides is presupposed to be included the Passion also as the principall end of it according to that of Christ John 12.27 Father save me from this houre but for this cause came I unto this houre For so I conceive the words should be distinguished and interpreted But for this cause came I into the world that is according to that of the Apostle This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 unto this houre that is that I might suffer for sinners The first and chiefest reason will be that God chose this way as the most convenient to manifest his love to mankind according to that of Christ in S. John So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life This consideration is not onely mentioned often in the Scripture but also set forth commended unto us by severall circumstances all very considerable to make us the more apprehensive of it See John 15.13 Rom. 5.6 7 8. 1 Joh. 4 9 10. Now of this manifestation of his love in such an extraordinary way one main end was the more powerfully to draw ours to himself and to withdraw it from the love of the world which two are inconsistent See 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Jam. 4.4 John 1. Ep. 2.15 16 17. This is the main consideration that hath made so many Martyrs A second consideration might be the better to manifest his justice and his extream antipathy if we may so speak to sin thereby also from the consideration of this antipathy in God the more powerfully to draw us to the love of goodnesse and vertue and to a true hearty detestation of wickednesse Whence as I take it especially it is that according to the Scripture phrase all impenitent sinners who professe godlinesse but shew not the power of it in their lives and conversations are styled Infidels or unbeleevers as being altogether impossible that they that truly beleeve or have a true apprehension of this great mystery of godlinesse should continue in ungodlinesse A third consideration was certainly that Christ might by his example work upon us the more effectually to imitate him as in other things so especially in his humilitie the most proper vertue of Christianity and without which all profession of Christianity is but delusion and imposture But of this more in its proper place afterwards in the consideration of his Exinanition To these divers others might be added
hominum membra nulla contenâ—ione mente ipsâ ac v luntate moveantur sic numine Deorum omnia fingi moveri mutarique posse neque id dicitis superstitiosè atque aniliter sed physicâ constantique ratione Materiam enim rerum in quâ ex quâ omnia sint totam esse flexibâ—lem commutabilem ut nihil sit quod non ex eâ quamvis subitò singi convertique possit ejus autem universae fictâ—icem moderatricem divinam esse providentiam Cic. de Nat. Deorum And indeed this Omnipotency of God some Heathen Philosophers have acknowledged and expressed it very well likening it to the power of the soul over the members of the body which members upon the least intention or intimation of the mind turne and move with all readinesse and facility Now God said they is the soul or mind of this Universe all parts and parcels whereof are at his beck and disposall to be turned into any shape or form at his pleasure with as much ease and facility as the members of our bodies are swayed by the motions and commands of our minds This therefore granted that there is a God and he as in reason it will be supposed omnipotent all things that imply not contradiction for such rather argue weaknes then power to such a one must needs be of equall facility It is the fashion of men to wonder at those things onely that are not usuall that is as I intend it here that are not or happen not according to that order or course of nature which Omnipotent God in his wisdome thought fit at the beginning of the world to establish And indeed as God did not establish that order at the first for nothing that is to break it without some extraordinary cause so there is no reason that those things should easily be beleeved which are contrary to the ordinary course of nature untill certain evidence or divine revelation the best evidence enforce our faith But if those things be considered in themselves with relation to the power of God no solid reason can be given why for example it should be more strange or incredible that men as by ancient Heathens as well Philosophers as others they were generally conceived to have begun at the first should spring out of the earth as plants and trees then to be propagated as they are by way of generation in the right and rationall consideration whereof so many particulars so wonderfull and so incomprehensible to humane reason offer themselves that the ablest Naturalists the world hath had as well Heathens as others have freely acknowledged their ignorance and weaknesse of understanding and have been excited some of them to praise and glorifie God for his wonderfull works as Galen doth in divers of his writings upon this occasion And certainly had it been so that another way of propagation as it is conceived by divers Ancients that another way would have been if man had not sinned had been established by God I am of Justin Martyr his opinion that this way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. if then proposed to any mans consideration would have seemed as incredible and impossible as whatever in that kind is proposed to our beleef as Christians Hence it is that the Apostle where he discourseth of the resurrection of the dead at the possibility of which so many stumbled he appeals to approved experience of things naturall Thou foole saith he 1 Cor. 15.36 37 38. that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare grain it may be of wheat or of some other grain But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him and to every seed his own body But this mystery of Christ the Eternall Son of God his Incarnation is quite of another nature That which in other things doth or may satisfie a rationall man here it encreaseth the wonder and makes it more incredible Ye doe erre saith Christ to some that could not beleeve the resurrection of the dead Maâ— 22.29 not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God But here the more we know the power of God the fuller and perfecter apprehension we have of his Greatnesse Omnipotency the more incredible may this mystery seem unto us Holy David in the 143. Psalm but upon occasion of a temporall deliverance the hurtfull sword in the 9. verse with admiration fals into this consideration Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him And in another place the consideration of the world and works of God expressed this sweete and devout ejaculation from him Psal 8. taken in the literall sense for