5. 23. The great mystery of uniting the soule to Christ by Faith Eph. 5. 32. and making of it one Spirit with the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6. 17. is a main Fundamentall of the mystery of Godlinesse as shall be proved cleerly before I conclude this chapter III. God the Holy Ghost is the object of a Christians divine Faith The Holy-Ghost speaking in the Holy Scriptures doth teach us to beleeve not only in the Father and in the Son but in himself also It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth 1 Joh. 5. 6. There are three that bear witnesse in Heaven but here is speciall testimony given of the Spirit that we might be moved to beleeve the spirit who is to testifie the whole truth concerning the Father the Son and himself It is the Spirit saith he whose speciall office it is to bear witnesse and therefore there is this speciall testimony given of him that the Spirit is truth and then it follows that the Spirit is one with the Father and the Son one in nature one and the same God with them both These three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. and the witnesse of God must without controversie be received unlesse we will make God a Lyer as the Apostle reasons the point from the 9th verse to the 12th The Spirit is Truth the Spirit is God therefore the Spirit is the object of Divine faith he that tells a lye to the Holy Ghost tells a lye to God Acts 5. 3 4. He that then gives the lye to the Holy Ghost gives the lye to God The testimony of the Spirit is a Divine testimony 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. the demonstration of the Spirit a divine demonstration the power of the Holy Ghost a divine power Paul saith his Preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that our faith might not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God The wisdome power testimony of the Spirit are all of them divine the wisdome of the Spirit is infallible the power of the Spirit is irresistible and therefore our most divine faith is built and doth stand fast grounded and established upon the wisdome of the Spirit because the wisdome of the Spirit is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. We read in the Prophets that all the children of God shall be taught of God Esay 54. 13. of all three persons for the Father teacheth Mat. 16. 17. Ioh. 5. 45. and the Son who came out of the bosome of his Father and yet remained in the bosome of his Father teacheth Heb. 1. 2. But the Father and the Son especially since the Ascension of Christ and the effusion of the Spirit do teach the children of God all his Elect by the holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle shewing how God doth teach his Elect after a more peculiar manner so that even babes in Christ those whom he calleth little children are preserved even in seducing times and led into all necessary truths notwithstanding all the diligence and subtilty of those many Antichrists who are industrious to deceive he saith they have an unction from the Holy one and know all things all things necessary to be knowne and beleeved for the obtaining the remission of sins c. ver 12. But more especially he shewes that the Spirit doth teach them to continue in the Son and in the Father ver 24. and therefore in the Doctrine concerning the Father and the Son as it is more expresly set downe in the 9th verse of the second Epistle of Iohn And then he shewes that the Spirit should abide constantly in them to give them cleer and certaine direction in all necessary points 1 Iohn 2. 27. But the annointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him or it Ye shall abide in Christ and abide in the truth which hath been taught you by the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Spirit is cleare and certaine for saith he the spirit is truth and is no lye Here is the peculiar teaching of God the Spirit teacheth us to beleeve in himselfe aswell as in the Father and the Son And the Spirit was sent by the Father in the namâ— of the Son for this very purpose Moreover it is evident that the Spirit doth not only teach Babes in Christ but he taught even the Apostles of Christ. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Nay the Holy Spirit did endite all the Holy Scriptures and inspire the Prophets Apostles and all the holy men of God in the writing of them The Scriptures were not written by the will of men but by the motion of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. where the motion of the Holy Ghost is opposed to the will of men to shew that the motion and will of the Holy Ghost is the motion and will of God Many other places and arguments might be superadded but for the better instruction of ordinary Readers I shall draw out my Arguments into ranke and file 1. The Spirit is God The testimony of the Spirit is the testimony of God 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. The wisedome of the Spirit the wisedome of God and the power of the Spirit the power of God 1 Cor. 2 4 5. 13. The teaching of the Spirit is the teaching of God Ihe will of the Spirit is the will of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Cor. 12. 6. 11. 2. The Spirit is the Author of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. Revel 2. 29. 3. The Spirit is the Interpreter of the Scriptures and his interpretation is cleer certaine and infallible The Spirit discovers the hidden wisedome of God the wisedome of God in a mystery the deep things of God which could not have entred into the heart of man if the Spirit had not revealed them and therefore the deep things of God â— Cor. 2. 10. are called the things of the Spirit of God ver â—4 and things which are spiritually discerned and therefore they are such things as the Spirituall man by the help of the Spirit is able to perceive discerne receive and to say with truth and comfort Now I have the mind of Christ now I know the things that are freely given me of God because the Spirit hath revealed them to me Consider the discourse of the Apostle quite throughout the Second chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians and this point will be very cleer 4. The Spirit
and Ordinances as he himself should from time to time appoint The due acknowledgement of Gods immensity and infinite Majesty in our attendance on the Instituted means of worship is clearly opposed to the Image-worship in the 40th Chapt of Isaiah and first Chapter to the Romans and therefore the inside and compass of this second Commandement is spirituall though the words of it are so comprehensive as to take in ceremoniall as well as Evangelicall worship For Reverend Divines have made it cleare that though the second Commandement be morall in regard of its substance and generall nature which containes the immutable Law above mentioned yet in regard of its particular application to those significant Ceremonies Sacrifices and Sacraments which God did appoint we say all Ceremoniall Institutions are referred unto and comprehended under the second morall Commandement of God See Mr. Shepheard in his excellent Treatise of the morality of the Sabbath pag. 24. 40 41. 3. The third Commandement prescribes a reverend use of all the Titles Properties Works and Ordinances of God with Spirituall understanding and affection with faith reverence love joy sincerity and thankfulnesse in thought word and life 4. In the fourth Commandement we are not only required to rest but to sanctifie a rest to Jehovah If then we find the Titles Properties Works of Jehovah given to Christ and his holy Spirit in the Old and New Testament we must conclude that Christ and his holy Spirit are to be worshipped in the same Ordinances with the same spirituall and divine worship which is due to God the Father The scope of Law and Gospell is to bring us unto God by the Mediation of Christ and assistance of the Spirit that we may rest upon Christ for justification walk and grow up in Christ in the progress of our sanctification for our everlasting satisfaction Our business therefore is to avoid those two dangerous Rocks upon which so many split and suffer shipwrack in this tempestuous age namely the Rock of neglecting duties in the course of our sanctification and the Rock of resting in Duties which overthrows our justification We must labour by all means appointed by God to gaine a spirituall Practicall experimentall knowledge of the love of Iesus Christ a knowledge which surpasses all intellectuall knowledge an affectionate knowledge which is felt in the heart but cannot be comprehended in the braine This is the right Evangelicall knowledge which prepares a man for spirituall and Evangelicall worship for heavenly Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost in all Gospell dispensations and Gospell-Conversation that he may come to be enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God For this Cause saith the Apostle and well he might I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ mark the strain it is purely Evangelicall that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit That Christ may dwell in your hearts Here are all the three co-essentiall Persons but how may this be obtained And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge to know it in my heart to beleeve it with my heart to feele it in my heart because the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the holy Spirit But what shall I gaine by this Why the Apostle goes on That ye may be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3. 14 16 17 19. The great design of the Apostle was to be found in Christ having the righteousness which is of God through the faith of Christ without pleading his own righteousnesse which is of the Law for his justification And to have a Spirituall and Practicall knowledge of Christ grounded upon a deep and affectionate experience of the vertue of Christs Death and Resurrection in his own soule Phil. 3. 9 10. that he might be thereby encouraged and provoked to press forward in the course of Sanctification toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus v. 14. that his faith might act in all holy services Iustifying faith is the Principle of Evangelicall Worship and Gospell-conversation Grace be to you and peace from him which is which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his throne and from Iesus Christ who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 4 5 6. The hearts of true beleevers are golden vials full of odours and incense faith and love sincerity and zeale selfe-denyall and thankfulnesse humility and godly reverence and the beliefe of their redemption by the blood of Christ moves them to acknowledge the divine power of their Redeemer and to give him divine worship The Angles Elders People all joyne even ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands in this acknowledgement Worthy is the Lamb that was slaine to receive â—â—wer and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing glory honour and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever And the foure beasts said Amen And the foure and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liâ—eth for ever and ever Rev. 5. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. We must be brought to the knowledge and faith of the Son of God before ever we can be wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 53. 11. Ioh. 3. 14 15. Gal. 2. 20. When once we come to beleeve the love of Christ then we love adore obey Father Son and holy Spirit after an Evangelical manner All the Fundamentall Articles of our faith have reference unto Christ as the Foundation because they are all such as concern his Father his Spirit his Incarnation Mediation or his Church and the benefits which the Church receives from him And in like manner all our worship is directed unto Father Son and Spirit as one God by the Mediation of Christ and assistance of thâ— Spirit Eph. 2. 18. 2 Cor. 13. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 5 1 Ioh. 1. 3 4. Ephes. 4. 15. It is our happiness our heaven upon earth to beleeve adore anâ— live to Father Son and holy Spirit by maintaining an holy Communion with all three aâ— one God and our God in the use of all Ordinances and Duties required of us This is the mystery of Godliness the Art of living unto God this is the Lesson which all Members of the Church universall must learne the foure beasts who joyne with Angels and Presbyters in adoring the Lamb are as
shew that the Title of Lord so often given to Christ in the New Testament doth answer to the Title of Jehovah in the Old Testament And as some Reverend Divines conceive the Apostles did purposely use the title of Lord that they might not offend the Jewes with the frequent pronouncing of the word Jehovah Thou shalt feare Iehovah thy God Deut. 6. 13. Deut. 10. 20. is rendred by the Apostle Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Mat. 4. 10. And so Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love Iehovah thy God is rendred Matth. 22. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God I hope no Saint will presume to arrogate the Title of Iehovah to himself for he whose Name alone is Iehovah is the mighty God the most High over all the earth Jesus Christ is Immanuel God with us Matth. 1. 23. that God who took flesh and blood 1 Tim. 3. 16. and that God who redeemed the Church with his own blood Acts 20. 28. The Ancients insist much upon that proof Iohn 16. 15. All things that the Father hath are mine compared with Iohn 10. 30. I and my Father are one and Iohn 10. 37. If I do not the works of my Father beleeve me not for from hence they do conclude that Christ hath the same divine nature and Godhead with the Father they both have the same divine and essentiall Titles Attributes and perform the same inward operations in reference to all Creatures whatsoever and therefore they did farther inferre that they had reason to use the word Consubstantiall for though the word is not in Scripture yet the sense and meaning of it is Orthodox and Canonicall because evidently deduced from these Texts and some other Scriptures which we have insisted on before I shall adde one Scripture more to make it yet more clear compare Iohn 17. 10. with Iohn 16. 15. All things that the Father hath are mine Iohn 16. 15. Father all mine are thine and thine are mine Iohn 17. 10. that is Whatsoever doth belong to the Father as God doth belong to Christ for we speak not of Personall but Essentiall properties Christ doth lay claim to all that is naturall to all that belongs to the Father as God not to any thing which belongs to him as the Father as the first Person of the blessed Trinity In the 17 of Iohn Christ proves that the Apostles were his Apostles because they were his Fathers Apostles and given by the Father to him ver 9. but he gives a more generall reason for it ver 10. And all mine are thine and thine are mine It is a generall rule expressed in the Neuter gender and therefore cannot be restrained to the Apostles as the Socinians would limit the speech of Christ but it must be taken in its full extent but that I may give full weight and measure pressed down and running over consider that the other text Iohn 16. 15. hath a double note of universality and therefore is very Emphaticall for the proof of the point All things whatsoever thut the Father hath as God are mine But the Father hath an eternall Godhead infinite power and Majesty and therefore saith Christ they are mine Epiphanius disputing against the heresie of Sabellius expounds this Rule thus All that the Father hath is mine the Father is God and I am God the Father is Life and I am Life for whatever the Father hath is mine For the clearer demonstration of this truth let us now descend to particulars 1 The Attributes of God 2 The works of God 3 The worship of God are all ascribed given to Jesus Christ that we may confesse and acknowledge him to be God the true God the mighty God the self same onely God with the Father and the holy Spirit 1 The Attributes of God are ascribed to the Lord Jesus 1 The Eternity of God Iohn 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word was notes some former duration and therefore we conclude that he was before the beginning before any Creation or Creature for it is said that he was God in the beginning and his divine nature whereby he works is Eternall Heb. 9. 14. He is the First and Last Revel 1. 17. hence it is that he is called the First-born of every Creature because he who created all and upholds all hath power to command and dispose of all as the First-born had power to command the family or kingdom Coloss. 1. 15 16 17. Compare Isa. 44. 6. with Revel 22. 13. and Prov. 8. 22 23. and with my margin 2. Jesus Christ is omnipotent Phil. 3. 21. he is called by a Metonymy the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. He is the Almighty Revel 1. 8. He made all things John 1. 3. Coloss. 1. 16 17. Psal. 102. 26. compared with Hebr. 1. 8. 10 John 1. 10. He upholds all things Heb. 1 3. Coloss 1. 17. 3. Jesus Christ is unchangeable Hebr. 1. 12. cited out of Psal. 102. 26 27. 4. Christ is Omniscient John 2. 25. He is the Searcher of hearts Rev. 2. 23. He knows all things Iohn 21. 17. He is the wisedome of the Father 1 Cor. 1. 24. He doth of himselfe know the Father Mat. 11. 27. and doth according to his own Will reveal the secrets of his Fathers bosome and therefore is called The Word all the treasures of wisedome are in him Colos. 2. 3. 5 The Immensity of God belongs to Christ for he is not contained in any Place who was before there was any Place and did create all Places by his own Power Iohn 1. 1 3. whilst he was on earth in respect of his bodily Presence he was in the bosome of the Father which must be understood of his Divine Nature and Person Iohn 1. 18. He did come down from Heaven and yet remained in Heaven Iohn 3. 13. II. Christ doth performe the Works of God such proper and peculiar such divine and supernaturall works as none but God can perform he did raise the dead by his own power at his own pleasure John 5. 21 28 29. John 11. 25. He is called the resurrection and the life because he is the authour of both whatsoever the Father doth the Son doth likewise Ioh. 5. 17 19. He wrought miracles he hath the same Nature and power with the Father and therefore doth the same works He doth regenerate our Souls pardon our sins save our souls he hath appeased the wrath and satisfied the justice of God by his divine Mediation he gives Temporall Spirituall Eternall life 2 Cor. 5. 17. Iohn 6. 38. 40. III. Divine Honour is due to Jesus Christ For 1. All the glorious Angels are commanded to worship him Heb. 1. 6. 2. All true Christians are described by their calling on and believing in the name of Christ Act. 9. 14. Iohn 1. 12. 3. All are obliged to give the same honour to Christ which they