in the mysticall sense these very words are applied to this mystery Heb. 11.6 When I consider the Heavens the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him But Lord may we say Thou Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment who stretchest out the Heavens like a Curtain Who laidst the beams of thy chambers in the waters who makest the clouds thy charet who walkest upon the wings of the wind Who hast measured the waters in the hollow of thy hand and meted out Heaven with thy span Before whom all nations are as nothing yea lesse then nothing and vanity Thou who saidst Let there be light and there was light Let the Firmament appear and it did appear the waters flow and they did flow Who as thou didst at the first make Heaven and Earth and all that in them is with a word of thy mouth so canst with the least blast reduce them all to their first Chaos and nothing What is man that for his sake thou wouldst be made man that ever for man's sake it should be said of thee Hee hath no forme nor comelinesse He is despised and rejected of men Esay 53.3 c. a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief or ever Thou shouldst have occasion to say of thy self Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the birds of the aire have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head I wonder not if the Prophet say Who hath beleeved our report never had infidelity were it not for divine revelation a more plausible colour Hereupon some inferre wittily that the incredibility of this mystery should if rightly considered make it the more credible For say they Theod. Therap l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Salv. De Gubern Dei lib. 4. Vtique hoc magis maestimabilis pietas c. Sed omnium acutissimè Tertul. De Bapt. c. 2. Alqui eò magis credendum si quia miranduÌ„ est idcircò non credendum Qualia enim decet esse opera divina nisi supra omnem admirationem 1 Joh. 4.8 9. such goodnesse doth best become an
infinite Omnipotent God so great and so excessive as for the very greatnesse it should not seem credible But to this must be added to make the Observation more solid that as God is infinite in all that he is so more particularly and peculiarly in love and goodnesse because love and goodnesse if there be any impropriety in the speech it must be excused because we cannot otherwise speak of God but improperly are his very nature and essence As ratiocination say the Schoolmen is the proper nature of man sic ipsa natura Dei est essentia bonitatis For which they refer us to their supposed Dionysius Areopagita But why not rather to Saint John Doth not Saint John upon this very occasion of Christ his Incarnation positively say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is love He that loveth not saith he knoweth not God For God is love In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that wee might live through him Of the love of men towards their own children what admirable effects and operations upon extraordinary emergent occasions it hath had in divers much might be said out of ancient and later stories much more and more wonderfull because grounded upon nature onely whereas that of man upon reason and piety also of the love of dumb creatures towards their young ones whereof Poets and Naturalists that have written of their nature treat at large and give many instances Now upon this Salvian an ancient Father Presbyter Massiliensis by his title but styled by Gennadius Episcoporum Magister inferreth thus it is upon another occasion Gods Providence but it is applied by himself to this subject of Christ his Incarnation Deus ergò qui etiam minimis animantibus c. that is God therefore who even in the least creatures as Ants and Bees spoken of before hath planted this affection towards their own how can it be that he should bereave himself of it Especially when all love of good things in us proceedeth from his good love For he is the source and fountain of all things and because in him as it is written we live move and have our beeing from him therefore we have derived this affection whereby we embrace those that are our own For all the world and all mankind * Pignus est creatoris sui are resemblances or evidences of their Creator And therefore by this affection wherewith we embrace pignora nostra those that are our own he would have us to know how much he loveth pignora sua those that proceed from him In a mystery therefore of this nature so far exceeding the capacity of man as that the weakest and wisest of men beyond what is revealed by God himself are as the tallest and lowest statures to the height of the highest heavens and again a mystery of so much importance to us so much partly by professed Infidels openly contradicted and opposed and partly by cunning Hereticks sophisticated and depraved it doth much concern every syncere Christian to be well furnished and provided of such principall clear texts of Scripture as the wisdome of God hath provided unto us to that end not so much to satisfie our understandings as to settle our faith and our beleefe Three speciall branches of this great mystery there be about which the curiosity and infidelity of men hath especially stumbled and wherein it doth mainly concern all true Christians to be well grounded which are 1. The Deity 2. The Humanity two natures in one Person of Christ and 3. The Merit and Propitiation of his bloud Concerning these taking them severally in the order by us proposed wee conceive these places of Scripture taken in themselves with that light onely which being thus joyned and put together they do afford and hold forth to one another without any further glosse or comment to be very full pregnant and satisfactory First concerning the Deity of Christ these places Behold a Virgin shall be with childe Matth. 1.23 and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us In the beginning was the Word Joh. 1.1 2 3 4. and the Word was with God and the Word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made In him was life and the life was the light of man John 5.18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him not onely because he had broken the Sabbath but said also that God was his Father making himself equall with God Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Philip. 2.6 Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh c. Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us c. Secondly concerning his humanity or humane nature these John 1.14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Rom. 1.3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Gal. 4.4 But when the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the Man Christ Jesus Heb. 2.14 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill Heb. 2.16 17. For verily he tooke not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren c. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God 1 Joh. 2.2 3. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And every spirit that confesseth not c. Thirdly that Christ offer'd himself as a Propitiation for our sins these Even as the Son of man came not to be ministred unto Matth. 20.28 but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many The next day John seeth Jesus comming unto him John 1.29 and saith Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world For God so loved the world 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock Acts 20.28