Pet. 1. 21. Rom. 9. 1. Rev. 2. 23. The Holy Ghost is Omnipresent he dwels in all Saints as in a Temple he repaires adornes beautifies his Temple and acts in every single Saint as the spirit of disobedience acts in Children of wrath we cannot flie from the presence of the spirit because he is Omnipresent Psal. 139. 7. By what hath been already written it is evident that the Holy Ghost hath the titles and attributes of God he doth performe works proper to God and that devine Honour is due unto him I shall clearly prove because it is denyed by the blasphemous wits of this discoursing age The Holy Ghost who spake by Isaiah the Prophet is worshipped by the Angels of God as is most evident by comparing Isa. 6. 3. 9. with Acts 28. 25. 26 The whole Church of God is exhorted to worship the Holy Ghost as the Great God as Jehovah as our Make to how down and kneel before him that is to give him divine worship both inward and outward because he is our God as appears by comparing Psa. 95. 3. 6. 7. with Heb. 3. 7 8. 9. The Apostle gives divine Honour to the Holy Ghost when he appeals to him as to the searcher of hearts Rom. 9. 1. and the Holy Ghost who speaks to the Churches joynes with the son of God who speaks to them also in searching of the heart and reines Revel 2. 17. 18. 23. and all the Churches are commanded to hearken to both as unto God blessed for ever Our soules and bodies are said to be the Temples of God because they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and therefore we are commanded to worship and glorify the holy Ghost with our souls and bodies for the spirit doth dwell in his Temple that he may be worshiped in his Temple The Temple is a profane place if there be no worship there and it is must be pure holy and spirituall worship and sacrifice such as the holy spirit delights in else the Temple will be defiled destroyed Compare 1 Cor. 3. 15. 16 17. 1 Cor. 6 19 20. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 18. and 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Church is blessed in the name of the Holy Ghost as in the name of God and the communion of the holy spirit is spirituall and saving as well as the speciall grace of Christ and love of the Father as appeares by that solemn Apostolicall benediction 2 Cor. 13. 14. and the beloved Disciple proclames the spirit to be the fountaine of grace and peace as well as the Father of Jesus Christ and therfore doth beg grace and peace of the Spirit of grace who doth purify and pacify our hearts for all the Churches Revel 1. 4. The holy Ghost doth regulate all Churches and Church-affaires Acts 13. 2. 4 Acts 15. 28. Acts 20 28. Baptisme is administred in the name and for the Honour of the holy Ghost Matth. 8 19 The holy Ghost doth bestow upon us and work in us those spirituall and glorious blessings which are sealed in or conveyed by Baptisme and therefore we are more especially Baptized by the holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. Iohn 3. â— 6 for we are born of the spirit regenerated washed renewed by the spirit who purifies the soule as water doth the body Titus 3. 5 6. The violation of the Honour and worship of the Holy Ghost is most severely punished Mark 3. 29. Hebr. 6. 4 Hebr. 1â— 28. 29. and therefore there is speciall care taken in the holy Scriptures both for the preservation and vindication of the honour of the Holy Ghost we must not grieve vex resist quench the Holy Ghost that is we must not displease him we must not disobey him we must obey his dictates his motions we must be quickened taught led ruled governed by him we must attribute all the glorious Titles to the Holy Ghost given him in Scripture of which we have so largely discoursed we must acknowledge him to be the Spirit of Truth and therefore must beleeve in him the spirit of supplication the spirit of grace and holinesse and therefore love him and pray to him we must either renounce our Baptisme in his Name or else we must confesse that we are obliged to beleeve in him reverence love obey glorifie him with all inward and outward worship for we are debtours to the Spirit to live to the Spirit and glorifie the Spirit of regeneration who works in us the instrument of Justification that there may be an effectuall application of Christ to our souls though Christ make the purchase the Spirit of adoption makes the assurance he seals us up to the day of redemption and therefore good reason have we to offer up our souls and bodies in a spirituall sacrifice to him for these temples were made for sacrifice Rom. 12. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 5 Now if God who will not give his glory to another because he is true and just gives all this glory to the Holy Ghost it concerns us to glorifie him If there were not all this and a great deal more to be said for the honour of the Holy Ghost yet it were an invincible argument to me if I could only say that the Holy Ghost is God and therefore to be worshipped as God with Divine worship The Holy Ghost is one with the Father and the Son one God and therefore all three are to be worshipped with the same Divine worship It were enough for such men as have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost or no Acts 19. 2. to talk as the filthy dreamers and blasphemous Hereticks of this rotten age usually doe who belch out the language of Hell against the Spirit of Grace and I cannot but wonder that subtile Iesuites Arminians and Socinians who pretend to study and search the Scriptures should say that there is nothing to be found in Scripture concerning the worshipping of the Holy Ghost That the Spirit acts according to the Counsell of his Divine will hath been sufficiently proved only it must be considered that as Father Son and Spirit have but one Nature so they have but one Will. Concerning the Peculiar and Personall properties of the Holy Ghost I shall treat when I come to speak of the distinction of these subsistences For conclusion of this chapter I am to prove that the Godhead doth subsist in Father Son and Spirit all three without any multiplication of the Godhead The Father and the Son are but one God Iohn 10. 30. I and my Father are one The Father Son and Spirit all three are but one God 1 John 5. 7. There is but one God Ephes. 4. 6. Deut. 6. 4. Isa. 44. 6. 8. Isa. 45. 21. 22. Nay there can be but one God there can be but one most Perfect being one infinite Perfection the most perfect being is the most single being and therefore Father Son and Holy Ghost are all three
well call upon him for new miracles Nay the very preservation of the Scriptures in despight of Tyrants Heretiques and Divels is a convincing miracle In a word the Testimony of the Penmen is sealed 1. By the Oath of God 2. By the blood of Christ 3. By the testimony of the Spirit 4. By the Efficacy of the Spirit The Testimony and Efficacy of the Spirit is that sweet Subject which I am now more especially engaged to insist upon the Testimony of the Spirit to the heart and conscience of every true beleever in particular is a convincing Testimony But it will be said that this is such an Argument as none can take notice of and therefore altogether insufficient to perswade other men to beleeve to whom no such Testimony hath been vouchsafed 1. I answer This is an Argument indeed whereby I cannot convince others but this is an Argument which makes all other Arguments effectual to convince me 2. The Efficacy of the Spirit in the word upon the hearts of enemies is very considerable Their minds are inlightned their judgements convinced their consciences awakened terrifyed their hearts smitten because the very thoughts of their hearts are strangely unexpectedly discovered their souls embowelled and their marrow as it were melted in their bones by this almighty spirit speaking testifying working in with the word the very letter kils them the very savour confounds them though bold Athiests scoffe at the word and do in their Jovial fits blaspeme the spirit yet sometimes their hearts quake their joynts tremble even as Belshazzars did at the very sight of the hand-writing when they do but glance their eye upon some startling Text. Their consciences do often joyne with the word and spirit against themselvs against their wils for though they be self-willed yet they are after some soule-searching Admonition self-confounded and selfe-condemned men Tit. 3. 10 11. And though the malice of some men bee too strong for their wit reason and conscience yet it is not too strong for the spirit in the Word all the powers of Hel in them are over-powred by this good Spirit all the strong-holds of Sathan batterd and they themselves so confounded that they seeme to be even damned already they thinke themselves in Hell above-ground when they are stung and bitten they fall into the passion of the heart and are taken with such Hellish convulsion-sits that they do even foam at mouth and gnash with their teeth they are cut to the soule and tormented in their conscience they cry and howle and fight against the Spirit but all in vain for even they are out-witted and over-powred who are not converted by this stinging Efficacy of the Almighty Spirit What shall we say to these things If Idols have been overthrown Oracles silenced Divels convinced by the Majesty of the Spirit in the holy Scriptures and so over awed by the Spirit that they have been forced to confesse nay beleeve these truths at which they tremble then surely those bold theists are worse then devils who do not tremble at the Word because they do not beleeve the Spirit 3. Look upon a soule in its Agony and Pangs in its Throws and conflicts at its first conversion or in its After-throws upon some sadrelapse and observe how the wit is captivated reason conquered conscience confounded heart broken and will turned nay all the powers of corrupt nature overpowred and overturned by the word and spirit of God And then you must needs cry out O the divine Efficacy of Scripture which turns a Lyon into a Lamb a Goat into a sheep a man a Beast a Divel into a Saint and perswades Philosophers and Courtiers Emperours and souldiers Publicans and Harlots Mariners and Politicians to embrace a Religion and run a course clean contrary to the carnall and Divelish wisdome of their proud reason contrary to the stubborn resolutions of their perverse wils in a word contrary to their very nature education custome contrary to dictates of policy and reasons of state contrary to their passions lusts interests friends CoÌ„panions O victorious spirit What aileth what aileth thee O thou man of war and pride thou Secretary of nature Advocate of the Devil to hâ—ng the head and weep to resigne thy estate lay down thy Commission and thy Armes burn thy Conjuring-books and sacrifice thy dearest life in the maintenance of that truth which thou hast formerly contemned I must cry as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the power of the Word Behold the Efficacy of the Spirit in the word conquering and triumphing over the subtilty and obstinacy the pride and malignity of carnal men The promises of God are better then all the proffers of Sathan the divel shewes us the glory of the world the Scripture shewes us the vanity of the world and the conscience is convinced by the word and Spirit that the reversion of Heaven is infinitly better then the possessions of earth all the kingdomes of the world and glory of them are not worth one dayes Communion with Jesus Christ nay one dayes comfort from the Gospel and Spirit of Jesus Christ. Good reason have we then to beleeve the Spirit Angels admire and Divels tremble at the Majesty of the word Saints beleeve obey adore the Majesty of the Spirit speaking in the word of truth and life of grace and glory The Familists might learn by this sad discourse to beleeve the Spirit of God speaking in the word of God and not beleeve their own natural carnal phantastical spirits which contradict the word and spirit of God The Familists did learn of the Papists to call Orthodox Protestants Scripture men to scoffe at them as Scripture-wise and to say as Stapleton and divers others do that the most diligent conference of Scriptures is the ready way to the most damnable errours That the fountains of Greek and Hebrew are neither pure nor necessary and the like And yet Howlet in his Epistle to Queen Elizabeth did lay the sin of the Family of love to the charge of the Protestants But Dr. Raynolds our learned Champion in his conference with Hart doth vindicate the Protestants and make it evident that such as were godly and learned in the Scripture did detest Harry Nicolas that imp of Sathan and master of the Family of Love therfore they could not lay the Families sinto our charge as if we did foster that venemous vipers brood I keep to the Doctors own expressions that you may see how the zeal of that meek Moses was enflamed in this contest which did march into the field with Papists to strengthen their hands against Protestants The Anabaptists likewise might learn from hence to make the spirit speaking in the word the Judge of their pretended Revelations if they were not too conceited of their own inventions and apt to fall in love with the dreams of their own feaverish brain with their weak arguments but strong delusions The
what I should disallow Phil. 1 9 10 19. I must choose what the Spirit approves and then prosecute what I have chosen with care hope desire and embrace what I attaine to with love and delight and in a word rest satisfyed with the love of the Father the grace of the Son and the communion of the Spirit as my al-sufficient and satisfactory portion for evermore Psal. 17. 15. Psal. 63. 5. Faith is that Grace which enables and enclines us upon the divine testimony of the Spirit to depend on Christ for righteousnesse and life according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace The divine Testimony of the Spirit is the true ground of justifying Faith but Historicall Faith which may be in Devils Jam 2. and Temporary Faith which may be in Reprobates Luke 8. are not truly grounded on the Testimony wisdome Authority Revelation or demonstration of the Spirit We read of a Revelation of flesh and blood Mat. 16. 17. And the demonstration and Revelation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 10. 14 15. Ephes. 1. 17. A man who hath nothing but sense and Reason in him may have an Historicall or a Temporary Faith but he who doth upon the divine Testimony of the Spirit beleeve that Iesus is the Christ he is born of God of the Spirit of God and hath the witnesse in himself 1 Joh. 5. 1. 6 10. For the regenerate and they only have a spirituall understanding in them to know him that is true when he is revealed unto them by the Spirit of truth 1 Joh. 5. 20. 1 Cor. 2 14 15. Deut. 29. 4. For the Demonstration of the Spirit is not understood by us untill we are renewed in the spirit of our mind so that we can look upon the Divine truths testifyed by the Spirit with a spirituall eye and discern them after a spirituall manner 1 Cor. 2. 14. And therefore the Testimony of the Spirit is not received but by our renewed Spirits Rom. 8. 16. Before we are Regenerate we receive divine truths only because we judge them reasonable or because we find them in the Scriptures and we beleeve the Scriptures upon an Humane Testimony and therefore only with an Humane not a Divine Faith But the Spirituall man beleeves all upon the testimony of the Spirit and doth constantly beg the direction of the good Spirit O thy Spirit is good saith David teach me lead me quicken me by thy Spirit Ps. 143. 10 11. Finally this good spirit discovers to a man before he beleeves 1. His want of Christ 2. The worth of Christ. His want of Christ by reason of 1. His hainous sins which are inexcusable damnable 2. His Spirituall wants which are innumerable 3. His present misery and slavery which are unspeakable unsupportable The worth of Christ because he is an All-sufficient Saviour and only Saviour the Spirit discovers the treasures of Free grace the mysteries of Divine Faith which even Angels admire the unsearchable riches of Christ the fulnesse of God able to satiate the soule with heavenly glorious everlasting happinesse and even infinite content Then the soule is convinced by the Spirit of God not onely of the truth but goodnesse of the Covenant made by God with man in Christ and that there are better things laid up for beleevers in Christ then any are or can be bestowed by Sathan upon his greatest Agents and dearest favourites the darlings of the flesh and world and upon this account the soule is perswaded by this demonstration of the spirit to close with Christ and deny itself to have no ability wisdome righteousnesse will of its own but to seek wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption in Christ. 1 Cor. 1. 30. In a word to deny its own will and take the will of Christ for its rule and compasse to do or suffer any thing for Christ to lose or sell all for him The good spirit perswades us 1. To prize Christ highly even above all the kingdomes of the world and glory of them 2. To beleeve in Christ stedfastly 3. To love Christ deerly better then our selves or dearest friends better then worldly treasures sensuall joy or any carnall contentments whatsoever 4. To follow Christ fully that we may enjoy him eternally as our Crown our happinesse our heaven And to this end and purpose to set up the word of God in our Consciences as our only rule for to direct us 1. In all points of Faith 2. In all parts of worship 3. In all passages of our life and conversation that we may cast out the world the Devil nay flesh and self and all to make roome for Christ. Now when the Spirit hath by its own evidence testimony authority wisdome and efficacy wrought Faith in the soule to carry it into the armes of Iesus Christ Christ doth bid it welcom embraces kisses it and takes this young beleever by the hand and puts him into his Fathers bosome And when we are thus brought to beleeve in Father Son and Holy Ghost then we are fitted and prepared to worship and obey all three glorious persons as one God blessed forever And therefore I may now proceed to speak of the worship of all three and then of our obedience to all three 2. This grand Mystery of Faith hath an effectuall influence into our Gospel-worship He takes the name of Father Son and Holy Ghost in vain and doth not make that Holy use which he should of the Titles Properties workes and Ordinances of all three who doth not with Knowledge Faith Reverence sincerity and spirituall joy worship all three for this is true Gospel-worship And therefore I would intreat my Reader diligently to consider what I have delivered in the fourth and fifth chapters of this Treatise concerning the divine Nature Titles Properties works of all three in order to worship for the glory of the thrice illustrious and yet single God head and then if he will study the scope of the first Table of the Holy Law of God and the substance of Gospel-worship he will acknowledge that every one who beleeveth in all three persons will find his Faith obliging and inclining him to worship al three glorious persons as one God blessed for ever 1. God the Father is to be worshipped under the Gospel as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him I have touched this point already and because it is not much controverted by our grand enemies I shall not insist long upon it All the knowledge of God which we gain by the Scriptures of truth is revealed to us on purpose for our direction in the worship of God we must not worship God according to our own devices but according to that discovery which God hath made of himselfe to us in his Holy word not onely in respect of his divine nature as when our
God the Father is our Father in a peculiar consideration pag. 328. and therefore I need not insist longer upon this Point since the Scriptures are cleare so cleare that even very Cavillers confess this truth Christ himself as man obeyed the Father Iohn 4. 34. 2. God the Son is to be obeyed This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare ye him Mat. 17. 5. Heare him beleeve him obey him the Godhead of Christ is the Formall reason of our Obedience but all his benefits are sweet encouragements to us to performe our duty Be obedient as children saith the Apostle and if ye call on the Father c. passe the time of your sojourning here in feare For as much as ye know ye were not redeemed but with the precious bloud of Christ. 1 Pet. 1. 14 17 18 19. Why do the Presbyters throw down their Crowns at the feet of Christ and fall down before the Lamb but to testifie their subjection and profess how ready they are to serve and obey Jesus Christ Rev. 4. 10 11. Rev. 5. 8. Christ is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. The life of a Christian is a living unto Christ a life of faith love and obedience Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Phil. 1. 20 21. We are made new Creatures in Christ that we may performe new obedience to Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. He who serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Rom. 14. 18. We are under the Law to Christ. 1. Cor. 9. 21. All manner of obedience inward and outward is due unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Cursed is he that doth not prize and love Christ above all the Kingdoms of the World and glory of them above all the comforts of life and life it self 1 Cor. 16. 22. Luk. 14. 26 33. Mat. 13. 44 46. Phil. 3. 7 8 10. Col. 3. 23 24. Eph. 6. 6. 7. Eph. 5. 26 27. and Tit. 2. 14. compared together 3. God the holy Ghost is to be obeyed We are devoted to his service in Baptisme our bodies and soules are temples consecrated to his honour and service the Spirit doth conquer our carnall reason mortifie our corruptions and subdue our hearts unto the obedience of himself as well as to the obedience of the Father and the Lord Jesus We are debtors to the Spirit We are his Creatures The spirit of Elohim did forme and fashion the rude Mass out of which all things were made Gen. 1. 2. The renovation of all things by continued propagation is ascribed to the Spirit Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth Psal. 104. 30. Our soules are breathed into us by this Spirit of life Gen. 2. 7. Iob 33. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life The soule is enabled and adorned with all abilities by the Spirit that it may be qualified for all manner of service In respect of Counsell and Government Numb 11. 25. In respect of resolution and action Iudg. 14. 6. But that which is most endearing is that the Spirit is the Spirit of Conviction Regeneration Conversion Sanctification Edification and Consolation 1. Pet. 1. 2. 2 Thes. 2. 13. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Cor. 12. 8 9. The Spirit is the God of all comfort it is his speciall office to comfort mourners The Spirit fitted the man Christ to be our Mediatour as is most evident because 1. The Spirit formed the nature of man of the substance of the Virgin after an extraordinary manner Luk. 1. 35. compared with Gal. 4. 4. for the service of the Lord Christ. 2. He sanctified the humane Nature which Christ assumed after such a perfect manner that it was free from all sin in the very moment of conception Luke 1. 35. 3. He united this pure humane nature with the divine in the same Person the Person of the Son of God Luk. 1. 35. compared with Heb. 10. 5. a body hast thou fitted unto me by the holy Ghost Our Saviour was annointed with the Spirit above measure that he might be a fit head and Mediatour for us that we and his whole Church might receive of his fulnesse graces answerable to his graces Ioh. 1. 16. Ioh. 3. 34. Ioh. 1. 14. Isa. 61. 1. Psal. 45. 7. compared together Act. 10. 38. Luk. 2. 40 52. Mat. 3. 16 17. Ioh. 7. 39. If we consider how the Spirit hath manifested his divine power in garnishing heaven and earth Iob. 26. 13. in annointing Christ and Christians 1 Ioh. 2. 27. in ordering and regulating Church-affaires and enabling Ministers for all Church-service that the Elect might be gathered converted perefected saved by the efficacy of the Spirit in all Ministeriall Dispensations we shall see reason enough to acknowledge the divine power of the Spirit by all spirituall and heavenly obedience 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6 8 9 11 13. Isa 6. 1. 9. Act 28 25. compared If we harden our hearts against the Precepts and Exhortations of the spirit speaking in the Word if we vexe grieve resist and quench the Spirit we are in a ready way to that black and unpardonable sin of doing despight to the Spirit of grace and therefore unlesse we meane to proceed to totall and finall disobedience it highly concerns us to obey the holy Spirit and answer the many cals and motions of the Spirit by sincere obedience that our effectuall Vocation may evidence our Election and the Spirit may seale us up unto the day of Redemption for the same spirit is the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption the spirit of Revelation Mortification Vivification Consolation The Spirit quickens moves enables enclines perswades us to beleeve in Christ and to love one another to keep all the Commandements of God Now this spirit of faith love and obedience is the Spirit of Sanctification and if you find the spirit of sanctification in you be of good comfort though the spirit of Adoption seeme to withdraw yet he is certainly present nay is not idle or silent he speaks by his reall works and sweet fruits for the spirit of Sanctification is the spirit of Adoption it is one and the self-same spirit This is his Commandement That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement And he that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Ioh. 3. 23 24. And hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Ioh. 4. 13. And therefore if there be a spirit of faith love and obedience in you rejoyce in it lift up your heart to God in thankfulness for it
Soule-satiating Communion we must take delight in our converse with God enjoyment of Christ and walking in the Spirit all the day We must enter into the rest of our beloved and take a sweet complacency in the fruition of God in the glimpse of his glory in the taste of his love in the kisses of his mouth in all the testimonies of his favor in all the love-tokens sent us from heaven The joy of the Lord must be our strength and in this strength we must go forth and mortifie our corruptious resist temptations and go about our worldly business all the next week with heavenly minds I cannot stand to speak directly and fully to the particular duties of the Sabbath or extraordinary duties of Evangelical fasting and Christian Feasting for all which there should be a serious preparation in all which there must be a prudent sequestration of our minds and hearts from the world that theremay be an intire consecration of them unto God and a sincere sanctification of all these times to Father Son and holy Ghost as it becomes the Sons of God the Members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost We should get oyle into our vessels dress and trim our Lamps that we may meet the Bridegroome of our soules in his appointed walkes in his own Ordinances and exercises I should say something likewise of our Penitentiall meltings before God Thus in briefe then when our conscience hath been wounded by the Spirit of bondage and is renewed by the Spirit of Regeneration it will in due time be pacified by the spirit of Adoption but even then the soule will melt into teares nay then it melts most kindly and laments most affectionately O I have sinned against the tender mercies of the bowels of God I have kicked my Father upon the Bowels I have made a sport and pastime of those sins which let out the heart bloud of my dear Saviour I have grieved vexed and even quenched the holy Spirit my sweetest Comforter I have sinned against all three and so trebled all my sins I feare I have saith the Soule in its agony even done despight to the Spirit of grace and trampled on the bloud of the Son of God but I have learnt to submit and beleeve to rejoyce and tremble to weep and waite for I waite upon a Father upon him whom my soule loves the spirit of faith and love hath taught me to come with a broken heart and a bleeding conscience to a Father to a Saviour to a Comforter I desire to keep the wound open by renewed Confessions and sprinkle the clensing bloud of Christ upon it by a lively faith Oh it is soveraign bloud and must be fiducially sprinkled by a speciall application and it is the spirit which makes this speciall application and administers reviving Cordials to broken hearts and fainting soules in their swowning fits When the most Ingenuous and refined sort of unregenerate men come to see that notwithstanding all their Civility and Formality they are in the gall of bitterness by reason of their impenitence and unbeliefe their opposition to the power of godliness their undervaluing of the mercies of God the love of Christ graces and comforts of the holy Spirit and feele these sins set home upon their hearts and consciences with stinging aggravations they are even fired out of their naturall estate and by the preventing grace of the Spirit made sensible of sin and hungry after grace and mercy The dreadfull impressions of Gods infinite Majesty and damning wrath make all the sensuall impressions of sin to be remembred with proportionable and self-condemning horrour But when the most glorious treasures of Gods sweetest mercies and richest grace folded up in his fatherly bowels are opened to these ingenuous men and the Spirit hath touched their hearts to lament after Christ then this ingenuous soule will cry out Oh what restless agonies what stinging wormes what unquenchable flouds of flaming brimstone how many Hells are there treasured up in one Hell for such a wretch as I am who have undervalued the riches of Gods mercy the love and merits of Christ the graces and comforts of the Spirit heaven and earth may be astonished men and Angels amazed at my prodigious madness in undervaluing Christ and Heaven In the midst of this agony and conflict prudent astonishment and spirituall horrour the holy Spirit urges invincible Arguments which are sweetly compulsive to perswade and constraine the soule to long for Christ. For when the Spirit hath made the threats both of Law and Gospel effectual to humble us he fils the soule with despaire of mercy if it continue in its former estate in the gall of impenitence and bond of unbeliefe but withall it doth assure the soule that there is plenteous redemption and eternall salvation treasured up in Christ for penitent beleevers Then the spirit opens the mystery of free Grace contained in a Covenant sealed with the Oath of God and bloud of Christ he reveales the eternity excellency sweetness freeness fulness infiniteness of Gods mercy and grace Christs love and merits as so many motives and encouragemets unto faith and repentance The Spirit sets a Pardon and a Crown before us acquaints us with the all-sufficient righteousnes and unsearchable riches of Christ and his own free and effectuall grace unspeakable comforts and glorious joyes and then convinces us that we want this grace to sanctifie us this Pardon and righteousnesse to justifie us this Crown and these joyes to enrich and satisfie us And upon this discovery the soule is encouraged to give credit to the holy Ghost to beleeve the love of the Father to depend upon Christs satisfaction and apply his righteousnes to prize the love of the Father the merit of Christ the grace and comforts of the Spirit above a World in a word to sell all for Christ and give up all to Christ resolving to be ruled by himself and his spirit for evermore Now the soule hath a new life put into it it hungers and thirsts for a more intimate Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost and this hungry soule sucks whilest the breast is open till it hath filled it self with substantiall nourishment reviving Cordials This devout soule becomes as Chrysostome styled Saint Paul an insatiable worshipper of Father Son and holy Ghost it desires to grow in grace to presse on towards perfection to have Father Son and holy Ghost to come sup with it dwell in it rule in it that it may be enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God This converted soule doth after these Penitentiall meltings Fiduciall breathings after Christ and obedientall closing with Father Son and holy Ghost differ as much from it self when it was most ingenuous before its conversion as an Angell doth from a Divell For the most ingenuous and refined sort of unregenerate men have nothing in them which is more excellent then
holy in life We can never understand the Presence Institution and mind of Christ in this Ordinance unless we beleeve the cursed condition of men in their naturall estate the divine nature and person of Christ the greatness of the price that was paid for the satisfaction of Gods justice and appeasing of Gods wrath who did not spare his own Co-essential Son but manifested his hatred against sin and love to his Elect in not sparing his Son but breaking his body and shedding of his bloud that we might be redeemed by the bloud of God this is the mystery which is made sensible in the Sacrament and is really evident to the eye of faith Gal. 3. 1. And whosoever looks upon these great mysteries of the Gospel as fancies and doth not beleeve them to be reall things truly exhibited really presented to beleevers in a Sacramental mystical spiritual way in this Ordinance hath not yet learnt the truth as it is in Jesus and is not prepared for such high Communion We Christians do not come with hungry and thirsty soules longing after farther Communion with Christ for mortifying of our lusts and encrease of all our graces by his spirit untill we beleeve this grand mystery of Faith and we are then experimentally acquainted with the mystery of Godliness when we have been made drink into one Spirit with Christ and his Members when we look upon him whom we have pierced by our sins and acknowledge him to be the natural and Co-essential Son of God there can be none of those fiduciall breathings after Christ Penitential meltings before him or obediential closings with him as is evident by our ninth Chapter untill we do in some measure beleeve this mystery of Faith and understand the substance of the Covenant of grace which is sealed in this Sacrament by God and must be actually renewed by every good Communicant our Meditations Faith Love Repentance Joy Thankfulness will not be rightly placed or exercised if this grand mystery of Faith and Godliness be rejected by us 6. I might argue from all the Offices of Christ they who do not beleeve the divine nature of Christ do utterly disable Jesus Christ from being a Mediatour a Priest a Prophet a King for the saving of his people to the uttermost They who deny the divine Essence and Person of Christ do deny his satisfaction to be all-sufficient in our behalf They depose Christ from that spirituall and heavenly kingdom which he hath by Nature and render him uncapable of that Mediatory Kingdom which is delegated to Christ God man by the Decree of the Co-essentiall Trinunity But I have said enough of that in the former part of this Book I pass on to enquire what civill respect is due to such as do deny the divine Nature of Christ and his holy Spirit That one Text to my apprehension 2 Ioh. 9. 10 11. containes a very full and satisfactory answer Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds But that this point may be more clearly stated and all mistakes prevented be pleased to consider 1. That such Points of Religion and Worship as are necessary to be known and beleeved for the maintenance of Christian spirituall saving Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost are clearely delivered in the holy Scriptures of truth 2. That if men who were formerly unblameable in their life and conversation be seduced into any errour which doth contradict or subvert such Fundamentall Points they ought to be instructed with the spirit of meekness in a Christian and brotherly way 3. They are to be admonished with all faithfulness and meekness of Wisdom twice or thrice that they may understand the importance of the truth which is denyed the danger of the errour maintained the sad consequences of both that if their conscience be not feared they may return from their beloved and damned errours 4. If after all this meekness patience and forbearance all Christian instructions and brotherly admonitions they do as men that are judicially blinded for sinning against conscience 1. Persist in their errour 2 Reject and revile the truth of God in these high and necessary Points 3. Fall from the grace of God frustrate the grace and Covenant of God evacuate the death of Christ depose Christ and his Spirit from their Throne and Godhead 4. Seduce and poyson others Mat. 21. 38. 5. Deny and overthrow the foundation of divine Faith Hope Love and Justification by Faith and the Adequate object also of all Christian Faith Evangelicall Worship and sincere Obedience These bold Atheists for they deny the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost may without any scruple be rejected from Christian Communion For there is certainly some lust or other which hinders them from seeing the truth or professing that they do see it and therefore it may be taken for granted that these men are obstinate self-condemned men men that combine with their Wills and Lusts against their own conscience and cleare shining Scriptures And therefore these men cannot complaine that they are punished for their conscience when they are indeed punished for sinning against their conscience because they are condemned by their own conscience But it will be said that there are scarce any such men to be found as I have described To which I answer Be pleased but to consider what hath been delivered in this very Chapter already and compare it with the foregoing Chapters and with the many blasphemous Pamphlets which do pass up and down without controule in this licentious Age in which men adventure upon the very language of hell under pretence of exercising their Christian Liberty and speaking according to their New Light and this Point will be too cleare For we do already grant that no man ought to be troubled for following the dictates of his conscience rightly enformed but for following of pernicious errours which are contrary to his own conscience unless he be judicially blinded by God for his customary sinning against light of conscience in former times 2. Nothing is more common then for men to speak out of the abundance of that naturall Atheisme which lurkes in their hearts contrary to the dictates of their naturall conscience 3. Though conscience may be quiet whilst men are exercising their wits to maintaine some errour which is contrary to those mysteries of faith which transcend naturall reason and are repugnant to the corruption of reason especially if they are engaged in multitudâ— of business connived at by such as sit at sterne and do thrive and prosper in the world Yet conscience will find a time to speak when it may
Socinus the Uncle and the Nephew brought from thence They who are acquainted with Ecclesiastical Writers can readily declare what difficulties they wrestled with and what persecutions they did undergo rather then they would consent to any Syncretisme with the Arians when it was obtruded or yeeld to any agreement when it was offered to them upon plausible and tempting conditions They who have read the Acts of the Nicene Syrmiensian and both the Ariminensian Councels Athanasius Hilary Epiphanius Nicetas Socrates Sozomen Theodoret Augustin know this to be as cleare as if it were written with a Sun-beame Was there not an Anathema denounced against Liberius by great Hilary for yielding to such a Syncretisme with the Arians as Acontius did propound for an Accommodation between Christians and Socinians pardon the harshness of that expression I am not in passion or in haste but follow the example of the Orthodoxe Doctors of the Church who did use the name of Christians in opposition to the Arians to shew that they did not acknowledge the Arians for to be Christians because they denied the true Christ who is God-man the only Mediatour and Saviour of his people from their sins Melancthon and Bucer were men of great prudence modesty and moderation as well as piety and learning but they never offered to conclude a peace with any of these new Arians they would not admit any into Christian Communion with them unlesse they would subscribe the Confessions of faith received in the foure first general Councels They who deny the Godhead of our Saviour and the holy Ghost are Antichristian Antispiritual men their Idolatry in worshipping Christ whom they look upon as a meere Creature their impiety in denying worship to the holy Ghost their horrid blasphemies to the dishonour of Christ and Christianity their poysoning of soules disturbing of Christian Societies should be laid to heart by all Christian Magistrates all Ministers and Members of Jesus Christ and therefore this Acontian Syncretisme is abominable Upon these and divers other considerations I was desired to make a report to the Reverend Assembly concerning the danger of translating and Printing of Acontius in English the heads of the report were briefly these The Report made to the Reverend Assembly March 8. 1647-48 By Mr Cheynell We humbly conceive THat Acontius his Enumeration of Points necessary to be known and beleeved for the attainment of Salvation is very defective 1. Because in the Creed which Acontius framed there is no mention made either of the Godhead of Iesus Christ or of the Godhead of the holy Ghost And 2. Although Acontius doth acknowledge Christ to be truly the Son of God yet he doth not in his Creed declare him to be the natural Son of God That these points are necessary to be known and believed for the attainment of salvation is in our judgement clearly expressed in the holy Scriptures 1 Joh. 5. 7 20. compared with Joh. 17. 3. We do therefore conceive that Acontius was justly condemned because he maintains that the points of Doctrine which he mentions are the only points which are necessary to be known and beleeved and did not hold forth or mention the points aforesaid as necessary to salvation And we esteeme him to be the more worthy of censure because he lived in an age when the Photinian Heresie was revived and yet spared the Photinians though he condemned the Sabellians Finally Acontius doth cautelously decline the Orthodox expressions of the Ancient Church in the foure first generall Synods and doth deliver his Creed in such general expressions that as we conceive the Socinians may subscribe it and yet retaine the worst of their blasphemous errours The promises being humbly presented we leave it to the judgement of this Reverend Assembly Whether Acontius his Stratagems was a Book fit to be translated into English and recommended to the Parliament Army and City to direct them how to distinguish truth from errour in this juncture of time Upon these few heads of the Report I discoursed somewhat affectiontely and freely according to the weight and moment of the Point in Question And thereupon the reverend Assembly did unanimously desire the Prolocutor to perswade me to print something about that Argument as soone as the heat of our employment at Oxford was over for the satisfaction of the Kingdom I am very willing to obey the Commands of that Assembly famous for learning and piety even to the admiration of those great Schollers whose hearts were once espoused to another Interest If the debates of that Reverend Assembly upon severall Articles of Faith were printed and published to the world all ingenuous enemies of piety would blush at the remembrance of those bitter censures which have been passed upon men of whom this Age is unworthy But I must hasten for my Book begins to swell beyond its just proportion and I am called away to another service which cannot be performed at any other time Acontius hath invented very pretty diversions instead of Excuses to abate our zeale against the most dangerous errours he saith that Hereticks do not intend to make Christ a lyar the controversie between them and us is not concerning the truth but concerning the meaning of the words of Christ. To which I answer that he who beleeves the words of Christ in the sense of Antichrist and rejects the sense of Christ and his Spirit is not a Christian but is indeed and truth Antichristian The sense of Scripture is the Scripture and therefore if men be permitted in these great and weighty Articles to impose a new sense upon the Church of Christ they do clearely impose a new Creed a new Gospell upon us and deserve that Anathema Gal. 1. 8 9. though they should pretend to Apostolical authority or Angelical purity Although we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now againe if any man preach any other Gospell unto you then that you have received let him be accursed Grotius in the daies of his modesty refused to sollicite in the behalfe of the Socinians and professed that he did not know a man in the grand Assembly in Holland that would not pronounce the Socinians accursed The distinguishing question which was then put was the old question Do you beleeve that Christ is God by nature If you do not you are an Arian and if you be an Arian you are no Christian. Acontius reckons up some things as necessary to beleeve which are expressed in Scripture some other things which are necessarily inferred from what is expressed but he doth not reckon up the Godhead of Christ or the holy Ghost in his Catalogue of things that are plainely expressed or necessarily inferred as is most evident by his whole discourse in his third Book which is now in English Finally the Socinians take away
his Father loves them and â—ears good wil to them The Father himself loves you Ioh. 16. 27 and Christ gave himselfe for to deliver us from sin and the World Death and Hell according to the will of God and our Father Gal. 1. 4. And God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth c. II. God the Son is the object of our Faith Ioh. 14 1. Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me even the very Jews did beleeve in God they who are Christians indeed beleeve in Christ also For this end the whole Gospel was written that men might be perswaded to beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God Joh. 20. 31 and that the belief of this grand point is necessary and effectual unto salvation is presently declared in the very same verse that beleeving ye might have life through his Name I0 â—0 31. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life These things have I written to you that beleeve on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of God Ioh. 5. 11 12 13. And if God give us an understanding to know this the knowing of beleeving and living in Iesus Christ the Son of God the true God will be effectuall unto life eternal And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Iesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life 1 Ioh. 5. 20. It is for want of spirituall understanding if we do not discern that all our hopes of salvation are built upon the Sonship Godhead of Iesus we must beleeve in Christ as he is the naturall proper Son of God as he is the true God the self-same God with the Father 1. We must beleeve in Christ as he is the Naturall and Proper Son of God because this is exactly answerable to that deare and fatherly relation of God the Father of which we have discoursed so largely in this chapter For as we are encouraged to beleeve in God as the Father of Christ so are we encouraged to beleeve in Christ as the naturall Son of God and therefore I have purposely insisted on such Scriptures as do evidently demonstrate this truth That we are to beleeve on the name of the Son of God and to have life through his name 1 Joh. 5. 11 12 13 20. Joh. 20. 31. We are to beleeve in Christ as a Mediatour that our faith and hope may be setled in God Who by him do beleeve in God that raised him up from the dead that your Faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet 1. 21. Now the great encouragement to beleeve in Christ as an all-sufficient Mediator is this Iesus Christ is the naturall Son of God and therefore if Christ will but present us to his Father we are confident that the Son of God his natural Son his proper Son his only begotten Son will prevaile with his Father for us his relation to God and his interest in God doth assure us that the intercession of our High-Priest will be irresistible undenyable Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee As he saith also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchise dech Heb. 5. 5 6. We must for the understanding of this Scripture compare three places together Psa. 1â—0 1. 4. Psa. 2. 2 7 8. Heb. 7. 25 28. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand Thou art a Priest Psa. 110. 1. 4. The Lord said Thou art my Son ask of me Psal. 2. 7 8. Aske what thou wilt I can deny thee nothing thou art my Son it is thy birth-right to be a Priest and it is proper for a Priest to aske and intercede Other High-Priests were men of infirmity but the Son who is consecrated and perfected for evermore is able by his powerfull intercession to save those to the uttermost who come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25 28. Nay all the offices of Christ are grounded on his Sonship his kingly power Psal. 2. I have set my King c. Thou art my Son ver 6 7. His Propheticall power is grounded on his Sonship also Mat. 17. 5. And behold a voice out of the cloud which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare ye him I have promised that ye shall be all taught of God and therfore I send my own naturall Son to teach and instruct you he is the great Prophet and Tutor of the Church hear ye him and beleeve in him for he is the true Messiah who is to teach you all things and I haue sent him on purpose for to instruct you And this is the work of God that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent Joh. 6. 29. But enough of this because I have spoken something of it already in the seventh chapter of this book and cleerly proved that Christ could not have gone thorough with any of his divine Offices if he had not been the Natural and Proper Son of God equal to God read Nathaniels Creed Ioh. 1. 4â— and Pauls life of Faith Gal. 2. ver 20. 2. We must beleeve in Christ as God the self-same God with the Father When we know Christ to be God we must glorify him as God by beleeving in him Now I have by many undenyable Arguments proved Christ to be God and therefore I may safely conclude that we ought to beleeve in him as God for cursed is he who beleeves in an arme of flesh When Peter preached to Cornelius he told them that Jesus Christ was Lord of all Act 10. 36. Iudge of all ver 42. And that all the Prophets gave witnesse to him that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins ver 43. I need say no more but this He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son The second Epistle of Iohn the ninth verse Every tongue must confesse that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil 2. 11. The Father is glorifyed in the Son Joh 14. 13. And the Son is to be glorifyed in all them whom the Father hath given him Iohn 17. 10. and Christ is to be glorified by their beleeving in him Joh. 17. 23. And the Father himselfe loves them because they beleeve in the Son Joh. 16. 27. And he who honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father Joh.