over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24.5 through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remissiâ—n of sins that are past through the forbearancâ— of God But of him are ye in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.30 who of God is made unto us Wisdome and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come c neither by the bloud of goats and calves Heb. 9.11 12 13 14. but by his own bloud he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us For if the bloud of buls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himsel without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.26 For then c. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the treâ— that we beeng dead to sins should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes ye were healed I said before my purpose was not to encounter adversaries here but to comfort and confirm them who stood unshaken in the same precious faith to use Saint Peters words upon which precious faith the Church was first founded and which by the succession of so many ages hath been continued and derived unto us Otherwise we might and must have taken notice of many more places and not content our selves with passages and testimonies of the New Testament only but ground especially upon prophesies of the Old as also have taken notice of many false glosses interpretations whereby the adversaries have endeavoured to elude the clearest testimonies of either whether Old or New Testament all which could not be without much more discourse then I can allow my selfe at this time Of prophesies there is not any that hath either more troubled the obstinate Jews as appears by their writings or converted more of the more candid and ingenuous among them then the fifty third Chapter of the Prophet Esay which whole Chapter both as a precious cordiall to them that are wounded in spirit and an excellent antidote against the danger of all spreading infection of unsound doctrine in this main fundamentall deserves to be committed to memory or at least often to be read and pondered by all prudent and wary Christians There be some texts of Scripture concerning this high and sublime mystery which by them that are not well grounded without some precaution may easily be mistaken We are taught by the Scriptures and true analogy of faith that the Word is so united unto our flesh the nature of God unto the nature of man as that both make but one person though but one person yet so neverthelesse that as the natures themselves so the properties of both remain distinct unpermixed unconfused But this though in the truth and reality of the thing it bee perpetuall and immutable yet in verball expressions it is not so precisely observed There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they commonly call it that is a communication of idioms and properties in words and speeches sometimes used Ancient Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communication not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of properties but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of names or words S. Cyrill useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appropriation and Damascen besides other words as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about the right interpretation of which word there is some controversie amongst the Learned These kinde of expressions however called have bred great disputes and occasioned as much as any thing that dolefull division between us and those Protestants commonly called Lutherans they contending that this communication of properties is not verball onely but reall whereupon they inferre strange conclusions The truth is as some moderate learned men of this side especially state the businesse the controversie it self may seem rather verball then reall not such at least as should disturb the peace of the Church so much as it hath done But we will not meddle with controversies For the better understanding of the Scriptures in this sacred subject I finde five rules or propositions collected out of them or rather the severall expressions and modos loquendi there used upon this argument digested and reduced into five heads or rules They are such as every body needs not I know but such as every body is very well capable of and therefore I shall the more willingly insert them here I. The first is some things are spoken of Christ in the Scriptures which must be understood of his divine nature onely as Rom. 9.5 Christ who is over us all God blessed for ever John 8.58 Before Abraham was I am Heb. 1.2 3. By whom also he made the worlds Who being the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his Person and upholding all things by the word of his power and other like places II. The second is Some things are spoken of Christ which must be understood of his humane nature onely as Luke 1.31 Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus Luke 2.52 And Jesus increased in wisdome and stature and in favour with God and man Matth. 26 39. Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt and the like Some at first hearing may think that those speeches Matth. 20.23 But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father and Mark 13.32 But of that day and that houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Son but the Father should bee referred to this head or rule Certain enough it is that of the Ancients not a few did so understand them as spoken by Christ of himself not as God but Man But most Interpreters expound them otherwise and shew reasons why that exposition as contrary to other places of Scripture cannot stand The truth is they are difficult plâ—ces as may appear by the diversity of expositions But I will not make it my businesse here This caveat I thought would not be amisse which is all I intended The third is some things are spoken of Christ III. which must be understood of his Person onely not of either of his natures particularly as Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved